USA Fair 2008 in Bangkok

USA Fair 2008 will be organized at Royal Paragon Hall 3, Siam Paragon Shopping Complex, Bangkok from October 31 to November 2, 2008.



The USA Fair 2008 event is organized with a single objective which is to bring a small part of the American experience to Bangkok. This event would strengthen the spirit of friendship with the Thai people as well as with friends from other countries who live in Bangkok.

'Lukkade' Metinee Kingpayome has been chosen as the ambassador of USA Fair 2008, presenting a soft toy gift set that will be displayed at the fair.



USA Fair 2008 will showcase some of the best American made products and services, featuring many activities that promise entertainment and thrills galore - all American style. Both exhibitors and visitors will truly experience America through the food and drinks, music and loads of fun at the USA Fair this year.



More than 30,000 Thai and expatriate visitors are expected this year. This event is being organized by Lawson Marsh Events Co., Ltd., and co-sponsored by AMCHAM Thailand (The American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand) and The U.S. Embassy Thailand.

Highlights:
- American Entertainment
- Family Entertainment Show
- Showcase of American products and services

Business Benefits:
Brand goodwill – the premier event for American brands to promote the spirit of American life and friendship in Thailand.
Consumer experience – Expat and Thai families will get to sample American products in a fun environment

For more information visit the USA Fair 2008 website.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wins Thailand Open 2008

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated top seed Novak Djokovic to win the final of the Thailand Open tennis tournament on Sunday.



This is the first career ATP singles title for the second-seeded Tsonga, who avenged his Australian Open final defeat to Novak Djokovic with a 7-6 (7/4) 6-4 victory.

23-year-old Tsonga, who is ranked 20 in the world, made his return from knee surgery at the US Open after a three month absence.

"I feel great, it's got to be one of the best moments of my life," he said.



Novak Djokovic, ranked No. 3 in the world, looked sluggish and ended the match by lobbing Tsonga's serve long.

Tsonga pockets $94,000 for winning the Thailand Open title, while Djokovic takes home $51,000.

YouTube video: Leena Jang's canal plunge

Here is a YouTube video of Leena Jang's soaky wet plunge into one of Bangkok's dirtiest and smelliest canals, the Khlong Saen Saeb.



After looking at the video, it appears as if she plunged into the canal on purpose - could this whole thing be a setup? While she was being rescued, she managed to scream "it stinks so bad" a couple of times. Then she goes on saying how dirty these canals are and if she gets elected Bangkok's governor she would provide free boat rides for everybody.

Free boat rides for all? Sounds dangerous, as there will be more people drowning from boat capsizes - don't you think?

Lovely Leena Jang falls into San Saeb canal

Bangkok Post reports that Leena Jangjanja, a candidate running for Bangkok Governor as candidate No. 7, fell into Khlong Saen Saeb (Thai: คลองแสนแสบ) canal while she was campaigning for Bangkok's top job this afternoon.


(Photo credit: Manager Online)

View more pictures at Manager

With only two weeks for the election, Leena, dressed in pink, was campaigning at the pier by the boat looking for supporters residing alongside the canal, when she accidentally fell into the canal's dirty waters. Luckily Leena's colorful team of shirtless men jumped into the canal to rescue her, and she was reportedly uninjured, but got drenched waist down.



Leena, a 49-year-old businesswoman, lawyer, and a mother of two, is known for making eye-catching, noisy entrances at her rivals' campaign venues. She also owns a business which produces, sells and franchises beauty products. Visit Leena Jang's beauty products website Hi-So (LEENA) to see for yourself.

Some of the beauty products you will find at her website are:
- Pink Nipple Nourishing Cream
- Big + Up Breast Cream for Growth and Firming
- Lift-Up Whitening Cream
- Whitening Milk Shower Spa Cream
- Whitening Armpit Cream
- Eye Primer Gel
- Stretch Mark Remover
- Acne & Blemish Whitening Cream

With this incident, Leena has accidentally discovered another problem Bangkok is facing - Bangkok canal boat rides aren't safe, and it is common for people falling into the canal. Is Chuwit listening???



I have been in Thailand for more than 25 years and I can manage to roughly count the number of times I have taken one of these canal boat rides. Since Apirak is going to win no doubt, it would be nice if Apirak could make these Saen Sab canal boat rides safer, as it is the quickest way to beat Bangkok's traffic blues on routes not covered by the existing sky-train / MRT.

Thailand Open 2008: Marat Safin defeated in the 1st round

Former world number one Marat Safin tumbled out in the first round of the Thailand Open tennis on Tuesday following a 6-4 7-6 (7/4) defeat by German Philipp Petzschner.


(Photo credit: AFP)

The Thailand Open is the favorite tournament of the seventh-seed Russian, and this was his earliest career loss. What is even worse, is that the already frustrated Safin was denied his 400th career match win! Safin struck 33 unforced errors while his underdog opponent fired a dozen aces and 13 winners.

For Petzschner, ranked 131st in the world, this was one of the biggest wins of his career.

Safin had earlier pulled out of Russia's team for this month's Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina in Buenos Aires, citing personal commitments as he attempts to climb the rankings, by earning points before the end of the year.

Yoshiki of X-Japan in Bangkok

Yoshiki Hayashi of X Japan, a popular legendary Japanese band arrived in Bangkok on 18th September 2008 as part of his promotional tour across Asia. He arrived on his private Boeing 737 jet at Don Muang Airport, Bangkok at 14:30.



More than 1,000 members of his fan club turned up at the press conference, as they have been waiting since 10 years for X Japan.



