Category: Thai Society/Culture

So I’ve been watching the price of things, all kinds of things, here in Thailand. One of the bargains I noticed early on was for Japanese-made mobile phones other than Sony-Ericsson. In Thailand, Nokia is the absolute king, which is probably responsible for this trend (Sony still has brand power here so this explains their exclusion above). In fact, LG and Samsung cellphones are also more popular and expensive than their Japanese brethren, which I feel is ridiculous when I compare the products, yet am more than willing to take advantage of.
I picked up the black Panasonic VS6 for a little over 5,000 Baht ($140) last week and liked it so much, I went back to get a matching red one for Nam’s birthday. There is not much to say about this phone except that it totally kicks the shit out of the equivalent Nokia in every aspect – functionality, quality of build, photo quality, features, ease of use – at half the price.
I may be biased, but every cell phone from a non-Japanese manufacturer I’ve ever used has had an overly complicated (or overly simplified) user interface, making simple tasks long, drawn-out affairs. I’ve worked with the cell testing groups at factories in Japan and know that at many companies, each phone’s UI is tested by an army of 500 temp workers maintained exclusively for usability trials. They may very well have similar testing in other countries as well, but I doubt it is on the same scale. Anyways, an added bonus of this phone is that if you are used to using a Japanese keitai interface, this phone will be very easy to operate.
To answer the questions in my previous post, this phone seems to be available in the states (random shop link), but being GSM will not be available for use in Japan (it can be purchased in Japan for usage overseas in GSM countries, though – google jp link)

So here’s the deal: I got the university job and started yesterday, I’ve taught three classes so far and will be teaching Tuesday through Friday, 18 hours a week. I was assigned an office (shared with four other teachers) and a desk yesterday; today I was greeted at the door by a large, dirty dog who tried to schnozz my crotch, but was blocked by my Sweeping Dragon knee-block (I have two younger sisters and a younger brother, this particular defense is the sole reason my powers of procreation lasted past age 12). Later, I tried to pet said dog on the head, and he snapped at my fingers… I think we understand each other now.
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What was that thing about “sleeping dogs” again?
Well, I won’t blog about work so much because I haven’t signed a contract yet, and also this job is inherently different from what I was doing in Japan. I feel I have to watch what I say because there are so many eyes on me now… like, I shouldn’t fucking curse so much, you know?
Meh, it’s all or nothing for me, you know? Either say what I mean, or blog anonymously. So, no real plans to change the way I do things here; I’ll just be open about it and see what happens. At my previous job, I actually had a blogging clause written into the contract. I kind of decided to never mention my company’s name on the blog, and it worked out well I think. I mean, there was the whole pink shirt issue, which pretty much made my company look like a bunch of idiots, but hey – that’s what the people who made the decision were.
One thing I will say about the new workplace is that I like the outdoor amphitheatre-sans-roof right next door:

“I am an opera singer”

I’m overseeing a 4-man crew of electricians today. They’ve come to add outlets to my bedroom, bathroom, and balcony, as well as enhance security around the house by adding two spotlights to the large side yard and one to the small side (we never know when the geckos might rise against us). Plus, like all the help that comes round the house, they serve the general function of being my in-law’s temporary biotches, which is funny as all hell. Nam’s mom and dad disagree about where to install something or what color it should be, and try to make the workmen take one side or the other… Then I go and raise hell by going back on everybody’s decisions and choosing what I want (hey, I’m paying for it, so it’s my decision, right?). The workmen then interject with practical limitations/suggestions (mounting this outlet too low in the bathroom might cause you to be electrocuted, etc.), and it’s back to making different decisions within the new parameters. There is a cow somewhere out in the woods behind the house mooing its ass off, and I am loving every minute of this.
Before you get any wrong ideas about my high roller lifestyle, check out today’s bill from the electricians:
Parts: 2500 baht (including spotlights)
Labor: 2000 baht (4 men, approx. 8 hours of work)
Total: 4500 baht = $121 or 14,436 yen
I love Thailand!
For once in my life, my room has enough electrical outlets (This is every man’s dream, ladies, remember that. Oh, that and floor drains – and I have those too.) and the house wiring is all properly grounded, too ( I hired a separate electrician to check the completed work).
I totally went out and bought them an awesome lunch, too, so they won’t come back and gank my house when there’s a flood or a riot or some such nonsense… Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but my father in law is supposedly giving me an old handmade rifle later tonight, so maybe I’m covered there anyway.
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Since I started writing about prices in the post, I thought I’d write about a few more:
A new housekeeper came to clean today: 150 baht/day (the old housekeeper was only 100 baht/day! ; the electrician’s go-fer boy is also getting paid 150 baht from his boss for today’s work – I asked when he bummed a smoke earlier.) = $4
The housekeeper’s husband came by to fix Nam’s motor scooter (a few minor parts, 2-stroke oil, and labor): 240 baht = $6.50
I also paid for our airline tickets from BKK to Khon Kaen this afternoon (two one-way tickets, distance/time is approximately LA to San Fran, or Osaka to Tokyo): 4,400 baht = $118.50
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I really shouldn’t even start writing about food yet (I’m getting the photos together), but a whole steamed chicken at the local marketplace is 40 baht ($1) and a nice 2.5 pound steamed tilapia was about the same.
In short, me likey.
Speaking of food, tonight Nam’s mom is taking us to the market where they sell live insects and scorpions and other yummies. Photos to follow.

