An awful lot of Pad Thai

To those who say Thai people are all skinny and Thai food is healthy:

It is easy to become desensitised to just how big people can be given the number of TVs shows and documentaries that cover fat people.

She is big, but let's face it, in America they cut people out of their homes...which is far more dramatic. Relative to Thailand, however, this is fairly remarkable and has made a fair amount of news.

My favourite part:

The governor was on hand to wish Umnuayporn well and paid tribute to the patient's state of mind.

Earn $1 million in a day in Thailand, Kanye-style

Cost of living is one of the most attractive reasons for living in Thailand - many expats live comfortably on little more than 40,000 baht (roughly $1,000 dollars or £700) a month.

The cost of living is music to the ears of serials visitors in Thailand, who find their hard earned money going further than they could ever imagine here in LOS.

For resident expats, however, the low cost of living in the country is tempered by wages which are comparatively lower than at home. But spare a thought for native Thais, many of whom are lucky to earn more than 10,00 baht (circa $300 or £180) in a month - making the cost living far from low.

One man who had no problems making ends meet in Thailand recently is rapper Kanye West who, according to the Phuket Insider, made a million dollars (or 33,150,324.64 baht) in just one day thanks to a private gig in Phuket, Thailand.

Stacking up the baht, Kanye West

Last week West performed at the wedding of a wealthy Indian business man who, having already booked out the entire Banyan Tree hotel in Phuket, paid more than US$1 million for a one hour performance from the star.

West didn't hang around and flew straight out of the country having only arrived earlier that day.

Kanye West is a millionaire which makes the idea of him flying halfway round the world just to simply add another load of sixes to his bank account bizarre. Until, that is, you consider his ego and desire to succeed.

Still, the irony of a superstar earning such a staggering amount of money in a country with huge areas of poverty and struggling is not lost on me.

Kanye, imma let you finish but...if you need some help spending the cash you know where I am.

Image via Scrape TV News

That Man and That Article

Note: I've waited a while before posting as other bloggers' posts has drawn a line of acceptability for reporting this news.

That said, the goverment has blocked certain links to the article in question, as well as threatening legal action on anyone reporting it, so you will find no outgoing links here.

If you wish to read the article, please Google for it yourself, at your own risk.

Here's to freedom of speech.

Thaksin Shinawatra's interview with The Times has been talk of Thailand with blogs, Twitter and the web in general abuzz with discussion of the fall-out from the piece.

The article is likely to bring charges of lese majeste, a law which prevents criticism of the monarchy, brought against the exiled former Prime Minister who was already in the news for accepting an economic advisor position with Thailand's hostile neighbour Cambodia.

From reviewing both the article and the full interview (in fact an "edited transcript") the article's headline appears to be the primary offending element.

There is also likely to be controversy over the suggestion that Thaksin endorses reform of the monarchy and the fact that he openly talks about the King's death - despite both topics having validity and relevance to the future of Thailand.

Referring to the transcript, however, it is clear that the headline and many quotes attributed to Thaksin have been taken out of context and are not reflective of the entire interview.

At no point is Thaksin critical of the King or the Thai monarchy.

Instead, he criticises the "royal institution" - advisers and consorts who work with, and around, the monarchy.

Yet he is likely to fall foul of the law.

There are two schools of thought.

From a Western perspective it is crazy that one headline can be responsible for this level of chaos. Particularly when it is clear Thaksin has gone to great and careful lengths to voice support for the monarchy (regardless of whether it is believed it or not) and brought up the very relevant issue of succession and modernisation of the monarchy.

The headline used for the article does not fit with the context of the interview. It is deliberately controversial to stoke interest in the story/newspaper/journalist (successfully achieved) though, as Asia Editor, Lloyd Parry would have been aware of lese majeste laws in Thailand and the impact the story/headline could have.

Should the article have carried a more suitable, less controversial, headline in line with the gist of the interview?

Another perspective, accepting (but not agreeing with) the workings of the media and laws in Thailand, is to criticise Thaksin's naivety for openly discussing contentious and controversial issues with a foreign journalist.

Foreign media do not adhere to the local rules and specifics of the Thai press, they have no allegiance and will publish content regardless of any waves subsequently generated in Thailand.

