BANGKOK — Expect to hear a lot of c-bombs at a stand-up show coming early next year.
Those who like their brutal honesty cut with blunt vulgarity will get earfuls of it when Australian star comedian Jim Jefferies strikes Bangkok for the first time with jokes riffing off hot-button topics.
Jefferies, who once described himself as the “Rosa Parks of Cunt,” is sure to walk a blurred line between funny and offensive on trigger issues such as gun control, religion, prostitution and rape.
Jefferies’ show, part of his The Night Talker Tour, starts at 8pm on Jan. 18 at Scala Cinema. Tickets start at 1,800 baht and are available online. The standalone theater is located in Soi Siam Square 1 and can be reached from BTS Siam.
Jim Jefferies, 41, is the stage name of Geoff James Nugent. The Sydney-born comedian has his own comedy series “Legit” and hosts Comedy Central’s weekly late-night news satire program “The Jim Jefferies Show.” His stand-up special “Freedumb” and “This is Me Now” are available in Thailand on Netflix.
Pheu Thai Old Guards including Chaturon Chaisaeng and Nattawut Saikua pose after registering Monday with the Thai Raksa Chart Party. Photo: Thai Raksa Chart
BANGKOK — Splintering into multiple, smaller parties is a sensible strategy under the new rules to gain more seats in the next election, former Election Commission Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said Tuesday.
Somchai remarked that smaller parties are favored by the rewritten rules after 12 people, including well-known former Pheu Thai Party MPs such as Chaturon Chaisang, Weng Tojirakarn and Pichai Nariptaphan and Nattawut Saikua joinedthe newly formed Thai Raksa Chart Party on Monday.
The former election commissioner said the new election rules put in place under the junta-sponsored charter disadvantage large parties trying to win an outright majority as all votes nationwide will be aggregated and calculated differently than they were in the past.
“It was designed in a way that the number of MP seats is designed to be spread out to medium- and small-sized parties,” Somchai said.
Indeed, the rules seemed designed to hobble the strength of large parties in part by diluting voters’ say in choosing local representation. National vote tallies will factor into local results.
In the past, voters received two ballots – one for their constituency and another for a party’s list candidates, meaning they could even split their loyalties by voting for a politician from one party while supporting another’s list.
Now, they will receive only one ballot with a single box to fill in, Somchai said, adding that votes for constituency-based candidates will automatically be a vote for their party-list candidates. Instead of those with the most votes in a constituency winning no matter how votes obtained, the new rules require an aggregate of all votes from all constituencies nationwide to be added up before the number of winning MPs is computed.
Somchai said the bar is set high at roughly 70,000 votes per MP.
Under the old system, two MPs from the same party running in the same constituency who won fewer than 70,000 votes – say 40,000 and 30,000 – could both become MPs if they placed first and second.
Not anymore. The new rules means their votes would be combined, with only one seat being allotted per 70,000 votes. That means some candidates without huge followings could fare better running as list candidates for an offshoot party to capture as much of the national vote as possible.
“If Pheu Thai wins 14 million votes, they will only get 200 MPs under the new system. If they win in 180 constituencies, there will be slots for only 20 party-list MPs,” Somchai said.
For two decades, Pheu Thai and its predecessors, all founded by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have been an unstoppable force.
The other major political force, the Democrat Party, has not embarked on a similar strategy as it contends with its own schism between pro-democratic and authoritarian factions. A number of high-profile Democrats have left to support the Action Coalition for Thailand Party, which is unofficially led by Suthep Thaugsuban, a former party secretary general.
Some still hope for rapprochement between Pheu Thai and the pro-democracy Democrats despite their history of bitter conflict and competition.
The former election commissioner, who was forced out earlier this year by the leader of the ruling junta, warned that determining the best way to divide up parties to be more competitive is not an easy task.
Weng, one of the former Pheu Thai parliamentarians who is also a leader of the Redshirt movement, said Tuesday that it’s not easy explaining to their supporters which one they should vote for now.
He said more important than choosing party A or B is voting for those in the pro-democracy or anti-junta camps.
“It’s a fight between democracy and dictatorship,” said Weng, who called the new election rules a “booby trap.”
He said voters should support their preferred party’s candidate if he or she is sure to clear the 70,000-vote threshold. In places where their rivals are stronger, they should vote for an offshoot party or one with similar values for a better chance at securing party-list seats.
Therefore, he said Pheu Thai voters should back Pheu Thai candidates in the party’s stronghold areas, and one of its three-and-counting proxy parties outside them.
Weng said he left Pheu Thai to join Thai Raksa Chart because he decided it is the best chance for “pro-democracy” parties to stop pro-junta parties from gaining control and extending military rule post-election.
