The Non-aligned Force

Rupak D Sharma in Bangkok
Asia News Network
Publication Date : 26-02-2010 
 
In Thailand’s colouful political landscape, a colourless group has emerged

In the Land of Smiles, political preference is largely reflected by two colours: red and yellow.

In the present context, yellow refers to the pro-government faction and red denotes the anti-government camp.

These two groups are equally influential and together drum up support of more than 70 per cent of the country’s voters. But the rivalry between the two has often triggered conflicts in the once peace-loving country, generating a feeling of us-versus-them among many citizens. This polarising characteristic has turned the two colours into the hallmark of chaotic Thai politics.

The rivalry took its root around four years ago when protesters clad in yellow shirts staged demonstrations accusing then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of being corrupt, abusing power and hatching ploys to convert the kingdom into a republican state.

The protests calmed down after Thaksin was removed in a bloodless coup backed by the military in September 2006. But the muted demonstrators once again slipped on their yellow garb and started making noises on the streets of Thailand, particularly Bangkok, after the victory of the Thaksin-backed party in the general elections following restoration of democracy in 2007.

This gave birth to the red-shirt group, a band of people, who are mostly staunch supporters of Thaksin—the person loathed by the  yellow-shirt group but deemed a charismatic leader by the reds.

Thaksin was a popular figure among people of all walks of life when he first came to power in 2001. His government was also the first in Thailand to serve a full five-year term in office and was elected for a second term.

But some of the decisions he made, like approval of a four-billion-baht loan from Thailand’s Export-Import Bank to Burma to buy telecom services from his family-owned company, Shin Satellite, portrayed him as a clone of corrupt leaders who had entered politics only to fill their own pockets.

Thaksin’s other moves like supporting the less privileged in northeastern and northern Thai provinces by providing easy credit or writing off debts were also being closely watched by the elites in Bangkok. And when the appropriate time came, they accused him of trying to establish his own kingdom inside the Kingdom of Thailand to marginalise the role of the monarchy in the country.

Thaksin has bluntly rebutted these charges but considering the number of supporters he has in those rural areas, he has—knowingly or unknowingly—created his own empire there.

In these areas, Thaksin is considered an idol by many, largely because of the policies he had introduced to uplift the living standard of the less privileged while in power. And the people happily come to his support whenever they feel he’s being bullied by the Bangkok elites. This is the truth the yellow shirt group cannot swallow.

The yellow camp believes Thaksin has been able to drum up support largely because of the money that he is showering on them, and nothing more. The yellow group also thinks the areas where Thaksin has a stronghold, especially in the northeastern provinces, are filled with illiterate and poor people, who do anything for money without considering the consequences.

Driven by this perception, the yellow camp in 2008 proposed that the voting rights of rural masses be curtailed and two-thirds of the parliamentarians be handpicked, rather than elected through polls.

These views have led the red camp to reckon the yellow shirts as a bunch of conservatives trying to reinvigorate the gradually disappearing feudal system in the country to continue keeping the less privileged in the shadows.

This deep-seated hatred for each other have time and again morphed into mass protests, the most (in)famous being the November 2008 seizure of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport by the yellow-shirt group.

The group, at that time, demanded that the Thaksin-backed government step down and the protests were able to eventually unseat the government, but the closure of one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia caused tourist arrivals to plunge 23 per cent the following month.

Then in April last year, the red-shirt protesters went on a rampage on Bangkok’s streets to throw out the yellow-shirt-backed government of Abhisit Vejjajiva. The consequence was same—a 22-per-cent dip in Thailand’s tourist arrivals. 

The country is now facing another round of demonstrations ahead of the Supreme Court ruling on whether the state can seize Thaksin’s assets worth US$2.2 billion which were frozen by the military-appointed government following his ouster in September 2006.

(By the time this magazine comes out, the court verdict—considered the mother of all the verdicts on Thaksin—will be out, which will sketch the future course for Thai politics.)

Thailand should consider itself lucky as these political turbulences still have not dampened the investment climate in the country. Last year, foreign investors expressed commitment to pour in a record 723.4 billion baht (US$21.7 billion) in Thailand.

But the manner in which the political masses are turning into more organised forces —aiming to create instability in the long run—only create doubts on the prospects of foreign direct investment in the country.

The Nation (Thailand) recently reported that there are 459 red-shirt schools across the country. These schools offer “lectures on topics from political ‘lies’ and strategies of the aristocracy to political organisation”, The Straits Times said.

“Lectures at sessions like these, which are multiplying around the country, are also broadcast on the red shirts’ People TV channel, vastly extending their reach.”

The yellow-shirt group also disseminates its own propaganda using its own TV channels and newspapers. And the group’s professionalism in organising demonstrations and mobilising people was seen in 2008 when it captured the Prime Minister’s Office and surrounding areas for three months.

But amidst this catfight between the red and the yellow, a new breed of animal has emerged in Thai politics. It is a colourless group or simply a “politically neutral” force.

An ABAC survey—considered “reasonably reliable” – upon matching 6,000 samples of 28 provinces recently reached the conclusion that 53.4 per cent of the voters at present support neither the red camp nor the yellow.

