"The Rounds," Saturday, August 8, 2009

Happy Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen

Her Majesty the Queen celebrates her birthday this coming week, on Wednesday, August 12th.

Queen Sirikit was born in 1932.

As is true of His Majesty the King, Queen Sirikit has devoted most of her life to helping improve the lives of the people of Thailand, and has heavily involved herself in efforts towards that end.

National Mother's Day is observed on Her Majesty's birthday, which is fitting, considering she's considered "the Mother of the Nation."

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty

Long Live the Queen!

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In Traffic Jams, Law-Breakers Actually Help the Rest of Us

Just read an interesting article about some research some scientist in Europe have done involving the movement of large groups of people or vehicles in confined spaces.

To their surprise, they found that when there are people who ignore the rules of, say, a pedestrian crossing or traffic laws, jams are broken up before they even start.

Further research showed why: lone wolves forcing their way through coincidentally keep crods from forming in the first place -- they literally force individuals apart, thus preventing crowd-formation.

"So," you ask, "what in hell's that got to do with Thailand?" Reasonable question.

Your Honors, I submit: do not the highways and byways of the Kingdom remained miserably clogged with traffic, sometimes virtually 24/7? Have any of us who've spent any appreciable amount of time here managed to escape even a single episode of being stuck, practically hopelessly, for hours on end, perhaps in a heavy downpour (which aggravates the situation, of course, but that's true anywhere), perhaps on a bright, sunny day?

I doubt so.

On the other hand, most of us have seen the local versions of Mad Max of the Roadway Warriors, who think going 160kph [about 100mph] in a school zone is perfectly normal, which it most assuredly is not, even if it is 2:00 A.M. on a Sunday morning.

Going back to the research and transferring it to Thailand, perhaps the police can break up traffic jams by clearing a space for some Mad Max to go barreling through, with other Mad Maxes in the wings, ready to spring into action as the traffic begins to become unglued (sort of like the other drivers already are anyway!).

Well . . . one can dream, can't he???

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Some Quick Questions

There's a new restaurant on Sukhumvit Road between the Sukhumvit Road entrance to Washington Square (almost opposite Sukhumvit Soi 33, for those of you not so familiar with the area) and Sukhumvit Soi 22, close to the Square.

Have any of you tried it? If so, what did you think? What kind of Mexican food do they offer? Real Mexican food (Vera Cruz cuisine, for example)? California-style? Tex-Mex? Some combination thereof? If you've been to the Mexican restaurant across the road (diagonally across, that is), how do you compare the two, in terms of taste?

Does the restaurant have *Mexican* beer, such as Corona? How about Mexican tequila? If they do have Tequila, what label(s)?

And were you satisfied with the service?

Were the prices okay?

Using 5 stars to rate the place (the name escapes me), how do you rate it on taste, range of foods available, service, and price? One star is the lowest rank.

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A Late Happy Birthday to Khun Taffy!

Taffy's birthday was August 1st, and it was very well-attended. I completely forgot about it until late afternoon then rushed right straight there to wish him a Happy Birthday, and the bar (New Square One Pub, for those who don't know or have forgotten) was absolutely packed. The *only* place I could sit was behind one of the two video-game machines, and it was so busy, that after a few minutes, I left. Birthday Boy did appear to be having a grand time of it. I did go back later in the evening, but everyone had cleared out by then.

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Washington Square Bits & Pieces

While the Square is still sort of quiet, a few Squaronians have shown up of late.

"California" Dennis is based here in Bangkok these days -- has been several months -- and he's dropped around several times lately.

"Cajun" Riley came back to town, but he was off again earlier this week with the Missus to Louisiana, where she undoubtedly will drag him out onto the bayous to fish, something to which she's apparently taking a real liking.

Have seen "Scottish" Bruce, a.k.a. "Bruce the Laird," a few times of late, and he's well.

"English" Paul is hanging in here, and is doing just fine.

Nigel has been knocking around, and is his usual self.

Ditto Burma Richard, who continues working on his latest statue with which to shock the known universe! ;-)

James P. makes it by fairly regularly, and is doing quite well, including at his job, I'm happy to report.

I expect I may hear from Burt Nestle today (Saturday, August 8, 2009), as there's a VFW monthly meeting and he always stops by the Square afterwards.

Bear and his lovely Missus, Mam, were down earlier this week from their haunts in the wild of Isaan; it was the first time we had caught up in several weeks. Bear and I joined Mam at Coyote Mexican Restaurant, practically directly opposite the Sukhumvit Road entrance to Washington Square, and had a great visit.

By the way, Coyote is excellent, and though a bit more expensive than some other choices to eat Mexican food, is good value for money. If you like margaritas, they make great ones -- and you get two-for-one on their happy hour. There is another outlet of ther place on Convent Road, which may be more convenient to visit than the Sukhumvit one for some. Visit their website -- it's well done: http://www.coyotebangkok.com/home.html

(There's also a Coyote down Phuket way.)

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H1N1 Flu Update

According to today's news, the H1N1 flu virus continues to have only limited impact in Thailand, where well under 100 deaths from the virus have been confirmed so far.

Some medical professionals are warning that infections are spreading upcountry and that there could be an uptick in infections in urban centers later in the year.

On the other hand, both the government and the private sector have been rushing to prepare millions of doses of vaccine. Just a few days ago I saw something about companies saying they'll be able to provide considerably more doses this year than they had originally thought -- good news.

Even so, on top of last December's closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport by demonstrators and the riots in April, the virus sure isn't helping tourism arrivals, especially, say news reports, in the lucrative exhibitions and conventions sector. Some tourism authorities are said to be cautioning that tourism could take up to three years to fully recover, depending on how quickly the local economy recovers.

On the other hand, the same officials are reported to be saying there might by some visible improvement in general tourism in as soon as three months and in the exhibitions and conventions sector in about six months.

It seems to me from the countless news stories I've read or seen on television that the demonstrators have reached the conclusion that their actions did far more harm than good to the Kingdom and have toned down their rhetoric and behavior considerably -- good news for tourists.

That the ASEAN summit concluded successfully is one indication of this calming down.

There are some deals to be had now. For instance, I just looked up a special at the Grand Hyatt Erawon -- never stayed there, since it's above my pay grade! -- and it runs 5,280 baht/night, with advance booking; the charge is not refundable, has to be made online, and so on. Also, that doesn't include the 7.7% VAT and 10% service charge, which together increase the rate to THB6214.56/night, or roughly US$183.00.

For that level hotel, that's not bad.

The offer's available on the Hyatt website at http://www.hyatt.com (Explore the site for various deals.)

*Much* cheaper are places such as the Regency Park Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 22, directly opposite the Soi 22 entrance to Washington Square. Just looked up a regular room for mid-September at http://www.agoda.com -- which I've never used, but have heard good things about -- and saw a single-occupany rate starting at just US$28.00, though the VAT and service charge still apply, so the actual out-of-pocket charge is about US$33.00. I have stayed in this hotel, and it's one of the best values I've ever found just about anywhere.

That rate is for an early bird special, so various conditions do apply. Still, you can hardly go wrong.

As for air fares, I understand from a pilot friend who flies between Australia and England there are some great deals from various points in Europe heading this way. And if you're a fan of Phuket, there are direct flights from Europe to there, too.

As for people coming from North America, let me make a suggestion: consider buying *two* tickets -- one domestic, the other trans-Pacific. I saw a fare between San Francisco and Austin (Texas) for well about US$180.00, and another fare from San Francisco to Bangkok for about US$675. That's not as good as some of the deals I've seen the past few weeks between North America and Europe, but, then, Thailand's a heck of a lot further! Plus, it's way cheaper on the ground here than just about anywhere in Europe.

If you have an international driver's license, and are comfortable driving on the left side of the road, you might consider renting a car while here; I've seen some great deals, especially for anyone renting a car at least a week.

Of course, you have to have nerves of steel to drive ANYwhere in Thailand -- or be nuts!!!

The usual tourist caveats apply. If that deal on a real, genuine, Burma ruby is just too good to be true -- you're right.

And be aware that some countries are cracking down on people trying to take back knock-off -- counterfeit -- goods, such as DVD's and "name-brand" clothes, both made in pirate facilities. I haven't talked to anyone who's been arrested, but I have talked to a few (a very few) who've had goods confiscated.

Some charges you won't be able to avoid, unless you just forego the activity entirely. For instance, many places that charge admission fees have two rates, one for Thais, another, much higher, one for foreigners. It's irksome, but there it is.

All in all, the low season is a good time for budget travelers to visit the Kingdom. Heck, for anyone, it's much cheaper now than during the high season, something even corporate types might want to consider in these financially-strapped days.

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Bangkok Airways Crash at Koh Samui

I suppose I should address this, since Koh Samui is one of Thailand's favorite tourist destinations, and since Bangkok Airways is a self-described "boutique airline." (Which means "budget airline.")

The plane skidded off the runway while the pilots were attempting to land in heavy rain in midafternoon. The aircraft was an ATR-72, a turboprop, that was configured to carry 70 passengers. I've flown on ATR-72's many times, and have always found them perfectly serviceable aircraft. Nothing luxurious, mind you -- but the luxury market isn't what they were designed for.

The report of the crash may catch the attention of travelers from North America in particular, as just yesterday I read a U.S. report that pilots at American Eagle, American Airline's regional subsidiary carrier, complained in a memo to management that the airline isn't addressing various safety issues -- ones involving pilots' flight schedule, not the aircraft they fly. However, given that the ATR-72 is in the American Eagle fleet, people may link the two stories.

As far as I know, Bangkok Airways has an excellent safety record; I don't recall hearing of one of their planes crashing before. They certainly have had excellent service the few times I've flown with them.

While I have no way to assess any aircraft, from what I've heard for years, the ATR-72 is just as safe as any comparable aircraft, if operated within its capabilities and properly maintained.

In the case of this crash, the pilot had a lots of experience, having flown for Bangkok Airways for some 19 years, the past 14 in ATR-72's. (Sadly, he apprently died in the crash, the sole fatality. The co-pilot and several others were injured, some very seriously.)

I have been aboard an ATR-72 landing in heavy weather, and my jaws did tense a bit. But they would have done so even had I been in an Airbus 380 or Boeing 747. But we always made it down safely, if a bit rattled.

