Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and beyond

Sunday, March 14, 2010

So what's up in Bangkok now?

The red shirts have arrived in Bangkok, maybe not a million but ten's of thousands. No violence so far, which is no surprise to me, most Thia's are just not like that, especially in the countryside.

Now the government that's another story, they have a military and volience is what military do. However, Thai vs Thai physical violence is hard to picture.

My concern is the "United Front for Democracy" wants Abhist Vejjajiva to step down and open a new election and what goes down when it doesn't happen. We have the elitists of Bangkok vs the workers from the countryside, what would Mao do in a situation like this and that is worrisome.

I've dispatched my best and only man, Victor, who is actually a fellow crazy who also hangs out here and is now in Bangkok, to buy a camera and get us photos. At the moment he reports all is well on Sukumvit but he is ever vigilant and has shifted to a bar stool near the door.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year - part 1

As another Tet holiday, welcoming in the Lunar New year slides past as life gets back to the normal craziness, here in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tet is the biggest of all holiday's ever in Vietnam; something like combining all the US holidays into one big event and then still celebrated all of them again as they came up at their regular time.

In Tet you have the gift giving, decorating and preparation components, much like Christmas in the USA but much bigger. Officially it’s a three day holiday but many people are given a week off and many restaurants and stores close for three days and some stay closed for the whole week.

Vietnam has also caught onto Christmas, embracing the social aspects of it, if not the religious parts, as another opportunity for gift giving, special decorations and holiday music. Also, the western New Year’s is celebrated, much the same as we do in the states, fireworks, parties and all that. Though, Tet still remains the mother of all holidays.

One of the components of Tet is the concept of "Lucky money". This is where special red colored New Year’s envelopes with small denomination of money inside, say - 20,000 dong, are given to younger /older Vietnamese and helpers on New Year’s eve or New Year’s day, by people like me. The enclosed bills must be crisp and clean, probably symbolizing the fresh start of the New Year. I've read that this practice is so popular it has caused shortages of currency at the banks. While I don't fully understand the reasoning behind "lucky money" I'm here to tell you – if you want to create a stir, hand out some of those red envelopes, that’ll do it.

Getting the New Year off to a good start is first and foremost in the minds of most Vietnamese. New clothes are bought, food is stored for the three days of the holiday, houses are cleaned and the spruced up, as my landlord repainted the entrance way to our building a couple days before Tet it is good form to make an attempt at resolving any personal disagreements to halt bad feelings following you into the New Year.

Cleaning is done before Tet to insure that good luck is not inadvertently swept out while cleaning during Tet. Vietnamese believe that digging and drawing water should not be done during Tet to allow the ground and water a chance to enjoy the holiday.

Tet can be very boring for foreigners, many of the stores and restaurants are closed and the streets were deserted here in Saigon. Many people that live and work in the city are from the countryside, Tet is a time for families and many have long holidays over the period so they head home. More affluent Vietnamese may take this time to travel to a holiday destination in country or to another country.

I’m lucky, as I have Vietnamese friends who look after me and take me along to family celebrations and meals. So for me the Tet weekend is a great time to be in Saigon, lots of good meals, beautiful flower markets, Tet displays like the one on Nguyen Hue St. to visit, a fantastic fireworks display on New Years Eve and the streets are just about peaceful.

THAILAND

Thailand considers invoking the Internal Security Act (March 9, 2010)

The UDD (United Front for Democracy) or mostly know as the Red Shirts due to their signature red shirts, are calling for the resignation of the present Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and new elections. Many of the group support ex Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawata, now in self imposed exile after the coup of 2006.

To this end they will rally in Bangkok on Sunday, involving up to a million people, mostly from the outlying areas of Thailand. Starting on Friday (12/03/10) they will arrive in Bangkok aboard buses, trucks, farm tractors and on foot for Sunday's demonstrations. The group has the potential of choking off Bangkok's roads and shutting down travel in and around the city.

The Thai government is rolling out the troops, up to 100,000 to enforce the peace. Though the red shirts have proclaimed their intent is for a peaceful protest but with this many people massed together in such an emotional charged atmosphere, who knows what might happen. Though in general Thai's are a peaceful sort and are respectful of outsiders so farang shouldn’t be in danger. Though the wise person is always aware of their surrounding and should skirt around any trouble spots.