“That is a crucial paradigm shift in the domestic political landscape. It clearly shows that a growing number of citizens, having lived through more than five years of political turbulence, have decided that neither the red nor yellow factions can provide real answers to the country’s deteriorating condition,” Suthichai Yoon, group editor of  Nation Multimedia Group, wrote in his recent column.

“(This group) may not have a clear organisational structure or mobilisation mechanism to let their views be known and make a real impact, but it is clear that this is the echo of an increasingly powerful voice.”

This group—as  expected—will also closely analyse the difference between rhetoric and real championing of the people’s interests, giving them power to vote wisely. After all, as Suthichai said, being neutral doesn’t mean being wimpish or undecided.Published in Asia News Feb 26-March 11 2010

The Ambassador Of Indian Food

Rupak D Sharma in Bangkok
Asia News Network
Publication Date : 29-01-2010 
 
Vinder Balbir Thakral, aka Mrs Balbir, has overcome all traumas in her life to become one of the best Indian cuisine chefs in Thailand

On a recent Saturday morning, Vinder Balbir Thakral got off the motorcycle taxi and rushed into her restaurant in Bangkok’s tourist hub of Nana apologising.

“I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about the appointment,” the moderately built 53-year-old said smiling in the most engaging fashion.

She was supposed to appear for this interview at 11am but by the time she had reached the restaurant it was almost 11:30.

“You know, we had a party last night. Then some of my friends suggested we go and watch this movie Avatar. So I went to bed quite late,” the owner of one of the most famous and oldest Indian restaurants in the Thai capital said, explaining the delay.

Running a restaurant can take a toll on personal life, especially if it is in cases like that of Vinder’s where  people she knows on a personal basis form the core of her clientele. Certainly, the quality of food matters the most but you also need to learn how to frame your life around entertaining guests till the end of the day. Failing to do so may translate into losing customers’ support.

“It’s a tough work, you know, and you need lots of patience,” said Vinder, a Malaysian who has been living in Thailand for more than 30 years now.

Born Harvinder Kaur, Vinder’s life has revolved around her restaurant – Mrs Balbir—for almost three decades now. To her this is home and school. It is a place where she learnt how to cook Indian food. This is a place where her toddler turned into a man and her love and respect for her husband grew even stronger. And it is also the place where she transformed herself from an ‘ignorant girl’ in the restaurant sector to a ‘star-like figure’, who now goes around advising people how to create menus and run businesses.

Looking back Vinder feels contented, as the time and efforts she has put into her venture has paid off. Today, she proudly claims she has a following of more than 5,000 loyal customers, and north Indian cuisines, such as butter chicken masala, tandoori (clay oven) items, thalis and even masala milk tea, made in her kitchen are considered as among the best in Thailand.

But like in the case of many successful entrepreneurs, her journey to the top has not been an easy one.

“When we first opened up, Indian food was not popular in Thailand,” Vinder said. “Thais hated the smell of the spices that we used.”

The only people who used to visit her restaurant were expatriates and “very few Thais mostly educated in England”. “Although there were many Indians living around in Bangkok at that time they lived a very frugal life and the culture of eating out was not there,” she said.

There were times when she thought she had made a wrong decision by opening up an Indian cuisine restaurant in a country where Indian dishes were abhorred. “In such times, I just wanted to close down for good and look for alternatives,” she said.

But Vinder had an obsessive zeal, like that of a crusader, which provided her the fodder to fight. Nonetheless, her resoluteness was always challenged and life didn’t stop testing her. She felt this when her 11-year-old daughter who was suffering from kidney disease died after three months in coma.

“That was the lowest moment in my life,” she said. “Having spent almost all of our money on her treatment, I had nothing left to give to my staff, and payments of utility bills and rents were pending.”

Vinder was now left with no other choice than closing down the restaurant. And she did.

“I felt as if life had closed all its doors on me,” she said. But instead of asking why the doors were closed she asked what she could do to reopen them. And within a month she sprung back into action and managed to arrange some loans to reopen the restaurant. Her staff members were supportive as well, which made things a lot easier for her. This was a new beginning for her and since then she has never had those impulse of switching profession.

“By then I had learnt how to overcome all my fear. I knew I had to face the devil to solve problems rather than run away from it,” she said in a resolute voice.

It so happens that for most of her life, what Vinder knew best were fear and a feeling of devils pounding on her.

Born in Kuala Lumpur to parents of Indian origin, Vinder had lost both her parents during the 1969 racial riots in Malaysia, which took lives of 196 people. As an orphan, she was then sent to Catholic boarding schools—first in Pahang and later in Malacca—by her grandfather and uncles, who were her only guardians.

“I lived an awful life there,” Vinder said. “The nuns were very cold and strict and we were allowed to go home only once a year.” But she acknowledged it was at this school in Malacca where she was first introduced to the art of cooking – beginning with pastries and pizza.

After she graduated from high school, her grandfather sent her off to Bangkok to get married. She was only 17 then but there was no way she could disobey her grandfather since shooing off the girls from the homes at an early age was a very common practice among Indian families in those days.

Her husband, Balbir Thakral, who was around 26 then, was “doing odd jobs to make ends meet”. Though she fell in love with him in their first meeting, he didn’t have a career then. “In fact, he had nothing—not even a bank account,” said Vinder chuckling like a teenager.

