Blog: Bangkok News and Reviews

The Economist unavailable yet again

2009-07-03T20:21:00.004+07:00

For the fifth time in less than a year, The Economist will not be distributed in Thailand. The issue dated 4th July contains an article titled Treason In Cyberspace, which discusses several pending lese majeste cases; the article does not contain any inflammatory material, though the magazine's distributors are presumably erring on the side of caution.

Interestingly, the article includes several details (Suwicha Thakhor's username: Thaiman 8; the topic of the prachatai.com comment: Queen Sirikit) not published in the Thai media. It also reports new tallies of blocked websites: apparently, 8,300 are blocked by MICT due to potential lese majeste, and a further 32,500 are blocked by the police. These totals are slightly higher than the latest figures announced by MICT.

Four previous issues of The Economist have been withdrawn in recent months: in December 2008, in January 2009, in January 2009 (again!), and in April 2009.

Nymph

2009-07-02T15:30:00.004+07:00

In Pen-Ek Rattanaruang's Nymph, a young married couple take a camping trip to the forest. Nop communes with nature and photographs the surrounding trees, while his wife May is more interested in her cellphone signal, calling Korn, her lover back in Bangkok.

Nop and May's marriage is clearly going stale, as was the central relationship in Pen-Ek's previous film, Ploy. Nymph, its original version as premiered at Cannes, also share's Ploy's slow pace, sparse dialogue, and ambient soundtrack.

Nop becomes fascinated by one tree in particular, caressing its trunk as if it were a woman's body. He sees a nude woman in the distance, and follows her deeper into the forest. The woman he sees is perhaps the same woman who killed two rapists in the film's impressive prologue, with the camera swooping through trees and over a river. The woman may also be a spirit (the nymph of the film's English title) who personifies the unusually compelling tree.

Exactly what happens to Nop remains ambiguous. He seems to disappear, though later he apparently returns to the couple's house. As in Nang Nak, the returning spouse may not have returned at all; Nop may, in fact, have become a forest spirit himself, as does the missing boy in Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Tropical Malady.

Pen-Ek has also prepared a shorter version of Nymph, which has been given a wider release. This version makes slight trims to many scenes, shortening the dialogue-free stretches which multiplex audiences may have viewed as longueurs.

Some sequences, such as Korn leaving his wife, and Korn and May praying to the tree, have been removed because they are already referred to in the dialogue: the audience knows that they have happened, so it is not necessary to actually show them.

Also, to enable the characters to reach the forest as quickly as possible, several scenes from the beginning of the film are deleted in their entirety. These include sequences in a photography shop (where Nop discusses his plan to visit the forest), a hotel (where May surreptitiously telephones Korn), and the car journey to the forest (during which May ignores Nop and answers phone calls from work). The result is that May and Nop's relationship seems to deteriorate only when they reach the forest, whereas in the original version it is clear that their marriage is in trouble even before they begin their trip.

At least one key shot has been cut: we hear a loud noise, and later see Korn's bandaged hand, though without the shot of the broken glass (present in the original), it is not clear that Korn smashed the window of May's car.

The shorter version certainly has a faster pace, though the most noticeable change relates to the soundtrack: to create a conventional horror film atmosphere, music has been added to many scenes, whereas there was no music at all on the original soundtrack.

The Spectator's 50 Essential Films

2009-07-02T14:03:00.003+07:00

The Spectator, in its 20th June and 27th June issues, has published its list of 50 Essential Films, as follows:

1. The Night Of The Hunter
2. Apocalypse Now
3. Sunrise
4. Black Narcissus
5. L'Avventura
6. The Searchers
7. The Magnificent Ambersons
8. The Seventh Seal
9. L'Atalante
10. Rio Bravo
11. The Godfather I-II
12. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
13. Grand Illusion
14. Citizen Kane
15. The Scarlet Empress
16. Tokyo Story
17. Blade Runner
18. Rear Window
19. Point Blank
20. The Red Shoes
21. Mme De...
22. Shadows
23. Pickpocket
24. Viridiana
25. Barry Lyndon
26. City Lights
27. Pierrot Le Fou
28. Sunset Blvd
29. Notorious
30. M
31. The Roaring Twenties
32. Singin' In The Rain
33. The Long Day Closes
34. Killer Of Sheep
35. Gun Crazy
36. Andrei Rublev
37. Taxi Driver
38. The 400 Blows
39. Pulp Fiction
40. Kind Hearts & Coronets
41. In The Mood For Love
42. Sullivan's Travels
43. 8-&-A-Half
44. Pinocchio
45. Great Expectations
46. Rome: Open City
47. Duck Soup
48. Jaws
49. Manhattan
50. Out Of The Past

Most directors are represented by only a single film, though Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock have two each, and Francis Coppola has three. One oversight: nothing by Akira Kurosawa. Foreign-language films are quite well represented, though there are only two silent films. Twelve films from this list are also on my own list of 30 essential films.

