Brit in Bangkok

Foreigners - STOP Bringing Money Into Thailand

Even though I've lived in Thailand for almost six years, even I can't believe the stupidity of Thai banks sometimes.  Case in point, the Thai Banking Association has decided, in all its wisdom, that by the end of the month every Thai bank will charge a 150 baht fee every time an ATM card is used in a Thai ATM machine to withdraw money from an overseas bank account.

This in a country where the tourism industry is down 60%, where NOBODY is booking holidays in Thailand and where expats are leaving every day and taking their money with them.  Are Thailand's banks really this stupid?  It honestly seems like they are.

For me, I've been withdrawing money from my US bank account for the last couple of months so that I can increase my savings account in Thailand.  As of last Friday, I will not bring ANY MORE MONEY into Thailand.  Instead, I'm going to empty out my Bangkok Bank account and use that to live on every month, because, if Bangkok Bank thinks I'm going to spend 150 baht ($4.22) every time I withdrew money from the US, they really must be smoking some kind of drug?

Tomorrow, I will be going to Bangkok Bank and withdrawing everything in my account, leaving a 200 baht balance to keep the account open. When I get paid on Friday, I'll be going again to withdraw that money too.  Because if Bangkok Bank thinks I'm going to give them any of my business after they have instituted this outrageous fee, they really ARE doing drugs!

I also suggest every other expat and farang refuse to bring money into Thailand as much as is feasibly possible.  This new 150 baht fee is outrageous and I, for one, will not pay it.

Making Mango and Sticky Rice

 

 

Where I work, like everywhere in Thailand, there's always food. Someone is always bringing me food, putting food in the kitchen for everyone to eat, or making food.  On Friday, it was mango and sticky rice (my absolutely favorite Thai dessert!).  One of my friends at work, Poompim, who knows Bangkok like the back of her hand, had gone to what she says is the best mango and sticky rice place in town and bought it for everyone in her department (plus me! :-) 

And was it the best mango and sticky rice?  Yep, it certainly was.  She prepared me a huge plate of it which, of course, I ate - and it was DELICIOUS!!! 

If you ever come to Thailand, the one Thai dessert you have to try is Mango and Sticky Rice (it's always served with coconut milk to pour over it), as it seriously is the best stuff you'll ever eat.

Food Court Food - Delicious and Soooo Cheap

This is a large iced latte, and a bowl of sauteed spicy beef, stir fried veggies and rice, and a bowl of soup = total cost at the food court?   100 baht ($2.81) and absolutely delicious!

One of my favorite food courts in Bangkok is at the Carrefour mini mall on Ladprao road.  The whole of the second floor is an enormous food court, with tons of Thai food for every taste. 

If you haven't been to a food court before, here's how it works.  You go to a little counter and get a card (like a credit card) for 100 baht, 200 baht, however much you want.  Then you buy food from any food stall you want - drinks too! - and 'pay' with the card.  When you've finished eating, you take the card back to the counter and the lady there will refund whatever money you didn't spend.  Easy, cheap and the food is always excellent.  Tons of Thais eat at food courts. On the weekends especially, you'll see lots of families as it's cheaper to buy food at a food court than it is to cook it.

Back to Normal

Dressed in traditional Thai clothes for a Thai handicrafts show at Siam Paragon

Everything is pretty much back to normal in Bangkok. All the malls are open, some people are back at work and the rest of us are still enjoying the Songkran holiday. 

On Wednesday, I had lunch with Tua at Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok and bought a ton of stuff - books, new jacket for work from Zara, bracelet, a bag and groceries.  There was a sale of Thai handicrafts in the middle of the mall and they had the cutest stuff so, of course, I had to buy a bunch of it.

For the Thai handicrafts show, they also had a few people dressed up in traditional Thai costume - very cute!

Thaksin Lies on CNN and Two Killed in Bangkok By Red Shirt Protesters

Thaksin spent time on CNN today lying about the situation in Bangkok and saying "People are being killed".  No, Thaksin - people were NOT being killed.  Not until YOUR red shirts went into a local market and shot two people.  Who's killing who?  It's not the army, that's for sure!

And WHY does CNN give Thaksin any airtime?  He's a liar, a thief and a fugitive on the run.  Why would a legitimate TV news network give him any airtime?

Thai Military Clashes With Protesters

The Thai military rushing to clear 'red shirts' off the street in Bangkok's latest round of protests

 

Anti-government protester in downtown Bangkok today

 

Man giving flowers to the soldiers, downtown Bangkok today.

 

Buses set on fire in Bangkok today by anti-government protesters. Thai military responded with tear gas.

