Chiwit Thai

[socrates469bc]

16 hours ago, Yamato said:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-miseducation-of-king-rama-x-20200824-p55otc.html

The miseducation of King Rama X

By Michael Ruffles
August 30, 2020

 

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2018. He spent six years as a young crown prince in Australia, studying first at the King’s School in Parramatta before four years at the Royal Military College Duntroon and time with a regiment in Perth.Credit:AP

 

When Qantas flight 736 touched down in Sydney just before 8am on Saturday, September 5, 1970, a shy young man was on board. He was carefully guarded, with a king’s most trusted aide on the flight plus a security detail, and his best friend along for the ride. No visa or entry permit was needed as the only son of Thailand’s king was waved through immigration; a diplomatic passport was packed in case it came in handy.

 

After being greeted at the airport by a group of Thai students, the 18-year-old was escorted to the Wentworth Hotel to get down to the business at hand. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn Mahidol had to get ready for school.

 

Nearly 50 years later he is King Rama X, a controversial figure who has been the subject of the strongest protests against Thailand's throne in decades, arguably since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. In nearly four years since his father’s death, Vajiralongkorn has shown himself to be much more overtly interventionist in politics, consolidated army units under his direct command and converted a sovereign wealth fund into a personal fortune.

 

Vajiralongkorn spent six years in Australia, studying first at the King’s School in Parramatta before four years at the Royal Military College, Duntroon and time with the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth. The National Archives of Australia has 490 pages of declassified cables and memos from that time, detailing how diplomats and bureaucrats concerned themselves with military drills, pocket money and more.

 

While Vajiralongkorn’s school results have been expunged and other material redacted on the grounds it could harm international relations, the archives reveal the government was worried about everything from rumours of an assassination attempt and political turmoil in Thailand to his older sister’s love life. Looming over all was King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the young man's father.

 

Unhappy in its own way

 

The file begins in December 1968, when ambassador David McNicol dropped off a prospectus for Duntroon at the palace. Bhumibol was hoping military school would make a man of his son, but feared a great power might manipulate the prince for its political ends. It would be helpful too because the armed forces would be the “dominant ruling group for a long time to come”, as an aide said to the ambassador, in a country where “the mass of people were not ready for democracy”.

 

“The king and queen informed the Australian ambassador in Bangkok that the Crown Prince was [redacted] proud and nationalistic; nevertheless he had his good points,” reads one Department of External Affairs memo from mid-1970.

 

Thailand's Crown Prince talks briefly with a welcoming group of Thai students on his arrival at Sydney Airport in September 1970. Credit:Antony Matheus

Thomas Critchley, Canberra’s man in Bangkok from 1969 to 1973, was most often in the middle, typically dealing with the king’s principal private secretary or Bhumibol directly.

 

Critchley also had to break bad news: entry to Duntroon required graduating high school, and Vajiralongkorn's results from study in England were not good enough.

 

The King’s School in Parramatta, with the country’s oldest cadet corps, was an obvious choice. A minor Thai royal, Panadda Diskul, was already a student there, although the palace was keen to keep them in separate houses. (The son of a diplomat, Panadda was a career bureaucrat until drafted into the cabinet after a coup in 2014.)

 

On Vajiralongkorn’s arrival in Sydney, officials quickly concluded the prince had no chance of matriculating without a full year of high school in 1971. Persuading the palace took some delicacy.

 

Sir Keith Waller, secretary of the Department of External Affairs, wrote to Critchley that Vajiralongkorn “should not be exposed to the embarrassment of failure in the February 1971 [matriculation] examinations and to commencing the Duntroon course with an inadequate educational background”.

 

Critchley’s audience with Bhumibol on October 16, 1970, settled it: another year at Parramatta before Duntroon in 1972. “He spoke critically of the schooling in England which the Crown Prince had hated,” Critchley reported. “On the other hand the Crown Prince seemed to be settling in well in Australia and appreciated the friendliness with which he was being received.”

 

Declassified material pertaining to the education of then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn in Australia. Credit:National Archives of Australia

 

Between five and seven hours a day with tutors plus private study helped. “When he first came to Australia the prince was unable to write more than five or six lines on any topic but is now able to write quite respectable essays,” Sir Keith wrote in a confidential telegram to Bangkok in late 1970.

