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National Action Plan for Human Rights and Businesses Won’t be Mandatory

Sex workers rights advocate Sirisak Chaited speaks at a panel on National Action Plan on promoting equality on June 27, 2019.

BANGKOK — Thailand is working on a National Action Plan to encourage the private sector to respect human rights  – but critics fear it won’t be effective if it’s not legally binding. 

Businesses will have no legal obligation to implement the plan, which is akin to a set of voluntary good practice guidelines, warned Emilie Pradichit, the director of the Manushya Foundation, on Thursday. 

“If it’s not mandatory, then nothing is going to change in Thailand,” said the director of the human rights NGO, at a meeting co-organized by the Thai Business and Human Rights Network.

Another limiting factor on the NAP’s potential impact is that the Justice Minister will adopt it on a ministerial level, meaning the guidelines will not apply to other ministries and departments. 

Read: Govt Claims Gender Progress, UN Criticizes All-Male Junta

Caretaker human rights commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit hopes the NAP will eventually be adopted at the cabinet level, but said it is better to have guidelines than nothing. 

“At least there will be something that people can cite,” Angkhanan said. 

Draft guidelines include baseline assessments to improve labor rights standards, rules for decent working conditions, and human rights impact assessment reports.

Several activists and community leaders aired specific grievances about the private sector’s treatment of human rights issues in the meeting.

Pradichit isolated environmental, land and community rights violations caused by corporations, as well as libel litigation filed against human defenders, also known as SLAPP, to discourage public participation.

Katima Leeja, an ethnic Lisu and member of the Indigenous Women Network of Thailand similarly warned that several land rights activists face legal threats as they try to defend against business encroachment.

Meanwhile Sirisak Chaited, an activist for sex workers’ rights, said the action plan should do away with the Protection and Prevention of Prostitution Act. 

“The work is made illegal so [sex] workers cannot seek a loan [legally] and cannot form a union in order to engage in collective bargaining,” said Sirisak.

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Where to Fourth of July in Bangkok 2019

Patrons at Independence Day Picnic 2018 on July 7, 2018. Photo: AMCHAM Thailand / Facebook
Patrons at Independence Day Picnic 2018 on July 7, 2018. Photo: AMCHAM Thailand / Facebook

BANGKOK — Whether you want to reminisce about Uncle Sam, or just want to forget Uncle Tuu for one night, there’s an American Independence Day celebration for everyone next week. 

Families can head to the annual 4th of July picnic at Bangkok Patana School, or take a less traditional path at an axe-throwing competition. Several bars in the city will offer dedicated events for those seeking indepen-dance. Metalheads can headbang at a Metallica tribute night, while punsters can L-their-FAO at a comedy show.

1. AMCHAM Independence Day Picnic – July 6

Photo: AMCHAM Thailand / Facebook

Get your fill of classic American fare from big name caterers such as Roadhouse BBQ, Sunrise Tacos and Dairy Queen, while your kids – or just you – let loose with tug-o-war, sack races and egg tossing at the AMCHAM Independence Day Picnic.

Enjoy live music and raffle draws for air tickets, hotel stays, and dining vouchers. Keep your eyes peeled for the football match between staff from the US, UK and Australian embassies. All proceeds will go to the AMCHAM Foundation Scholarship Program.

The picnic will be held on July 6 from 1pm to 8pm at Bangkok Patana School in Soi Sukhumvit 105. The venue is reachable by shuttle services running between the school and BTS Bang Na from 12pm to 8.30pm. Tickets are 200 baht online and 300 baht at the door. Children under 12 enter free. The event is organized by the American Chamber of Commerce.

2. 4th of July at Mikkeller Bangkok x MRC – July 6

Photo: Mikkeller Bangkok / Facebook

Being patriotic doesn’t mean limiting your beer options to staples like Bud Light. Head to this Danish microbrewery in Ekkamai and try different American-made draught and canned beers imported from sister breweries in New York City and San Diego.

The brewery’s vast garden will be turned into a backyard BBQ serving ribs to accompany the ale. Freshen up your college-era skills because there’ll be beer pong and cornhole tournaments.

The event will be held on July 6 from 2pm to 1am at Mikkeller Bangkok in Soi Ekkamai 10 Lane 2. The venue is reachable by taxi or motorcycle taxi from BTS Ekkamai. A glass of beer costs from 140 to 410 baht.

