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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
- Start date
Was surprised by my maid's cooking lately, improved tremendously
Steamed Dao Chiew (deep sea pomfret that I bought yesterday)
Cabbage fried with lard under strong fire, wok smell very strong, BEST!
The spread
Pork chop taste strangely delicious and she said she marinated with red fermented tofu, smart, very smart.
Hey ... just stumbled on this. I must state that your maid can indeed cook up a feast ...
At The Library, Sukhumvit Soi 39, for breakfast
Does anyone even go there to read?
I see an entire shelf of books there. Quite hard to read when people are eating.
Theme is Library not necessary people come in here to read la. But then this is a hi-so restaurant so see many hi-so people coming here for makan with their fancy cars.
Worrisome level of plastic debt in LOS. :p
Few pay off credit cards, increasing household-debt worries
Bangkok Post Published: 11/09/2014 at 05:05 PM
About 87% of Thai credit-card holders maintain running balances on their credit cards, increasing concerns about growing levels of household debt, a survey by the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce found.
Thanavath Phonvichai, the UTCC's vice-president for research, said the survey of 1,198 people taken Sept 1-6 showed only 13% of people paid off their entire balance within the past three to six months. During that time, 28% of cardholders paid only 5% of their balance, 47.7% paid 10-20% and 11.3% paid nothing at all.
More significantly, the university's centre for economic and business forecasting also found that cardholders earning less than 20,000 baht a month had outstanding credit-card debt almost three times their monthly earnings. The groups with the largest debts were students and "for hire" workers.
Mr Thanavath said it was worrisome to see students and younger people with outstanding debts, as it might lead to more-problematic spending behaviour in the future. He said the university suggested that the government tackle the issue of credit-card and household debt by better educating people on self-sufficient living, reducing costs of living and managing interest rates. Job creation and fair distribution of income also would help, Mr Thanavath added.
The survey found that approximately 82% of those polled hold one or two credit cards. Most have been careful in using them due to fear of being indebted and or exceeding their credit lines. Average monthly spending totalled 6,534.99 baht and most used their cards only twice a month.
About 36.4% of respondents use their cards for buying goods to pay in instalments. Cash withdrawals were done by 31.5% of cardholders while 31.1% just use a card to replace cash.
It is expected that there will be a total of 20.3 million credit cards in circulation in 2014, with spending amounting to 1.53 trillion baht, up 5.2% from 2013. Average spending per card has been around 75,000 baht this year.
Few pay off credit cards, increasing household-debt worries
Bangkok Post Published: 11/09/2014 at 05:05 PM
About 87% of Thai credit-card holders maintain running balances on their credit cards, increasing concerns about growing levels of household debt, a survey by the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce found.
Thanavath Phonvichai, the UTCC's vice-president for research, said the survey of 1,198 people taken Sept 1-6 showed only 13% of people paid off their entire balance within the past three to six months. During that time, 28% of cardholders paid only 5% of their balance, 47.7% paid 10-20% and 11.3% paid nothing at all.
More significantly, the university's centre for economic and business forecasting also found that cardholders earning less than 20,000 baht a month had outstanding credit-card debt almost three times their monthly earnings. The groups with the largest debts were students and "for hire" workers.
Mr Thanavath said it was worrisome to see students and younger people with outstanding debts, as it might lead to more-problematic spending behaviour in the future. He said the university suggested that the government tackle the issue of credit-card and household debt by better educating people on self-sufficient living, reducing costs of living and managing interest rates. Job creation and fair distribution of income also would help, Mr Thanavath added.
The survey found that approximately 82% of those polled hold one or two credit cards. Most have been careful in using them due to fear of being indebted and or exceeding their credit lines. Average monthly spending totalled 6,534.99 baht and most used their cards only twice a month.
About 36.4% of respondents use their cards for buying goods to pay in instalments. Cash withdrawals were done by 31.5% of cardholders while 31.1% just use a card to replace cash.
It is expected that there will be a total of 20.3 million credit cards in circulation in 2014, with spending amounting to 1.53 trillion baht, up 5.2% from 2013. Average spending per card has been around 75,000 baht this year.