A press conference was held at Siam Paragon regarding their concert dates in Thailand, and to formally launch the band's official Thailand website at www.xjapan.in.th. The Thai concert will take place within the beginning of 2009.



Yoshiki is well again and he has been traveling across Asia, having been to
Taiwan (September 15th - 16th)
Hong Kong (September 17th)
Bangkok (September 18th)
Korea (September 19th)





As for the X Japan World Tour Yoshiki has announced that it is going to kick off in France on Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 at Palais Omnisports Paris Bercy, Paris, France. It will be the first time a Japanese band plays in such a large venue. The sale of the tickets for the Paris concert will start in the beginning of October.

There will be a X Japan December 31st count down concert in Tokyo, with the venue yet to be announced.

The video game "Rock Band 2" will contain music from X Japan, which will be sold in America and Europe.

Bangkok Car Free Day 2008 tomorrow

Bangkok is going to hold the Car Free Day 2008 to campaign for energy saving on Sunday, September 21, 2008, which is tomorrow! All are invited to join in this mass media event. 42 other provinces in Thailand will also have their own programs taking place at the same time.



The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) joins Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), the Pollution Control Department, Greenpeace Group, and The Mall Group to hold the Car Free Day 2008 event, which will take place at the Thai-Japan Bangkok Youth Center, Din Daeng, near Thai Cultural Centre, Ratchadapisek Road at 10:00 to 18:00. Click here to view the map.

BTS Skytrain is offering free rides on all routes to cyclists on September 21st to 22nd, 2008 between 06:00 to 18:00!

Official website of Bangkok Car Free Day
Official Website of Thai Cycling Club (Event Details in English)
Greenpeace Thailand page for Car Free Day 2008



There will be food and drinks supplied, gifts for participants and an exhibition of biking products and products of Thai Cycling Club (TCC).

Cyclists throughout Bangkok including inner city and suburbs, will meet at 07:00 at the following meeting points with distance to Thai Japanese Stadium:

1. Siam Paragon - 4.08 km
2. The Emporium - 6.88 km
3. Chang Building - 7.23 km
4. Railway Park (Suan Rot Fai / Vajira Benja Thas Park) - 9.26 km
5. Lumphini Park - 9.41 km
6. The Mall Bangkapi - 15.69 km

6 groups of cyclists will meet directly at the Thai-Japanese Stadium to form a map of Thailand.

Program Schedule:
08:00 the National Anthem will be sung after which cyclists will be led to the Thai Japanese Stadium.
09:00 Meet at Thai Japanese Stadium where breakfast will be served.
10:00 Enter stadium with bikes where cyclists will be organized into the map of Thailand which will be photographed from the air
12:00 President’s speech and cyclists form procession
13:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 Discussion
Finish at 18:00 or earlier.



As part of the Bangkok Car Free Day 2007 celebrations last year, the BMA launched a 1,200-bicycle parade on Saturday, 22 September, 2007, aimed at encouraging city people to use bicycles instead of cars and motorcycles and to reduce energy consumption. The bikers wore yellow shirts, and formed into the shape of Thailand, giving a rousing rendition of the national anthem at the National Stadium as part of the launch, presided over by Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin.



Apirak himself rode a bicycle with celebrities and members of the public, forming a procession of over 2,000 along Rama I Road, Rama IV Road, Yaowaraj Road and Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, finishing at the Lan Khon Muang in front of City Hall.

Apirak said the five-year campaign would focus on reducing car use, changing from traditional bulbs to fluorescent lighting, promoting alternative energy, separating and reducing garbage and planting more trees.

The BMA has increased bicycle lanes to 12 on Ramkhamhaeng Road, Arun Ammarin Road and areas around Bang Yi Khan Canal. The city will also help cyclists by dealing with street vendors and other road obstacles, he said.

Chiang Mai city residents also celebrated Car Free Day 2007, holding a bicycle parade from Three Kings Monument Plaza in Muang district to visit tourist attractions in San Kamphaeng district. Chiang Mai gave importance to the campaign after it came out among the top five provinces using the highest amount of petrol at 500 million liters per year with nearly a million cars and motorcycles registered in the province.

Thai gold prices rise, gold rush part deux

People in Bangkok are rushing to Yaowaraj, this time to sell off their gold for a quick profit after the Thai Gold prices have increased to 13,700 Baht per 1/2 ounce yesterday, making it the highest selling price this month.



There was a gold rush on September 11th, after the gold prices fell to their lowest this year, at 12,600 Baht. People who bought gold back then are now making a profit of almost a thousand Baht for every Gold Baht (1/2 ounce) they sell.

Since the Lehman Brothers crisis, investors are investing in gold and avoiding the stock market. Gold prices fluctuated a lot after foreign financial institutions sold off their shares and invested in gold. Fluctuating prices were caused by world gold prices which are changing by 30 to 40 US dollars in a single day.

Jitti Tangsithipakdi, president of the Thailand Gold Traders Association, said the gold situation was critical and price adjustments are taking place twice on some days.

You can check the Thai gold prices daily at the official website of the Gold Traders Association of Thailand (Thai: สมาคมค้าทองคำ). This is a direct link to the English language version of the website, but you can find more news and information about Thailand's gold market in the Thai version of the website. If you want to view the historical gold prices, you can switch to the Thai version and click on the link with the Thai word "ราคาทองคำ" or "ราคาทองคำแท่ง".

Warning: Profit-takers and investors, beware of fluctuating prices!

Somchai Wongsawat: Thailand's new Prime Minister

Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, the deputy leader of People Power party (PPP), and brother-in-law of ex-prime minister in exile Thaksin Shinawatra, has been elected as the 26th prime minister of Thailand today.