As for the airport itself, well, I've never been to Koh Samui at all, so I don't know much about it. As I understand it, in an unusual arrangement, Bangkok Airways itself owns the airport there. If they take as good of care of it as they do their lounge -- yes! -- they have their own lounge! -- then I assume maintenance is good.

One point we need to keep in mind is the overall safety record of airlines generally, which provide just about the safest form of travel around. Sure, an airline crash makes big news, especially a major, spectacular one, such as the Air France flight that went down in the Atlantic earlier this year. And sure, certain airlines have had safety problems -- but those have nothing to do with *other* airlines.

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New Hours at U.K. Embassy from Monday, August 10, 2009

If something I saw on a forum at http://www.ThaiVisa.com is correct, the British embassy is altering its hours, though I just checked the embassy's website and see nothing there.

Here's what I read in the forum:

"With effect from 10 August, Consular public opening hours will be 8:00 - 11:00 hrs and 13:00 - 15:15 hrs on Monday to Thursday, on Friday 8:00 - 12:00 hrs."

For reference, here are the hours shown at the embassy's website:

Office hours (Local time):
Mon-Thurs: 08:00-12:00 / 12:45-16:30
Fri: 08:00-13:00

So, if the forum report is correct, the morning hours Monday-Thursday will decrease by an hour and the afternoon ones by 1-1/2 hours, while the Friday-only hours will increase by an hour.

Quite a cutback . . .

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Temporary Bail or Pay A Fine -- with a Credit Card!

Saw an article saying that after a nearly two-month trial run at a few courts around Bangkok, the government is set to expand a system through which defendants can post temporary bail or pay a fine simply by swiping their credit card through a machine in the court.

Under the old system, it was, as I understand it, a lengthy and complex matter to do either one using cash or surrendering, for instance, land deeds.

There's also talk of allowing people to pay a fine at a court other than the one that ordered it in the first place.

Apparently, anyone can post the bail or pay a fine for a defendant, not just the accused. (Try getting your girlfriend's platinum credit card that you gave her and pay for back from her. Good luck.)

Actually, there's nary a word in the story I read about foreigners, and my bet is that this system won't extend to us. Come to think of it, maybe we will be allowed to do so -- for a Thai national.

I wonder if jails will have credit card advertising signs after this system gets into full swing?

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Sale of Alcohol Near Schools and Universities To Be "Strictly Enforced from Next Firday, August 14, 2009

Or so says a story I saw in the online edition of The Nation.

A group of university lecturers have been pushing for stricter enforcement of the ban, which went into effect a good while back.

While I agree with the basic notion of keeping booze out of the hands of youngsters, or at least making it more difficult for, say, a 13-year-old to get a bottle of whatever, there are some problems with this law.

For one thing, if a university student is of legal drinking age and wants a beer with his noodles at lunch across the street from his university, he might well object to having to travel at least half a kilometer away (the no-sale zone) to get it.

For another thing, laws such as this have rarely been strictly enforced in the years I've been here, though there are periodic vows to do so.

Then there's the whole general attitude towards what some might considere relatively minor laws: some see them as mere suggestions, not actual laws. This is particularly evident in the case of traffic laws, which are widely ignored.

But getting back to alcohol laws, it seems to me another big problem with enforcement is the inconsistencies, sometimes actually built right into a particular law, such as those that exempt "entertainment zones" from certain restrictions. Others are widely ignored in back sois and sub-sois anyway, especially in places where the police have little reason to go.

I'll wish the lecturers well in their well-meaning efforts. 'Nuff said.

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Online Lotteries Ruled Legal

The Council of State has ruled that online lotteries are legal, paving the way for a long-delayed plan by Loxley, a local company, a Gtech, of the U.S., to implement such a scheme.

As I understand it, this will be a government lottery but implemented by private companies.

There has been much controversy over the years about gambling generally and the online lottery particularly.

However, as matters now stand, Thailand can only lose out to neighbors by restricting or barring gambling. Just about every country in this part of the world has some form of gambling. Even staid, communist Laos has casinos (some frequented by many Thais from nearby districts in Thailand, by the way).

It'll be interesting to see how this works out. . . .

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A Bit More Washington Square News

"Ba" Burt Nestle called me midafternoon, so I went to the Square to hook up with him at the Texas Lone Staar, which was about to serve its regular free Saturday midafternoon lunch.
I was rather surprised there weren't more people there -- not that there weren't some, but just not as many as I expected. After all, they do give a decent meal -- today, meat loaf, mixed vegetables, and mashed potatos with brown gravy (all of which I like a lot, but I had eaten shortly before leaving home, so I skipped it).

Besides me and Burt, let's see, Andy was there, and had been to see a mutual friend in hospital, another Squaronian, who has some medical difficulties. While Andy's report wasn't especially encouraging, neither was it especially discouraging. Because I don't have the ailing Squaronian's blessing to say anymore, I can't. (Been badly burned a few times over the years because of exactly that, so I've learned my lesson. This is simply far too public a venue to be advertising other people's business.)

A guy named Cian (sp? -- it's Irish, and we would probably spell it "Shaun" in English, but he chooses the ancestral spelling.) -- a former colleague of Kent C. Had a pleasant visit with him, though like me, he had no word about Kent, who recently relocated to the U.S. for his work.

"English" Desmond was there as well, and it's always a delight to see him. Didn't see him until he was leaving, so didn't visit with him, which I'll have to correct next time I see him.

"English" Tony and "American" Gene were also both there, though as was the case with Desmond, I didn't even see them until they were departing, so I didn't get a chance to visit with them either. But they both appeared to be fine, and traded waves with me on their way out.

"Aussie" York and "Don the Yank" were sitting outside blabbing away with some of the gals who were eating their own meal. Spoke to them in passing, and they seemed fine.

Then there were two or three guys I either didn't know, or know only by face.

From the Texxan, Burt and I made a brief foray up the way to Silver Dollar, where we visited a brief while before Burt decided he wanted to head out home. (No, Jan wasn't around; she's flown off somewhere in her job as an air hostess with THAI. I did catch her by phone the other day, and she said she's well.)

After Burt moved on out, I decided to stop by New Square One as my final courtesy call before coming on home. Taffy was there, and had a pot of rabbit stew. Can't remember the last time I had THAT -- but it sure was tasty, even though I wasn't hungry! Don't worry, kiddies -- it wasn't the Easter Bunny!

Big Tom was there, seated at the back bar, as is his wont. Had a chance to say hi to him, and he was okay, though he moved on out fairly quickly.

Taffy himself was there, seated opposite Bruce the Laird, and they both were well. In fact, the old Platters song "Only You" came on a CD, and Bruce sang along with it -- sang along with it surprisingly well. I hadn't know he has a rather nice voice.

Tutu, who used to work at Taffy's, is in town, though she wasn't there; she had fetched Josie, Taffy and Ray's daughter, yesterday, to take her with her to her (Tutu's) home. Taffy says she's well, as is her her American husband, Jim, though he's on assignment somewhere in Manila, not here. They're both really nice people, so I hope to get to see them, since Tutu plans to be around until sometime come October.

John Patteerson, who lives in the States but makes it out this way once in awhile, will have his birthday next Saturday. Meanwhile, he and his are off to the Dakota Territories on a holiday, according to a message I got from him.

Hm. More of a bit than I realized when I started. Well, now you know as well as I do!

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ENOUGH!!!

Mekhong Kurt

"The Rounds", July 12, 2009

All-Thailand Yellow Pages

A quick note to pass long the URL for an all-Thailand online Yellow Pages I ran across; the link is to the English version, but Thais have the option of choosing the Thai version in the upper-right corner of the page. I don't know how exhaustive or up-to-date this directory is, but given the difficulties of obtaining phone numbers here -- calling Directory Assistance can be a maddening exercise in utter futility -- ANYTHING'S gotta help:

http://www.yellowpages.co.th/en/


I found this at www.escapeartist.com, a site with which I was not previously familiar. The page where I got this Yellow Pages link has a lot of other telephone info from around the world, so let me give you that URL as well:


http://www.escapeartist.com/global/telephone.htm


Again, I don't know how current the over 700 directories the site claims to access are, but there it is for your perusal. Hope it helps.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 4:17 P.M.

Flat-Rate Primary Medical Care: A Good Idea?

Just read an interesting story online headlined "Seattle doctors try flat-rate no-limit primary care" over at www.reuters.com that set me thinking, given the raging debate in the US -- and concerns about soaring medical costs in many countries. (I hope the story link works; I had to manually type in the URL in a dialogue box, since a serious shortcoming of this blogging service is I can't copy-and-paste stuff. If it doesn't work and you want to read the story, try going to Reuters homepage and searching for the article using the headline.)

Sounds interesting. Customers pay a flat US$99 to join, then pay a monthly preium varying from US$39 to US$119, depending on just two straightforward factors: age, and level of service. No one is turned down for pre-existing conditions.

At the most basic level, this isn't very different from the concept behind Thailand's 30-baht health scheme, introduced by former (and deposed) PM Thaksin Shinawatra; as I understand it, it provides much the same, and maybe a bit more (though that's murky to me, as my Thai friends who've used it have had differing experiences).

One big difference, however, is that 30-baht program is doomed to bleed government coffers; at current exchange rates, 30 baht is just US$.90 -- yep, 90 cents, nowhere near enough to break even, not even here -- while the Seattle outfit expects to make a profit. Given that the story saises they've lined up about $7.5 million in venture capital, clearly some other folks feel the good doctors are on to something, too.

I suppose one possibility that would contribute to the bottom line is that there are patients who don't use, in terms of money, as much as they've paid. For instance, if a person on the US$119/plan got, say, a simple, common injection and that's it for the entire year, the clinic would be out the cost of the injection, salaries for a few minutes, and those more esoteric things accountants worry about (depreciation, etc.). Presumably, those expenses would be way lower than the US$1,428 the patient paid in over the year.

Thai readers out there -- and I know some are -- you might think about that, even if you love the 30-baht scheme. After all, it's doomed to bankruptcy sooner or later, unless tax revenues go through the roof, and you know the middle- and upper-class would fight *that* tooth-and-nail (especially since if you can read this, in English, and have a computer, you're almost certainly in one of those classes yourself, so you just KNOW I'm right!) Maybe your representatives would consider some plan whereby you pay -- to pull a number out of the air -- 15,000 baht a year for the top plan. (Hey, don't wince -- think what you blew on your BMW, and how much you pay for half a dozen bottles of Johnny Walker and brandy at your club every weekend! ) *I* darned sure would pay it, were it to be available to foreigners. Heck, I'd even pay a (*reasonable*) "foreigner tax" -- maybe another 10,000-15,000 baht/year.

