The week that was in Thailand news: Are these the winds of change? – maybe just a gentle breeze

[rooster59]

The week that was in Thailand news: Are these the winds of change? – maybe just a gentle breeze

 

 

Despite loving the nation to bits I have never been under any serious misapprehensions about Thailand’s murky underbelly. Ok, so while Rooster occasionally struts out in his rose tinted bifocals, it is really just an antidote to getting overwhelmed by the nasty goings on one sees in the news, especially here on Thaivisa.

Normally, I am a realist, hardened to crackdowns and promises of change for this and that and the other – even if “the other” could never be changed, despite tourism minister Khun Kobgarn’s no more sex promise back in July.

No, from government ministers to police, to social commentators and my mother in law – the national sport of Thailand has always seemed to be to say one thing then do another. Maybe it’s simply human nature though I do feel that the Thais have honed it into a fine skill.

In a bumper week of extraordinary Thai news we saw ample evidence of the ambiguity that at first goes over the head of most visitors, then either beguiles or frustrates depending on individual perceptions.

Top story of the week for me was the raid on Koh Samet. Like most beach resorts it has been controlled by the mafia for decades despite it being a national park these days. Now a new set of park officials – clearly with the backing of top government – are talking tough and promising change.

No, I don’t believe my rosy specs are coming out for this one. I honestly sense that saying one thing and doing the opposite might be held in abeyance in this case. For while we may not see a hurricane of change one would hope there is at least a little breeze in the air putting the wind up those influential figures who would rob the country, manipulate its population and connive with its corrupt authorities to destroy the environment for their own personal gain. Phi Phi, Koh Tao, Samui, Phuket…who knows where next could change if political will is backed up with some honest endeavor.

They could even clean up Pattaya. Alright, I’ll put the specs back in their case.

Another very interesting example of a change in the air happened at what many Thais would say is their true national sport. The governor of Surat Thani walked into a big Muay Thai festival and shut it down on Thursday night. Some 1,200 people were given their money back. Like in Samet soldiers were up front in this raid, the event was, after all, organized by police and politicians. Unsurprisingly, no permission had been granted and clearly the provincial boss felt confident enough to do something that never would have happened years ago.

Thankfully we were spared a continued overdose of road rage this week though the fallout from the “Nott graap my mini” case continued with the smarmy celeb predictably saying he was going to do a spot of meditation, maybe with Jenphop. Khun Sasiwan over at rival Khaosod English said it best when she referred to this as Nott’s “Mission of Contrition”.

You are a woman after Rooster’s own heart Khun Sasi!

Meanwhile hardly helping with the ‘tantrums on the thanons’ was the news that Thailand now has 37 million registered motor vehicles. One of these days someone will come up with a plan to get the public to drive them with a smidgen of courtesy and awareness. But let’s not get into that or we could be here all day.

On the subject of which I would just like to mention forum poster WhizBang who said Rooster was “too long, too rambling” – while the mia noi has never complained about the former I take exception to the latter. You sir, have the attention span of a gnat – I can be rude because he won’t get this far in my round up of the news; Twitter has taught these guys to turn off bewildered after 140 characters.

“El Gordo” came to my rescue with my favorite forum comment of the week, obviously, when he said of yours truly: “Forgive the guy. He was old school when writing was an art and full of imagination”.

I owe you a beverage senor , but do be careful of people who say one thing then do the opposite, they are not always Thai…..

Talking a good game but offering very little were, as usual, the Thai banks. They made it look like Christmas had come early with the scrapping of interprovincial ATM charges until you read the small print. The nano-font revealed it didn’t refer to interbank charges and was only going to last until January 3rd.

The banks were billed as “doing good for the father” but you can put me down as “Completely Unimpressed of Ratchayothin” if that is the best they can do in honor of His Majesty. And, no, you won’t be able to placate me with one of your colorful calendars at New Year. It’ll have to be an umbrella….