(Photo credit: AP)

The lower house of Parliament voted 298 in favor of Somchai Wongsawat, while Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, won 198 votes.

Somchai was the education minister and became the acting prime minister after Samak Sundaravej was disqualified from office last week when a Constitution Court found him guilty of violating the constitution.

61-year-old Somchai, a Nakhon Si Thammarat native, was married to Yaowapa, the younger sister of Thaksin Shinawatra.

He will take office once he is endorsed by His Majesty the King.

Click here for profile and facts about Somchai Wongsawat.

Looks like Thaksin is getting back into the game. Let's see what will be Thaksin's next move.

Stephanie Rice in Thailand

LiveNews reports that swim princess Stephanie Rice is on a week-long holiday in Thailand to cool off.


(Photo credit: Getty)

Taking a well deserved break, Stephanie Rice headed to Thailand following her Davenport promotional duties and brief illness.

The Aussie golden girl has found romance with her long-time training partner, Brendan Capell. Dubbed a "mystery man", Capell is a long-time pal of Stephanie Rice who was in the "friend zone" throughout her three-year relationship with Eamon Sullivan. Capell is believed to have become the new man in Rice's life.

When asked about the new relationship by the media, she said "I really don't want to talk about any of it," she said. "I'm on holidays and really want to take a break from all the media at the moment."

Rice's relationship status has been the subject of several rumors since she split with Eamon Sullivan in the lead-up to Beijing. The medley specialist was then linked to American superstar Michael Phelps, with reports claiming the pair sneaked away from a Games Village party for a steamy kissing session. While Rice denied the claims, she did confess on Australian television that she thinks the Baltimore Bullet has a "hot body".

Her exact whereabouts in Thailand are unknown at the moment, but she could be in any one of the popular Thai islands.

Update 15 October 2008: Stephanie Rice photographed partying in Thailand, click here to see the photos.

Chuwit sees the problem, Dr. Dan can do

Chuwit Kamolvisit, a former notorious king of the Thai massage parlor business is campaigning for the 2008 Bangkok Governor Elections again this time, after finishing third in the Bangkok Governor Elections back in 2004.

Chuwit, contesting as candidate #8, is seen in posters all around Bangkok with a very serious look on his face and a large pair of binoculars in his hands with a message that reads "I see the problem" or "Phom maung hen panha" in Thai. Chuwit is good at making news headlines.


(Photo by Ian Fuller at Flickr)

Apirak Kosayodhin, candidate #5, who won the race for governor four years ago, is preparing to seek a second term as governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Apirak also has a website to promote his campaign at www.futurebangkok.net. One of his campaign posters reads "we share joys and sorrows with Bangkok people".


(Photo by 2Bangkok.com)

Leena Jang (Leena Jungjanja), candidate #7, is also contesting again this time after being famously disqualified during the 2004 Bangkok Gubernatorial elections, when she led her cabaret dancing team outside Centre Point in Siam Square on the back of a pickup truck to gain the attention of voters. She is offering free community bus travel in her current campaign, as seen in her posters.


(Photo by Ian Fuller at Flickr)

Another interesting candidate to watch out for this time is candidate #2 Dr. Kriangsak Charoenwongsak, or Dr. Dan as he calls himself. He too has a website for his campaign at www.DrDanCanDo.com. Dr. Dan is targeting the younger generation using social networking sites like Hi5, and has web blogs. In his posters, he uses attractive keywords like WIMAX 75 Mbps internet, T Zone for Teen, safety for women, GPS in pubic buses, quick garbage pickup service, war with rats and cockroaches, fresh oxygen - beautiful and greener Bangkok, Say hi (all Bangkok schools to be bilingual), sky-trains throughout the city, and so on.


(Photo by 2Bangkok.com)

Prawat Wahoram wins Thailand's first Paralympic gold

Prawat Wahoram of Thailand won the gold medal in the Men's 5000 meter T54 wheelchair race during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing on September 11, 2008, at the National Stadium aka Bird's Nest. He earns Thailand's first gold medal at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

Don't you wonder what is T54? After some googling, I learned that T54 is a sports classification level for eligibility in competing in Paralympic sports. Classes 51-58 cover wheelchair athletes with different levels of spinal cord injuries and amputations. For a detailed list of the different categories of disability sports classification please visit the website Official Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.


(Photo credit: Xinhua)

Prawat Wahoram crossed the finish line in a time of 10 minutes and 22.38 seconds to beat silver medalist Kurt Fearnley of Australia, who clocked 10:22.97.

The win avenged the Thai's defeat by the Australian at the 2004 Games in Athens. Britain's David Weir took the bronze in 10:23.03.

"I am very happy to win Thailand's first gold medal of the Games. I have to thank my wife and son, who have given me moral support," Prawat said.

Prawat will get a two million Baht bonus from the government for winning a Paralympic gold medal. He will receive another one million Baht after winning the silver medal in the 4x100m wheelchair relay earlier this week, plus another 500,000 Baht for winning the bronze medal in the 800m wheelchair yesterday.

Prawat has three events left in Beijing - the marathon, 1,500m and 4x400m. He has set his sights on taking home another gold in the 4x400m relay where Thailand are the defending champions and record holders. But this is going to be very tough after the Chinese team finished ahead of Thailand in the semifinal heats by setting a new World Record of 3:08.80, finishing almost 7 seconds ahead of Thailand.


(Photo credit: Xinhua)

Prawat is now Thailand's highest medal earner as he has won multiple medals that include:
Men's 5000m - T54 - Gold medal
Men's 800m - T54 - Bronze medal
Men's 4x100m Relay - T53/T54 - Silver medal

Bangkok's State of Emergency ends today

The unnecessary state of emergency in Bangkok is officially lifted!

