BANGKOK — Anti-junta activists stage a protest in Bangkok downtown Friday evening to call upon the junta’s rubber stamp parliament to convene a non-confidence debate against its own masters.
Saying the military regime has consistently mismanaged the country and oppressed its citizens since seizing power three years ago, campaigner Sirawith Seritiwat urged the interim parliament to start doing its job in scrutinizing the government.
He stated his demand in front of several dozens of his supporters on BTS National Stadium skywalk this evening, a rare protest under the regime that has banned all forms of public dissent.
Anti-junta protest at BTS National Stadium skywalkStory: https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/12/14/activists-plan-anti-junta-rally-friday-wont-notify-police
Sirawith, aka Ja New, said he will petition the National Legislative Assembly on Dec. 22 to launch the motion. If he does not hear back from them by Jan. 14, the activist said he and the people “would take the matter into their own hand.”
Per parliament regulations, one fifth of lawmakers can ask the House Speaker to launch a no-confidence debate against the prime minister and his government.
The debate consists of various lawmakers taking turn to voice their opposition to the administration. The entire procedure is broadcast live on state TV channel, and such debates often gain widespread attention.
There has been no debate of no-confidence since the military seized power in May 2014. All current lawmakers were appointed by the junta.
Although police were deployed at today’s protest, no arrest was made.
The highlights include space drama “The Spacewalker,” based on a true story, martial arts action “Sparta,” which follows a former MMA champion after his release from prison and disaster film “Icebreaker” (“Ledokol” in Russian) about a man adrift on the Antarctic ice over four months.
The festival marks the 120th anniversary of Russo-Thai diplomatic relations.
Each film will be screened in Russian with Thai and English subtitles. The schedule is available online. Admission is free. Moviegoers can pick up their tickets at the lobby.
The event takes place Wednesday through Dec. 24 at SF World Cinema CentralWorld.
It’s time to say goodbye to 2017 and welcome the new year. Bangkok’s club scene had its ups and downs, but for this one special night the whole city comes alive in good vibes to celebrate. Expect parties to go off in every neighborhood, and for those out for some club-hopping, there’s something for everyone, from hip-hop and Afro House to straight-up EDM.
Also, if you prefer after-hours grooving, this is one of the few times of the year that kind of thing is tolerated by the boys in brown. Wherever you choose to go, have fun and be safe. Here are some of my top picks for New Year’s Eve.
Start the evening getting jiggy with Thai hip-hop icon Khan at W Hotel’s ultra-chic Woobar. One of the pioneers of Thai hip-hop and producing music for supergroup Thaitanium, Khan is also a regular DJ on the club and festival circuit. This year he’s joined by Goja Galleries’ Toru and DJ Jedie from Tha Beatlounge and Redbull 3style Thailand champion DJ Whatdafrog. Expect to hear a full spectrum of hip-hop, R&B, reggae and mash-ups.
Entry is free. Free-flow packages are available from 9pm to 2am from 3000 baht to 12,000 baht.
Now if you’re looking to go huuuuuuge on NYE then start with this. TBC Bangkok Countdown 2018 is being billed as the city’s biggest countdown music festival. Besides A-list DJs such as Afrojack, Knife Party and Wiwek doing their fist-pumping and crowd-hyping antics, the two-day festival also features state of the art sound system and light shows. Get tickets online.
In the past two years, White Line has earned its place as one of the top venues for late night clubbing in Bangkok. This New Year’s Eve, the venue plans to go all out for its fans and are ready to treat guests to three floors of booty-shaking beats. Celebrations kick off with local heroes Chote, Tek Harrington and Gramaphone Children supplying house, boogie and disco. But it ain’t just DJs because performing live are the Lowdowns and Zoe Winter. The evening’s special guest will be DJ Nayla from the UK. Signed to Banoffee Pies Records, Nayla leans toward hip-hop and funk beats, but for New Year’s Eve he says he’s gonna keep the vibe eclectic and will drop everything from Afro beat to jungle. Tickets are 600 and include one drink. Doors open at 9pm.