Rediscovering Spiritual Value

2009-07-02T13:26:00.002+07:00

Rediscovering Spiritual Value: Alternative To Consumerism From A Siamese Buddhist Perspective is a collection of recent articles and speeches by Sulak Sivaraksa. Significantly, it includes an English translation of an interview in which Sulak discusses the Thai monarchy, originally published in a banned edition of the Thai journal Same Sky. An excerpt from The Economist's controversial Thai monarchy critique is also included, as are letters written by Sulak defending himself against various lese majeste charges.

Jakrapob linked to new lese majeste charge

2009-07-02T12:43:00.003+07:00

A Thai citizen, Luksana Kornsilpa, has filed lese majeste charges against Jonathan Head and the entire FCCT committee, based on their selling DVD copies of a speech by Jakrapob Penkair.

Jakrapob gave an FCCT speech in 2007, in which he criticised the traditional patronage system. This prompted criticism and veiled threats from army chief Anupong, and eventually led to Jakrapob's resignation from the cabinet. Jakrapob himself is facing a lese majeste charge as a result of his speech.

In addition to the new charge filed by Luksana, BBC correspondent Jonathan Head is already facing two charges filed by Wattanasak Mungkandee in December and June 2008.

South Korean cartoonist faces prosecution

2009-07-01T21:17:00.002+07:00

A cartoonist in South Korea is facing a fine equivalent to $100,000 after his local council filed a complaint with the police. The cartoonist, Choi, inserted insulting comments about South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak into a cartoon in the Happy Wonju newsletter, distributed last month.

artist's Turkish acquittal overturned

2009-06-30T19:35:00.003+07:00

Artist Michael Dickinson now faces new charges of insulting Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, relating to his collage titled Good Boy which portrays the PM as a dog. Dickinson was previously acquitted of all charges relating to Good Boy and an earlier collage, Best In Show.

Turkish novelist acquitted of blasphemy

2009-06-28T14:04:00.002+07:00

Turkish writer Nedim Gursel has been acquitted of blasphemy, after charges brought by a private citizen were finally dismissed. The charges related to his novel The Daughters Of Allah, published last year.

Bahrainian newspaper suspended

2009-06-27T06:53:00.002+07:00

Bahranian authorities have suspended publication of Akhbar Al Khaleej, after the newspaper printed an article (The Islamic Republic: Vehement Public Anger, by Samira Rajab) which criticised Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Jordanian poet jailed

2009-06-27T06:41:00.002+07:00

Islam Samhan, arrested in Jordan last October and charged with blasphemy in relation to his poetry book Grace Like A Shadow, has now been sentenced to a year in jail.

UDD speakers facing lese majeste charges

2009-06-26T15:07:00.002+07:00

Today's Bangkok Post reports that several UDD members are facing lese majeste charges following speeches they made at a Sanam Luang rally on Tuesday and Wednesday. Da Torpedo is currently undergoing an in-camera trial on a similar charge.

Da Torpedo's secret trial

2009-06-24T14:40:00.002+07:00

The trial of Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, known as Da Torpedo, began yesterday at Bangkok's Criminal Court, though the judge ordered that all journalists and members of the public must leave the court in the interests of "national security". ('National security' is a convenient catch-all term, used to defend secrecy by authorities here and elsewhere.)

The Bangkok Post newspaper is so compliant that it relied on a Reuters agency report rather than sending its own journalists to cover the trial. It even abbreviated the Reuters article from twenty paragraphs to only three, retaining a quotation from the judge though deleting all of Daranee's quotes.

Russian artist arrested

2009-06-20T22:08:00.002+07:00

A Russian artist, Alexander Shednov, also known as Shurik, has been arrested after he projected an image of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's face and a woman's body onto the side of a building in Voronezh on 12th June.

Giles Ungpakorn's video deleted by YouTube

2009-06-20T21:23:00.002+07:00

A video by Giles Ji Ungpakorn has been deleted by YouTube, apparently at the request of MICT. The video, now hosted by wdpress.blog.co.uk, criticises the military and the PAD.

Senegal bans L'Essentiel magazine

2009-06-15T13:06:00.002+07:00

The current issue of L'Essentiel magazine has been banned in Senegal, after a court ruled that it insulted the government and had the potential to create public disorder. Senegambia News reports that L'Essentiel featured headlines such as "Freemasonry: The Grand Lodge of France Conquers Senegal" and "Nine years after change, the state explodes, The Mourides are in control and Touba in suffering" [sic.].

two men arrested for leaflet distribution

2009-06-15T12:36:00.003+07:00

Two Thai men, Abdulloh Samae and Mafari Ma, have been arrested in Narathiwat, for distributing leaflets accusing the government of orchestrating a massacre at a mosque in the province.

