Year: 2009

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Misc.

RIP Robert Enke

RIP, Robert Enke

I didn’t have time to note this sad news yesterday, but wanted to point it out since I’ve blogged about soccer and goalkeeping in the past.

Robert Enke, the goalkeeper for the German national soccer team and club side Hannover 96, committed suicide on Tuesday. He was 32 years old. Enke was in the running to be Germany’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup this summer.

He leaves behind his wife and their eight-month-old daughter. Enke had battled depression, his wife says. He killed himself by stepping in front of a train in Hannover.

The New York Times/IHT has a story about his death. There’s more from the AP and CNN.

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Misc.

Koh Chang protests?

This item in today’s Bangkok Post caught my eye:

Koh Chang protest hots up

TRAT : Leaders on Koh Chang will decide today whether to close the tourist island to visitors to pressure the government to solve residents’ long-running land disputes with the navy.

Island residents, led by local leaders and politicians, are threatening to close the island to visitors on Friday unless their demands are met.

The group is calling for the revocation of the navy’s ownership documents for land on the island and the cancellation of Koh Chang’s listing as a national park.

(Emphasis mine.)

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Misc.

Thaksin arrives in Cambodia

Quick post to point out a recent AFP story that says Thailand’s exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived in neighboring Cambodia.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra landed in the Cambodian capital Tuesday to carry out his new role as economics adviser to the government, an AFP photographer said.

Thaksin exited a small private airplane at Phnom Penh International Airport and was then escorted into the Cambodian capital by a convoy of cars under tight security, said an AFP photographer at the scene.

The visit is set to further escalate tensions with neighbouring Thailand, which have increased since last week when Cambodia appointed Thaksin — ousted as Thai prime minister in a 2006 coup — as economics adviser.

(Emphasis mine.)

You can find some context in my previous post about Thailand, Cambodia, and Thaksin.

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Misc.

“Betting on Thailand”

I wanted to point out a column in Wednesday’s IHT/NYT called “Betting on Thailand.” It’s a look at how Thailand compares — and will compare over the next 20 years — with its regional neighbors in terms of business and economic development.

Here’re the last two graphs, which are particularly interesting:

Indeed, Thailand’s long-term strengths could be in the areas in which Vietnam is weak. Thailand’s successes, from sex tourism to medical tourism, owe much to freewheeling attitudes and individual initiatives, as well as to its superb location and diverse geography. For sure, public investment helped but Thais have been uniquely successful in creating a huge tourism industry. Big foreign-owned industries like cars are important but less so than a myriad of smaller enterprises that flourish in a society that is at one level very nationalistic but is sufficiently self-confident to be open to foreigners. It may be well suited to a transition to a higher-valued-added economy based on services and — like Italy — a source of niche products and creative design.

It may not get there. But if Thailand’s history of adaptation is any guide, do not bet against it. In 20 years Vietnam will have a bigger economy, will have made more money for today’s investors, and may carry more international weight. But for quality of life in an open society, my money would still be on Thailand.

(Emphasis mine.)

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Misc.

More on Thailand, Cambodia and Thaksin

I’ve updated my earlier post about Thailand, Cambodia and Thaksin, but I wanted to add the latest news in a new post for RSS subscribers.

First, today’s development: Thailand has threatened to close the border with Thailand. Here’s an AFP story with more info.

And second, I wanted to point out some analysis from Reuters. The headline is “Thaksin launches new offensive to win back power.” Here’re the first few graphs:

His opponents may dismiss him as a fugitive criminal and a spent political force, but ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is redoubling his efforts to return to power in Thailand, and the government is stumbling.

His red-shirted supporters have been pushing for a royal pardon of his corruption conviction, which would allow the exiled billionaire to come home. Now Thaksin has raised the stakes with a series of moves likely to add fuel to an intractable crisis in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy.

His acceptance of an offer to become an adviser to the government of neighbouring Cambodia has caused an ugly diplomatic row, with the prospect of his running a political campaign from across the border angering the powerful opponents who have fought hard to keep him at bay.

“The government is being seen as incompetent and we’re slowly moving towards becoming a failed state,” political scientist Pitch Pongsawat said. “Thaksin wants to steal the show … and we’re headed for a whole different battle.”

(Emphasis mine.)

I suggest reading the whole thing.

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Misc.

Salsa celebrations in Bangkok

A quick note to dance lovers in the Thai capital: SalsaBangkok Fiesta 2009 kicked off yesterday.

Salsa? In Thailand? You better believe it.

The event lasts through the weekend and includes various happenings at venues around town. There are parties, workshops, competitions and more.

The program can be found at SalsaBangkok.com, a site that I can’t believe I’d never seen before.

(Thanks to P for the tip.)

Categories
Misc.