But together they did everything to keep the household running—from teaching English to Thais for 50 baht (US$1.5 according to current exchange rate) an hour to making pizzas at home, which her husband used to deliver to homes on his motorcycle—until they opened their own restaurant which bears her husband’s name, Balbir.

“One thing that I’ve learnt from life is that it does not matter what has happened to you. What matters is how you come out of it. That makes you a champion,” said Vinder, who is a vegetarian and likes to meditate and perform yoga. And considering how she has emerged unscathed from life’s bullying, she is a champion.

Today she not only handles her restaurant but creates her own food recipe, designs menu for restaurants and hotels and travels around the world as a visiting Indian chef. She also has a cooking studio where she or chefs invited from hotels around the world conduct cooking classes not only on Indian dishes but Moroccan, Brazilian and Italian dishes. On top of that she also provides consultancy service to Thai Airways on in-flight catering, particularly on Indian dishes.

Vinder also wears the hat of television hostess and she successfully ran her own cooking show Bangkok Spice with Mrs Balbir for 16 years on Channel 21. She also had a stint on Star Plus’ Travel Asia show.

“Now, I’m planning to write a cook book with my life story in it,” Vinder, who likes to travel and read lots of self-improvement books, said.

What about retirement plans?

“I don’t believe in the word called retirement,” she said. “I believe in growing and moving on even if you are 60, 70 or 80. Because the day you stop, you die.”Published in AsiaNews Jan 29 – Feb 11 2010

Tourism: Hard hit by negative publicity

Rupak D Sharma

Last week at a conference in Manila, Takeshi Kawasaki, a lecturer at The Asahi Shimbun’s Institute of Journalism asked me how martial law was faring for Nepal. For a while I was dumbfounded and quickly asked him whether he was joking.

Mr Kawasaki was a modest person and like most of the Japanese he was also down-to-earth. I even found him to be a friend of Nepal when he told me that many Japanese, who were gradually reviving their lost faith in religion – ie Buddhism/Taoism – wanted to visit Nepal, especially the birth place of Lord Buddha, Lumbini.

That gave me an impression that he was pretty serious about the remark on “martial law” he made on Nepal.

To convince him I had to explain that Nepal was still mired in dirty political wrangling but the 10-year long war had ended and things were not as bad as before. I also clarified that Nepal was NOT under the martial law.

He was pleased with my answer but it left me wondering whether people like him would even consider visiting Nepal while they held such views regarding the country?

For a Nepali traveling abroad, it has become difficult to convince the foreigners that things have improved since the Maoists dropped their weapons and joined the political mainstream. They frequently watch news footage or read about frequent protests in Nepal that usually turn violent. All those feeds give them the idea that Nepal is degenerating into a state where chaos and unruly demonstrations are rife. And all this is taking a toll on the country’s tourism industry, keeping people like Mr Kawasaki’s friends at a fix.

Last year, I asked a high-ranking official of UNGEI how Nepal was known in the US. I was expecting answers like Land of Mount Everest, Land of Buddha or even land of beautiful natural spots. But to my surprise she said “land of turbulence.” Maybe I was too naïve or rather ten years behind time to think Everest and Buddha were still identities of Nepal. I was speechless and couldn’t argue with her or tell her that she was wrong.

Every day protests that create a gridlock on the streets or the culture bandhs that bring everything to a standstill may have become a way of life for us Nepalis but they are certainly not natural for westerners or people in East or Southeast Asia.

Protests in themselves are not bad. They are a part of a vibrant democratic system. But there are ways to hold them. For instance, the anti-government protests were held in Thailand for three months since August last year. The demonstrators at that time had captured the prime minister’s office and were staying there round the clock. But they never resorted to vandalism, meaning the protests were relatively peaceful and did not affect day to day lives of people. Many people in other countries did not even know about the demonstrations. It went on like this for three months until November, when it spilled onto other parts of the city. Then footage of one of the protesters pointing a revolver flooded the international television channels and people planning to travel to Thailand started canceling their trips. I was in Thailand at that time and things were not as bad as many international media had portrayed them to be. I then started receiving calls from family back home and my friends started e-mailing me requesting me to stay put. Probably were thinking revolver-totting protesters were running scot free in Bangkok, which was not the situation. Then the protesters made a foolish move and seized the airport on November 27 last year, interrupting all domestic and international flights. Many foreign visitors were stranded in the city while Thais who were abroad couldn’t enter the country. Although the government gave compensations for the expenses incurred by stranded tourists, the damage was already done. And in the following months tourist arrivals fell by nearly 50 percent. Even today, along with global economic slowdown, that unruly act of capturing the Bangkok’s international airport is blamed as one of the reasons for the decline in the number of foreign visitors.

This gives an example of how fragile the tourism industry is. And at a time when the competition is rife and lots of destinations are offering similar packages, one foolish act made by a single group can make millions of travelers change their plans. And when these travelers opt to go to some other destination, it can have harsh impacts on tourism-dependent individuals on bottom rungs of the economic ladder.