Are the Seattle doctors nuts? I don't know; the economics of health care just seem to get murkier and murkier the more I read, in an apparently vain effort to educate myself a bit about the subject. I suppose if they can pay the bills and take home a decent income -- "decent income" in light of the many years they spent in medical school and the wheelbarrow loads of bucks they spent for the privilege -- then maybe it'll work.

If it does work, and the model spreads, it would benefit the rest of us. We wouldn't have to pay for people who rush to the emergency room for a hang nail, as now happens way too often. It might mean our taxes wouldn't go up so rapidly. (I reckon they're never gonna go *down.*) Better use of medical resources. No government involvement. No insurance companies.

Ah . . . insurance companies. Predictably, those that have addressed this development oppose it (surprise, surprise). According to the Reuters story, anyway. Just as I imagine carriers here in Thailand would oppose a parallel plan here, especially the heavyweights (which include, for instance, the global BUPA Blue Cross-Blue Shield).

The downside? Well, if you're away somewhere and need even just primary attention, unless you carry some back-up insurance, you'll be stuck with the entire bill. I know you can buy accident insurance if you fly (for example), but I don't know about regular medical coverage; never thought about it. And if such coverage is available, I don't know if it's available to people who aren't traveling on a plane, cruise ship, etc.

But I bet if this model catches fire, insurance companies will be quick to figure out policies designed just for people who choose to use clinics like the one in Seattle.

Take a look at the Qliance -- that's the Seattle clinic -- website if you're interested in a bit more information. (By the way, don't ask *me* to explain the weird name; I don't have the slightest idea!) I just now looked, after writing all the preceding materials; the site itself says the monthly premium varies from US$49 to US$79; don't know why the discrepancy with the Reuters story, since Reuters is almost always a reliable news source.

Anyone in the Seattle area use these folks? If so, I'd love to know your experiences and opinions.

Tuesday, 4:12 P.M., July 7, 2009

Novel Transports for Marines -- and Needed Ones for [Some] Squaronians!

Just read my second story of the day about Marines training with some fine, um, "special forces."



Namely, donkeys and mules. Don't blink like that -- DONKEYS and MULES. You read right the first time.


"Huh?" you incisively ask? Well, just settle in, and I'll tell you. (And I'll get to the bit about Squaronians in a bit.)



A donkey (also called an "ass,") is a member of the horse family, whereas a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. On rare occasion, a female donkey crosses with a male horse; the result is a "hinny." But I guess it's essentially a mule, anyway.



We can began to see some obvious connections to Squaronians already, as some of us can sometimes be real asses, just as some of us can sometimes be mule-headed! (Calm down, Squaronians; I won't name names, except to identify myself as a regular instance of both, so SMILE! And put down that damn beer bottle, willya? . . .) But moving along . . .


Why on earth are Marines training with donkeys and mules? Well, as the war in Iraq winds down, the focus is shifting to Afghanistan, where donkeys, particularly, are a favorite, centuries old method of transport, because of the rugged lay of the land: lots and lots of rugged, soaring mountains. And both donkeys and mules are very, very good at negotiating treacherous mountains, even where there aren't paths.



The Marines will probably favor donkeys once they're dispatched to the theater of operations, largely for the simple economic consideration: according to the story, a good donkey costs only US$5.00 in Afghanistan. (The story didn't say how much mules command, but I assume it's substantially higher, enough so as not to be such a good deal, even though donkeys, which max out at around 400 pounds (around 180 kilos) can't carry as much as a mule, while mules weigh in in the 1,000-pound (roughly a tad over 450-kilo) range, so can carry larger, heavier loads than a donkey can.



This isn't the first time these beasts of burden have served the Marine Corps. One of the most fabled Marines in the history of the Corps was Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, who enlisted at the end of the 19th century and served a full career, taking part in combat action from China (the Boxer Rebellion), during which he received the Medal of Honor. Some 15 years later, ambushed by Haitian bandits as he was leading pack animals -- my sources don't say whether donkeys, mules, or both -- Sgt. Maj. Daly; his conduct in the ensuing battle earned him his second Medal of Honor -- making him one of only 19 men in the history of the American armed forces, all branches included, to be a double-recipient of the nation's highest military honor. No slouch (obviously), he also had a few other medals, including the Navy Cross (which for nonmilitary types is aolmost as big a deal as the Medal of Honor), a slew of others -- and three from the French government during World War I.



Well, let's switch from history to current affairs, and from combat in far-flung China, Haiti, and Europe to the more immediate environs of Washington Square.



Since donkeys and mules as strong and reliable, just imagine: with a trained stable of the beasts, stabled in the Square, of course, any Squaronian who had become, um, "rather too festive" to try to make his way home, even in a taxi, he could take a "donkey-taxi" or "mule-taxi" home. (Since many Squaronians know maybe three words of Thai -- which includes me -- when they're stone cold sober, words which of course disappear into the ether when they've merrily imbibed at length, and words which are useless for giving directions anyway.)



I can just see it now. I'll use me as an example, since I live near, which meekps it simple. Besides, by using me, I won't get beat up. Let's say I feel I've had a modest overage after downing three beers, a Jack-and-water -- and 28 Underbergs. A couple of the bar maids sigh once they figure out I'm wanting to head down Soi 22 home, so they come around to help me to the stable. But I dig in and demand another beer. That's the mule part.



A sixpack later, I really, truly think I have to go home. Well, maybe not think, exactly, mind you, but pure instinct kicks in.



So, the ever-patient lasses give it another go, this time succeeding in getting me to the stable, where they run into a problem as they decide to use a donkey -- but then have to figure out just who the ass is!



That properly sorted, they help me slither up on Mr. Burro -- another name for a donkey, for Yankees and other foreigners who don't know < ;-) >, and Mr. Donkey, having been down this road, literally, before, strikes out for my apartment. I, meanwhile, croon love songs to the night air, thrilling everyone who's trying to sleep with my rendition of "La Cucaracha." (La cucaracha! - La cucaracha! - Ya no puede caminar!) Which is apartiucularly appropriate ditty, at least that line, as "ya no puede caminar!" translates as "I can't walk already!" Our Thai hosts almost certainly won't know that, but never mind.



And my triumphant arrival back in my compound even brightens the night for the guards who sit outside the night through, not exactly the most thrilling job on the planet. (Which I know from experience, having worked on construction sites, for example, as a guard all night, on 12-hour shifts that often stretched out longer, when my relief got hung up in traffic. But I didn't have some foreign jackass riding up on a burro singing "La Cucaracha" to break the dull monotony.



Anyway, if the guards are properly appreciative of my one-man jackass show, I might even treat them to my rendition of "La Bamba"!!!



Hey! I just had a flash! We could have a second stable, this one at the airport, so donkeys could bring us to the Square after our sojourns an Spring Airline's barstool-equipped plane! Hmm. Wonder if I can figure out a way to tie an ice chest onto a donkey behind me. . . .



Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 12:55 A.M.

Travel Advisory: UDD Protestors Planning Birthday Party for Thaksin

The private pro-Thaksin Shinawatra group UDD is planning to hold a birthday party for the former prime minister on his 60th birthday at the Sanam Luang, which is located in front of the Grand Palace on Ratanakosin Island in the Chao Phraya River (a.k.a. "The River of Kings") and is one of Thailand's top tourist destinations. The oval-shaped area has been called "the nation's front yard," as it is the scene of many celebrations, such as for the birthdays of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen. Open to the public (normally), it is also a place where one can see activities such as traditional Thai kite flying.



The planned celebration is causing some disagreement, however, which could spell trouble. The government is saying the UDD can't celebrate there, as preparations for Her Majesty the Queen's birthday, which falls on August 12th (and which is also Mothers' Day here in Thailand, by the way), will be in full swing. The UDD is arguing this is discriminatory treatment and in fact is based on the government's dislike of the group, whose sole purpose for existing is to see Thaksin able to return to Thailand without having to serve any of the time to which he has been sentenced, in abstentia, or to face further charges arising from his tenure -- and, they hope, to return to public office.



Whatever the truth may be in that dispute, one fact is clear: preparations for the Queen's birthday indeed will be in full-bore mode (involving all of Sanam Luang). That leaves no room for other activities. (Thailand celebrates the Queen's and King's birthdays in truly grand style -- the celebrations are truly beautiful, and very nice.)



There is one consideration for would-be visitors: though it's not my purpose to assign blame, it's a matter of record that UDD gatherings over the past several months have sometimes been magnets for disorder and even some violence. Naturally, charges and counter-charges fly thick and fast, but that's of no concern to the holiday traveler (or business traveler looking for a spot of relaxation, "far from the madding crowd" [to steal from the book title penned by Thomas Hardy].



Chaos and the potential for violence are very much of concern, however. That's why I never go anywhere *near* such events, nor would I (I suspect) even were I Thai and very interested in such matters.



Thais on holiday in the capital on that date will have to make their own call on whether or not to steer clear of the venue should the UDD in fact go ahead with its planned birthday party for the deposed prime minister. This is their country, and they can darned well go if they wish, though if the party is on, I hope they don't have any trouble, whether they're politically interested or not.


As for foreigners, well, we don't really have a dog in this fight, except, to a degree, those foreigners doing business here, or living here, or who have some other long-term involvement with the Kingdom. But I feel that one and all, regardless of the nature of their connection with Thailand, steer way clear of not only Sanam Luang on the 26th, if the UDD bash goes ahead, but any such event. You're just asking for trouble. Look at the tens of thousands of travelers stuck at Suvarnabhumi Airport last year during demonstrations by the UDD (called the "Red Shirts," by the way, as that's the color shirt they wear, to distinguish themselves from another group opposing them that wears yellow shirts).



It's probable that a foreign onlooker doing no more than watching the scene unfold won't have any trouble beyond jostling in a crowd. But foreigners sticking their noses into the, um, "festivities" are bound to enrage *someone,* even if they're simply trying to keep, say, an armed demonstrator from attacking someone else. Want to carry a protest sign for one side or another? Ba-a-a-a-ad idea. A really bad idea. Again, that'll enrage someone or the other, bad enough as a generality (since an enraged person may bring harm your way). And hoisting a sign might displease the authorities, and given that we, as foreigners, have no rights except those the Thais choose to grant us, we can be in deep, deep dookey if we cause the police or military (or, worse still, both) to become unhappy.



