I think the Ambassador himself knows full well of what is happening in Thailand. However, as a civil servant, he has the duty to defend the establishment. I have read his letter to smh already, and it is like the news in Thailand is: one-sided, citing theory only, without citing any real events to back up the theory he cited. It can be proven wrong easily if there is a Q&A part in the seminar, and if he does not try to deviate from the crux of the topic-a practice which Thai elites are especially good at.
@Phospt, I personally believe that part of the story is true, although large parts of the Hi-S Tales are fiction. ‘Rasmijan’, wife of ‘Jaa’, is described as an ex-prostitute who used to be a model for a certain magazine, and I have seen people on various sites posting such pictures. However, many people who have read a certain chapter of Hi-S Tales are very interested to watch a video clip ‘Aunty’ and ‘Jek’, descrived in Hi-S Tales as a video clip where ‘Aunty’ has affair with ‘Jek’ (Jek means Chinese), and there is a part where ‘Jek’ pours beer onto Aunty’s body. I have been asked by several Thais whether or not I have seen this video clip or whether or not I have the CD. All of them, (and believe it or not half of these people are yellow brainwashed PAD, and all of these yellow PADs have naked pictures of this so-called ‘Rasmijan’ saved in their PCs), told me that I must share the CD with them if I have it. Thai people call this ‘legendary’ video clip р╕Ыр╕ер╕▓р╕зр╕▓р╕мр╕гр╕▓р╕Фр╣Ар╕Ър╕╡р╕вр╕гр╣М Pla-wan-Rard-Beer :)…I hope that this part of the tale is fiction, but I could be wrong. Only the future will tell :p
This is one of the most interesting, worthwhile posts I’ve ever seen on NM.
Many good points, requiring lengthy explanation.
But I’m surprised nobody has made this simple point, namely :
that Thai has an extremely limited vocabulary.
It is an exceptionally compact language.
I don’t mean this in any derogatory sense (indeed compared to English verbosity, it’s a blessing!).
But this does explain a lot about how the reading system works.
Sorry, after re-reading I noticed that the comment “р╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕гр╕▒р╕Бр╕Юр╣Ир╕ня╗┐ р╕Вр╕нр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕нр╕нр╕Бр╣Др╕Ы!” isn’t a comment by someone who has pressed dislike so is probably a rebuttal of those who pressed dislike, probably referencing Pongpat Wachirabanjong’s speech, as Dan Waites points out.
Interesting to consider if those who made comments about people who pressed dislike not being Thai mean, Thai people who “aren’t worthy” of being Thai or whether they literally mean foreigners, finding it impossible to believe that a Thai would do such a thing.
Hi Thank you for your feed back. I am not such a blog savvy type person but will certainly add a few more details to the site.
I actually studied Vipassana meditation and undertook a teaching course at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai Thailand and also studied under Ajaan Tong. I originally ordained in a Burmese temple in malaysia and my teachers there trace their teachers back to Ven Mahasi Sayadaw. I agree that the paying for learning the Dhamma should not happen and can say that I was not here when it did.
The origins of this are complicated to say the least.
Since the temple stay was made donation based the monk for a month website has removed the links to us and it is now routed via another site which is selling tours and they don’t show any direct links to our temple. I have spoken to the owners of this site, but no success in getting things changed at the moment.
It is my hope that people will become aware of the opportunity to stay in a temple such as ours, which is not a full on retreat and not be conned into paying for it. The guy who originally started the m4am site says he is offering people ” Praycations”
Again thank you for your positive feed back. I really do appreciate it.
With metta, Phra Greg
Interesting about the translation troubles, stemming from Thai not always using subjects in their clauses. Either reading is certainly possible but I think that given the context of ‘disliking’ the video , I think the translation given by Nicholas is probably right.
I think that the story tell something unsayable. Many symbols were used in the story for metaphor the reality phenomena. And it’s so fuuny because the story tell the gossip that many Thai people know and published on the facebook, favored technology of Thai-middle class. This is prove that Thai people don’t respect the monarchy extremely.
Moreover, many gossips tell that the XXX/Somchai/Uncle had written this fish factory story himself to discredit the Aunty and his son.
Great to hear it Greg. It should have been donation from the start instead of this ridiculous $800 or so for a month which was plain hucksterism. Reminds me of the indulgences of the Dark Ages the Catholic Church sold for access to God. So many people are on the take in Thailand abusing religion and “service” for personal profit, manipulating foreigners. These are glorified tourist trap operations.