 

By the middle of 1971, with the aid of tutors and special attention from teachers, The King’s School was pleased with his improvement and “impeccable” behaviour. “He is not a difficult person,” one heavily edited memo says. “The problem is basically one of determination and attack.”

 

In September he had an “excellent chance of passing” when the king wondered whether he might send Vajiralongkorn to Britain to launch a frigate being built for Thailand. Sir Keith spoke to Vajiralongkorn, who “clearly does not want to go but will of course comply with the king’s wishes. He is working very hard and although much calmer than he was last year, is suffering from very natural pre-examination tension. The possibility of a trip to England in the present atmosphere is adding to these tensions.”

 

It was an unnecessary worry. After a phone call, the king changed his mind.

 

Twists and turns

 

A sprained ankle during the school holidays meant the prince's Duntroon days did not get off to a good start. The first five weeks adjusting to college routine were the most difficult, the Bangkok Post reported, as “any cadet falling short of the standards was woken up 30 minutes early and had to stand in the cold, open field with a load of about 16-20 kilograms on his back”.

 

Whatever progress Vajiralongkorn was making was soon overshadowed by a scandal involving his older sister.

 

The Crown Prince at Duntroon in 1972. Credit:National Archives of Australia

 

Princess Ubolratana Mahidol, who last made international headlines when Vajiralongkorn kiboshed her attempt to become prime minister in early 2019 and who recently sided with young protesters, was studying in the US in 1972 when she ran off with a man.

 

Academics at Chulalongkorn University were sharing stories of how the princess had asked for permission to marry a Mexican. When a diplomat refused permission, “the princess said that she was going to be married anyway”. Journalists were sharing similar stories, “except that the press understands her to be marrying a Puerto Rican”.

 

Sir Keith shared the rumours on July 11 with the commandant of the Royal Military College, Major-General Sandy Pearson, with a word of caution that “any sort of entanglement on the part of the Crown Prince could be a major disaster”.

 

Two weeks later, Ubolratana resigned her title to become a “common citizen”. Rumours of falling pregnant to her maths tutor at MIT, and of her mother seeking to persuade her to fly to Switzerland “either to have [an] abortion or to release baby for adoption” were reported to Canberra. A few days later they evolved again, with Queen Sirikit apparently bringing Ubolratana home from the US to have the baby privately in a southern palace. (Ubolratana married a fellow student in August 1972; the first of their three children was born more than eight years later. She did not return to Thai public life until after her divorce in 1998.)

 

As it rocked the palace, the scandal also rattled Australia’s diplomatic ranks. “This development in the royal family will tend to focus attention on the crown prince’s activities in Australia,” charge d’affaires Leslie Gerard Sellars wrote in a confidential memo. Vajiralongkorn’s views of marriage seemed germane; the prince had recently told a reporter he would “accept whoever was chosen” as his wife.

 

The Thai royal family in 1966 in England, from left: Prince Vajiralongkorn, Princess Sirindhorn, 11, Princess Chulabhorn, 9, Queen Sirikit, King Bhumibol and Princess Ubolratana.Credit:UPI

 

The year ended with Vajiralongkorn returning to Bangkok for a ceremony marking the 20-year-old’s status as heir apparent. Pearson wrote to Critchley beforehand urging against making too much fuss about his progress at Duntroon.

 

“He is obviously unsure of himself, needs others to lean on and is seeking security,” Pearson wrote. “Should the king wish to hold a ceremony in December installing him as Crown Prince, then I would suggest for the Crown Prince’s sake that it be just that and not to celebrate his passing his first year at Duntroon.”

 

Life and death threats

 

At 6.23pm on Thursday, July 5, 1973, a machine in Canberra spat out an urgent message: the managing editor of the Bangkok Post had heard Vajiralongkorn had been shot, "could we please have immediate advice".

 

The reply was sent at 7.11pm: "Rumour is completely false repeat false."

 

For the rest of the month, however, the embassy was asked one variation of the question or another: was Vajiralongkorn shot in the leg? Did a bodyguard die trying to protect him? Did the queen fly to Australia and on her return try to kill one of the men who orchestrated the attempt?

 

While none of the above were true, new Duntroon commandant General Bob Hay discussed them with Vajiralongkorn on July 26. In a letter to Critchley the following day, in which he also reported an “acceptable level” of progress in military matters despite a weakness in topography, Hay wrote of the prince’s concerns. “It is clearly an unsettling influence and he has given some thought to the reasons behind it. There are no special security arrangements at the college … it is a pity the source of the rumours cannot be located.”