SO -- if you're planning on being in Bangkok on the 26th and you want to visit the Grand Palace and environs, it would be an excellent idea to check to see if the UDD event is on or not first. If it is and you can switch to another day, that would be a most excellent course of action. If you're going to be in-and-out and have only that day to take the tour . . . well, I say "forget it." But if you insist on wading into the thick of things, you're well-advised to keep the lowest poosible profile and to keep very, very quiet. And remember: you go at your peril -- there have been a few deaths -- allegedly -- at past events. (No foreigners, not that I know of, but still . . .).



By the way, to emphasize the possibility of trouble, the Bangkok Post is running an informal survey from yeswterday through tomorrow asking if the UDD should throw the party; as of now, the results are split almost exactly 70% "No" and 30% "Yes"; that poll is reinforced by a more scientific one conducted by ABAC University that shows an 81% disapproval rate.



2:30 P.M., Same day: A few headlines have popped up, some reporting that Thaksin has told the UDD not to celebrate his birthday after all -- but he has reportedly asked them to avoid or stop something yet they gone ahead or continued, so, we'll see. Also, other reports say that some in government are criticizing (again) the UDD for seeking a Royal pardon for Thaksin. Anytime anyone mentions the royal Family or any member ofit, especially His Majesty the King, and anything remotely controversial in the same breath, eyebrows shoot up. His Majesty, much beloved of the people (including a lot of us foreigners), is regarded as the leading moral authority of the Kingdom by far, and as such, miles above any sordid political fray. The UDD is playing with fire on that, in my and about a gazillion other observers' collective opinion, even among some observers otherwise sympathetic to UDD goals.



Call the current situation a "Yellow Alert," to borrow from the US' Department of Homeland Security M&M alert system. If matters ratchet up -- let's switch to the US military lingo -- I'd say DEFCON 4, which is, essentially, "lock-and-load" status, or very high alert. That means you, anyone planning on being here then and wanting to frolic around the vicinity involved.



Thursday, July 9, 2009, 1:04 P.M.

Memorial Party for the Late George Pipas Thursday, July 23, 2009

Damn. It's hard to realize that we're almost at the one-year mark since George was so rude as to leave us.

But here we are, come just 11 more days.

Anyway, George's beloved Mary Ann wants to commemorate the occasion in the way George would appreciate, i.e., a bash in his honor and memory Thursday, July 23rd at the Texas Lone Staar.

Haven't spoken with Mary Ann directy myself, but Paul told me about it yesterday. He didn't know the exact kick-off time then, but if this goes as things usually do, I suppose it'll start midafternoon -- three-ish, say.

Mary Ann inexiplicably had the cape buffalo head that was mounted above George's seat taken down and stored in his bedroom at their house here in Bangkok, but we're going to try to convince Mary Ann to have the driver mount it again, preferably for good, but at least that day.

After all, the thing is forever a symbol of George himself!

Check back here if you either live here and want to come, or if you're planning on visiting around then and want to drop by and hoist one in memory of The Old Boy.

Burt will try to say a few words, though of course he'll get all choked up and be unable to continue. Various of us are trying to get in touch with Ken "Montana" Sevenski to do likewise, as he's quite articulate even when he's *also* completely awash. (With too much, um, "special tea" -- he drinks tea and vodka. Hey, don't look so aghast -- it's actually pretty darned good!) I'm sure Bear will offer a phrase or two, if he's around (and I imagine he'll make it a point to be here) -- he's got either a silver or forked tongue, depending on one's point of view.

George really is missed. Khun Oi, one of his oldest employees with approaching a quarter of a century of service, overhead us talking about the party, and she got all quietly teary-eyed. Whether you loved him or hated him, you damned sure won't forget him, will you???

And with that, I think I'll go live and call it a day. . . .

Sunday, July 12, 2009, 9:10 A.M.

"The Rounds," July 4, 2009

Well, it's been a good long while since I wrote anything, so I thought I would.

SPRING AIRLINES: FOUNDED WITH SQUARONIANS IN MIND

First up is a story about a domestic low-fare airline in mainland China, Spring Airlines.

Now, you my quite reasonably ask, "I'm wanting to read about THAILAND, or at least BANGKOK, not China! What gives???"

Well, I just ran across a story online headlined "'Barstool seating' on a Chinese airline?" Talk about a natural for Washington Square and Squaronians!

You see, it's obvious that one of two things has happened, or perhaps the two did: (1.) Squaronians fame continues to spread far and wide, or, (2.) Some Squaronian slipped up behind the Bamboo Curtain and consulted on cabin design on the airline's sole type of aircraft, the Airbus 320, or (3.) Both of the above.

Let me take these backwards, though I'll lump 2 and 3 together. I figure # 2 is HIGHLY unlikely because (1.) Squaronians are essentially a lazy lot, and, (2.) No self-respecting Squaronian wants to get that far away from the Square. (The airline is based in Shanghai.) Those automatically eliminate the third possibility I listed.

Elementary, my dear Watson.

So, that brings us back to # 1, which in a glimpse of the blindingly obvious I realized of course can be the One and Only True Explanation.

For those unfortunate amongst readers who've never had the glorious, epiphanic* (look it up!) experience of visiting Washington Square and getting to know The Squaronians, Squaronians are quite fond of their barstools. They may not actially sit on them very much, mind you; they may fling a leg atop one, or they may lean against it, and, once enough cups of their favorite libation has passed their lips, they may even, finally, sit on it (an act of quiet desperation, one implying the booze has won . . . again).

Spring Airlines is perfect for Squaronians. Well, the name may not be all that appropriate; no spring chickens around these parts, and few, if any, Squaronians have much in the way of spring left in their steps, and fewer still spring for everyone's bar tab. HOWSOMEVER -- were the airline to lay on a flight to Bangkok, one with an A-320 fitted out with barstools instead of boring old airline seats, I bet every flight would be full. Of Squaronians (and wannabes, who are legion). And I guarantee the flights would be full if also (1.) they didn't go anywhere -- just circled Bangkok a few hours, (2.) the airline provided helicopter transfers between the airport and Washington Square (well, okay, to the helipad atop the bank building on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 33, diagonally across the street from the front gate of the Square), and (3.) provided free booze (instead of being the cheap charlies they presently are).

Don't know quite how a seatbelt works on a barstool. Maybe they'll put a chrome pole on sliders (explanation in a minute) that can lock in place beside the barstool, and the Squaronian can strap in with the seatbelt attached to the pole and his barstool. (All Squaronians are men; the women belong to the "Suffering Squaronians' Wives Club.")

Before I forget, a word about the bit about chrome poles on sliders. Chrome poles are best known around here as being physical support systems for bored a-go-go dancers who all specialize in that exciting dance, "Shuffling-While-Chewing-Gum-and-Looking-Bored-Out-of-My-Mind."

On any Dragon Land-Bangkok flight, the cabin crew would all have to be young, beautiful, enthusiastic Chinese Dolls who love to dance (besides the aforementioned one, I mean; we can see that in thousands of places here without bothering with an airplane). While cruising altitude is reached -- 1,000 feet would be fine for us, since that's high enough to clear any buildings etc. around Bangkok, and low enough to reach take-off-your-seatbelt-altitude quickly so we can unbuckle ASAP and get the chrome poles locked into their primary position, a foot or two away from the barstool -- the chrome poles magically transforming from being seatbelt supports to their more historic purpose.

Then it's SHOWTIME, and the hostesses -- please, no katoeys ("lady-boys," or transsexuals, to the ignorant and uninformed ) hit the poles. Since their uniforms for this special flight are a-go-go outfits, they're good to go as soon as the "Fasten Seatbelt" signs go out. Of course, the plane will have to be overstaffed, by normal standards, since even a regular Airbus 320 (based on Phillipines Air's 320-200, version 1**) seats 144 in Economy and 12 in Business. Get rid of the worthless business and replace them with Economy seats, and the number goes up 168, from 156. Now, rip ALL the seats out and replace them with barstools and chrome poles. I reckon we can squeeze 190-200 guys aboard, with plenty of room for the ladies (the ones working; no lady passengers allowed on this flight). I reckon about 60 hostesses ought to be enough; they could take turns dancing and serving drinks -- shifts, if you will. (Hm, with that many hostesses, may have to cut the passenger number back some after all. Som nam na to those left-on-the-tarmac!) ("Som nam na" means "Tough, Buddy," in this context.)

Man oh man -- Spring Airlines ought to love us! Well, maybe not the trashed cabins and restrooms, but never mind minor details.

I just had another idea: these flights could be for members only! Of course, all bona fide Squaronians would have automatic (and free) lifetime membership. The wannabes and simply curious could pay, say, 2,000 baht per year into a General Fund for Squaronians when they're broke and thirsty. (Since everybody knows everybody's business, that wouldn't be hard to keep tabs -- no pun intended -- on! )

And the planes. Planes have to have names. No need to paint a name on each plane -- I envisage a small fleet of them -- since the nose could have one of those holders you slide a long, rectangular piece of plastic or metal into with whatever you want written on it, so the name can rotate from flight to flight. The inaugural flight could be named "The Rabbi," in honor, of course, of the lately (and deeply missed, no joke) George Pipas. And we can't forget people such as "Ba Burt [Burt Nestle]," "Papa Bear [Bear Hudson], "Taffy" and "The Warden" [both Taffy, which is enough ID on him!] . . . and then we come to Riley, who's difficult to nickname because there are so many possibilities: "Louisiana Riley," "Cajun Riley," "Bayou Riley," "Gumbo Riley," "Jambalaya Riley" orm "Mr. Lek" -- those all spring to mind. I might even graciously allow one to be named "Mekhong Kurt."

None of those boring Chinese names like "Beijing [Northern Capital]," "Tianjin [Heavenly River -- the Chinese name for the Milky Way], or my ex-wife's name, "Zhang Xia," which is pretty easy in Mandarin, but means a mouthful in English: "The red glow you see in the western sky on rare occasion after sunset." Well, okay, maybe some Mandarin names, such as "Mei Nu Chuan" -- "Beautiful Ladies Aboard"!!!

