Tag: Bangkok

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Misc.

Watching the ASEAN Football Champtionship — From Pitch Level

Last Sunday night A and I had the good fortune to attend the final of the biennial ASEAN football championship between Thailand and Singapore here at Bangkok’s Supachalasai Stadium. And our perspective was unique: we were in the media gallery down at pitch level, just behind the goal.

The sound of 40,000 Thai supporters cheering on their side (pictured above) was overwhelming. Sadly, Thailand lost by an aggregate score of 3-2 in a here-and-away match; the first leg, in Singapore, was marred by a refereeing controversy that caused the Thai squad to walk off the field for 15 minutes in protest. On Sunday evening, Thailand scored a goal in the first half, drawing even on aggregate, but then Singapore pulled one back late in the game to defend their crown.

Here was the vantage from the field.

The atmosphere was festive; this supporter’s costume featured a tank — a humorous reference to the September military coup.

More fans.

The crowd at halftime, as seen from the pitch.

A interviewed some Singapore supporters.

And so did PJ Roberts, of the ESPN Star Sports highlights show Nokia Football Crazy.

The Singapore squad was presented with the trophy amid a burst of confetti.

Though the match was hard-fought and tempers flared on the field at times, the Thai supporters treated the small contingent of Singapore fans with respect and generally lost gracefully.

Categories
Misc.

Propaganda: Thai-Style Design Store

Salt and Pepper Shaker from Propaganda, a Bangkok Design Store [Not My Image]


My latest Gridskipper post is about a Bangkok design store called Propaganda.

German Food in Bangkok

Bei Otto German Restaurant in Bangkok

That’s the subject of my latest Gridskipper dispatch.

A Street Food Expedition

Yesterday I had the pleasure of undertaking a fantastic culinary adventure with my pal — and fellow Thailand blogger — Austin B, author of the excellent RealThai blog.

Austin is a gifted photog, a foodie’s foodie, and an old Siam hand. He’s got a great write-up of some of the delicacies we sampled on Langsuan soi 6, which is just around the corner from my house:

Today was something of an informal Bangkok Bloggers Summit. I trekked all the way to the Lang Suan area to meet with Newley Purnell of www.newley.com fame. Newley has been blogging since 2001, an era when, I believe, the word blog had yet to be coined. What did they call it back then, Newley? Online Diarying? Internet Loggery? Pointless Frivolity?

Newley lives just minutes away from Lang Suan Soi 6, a tiny alley that, come lunchtime, is a virtual magnet for hungry Thai office staff of every stripe. We decided the partake in the madness and dove directly into the heart of the soi. More or less halfway down we came across a raan khao kaeng, rice and curry shop, that serves up some very interesting looking nosh, and our fate was sealed.

Pictured above is an image Austin snapped of some tasty nam phrik kapi with deep-fried mackerel we tucked into; be sure to check out his post for even more great photos. I felt honored to break bread with Austin, as he has an amazingly vast knowledge of Thai vittles. (And, as Austin points out, we ate at the very curry shop where I was famously laughed at by a gaggle of Thai women back in August.)

More of Austin’s photography can be seen on his portfolio site and his Flickr page.

Thailand: A “Country in Commotion”

Thai Soliders

Seth Mydans has a good front-page story in today’s IHT. He sums up the theories regarding who might’ve orchestrated the new year’s eve bombings and weighs in on where Thailand may be heading:

A string of lethal bombs that disrupted New Year’s celebrations here has brought into the open a simmering confrontation between the ruling military junta and the opponents it unseated in a coup three months ago.

The attacks signaled the start of what could be a difficult year for Thailand as the military, the police and the entrenched elite wrestle for control of the country’s future.

Read the whole thing.

In Time magazine, Hannah Beech quotes an analyst who says the bombings probably weren’t carried out by southern insurgents:

…
As the new year began, Bangkok was swirling with speculation about the masterminds behind the bombings. Initial suspicion centered on Muslim insurgents, who have terrorized Thailand’s south with unrelenting attacks that have claimed nearly 2,000 lives over the past three years. But the insurgents, some of whom are fighting for a separate Muslim state, have never taken their bloody campaign out of the south. “It’s unlikely this was the work of southern insurgents,” says Francesca Lawe-Davies, Southeast Asia Analyst for the International Crisis Group. “It’s always been more about their territory; if they were to stage an attack in Bangkok, I think they would choose a target more directly linked to the Thai state instead of public places.” At a press conference a day after the bombings, interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont discounted speculation that the carnage was coordinated by Muslim extremists, instead linking the bombs to “people who lost benefits from losing political power.”
…

At USNews.com, however, David E. Kaplan, quoting Zachary Abuza, links the bombings to the southern insurgents:

Add Thailand to the list of Islamist insurgencies spinning out of control.