No surprise, tourism's double digit drop year on year. Some nos. distraction after food break pics :p
Tourism slump continues
Bangkok Post Published: 16/09/2014 at 02:41 PM
The predicted recovery of tourism in the post-coup era remains elusive, with statistics for August showing international arrivals down 11.85% from the same month a year ago. The slump in August followed declines of 10.9% year-on-year in July and 24.4% in June.
For the first eight months of this year, foreign arrivals to Thailand totalled 15.7 million, down 10.66% from 17.57 million in the same period last year, the Department of Tourism reported on its website.
Arrivals from other Asean countries, which accounted for 28.9% of all visitors to Thailand in August, were down 21.6% year-on-year in August to 533,857. For the year to Aug 31 they were down 12.1% to 4.18 million.
Numbers are down sharply as well from other East Asian markets — China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan — where travellers tend to be concerned about security.
Chinese travellers accounted for 20.2% of all arrivals to Thailand in August, with a total of 452,086, down 5.2% from a year earlier. The figure is an improvement from the 25% plunge seen in July but for the year to date, Chinese visitor numbers are still down 18.9% to 2.67 million.
The declines have been much larger for four other countries that together accounted for 15% of all international travellers to Thailand in the first eight months: Hong Kong is down 33.9%, Japan 20.6%, South Korea 14.7% and Taiwan 30.5%.
The tourism sector accounts for about 10% of the country's economy, and policymakers has been predicting a swift recovery after the May 22 coup brought an end to months of political unrest.
However, perceptions of Thailand remain negative in many countries, even though most have lifted the travel advisories issued when street demonstrations in Bangkok resulted in occasional violence.
Tourist arrivals from Europe were down 3.3% in August and 3.2% for the first eight months of the year. European visitors made up 26.2% of all arrivals in the January-August period, up from 22.75% in the same period in 2013. The change underlines the severity of the declines from other markets, notably Asia.
Among major European markets, arrivals from the UK were down 1.5% in August but up 3.2% for the first eight months. German arrivals were up 8.3% in August but down 0.8% for the year to date. Arrivals from Russia, which accounts for 2.9% of all visitors to Thailand, were down 18.2% in August but are up 4.8% on the year.
Among other large markets, arrivals from the United States were down 8.47% in August and 6.5% for the first eight months. Australian arrivals, which account to 3.5% of all visitors to Thailand, fell 3.7% in August and were down 3.5% for the first eight months of the year.
Tourism slump continues
Bangkok Post Published: 16/09/2014 at 02:41 PM
The predicted recovery of tourism in the post-coup era remains elusive, with statistics for August showing international arrivals down 11.85% from the same month a year ago. The slump in August followed declines of 10.9% year-on-year in July and 24.4% in June.
For the first eight months of this year, foreign arrivals to Thailand totalled 15.7 million, down 10.66% from 17.57 million in the same period last year, the Department of Tourism reported on its website.
Arrivals from other Asean countries, which accounted for 28.9% of all visitors to Thailand in August, were down 21.6% year-on-year in August to 533,857. For the year to Aug 31 they were down 12.1% to 4.18 million.
Numbers are down sharply as well from other East Asian markets — China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan — where travellers tend to be concerned about security.
Chinese travellers accounted for 20.2% of all arrivals to Thailand in August, with a total of 452,086, down 5.2% from a year earlier. The figure is an improvement from the 25% plunge seen in July but for the year to date, Chinese visitor numbers are still down 18.9% to 2.67 million.
The declines have been much larger for four other countries that together accounted for 15% of all international travellers to Thailand in the first eight months: Hong Kong is down 33.9%, Japan 20.6%, South Korea 14.7% and Taiwan 30.5%.
The tourism sector accounts for about 10% of the country's economy, and policymakers has been predicting a swift recovery after the May 22 coup brought an end to months of political unrest.
However, perceptions of Thailand remain negative in many countries, even though most have lifted the travel advisories issued when street demonstrations in Bangkok resulted in occasional violence.