Nepal’s tourism industry is not as big as Thailand’s. Thailand attracts around 14 million tourists every year and its tourism industry contributes to more than 30 percent of the country’s GDP. Whereas ours’ contributes to around three percent of the GDP. But despite being small we know it has been creating lots of self-employment opportunities along the trekking routes and other tourist hotspots. And a small decline in the number of tourists can affect the incomes of people who sell tea and operate small shops or restaurants or souvenir shops. In worst case, it can even render them jobless. These are the people who will find themselves bruised by clashes taking places on the streets of capital, and not those well-off tour operators or travel agents.

Nepal has announced 2011 as the Tourism Year and plans to attract one million tourists. But all footages of protests on the streets of Kathmandu relayed by international television are only giving a negative publicity about the country. On top of that the US government has recently issued travel warning to its citizens to not visit Nepal, due to protests and clashes taking place. It’s time we realize that democracy is about respecting other people’s rights and not violating their rights in the name of safeguarding one’s own.

Regarding Mr Kawasaki, I told him that Nepal is not as dangerous as he imagined it to be. I also asked him to recommend his friends to travel to Lumbini. But will they?Published in Republica on May 31, 2009

Soothsayers, constitution and Thai politics

By Rupak D Sharma in Bangkok

When do Nepalis sneak off to visit a fortuneteller?

Most probably when they want to know something about their future or when they are uncertain about moves they should make to ensure success and prosperity in the forthcoming days. There may be other reasons as well but most of them, most likely, will be associated with future, decision-making and wellbeing.

But almost 2,500 kilometers away from Nepal in what is known as the ‘Land of Smiles’, the reasons for visiting a soothsayer may be quite different and bizarre at times.

In addition to satiating curiosity about destiny, people here in Thailand sometimes visit fortunetellers to generate fear among citizens and tune political climate to suit their needs.

A couple of days ago, two renowned Thai fortunetellers came up with two predictions, creating ripples in the country where occult beliefs are common. Both of them said there will be chaos and even bloodbath in May. But they polarized on the why.

Varin Buaviratlert, a renowned Thai astrologer, who is said to have close relationship with the junta, claimed there would be chaos and even bloodbath if the constitution is amended. His comments came a few days after Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej expressed his intention to modify the constitution.

A day after Varin expressed his view, Luck Lekhanethet, another renowned astrologer who is said to be close to the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP), asserted that there would be chaos and even bloodbath if the constitution is NOT amended.

Whether their predictions will come true or not is another thing, but the two contrasting comments delivered in the span of two days has made it apparent that “both of them are being used as pawns in political information warfare of bigger forces”, said Professor Worapol Promigabutr, former dean of sociology and anthropology department of Thammasat University.

What is also apparent is that the 18th constitution, drafted by September 2006 coup makers, is at the heart of the current problem in Thai politics and it can be a root cause in erupting violence and turbulence in a country which is basking in the heat of awkward political stability.

Ever since the new government took office earlier this year, it has been at an uncomfortable peace with its opponents and critics.

The opponents still blame the government of being a proxy of former PM and business tycoon, Thaksin Shinawatra and claim it is working towards serving Thaksin’s interest rather than of the nation.

The latest proposal on constitution amendment floated by PM Samak is also being seen by them as an attempt to favor Thaksin. They say by making amendments the present government will pave way to extend pardon to Thaksin and 110 other leaders of his disbanded Thai Rak Thai party, who were prohibited by junta-led Constitutional Tribunal from participating in politics for five years last year.

These arguments may be valid to some extent but the question is can the veil of Thaksin cover all the flaws in the constitution which has been labeled ‘unpopular’ and ‘divisive’ by many.

One of the biggest defects in the present constitution is the enormous power it has relented on the senate (upper house), which is dominated by handpicked members.

The current senate, which consists of 150 members, only has 76 elected representatives. The others were appointed by a tribunal, which is full of people close to coup-makers.

But the irony is that this senate, with three-fifths majority, can remove elected high-profile figures like the prime minister and minister from their posts. This is what poses a serious threat—not only to the ruling party but the Thai democracy as well.

Currently, the nine-member tribunal, which selects almost half of the senators, is filled with junta’s aides. But tomorrow if PPP or any other political party is able to fill those positions with their confidants, they will also try to exploit the constitutional clause to best serve their needs. In other words, this will only give leeway to unelected members to wield power against elected members and promote nepotism and authoritarian rule. The best way to avoid this catastrophe is to select senators through polls.

Another flaw in the constitution is the power it has given to independent bodies to ban political parties for the mistakes committed by executive members of the party. Recently, the Election Commission (EC) of Thailand ordered dissolution of two smaller parties—Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya—that are part of the ruling coalition. The charge: electoral fraud committed by some of the executive members. The case has now been forwarded to the Constitution Court and if it upholds the EC’s decision then the two parties will be disbanded.

The EC has also accused the former general secretary of PPP and House Speaker, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, of electoral fraud. He is fighting his case in the Supreme Court. If he is found guilty, PPP may also be dissolved, eventually bringing down the current government. This raises a question of how logical is it to punish the entire party for the mistake of one person.

The problem with Thailand, like many other nations, is that whenever it tries to strengthen its democracy, subverters always barge in and destabilize the entire process. The case is not different this time either.

But what these people, who are playing the game of pride and prejudice, don’t see is the political tension it is brewing in the country, which in turn is creating instability and keeping foreign investors at bay.

