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Full Moon Party: Thailand
Over 20,000 party-hardy people fly from all over the world to fire-dance, drink, and revel on the southern beaches of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand. Grab a "bucket", and join the fun! Over 20,000 party-hardy people fly from all over the world to fire-dance, drink, and revel on the southern beaches of Ko Pha Ngan, Tha... more
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Thai bat eaters
This Thai village has a tradition of eating those flying creatures.
The youth, are not that into it though.
Would you eat a bat?
This Thai village has a tradition of eating those flying creatures. The youth, are not that into it though. ... more -
Cambodia informs U.N. on alleged incursion
Cambodia has sent a note to the U.N. Security Council alleging that Thai forces intruded into its territory near an ancient temple.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Sunday that Cambodia's mission in New York submitted a letter to the chairman of the Security Council and the chairman of the General Assembly to "draw their attention to the current situation on the Cambodian-Thai border."
He said that Cambodia was not asking for United Nations intervention and hoped to solve the territorial dispute peacefully.
Hundreds of troops from the two countries are facing off on disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple for which Cambodia was granted World Heritage Site status earlier this month.
The two countries are to hold peace talks Monday.
Meanwhile, a Cambodian general has said Sunday that he has little hope that upcoming talks between his government and Thailand will resolve the border dispute.
Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo said Thai troops have deployed an artillery piece about half a mile (one kilometer) northeast of Preah Vihear temple -- the latest escalation ahead of Monday's meeting aimed at averting a military confrontation.
"Regarding the talks tomorrow, we have little hope about the outcome," Chea Keo said.
He said the reason for his pessimism stems from a recent counterclaim by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that the area around a Buddhist pagoda near the historic temple belongs to Thailand. Thai troops have been stationed at the pagoda since Tuesday.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote a letter to Samak on Thursday saying relations had been "worsening" since Thai troops "encroached on our territory," and asked him to pull them back.
Responding to his Cambodian counterpart, Samak said the area around the pagoda referred to in the letter "is within the Thai territory," according to a statement Saturday from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
While urging both sides to exercise restraint, Samak's letter said the settlement of Cambodians in that area constitutes "a continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Despite their pledge to hold talks Monday in Thailand to try to defuse the tensions, both Cambodia and Thailand have massed troops at the site.
"We continue to be on alert at all time. And at the same time, we keep instructing our soldiers to be patient and avoid being blamed for starting a war," Chea Keo said Sunday.
The conflict over territory surrounding Preah Vihear temple escalated when UNESCO recently approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists fear the new status will undermine Thailand's claim to nearby land since the border has never been demarcated.
Troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out Thursday night, which was avoided when Cambodians retreated from a site occupied by the Thais.
But opposing commanders and their troops have otherwise tried to defuse tensions, sometimes even sharing meals, snapping photographs and sleeping within easy sight of one another.
The dispute has taken a toll on tourism in the area, with the Thai side closed to visitors. It also is starting to hurt economic relations between the two neighbors. Cambodia has sent a note to the U.N. Security Council alleging that Thai forces intruded into its territory near an ancient temple. ... more -
Temple tensions high ahead of talks
Thailand and Cambodia say they are willing to negotiate over a disputed temple site as troop numbers escalate.
Both sides are due to hold talks on Monday to resolve the latest row over the ancient temple site which the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 belonged to Cambodia, a decision which still angers many Thais. Thailand and Cambodia say they are willing to negotiate over a disputed temple site as troop numbers escalate. ... more -
AFP: Cambodia and Thailand further increase troops in border standoff
"Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temple on the border, officials said on Saturday.
More than 500 Thai troops and well over 1,000 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of 11th century Preah Vihear temple...
...The standoff nearly erupted into violence late Thursday, when witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other during 10 tense minutes at the pagoda when 50 Cambodian troops entered the pagoda compound to protect food supplies for dozens of monks.
Officials from both countries plan to meet Monday to resolve the standoff. But Premier Hun Sen and told his Thai counterpart in a letter Thursday that the dispute was worsening and harming their relations."
(End of excerpt)
Full article at link.
"Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temp... more -
Thai farmers look to bats as free, flying food
While movie fans the world over rave about the new Batman film, the only stir bats are causing in this poor farming village is in a cooking pot.
The farmers say the meat is delicious, and, with a big smile, they claim it also gives them sexual powers.
While movie fans the world over rave about the new Batman film, the only stir bats are causing in this poor farming village is in a co... more -
The 10 Worst Corporations of 2007
Neither Honest Nor Trustworthy: The 10 Worst Corporations of 2007
by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman
The U.S. public holds Big Business in shockingly low regard.
A November 2007 Harris poll found that less than 15 percent of the population believes each of the following industries to be "generally honest and trustworthy:" tobacco companies (3 percent); oil companies (3 percent); managed care companies such as HMOs (5 percent); health insurance companies (7 percent); telephone companies (10 percent); life insurance companies (10 percent); online retailers (10 percent); pharmaceutical and drug companies (11 percent); car manufacturers (11 percent); airlines (11 percent); packaged food companies (12 percent); electric and gas utilities (15 percent). Only 32 percent of adults said they trusted the best-rated industry about which Harris surveyed, supermarkets.
With the 10 Worst Corporations of 2007, we aim to show - again - that Big Business is out of control and to connect comparable abuses to the failure of government overseers, regulators and enforcers.
Presented alphabetically, here are the 10 Worst Corporations of 2007:
http://www.multinationalmonitor.org/mm2007/112007/mokhi... Neither Honest Nor Trustworthy: The 10 Worst Corporations of 2007 by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman ... more -
Unlocking My Muscles at the Women’s Prison - Kelly Hayes-Rait
Kelly Hayes-Raitt reports from Thailand.
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PeacePATH Foundation - About Violating Sanctions
Chiang Mai, Massage - Violating Sanctions
Unlocking My Muscles at the Women’s Prison
The Author By Kelly Hayes-Raitt | June 5th, 2008 | Comments 1 Comment »
Massage places in Thailand are about as ubiquitous as Starbucks in Santa Monica, so choosing to allow a convicted criminal to pummel the daylights out of my muscles may seem like an odd choice – or an inspired one, depending on one’s perspective.
But, I chose the Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institution (www.correct.go.th/fdccham) because it gives soon-to-be-released women a chance to practice a new commercial skill, to earn some head-start money and to interact with the public in a controlled setting. As the young electrical engineer lying next to me said, “It massages my heart, too.”
womens-prison.jpg
Following the narrow streets of the original walled city of Chiang Mai, Thailand’s first capitol and second largest city, I was confused by the ungated, pleasantly tiled patio featuring a sprawling mango tree with purple orchids cascading from its branches.
I was expecting cinderblocks, barbed wire, guns and guards. What I found was an atrium-like restaurant adjacent to a coffee shop serving cappuccinos and homemade pastries.
Housing 1,200 women convicted of drug crimes, the prison allows women who have successfully undergone drug rehab to participate in a 3-month voluntary vocational program to learn massage, cooking, dressmaking, hairdressing or waitressing. Well more than half of Thailand’s female prisoners are jailed for drug-related crimes.
Thai massage is a non-sexual, non-aesthetic experience where the massage mats are laid side-by-side in an open room, people are fully dressed in their own clothes or in cloth tie pants that look like hospital scrubs, and the masseurs banter with each other like hairdressers at an neighborhood salon.
thai-massage.jpg
At 200 baht (about $6.70 US) for an hour, they’re cheap even by Thai standards. Getting a massage is a regular, social event similar to the way western men might gather at a barber shop. It’s not unusual to see Thai massage mats and reflexology chairs publicly lined up at the popular outdoor night markets to reinvigorate intrepid shoppers.....
Read more on Kelly's blog at link above.
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From TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com Kelly Hayes-Raitt reports from Thailand. _____________________ PeacePATH Foundation - About Violating Sanctions ... more -
Black Market Tigers Linked to Thai Temple
It's the hottest part of the day at a forest monastery in western Thailand, and tourists are led by the hand, one by one, into the beating sun to pet chained tigers and smile for the camera.
Every day at this unusual "Tiger Temple," as many as 800 tourists pay 300 Thai baht (9 U.S. dollars) each for their chance to interact with the endangered big cats.