Either way lese majeste charges, which carry a maximum 15 year prison sentence, are likely to have little impact on a man already in exile (the fate of some lese majeste authors) from existing criminal charges.

The danger for Thaksin is that his comments, unlikely to affect ardent Red Shirts, may turn sympathisers of his cause against him.

On the other, as one leading blogger argued yesterday, with Thai translations of the article circulating across the country, many of the natives will read Thaksin's open and honest comments.

In a land where discussion of certain subjects is taboo, Thaksin's comments on controversial but increasingly pressing matters, which his foes cannot discuss, is unlikely to win supporters but it may help him begin to re-establish his credibility.

Then again, this is Thailand, anything could happen next.

There are a host of bloggers whose takes on this development are interesting - worth digging around for as I won't publish links.

UK politics heats up

Thai politics is a subject I've written about partly because, as a politics graduate living in Thailand, it is of natural interest and, secondly, it's quite a unique and interesting system.

For once though, I find UK politics to be a little more interesting (probably because I'm currently in London) - of particular interest is the coming appearance of the far-right British National (BNP) leader Nick Griffin on leading political show Question Time

Griffin's appearance on the show tomorrow (Thursday) evening has certainly ignited a few arguments with many calling for him to be barred from the show. Griffin himself, no stranger to absurd lines (for example Churchill would have been a BNP member), has claimed the publicity as a major boost, even saying thank you to the BBC for the opportunity.

The appearance certainly raises an interesting issue.

In the UK, more than Thailand (which sits 130th on the World Free Press index), there is universal freedom of speech .

However should this extent to the leader of a racist, fascist party whose appearance on a respected program may make his party all the more credible?

Many have argued that BNP views are such that the party is likely to be shown for exactly what it is on live TV, suggesting Griffin's self-proclaimed boost in the spotlight will ultimately be his downfall.

I agree with this line of thought although there is no doubting that, for the BNP's cause, "any news is good news".

The BNP may get a membership spike but it is likely to lose what little mainstream credibility it has and the new members, with such extreme views, would have joined regardless of Griffin's spot on Question Time, which will hasten their arrival rather than cause it.

The show is likely to receive higher than usual viewing figures and I'll be one watching as British politics will rival the craziness of Thailand - just for a night and no longer, we hope.

Photo credit BBC

Tragedy in Saraburi

This weekend has been a sombre one as we have mourned the tragic and senseless death of a family friend killed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Although I didn't know him well Khun Arom was well know to my in-laws, and most of town, as both a local politician and the owner of White Room, a restaurant-cum-bars in the city where my sister-in-law once worked.

Below is the news taken from this Bangkok Post article, one of media outlets to have covered it.

Five people - including two local politicians - have been killed in a shooting spree at a house in Saraburi.

Chawalit Thipsawet and Arom Udomsan, local politicians in Muang Saraburi municipality, were among the five bodies found in the single storey house located in a 10-rai compound in tambon Phukhae, Chalerm Prakiat district.

What the article doesn't state is some of victims were gunned down as they slept. Utter cowardice.

So who did this awful crime?

The murderer is, at this stage unknown. Media report across Thailand, in both English and Thai, have suggested the attack came after a Friday night out but the local perspective is somewhat different.

From what I've heard, a number of army officers that regularly visit the bar had racked up a sizeable tab. During one visit, a few weeks ago, the officers were confronted about the debt and, upon refusing to settle it, fighting ensued with several officers hospitalised from their injuries.

There is speculation that the murders were revenge for the events of that evening.

Many are quick to blame the army although it remains to be seen exactly what did happen.

I sincerely hope the culprit is caught and brought to justice quickly. There is absolutely no justification for killing five men is cold blood.

It's hard to believe that in a country known as 'The Land of Smiles', where Buddhism preaches tolerance and patience, there are individuals with such callous disregard for human life.

Online advertising's UK milestone

Yesterday was a big day in the history of the web.

Findings from a PWC report for the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) found that online advertising spend in the UK had overtaken TV advertising spend for the first time.

Online has long been heralded as the future for, well, pretty much everything, advertising included. The online ad industry has been growingly steadily though many will be shocked that the balance of spending has tipped so quickly, and without warning, in the UK.