3. 4th of July ‘Comedy Cook-out’ – July 4

Photo: Stagetime Comedy Club‎ / Facebook

Guffaw while gnawing on ribs at an all-American comedy night at the Clubhouse Sports Bar & Grill in Asoke.

Headlining is comedian Stevo Joslin, who has dropped puns all over Asia. Finalists in the continent’s biggest comedy competition, the Mangers International Comedy Festival will also take the stage: Jackson Foshay and Chris Raufeisen – who opened Doug Stanhope’s performance in Bangkok.

The event will be held on July 4 from 6.30pm to 10pm at The Clubhouse Sports Bar & Grill in Soi Sukhumvit 23. The venue is reachable by a five minute walk from BTS Asoke or MRT Sukhumvit. Tickets including all-you-can-eat American fare are 500 baht online and 700 baht. Tickets for the show only are 300 baht online and 500 baht at the door.

4. SIAM OPEN Axe Throwing Tournament (Canada Day and 4th of July) – 30 July

Photo: Golden Axe Throw Club / Facebook

Unleash your deepest rage and hurl a weapon at a target in Thailand’s first ever axe-throwing tournament. The event is being held to celebrate two North American holidays next week – Canada Day and American Independence Day.

Up to 32 contestants can compete. The prize pool is guaranteed to be worth at least 5,000 baht, but may be higher subject to participation. Cheap beer and even a beer buffet will be available – but don’t throw under the influence!

The event will be held on July 30 from 4pm to 12am at the Golden Axe Throw Club in Soi Lat Phrao-Wanghin 71. The venue is reachable by taxi or motorcycle taxi from MRT Lat Phrao. Tickets to participate in the competition are 500 baht. Spectators watch for free.

5. So F**king What Metallica Tribute – July 4

Photo: Parking Toys / Facebook

Get in the thick of American heavy metal subculture at a tribute to the legendary Metallicaeld in a Lat Phrao watering hole. Local metal groups including Overdose, Aden, and Metallikluay will lay waste to the night, while The Walker will offer a calm reprieve with acoustic covers.

The event will be held on July 4 from 7pm till late at Parking Toys in Prasertmanukit Soi 29. The venue is reachable by taxi from MRT Lat Phrao or a drive. Ticket is 300 baht at door with a drink included.

Thailand’s Ultimate ‘Friends’ Superfans Crowned at Trivia Night

Sifat Khurana, Chandan “Chad” Suriya-amrit, and Ratish Sachathamakul, winners of the “Friends Comedy Game Show” trivia night on June 27, 2019.
Sifat Khurana, Chandan “Chad” Suriya-amrit, and Ratish Sachathamakul, winners of the “Friends Comedy Game Show” trivia night on June 27, 2019.

BANGKOK — In the late 90s, Ratish Sachathamakul would go to his local Blockbuster and rent VHS tapes of the hit sitcom “Friends,” with each tape containing some five episodes.

He was 13 when he started watching. Now as a 31-year-old, Ratish says he’s watched the series “maybe 150 times,” first on VCDs and then on streaming services.

All this preparation led up to Thursday night, when he and his friends were crowned Thailand’s top “Friends” superfans by winning a “Friends Comedy Game Show” trivia night hosted by the Bangkok Hilarious Comedy Club at Aesop’s Greek restaurant – winning a bottle of wine and ultimately glory.

Small teams were put to the test through 25 questions about the series. First came the basic (what’s the name of Phoebe’s signature song? Smelly Cat). Then came the more obscure (what were the fake names on Ross and Chandler’s college-era fake IDs? Clifford Alvarez and Roland Chang).

Ratish and his “Friendsters” team consisted of Chandan “Chad” Suriya-amrit, 31, and Chad’s cousin, Sifat Khurana, 26. Ratish and Chad are Thai-Indian friends who grew up together in Thailand, while Sifat is visiting from India.

“The comedy’s timeless. It doesn’t matter what generation you’re from, everyone enjoys it,” Ratish said. “Every single episode has some kind of life lesson in it, which is amazing. It teaches you something about yourself and your friends.”

Even a psychologist interviewed by Metro UK in April said that watching “Friends” has helped his patients suffering from anxiety. The Friendsters concurred.

