Category: Misc.

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Misc.

R.W. Apple’s Bangkok Food Story

Legendary Timesman R.W. (Johnny) Apple Jr. has shuffled off this mortal coil.

Quoth the Times’s Todd Purdum:

R. W. Apple Jr., who in more than 40 years as a correspondent and editor at The New York Times wrote from more than 100 countries about war and revolution, politics and government, food and drink, and the revenge of living well, died yesterday in Washington. He was 71.

The cause was complications of thoracic cancer.

With his Dickensian byline, Churchillian brio and Falstaffian appetites, Mr. Apple, who was known as Johnny, was a singular presence at The Times almost from the moment he joined the metropolitan staff in 1963. He remained a colorful figure as new generations of journalists around him grew more pallid, and his encyclopedic knowledge, grace of expression — and above all his expense account — were the envy of his competitors, imitators and peers.

Mr. Apple enjoyed a career like no other in the modern era of The Times. He was the paper’s bureau chief in Albany, Lagos, Nairobi, Saigon, Moscow, London and Washington. He covered 10 presidential elections and more than 20 national nominating conventions. He led The Times’s coverage of the Vietnam War for two and a half years in the 1960’s and of the Persian Gulf war a generation later, chronicling the Iranian revolution in between.

In honor of his passing, I thought I’d point out his superb story about eating in Bangkok that was published this time last year. Don’t miss it.

Apple also penned an article about ten notable restaurants world-wide that was due to appear this fall; it’s been published posthumously.

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Misc.

Lonely Planet Founders in Bangkok

Tony and Maureen Wheeler, Lonely Planet Founders, in Bangkok

My latest Gridskipper post is about a talk and book signing that Tony and Maureen Wheeler, founders of the Lonely Planet guide book empire, gave here in Bangkok on Monday night.

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Misc.

“Sun Outages” in Bangkok

Perhaps this has something to do with coup-related Western media censorship, but A and I saw this on TV recently here in Bangkok. The full text of this screen — which appears sporadically for 30 seconds or so during English-language commercials that feature non-political content on the cable provider UBC — reads:

Please be advised that there may be short disruptions to our satellite transmission due to sun outages from Tue 26 September to Wed 4 October from 06:00 to 15:00 due to a “sun outage”. This is a natural phenomenon that may affect our signal for a few minutes – after which normal transmission will resume. We apologise for any inconvenience.

And here’s the Thai version, for what it’s worth.

What in God’s name is a “sun outage”? Is UBC talking about solar flares? If this is a natural phenomenon, how the hell do they know when, precisely, it’ll occur? Am I going crazy here or what?

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Misc.

Thailand Coup: Nine Days In

The big news in Bangkok today is that the city’s long-awaited new airport has finally opened.

— CNN:

Bangkok opens much-delayed air hub

— Spluch:

World class airport with no air-conditioning?

— More airport photos at 2Bangkok.com.

— The award for best airport story goes to the IHT’s Tom Fuller:

Key passages:

The official inauguration of Suvarnabhumi, which is pronounced Sawana-poom, will be the latest in what has become a sort of Asian ritual in recent years: As national economies rise, governments discard the crowded, often improvised old airports and open giant, gleaming replacements. In Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and now Bangkok the new airports are the cathedrals of international air travel, with soaring glass facades and cavernous departure halls.

But the official opening of Suvarnabhumi on Thursday comes with some added baggage, and not the kind that passengers carry to check-in counters. This is political baggage.

The airport project floundered for about 40 years before Thaksin Shinawatra came to power in 2001. Thaksin, a leader whose motto could have been “I don’t want to hear excuses,” pushed through the airport’s construction and sought to open it before elections that were to be held in October or November.

Those elections were called off last week when military leaders removed Thaksin from power. Now, with the prime minister gone, the airport has become a symbol of the ambivalence that the country feels toward him.

While Thaksin was appreciated for an aggressive, can-do style that brought universal health care to the country and paid back the debts owed to the International Monetary Fund, Thaksin also came to be seen as too aggressive in a country that highly values politeness. And his administration was dogged by allegations of conflicts of interest and corruption.

“He got it done. No other government was able to do it,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok who has written about the airport. “On the other hand he cheated along the way and took a lot for his cronies.”

And:

In terms of geography, the move is a step down. Don Muang means “city on a hill” while the area around Suvarnabhumi used to be called cobra swamp before being given its present name, which means golden land. Don Muang will handle cargo and some catering for a few weeks or months and then will be used for charter and government flights.

“Cobra swamp.” Awesome.

(Emphasis mine.)