Economic conditions have undoubtedly played a part in hastening this event. The smaller, customisable nature of online advertising allows advertisers to stretch their budget further and be more targeted in their outreach of customers.

For example. The budget for one TV advert can be spread across a number of websites, to target either one specific demographic (for example mothers, by targeting baby and shopping websites). Whereas a TV ad will run to a limited schedule, perhaps twice an evening, or once a day, the online ad is permanent.

Online ad networks are pushing advertisers online too.

Using ad networks, companies can rotate their advert across a series of websites that cater to a particular audience demographic. Sophisticated networks can even recognise a visitor, see that he/she has read the advert already and instead provide an alternative ad to maintain their interest. This has given ad networks the opportunity to produce "serial" adverts, which run like a story (particularly effective when using video).

This news is a message that online is beginning to fulfill its potential in the West. As for Thailand, online advertising's share of the total revenue spent on advertising remains around 1.5%.

Thailand can blame a number of issues - including lack of widespread broadband, lack of widespread 3G, less mature consumer habits, language barrier issues, et al - but the fact remains that the day online overtakes TV ad spend is a far, far off...*if* it ever happens, that is.

Bryan Robson set to coach Thailand

The BBC reports that former England captain Bryan Robson has "agreed in principle" to become the next manager of Thailand's national football team.

Robson would, of course, replace Peter Reid, a former England team-mate of his, who left the position to return to English football as assistant manager of Premiership side Stoke City.

Robson is an interesting choice from the Thai FA. His seven year spell in charge of Middlesbrough, which ended 2001, remains the stand-out achievement on his management CV.

Robson showed initial management potential at Boro, though the close of his time saw fans turn against him with doubts over his tactics, style of play and transfer policy.

Robson did save West Brom from relegation 2004-2005, a feat that makes him the only manager to save a team bottom of the league at Christmas from relegation, though circumstance played a major part as final game results lifted Boro from bottom place to safety.

Though I don't rate Robson as a manager, his management career hasn't hit the heights of his glittering playing career, many of his former charges rate him as an excellent coach. Perhaps then Robbo, and his practical skills, are better suited to the demands of international football..

Only time will tell, but I'd like to be the first to say 'Sawasdee Krup, Robbo'.

Just another day of news as 16 year old is burnt to death

Living in Thailand can make one immune to some shocking news stories.

Atrocities, bribery, gang wars, government coups, police brutality and more, the news in Thailand regularly produces the type of news that would hold the attention of the press. Yet here, tragic news is often just another tragic story.

Take for example this story from The Nation, a newspaper which I readily admit to having little time for, reporting that Thai soldiers shot a teenage Cambodian boy before burning him to death.

What crime could possibly produce such a 'punishment', if you can call being shot and killed in the most inhumane way, that is.

Did he kill a man? Perhaps he shot at a soldier? Maybe he was carrying a bomb, or a terrorist.

It is alleged that the boy, who was just 16 years old, was chopping down trees on the Thai side of the border with Cambodia.

The governor of the Cambodian border province has rightly asked why the boy was burnt alive when he had already been arrested?

There has been no response from the Thai embassy in Cambodia, and none is likely.

This may be news those who do not live in this part of the world but Thai society is incredibly class and race oriented. Foreigners from neighbouring states like Cambodia and Burma (Myanmar) are considered to be the lowest of the low - typified by their dark skin which, in Thailand, is a sign of poverty as it indicates the individual has had a life of working outdoors and is, therefore, poor.

Of course, immigrants from neighbouring countries are not saints. But they are humans, they come to Thailand illegally, yes, but the motive is to better their lives and the lives of their families. There is no justification for what happened to this 16 year old boy.

There should be a public investigation and punishment should be given to those responsible for this atrocity.

But this is Thailand, a country in which racially motivated killings occur almost daily on the southern border, a country which is engaged in a political civil war, a country which has failed to convict activists who sieged the country's main airport plunging the country in chaos.

This news is likely to receive little attention with the country focused on Saturday, the 3rd anniversary of the coup which ousted then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Unconfirmed second swine flu fatality in Saraburi

Strong rumours suggest Saraburi has had it's second swine flu death with another student from one of city's high school falling victim to the virus.

