It is November. A little hotter and wetter than a normal November from my recollection. High season - generally this is the time of the year for it but just like it is hotter, wetter than normal the high season also has not arrived. I don’t blame the weather but the WWFF and the stupidity of Thailand. Before anyone jumps in and says this is not my country, you don’t understand Thailand and there culture is different BS. Blah. Blah. Blah I say. Even China knows that the economies around the world are fucked. When this happens usually, in sane countries, the administration will take an aggressive or accommodating stance towards stoking their own economies and local consumption. One would do this to help their country weather the storm. Most countries are doing this.
Thailand? They are taking the Ostrich approach. Pretending they can avoid the mess and act like business is as usual. Well it’s not. Business sucks ass. Exports getting crushed, tourism off by at least 30% and local consumption beginning to whither on the vine. Thailand’s brainy ideas? More non-drinking days, a paralyzed government (have to blame the PAD on this) and time spent on ideas well past their prime that will have a negative effect on growth. Take the latest news from Somchai - a new war on drugs. Now? Please. Stupidity reigns. Funny how the timing coincides with the so-called high season:
The government has launched a new round of drug crackdown in a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Thursday.
The war on drugs is scheduled between November and January.
Interesting though how this can get tied into America and Obama?
Then, US officials were critical of Thailand’s inability to manage its borders and some analysts believe that former premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s 2003 “war on dark influences” campaign - which took a disproportionate human toll in the deep south - was at least partially a response to US pressure to rein in the crime-ridden and often lawless region.
This paragraph also quite interesting and would never be mentioned in a local news outlet:
One US diplomat noted aside that two democratically elected leaders, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayothin, were both invited to Wednesday’s US election gala, while ranking members of the Thai military were not in attendance, including top 2006 coup-maker General Sonthi Boonyaratklin, who apparently had requested but was denied an invitation. It’s a symbolic gesture many gathered at the event, and this writer in particular, hope Obama will build on through policies and actions in the years ahead.
Go ahead on jump in but don’t forget America is a huge export market for Thailand and keeps the Thai military afloat.
Moving on. Probably the most telling article to date discussing team yellow and the real motives behind the PAD and the current government upheaval. So much in there and you will have to read between the lines but the message is clear. You can also see how this renewal of propaganda will play into this month’s closures.
Speaking of which. pmmp mentioned in the weekly the current agenda. Red light areas closed for the most part, bars asked to tone it down and my guess is after-hours would be shut. Hard to say on massage joints and g-clubs. Dear readers - this could change daily. There are no official memos yet and the police are quite aware that October was the worst month ever and November is not experiencing a dead cat bounce so takings are down. This trickles right on down to the men in tight brown pants and they are trying to keep some stuff open for the good of - well their own pocket books but thank god since we could use the love.
As we hear more we will keep the blog updated.
Check this about spray on condoms. I think this is pretty cool.
Seems the online world is taking it on the chin for the P4P market. Craiglist will be coming down fairly hard on erotic ads:
Craigslist will require anyone posting ads to the Web’s site’s “erotic services” section to submit a working phone number and credit card, the online classified publication said Thursday.
The new measures are the result of negotiations between Craigslist and 40 state attorneys general and are designed to thwart ads for prostitution and other illegal activities.
The weekend is upon us. Bush is gone. Obama in. Sorry McCain but Palin sunk your battleship. Let’s hope for some cool breezes, some discounted bar fines and tourists.
Plenty of content on tap. YP on why writing a post takes 3 months, Jack Dawson becomes a writer and some newbies give it a go.
Traffic on the up and up. A post a day is all we ask.
peace.
More on the craigslist news from wired:
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_CRAIGSLIST_PROSTITUTION?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-11-06-12-39-21
View all comments by sideshowBOB
Robert: As the new priority for the government is attending to the drug problem, could we request they also focus on the inlement weather. It’s ruining my tan. No doubt they will be as effective on cloud cover as they will be on illicit substances.
As for the man in need of his new pair of tight brown pants, just look at the number of sherriffs on the traffic points. I was used to noticing an upturn in uniformed presence towards the end of each month; the boys needed to collect for their gik payments. Now they are out “en-masse” targetting anything that has wheels. According to my local “meals on wheels” KFC lady, street vendors are forking over more than usual. They better keep the receipts. Things are tough in the big end of town.
The spray on condom lacks dimples, and the idea of cutting it off with a razor blade did send a nervous shiver to my eroneous zone.
As for alcohol sales etc, I understand you can consume stuff you have purchased prior to the bans. So, sell me a carton in advance and keep it under the counter.