Best known for its spicy food, sex trade, Buddhist monks, and once booming economy, Thailand is now home to one of the world’s more brutal jihad wars. For three years, a stubborn and increasingly violent insurgency has grown in the heavily Muslim districts of the country’s south, made worse by the clumsy and corrupt response by Thai officials.
…
You can look forward to hearing more about this mess. Add Thailand to a troubled list that includes Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, Kashmir, Mindanao, and Somalia.

And, finally, the Washington Post is running this Reuters story by Ed Cropley:

Army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told Thailand on Thursday to prepare for repeats of the bomb attacks which killed three people and wounded 38 in Bangkok on New Year’s Eve.

“I would like to ask our brothers and sisters to brace themselves for a life-threatening thing like this for a while,” Surayud told the National Legislative Council, which is acting as a parliament in the wake of a September 19 military coup.

He gave no details.

His comments are likely to keep the 9 million inhabitants of the sprawling capital on edge after a string of bomb hoaxes and scares since the New Year. Thai media reported false alarms at a government office and major shopping mall on Thursday.

Categories
Misc.

Bangkok’s Burgeoning Lesbian Scene

I’ll still be posting about the new year’s eve bombings as news surfaces, but in the meantime I wanted to point out a great little New York Times travel story from Megan Cossey. It’s about Bangkok’s burgeoning lesbian scene, and it contains this excellent lede:

On the night of Sept. 19, military leaders in Thailand suspended the constitution, seized control of Bangkok and imposed martial law. Someone forgot to tell the lesbians.

Several nights after the nonviolent coup, a crush of cheering women crowded around the stage at Shela, a lesbian nightclub near the city’s major downtown park, Lumpini, where a popular singer, Palmy, was performing. Fans crammed the balcony, imported whiskey was flowing at every table and a lone tom, local slang for a butch lesbian, was dancing by herself behind the pool table.

Coup or not, it was just another night out for Bangkok’s puying rak puying, or women who love women.

Five years ago, this scene would have been unthinkable. Lesbians either met each other at non-gay establishments or through word-of-mouth parties and restaurants. But thanks to the rapidly expanding Thai Internet, and a growing number of younger, more self-possessed lesbians, two nightclubs and several weekly parties catering exclusively to lesbians have opened in Bangkok in the past two years.

(Emphasis mine.)

Note: I live about 500 meters away from Shela.

Categories
Misc.

More on the Bangkok Bombings

Bombs Explode in Bangkok

Here in Bangkok, four days after the new year’s eve bombings, the mood is still tranquil. But the question remains: whodunit?

My buddy Dan Ten Kate has a good story in the Asia Sentinel:

“Thailand’s Bombing Mystery Gets Murkier: Allegations, conspiracy theories and bomb threats continue to swirl in Bangkok.”

A snip:

Although Thailand’s junta leaders have been generally praised by the local press in the wake of the bombings that rocked Bangkok’s peaceful ambiance at the start of the year, concerns are growing about their competence in the wake of contradictory statements and a seeming lack of political, economic and law enforcement direction.

Contending forces appear to be emerging across a wide range of the power structure including within the police and military. Some political analysts are also theorizing that the bombings, which took the lives of three and injured nearly 30, could be the manifestations of a power struggle within the junta that took power after pushing deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power.