Despite strong rumours of a second fatality, the school/government/media is yet to acknowledge the first victim, a girl aged 11/12 from Saraburi Witthayakhom school.

The closed before the public holiday last week although local students suggested that this only occurred after senior students threatened to strike following outbreaks of swine flu across the school.

News of the second fatality reached me from city hospital workers from whom I received news of the first death - which, itself is now a locally acknowledged fact.

It would be nice to hear confirmation of the current situation, as both a local resident and father of a young child the situation continues to concern me.

In the meantime, I'll continue wearing the mask to work and will consider renaming this blog to reflect my obsession with the swine-flu situation in my town.

Saraburi's swine flu cover-up

Since I blogged the rumours of a first swine flu fatality last Saturday I've my (and the missus's) eyes and ears glued to new sources. Yet for all our listening there has been no announcement of the death, which remains a rumour.

Today, however, a number of school students and more hospital workers further verified the rumours of the death by confirming the victim was a mattyom (senior year) one (12/13 years old) girl.

The students also revealed that their school, Saraburi Witthayakhom, has told its members to stop spreading the news as there has been no death. This despite the fact that many of the girl's classmates know the family and are aware of her death.

Rumours today suggest that the school suspended its lessons last week only because senior classes went on strike, concerned at outbreaks of swine flu in numerous classes. Hardly the picture painted when the press reported the closure.

Saraburi may just be another town in Thailand but the implications of this cover-up are widereaching. If other towns are also holding back information then you can forget the official figures in the daily press as we have no idea what the real picture is.

In the meantime, I've given up waiting for confirmation of last week's fatality in Saraburi - sometimes you just have to accept this is how Thailand works.

H1N1 officially arrives

Story from the Post.

In Saraburi province, Saraburi Witthayakhom school has suspended classes until July 9 after two students tested positive for H1N1 and three students developed flu-like symptoms.

The two students with flu picked it up after returning from tuition schools in Bangkok, while the three students with flu-like symptoms fell ill after they went to a weekend concert by the Korean boy band Dong Bang Shin Ki, at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani.

On top of this, I spoke to a senior figure at the local hospital in Saraburi who claimed the town had its first H1N1 fatality today. This has, however, yet to be reported anywhere that I can see, so the number of fatalities in Thailand remains at 7.

My contact assures me that there have been a number of active cases in Saraburi but today is the first time the province has been named an infected zone.

With Thailand currently on holiday until Thursday for the start of the Buddhist retreat, the family and I will be spending the time off cautiously laying low. With an 8 month old in the house, it really isn't worth the risk.

Illegal workers in Thailand to be legalised

The Nation has the news that 2 million illegal migrant workers will be allowed to stay in Thailand until February 2010 when they will need to register legally to remain.

Illegal immigrants are not just a problem for the West, Thailand is plagued with illegal immigrants in areas near the country's borders. Many arrive to work in labour industries for wages which, although low for Thailand, represent a better opportunity than at home.

Northern areas have particular issues with visitors, often from Burma, who play cat and mouse with police trying to avoid the vehicle stop-searches which check visas to root out illegal stayers.

This move is interesting as it is an acknowledgement that the problem has become unmanageable. Rather than working to turf out existing illegal workers AND stop more joining, the police will just focus their efforts on preventing more entering the country.

The article has further info:

Once registered, the around 2 million or so migrant workers will be allowed to work in the sectors of fishery, marine food processing, farming, livestock, construction and domestic services. Getting them registered is a move to stop more from entering Thailand and working illegally.All workers will be allowed to work illegally in Thailand until February 28, 2010. 

After that they will be required to register with provincial labour offices, apply for medical checkups and pay health insurance fees, before applying for a work permit. A national joint effort by police, the military and civilian authorities will begin before the deadline to keep more migrants from entering Thailand.

ASEAN Summit rescheduled - no risk from PM

Ten days or so ago I wrote about the rescheduled ASEAN conference and it's importance to the Prime Minister who is in a tough spot at the moment.

[To refresh your mind] PM Abhisit finds himself stuck in the middle of the struggle between the PAD (Yellows) and UDD (Reds). The polarised position of these two rivals combined with his objective position, independent of both camps, is beginning to isolate him. Neither group sees him as being 'on their side'.  

