Is Thailandblog red, yellow or orange?
By Khun Peter There has been a lot of buzz lately about the coverage from Bangkok. Too yellow or too red is the often expressed complaint. This just shows how deep the division is about the political situation in Thailand. The battle continues in the Netherlands. The editors of Thailandblog are also accused of not being objective. That in itself is fine, I think. Besides the fact that we refer to the…
Hans Bos on social media in Thailand
Khun Peter Journalist Hans Bos, blogger and twitterer for Thailandblog.nl, among others, was interviewed live today for the VARA program Radiolab on Radio 1. The first broadcast of the program took place today and it was presented by Simone Weimans (VARA Radio Kassa) and Rik van de Westelaken (NOS Journaal). On the basis of social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, they sketched a picture of the zeitgeist, both at home and abroad. The roll …
Dutch embassy in Bangkok open on Monday
Source: NL Embassy website In view of the improved security situation around the embassy, the Dutch embassy will be open to the public again on Monday 24 May. In the unlikely event that the security situation deteriorates and the embassy cannot be reached, this will be reported via the embassy's website. Please note that there may still be roadblocks or other obstructions in the road network around the embassy. People who had booked an appointment on Monday …
From the front line of the Bangkok crackdown
Violent images of the actions of the Thai army last Wednesday. Dawn-to-dusk footage from the Bangkok crackdown from reporterinexile.com on Vimeo. I was up late writing, editing and waiting for an NPR interview early Wednesday morning when UDDThailand tweeted about the impending operation. Given UDD's shrill tone and frequent wolf-crying, I didn't take it seriously until a second source, photo_journ, made the same claims about APCs spotted on the highway. By taxi, I arrived at Surawong …
Thai fairy tale….
(In)appropriate violence in Bangkok
By Khun Peter Whether you feel sympathy for the Reds or the Yellows, you must unfortunately note that excessive force was used by both sides yesterday. Soldiers using civilians as targets The military fired live ammunition at fleeing and unarmed civilians. Not really a well thought out strategic move. Just empty your magazine and hope you hit something? Is this the result of the poor education in Thailand? The Red Shirts…
Map of the protest area in Bangkok
This map (BBC) provides insight into the protest area. Ratchaprasong intersection and the main red-shirt camp: The protest hub, with a stage area and other facilities. Pathum Wanaram Temple: declared a safe area for women and children within the red zone. Dusit Thani hotel: Guests evacuated on Monday after gunfire and explosions just outside the hotel. Ratchaprarop road: One of the flashpoints around the red zone; declared a “live fire zone” by troops on Saturday. …
Confusing and erroneous reporting about Bangkok
By Khun Peter This is now part three in the series of posts about confusing and bad reporting about the situation in Bangkok. There are many people who closely follow the news from Thailand. Everyone has their own reasons for that. One group in particular, those are the tourists who doubt whether or not it is safe in Thailand. It surprises me that there are still the most…
Uncertainty about travel advice Bangkok
By Khun Peter Contrary to what all Dutch media report, the travel advice from BuZa has not been tightened. Only the text on the website has been changed. A level 4 travel warning has been in effect since April, which means non-essential travel to certain areas is discouraged. The explanation on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states which areas in Bangkok are involved: Violent confrontations take place in various locations (Rama …
By Khun Peter Even for insiders, understanding Thai politics (and culture) is difficult. Nothing is what it seems. As a result, wrong conclusions are quickly drawn. The coverage in the Dutch press is also often downright bad. Hans wrote about this before. Today I saw an article in Elsevier. Not the best, though. What an amateur story. Quickly put something on paper on…
Travel warnings Thailand
In this (English) article you can read how other countries deal with the travel advice for Thailand. The English have relaxed the travel advice that applied to the whole of Thailand this week. But is still in effect for Bangkok. The calamity fund in the Netherlands has now withdrawn the travel restriction for Bangkok. Yesterday there were two more incidents in Silom involving Thai citizens. Silom is an area that you as a tourist now …
Travel advice Thailand – update May 6, 2010
UPDATE May 6, 2010: Calamity fund: coverage limit Bangkok lifted There seems to be a solution for the political differences in Thailand. On 3 May, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit presented a 'roadmap'. This contains a number of plans that should remove the political tension. The most important point is that the Prime Minister proposes to call new elections for November 14, 2010. The Thai opposition parties support the plan. The red shirts (Redshirts) are also moderately positive about the …
Here is an announcement for everyone who receives the Thailandblog newsletter. The frequency of the newsletter sending has been adjusted. As of today, it will no longer be sent daily, but weekly. This has to do with the costs of sending the newsletter. If we limit the frequency somewhat, we can continue to use a free e-mail account, otherwise we will incur costs. Twitter An alternative is to follow us on …
Successful Oranjefeest in Pattaya
Many Dutch expats in Pattaya visited Restaurant Tomas on Jomtien Beach Road on Friday evening, April 30. King's Day was celebrated there with specially flown in herring and eel. The party was organized by the Dutch owner of the restaurant, Matthieu Corporaal. Because the annual celebration in Bangkok could not take place, Dutch people from Bangkok also came over to experience the party in Pattaya. The Thai and Dutch Royal Houses maintain a long-term friendly relationship with each other. …
By Khun Peter As webmaster of Thailandblog, I look daily at the numbers that Google Analytics spits out, such as visitor numbers, popular keywords and referring sites. Handy and useful to know. Most visitors to Thailandblog come mainly from three countries. Netherlands, Thailand and Belgium. Given the fact that it is a Dutch blog, not many Thai people will visit the blog. In that case, the Dutch will remain in Thailand. It turns out that…
To go to Bangkok or not?
Click here for an update: May 5, 2010 In recent days, the Thailandblog editors have received many questions from concerned travelers who want to know whether it is safe and sensible to travel to Bangkok. We can do nothing but report the facts on this blog. You have to make the choice whether or not to go to Bangkok. What do the non-experts say? On websites, blogs, forums and bulletin boards fierce discussions arise between people…
Travel Advice Bangkok – Thailand
CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE JUNE 2010 On April 28, another confrontation took place in Bangkok between red shirts and security forces. About XNUMX red shirts traveled through the city in pick-up trucks and mopeds and were stopped by soldiers on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road, in the north of the city near the old Don Muang airport. In the skirmishes that followed, in which live ammunition was fired, one person was reportedly killed and at least…