Chiang Mai Mayor Stops Working

[caf]

mapguy.

quote .... the next election --- whenever that is to be ?!

er .. um ... fairly soon i think going by the numbers of this sign being put up all over chiang mai during the last week.

get ready for one or two dry days : (

enjoy .... dave2

Yes, the election .. so important for us foreigners here .real relevant..

oh yeh almost forgot,the widening of the roads and then what about the children!!!

so relevant that there are 120 posts on the topic and both you and i are perusing the thread

or is this just "have a go at mapguy time"

[PeaceBlondie]

Chiang Mai has changed a lot in 700 years. Even 20 years. The rising of Shiny Waters beyond Sankamphaeng. A hi-so, titled local lady returns from America with her own earned Ph.D. She gets elected at a far younger age than the older men did, looking twice as good. First lady mayor. Hardly the first thai politician with a lover on the side. Goose, gander. Pot, kettle, black.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Next interview is the spokesperson for the Rak Chiang Mai 51 group (can't give too much away, but it was hard to keep a straight face). Right now there is no official date for the next election so there are no candidates, when there are I will see if any of them want to be interviewed. Cheers for comments. Pim

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Oh and just in case you were interested, over half the interview was verbatim, the ex lady mayor's English is astoundingly good. The rest was my translation.

[gatorhead333]

mapguy.

quote .... the next election --- whenever that is to be ?!

er .. um ... fairly soon i think going by the numbers of this sign being put up all over chiang mai during the last week.

get ready for one or two dry days : (

enjoy .... dave2

Yes, the election .. so important for us foreigners here .real relevant..

oh yeh almost forgot,the widening of the roads and then what about the children!!!

so relevant that there are 120 posts on the topic and both you and i are perusing the thread

or is this just "have a go at mapguy time"

I take great offence being mention in same post as a mudpie.

secondly,should there be a limit to how much ones beats a dead kwai? or maybe just no boundaries in CM being pretty much free range .

Finally, what about the children the little children.... I have posted relevent tid bids but it seems must have been months ago. so beat a dead cow all you want I think the statements are not about the lady that has not been the mayor for a while now but more to CM boredom between dinners.

[caf]

mapguy.

quote .... the next election --- whenever that is to be ?!

er .. um ... fairly soon i think going by the numbers of this sign being put up all over chiang mai during the last week.

get ready for one or two dry days : (

enjoy .... dave2

Yes, the election .. so important for us foreigners here .real relevant..

oh yeh almost forgot,the widening of the roads and then what about the children!!!

so relevant that there are 120 posts on the topic and both you and i are perusing the thread

or is this just "have a go at mapguy time"

I take great offence being mention in same post as a mudpie.

secondly,should there be a limit to how much ones beats a dead kwai? or maybe just no boundaries in CM being pretty much free range .

Finally, what about the children the little children.... I have posted relevent tid bids but it seems must have been months ago. so beat a dead cow all you want I think the statements are not about the lady that has not been the mayor for a while now but more to CM boredom between dinners.

You talk about kwai and cows and it seems free range chickens at one point.; perhaps you should get off your high horse and stop mud-slinging.

The bits in bold I just do not understand. If english is not your first language then I apologise - you are not easy to follow at the best of times.

------

As I said before, but you do not accept:

But that does not mean farang can not make suggestions for interview questions when the ex mayor is interviewed by Citylife next month. She actually encouraged farang participation at her monthly meetings where both thai and farang were present

[caf]

Chiang Mai has changed a lot in 700 years. Even 20 years. The rising of Shiny Waters beyond Sankamphaeng. A hi-so, titled local lady returns from America with her own earned Ph.D. She gets elected at a far younger age than the older men did, looking twice as good. First lady mayor. Hardly the first thai politician with a lover on the side. Goose, gander. Pot, kettle, black.

You and I don't vote

Voters in Chiangmai may well take a different view. Thais are conservative by nature and what may be acceptable in a male politician is seen differently when it is a female.

I'm not saying I disagree with you (though you do gild the lily a bit); but this is Thailand.

[caf]

http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.p...c1f2940d7d8877f

Interview with the ex Lady Mayor. I know it's an old topic, but you may be interested in her answers to some of the above questions.

Just enjoyed reading your piece in Citylife. Her replies show her as a polished politician

Enjoyed the list of 108 local eateries too. Will the new hat start a new fashion in Chiangmai society.

