Demonstrations in Thailand - 30 August

Television news broadcasts from Thailand over the past few days have shown images of massive demonstrations at Government House, the country's parliament building in Bangkok. These demonstrations are nothing new. They have been going on since long before the first time deposited Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra fled the country.

The demonstrators, loosely organized as the Peoples Democratic Alliance, are trying to bring an end to the government of the current Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. Samak, a close ally of Taksin, heads a political party that was founded when Taksin's party was ordered dissolved by the courts for illegal activities. It is widely understood that the new party is merely a proxy of the old one.

Early in its administration, Samak's government sought to rewrite the recently enacted Constitution in a way that was seen to favor those in power. The new Constitution was the first in Thai history to be approved by popular vote.

Taksin returned from self-imposed exile barely one month ago, perhaps a part of fulfilling a Samak campaign promise. In past weeks both he and his wife were indicted in the first wave of prosecution of charges of fraud and abuse of power. Taksin took advantage of the opening of the Olympic games in Beijing to skip bail and take refuge in London. This only inflamed the opposition at home. Traffic in central Bangkok was brought to a standstill on August 19th when tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the British Embassy to demand the extradition of Taksin and his wife. Thailand's Supreme Court has issued arrest warrants for both of them and has revoked Taksin's diplomatic passport.

Yesterday, following several days of boisterous demonstrations around Government House, Samak ordered a violent crack-down and the arrest of PDA's leaders. Police resorted to tear gas and riot control tactics, even though the demonstrations had been largely non-violent. Many in Thai society saw this action as excessive.

Leaders of the unions representing 25,000 members employed by government-owned Thai Airways have called for a two-day "sick-out" with 15,00o people stopping work immediately as a protest against the government "attacking the people." Airports in Phuket, Hat Yai and Krabi are closed temporarily after demonstrators blocked entrances to the airports in Krabi and Phuketbecause the airline was forcing its employees to continue operating.

Union leaders at the Mae Moh power station in Lampang have vowed to close the power station down if the Police action continues. The power station supplies 10% of the country’s electricity.

While news reports are somewhat unsettling, visitors to Thailand are in no danger. Unless you happen to be near Government House you would not probably know anything unusual was happening here unless you switched to CNN. There are no curfews, tanks in the streets, or anything else. Numerous privately-0wned airlines operate flights to TG destinations.

Acts of civil disobedience in normally-passive Thailand are unusual. Members of the growing vocal opposition say they are tired of politicians and the elite getting away with murder. They want an end to Taksin's puppet government and want to see him stand trial like any other Thai citizen.

Remember, God hates television and everything on TV looks larger than it really is. The sun is still shining here, the beaches are still beautiful, the food is still delicious, the bargains are still waiting to be had, and Thai people still have the world's biggest smiles.

93 New Temples Discovered in Angkor Wat

OK. So our headline editor got carried away. There are no "new" temples in Angkor Wat, of course. But we recently "discovered" an unbelievable group of temples that could be reached only by helicopter or four-wheel-drive vehicles until recently. A new road has made it possible to visit Koh Ker, and the 92 other temple sites that surround it and we wanted to see it for ourselves, so we journeyed there over the long Songkran (the wet and wild Thai New Year festival) weekend.

Koh Ker is the only pyramid-shaped temple yet to be discovered in the Khmer Empire. It bears a striking resemblance to Borobudur in Indonesia and the Mayan Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Mexico, which prompts some to speculate that all of these were actually constructed by visitors from another planet who operated a control tower for space vehicles at Machu Pichu. But that is another story.

Once hidden in the forest, Koh Ker was capital of the Khmer Empire for a time, so there was building on a massive scale. Smaller temples are scattered throughout the area and we stopped to see quite a few, including two that enclosed massive lingas and friezes with Sanskrit text that looked like they had been carved only yesterday. But Koh Ker itself was the most breathtaking of all. Its seven tiers are taller than Angkor Wat. We were told that there is a massive garuda carving and many Sanskrit inscriptions near the top, although we were not brave enough to climb the rickety wooden steps. Equally impressive is a compound of smaller libraries and sanctuaries connected by a causeway built with immense undulating nagas on either side. Perhaps the best part was that we saw only one other foreign visitor the entire day.