Caretaker prime minister Somchai Wongsawat lifted the state of emergency in Bangkok on Sunday, bringing more smiles to the Land of Smiles.



Somchai said tensions had eased in Bangkok since the emergency decree was imposed on on September 2 after violent clashes between anti-government protesters and government’s supporters that left one person dead and dozens injured.

"The country has been damaged heavily," he said, adding that Thailand is already facing a number of problems affecting the economy, poverty and natural calamities.

"Thailand is known as the 'Land of Smiles' among foreigners," he said, "and we should try our best to bring back that impression."

The imposing of the state of emergency by the ex-premier Samak Sundaravej drew negative criticism from all parts of public, as it did not work out to calm the situation and severely damaged the country's reputation and slow economy. Furthermore, the police and the army refused to follow Samak’s orders to intervene.

For the PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) protesters it's struggle as usual as they refused to leave the Government House and vowed to fight on.

One-Two-GO Airlines remains grounded until October

The controversial Thai low-cost carrier One-Two-Go Airlines will remain grounded until at least October reports Phuket Gazette.



Udom Tantiprasongchai, founder and chairman of One-Two-Go, admitted that the resumption of services would honestly not happen this month and would come in October at the earliest.

One-Two-Go initially grounded its fleet of eight McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jet aircrafts citing financial conditions and the need to restructure.

It was subsequently grounded by the Thailand Department Of Civil Aviation (DCA) for allegedly breaching safety regulations, having a lack of proper airline management and for falsification of documents by some pilots who had misrepresented their credentials.

The government suspension, to 21 August 2008, was subsequently extended by the DCA to 20 September 2008.

Recent political unrest, including the two-day closure of Phuket International Airport (PIA) by anti-government protesters, and a subsequent drop in demand were among the reasons the airline is not yet ready to resume flights to Phuket, said Udom.

The following notice is displayed when I paid an unofficial visit to the official website of One Two Go:

September, 12, 2008

Dear Valued Passengers

Due to the recent uncertainty of Thai political situation, please be informed that One Two Go scheduled services for all domestic destinations will be resumed at later date than originally plan on 15th September, 2008.

Thank you for your kind understanding

Regards,
One-Two-Go Airlines.

It is common in Thailand to find Tinglish (Thai style English) text appear on commercials, t-shirts, and various other places, as you can see in the notice above. Grammatical errors are just customary in Thailand.

I wonder, why on runway earth did they originally choose 15th September 2008 as a date for resuming their operations after being grounded, as that would have been just a day before the first anniversary of the deadly One Two Go Phuket plane crash that killed more than 80 passengers on 16 September 2007.

Thousands of people lost their loves ones on that day, and these people would be reminded again of that tragedy on the first anniversary of the incident; it was unwise of One 2 Go to originally plan to resume operations on that day.

No Samak, No Cry

This song is based on "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It's called "No Samak, No Cry" and it goes out to Samak for losing his beloved seat.



No, Samak, no cry;
No, Samak, no cry;
No, Samak, no cry;
No, Samak, no cry.

Said - said - said: I remember when you used to sit
In the government house on your seat,
Oba - obaserving the journalists
As they would mingle with the good people you meet.
Good friends you have, oh, good friends youve lost
And now you're out of that house.
In this great future, you cant forget your past;
So dry your tears, I seh.

No, Samak, no cry;
No, Samak, no cry.
ere, grumpy old man, dont shed no tears:
No, Samak, no cry.

Said - said - said: I remember when-a you used to sit
In the government house on your seat.
Now the protesters took over that house,
And they all want you to get out.
Back then you cooked khaow kha moo with coca cola,
Of which youd boast with reporters;
Your seat was your only carriage,
You gave all the push you could yet you lost.
But while youre gone, I mean:
Everythings gonna be all right!
Everythings gonna be all right!
I said, everythings gonna be all right-a!
Everythings gonna be all right!
Everythings gonna be all right, now!

So, Samak, no cry;
No - no, stubborn - man, no cry.
Old fart, guilty, dont shed no tears;
No, Samak, no cry.

Gold Rush at Yaowarat as gold prices fall

Bangkokians have been flocking to Yaowarat Road in Chinatown to buy gold since yesterday, after gold prices fell to their lowest this year. Chinatown is an old business district in Bangkok lined up with many small streets and alleys full of shops selling gold and all types of goods around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. It has been the Chinese community's main trading center.



Thailand's gold price fell to 12,650 Baht per 1/2 ounce yesterday, that's the lowest selling price this year. Lots of people headed to gold shops in Chinatown and other parts of Bangkok to purchase gold bars and various gold jewelry. Many gold shops reportedly sold out all their gold bars.

Today the Thai gold prices have dropped by another 50 Baht to reach 12,600 Baht, another new low this year. The real-time gold prices are lower than 12,600 Baht, but most gold shops don't follow real-time prices, instead update their gold prices on an hourly basis.

In Thailand, all gold chains, necklaces, bracelets and other gold jewelry items are called "Baht Gold". Gold is sold as "Baht Units" which is approximately 15.16 grams or 1/2 ounce in weight.

I have personally been to several gold shops in Yaowarat Road and seen gold bars being sold in units of 1 Baht, 5 Baht, 10 Baht and 20 Baht, though the 1 Baht gold bars are sold in very few shops.

Thailand's gold is 96.5% pure gold by product weight (23K), which makes it one of highest gold content jewelry products produced anywhere in the world today. This is why Thailand's gold receives worldwide recognition.