[Puwa]

Good interview, but a correction needed.

From the interview: "I focused on the poor and was pleased to have created the Community Organisation Development Institute which has helped improve the standards of living in 60 out of 86 slum communities."

FYI, the mayor didn't create CODI, which is a well established national organization. I doubt she would claim so. This may be an error of word choice in translation. She probably meant that she had some input to the opening of a CODI office or program in Chiang Mai.

[caf]

Good interview, but a correction needed.

From the interview: "I focused on the poor and was pleased to have created the Community Organisation Development Institute which has helped improve the standards of living in 60 out of 86 slum communities."

FYI, the mayor didn't create CODI, which is a well established national organization. I doubt she would claim so. This may be an error of word choice in translation. She probably meant that she had some input to the opening of a CODI office or program in Chiang Mai.

Correct. But she is a polished politician, as I said. Don't believe everything she said.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Oh dear, sorry about that, that must have been my misunderstading about the CODI. As to the rest, I think it's a bit harsh to say that everything she said is a lie! Based on what fact?

[caf]

I've just re-read the thread and can't see where anyone said that everthing she said was a lie.

[caf]

At least someone interviewed her and she agreed to reply. Albeit in a way all politicians do, the world over.

But of course we do not have here the western style of interviewing politicians where interviewers can be "terrier" like and keep trying to get answers to significant questions.

What came across was that she achieved little. To some extent she explained why.

The dvd and residency issues are red herrings but she dealt with them. The better question might have been "Did you live in Chiangmai?" The answer would then have to have been yes or no. Her name and 700 year connections equally were red herrings.

It seems not the Thai way to be overly critical or to accept that politicians, or anyone else for that matter, should take responsibility and actually openly deal with problems with transparency.

Edited August 12, 2009 by caf

[sassienie]

I'd prefer an even younger gay guy

This is Thailand, perhaps it is a guy, who knows?

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Caf, you are right, you didn't say that everything she said was a lie, you said - don't believe everything she said. I misread it as anything.

[lannarebirth]

Caf, you are right, you didn't say that everything she said was a lie, you said - don't believe everything she said. I misread it as anything.

Anyhow Sao Jiang Mai, I think I detect a slight change in your editorial policy and I wish to congratulate and encourage you. Heretofore you've always stuck to pretty "safe" subjects that would not draw the ire of any native constituencies. Though the questions were pretty tame, this interview and your upcoming Group 51 interview seem to be a step in the right direction in making your periodical more relevant to expats living here and not just tourists.

[Thakkar]

Caf, you are right, you didn't say that everything she said was a lie, you said - don't believe everything she said. I misread it as anything.

Anyhow Sao Jiang Mai, I think I detect a slight change in your editorial policy and I wish to congratulate and encourage you. Heretofore you've always stuck to pretty "safe" subjects that would not draw the ire of any native constituencies. Though the questions were pretty tame, this interview and your upcoming Group 51 interview seem to be a step in the right direction in making your periodical more relevant to expats living here and not just tourists.

I second that. The interview was certainly more frank than anything one's likely to see in The Nation or BKK Post. I was also very impressed with the issue which included a hard-hitting interview with an educator and the issue on various environmental concerns. Citylife is no longer a lightweight periodical and compares well with some of the best I've seen in SE/East Asia both in content, relevance and production quality.

I hope that a Thai version will be forthcoming because I'm sure more locals would be interested. I read somewhere that 80% of the people who live in CM were born here. I believe there are many residents who truly care about the well-being of this city and I believe that Citylife has the potential to be their masthead.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Unfortunately I only graduated M3 in Thai education system so can't be editor of Thai magazine, and therein lies my problem! I am a bit of a control freak with content and it scares the jeebies out of me to have anotehr editor. Also I get away with a lot more in English because government officials don't read it! But thank you for your idea. That having been said, I have been toying with the idea of a Thai mag for a long time. But local politics is scary - remember Khun Amnat of Nothern Daily who was shot and nearly killed for revealing something about a local politician...Not quite that brave I am afraid!

[slapout]

You are doing a good job at what apparently is a vocation you enjoy and know very well. Don't push more buttons than you have digits to monitor/control. Look forward to next months issue.