Tourist arrivals from Europe were down 3.3% in August and 3.2% for the first eight months of the year. European visitors made up 26.2% of all arrivals in the January-August period, up from 22.75% in the same period in 2013. The change underlines the severity of the declines from other markets, notably Asia.
Among major European markets, arrivals from the UK were down 1.5% in August but up 3.2% for the first eight months. German arrivals were up 8.3% in August but down 0.8% for the year to date. Arrivals from Russia, which accounts for 2.9% of all visitors to Thailand, were down 18.2% in August but are up 4.8% on the year.
Among other large markets, arrivals from the United States were down 8.47% in August and 6.5% for the first eight months. Australian arrivals, which account to 3.5% of all visitors to Thailand, fell 3.7% in August and were down 3.5% for the first eight months of the year.
Thailand used to get many tourists from Russia & China. With the problems in Ukraine I think they will see fewer Russians because of sanctions imposed on Russia.
In China there were changes in the law where the tour operators were prohibited from herding tour groups to selected shops. As a result tour packages have increase in cost.
These problems are going to affect tourism to Thailand.
In China there were changes in the law where the tour operators were prohibited from herding tour groups to selected shops. As a result tour packages have increase in cost.
These problems are going to affect tourism to Thailand.
Cut salary for vice ministers -22%:p
Cabinet cuts vice minister salaries
Bangkok Post Published: 16/09/2014 at 09:43 PM
The cabinet on Tuesday cut salaries of more than 30 vice ministers from 63,800 baht to 50,000 baht.
Approval of the resolution came after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha noted that salaries of vice ministers in previous governments were higher than those of official advisers to the premier and ministers. He asked the Finance Ministry to recommend a new, lower base income for them.
The meeting agreed with the 50,000-baht wage proposed by the ministry, which would save more than 400,000 baht in taxpayer money each month, government deputy spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.
Gen Prayuth said some cabinet members previously had too many advisers, both official and unofficial ones, and all of them would call themselves advisers to ministers in their business cards. He advised that those serving as unofficial advisers be called members of a "minister's working panel" instead, to avoid confusion.
He added that they should not print name cards to brag about their positions because they would be working for only a short time.
He also instructed cabinet members and civil servants travelling on study trips to complete all activities stated in their planned itineraries and exclude those irrelevant to the purposes of their visits. They must submit a report summarising their trips after returning to work to show if the taxpayers' money is used effectively, Col Sansern quoted the premier as saying.
Cabinet cuts vice minister salaries
Bangkok Post Published: 16/09/2014 at 09:43 PM
The cabinet on Tuesday cut salaries of more than 30 vice ministers from 63,800 baht to 50,000 baht.
Approval of the resolution came after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha noted that salaries of vice ministers in previous governments were higher than those of official advisers to the premier and ministers. He asked the Finance Ministry to recommend a new, lower base income for them.
The meeting agreed with the 50,000-baht wage proposed by the ministry, which would save more than 400,000 baht in taxpayer money each month, government deputy spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.
Gen Prayuth said some cabinet members previously had too many advisers, both official and unofficial ones, and all of them would call themselves advisers to ministers in their business cards. He advised that those serving as unofficial advisers be called members of a "minister's working panel" instead, to avoid confusion.
He added that they should not print name cards to brag about their positions because they would be working for only a short time.
He also instructed cabinet members and civil servants travelling on study trips to complete all activities stated in their planned itineraries and exclude those irrelevant to the purposes of their visits. They must submit a report summarising their trips after returning to work to show if the taxpayers' money is used effectively, Col Sansern quoted the premier as saying.
Rice debt woes unravelling :p
AGRICULTURE
Repaying rice scheme debt to take 7yrs
Bangkok Post Published: 17/09/2014 at 08:02 AM
Paying off the 705 billion baht debt incurred by the Pheu Thai Party-led government's rice-pledging scheme will take around seven fiscal years if the governments pays a flat amount of 131.3 billion baht each year, the state-backed farm bank's chief says.
