There’s more to Thailand than the smile
I just read this nice, slightly provocative book, "God Save the Queen?" by Johann Hari. He’s a republican in England, where such things are run of the mill. Even Cheri Blair was and presumably is a republican. Anyway, the book deals with the British Royal Family. From page 118, something you surely can not say in Thailand:
Since most Thais have never been out of the country and don’t even have a passport, they see Thailand as the center of the world, instead as the peripheral feudal third world country that it is. It works to the Thai elite’s advantage. They can easily whip up mass hysterias one way or the other. Red, yellow, pink, blue, whatever the color of the day.
I like this example of all natural Thai Marine life. Make me want for more, actually. From a Bangkok Post pictorial on how Thai marines learn to survive in nature and at sea. Maybe they’ll teach the boat people as well?
The Bangkok Friday traffic is as horrendous as ever. No sign of a recession as far as cars are concerned. That love affair continues. And there are as many red plates as ever.
It’s getting hot and soon the first rains will start. How is that for an inspired blog post?