“It’s something I call ‘Friends Therapy,’” Ratish said. “If you’re ever feeling down or just wanna have a good time or anything of the sort, watching ‘Friends’ just does that for you.”

“If you’re depressed, watch Friends,” Sifat agreed. “No matter your age, if you’re 10, you’re 20, you’re 40, you’re 50, watch ‘Friends…[On days that are] low, high, easy, tough, anything, it’s Friends.”

Chad says he’s a Joey (he doesn’t share food) and loves the “emotional moments of Joey and Chandler’s brotherly love” most of all. Ratish identifies the most with Chandler (“Could it be anymore ridiculous?”) while it’s definitely Phoebe for Sifat.

“She’s easygoing, she’s crazy. I don’t think I have any words to describe how cute she is. She’s the best,” Sifat said.

The group says the show has bonded them together throughout their lives, and taught them values of friendship and acceptance.

“Even if you don’t have a family, you have a family,” Sifat said. “You have to value different people and what each of them brings to the table. No matter how crazy Phoebe can be, singing ‘Smelly Cat,’ she knows she has people to fall back on.”

By the way, the superfans have reached a consensus over one of the most contentious debates surrounding the show: Ross and Rachel were on a break.

Myla Reis de Soaza, a 10-year-old Brazilian-Indian and sixth grader at St. Andrews International School, came to the trivia night with her family, including grandma Latmi Dialdas, 64. She’s watched the entire show 16 times, she says. Other than the humor, friendships, and her favorite character Joey, the show has given her a glimpse into ‘90s tech. “I didn’t know you could make calls from that kind of telephone,” she said, referring to a home phone. “There were also those flip phones, and in one episode Phoebe pulled out a really big phone from her purse.”
Myla Reis de Soaza, a 10-year-old Brazilian-Indian and sixth grader at St. Andrews International School, came to the trivia night with her family, including grandma Latmi Dialdas, 64. She’s watched the entire show 16 times, she says. Other than the humor, friendships, and her favorite character Joey, the show has given her a glimpse into ‘90s tech. “I didn’t know you could make calls from that kind of telephone,” she said, referring to a home phone. “There were also those flip phones, and in one episode Phoebe pulled out a really big phone from her purse.

Related stories:

Test Your ‘Friends’ Knowledge at Trivia Night This Thursday

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Activist ‘Ja New’ in Critical Condition After Assault

Sirawith "Ja New" Serithiwat is brought to hospital on June 28, 2019, with major head injuries. Image: Democracy Restoration Group

BANGKOK — A pro-democracy campaigner remains in critical condition after he was attacked by a group of unidentified men on a street in northeast Bangkok today, his mother said. 

Sirawith “Ja New” Seritiwat had fractures in his nose and skull, and there was bleeding in his eyes, according to his mother Patcharee Charnkij. He was admitted to ICU as of 4.10pm under close monitor from the physicians, Patcharee told reporters at the hospital. 

Doctors said they will soon transfer Sirawith to another hospital for a brain scan, citing his lack of response. 

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Sirawith “Ja New” Seritiwat’s shirt stained by blood from the assault

The 27-year-old activist was ambushed by four men wielding wooden sticks as he was leaving his home in Bangkok’s Kannayao district. Eyewitnesses said assailants struck down Sirawith by aiming for his head and then continued to beat him on the ground.

The perpetrators fled the scene after bystanders rushed to help Sirawith. Local police said they will investigate the incident. 

No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Previously on June 2, Sirawith was beaten close to a court in downtown Bangkok. Although the perpetrators were never caught, critics of the junta suspect the regime’s involvement because two other anti-government campaigners have been attacked in a similar pattern

All the same, the latest assault has left friends of Sirawith perplexed, as the activist announced earlier this month that he is taking a break from political activism to take up postgraduate studies in India for several years. 

After visiting Sirawith at the hospital, Future Forward MP and former activist Rangsiman Rome said he will pursue an explanation from the government for the repeated assaults on the campaigners. 

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Sirawith’s mother, Patcharee Charnkij, cries during an interview with reporters at Nawamin Hospital.
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Sirawith “Ja New” Serithiwat is brought to hospital on June 28, 2019, with major head injuries. Image: Democracy Restoration Group
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Opinion: Goodbye The Nation Newspaper

After almost 48 long years, The Nation is ceasing its print edition today.