There were sensational goings on in Nonthaburi this week. I am not referring to Monday’s “supermoon” by the way.  That really was a spectacular celestial body, not some overweight farang behaving badly baring his butt in Bangkok.

No, I refer to the fallout from the cutting up murder of the Israeli ex-policeman by Shimon and the revelations of the disappearance of the latter’s Thai wife. The son pretended never to have heard of his mum who had raised him for ten years while a “gig” turned up to throw extra spice into an already hot mix of murderous intrigue.

What with the sliced up body in the freezer down in Sukhumvit the other month it seems like the foreigners are really giving the Thais a run for their money in their culinary chopping skills.

Then, talking of arch criminals, who popped back into the pages of Thaivisa but the pasty visage of none other than Lady Kai. The fraudster was released from her irons for a few minutes to burble some nonsense about being innocent of all charges. She is being done first for human trafficking but the “khee” really starts to engage with the “phatlom” this Monday when she will be asked to reply to allegations she pretended to be a princess. Can’t wait for that, especially as the Thai press has really gone to town on Mrs Chicken’s parson’s nose.

And so to this week’s Rooster awards. The “Farang Behaving Badly in the Hours of Daylight” award was jointly awarded to the Swedish drunk yelling something in Finnish and smacking a cop in Samui and the guy in Chiang Mai stealing a 15,000 baht bicycle. Many forum users ignored the pedaling purloiner to question the reporter who called the bike expensive.

Unlike Rooster these moneybag posters clearly don’t shop for their two wheelers with the Thais at Lotus.

The “Thai Behaving Badly in the Hours of Semi Darkness” award goes to the woman who created an SMS (social media storm) by balancing sweetly on the boot of a car. She would be welcome to sit on my trunk anytime though like most people I think doing so going 90 kilometers an hour along Rama 9 might not be setting the best example to today’s impressionable youth.

Even though I was pleased to see at least she wasn’t doing anything dangerous like being on the phone….

The story was originally billed as being a potential ghost but even the Thais are tiring of that angle. The 500 baht fine handed out later in the week will give succor to the forum posters who think everyone except foreigners get the same.

No awards – they don’t deserve anything but Rooster’s revulsion - go to the two step fathers I’d personally like to step on this week. The first was caught on CCTV swiping then stamping on a five year old kid in a school car park because the poor little guy couldn’t count up to ten. While the second monster was lucky not to be lynched after admitting to beating a three year old in his care, drowning him in a toilet then dumping him by the road.

Reading the story having just put my own three year old to bed kind of puts everything into perspective. The wind of change here that I would like to see is far less halving of sentences for admissions.

Several people seemed to die more unnecessarily than usual this week. One man made the mistake of watching the Thai national football team take on Australia. While Rooster nearly succumbs to boredom each time the words Thai and football are combined, this guy actually got over excited as the score got to 2-2. He pegged out from a heart attack while his niece did the wise thing and saved herself by going to have a cold shower.

While in Surat Thani three young people who broke into a farmer’s orchard to steal “krathom” leaves from his trees got a shock, literally – they were electrocuted on a fence he had set up to protect his illicit crop. The farmer faces manslaughter which seems lenient and often makes a mockery of people’s deaths. More like ‘man’s laughter’ than manslaughter.

Finally, and while on the subject of wordplay, I noticed that the World Scrabble Championship for Seniors will be held here starting Wednesday. Apparently the over 55s are coming from far and wide to Bangkok, described intriguingly as “the home of Scrabble”. After the dobbing in of the bridge playing pensioners in Pattaya and the old fogies rounded up for dominoes in the capital, I really fear for the safety of the visiting wordsmiths if there are any police awake next week.

I wonder if you can be arrested for shuffling tiles?

Rooster

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-11-19

[elgordo38]

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

even if “the other” could never be changed, despite tourism minister Khun Kobgarn’s no more sex promise back in July.

I find usually women that are sexually repressed have a tendency to think that others should not enjoy it either. 