View all comments by wrecks
paleontologist -
I was going to say they should install massive fans underneath the entire line of the BTS.
Yes - times are tough. Crime is up, the cops are looking for any handout they can get and office girls are looking for go-go jobs. If only the baht would fall a bit. Over 35 to the dollar now though.
I was thinking more about peeling it off but u have a point.
Interesting on the alcohol. They say sometimes g-clubs get away with things because customers pre-pay.
I think we will be serving.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssB…Always enjoy the updates…hope you guys can stay open. Have to take exception to your Palin comment. Polls are showing she helped him out in the vote total, but not the in changing any states.
At the end, she was the only one out there fighting for the ticket.
At a place I frequent for lunch here in Beer City, I asked for a “Big Mango Burger” a few weeks ago. I got “the look” and said it’s a bacon cheeseburger with guacamole. So they make it and it’s pretty damn good. About as good as yours without the atmosphere.
Today, I asked for a Big Mango Burger and they didn’t bat an eye. It’s not on the menu but with enough beer and ESPN on the tube, I can pretend I’m in The Mango…if The Mango had ESPN ;).
Cheers.
View all comments by The Asian Badger
ab - thanks. we hope so too.
If she was the only thing helping the ticket than the repubs are much more screwed up than I thought.
Good to hear u are finding a slice of it back home.
we have ESPN - mango nipple shots, kk burgers, barfines, the sexy pmmp and the occasional party.
just come over will u.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
Ha.
I liked NotTheNation’s take on it:
http://notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=637
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
High Season!!! I read about the lack of tourists. I am currently in the States, But am arriving in the Kingdom next week. I enquired to more than a handfull of Bangkok service apartments - “All Booked! or “Sorry, No more Rooms” is all I got.
Maybe there is a lack of Sukhumvit Go Go tourists, But I think plenty of the regulars are coming in droves.
View all comments by Radicaron
Radicaron….
Did you try the Omni Tower, soi 4.
http://www.asiatravel.com/thailand/omni/
I’ve never ever (or ever ever) know these to be full.
View all comments by Daywalker
Also heading to BBK in a weeks time. Sadly, the wife is coming along….but that’s good for the Thai economy as we will both hope to support different parts of the struggling Thai economy….her in the retail sector, me in the ‘hospitality’ sector (albeit for only a night or as much as I can get away with).
As an interested bystander, watching the American vote from here in Sydney, it was quite obvious that Obama had to win. God knows how they stuffed up by not voting for Gore in 2000 and then giving Bush another 4 years over Kerry. The world can sit back and wonder how different the first 8 years of this century could have turned out when a different US President. Maybe someone will even write a ‘fictional’ novel one day and we can all put hand to chin and say to ourselves “did it really come to this?”
My knowledge of the Thai political struggle is limited to only knowing the a president ran away, bought a football team, sold a football team (maybe while still being president; I don’t know) and now he’s back trying to be president again……what was that Obama said about opportunity? Sounds like Thaksin wrote the book
Enough of my ramblings….thanks for the post….keep ‘em coming
View all comments by TeenageFC
By the way….how can I can a little mascot picture on the posts?
View all comments by TeenageFC
rr - u will always see silliness in rentals but I bet if u contacted places directly you would find rooms. Just got done moving and there was a ton of inventory up for grabs. My old apartment building is now 25% empty.
tfc - he was a prime minister not a president and the story is much deeper
mascot here:
http://www.tfs2m.com/main/2007/11/17/spicy-tuk-tuks-lucky-and-gravatars/
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssB - interesting re the new war on drugs. hadnt heard. lets all hope there isnt a repeat of last time. bad for thailand’s image, bad for business, and very bad for thai people.
View all comments by Mr Carpet
mr c - it is indeed bad and a complete waste of time and resources given there are much bigger fish to fry.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
@TeenageFC: Just curious, does the wife let you have the one night to do as you please? Does she know what you will be doing on your night off?
View all comments by pmmp
Not sure I uunderstand why cracking down on drugs is bad.
I would say maybe making the country drug free is a good thing… Might even bring some tourists.
View all comments by MSB
@ AB - looking forward to our debate to beat all debates - our rumble in the mango - our thriller near the till (er)… you with your crow bar and me with my open-toed sandals…. when will you next be in BKK? - I’m aiming for Feb time
View all comments by doctorbond
msb - if u remember the old crackdown it was not that successful and caused a lot of international fallout. I don’t think that is needed right now nor do I think it is truly the major problem facing Thailand. 100,000’s of Thais being laid off in the coming months would likely be a bigger issue to tackle.
db - no fighting please. it gets bad enough just knowing YP might be in town.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssb; I am looking for a pad to rent for a few months any tips ? where was your old pad with 25% of it empty ?