Sririta Jensen "Rita" Profile

Sririta "Rita" Jensen (Thai: ศรีริตา เจนเซ่น) is a popular Danish-Thai supermodel and actress based in Thailand. The 26-year-old celebrity has appeared in many Thai television series, music videos, advertising campaigns, and was featured on numerous magazine covers ranging from gossip to fashion and health.



Profile of Sririta Jensen

Nickname: Rita (Thai: ริต้า)

Birthdate: October 27, 1981

Height: 173cm

Occupation: Model, Actress

Education:
- Completed High School at Bangkapi School in Bangkok
- Attended School of Communication Arts, Bangkok University, Public Relations major

Magazine Covers: MARS, VOLUME, FHM, Maxim, DNA, ELLE, IMAGE, CLEO, LISA, HER WORLD, FRONT, MIX

TV / Movie Appearances:
1. 999-9999 (2002) - A Thai horror film in which Rita played the character of Rainbow
2. Split Second (2004) - A Hong Kong TV series (Hong Kong title: Chen fun du miao) in which Rita played the character of Rita Artavan
3. Pan X Xtreme Limit (Thai: พันธุ์ X เด็กสุดขั้ว) (2004) - A Thai action movie in which Rita played the character of Sunny

Ahn Jae-Hwan dies in apparent suicide

South Korea is shocked again with the death of Korean actor Ahn Jae-hwan from an apparent suicide from toxic smoke inhalation. His decomposed body was found in his sports utility vehicle on Monday morning of September 8, 2008. The police have classified his death as suicide and are now investigating the actual motives that led to him taking this unfortunate path.



Ahn Jae-Hwan's Profile
Real name: Ahn Gwang-seong
Profession: Actor
Birthdate: 1974/06/08

The 36-year-old actor leaves behind his wife, comedienne Jung Sun-hee. Ahn Jae Hwan and wife Jung Sun Hee were one of the famous celebrity couples in the Korean entertainment industry and had just tied the knot last November after dating for just three months.

His suicide is speculated to have come from his repeated failures at business ventures and failing health. Ahn had gained popularity by appearing in numerous TV dramas such as "Tears of Diamond", and "My 29-year-old Stepfather". Along with his elite image as a Seoul National University graduate, he acquired a unique position in the entertainment world and branched out into other businesses.

Ahn owned several bars, restaurants and shoe stores, and was reportedly heading for bankruptcy for which he recently had to sell a lucrative bar he owned in Gangnam as a last resort. It was revealed that he owed about 4 billion won to private moneylenders. The loan sharks had threatened his wife, calling on her to repay the debt.

Three suicide notes were left behind where Ahn Jae Hwan expressed his love for his wife, saying sorry to his parents and finally donating the organs in his body if it was discovered in time.

You can read more about the news at K-popped! and Coolsmurf.

Actor Ahn Jae-hwan's suicide must have been a great shock to the fans in Korea after the death of actor Lee Uhn from a motorcycle accident on August 21 this year.

RIP Ahn Jae-Hwan.

Hey Tourists: Thailand is safe to travel!

Having concerns regarding the political situation in Thailand?
Let me assure you that the tourism situation in Thailand is safe for travel.



Many tourists at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Suanlum Night Bazaar, Temple of Emerald Buddha, Khaosan Road, Siam, MBK, and many other places were interviewed about their vacation and safety in Bangkok. The tourists interviewed were from U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, England, Scotland, Australia, Japan, Norway, Nigeria, and all of them said that they feel safe and that the political unrest in Bangkok hasn't affected their plans at all.



A German tourist at Chatuchak Market stated that the situation has neither affected his visit to Thailand nor to the tourism in Thailand. He feels everything is still safe, just like his earlier visits to Thailand. He was just told to avoid going to the demonstration areas near Government House.

You can watch the YouTube videos of their interviews at www.youtube.com/thailand

As usual, you are always welcome here in the the Land of Smiles.

So what are you waiting for? Board the plane and make that trip you've been planning for!

Large Hadron Collider Google Logo

Today Google displayed a logo of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on the Google Home Page.



The LHC is a large equipment which costs $3.8 billion and is part of the world's biggest physics experiment underway today. The experiment has succeeded in its first major test as a beam of protons was successfully fired all the way around a 17-mile tunnel beneath the Swiss-French border.

The Collider is what that scientists hope is the next great step to understanding the makeup of the universe, or the "Big Bang". Scientists hope to see what the components of atoms are made of by smashing them together.

Some Russian scientists say this experiment could create a tiny black hole, and some even joke that part of Europe might be sucked into the black hole, and the world could end.

You can read more about the Collider at Scientific American.

Hey wait a minute! The Bangkok sky is turning very dark right now, its just 4:20 pm here. Is this the outcome of the experiment? Is the world going to end?

Hey, Captain John Luke Picard! BEAM ME UP! HURRY!

Sirita Jensen's sister commits suicide

Pimolphan Siribanjong, the 18-year-old sister of Sririta Jensen, a beautiful Thai model was found dead inside her room at her mother's clinic in an apparent suicide.

Below is a picture of 27-year-old Sririta Jensen "Rita", a popular Thai model and actress



View profile of Sririta Jensen.

Srirat Siribanjong, the 57-year-old mother alerted police after she found that her daughter had committed suicide.

Srirat owns the clinic on Soi Phetkasem 81 in Bangkok's Nong Khaem district. Her daughter lives on the second floor.

Forensic officials said the teenager died at least one day before her body was found. Her body was found hanging with a bed sheet to a rail on the bedroom's wall.