Just when you thought Thonglor was only for hi-so hipsters, Bangkok has been blessed this year with the opening of De Commune. It was planned as a community space to give artists, designers, musicians and party promoters a place to showcase their work. Don’t expect anything fancy here because – other than a fantastic sound system – the club keeps the interior to a bare minimum. This New Year’s get ready for serious house and techno as DJs Munta Morton, Kova O’ Sarin and the gang keep the party rockin’ into the wee hours of the morning.
Tickets are 300 baht at the door, which opens at 9pm.
If you’re looking for something a bit more low-key, head on down to 12×12. A small bar located in the backstreets of Thonglor, this place has been the hangout spot for young trendy expats in the know. On Dec. 31, Jay Dubb and co. will supply a disco and house soundtrack for a night of immature hedonism and reckless abandon.
Doors open at 10pm. Entry is free before midnight – 350 baht after.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un speaks with one of his generals in a photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 2, 2015.
BANGKOK — The U.S. special envoy for North Korea on Friday expressed hope that Pyongyang would accept Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s diplomatic offer of unconditional talks, although the overture has already been contradicted by the White House.
Joseph Yun told reporters in Bangkok that the talks could take place without preconditions and would serve Washington’s dual approach of pressure and engagement on Pyongyang over its nuclear program.
Yun acknowledged it’s unclear whether North Korea would be willing to talk following a period of accelerated nuclear activity, saying “it’s very hard to discern what their intent is without having real dialogue.”
“I think what Secretary Tillerson spoke to was we want to have a dialogue with them. We are open to dialogue and we hope they will agree to have a dialogue,” said Yun at the end of a two-nation tour that also included a stop in Tokyo.
“Let’s see how they respond … I am very hopeful that diplomacy has a long way to go before any next steps are considered.”
In a speech in Washington on Tuesday, Tillerson said the United States will be willing to start diplomatic talks with North Korea without preconditions. This led to questions on whether the Trump administration was exploring a new policy on North Korea after previously stating it wouldn’t negotiate with North Korean officials unless they were willing to discuss curbing their nuclear weapons and missiles program.
However, the White House was quick to contradict Tillerson’s offer. A National Security Council spokesperson said Wednesay that North Korea must not only first refrain from provocations but take “sincere and meaningful actions toward denuclearization.” The spokesperson, who was not authorized to be quoted by name and requested anonymity, said that given North Korea’s most recent missile test, now was not the time for talks.
BANGKOK — It’s been a big year for Thai craft beer. From sun-dried banana-brewed beer and the country’sfirst legal honey wine, the domestic variety has gone from meh to “more please.”
Atop a roof near MRT Lat Phrao, craft beer geeks and the craft-curious will gather for seven days to celebrate the year’s local beer boom.
Starting Dec. 25, Craft Space Beer Week will feature a long list of local and international craft beer brands, music, workshop, games and more.
Wichit Saiklao, known in the community as a pioneer of Thai Craft Beer, will host a talk along with Liger Beer’s Archirawas Wansrisawat, Sandport Beer cofounder Supapong Pruenglampoo and Panithan Tongsiri of Lamzing and Bannok beers.
Beer foam plus art is aesthetically delicious. Yer Space will lead a workshop on painting ceramics cups with colors mixed with beer head. Audio/visual artist group Suburb Sound will perform Dec. 29 and Dec. 30.
Admission is free. Coupons to buy some beer, food and play games will be available at the door.
Craft Space Beer Weekwill run Dec. 25 to Dec. 31 on the rooftop of Move Amaze. The commercial complex is located on Soi Lat Phrao 19 and can be reached from MRT Lat Phrao.
Police arrest Pathumporn “Ae” Mongkornchaiya Thursday in Ratchaburi.
RATCHABURI — Police have arrested the admin of a Line group who allegedly paid parents to sexually abuse their toddlers and were looking Friday for the woman’s supposed employer.
