Sunbelt Asia

To be fair, if you read the Nation article, they took the current government more to task (3 graphs) than Thaksin (1 paragraph). And, in this case it's true. Just look at how Thaksin cowed the Bangkok Post over its BKK airport story and then went about suing any and everyone who published anything negative.

The point of the story is that both sides are to blame and that the media has to stop taking sides and find its own way again.

With foreign tourists increasingly scared to visit Thailand due to bloody protests by red-shirted anti-government demonstrators in Bangkok, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking to the domestic market to prop up Pattaya’s tourism industry.

TAT Pattaya Director Niti Kongkrut asked the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association at its April 28 meeting to particpate in TAT “road shows” it has planned for southern and eastern parts of the country this month and next.

“While Pattaya has not been directly affected by the riots, the real problem is that the entire world is thinking Thailand is dangerous,” association Vice-President Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn said. “Many tour groups form China and Hong Kong have already canceled and the end of high season also brings an end to European holidays. This clearly has resulted in fewer tourists in Pattaya.”

Kongkrut said TAT will market Pattaya to southern Thais this month and those in the east in June. The agency is hopeful it will generate new business for the city.

Sunbelt Asia Information Service

While the press is often scorned and made the butt of jokes, it’s also taken for granted by most in the world. But in many countries – including Thailand – the concept of a “free press” is either completely unknown or only partially true.

Each year on May 3 UNESCO marks “World Press Freedom Day,” an occasion to look at how the media is faring in nations big and small and bring to light the many perils journalists face in keeping the public informed.

Many of the issues UNESCO highlights deal with “freedom of information,” the right of the people to know what their governments are doing. With so much of the news going online these days, however, new issues about Internet censorship by governments and distinctions between conventional journalists from casual bloggers have become hot-button topics.

For the first time, the number of online journalists in prison has almost matched the number of jailed print and broadcast journalists, according to the Center for International Media Assistance.

“The battle for press freedom has moved online,” said Robert Mahoney, an international journalist and deputy director of the Committee to Protect Journalists. In its 2009 prison census, CPJ found that at least 68 bloggers, Web-based reporters and online editors are under arrest worldwide, constituting about half of all journalists now in jail, he said.

Press and Internet freedom, of course, have been contentious issues in Thailand, whose record on press freedom continues to decline.

A Freedom House “Global Press Freedom 2010” survey placed Thailand at 124th out of 192 globally, tied with the Seychelles and behind such places as Kuwait, East Timor, Ukraine and Uganda. It Asia, Thailand ranks 27th out of 40 countries.

“Thai press freedom used to be for decades the model in Southeast Asia,” The Nation newspaper opines in today’s edition. The editorial blames both the hostile policies of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the current government’s “one-sided” approach to limiting anti-government information and opinion for the decline of the country’s press.

“The continuing political crisis has attracted the best and worst in Thai journalists. Most have taken sides in the existing political polarization - sometimes out of necessity and sometimes out of sympathy. Whatever it is, the Thai media community has been under attack from all concerned parties, especially the government and the public.

“Thai media communities need to further improve their professionalism through better understanding of societal and political developments,” the paper continued. “They need new ways of writing and analyzing the current state of Thai society. So far, they have failed because they tend to see their own country through their distorted lenses.

“Without a rejuvenated Thai media, its freedom will be under constant threat again because whatever it writes will be viewed with hostility.”

Here's a great offer, if you don't mind getting what will soon be an outdated edition.

Travel website Travelfish.org is giving away Acrobat PDF versions of all their Southeast Asia travel guides. You do have to register to get them, but all you need is an e-mail address.

The guides cover the entire region, but Thailand is well-represented with books on Phi Phi, Koh Tao, Phuket and Kanchanaburi. Also popular will be the guides for Siam Reap/Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Vientiane, Laos.

The downloads are available through July 31. After that, Travelfish will be bringing out new version.

Get them here: http://www.travelfish.org/ebooks

Looking for a list of the various free Thai-learning resources out there? Catherine Wenthworth, creator of the Women Learn Thai blog, has created what she calls "the mother of all free Thai resources."

Promised to be updated weekly, her master list is huge, and covers everything from free online courses and "cheat sheets" to Google books and bilingual dictionaries to video, audio and music.

There's also listings of language-learning forum and places to meet others for language-exchange sessions.

There's actually quite a bit more there including software, downloads and pointers on which Thai-learning blogs are no longer being updated.

You can find her listing at:

http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/resources/learning-thai/

Question posted earlier about your favorite coffee made me think of the many brands/chains of coffee shops that have been popping up. So, for you java lovers out there, what's your favorite coffee shop? Sure, Starbucks may be the choice for many people, but I'm betting some others think the coffee is better elsewhere or maybe just as good but cheaper than Starbucks.

What you think?

The rates from Thailand to the UK really have gone crazy. Mate just booked for 1,100 pounds while another paid around 1,000.