Too bad I can't embed the remarkable Susan Boyle's performance (runner-up in the recently concluded "Britain's Got Talent" -- Britain's version of "American Idol" -- contest) singing "I Dream the Dream." (The link takes you to the YouTube video of her performance -- and it's WELL worth watching. Boyle is extraordinary, as evidenced by the fact that the video is from April 11, 2009, but according to a video website tracking service (and this was maybe 3-4 weeks ago), globally, the video had been viewed in the range of -- are you ready for this -- over 200 million times! A few mninutes ago, I saw on YouTube alone the views are over 27 million. Among other things, it's a real humbler -- teaches us something about hubris, pride.

Anyway, Squaronians' airline dream is a bit less ambitious. . . .!!!

* Okay, Lazy Boy, I'll save you the trouble. An epiphany is "a moment of sudden and great revelation." If you don't know what "revelation" means, tough stuff. " "Epiphanic" is the adjective form of of "epiphany." What??? You don't remember what an adjective is? Don't you remember anything Miss Bertha Glottaferbenshein taught you in 8th-grade English? . . . . Oh, sorry; plumb forgot you got permanently expelled in 3rd grade for sitting fire to the teacher's hemline while she was at the blackboard with her back to the class. . . . Well, let's see. "Epiphany" is a noun -- the name of something. Like "bargirl." (I'll stick with easy words, one you recognize instantly.) Now, you can't say "She's sure one epiphanic bargirl," though she may lead you to an epiphany, but never mind that. But another adjective that does work here is "hot," as in "She sure is one hot bargirl!" (An adjective is a word describing a noun, but you probably figured that out already.)

** As a somewhat serious note aside, let me tell you that if you're flying somewhere and aren't familiar with the particular aircraft on that particular airline, Seat Guru does an excellent job of explaining cabin layouts on just about every aircraft flying commercially -- and includes pictures. It's broken down by airline first, then by type of aircraft. Take a look. When there are several variants of the same plane, such as a Boeing 747, which comes in several flavors, it helps to know that model number to be sure you'll get what you want when you book your flight (Boeing 747-300, Boeing 747-400, and so on). Class dismissed.

HAPPY BIRHDAY TO BURT & ME

Well, that's what Burt and Jan told me, anyway.

My birthday happens to fall on June 25th, and Burt's falls the next day, June 26th. For quite a few years now we've always linked up, together with his daughter, the lovely Khun Jan, and had a blast together.

This year was a wet blanket for me. My birthday fell on a Thursday. So, we were supposed to go out that evening -- unusually, since Jan's flight schedule (she's an air hostess -- hey, she can be Head Hostess for our Spring Airline flight!) is unpredictable and often is such that we have to shift to be sure to be able to include her in the festivities -- and stay out until past midnight, so as to celebraqte both birthdays in one go.

One Party Boy was absent: Yours Correspondent. As in "moi."

I woke up with a terrible case of Bangkok Belley the Monday before the birthday, and it flat knocked me out of commission. (More about that later.) I didn't even try to call, but just before midnight on the 25th, Jan called me. Explained my situation to her, wishing I could be there; she and Burt were at the Texas Lone staar. But I just wasn't up for it. But at least Burt and I got to exchange birthday greetings over the phone.

I haven't been debriefed on their debauchery yet, but once I am, I'll be sure to post the really juicy bits here -- and those of you who know Burt know there were some juicy bits to pass along!

"BANGKOK BELLY: A STUDY IN TRUE MISERY"

As I said, I woke up the Monday before my and Burt's birthdays sick as a dog. In fact, I wonder if I didn't have some kind of stomach or intestinal virus, especially since I hadn't eaten any street food in several days -- in fact, I had eaten only at home, and that was large cold-cut sandwishes and hot dogs, Also, I've had Bangkok Belly in the past, but never anywhere near as knock-me-on-my-but as this bout.

The first couple of days were the worst; I could barely walk, for pete's sake. Which made rushing to the hong nam -- restroom -- every 20-30 minutes a real thrill, groping my way down the hallway, clinging to the wall.

That went on for about three days, but even after that, I fell way short of 100%.

On the bright side, had circumstances been a little different, I finally could have achieved my star-dust dream of being an astronaut. You see, when I was plopped down on the commode and . . . ahem, "had the facilities fully engaged," I could have self-propelled myself into at least a sub-orbital flight! (Luckily, no retro rocket on the other end, my mouth -- no vomiting.)

On my birthday I actually felt a little better, as I should have, since I had spent the great majority of time the preceding three days in bed. Well, and in the restroom, where I dozed at times so I wouldn't have to shuffle up and down the hall every little bit. But I was afraid to push it, which turned out to be a good move on my part. . . .

. . . . because I relapsed Saturday night. Not as bad the second time around, but unpleasant enough. After another few days feeling rough, I began pulling out of it pretty good.

It's the wee hours of the 4th of July as I write this, and I'm basically okay. No, I am okay. But I'm still not pushing it; just hanging out at home and taking it easy.

To put this little episode in context, I've been here just over 15 years -- June 12th was my 15th anniversary in the Big Mango (As Christopher G. Moore calls Bangkok) -- and today (Saturday the 4th) is the THIRTEENTH day since I last was in Washington Square, a record absence, except for the four times I've been in the States visiting and the Sep, 1999-June, 2000 time frame, when I was shuttling back and forth between here and southern China.

I haven't even seen Soi 22 where my sub-soi connects to it. Heck, I've been out in the sub-soi only twice, to go to the 7-Eleven. Bends in the sub-soi plus the arrangement of its intersection with Soi 22 keep me from seeing Soi 22 from 7-Eleven. I wouldn't have gone even so far as 7-Eleven were lunch meat and bread available in one of the two mom-'n-pop shops in my compound. A lot of days I haven't gone outside my apartment at all -- shoot, never even put on clothes, except my undies, socks, and shower shoes I wear for house slippers. (I know, I know -- socks: weird. But the shoes are rubber, and my feet sweat quite a bit. That's not comfortable, plus it's slippery. So, I wear socks with them, just like I wear them with my strap-on sandals I wear when I go out into the streets.)

Somewhat to my pleasant surprise, I haven't had even a moment's feeling of cabin fever. Of course, when you're trying to hang on to the commode so you don't blast off into the bathroom ceiling, you have other things in mind than being cooped up. But I haven't been like that all the time, as I said earlier. Even on good days, I haven't felt any special urge to get out.

It's turned out, happily enough, that I'm okay fooling around on my computer, surfing the Internet; watching TV; reading; stuff like that. I even washed some dishes! (Shock, shock!)

I haven't been utterly alone. My maid and her girlfriend came over the afternoon of my birthday, not to maid-maid, but to see how I was doing, and to spend a bit of time with me on my birthday, knowing my plans with Burt and Jan were shot to hell. That night, they even persuaded me to drink some beer -- not much, mind you; tasted halfway like piss. (Unlike the one I had yesterday, the only other alcohol I've had since I was last in Washington Square. Yesterday's slaked right down and tasted great. But after the one big bottle, I could feel it -- tolerance goes quick. And that's okay, too.) Anyway, it was nice of them to come. Especially my maid, who lives way to hell and gone out in the distant, remote, not-so-easy-to-get-to outskirts, out in the jungle with the monkeys. Her friend lives right here in my compound.

So, I'm well on the way to full recovery; I reckon I'm 90-95% operational now.

Thank goodness.

Sure ain't in a hurry for another go around with the Bangkok Belly . . . or whatever it was!

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Well, I'm going to be pretty useless on this one, given my lengthy absence from the Square. I have talked with Burt several times, and Taffy called Thursday, so I haven't been completely incommunicado. Apparently everyone's doing okay; neither Taffy nor Burt reported anything at all, much less anything of a newsy (read: "gossipy!") nature.

I do know a few Squaronians who aren't around every day have been around. "English" Ken has been in town. So has Davey, from Phuket, who does manage to get up considerably more often than Ken does from England; after all, Phuket is a spot closer! Bear came down from the jungle on the outskirts of Surin midweek, and will be here through the 4th, anyway. As I said, Burt was in the Square on "our" birthday, and has been there a time or two other times during my absence. Nigel was around a day or two ago (or sometime this week, anyway). I think Taffy said Deano, the Qantas pilot, was in this week, though I don't know if he was outbound to London or back inbound to Sydney, which means I don't know when he might be back through -- when he's outbound, we know he'll be back in 2-3 days. But when he's on his way back to the Land of Funny Animals, no one knows. (Australia and Madagascar jointly hold the title for "Oddest Animals in the World.") Not even him, not for sure. I think Libya Dave is back off to fly around that Desert Paradise; Louisiana Riley has gone to work on his month-on/month off rotation (I think -- that was his plan last time I saw him just over two weeks ago, as I recall).

Will try to report more next time, by which time I expect I'll be popping into the Square again, if not every day from now on. I kinda like hanging out at home, sitting around in my undies, like a barbarian!

A Smile from an AIRLINE??? Air New Zealand "Pulls It Off" (So to Speak)

There hasn't been any good news for passengers from the airlines in . . . well, I forget just when.

Air New Zealand's marketing department must have geniuses aboard. They done a safety video -- you know, the video telling you to stow your carry-on luggage in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you, how to fasten and unfasten your seatbelt, telling you to obey instructions from crew members -- blah-blah-blah, all that stuff that bores us to tears and which we ignore after the first or second time we fly. Commercial, anyway. (I guess back seat in a fighter jet is a whole different cup of tea!)

But Air New Zealand has come up with a safety video that'll keep you riveted. Here are some sample headlines that will, um, "reveal" why:

--- "Bare essentials of safety" video leaves Air New Zealand uncovered

--- New Zealand airlines issues nude safety video

--- Air New Zealand flight attendents get naked

--- Air New Zealand staff bare all to get flyers' attention

--- This is your Captain streaking

--- Naked truth about flying: Air New Zealnd crew strip off to present "bare essentials of safety"

(I swiped these headlines from Google News.)

The video is hilarious, and makes us smile at ourselves when we realize they're fooling around with some of our, um, "more earthy" instincts. (Hubbette, that means sex, Honey; remember that?)

With headlines like the ones above -- they run into several hundred at Google News -- of course we're all primed for some sort of sneak peek. (I do wish professional journalists would learn the difference between the two words "peek" and "peak"! Just an English teacher's bitch . . .)

The atmosphere of the video is very light-hearted, with whimsical, light music tinkling in the background. The content is straightforward, not deviating from the essential points passengers need to know.

I fell for it, I don't mind saying. :-)

So, what's the draw, the attraction? You watch an ordinary safety video for, let's see, I think it's a Boeing 737-300. Life jacket. Oxygen mask -- put yours own before helping any children with you. Emergency lighting strips. That sort of things.