The tigers—several of which were born at the compound—live alongside monks and volunteers in what one temple handler called a beautiful blend of Buddhism and conservation.
Though the remote monastery near the Burmese border is considered a must-see by some tourists, it's what the public doesn't see that has prompted a growing chorus of wildlife groups, both internationally and in Thailand, to call attention to its conservation missteps. (See Thailand map.)
Not only does the temple fail to preserve dwindling tigers as advertised, experts say, a new report released today by the U.K.-based conservation group, Care for the Wild International (CWI), asserts that the monastery has been trading the animals illegally with a tiger farm in neighboring Laos.
"What we feel is important is that people know this is not real conservation—people are being fooled. They are exploiting wildlife," said Guna Subramaniam, the Southeast Asia director for CWI.
CWI conducted its investigation between 2005 and 2008 with the aid of people who enlisted as temple volunteers. Subramaniam also visited the monastery in 2006 and 2007.
The temple staff dismisses any involvement in illegal trade. It's the hottest part of the day at a forest monastery in western Thailand, and tourists are led by the hand, one by one, into the bea... more -
Thai protesters demand govt. step down
Police lined the streets as crowds led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) marched in Bangkok.
The PAD, mostly made up of middle-class Bangkok residents, say the government is a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra, who the military ousted in a 2006 coup.
The group has been protesting in Bangkok since late May.
It led the massive anti-Thaksin street protests that preceded the 2006 coup, but the demonstrations this time have so far remained small.
Ahead of the protests, police closed down the area around Government House.
Schools and offices nearby were ordered to shut. Thousands of police were deployed and barriers set up.
The protest leaders had promised 100,000 people would join their movement to oust the government.
In the end, only a fraction of that number showed up, according to the BBC's correspondent in Bangkok, Jonathan Head.
But their lack of mass support belies the serious threat they still pose to the four-month-old government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, our correspondent adds.
His People Power Party - made up of Mr Thaksin's allies - won the elections in December 2007 that returned Thailand to democracy.
But the deep divisions that contributed to the military coup remain.
Mr Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire, is banned from politics, but he still enjoys strong support in rural areas.
He is, however, deeply disliked by Bangkok's traditional elite, who do not want him to make a political comeback.
His opponents are also angry at the new government's recent move to amend the military-backed constitution - a move they say will give obvious benefits to the People Power Party and give Mr Thaksin added protection. Police lined the streets as crowds led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) marched in Bangkok. ... more -
Cross-dressing teens get own school bathroom
NGKOK, Thailand - A secondary school in rural Thailand has designed a new bathroom that it calls a "transvestite toilet" for its growing community of cross-dressers.
The Kampang School in northeastern Thailand conducted a survey last term that showed more than 200 of the school's 2,600 students considered themselves transvestites, said school director Sitisak Sumontha.
So, when classes resumed in May, the school unveiled a unisex restroom designated by a human figure split into two, half man in blue, and half female in red. Below the figure, it says, "Transvestite Toilet." NGKOK, Thailand - A secondary school in rural Thailand has designed a new bathroom that it calls a "transvestite toilet" for its growi... more -
Third bathroom for transvestites in Thailand public schools
A Thai school has introduced toilets for its transvestite students after a survey revealed that 200 cross-dressing students felt uncomfortable using the male toilets but were not always welcome in the female loos.
Kampang school, attended by 2,600 pupils in the rural north-eastern province of Sisaket, unveiled the toilets when the new academic year began in May. The symbol for the loos shows a figure split in two, the male half in blue and the female in red.
Three transvestite pupils applying powder to their faces in the new toilets told a Thai news channel they were delighted with the innovation. "I'm so happy about this," said Vichai Sangsakul, a teenager with hair held in place by a pink band. "It looks bad going to female toilets. What would other people think?"
Rural Thais tend to be conservative, but like most people in Thailand, they tolerate the highly visible phenomenon of transvestites who often work in the make-up business, cabaret or the sex industry.