Soon after the elections, Thailand was able to restore much of the confidence in foreign investors which was lost during the junta’s rule. The performance of stock market had also improved after the new government announced introduction of an economic stimulus package and removal of capital controls on foreign investment.

Announcements to simplify red tape for investors, set up a liaison officer at the Board of Investment, and shorten approval times for small and medium-sized investment projects from two months to 20 days had also improved investment environment in the country.

However, recent political maneuverings by people behind the scene and the EC’s decision to ban two political parties have put the gains of post-election period at stake.

If Thailand fails to find a proper solution to the problem, things may go worse and more foreign investors may start moving to other locations like Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

We don’t need a fortuneteller to predict this.Published in The Kathmandu Post

Creating Fashion Synergy

By Rupak D Sharma
Bangkok, March 7
 
On the last day of Thailand’s Emporium World Fashion Showcase, Kriengsak Tantiphipop was spotted walking around the bar in front of the catwalk hall entrance gate on the sixth floor of Emporium mall.

Amidst the frenzy of photographers surrounding the models, fashion designers and other prominent figures of fashion industry, he was attending to his guests and saying final adieus looking contented.

He has organised countless fashion shows before—more than 200 to be precise. But none of the previous shows gave him similar joy and happiness as this one.

“This one is special,” Kriengsak, senior managing director of Emporium Shopping Complex, the organiser of the US$1.26-million event, told Asia News. Special because more than a fashion show he considered it a reward for his several years of hard work.

“After years of effort I was finally able to bring prominent names of Paris and Milan under one roof in Bangkok,” he said. “This is not only an accomplishment for me and my shopping complex but a feat for the entire Thai fashion industry.”

It was indeed a feat, as seven renowned international brands ranging from Chanel, Chloe, Emilio Pucci and Fendi to Giorgio Armani, Kenzo and Valentino had shared the same runway of the ‘Emporium World Fashion Showcase 2008’ for first the time in Thailand’s fashion history.

Adding some more feathers to the cap, Giorgio Armani also used the Fashion Showcase as a platform to launch its Samsung-Giorgio Armani mobile   phones in Asia; and of all the fashion events and cities in the region, Fendi agreed to unveil its Fendi 10+ collection of bags here, together with Milan and New York.

Compared to strides made by some other fashion cities in Asia, many call Kriengsak’s achievement a rather small one. “But these small endorsements and favours are enhancing the credibility of Bangkok in the world fashion circle and bringing us an inch closer to the greater goal of establishing the country as an international fashion hub,” Kriengsak said.

Kriengsak, a relatively short man, has always thought tall. His aim of transforming the country into one of the world’s fashion centre may sound hollow to many but the moves he has made for almost one and a half decades demonstrate his resoluteness to achieve this end.

He took the first step some 11 years ago by helping establish Emporium Shopping Complex in Phrom Pong, Bangkok. The luxury mall opened during the Asian financial crisis of 1997, now houses classic brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Hermes and Cartier and is a famous playground for local and international fashionistas.

“The opening of Emporium played a crucial role in generating awareness about luxury branded apparels among Thais. It also helped us to introduce Thailand as a shopping destination for high-end tourists,” Kriengsak said, calling them the “first important steps towards transforming the country into an international fashion hub”.

He then went on to organise fashion events, but on smaller scales. “The purpose again was to generate awareness as without educating people and making them fashionable we knew we would never be able to bring the idea to full fruition,” he said. In the meantime, he also helped open another luxury shopping complex, Siam Paragon, in Siam Square, Bangkok, now known as one of the best shopping complexes in Asia.

Then the turning point came when he and some other fashion enthusiasts were able to convince Thaksin Shinawatra’s government to convert their aim of establishing Thailand as an international fashion hub into a national policy in 2005.

A committee was formed under the Ministry of Industry and a fund of 1.8 billion baht ($57 million) was allocated for 11 priority projects ranging from training, education, road show to fashion events. Kriengsak was made the chairman of the project called Bangkok Fashion Week, which was entrusted with the task of organising fashion shows in Thailand.

“With the government’s backing we thought we would be able to reach our destination in shorter time,” Kriengsak said. But his dreams were shattered when the government withdrew its hand after organising two fashion events.

“For a moment I was taken aback but I was not ready to put a brake on my journey. And since I had set my foot on this voyage long before the government extended its support, I was confident in achieving what I had desired without their backing,” Kriengsak said.

Another reason that compelled Kriengsak to move ahead was the fear of losing credibility in the world market. “When we announce long-term projects, buyers and media expect that to take place at one time of the year and if we suddenly retract it would be hard to win their confidence and support next time,” he said.

Fearing this consequence, he has been organising Bangkok Fashion Week—now renamed to Bangkok International Fashion Week (BIFW)—through financial resources mobilised by his shopping complexes since then. BIFW, organised twice a year, has emerged as a mega fashion event which provides a platform for local designers to showcase their products.

For Kriengsak all these little achievements are another brick laid on his dream project of turning the country into a fashion hub. But there are some who consider his works as mere marketing gimmicks aimed at promoting his shopping complexes and expanding his influence in the Thai fashion market.

This may be true to some extent but at the same time the critics must acknowledge that his works are also creating a synergy in Thai fashion industry.