Certainly, there were conflicting statements aplenty Wednesday from the military junta and the country’s appointed civilian leaders. Although General Saprang Kanlayanamitr, a leading junta member, told reporters that the “evidence and intelligence information proves that the bombs were the dirty work of politicians who lost power and benefit. Some bad soldiers loyal to the bad politicians collaborated with them with the intention to topple this government,” an hour or so later that statement was contradicted by military-appointed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

Elsewhere:

— Taipei Times/AP: “Thai army says Thaksin backers behind attacks”

— IHT/AP: “Thaksin denies links to New Year’s bombings, Loyalists behind attacks, military says”

And as for the impact that the bombings may have on the Thai tourism industry, MSNBC.com is running two stories, one from the AP and one from Reuters:

AP: “Tourists undeterred by Thai bombing, But blasts concern experts about effects of travel advisories”

Reuters: “Bangkok bombs cast shadow over Thai tourism, Tour operators fear travel warnings will make year’s growth more difficult”

I can say this: My family and I traveled throughout various parts of Bangkok yesterday — from the Oriental hotel on the banks of the Chao Phraya to Emporium mall on Sukhumvit Rd. — and there was no shortage of tourists anywhere. Even the open-air Suan Lum night bazaar, which we visited two nights ago, was crowded, despite the fact that a bomb was reported to have been discovered there on new year’s eve and subsequently disposed of.

Elsewhere, Jotman is blogging about the bombings. And Bangkok Pundit, of course, continues to be a reliable source of info.

Who’s Responsible for the Bangkok Bombings?

Bombs Explode in Bangkok

The mood is calm in Bangkok today, despite the fact that nine small bombs exploded throughout the city last night, killing three and injuring 34. (Nine of the wounded were foreigners.)

My family and A and I had lunch and walked around central Bangkok this afternoon. All was calm.

Meanwhile, everyone’s wondering: who’s responsible for this monumental act of violence?

From The Nation:
— “Southern insurgency not behind bomb attacks in Bangkok : PM”

From the Bangkok Post/DPA:
— “PM: Politics behind bombs; Thaksin denies involvement”

From the New Mandala blog:

…
I suppose restraint would be too much to expect from the military junta. According to The Nation (thanks Patiwat) members of the Council for National Security are already linking the bombings to Thaksin and using this as a pretext to call for the seizure of his assets:

“A security source said the Council for National Security may order the seizure of assets of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to cut money supply for financing disturbance in the country. The source said the CNS believed Thaksin was behind the series of seven bomb attacks in Bangkok Sunday evening.”

This despite the fact that intelligence agencies have been unwilling to identify any culprits. I am not going to lose any sleep about Thaksin’s assets, but this is clearly part of a pernicious campaign whereby political leaders and members of a legitimate political party are labelled as subversive and as acting contrary to some vaguely defined national interest. The ongoing campaign against the so-called “undercurrents” – involving increasingly hysterical vilification – is a blatant attempt to silence a legitimate political force.

Bangkok Pundit:

According to Channel 3, there are 2 theories on who is behind the violence from different academics from southern Thailand.

One view is that it is more likely to be undercurrents because the nature of explosions was not very strong (i.e the number of deaths was not great). Two, because the southern terrorists are not acquainted with Bangkok and it would be difficult for them to stage the attacks.

Another view is that it is most likely the southern terrorists. First, the kind of explosive used with a timer, the shrapnel of 1 cm nail and timing of the events on the evening of 31 Decembers was to cause maximum damage. Says that it is unusual for political movements to use such violence (i.e normally just 1 or 2 small grenades to kill a specific person or go to after a target). Second, the coordinated nature of the bombs also suggests the southern terrorists. Suggested 2 groups of persons involved (one for Victory Monument, Saphan Kwai etc; second, for Klong Toei and other targets on Rama IV road) . Says this would match the modus operandi of the southern terrorists.
…

From an anonymous contributor to Hot Air blog:

Thai authorities are claiming that the bombs set off in Bangkok and a neighboring province are not the work of Muslim terrorists from the south of the country. Political opponents of the recent military coup and the unelected government are said to be responsible for the deaths and injuries.

This explanation has two possible interpretations: the bombings are either the work of supporters of deposed prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, or they were committed by other unspecified elements that are enraged by the military’s imposition of an unelected government.