Abhisit's cabinet, close staff and the man himself have confidently told the media that there will be no problems with ASEAN, thereby completing the necessary preparation for a fall from grace should there be trouble.

Not a big surprise then that, with speculation/inevitability of fresh UDD (and even PAD) protests at ASEAN Phuket, the government has decided to postpone the summit until October. The official reason is that 'government leaders of several countries found the June schedule to be inconvenient' - draw your own conclusions.

By my reckoning, this is the third time the summit has been rescheduled. Who'd bet against further delays and it rolling into 2010 when, by rights, another ASEAN member should host the 2010 meeting.

The uncertainty, dilly-dallying and loss of face around the summit is costing Thailand's regional reputation dearly. Abhisit and his government (including the PAD-supporting foreign minister, Kasat) will have their work cut out convincing its neighbours (yet again) that Thailand has 'still got it'.

Perhaps PM Marky Mark read my blog and decided that, with the risk of another Pattaya, rescheduling and hoping for increased political stability is the better option. 

I'd like to think I've played a part.

The public holiday gamble

Abhisit's latest move was to make today a public holiday across Thailand. The surprise announcement was made late last night as part of the Thai PM's televised address to the nation. Contrary to regular public holidays, banks and some businesses are working today.

There's no such thing as a free lunch but what about a free bank holiday? You must be joking, everything comes at a cost or for a reason.

Songkran, Thai New Year, is next week meaning most have a week off work returning back Monday 20 April - so this extra day of holiday strings the New Year break a little longer.

As most of the hardcore Red Shirt protesters are from outside of Bangkok it appears the Prime Minister is aiming to tempt the out-of-towners back home for an extended new year holiday period.

Abhisit is undoubtedly a skilled politician but this manoeuvre is a risk.

There is danger that the extra day will encourage more protesters to journey into Bangkok to join the Truth Today demonstrations. I expect most protesters to spend the whole of next week's holiday period in Bangkok, meaning continuing chaos for the city over New Year. It will be particularly disastrous if key transport hub Victory Monument remains closed from the Red Shirt blockade.

This move could be crucial to the future of Abhisit's tenure as Prime Minister.

Will he be forced to act by the protesters or will the previously obedient Red Shirt protests see the Bangkok public turn on them for the chaos they are causing?

The right to protest

So Thailand is back making global political headlines again - can you say it ever stopped though? This time the spotlight in on the Thaksin Shinawatra supporting Red Shirts, rivals in chief to the PAD mob.

It was the PAD who, back in December, opened my eyes to the right to protest, Thai style, when they rolled into Suvarnbhumi airport en mass to protest against then acting Prime Minsiter Somchai Wongsawat - believing him to be a puppet of Thaksin. Eventually Chaovarat gave in to the pressure, a new Prime Minsiter was chosen, all was happy ever after and we come to the present day...

The protesters are the Reds with their Truth Today campaign. The object of their protestations is Prime Minsiter Abhisit Vejjajiva and their objective is his resignation and an election.

The Red Shirts are pushing for change in Thailand.

Those are the basic facts distilled down for simplicity's sake. In what seems to a quickly establishing hallmark of Thai democracy, the anti-Abhisit Reds have taken to the streets of Bangkok to apply their pressure.

Around 2/3 weeks ago Red Shirts began their occupation of land near Government House. Their presence escalated today when a group of taxis drivers - an industry known for its unwavering support for exiled, former PM Thaksin - parked cabs to abstruct all entrances to Victory Monument, one of central Bangkok's busiest transport hubs.

It's inevitable, when you look at it. The Yellow Shirts (PAD) got what they wanted by causing chaos and closing the national airport so the Reds (significantly made up of a strong presence outside of Bangkok) took this marker and went for the heart of the capital - closing roads and massively inconveniencing the city.

This evening Abhisit addressed Thailand with a national TV broadcast in which he stood his ground by refusing to resign. He warned that the government would proceed with legal action against anyone deemed to be acting against national security.

PM Abhisit owes his very position to a protest

He is deadly serious but there is an irony about Abhisit and his statement of legal action which will be lost on few. 

