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VOTE
FOR ME - I'LL SET YOU FREE!
The crescendo of election fever reaches it's zenith on January 6th when
Thailand votes for it's next government. Expect a ban on alcohol sales
from the evening of the 5th until the polls close. This display opposite
Daret's, Thapae Gate, encourages Thais to use their votes wisely.
BIKE
IT - BUT BEWARE!
Among the dont's and do's for visitors to Chiangmai is a brand new one:
don't use the newly signed 'Bicycle Only' lanes! This is a hastily
conceived new idea - with no notice or advice - and the direction of some
lanes (notably in Thapae Road) has already been reversed by shoddy paint
over the original arrows. Chiangmai drivers are NOT familiar with these
lanes and they are dangerous.
* Don't ride the wrong way along one-way streets. You'd be a
danger to yourself and others. Bikes are for exercise, so go the long way
round.
* Don't buy food for elephants in the city. The callous 'mahouts'
are illegally exploiting these hungry and thirsty animals to beg for money.
* Don't use drugs. Arrests are made every day, often on information
given to police by the 'friendly' vendors!
* Don't gamble, except on-course at the racetrack on Mae Rim
Road. It is against the law of Thailand even to be in the same building
where gambling takes place.
* Do keep your Passport with you at all times. If a car or bike
rent company wants to keep it, offer them a photo copy. In Asia there is
a thriving black market in Passports, especially Japanese!
* Do beware of bag snatchers in small sois at night. It's the
most common crime affecting tourists here.
* Do get advice on Thai visas and extensions direct from Immigration
Police near the airport. Thirty day extensions are easily obtained at the
Burma border, Mae Sai-Tachilek, a 4 to 5 hour bus ride north of here.
* Do be aware that the red passenger pick-ups (seelors) are a
mixture of taxi and bus. The driver will only agree to your destination
if it fits with other folk already on board. Pay 10b for city centre journeys,
no more than 20b for a longer trip.
* Last and not least, remember there are NO laws of product or service
liability in Thailand!
RAPE-MURDER
CHARGES DROPPED
The former suspect in the Chiangmai guest house rape-murder case, Andy
Gill from south London, flew home last month after the charges were dropped
due to insufficient evidence.
Gill, an expat here for several years, was arrested along with several
other men after the murder of Welsh back-packer Kirsty Jones at his guest
house near Moon Muang Road. First held for over-staying his visa by 2 years,
Gill was then charged with the murder despite being exonerated by DNA testing.
In an exclusive interview with 'Good Morning Chiangmai' immediately
after he was charged, Gill said that the murderer must have been someone
from outside the guest house whom Kirsty met while trekking. His father
had sent money from Europe to pay his over-stay fine and he was confident
of being deported. Later, in a fax to friends from Kuala Lumpur en route
to London, Gill thanked them for their support during his 3 months in jail.
Interviewed by the media in UK, Gill said that 1m baht had been sent
to a young Thai woman he described as his wife to ensure his release. However,
the 'Bangkok Post' reported later that the money was still in her possession
and suspicions that a bribe had been paid to police or prosecutors were
groundless. Police have yet to give details about any new investigation.
ANWAR'S
AWARD AT MUSIC FESTIVAL
The wife of the jailed former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, Mr
Anwar Ibrahim, accepted a human rights award on his behalf at the World
Festival of Sacred Music in Chiangmai. Saying that her husband, who is
serving a 15 year sentence on charges criticised by many nations, would
have loved to attend the festival, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail added that
he regarded music and culture as vital in creating a more humane world.
Thai social commentator and festival patron Khun Sulak Sivaraksa said
that Mr Anwar never compromised his idealism and was more dedicated than
many in the region to the fight for democracy.
(Good Morning Chiangmai
News magazine regrets that it received no advance information on this festival
and a request to the organisers' e-mail address remained unanswered as
we went to press).
| DON'T
FEED CITY ELEPHANTS!
"Please buy bananas to feed our elephant? There's no work left
in the forests and this is the only way to keep him/her alive." Rubbish.
Don't fall for it. The 'mahouts' rent the elephant and parade it in the
city illegally at night to make money for themselves.
The animal will be desperately thirsty as well as hungry, its feet risk
being cracked on the hot tarmac and it is a hazard to traffic. Supporting
these heartless beggars is a 'no-no' if you really love animals.