Do know a person arriving at the end of the month who is booked on Kingfisher so I'll get a review from them and post it.

The easiest way to wipe the iPod is to click the RESTORE button on the main page that appears when you plug in your iPod.

Also be sure, at the bottom of the page, "Manage Music Manually" is NOT checked.

Then, on the MUSIC tab, you must be sure you have clicked the "Sync Music" checkbox at the top of the page.

If you have more than 80 GB of music, you will need to choose playlists of music to sync. Otherwise you can choose to sync your entire library.

Apple's web page and the HELP section of iTunes cover syncing and restoring quite thoroughly, by the way.

Anti-Virus protection on mobile phones, especially S60, is generally not needed. Waste of money. There's been only one Symbian worm of note in the past two years and it was never found in the wild. Unless you are doing the same things that will get you into virus trouble on a PC -- opening e-mail attachments from people you don't know or accepting files via Bluetooth from those you don't know -- then you're not at risk.

I'm not an expert, but I'd imagine the only real phone platform with any virus risk is the Microsoft or Apple platforms. There have been several well-publicized exploits for the iPhone, but S60 is pretty rock solid.

oday is the first day of the YES Academy Gala Concert. See jazz and orchestra performances by talented Thai students at the Rangsit University Auditorium today.

YES Academy, or Youth Excellence on Stage, is a free week-long music and performing arts workshop for students from all over Thailand to participate and strengthen their skills in dance, theater and music. The program is a joint effort between U.S. Embassy Media and Cultural Affairs Section and American Voices, an America music and culture association. This concert is a chance for the students to show what they have learned in the workshop.

For more information about YES, check out http://www.yesth.com

The crane came crashing down onto the Miami hotel.

How long has HD broadcasting been going on in the west? I've got a new HD TV, but will certainly wait until there's more than 2 channels for 490 baht a month to watch.

The advice here is very sound: Stay away from the demonstration areas and you will be fine. And remember there's more to Thailand than just Bangkok. Other areas of the country, even as close at Pattaya, are peaceful and unaffected.

Come to Thailand and enjoy a great holiday.

There's an excellent printer on 3rd Road in North Pattaya near Lukdod. They do printing for Sophon Cable and many other big firms. Good quality.

City and U-Tapao Pattaya International Airport officials will try to get their plans for direct flights to Luang Prabang in Laos off the ground with a special charter this month.

Area political and business leaders will take a 60-seat aircraft owned by U-Tapao ground handling agent Swift Aviation on a two-day junket to the UNESCO World Heritage Site May 22. Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh, Rear Adm. Surapong Aiyasanon, U-Tapao’s deputy director, Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya Director Niti Kongkrut, Pattaya Business & Tourism Association President Jamroon Vitsavachaipan and others will return May 24.

City leaders desperate for new tourists in the face of Thailand’s political upheaval and airport officials looking to justify the 900 million baht expansion of the Royal Thai Navy-run facility say a new route to Luang Prabang, the seat of government for the former Kingdom of Laos before the 1975 communist takeover, would be a great way to generate new business and exchange cultures.

Luang Prabang is located 425 km north of Vientiane at the junction of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. Home to just 103,000 people and boasting only four main roads, the town nonetheless is becoming become a popular stop on the Southeast Asian backpacker circuit as well as with Chinese tourists.

The city’s airport already offers direct service to Siam Reap in Cambodia; Hanoi, Vietnam; Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Exports of automobiles and automotive parts are expected to increase 12 percent year-on-year as international investors continue to pour money into Thai manufacturing operations, the director of the Industrial Promotion Center in Chonburi told a Manufacturing Expo 2010 seminar audience.

Kitipan Panithaporn told the April 22 gathering at the Eastern Grand Palace Hotel in Chonburi that with markets in Asia, Australia and the Middle East now recovering, more companies are looking to Thailand to set up or invest in car-manufacturing plants.

He warned, however, that those looking to get into Thai market to realize they’re not alone and to make considerations for increased competition.

“State and private agencies should cooperate to promote Thai industrial development as our aim is to be in the Top 10 for exports of autos and parts,” he said.

Hopefuls for this year’s Miss Tiffany Universe transvestite pageant title will have to pass muster with an experienced panel of beauty experts if they hope to make it to final round of the May 7 contest.

Preliminary judging runs from May 3-6 at the Tiffany Theatre with judges stressing a theme of “reality” in entertainment and fashion. This year’s panel is comprised of Assistant Professor Saree Wongmontha, Miss Tiffany Universe 2004 Treechada Malyaporn, pageant Chairwoman Alisa Pansak and Darin Somsuwan, spokesperson for Asoke Skin Hospital.

Contestants will be graded on skin quality, the ability to project self confidence, sitting, standing and walking.

Thailand’s most celebrated ladyboys will then compete for the title of the 13th Miss Tiffany Universe in a two-hour final telecast live from the theater at 11 p.m. on Channel 7.