“To concentrate all the votes on Pheu Thai Party is self-destructive and unwise, so I resorted to this strategy,” said Weng, who expects to run as a party-list candidate for Thai Raksa Chart.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks to reporters Tuesday.
BANGKOK — Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha said Tuesday the date of His Majesty’s coronation ceremony is entirely up to him.
Prayuth appeared to walk back a June statement that the coronation, which will formally elevate King Vajiralongkorn to the throne as the new monarch, would take place before the election slated for February.
“You have to wait and hear from His Majesty,” Gen. Prayuth said in reply to a reporter’s inquiry at Government House. “You have to wait for a royal decree.”
King Vajiralongkorn inherited the throne following his father’s death in October 2016, but he has yet to be crowned, an elaborate ceremony that will officially mark the beginning of his reign.
A sperm whale beached in 2016 in Skegness, England. Image: ODN / YouTube
JAKARTA — A dead whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had a large lump of plastic waste in its stomach, including drinking cups and flip-flops, a park official said Tuesday, causing concern among environmentalists and government officials in one of the world’s largest plastic polluting countries.
Rescuers from Wakatobi National Park found the rotting carcass of the 9.5-meter (31-foot) sperm whale late Monday near the park in Southeast Sulawesi province after receiving a report from environmentalists that villagers had surrounded the dead whale and were beginning to butcher the rotting carcass, park chief Heri Santoso said.
Santoso said researchers from wildlife conservation group WWF and the park’s conservation academy found about 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) of plastic waste in the animal’s stomach containing 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, 2 flip-flops, a nylon sack and more than 1,000 other assorted pieces of plastic.
“Although we have not been able to deduce the cause of death, the facts that we see are truly awful,” said Dwi Suprapti, a marine species conservation coordinator at WWF Indonesia.
She said it was not possible to determine if the plastic had caused the whale’s death because of the animal’s advanced state of decay.
Indonesia, an archipelago of 260 million people, is the world’s second-largest plastic polluter after China, according to a study published in the journal Science in January. It produces 3.2 million tons of mismanaged plastic waste a year, of which 1.29 million tons ends up in the ocean, the study said.
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s coordinating minister of maritime affairs, said the whale’s discovery should raise public awareness about the need to reduce plastic use, and had spurred the government to take tougher measures to protect the ocean.
“I’m so sad to hear this,” said Pandjaitan, who recently has campaigned for less use of plastic. “It is possible that many other marine animals are also contaminated with plastic waste and this is very dangerous for our lives.”
He said the government is making efforts to reduce the use of plastic, including urging shops not to provide plastic bags for customers and teaching about the problem in schools nationwide to meet a government target of reducing plastic use by 70 percent by 2025.
“This big ambition can be achieved if people learn to understand that plastic waste is a common enemy,” he told The Associated Press.
Chorlada Tarawan’s family mourns Nov. 13 at her home in Khon Kaen.
BANGKOK — The Health Ministry said Tuesday it would file several criminal charges against Praram 2 Hospital over alleged malpractice for turning away a dying woman who had been burned with acid.
A ministry investigation found hospital administrators and operators failed to maintain standards and potentially breached five regulations, factors that may have contributed to the death earlier this month of Chorladda Tarawan, according to Nattawuth Prasertsiripong, a ministry director general.
The infractions include refusing to treat a patient in a critical condition and arranging a substandard transfer to another hospital, according to the ministry.
If convicted, the combined penalties add up to a maximum nine years in jail and 180,000-baht fine. Nattawuth said the investigative committee agreed to file all charges to the police Wednesday.
According to Nattawuth, Chorladda was assessed only by a nurse who failed to report her condition to the doctor on call. Chorladda was then transferred without proper documentation or transport to Bangmod Hospital, where she died.
Chorladda, 38, was attacked by her husband Nov. 10 with soldering acid. Her 12-year-old daughter said Praram 2 staff turned them away from the emergency room, and that they had to travel unaccompanied to Bangmod by taxi.
The taxi driver who took Chorladda to Praram 2 told reporters yesterday before meeting with health officials that she was crying out in pain throughout the ride, and he saw no staff come out to offer assistance when they arrived at the emergency room.
The driver who later ferried them to Bangmod said he was told by Praram 2 staff that Chorladda was scalded by hot water.
Praram 2 Hospital on Thursday said it would pursue defamation charges against the press for reporting false information about the incident. The lawyer representing the hospital declined to say which news reports were false.
Nattawuth said the nurse, who confessed to not reporting Chorladda to a doctor, will be the subject of an ethics probe by the nursing council. He said the hospital’s logs show it’s unlikely that it didn’t have any doctor on call at the emergency room as has been alleged.
The hospital also violated building codes by turning a parking garage into an outpatient department without authorization, Nattawuth said.
He said the building has been closed since Nov. 13 and the hospital has 15 days to improve standards or risk losing its license. He added that he hasn’t heard back from Praram 2 regarding this matter.