The government is expected to invoke the Internal Security Act today, which as close as I can figure is a nice way of saying Marshal Law. Schools in some areas in Bangkok will be closed as of Thursday.

All this has the potential of effecting serious political change in Thailand or maybe turn out as in the old saying -“same, same but different”.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Bangkok, Thailand supreme court's ruling on Thaksin's assets

The Thai Supreme Court has handed down in decision on ex Primer Thanksin Shinawata's assets still held in Thailand. It will seize 1.4 billion out of the 2.2 billion total assets .

Thailand had mobilized 20,000 security forces, with 6,000 of them placed on guard in Bangkok, along with 168 security check points but so far there hasn't been a need to put them in action.

Dr. Weng Tojiraken one of the leaders of the United Front for Democracy (UDD) mostly represented by the red shirts put off the talked about demonstration and announced: "I'm not fighting for Mr. Thaksin, I'm fighting for my country to be a genuine democratic system."

Thai politics can be a bit confusing and ever changing so guess we will wait and see what happens next.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Thaksin Shinawata vs Thai government - Doug

Remember way back last April when the red shirts in their protesting fervor shut down Suvambhumi International Airport in Bangkok. OK, red shirts who are you, Thai supporters of ousted primer Thaksin Shinawata - officially representing the "United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship"party. Which was also the "Thai rack Thai" party till the present Thai government abolished the it afer the coup that tossed Thksin from office.

Friday, tomorrow (2/26) will be a big new red shirts protest, in the past these rotests have drawn up to 100,000 people.

Tomorrow could even be a bigger deal as the Thai Supreme Court is due to hand a ruling on, if the government can confiscate Thaksin's total 2.2 billion of assets still in Thailand.

Now all this might seem a little scary, especially if your a tourist getting ready to visit Thailand. Not to worry, foreigners are not normally drawn into the fray and the action is focused in specific parts of town and so easy to stay away from.. I was in Bangkok last year just as the protests were winding down and I didn't see any evidence of violence. Doug

Odds and Ends from ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

What's a communist country in SE Asia like Vietnam to do when your country is over flowing with people and your looking around for things to do - so you strengthen ties with North Korea, aid Lao with police and military matters, add new investments in Cambodia and help in redrawing those pesky boarder lines. Wonder what the long range plan is?

The Vietnamese Bank for Social Policy has announced a new loan program to help the poor - 8,000,000 dong ($430. us) and 10 years to pay it back at 3% interest.

Last Month the Vietnamese Communist Party celebrated its 80 th birthday - Happy Birthday!

So your thinking - hey, would have got that flu shot but was just a bit short on cash last month. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The US is in the process of providing 7.9 million in flue vaccine aid to Vietnam, so there you are.

My laundry is included into the monthly price of my room as everyone that knows me knows, along with "they even iron my boxers". Though if your staying in the Pham Nhu Lao backpackers area here in Saigon and aren't like me and have laundry that needs - according to the sign posted in front of a shop I saw, it will cost you 7,000 dong (.38 us) a kilo. Now does that include ironed boxers?

Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Just liked the name.

A new section of a highway in Tien Gieng Provence, still uncompleted, was opened to help with Tet's heavy traffic, here are the rules -

maintain speed of over 70 km per hour

slow trucks or trucks larger than 4.2 x 2.8 m not allowed

Not sure who enforces the speeds and measures the trucks but just in case there are rules. The highway is 8 lanes and 62 km long, to handle speeds up to 120 km an hour at a cost of 535 million US...

More on the road theme - as in most coutures, major holidays and here its Tet, are the most dangerous time to be on the roads. I pulled these figures from the "Vietnam Today" newspaper, their wording:

killed about 300

injured more than 400

unreported accidents with victims being hospitalized 14,000

An old Vietnamese saying I pulled out of the same paper from an article on corruption - "A clean fast is better than a dirty breakfast"

Friday, February 12, 2010

A new look at Pattaya

It was back in the 1960's when I first heard of Pattaya, it was all about a seaside R&R (rest and relaxation)spot in Thailand packed full of bars with hot and cold ruining Thai girls. The Vietnam War was rocking on and we were the American GI rockers and to keep us rocking the military set it up so during our one year tour we got two separate R&R's. Myself I picked Hong Kong and on the second one to Singapore.