 

The stories climaxed at the end of the month when the palace publicly denied them, and having photographs of Vajiralongkorn at Duntroon in the media did dampen some speculation. The Australian embassy said only the prince’s reappearance in Bangkok would put them to rest, and formed the view that the stories had been started to discredit one of the so-called "three tyrants" who had ruled Thailand for a decade. After a student uprising in October, with the backing of Bhumibol, military rule came to a brief end and the “three tyrants” went into exile.

 

The Crown Prince during the graduation parade at Duntroon in 1975.Credit:Fairfax Media

 

As Thailand underwent upheaval, the prince was deep in rugged terrain south-west of Moruya in NSW. A camp from November 5 to 28 simulated a search-and-clear operation by a battalion against a low-level insurgency. Snakes, flies and mosquitoes were the other enemies, as it was hot and dry for the first 14 days before the weather deteriorated into near-monsoon conditions. “Staff Cadet Mahidol participated quite actively, although he had some difficulty in the rough going because of ankle weakness,” Hay wrote to the palace.

 

While Vajiralongkorn was in the bush learning the finer points of counter-revolutionary warfare, cables were flying between Canberra and Bangkok about the Crown Prince's future education. Much of what was discussed is still secret, but the upshot was Vajiralongkorn undertook a different academic course to his peers in the following two years.

 

Radio waves

 

Political turmoil prevented Bhumibol from visiting Australia, and appears to be the reason he interrupted his son’s study at the end of 1974. For all the correspondence between diplomats, Vajiralongkorn had received only the occasional phone call and three letters from his father during the first three years at Duntroon. In December and January, they spent a lot of time together.

 

Vajiralongkorn was ordered home early to accompany the king on all public appearances and a tour of Thailand. Bhumibol gave his son “a strong dressing -down” before sending him back to Duntroon, but let him into a private radio monitoring post where the king listened to the army and police signals through the night.

 

On return to Australia, Vajiralongkorn confided to his company commander that what he heard through the bank of radios left a profound impression. Sick and fatigued from travel, he was described as “generally in a state of considerable shock as a result of impressions and experiences during his visit home. He had mumbled incoherently a great deal."

 

Australian ambassador Marshall Johnston replied that it had been the king’s intention to “draw his attention to the responsibilities of the monarch and he probably found the experience somewhat traumatic, bewildering and overwhelming”.

 

Thailand's King Rama X is carried through the streets of Bangkok during the second day of his coronation ceremony in 2019. Credit:AP

“The relationship with the king seems a rather formal and distant one,” Johnston wrote. “The prince’s relationship with his mother seems closer although it also appears to an outsider to be lacking in warmth.”

 

Given the political ructions, Queen Sirikit was invited to attend the graduation ceremony while King Bhumibol stayed behind. The queen danced with her son at the graduation ball, as per tradition, and Vajiralongkorn received a commission as a captain in the Royal Thai Army from governor-general Sir John Kerr.

 

His academic results were glossed over. Johnston assured the palace the graduation ceremony would not cause any embarrassment to the royal family. “It is most important that the prince should not be made to feel different or inferior or to lose face in any way. If this happened we would risk losing the tremendous goodwill we have built up here by training the prince at Duntroon. I hope, therefore, this question will be approached with imagination and flexibility.”

 

The file peters out after the ceremony, although we know Vajiralongkorn spent much of 1976 with the SASR in Perth and his years in Australia left him better trained than most in the Thai military. For Thailand, it was also the year an ousted dictator returned from exile with Bhumibol’s blessing and student protests erupted.

 

On October 6, 1976, police and right-wing militia shot, lynched, burnt and raped students, leaving 45 dead in a massacre that continues to haunt the country. Vajiralongkorn, called back from Australia, had landed in Bangkok only days before.

 

Michael Ruffles is the chief sub-editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

 

a royal family is like any dysfunctional normal family except they r on the taxpayers' payroll.

 

wahahahahhahahha

[socrates469bc]

2 hours ago, Yamato said:

I always feel sad for Thailand where good and clever people have to leave their important position either by force or by choice.

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Comment/Thailand-s-economic-wizard-throws-in-the-towel?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200831123000&seq_num=10&si=44594

 

 

 

its the same all over the world.

 

just look at sgp and we all know what good the scholars did in the past decade and a half.