We enjoyed visiting this impressive site so much that our new Ultimate Angkor program is already available on our website. In addition to the traditionally-visited monuments such Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and the Bayon, you will be able to visit Banteay Srei, and magnificent Phnom Kulen, with its amazing carved stone stream-beds as well as Koh Ker and Beng Melea Temple, which we think is the most fabulous of them all. It was the year-old road to Beng Melea that was extended to Koh Ker, which now makes it possible to visit both on the same day.

If you have been to Angkor with Purple Dragon in the past and want to return using our basic Essential Angkor program, we will gladly make special arrangements to substitute one day of Angkor sightseeing with a trip to Koh Ker and Beng Melea. Ask us for details.

Quick Fix for Operatic Slumber (You Can Stop Snoring)

One of the biggest causes of domestic discontent is snoring. A partner who sounds like a chainsaw all night is something you never quite get used to. Sleep apnea, which is associated with snoring, is also a potentially dangerous health condition.

Snoring is caused when soft tissue in the palate and throat "flap in the breeze" during sleep. Older and overweight people are more likely to snore than younger, leaner people. Traditionally, the only solution to snoring has been surgery. While surgery may be the best option for some people, new non-surgical solutions make it fast, inexpensive and painless to turn off that midnight buzz-saw.
While "radio frequency surgery" might sound like something from a fifties sci-fi movie, it is a reality today and the success rate for treating snoring disorders is between 75% and 85%. The instruments used for this "surgery" produce highly focused heat impulses that shrink the excess tissue that is obstructing airways. No incisions are involved and only a local anesthetic is required. Appointments take less than an hour, with the procedure itself lasting only a few minutes. Best of all, the cost of this procedure in Thailand is a fraction of what you would expect to pay in the UK, Europe or North America. And it only takes a few hours away from your wonderful holiday time.
If you are someone who snores, one of the greatest gifts you can give your sleep-deprived boo is not a pair of ear plugs, but a final end to your all-night concerts. If you or a friend are a candidate for this solution, please contact us and we will give you more details. Eventually this information will also appear on the Purple Dragon website.

Purple Dragon's Third Annual Photo Contest

Think you take great photos? We are happy to announce Purple Dragon's third annual photo contest. The reason for the contest is very simple. We think our customers are pretty talented, and rather than fill our website with images that capture our seven (and soon nine!) countries with the work of professional photographers, we prefer to show our destinations as our talented customers see and experience them.

We received more than 125 entries for each of the first two photo contests. You can click on either of the photos on the right to see all them all. If you think your photos are just as good, you could be a winner! Even if you have never considered entering a photo contest and have only two or three pictures you think are outstanding, we hope you will enter. What have you got to lose? If you want contest details including rules, prizes and how to enter, all you have to do is ask! You can find more information on our website: www.purpledrag.com/photocontest/

The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Veins)

Does your nose (or some other part of your body) look like a street map of Berlin? Itsy bitsy spider veins are not an uncommon malady for those of us over forty. Spider veins are dilated blood vessels close to the skin. Genetics may be a contributing factor and the condition is occasionally painful. Alcohol abuse, among many other things, can make the problem worse. There is no known prevention.

If you have this kind of condition one obvious solution is to cover the area with a thick layer cosmetics. While many male teenagers in Thailand love to improve on nature with foundation, powder and a bit of color on the lips, this solution may be culturally unacceptable where you live.

Better (and permanent) solutions are available. Medical techniques that use laser, intense pulse light, and high radio frequency therapy have been proven remarkably successful. A trained physician can determine which is the best option based on the size and depth of the veins and whether they contribute to or exist along with other scarring or skin pigmentation problems. The actual treatment takes only a few minutes and involves the doctor lightly pressing a device about the size of a lipstick tube against the skin and "zapping." it. There is no pain, no blood, and no anesthetic necessary.

These procedures are probably not covered by medical insurance and are terribly expensive in most of the world. However, treatment is comparative inexpensive in Thailand. One of the medical clinics we recommend even has offices in major shopping malls in Bangkok. While the development of this incredible technology is too late to help W. C. Fields, you can buy yourself a lasting souvenir of Thailand in just about an hour. If you are ready to erase veins, spots, blemishes, scarring and other signs of age, you can read more in the health information on Purple Dragon's website: http://www.purpledrag.com/health/cosmetics.htm