Taking the cue from his works many have now started organising fashion events or erecting new fashion complexes, which, in turn, are creating awareness about brands among people, generating market for fashion designers and fashion related goods, encouraging those in business to show enhance their quality, design and craftsmanship, and helping internationalise Thai fashion.

In addition, international fashion events like the World Fashion Showcase are motivating local fashion industry to develop their style, design concept and attitude to meet international high-end fashion standard.

These ultimately are strengthening the foundations of the country which aspires to turn itself into international fashion hub.

“The prospects are great for this country,” Guillanume Sauzin, managing director of Chanel (Thailand) said. “The local players are showing their passion for the cause and international brands are also expressing interest in organising more shows. This is what Thailand needs to turn itself into a fashion capital.”(Published in Asia News)

Chic means costumes with arty, colorful prints

BY RUPAK D SHARMA
BANGKOK, FEB 6

Ladies, be prepared to don outfits splashed with strange looking patterns and abstracts in bold colors, as art will dominate fashion in the upcoming seasons.

Whether they be voluminous couture-like gowns, cocktail dresses, flirtatious one-shoulder and strapless pieces or casual wear, most of the clothes you buy in spring and summer will be stamped with big prints, surrealist painting, bold floral prints, and neo tie-dye and watercolor effects.

That was the underlying message of the six-day Emporium World Fashion Showcase 2008, which concluded in Bangkok Tuesday evening.

Of the five world renowned brands based in Paris and Milan that unveiled their spring-summer collections at the runway of Emporium Shopping Complex, three adorned their dresses with splashes of colorful brushstrokes and prints, challenging the conventional theory that elegance always means plain black.

Kenzo, a French fashion giant founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada, was the most colorful at the event, featuring myriad of contrast colors like black, peach, gold, turquoise, purple and red. Its flowery sequin embroidered dresses with magnificent color of the tropical forest offered a totally different taste to Bangkok’s fashionistas.

Next in line to convert dresses into a colorful canvas was Emilio Pucci, the innovator of prints which created a revolution in the fashion industry in 1950s. The difference, however, was while Kenzo chose luminous wallpaper like floral prints, Pucci concentrated on geometric and kinetic prints of pink, red, purple, turquoise and washed out shades of blue and yellow.

As Kristen Ingersoll, fashion and entertainment director of Hearst Magazine International put it: “The upcoming seasons are going to be very lively and vivacious. And it is not only dresses, but fashion accessories like handbags, and billboards, windows of stores and magazines featuring fashion advertisements will also be filled with colors and prints.”

However, those without appetite for colorful patterns and abstract art need not panic as there will be choices for them as well, she added.

At the fashion event there were brands like Chloé that unveiled dresses with subtle colors accented by small embroidered flowers and prints, perfect for those who do not prefer bold colors.

And for those who don’t like change, there were outfits in plain neutral colors and neo-neutral color like safari brown designed by Valentino and Chanel. In addition to that clothes with traditional polka dots and ruffles, and gowns with intricate laces were also on offer.

“But if you want to be trendy and hip it is colorful prints this spring and summer,” Ingersoll said.

And who knows even if you don’t like colors you may fall for it once you see it. “After all it’s the mood and the way you perceive things,” Ingersoll said, giving example of how Shakira, who had initially rejected to pose for photographs in outfits with floral prints later agreed to after inspecting the dresses. (Published in The Kathmandu Post)

Paris and Milan come to Bangkok

BY RUPAK D SHARMA
BANGKOK, FEB 1

Almost all of the 600 people, settled in benches inside a small hall on the sixth floor of Bangkok’s Emporium shopping mall Thursday evening, were craning their necks every now and then to see whether anything was unfolding in the front.

It was already 8pm and the show that was supposed to start at 7 had shown no signs of beginning.

But this was not infusing a feeling of resentment in the crowd and no one seemed to be throwing tantrums at the organizers. Instead, the delay was arousing a strange sense of curiosity among those present, causing them to wonder what Chanel had in store for this spring and summer seasons.

And as the model emerged on the ramp stuffed in one-piece loose-fitting dress made of denim, the concealed excitement burst into a round of applause.

As the show proceeded, Chanel unveiled the reinvented versions of its simple but elegant double ‘C’ dresses with dazzling starts, hallmark tweed coats, sports wear, the famous 2.55 handbag, evergreen two-tone shoes and accessories such as camellia flower made of fine fabric and jewelries.

In less than 20 minutes the show ended leaving a note that Chanel, the French fashion giant, has endorsed neutral colors–namely cream, white, black and denim blue–for this spring and summer seasons.

The conclusion of Chanel’s brief fiesta marked the beginning of a bigger event, Emporium World Fashion Showcase (EWFS) 2008–the biggest international fashion event held in Thailand till date.

Organized with an aim of transforming Thailand into an international fashion hub and promoting Thailand’s high-end tourism market, EWFS 2008 will unveil designs of renowned international brands, such as Chloé, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Kenzo and Valentino, in the next five days.

In other words, the works of renowned fashion industries of Paris and Milan will be showcased under one roof in Bangkok.  The event, organised by Emporium Shopping Complex, will also feature Giorgio Armani-Samsung fashion party, where Giorgio Armani-Samsung mobile phones will be launched for the first time in Asia.