A farmer in Phitsanulok rushes to harvest paddy before floods arrive. Heavy rain in recent weeks caused flash flooding in several northern provinces.
The government has set aside 71.3 billion baht in the 2015 budget and another 60 billion baht from selling stockpiled rice to pay the debt for next fiscal year, starting from Oct 1, said Luck Wajananawat, president of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
Of the total 71.3 billion baht, 36.9 billion will be used to pay principal and the rest is for interest.
The rice-subsidy scheme debt amounts to 755 billion baht, 705 billion incurred by Yingluck Shinawatra's administration alone and the remaining 50 billion from previous governments.
Spread-out payments best way? The scheme was a flagship populist policy of the Yingluck government, which set the pledging price 40-50% higher than the global price at 15,000 baht a tonne for paddy and 20,000 baht per tonne for Hom Mali fragrant rice.
The rice-pledging scheme's idea was seen to kill two birds with one stone — putting money directly into farmers' pockets to stimulate the economy, and hoarding a large supply from the market in the hope of a higher price — but it backfired.
The scheme did indeed raise farmers' incomes but also encouraged them to run up debts, while the market price at that time was still low though a large supply was stored in warehouses.
Moreover, running the scheme for only five crops was estimated to cost taxpayers at least 400 billion baht.
Mr Luck said the interim government decided to stretch out payments rather than spend large amounts on short-term payments, as it does not want the debt payment to hurt the allocation of the investment budget.
Following many problems stemming from the rice-pledging scheme, the military-appointed interim government has a clear policy to help farmers in a sustainable way by pursuing measures to lower their operating costs and increase productivity. He said settling the rice-pledging scheme's debt would also help to bring down the public debt level.
AGRICULTURE
Repaying rice scheme debt to take 7yrs
Bangkok Post Published: 17/09/2014 at 08:02 AM
Paying off the 705 billion baht debt incurred by the Pheu Thai Party-led government's rice-pledging scheme will take around seven fiscal years if the governments pays a flat amount of 131.3 billion baht each year, the state-backed farm bank's chief says.
A farmer in Phitsanulok rushes to harvest paddy before floods arrive. Heavy rain in recent weeks caused flash flooding in several northern provinces.
The government has set aside 71.3 billion baht in the 2015 budget and another 60 billion baht from selling stockpiled rice to pay the debt for next fiscal year, starting from Oct 1, said Luck Wajananawat, president of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
Of the total 71.3 billion baht, 36.9 billion will be used to pay principal and the rest is for interest.
The rice-subsidy scheme debt amounts to 755 billion baht, 705 billion incurred by Yingluck Shinawatra's administration alone and the remaining 50 billion from previous governments.
Spread-out payments best way? The scheme was a flagship populist policy of the Yingluck government, which set the pledging price 40-50% higher than the global price at 15,000 baht a tonne for paddy and 20,000 baht per tonne for Hom Mali fragrant rice.
The rice-pledging scheme's idea was seen to kill two birds with one stone — putting money directly into farmers' pockets to stimulate the economy, and hoarding a large supply from the market in the hope of a higher price — but it backfired.
The scheme did indeed raise farmers' incomes but also encouraged them to run up debts, while the market price at that time was still low though a large supply was stored in warehouses.
Moreover, running the scheme for only five crops was estimated to cost taxpayers at least 400 billion baht.
Mr Luck said the interim government decided to stretch out payments rather than spend large amounts on short-term payments, as it does not want the debt payment to hurt the allocation of the investment budget.
Following many problems stemming from the rice-pledging scheme, the military-appointed interim government has a clear policy to help farmers in a sustainable way by pursuing measures to lower their operating costs and increase productivity. He said settling the rice-pledging scheme's debt would also help to bring down the public debt level.
Slice of (old) thai mango, with 100 year old aunty 
Healthy 104-year-old in fine spirits
Bangkok Post Published: 17/09/2014 at 06:01 PM
Another centenarian has been discovered in Phrae where she lives comfortably and in a healthy condition - she hasn't visited hospital for medical treatment for six years, and sometimes wonders whether perhaps she has lived too long.
