Archive for the 'Crime and Punishment' Category

The Contemperary Crips & Bloods of Thailand: Siamese Color Wars

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

All over the Thai media in recent times has been the colored shirt political rivalries infesting the Siamese political and public arenas. Initially headlined by the pro (current) government yellow shirts, known formerly as PAD (Peoples Alliance for Democracy), and their bitter opposition, pro ex-Thaksin-government red shirted rivals, or PAAD (Peoples Alliance Against Dictatorship). As [...]

Bangkok 2009 New Year’s Blast: Popular Night Club Scorched during Count-down; Human Barbecue

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

For thousands of people, 2009 kicked off with a horrific tragedy as one of the Thai capital’s popular night club’s Santika (sometimes spelt Zantika) went into flames shortly after the New Year’s count down. At least 60 people either were trampled, suffocated and/or burnt to death within the once classy compounds, and several hundred more [...]

It’s my turn to sing! Thai Karaoke Bar: Fun, Drinks, Girls & Violence

Monday, December 29th, 2008

If you’ve ever been out and about when the sun goes down in Thailand–from lively zones in the heart of the congested capital to run down, shady narrow sois (sub-street) out in the middle of nowhere–you might recall passing by one of those simple yet glamorous joints adjourned with colorful lights, and perhaps some provocatively [...]

PPP versus PAD, pro-anti Government Raids, Mobs, and Politics: Fool the Masses

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Yesterday, a friend had phoned and asked if I knew what was going on. “The same old mob-wannabe coup, is it?” “Yea, it’s all over the international and local (Thai) news now, do you have any idea why?” he asked In this brief entry, you’ll find out exactly why there has been civil unrest, and [...]

Week of Woe for Thai University: blackmail, initiation death, and shootings

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

The past week has provide a handful of front-page-newspaper-worthy incidents involving unlucky, unfortunate, and/or misguided post-secondary students and one professor–all separate cases.

The Rapist-Magician of Thailand: Villagers Scared to Wits

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

Over the last month, villagers in Kanchanaburi province of Western Thailand, particularly those with women and young girls in their family have been freaking out about rumors going around regarding a pervert, apparently skilled in black magic and the art of mysteriously disapearing after committing naughty deeds on women and young girls in the middle [...]

Thailand Rule of Law: Praised Taxi Driver gets light Murder Sentence

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

As my 30 baht plate of Grapow Basil Stir fry was being cooked at the neighborhood eatery, I did what I and most Thais typically do while waiting–I grabbed the latest copy of Thai Rath newspaper to catch up on the latest action. Indifferent to the featured political headline giving hype to Thailand’s current Prime [...]

Burmese Corpse Collectors Arrested: Military Junta Nabs Volunteers

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Surfing the web, I was quite taken by this story about a group of Burmese volunteers who had been cleaning up corpses in Myanmar’s cyclone stricken coastal plains and river beds.

Modern Slavery in Thailand: 54 Migrant Burmese Workers Executed

Friday, April 11th, 2008

With government migrant immigration and labor laws firm and strict as ever, it is only humans natural reaction to find other ways around the system and tap into that which is forbidden. After all, Adam and Eve need to eat the apple–whether you believe in such a tale or not, it would be foolish not [...]

The role of monks in modern Thai society: Has Buddhism gone astray?

Monday, April 7th, 2008

Out and about on the streets and sights of Bangkok, there’s a spectacle blend of modern and ancient smells, sounds and sights to be had. On one end of the city, you’ll find yourself surrounded by towering skyscrapers, hi tech shopping malls, hi-speed sky train and subway transit systems, posh fashion districts, and IT hubs [...]