 

wahahahahhahahhaha

[Yamato]

 

 

https://www.volup2.com/articles-and-blog/2020/6/5/a-journey-of-healing-through-music-malinda-herman-by-luke-simonsen

A Journey Of Healing Through Music; Malinda Herman by Luke Simonsen Translated by Jordan Riviere
Photo: Malinda Herman Youtube Channel

 

Thailand native, self proclaimed ‘hipster grandma’ Malinda Herman has had quite the spectacular journey and personal relationship with music. After going viral online from posting her cover of More Than I Can Say  around 10 months ago she gained quite the following from her beautiful singing, guitar playing and her infectious pets. Every video she posts always has one of her three dogs or her cat either cuddled up or trying to sing with her in the background of her videos, which have melted hearts around the globe. Her Chihuahua “Jiw Jam” which roughly translates to “Small and Pretty” is especially fond of Malinda’s singing and is the pet cuddled up next to her in most of her videos. Malinda and her chihuahua have racked up 1.06 million subscribers and 38,921,883 views on her youtube channel as of June 2020.  

 

Photo by Malinda Herman 

 

Almost three years ago before adopting Jiw Jam she visited her Salon where some of the employees noticed her demeanor to be very sad at the time. They had a bunch of puppies they were giving up for adoption and offered her to pick one out because of the way she was feeling at the time. At first she picked out one of the puppies in the litter to take home but Jiw Jam would not stop following her and trying to love on her. Once she picked up Jiw Jam she knew it was a match made in heaven and their deep love for each has been eternal ever since. Because of their relationship she named her profile on Youtube หญิงชรา กะ หมาน้อย which translates to Old Lady with Dog, which is quite fitting. 

 

However making this account and singing with Jiw Jam was never about going viral for the 69 year old Thai woman. Around 20 years prior to her internet fame, Malinda was involved in a tragic car accident and the left half of her face because of the crash became paralyzed. For about 2 years after the accident she did not let anyone see her face because she was ashamed of her troubles with talking and eating and appearance. The doctors told her that without undergoing surgery she would not be able to regain movement on the left side of her face, but that was not a route she wanted to take. However this did not mean she wasn’t yearning to recover some other way. So instead of surgery, after the accident she started doing some different daily vocal exercises to try to regain some movement in her face. These vocal exercises are very similar to the ones that I used to do in my own singing lessons when I was a kid. After practicing the boring basic vocal exercises for years her son bought her a guitar, knowing she loved to sing before the accident and when he was growing up. 

 

Photo: Pet Lover BY Jerhigh / Facebook

 

Once she started playing guitar and actually singing instead of doing vocal exercises, Malinda could finally start to feel her facial muscles loosening up which also helped her mental health immensely. After starting to sing daily, Malinda started her Youtube channel in 2016, posting covers that she enjoyed singing and listening to. However one day, a couple years ago, she put Jiw Jam in her lap and started singing and playing guitar and Jiw Jam absolutely loved it and curled up in her lap and fell asleep. Ever since that moment, Jiw Jam always runs to Malinda and curls up in her lap every time she starts to sing, which then became a huge part of her videos.   

 

Photo: Malinda Herman / Instagram  

 

In late August of 2019 in an interview with Coconuts Bangkok she estimated her recovery at around 75% which has inspired so many people across the globe, especially those who don’t like partaking in surgery for personal reasons. She has been amazed and inspired by the response she has received with her videos and is blessed to entertain and heal others within her own journey of healing. In a comment under her first video that went viral, she says “If I sing and make you happy, I will keep singing. Thank you” and we all hope that she will for her sake and ours. Thank you for spreading your light Malinda.

[Yamato]

 

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/Thai-rapper-s-arrest-amplifies-Southeast-Asian-political-hip-hop?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200901190000&seq_num=13&si=44594

 

Thai rapper's arrest amplifies Southeast Asian political hip-hop
From Bangkok to Phnom Penh, lyricists get under authorities' skin

 

Thai rapper Dechathorn Bamrungmuang flashes the three-finger protest salute after being released on bail in Bangkok on Aug. 20. He still faces the possibility of years in prison.   © EPA/Jiji
DAVID HUTT, Contributing writerSeptember 1, 2020 16:05 JST

 

PRAGUE/BANGKOK -- The song "Prathet Ku Mee," or "What My Country's Got," has been on the soundtrack of every major Thai protest since the hip-hop collective Rap Against Dictatorship released it in late 2018.