Both possibilities beggar belief…

From Zachary Abuza on Counterterrorism Blog:

The low profile targets at first led me and other analysts that I spoke with to discount the involvement of Muslim militants from the deep south. The bombs at first seemed intended to provoke a domestic response, but not elicit much in the way of international attention. While I have long argued that they have never taken the option of targeting Bangkok off the table, nor are they ideologically against it, at the time they really don’t need to change their strategy. At this point the insurgents are winning (they certainly are not losing). The southern insurgents clearly have the technical capacity to execute large-scale bombings in Bangkok. On a daily basis they detonate far more powerful bombs than what went off in Bangkok. Yet, to carry out so many bombings would require an infrastructure in Bangkok that few would consider them to have. The bombs were also not like the ones usually employed by southern insurgents, in terms of composition or detonation device. The bombs in the south tend to be larger usually 5kg and often 10-15kg, and cell-phone detonated. The insurgents have tried for mass casualty attacks. The bombs in Bangkok could have been larger; the aim does not yet seem to be to create mass casualties.

More Bombs in Bangkok

Bombs Explode in Bangkok -- Locations

Update — 1:38 a.m.: This good BBC story offers a useful map of the locations of the bombings.

Also, there’s this:

Police do not believe foreign groups or militants from the Muslim south are to blame, says the BBC’s Jonathan Head.

Our Bangkok correspondent says many Thais suspect the bombs were the work of opponents of the current military government, which forced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office in September.

Update — 1:25 a.m.:

Bangkok Pundit has two new snippets of info:

1:20 am ITV reports on a possible bomb found before it exploded at Suan Lum Night Bazaar – this is on Wireless Road next to the Japanese Embassy and close to the US Embassy. Embassy Central really. Very limited reports so far and no confirmation.

1:10 am The Nation’s report on a bomb exploding in Khao San Road is rebutted by Thai channel ITV who say only a suspicious package was found so the whole area has been cleared as a precaution.

And 2Bangkok.com has some photos and additional news links.

As I mentioned earlier, the first round of blasts went off at about 6:30 p.m. today.

Now more bombs have exploded here in Bangkok — at midnight at at 12:30 a.m.

And, in a new twist, those responsible for the explosions have begun targeting foreigners.

The Nation:

Three more bombs exploded in the heart of Bangkok once the new year started, severely injuring many foreign tourists.

The two bombs exploded nearly at the same time seconds after the new year started and another bomb exploded about half an hour after midnight.

The first bomb exploded at the Best Sea Foods restaurant on the Saen Saeb Canal near the Pratunam Pier.

Two foreigners and a Thai were injured. One of the foreigners had one leg amputated by the blast. The foreign tourists were having dinner at the restaurant.

Police said the bomb was hidden in a tire at the pier.

The second bomb exploded at a public telephone booth at the pedestrian flyover linking Central World and Kesorn Plaza. Several foreigners were injured and rushed to hospitals.

The third bomb exploded at the Buddy Bar on Khao Sarn Road.

This is huge, huge news.

What does it mean for Thailand’s fragile military-led government? For the conflict in the south? For tourism in the Kingdom?

Bombs in Bangkok

AP:

At least six bomb blasts rocked the Thai capital late Sunday, killing at least two people and prompting the city to disperse thousands of people who had gathered to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombings, which capped a year of unrest in Thailand, including a military coup three months ago and a mounting Muslim insurgency in its southernmost provinces.

CNN:

Thai authorities have canceled all major New Year’s celebrations in Bangkok after at least seven explosions ripped through several areas of the capital, killing two people, police and hospital officials say.

At least 12 other people were wounded in Sunday’s attacks, which appeared to have been coordinated, and took place hours before New Year’s Eve celebrations at midnight (noon ET).

Major events in Thailand’s second largest city, Chiang Mai, have also been canceled.

Chief government spokesman Yongyud Maiyalab warned people to be cautious but not to panic.

One of the blasts occurred at a mall near the Victory Monument in the center of the Thai capital, Reuters reported.

My friends and family are all fine.

More on this in the days to come.

Bangkok Pundit lists some groups that might be responsible. Number two is the leading candidate at this point.

1. Thaksin/TRT/anti-coup forces. Do they have the capability to stage coordinated attacks in Bangkok?
2. Terrorists in the southern border provinces. It would be a massive step up to stage an attack outside of the southern border provinces.
3. Security forces themselves. Just imagine the damage to the military if this was true and they were caught.
4. Some other group. Who? It doesn’t appear to be Al Qaeda or JI, well it would be a massive change of tactics if it was.

Here’s more on the south Thailand insurgency, in case you’re not familiar with it. You’ll be hearing a lot about it in the coming days, is my guess.