The mother told police that she went to stay at her fruit orchard in Nakhon Pathom for three days and had assigned her daughter to take care of the clinic, but returned only to find that her daughter had hung herself, leaving a suicide note.

New iPod Nano launches today

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new iPod nano today that lets users shuffle songs by shaking the device in a so-called “shake to shuffle” feature. The upgraded iPod nano, is the thinnest music player Apple has produced.




(Photo credit: Reuters)

Steve Jobs also boasted that the nano is the cleanest iPod Apple has ever made, calling it “highly recyclable,” “mercury free” and “toxic free.”

The 8-gigabyte model costs $149 and the 16-gigabyte version costs $199.

Wonder what the Thai price is going to be.

Court verdict out: Samak Guilty

Nation reports that Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is convicted of having violated the charter by hosting two commercial TV shows while in office.



The Constitution Court's verdict was read out at 3:40 pm. The court voted unanimously to give a guilty verdict against Samak and disqualified him as the prime minister.

He has violated a constitutional ban. Six judges considered Samak to be the employee while three others considered Samak a business partner of the studio, a constitutional offense in both cases.

Samak is no longer the Prime Minister of Thailand for the time being, just the caretaker PM.

No more cooking TV shows for Samak.

No Samak, No Cry.

Thai Futsal Team runners-up in 5s Futsal Championship

Thailand's Futsal team finished runners-up in the Thailand 5s International Futsal Tournament yesterday after a 2-2 draw with tournament winners Argentina at Nimibutr Gymnasium.



Thailand and Argentina had each won two matches and drawn one, but Argentina won on a better goal difference.

Thailand's fut5al coach Jose Maria Mendez said he was pleased with his team's performance because of Argentina's pedigree and that he had high hopes for the future.''I believe Thailand can become the top Asian futsal team,'' he said.

Thai men may be the usual underdogs at the 11-a-side game, where they currently lie 114th on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings, but on the futsal court they are one of Asia's finest sides. Thailand is currently ranked 12th in the Futsal World Rankings, and 3rd amongst Asian countries.

Futsal is the official FIFA version of five-a-side football and has become Thailand's favorite sport. Thailand's futsal twins Ekaphan and Ekapong Suratsawang are stars of the national futsal team.



Thailand will play in the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2008 in Brazil from 30 September to 19 October, 2008, under Group B. Thailand have qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup for a third time.

Google Inc. celebrates 10th birthday today

Google was conceived by its two founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin in 1995, and as per the date of incorporation on 7th September 1998, today is the 10th anniversary of this amazing company called Google.



Some of Google's services I currently use are:
Gmail, Blogger, iGoogle, YouTube, Google News, Google Alerts, Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Analytics, Google Reader, Google Groups, Orkut, Picasa Web Albums, Google Talk, and a few others.

Lets look at some of Google's timeline:

1995 - Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin meet at Stanford University

15 September 1997 - Google.com domain name registered

7 September 1998 - The first incarnation of the Google search engine is launched

2000 - Google starts selling keyword-related advertising

2001 - The Google News service is introduced, inspired by the 11 September attacks on the US

2003 - Google moves to its Mountain View campus, where it is still based. It has since become known as the 'Googleplex'

2004 - Google launches GMail

19 August 2004 - Google floats on the stock market

2006 - The verb 'to Google' added to the Oxford English Dictionary for the first time

October 2006 - Google buys YouTube for $1.65 bn in stock options

November 2007 - Google forms the Open Handset Alliance to work on the Google Android project

2 September 2008 - Chrome, Google's first web browser, is launched

6 September 2008 - Google successfully launches GeoEye-1, a super-sharp Earth-imaging high-resolution satellite


Happy Birthday Google!

Google is now responsible for roughly two-thirds of U.S. search traffic.

Let's see what's in store for the world in the next 10 years...

Thai scientists bag IPCC Climate Change awards

Three Thai scientists have won awards for contributions to the United Nations' Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Two scientists are from King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), and another from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok.

Assoc Prof Dr. Sirintornthep Towprayoon


Assist Prof Dr. Amnat Chidthaisong


Assist Prof Dr. Kansri Boonpragob


The IPCC has officially recognized the following for having made substantial contributions to the IPCC's Nobel Peace Prize award:

• Associate Professor Dr. Sirintornthep Towprayoon, Deputy Director of the KMUTT's Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE)
• Dr. Amnat Chidthaisong, Assistant Professor of KMUTT JGSEE's Environment Division
• Dr. Kansri Boonpragob, Assistant Professor of Ramkhamhaeng University's Department of Biology, Faculty of Science
  

The honor was in recognition for their efforts in publicizing the potential threats of global warming and climate change and for working tirelessly to get the attention of policy-makers.

Reported by The Nation

Sondhi Limthongkul to become a monk for life?

The Nation reports that People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Sondhi Limthongkul vowed that he would become a monk for the rest of his life if there is peace in Thailand.


(Photo credit: AP/Sakchai Lalit)

The remark came early in the morning yesterday after a rainstorm had reduced the PAD's numbers at the Government House.

Sondhi, a Thai media-mogul, founder of Manager Daily newspaper and satellite broadcaster ASTV, as well as one of the most important leaders of the PAD, said that he had been able to meditate on Friday evening and his heart was at peace.

I wonder if he really means what he said, as becoming a monk for life is no easy job for a media tycoon.

WBC Boxing Rankings: Official Ratings for September 2008

The World Boxing Council (WBC) has one of the most prestigious ratings in the boxing world. The Ratings Committee is formed by over 20 people from 16 countries around the world in order to have world representation. WBC title fights are of a high standard of quality, making the ratings of the WBC number one.