 

Some demonstrators want to rein in the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Others focus on opposing the military-backed government led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. There are also demands to end gender discrimination and corporal discipline in schools.

 

Whatever the beef, "What My Country's Got" has been the anthem, performed live by the collective at several of the youth-led demonstrations that have gripped Thailand over the past month or so.

 

This has clearly struck a nerve: Collective co-founder Dechathorn Bamrungmuang, 30, was swept up in a wave of activist arrests in August and now faces up to seven years in prison on sedition charges. Some, however, say attention from the authorities only highlights the power of rap to give a voice to public frustrations -- not only in Thailand but across Southeast Asia.

 

"I am happy that my song touches upon their feelings, and finally it creates the same feeling among groups of people -- the feeling of injustice in Thai society," Dechathorn told the Nikkei Asian Review after his release on bail.

 

Thai protesters make their point with a sign on Aug. 31. Songs like "What My Country's Got" have become anthems for demonstrators with different sets of grievances.   © Reuters

 

When Rap Against Dictatorship first released the track on YouTube in October 2018, it clocked up almost 20 million views in a week. That is equivalent to over 25% of Thailand's population of 70 million. The lyrics pull no punches: "The country whose capital is turned into a killing field, Whose charter is written and erased by the army's boots, The country that points a gun at your throat, Where you must choose to eat the truth or bullets," goes one verse.

 

The national leadership was also listening. "Anyone who shows appreciation for the song must accept responsibility for what happens to the country in the future," Prayuth said at the time. The government even tried responding with its own commissioned rap song, "Thailand 4.0," which attracted far fewer viewers.

 

"It goes to show how strongly rap music, which is a form of art, moves people; so strong that the authorities feel threatened by it," said Putri Soeharto, an Indonesian rapper better known by her stage name Ramengvrl.

 

For Paul Chambers, a political analyst at the Center of ASEAN Community Studies at Thailand's Naresuan University, political rappers operating online are "an unprecedented new variable in Thai politics, something that could not have existed previously in contemporary Thai history."

 

Any genre can give rise to protest music, but hip-hop has many advantages. Unlike rock or pop, which generally consist of a handful of verses and repetitive choruses, rap songs rely far more on lyrics, allowing for greater complexity. Rap is also easier to create, in some respects. DIY producers can compose the beats on the cheapest of laptops, adding the vocals on top. There is no need to learn an instrument or secure expensive studio space; a makeshift, low-cost sound booth will do.

 

Indeed, rap has had a heavy element of social commentary stretching back to its origins in the U.S. -- from the Black power politics of Public Enemy in the late 1980s to N.W.A.'s controversial hit "F--- Tha Police" in the early 1990s.

 

The internet and social media only make it easier for rappers to give censors headaches.

 

Members of Rap Against Dictatorship perform in a Bangkok studio in December 2018.   © Reuters

 

Not long after "What My Country's Got" was first uploaded, the Thai police warned that they would prosecute anyone who shared the video online. They reportedly planned to use the country's computer crime law, which carries a five-year prison sentence for spreading false information that damages national security or causes public panic. The authorities later walked back from this threat, although the police have frequently detained internet users for sharing politically contentious content in recent years.

 

Ramengvrl noted that shutting down rappers is not as straightforward as closing down actual street demonstrations. Rap music is digital and intangible, and "you can't censor what you can't see or touch," she said. "When the authorities bring one [song] down, new ones will come out."

 

The protest rap phenomenon has reached much of Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese rapper Nah was studying in the U.S. in 2015 when he released his less-than-subtly titled track "F--- Communism," which quickly went viral on YouTube. In the Philippines, artist-research collective Sandata spent two years interviewing people affected by President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs for songs that went into the album "Kolateral," released last year.

 

The rising popularity of hip-hop among Southeast Asian youths, especially electronics-infused subgenres like "trap music," is not lost on international music executives.

 

In September of last year, Universal Music Group launched a new hip-hop-focused label division in the region, Def Jam South East Asia. Def Jam itself has represented some of the biggest names in the business, like Jay-Z and Kanye West. The Southeast Asian version went on to sign many of the region's most popular (albeit mostly apolitical) rappers, including Joe Flizzow of Malaysia, Daboyway of Thailand and Singapore's Yung Raja.