104-year Por Senanuch, left, with her 79-year daughter and 84-year son-in-law at their home in Phrae province on Wednesday (Photo by Thaweesak Sukkhasem)
Mrs Por is the third woman in the northern province found to be more than 100 years old. She is a resident of Ban Nam Rom village in the Huai Rai sub-district of Den Chai district.
Born on July 11, 1910, Mrs Por met Wednesday with Den Chai district chief Chalermwut Rakkhatiwong who found her of sound mind and good spirits and living with her middle daughter Rung Raksa, 79, and son-in-law Khammee Raksa, 84.
One key to her longevity, she told him, was that she had not eaten meat in about five years. Staff of Huai Rai Hospital confirmed that Mrs Por had not sought medical treatment since 2008.
Despite her good fortune, Mrs Por laments that she may have lived too long. Her eldest and youngest children had passed away some time ago.
Phrae governor Apichart Todilokvej said it was good sign that so many centenarians were living in Phrae, as it helped boost the image of the province.
He speculated the local weather and quality food might have something to do with longevity and wondered whether the province might possess the lion's share of people living for more than a century.
The other two centenarians, who are unrelated, are 100 years and five months old.
Healthy 104-year-old in fine spirits
Bangkok Post Published: 17/09/2014 at 06:01 PM
Another centenarian has been discovered in Phrae where she lives comfortably and in a healthy condition - she hasn't visited hospital for medical treatment for six years, and sometimes wonders whether perhaps she has lived too long.
104-year Por Senanuch, left, with her 79-year daughter and 84-year son-in-law at their home in Phrae province on Wednesday (Photo by Thaweesak Sukkhasem)
Mrs Por is the third woman in the northern province found to be more than 100 years old. She is a resident of Ban Nam Rom village in the Huai Rai sub-district of Den Chai district.
Born on July 11, 1910, Mrs Por met Wednesday with Den Chai district chief Chalermwut Rakkhatiwong who found her of sound mind and good spirits and living with her middle daughter Rung Raksa, 79, and son-in-law Khammee Raksa, 84.
One key to her longevity, she told him, was that she had not eaten meat in about five years. Staff of Huai Rai Hospital confirmed that Mrs Por had not sought medical treatment since 2008.
Despite her good fortune, Mrs Por laments that she may have lived too long. Her eldest and youngest children had passed away some time ago.
Phrae governor Apichart Todilokvej said it was good sign that so many centenarians were living in Phrae, as it helped boost the image of the province.
He speculated the local weather and quality food might have something to do with longevity and wondered whether the province might possess the lion's share of people living for more than a century.
The other two centenarians, who are unrelated, are 100 years and five months old.
Thought this was a good dig at the big man. Brave too, given the media muzzling :p
It's really best when you say nothing at all
Published: 20/09/2014 at 06:00 AM, Bangkok Post
Newspaper section: News
Dear diary, it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt, as Mark Twain said. How charming my mouth has been in the past week.
If it had been Yingluck Shinawatra saying those things, I'm sure a riot would've broken out and the sound of a million whistles would've shattered your eardrums. But it's me, so it's different. It's not the action but the man.
How could those pettifogging critics interpret my speech as avuncular nonsense, when in fact they're pieces of wisdom worthy of being chronicled in the national archives and inscribed onto monuments?
Someone inboxed me a song, When You Say Nothing At All. What nerve. We know there's only one song I want to sing: my song (which is yours, too). This was after the "go sell rubber on Mars" thingy.
First off, where's your sense of humour? And if you listen to the whole speech, I was being very liberal in my economic theorising, because I encouraged the market-driven mechanism instead of government intervention.
That's the way of the solar system, that's how we keep competing. Rubber growers, you have to understand that with all the supplies from China flooding the market, you have to adapt. Again, if Ms Yingluck had said the same thing, all hell would have broken loose and she would be branded a fool. But it's me, so, it's different. It's true. That's what I thought we had all already understood for things will proceed in this fashion for at least 12 months.