Several crew members are the cast, and they really *are* crew members, not actors. But the hook isn't clear until the very last scene, when the hostess, who has a large role in the video, turns her back to the camera and begins walking away towards the rear of the aircraft.

Look closely for her derriere once she gets far enough away for it to appear in the lowed edge of the view. ("Derriere" means "butt," si vous ne parlez pas francais -- "if you don't speak French.")

Every crew member/actor in the video is NEKKID!!! [naked, for non-native English speakers]. Yep, they're in their birthday suits. When the hostess walks away is the first time this is at all evident, as this is the first time you can get a visual clue: you can see her cheeks. As in tush cheeks, not face ones.

"But," you protest, "they have on their uniforms the entire video!!!"

Nope. Unh-unh. Ain't so.

The trick? -- body paint.

This isn't the first time the airline has used this approach; earlier, in a "Nothing to hide" advertisement, which promoted discount airfares the airline was offering, had the airline's chief executive and others making the pitch -- all in the buff. Except for body paint.

the current ad (and, I presume, the earlier one) is intended for Air New Zealand's domestic market, but someone posted it on the ever-dependable YouTube -- and it went viral, snagging over a million hits in very short order.

It's a really well-done feel-good ad. I've never flown Air New Zealand -- but if they compete on price next time I'm flying internationally to one of their destinations, you can sure bet I'll give them a try! Heck, I've been wanting to go to Australia and New Zealand both for years, and this gives me a little more excuse to do so. If you like the ad, maybe you too will consider flying on their airline.

Hop over the http://youtube.com and in the search box in the upper right, type in "air new zealand safety video" (the quotation marks aren't necessary in YouTube) and you'll get a list -- including some out-take bloopers that occurred while they were shooting this ad, hilarious in its own right.

From my perspective as a writer, it's darned nice to have something pleasant to write about any airline in these days of madness on airlines' part that drive US nuts in turn.

B the way -- I do believe the pilot's HAT isn't body paint, nor any other kind!

;-)

A LITTLE RELIEF AT THE PUMP FOR DRIVERS

Anyone out there driving in Thailand will be glad to know that effective today (Saturday, July 4th), the government's PTT petrol [gas, to my Yank compatriots] stations are cutting prices at the pump by 50 satang (that's 1/2 baht for those unfamiliar with Thailand's money).

The new prices will range from a low of 24.09 baht/lieter for B5 biodiesel 32.94/liter for 91 octane petrol [gas again, Yank, gas]. In U.S. terms, that works out to just a tad above US$2.60/US gallon at the low end to bit above US$3.56/US gallon at the high end.

While the story said other stations are expected to fall in line -- they always do -- it's silent on the price on LPG gas, which is increasingly popular here, at least here in Bangkok, where it's getting easier to fill up as more stations with the proper equipment come online (or existing stations add the equipment).

I'm sure drivers will appreciate the pump relief. Drivers who have to pay for the fuel, not company drivers, whose gas is provided, of course. The government hiked the excise tax back in April by a full two baht, so even this price cut leaves customers paying 1.50 baht/liter more than they were before the April hike.

Hm. Just dawned on me the only fuel I've used for nearly two weeks is "biofuel" energy from my food to power my walking!

**********

Enough for one go. . . .

Mekhong Kurt

"The Rounds," May 8, 2009

The Latest Internet Sensation

It's Wednesday night, May 6th, as I start this latest outing. Sitting at home with not much to do, so thought I'd turn my attention here a bit.


Since all of you, obviously, computer-literate, I have to mention the Susan Boyle sensation; it's a really feel-good story, which is damned sure something just about all of us can use right now.


Susan Boyle: a 47- or 48- year old single gal from Scotland who made her way to one of Britain's top television shows -- it draws 12,000,000 to 14,000,000 viewers per episode, a show called "Britain's Got Talent," a show similar to "American Idol," for those of you familiar with that. Both feature the sharp-tongued but enormously successful producer, British Simon Cowell, as one of the judges in this talent show.


Boyle appeared in front of the show's three judges [about which more a bit later], each of whom has a rather commanding television presence.

Boyle, au naturale does not have that presence. She has accurately, if not very kindly, described by such words as "frumpy." She appeared in a nondescript smock, her frizzy hair in a . . . well, frizzy style. And while she's not going to scare little kids in the dark, neither is she going to make the Adonises of the male species swoon with lust.

When Boyle walked out onto the stage -- in front of a studio audience of about 2,000, by the way -- it was painfully embarrassing. The audience was snickering, as were the judges. Here's Miss Plain Jane par excellence on TV??? However on earth did she make it past the screeners? [And more about *that* part too a bit later on.]

Cowell was relatively light on her as he asked her a couple of basic questions before signalling her to perform. One question was whom she would like to be like, professionally. Improbably, she said Elaine Paige (sp?). Another was what song she wanted to sing; she answered, "I Dream The Dream," at which he raised steeply arched eyebrows; the song is challenging.

Once Cowell signaled Boyle to begin, she gathered herself up as the music opened, then started singing.

It was simply stunning, as Piers, another judge, later put it. Jaws dropped, eyeb rows shot up, and the audience was on their feet in seconds, offering a loud standing ovation. Well before the end, two of the three judges were on their feet as well; Cowell was too mesmerized to stand.

That was the evening of April 11th in Britain. As of this afternoon, on YouTube.com alone there had been north of 52 million views. A video tracking service that follows about 150 sites was reporting at the same time two salient points: on the sites they monitor, there had been 186,000,000 views -- making the clip the 5th-most-viewed in history.

Not bad for several days shy of a month. Especially when you add in various bloggers and webmasters who've embedded the clip but whose sites/blogs aren't tracked. Finally, there are the gazillion people who've lit up e-mails to send the link to others. I wouldn't be surprised to learn, if such were possible, that the clip has been viewed north of half a billion times.

Yet Boyle -- and the show -- are controversial. In her case, I wonder why. In the case of the show . . . well, the jury's out.


I've read a number of really nasty reviews of Boyle's performance. Some criticize her for having a singing coach. Others criticize her for having been singing at a local pub in Scotland for many years (thereby getting some practice). Finally, some have said she doesn't "look" the part.

So doggone what if she has a voice coach? Don't people take classes or training when they aspire to something? So doggone what if she's been singing in the local pub a quarter of a century; that's what people who love to sing may choose to do. Or in the shower or backyard or out in the meadow . . . wherever. The third criticism is especially cruel: does one have to look like a winner to be a winner?

Simon Cowell, the producer and one of the judges, apparently doesn't think so; he has first right of refusal on signing a contract with her. In any case, even if Boyle doesn't win the finals -- which offer a rather nice prize of 100,000 pounds plus performing for the Royal Family -- reports say music producers are lining up around the block to talk to her.


Be your own judge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

I mentioned the judges and that I would have a bit more to say about them. Despite a number of hours of research, I've not been able to find out just what, if anything, they themselves know about contestants -- or, as their website calls them, "auditionees" -- before the auditionees walk out onto the stage. The judges have
been accused of faking their reactions. If they did, they sure did a most excellent job of coming across as genuine. (The hopeful have to go through a screening processing, to which I alluded earlier.)

The nice thing to take away from this story, whatever the details may be, is that Boyle has become, virtually overnight, Everywoman, in the most positive, hopeful sense of the term -- or maybe I should say "Everyperson." She could be your neighbor; certainly her friends up in Scotland say they've long known she can sing beautifully, though of course they've been taken by surprise at the onslaught of interest.

Heck, Susan could be you or me. . . .

Switching Gears to Thailand

As you all know, the political conflict continues here. But it appears that maybe, just maybe, tensions are easing. Besides the yellow-shirt group that's anti-Thaksin and the red-shirt group that's pro-Thaksin, other groups have emerged, simultaneously with the public at large beginning to make their displeasure with the ongoing strife loudly evident. It appears the yellow shirts and red shirts may be paying some heed -- though that's not certain yet.

I mention this because it's possible, just possible, that the coming weeks (months?) may be the best time for foreign tourists to come here since the 2006 coup. People are losing their jobs. I mean Thai people, and some of them are friends or relatives of people in the warring camps; their job loss must be influencing at least some in those camps. Just two nights ago I saw "The Flower Guy" who goes around this area selling flowers, a guy whose day job has been as a mechanic for one of the foreign car dealerships ever since I first met him, nearly 15 years ago: he's been laid off. Yes, there are other factors, especially the general global economic meltdown, but the political stuff sure hasn't helped, I gather. And he's got a wife and a daughter, his daughter getting close to entering university. Or that was her plan, anyway.

Back to the paying heed. Someone organized a peaceful march upcountry calling on the opponents to stand down, and much to everyone's amazement, several hundred red shirts showed up. (Don't know about the other groups.)


Not that all's sweetness and light, mind you. Some time back, the government closed down a pro-Thaksin radio station. And in the aftermath of the fiasco of the aborted ASEAN summit last month, from which several heads of state had to be airlifted out by helicopter, two senior police officials were transferred. And just today comes the news that the governor of Chonburi Province (in which Pattaya is located) has been transferred to a smaller province nearby, also for failing to control the red-shirt demonstrators who stormed the ASEAN venue and forced the summit's cancellation.

(Certainly, life around Washington Square/Queen's Park Plaza flows serenely along, if with business off some, partly, presumably, because this is the low season and partly, equally presumably, because of the strife. If I never looked at television or read the papers, I wouldn't have a clue there IS any problem. And that's widely true, except for anyone who happens to stumble into the midst of some civil disorder.)

I'm gonna irk foreign ministries of other countries should any of their staff read this next observation, but I've come to take their announcements with a rather large grain of salt. Much of the advice is common sense; how many of us really need to be told to avoid areas with large crowds that are potentially violent, for example? Further, in my 15 years here, not once has anyone from the embassy ever contacted me by phone, as I understood would be the case should something really heavy come up, I understood when I first registered. I didn't even get a call after the coup (though I did get group e-mails, to be fair). I didn't even get a call when there were bombings and shootings less than three blocks from my home, events of which I was, happily, oblivious while they were occurring. Yes, there's a strong argument for saying my safety is my responsibility. There's also a strong argument for saying an embassy should not tell its nationals they're going to keep said nationals in the know when they in fact do not. Not in a very timely way, anyway. An e-mail many hours after a bombing isn't very helpful, is it? Not, I hasten to add, that I was ever in even the slightest danger.

