Thia's making the best of political change process

Back in the US now so all I know about the political turmoil going on in Thailand is what I read. Every thing I picked up made the political goings on sound very serious and the country seem to be a scary place, which goes against my Thai experience. With the exception of ex Thai girlfriends who lead several aggressive protests against me and my behavior. Other than that I've always found Thia's to be peaceful, understanding and flexible in their acceptance of things. So hearing about the ongoing protests against the government which in the process even managed to shut down two airports and even railroad service for a for a short while, I was shocked. However, as you'll see in the photos the Thai personality and love of snook (fun) shines through even in these troubled times of change.



After mentioning this to my Thai friend Mati she sent these photos.

Doug, Victor and friends in Chiang Mai

The past few months has been pretty calm maybe even a little boring, which is OK from time to time. I arrived back home to my apartment here in California the end of May. In time to enjoy some of that great California spring weather. I can't believe how time fly's, it fall now and I'm just getting around to editing this.

California's dry hot and days and cool nights were a welcome relive from the hot, hot weather washed down with the sudden rains of Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. 90's with rain showers has you in stifling humidity as soon as you step a way from the luxury of an air-conditioned room.

On the 13 Th of May after a sleepless night I climbed on the back of my friend Gia My's motorbike and we heading over to get my visa extended. All night I had been up most of the night with serious heart burn so I asked her to drop me at Columbia Asia Clinic to get a bit of doctorly advise. I've used the clinic before, good service at a reasonable price and in this case a beautiful Vietnamese doctor to boot. Her verdict after an EKG and blood tests was that I had the makings of a heart attach. Next thing I know I'm bouncing my way through Saigon laying in the back of a van masquerading as an ambulance. Arriving at Tham Duc cardiology hospital they wasted no time and rolled me directly into the operating room for an angioplasty procedure, resulting in a stint in my right carteo artery and the information that my left artery was about 80% blocked. A week or so later my air evac insurance guys - International SOS decided to speed things up and air evaced me to Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital in Bangkok for another surgery to open the remaining blocked arteries. I'm doing pretty well now, physically anyway but mentally it's hard admitting I can break and that my life may have an end. Of course dealing with the insurance company and US bank’s World Perks Visa Signature card’s Nazi customer service hasn’t done much for my mental state either.

Just for reference to have an angioplasty and a stent inserted in Saigon takes about a weeks hospital stay and costs $ 6,500.00 (US). While the complicated procedures to open two arteries, with hospital stay in Bangkok was about $ 13,000.00. A room at Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok is about $ 200.00 a night (US) – all rooms are single even in intensive care. While Tham Duc Cardiology Hospital offers an open bed intensive care of about 18 beds and shared rooms at $ 35.00 (US) and private rooms at $ 50.00 a night. Samitivej Hospital billed my insurance company – Blue Cross Blue Shield – direct but the Vietnamese hospital wanted the money up front.

It happened again, this morning walking along side the road, more on the sidewalk than on the road and I was hit from behind by a motorbike. Two silly Vietnamese girls abroad a Honda something or other clipped me on my right side, lost control of the bike, bounced over a cage where a hamster or some little rat looking creature was being housed. Then the out of control motorbike, silly girls still hanging on paused against a tree where a couple of security men from the building we were in front of, grabbed the controls and shut the thing down.

Interesting – the folks gathered around kind of gave me a look of apology and concern but not the driver. I’ve been through things like this before and it seems some Vietnamese care less about the damage they cause than the damage sustained to their image.

It’s become so crazy that it isn’t just foreigners who are at risk; I’ve seen locals get clipped also, one by a bus, along with seeing a bunch of close calls. The traffic is getting so thick that motorbikes are not only being parked on the side walk but are using the walks as an extension of the roadways, which as you can imagine really increases the hazards for walkers. Recently I’ve even read about concerns by the government because of traffic police being injured by motorbikes running into them.

It’s 5:30 pm in Bangkok as I’m polishing off a couple beer Chang’s and a plate of chicken and rice at Mikes Corner bar and Restaurant. Mikes is an open air spot at the end of soi 18, Sukhumvit Road. I’ve been here before, for no other reason than I just end up here. As before I’m looking at the “Maxims Inn” sign – proclaiming “quality, budget accommodations and good food” and wondering if I’m really in Mikes or Maxims? Kind of like when you see a cat staring at the wall and you wonder what they are thinking, that’s me on beer chang.