Bizarrely, I looked at the Dollar - Baht rate today and it is EXACTLY what it was on March 16 (the last time I updated the particular spreadsheet I was in.)

0 movement in 6 weeks. Pretty amazing.

On Firefox CTRL (command on Mac) + 0 resets font sizes quickly.

I had one of those "whoa" moments a few days ago in Laos. Wasn't paying much attention to the highway (I wasn't driving) and then it dawned on me we were driving on the right, not left, and the steering wheel was on the left, not right.

With so much in Laos the same as Thailand, I found it interesting they drive on the "right" side of the road

There are many web-based services for sending text messages. Many of them are, in fact, free, such as http://www.text4free.net/.

Good "Free SMS" and you'll get plenty of ideas.

That's an awfully LONG drive. Why not simply fly from U-Tapao near Pattaya to Phuket? Easy and close. Very convenient.

Break out the maracas and celebrate! It's Cinco de Mayo again, when people around the world mark the Mexican Army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Sunrise Tacos is celebrating Cinco de Mayo all month with this special promotion: Buy two cold Corona beers at 149 baht each and get one free Corona through May 31.

If that wasn’t enough, on Cinco de Mayo itself – May 5 -- your souvenir Giant Margarita 800 ml glass is yours to keep when you fill it with Frosty Fruit Freeze of Lime, Mango or Strawberry for 199 baht. (All fruits freezes are 100 percent fruit, not syrup.)

Want to turn your Giant Frosty Freeze into a XXX Gold Siglo Treinta Margarita? Sunrise will add three shots of XXX Gold Siglo Treinta Tequila and a shot of premium Triple Sec for free to your Giant Glass May 5. This giant glass, once filled, is equivalent to almost a pitcher of margarita and its just 199 baht!

Not so thirsty? Get a 300 ml margarita with XXX Gold Tequila for 79 baht.

Sunrise Tacos will also have plenty of delicious food – tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and more –for hungry revelers. Try our new recipes from Mexican chef from Mexico City and the United States. Rest assured Chef Abel always uses all premium ingredients.

Enjoy Endless Enchiladas: all the hot, freshly-made hand-rolled enchiladas you can handle for 200 baht. Choose hand-pulled chicken, seasoned ground sirloin or potato and corn. We'll keep bringing out more of them until you cry "No mas. I’m full!"

Or try Taco Rice and Cheese. Inspired by the people of Japan and the U.S. Marines, this tasty dish features seasoned ground sirloin smothered with melted cheese and topped with lettuce and fresh tomato salsa. Wait until you try our version for just 100 baht. We bet you’ll fall in love all over again!

Still hungry? How about Street-Style Tacos. They’re three corn tortillas served open-faced with choice of grilled chicken or carnitas (roasted pork), chopped onion and cilantro. Served with tomatillo salsa. Just 150 baht.

These promotions are being offered at the 24-hour Sunrise Tacos branch on Sukhumvit Road between sois 12 and 14 and at the Sunrise Tacos Emporium Mall branch on the fifth floor of the Park Food Hall located near Mos Burger and Swensen's.

Mexican food is a huge part of celebrating Cinco de Mayo, so be sure to come out and celebrate with us at one of our biggest fiestas of the year! Rattle and roll those maracas baby!

http://www.SunriseTacos.com

Hello Myauq,

This is the current list of required documents for a Non-Immigrant "B" visa:

1. Petition Forms

2. Copy of Passport of the Applicant

3. Acceptance Letter for the intake of a foreigner into workplace (must follow the format of the Immigration Bureau).

4. Copy of Working permit

5. Copies of Company registration documents i.e. Company’s Affidavit and etc. Such document shall not be issued for no longer than 6 months.

6. Copies of the current shareholders list (issued by the registrar for no longer than 6 months).

7. Copies of the latest annual audit

8. Copies of the company’s latest withholding tax illustrating the list of all employees and the names of all foreigners

9. Copies of the foreigner’s income tax submitted annually attaching a receipt (if any)

10. Copies of the latest payment on social funds submitted to the Social Security Office (Sor Por Sor 1-10)

11. Documents or relevant supporting documents illustrating the importance of the foreigner to the company i.e. Job Advertisement looking for Thai applicants but no Thai interested etc.

12. Map showing the office and workplace of the applicant.

13. Other documents which the Investigation Committee may require.

14. Businesses established in accordance to Point (8) do not have to show documents listed in 6,7, and 11

If you have questions or require more assistance, please be sure to see our website at

http://www.sunbeltlegaladvisors.com/Thaila...siness-Visa.php

or drop us a line or call.

Hi there,

In order to obtain a VAT refund you must purchase goods from companies that participate in the VAT Refund program. Not all do. For example, if you purchase an SLR from Big Camera, they will have you complete a form on which you enter your passport information. They stamp it and you present this form at the Customs office at the airport.

The process takes only about 10-15 minutes. Obviously it can take longer if there's a long line.