Pattaya Beer Bar Owners in Bloody Brawl

Here’s one of the things that keep me away from Pattaya.  I know some guys love the nightlife in Pattaya, the Thai girls and the general loose attitude that prevails.  At one point in my life I would have been drawn to this like a moth to a flame as well.  However, one thing I’ve never liked is having to deal with people who have uncontrolled tempers…like this guy.

Seems that a few days ago there were two beer bar owners who had a disagreement about property lines and an offending clothesline.  The end result was Mr. Fred Frank Hansen (43) the German owner of The Party Salon and Pub being repeatedly stabbed by Mr. Jean-Marie Philbert (43) the French owner of Canary Bay Beer Bar.  Yep that’s right, Mr. Philbert stabbed his neighbor because his clothesline was in the territory of his property.

The whole fracas started when Mrs. Philbert took a walk with her two year old son and noticed the clothesline from The Party Salon and Pub straying onto their property.  She then spoke with one of the Canary Bay bar girls and asked her to remove it.  Mr. Hansen, hearing the request became upset and came out from his bar, starting an argument.  The argument rapidly escalated and Mr. Hansen attacked Mrs. Philbert.  Mrs. Philbert, with her baby still in her arms began calling out to her husband for help.

As soon as Mr. Philbert heard the raised voices outside and saw Mr.Hansen attacking his wife, he rushed from the kitchen, armed with a knife. He intervened in the attack, stabbed Mr. Hansen five times then ran back into the bar, with bar girls having witnessed the whole incident. Neither Mr. Philbert nor his wife attempted to escape, but waited to surrender themselves to the police.  Mr. Philbert was duly taken into custody and will be charged with causing bodily injury with a knife.

Crazy town crazy people.  Be sure when you visit Pattaya you’re very careful what you do with your dirty laundry.

Popularity: 18% [?]

No Draft for Ladyboys

I never thought of human rights as high on the agenda for Thailand, but they have surprised me by making a change to their laws which will make life for Thai kathoeys much easier.

Under Thai law all males are required to report for the draft when they turn 21.  If they voluntarily enlist Thai males must serve between six to eighteen months depending on their education and if they are drafted they must serve for 24 months.

Under their current draft system ladyboys have been rejected for suffering from a mental disorder.  This has made life much harder than necessary because in Thailand men are required to prove that they have completed their national service when applying for jobs or bank loans.  Once they show their military rejection forms they are automatically disqualified from many jobs and loans.

A senior officer in the Royal Thai Armed Services said Wednesday that they will be creating a new category for military service to categorize draftees as neither male nor female.  And they will cease using the mental disorder rejection for kathoeys immediately.

While the military tries to find a new word for this new category ladyboy conscripts will be turned away and given a form that states they have an illness that cannot be cured within 30 days.

To qualify for the third category, transsexuals will have to report for the draft for three years in a row to prove they are really trying to live as women.

This should open up many avenues of opportunity for the Thai ladyboys who will now be able to get better jobs as well as bank loans to finance such things as cars and houses.  I congratulate the Thai military for their open minded stance on Thailand’s ladyboys.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Thailand to Start Hacking Foreign Websites

I can’t believe that the Thai government would condone such illegal tactics, but this report from the Thai language newspaper Krungthep Turaij seems to indicate just that. I hope that I never come under the watchful eye of the ICT and this is just one more reason that I try to steer away from subjects that might be considered controversial by Thai standards.

I will agree that the websites they are targeting that are disrespectful to Buddhism are in poor taste, however I can’t agree with the hacking of ANY sites or the censorship of free speech and the internet. Considering the state of Thailand’s neighbor you would think that they would be more sensitive to censorship.

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry is to ‘hack and crack’ foreign websites deemed offensive to Thailand’s revered institutions.

A March 15 report in Krungthep Turakij newspaper quoted a source at the ICT that the ministry could pursue legal proceedings only with websites registered in Thailand, and is now planning a ‘hack and crack’ programme to hack offensive websites hosted abroad and delete their contents, because the legal process would take too long.

“This approach may be somewhat illegal, but sometimes it might be worth it, if [the websites] are really unacceptable,” the source said.

One website registered abroad has been found to advertise merchandise including calendars, dolls, bags, hats, glasses, watches, trousers and underwear, all with a logo of the Buddha meditating on a lotus, with the face of a dog. It was reported to have upset many Buddhists.

On March 14, ICT Minister Mun Patanotai said that he had called a meeting of investigators from the Department of Special Investigation, and Crime Suppression Division, and the ‘ICT cops’. ICT Minister’s Secretary Sarawuth Petchpanomporn was assigned to coordinate the collection of evidence and ask the courts to block websites and prosecute owners who, if inside the country, are subject to fines and imprisonment under the 2007 Computer Crime Act.