And what of this “paying to volunteer teach” crap that I’ve seen in my travels? I’ve worked with volunteers before and that’s what they are: volunteers–not paid, labor freely given. Pay to teach? You’ve got to be kidding me. And all of these foreigners getting taken advantage of makes me sick. You want to teach a monk? Go teach one! It ain’t difficult! Just walk up to one and offer your service.
And Greg, I didn’t see your credentials either, nor this other farang monk who teaches there. You need to show who you are on the website. Where did you learn? From whom? What is your education and background?
And please, all of you who plan on coming to Thailand, please spread the word not to give a dime to these Disney tours of the Orient.
John W said ‘the critical problem I encountered was less to do with the spaces between words, and more to do with the absence of anything worth reading in Thai.’
For a similar reason, my enthusiasm sagged in learning to speak Thai.
The funniest thing about this is, even though the writer acknowledge people at first that it’s just a tale but the government keep blocking it as if it’s real, they simply proved it for us. 555+
A brainwashed nation. I used to be proud for being a Thai, but after I was ‘enlightened’, I just realise how unfortunate I was to born into the nation where a considerable number of the population lacks logic and critical thinking skills, becoming the victim of brainwashing by the Monarchy Co.Ltd.
Pointing to the construction and pollution around us, Liao quotes his 89-year-old Japanese language translator: “Even if China achieves democracy in thirty years’ time, it will be democracy for nothing, because there won’t be a single clean river, a single unpolluted sky.” A 2010 article in Environment magazine reported that in the past 30 years, the death rate due to lung cancer increased by 465 percent and has become the most deadly cancer in China. Cancer, the number one cause of death in urban China, accounts for 25% of all deaths.
Liao said one reason why people don’t really care about ruining China is that the people who are doing it live in Beijing and have two passports, one Chinese and one Western, and once China is unlivable, will just move to the West.
The Chinese, of course, are building a cascade of dams in the Mekong river channel and could care less what havoc they wreak among people downstream, or in China for that matter. They are no worse than western capitalists of the 19th Century but certainly no better. Yet the Bangkok ‘elite’ idolize and emulate them in Map Ta Phut and now in Burma, and with their high-speed train zooming helter-skelter through Thailand, and the Laos and Burmese usurpers like their cash and, too, care not a whit for Mae Taranee or Mae Kong, or their children, or the costs of the greed to be borne by those yet unborn.
I am a monk at Wat Sri Boen Ruang and the meditation teacher for foreigners who come to stay here.
I am pleased to say that the stay at the temple is now by donation only.
Unfortunately if anyone follows links from monk for a month it takes them to another site where it may not appear clearly that they may come directly to the temple.
I am trying to rectify this problem with the sites owner but in the mean time am just trying to get the message out there.
If anybody wishes to come to the temple they can contact us via the blog page. http://www.watsriboenruang.wordpress.com
With metta,Phra Greg
Not only is the earthquake and attendant non-aid from the Burmese junta not being reported, and the Burmese junta’s blocking of what aid was offered locally not being reported, neither is the Burmese junta’s renewed, contemporary war on the Shan.
You can see the data on military attacks by the Tatmadaw linked to by Prachatai (pdf) and the data on the Tatmadaw terrorism (pdf) displayed graphically here and here.
The dam would benefit a handful of the Thai and Lao ‘elite’. The damage it will do to Mae Taranee and her children will ensure that it is, once again, the smallest possible ‘profit’ for the smallest number of people. The costs, which will be huge, will be born by everyone else.
The Thai ‘elite’ have shown again and again that they’d kill anyone or anything for a baht, including their own Mae, Kong.
The gangsters in power in Thailand and Lao are the powers behind the project and certainly won’t do anything to stop it. It’s up to Vietnam to stop it.
Very humorous and entertaining article! I almost forgot that it is an academic article. I have never been so entertained and laughed so much reading an academic article until I read this
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Thai ambassador to speak at ANU
I think the Ambassador himself knows full well of what is happening in Thailand. However, as a civil servant, he has the duty to defend the establishment. I have read his letter to smh already, and it is like the news in Thailand is: one-sided, citing theory only, without citing any real events to back up the theory he cited. It can be proven wrong easily if there is a Q&A part in the seminar, and if he does not try to deviate from the crux of the topic-a practice which Thai elites are especially good at.