The cat analogy fits well because at the time a cat was messing around under my chair. This is Thailand and maybe a Buddhist thing but cats and dogs seem to be welcome everywhere and of course restaurants are especially popular hangouts for them. In the process of disentangling the cat I glanced across to the Tequila Dragon Bar and lost interest in the sign dilemma and the cat and to see 8 bar girls sitting out in front of the bar. Preparing for the evening with a bar set up off bottles of Mekong whisky and cokes. My beer Chang drained I wonder over to be greeted with “Welcome, please come in”, and my night begins.

Sukhumvit is one of the main roads in Bangkok and off of it on the soi’s is where the action is. A soi is like a side street off a main road but instead of having individual names, are numbered, odd on one side and even on the other. The main action spots are on Soi’s but are not know by name, Soi Nanna and soi Cowboy but wonder down most and you’ll find some thing happening.

It’s been reported to be the most expensive city in the world for expats to live. A little island where the lack of land area has its residents living in towering apartment buildings, dwarfing the skyline of the city center.

Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR) is its official name since the 1997 take over by the Chinese. Yes and still expensive, crowded, a little crazy but much like all large Asian cities and Chinese Communist or not still one of my favorite spots.

Clean and organized but not the Disney LANDesk feel of Singapore. You see smoking bans in parks, restaurants and curb side ash trays, and yes people cleaning them out along with sweeping the sidewalks. Signs posted warning of a $ 600.00 (hk$) ($77 US) fine for violators and enforced by special officers.

Excellent public transportation, subway, tams, buses, ferries and taxi’s get you easily anywhere you want to be. If you’re visiting for a few days, purchasing an Octopus Card is a good bet. Allowing the use of most mass transit options by just a swipe of the card and eliminating those embarrassing moments of trying to figure out the system on the fly.

Kawloon and shopping you bet – Mon Kok where the locals shop clothing, bags, computers and other everyday items. Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui - bargain basement nick knacks to original Chinese art with all kinds of electronic stuff in between. Hong Kong - hunt for antiques on Hollywood road in center; take a peak in the Rolls show room or just window shop all the interesting shops.

I remember back in the day Hong Kong was the premo place to shop for electronic bargains but the Internet has em beat now a day. Actually, Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City might even have better deals on clothing and the other sundry items us travelers look for. But Hong Kong is still great and such a wonderful experience.

Hop a ferry to one of the outlying islands such as Lamma. What we did was take a ferry to Yung Shue Wan and then hiked the 4 km “family trail” to Sok Kwu Wan for lunch and a return ferry. Great fresh seafood served in open air restaurants over looking the harbor.

Take buses over to Stanley, shop the Stanley market for cool stuff at bargain prices and lunch at one of the many outdoor cafes over looking the waterfront. Being a sailor I really enjoyed the Hong Kong Maritime museum located in the beautifully restored Murray House built in 1846. Especially cool where the models showing the evolution of Chinese sailing craft and the junk.

All this sight seeing and shopping can make a guy darn thirsty and a little hungry. Depending on your budget and the social level you feel most comfortable at, Hong Kong has your back. You have Lang Kwi fong in Central and SoHo in the same general area but take the mid level escalator for the got a new Am ex Card and I want to enjoy it crowd. For the pub crawler sort grab some street vendor chow while heading over to the sting of places on Lockhart Rd. in Wan Chi. The area looks much the same as it did when I took an R&R to Hong Kong in 1967. Lock and Load!

I've been away for close to three weeks and this is my first post. Oh no, don't worry your not going to forced to read through three weeks of my ramblings in one sitting. I'll get my posts up to date over the next few weeks.

I'm typing this in Chaing Mai Thailand at an internet shop, which is slow going but next week I'll have my laptop to work on again in my room in Saigon.

Trying to do my share for the green effort, on 4/7/08 took Amtrak from Sacramento to Richmond and then the BART to SFO . Darn cheap, Amtrak's Capital corridor train cost $20.00 less my senior discount = $16.00 and Bart was only a couple bucks on top of that. Felt kind of dumb lugging all my luggage around but other that that it was a nice ride especially on Amtrak. Think it took around 2 hours plus.

The flight to Hong Kong, "can you say cramped" and so many non English speaking Chinese along with a bazillion kids.

People always ask - "OK, so how long is that light across the pacific" this time I paid attention and wrote it down. The flight was 13 hours and 56 minutes and it's 6,921 miles that's from SFO to Hong Kong international.