 

Some Southeast Asian hip-hop stars, like Malaysia's Joe Flizzow, have caught the attention of international music executives.   © Getty Images

 

"I think the rap genre is quite trendy and that's why it receives massive acceptance among teenagers," said Dechathorn. "I can't deny that the song ["What My Country's Got"] helped attract more supporters and drew many supporters at the protests."

 

But Dechathorn and other outspoken artists have found it is not always possible to avoid legal trouble.

 

Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee, known as Namewee, has been hauled in by police multiple times, including over a song that was deemed blasphemous in the Muslim-majority nation. Cambodian rapper Chhun Dymey, known as Dymey-Cambo, was forced to pull some of his songs from social media platforms after his track "This Society" went viral early last year, earning the ire of his country's autocratic government.

 

"I will stop composing such songs and turn to write sentimental songs that encourage the younger generation to love and unite in solidarity with one another," he was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post, a local newspaper, last year.

 

Speaking to the Nikkei Asian Review last week, Chhun Dymey said life as an artist is difficult because in the eyes of the authorities, "we can't do anything right."

"Politics is complex and very hard to understand. It's like a game for politicians," he added. "The message I want to send to my fans is to get them to love each other and follow their politics. I especially want them to love their country and their culture."

 

No one knows for sure how Thailand's protests will end. Analysts are pessimistic, as the authorities step up their clampdown. But Naresuan University's Chambers stressed, "Such a government response will not end online rappers, but will instead make them more radical in their music."

 

While out on bail, Dechathorn said he and his collective are still working on new songs. "We do not make a living with this job, so there is no rush," he said. "We need to crystallize the idea before writing it up."

 

Additional reporting by Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat.

[Yamato]

Lunch at a busy roadside stall selling chicken noodle with bitter gourd or kway-teow-gai-mara (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวไก่มะระ)

 

 

 

When arrive just take a sit someone will come take your order

 

When ready you will be called by the table number and then go collect your bowl of noodle

 

Then go to table and add your condiments as much as you like as its free flow

 

My 40 baht lunch with lots of chicken meat ($1,75)

 

My 10 baht longan drink (45 cents)

 

Mix around the noodle and makan

 

Hope you like the video

 

[Yamato]

This morning fried rice for breakfast

 

 

 

[Yamato]

My instant noodle breakfast

 

[Yamato]

Visited a famous restaurant serving all dishes free-range chicken (kampong chicken). This restaurant had been operating for more than 40 years with no branches anywhere only this original restaurant.

 

 

 

The restaurant

 

Chicken gizzard krapow (Thai basil)

 

Deep fried chicken

 

Gaeng Pa (basically its Thai soup with lots of herbs and wild vegetables)

 

Tomyam chicken

 

Boiled chicken

 

650 baht meal for 2 (S$28) but I have to drive 130km to get there

 

LOCATION:

https://goo.gl/maps/ApbGP6BMvXwacT9L7

[Yamato]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbulent-Thailand/Red-Bull-boycott-From-Thai-pride-to-symbol-of-inequality?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200907123000&seq_num=2&si=44594

 

Red Bull boycott: From Thai pride to symbol of inequality
Concentration of wealth receives new scrutiny as anti-government protests rage

 

A woman buys Red Bull energy drink cans in a supermarket in Bangkok in August.    © Reuters
MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 6, 2020 02:29 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Red Bull, the world's bestselling energy drink, derives its name and recipe from a Thai beverage called Krating Daeng. Created by Chaleo Yoovidhya, who was born to a poor family in the country's north, the power drink found its way onto the global stage when it was discovered by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz.

 

Together, Yoovidhya and Mateschitz created Red Bull GmbH, which marketed the drink worldwide, after slightly reducing the sweetness for the global audience. The phenomenal success made both men multibillionaires. Chaleo's son Chalerm Yoovidhya sits at No. 2 on Forbes' Thai rich list.

 

But what was once the pride of the Thai people is quickly turning into a symbol of the country's inequalities and has featured prominently in anti-government protests that have Thailand on edge. Chaleo's grandson, Vorayuth Yoovidhaya, was allegedly involved deadly hit-and-run case but has never faced trial -- a case many perceive as an example of the special treatment afforded to the country's super wealthy.

 

"The world, please help us boycott Red Bull and all their related products. The son of the owner went with impunity in Thailand," a Twitter post read in July.