Police arrested Pathumporn “Ae” Mongkornchaiya, 27, in Ratchaburi province on Thursday, four days after she became the lead suspect in recruiting members to a community of pedophiles where they would post rape and sex videos using a private Line group. They case emerged after one such clip involving a mother and stepfather raping a toddler boy leaked from the group.
“We believe that she also hired other families to do similar acts, so we are investigating this further,” police Maj. Gen. Kornchai Klaiklung said. “She confessed to the crimes, and now we have to look for the people who hired her to do this.”
Songpol Sangkasem of Phitsanulok police on Friday cast doubt on Pathumporn’s claims and said the police have not reached out to either Interpol or Line Corp.
“We’re still interrogating her. She might just be saying there’s an employer to try and push the blame away from herself. We have to find evidence that she was being employed first,” Songpol said.
Pathumporn paid 400 baht, police said, to a 25-year-old mother and 40-year old stepfather to rape her 3-year-old toddler for two videos starting in 2016. Pathumporn reportedly received about 600 baht for helping acquire such clips.
After her arrest, Pathumporn said she was employed by an anonymous source with a Japanese username on Line, a chat app popular in both Japan and Thailand. She claimed to have received money from the source through cash cards, which she would take a cut of before transfering money to people who posted the clips or streamed acts of sexual violence in the Line group.
“In the group members’ Line profiles, the members set their usernames to kiku anone [cutesy Japanese] characters without revealing any identities at all,” Kornchai said.
Kornchai said Pathumporn also allegedly hired men and women to perform live sex many times for the Line group, which she said had around 100 members.
Pathumporn insisted she “did not know” there were children used in the Line videos and that she just handled money transfers and recruitment. She said the group existed long before she joined and started working for the employer.
Police have charged Pathumporn with human trafficking, uploading obscene content to computer systems and for violating the Child Protection Act. She is under police custody at the Thung Song Hong Police Station in Bangkok.
Police arrest Pathumporn “Ae” Mongkornchaiya Thursday in Ratchaburi.
LOS ANGELES — Nine films are now vying for an Academy Award nomination in the foreign language category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the short-list Thursday, which includes films from Chile, Germany, Israel and Lebanon. Ninety-two films were initially in contention for possible nomination.
Five films are typically nominated for foreign language Oscar consideration, and the nominees will be announced on Jan. 23. The Academy Awards will be held on March 4 in Los Angeles.
The short-listed films are: Chile’s “A Fantastic Woman,” Germany’s “In the Fade,” Hungary’s “On Body and Soul,” Israel’s “Foxtrot,” Lebanon’s “The Insult,” Russia’s “Loveless,” Senegal’s “Felicite,” South Africa’s “The Wound” and Sweden’s “The Square.”
Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha jokes with a Voice TV reporter on Nov. 22 at Government House. Image: Voice TV
BANGKOK — A TV station repeatedly penalized by the military government for its coverage will lay off up to half of its workforce, sources said Thursday.
The restructuring of Voice TV, which is owned by the son of junta political arch-rival Thaksin Shinawatra, will fall heavily on its television production staff as the channel will shift its focus to online presence, two sources at the channel said separately. They spoke anonymously because they are not allowed to discuss company policies to the media.
Both sources said station management will announce next Friday whose jobs are on the line.
“The list will be announced next Friday,” one source said. “There will be 150 people left, from something like 300 employees in various sections. Most of the layoffs will be in the TV department while most of the website crew will get by.”
Voice TV news director Prateep Kongsib declined to comment.
“Apologies, but I cannot give you any information at this time,” he wrote in an email.
Founded in 2008, the station is one of two dozen stations that paid 50 billion baht to win a digital broadcast license. Their content has been policed by state broadcasting regulators, which was empowered by the regime to dish out punishment to violators of junta guidelines and coverage agreements the media were pressured into complying with following the 2014 coup.
The company is privately held and its finances are shielded from scrutiny, but reports suggest its business has been struggling. An article by Isra News in March said the station had racked up cumulative losses of 1.3 billion baht by the end of 2015, the latest information available.
Owned by Panthongtae Shinawatra, the only son of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the station routinely covers political issues and offers commentary perceived as favorable to his political faction.
