Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Let's Talk Thailand's New PM, Facing a 'Winter' Without Electricity, HH's New Nightclub, and Next Week's Blog Might be Early/Late!

(The main blog can be found at http://huahinjapan.com/blog.htm/)

First off, let me get the Bangkok section out of the way before moving onto the Hua Hin bits. Therefore, here I go. As the whole world has seen, Thailand has a new prime minister -- I suppose I should be feeling proud or at least gratified at being proved right. Last week, as my regular readers (singular or plural?) will recall, I mentioned an English-born and educated Thai politician named Abhisit Vejjajiva as a potential prime minister of this kingdom. Yesterday, the 44-year-old Etonian was indeed named as Thailand's 27th and youngest ever prime minister. However, I can't help feeling its too premature for anyone who cares about this beautiful but blighted country to feel gratified. The young Mr Abhisit is taking on a classically poisoned chalice. He will be taking over a country with a wrecked economy and a deeply polarised population. It is a hopeful sign that the yellow-shirted 'patriots' of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have not yet protested or re-occupied government buildings or airports, but the red shirted supporters of the ex-PM, Mr. Thaksin, did try to interfere with the vote, so the political fighting isn't yet over. Maybe I am biased, with the new man being a British public school boy, but it is ironic that a man who leads a party called the Democrats is becoming PM via a much less than democratic process. However, if there were an election, Thaksin's mob (and I use the word advisedly) would almost certainly win and that would disgruntle the despotic idiots of the PAD, leading to more damage being inflicted upon the Thai economy and reputation. So for me, as a resident of Thailand, this is most certainly the least awful scenario. I sincerely wish Khun Abhisit the very best of luck as he leads his disjointed coalition (united, so it seems, by nothing more than a strong dislike of Khun Thaksin) into government – he is most certainly going to need it!

There was a very readable commentary in Sunday's 'Bangkok Post', in the 'Post Script' column, about what is laughingly referred to as the cool season here. The writer, who clearly has a Thai wife, was saying how surprising it must be for a European to see and hear how the Thais feel this season to be so cold whereas, as he put it, "it's the sort of weather that would have people in Britain sprinting for the nearest beach." Down here in Hua Hin, where sea and mountain breezes can sometimes make it cooler than in Bangkok, it is common to see locals going around wrapped up in sweaters, jackets and even scarves. When I lectured at the local rajabhat university, many of my students wore such wintry garb even in the classroom – while I strutted around wearing a polo shirt! This isn't a purely local phenomenon, as the Thais do genuinely consider this weather to be cool. Sunday's weather forecast for the Central region in 'The Bangkok Post' (I very rarely read its rival 'The Nation' since its owner became so prominent in the PAD) read "Cold 18C-30C." Can you imagine any newspaper in Europe or North America printing such a bizarre oxymoronic description? However, it does reflect local feelings, and so every clothes shop in the kingdom is now selling sweaters, fleecy jackets and boots, which the buyers will wear for less than one of the following 52 weeks! However, when one ventures away from the urban areas (if a town of 60,000 like Hua Hin can be termed urban), the cool season can get closer to earning that name. I recently read that some villages in the Hua Hin Amphoe (administrative district), which covers over 839 km², had been declared a disaster zone after temperatures fell to 10c. Now before you scoff about weak Thais, please bear in mind that the residents of those villages, which lie about 70km southwest of central Hua Hin, in the mountains that eventually reach to the Burmese frontier, have no electricity. What, I hear you cry. A community located less than 2 hours drive from a royal palace, from a tourist haven, and yet they have no electricity? What is the 'Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand' thinking of – isn't this the 21st century? Well, don't blame the electricity authority too quickly, for it wasn't their decision to deny those citizens electricity. This decision was made by the military dictator who has a museum in nearby Pranburi (see this Blog's Sept 30th issue), Field Marshal Sari Thanarat, the half-Laotian prime minister of Thailand from 1958 to 1963 and head of a coup-appointed military regime referred to by one source as "the most repressive and authoritarian in Thai history". You see, he decided to make that district a "military safety area," where electricity is not allowed. You might well ask why being a "military safety area" means you can't have electricity. I wish I knew! Yes, the area is close to the Burmese border but what's the link with electricity? Maybe he was hoping the lack of modern power might convince people to move away, leaving the army and border police to work unhindered. Who knows! However, as local district staff and charity workers distributed coats, blankets, and relief supplies to the neglected villagers (who also lack any good transport links with the rest of the area), I doubt if there were plans for them to visit the Field Marshal's museum, or pay homage at his monument (shown right). Then again, this being Thailand, anything's possible!

