Rare Gold Thai Python bred by Thai zoo

A zoo in Thailand has become the world's first to succeed in breeding the very rare "Gold Thai python" (Molur Bivittatus) with 30 healthy baby pythons.

The Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo would distribute the baby pythons to zoos nationwide after one year so the public could learn about this species which is unique to Thailand.

The "gold Thai python" once lived in dry evergreen forests in Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Prachin Buri and Sa Kaew. But as its habitat was encroached by humans, the python, now protected by Thai law, was said to have dropped to less than 100 in number. This type of python grows to six metres in length by the age of 5. It reproduces in December to February, its pregnancy lasts two months.

Pregnant man Beattie delivers second child

Pregnant man Thomas Beattie - the transgender man born a woman - has given birth to his second child, this time a baby boy.



The American transsexual, born Tracey Lagondino, 35, became the first pregnant man when he had Susan last July.



Now bearded Beatie and wife Nancy, 46, are parents again.

Hospital sources told US TV channel ABC that it was a "natural childbirth".



Beattie had sex swap op, including breast removal, in his 20s then married Nancy - but kept his ovaries.

Thai Spiderman rescues autistic school kid

A Bangkok firefighter donned a Spider-Man costume to rescue an 11-year-old autistic school boy from falling from a third-floor window ledge at Srinakharinwirot University on 23rd March.



This is the first time Thai fireman Somchai Yoosabai has dressed up to save someone.

Police said teachers had alerted the fire station after the boy began crying and climbed out of a classroom window. It was reportedly his first day at the special needs school. Efforts by the teachers to persuade the pupil to come back inside had failed. But a remark by his mother about his passion for comic superheroes prompted fireman Somchai Yoosabai to rush back to the station, where he kept a Spider-Man costume in his locker.

The sight of Mr Somchai dressed as Spider-Man and holding a glass of juice for him, brought a big smile to the boy's face, and he promptly threw himself into the arms of his "superhero", police said.



Mr Somchai normally uses the costume to liven up fire drills in schools.

Somchai has been a fireman for five years. He enjoys helping people but says he also loves the adventurous, exciting and challenging side of his work.

He normally uses the Spider-man costume for fire-prevention lectures he gives at schools but he's also worn it to lead dancers through aerobics routines.

"I chose the outfit because Spider-man is a very famous superhero. Most children know him and he's easy to remember. Spider-man also shares characteristics with firemen: both wear red, climb high buildings and help people."

"I'm glad I've helped people realize that firemen will do everything they can to help in a 199 emergency," says Somchai.

PM Abhisit sweeps up his office after busy SMS day

Today is Abhisit's first Friday as Prime Minister of Thailand. It's also his first day at the Government House which was left in a huge mess by the PAD protesters following a 4 month-long occupation.


(Photo credit: Manager Online)

Abhisit starts his first day in office not by sipping Starbucks coffee, not by biting off a chicken wing from KFC, but by picking up a large broom and sweeping up the Government House along with other BMA workers! Yes you heard it, he helped cleaners clean up the Government House compound.

Abhisit's nickname is Mark, and the media have started calling him "Obamark", a reference to US President-elect Barack Obama - both are from Democratic Party.

He is also named "Lord of the Ring", after he mentioned about his bond with Isaan people through "the ring", given to him by 84-year-old Grandma Niam Phanmanee, the Isaan villager, as a memento for his engagement and commitment to the Northeast Isaan people. He met her on the campaign trail in the lead-up to the December 23 election. Grandma Nium is in hospital now due to high fever and high blood pressure. Could this be a result of overnight fame brought to her by the "Master of the Ring" aka Abhisit?


(Photo credit: Dailyxpress)

Yesterday was a very busy day for Abhisit, as he had to send SMS text messages to the entire Thai population.


(Photo credit: Dailyxpress)

Some Thais got the first SMS that read "I am Abhisit Vejjajiva. Please accept my thanks. I will be in touch with you shortly."

Some lucky mobile phone users got another one that read "I am your new PM. I would like to invite you to help pull our country pull of the crisis. If you are interested in receiving my messages, please send your five-digit postal code to 9191. (3 Baht service charge)"

It wasn't just text messages! The luckier people got a message in their voicemail saying: "I am Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister. I am aware that people are suffering from many problems and stress. I am determined to serve the country to the best of my abilities. I would like to ask you to help, because without unity, my mission can never be successful."

Some people weren't so happy to get his SMS, one of them was Consumer Advocate Saree Ongsomwang who quickly reminded about the possible offence that Abhisit's SMS might violate people's privacy. She probably wanted Abhisit to stick to age old means via television and radio.

Why isn't she reminding so many other companies who send spammy SMS messages each day to millions of people. Lots of people I know get SMS spam that goes like "download free crappy ring tones", "free mp3", "free calling melody", "free concert tickets to Golf and Mike", "check your horoscope", etc.