On this same page, my cheerleaders once derided Ms Yingluck for speaking bad English. Wait till you hear mine. Before we get to that, I've expounded my philosophy on Westerners wearing bikinis in Thailand. Gosh, put your money where my mouth is! This is a sensitive issue because lives had been lost, and my Freudian slip — "how could Westerners in bikinis survive here, unless they're not attractive?" — was unfortunate at best and dehumanising at worst. I did apologise. But actually, a lot of my supporters have come out and defended me as being misquoted, that the whole thing was a smear campaign by foreign spies or that I meant well but my quick wit got the better of me. I didn't mean to insult Western ladies in their preferred wardrobe, or to brand all Thai men as qualified rapists drooling after white tourists — it was just a deep-rooted instinct that I failed to check, and I didn't have to check because it's me. Imagine what would happen had Ms Yingluck said those things. She actually said a lot of embarrassing stuff, as did her brother, but we're not in a competition, are we?
Someone inboxed me a movie, In the Mouth of Madness, by John Carpenter no less. What nerve. The thing with the mouth is that we love our own and hate others. A dictatorial leader loves the sound of his own voice, because every lie becomes melodic and every bit of baloney is a gem. We love our mouth. So we open ours and shut up others — take the incident at Thammasat University on Thursday evening as the latest example. A group of scholars and students were marched off to a police station for organising an academic session that involved talking sense. The power to command what others can or cannot speak, the decree that criminalises other people's speeches and glorifies our own, the ability to make men mute even though they also have mouths — this is the violation of a basic human right, this is absolutism of the worst kind. I know it. Anyone else, zip it up.
The only other mouthful I happily encourage is the nationwide recitation of the "12 Values" dreamed up by my dazzling genius. Quite rightly, the Office of the Basic Education Commission shoe-shines my boots by making it mandatory for elementary students to shout out the 12 nationalistic items, like dumb parrots, starting next term, in front of the flag pole before they're herded off into the classroom.
We want the children to speak, but only what we permit them to speak about, because that's what their mouths are for. The path to happiness, remember this, isn't to allow several mouths to speak and drive the dialogue towards a negotiation, or a reconciliation but to make sure that only one mouth gets to yap away while others are sealed.
Dear diary, brace yourself, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Kong Rithdee is Deputy Life Editor, Bangkok Post.
It's really best when you say nothing at all
Published: 20/09/2014 at 06:00 AM, Bangkok Post
Newspaper section: News
Dear diary, it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt, as Mark Twain said. How charming my mouth has been in the past week.
If it had been Yingluck Shinawatra saying those things, I'm sure a riot would've broken out and the sound of a million whistles would've shattered your eardrums. But it's me, so it's different. It's not the action but the man.
How could those pettifogging critics interpret my speech as avuncular nonsense, when in fact they're pieces of wisdom worthy of being chronicled in the national archives and inscribed onto monuments?
Someone inboxed me a song, When You Say Nothing At All. What nerve. We know there's only one song I want to sing: my song (which is yours, too). This was after the "go sell rubber on Mars" thingy.
First off, where's your sense of humour? And if you listen to the whole speech, I was being very liberal in my economic theorising, because I encouraged the market-driven mechanism instead of government intervention.
That's the way of the solar system, that's how we keep competing. Rubber growers, you have to understand that with all the supplies from China flooding the market, you have to adapt. Again, if Ms Yingluck had said the same thing, all hell would have broken loose and she would be branded a fool. But it's me, so, it's different. It's true. That's what I thought we had all already understood for things will proceed in this fashion for at least 12 months.
On this same page, my cheerleaders once derided Ms Yingluck for speaking bad English. Wait till you hear mine. Before we get to that, I've expounded my philosophy on Westerners wearing bikinis in Thailand. Gosh, put your money where my mouth is! This is a sensitive issue because lives had been lost, and my Freudian slip — "how could Westerners in bikinis survive here, unless they're not attractive?" — was unfortunate at best and dehumanising at worst. I did apologise. But actually, a lot of my supporters have come out and defended me as being misquoted, that the whole thing was a smear campaign by foreign spies or that I meant well but my quick wit got the better of me. I didn't mean to insult Western ladies in their preferred wardrobe, or to brand all Thai men as qualified rapists drooling after white tourists — it was just a deep-rooted instinct that I failed to check, and I didn't have to check because it's me. Imagine what would happen had Ms Yingluck said those things. She actually said a lot of embarrassing stuff, as did her brother, but we're not in a competition, are we?