Seditious tales in Thailand
@Phospt, I personally believe that part of the story is true, although large parts of the Hi-S Tales are fiction. ‘Rasmijan’, wife of ‘Jaa’, is described as an ex-prostitute who used to be a model for a certain magazine, and I have seen people on various sites posting such pictures. However, many people who have read a certain chapter of Hi-S Tales are very interested to watch a video clip ‘Aunty’ and ‘Jek’, descrived in Hi-S Tales as a video clip where ‘Aunty’ has affair with ‘Jek’ (Jek means Chinese), and there is a part where ‘Jek’ pours beer onto Aunty’s body. I have been asked by several Thais whether or not I have seen this video clip or whether or not I have the CD. All of them, (and believe it or not half of these people are yellow brainwashed PAD, and all of these yellow PADs have naked pictures of this so-called ‘Rasmijan’ saved in their PCs), told me that I must share the CD with them if I have it. Thai people call this ‘legendary’ video clip р╕Ыр╕ер╕▓р╕зр╕▓р╕мр╕гр╕▓р╕Фр╣Ар╕Ър╕╡р╕вр╕гр╣М Pla-wan-Rard-Beer :)…I hope that this part of the tale is fiction, but I could be wrong. Only the future will tell :p
Reforming Thai language structure
This is one of the most interesting, worthwhile posts I’ve ever seen on NM.
Many good points, requiring lengthy explanation.
But I’m surprised nobody has made this simple point, namely :
that Thai has an extremely limited vocabulary.
It is an exceptionally compact language.
I don’t mean this in any derogatory sense (indeed compared to English verbosity, it’s a blessing!).
But this does explain a lot about how the reading system works.
Thai ambassador to speak at ANU
How went the Ambassador’s lecture ?
Would be nice to hear something from people who participated…
Popular responses to Princess Chulabhorn’s interview
Sorry, after re-reading I noticed that the comment “р╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕гр╕▒р╕Бр╕Юр╣Ир╕ня╗┐ р╕Вр╕нр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕нр╕нр╕Бр╣Др╕Ы!” isn’t a comment by someone who has pressed dislike so is probably a rebuttal of those who pressed dislike, probably referencing Pongpat Wachirabanjong’s speech, as Dan Waites points out.
Interesting to consider if those who made comments about people who pressed dislike not being Thai mean, Thai people who “aren’t worthy” of being Thai or whether they literally mean foreigners, finding it impossible to believe that a Thai would do such a thing.
Mixing religion and commerce: The Monk for a Month Program in Fang, Chiang Mai
Hi Thank you for your feed back. I am not such a blog savvy type person but will certainly add a few more details to the site.
I actually studied Vipassana meditation and undertook a teaching course at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai Thailand and also studied under Ajaan Tong. I originally ordained in a Burmese temple in malaysia and my teachers there trace their teachers back to Ven Mahasi Sayadaw. I agree that the paying for learning the Dhamma should not happen and can say that I was not here when it did.
The origins of this are complicated to say the least.
Since the temple stay was made donation based the monk for a month website has removed the links to us and it is now routed via another site which is selling tours and they don’t show any direct links to our temple. I have spoken to the owners of this site, but no success in getting things changed at the moment.
It is my hope that people will become aware of the opportunity to stay in a temple such as ours, which is not a full on retreat and not be conned into paying for it. The guy who originally started the m4am site says he is offering people ” Praycations”
Again thank you for your positive feed back. I really do appreciate it.
With metta, Phra Greg
Popular responses to Princess Chulabhorn’s interview
Interesting about the translation troubles, stemming from Thai not always using subjects in their clauses. Either reading is certainly possible but I think that given the context of ‘disliking’ the video , I think the translation given by Nicholas is probably right.
Seditious tales in Thailand
I think that the story tell something unsayable. Many symbols were used in the story for metaphor the reality phenomena. And it’s so fuuny because the story tell the gossip that many Thai people know and published on the facebook, favored technology of Thai-middle class. This is prove that Thai people don’t respect the monarchy extremely.
Moreover, many gossips tell that the XXX/Somchai/Uncle had written this fish factory story himself to discredit the Aunty and his son.
Seditious tales in Thailand
Echoes of Bertold Brecht’s play “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui”– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Resistible_Rise_of_Arturo_Ui
Reforming Thai language structure
John W > “a limitless new world opens up to you.” I used to think this way with the Thai language, but have become rather bored by now.