I haven't got any SMS from Abhisit yet, I got a Thai friend to register my SIM card, so if Thais are the only target then I should get one. Most of my Thai friends are still waiting for the SMS from Abhisit. But many friends from Pathumthani and Thonburi have got it already. Maybe the other provinces are getting it first?

Tourists have fun at airport despite closure

Despite the closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport, some farang tourists are enjoying themselves with the PAD.



Many stranded passengers, having missed out on their in-flight entertainment, are seen holding hand clappers and smiling as the PAD protesters distribute food and snacks to them.



Wait a minute! They're even wearing the yellow Ku-chart head bands. Looks like PAD's popularity at the airport is soaring.

The PAD are now responsible for providing in-flight food & entertainment to the stranded tourists? What are the airport officials up to?

The PAD has completely taken control of Suvarnabhumi Airport so any airline that wants to take off or land must seek permission from them directly.



They have shown mercy by allowing only one flight for the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to take off.

The picture below once again reminds me that "with great power comes great responsibility"



Tres BIZARRE!

Somchai in a Peruvian Poncho

Thai Prime minister Somchai Wongsawat is seen wearing a traditional Peruvian poncho along with the other (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) APEC leaders for a group photo in APEC PERU 2008.



In the pictures above and below, Somchai is seen next to George Bush.



APEC leaders don flowing, brown Andean ponchos spun from baby alpaca shearings for a group photo.



Peru's turn to host the summit came as exports of the soft, luxurious fleeces are booming, driven by demand from international fashion enthusiasts and environmentally conscious designers.

Peru's President Alan Garcia looks really huge standing next to Somchai in the photo below.



That was last week.

Today Somchai is telling himself, my airport is blocked. I have no government house, and my temporary office at Don Muang is also seized. I'm now left officeless and airportless, so where do I land? U-Tapao?

Jitrada Tantiwanichayasuk sentenced to 4 years in jail

Jitrada Tantiwanichayasuk (Thai: น.ส.จิตรลดา ตันติวาณิชยสุข), a 37 year old woman who stabbed four school girls at St. Joseph school with a knife in 2005 has been sentenced to four years in jail by the Criminal Court. The penalties were commuted from eight years to four years because the she confessed.



The court said Jitrada has had mental problems for years, and will be sent to receive medical treatment at a hospital after serving her jail term.



On September 9, 2005, Jitrlada or Pet (Thai: เป็ด), then 34, stabbed and seriously injured four students at girls-only Saint Joseph Convent School in the heart of Bangkok. One of the students was critical wounded but later recovered.



After the attack, Jitrada escaped from the school in a motorcycle taxi. She later landed a job at a restaurant in Chatuchak area, and shortly afterwards the restaurant owner alerted police after recognizing her from a police sketch that led to her arrest.

Psychiatrists treating Jitrada after the attack decided she is mentally ill.

Wearing a pink spaghetti-strap top and a pair of blue shorts, Jitrada showed no signs of remorse at a police press conference in 2005, remaining silent and ignoring the throng of reporters and photographers.

Later Jitrada allegedly told police investigators that she had heard an order from heaven telling her to do something to rich Indians and Chinese because they had taken advantage of Thai people.

She said she had visited both the Mater Dei School and the Saint Joseph Convent School and chosen the latter because the children there were richer and the school had a nicer and more orderly environment.





A criminal with that kind of look on her face is easier to spot in lakorns than in real life, just look at her facial expressions in all those pictures!

Salad Bar Architecture at Pizza Hut

Here is a creative way to maximize your return on investment (ROI) at the Pizza Hut's salad bar. Remember, you only get one trip to the salad bar, so make it count!

Go ahead and try it at your own risk! And don't blame me if you get booted from the restaurant or get into a salad bar brawl over a bowl.

Caution: Please don't try this too often or else the manager dude at 1150 Pizza Hut is going to get really annoyed.

















Hey fellas! Check out my salad bowl!



Thanks to some Taiwanese students who constructed this creative salad bar architecture. There is also a YouTube video of how it's done.

If you dislike the idea that Pizza Hut is expensive and you are not allowed to pick your salad more than once, you can always go to Sizzler where you can sit near the salad bar and make as many trips as you like.

Thomas Beattie pregnant again

UPDATE - June 10, 2009: Thomas Beattie gives birth to a baby boy

Thomas Beattie, the transgender man dubbed as "The Pregnant Man" who made worldwide headlines when he gave birth to a baby girl named Susan Juliette Beatie on June 29 this year, is again expecting a second child.



The 34 year-old Beatie, born Tracy Lagondino, who transitioned from female to male and decided not to remove his reproductive organs during the procedure 10 years ago, is in his first trimester.



"I feel good," Beatie told Walters. The new baby is due on June 12, 2009.

Sporting a light beard, Beatie told Walters he did not go back on the male hormone testosterone after Susan's birth because he and his wife Nancy wanted to have another baby.

Beatie, who begin a lesbian relationship with Nancy when he was 24, had sex reassignment surgery in 2002. The couple were legally married in 2003 and decided to start a family. Beatie first became pregnant since Nancy, who'd had a hysterectomy, could no longer have children.

