I have a new story today at the WSJ‘s Southeast Asia Real Time blog. It’s called “Despite Floods, Thailand Poised for Tourism Record,” and begins:
Thailand’s vital tourism industry has suffered terribly from the massive floods that continue to drain slowly from Bangkok’s suburbs. Remarkably, however, the country is poised to set a record for the most yearly international arrivals, underscoring the tourism sector’s resilience despite a string of recent crises.
Give it a read.
I have a story in the Christian Science Monitor about Thailand’s deep south. The headline is “Muslim insurgency in Thailand’s restive south heats up.”
Self-promotion: I had a story over at the Wall Street Journal‘s Scene Asia blog on Tuesday about Bangkok’s new Hansar Hotel. It’s called “No. 1, Naturally.”
Just briefly: Here’s a story I did for GlobalPost about Chuvit Kamolvisit, whose campaign posters are surely familiar to Bangkok residents.
In an interview, the former “King of Commercial Sex” discussed not just his fight against corruption, but he also touched on Abhisit, Thaksin, Yingluck, and more.
The BBC has this story today:
New finding on cameraman’s death during Thai protests
Investigators in Thailand have reversed an earlier finding into the killing of a Reuters cameraman during red-shirt anti government protests last April.
Officials from the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) now say Hiro Muramoto was shot by an AK47, a gun not used by Thai soldiers.
An earlier leaked report blamed the military for shooting the cameraman.
Critics say the investigations into how 89 people died in last year’s protests have been hurt by interference.
Hiro Muramoto, a Japanese cameraman working for Reuters, was killed on 10 April last year.
Thai soldiers were trying to clear many thousands of anti-government protesters, known as red-shirts, from the streets of Bangkok.
They failed – five soldiers died in the attempt and 20 civilians.
Mr Muramoto died from a bullet through his chest.
An earlier finding by the DSI had concluded this was fired by an M16 from an army-held position that night. Witnesses from the scene agreed.
The military was unhappy with that finding and army sources have told reporters that a military officer was assigned to help the DSI’s investigation.
(Emphasis mine.)
Photo: Reuters via BBC.
I have a story in today’s Wall Street Journal about Gaggan, a new Indian molecular gastronomy restaurant here in Bangkok. The piece is online and also appears in print in today’s Asia edition.
Just for kicks: Here’s a lighthearted CNNGo story I wrote recently. It’s called “8 things you might not know about Pantip Plaza.”
From the intro:
Pantip Plaza is Bangkok’s most infamous IT-related shopping center. Located in a drab, five-story building on Petchaburi Road, it houses hundreds of shops selling computer hardware, software –- both pirated and legit — accessories and other tech-related gadgets.
Nearly every Bangkok resident, not to mention tech-loving tourists who have done even a tiny bit of research, knows that if you need new gear for cheap, go to Pantip. But while the shopping center is well-known to many, the fluorescent and neon-lit space still holds a few surprises.
Here are some of Pantip Plaza’s lesser-known qualities.
And one of my favorite tidbits:
8. Pantip is featured in the chorus of a popular Thai rock song
Several years ago, Thai band Loso — as in, the opposite of “high so,” or “high society” — recorded a popular tune called “Pantip.” In the chorus, the singer says he’ll go shopping with his girlfriend anywhere in Bangkok — except Pantip, since an ex-girlfriend works there.
Check out the video above. An english translation of the lyrics can be found at www.ethaimusic.com.
RSS readers: If the embedded video doesn’t show up here, you can find it on YouTube.
I’ve got a new story in the global edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education. The headline is “A Singapore University Plans Its First Residential Colleges.”
Here’s how it starts:
Many of the world’s leading Western universities are reaching out to the East, setting up campuses and forging relationships in Asia. But one renowned Asian university is looking to the West for inspiration as it builds four residential colleges using a North American and British hybrid model.
The flagship National University of Singapore will kick off a phased opening of the city-state’s first residential colleges in August 2011. It is a unique arrangement in a place where many students live at home, and those who do stay on the campus are ensconced in dormitories. The project, known as University Town, will eventually house some 4,100 students in the four colleges and a graduate residence.
I’m a few weeks late in noting this, but I wanted to point out that Bangkok-based journalist Roger Arnold has won the 2010 Rory Peck Trust award for his video news reporting.
The awards, which were given out last month, go to freelance cameramen and camerawomen.
Roger captured some compelling footage for the Wall Street Journal during the Red Shirt protests last spring.
This WSJ video, embedded below, contains some of his work.
I also suggest checking out this BBC story and accompanying video, in which Roger discusses covering the events.
Cool Tools: Hands-Free Phone-Interview Setup:
It’s a serious issue in contemporary journalism: how do you record phone interviews while using a headset?
The post points to the Olympus TP-7 telephone recorder and this more elaborate setup (pictured above).
Related Newley.com post: Some thoughts on audio recorders.