View all comments by Fish
@ ssB - no worries - AB and I are intellectuals - we are way above that sorta thing - but just in case AB fails to be moved by my argument or is offended by my Karl Marx T shirt it’ll be useful to have YP as a crow bar absorbing human shield
View all comments by doctorbond
fish - I was in siam court on soi 4
I know they have been reducing rents to get people to stay
have you tried mrroomfinder.com ?
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssb; Thanks for that i will look at that site now..can i ask how much you were paying in sol 4 ? I will get you a beer my next visit to the Mango we met breifly a while back.
View all comments by Fish
fish - jack coke. I hate beer
I was paying 15+ but it kept going up over the years
They will quote u there but then try to move it down.
It is a renter’s market right now.
Best way to get places though is to hit the streets you want to live on ask in the buildings. Then u are not paying an agent and they are more willing to dicker.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
JD it is, i am hitting the streets tomorrow so see what comes up cheers for your help.
View all comments by Fish
Siam Court on Suk soi 4 is a RIP OFF joint. I stayed there for a bit in 2007.
My electric bill was unusually high and when I brought it up, they just said my air conditioning and fridge used up a lot of juice. WTF?? I shut down the power to my unit via the fuse box and went to the electric meter downstairs. IT WAS STILL SPINNING LIKE MAD.
I showed this to the little Chinese/Thai manager lady in the office denied any wrong doing of course and someone must have magically hijacked their secured utilities room to reroute power to the 15th floor and pilfer my electricity.
Another incident, I asked about getting basic cable TV to my room…they told me 2000 baht/month. Hmm, that seemed outrageously high so I checked UBC’s website. It was 750/month for the silver package. Again I confronted the little office lady who just smiled and ran off without a word.
It’s a good spot at the end of soi 4 and the renovated rooms are nice BUT watch out for the scams. The landlord seems like a nice guy but he’s a travel/sales agent so the wheels & deals are always spinning in his mind. Can’t really tell if he genuinely likes you or if he’s just sticking it to you with a smile.
View all comments by sabai
The grand irony is that on the same day various state attorneys general won the fight to stop hookers from advertising on Craigslist the former attorney general of my state was told by the feds he would not be prosecuted for hiring hookers. Why Spitzer gets a pass but a working girl on the internet is a menace to society is beyond me.
Hope the slowdown doesn’t hit Mangoland too much. As I said, god willing and the creek don’t rise I’ll be dropping a lot of oddly colored bank notes there soon.
View all comments by tosh
I live in the great state of California or Kal-ee-for-nnia, where we have a guy by the name of… “Moonbeam Jerry Brown” as the Attorney General!!! (wow finally we get a break)
As was stated: “California was not among the states joining the agreement. “Californians are protected either way,” said Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown. “We didn’t see an inherent reason we needed to sign on.”
The war on drugs in Thailand is brutal, its not about the drugs but rather eradicating anyone associated with drugs, any type.. I think during the last period there were many people that were killed and it turned into an international PR nightmare for the kingdom.
View all comments by GoodLife
@Doctor Bond. I’ll be lucky if I get out there in the next 12 months. We’re in the middle of a huge project right now and with the cap markets right now, it’s going very slowly. I’m shooting for March or April but that’s looking shaky, too. Might be in London for biz reasons in January, though.
View all comments by The Asian Badger
@Radicaron - Get in the mix with http://www.9apartment.com
View all comments by Young Penfold
Hey Penfold, thanks for that link. - I am on it!
I cant stay down Sukhumvit way. I like to chase those goody goody Thai girls. They wont come back and hang at my place when I stay down on the miricle mile. (Tried many times) I’m looking more towards Thong Lor or On Nut, Lad prao….
View all comments by Radicaron
@ Badger - WHAT capital markets?
View all comments by tosh
Hey Werewolf, Thanks for the good advice. I am only going to be in the Kingdom for 1 month. So I am looking for a serviced apt. I may have found something over on Soi Rangnam. But I will keep a close eye on the Elec bill.
View all comments by Radicaron
Please let the gals in Nana know that I will be there next week on an economic bailout program.
View all comments by Billy Bangkok
@Tosh…There’s a ton of liquidity. There’s about five tons of fear.