To this date, no arrests have been made in connection with the PAD's occupation of the airport which led to his appointment as PM. Surely closing the national airport is detrimental to national security?!

Yet no arrests and no come uppance for the PAD protestors.

To me this is clearly the crux of the problem, and one of the justifications for the Red Shirts..."the Yellows got what they wanted and suffered no consequences, why should we?"

The right protest is an essential part of democracy but it is has grown out of control in Thailand.

For the sake of the nation a compromise must be found and actions must be taken to strongly discourage such protests in the future. If this sets the standard the retaliatory protests may never stop.

At this stage it is difficult to see who will win out - The Reds or Abhisit? The one hope is that things don't get ugly.

Embassy left Brit to rot in prison

Travellers to Thailand may return home nursing the pain of sunburn, excessive drinking, jet-lag, less in the bank, a local scam or perhaps an illness picked up from the 12 hour plane journey. We’ve all been there.

Spare a thought or three then for Simon Burrowes, a 42 year old Brit, who’s working holiday to Thailand has cost him his rented flat in London, 21 days in Thai prison, all of the money he possess and a charge of “insulting immigration officers” which may take up 12 months to process.

Burrowes was checking at immigration checking-in before his flight home when officials, suspicious of his passport, held and questioned him for an hour before contacting the British embassy in Bangkok for authentication of his passport and travelling documents.

To his horror, Burrowes was told by embassy staff that his passport could not be located on the system and, as it was a Friday the embassy was closing early and would look into the matter after the weekend. Unable to pay the £2,000 bail, Burrowes then spent the weekend in prison.

The following Monday his passport has confirmed as legitimate by the British embassy. Issued in Australia, it seems the passport had eluded officials who were unable to find a record of it – quite a shocking and damning fact in this day and age. Even once he was confirmed as a legal British citizen, Burrowes was not free to leave as he learnt, for the first time, that he was to remain be charged “insulting immigration officers”. As he could not yet afford bail, he remained in prison.

His charge related to a verbal between Burrowes and Thai immigration officials when he was initially held at the airport. Burrowes claims officially said his flight would not leave without their say-so, yet it did. He alleges that he asked them to stop treating him like a fucking idiot, the officials claim he called them fucking idiots and hence the charges were brought.

His case not due in court until April and with only one sitting a month Burrowes is likely to remain in limbo for anything up to year. One physical place he will not remain is jail as the bail money was finally met after the Brit had languished in prison for 21 days.

All in all a pretty disgraceful chain of events.

Thai-based journalist Andrew Drummond broke the story in a number of national newspapers and his blog.

Interestingly Drummond has a follow-up post which raises questions about the actions of embassy officials who did not deem Burrowes’ case worthy of  the “systems in place [which] provide consular assistance in emergency cases 24 hours a day 7 days a week”.

It is quite shocking that the embassy could leave one of its citizens hanging so precariously whilst officials go about adding an extra few hours to their weekends. Perhaps worse is the embassy’s claim, in an email to Drummond, that “the issue was resolved within three working days”.

Even now, when it is clear to all and sundry that this poor man suffered at the hands of his embassy, the officials release such pre-prepared and on message responses which are insensitive to the situation. The embassy needs to issue a response and acknowledge the mistakes made, rather than trying to sweep this under the carpet.

Then there is the issue of race, Burrowes is a black male of Guyanese background, here’s a snippet from Drummond’s blog...

“And then Simon is black. I can’t help feel that he is right when he says: ‘In Thailand there is no perception of a black Englishman’.

So when the British Embassy could not immediately find his passport record and told Thai police, it does not take much imagination to know how Simon Burrowes would be treated. (’Like a West African drugs dealer’) When he was beaten with a leather strap outside the court there were witnesses. But those witnesses would be foolish probably to take the matter further.  In any case he believes he was hit because the officer was ‘in the rhythm’ so to speak. He is big but he was handcuffed and could hardly defend himself.

When I spoke to him here was little malice about it in his voice. He was just gobsmacked and thought the officer in question was just showing off.

When the story from the black people’s London newspaper ‘Voice’ was picked up by the local, singularly pro-active, Phuketwan website, Thai Immigration police immediately closed ranks. Simon was ‘abusive and aggressive’.  He was ‘not the sort of tourist we want’.  ‘He posed naked for his passport picture’. What sort of person would do that?’.