And that's something hard to communicate to people who haven't either lived here or spent a considerable amount of time here. That is, all sorts of things can be going on that don't involve foreigners -- and they don't.

Anyway, you likely will be just as well served, and arguably far better so, by following Internet discussion threads, where people on the ground, people sometimes with an inside track on breaking events, offer information. One site that enjoys widespread popularity is http://wwww.thaivisa.com/, which has thousands of members and all sorts of discussion, discussions about just about every conceivable topic under the sun. There are others, and my mentioning this one isn't meant to take away from those; nose around your favorite search engine a bit if you're interested.

Another "Bright Spark" Move to Attract Tourists

We do have to wonder sometimes; here's a headline from the Bangkok Post dated May 5th -- though it wasn't online as late as early on the 6th: "Drinkers to pay more ."

I'm assuming the price increase for libations of 1.75 to about 5 baht is a per drink increase, not per bottle, an assumption reinforced by a later reference to "[t]he rising prices are due to the cabinet's decision to raise the alcohol excise tax ranging from 7 to 9%." A further comment says the price for brandy is up 19 baht. Again, I assume that's per drink.

This apparently went into effect at midnight Tuesday night. I went out awhile tonight to the Square, and prices had not increased in either of the two places I visited -- but just hold on; no doubt they will, if this story is correct.


The money, the story says, should amount to about 70 billion baht per year (around US$ 2 billion) and will be used for the government's stimulus package.

While this is an across-the-board increase, not one somehow targeting only foreign tourists, it sure seems to be a move scarcely calculated to draw foreign tourists nor to encourage domestic spending. I read on some discussion thread that the government has lowered the foreign price for admission into places such as government national parks, substantially lowered them -- but I wonder how much of the prdeicted 70 billion baht will be left once the loss from admission-price reductions are calculated into the equation.


Maybe things are getting back to normal. . . . normal according to "the Asian way," that is.


For the great majority of the time I've been out here East of Suez, when business has dropped, the usual reaction has been to jack up prices. And this isn't unique to Thailand: I've seen it in several countries around the region. For instance, one winter in Beijing back in the 1980's I happened to be chatting with the GM of a western hotel downtown, and he was moaning that the hotel had just over a 60% occupancy rate, which was right at the edge of the hotel's break-even point, or so he said. A few days later I saw in the paper that his solution was to jack mid-winter rates from US$60/night to US$90/night!!! Occupancy went through the floor, and he had to lower rates again. And he was a western manager, not a Chinese one. (We get afflicted with all sorts of odd conditions staying Out Here, including ones to do with logic!)


Getting back to increasing the prices on alcoholic beverages, I don't suppose it will have *that* much of an impact -- but whatever impact it might have sure isn't likely to be positive, not from the point of view of people in affected sectors.

Update, Friday, May 8, 2009. 10:20P.M.: Last night I saw a news report on TV's TAN Network (Thai ASEAN News Network, a.k.a. ASTV, the station affiliated with the yellow shirts) saying the increases are going to be even greater than the earlier report indicated. For instance, a large bottle of Leo Beer, a local brew, wil go up from 35 baht to 43 baht (in shops, not bars and restaurants). That's a price hike of a bit over 22.8% -- a pretty whopping one.

Free Tourist Visas Remain Available Awhile Longer

As I understand it -- though I haven't verified this -- you can still get a free tourist visa that's good for 60 days with a one-time renewal of up to 30 days available in-country at the nearest Immigration Police office, though the extension may still cost you 1,900 baht, the usual fee. That works out to roughly US$55.00 at current exchange rates. This is a good move, and it does go some way to offsetting the increase in booze tax -- though the latter will be permanent (count on it), while the former is set to run into the first few days of June. Or that was the time frame I heard in the first place, anyway.


Maybe we're seeing another instance of various sectors working at cross purposes, some wanting to make Thailand more attractive to potential foreign tourists, others wanting said tourists to come, but to fork out more money than before.


Anyway, if you plan to come by, say, early August, it's worth contacting the nearest Thai embassy or consulate to ask about the fee for a tourist visa, as you have some leeway before you actually have to check into the Kingdom. If you wait until the free-visa period expires, well, then, you're just out of luck and will have to pay whatever the charge is in your country.

Meanwhile, the rule limiting validity of so-called "visas on arrival" remains at 15 days -- counting the day you're stamped in -- when you arrive by any form of surface means, though you do still get 30 days if you fly in from any foreign country. Well, I better qualify that; some nationalities get shorter periods, and some aren't eligible at all, but I think everyone likely to be reading this is eligible.


Incidentally, though I've never heard of anyone being asked how much money he has upon entering (nor myself been asked), technically you are supposed to have, let's see, I think -- pretty sure -- a minimum of 20,000 baht (about US$570.00) with you upon entry. But if you want to be extra careful, keep that in mind.

Washington Square News

As has been the case for quite some time now, it remains fairly quiet in these parts.


There is some bad news, another death. Rick Menard, who was George Pipas' unofficial "Son" passed away recently in the U.S. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 16th. I'm not sure how old Rick was, but he wasn't all that that old. He first came to this part of the world in the early 1960's, to Vietnam. He eventually ended up here in Bangkok and had a bar in Patpong.


I wanted to reprint the obituary I received, but I got as an Adobe Acrobat file, and here in Google's blog service, I can't get it to copy-and-paste into place, nor can I insert it as a file. But the above information is the main info the piece contained. R.I.P., Rick. . . .

"Big" Ken from London was here a few days last week, and was, as always, welcome. (Did I report that already? -- well, never mind!). Deano from Australia is in town a few days on his flight layover; his shcedule as a pilot on this route has changed a bit, so he has three full days here this time around. "Whirlybird" Dave has been around some, often in the company of some of the other regulars; not sure when he's off to Libya again. Charlie Brown was up recently from down Pattaya way, and is doing well. He writes quite a few newsletters to the Bangkok Post, usually under the pseudonym "Farang Observer." Ted has been up from Jomtien, taking a break from looking after affairs at the Moonshine -- but it hasn't exactly been a holiday for him, as he's been tending matters at the Silver Dollar. "Crane" Joe is, I suppose, happily parked back in Tuscon, where he owns a home, though I expect he'll be back before all that long. "English" Paul of Texas Lone Staar fame was doing just fine when I last saw him a couple days ago. Taffy's fine; he had a bit of a visa story today. He went with his paperwork, including his marriage licenses -- plural because he and his wife married both here and in Scotland -- to renew his retirement visa, only to learn that *all* the coduments now have to be officially translated into Thai, if they weren't written in the local lingo in the first place. He didn't mind that -- but they gave him a 60-day extension instead of telling him to come back in a few days, and he wants to get it taken care of! Vic, the GM of Regency Park Hotel has been able to hang out at the Square a bit more than usual in recent weeks -- saw him earlier tonight, in fact. (I broke for awhile to go eat.) Haven't seen Nigel lately, but he may be away on business. Burt Nestle was in the other day and called me, but I passed on going to the Square for then. There's a Bangkok VFW meeting this coming Saturday, so I'll see him around the Square after that breaks up.

Unsurprisingly, tourists are exceptional around the Square these days; heck, they are even in high season. Never have quite understood why some of the travel heavyweights completely ignore Washington Square-Queen's Park Plaza. However, not all Squaronians object to being off the radar, not at all. . . .

By the way, today (it's now Friday evening) is Visakha Puja Day, often called in English, simply, "Buddha Day."

This is a biggie. Celebrated on the date of the full Moon in May, it is said to be the date of the Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death all three. This is a religious day that sees the number of devotees visiting wats (Buddhist temples) soar.

The day is one that many places close, either voluntarily (devout Buddhists), police order, or on the principle of a banking holiday. I made a quick foray to the Square, and virtually every place was closed.

For your information, here's a list of Thai holidays for the rest of the year that I got from the Internet:

July 1 (Wednesday) – Mid-year Closing (Bank Holiday but not a public holiday)July 7 (Tuesday) – Asahna Bucha Day
August 12 (Wednesday) – H.M. Queen’s Birthday
October 23 (Friday) – Chulalongkorn Day (Rama V Day)
December 7 (Monday) – Substitution day for H.M. King’s Birthday (which is on Saturday, December 5)December 10 (Thursday) – Constitution Day

December 31 (Thursday) – New Year’s Eve

* * * * * * * * * *

Enough for now . . .

Mekhong Kurt

"The Rounds," Wednesday, April 29, 2009

It's been very quiet in these parts this month, with not much to write.

I have heard that John Grovenor did pass away; someone told me two-three nights ago, saying he had spoken with Ae, John's wife, on the phone. So, I guess that report's true (though I've not spoken with Ae myself).

Anybody who pays attention to news from Thailand (which would be most of you) are aware that things are a real mess, politically. So far, I personally haven't been affected, though one day when I was at the square a guy came in all excited that a crowd of "red shirts" were marching down Sukhumvit Road in front of The Emporium, headed into town (which would take them right past the Sukhumvit entrance to the Square).

Down Pattaya way, Songkhran was basically cancelled. For some reason, that seaside resort, alone in the Kingdom (as far as I know) celebrates the festival the week before everyone else. ASEAN was having a summit there, but when demonstrators entered the hotel, the Thai PM was forced to call it off; it wasn't pleasant for Thai authorities to have to evacuate ASEAN top leaders by helicopter. The PM imposed a state of emergency, since lifted, that among other things prohibited congregations of more than five people in public. Adding to the the folks woes down there who had been counting on picking up some money from the revelers was that the U.S. Navy was scheduled to put into port, with over 4,000 military personnel, but the Navy cancelled. I'm not clear if the ship(s) put into Sattahip Port but wouldn't let the troops off or if the commander just had them do a u-turn. I read online today that some estimates say the resort lost in the range of 70 million baht per day for the multi-day festival -- about US$ 2 million per day. Heavy hit, when the bars, hotels, etc. are sitting half-empty (or worse).

Actually, it *has* had a small effect on me: I have a yellow shirt with His Majesty's emblem, but I haven't worn it in a long time. I also have a bright red shirt, but not Thailand related, but I've recently stopped wearing *it* after realizing the occasional Thai was giving me the hairy eyeball.