Any newspaper article that begins by referring to my hometown as "continually evolving" and "never short of lively events" is sure to get my attention, and that's what I read in the 'Bangkok Post' back on Friday (Dec 12th). The article was about a new entertainment event called 'Black Vanilla', which is taking place at the misnamed Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa's @ Black Vanilla nightclub – misnamed as it is actually located north of the airport, making it part of Cha Am rather than Hua Hin! According to the PR stuff put out by those behind this event, the show-cum-dining event will showcase a 3-hour series of world-class circus, pantomime, dance and musical acts by international performers, complimented by a 4-course meal. Amongst those performing will be a contortion and unicycle show from the Ukraine. All very different to the sort of entertainment presently available in Hua Hin, that's for sure. This extravaganza will cost you "a little over 2,000 baht (inclusive of dinner and free flow non-alcoholic drinks)," according to a hotel spokesman, which isn't too bad when you consider that the hotel claims this new venture cost them over 5 million baht. What's more, if you attend the afternoon performances, where dinner isn't included (but soft drinks are), of course, the cost will be only 1,150 baht. Now I don't expect I shall be going myself, not just because anything that includes dinner being a waste of money for me due to my shrunken stomach but also because the wife and I are not really the nightclub types, least of all since our boy popped into the world. However, I wish the venture every success, as anything that helps this area is good news. The idiots in Bangkok have done their best to wipe out Thailand's tourism business and as Hua Hin is a tourist town, their allegedly patriotic rioting has hurt this place. If this new idea at the Sheraton helps make up for that, great. So if you're interested in visiting Black Vanilla, please do – you might even give me your opinion of the thing. For more information or to make a booking, visit http://www.at-black.com.

Remember TV for schools? I don't know about where you grew up but I still recall watching educational programmes on a large black-and-white TV in my classroom, usually introduced with Handel's 'Arrival of the Queen of Sheba', guaranteeing that music a special place in my affections. Well, Thailand has its own version of school TV called DLTV, or Distance Learning TV. This admirable service, established in 1996 with 15 educational channels going out to more than 17,000 schools across the country, operates from right here in Hua Hin. To be exact, the programmes are broadcast from the Klaikangwon Palace School, located (as the name would suggest) opposite the King's palace on Petchakasem Road, about 2 or 3 kilometres from where I live. If you live in Thailand and use one of those big, FTA satellite dishes, you may have seen DLTV listed amongst the channels – well now you know where those programmes come from. The school itself was originally created by King Prajadhipok in 1938 for the children of noblemen but I was told by a Thai fellow-teacher that it was later changed in order to provide a good education for poor children, part of HM the King's many charitable activities. However, there are rumours within the Hua Hin educational fraternity (which I belonged to when I taught at the awful Hua Hin School on the Khao Hin Lek Fai Road) that admission to the school is now more slanted towards who you know rather your family's income. All I know is that traffic on Petchakasem Road almost comes to a standstill when that school finishes, as the pupils pour out and board the trucks, coaches, minibuses and whatnot that take them home. I do remember one of my worst pupils at Hua Hin School, an intelligent but totally insubordinate and mischievous boy with the nickname of 'Jack' (all Thais have a nickname, which is handy for foreign teachers who might have trouble pronouncing their multisyllabic Thai names), transferred to that school, and unless he has graduated onto a reformatory, may well still be there. I don't envy whoever has the task of trying to make him use that brain of his!