All baloney of course.  Simon laughed about his passport: “Yes. To somebody else I probably look like a black thug,” he told me.  Of course he was not naked in his passport picture. If he was the picture would have been in Thai Rath a long time ago.  It was a head and shoulders picture. His collar bone was exposed!

And how many of us are unhappy with our passport photos?

So there you have it. Face saving all round. No need to dwell on the criticism of the British Embassy. But it could have been more muted if they had handled it differently. But time and time again they seem to score own goals when dealing with the media.  And this case was no exception.”

The responses of the embassy, with its cover-up and lack of 24/7 emergency support for Burrowes, and the swift, fierce actions of the Thai police suggest that the embassy may have told Thai authorities that Burrowes was travelling on false papers.

This has been denied by authorities, however in the meantime Simon Burrowes remains in Thailand awaiting further developments. We can only home that common sense prevails and he is allowed to return home.

As the father of a Anglo-Thai child whose first passport will not be issued from London, this example worries me for the future. The embassy should be held to account but it has already failed to go public and acknowledge the (multiple) mistakes made. Changes must be made internally. A good start would be working all day on Fridays, they must owe a few by now.

Man City end Thai links

Manchester City Football Club has officially announced the closure of its operations in Thailand according to Reuters.

This announcement has been inevitable ever since former owner, ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra, curiously nicknamed Frank by City fans, sold the club to a Middle Eastern consortium in September 2008.

Thaksin ambitious plans to paint Thailand, and Asia, blue included partnerships with clubs in Thailand, South Africa, Switzerland, Australia, China and Russia, the purchase of 3 Thai international players, plans for academies of excellence in Thailand and other major Asian countries and mass merchandising across the Asian region. 

The announcement below last week has officially ended all of these initiatives and the club of today is vastly different (read considerably more wealthy) than at any time in its history.

"We saw no point in carrying on after the Shinawatra family sold its share. City still has fans here but there's not a lot of interest anymore."

What ever people say about Thaksin, his track record in the world of business suggests he is a shrewd entrepreneur capable of growing companies and businesses in huge brands. His failure at Manchester City is due to two major points.

1) Problems in Thailand - his position at the club became increasingly untenable when the Thai Supreme Court found him guilty of corruption from his time as Prime Minister. The freezing of his assets in Thailand caused a major panic at the club as it had spend beyond its means reliant on Thaksin's wealth, this led to its sale.

2) Football is unlike the world of business - football is littered with successful businessmen who failed as chairmen or financial backers. He saw Manchester City as a brand which could become synonymous with Asia, Thailand in particular, however, swapping a team is different to changing a consumers habits. The brand loyalty of a football team is hugely different to that of a car, clothing or food - these consumer goods follow consumer/marketing theories in a way sport does not.

Popularity outside of a club's country is reliant upon success. With the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool out-performing City for years, the majority of Thais were unlikely to be swayed overnight simply because of a club's chairman and the presence of 3 fellow countrymen in the reserve team (all of whom were loaned out in Switzerland). Sure some new fans would be attracted but those most likely to continually spend on merchandise are the football crazy and most of these already have a team and are unlikely to change in the short-term.

I moved to Thailand in October  so I cannot speak about the success of Thaksin's initiatives but I can say that I have never seen more Liverpool fans anywhere!

The main football team of Thailand is definitely Liverpool, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all close behind. I suspect this is similar across Asia, and Thaksin's 1o months at Manchester City have come to nothing. 

It's been speculated that Thaksin used Man City as a political pawn in Thailand or that it was a legitimate way of securing his wealth in Britain and helping set up home in the UK. These may all be true but from a football point of view, it is a miracle that the saga has passed with Manchester City is in a better position than before. A chairman with a non-footballing interests in a club is a recipe for disaster.

Thaksin was either lucky to find his Zillionaire buyer in the Middle East or, as an experienced businessman, he is incredibly well connected - like most arguments around the affairs of the man, with little fact available opinion will be strongly divided.

UPDATE: interestingly Man City's Thai website comes out top with on Google Thailand search - will the site be maintained regularly in light of City's withdrawl?