[elgordo38]

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

I owe you a beverage senor , but do be careful of people who say one thing then do the opposite, they are not always Thai…..

Thanks for the mention rooster59. Yes one must be careful of people who say one thing and then do the opposite. One example is the Donald conning so many voters and winning the election on plastering them over with comments of promised change. Methinks after 4 hears the plaster promises will be of the same quality of the plaster work here in Thailand. Another good example was Mitt Romney whose brainchild is Bain Capital who was constantly demeaning Trump durng the election campaign but now is shown shaking hands with him being his new BFF. Yes a Leopard can change his spots and birds of a feather stick together. Of course Trump is living by the old adage "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Bain Capital Under Investigation For Tax Avoidance-Romney Denies

[Grubster]

I am not sure I like the crackdown on the mob yet. I won't be going to any beaches that don't have umbrellas to sit under, and merchants to satisfy my every need.  If they plan to do this legally then I'm in.  I think the Blue baht bus service in Pattaya is mob too. That is the best transportation service I have ever seen anywhere.

[farcanell]

The home of scrabble?

you missed an LOS opportunity.

Land Of Scrabble

lol ?

 

[Brer Fox]

2 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

I find usually women that are sexually repressed have a tendency to think that others should not enjoy it either. 

 

As Sigmund Freud once said.....

 

"The sexual life of an adult woman is a "dark continent" for psychology".

 

 

[aslimversgwm]

Usual good read Mr. Rooster sir. Thank you.

My Thai partner and I have been away in Vietnam for nearly 4 weeks so we've missed all the recent 'fun'!

We went to get married at my embassy in Hanoi - unlike our embassy in 'gay-friendly BKK' they have permission from the Vietnamese authorities to carry out SSM's (same sex marriages). Yes I know an embassy is supposed to be that country's sovereign soil but they still need permission to carry out certain things that may not be permitted in the host country.

But would you believe SSM's are also allowed in Moscow and Beijing British embassies? True!

[geisha]

@rooster59, thanks again for a newsy Sunday morning.

@aslimversgwm, congratulations .

@elgordo38, I think your comment could apply to men also, though it's usually down to jealousy, and secondly, I think Khun  Kobgarns was talking about prostitution, so Who do you think is " enjoying" sex in this case ? 

[lvr181]

Good reading thanks.

 

Electrocuted on a fence? Too bad, how sad, never mind. When you are carrying out criminal activities you have given up your rights in society.

[MaxiMaxi]

When some 20 years ago this kind of corruption fight began in my country within Europe, it was the begining of the end.

The economy begun to collapse and unemplyement rose and we arrived to the situation we have now a days...from bad to worse...

Governments can only interfear with the private activities, make complicate laws and difficult life, make fines, and rise taxes on the skin of normal honest people. But the criminality will remain and becomes more strong and clever with nice siute white shirt and tie but politicians will be anyway corrupt and steal our money.....but we will be more poor....

[rawaimike]

well said....... just a light breeze me thinks

 

[zyphodb]

6 hours ago, farcanell said:

The home of scrabble?

you missed an LOS opportunity.

Land Of Scrabble

lol ?

 

 

The Hub of Scrabble surely.......

[TPI]

A good read and honest opinions........how quaint!

[Aussie69]

As always, great round up


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[Wilsonandson]

Usual good read Mr. Rooster sir. Thank you.
My Thai partner and I have been away in Vietnam for nearly 4 weeks so we've missed all the recent 'fun'!
We went to get married at my embassy in Hanoi - unlike our embassy in 'gay-friendly BKK' they have permission from the Vietnamese authorities to carry out SSM's (same sex marriages). Yes I know an embassy is supposed to be that country's sovereign soil but they still need permission to carry out certain things that may not be permitted in the host country.
But would you believe SSM's are also allowed in Moscow and Beijing British embassies? True!

Congratulations! And all the best! Yes it is a shame, something needs to be done about it. Maybe a petition of some sort?