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TRADITIONAL
HEALERS WANT RESULTS
Some 300 folk healers met to demand the legal right to practice their
craft last month. Healers from all over the north who use skills passed
down through generations - but are not traditional Thai herbal practitioners
- want licences and the chance to share experience and training.
The government has always outlined standards which were difficult for
folk healers to fit into, said social scientist Anek Hirihorachai of Chiang
Mai University. The "doctors", who are widely respected in the
mainly rural areas where they work, were also supported by the Health and
Development Foundation
SLIP
SLIDING AWAY
If you're driving into Chiangmai from Chiangrai in the morning, watch
out for dangerous slippery patches under the trees.
An experienced international driver warned late last month that moisture
falling from trees onto the shady, eastern (south bound) side of the main
highway had produced black-ice type conditions, causing numerous accidents.
"In the past few days I've seen a skidding accident almost every
3 or 5 kilometres" said the former rally driver.
"The strange thing is that everything can be fine at 9.00am but
this 'late dew effect' means that by 10.00am the road under the trees can
be like a skid-pan! All people can do is beware in advance, keep their
speed down and use steering, braking and power very gently."
POSTAL
DELAY
It's almost enough for us to take back all the good things we've said
about the Airport Post Office. Open every day of the year including public
holidays, it's a unique, useful facility for Chiangmai.
But now they close for lunch, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, very late by Thai standards.
On Sunday December 3rd, we arrived with urgent Air Mail and magazines for
overseas subscribers at 1.45pm. Disgruntled, we decided to wait.
Wrong decision. The place was still padlocked at 2.45pm when pressure
of work forced us to leave. A queue of around 10 frustrated folk, many
of whom had obviously come out of the city purposely to use the service,
were left stamping around in the hot sun. So apologies for lateness to
our many overseas subscribers. In the service industry, it only takes one
slip like this to undo years of goodwill.
JAPAN
TOASTS THE EMPEROR
December was the birthday season for top people and Japanese Consul
to Chiangmai, Mr Suzuki, and his wife hosted a reception at the Westin
Riverside Hotel on the 14th to celebrate their Emperor's 62nd birthday.
Among the guests were the Governor of Chiangmai, Khun Pravit Sihsobhon,
and the full time and Honorary Consuls of 6 other nations.
CRICKET,
LOVELY CRICKET
Sunday cricket for all ages and stages of players re-starts at Chiengmai
Gymkhana Club on January 14th. The top class plastic pitch will be ready
at 9.00am, players should arrive by 10.00am and the bar opens at 10.30am
- which nicely illustrates the relaxed ambience.
The Cricket Sixes, still Chiangmai's only annual international sporting
fixture, will be held from April 2-7th with more teams entering than ever
before. More info from (Tel.) 216132.
BURMA
CRIES FOUL
One definition of news: "something that somebody, somewhere doesn't
want to be printed." In the case of many recent Thai press reports
of the cross border flow of drugs from Burma, that "somebody"
is the illegal junta running that troubled land.
The Thai press has been "one sidedly putting the blame on Mayanmar
(Burma)" and "hobbled......efforts to fight drugs", says
the government-controlled media in Rangoon. Journalists here responded
that if Burma were to produce credible evidence of such efforts, the Thai
press would be delighted to report them.
ROUND
AND ABOUT
* Look out for colourful and noisy celebrations for Chinese New Year
on January 24th. Most will centre on the 'Chinatown' area of Worarot Market
on the west bank of the river at the end of Chang Moy Road. At time of
going to press, TAT had no info on specific events.
* A talk on home building by foreigners in Thailand, to have
been given at the Alliance Francaise on January 9th, has sadly been postponed.
* Overnighting at Don Muang? If you need to stay near Bangkok airport,
a Dutch reader strongly recommends Don Muang Mansions at 550b per night
(air-con) with great value food and drink. Tel/fax: 02 566 3514.
* The Dutch reader (above) is the most prominent breeder of pedigree
Thai Ridgeback dogs in Europe. Ray Mersmann is also the author of
'In Search of the Phu Quoc Dog', that being the Vietnamese island where
they probably originated. We are happy to put in touch those interested
in dog, book or both! 
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