Notes From Thailand.net » Oppositeland

Missed the Superbowl – but saw this

James Quilty — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:54:24 +0000

When I’m back in the U.S. the only thing I look forward to seeing when I watch the Superbowl is the ads, but in Thailand the station carrying it live (on monday morning ) strips out the ads. For some people like my Dad that is a dream come true, but for me I [...]

A New Year

James Quilty — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:01:20 +0000

Thailand beats the U.S. once again to the new year – by 12 hours and 543 years. Technically their new new year is in April with the Song Kran Festival – but all the calendars start in the western January (also a different name).

From the year 2552? Riding the magic highway

James Quilty — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:07:02 +0000

Not saying if this is how it is in 2552, but right now I am in 2009 U.S.A. on a road trip and I keep telling myself ”Stay on the right. Stay on the right….”

Thanks to Daring Fireball for the link to this old [...]

“National divide mystifies an old friend of Thailand” – Stephen Young’s views

James Quilty — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:47:06 +0000

Really good interview today in The Nation with professor of law Stephen Young who came to Thailand in 1961 with his father the American Ambassador, studying at the same school I went to – the International School Bangkok- and later volunteered in the Vietnam War where he met his wife and helped with the [...]

Los Angeles Fires

James Quilty — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:19:46 +0000

Timelapse – Los Angeles Wildfire from Dan B. on Vimeo.

I got to see this first hand a few years ago when I was in L.A. and now it is back – it was one of the more awesome sites to see from the air as my plane ascended from Burbank Airport – [...]

Feeling Homesick

James Quilty — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:11:49 +0000

Yui’s Trip to Ohio – Old Man’s Cave and Kokosing Gap Trail from James Quilty on Vimeo.

From a year ago – because I missed summer in Ohio this year and soon it will be [...]

So it’s against the law to bribe a Thai Official in the U.S. (but O.K. to be bribed in Thailand)?.

James Quilty — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:18:04 +0000

From the AP story on a “novel trial” beginning tomorrow in Los Angeles:

” The trial is the first in which entertainment industry figures are charged under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a federal statute prohibiting corrupt payments to foreign officials for business purposes.

Prosecutors contend (Gerald and Patricia Green) paid Juthamas Siriwan, the former [...]

Thailand And Other Asian Countries Push For A Global Currency

James Quilty — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:08:49 +0000

A fanciful proposal of what a global currency would look like - from the Ophiram Foundation of Hong Kong that can be found on the website of the Single Global Currency Association (www.singleglobalcurrency.org).

A good article this week in Bloomberg.com on a push by Asian countries to replace the American Dollar and Euro [...]

What Thailand can teach the U.S. about dealing with A.I.G.

James Quilty — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:36:07 +0000

Great article today in the New York Times on how Thailand and other Asian counties dealt with bad bankers during the economic crisis of 1997:

The argument that A.I.G.’s traders are the people that we must depend on to save the United States economy is as weak and self-serving as it was in Thailand…

In [...]

In 2552 “Wonderful Town” wins best picture…

James Quilty — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:05:09 +0000

At the Suphanahong Awards, the Thai "Oscars" Sunday night

In 2552 there is a long televised movie award show – the Suphanahong Awards that takes place on a Sunday night in February . With Best Actor, Actress, Best Director, Best Song, Best Special Effects – exactly the same as the one held in L.A. [...]

David K Wyatt Thai Book Collection at Ohio University

James Quilty — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:56:29 +0000

Yui and I were just at Ohio University last August attending the wedding of two O.U. alum and little did we know that we were near one of the largest collections of Thai literature outside of Thailand. The website New Mandala writes that the Historian David K. Wyatt sold 15,000 volumes of his collection to [...]

From the Financial Times Lunch with Abhisit in Davos

James Quilty — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:32:32 +0000

Slight and fine-featured with large eyes, he looks a bit like the lead singer in a boy band. And, indeed, when his mobile phone goes off, the ringtone is an expansive guitar chord. It sounds a bit like U2 but the prime minister puts me right. “Prince,” he says firmly.

- from Lunch with [...]

Bizarro State Fair – The Khon Kaen Agricultural Expo

James Quilty — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:40:41 +0000

A visit to Khon Kaen’s Agricultural Fair. It’s a “State Fair” of sorts. Khon Kaen is in the heart of Thailand’s mostly rural agricultural region know as Issan, and like the Ohio State Fair in Columbus that I’m most familiar with, this Thailand version has cows and chickens and lots of snack food, only [...]

Spaniel Wins Westminster Dog Show

Tom & Shampoo — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:05:05 +0000

Tom and I admire Stump's long coat but we have to cut ours very short because it is so hot here in Thailand.

As English Cocker Spaniels, Tom and I were excited to hear that Stump, a 10-year-old Sussex Springer Spaniel won the highest honor in Dogdom, the Best in Show at the [...]

“Thai-born Ladda gets post in Obama White House”

James Quilty — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:33:42 +0000

US President Barack Obama walks with Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth in Chicago before he took office. Ms Duckworth, who has a Thai mother, has been nominated by Mr Obama as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs. AFP

“Born in Bangkok, the 41-year-old war veteran is the daughter [...]

Obama coverage in Thailand

James Quilty — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:24:02 +0000

Here is some Obama newspaper and live coverage from Thailand. Thanks to 2Bangkok.com for the Thai language paper.

Watching Obama from Japan

James Quilty — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:28:28 +0000

This is how and where I saw Obama take the oath of office. I wondered why my flight was so cheap then it dawned on me that everyone was going to be watching the inauguration…except [...]

Notes From Thailand Live – Journey to Thailand

James Quilty — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:11:33 +0000

The first videos from my crazy live (semi-live) experience using the Qik.com mobile phone video service. What I’ve learned is that you need a good wi-fi connection to do a “live” video, but the program does a great job of buffering the video to insure it makes it up to the net eventually. The [...]

John Stuart Mill “Of The Liberty of Thought and Discussion”

James Quilty — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:05:58 +0000

Harry Nicolaides and the lese majeste

I had to read John Stuart Mill’s essay On Liberty in high school many years ago and today I re-read it and thought it should be posted in full in light of today’s news.

John Stuart Mill (1806–1873). On Liberty. 1869. Chapter II: Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion [...]

Notes from Thailand Live – episode 1

James Quilty — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:12:02 +0000

I’m getting ready to leave for Thailand again – and you can catch some of the trip live. I’m using the qik.com video service on my mobile phone for this crazy experiment – hope it works. To find out when I’m streaming live video – follow me on twitter where I’m [...]