in the 17th century, the Dutch, the English, and from the 1680s the French, competed with each other for trade with the island of Phuket (the island was named Junk Ceylon at that time), which was valued as a very rich source of tin. In September 1680, a ship from theFrench East India Companyvisited Phuket and left with a full cargo of tin. In 1681 or 1682, the Siamese kingNarai, who was seeking to reduce Dutch and English influence, named Governor of Phuket the French medical missionary BrotherRené Charbonneau, a member of the Siam mission of theSociété des Missions Etrangères. Charbonneau held the position of Governor until 1685.
In 1685, king Narai confirmed the French tin monopoly in Phuket to a French ambassador, theChevalier de Chaumont.Chaumont's formermaître d'hôtelSieur de Billy was named governor of the island.The French were expelled from Siam in 1688 however, following the1688 Siamese revolution. On April 10, 1689, the French generalDesfargesled an expedition to re-capture the island ofPhuketin an attempt to restore some sort of French control in Siam.The occupation of the island led nowhere, and Desfarges returned toPondicherryin January 1690.
TheBurmeseattacked Phuket in 1785. CaptainFrancis Light, aBritish East India Companycaptain passing by the island, sent word to the local administration that he had observed Burmese forces preparing to attack.Than Phu YingChan, the wife of the recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook(คุณมุก) then assembled what forces they could. After a month-long siege, the Burmese were forced to retreatMarch 13,1785. The two women became local heroines, receiving the honorary titlesThao Thep Krasatri and Thao Si Sunthonfrom KingRama I. During the reign of KingChulalongkorn(Rama V), Phuket became the administrative center of thetin-producing southern provinces. In 1933MonthonPhuket(มณฑลภูเก็จ)was dissolved and Phuket became a province by itself. Old names of the island include Ko Thalang.( Wikipedia.org )
In the past, the number of water buffalo a farmer had was an indication of wealth and the water buffalo was considered a farmer's best friend. Large numbers of them could be seen wallowing in the mud at the edge of paddy fields. But with the invention of diesel plows and tractors, uses for the animal have been on the decline -- until now.
Water buffaloes cost about $400-$500 each, and are a cheap alternative to diesel ploughs. But both farmers and water buffaloes are out of practice.
Young farmers like Supat Langboon have little experience using farm animals in the fields and the farm animals themselves are confused as to why they are in a rice field attached to a plough.
But even though water buffalo are more difficult to control than tractors, Supat is not giving up.
[Supat Langboon, Farmer]:
"I would like to try to use a water buffalo to pull the plough because petrol is very expensive."
Supat's uncle, 73-year-old farmer Tawan Panyaharn, is teaching both man and beast to work together and progress is slow.
[Tawan Panyaharn, Farmer]:
"My relatives do not know how to train a buffalo how to plough. Sometimes, I have to step in and train them myself. I can get the buffalo to pull the plough within a few days."
Rice production is the main source of income for rural families in the northeast. Thailand is one of the world's biggest rice producers and exporters. Some 10 million hectares of rice is grown in the country. Half of that is located in the country's northeast.
The Thai wedding ceremony is unique. It used to be more complex with lots of steps. Presently, it has been modified to be more modern and less complex.
Usually, we will have a Monk Blessing as is the Buddhism custom at the house of the bride or the bridegroom (which will be the place for the event) in the morning. After that, there will be marriage registration. Then, we have lunch together. Many couples do not have this part of the day of the monk blessing and registration at home. They may go to register at the county office the day before or after the wedding.
In the afternoon, the traditional wedding customs will be followed. It is called ROD-NAM-SANG, and is the main event where both the bride and the bridegroom's family get together. They witness this important event. Both the bridge and the bridegroom will sit close together on the floor (or small stage) with their hands held in WAI style (like the way we pay respect to the Lord Buddha). A flower chain connects the hands. The most senior person will act as the leader of the event. He or she will start to soak the couple's hands in water and wish them good luck. The water is contained in a conch shell container (ROD is soak, NAM is water, and SANG is conch shell). Then, the parents and others will do the same. Usually, only selected people like close friends and close relatives will be invited to the ROD-NAM-SANG event. If you are the immediate supervisor of the bride or bridegroom, you may be invited to join the ceremony. Accept it, it's a great honour. Please do not dress in BLACK colours (Dress and necktie). For Thais, the black colour is reserved for a sad event like a funeral. I have heard many Thais complained about foreigners wearing black dress to a wedding ceremony and it is a sign of bad luck to the bride and the bridegroom.