Someone inboxed me a movie, In the Mouth of Madness, by John Carpenter no less. What nerve. The thing with the mouth is that we love our own and hate others. A dictatorial leader loves the sound of his own voice, because every lie becomes melodic and every bit of baloney is a gem. We love our mouth. So we open ours and shut up others — take the incident at Thammasat University on Thursday evening as the latest example. A group of scholars and students were marched off to a police station for organising an academic session that involved talking sense. The power to command what others can or cannot speak, the decree that criminalises other people's speeches and glorifies our own, the ability to make men mute even though they also have mouths — this is the violation of a basic human right, this is absolutism of the worst kind. I know it. Anyone else, zip it up.
The only other mouthful I happily encourage is the nationwide recitation of the "12 Values" dreamed up by my dazzling genius. Quite rightly, the Office of the Basic Education Commission shoe-shines my boots by making it mandatory for elementary students to shout out the 12 nationalistic items, like dumb parrots, starting next term, in front of the flag pole before they're herded off into the classroom.
We want the children to speak, but only what we permit them to speak about, because that's what their mouths are for. The path to happiness, remember this, isn't to allow several mouths to speak and drive the dialogue towards a negotiation, or a reconciliation but to make sure that only one mouth gets to yap away while others are sealed.
Dear diary, brace yourself, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Kong Rithdee is Deputy Life Editor, Bangkok Post.
More digs at big man :p
Leaders shouldn't shoot from the lip
Bangkok Post Published: 21/09/2014 at 06:00 AM
Leadership is never easy. It's a steep learning curve. You can read all the textbooks or autobiographies by famous CEOs, national leaders and figures which spell out qualities required — patience, the art of listening, being decisive, setting an example — and still not get it right.
Leading a company is clearly different from leading a country. And heading a profitable and successful company is no guarantee of successful national leadership.
Being prime minister of Thailand, given its historical, social, cultural and political history, has its peculiar challenges. One of those challenges is being able to manage and balance the needs and expectations of the past with demands and forces of the future.
And no matter whether the prime minister comes from elections or is placed at the top through force, one thing is certain — they all have to go through a tough learning curve being prime minister.
When he first became prime minister, for example, Chuan Leekpai had little knowledge on foreign affairs. He never achieved the depth of understanding as others, but he tried, learned and improved.
Several Thai prime ministers were uncomfortable speaking in English. But they improved. Some, of course, did not.
These examples are, of course, not as crucial as learning to lead as head of government. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, like his predecessors of the past 30 years — from Gen Prem Tinsulanonda to Yingluck Shinawatra — is going thorough this learning curve.
It's no surprise that with 38 years in the army, his style and manner is abrupt and, when he speaks, the words come like orders. This explains the mood and tone of his Friday evening speeches.
He's been advised, of course, to speak from the heart and we can detect slight changes. But he still has a lot of work to do to improve further even though he will never achieve the eloquence and wit of other past prime ministers.
That said, there are those who prefer and like his straightforward military style. It is direct and simple to understand. But this shooting from the hip is exactly what got him into trouble with his bikini comments on the Koh Tao murders of two British tourists.
It was wrong, insensitive and sexist. But the prime minister has done the right thing by "taking responsibility for my words and actions" which were "impolite or inappropriate" and apologising.
What's interesting is that Gen Prayut went further by also apologising to red-shirt activist Kritsuda Khunasen for insulting her on live television. Even though he says her accusations of torture while being detained are untrue, he apologised for being impolite.
By his own admission, Gen Prayut says he is trying to improve. This means he may be learning and now realises that he is not just the leader of the army but the country's prime minister.