The hashtag "#BoycottRedBull" began spreading on social media after it was revealed that month that charges against grandson Vorayuth, who goes by the nickname "Boss," had been dropped.

 

The predawn incident happened in September 2012, when a Ferrari allegedly driven by Vorayuth hit a policeman on a motorcycle and drove off. The policeman, Wichean Klunprasert, who was dragged several meters by the Ferrari, died from his injuries. Alcohol and cocaine were later detected in Vorayuth's body.

 

Police investigators said at the time the Ferrari was driving at a speed of about 170 kph when the crash occurred. Vorayuth had forced a servant surrender to the police in his stead but the cover-up was soon exposed. Shortly after the crash, Vorauth's family paid Wichean's family about $100,000.

 

A man drinks a bottle of Krating Daeng, an original Thai version of popular drink Red Bull, in a Bangkok store.   © Reuters

 

Vorayuth was detained, but upon receiving bail, he refused to attend subsequent court hearings. He fled Thailand on a private jet. Each time his extravagant lifestyle in the U.K. was reported, citizens back home expressed anger. His frequent appearances at Formula One race events to cheer on the Red Bull team added fuel to the fire.

 

The stalled court case suddenly regained momentum when a new witness came forward in 2016, testifying that the Ferrari had actually been going about 70 kph and that the policeman's motorbike had suddenly changed lanes prior to the crash.

 

The prosecution team announced on July 24 that charges would be dropped against Vorayuth. Public anger exploded. According to a poll by Thai research company Super Poll, 91% of respondents said they could not trust the Thai judiciary system, and 82% said the incident was an international embarrassment.

 

Frustration mounted further when it was revealed that T.C. Pharmaceutical Industries, the company that owns Red Bull in Thailand, was making huge donations to the Thai government.

 

T.C. Pharma issued a statement on July 25, saying Vorayuth was not involved in the company's management.

 

In another suspicious turn of events, the new witness that had offered the key testimony was killed in a motorcycle crash, according to police. Under immense public pressure, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in an August speech that he did not want the public to lose faith in the judiciary or the nation. He reversed the prosecution's decision to close the case and promised a fresh investigation.

 

On Aug. 25, it was reported that a new arrest warrant for Vorayuth had been approved.

 

Simmering beneath the anger is the Thailand's massive inequality. According to a 2019 estimate by Credit Suisse, the country's top 1% held about 50% of the nation's wealth. It ranked second only to Russia among 40 countries surveyed.

[Yamato]

Found a fantastic Izakaya last night love the atmosphere (just like in Japan) love the food.

 

This video is about the yakitori and small dishes

 

 

This video is about the beef

 

 

Wagyu beef and foie gras in sauce and truffles over them

 

LOCATION
https://goo.gl/maps/uD1iGYo8wrQHYBQU9

[Yamato]

Thai fresh live seafood dinner

 

The restaurant

 

Mimosa stir fry with garlic and chili

 

Kale stirfry with oyster sauce and chili

 

 

Glass noodle

 

Fresh mud crab 800g

 

Steamed, the meat is so sweet 

 

Live groupa all 1kg of it, a big fish, steamed with soya sauce

 

 

[Yamato]

Found a new restaurant in Bangkok serving late supper teochew muay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mimosa

 

Kale

 

Chai por egg

 

Olive minced pork

 

Braised duck

 

Supper at 11pm

 

Location - Lao-Lao Phahonyothin Rd, Bangkok, 10400, tel 02 271 2256
https://goo.gl/maps/51Nf7xChwmTUNB4v6

Edited September 11, 2020 by Yamato

[Yamato]

Went to a very busy beef noodle stall. Place nothing great, bloody hot look old but the food is great which is why its packed everyday.

 

 

 

Icy cold beer

 

Beef hotpot 

 

Owner and chef

 

location - https://goo.gl/maps/6My3JKfUBf6razAXA

[Yamato]

Had lunch at Korean Spoon Restaurant in The Promenade Mall. Its serving authentic traditional Korean cuisin

 

 

 

 

Side dishes

 

Hot boiling Kimchi soup

 

 

Traditional Bibimbab Korean rice

 

 

Pork

 

 

Beef

 

Beef ribs

 

 

location - https://goo.gl/maps/gfpJ5UBSj3a5RPeS8

[Yamato]

Breakfast alone near home

 

 

 

Freshly brewed coffee

 

Carrot cake Thai style 

 

Vietnamese springroll

 