As someone who worked with the paper for 23 years before joining Khaosod English, it’s still an emotional day for me as a journalist. I worked there from 1992 until the management asked me resign in 2015, after the junta detained me without charge for the second time.

Very little, if nothing, is permanent. Once upon a time, The Nation was unwavering in its defiance against military dictatorship, a bastion of committed journalism.

During the uprising of May 1992 – which was my rookie year as a journalist at The Nation – it was one of three Thai newspapers which defied an order from the dictatorial regime of Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon to shut up or shut down after dozens of protesters were mowed down by soldiers in Bangkok.

Pravit Rojanaphruk as a young reporter at The Nation in 1994
Pravit Rojanaphruk as a young reporter at The Nation in 1994

The editor at the time, Thepchai Yong, became the first Thai journalist to win the International Press Freedom Award from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

But after Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a coup in 2006, with the country mired in political divisions before another in 2014, The Nation at times served as an apologist for military rule.

When The Nation’s president, Pana Janviroj, asked me to resign the day after I was released from being detained in September 2015, I quickly obliged. If serving the higher goal of defending press freedom from the junta was in conflict with the paper’s “brand”, as I was told, I was willing to leave. All the same, The Nation was like a second home for me.

Ironically, two years later in 2017, I became the second Thai journalist to be given the very same International Press Freedom Award from the CPJ.

In the last year of its print edition, after conservative media group T News took over, my former colleague Supalak Ganjanakhundee was appointed as editor and tried to steer the paper back towards a democratic and liberal path. But it was too late.

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The Nation coverage of the Black May uprising.

I would love to remember The Nation as the paper which defied Gen. Suchinda and not as a paper which occasionally served as a coup apologist because of the deep hatred towards Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, but it would be dishonest not to recognize both.

Beyond the memories of having worked there for over two decades, it’s the realization that print newspapers – as supermarkets of news and entertainment that you can tangibly browse at leisure – are becoming less common, if not a dying breed.

More people, particularly the young, now opt for reading along more narrowly-defined news categories online and on social media.

Instead of having to browse through different pages, where you might stumble upon a story that you didn’t think you wanted to read, people now tend to only read what they want to read. I fear readers will become less generalist if we are no longer accidentally exposed to a variety of news items through the act of browsing print.

But the market is dictating that a print newspaper such as The Nation is no longer a sustainable business model. Mainstream mass media has always taken pride in its role as a gatekeeper of news and information, a guardian of what is fit for print. Now traditional media has lost much of this role amidst burgeoning social media, citizen journalists, bloggers and social media influencers.

On one hand, I think it is good for the public in general that traditional media is losing its grip on the power to determine the narrative of what is news and what is not. This development comes with the need, of course, for citizens to become more adept at differentiating accurate news from fake news and at calling propaganda out for what it is.

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Pravit’s last column at The Nation in September 2015

While The Nation will maintain an online presence, three-quarters of the editorial staff will be laid off. I wish these former colleagues all the best in their future endeavors.

The Nation, just like any news organization, is a team effort and not just a story of figures like co-founder Suthichai Yoon. Ordinary staff like house keepers, security guards and administrative staff deserved to be recognized as well. So many names could not be mentioned here, both Thai and foreign.

As The Nation reduces itself to an online-only news website with a focus on lifestyle content, I hope it will continue to provide differing views about Thai affairs in English. But it will be up to those who remain and the site’s conservative owners to ensure its relevance.

Farewell The Nation, the place where I learned to place the duty to serve the public above the newspaper. I am thankful to you.

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Brazil Airman Can Face Drug Charges in Spain and at Home

This Feb. 2, 2011 photo released by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense shows a support aircraft parked at an air base in Brasilia, Brazil. Brazilian officials are confirming that an Air Force sergeant is accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into Spain on this plane as he was working on a support mission for President Jair Bolsonaro's trip to the G-20 summit in Japan. Photo: Johnson Barros/FAB/Defense Ministry of Brazil via AP
This Feb. 2, 2011 photo released by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense shows a support aircraft parked at an air base in Brasilia, Brazil. Brazilian officials are confirming that an Air Force sergeant is accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into Spain on this plane as he was working on a support mission for President Jair Bolsonaro's trip to the G-20 summit in Japan. Photo: Johnson Barros/FAB/Defense Ministry of Brazil via AP

RIO DE JANEIRO — A Brazilian air force sergeant accused of attempting to smuggle cocaine into Spain while working in support of a trip by President Jair Bolsonaro will be tried in both countries, Brazil’s defense minister said Thursday.