On the same night, there will be a wedding party. The number of invited guests is around 100 - 300. People like to organise the function in the hotel since the facilities are easier to set up. It could be arranged in different ways i.e. Cocktail style, Buffet Thai food, Chinese food, or sit down dinner. Whatever the style, the wedding party usually follows the same steps:
The dinner party starts around 6 pm; the bride and the bridegroom with their parents will stand in front of the function room greeting and welcoming the guests.
Guests arrive.
Guests go to register the name at reception area. Guest will sign the guest-book wishing good luck for the couple. Guests will present the gift at the registration area. It could be gift or gift cheque. If you present gift cheque, value varies according your position and the position of the bride and the bridegroom. Check with your secretary or colleague on the proper amount. If you give less than expected you will get a reputation as a stingy boss!
Guests take photograps with the bride and the bridegroom.
Around 7 pm, the dinner starts.
Around 7.45 pm, the Master of Ceremonies (MC) starts the formal ceremony. Typically, the MC is one of the close friends of either the bride or bridegroom.
The MC invites both the bride and the bridegroom to the floor. A wedding Flower is presented to them by the parent of the bridegroom.
The MC calls for the guest of honour. Usually, the guest of honour is the person who is well respected by the community. The person could be the immediate supervisor of either the bride or the bridegroom, or could be one of the relatives. Generally, only one person is enough. Sometimes there could be 2 guests of honour, one from each side. Usually, the guest of honour is aware of their role before the event.
The guest of honour will give the speech. I have seen many Western guests of honour give a good speech. The speech should be wish them a good luck and also add some tips for marriage. Some good tips include;
Marriage is like chop sticks, you need both parties in order to get things done. Teamwork!
A spouse likes tong and teeth. They are needed by each other. However, sometime they crash. Do not be surprised when they clash. It's part of the marriage package.
Be calm and cool in marriage. You need both characteristics a lot.
Forgiveness is the thing that you must practice in marriage. Etc…
A speech should only take 2 to 3 minutes. Do not talk for over 5 minutes, it will annoy other guests.
After the speech, the guest of honour will asked all the guests to stand up and toast the bride and bride groom. All the guests will end the toast by saying CHAI-YO (Cheers) 3 times.
The guest of honour will step down from the floor. The MC might make a playful speech and interview the bride and bridegroom on how they met, how they fell in love, and tell some other fun stories about their love (if the MC learns it before the event). This part is optional. It's depends on how good the MC is in his job.
Next, the bride and bridegroom will cut the wedding cake and serve some guests. Usually, they will serve the parents, senior relatives and the guest of honour.
After that, the bride and bride groom will walk around for pictures or movies with all the guests. Typically, the friends of the bridegroom will use this opportunity to individual salute the bridegroom by offering a toast. "They will drink bottoms up" their own drink. If the bridegroom has 50 friends, it means that he has to drink 50 glasses of whiskey. So, that first night, he may not be able to perform the role of good husband. Because, he is too drunk!
The party finishes around 10-11 pm.
Then, they live in happiness together. It's a happy ending story!
Pad Thai (or Phad Thai, Thai: ผัดไทย, "Thai style frying") is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, (Thai น้ำปลา), tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with Thai condiments. In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.
Two different styles of Pad Thai have evolved: the version most often found in the streets of Thailand, which is relatively dry and light, and the version that seems dominant in many restaurants in the West, which is heavier and may be covered in red oil.
Though the dish had been known in various forms for centuries – it is thought to have been brought to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya by Vietnamese traders – it was first made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was prime minister during the 1930s and 1940s, partly as an element of his campaign for Thai nationalism and centralization, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand. The Thai economy at this time was heavily dependent on rice exports; Phibunsongkhram hoped to increase the amount of it available for export by launching a campaign to educate the poor in the production of rice noodles, as well as in the preparation of these noodles with other ingredients to sell in small cafes and from street carts.
In fact, its name literally means "Thai-style stir-fried noodles," and for a dish to be so named in its own country clearly suggests an origin that isn't Thai. Indeed, noodle cookery in most Southeast Asian countries was introduced by the wave of immigrants from southern China settling in the region the past century. They brought with them rice noodles and their ways of cooking them. During the recession following World War II, the post-war government of Field Marshall Pibul, desperate in its efforts to revive the Thai economy, looked for ways to stem the massive tide of unemployment. Among the occupations the government aggressively promoted to give the populace a way to earn a living was the production of rice noodles and the operation of noodle shops. Detailed instructions on how to make the noodles and recipes were printed and distributed all around the country. From these efforts, rice noodles became firmly rooted in the country and have since become a widespread staple food.
Outside of Thailand, Pad Thai is one of the best-known Thai dishes, and is very popular in Thai restaurants in the United States and Australia.