Mixing religion and commerce: The Monk for a Month Program in Fang, Chiang Mai
Great to hear it Greg. It should have been donation from the start instead of this ridiculous $800 or so for a month which was plain hucksterism. Reminds me of the indulgences of the Dark Ages the Catholic Church sold for access to God. So many people are on the take in Thailand abusing religion and “service” for personal profit, manipulating foreigners. These are glorified tourist trap operations.
And what of this “paying to volunteer teach” crap that I’ve seen in my travels? I’ve worked with volunteers before and that’s what they are: volunteers–not paid, labor freely given. Pay to teach? You’ve got to be kidding me. And all of these foreigners getting taken advantage of makes me sick. You want to teach a monk? Go teach one! It ain’t difficult! Just walk up to one and offer your service.
And Greg, I didn’t see your credentials either, nor this other farang monk who teaches there. You need to show who you are on the website. Where did you learn? From whom? What is your education and background?
And please, all of you who plan on coming to Thailand, please spread the word not to give a dime to these Disney tours of the Orient.
Reforming Thai language structure
John W said ‘the critical problem I encountered was less to do with the spaces between words, and more to do with the absence of anything worth reading in Thai.’
For a similar reason, my enthusiasm sagged in learning to speak Thai.
Seditious tales in Thailand
The funniest thing about this is, even though the writer acknowledge people at first that it’s just a tale but the government keep blocking it as if it’s real, they simply proved it for us. 555+
Popular responses to Princess Chulabhorn’s interview
A brainwashed nation. I used to be proud for being a Thai, but after I was ‘enlightened’, I just realise how unfortunate I was to born into the nation where a considerable number of the population lacks logic and critical thinking skills, becoming the victim of brainwashing by the Monarchy Co.Ltd.
Decision looms for controversial Xayaburi dam on lower Mekong
Drift to Live
The Chinese, of course, are building a cascade of dams in the Mekong river channel and could care less what havoc they wreak among people downstream, or in China for that matter. They are no worse than western capitalists of the 19th Century but certainly no better. Yet the Bangkok ‘elite’ idolize and emulate them in Map Ta Phut and now in Burma, and with their high-speed train zooming helter-skelter through Thailand, and the Laos and Burmese usurpers like their cash and, too, care not a whit for Mae Taranee or Mae Kong, or their children, or the costs of the greed to be borne by those yet unborn.
Mixing religion and commerce: The Monk for a Month Program in Fang, Chiang Mai
I am a monk at Wat Sri Boen Ruang and the meditation teacher for foreigners who come to stay here.
I am pleased to say that the stay at the temple is now by donation only.
Unfortunately if anyone follows links from monk for a month it takes them to another site where it may not appear clearly that they may come directly to the temple.
I am trying to rectify this problem with the sites owner but in the mean time am just trying to get the message out there.
If anybody wishes to come to the temple they can contact us via the blog page.
http://www.watsriboenruang.wordpress.com
With metta,Phra Greg
Coverage of earthquake in Shan State
Not only is the earthquake and attendant non-aid from the Burmese junta not being reported, and the Burmese junta’s blocking of what aid was offered locally not being reported, neither is the Burmese junta’s renewed, contemporary war on the Shan.
You can see the data on military attacks by the Tatmadaw linked to by Prachatai (pdf) and the data on the Tatmadaw terrorism (pdf) displayed graphically here and here.
Decision looms for controversial Xayaburi dam on lower Mekong
Thanks for the article.
The dam would benefit a handful of the Thai and Lao ‘elite’. The damage it will do to Mae Taranee and her children will ensure that it is, once again, the smallest possible ‘profit’ for the smallest number of people. The costs, which will be huge, will be born by everyone else.
The Thai ‘elite’ have shown again and again that they’d kill anyone or anything for a baht, including their own Mae, Kong.
The gangsters in power in Thailand and Lao are the powers behind the project and certainly won’t do anything to stop it. It’s up to Vietnam to stop it.
Seditious tales in Thailand
Oh, in case this gets blocked, there is a simple way to unblock it: put an extra s behind http. Thus this would do the trick: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hi-s-Tales/123522697682880
Cheers, CT
Seditious tales in Thailand
Very humorous and entertaining article! I almost forgot that it is an academic article. I have never been so entertained and laughed so much reading an academic article until I read this