Thailand blog

– Thaksin family out of the country – Internal Security Act in force – No police violence against demonstrators – Dissolution of parliament not an option – Yellow shirts keep aloof – Red shirts deploy boats Tension in and around Bangkok is rising. The government, army and police are preparing for a 'turbulent' weekend. We've listed the latest news for you. Thaksin family out of the country Thaksin's family, including his …

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By Guido Goedheer I don't have a monopoly on wisdom, that's too much of a good thing, but what my bird guide told me about the Asian Koel with its cruel behavior…. Well, I spoke to a number of asian cools and that was difficult because they really spoke a different language. No wheeze, wheeze and so on, but just like the cuckoo in Europe, it simply calls its own name….KAH OELLLL. That shows low intelligence or just…

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By Colin de Jong – Pattaya What will 2010 bring us? Of course no one knows that, but we can think about it a little more positively. Hear too much lamentation around me in 'the land of smile' and especially in 'the extreme city' Pattaya. I think this is absolutely unjustified, especially when I look at BVN in the morning and read the Telegraph, and I must therefore conclude that Thailand is one of the best countries in the world to ...

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By Hans Bos It will be the litmus test for the sitting Prime Minister Abhisit. Is he strong enough and able to survive next weekend's demonstrations? Or will the 'red shirts' have their way, paralyze the whole of Bangkok and Abhisit calls new elections under pressure? Estimates of the expected numbers of demonstrators range from 30.000 to one million. Experts say that 150.000 red shirts are enough to cover the metropolis of Bangkok, with an estimated 12 …

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Air pollution in the North, government wants to distribute face masks The eight Northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Sun, Nan, Phrae and Phayao are suffering from serious air pollution due to the burning of forests and farmland. The Ministry of Health plans to distribute up to 600.000 masks to the population. More and more people report to the hospital with breathing problems. . . Measures against the impending drought There is a long period for this year …

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Thailandblog this time takes a closer look at a popular e-book in PDF format; Pattaya Bar Girls Report (in English). We have read it for you and discuss the pluses and minuses of this book in this article.

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Thailand is in the world news because of the birth of elephant twins. It's two males. The brothers are doing well.

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By Hans Bos Thailand will hold its breath next weekend. Especially now that strangers have stolen 6000 (!) guns, grenades, ammunition and explosives, the tension can be cut. The 'red shirts' have announced that they will gather as many as one million demonstrators between Friday 12 and Sunday 14 March for a show of force in the administrative heart of Bangkok. The stolen weapons come from the 4th Army Engineering Battalion in the southern province of Phatthalung and…

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The Mekong River, vital to some Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, has to deal with a dangerously low water level. In the north, the river has become almost unnavigable, the delta in South Vietnam has to contend with salinization. Sixty million people depend on the river. Mekong River Commission According to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the level is the lowest since 1993, when there was a huge drought the year before. In a press release, the…

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Just a reminder, don't forget to watch the last episode of the English documentary Blood, Sweat and Takeaways today at 20:00 Ned 3 (Saturday 6 March). In this episode, the six British youths go from Isaan to Bangkok to work in a chicken factory. It is the world's largest chicken exporter, exporting 110.000 tonnes to the UK alone each year. For the first time, the factory admits a film crew…

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By Hans Bos Good news for those who want to go to Pattaya as soon as possible after arriving in Thailand. U-tapao Airport in Chonburi gets a major facelift and is then called U-tapao Pattaya International Airport. The airport, a famous American base during the Vietnam War, is being expanded with a new terminal, while the capacity is increasing from the current 400 to 1200 passengers per hour. The number of 'parking places' for aircraft is also growing strongly, from 4 to ...

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I regularly check the statistics of Google Analytics. They give me insight into where visitors to Thailandblog.nl come from and which keywords they used. A multi-word search term typed into Google often gives a nice indication of “what the problem is” or what information one is looking for. When I look at the list of keywords, sometimes I can't help but smile. To share with you…

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You may have never heard of it, but on March 22, the annual “King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament” will be held. This is a polo match played with elephants. The sponsorship proceeds from this go to various charities in Thailand. The popular event will take place from March 22 – March 28 in Chiang Saen, a city in Thailand's northernmost region known as the Golden Triangle. This year it will be, once again…

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By Hans Bos Thailand is moving in the right direction…. There will be quite a few rules, also in favor of foreign guests. To begin with, they can again obtain free tourist visas (from 1 April), if desired in combination with war and war insurance. A molestation insurance? Of course! Upon payment of USD 1, the tourist receives a maximum of 10.0000 'greenbacks' if he/she becomes disabled, has to go to hospital or dies as a result of civil disturbances. The Thai government knows that many…

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That's where we are as expats. No idea how the political hares are doing and a euro that will probably fall much further.

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Another interesting article from the BBC. It examines the backgrounds and political ideas of the red shirts. Dr. Weng Tojirakarn is a convinced red shirt and he explains why. In addition, he says he is not fighting for Thaksin's billions, but for his country and a real democracy. The aim of the red shirts is to make the poor people in the countryside more politically aware. Something that seems to work. The…

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The BBC website has an interesting article about the role of the Thai army in Thai politics. Time and time again, the military leadership found it necessary to intervene when there was political division in the country. The BBC journalist gives the floor to both a young officer and a military expert. It seems that this new generation of soldiers is not or less concerned with the…

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By Joop van Breukelen As a news junkie, I scour the necessary websites about Thailand every day. I'm especially interested in the forums, because that's where the strangest problems and associated advice come to the fore. I have to say that I usually don't really enjoy it. Apart from the abominable use of words and language (can no one spell properly these days?), I am annoyed by the aplomb with which the truth is violated. It is almost…

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Because this one is also very nice, another cartoon by Michael J Baird from Pattaya. A number of farang will smile when they see this cartoon. I sometimes wonder if all Thai women have read the same book? .

By Elske Schouten (NRC Handelsblad) Yesterday was finally 'judgment day' in Thailand. The Supreme Court decided whether Thaksin Shinawatra would get anything back from the 1,7 billion euros he threatened to lose because of abuses of power during his prime minister. The judges opted for a compromise: he must hand in 1,04 billion, he will get the rest back. And what does this mean now? A few months ago in Bangkok I spoke with Chris Baker, historian and co-author…

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Always smiling and always cheerful, that remains particularly certain when you consider that the working conditions are not really ideal.

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Exiled former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin has been found guilty of abuse of power by chief justices in Bangkok. During his reign in the years 2001 – 2006, he abused his power to get richer. This was ruled today by the Thai Supreme Court in the capital and can be read in De Telegraaf. The verdict was broadcast on Thai radio and television. Thaksin Shinawatra has been living in Dubai for some time. He was born on September 19, 2006 after…

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