Confiscated rhino horns put on display on March 14, 2017.
BANGKOK — A court Tuesday convicted two women of smuggling 173 million baht worth of rhino horns past airport security and a high-ranking official who vouched for their luggage.
For attempting the crime early last year, which led to the most valuable seizure of illegal rhino horn at the time, Thitirat Arai, Kansinee Anutranusart and Worapat Boonsri were sentenced to four years in prison for smuggling protected animal parts.
The police commander in charge of the case said the investigation to capture other possible suspects is ongoing.
“We are still checking their financial traces to see if anyone else is involved,” deputy police commissioner Chalermkiat Sriworakan said by phone Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Thitirat and Kansinee hid 50 kilograms of rhino horns in their bags and attempted to pass through a customs checkpoint on March 10, 2017, at Suvarnabhumi Airport. They were escorted by Worapat – then a public Saraburi province prosecutor – and two policemen.
The 21 horns came illegally from Ethiopia by way of Cambodia. Thailand is a popular transit point for traffickers.
Once stopped by custom officials who demanded to inspect the luggage, Worapat said they contained wine and told the officers not to open the bags, the court heard. He also asked the officials how much money they wanted, which led to another count of bribery.
Security camera footage of the incident showed the officers open the luggage anyway to find the large haul of horns. Thitirat and Kansinee managed to escape while their bags were being searched, while Worapat was detained on the spot. The two women were later arrested.
Two police officers who were escorting the women were not charged with any crime after their commander maintained the pair weren’t aware of the contraband.
The Attorney General’s office said it’s also deliberating on whether Worapat should be disciplined for trying to use his influence to help the smugglers through.
BANGKOK — Ever debated whether to give up a train seat for a woman who could be pregnant or may just look it? Now the BTS Skytrain operator wants to help with that cognitive dissonance.
On Saturday it launched a new program in which pregnant women can register and receive a pin that reads, “Baby on Board” in English for more convenient rail travel.
It’s hoped those sporting the brooch/keychain combo are more likely to win a sympathy seat.
Complete a registration form at any ticket booth by bringing identification, medical details and emergency contact information. In return, pregnant moms will receive their new maternity bling for free.
The operator said it is designing special priority seats for pregnant women that will be offered in the near future, but gave few details.
The public transportation operator said it wants to expand accessibility to other groups including seniors, children, monks and people with disabilities.
AYUTTHAYA — A suspected drug dealer fooled a cop into looking for a nonexistent snake in his cell before locking him up and dashing out for a brief moment of freedom early this morning, police said Tuesday.
And yes, the whole thing was captured on camera.
In what looks like a scene from a prison break thriller – or farcical comedy – Anan Komolwanich managed to not only escape his cell at Ayutthaya’s Sena Police Station, but also elude capture for six hours.
It all started when 23-year-old Anan, who was in a holding cell for alleged drug dealing, shouted at about 9.30pm that there was a snake in his cell. The guard on duty, Sgt. Ratchada Supawong, went to check but found nothing.
Reports said Anan repeated the false alarm thrice more. As Ratchada made a fourth inspection, Anan grabbed the key from him, bolted out of his holding cell and locked the guard inside. He then ran into a wooded area which police began to search.
He was captured toward 3am, hiding about a kilometer from the station. Col. Wasuthep said Anan faces an additional charge of escaping custody.
The officer in charge of the station said the guard would be punished for breaching safety protocols.
“This is a disciplinary violation. It’s very clear. There must be punishment,” Col. Wasuthep Kongklom said in an interview. “However, because it took little time to capture the suspect, there might be some grounds to lessen the penalty. But there will definitely be punishment.”
The police colonel said standard protocols state that a guard should not enter the jail unless he first makes sure the suspect cannot flee.
He also acknowledged that there have been other recent escapes involving human error.
Wasuthep cited an incident in Suphan Buri province six months ago in which a suspect managed to saw the bars off his cell window with a tool his wife slipped to him in a lunch box.
“The problem isn’t our equipment. The problem is humans failing to follow procedures,” the station chief said.
Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong poses
in January as he meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Tran Van Minh / Associated Press
HANOI — Vietnam and India have agreed to boost their trade while expanding their cooperation in defense and security, among other areas.
Speaking to reporters at a joint press briefing in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said Tuesday that he believes the bilateral trade volume will reach USD$15 billion by 2020, up from $12.8 billion last year.
Kovind said he and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong also reviewed the implementation of an Indian credit line of $100 million to high-speed patrol vessels for Vietnam’s coast guard.
Trong said the two countries will find ways to boost their modest investment.
Kovind is on a three-day visit to Vietnam, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc later Tuesday before departing.
Jacobo Astray poses with his pan of paella on Nov. 10 at an event in Thonglor.
