Phuket Scouting Mission

Two weeks ago, Doris and I went to Phuket, Thailand for a few days. Phuket (careful—it’s pronounced “Poo Ket”) is only about an hour plane ride south of Bangkok and has some of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen. Our main purpose for going, though, wasn’t to loll around on the beaches, but rather to scout the surrounding area out for a trip we plan to make there again next February. That’s when Kurt/Karen/Peter and Jeff/Katy are coming to Thailand for a visit. We will spend a few days in Bangkok and then head to Phuket to enjoy the scenery together.

One of the highlights of our trip was the sunsets and rolling waves that we enjoyed watching. I got a little carried away with snapping pictures of these, and I’m inserting only a few of the many I took.

That's Doris in the picture on the right, standing next to a lifeguard hut.

We went snorkeling on a day-long trip to Phi Phi Island (yes, it’s pronounced “Pee Pee”), during which we also visited some of the nicest beaches we had ever seen.

In the picture below, Doris is feeding the fish off the side of the boat.

The shots above and below are of the resort we stayed in.

Rodents Remain Tempting Treat

This was the startling title of an article in today’s Bangkok Post, one of the leading English-language newspapers here in Bangkok. The title naturally caught my eye, and I expected it would be a humorous piece—at least intentionally. Not so. I’m inserting into my blog some excerpts:

“Despite outbreaks of leptospirosis in the wake of major flooding in many areas of the country, the trade in roasted farm rats in Chachoengsao seems to be unaffected. The 30 or 40 makeshift shops selling roasted farm rats along the Chachoengsao-Onnuj Road in the eastern area of the town remain very busy, with vendors struggling to meet demand.

Boonta Sumthong, a vendor aged 30 in Bang Bo district of Samut Prakan, said the leptospirosis outbreak, covered by the media for the past several days, had not affected local farm-rat consumption. Many customers continued to visit her shop to buy the meat for consumption. More surprisingly, she said, the daily supply of farm rats was now insufficient as hunters were finding it difficult to find the large rodents due to the flooding. Currently, her shop is only open for half of the day due to limited stock. The roasted rats sell for 120 to 140 baht each [equivalent to about $3.50] depending on size and weight.

Sanoh Boon-oui, 55, a resident of Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province, said roasted farm rat was one of her favourite foods. She preferred to purchase the rodents from shops in the Bang Bo district because they were reputed to be the most delicious. She said she had eaten roasted farm rat since her childhood and was not afraid of contracting leptospirosis. Properly roasted meat should be free of any disease, she said, adding she always fried them first before eating them, just to be sure.”

Are we sick yet?

Our First Coup!

I never thought I'd have a reason to make that statement, but there you have it. It's not as exciting as the first kiss or the first grandchild, but it's nevertheless a milestone of sorts.

We stared in amazement at the TV late last night as news of the coup unfolded. We were relieved to hear that it was non-violent—and it has stayed that way, at least so far. A short while later, all TV broadcasting was interrupted, as the military tried to restrict access to opposing political views. TV shows were replaced by a notice informing viewers of the military takeover and apologizing "for any inconvenience." (The Thai people are unfailingly polite.)

I'm pasting into my blog a couple of photos from last night. And no, I wasn't crazy enough myself to go out on the street to take these pictures. I've downloaded them from other sources.



I went to work this morning as normal. Traffic was light for a change, since most Thais stayed home, with schools, banks and government offices being closed. It's important to keep this coup in context. Believe it or not, there have been 19 military coups since 1932, so overthrowing the government here is more of a yawner than it would be in the States. We're hoping that life will return to normal tomorrow, or at least as normal as it can be under martial law.

My Experience with Muay Thai Boxing

Last July (okay, so I’m a little behind in updating my blog), I went to a professional Muay Thai boxing match in Bangkok with a colleague from work, Gerry Dube, and a Thai friend, Seng.

Muay Thai (which means "Thai boxing" in the Thai language) is the national sport of Thailand. Considering how peaceful the culture is, the popularity of this brutal sport is a bit of a mystery to me. I’m sure I’m leaving a lot of important rules out when I say that the only restriction I observed in the match was “no biting.” Virtually everything else appears to be allowed: kicking, elbowing, shoving, kneeing, head butting, and, of course, punching.


Seng was an excellent guide, since he’s producing a reality TV show involving Muay Thai and is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the sport. He got us ringside seats (right behind the officials) and patiently commented on what was going on throughout the night. Several things were particularly memorable:

• Seng explained that all the fighters we saw were only 14, 15 or 16 years old. Anyone older is generally considered to be over the hill, due to a slowing of reflexes with age. (It also occurs to me that, as fighters get a little wiser with age, they might start wondering whether routinely getting kicked in the head is such a hot idea after all.)

• Throughout the match, the fighting is accompanied by instrumental music performed by a small group of musicians (pictured below) who play traditional Thai instruments and match the pace and intensity of the tunes to the action in the ring.

• Lumpinee Stadium, where the fights were staged, is the premier Muay Thai boxing venue in Thailand, but in typical Thai fashion, the facilities aren’t elaborate. On the way to the restroom, for example, one must walk through the fighters’ changing room, where fighters are getting dressed, being taped, receiving massages and getting medical treatment after their matches.