29 Thai boxers are currently in the rankings list with 15 of them in the top 10. Thai boxer Oleydong Sithsamerchai is the current WBC Strawweight world champion. Strawweight, also referred to as Minimumweight or Mini Flyweight is the lightest weight category in professional boxing where boxers may weigh no more than 105 pounds or 46.7 kilos.



Below is the WBC Official Ratings for all divisions released for September with results up to August 31:

Heavyweight (over 200 pounds)

CHAMPION: SAMUEL PETER (NIGERIA)
1. Vladimir Virchis (Ukraine)
2. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba)
3. Alexander Dimitrenko (Ukraine)
4. Chris Arreola (US) AMERICA
5. David Haye (GB)
6. Oleg Maskaev (Kazakhstan)
7. Andrew Golota (Poland)
8. James Toney (US)
9. Kali Meehan (New Zealand)
10. Travis Walker (US) NABF

Cruiserweight (200 pounds)

CHAMPION: VACANT
1. Rudolf Kraj (Czech)
2. Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy)
3. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (Poland)
4. Matt Godfrey (US) NABF
5. Herbie Hide (GB) INTL
6. Jean Marc Mormeck (France)
7. Jean Marc Monrose (France) EBU
8. Johnathon Banks (US)
9. Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana) LATINO
10. Alexander Alexeev (Uzbekistan)

Light Heavyweight (175 pounds)

CHAMPION: ADRIAN DIACONU (ROMANIA/CANADA)
1. Joe Calzaghe (GB)
2. Glen Johnson (US)
3. Silvio Branco (Italy) LATINO
4. Chris Henry (US) NABF
5. Roy Jones (US)
6. Braimah Kamoko (Ghana)
7. Alexey Kuziemski (Poland)
8. Shaun George (US)
9. Dawid Kostecki (Poland)
10. Antonio Brancalion (Italy)

Super Middleweight (168 pounds)

CHAMPION: VACANT
1. Carl Froch (GB) BBBoC/COMM
2. Jermain Taylor (US)
3. Jean Pascal (Haiti/Canada) LATINO/NABF
4. Jeff Lacy (US)
5. Fulgencio Zuñiga (Colombia)
6. Jurgen Brahmer (Germany)
7. Karo Murat (Germany) EBU
8. Andre Ward (US)
9. Anthony Mundine (Australia)
10. Alejandro Berrio (Colombia)

Middleweight (160 pounds)

CHAMPION: KELLY PAVLIK (US)
1. Marco Antonio Rubio (Mexico) FECOMBOX
2. Enrique Ornelas (Mexico) NABF
3. David Lopez (Mexico) LATINO
4. Domenico Spada (Italy) INTL
5. John Duddy (Ireland)
6. Miguel Espino (US) CABOFE
7. Sebastian Zbik (Germany)
8. Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan)
9. Giovanni Lorenzo (Dominican Republic)
10. Mahir Oral (Turkey-Germany)

Super Welterweight (154 pounds)

CHAMPION: SERGIO MORA (US)
1. Oscar de la Hoya (US-Mexico)
2. Sergio Martinez (Argentina)
3. Ricardo Mayorga (Nicaragua)
4. Alex Bunema (Congo)
5. Yuri Foreman (Belarussia) NABF
6. Vernon Forrest (US)
7. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (Mexico) AMERICA
8. Zaur Baysangurov (Russia) EBU
9. Andrey Tsurkan (Ukraine)
10. Alfred Angulo (Mexico) LATINO

Welterweight (147 pounds)

CHAMPION: ANDRE BERTO (US)
1. Luis Collazo (US)
2. Miguel Cotto (Puerto Rico)
3. Jackson Osei Bonsu (Belgium) EBU
4. Jesus Soto Karass (Mexico) AMERICA/NABF
5. Carlos Baldomir (Argentina)
6. Miguel Rodriguez (Mexico)
7. Selcuk Aydin (Turkey) INTL
8. Luis Carlos Abregu (Argentina) FESUBOX
9. Said Ouali (Morocco)
10. Bongani Mwelase (South Africa)

Super Lightweight (140 pounds)

CHAMPION: TIMOTHY BRADLEY (US)
1. Devon Alexander (US) AMERICA
2. Junior Witter (GB)
3. Ajose Olusegun (Nigeria) ABU/COMM
4. Francisco Figueroa (US) NABF
5. Jungbum Kim (Korea) OPBF
6. Edner Cherry (Bahamas)
7. Randall Bailey (US) LATINO
8. Cesar Cuenca (Argentina)
9. Gianluca Branco (Italy) EBU
10. Demetrius Hopkins (US)
11. Sirimongkol Singwangcha alias Sirimongkol Singmanasak (Thailand)

Lightweight (135 pounds)

CHAMPION: MANNY PACQUIAO (PHILIPPINES)
1. Edwin Valero (Venezuela)
2. Jose Armando Santa Cruz (US)
3. Antonio Pitalua (Colombia)
4. Anthony Peterson (US) NABF
5. Amir Khan (GB) COMM
6. Randy Suico (Phil) OPBF
7. David Diaz (US)
8. Antonio Demarco (Mexico)
9. Yuri Romanov (Belorussia)
10. Miguel Angel Huerta (Mexico)
11. Yodsanan Sith Yodthong alias Yodsanan 3-K Battery (Thailand)
39. Saddam Kiatyongyuth (Thailand) ABCO

Super Featherweight (130 pounds)

