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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 13, 2016 14:11:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 15:05:41 GMT
He was born in Boston. I wonder if the US government made him fill out FATCA forms for taxes.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 14, 2016 4:36:52 GMT
Interesting article from 2000. Thailand’s Modernising Monarchs By Tony Stockwell Published in History Today Volume 50 Issue 7 July 2000 Tony Stockwell looks behind the exotic facade to examine the role of the kings of Siam and Thailand in modernising their country. full text here: www.historytoday.com/tony-stockwell/thailand’s-modernising-monarchs |
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 14, 2016 19:04:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 21:26:31 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Oct 20, 2016 16:58:11 GMT
My son has accumulated enough points on his credit card to be offered a trip to Thailand with all expenses accounted for including 4 star hotel and flights for two people.
He is carefully considering whether or not it would be worth it at the moment. Does anyone know when the 'party' will resume?
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Post by mossie on Oct 20, 2016 20:39:35 GMT
The press said the mourning period was one year!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2016 18:38:41 GMT
The mourning is for one year, but the "strict" mourning as far as tourists are concerned is just for one month. So as of November 13th I suppose the the bars and other nightlife will be back in operation, but that will need to be confirmed. No matter what, for the coming year it will be necessary to be less boisterous than a lot of tourists have been in the past -- particularly the full moon parties on the beaches of south Thailand and probably some other events as well.
I am hoping to pass through Thailand in the coming year, and even though I am not a "boisterous" tourist, I will certainly be checking the websites about the situation before I arrive.
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Post by curt on Nov 28, 2016 2:33:06 GMT
He was born in Boston. I wonder if the US government made him fill out FATCA forms for taxes. He was born in Cambridge, MA. I doubt he claimed US citizenship after becoming King. The formal mourning period was for one month. Tourists were never really expected to follow the mourning guideline. Many did/do out of respect. Thais will continue wearing mourning clothing for quite some time to come. Most bars and clubs are open. However, most are also being a bit more subdued. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2016 7:39:11 GMT
I see that the Thai parliament is trying to pressure Prince Vajiralongkorn to take the throne soon. Clearly he doesn't want to, but does he really have a choice?
He has been trying to put off taking the throne for a year, when the period of mourning ends, but theoretically he should have taken over as soon as his father died. The royal family is one of the only things holding the country together (sort of like Belgium), so the government has the jitters until the 'problem' is solved.
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Post by curt on Nov 29, 2016 8:13:07 GMT
Interesting. You'll have to let me know your source. I hope it's not the same one that informed you of the King's birthplace .....  I will not comment on the politics, the monarchy or any other such issues.  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2016 12:38:49 GMT
Interesting. You'll have to let me know your source. I hope it's not the same one that informed you of the King's birthplace ..... Cambridge is basically part of Boston, just on the other side of the Charles River. The other news comes from the BBC. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2016 14:32:07 GMT
Curt, I know that you will not comment on the politics of Thailand since the 'crime' of lèse-majesté is taken so seriously in the country. Perhaps the situation will change with the new king, but we'll just have to wait and see.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 30, 2016 4:02:48 GMT
Good to hear from you, Curt. If you don't mind my asking: as a foreigner are you, or do you feel you should, show some outward sign of mourning on your home or clothing?
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Post by curt on Dec 1, 2016 10:05:13 GMT
Good to hear from you, Curt. If you don't mind my asking: as a foreigner are you, or do you feel you should, show some outward sign of mourning on your home or clothing? I haven't worn anything but black white or grey since his death. In Bangkok, I would say there is much better than 90% participation in the mourning dress. Most of the non -participants are foreigners. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 11:49:37 GMT
So, the reign of King Rama X has begun. Learn more about him here. |
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Post by curt on Dec 3, 2016 0:18:38 GMT
Is that the same source where you discovered Rama IX was from Boston?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2016 23:32:34 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 5, 2016 0:59:07 GMT
That is most interesting. You always wonder with "serious" monarchs such as King Bhumibol if their sense of duty also involved a fear of chaos were they to give up the throne.
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Post by curt on Dec 10, 2016 13:36:05 GMT
" Lèse-majesté " aside, I don't comment much on Thai politics. As with most foreigners, even after living here a decade, upon becoming comfortable with feeling I have it figured out, I soon find that I'm off base.
It is truly offensive having comments tossed about by "experts" who garner their knowledge from news articles, or their experience on Silom of Sukhumvit (where, BTW, most "journalists" get their news).