Spanish police said the man was arrested Tuesday at the Seville airport attempting to enter the country with 39 kilograms (86 pounds) of cocaine.

Brazil’s defense minister, Fernando Azevedo e Silva, said the failure in security on the part of Brazilian authorities violated the trust that is a part of military culture, though he called it an isolated incident.

“The officer will be judged without acquiescence by the justice systems of Spain and of Brazil itself,” Azevedo e Silva said.

The air force stressed that the sergeant worked in the cabin crew on a support plane and was at no point a part of the presidential team flying with Bolsonaro to the Group of 20 meeting in Japan.

Maj. Daniel Olivier, an air force spokesman, said the sergeant enlisted in 2000 and had served since March 2010 in the Special Transportation Group, a unit that provides transport for Brazil’s president and other high-ranking officials. He said members of the unit undergo a rigorous selection process in which a candidate’s entire history and experience are evaluated.

Under international law, the sergeant had some legal protection during his official international travel. But experts said he gave up that protection once he left the air force plane.

Olivier said the sergeant has not received legal help from the air force but the Brazilian consulate has been in contact with the accused and his family back in Brazil.

Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, campaigned for president promising to fight Brazil’s high levels of corruption and drug crime. He said Thursday evening during a live webcast that an investigation was taking place in conjunction with Spanish authorities and that punishment would be severe.

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Kim Kardashian West Faces Backlash Over Kimono Shapewear

Kim Kardashian West’s Kimono Solutionwear. Photo: @kimonobody / Twitter
Kim Kardashian West’s Kimono Solutionwear. Photo: @kimonobody / Twitter

NEW YORK — Kim Kardashian West has received backlash on social media from people who object to what they say is appropriation of the traditional Japanese kimono in the name of her upcoming shapewear line.

The reality star, makeup mogul and budding lawyer announced the line, Kimono Solutionwear, on Tuesday. The line will come in a range of sizes and colors she showed off on Instagram.

Some Japanese critics on social media said the name, which West trademarked, is an inappropriate take on centuries-old kimono clothing.

There was no word on when the line would go on sale. West said it’s “coming soon.” An email request for comment to West’s spokeswoman was not immediately returned Wednesday.

The kimono has evolved to a style of formal dress worn for special occasions, including weddings, funerals and tea ceremonies.

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Clash Between Liberal, Authoritarian Values at G20 Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin are greeted on his arrival at Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka prefecture, Friday, June 28, 2019. Group of 20 leaders gather in Osaka on June 28 and 29 for their annual summit. Photo: Junko Ozaki / Kyodo News via AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin are greeted on his arrival at Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka prefecture, Friday, June 28, 2019. Group of 20 leaders gather in Osaka on June 28 and 29 for their annual summit. Photo: Junko Ozaki / Kyodo News via AP

OSAKA — World leaders attending a Group of 20 summit in Japan are clashing over the values that have served for decades as the foundation of their cooperation.

European Union President Donald Tusk on Friday blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for suggesting in an interview with the newspaper Financial Times that liberalism was “obsolete.”

In a statement to reporters, Tusk said, “We are here as Europeans also to firmly and unequivocally defend and promote liberal democracy.”

He said, “What I find really obsolete are: authoritarianism, personality cults, the rule of oligarchs. Even if sometimes they may seem effective.”

As U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin and other leaders met on the sidelines of the summit, Tusk told reporters that such comments suggest a belief that “freedoms are obsolete, that the rule of law is obsolete and that human rights are obsolete.”

Putin told the Financial Times that “the liberal idea has become obsolete. It has come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population.”

He praised Trump for his efforts to try to stop the flow of migrants and drugs from Mexico and said that liberalism “presupposes that nothing needs to be done. That migrants can kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants have to be protected.”

The G-20 leaders are meeting at a time of profound tensions over trade, globalization and Iran’s collapsing nuclear deal.

While prospects for detente in the trade war between the U.S. and China are in the spotlight, many participating are calling for a broader perspective in tackling global crises.