[Thakkar]

Unfortunately I only graduated M3 in Thai education system so can't be editor of Thai magazine, and therein lies my problem! I am a bit of a control freak with content and it scares the jeebies out of me to have anotehr editor. Also I get away with a lot more in English because government officials don't read it! But thank you for your idea. That having been said, I have been toying with the idea of a Thai mag for a long time. But local politics is scary - remember Khun Amnat of Nothern Daily who was shot and nearly killed for revealing something about a local politician...Not quite that brave I am afraid!

I'd never ask that you put yourself in anyone's crosshairs.

It's always sad when fighting for what's right and fair requires death-defying courage. Many countries have gone through this phase, but many more are still in the process.

I would appreciate reading more interviews with people who are working to improve the environment, city planning, education, and general well-being of the less fortunate residents of the city. I'd also be interested to know more about the major movers and shakers in CM, who they are and what they're doing to improve the city/province.

I think it's important for the media to start (and, very importantly, sustain) discussions on what the problems are and where solutions may lie. At the very least it forces authorities to acknowledge problems. Whether anything gets done depends partly on whether the conversation can be sustained in the public eye.

In the meantime, thanks for a wonderful magazine that gets better every issue.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Roger that, please feel free to PM me if there are any people in particular you want to read about. Good night. P

[WaiWai]

Sao Jiang Mai, I'd like to add my thanks for your work.

I love your constant honesty and the way in which you are able -- and willing to -- express yourself so naturally and so well.

That's a bridge, and a rainbow.

Thank you

[Mapguy]

Unfortunately I only graduated M3 in Thai education system so can't be editor of Thai magazine, and therein lies my problem! I am a bit of a control freak with content and it scares the jeebies out of me to have anotehr editor. Also I get away with a lot more in English because government officials don't read it! But thank you for your idea. That having been said, I have been toying with the idea of a Thai mag for a long time. But local politics is scary - remember Khun Amnat of Nothern Daily who was shot and nearly killed for revealing something about a local politician...Not quite that brave I am afraid!

Your post is a very frank and interesting post. Thank you.

In understand your concern about working with another editor much more than your worry about getting shot. But aren't you being more than a bit melodramatic ?! You don't have to be a paragon of investigative journalism who gets gunned down on the streets of Moscow. Nowhere close! And this is not Moscow anyway!

I think the magazine gets better and better as it matures. Don't underestimate what you can do!

Edited August 13, 2009 by Mapguy

[KevinHunt]

Roger that, please feel free to PM me if there are any people in particular you want to read about. Good night. P

Dear Pim,

    I feel it's my duty to let you know that not all of the people here read such fine publications as yours. I suspect that quite a few are more likely to subscribe to the tabloids, or 'popular press' as some might call it, than the quality papers. With that in mind you should be made aware of the fact that 'Roger' to these folk has a quite different meaning to the one that you intended (I hope). 

     respectfully yours,

       Kevin Hunt

[Loaded]

In understand your concern about working with another editor much more than your worry about getting shot. But aren't you being more than a bit melodramatic ?! You don't have to be a paragon of investigative journalism who gets gunned down on the streets of Moscow. Nowhere close! And this is not Moscow anyway!

Thai papers report the regular murders of Thai journalists. The only reason there are fewer now is that the intimidation has worked. A Thai journalist knows some things cannot be reported.

Mapguy- you could test this though

Write a letter in your name to the current governor of Chiang Mai province and ask him whether it's true he accepts 'gifts' each day from the governor of Mae Sai just to prevent a commercial border crossing opening at Chang Dao in to Burma.

I don't think it's true

Edited August 13, 2009 by Loaded

[caf]

Roger that, please feel free to PM me if there are any people in particular you want to read about. Good night. P

Dear Pim,

I feel it's my duty to let you know that not all of the people here read such fine publications as yours. I suspect that quite a few are more likely to subscribe to the tabloids, or 'popular press' as some might call it, than the quality papers. With that in mind you should be made aware of the fact that 'Roger' to these folk has a quite different meaning to the one that you intended (I hope).

respectfully yours,

Kevin Hunt

Brilliant riposte. You may be called upon to explain more fully - all in the course of duty.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Blush. Thought it was military talk!

[Tywais]

Blush. Thought it was military talk!

Could still be.

[caf]

Blush. Thought it was military talk!

Could still be.

Message received and understood.

Roger and out

Back on topic. The article brought out some interesting points.