The station’s stance has often led to conflict with junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has banned any public criticism of his regime since seizing power from a pro-Shinawatra government in 2014.
In August, the station announced it would cut its political coverage and content entirely to avoid further censorship and transition to more lifestyle-oriented coverage.
The crackdown on media freedom under the junta coincides with the ongoing decline of the traditional media, whether in print or on the air. A number of print outlets have closed down or slashed their offerings in recent years, and many digital TV stations say they are struggling to turn a profit.
“Our digital TV business is not going well, which is no different to other channels,” one of the sources said. “So we have to evaluate, what do we have to do?”
The other source said many advertisers have been scared off by the frequent punishments from the regulators at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.
Both sources maintained the station would not close down despite financial difficulties.
Additional reporting Pravit Rojanaphruk
Correction: An earlier version of this article quoted a source saying Voice TV would end broadcasts. The source did not state such information. We regret the error.
Maria Poonlertlarp, who previously went by Maria Lynn Ehren, at left and Mario Maurer, at right. Photos: @Marialynnehren, @Mario_mm38
By Sattrawut Bunruecha
BANGKOK — Maria Poonlertlarp Ehren may have fallen short last month on the Las Vegas stage but her reign is just beginning in Thailand.
Many hoped the Thai-Swedish beauty would become the third Thai contestant to win the Miss Universe crown, especially because her stunning beauty came with an impeccable grasp of English. Though she stalled out at fifth place in the pageant, she came home to an adoring nation and accepted a government offer Tuesday to be a living embodiment of “Thainess.”
Yet even before the pageant took place, Maria’s ethnicity and background had rekindled debate over what is and is not “Thai,” with detractors arguing she represents neither and supporters saying her mixed heritage gave her a huge advantage.
“Outwardly she may not look very Thai, but inwardly she is so Thai. She demonstrates Thai social etiquette, and that the whole world will know she is from Thailand,” read a commenton the Pantip.com webboard.
Rise of the ‘Half Blood’ Idols
In the broader domain of popular Thai culture, young mixed-race actors and models of Thai-Western unions, or leuk khrung (Thai-Western, or literally “half-blood”), appear in most contemporary Thai films and television dramas.
A number of stars and singers of Thai-Western intermarriage have quickly shot to superstardom during the past decade. Their faces beam from nearly every advertisement and program: Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund, Nadech Kugimiya, Davika Hoorne, Kimberly Voltemas Tiamsiri and Mario Maurer. They’re are among the highest paid actors in Thailand. Most are under 25.
Mario; a 29 year old of Thai, German and Chinese descent; was hired last year by the tourism authority to be the face of Thailand.
Chutharat Rueangrak, 27, who avidly watches about 20 weekly hours of television dramas, is also a big fan of Nadech and Yaya. She said the popularity of Thai-Western celebs exploded again about a decade ago, “probably after ‘4 Huajai Haeng Koon Kao’ [‘4 Hearts of the Mountains’],” a 2010 soap opera that launched the careers of the two lead actors.
“Thai actors have to go through some plastic surgery to achieve the beauty standards such as double-fold eyelids, high noses, thin chins and V-shaped jawlines, while altering one’s body is not yet fully accepted in Thai society. Personally, I think those people do not look natural on screen,” she said.
In a market where skill in foreign languages is low and skin whitening a key marketing feature in skin products, it’s also about the corporate bottom line.
“Talents, especially the ability to speak English, plays an important role in success because it makes people look ‘expensive,’” Chutarat said.
“Expensive,” or paeng, is even a buzzword in image-oriented industries such as advertising and modeling to describe people and things that look stylish, elegant and glamorous.
In the advertising domain, Thai-Western actors, models, and singers have also become the dominant “face” of countless products. Talent agent Phijitra Phaesuwan said firms producing expensive products such as cosmetics, electronic gadgets and garments often choose Thai-Western actors and models because they look more paeng.
They may have more value for brands looking beyond Thailand’s borders.