Other stories:

— Ismail Wolff has an op-ed in the NYT recounting his experience of the coup here in Bangkok:

The Silk Revolution

— AP:

Thailand’s coup leaders struggle for acceptance abroad

And last but certainly not least:

— BBC:

Thai generals ban go-go dancers

— Here’re more pics on a Thai Web site.

Only in Thailand, my friends. Only in Thailand.

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Misc.

Thailand Coup: My First-Hand Account

I’ve got a new story over at Tripmaster Monkey. It’s called “My First Coup.”

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Misc.

Thailand’s Bloodless Coup: Nearing 48 Hours In

Thailand Coup: Soldiers Stand Guard

I spent four hours this afternoon walking around Bangkok and taking photos and talking to people. The image above very clearly illustrates the situation on the ground: Soldiers stand guard, while behind them civilians go about their daily lives. To the right, the two symbols of the nation — the country’s tri-colored flag and a yellow emblem of King Bhumibol Adulyadej — are united.

The city is calm. Traffic was light yesterday but appeared, in central Bangkok, to have nearly returned to its normal volume today.

Thailand Coup: Major Intersection

Thailand Coup: Major Intersection

Traffic has picked up a bit from yesterday, but it appeared to move more fluidly than usual. (Yes, this really is “more fluidly.”)

Thailand Coup: Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Relaxing

And, as ever, motorcycle taxi drivers lounged about and waited for fares.

To the news reports:

CNN:

• Deposed PM Thaksin says coup was totally unexpected
• Sonthi says “all sectors” cooperating with new ruling council
• Rebel Muslim leader says coup may resolve dispute in south
• King endorses military’s takeover, orders people to follow general

Reuters:

Thai army bans “political activities”

AP:

Billionaire PM had no shortage of enemies

The lede of the day goes to DPA‘s Peter Janssen:

Bangkok (dpa) – Thailand has arguably taken coup-making to new heights of non-violence, judging by the peaceful response to Tuesday’s bloodless blitzkrieg that toppled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power and put a junta in command of the kingdom.

Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Sonthi Boonyaratklin brought troops and tanks into Bangkok Tuesday night and took over the country without firing a shot, putting a junta in power that has promised to hand over the reins of government to a cabinet of appointed civilians within two weeks and hold a general election within a year.

“I have seen 15 coups myself in the past 30 years and this was the easiest one yet,” said Luzi Matzig, a long time resident in Thailand who runs Asia Travels, a tour agency. “A smooth-as-silk kind of coup,” quipped Matzig, playing on Thailand’s national airline’s advertising slogan “THAI – Smooth as Silk.”

The Nation:

Figures Behind the Coup (graphic)

Bangkok Post:

Police, bomb plot file vanish

Elsewhere:

Bangkok Pundit is staying on top of things, as is 2Bangkok.com.

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Misc.

Thailand Coup: 11 a.m. Bangkok Time

Here’re a few links to media coverage this historic Wednesday morning. I’ll be away from the Internet for the next eight hours or so, but will be back soon with more info and hopefully some analysis. Foreign cable TV networks — BBC, CNN, etc. — are off the air in Bangkok, but Thai stations, mobile phone networks, international phone links, and ISPs are all still operating.

BBC:

Thailand’s military tightens grip

BBC:

Profile: Thai coup leader

Time.com:

A Festive Coup in Thailand

Reuters:

Thai coup lite worries few on streets of Bangkok

Liveblogging round-up: keep an eye on 19Sept; Metroblogging Bangkok.

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Misc.

Thailand Coup: 2:15 a.m. Bangkok Time

UPDATE:

— 2Bangkok.com:

Sources say troops are at the Communications Authority of Thailand. This means the military can turn off mobile phones and the internet if necessary.

— There are also reports that cable channels are no longer being broadcast in Bangkok.

— CNN:

Tanks and troops patrolled Bangkok early Wednesday after the chief of Thailand’s army said the military was taking control of the country.

The coup against the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is being led by Thai army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and Thailand’s opposition Party of Democratic Reform.

The coup plotters declared martial law and suspended the constitution of the Southeast Asian nation.

Thaksin, in New York to address the United Nations, declared a state of emergency Tuesday and said his government was still in control of the country.

Troops on the streets of the Thai capital had yellow ribbons on their weapons, a sign of loyalty to the nation’s king, to whom the coup plotters proclaimed their loyalty.

At least four tanks and a number of armored vehicles were stationed around the royal palace in Bangkok, CNN’s Dan Rivers reported.

Soldiers apparently were setting up roadblocks, and what appeared to be members of the royal guard surrounded the palace.

— The New York Times’s Seth Mydans and Tom Fuller weigh in:

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand announced on television that he was declaring a state of emergency, as army troops took up positions in the city and rumors circulated that a coup was in progress.