Not long ago (on November 25th, to be exact), I referred to the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course hosting the Thailand Junior World Championships, the first ever world-class amateur golf tournament held in this country. Well, that tournament is now over and as it is rather unlikely that your local newspaper carried details of the result, I might as well bring you up to date. The overall title was won by a 13-year-old Thai girl, Ariya Jutanugarn, a former Junior World champion who embarrassed her male counterpart by blasting a blistering final round of six under par 66 for an aggregate of 282. Indeed, Thais dominated the event, without a single foreigner featuring in the final honours list. I had rather hoped that the solitary Zimbabwean participant might get something – even an honourable mention – but it was not to be. The golf club that hosted this event, the Royal, is probably one of the most conveniently located in Asia, being just across the tracks from Hua Hin's famously quaint railway station. Apart from being Thailand's oldest golf course, it was also used by HM the King, in the days when his health allowed him to chase a ball around 18 holes. I used to practice my swing at the Royal's range, which I chose for two good reasons. Firstly, it is one of the very few golf driving ranges in Hua Hin to provide shade, most being fully exposed to the sun, which seems pretty stupid in a tropical locale like this. And the 2nd reason? Simple – it's one of the cheapest golf venues in the Hua Hin district, charging (when I last played there) a mere 20 baht for a tray of balls. They also have a rather nice restaurant located upstairs with a splendid view over the greens. OK, the menu is very limited and you never need to make a reservation, but sipping a cold beer (Singha only, alas, as the brewery owns the course!) as you watch someone sweating over the last hole is a pretty nice way to pass the time!

Well, having given you proof that life (and golf) continues as normal here in Thailand, despite what the sensationalist press coverage of the recent political problems might have led you to believe, I think I shall conclude. Next Tuesday, I shall be returning to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok for my regular gastroscopy examination, which means I shall be away from my computer the whole day. This trip requires me to be at the minibus terminal downtown at around 7~7.30 and judging by last time, I won't get back to Hua Hin till well after dark -- and I won't be feeling like creating another masterpiece like this! I haven't yet decided whether to do next week's blog on the Monday or the Wednesday, but I'll have to see. Rest assured it will be done, so please feel free to pop round next Tuesday. If the link hasn't been updated, then try again on the Wednesday, OK? Sorry to mix up your schedule but it isn't for the sake of pleasure, believe me! Anyway, as I write (at around noon), it is currently 29c (84f) and sunny, with a very tolerable 58% humidity reading and a 10% chance of rain – which, if comes at all, will doubtless be civilised enough to wait till after dark! Today's a holiday in South Africa but wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I hope you are all fit, well, happy and healthy. Take care, see you next week, and May the wind be always at your back.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Let's Talk PAD-Induced Unemployment, Thailand's Saviour a Geordie, HH's Vintage Car Jamboree, Economist Breaks the Rules, & Deputy Mayor Speaks Out