A Canadian woman has been sentenced to 3-½ years in a Thai jail today for killing her American partner. The deceased man claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and was facing fraud...
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A Foreigner in a Thai Prison
Written by Jay
Friday, 02 November 2007
I was arrested at the airport which is the same for most, if not all foreigners, who for various reasons find themselves in the Samut Prakan Central Prison. I was first detained and questioned in a small police station inside the airport. Then I was cuffed and driven in the backseat of a pick up truck to the nearby police station for holding and further questioning. I stayed here in a small holding cell for two nights and one full day. On my third day since the arrest I was taken to the nearby court that I originally thought was the prison but at about 4:30pm I realized we were being transported to the actual prison miles away.
Inside this large holding cell at the court nearly fifty people waited to be called up to the small window where they would then be given a chance to speak with a Judge. Everyone who had come to the court from the prison was wearing shackles, which sent an immediate fear into me above all the other fears I already felt. Luckily I learned that the shackles were only on for the day of someone’s court date to prevent a prisoner from trying to run for freedom and are removed on the night they returned.
Once we were put in a single file, after being counted, we were ordered into the Paddy Wagon or Prison Bus. People get a last chance speak with their loved ones here as they yell to them for the last time before being visited behind bars. The prisoners are inside the bus and the friends or family ten feet away, behind a fence. This is where I waved goodbye to my loved one. We were truly jammed into the bus and had little room to breathe or move at all, it was horrible.
Once at the prison I was able to check my valuables in at a desk and signed for them to be held. I only had a few hundred baht as I wasn't planning on staying as long as I did. We were then given clothes to change into and fed a green curry that night. We left our own clothes and whatever else we had in a box and I was honestly surprised and relieved to get my bag of stuff back the next day as I had already not been allowed to retrieve my sandals from the prison bus, on arriving at the prison. That night all of the new prisoners who had come that day slept in the head Trustees cell before being assigned new cells the following day.
The next mourning all of the new people had to stick together and go through a small orientation process, filling out personal information and learning the rules and regulations. In the afternoon we were given our own clothes and were released into the prison to go our separate ways if we wanted to. I walked around confused and in disbelief and sat to try and read my book. I was immediately befriended by other foreign prisoners who also shared the same experience as I described coming from the airport.
I bonded with a lot of people in the prison both foreigners and Thai alike. This is obviously where I met Gor and was befriended by him as well. I was never physically assaulted or felt threatened inside the prison. I was terrified of horrible things possibly taking place but instead found all the opposite. I guess everyone had realized that we were already in a bad position and there was no need to make matters wore for others. I'm not saying I'm naive to the fact that bad things can and do happen inside Klong Don, or any other prisons for that matter. I'm just saying nothing horrible happened to me. The food also was obviously not exquisite but it was also much better that I had anticipated.
Perhaps these semi decent descriptions I've described are because this prison is fairly new and because things have changed in the past ten years in Thailand in contrary to the books I have read about other peoples experiences in Thai prisons. Klong Don is also not a maximum security prison and most of the people there find themselves charged with minor sentences compared to life or ten plus years. This is what I was led to believe at least and think it’s the case, at least in the area of the prison I was in. My biggest problem in the first few days was the fact that I found it really hard to fall asleep in the cramped room right next to another prisoner and with florescent light bulbs above our heads. I adapted to this difficulty as well and found myself able to sleep once absolutely exhausted.
If you have a loved one inside the prison know that I am sorry as I was once in their same position. Send them letters and love and don't give up on them. They will survive. There most difficult pain is the fact that they can't communicate with you or that you might not even know where they are. (thaiprisonlife.com)
Beautiful thousands of floating lanterns for Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai
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Loy Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.
"Loi" means "to float". "Krathong" is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions use specially made bread 'flowers' and may use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty contests take place during the festival.
The festival probably originated in India as a Hindu festival similar to Deepavali as thanksgiving to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year. According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a krathong will create good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha.
The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Noppamas Queen Contests". According to legend, Noppamas was a consort of theSukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she was the first to float decorated krathongs. The Loi Krathong festival is also associated with the start ofvegetable carving.
The Thai tradition of Loy Kratong started off in Sukhothai, but is now celebrated throughout Thailand, with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthayabeing particularly well known.
In Chiang Mai Loi Kratong is also known as "Yi Peng". Every year thousands of people assemble to float the banana-leaf krathong onto the waterways of the city, honouring the Goddess of Water. A multitude of Lanna-style hot-air lanterns (khom fai) are also launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the skies. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.
Kelantan also has the same celebration, especially in the Tumpat area. The ministry in charge of tourism in Malaysia recognises it as an attraction for tourist. Many people visit the celebration each year. ( Wikipedia.org )