Things are definitely heating up in Bangkok.  The Thai military has been clashing with red-shirted protesters all day, but it looks like they've managed to clear a lot of them away from important intersections and areas.  One piece of news footage on Thai TV showed the Thai army stopping a stolen bus that had been jerry-rigged and sent canonballing into the army.  The army shot at it with live ammunition until the bus slammed into a tree and then cleared off the red shirts with water cannons.  Afterwards, Thais who lived in the area were all out on the streets applauding the army, high-fiving them and giving them hugs.  Shows how much most people in Bangkok support the red shirts.  They don't!

I went out to Tesco Lotus today, as I had no food for me or the rabbits, and stocked up on supplies for the next three days.  People were out as normal and I even had lunch at KFC before taking a taxi home.

I just feel so sorry for the Thais. Their country is being ripped apart by these idiots, all supported by Thaksin - a criminal on the run, who doesn't even have the BALLS to come back to this country and whose ENTIRE FAMILY left Thailand on Wednesday, knowing that this violence was about to take place.  Cowards!

My friend Poom just called and said "Stay home".  Her mom is making her stay in her house, as are my friend Tua and my friend Sue.  We're all just sitting waiting to see what happens next.  But with the Songkran holiday all week, it could be at least a week before things start to get back to normal.  Every time I have a freakin' holiday in Thailand, one side or the other ruins it.  Bastards!

** Some news reports are now saying normal Thais are coming out of their houses and starting to attack the 'red shirts' - sick of the disruption to their normal lives.  Way to go guys - keep it up!

Red Shirts Close Down Asean Summit in Pattaya

 

Well, Thailand is back to mass demonstrations, political unrest and a chance of a coup.  Since the PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) managed to overthrow the last government and get their guys in (Abhisit et al), now the UDD (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, otherwise known as the 'red shirts') are copying PAD tactics and trying to overthrow this government. Yesterday, they stormed a hotel in Pattaya where the leaders of the Asean Summit were staying and the summit had to be canceled.

What I find fascinating though is how many people (most people at my work actually) are decrying the tactics of the 'red shirts', yet these were exactly the tactics the PAD used a few months ago when they took over Thailand's airports for two weeks.  I guess for most Thais, it's fine if 'our group' does that but not if the other group does.  Crazy, eh?

Rumor now has it that if Abhisit, the Prime Minister, can't control this lot, there'll be another military coup - soon!  You've gotta love Thailand.

Special note - Honestly, if this wasn't so sad it would be laughable.  Successive Thai governments with no idea of how to run a country.  What's sad though is it affects millions of Thais, the reputation of the country, all of my Thai friends, and me.

Songkran

To celebrate Songkran, you can scoop water out of the urn on the right and pour it over the Buddha statue

It's the beginning of the big Thai Songkran holiday today.  Songkran is the Thai New Year, or Water Festival, where Thais pour or throw water on everyone for good luck.  All over Thailand, you'll see this small altar-type structures appearing, so that people everywhere can pour water on the Buddha statue for blessing.  This one is in Exchange Tower in Bangkok. Beautiful, eh?

Lunch

People in the US are always asking me what I eat in Thailand.  The answer?  Pretty much anything and everything.  I eat Thai food, Western food, Japanese food - whatever I feel like that day.  This is one of my recent lunches at work.  I buy from one of the market stalls downstairs, then bring back up to my desk to eat in the air conditioning.

This plate is rice, fried chicken with mushrooms, stir fried veggies, and all topped off with a fried egg.  For dessert, a huge tray of mango and sticky rice with coconut milk poured over it. Delicious!  Total cost?  35 baht (about 95 cents) for the chicken, rice, veggies and fried egg and 30 baht (84 cents) for the mango and sticky rice (enough to feed two people!)  Yes, I eat well, and cheaply in Thailand.

Chakri Memorial Day

CSI, shopping and relaxing - that's what I did for my 3-day weekend

It's Chakri Memorial Day here in Thailand tomorrow, which means that we get Monday off work.  Chakri Memorial Day actually commemorates the founding of the Chakri Royal Dynasty, but for most Thais it's a day to relax, have fun, go shopping and spend time with their families.

For me, on my 3 day weekend, I've shopped at Carrefour, cleaned, written more articles for Associated Content, read a book and watched Seasons 7 and 8 of CSI.  My friend Sue just got me 7 TV series on DVD absolutely FREE, (CSI, The Lost Room, Numbers etc) as one of her friends here owns a DVD shop - that's about 160 hours of viewing pleasure!

Tomorrow (the actual Chakri Memorial Day), I'm going down town to shop for vitamins and to buy a book to use in my business skills classes this week.

I love 3-day weekends and this was a great one. Plus, when we go back to work, we're only there for 4 days this week, then get a week off for Songkran.  April really is a lovely month!