(This is a text-only version of the main blog which can be found at http://huahinjapan.com/blog.htm/)
It might seem difficult to catch a Cold here in the tropics but I've managed it somehow। Possibly, the insidious little germ was aided by my much-weakened resistance – the chemotherapy and radiation aren't that long finished. Nonetheless, I suppose there are worse places to be sick in than Thailand, even with the political problems the kingdom is now facing. Having a Cold under the grey skies of a London or Tokyo winter is so depressing but at least here, the blue skies and warm (not hot) sunshine of a Thai 'winter' do make things that much more bearable. So be gone self-pity, let's get on with this week's offering.
The airport occupation might well be slipping into memory but its after-effects are likely to remain painful for quite a while. A recent forecast by Thailand's National Economic and Social Advisory Council (Nesac) estimated that the mob takeover of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, exquisitely timed to coincide with the global economic crisis, would lead to an extra 900,000 unemployed next year – not including those in the tourism industry. Back in the third quarter of 2008, growth in Thailand's agricultural sector reduced the unemployment rate to 1.2% but the 'patriots' of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) soon changed that. An unemployment rate of 6.5% was mentioned in the forecast, affecting all areas of Thailand due to the cut in exports caused by the 8-day airports closure. Of course the tourism authority is running a series of campaigns to try and revive foreign interest in this place as a holiday destination and the forecast did believe that such campaigns could help ease the situation next year. However, the average Thai citizen, be they rich or poor, urban or rural, executive or peasant, will pay for what those idiots did at the airport. It might be through losing their job, increased taxes, higher prices or less customers, but if they have any sense (which might be supposing too much in some cases), they should learn to hate the mob that caused all this. Will there be a backlash? Will the anti-democratic bourgeoisies suffer for their actions? We can but hope. Throughout Asia, the ruling class often seems to favour America in many ways, but the old Thai elite, the old money, still have a soft spot for Britain। There is a society for Thais who attended British public schools here, the Royal Bangkok Sports Club (ç located on a patch of downtown land that must make property developers weep) was founded in 1901 to rival the various 'jockey clubs' the Brits had established all over Asia, Bangkok has had a cricket club since 1890, and Thailand continues to drive on the left (as did the whole world until the late 1700s). Therefore, it shouldn't be too surprising that when the kingdom is seeking a way out of the present chaos, they look again to a British example. I refer to Abhisit Vejjajiva (è), the young man (he's only 44) many are now openly considering as a potential prime minister. Born in Newcastle (does that make him as Geordie?), and educated at Eton and Oxford, Mr Abhisit is leader of the Democrat Party, often considered the choice of the more reasonable middle class. A self-styled liberal and democrat, Mr Abhisit did criticise (but never condemned) the military coup that removed the polemical Mr Thaksin from power in 2006, and members of his party have been supportive of the anarchic PAD. However, many here believe he is the only major politician who has any hope of ending the 3 years of conflict that climaxed in the hijacking of Bangkok's airports. His opponents claim that he is too callow, too closely linked to vested interests, a man whose patrician foreign upbringing means he cannot understand the problems of Thailand's rural poor, Mr Thaksin's power base. They fail to mention how any Thai political leader, none of whom are in the 'log cabin to white house' mould, can identify with the poverty-stricken masses. It is true that his party is far from being the most popular – they won barely a third of seats in 2007, less than that in 2001 and 2005, and boycotted the military arranged election of 2006 altogether. It is also true that he is being eased into office by unseen powers above the heads of the poor rural majority. However, a genuine general election would undoubtedly lead to another victory for Thaksin's proxies, which would in turn lead to more mob rule by the PAD's minions, and surely almost anything is better than that. The vast majority of the Thai people are poor – largely because of decades of selfish rule by an urban elite with strong connections to the Thai military but little concern for the needs of the poor. Do I think Mr Abhisit will today's election and become PM? Only a fool tries to predict Thai politics. Do I think he will be able to reunite this beautiful country? I can but hope. Will I be happy to see him making the journey down to Hua Hin to receive HM the King's appointment? I'll get back to you on that . . . To move on to happier, more local news, this coming weekend sees the annual Hua Hin Vintage Car Parade। For those of you who don't know about this event, it involves some of the oldest and most classic cars in Thailand driving down from Bangkok and then parading through the streets of Hua Hin. They are then exhibited within the peaceful splendour of the Sofitel hotel. If you are a fan of classic cars, be it a vintage Fiat or an E-Type Jag, then you'll love this. You can either find a good vantage point to watch them as they drive around the town or you can take the easy way and just pop over to the Sofitel to see them parked beneath the trees. I might pop over to take a look, as my boy is madly keen on any kind of transport – especially trains. However, he doesn't limit his enthusiasm and when one asks him what he wants to be, he usually says "a pilot". He rather worryingly adds that he wants to be a pilot tomorrow, but having seen the skills of some third world pilots, maybe that isn't as ridiculous as it sounds! Anyway, if the weather's good, as it seems very likely to be, then my family and I shall pop down and take a look round. I haven't