CHAMPION: VACANT
1. Humberto Soto (Mexico)
2. Francisco Lorenzo (Dominican Republic) CABOFE
3. Urbano Antillon (US)
4. Thong Por Chokchai (Thailand) ABCO
5. Sergey Gulyakevitch (Belorussia) EBU
6. Robert Guerrero (US)
7. Rocky Juarez (US)
8. Roman Martinez (Puerto Rico)
9. Ray Beltran (Mexico) AMERICA
10. Takashi Uchiyama (Japan) OPBF

Featherweight (126 pounds)

CHAMPION: OSCAR LARIOS (MEXICO)
1. Hector Velazquez (Mexico)
2. Elio Rojas (Dominican R)
3. Guty Espadas Jr. (Mexico)
4. Yuriorkis Gamboa (Cuba)
5. Gamaliel Diaz (Mexico)
6. Cholatarn O. Piriyapinyo (Thailand) ABCO
7. Leonilo Miranda (Mexico)
8. Jorge Solis (Mexico)
9. Takahiro Aoh (Japan)
10. Juan Carlos Burgos (Mexico)
40. Thongchai Thai Tor Silachai (Thailand) YOUTH / Interim

Super Bantamweight (122 pounds)

CHAMPION: ISRAEL VAZQUEZ (MEXICO)
1. Rafael Marquez (Mexico)
2. Toshiaki Nishioka (Japan)
3. Naphapol Kiattisakchocchoi (Thailand)
4. Jhonny Gonzalez (Mexico)
5. Bernabe Concepcion (Philippines) NABF
6. Ricardo Cordoba (Panama)
7. Akifumi Shimoda (Japan)
8. Wethya Sakmuangklang (Thailand) OPBF
9. Saenghiran Singwancha (Thailand)
10. Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (Thailand)

Bantamweight (118 pounds)

CHAMPION: HOZUMI HASEGAWA (JAPAN)
1. Vusi Malinga (South Africa)
2. Alejandro Valdez (Mexico)
3. Rolly Lunas (Philippines) OPBF
4. Simpiwe Vetyeka (South Africa)
5. Carmelo Ballone (Belgium) EBU
6. Yonnhy Perez (Colombia) NABF
7. Eduardo Garcia (Mexico)
8. Kohei Ohba (Japan)
9. Abner Mares (Mexico)
10. Sasha Bakthin (Russia)
21. Medgoen Singsurat (Thailand)
26. Pungluang Sor Singyu (Thailand) YOUTH
33. Fahpetchnoi Sor Chitpattana (Thailand)

Super Flyweight (115 pounds)

CHAMPION: CRISTIAN MIJARES (MEXICO)
1. Jorge Arce (Mexico)
2. Caril Herrera (Uruguay) LATINO
3. Devid Lookmahanak alias Devid Nakornluang Promotion (Thailand) ABCO
4. Kohei Kono (Japan) OPBF
5. Evans Mbamba (South Africa) INTL
6. Chatchai Sasakul alias Chatchai Singwangcha (Thailand)
7. Masibulele Makepula (South Africa)
8. Nobuo Nashiro (Japan)
9. Everardo Morales (Mexico) ABMH/NABF
10. Daigo Nakahiro (Japan)
14. Pramuansak Phosuwan (Thailand)

Flyweight (112 pounds)

CHAMPION: DAISUKE NAITO (JAPAN)
1. Ponomrunglek Kratingdaeng (Thailand)
2. Julio Cesar Miranda (Mexico)
3. Koki Kameda (Japan)
4. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam alias Pongsaklek Sitkanongsak (Thailand)
5. Bernard Inom (France) EBU
6. Denkaosan Singwangha (Thailand)
7. Oscar Ibarra (Mexico) NABF/Interim
8. Omar Salado (Mexico)
9. Ivan Pozo (Spain)
10. Manuel Roman (Mexico) AMERICA
14. Ratanapol Sor Vorapin alias Anucha Phothong (Thailand)
22. Wandee Singwangcha alias Wandee Chor Chareon (Thailand) ABCO
30. Chatchai Sor Thanayong (Thailand)

Light Flyweight (108 pounds)

CHAMPION: EDGAR SOSA (MEXICO)
1. Juanito Rubillar (Philippines)
2. Cesar Seda (Puerto Rico)
3. Omar Niño (Mexico)
4. Adrian Hernandez (Mexico) AMERICA/NABF
5. Munetsugu Kayoh (Japan)
6. Noknoi Sitthiprasert alias Noknoi Krathingdaeng Gym (Thailand) YOUTH
7. Sonny Boy Jaro (Philippines)
8. Manuel Vargas (Mexico)
9. Kompayak Porpramook alias Suriyan Satorn (Thailand) ABCO
10. Eric Ortiz (Mexico)
38. Thaminkhao Sor Tharnthip (Thailand)

Strawweight / Minimumweight (105 pounds)

CHAMPION: OLEYDONG SITHSAMERCHAI alias Kittipong Jaikajang (THAILAND)
1. Pornsawan Por Pramuk alias Pornsawan Kratingdaeng Gym (Thailand) ABCO/Interim
2. Ganigan Lopez (Mexico) LATINO
3. Yasutaka Kuroki (Japan)
4. Katsunari Takayama (Japan)
5. Pigmy Muangchaiyaphume (Thailand) ABCO
6. Erik Ramirez (Mexico)
7. Juan Hernandez (Mexico) NABF
8. Omar Soto (Puerto Rico) CABOFE/USNBC
9. Teruo Misawa (Japan)
10. Mohamed Rachman (Indonesia)
12. Wanheng Menayothin (Thailand) YOUTH
21. Lookrak Sor Katika (Thailand)

This list is compiled by me from the source: World Boxing Council :: WBC Official Site