Getting ready to head back to SE Asia. In a few weeks I'll be flying Cathay Pacific to Bangkok via Hong Kong and on ward to Saigon. Seems I hear a lot about air travel prices increasing but in shopping air fares for this trip it wasn't the case. Probably cheaper guys than Cathay but they are a good airline and allow stop overs in Hong Kong and open returns.

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I use Sandra, a native Philipa, at Kinney travel in Sacramento as she normally can come up with good fares, especially on Cathay. Sandra is efficient and dependable - so if your planning a SE Asia visit check her out at - 1916-928-0434 /1-800-783-9634 Mention my name if you call - thanks!

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Hong Kong has always been an expensive place to stay but as I work through my trip planning it doesn't seem any more expensive than before. The exchange rate has pretty much stayed the same - 7.75 Hk$ = 1 US dollar, which must be a big part of it.

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On this visit as my last I used Hotel Club to find a room , I used them again and picked the Charter House in the Wan Chai distinct on Hong Kong Island. Looks like a pretty good deal, Charter House's web site lists a rate of $180.00 (US) a night, which I reserved through Hotel Club for $ 85.30 (US).

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Now Bangkok is a surprise, normally super cheap but the dollar was worth more then. My stand by in Bangkok Jim's lodge room rate has increased from the low to mid thirty's US a night to the mid forty's. The exchange rate is mostly to blame, the room increased a couple hundred baht's present exchange rate of 31 baht to a US dollar, from the high 30's, yikes that hurts. Thank you George Bush!

Cyclo guy Pham Ngu Lao - Saigon

cyclo guys endangered?

Vietnamese government has announced that cyclo's and other pedal powervehicles will be banned after June. thanhnien news

Cyclo guys have always been a thorn in the side of the communists in Vietnam. A reminder of life before communism, as many of the original cyclo drivers where ex south Vietnamese military officers or other professionals prior to 1975.

Upon the defeat of the south the Hanoi government interned anywhere up to three million ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) military and civilians connected with the defeated government of the south or seving with the US, sending them to prison camps they deemed "reeducation camps" .

People were told they would be gone for a few days to upwards to a couple weeks depending on their prior position and to bring paper, pencils and personal items for their stay. Most, trying to do the right thing, surrendered voluntarily only to end up in forced labor camps or doing dangerous work such as clearing mine fields. Their stays ended up being years that is if they survived. On returning from the camps they were to be laborers and not live that life the life of a professional, so not by choice but by necessity many became cyclo drivers.

Officially the Hanoi government is saying the reason for outlawing cyclo's and other multi wheeled pedal vehicles is to help reduce the traffic problems. Granted Vietnam has a major traffic problem but I just don't see cyclo's or other pedal powered vehicles at the heart of it. However, jumbo buses, trucks, zillions of taxis and an ever expanding array of luxury sedans that scare the crap out of me as I attempt a street crossing might be.

Over the past few years I read numerous tales of Vietnam's booming economy. But to me, a boots on the ground guy in Saigon, I didn't see it, especially in Saigon. That is in spite of the new construction projects building 5 star hotels, designer shops, suburban style North American neighborhoods and upscale city condos. Maybe I don't see it because I'm not up their with the deep pocket business folk but with the regular Vietnamese types walking or riding motorbikes. The same ones who work in shops, street side eating stands and bars. From my point of view they just aren't as smiley as they were and are working harder than ever for less money. Most are even too time pressed for a chat.

As I watch BMW's, Mercedes and even a Hummer or two roll down the street I can't help but notice and feel sad for the cyclo drivers milling around on the shaded corners of side streets, living on their cyclo's hoping to scrape enough dong together for a meal.

The small businesses I liked are disappearing, especially bad for me are the old style girl bars which are all just about gone. To establish this new Vietnam vision, the moral police chain up the entrance of bars in the middle of the night, in other bars they show up and sort through music library's, confiscating music not to their standards, other bars and small business are forced out by increased rents allowing opportunities for new businesses that share the government's vision. Many of these re styled business are targeted toward moneyed Vietnamese and high roller tourist trade the government expects. While most of the new ventures look pretty I don't see many customers.

The following link discusses some of the realities of Vietnam's new boom, inflation and the decreased purchasing power of workers and labor problems which have resulted in workers going out on strike.

http://www.reuters.com/article/inDepthNews/idUSSP16251620080128

Life in Hanoi and Saigon: Comparing Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh (well sort of)

Life in Hanoi and Saigon: Comparing Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh (well sort of)