Trump’s meeting with the Chinese president on Saturday as the G-20 meetings conclude has raised hopes for a detente in the tariffs war between the world’s two largest economies.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross accompanied Trump to Osaka.

But a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing said China intends to defend itself against further U.S. moves to penalize it over trade friction. China often has sought to gain support for defending global trade agreements against Trump’s “America First” stance in gatherings like the G-20.

Threats by Trump to impose more tariffs on Chinese exports “won’t work on us because the Chinese people don’t believe in heresy and are not afraid of pressure,” Geng Shuang said.

Trump has at times found himself at odds with other leaders in such international events, particularly on issues such as Iran, climate change and trade.

Abe has sought to make the Osaka summit a landmark for progress on environmental issues, including climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron reinforced that message on Wednesday during a state visit to Tokyo, where he described climate change as a “red line” issue for endorsing a G-20 communique.

Host Japan also hopes to forge agreements on reforms of global finance, especially strengthening precautions against abuse of technologies such as cyber-currencies to fund terrorism and other types of internet-related crimes.

On the rising tensions between Iran and the United States, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world can’t afford the conflict and it was “essential to deescalate the situation” and avoid confrontation. Iran is soon poised to surpass a key uranium stockpile threshold, threatening the nuclear accord it reached with world powers in 2015.

Guterres also urged G-20 leaders to take action on equitable and stable reforms to strengthen the global financial safety net and increase the global economy’s resilience.

Guterres said in a letter to the leaders gathered in Osaka that although the world has made progress fixing some big problems it’s not happening fast enough or shared by all countries.

While there are good plans and vision, what’s needed are “accelerated actions, not more deliberations,” he said.

Fast and equal economic growth should be constructed so that people who live in “the ‘rust belts’ of the world are not left behind,” he said.

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa called for joint efforts to stabilize international trade and oppose protectionism.

Putin, whose country faces an array of the U.S. and the EU sanctions, said at the meeting that “international trade has suffered from protectionism, politically motivated restrictions and barriers.” Putin also emphasized the need for BRICS nations to take coordinated action to help block sources of funding for terrorist groups.

Stories: Elaine Kurtenbach and Foster Klug. Vladimir Isachenkov also contributed to this story.

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Postman Praised for Delivering Rescuers to Cardiac Arrest Victim

Thailand Post mailman Saranpat Paengsri, right, speaks to a reporter next to Boonrit Thongkert, a rescue worker he helped guide to the right address.

SONGKHLA — Netizens are heaping a mailman with praise Thursday for coming to the rescue of medics who couldn’t locate the home of a patient they were dispatched to retrieve.

Thailand Post employee Saranpat Paengsri, 24, found the rescuers on June 21 just as they were lost in Khao Rup Chang subdistrict. Saranpat eventually led the ambulance to the home of a man who was suffering from heart failure.

The team had been struggling to find the man’s location because of the neighborhood’s many soi. After receiving directions from Saranpat, the ambulance appeared take wrong turns, so Saranpat intervened and guided the medics to the correct address on his motorcycle.

The patient was safely delivered to the hospital thanks to Saranpat’s help, rescue worker Boonrit Thongkert said.

“If I drove there by myself, I would’ve gotten lost,” Boonrit recalled. “And what’s important is the patient had a heart condition. He already felt pain in his chest. If we got there later than we did, his condition would have been worse.”

Saranpat’s story went viral after one of the rescue workers posted about his experience earlier this week, winning the postman much admiration on social media. Speaking to a reporter today, Saranpat said he had been working in the area for two years so knows every street and house by heart.

“Officials and people often ask me for directions,” the postman said. “If they still don’t know the way, I volunteer to guide them.”

Saranpat advised other commuters to ask local mailmen for help when lost.

Despite occasional mishaps, Thai postmen are well known for their intimate knowledge of local addresses, with their skills in locating the right address sometimes going viral.

In January, a woman received a play ticket from Britain in her mailbox even though a printing error removed all Thai script from the address, leaving only several numbers intact.

After drawing much amazement on social media, Thailand Post said the mailman managed to track down the right home because he remembered the address had previously received packages from overseas. 