Simple breakfast

[Yamato]

Midnight supper at a roadside stall in Bangkok

 

 

 

[Yamato]

Made myself a nice breakfast today

 

 

[Yamato]

https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com%2Fpsh-ex-ftnikkei-3937bb4%2Fimages%2F2%2F8%2F8%2F2%2F29512882-5-eng-GB%2FRTX28B3F.JPG?source=nar-cms

 

India's Royal Enfield to begin making motorcycles in Thailand
British-bred brand looks to win over ASEAN with cult image and low prices

 

Royal Enfield motorcycles are substantially cheaper than other models in Thailand, where its sales doubled in the last fiscal year.   © Reuters
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 25, 2020 14:37 JST

 

BANGKOK -- India-based motorcycle maker Royal Enfield is setting up an assembly plant in Thailand next year as it continues its Southeast Asian expansion drive.

 

The Thai facility will be the second overseas plant for the company after its factory in Argentina. It is scheduled to begin operation by the end of September.

 

On Thursday, U.S.-based Harley-Davidson announced its withdrawal from the Indian market -- a stark contrast to Royal Enfield's efforts to expand globally.

 

One of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world, British-bred Royal Enfield has survived two world wars and has seen 2019 year-on-year sales in Thailand more than double to 3,146 units.

 

Encouraged by growing sales in Thailand, the company is setting up the assembly plant as a hub for exports to other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including the motorcycle-intensive markets of Indonesia and Vietnam.

 

Thailand is the largest automobile manufacturer in Southeast Asia, hosting primarily Japanese, U.S. and Chinese automakers. In the motorcycle sector, Japan's Honda Motor and Yamaha Motor as well as Harley-Davidson have set up factories there.

 

Royal Enfield motorcycles were first produced in Britain in 1901. After the parent company ceased operations in the U.K. in the early 1970s, its Indian operations took up the slack. In 1994, the company was acquired by Indian commercial vehicle maker Eicher Motors, which now owns the iconic brand.

 

"We are bringing our success from India into Thailand with the goal to be number one in the midsize motorcycle market in Thailand," Royal Enfield Thailand CEO Siddhartha Lal said in an email to the Nikkei Asian Review, referring to motorcycles in the 250 cc to 750 cc class.

 

The Thai factory will be a completely knocked-down facility in Chachoengsao Province, part of an industrial zone the government has been keen on promoting. Such factories assemble individual parts into finished vehicles. At least 40% of parts will be local, while the rest would be shipped from India, with operations expected to start in April 2021.

 

Kasem Kawchari, marketing manager of the Thai unit, said the company will be able to produce 4,500 to 5,000 units in the first year, which is also the target for sales. "I think we have been gaining a greater customer base in Thailand due to our accessible prices and marketing events designed to create Royal Enfield's [customer base] in Thailand," said Kasem.

 

The price of the popular Interceptor-650 model is around 219,000 baht ($7,000) -- well below other brands in roughly the same class, which cost around 800,000 baht.

 

Royal Enfield has 36 showrooms in Thailand and is planning to open similar shopfronts in Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia over the next few years, Kasem said.

[Yamato]

Bangkok midnight Thai street food supper

 

 

 

[Yamato]

Don't know why but this morning feels like having nasi lemak again so went to make it

 

 

 

 

[Yamato]

Simple breakfast today, bought soon kueh from market yesterday, heat it up this morning for breakfast. Soon kueh obviously is a Chinese dish and I am sure brought to Thailand by the teochew people.

 

Soon kueh with coffee

 

Soon kueh with some sweet sauce

 

The filling consists of bang-kwang, haybee, shredded pork

[Yamato]

Had lunch at a Northern Thailand shop

 

 

 

 

Chicken khao soi

 

After adding the condiments - salted or pickled vegetasbles, shallots, lime 

 

 

Chicken wings

 

 

Had another bowl of khao soi but this time beef

 

 

 

[Yamato]

Simple 2 courses dinner as not hungry - salad and lobster pasta

 

Started with a nice sauvignon blanc

 

Followed by rocket salad 

 

For the pasta

 

Humongous, 1.8kg

 

Pasta

 

Chunky

 

Huge pincer

[Yamato]

My late dinner tonight

 

 

 

[Yamato]

Today's breakfast Thai Kway Teow Lod, Chee Cheong Fan

 

Bought the chee cheong fan from market sold by weight