Other attractions include Fendi Showcase where Fendi will launch its “Fendi 10+” bags. The bags, which come in ten different colors, will be unveiled in Bangkok together with Milan and New York.

Talking to the Post, Kriengsak Tantiphipop, senior managing director of Emporium Shopping Complex, the organizer of the event, said: “This is first time leading fashion brands of Milan and Paris are sharing the same ramp in Thailand. We hope the shows will be beneficial to local designers, marketing and industry executives and students, and encourage local fashion industry to develop their style, design concept and attitude to meet international high-end fashion standard.” (Published in The Kathmandu Post)

Reunion 2008

BY RUPAK D SHARMA

BANGKOK, JAN 29

 

To many, Bangkok’s luxurious Landmark Hotel is another tall concrete structure that caters to high-end foreigners who fly into Thailand for vacation or business purposes.

 

But on Monday (i.e. Jan 28), it became a venue for many Nepalis residing temporarily or permanently in the ‘Land of Smiles’ to run into people of their own country or origin.

 

Organized by Non-Resident Nepalis Association of Thailand, with the objective of honoring Dr Sanduk Ruit, a world renowned ophthalmologist, winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award and recipient of Thailand’s prestigious Prince Mahidol Award 2007, and welcoming newly-appointed Nepali Ambassador to Thailand, Naveen Prakash Jung Shah, the occasion was supposed to be formal.

 

But as expected, the event gradually transformed into a grand reunion party, with long lost friends exchanging greetings, engaging in chit-chats in their native language and digging into the all-time favorite momos prepared by one of Landmark’s Nepali chefs.

 

The entire scene was like a carnival, with men fetching glasses of wine and laughing, most women gossiping and children engaging in balloon-made sword fight in a small room next to the dining hall.

 

The event was the biggest the NRN Thailand Chapter had organized so far this year. “The turnout is enthusiastic,” Ramesh Hamal, president of NRN Thailand Chapter and chief operations officer of Green Heritage Group said.

 

As could be seen, around 250 Nepalis—although small in number compared to an estimated 100,000 Nepalis or people of Nepali origin living in Thailand—had poured into the hall on the seventh floor of the hotel. And this included most of the who’s who of Nepalis working in Thailand.

 

From Sanjeev Subba, executive director of Webster University in Thailand and Ramesh Shrestha, managing director of PCP Asia to Meena Pandey from UN Women’s Club of Thailand and Dinesh Sah, a senior officer at Siemens, all were there.

 

Several businessmen who have successfully established themselves in Thailand were also spotted. And there were students from Asian Institute of Technology, officials of the embassy and Nepal Airlines Corporation, and others who had come to Bangkok from as far as the northern city of Chiang Mai, southern island of Phuket and southern city of Hua Hin just to attend the function.

 

All of them were either mixing around introducing themselves, watching the cultural dance show or standing in the queue to taste the food the party was offering.

 

The cheerful atmosphere, however, turned serious for a brief moment when Dr Ruit, who was making a presentation on cataract surgery in Nepal and world-renowned Nepal-made eye lenses, suddenly shifted gear into politics, urging NRNs to “teach our leaders how to run the country”.

 

“Our voice does not count because we live in Nepal but Nepalis living abroad can exert pressure on the government …. I’ve been in the field and seen Nepalis (of all walks of life). People of Nepal are very nice people, nicer than those living in neighboring countries. It is the government which is ruining the country,” he said.

 

But, like in Nepal, this party in Thailand did not end discussing and dissecting the layers of politics. (Published in The Kathmandu Post)

A Perfect Hideaway

Rupak D Sharma in Khao Yai

Around 175km northeast of Bangkok, the bustling 10-lane highway we were traveling on converged at a picturesque little town with uncannily authentic setting, which I had never come across during my seven-month stay in Thailand.

The landscape here was not pitted with concrete jungle of skyscrapers; the air was fresh because of the hills and greenery that surrounded us; and unlike other travel destinations in Thailand this place was not overcrowded with tourists.

“Finally an oasis,” I said to myself watching the turquoise lake as we turned south from the main highway and into Khao Yai.

As we drove along the two-lane road, we were swallowed by a large number of neatly kept cattle farms, barns strewn with hay, cottages and most importantly, peace and silence.

The place looked secluded—sheltered from fast life of urban centres in Thailand. There was very little movement—less people and few vehicles plying on the streets. And the view of the vast fields, the countryside, cows and horses here and there, though not uncommon, offered riveting sights.

Watching the views that were providing me company, I silently thanked my friend who invited me on this trip.

As a matter of fact, I initially thought of turning down his invitation to visit “the countryside” assuming it would offer similar scenes of dusty streets with wayward farm animals and crowded marketplaces with plenty of makeshift food and clothes stalls, which I had come across hundreds of times earlier.

Had I made the mistake, I would have missed an opportunity to view one of the unique sides of Thailand.

Thanking my friend once again, we began meandering the thoroughfares of Khao Yai before arriving at PB Valley Khao Yai Winery. Soon we were driving along the grapevine-lined trellises of one of the biggest Thai wineries, tasting grapes in between.

Established in 1989, the award-winning winery, located 300-350m above the sea level, is spread on 320 hectares of land and produces 600,000 bottles of both red and white wine per year—though it has a capacity of churning out 1 million bottles of wine per annum. Of the total output, 60 per cent is sold in the local market, 30 per cent is consumed by the Japanese market and the remaining 10 per cent is exported to various European countries.