"These students want to be able to go to the bathroom in peace without fear of being watched, laughed at or groped," said the school director, Sitisak Sumontha. "[Pupils] don't have problems with transvestites. But going to the same private area, like a toilet, makes them uneasy
A Thai school has introduced toilets for its transvestite students after a survey revealed that 200 cross-dressing students felt uncom... more -
Traditional Dancing in Thailand
From http://intheknowtraveler.com. I was at this year’s Thailand Travel Mart in Bangkok. Among the endless meeting with colleagues around the world, there was some entertainment. Here was the finale of the dinner show featuring me stumbling around the stage while real camera crews from Asia captured the event. From http://intheknowtraveler.com. I was at this year’s Thailand Travel Mart in Bangkok. Among the endless meeting with colleagues aro... more
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UN declares Thailand as "world centre of Buddhism"
The United Nations has declared Thailand "world centre of Buddhism", while at the same time calling upon member states to celebrate the day of Vesak as "international Buddhism day".
To celebrate both of these events, more than a thousand religious and scholars of the religion, from 25 different countries, met in the UN conference hall in Bangkok. The celebration commemorates the birth and illumination of the Buddha, and is celebrated by all the branches of Buddhism.
The monk Somdejphrabuddhajarn, who participated in the name of the Buddhist patriarchate, says: "This assembly brings us happiness amid the tragedies of the cyclone in Burma and the earthquake in China. Nonetheless, these disasters demonstrate the importance of working to help the victims, and are a good example of how Buddhist teachings are relevant and necessary for bringing harmony and peace to society".
The venerable Phradhamakosajarn, rector of the Buddhist academy of Chulalongkorn and president of the commission instituted for the commemoration of Vesak, adds: "During the recent meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, on the occasion of Visakha Puja Day, we discussed how anything can happen at any time, so Buddhists should develop their consciousness and mind to accept their destiny".
The heart of the feast of Vesak is based on four "noble truths": suffering, the cause of suffering, blocking suffering, and how to stop suffering. In addition to charity and gratitude toward the elderly, parents, and teachers, the faithful are asked to reflect deeply on these themes. For this reason, many monasteries invite young people to try religious life even for just a week, in order to reflect better and improve their understanding.
About 90 percent of the 62.2 million citizens of Thailand practice Theravada Buddhism, brought to the country from India around the third century before Christ. This branch is based on the Pali canon of Buddha's teachings, known as the Tripitaka (a sort of Bible of Buddhism). The United Nations has declared Thailand "world centre of Buddhism", while at the same time calling upon member states to celebrate th... more -
Practising paintshop skills using pretty ladies i have snapped pictures
There is something to be said for the basic paint application and a wav file
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Condom-Themed Restaurants In Thailand
A restaurant that gives out condoms instead of breath mints! An excellent idea
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Thai Perspective on U.S. Elections
John McCain fought in Vietnam and wants a free-trade agreement with Southeast Asia. Barack Obama grew up in Indonesia during widespread human rights violations. Hillary Clinton highlighted women's rights while touring Asia as First Lady. So who would be the best president after W.?
Thais respond. John McCain fought in Vietnam and wants a free-trade agreement with Southeast Asia. Barack Obama grew up in Indonesia during widespre... more -
Animals in need
MANGE DID THIS...
"Skin desease, because of mites. The dog constantly scratches himself, and he gets bumbs and blisters because of it. And he looses his coat..."
Please visit the following links for more unformation about 'Dany' & many other animals.
http://www.tierhilfe.assisi.de/
http://www.tierhilfe-assisi.de/berichte/drcs/dany/dany-...
http://www.carline-seiser-de/tiere.html
MANGE DID THIS... ... more -
Hundreds feared dead in Myanmar cyclone - CNN.com
As many as 350 people were feared dead after a tropical cyclone with winds up to 150 miles per hour slammed into Myanmar over the weekend, according to local media reports. As many as 350 people were feared dead after a tropical cyclone with winds up to 150 miles per hour slammed into Myanmar over the week... more
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Poke Me Mon
Spirit possession, body piercing, and fire walking are all rituals that take place on the island of Phuket, Thailand each year to honor the Chinese Gods during the annual Vegetarian festival. Spirit possession, body piercing, and fire walking are all rituals that take place on the island of Phuket, Thailand each year to hono... more
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