On top of that comes alarm over swine flu, now renamed -- here -- "Mexican flu." The reasoning is people stopped eating pork, so the government decided if it's called by the latter moniker, people will start eating pork again. And just this afternoon I heard on TV news the government in conjunction with the private sector is going to temporarily reduce the price of pork to try to tempt people to eat it again. (You may not know that a lot of Thais won't eat beef, for religious reasons. I'm not clear why it's okay to eat pork, beef, fish, etc. if one isn't supposed to eat beef, but there it is.)

Don't know what to say regarding possible travel to the Kingdom, especially regarding the political uncertainty and conflict. Some people claiming to be red shirt representatives have reportedly threatened violence, even while claiming they were entirely innocent of any during the recent Songkhran [Thai New Year] riots. Former P.M. Thaksin reportedly is really turning up the heat, though he himself is receiving some as well. Just today I read online the UAE has announced he can't use there as a political base (though the spokesman for the UAE government added he could come back as an investor.) Reports say that Nicarauguan President Daniel Ortega has granted Thaksin a diplomatic passport and named him a special ambassador. Other reports say he may have some sort of passport from a second country. And there are rumors -- not even strong enough to label "reports" -- he might have one from Cambodia.

All that said, there are still great deals, especially on airfare from Europe. I flew to Kuala Lumpur last Friday, paying 6,400 baht for a return ticket on Thai Air Asia. Then, over the weekend, a friend told me his two grown sons are coming here in July on Air Asia's long-haul branch (Air Asia X, I think) from London, and that they paid only a little over 8,500 baht -- return! Just 2,100 baht more than *I* paid for a two-hour flight versus theirs all the way from London! Let me put those numbers in another context: my price = US$180; theirs equals $US240 -- just 1/3rd more for *several* times the distance! And there are hotel deals; one place I always recommend is Asia Rooms (this is a live link to the site's homepage). But by all means check individual hotel sites as well; some of them are suffering very low occupancy rates and are offering great deals.

The rainy season is sneaking in on us; day before yesterday, the entire city of Bangkok got hit by monsoons, especially, as it turns out, right here in my neighborhood. The lightening was so bad and near I turned off and unplugged EVERYthing except my refrigerator, then made my way to the Square. That little trip took me 55 minutes -- to go 4/5's of a kilometer -- because of the flooding. And the wading in water well over the tops of my knees, in places, especially right by my sub-soi in Sukhumvit Soi 22. Coincidentally, April 27th is widely believed by Thais to be the hottest day of the year every year, as that's the day the Sun reaches the zenith directly over Bangkok in its march into the northern part of the sky as summer approaches. But this year the temperature topped out at maybe ~30C/~85F, a far cry from the hottest day of the year. (Which suited me JUST fine!) Hasn't rained yesterday or today, though. Anyway . . .

My personal big news is I lost my passport (and my ageing, going-on-the-blink, digital camera) nearly two weeks ago -- the DAY before I was supposed to leave for a visa run, for which I had a cheap, good-for-three-days-only/nonrefundable ticket. Went to the U.S. embassy the next day and got an emergency 1-year passport, then it was off to Immigration to get my entry records transferred into the new passport.

Wrong, The government basically shut down April 10th-20th, dates inclusive. By the time I could get to Immigration, my cheapo ticket had expired, and it took me a few more days to get out -- meaning I ended up paying an overstay fine of 3,500 baht -- a cool US$100, almost to the penny.

At least now I'm legal again.

My trip to Kuala Lumpur was interesting, though all I did was fly down, sit there a little less than four hours, then fly back. I've never been there before, and still haven't been anywhere except what they call the city's "Low-Cost Carrier Terminal," actually a second airport some kilometers away from the capital's main international airport. While the LCCT isn't *small," neither is it huge, as is Suvarnabhumi here in Bangkok. Yet it had a surprising number of restaurants, fast-food places, and the like. (Forgetting where I was, I went into a restaurant and asked the friendly young lady behind the counter for a beer. She just laughed, and I slapped my forehead, saying "Of course not!" Yet they do sell booze -- no beer -- by the bottle in the duty-free shop, which is AFTER you clear customs and immigration on your way out.) I was particularly impressed by the friendliness of one and all, as has always been the case the numerous times I've been to Penang (where I've also been to some great bars in which I COULD get beer and booze!). Even the young lady I asked for a beer in the LCCT just chuckled, without comment. Though I've never spent more than about three days in Malaysia at a stretch, always in Penang, I sure do recommend the country as a side trip if you do come out here East of Suez.

Thankfully, there's no further news about the Square and it's previously hotly-discussed pending demise, as was the case last year. Somewhat inexiplicably, at least to this non-expert, property prices remain very, very high in both the commercial and residential sectors. I don't expect anything to change anytime in the short-to-medium term, and maybe not after that.

All the long-time places are still puttering along, in what has become the normal pattern of some days boom, other days bust, with the odd half-and-half day scattered in between. Mykonos is apparently closed (did I write this already?), but never mind, as it catered to a distinctly non-Squaronian personnel: it was a gay bar. And always sure seemed out of place with all these retired military and spook types, oilfield workers, etc. (I should say it was nestled off in a corner by itself, on the other side of the parking area on the west side, and no one from there ever made their presence known elsewhere around the Square; some guys didn't even realize it's there for years. I didn't.)

The guys are all well -- Taffy, Dave (Hare and Hound), Big Ken (from London), Sevenski, Nigel, Hugh, The Crazy German, Paul (Lone Staar), Chris (Cheers Pub), Doug (Bourbon Street), Ned and Ott (Silver Dollar), Brad "The Lad" (back for another teaching stint), and probably others I'm forgetting for the moment. And yours truly, too.

Enough for one go . . .

Mekhong Kurt

"The Rounds," March 30, 2008

This actually isn’t old news, as I received a phone call from Bear about it a little after 5:00 P.M. this past Saturday afternoon, i.e., just over two days ago. And yhes, it’s more unhappy news.

B. K. Hubbard of Pattaya, a.k.a. “Hub,” passed away about 45 minutes before Bear called me; he had just received the call, and called me from his new base up in Surin to help start spreading the word down this way. Though I have initial info concerning the funeral, that has yet to be confirmed, but it should be by tomorrow. I’ll post it here once I have the information.

It’s particularly sad that Hub died just two or three weeks after he lost his daughter. But Hub’s passing wasn’t entirely unexpected, as he had had serious health issues for awhile, though it was sudden.

As far as John Grovenor is concerned, I’ve had no further information since my last update here Friday. By the way, I sent out an update alert on my third-party service Friday, but I think that must not have got sent, as there was only one more visitor to this blog after I sent it — and my list numbers in the hundreds.

So, I’ve decided to use Twitter as well, a service for which I signed up well over a year ago but then never did anything with. You have to join (free) to become a “follower,” which you do by going to my Twitter site at then click the “Follow” button you see there. It’s at this URL:

http://twitter.com/MekhongKurt

Though I havenn’t explored how to receive “tweets,” as the short messages the service allows me to send are called, on cell phones, it’s possible. So, if you want to receive update alerts from me on your mobile phone. set up your account to receive my alerts. NOTE: Be asware that many carriers charge YOU to receive messages, so you may not wish to do this.

Sigh . . .

"The Rounds," March 27, 2009

An update regarding John Grovener: night before last I heard that he isn’t technically dead, but is brain-dead.

Apologies for the uncertainty. When I wrote the other day, I was writing what several people had told me, but it turns out we may all have been misinformed.

As I now understand it, there are some legal issues involved; such cases can get really convoluted here (no criticism of the local laws intended).

Disclaimer: I don’t know if the latest I heard is correct. As far as I know, no one has spoken with Khun Ae, John’s wife, nor with anyone else actually in Phuket, so there is some uncertainty.

It does seem clear that John is in a really bad way, with little hope of recovery.

I’ll post more as I learn it.

It’s continued to be a pretty quiet week; yesterday, I was at the Square for well over an hour before even a single other customer happened along.

Let’s see, what to report. Burma Richard and his lovely wife Junko were in Japan earlier this month to visit Junko’s Mom. For those who don’t know, Junko would be something equivalent to a duchess were the imperial system still in effect; she’s an only child of a line that dates back about 800 years, a samurai clan. And since she and Richard have no children, she’s the end of the line — no siblings, cousins, etc. Anyway, as they always do, they went with her Mom to a mountain resort to play around in the snow and swim in some hot springs. Richard always looks forward to these visits, during which he just forgets about the world and lazes around.

Two guys have lucked out at their jobs, both landing positions right here in Bangkok, lucky devils. One is Rick S., and the other is “California” Dennis. Rick’s staying at an upscale hotel down by the Don Muang tollway, while Dennis is staying in a place he’s maintained here for some years now.

Can’t believe I forgot to mention this the other day. Greg and his lovely Missus, Khun Ae, had a baby back sometime around the first of the year. She’s been after him a good while to have a baby, and he finally relented — a first for both of them. Last time I saw them, a couple of weeks or so ago, her Mother was still here helping take care of (and spoil!) the family addition, though I don’t know how long she’s here, nor even if she’s still here. Congratulations to the happy parents!

Big “Crane” Joe is still in town; he’s been “leaving” for awhile now, but given the slowness of business, he’s not in any big hurry to go to the desert in Arizona, where he has a house. No one’s in any hurry for him to leave — he’s a heck of a nice guy, and very well liked around the Square.

Cajun Riley B. is going back to work at his job in Malaysia soon, then next time off will be heading back to the bayous of Louisiana to fish and basically fool around. His splendid Missus, Khun Lek, will be going with him; turns out she cottons to American food — specifically, Cajun food. Which Mr. Riley sure knows how to fix! Got to see Khun Lek the other night for the first time in a good long while, and that was nice. She’s great, and sure does make Riley happy. Nice lady.

Sweetie Pie’s 32nd birthday was Wednesday, and she apparently had a festive day indeed down at a friend’s in Pattaya. She called me Tuesday to say she’d be back in town for her birthday, but then she called me about mid-day Wednesday well into her cups — she and her girlfriend had gotten an early start about 5:00 o’clock Tuesday afternoon and hadn’t been to bed since! She SAID she would try to come home later Wednesday — but it’s about 7:30 A.M. Friday as I write, and she’s STILL not back. Or I don’t think she is, anyway; last time I talked to her last night, she was still one hurting kitten! Maybe today . . .

I know this isn’t a lot, but I’m trying to get back on schedule. I was pleased to see a rather steep increase in traffic, and want to thank anyone who visited and maybe sent along the link to others.

Enough for one go. . . .