While my hut mate, Swartz, a sex starved 20 year old from Jersey took both of his in Pattaya. Guess the Jersey shore didn't do much to prepare Swartz for what he found, both times, upon his return he needed treatment by the medics for what they diagnosed as over exertion. He jokingly would talk about his treatment saying the medics said if it had been any other appendage he did that much damage to - it would have been casted. My last memory of him, after recovering from his last Pattaya trip, was his endless goings on about how Thailand changed his life and figuring out ways to get back.

Not sure if Swartz ever made it back . Lost track of him after Nam but over the past 8 years I've retracted my steps and my quest took me to Pattaya and that's how I got thinking of Swartz.

Ka damn, 43 years since Swartz made his last visit to what is now billed as the international Thai sea side resort city of Pattaya. Pattaya is no longer a sleepy little fishing

village where a bunch of bars popped up by the beach to entertai

n the visiting American GI's. These guys, mostly young had been away from the fun things in life now had a week to make up for lost time and forget all the crap going on back in Nam. So I’m guessing it was a pretty rough and tumble place, where as now it's a fully fledged international resort. You’ll see a diversified international group of visitors from Russia, Japan, Chinese, and Europeans’ of all nationalities though no GI"s but the place still maintains its American flavor, 60’s rock music blaring out of the beer bars, its own Hard Rock Café and resort, Holiday Inn, 7/11, A&W, a couple of US pizza chains and Star bucks.

In parts of Pattaya as you see in my photos, international resort or whatever, its still back to back beer bars stuffed full off friendly and sexy hostesses. Though as Mr. Dillon said "the times they are a changing" in area like walking street the girls and beer bars are still the norm while the city is trying hard at upgrading its offering in other areas.

For Example I stayed at the Sabi Wing at a reasonable forty something dollars a night, including a full breakfast, and a balcony overlooking the pool. It’s located on soi 2 and about a 10 minute walk from the beach. Out of my week I spent a couple nights out bar hopping but it was easy for me to avoid all the craziness on the nights I stayed out of the bars.

As just about anywhere in Pattaya you can spend a lot on meals but also inexpensive, street side bar-b-q can be had for less than a buck or inexpensive restaurants are available where you can get by for $3.00-6.00 a meal. In the restaurants they offer so many international based menus it hard at times to find Thai food.

While Pattaya beach is a long way from your “Adventures in Paradise” tropical beach you may have fantasized about. Though you’ve still got your basic swaying palm trees, golden sand – well later in day, maybe not so golden, surf lapping at the shore - but watch out for those power boats breaking through it. Of course always that beautiful tropical Thai sun and 10 bazillion beach umbrellas lording over sling canvas beach chairs, renting out for 20 or 30 baht a setting, for your beach going lounging.

Most your bodily needs can be met by wondering food and beverage vendors, pedaling everything from peeled and cut up mangos, packed in film covered Styrofoam trays, sea food, sodas, water, beer, coffee and so on. Oh ya and then there are the sun tan lotion appliers. Yup that’s right, no oily fingers here, anyway for the lounging beach goers, there are people for that. You see them walking around with judges of lotion for sale by the application. An example of this was a bald guy just up from me that I think had one on retainer. Every time I looked up from my book he was getting a new anti-sun lube job.

Pattaya has become a retirement haven for farang (Thai slang for foreigner) and I would say it looks like more fun than Miami for us old guys and at about half the price. Though cost wise, a few years ago when the baht was yielding 46 to one dollar instead of the 33 now, it was even a better deal. However, it still looks as if you can find a pretty nice furnished place to rent for six to seven hundred dollars a month.

The beach is comprised of a narrow sliver of sand backed up to a low retaining wall with lines up to a paved walk way adjacent to Beach road with shops filling the opposite side. The beach is broken up into north, central and south areas. I was staying in the north part which is pretty tame, while from central on down to the infamous Walking Street can get pretty crazy. In the central area as you look down the so’s off of Beach road you’ll see a loads of bars but once you get to the south on Walking Street that’s all it is. Open air affairs overflowing with all shapes and sizes of Thai girls – cooing “welcome, please come in” and now, after all these years I have a better understanding of Swartz’s affliction.