This time the "wave" came up from the land and covered the country. The military, a shadow government, ousted one of few truly democratically elected governments in the country's history. They replaced an arrogant billionaire Prime Minister with a General who happens to be a Muslim in a society that's 95% Buddhist. The tiny upper-class that controls most of the wealth cheered. The growing upper-middle class cheered--they want a bigger piece. And the southernmost provinces which were snatched from Muslim Malayasia and are essentially Muslim couldn't care less. Their rebellion went up a notch. So on New Year's Eve, while the General was making a pilgrimage to Mecca, the wave finally exploded in Bangkok with bombs and mayhem and death. A prevalent, long-held nightmare that finally appeared. What's next? Depends on how threatened the U.S. interests are--military bases, CIA outposts, secret Bush detention camps, "dollar-a-day" labor pools. Thailand was already suffering a severe identity crisis fueled by overwhelming tourism, the internet, and Skype. Even my glimmering home away from home, Phuket Island, is sadly succombing to the tarnishing of its cultural beauty. Addict that I am, I cannot eat plastic mangoes.
« Through the Myth-Making Glass Lightly | Main | People Who Climb Mountains »
The Tsunami Is Back In Thailand
Search
About
This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on January 10, 2007 2:15 AM.
The previous post in this blog was Through the Myth-Making Glass Lightly.
The next post in this blog is People Who Climb Mountains.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
Comments (4)
I don't think Thailand is changing for the worse, it's just catching up to the times. Yes they're a little soft on security and all that, but it's still a great place to be and see.
Posted by Trevor | January 10, 2007 1:06 PM
Posted on January 10, 2007 13:06
The official story about the Bangkok bombing is that it was revenge from Taksin's followers. You're suggesting there's more to it, that the Islam thing is finally moving North. As an ex-pat living in Thailand, we've been waiting for this to happen and it's frightening. You ask what's next? Pattaya, my friend, it's ripe to become another Bali.
Posted by Gary R. | January 10, 2007 1:21 PM
Posted on January 10, 2007 13:21
The other story is the Thai press which is far from a free press. The two large English newspapers are so involved with sucking up to the Americans and the Brits that they do journalism like PR machines. And the Thai newspapers are so provincial and politically twisted that they don't even make good wrappers for fish and chips--um, Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Posted by Terry Bowles | January 10, 2007 1:30 PM
Posted on January 10, 2007 13:30
As they say in Thailand, same-same and as we say in the U.S., same-old, same old. Just change the name of the country and you can find this story in a dozen places. If it gets any worse, do you think Bush will invade to make it a "democracy" again. Oh wait a minute, Rummie is gone. But watch out, Cheney and his shotgun is still standing the in wings.
Posted by Steve | January 11, 2007 3:06 PM
Posted on January 11, 2007 15:06