I remember back during the 2010 protests. When the fires broke out, CNN's "guy in Bangkok", couldn't even identify Centralworld! The pubs peter out west of Nana!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 10, 2016 15:55:13 GMT
During the 2006 troubles in my city, my eyes were opened to how often so-called news information or perceptions are copied and repeated from one agency to another, creating a false picture of the true situation. But short of moving to a country for several years, all of us are forced to get information (or misinformation) where we can -- from hearsay and from the media. It's either that, or ignore the world outside our houses completely. The best we can do is to try to read critically or to have the opportunity of dialogue with people living in other places. That is what this forum and others like it provide. Yes, it's annoying, even infuriating to see inaccuracies or stereotypes about our own or our host countries, but public forums give us the opportunity to counter those inaccuracies with facts or our own informed perceptions. I understand your desire not to say much about Thai politics, but your views of the country whether casually or in travelogue form would be solid gold.  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2016 23:17:11 GMT
There is always the problem of comparing misinformation, which is generally the product of foreign media, and disinformation, which is often a domestic problem in a lot of countries. The first kind if often a semi-honest mistake caused by sloppy journalism or just the impossiblity of getting the correct story for various cultural reasons. Disinformation is far more insidious, because it comes from local "experts" who refuse to be challenged. One of the most disgusting examples in France occurred in 1986, when all of the media claimed that the radioactive cloud from Chernobyl had miraculously stopped right at the French border and not gone any farther. Yet in 2016, children are still dying from cancers resulting from the incident.
I often read the Bangkok Post online, and I know very well that not everything that is written in it can be believed about the political or royal situation.
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Post by curt on Dec 11, 2016 2:31:13 GMT
Case in point
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Post by fumobici on Dec 11, 2016 3:40:03 GMT
In a country like Thailand with strict press censorship of political stories, where can one go to get accurate information? Clearly, nothing originating from the press or public inside the borders can be trusted, so one seeking truth is left with sources at some physical remove or people reporting anonymously under threat of jail if they are found out.
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Post by curt on Dec 11, 2016 10:17:07 GMT
The bars are open. The hotels are open. The restaurants are open.
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Post by curt on Feb 9, 2017 2:30:12 GMT
Sorry to be so "curt" in my last reply. But, to Thais, such discussions, by foreigners, even long term expats, become a bit trying.
Bottom line is that, to the normal tourist, there is little sign anything is different. Things quieted for a short time. But, it's pretty much business as usual nowadays.
Rama X is now King. Things are very quiet. People are content with it.
The politics are still crazy. But, that's Thailand - has been for quite some time.
About the biggest complaint some visitors have is that the BMA's police, the Thessakij, are finally doing their job and clearing illegal street vendors from many busy sidewalks. Tourists can no longer walk outside a Starbucks and buy a stick of moo ping! They just may have to leave their shiny path!
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 12, 2017 6:01:45 GMT
Completely missed seeing this post until now, Curt. Do you think people will develop affection for the new king, as certainly their affection for the old was one of the hallmarks of his reign.
Interesting about the removal of the street vendors. Periodically they're all moved from busy areas here. I think some street vending adds to the color of a place, but I can understand the frustration of a tax-paying business person who has a vendor's stand almost blocking the door.
pee ess ~ that's a gorgeous avatar!
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Post by whatagain on Feb 12, 2017 10:01:06 GMT
I like kings as a rule but don't know scant about Siamese.
Should start.
Just a comment on misinformation : france did stop the fall out of radiations. Sky is the limit and france has a great customs clearance in the air.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 13:16:41 GMT
As far as I know, Bangkok has long banned tuk-tuks from the major boulevards, and it seemed to me to be pretty well enforced. After all, there is no lack of small streets to use, and the drivers probably prefer them anyway. Oddly enough, now that cities like Paris have ghastly LED-blinking trishaws for tourists, they are allowed out in traffic. Not for long, I hope.
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Post by curt on Feb 15, 2017 7:53:08 GMT
Curt. Do you think people will develop affection for the new king, as certainly their affection for the old was one of the hallmarks of his reign. Interesting about the removal of the street vendors. Periodically they're all moved from busy areas here. I think some street vending adds to the color of a place, but I can understand the frustration of a tax-paying business person who has a vendor's stand almost blocking the door. pee ess ~ that's a gorgeous avatar! It's hard to get a read on the feelings at this point; it's still far too early. But, no one will every garner the reverence the Thai people held for Rama IX. The avatar is Wat Saket, aka the Golden Mountain. As far as I know, Bangkok has long banned tuk-tuks from the major boulevards, and it seemed to me to be pretty well enforced. After all, there is no lack of small streets to use, and the drivers probably prefer them anyway. Tuk Tuks are, and have always been, allowed everywhere except expressways. The only exceptions are a few flyovers of major intersections. The same holds true for motorcycles. |
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