View all comments by The Asian Badger
sabai - I dont think they are a rip off joint but there power and water is not market rates but that is most of soi 4. I will say the service is great and my deposit was returned in full the day after I moved out. not normal for bkk.
gl - totally agree
ww - agreed. best way to find a room is to walk around and ask the buildings. a pain in the ass but u will get choice rooms and the best deals.
also agree on your political view but not on the drugs. this is this governments form of appealing to the isaan crowd which has worse drug problems than the bkk crowd.
either way it is not the major problem or the biggest one facing thailand. if jobs were better and education better in isaan then drugs would be less of a problem. fix the source not the symptom I say.
bb - amen
View all comments by sideshowBOB
sideshowbob - Like you mentioned before, the beauty of the blog is being able to agree or disagree. Some guys get ripped off in Nana, some don’t. I am just relaying my own personal experiences with Siam Court.
I know the power and water aren’t market rates but it’s very strange to get a 12,000 BAHT electricity bill for one month of usage especially when I was out of town for an entire week. Also seeing the electric meter spin like crazy and the counter increasing when the power to my unit was turned off. That was DEFINITELY some type of scam/rip off going on.
View all comments by sabai
@ ssB. All you need to know.
http://www.4-blockworld.com/2008/11/the-only-political-analysis-of-the-2008-presidential-election-you-will-ever-need.html
View all comments by The Asian Badger
s - u are free to disagree but I don’t think your one experience is enough to label the place a scam or a rip off joint. that’s all.
tab - all I need to know is that I think america is better off with obama at the helm than mccain and his nitwit sidekick. Those two would have made the worst duo. All this stuff coming out about her just shows how bad a choice it was and I am sure mccain regrets his decision.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
Nation has a pretty good commentary on the war on drugs piece. Good points that most PM do this for a poll boost rather than dealing with the real root of the problem. Poverty, education, Burma and the thai military’s known role in moving supply from burma to Thailand. As I stated seems there are bigger problems and if one really wanted to tackle the war on drugs they would go to the source. Not the street level dealers.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/11/07/opinion/opinion_30087822.php
View all comments by sideshowBOB
@ AB - well maybe we’ll meet in the land of drizzle and expensive sex
View all comments by doctorbond
ssB:
WW:
I think we’re actually agreeing on this point.
Regardless of the times, in a democracy politicians have to play to the voters.
No matter how bad any single problem in the world or country is, the government can’t simply ignore everything else, and drug control is always popular with voters.
Quoting from the Bangkok Post, these were several salient points addressed by PM Somchai:
Hard to imagine what it is in these statements you object to. This is ‘apple pie and motherhood’ statements… populist politics at it’s finest.
View all comments by Werewolf
@ssB: I have been out of the country and not checking the blog, but you mentioning in another thread “that people keep commenting that tourism is not a big part of the Thai economy.”
That line of argument is based upon a very narrow statement in one of the local English newspapers where they printed that tourism represents 6+% of GDP. While that is true on a narrow, “travel and tourism” national accounts basis, you need to take a more robust view to understand the real economic impact of tourist spending.
The World Travel and Tourism Council measures both direct and indirect economic impact and estimates that in 2006 (last year I have data) for Thailand this amounted to $40.5 billion USD, or 14.3 percent of GDP. When the ripple effect is counted, you can see the real economic effect is much more meaningful. Tourism also represented 10.7% of Thai employment in 2006.
I provide this data with a full appreciation that facts ruin a good Blog argument, but I could not sit back and watch you rant without the factual underpinnings you need, nor be pricked by those with thin, unrepresentative data in rebuttal. Please, climb up on this much higher (and fact-based soap box) and rant at will.
Your friend, Professor
View all comments by Professor
@Badger - I won’t geek out too much, but yes, there’s tons of liquidity and almost all of it is trying to find treasuries. We saw the freakiest spread ever, by far, between the yield on corporate debt and the CDS to insure it. Almost 500 bips, complete madness. There are things in the credit markets that are beyond the pale cheap. But ya gotta have cash to buy it, no nobody is helping out with leverage.
OK, I have to go bang a white girl. Any port in a storm, etc. and so forth. Wish I had a teensy little Thai thing instead, but I’ll have to make do with a labor lawyer.
View all comments by tosh
pmmp - the wife is of the belief that I am meeting up with work colleague who will be in BKK at the same time (I was in BKK earlier in the year at a work conference). Actually, I’ll be catching up with a bloke I’ve acquainted through one of these Thailand blogs, so if wife wants to meet the person she may do to make the whole thing seem legit.
Do I feel bad?…I may live to regret it but you only live once right?
Does she know what I’ll be doing? As long as I come home drunk she’ll think that I’ve just been on the tonic all night with my colleague She actually wants me to take her to some go-go’s and a LB bar of which she’ll be fascinated with.