Most nights find Jacobo Astray sawing off slices of jamon iberico and pouring sangria at Ekkamai tapas joint Broken Eggs.
There, the Galician native, a former cook at what was Spain’s most-decorated restaurant, has been tossing up share-friendly tapas for the past year in a surprisingly small kitchen with a tightly knit staff of four.
But despite his personal and professional history, Astray isn’t catering solely to other Spaniards.
While most other immigrant-run joints are opened to attract those of a like kind, Astray’s restaurant testifies to a professional calling to create innovative fusion dishes that invoke fine Iberian form while also satisfying Thai palates.
“I don’t like the concept of having a starter and then a main course. When you come to Broken Eggs, you have to order and share everything with your friends, so actually tapas is a very Thai concept,” the 36-year-old Galician said.
Broken Egg’s Thai-inspired dishes include jumbo prawns a la plancha served with a Thai seafood sauce, a mini pita filled with yellow curry and crab and what he says is his own version of Jay Fai’s famed crab omelettes.
“I designed the menu for the local tastes. Thai people like spices, sour and sweet,” Astray said. “Globalization gives you access to many recipes and products, which you can bring together to make good tapas.”
His first brush with Thailand was seven years ago while on a one-month holiday. Astray took a Spanish chef job for a one-night event and it led to hospitality jobs and consulting work before he launched Broken Eggs as a tapas stall at W District, which reopened at Ekkamai late last year as a full-blown gastro bar.
Tapas is a very Thai concept
“I already knew Western food. But Thailand and Asia is a new world [with] new produce, and it got me excited,” Astray said. “I think every chef would love to spend time in Thailand.”
Astray explains the gastro bar as European staple combining the contemporary fine dining eating experience with a casual bar where “you don’t have to be afraid you cannot make noise or laugh.” Broken Eggs is such a place, with a varied menu of fusion modern tapas made by a professional hand but still very relatable to any brunch-goer, especially Thai customers.
ElBulli No More
Astray was a cook at ElBulli, a famed cliffside restaurant in Catalonia, Spain, that held three Michelin stars before it closed seven years ago. Under the leadership of brothers Ferran Adria and Albert Adria, ElBulli became known for pioneering haute cuisine.
“They are like normal people,” Astray said of the brothers, “but with the knowledge and ambition.”
From them he learned the techniques and skills needed to hang his own shingle. But at Broken Eggs, he’s doing anything but making the kind of “spherified” olives that ElBulli was known for, in which natural foods’ physical shapes through chemical processes, called molecular gastronomy. One of the most visible is making liquid foods into spheres.
“There is no liquid nitrogen or spherification here. I cannot recreate dishes from ElBulli here,” Astray said. “That was a huge kitchen with 50 chefs. It also had a completely separate concept. The only thing that’s used is some techniques and preparations, like making foam or sous vide.”
After seven years in Thailand, he’s still adjusting to the sabai sabai culture that contrasts with the high-heat work environment back home.
“The culture here is very relaxing, very sabai sabai. But I can’t just let it be, let it go. It was different in Europe, when I had a lot of job stress,” he said.
The Fare
It’s not surprising why the refreshing tuna tataki with guacamole, mango and ponzu sauce (260 baht) is popular with Thai customers. It’s a great cold starter to lead into things like the fried squid and avocado taco (240 baht), crunchy from both the batter and red cabbage, or the gambas al ajillo (260 baht), a very Spanish hot plate with several shrimp bubbling in hot but slightly bland garlic.
Tuna tataki with guacamole, mango and ponzu sauce (260 baht).
Don’t miss the black squid ink rice, also known as arroz negro (320 baht). To Thai palates, it’s a satisfyingly dark, fishy porridge, topped with fried calamari. One can’t believe it doesn’t have naam pla. At a recent foodie event, Astray made a black squid paella similar to the ink rice at Broken Eggs in a friendly battle against Quince’s Charlie Jones. Astray’s fishy flavors and calamari sprinkled liberally with roasted peppers won out over Jones’ more traditional seafood version.
Black squid ink rice (320 baht).
One of several vegetarian dishes available at Broken Eggs (there are enough for a meal, and many meat dishes can be asked for substitution) is the place of eggplant cubes with honey and miso (180 baht), a surprisingly filling, savory-sweet treat.
Available to drink are Galician as well as Thai craft beers (“I want to help support the Thai community, but unfortunately they cannot legally produce here.”), a variety of gins and, of course, fruity sangria.
Fried squid and avocado taco (two for 240 baht).
Eggplant cubes with honey and miso (180 baht).A glass of sangria (160 baht).
Astray’s black squid paella with calamari and roasted peppers.
Broken Eggs is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5pm to 11pm, and from noon to 4pm on Sundays. The tapas bar is located a short motorbike ride from BTS Ekkamai.