driven for a very long time and I have never driven a true classic (though some might rate my first car, a VW Beetle, as a classic) but I still enjoy seeing cars built when carmakers built them to last. Whether or not Washington does give them the cash handout they are demanding, I very much doubt if any of the vehicles produced by the "Big Three" Detroit automakers will be able to drive from Bangkok to Hua Hin 50 years or more from now. Visitors and residents in this fair town seeking to catch up with the news via Britain's 'The Economist' may be disappointed this week। According to 'The Straits Times' of Singapore (a nation that isn't averse to censorship), this week's edition of the Economist magazine has been banned in Thailand for articles critical of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. What's more, the Economist's Southeast Asia correspondent recently left Thailand – possibly trying to avoid a less dignified departure. However, there has been no official criticism of the magazine or the article, and no-one knows who actually ordered the ban. Usually, press censorship here is handled by the Culture Ministry (is censorship part of Thai culture, one wonders?) but this body, together with the police, have denied any knowledge of a ban. One bookshop assistant explained the magazine's absence by saying 'It's been banned but we don't know who by'. It is possible that the ban was a case of self-censorship by the magazine's local distributor, who could see that an article that questioned the political impartiality of the palace would sure as hell upset many powerful people here. One allegedly informed source blamed it on disruptions at Bangkok airport, a strange excuse when the protests there have ended and which did not affect the magazine last week. However, don't despair for it seems that the censors enthusiasm is somewhat diluted by their inefficiency or lack of imagination. The article in question is still freely available on the Internet and seems likely to remain so – not that I would read such a piece, of course. I know full well the folly of toying with the local lèse majesté laws, and so I shall avoid that story as one would shun a rabid leper. Cross my heart! Not long ago, a local periodical passed on some questions from local residents to Khun Suvit, a deputy mayor of Hua Hin। I thought it might be interesting for you good people to take a look at some of his answers. The first question regarded the environmental situation here, especially litter on the beaches and local sanitation. Khun Suvit responded that with the help of beachfront hotels, local beaches were becoming cleaner (I haven't been on the beach for a long time so I can't say) and that the council was checking on how the euphemistically termed 'random restaurants' affected the cleanliness of the beach. As for sanitation, his response seemed to suggest that this was a case in progress – not a rare answer from any politician! Another question concerned traffic congestion in Hua Hin, a problem made worse by illegal parking and illegal car park squatting by tuk-tuk providers, etc. Khun Suvit didn't offer any hopes of solving this problem but he did seem interested in the suggestion that Naresdamri Road (the one outside the Hilton) be made a traffic-free zone for a certain time each day. I for one like this idea, as walking along this road can be difficult and dangerous at times. However, dare I say that I'll believe it when I see it? Or that putting up 'no traffic' signs won't mean a damn thing unless the local gendarmes become noticeably more active? In a similar vein, he was asked why the police didn't enforce the traffic rules better. His answer was truly pitiful. He blamed it all on the fact that "the profession of policeman is not a highly paid job". Excuse me, but whose fault is that? Anyway, one wouldn't expect any local politician to give concrete answers to questions like the ones asked of Khun Suvit and he didn't break with the traditions of his profession. Sadly, it seems more than likely that the local council will continue to spend more money on ornamental arches and plaques honouring HM the King than on much needed public works. Then again, Thailand isn't the only place where local politicians go 'gong hunting', is it? I decided to get out of the house last Sunday and took my 4-year-old down to Suan Luang Rashinee (Queen Sirikit Park), located at the end of Soi 19। This small but nicely laid out park is not only the location of weekly al fresco beer and music parties (every Friday) but also has a children's playground that is in a less dangerous state of repair than others around the town, and so not only did he have a great time exhausting himself on the various slides, I was able to enjoy some sea air and catch a glimpse of the Gulf of Thailand. As is so often true at this time of year, the sea was pretty rough with plenty of white tips – not very inviting for a paddle! By the way, if you can't see the sea from where you live/stay in Hua Hin, you can check on the tide (in or out, high or low), I recommend checking a site run by the British government. Just aim your mouse at http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/, where you can get information about Hua Hin tides. I used to use this page regularly when I used to go for an early morning walk on the beach each Saturday – as the tide comes in all the way near where I live and so I preferred not to walk over to the coast only to find nowhere to stroll! Anyway, that's it for another week. It's partly cloudy and 28c here at present, with little chance of rain, so they say. I shall now place this offering online and then it'll be time for lunch. Wherever you are, I hope that life is dealing you some half-decent cards and that you are not keeping your doctor busy. If you should find yourself with spare time and an internet connection this time next week, please feel free to pop over and see if the standard of writing has improved at all. Until then, take care and may the wind be always at your back.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Let's Talk "Dying to Spite the Graveyard", HH's Airport Springs Back to Life, Enjoying Boerewors, & Preparing for an Unwhite Xmas!