I am looking forward to tasting a Big Mango burger!
View all comments by TeenageFC
@TeenageFC: Thx for the honest answer. I was just curious as I didn’t think she would just give you a free pass. Here’s hoping she gets into a 3some mood when you visit the GoGo’s
View all comments by pmmp
perfessor: ssB has littered the blog with those sorts of statistics for many months — probably more than a year. I think he gets tired of re-printing them, but your numbers are very nicely presented and, I think, help put ssB’s point across.
View all comments by Werewolf
ww and ps
thanks. people seem to think he has no effect. it has a huge effect. the underground numbers - think girls, drugs, after hour and so on may be 25% of the actual number as well.
the knock effect is huge. thanks for the back up.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssb is right 100 % anybody that thinks a drop in tourism does not effect the country is a twat. Of course it does not just the amount of cash it makes the country, but as ssb says it hits the normal folk who cut hair, taxi drivers,(wankers) bars, girls ,food stalls its all a domino effect and it effects alot of people.The government should open their eyes.. sending people out every 30 /90 days to give Cambodia and the like 1,000 baht to walk in and out the country would be a start set some thing up for it to be done here at the same price money for Thailand instead of neighbouring countries. I am having to begrudgingly go home for 2 weeks to process a years visa, thats costing this place a mint in my giving of the baht in drinking tokens,taxi rip offs, long time deals etc etc, not to mention the strain i will be under looking at fat ,white ,moaning bitches for 2 weeks !!!
View all comments by Fish
fish - my god. someone with some sense.
the economic fallout from a percentage point drops in tourism which will shave the GDP down will hurt big. Every time i bring this up I get I am just a bar owner complaining but I am not talking about myself. U can see it by walking around town.
What kills me is they could fix it all.
I have given my list many times. Easy things that cost no money. This visa thing is one of them. Me going to penang once a year is dumb. all the money should be channeled into thailand - not malaysia.
silly. silly stuff.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssb;Its simple stuff eh ..i grew up with my parents running hotels and i have been in the industry all my (short) life, so maybe we see it first as bar, hotel people, we see the drop in cash before an example ;a teacher,or an IT bod..
With the visa shit do they really think that sending everybody out for an hour sorts the wheat from the chaff ?? blindness..
I have just walked past Sol Cowboy its dead no punters about i know its sunday but still..
View all comments by Fish
If I don’t come to Thailand, then firstly the Airline & Hotel lose out. Then the 7/11, for various things, a few more Mango burgers don’t get sold, the Mamasan at Golden doesn’t get her cheeky drink, the watch seller in MBK loses a few sales, my driver doesn’t drive me around, the noodle bar sells less noodles, Titanium ice-bar unfreezes, soi cowboy sees a few less lady drinks, the Mango bar staff see a few less drinks, the taxi drivers lose there 50 baht’s, plus much more. Now times that by how many farang come to Thailand & spend more. Logic I think!
View all comments by AUK
fish - its dead everywhere
a common number I am hearing from people who have kept books on the bar biz for more than a few years is roughly a 30% year over year drop.
auk - yup. does not take a brain surgeon.
also the old version of the underground economy book mentions that no one really factors in the money paid for sex which goes from your pocket to hers. That is not on anyone’s books.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
ssb ; just got back from Sunbelt for my visa paperwork,as i said i have to fly to Uk to process it ,i thought its stupid but maybe i have to have a interview with the embassy etc . They have just told me once in the UK i can post it to the embassy, don t even have to go in person.. I am pleased cause Hull is a shit hole in the North of England, but it makes it even more of a joke that i don’t even need to go there in person.fucked up i think..
View all comments by Fish
The war on drugs was used by the previous administration as a pretext to cancel out many of his enemies. What happened in reality was that various “persons of influence” were removed from their position and new “persons of influence” were taking over.
DEA agent Michael Levine, noted author who retells his experiences as a DEA agent, pointed out that unless the demand for illegal substances was curbed, there will always be a new supplier regardless of how many people are put in prison. In other words, the war on drugs is a failure because there will also be risk-takers willing to supply if the rewards are lucrative enough.
For an interesting article on Fugitives in Thailand , please see here: http://www.thailawforum.com/Fugitives-in-Thailand.html
View all comments by Joe
to fight drugs, they should bring back Thaksin
he had the right idea, kill them if they are in the biz..
wish more countries would follow this idea ..
I know it is not popular, but far more successful than ‘just say no’
View all comments by oaktoad
oak - that is a pretty messed up way at looking at it.
View all comments by sideshowBOB