Rumors of a coup swept Bangkok today as the Thai military blocked the area around Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s office with tanks.

Two armored personnel carriers, three humvees and a dozen heavily armed soldiers blocked the road to the prime minister’s office at 11 P.M. in pouring rain.

Speaking from New York, where he is on a visit, Mr. Thaksin said, “The prime minister, with the approval of the cabinet, declares serious emergency law in Bangkok from now on.”

According to wire-service translations of his remarks, he said he was ordering the transfer of the army chief to work in the prime minister’s office, effectively relieving him of command.

Bangkok was filled with rumors of a coup and television stations played old newsreel footage as word spread that an announcement would be made.

Later in the evening, according to 2bangkok.com, an Internet news site, all television and radio stations played an announcement declaring that a new regime was being installed with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as its head, and saying that the army and national police had taken control of Bangkok without opposition.

— More liveblogging to report: Knife Tricks, by Karl Lukacs in Chiang Mai; PubliusPundit; TownHallBlog; PajamasMedia; StickmanBangkok; Thailand.blogs.com; MetaFilter discussion; Alpha_Binary at reddit.

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Misc.

Thailand Coup: 12:55 a.m. Bangkok Time

UPDATE:

— CNN International reports that martial law has been declared in Bangkok.

— AP:

Stocks dropped suddenly Tuesday after Thailand’s military launched a coup against the country’s prime minister.

Traders watching Thailand closely are certain to remember how trouble in the kingdom has had worldwide implications in the past: The Asia currency crisis that erupted in 1997 began with the devaluation of the Thai baht, then snowballed into an international economic downturn.

— 2Bangkok.com:

What apparently has happened: From New York, PM Thaksin declared a state of emergency recalling Commander-in-Chief Sondhi from the deep south–this was, in effect, firing him. At about the same time, the military under Sondhi staged a counter-coup and cancelled Thaksin’s state of emergency taking control of key areas in Bangkok.

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Misc.

Thailand Coup: 11:25 p.m. Bangkok Time

BBC:

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok amid reports of a coup attempt.

Soldiers have entered Government House and tanks have moved into position around the building.

Mr Thaksin, who is at the UN in New York, announced he had removed the chief of the army and had ordered troops not to “move illegally”.

An army-owned TV station is showing images of the royal family and songs linked in the past with military coups.

Correspondents say that there have been low-level rumours of a possible coup for weeks.

Thai media say that two army factions appear to be heading for a clash, with one side backing the prime minister and the other side backing a rebel army chief.

CNN:

Tanks have been seen rolling through the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday amid rumors of an attempted coup, witnesses tell CNN.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — currently at the U.N. headquarters in New York — went on a government-owned TV station and declared a state of emergency, The Associated Press reported.

According to officials at the Thai mission at the United Nations, Thaksin has moved up his speech to the General Assembly to Tuesday night and will return to Bangkok after his address.

He had been scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday.

Thaksin has been under considerable pressure to step down. Elections in Thailand are scheduled for November after the country’s constitutional court ruled April’s vote was unconstitutional.

Thaksin had called for the elections in April, three years early, after opponents accused the billionaire leader of abusing the country’s system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family’s business.

AP:

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a state of emergency Tuesday night from New York as rumors of a military coup swept the capital. An army-owned television station suspended regular programming and played patriotic songs.

Shinawatra went on a government-owned TV station to declare the state of emergency.

“The prime minister with the approval of the Cabinet declares serious emergency law in Bangkok from now on,” Thaksin said on Channel 9 from New York, where he was attending the U.N. General Assembly.

He said he was ordering the transfer of the nation’s army chief to work in the prime minister’s office, effectively suspending him from his military duties.

Reuters:

Tanks surrounded Thailand’s Government House on Tuesday and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a state of emergency in Bangkok amid signs of the first attempted coup in the southeast Asian nation in 15 years.

“I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency,” Thaksin said in a voice broadcast on Thai television.

Thaksin, in New York at a United Nations summit, ordered troops not to “move illegally”, and told armed forces chiefs to report to acting Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya.

At least 20 soldiers entered the Government House building, according to reporters inside.

Army television broadcast images of the royal family and songs associated in the past with military coups.

Government officials said Thaksin, in the middle of a political crisis fomented by a street campaign against him, planned to return from New York early on Thursday, a day earlier than originally scheduled.

Even though Thailand’s last military coup was 15 years ago, speculation about military intervention has been rife, with motorists calling traffic radio stations last week after tanks were spotted rolling down streets of the capital.

That proved to be a false alarm, with the army saying it was merely soldiers returning from exercises.

A general election scheduled for October was postponed last week, probably until November.

(All emphasis mine.)

Developing…