Thailand, Cambodia, and Thaksin

First this:

AFP: “Cambodia makes Thailand’s Thaksin adviser: government”

Cambodia said Wednesday it had appointed fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra economic adviser to premier Hun Sen in a move that adds to tensions between the countries.

The appointment was announced on state television almost two weeks after Hun Sen first riled Thailand by offering safe haven to Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and is living abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

And then this:

New York Times: “Thailand Recalls Its Ambassador to Cambodia”

The Thai government announced Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador to Cambodia to protest Cambodia’s appointment of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted as Thailand’s prime minister, to a high-profile position. The moves put new strains on already tense relations between the countries.

Mr. Thaksin was removed in a coup in September 2006 and now helps lead the Thai opposition movement from abroad.

The Thai Foreign Ministry said the appointment of Mr. Thaksin as economic adviser to Cambodia’s prime minister represented a “failure to respect Thailand’s judicial system.”

“The Royal Thai Government cannot stand idly by and has to take into consideration the sentiment of its people,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Thai government appears particularly dismayed at the idea that Mr. Thaksin, who now spends much of his time in Dubai, might be able to galvanize his supporters from just across the border. Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, has offered Mr. Thaksin a residence in Cambodia.

And now this:

Reuters: “Thailand, Cambodia recall envoys over Thaksin spat”

Thailand and Cambodia recalled their ambassadors from each others’ countries on Thursday, deepening a diplomatic row after Cambodia made fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra an economic adviser.

The tit-for-tat spat threatens to worsen a political crisis in Thailand by giving Thaksin and his red-shirted anti-government supporters an ally just across the border, causing a diplomatic embarrassment for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

It also suggests deepening enmity between leaders of the two countries after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen soured the start of an Asian summit hosted by Abhisit last month by turning up and offering Thaksin the job of adviser.

(Emphasis mine.)

Watch this space…

UPDATE (Fri., 3:30 p.m. local time): A development from AFP: “Thailand threatens to seal Cambodian border.”

Thailand threatened Friday to seal the border with Cambodia in a spiralling diplomatic row over Phnom Penh’s naming of fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an adviser.

The warning came a day after the two countries recalled their respective ambassadors due to the dispute over the appointment of Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

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Misc.

Kevin Costner’s Turkish Airlines ad in today’s Bangkok Post

Kevin Costner Turkish Airlines ad in Bangkok Post

Kevin Costner/Turkish Airlines update: here’s a cell phone snap of an ad that appears at the bottom of the front page of today’s Bangkok Post.

Background on Costner’s Turkish Airways ad campaign — and a video of the much-discussed “Feel Like a Star” TV spot — are here.

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Misc.

“Winter” comes to Bangkok

Bangkok residents woke up to something extraordinary this morning: chilly weather.

Okay, so today’s low temperature was still a rather comfortable 64 degrees Fahrenheit, or 18 degrees Celsius. And yes, temps are still climbing up to 80 degrees F (27 degrees C) during the day.

But still. But still.

This is tropical Thailand, don’t forget, where the average monthly temperature in Bangkok never dips below 77 degrees F (25 degrees C).

I love the Kingdom in November and December. For one thing, these “brisk” temperatures mean that you can actually walk down the street without breaking a sweat.

And there’s a sports-related bonus: ESPNSTAR has been carrying the World Series games live. That means that the sounds of baseball can be heard emanating from the TV in the mornings. (Here’s hoping that the Phillies can force games six and seven.)

Between the MLB action and the “chill” in the air, it almost feels like fall in the U.S.

(Weather forecast via CNNGo.)

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Misc.

China-Myanmar pipeline project

WSJ: “Myanmar’s Neighbors Advance Pipeline Project”

HSIPAW, Myanmar — China and its neighbors are moving ahead on a multibillion-dollar oil-and-gas pipeline project that promises to greatly enhance the financial strength of Myanmar’s military regime and boost its political clout in Asia.

That promise comes as the U.S. is seeking new ways to weaken Myanmar’s regime, which has used force and imprisonment to subdue political opposition and ethnic separatists over the years, and which some analysts fear could someday pose a threat to other countries as it builds up its military. Past strategies, including the use of economic sanctions to hobble Myanmar’s junta, have largely failed.

And:

When completed, the pipeline will help unlock large untapped deposits of natural gas off Myanmar’s coast and carry it hundreds of miles to southern China, expanding Myanmar’s role as one of Asia’s important energy exporters and enhancing its influence over other countries that rely on its supplies.

(Emphasis mine.)

There’s also a video and some graphics that are worth checking out.

UPDATE: This story appears to be available to non-WSJ subscribers via Google News, but the link I provided above seems to be subscriber-only.

UPDATE 2: I meant to mention this earlier, but U.S. Senator Jim Webb, who met with Aung San Suu Kyi in August, has often warned of China’s growing influence in Myanmar. News of this pipeline project would obviously be a case in point.