If the offense is committed abroad, the Minister admitted that there were difficulties. However, the Ministry has so far asked for cooperation from the authorities in each country or website administrators themselves, who have cooperated in solving the problems or delete offensive material, particularly concerning Thailand’s ‘supreme institution’.

“The ministry has 30 so-called ICT cops, so it is difficult to keep a thorough watch. We still have to rely on net surfers or webmasters to help, to solve the problem or notify the ministry of any irregularities,” Man said.

Acting Director Booncherd Kittitharangkul of the Office of National Buddhism’s Technology Centre said that on hearing the news he felt uneasy, and believed that it upset all Buddhists across the country.

The Technology Centre has found that the website has its server in California, USA, and the centre has twice asked the ICT Ministry in writing to shut down the website, but it is still online. The centre has also asked the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department to address the problem through diplomatic means.

“If within one month the problem is still not solved, I will ask for cooperation from ‘internet cop’ Pol Col Yanapol Yangyuen, Commander of Office of Technology and Information Cases under the Department of Special Investigation, to shut it down,” said Booncherd. He added that his centre has cooperated with relevant agencies in shutting down 5 similar websites which made commercial use of Buddhist symbols.

Popularity: 8% [?]

News and Musings of the Past and Future

It was quite a busy week for me last week, but I am that much closer to unveiling the new look of Thailand Musings. You may have noticed some changes already in formatting and navigation because I’ve been working in the background to get everything ready for the change. And Golf and I took a trip to Atlantic City over the weekend. It was her first time to see the Atlantic Ocean and her first visit to a casino. Very exciting for her and she has promised to share her thoughts about it later this week. Also coming up this week is Golf’s recipe for Tandoori Chicken, so stay tuned for that, I can tell you it is fantastic!

Here’s a quick roundup of some notable posts around the blogosphere:

The 10 best things about living in Thailand - Self explanatory. Browse over and add your own favorites.

Thailand to become the Vegas of the East - The Lost Boy gives his take on the announcement that gambling will be legalized in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Almost Finished - Preview of a great new book about life in Thailand. I for one cannot wait until Geoff releases the full book.

Sacred Life Sunday Orchids in the Desert - A fellow Thailand blogger looking for some good advice. Go over and see if you have something to add to the discussion.

Thailand Turns Upscale Gangster Paradise - Russian arms dealer caught in Bangkok at the Sofitel Silom Hotel.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Will Thailand Make Gambling Legal?

On Monday it was announced by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that he is considering legalizing gambling in Thailand. He plans on following in the footsteps of Macau, Singapore and Malaysia, but did not give details about what types of gambling would be allowed. He did mention however that this move would mean that there would no longer for police to spend time raiding the numerous small gambling dens now in existence.

Realizing that nearly ever country around Thailand, including Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos now have legal gambling and the fact that numerous Thai’s gamble (I have seen numbers as high as 70%), is it wise for Thailand to legalize gambling?

There are the obvious positive factors such as increased tax revenues, increased hotel occupancy rates, increased tourism and job creation. These will certainly happen as they have in every location that has legalized gambling. Look at the growth of Macau and Las Vegas over the past several years. Macau had an economic growth rate in 2007 of 30% and has already surpassed Las Vegas in gaming revenues and since 2003 has seen tourism quadruple. Can you imagine the impact this type of tourism increase would have in Thailand.

Of course there are also the negatives factors. Casinos can be said to prey upon the poor and many fear that the working class Thai’s would be losing more money to the large casinos than they can possibly lose with the small operation type gambling that occurs now. Others worry that the same type of corruption that is commonplace in Thailand would serve to make sure the potential economic boom would be directed to a select group of individuals pockets rather than serving the public as it does in Las Vegas and Atlantic City here in the U.S. Still others are against gambling on moral issues and suggest that if gambling is legalized the Thai’s might as well legalize drugs and prostitution as well.

I think that legal gambling could be a good thing in Thailand IF it is structured properly and IF the revenues generated are directed towards public works - improving infrastructure, health and education within Thailand. I also think the gambling would need to be confined to certain areas and Thailand should try to entice the large casino operators to invest in Thailand. I certainly don’t want to see a one armed bandit in every little beer bar, guesthouse or train/bus station.

Since PM Samak Sundaravej hasn’t elaborated on what form the legalized gambling will take in Thailand we simply have to wait and see what’s next. In any case I’m sure it will be quite some time before we see the first casino’s opening in Thailand, if ever.

Is it wise for Thailand to legalize gambling?

Popularity: 30% [?]

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