One thought kept running through my mind as I paced the halls of the largest airport I have ever seen: “What a waste!”

Can anyone say “Asian Economic Bubble Architecture?”
From the slapdash finishing touches to the (very) poorly conceived traffic corridors, Suvarnabhumi Airport is the ultimate expression of arrogance topped with big budget incompetence. Don’t get me wrong – the airport might be seen as beautiful in certain contexts (for instance, to a blind, thirsty traveller having walked in from the wasteland surrounding it*), and it boasts a huge space inside, but unfortunately, it is completely wasted due to the ridiculous floor layout. There are more chokepoints for foot traffic than there were at the old airport (Don Muang), and the day I went, it wasn’t even crowded.

Concrete, glass, and steel construction worthy of KIX-level contempt.
Invariably, people end up comparing the new airport to the old one, and pretty much everyone I talked to agreed that not much has improved with the switch to Suvarnabhumi – the one point in its favor is quicker access (by car, since the train doesn’t yet connect). The decisive factor for me, however, is efficiency of operation, and here, the new airport failed miserably – our connecting domestic flight was delayed for over two hours.
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* This is a joke – nobody in Thailand who can afford to fly actually walks anywhere
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UPDATE: I forgot an especially irritating point. The baggage carousels at the new airport were seemingly designed with the sole purpose of destroying your check-in luggage. Seriously. We saw several suitcases and boxes break/break open falling off the conveyor belt onto the turnstile (which itself has obviously been repaired/modified since the airport opened, to no avail).

I’ve only got a couple minutes before I’m abducted by rogue water buffaloes so I’ll just throw fellow expats in Thailand an interesting link: Webcam extension of foreigners’ stays okayed
Before you get too excited, there is of course a catch:

“the bureau is only making its mobile services available on condition that the company involved must have at least 80 foreign workers lined up for renewal.”

And now, I hear the thundering of hooves…

I took a break from posting about the coup because no real information came forth for some time. However, this column I read over at The Nation (whose offices are apparently being guarded by the military) is just too good not to point out: Sonthi outsmarted Thaksin at the eleventh hour
If it’s true that General Sonthi effectively prevented bloodshed by initiating this coup, it’s nothing short of heroic, in my mind.

“However, an intelligence report reached General Sonthi’s camp stating that there would be bloodshed on Wednesday. The People’s Alliance for Democracy had planned to hold a political rally that day at the Royal Plaza in order to force Thaksin out of politics. Had that rally taken place, there would have been clashes between the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Thaksin’s supporters and blood would have been spilt on Rajdamnoen Avenue. If only Thaksin had promised that he would take a break from politics and allow a period of political reforms to take place, the PAD and other branches of the anti-Thaksin movement would have declared victory. All political confrontations would have subsided. Thaksin could have run for office once the Constitution was amended, and he would have been returned to the premier’s post, probably in the latter part of next year.”

Of course, there’s that whole thing about winners being the ones that write history and all that, but there’s a lot that makes sense about this story, and it seems to be corroborated by other sources as well. It’s too early to link; I want to check into this further.
By all accounts, Bangkok and the rest of the country is chugging along as normal, perhaps with an increased military presence, but that’s about it. The economy doesn’t seem to be affected too badly, and most people seem to be of the opinion that staging the coup was the right thing to do.
Thailand will be my home for a while, and right now, I am hopeful.