The week that was in Thailand news - 3 April

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The week that was in Thailand news - 3 April

The soap opera that is Thai life by Gerry Carter

It is often said that a society mirrors its media and television. Well, this week in particular it was often hard to tell where reality began and the familiar life of the TV soaps began.

And as if a series of bizarre stories was not enough to blur the distinction between the two, Friday was also April 1st. It was even unclear this week as to who were the sane and who were the true fools and I speak from experience!

Top of the nuts this week had to be the soap star herself who, being how can we say a little challenged by the scales, sprawled herself provocatively over a downtown Bangkok billboard screaming for a husband.

The star even included some English so perhaps a foreigner, or at least someone who couldn't read the rather direct vernacular, was acceptable. Friends on Facebook assured a baying public that Pui was indeed a virgin but really gave more detail than was really necessary. Well soaps in a nutshell I guess.

Those who rushed to the Nawamin - Kaset road to get a look in realtime, and police reported no traffic jams in the area, were disappointed as the spoilsport local authority quickly removed the offending flesh laden ad that affronted public morals. Rather like at the continuing sex show...I mean motor show.

At least that particular soap has died down with the pretties perhaps preferring to avoid fines and public exposure though that would seem to be the ulterior motive of Pui according to cynics.

The billboard followed the previous week's antics of the farang vandal in Pattaya who drew a love message on a downtown soi much to the mirth of locals. But his "Ann im love you come back for me" left locals having to clean the road and sticklers for good punctuation and even a semblance of meaning shaking their heads even if it was true love.

Yes, Pui had better spelling,if not sense, the latter another commodity in short supply with the advertising moguls at Tesco Lotus. Their ad with a rather comely maid dropping a bag of crisps into the hiso boss's lap and getting a slap for her trouble caused a lot of national soul searching about domestic violence and stereotypes.

Foreign news media even picked up on the concerns suggesting that new rules are due to be discussed in the Kingdom relating to what is shown on television and in the media especially in terms of violence against women.

With the horrific story of the Ramkhamhaeng bodybuilder, who used to beef up for the Thai national team, torturing and imprisoning his girlfriend the theme indeed had some ghastly relevance though the thug's arrest in Chiang Rai while attempting to flee was welcome news. It begged the question, however, as to how many women had suffered at his hands before.

A survey on video showed that many crimes against women go unreported and indeed the on-air antics discourage reporting and even promote the idea especially amongst many impressionable Thai men (otherwise known as children) that a good slap is all she needs and she will give in if you force her nicely enough.

But an attack in Sri Nakharin was not so physical, in fact done with a can of black spray paint. A young woman alleged that the rather rude words emblazoned on her car while she was shopping did not refer to her. As well she might given the names she was called and the bits of men's anatomy she was supposedly begging for.

The victim seemingly of mistaken identity, she sought the help and solace in the privacy of millions of Facebook friends advertising to all and sundry that she did not want to be associated with all this....mmmmm.

At least the car could be cleaned, the billboard taken down, and the Tesco ad taken off the air. More than could be reversed for the murders and crime of the week such as the girl found a by sniffing dog in Rayong, the mystery of the French diving instructor who went to buy something before being found bloodied in a banana plantation and the "Mr Big" with the demon tattooed eyebrows who swiped at a man on a bike whacking his five year old daughter in the head with a sword instead. Ugly stuff that television scriptwriters wouldn't even inflict on an unsuspecting public.

Meanwhile two of the longest running real life soaps continued to captivate. An inquiry no less, was announced into how the Red Bull heir got off and the Thais, if not the foreign community, drooled over the latest in the spicy saga of the chilli sauce family millions. Influence and money, the staples of the masses.

Whilst naturally both cases will doubtless follow the soap opera formulae by having completely predictable outcomes.

Talking of which comes the yearly crackdown on bad driving at Songkran. You can set your watch by that one and the predictability that, following the inevitable appalling carnage, that authorities will deem the crackdown a great success, drinks all round.

And so to Friday April 1st the day when journalists worldwide have a little more fun than normal, but one for me that seemed to smudge the lines of fact and fiction to an even greater degree than normal. I mean planes landing on the Don Muang tollway to save money rather than build a new runway did seem like a reasonable notion and many TV posters appeared at least to back up the idea.

Though the spokesman, a Mr Lorlen Wantheeneungmesa, was confirmation, if any were needed, for those who know a little Thai. Indeed such was the cynicism of the TV posters that some even doubted the veracity of the kind drinks seller who helped change the tyre of some tourists down South in the blazing heat forgoing his cart and making a living for two hours of nut loosening fun....

Thai-ness reigned supreme and 'naam jai' (the Thai word for kindness and consideration) referred to the help he gave rather than the drinks he didn't sell.

Such kindness on show this week; even the taxi driver who charged the Swiss guys 6,000 baht to get from Swampy to Sathorn gave back 5,400 when it was pointed out that it was a bit steep. How can you get more public spirited than that?

Finally, and after having my tongue surgically extracted from my cheek, came the story of the maid who applied for a job. Ok, she was drop dead gorgeous and perhaps should reject most of the largely creepy 4,000 offers she had. But hey, if you advertise on the internet you are kind of asking for trouble.

For me, though, the real tragedy of the soapy stories this week is I am still unsure whether I have been scammed or not.

-- 2016-04-03