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‘Exotic’ Film Fest Next Month Captures Thailand Through Foreign Lens

“Soi Cowboy” (2011)
“Soi Cowboy” (2011)

BANGKOK — Made in Thailand, by foreigners, for foreigners?

Fifteen films about Thailand, shot in Thailand, but directed by foreigners will screen for free July through August at the Thai Film Archive as part of the “Exotic Thailand?” film festival. From early 20th-century black-and-whites to modern Hollywood films, the fest looks at Thailand through a foreign lens – whether idyllic or violent, sensual or monastic.

“The films show a portrayal of Thailand, whether that reflection is true or not,” Putthapong Cheamrattonyu of the Thai Film Archive said.

Putthapong, who curated the program, said that common themes pervade the wildly different films. Early films focus on then-exotic Thai traditions and rural lifestyles, often laced with landscapes of nature. These include the 1940 Swedish film “A Handful of Rice,” which follows an agricultural society through a docudrama format, and the 1927 American “Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness”.

“Then we became a tourist spot and many people came here. We became a tourist heaven, but people also saw the seedy, violent, and dangerous parts of Thailand,” Putthapong said.

In the arguably tasteless Hollywood comedy “The Hangover II” (2011), Bradley Cooper and two buddies get tricked by a capuchin monkey and a kathoey stripper. “Lost in Thailand” (2011), which follows a similar “boys trip” premise, was once the highest-grossing film of all time in China, and is credited with erupting the waves of Chinese tourists we see today.

In darker films, violence, crime, and muay thai are central themes, such as in “Only God Forgives,” where Ryan Gosling plays an American expat running a drug ring.

But Thai women are particularly central to many contemporary foreign films about Thailand.

“Thai women are shown in both a positive light – as beautiful and with impeccable manners – and a negative light, such as in prostitution,” Putthapong said. “The dynamic of the farang man and the Thai woman is also explored a lot.”

If you only have enough time for one film, Putthapong recommends “Soi Cowboy,” a 2008 film about an overweight Danish expat and his Thai girlfriend who he meets – guess where?

A screening of the film at 1pm Aug. 17 will be followed by a panel discussion with the film’s producer, Tom Waller, and Mahidol University film studies lecturer Wikanda Phromkhunthong.

Since the inception of film, Thailand, formerly Siam, has provided attractive shooting locations and subject matter for foreign camera crews. The first film set in the country was the since-lost  “Suvarna of Siam” (1922) by American filmmaker Henry MacRae.

All screenings are free and shown at the Thai Film Archive on Phutthamonthon Sai 5 Road. The venue is reachable by public bus No. 515 from Victory Monument in front of Rajavithi Hospital, and the Y70E Microbus. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Film Archive for additional information about the screenings you are interested in. 

The program is below:

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July 4, 5:30pm: “Lost in Thailand” directed by Xu Zheng (China, 2011)

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July 6, 1pm: “A Handful of Rice” directed by Pal Fejos (Sweden, 1940)

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July 13, 1pm: “Only God Forgives” directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Denmark, France, 2013)

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July 16, 1pm: “Yutthana-Siriporn” directed by Hans Berthel (Germany, 1963)

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July 25, 5:30pm: “The Last Executioner” directed by Thai-Irish Tom Waller (Thailand, 2014)

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Aug 1, 5:30pm: “Ghost of Mae Nak” directed by British Mike Duffield (Thailand, 2005)

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Aug 3, 1pm: “Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness” directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper (USA, 1927)

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Aug 3, 3pm: “The Forest” directed by British Paul Spurrier (Thailand, 2016)

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Aug 7, 5:30pm: “Bangkok Dangerous” directed by Hong Kongers Oxide and Danny Pang (Thailand, 1999)

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Aug 17, 1pm: “Soi Cowboy” directed by British Thomas Clay (Thailand, 2009)

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Aug 24, 1pm: “Pop-Aye” directed by Kirsten Tan (Singapore, Thailand, 2017)

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Aug 24, 3pm: “The Elephant King” directed by American Seth Grossman (Thailand, 2006)

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Aug 25, 1pm: “The Hangover Part II” directed by American Todd Phillips (USA, 2011)

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Aug 25, 3pm: “The Man with the Golden Gun” directed by British Guy Hamilton (UK, 1974)

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Aug 29, 5:30pm: “Butterfly Man” directed by British Kaprice Kea (Thailand, 2002)

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