(This is a text-only version of the main blog you can find at Huahinblog.tk,)

Well there's another fine mess they've gotten us into! Talk about getting into the news for all the wrong reasons! As if it wasn't bad enough the world seeing images of riots and tear gas on the streets of Bangkok, those unpatriotic idiots of the PAD (the so-called "People’s Alliance for Democracy") have now thrown the 'Land of Smiles' cliché into the rubbish bin and made Thailand look as attractive as Iraq on a bad day! I really can't believe those scumbags. I understand the leadership, who follow the philosophy of "sod my country, just give me more power", but I don't understand the teeming throngs of supporters who follow their demagogical orders and ruin the country. The leadership are OK, with their several passports and Swiss bank accounts, but it’s the idiots now wrecking the airports who will lose their jobs and face increased taxes and inflation when their actions finally ruin the economy. It's a bit like the prison riots where the convicts wreck their own cells and facilities. There's an old Thai proverb that refers to someone "Dying to spite the graveyard", which is equivalent to the western one about cutting off your nose to spite your face. That could be the motto of those PAD fatheads! Of course, if you can somehow manage to get into Thailand (and driving up from Malaysia seems to be the least troublesome route at present, so long as you get through the unpeaceful border provinces before sunset), a fine array of bargains await you. Multiple cancellations mean that hotels and resorts are desperate for business – Five-star hotels in Bangkok are reportedly seeing occupancy rates of 60% (down from 75% a year ago), with the figure for Phuket being 57% and 30-35% for Hua Hin/Cha-am. This means it is very much a buyers market and so you should expect some huge discounts – up to 75%, I've heard. You could stay at a truly luxurious hotel for the price of a guesthouse in some cases – I kid you not! 'Fortune favours the brave' and so if you are willing to ignore the sensationalist news coverage, you could enjoy a peak season holiday at off-season rates. Worth thinking about, n'est pas?

But how is this crisis affecting us here in Hua Hin? Well, there are no visible effects, with daily life continuing pretty much the same as usual here. However, you might say it's affecting this town in two ways. Firstly, this is a tourist town and so tourist cancellations mean hard times for the local hotels and businesses. I have heard that some Hua Hin hotels are already 'laying off' some of their staff, and most are offering hefty discounts – something unheard of at this time of year. The second effect only began yesterday. As you may know, we do have a small airport here, located about 6km north of town. This is normally a pretty sleepy place, with just 4 scheduled departures each day, all to Bangkok. However, Bangkok Airways (which used to fly to Hua Hin from Bangkok and Koh Samui) announced on Monday that to help clear the impatient mob of stranded travellers (whom the PAD numbskulls have sought to appease by explaining their political demands!), they would operate 2 flights daily from Hua Hin to Samui airport for passengers to connect to Hong Kong. This is largely because the other airports they've been using since that motley of fools (now there's an interesting collective noun) took over Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, mainly the Vietnam war-era naval airbase at U-tapao, have descended into hellish chaos. Another airline, PBair, has temporarily moved its fleet, maintenance crew as well pilots and cabin crew to Hua Hin. However, don't get too excited, as PBair's fleet consists of just 2 Embraer regional jets with an all economy seat capacity of 50 passengers. However, this aircraft does have a range of 1,550 nautical miles (2,870km), making flights to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore possible. Hua Hin as an international airport? Hmm. Ironic, isn't it? After Hua Hin's air links with the south were cut by Bangkok Airways (who said that it was too close to Bangkok, something anyone doing the drive down Highway 4 or route 35 might disagree with) and after efforts to get international flights were defeated (mainly due to concerns that large jets would disturb the king), it takes a state of ochlocracy to get Bangkok Airways back in. Will this link with the south continue after the crisis is over (meaning when the authorities (military or otherwise) finally get their heads out of the sand and do something)? Who knows? One thing the present situation here clearly illustrates is that in Thailand, the future is a closed book! Footnote to the above. There are two categories of stranded tourists here in Thailand at present – those whose government cares and those whose government doesn't. The first category includes citizens of such countries as Spain, The Philippines and Russia, who are working hard to get their people home. The latter category most notably includes the UK, whose foreign office said it would not charter flights to evacuate those unable to get home. Basically, once a Brit leaves UK territory, 'Her Majesty's Government' ceases to give a damn what happens to them. As I mentioned in an earlier episode of this blog, London makes it ridiculously difficult for Brits to vote from overseas and now seems in no hurry to let them come home. If the chairman of a FTSE 100 company or Labour Party contributor, I'm sure there would be an RAF plane already on the tarmac but for a 'mere' taxpayer – you're on your own!