Man City's departure from Thailand is not the end for Premiership teams in the country. Arsenal is linked to Thai Premier Division side BEC and the club runs a Thai version of its website. As a Gooner this is yet another incentive for me to learn Thai...

Case of British swinger illustrates Thai justice

The Bangkok Post has reported that a British man who ran a business arranging swinger parties in Thailand has been arrested by police.

The 54 year old man, Christian Arthur Richards, was arrested at the scene of one such party on Thursday. Police also held six Thais and 16 foreigners found with Richards in a Bangkok hotel.

Richards ran a website to arrange and advertise the parties which cost 3,000 baht (circa £60) per person. It is thought that he arranged at least 100 parties in Bangkok and notorious party/sleaze resort Pattaya.

Richard's punishment is interesting part of the story, the police are suggesting he will face either "a 10 year jail term or a fine of up to 20,000 baht".

Ten years sounds incredibly harsh, for a victimless crime and with no prostitutes were involved. Wouldn't it be ironic if a professional sex party organiser had to spent 10 years eating porridge and taking showers in a Thai slammer?

Back to reality, this is Thailand and a fine will most likely be sufficient and, as is often the case, the fine is hardly a deterrent.

Given that his parties typically attracted 20-25 'guests', the fine is less than a typical event's earnings (20,000 equates to less than 7 paying customers). As a veteran of more than 100 parties, 20,000 should be well within his reaches rendering the fine is a truly pitiful slap on the wrists.

Welcome to Thai justice where money is king and (some) crimes far darker and more sinister than this can be settled with no great punishment or deterrent for future offenders.

(Probably) The Best Job In The World

No not a Carlsberg video...Reuters reports that a website advertising the "best job in the world" has crashed due to the massive amount of interest and applications it has been inundated with.

"The job, which offers a salary of $105,000 to spend six months on the Great Barrier Reef island of Hamilton, has been inundated with hundreds of thousands of prospective candidates."

If you're not tempted yet, read on for more details...

"Duties for the job include feeding ocean fish, cleaning a pool and collecting deliveries of mail that arrive by plane. The successful candidate will have to go scuba diving, snorkeling and hiking and enjoy at least 25 nearby island resorts."

"Thrown in is a luxury three-bedroom home and transportation to and from the island.No skills, nor experience is needed, and there is no age requirement. The job starts in July."

To apply head to www.islandreefjob.com.

I'll stick with my paradise in Thailand for now but good luck to all applicants, as and when you get onto the website.

The job was created in response to the global economic decline to promote Australia and it comes after September 2008's London-based speed dating event with Australian men to tempt British women to move down-under.

Great creativity from those Aussies.

The value of Thailand

An article in the Telegraph last week gave Thailand's tourism industry a much needed boost by selected the country as the best value destination for British holidaymakers.

In wake of airport closures, protest, political changes and the global economic downturn, the media has been full of article (like this) predicting tough times for Thailand's tourism industry, and the country in general.

The Telegraph found "Thailand topped the poll of affordable destinations, (the country) was found to be 41 per cent cheaper than Spain" and a host of other short-haul holiday choices (see below).

Also from the article "Andrew Spice, of Post Office Travel Services, said: "Despite its recent troubles, Thailand remains a great prospect for UK holidaymakers. The Thai baht may have strengthened against sterling but prices remain very low in the country and the discounts now available to top resorts like Phuket and Hua Hin will make Thailand unbeatable value."

Amen to this, I've spent a lot of time estimating the difference in cost of living between the UK and Thailand. Of course prices vary, with imported goods (baby care items, in my experience) being equal if not more expensive that Europe, but I would say that, for me, life Thailand is between a fifth and a quarter (20-25%) of the cost of living in the London.

Great news for holiday-makers but this isn't the same for expats. The majority of English-speakers here are are employed as teachers on (reasonably good) local salaries which are dwarfed but the equilivent in England (although there are exceptions).

Thailand is still good value for teachers, but not at the same level as tourists who find their hard-earned cash stretching incredibly far.

So here's to my continued hope that 2009 gives me a raft of freelance projects (at a UK rate of pay), keeping my fingers crossed for the opportunities in the pipeline.