Like many others I have never supported the coup d'etat. But like it or not, we are stuck with Gen Prayut as prime minister. The Prime Minister has made clear his agenda. We have his road map and in the months ahead his government will implement changes in various areas that will supposedly move this country forward.
If, as he says, he is trying to "continuously" improve, then I urge that he listens more and becomes more tolerant to dissenting voices. Find the right balance between past and future in moving forward. Do not lead us back to the past.
All leaders make mistakes. The biggest mistake made by some leaders is that they fail to admit to their mistakes. They do not listen or they listen to the wrong people. Leaders are not just defined by their mistakes. Sadly, some are judged by their mistakes because that's all they seem do — make one mistake after another.
But a true leader is defined by the choices and decisions they make when faced with tough and difficult circumstances. They are defined by what they do to overcome their mistakes. Gen Prayut krub, what sort of leader are you?
Pichai Chuensuksawadi is editor-in-chief of Post
Leaders shouldn't shoot from the lip
Bangkok Post Published: 21/09/2014 at 06:00 AM
Leadership is never easy. It's a steep learning curve. You can read all the textbooks or autobiographies by famous CEOs, national leaders and figures which spell out qualities required — patience, the art of listening, being decisive, setting an example — and still not get it right.
Leading a company is clearly different from leading a country. And heading a profitable and successful company is no guarantee of successful national leadership.
Being prime minister of Thailand, given its historical, social, cultural and political history, has its peculiar challenges. One of those challenges is being able to manage and balance the needs and expectations of the past with demands and forces of the future.
And no matter whether the prime minister comes from elections or is placed at the top through force, one thing is certain — they all have to go through a tough learning curve being prime minister.
When he first became prime minister, for example, Chuan Leekpai had little knowledge on foreign affairs. He never achieved the depth of understanding as others, but he tried, learned and improved.
Several Thai prime ministers were uncomfortable speaking in English. But they improved. Some, of course, did not.
These examples are, of course, not as crucial as learning to lead as head of government. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, like his predecessors of the past 30 years — from Gen Prem Tinsulanonda to Yingluck Shinawatra — is going thorough this learning curve.
It's no surprise that with 38 years in the army, his style and manner is abrupt and, when he speaks, the words come like orders. This explains the mood and tone of his Friday evening speeches.
He's been advised, of course, to speak from the heart and we can detect slight changes. But he still has a lot of work to do to improve further even though he will never achieve the eloquence and wit of other past prime ministers.
That said, there are those who prefer and like his straightforward military style. It is direct and simple to understand. But this shooting from the hip is exactly what got him into trouble with his bikini comments on the Koh Tao murders of two British tourists.
It was wrong, insensitive and sexist. But the prime minister has done the right thing by "taking responsibility for my words and actions" which were "impolite or inappropriate" and apologising.
What's interesting is that Gen Prayut went further by also apologising to red-shirt activist Kritsuda Khunasen for insulting her on live television. Even though he says her accusations of torture while being detained are untrue, he apologised for being impolite.
By his own admission, Gen Prayut says he is trying to improve. This means he may be learning and now realises that he is not just the leader of the army but the country's prime minister.
Like many others I have never supported the coup d'etat. But like it or not, we are stuck with Gen Prayut as prime minister. The Prime Minister has made clear his agenda. We have his road map and in the months ahead his government will implement changes in various areas that will supposedly move this country forward.
If, as he says, he is trying to "continuously" improve, then I urge that he listens more and becomes more tolerant to dissenting voices. Find the right balance between past and future in moving forward. Do not lead us back to the past.
All leaders make mistakes. The biggest mistake made by some leaders is that they fail to admit to their mistakes. They do not listen or they listen to the wrong people. Leaders are not just defined by their mistakes. Sadly, some are judged by their mistakes because that's all they seem do — make one mistake after another.
But a true leader is defined by the choices and decisions they make when faced with tough and difficult circumstances. They are defined by what they do to overcome their mistakes. Gen Prayut krub, what sort of leader are you?
Pichai Chuensuksawadi is editor-in-chief of Post
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