Let's get away from the kamikaze antics of the PAD in distant Bangkok for a while. Change subject: it has long been said that there are only 2 major drawbacks to living in this lovely town -- decent medical facilities and schools. However, even these areas are subject to change. The school my son now goes to, Yamsaard, seems very nice. OK, it isn't a truly international school like Harrow in Bangkok, but it does have foreign teachers and the morning lessons are in English, and my son seems to be progressing nicely. As for medical facilities, the present situation seems likely to remain less than ideal for some time – until 2010, to be precise. That's when Bangkok Hospital, one of the 3 best hospitals in Thailand (together with Bumrungrad and Samitivej), is due to open a branch here in Hua Hin. I don't know how this will affect the repellent San Paulo Hospital, which is strangely the foreigners' current favourite here, but I'm hoping it puts them out of business – or is my bias showing? As I would probably now be grilling toast on the fires of Hades had San Paulo been the only medical facility here (they diagnosed my cancer as wind (gas)), I freely admit I be extremely pleased to see their lobby less crowded. However, the fact remains that while the myopic mob in Bangkok makes life there increasingly irksome, life for foreigners here in Hua Hin is getting better. I know one Brit who's been in Hua Hin for close to 20 years and remembers when Naresdamri Road (the one outside the Hilton) was a muddy track, and the changes he's seen would fill a book. Riots and airport invasions and whatever, I have no plans to move, as Malaysia is getting too pro-Islamic (all Malays are legally considered Muslim plus other faiths face difficulties in obtaining building permission for places of worship, restrictions on non-Islamic missionary work and unequal access to media outlets, plus strict punishments for any Muslim who converts) and Cambodia is still too close to being bandit country. Africa (my former home)? Mostly on a downward slope towards bankruptcy. Japan (ditto)? Too cold and expensive. Europe? Ditto! So whatever the less enlightened Thais may do to wreck their country, I think I might as well stay in the sun and make the most of being where winter means slipping on a cardigan some mornings!

We recently held another of those social get-togethers for which this stately mansion (?) is becoming so renowned. As usual, there was a truly cosmopolitan gathering, with 2 Japanese ladies, a retired German businessman, an Italian oilrig worker, a British merchant navy officer and 2 Thais. To make it even more oecumenical (look it up here!), we dined on boerewors, commonly referred to as the best sausage in the world. Now this is like manna from heaven for any homesick Southern African like me. I haven't tasted boerewors since the last time I attended a party at the SA embassy in Tokyo, many years ago. In case you've never tried it, boerewors is Afrikaans for farmer's sausage, being made from a variety of ingredients including beef, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and vinegar. Forget ambrosia – this stuff is truly the food of the gods, especially when served on a sunny braai (bbq) with some 'Mrs Balls' chutney! As the South Africans just happened to win the Dubai Sevens that weekend as well (NZ didn't even make the semi-finals!), and so all in all, it was a good weekend. (By the way, if you live in or near Hua Hin and would like to get some of this boerewors, I can put you in touch with the maker, a friend of mine. Just drop me a line using the guestbook or FAQ (to be found at huahin.tk) and I'll pass it on.)

Anyway, there's quite a strong wind blowing outside, making the wind chimes ring out very prettily. Currently, it's sunny and around 26c, which is just below today's expected high of 28c. Up in Bangkok, the military continue to sit on the fence and watch as two opposing groups, both equally determined to wreck their homeland, fight for aims which they presumably understand, but no-one else does. They say there are now over 200,000 stranded tourists trying to get out of Thailand, but Hua Hin seems a lot emptier. I won't be venturing downtown again till Thursday, when I'll be going for one of my semi-weekly visits to the gym, and so that's when I'll see if the town has its usual December invasion of pale, sun-hungry tourists. I must also think about erecting the family Christmas tree (fake, of course, in this climate) and decorating the mansion, as Advent Sunday has just passed. If you're not stuck at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang or U-tapao, I hope you have a good week – and if you are part of the farang exodus from Thailand, I hope your government gets you out soon. If you're British, then maybe you should consider a change of government – or citizenship! Catch you next week . . .