Inside Time withdrawn over cartoon

2009-06-15T11:39:00.005+07:00

The current issue of Inside Time, a magazine for UK prisoners, has been withdrawn following complaints about an opinion column. The article (Porky's Revenge!, by Andy Thackwray) satirically suggests that swine flu is part of a Taliban plot, and is illustrated by a cartoon of Osama as a pig. The 'offensive' text and cartoon have now been deleted from the magazine's website, and all printed copies of the magazine have been withdrawn from circulation.

Dr Strangelove in high-definition

2009-06-09T10:03:00.004+07:00

Dr Strangelove has been released on Blu-Ray, in a 45th anniversary edition. The image is 1.66:1 throughout, and the original mono soundtrack is included. The picture quality is an improvement on the overly dark 40th anniversary DVD edition.

exteen.com webmaster interviewed by police

2009-06-09T09:42:00.004+07:00

Theepakorn Wutthiphitthayamongkol, editor of the popular Thai blogging website exteen.com, has been questioned by police acting on information supplied by MICT.

An exteen.com user posted a potentially lese majeste comment on the site in August 2007, MICT alerted Theepakorn to the comment, and he immediately deleted it, less than a day after it was originally posted. Then, two years later, MICT contacted the police about the case, and Theepakorn was interviewed. Theepakorn provided the police with the IP address of the user who originally posted the comment, despite the Computer Crime Act's stipulation that IP addresses should be retained for only 90 days.

Thai Rath's David Carradine photo

2009-06-09T09:13:00.004+07:00

On Saturday, the sensationalist Thai Rath newspaper published, on its front page, a photograph allegedly showing David Carradine's body at the scene of his death. (His body was discovered in his hotel wardrobe on Thursday.)

The image was partially censored, with a black moire pattern added to cover the body. (Incredibly, this pattern has led some international news sources, who have clearly not seen the photo, to claim that Carradine died wearing fishnet stockings.) The same image was also printed on an inside page with only slight pixelation.

Since the photograph was published, Carradine's family have threatened legal action against any subsequent reproduction. Consequently, no other publication has printed the image, and it has been removed from Thai Rath's website.

There is some speculation that the image is a fake, as it appears to show a relatively young man with black hair. The position of the corpse is consistent with police reports that Carradine was discovered hanged and tied up in an apparent act of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Several seemingly genuine photographs taken after Carradine's autopsy have appeared online, though they have not appeared in any print publlications.

World Comedy Film Festival 2009

2009-06-04T16:20:00.009+07:00

Bangkok will host the inaugural World Comedy Film Festival later this month (10th to 16th June; thailandworldcomedyfilm.com) at Paragon Cineplex and SF CentralWorld. The event has been postponed twice, and an ambitious early announcement, that Stephen Chow and Rowan Atkinson would be attending, has been quietly dropped.

The most interesting film in the programme is With Gilbert & George (screening on 12th and 16th June), a portrait of the artists filmed by Julian Cole over a seventeen-year period. But it's an art documentary, not a comedy. (The artists were the inspiration for several murals at Bangkok's Siam Center mall.)

PAD rebrands as New Politics Party

2009-06-02T19:41:00.003+07:00

The PAD's plans to form a political party have now been confirmed, with the formation of the New Politics Party. The new party is based on the PAD's deeply anti-democratic 'New Politics' concept, and will be led by Somsak Kosaisuk.

sameskybooks.org blocked again

2009-06-01T00:01:00.000+07:00

Pages on the Same Sky forum, sameskybooks.org, are being intermittently blocked again by MICT. The site was reported to police last year, after being accused of lese majeste, and it was added to MICT blocklists in 2008 and 2009; it was blocked in September and December last year, and was even briefly shut down in January.

another prize-winning monk/crow portrait

2009-05-29T23:05:00.003+07:00

Anupong Chantorn, famous for his painting representing monks as crows, is currently exhibiting a similar drawing at the 2nd Bangkok Triennale. Anupong's earlier painting won first prize at the 53rd National Exhibition and inspired a butoh dance performance, San-Dan-Ka. His new drawing, Hope In The Dark, has won the Triennale Prize, and is showing at Bangkok Art & Cultural Centre from 14th May until 14th June.

quote of the day

2009-05-25T11:27:00.000+07:00

The PAD's undemocratic 'New Politics' concept has been revived, as there are now plans for the PAD to form a political party.

In today's Bangkok Post, Veera Prateepchaikul discusses the PAD's policy proposals: "[a PAD] core leader, Phipob Thongchai, said earlier that under "new politics" there would be radical land reform so that every Thai citizen would own a piece of land and be able to make a living. He cited the case of North Korea, saying that although the country is poor and its people are starving, the North Koreans can pride themselves in owning a small piece of land".

Incredible. The PAD's leaders officially want to make Thailand more like North Korea. Do they know anything about politics or economics at all?