“Nazism” In Chiang Mai
After my previous posting “Nazi knick-knacks in Pattaya” another incident of playing with clothes and other attributes of Nazi Germany. The news about this has rightly made it to the world press. Interesting is an editorial by Sanitsuda Ekachai, editor of the Bangkok Post, reproduced below in translation: Nazism in our brainwashed upbringing Who is not shocked to see teenage girls gaily dressed in full Nazi regalia dressed as Adolf Hitler and SS guards to…
Landslide kills family of five
A family of five died when their village of Ban Kai Noi (Chiang Mai) was hit by a landslide caused by heavy rains. Ban Kai Noi has 60 houses, four of which were destroyed. Residents are without power and cannot be reached by telephone. The persistent rain makes repairs difficult. The Ministry of Health has sent medical teams to the village. In Chiang Mai, four districts have been affected by flooding. In two, where 300 houses and 1.200 …
Exams postponed; Haitang and Nesat keep house
Tropical storm Haitang has reached the northeast and typhoon Nesat will soon reach the extreme north. The General Aptitude Test and Professional Aptitude Test exams have been postponed for a month. More than 329.000 students have registered for it. Of these, 45.700 live in flood-affected provinces. Of the 236 exam centers, 38 are under water. In other news: The Lop Buri River has overflowed its banks. The Ban Phraek hospital in Ayutthaya is under water…
China Airlines joined SkyTeam
The Taiwanese airline China Airlines has joined SkyTeam as the 15th alliance partner, which also includes KLM and sister company Air France. China Airlines is the flag carrier of Taiwan and one of the largest cargo carriers in the world. China Airlines is also the first Taiwanese airline to join SkyTeam, further strengthening the alliance's leading position in the Greater China region. China Airlines flies non-stop from Amsterdam to Bangkok seven times a week, and…
Reader question: A Thai visa for my Filipino girlfriend
I have been living in Thailand since 2006, together with my Filipino girlfriend. At that time (when a Shinawatra was also in power) I also had problems obtaining a visa. I got retirement visa but my girlfriend didn't because we weren't married. I am still married to another Filipina who refuses to divorce. My current girlfriend was allowed to stay in Thailand for three months on and off during that time. …
Little suffering in Thailand
What happened to me recently falls under the heading of minor suffering. When, after exactly sixteen hours, it stopped raining for a while, but the electricity was still not working after six hours, so I hadn't been able to make coffee, I had to get out for a while. I drove to Pattaya and took some pictures of streets where the water was up to half a meter high. Then I went to a large department store to drink a cup of coffee. …
Tropical Storm Haitang is approaching
Tropical storm Haitang is on its way to Thailand. On Tuesday night it will reach Danang in Vietnam with wind speeds of 65 km per hour and from there it will head towards Laos and the northeast of Thailand. The southern part can expect downpours. The Meteorological Service warns residents at the foot of mountains, along waterways and on lower ground about flooding. The waves in the Andaman Sea and the northern part of the Gulf of Thailand are expected to reach…
Chiang Mai students in Nazi uniform
The Bangkok Post published an article on September 28 about a school, the Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Chiang Mai, where students had dressed up in Nazi uniforms during a sports day, wearing swastika armbands and uttering the “Sieg Heil” salute during the parade. A Jewish human rights organization has rightly called for those responsible for this school to be judged. In the meantime, all over the world, including by all kinds of consular representatives in Thailand, sharp protests have been made against this way of Nazis …
Seeing Abraham in Thailand…and doing some island hopping
A good friend in the Netherlands saw his 50th birthday rapidly approaching. He thought it would be fun to celebrate this memorable day with six friends in Thailand. The trip should not last longer than a week. I myself was also one of the 'lucky ones', with the note that I am already staying here. The only question was what the country had to offer them. Pattaya has long been on the wish list because of all kinds of sporting activities. You feel …
The Thai taxpayer
In every country, the income tax imposed by the state is always a rewarding subject for (fierce) discussions during birthdays, in the pub or just between a number of colleagues. All clichés then tumble over each other: we pay too much, it is not well spent, we have too many civil servants and also too many beneficiaries of social services. Income tax in the Netherlands accounts for approximately 40% of total tax revenue, and the same also applies to Thailand. In …
Free holiday to Asia for 10 years
That sounds great: a free holiday to Asia for 10 people for 2 years! It is the main prize of an action that the birthday boy 333TRAVEL has come up with. The tour operator is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year with a unique promotion and an attractive main prize. The 'Find the like in the cupboard' campaign started on September 5 and will run for a total of 6 weeks. So you can still participate and compete for this big prize. To share…
Rice plan becomes a very expensive joke
Taxpayers can expect a 250 billion baht bill as the government reintroduces the much-criticized rice mortgage system. The system could also result in Thailand losing its position as the world's largest rice exporter to Vietnam (which has already taken over the lead in Asia). This says Pridiyathorn Devakula, former Deputy Prime Minister. Next month, the government will launch the system, under which the government will buy up unhusked white rice for a guaranteed price of 15.000 baht per ton…
The housing market in Bangkok
Z24, the supplement of the Algemeen Dagblad with Business News, featured an article a while ago about the worst global housing markets. Knight Frank, a major real estate specialist with more than 200 offices in 43 countries, published a ranking of 50 countries with data on the local housing market. Of course let's see if "our" Thailand is in it, but alas! Take a closer look at Knight Frank's website and see, Thailand also has a ...
Model helicopter with mobile phones crashes near prison
A radio-controlled model helicopter crashed some 500 meters outside the walls of Khao Bin (Ratchaburi) high-security prison yesterday. The device carried mobile and satellite phones, SIM cards and batteries, intended for prisoners to arrange drug transactions from prison. The seized items are worth 3 million baht. In prison they do 10 million baht. The owner of the cassava plantation where the plane crashed says he only saw a pickup truck that was…
Flowers and plants exhibition Royal Flora 2011
From 9 November to mid-February next year, flower and plant lovers can indulge themselves again during the flower and plant exhibition 2011 in the Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiangmai. The last exhibition was in 2006 and the Thai government liked it so much that they decided to revamp the park and reopen it in its improved state on the occasion of King Bhumibol's 84th birthday. A total of 22 countries are participating…
Defense ministers agree on Preah Vihear troop withdrawal
The Thai and Cambodian defense ministers have agreed on the withdrawal of troops from the demilitarized zone at Preah Vihear Hindu temple and the stationing of Indonesian observers. It only took them half an hour to agree. Troop withdrawal was ordered in July by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which also established the demilitarized zone. The ministers have not set a date for the withdrawal; …
Amazing Thailand (video)
The loyal Thailand blog reader, Friso Poldervaart, sent us a short video of Thailand that he made during his last trip.