“Usually the products pay more due mainly to the fact that the commercials appear in more countries, and sometimes throughout Asia,” Phijitra said.
As representations of leuk krung in the media have proliferated, so have notions of love across racial lines.
This is visible in films like “Plae Kao” (“The Scar”), a 2015 remake set amid a pastoral backdrop of buffalos and vast fields in what was a rural part of the capital. It featured Thai-Belgian Davika and Chaiyapol Julian Poupart.
In dozens of posts daily, Thai netizens share photos of handsome foreign men and anecdotes of their virtues.
Chaturat, the avid soap fan, said the popularity of celebs of mixed heritage is rooted in insecurity.
“Thais often have mixed feelings of admiration and jealousy toward people who look superior in terms of social, financial and racial statuses and physicality,” she said. “The choices reflect Thai people’s deep-seated inferiority complex.”
Thus the dichotomy of a nation equally obsessed with both “Thainess” and the outside world.
Austrian-Thai Nadech Kugimiya is a ubiquitous face in marketing.
Despite the surge of ultra-nationalist sentiments aroused time and again, often for political purposes, Thais are not so inward when it comes to who they love in show business.
“In countries such as Japan, consumers still prefer actors who look local. Thailand is a nation where people look up to people who appear superior, the same way as people in less-developed neighboring countries idolize actors and singers from Thailand,” Phijitra said.
There lies the fundamental contradiction, according to Thammasat University lecturer Veluree Metaveevinij.
“The allure of something associated with the West is however ambiguous,” Veluree said. “Thai-Western actors play prominent roles in historical films and dramas, but at the same time the West is depicted as villains threatening the purity of Thai culture and Thainess in these same films and dramas.”
“The relationship between Thailand and the West is therefore a love-hate one,” the lecturer said. “We admire Thai-Western actors and singers, while reviling and blaming farangs as they represent capitalism and moral deprivation.”
Torrey Holistics employees, Matt Sullivan, left, and Taron McElroy, arrange jars of cannabis in San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. On Thursday, California issued its first batch of business licenses for the state's upcoming legal marijuana market, setting the stage for sales to begin to adults in January. The first license for recreational retail sales went to Torrey Holistics in San Diego. Photo: Julie Watson / Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — California on Thursday issued its first batch of business licenses for the state’s upcoming legal marijuana market, setting the stage for sales to begin in January.
The first temporary license was awarded to Pure CA, which does business as Moxie brand products, a company known for its cannabis extracts.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Moxie CEO Jordan Lams, who credited “a lot of the stars aligning” for being awarded the first distributor license for recreational pot.
“California has been without regulations for a very long time. So there is going to be a transition period,” he added, referring to the changes coming in 2018 with legal cultivation and sales.
The release of the initial 20 temporary licenses, good for 120 days, represents another steppingstone toward legal purchases, which were approved by voters last year.
“We plan to issue many more before Jan. 1,” Lori Ajax, the state’s top marijuana regulator, said in a statement.
The first license for recreational retail sales went to Torrey Holistics in San Diego, which submitted a 60-page lease, diagrams and a detailed business plan.
Tony Hall, who opened the shop two years ago with a college friend, said he sees recreational marijuana taking off like the wine and craft beer industries.
Customers go through an electronic security gate manned by a guard. Once inside, the business looks like a stylish pharmacy with wood floors and Christmas decorations.
“The taboo part is slowly going to be removed and this is going to be like any other business,” Hall said.
In general, California will treat cannabis like alcohol, allowing people 21 and older to legally possess up to an ounce and grow six marijuana plants at home.
Come January, the newly legalized recreational sales will be merged with the state’s two-decade-old medical marijuana market, which is also coming under much stronger regulation.
The state and local governments have been rushing to develop rules for the new industry. A patchwork is emerging with some cities embracing legal sales and others banning commercial pot activity.
In the background is widespread uncertainty about whether President Donald Trump’s administration will attempt to intervene in states where marijuana is legal.
As marijuana is illegal in the eyes of the federal government, major banks are leery to do business with dispensaries and growers so much of the business is conducted in cash.
