Ghost

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

Ever heard of a country called North Korea? They aren't just suspected of refining low to medium-grade uranium, with the possible intention of stockpiling enough to quickly convert it to highly-refined weapons grade material in the future -- they've already conducted two actual underground tests of their nuclear weapons, and have also tested ICBMs (which so far at least, have failed). Those ARE WMDs, and last time I checked, Thailand is a country in SE Asia, and North Korea is in E Asia.

Although I cannot get into any of the events, I nevertheless encountered Obama today. As I was bringing my kids home from Funarium on the expressway, heading north near the Yommarat exit, the cops halted traffic in both directions to let Obama's motorcade proceed to Government House without any obstruction. I don't know which of the many limousines he was in, as they all have blacked-out window tint, but I know he was there somewhere. Of course, if I'd stepped out of my car to wave, the Secret Service probably would have shot me . . .

The article concludes by saying "Obama will meet Thailand-based American expatriates in the evening at Chulalongkorn University Sport Complex."

Is it safe to assume this will be an invitation-only event for a few wealthy and/or influential US expats, and not open to the general American expat community? Or can we just show up to show our support for and appreciation of our newly re-elected president?

I am 200% sure it's invitation only.

It is by invitation only. For the record, there are two functions. The first, being hosted by the American Embassy is the one at Chula. It is arranged by the Head of Mission at the US Embassy and It is not for wealthy and/or influential US expats. In fact, for the most part, they are not invited at all.It is an internal meeting for embassy personnel. For example, not invited was the American Chamber board of directors,nor senior Peace Corps staff, nor those who worked hard with the Democratic Party in Thailand to get absentee ballots sent. This is completely unlike when President Clinton came to Thailand, which was wide open to the business community (both my wife and I attended).

The second function is being hosted by PM Yingluck. As part of this event, she allotted a certain amount of tickets to the Thai Foreign Ministry. Of course this was primarily for the diplomatic community, but the Thai Foreign Ministry looked ahead and allotted some of their tickets to the American Chamber board of directors.

Now, and I am getting this third hand, but my source is someone I believe, a member of the US Embassy did call a senior member of AMCHAM and offer a ticket to the first event (at Chula) only to be told not to worry, as he got a ticket already from the Thai government.

At the end of the day, this has nothing to do with Pres. Obama, as these functions are arranged by local head of missions (i.e. ambassadors).

Thanks, Old Man River! Yours was pretty much the only responsive and helpful post on this thread. Others just saw it as yet another forum for posting their partisan political drivel.

The article concludes by saying "Obama will meet Thailand-based American expatriates in the evening at Chulalongkorn University Sport Complex."

Is it safe to assume this will be an invitation-only event for a few wealthy and/or influential US expats, and not open to the general American expat community? Or can we just show up to show our support for and appreciation of our newly re-elected president?

My wife, who is Thai, recently gave birth to our first child (a daughter). I applied for and received a US passport for our daughter, and also applied for a US Social Security number. As those who have done it know, there's a lot of paperwork and running around involved -- you have to get the Thai birth records, marriage certificates, etc. translated into English, get the translations certified at the Office of Foreign Affairs on Chaeng Wattana Road, then submit the certified documents to the US Embassy. They issue the passport and an official Consular Record of Birth Abroad, give you an application form for the SSN, and several more documents (certified by consular staff) that have to be sent to the US Social Security office in the Philippines.

After I did all that, I seemingly received nothing from Manila. I recently commented to my wife that it seemed like it was taking a long time for the SSN to come back. She said, "Oh, it came last month -- I saw an official-looking envelope from the Philippines in the mail. Didn't YOU see it?" An exhaustive search of the house turned up nothing. It appears that either my parents-in-law (who live with us and bring in the mail since they are home in the daytime) or, more likely, the housekeeper, didn't recognize it as important (it was in English, after all) and threw it away without my ever knowing it had come.

I feel like weeping at the thought of starting the documentary certification and application process over again. Furthermore, having already issued a SSN to my daughter, I doubt the SS office would issue another one. Anybody out there know what I should do? If I contact the SS office in Manila, can they send me a new package (including SS card) to replace the lost one?

Many thanks.

That rhetoric sure sounds like a military government to me. Could we be looking at another Burma? I have said in other posts that this is the first time in all the years I have lived here that I have been worried. The military throws out the constitution and deposes the democratically elected leader. I for one do not take this lightly.

Well, we've got a long way to go until we reach Burmese status. The CNS isn't keeping political prisoners under house arrest (yet) or conducting any military campaigns of ethnic cleansing against the hill tribes, the country still welcomes foreign visitors (but is making resident visas tougher to get) and welcomes foreign business investment -- whoops, cancel that last one.

What's bothered me most lately wasn't the way they occasionally pull the plug on TV media covering stories they don't like, it was the coverup of the bomb at Major Cineplex Ratchayothin. I live on a nearby soi, go to the gym and the cinema there, and sometimes eat there. Right after the bombings, I saw a post on this website listing Major as one of the locations where bombs exploded on NYE. But after I never heard anything about it in the news or saw it included on the list of bomb sites in the paper, I concluded that early post must have been wrong, based on rumor or word of mouth. I even had dinner at Major two days after the bombings.

Well! Turns out this website and its members were right and in the know (good work, people) and the media were wrong. There WAS a bomb at Major, but the owner of Major (not quite as rich as Taxhim, but still one of the wealthiest folks in Thailand) "persuaded" the police not to report it so he wouldn't lose business (no doubt a small monetary incentive was included in the "persuasion"). Days later, when the PM finally admitted that there were 9 bombs, not 8, he still wouldn't say where the 9th one occurred, saying only that it went off at an "undisclosed location." It's pretty good proof that money talks in the LOS when even the new, supposedly less corrupt PM will engage in a coverup to help out a wealthy friend . . . The news that the bomb went off at Major only made it to the public (for me, via the Bangkok Post) because "anonymous sources" within the police department leaked the information. Probably because they didn't get a share of the bribe . . .

After extensive posting and research last year, I went and watched my beloved Longhorns beat Matt Whineart and his Trojans at Bourbon Street. There were about 20 of us there total, evenly divided between Texas and USC fans, and everyone seemed to get along pretty well and have a good time. It also doesn't hurt that Bourbon Street has the best American breakfast in town. Chicken fried steak and eggs followed by bloody marys and your team winning the Rose Bowl - what could possibly go wrong?

And where is Bourbon Street (the one in BKK, not the one in New Orleans ) . . .

Camerata:

Very helpful detailed information here. Thanks much for compiling and posting it!

One question: your posts are from the perspective of an expat businessman. What about a university professor married to a Thai citizen? I'm a full-time faculty member at Assumption U. (ABAC), teaching law, history and English. Given the respect (usually) accorded to ajaan in Thailand, will teaching Thai university students be viewed as a "contribution to society"?

Ghost

Since it will start at something like 4:00 AM here, I doubt anywhere would be open.

Maybe a replay the next day...

TH

Yeah, I was hoping it would be an evening game in the US, so it would be on in the morning here. But I looked it up, and it's a 3:45 pm EST kickoff, which means it will start at 3:45 am here. So I guess it's hopeless unless there are any all-night sports bars . . .

I'm a big fan of American college football, and want to see the Michigan v. Ohio State game this weekend (I'm from Michigan, and it matches the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked college teams in the country). Does anybody know a place in Bangkok that will be showing the game on TV? I can't get it on UBC True cable . . . they mostly just show English League football (i.e., soccer). Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Ghost