If you have time, taste the fruits of labour of around 250 workers working in the vineyard and winery. It has Shiraz, Tempranillo, Chenin Blanc and Columbard variants of red and white wines.

And before leaving, don’t forget to taste the wood-fired oven pizza at the winery’s The Great Hornbill Grill restaurant—they are great.

Although all of us took a bite of the pizza, we didn’t have enough of it to fill our belly. We could have, but the truth was we had other plans—to try steak for lunch at Chok Chai Steak House, dubbed one of the best steakhouses in Thailand.

As we manoeuvred our way to the eatery, we again witnessed some more European-styled dwellings that looked like houses of early 20th century, Texan-styled ranches and a lot more cattle farms and corn fields.

The next moment we were munching T-bone, pepper and ‘adventure’ steaks. Although the food did not meet our expectation—we later came to know we unknowingly went to Chok Chai Steak Hut instead of Chok Chai Steak House—we finished our meal and resumed our journey.

This time the destination was Khao Yai National Park, the second largest national park in Thailand. As we drove along the narrow path that snaked up the hill, we found ourselves surrounded by silence and tranquility.

Like any other national parks, it was also a muted landscape with trees towering above us on both sides of the road. You can camp here, go on a night jungle safari, join a bird-watching trip or just take a walk treading through the jungle.

However, we were not so lucky to indulge in these activities as darkness was descending giving us hint that the day shopping for peace and bliss was over. But before we ended our trip, we did manage to do some real shopping at the Factory Outlet Village, where dozens of world-renowned companies ranging from Adidas and Nike to Lacoste had their retail stores under one roof. (Published in Asia News)

Thailand’s political climate still smoggy

BY RUPAK D SHARMA

BANGKOK, DEC 29

 

The People Power Party (PPP) of Thailand, a proxy party of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has crossed the first and the most difficult hurdle in the way of steering the nation: It has emerged victorious in the election by winning the most seats in the lower house.

 

For a party, which was participating in the election held under the shadow of their staunchest opponent–the September 2006 coup makers–the remarkable success, should have given them an opportunity to celebrate. But the streets are not flooded with victory rallies and PPP candidates, who won the battle, are not showing any enthusiasm to engage in jubilations either.

In other words, the political climate is as tense as before the polls and the winners, who should be sighing a breath of relief, are still getting similar jitters–like the one they were receiving on the vote-counting day.

But in fact, all the conditions are favorable for them, Professor Worapol Promigabutr, former dean of sociology and anthropology department of Thammasat University told the Post.

“The military, which was against the party, is now neutral. The business community has also extended support to PPP. And, the groups, which were planning to launch anti-Thaksin campaigns, have silenced due to lack of financial support from the concerned parties,” he said.

Otherwise stated: All three factors that determine the formation of the upcoming government, are in support of PPP, the professor added.

In spite of this, there is a sense of uneasiness among PPP candidates. Clearly, two factors are at play.

First, the results are not official yet. Although PPP has won 233 seats in the House of Representatives, the Election Commission can disqualify the winners based on the complaints lodged against them. And amidst rumors about some influential anti-PPP people pressuring the EC to snatch away as many PPP seats as possible, their fears cannot be called invalid.

But according to Professor Worapol, this is a minor problem.

“Even in the worst case scenario, only 20 PPP candidates may have to fight in the by-election of Jan 13, which they will win again,” the professor said. “And if EC officials bow down to the people behind the scene they–maybe not now but later–will have to face the consequences.” 

The second, and the biggest, problem facing PPP now is assimilating enough candidates to form the government.

In 480-member parliament, PPP should receive support from at least 241 candidates to run the country. This is as per the rule. But in an inexplicable political setting such as of Thailand–where MPs can change their color anytime–PPP will probably need around 40 extra seats to be able to run a stable government and restore political stability.

As of now, three smaller parties–Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party (nine seats), Matchima Thipataya Party (seven seats) and Pracharaj Party (five seats)–have expressed commitment to join the PPP-led government. Their participation will give PPP a total of 254 seats in the parliament.

“The number is enough to form the new government……but some of the members of these parties are former members of the Democrat Party and may later defect, weakening the PPP-led coalition,” Professor Worapol said.

To safeguard the party from irremediable calamity, PPP has now laid the bait to fence in second and third runner-ups of the election, namely, Chart Thai and Motherland (Puea Pandin) parties, which have won 37 and 24 seats, respectively.

As of now Chart Thai-Puea Pandin alliance has agreed to team up with PPP, but it is yet to be seen whether the two parties would actually join the government as “some powerful elements want these parties to join the Democrats to balance the power of PPP-led coalition”.

In such case, the chances of the Democrats–the oldest party of Thailand which has won 165 seats in the parliament–forming a government cannot be ruled out.

“It is highly unlikely in today’s scenario, but the Democrats which won the most seats in 1973 election was not able to form the government,” Professor Worapol said.

Nothing can be said now, but it would not be considered a surprise if similar situation repeats for PPP.

It will all depend on the political bargaining and the EC’s Jan 3 announcement, the day on which the Election Commission will publicize its results on electoral fraud.