Pole Dance at California WOW? 299 Baht!

Just saw this poster today by California WOW that says "XXX Pole Dance" - First Time in Thailand! It also states a Warning: Producing Hot Sexy Divas!

Check out the poster below that features one of their regular models in a hot pole dancing pose



299 Baht a month? All Hours All Days! Hmm... I thought it was a place mostly for gays... Looks like they want real men to show up now.

A very bold marketing campaign by California Fitness. I wonder if they are going to use one of those Chinese poles.



They even got a farang pole dancer that looks like a gymnast





This pretty Thai girl also gets to the pole for a pose

Hindu Festival in Bangkok

On Thursday evening parts of Silom Road including Surasak Road was closed to motorists to pave way for the Hindu festival procession which was held at Sri Maha Mariamman (Indian) Temple on Silom Road, opposite Narai Hotel.



The procession was to start from the Hindu temple, move along Surasak Road, through Pan Road and finally back to the temple. Along the pavement of the entire route, hundreds of Thai people dressed fully in white with vermilion on their foreheads had setup tables with large statues of Hindu Gods placed on them, along with dozens of coconuts to be used as offerings. I even spotted some Thai ladies wearing red Indian sarees!



This Hindu festival is known as Dussehra or Vijayadashami, and is held to celebrate the victory of the Hindu God Lord Rama, prince of Ayodhya, over Ravana, the ruler of Lanka who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. This festival is the grand culmination of the 10-day annual Navratri festival, and is celebrated in India and Nepal with much gusto where crackers are burnt, and huge fetes are organised. Effigies of Ravana are also burnt throughout India.

Later that night at the Hindu temple, the devotees performed a bizarre ritual where they push metallic objects through their skin on different parts of the body, primarily around their mouths and backs. These devotees are called "the soldier of god" and this custom has its origin in Malaysia, known as Thaipusam. Similar rituals are also held in most Chinese temples in Phuket Town every year.



Surasak Road was to be closed at 6 pm, and at around 4.45 pm, it wasn't possible to walk on the pavement as it was filled entirely by the devotees. I had to walk on the road as I was heading for Surasak BTS.



It was a rare site to see so many Thai and Chinese devotees with so much faith in Hindu Gods. It was a Hindu festival but the Hindus were clearly outnumbered by the Thais.

Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu Temple in Bangkok


(Photo credit: Kawaputra)

I managed to click just a few photographs after I climbed up the stairs of Surasak skytrain station, after which I had to hurry up and start my train hopping journey from BTS to MRT and beat the human traffic.

Click here to watch a YouTube video of this Hindu Festival at Silom Road, Bangkok in 2007.

Ratchadamnoen University Certificates and Hand Clappers a hit among protesters

Plastic hand clapping tools are a big hit these days, as they are widely used among the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators in Bangkok. The hand clappers produce louder claps as compared to the traditional hand claps, which is usually painful when done repeatedly.

In the picture below PAD protesters shake hand-clappers in support of the protest leaders


(Photo by John Jantak at Flickr)

The Thai protesters are seen smiling as usual in the Land of Smiles.

Lots of these hand clappers are found on Alibaba.com mostly sold by companies based in China.



Apart from hand clappers, lots of other interesting stuff are also being sold at the PAD rally site in Bangkok near the Government House on Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue. Items include photographs, posters, paintings, T-shirts, ku-chart (Salvage The Nation) headbands and scarves, PAD coins, and lots more.


(Photo by John Jantak at Flickr)

The most bizarre item being sold is the Ratchadamnoen University Certificate (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยราชดำเนิน ประกาศนียบัตร), for a 100 Baht. Ratchadamnoen University is the name given by the PAD leaders to the demonstration site on Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue, as this is where those leading the anti-government rallies say people can learn about Thai political and social issues in depth.


(Photo by Hunsa)

The certificate is produced by "Prik" Karnchanit Summakul (Thai: "พริก" กานต์ชนิต ซำมะกุล), a 27-year-old Thai actress-turned-PAD volunteer, who said that more than 10,000 of the 50,000 certificates have been sold already.

The income from their sale would be spent on the installation of more ASTV cable TV satellite receivers for those interested in owning one. The TV station ASTV, owned by PAD leader Sondhi, broadcasts the rally live 24 hours a day.

The certificate was introduced on the 90th day of the demonstration with signatures of the five PAD leaders - Maj. Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, Sondhi Limthongkul, Pibhop Dhongchai, Somsak Kosaisuk and Somkiat Pongpaiboon - guaranteeing that the certificate holder has passed the "ku-chart curriculum".

The diploma reads, "This certificate is to guarantee that Dr...[your name]..has completed the ku-chart course by joining the demonstration to create new politics and get rid of the Thaksin-nominee government".

The certificate has a red color heart on the top right corner with Ku-Chart written in yellow in Thai as "กู้ชาติ".

Ice cream wrapper stuck in the elevator

Yesterday morning I got into the elevator at The Mall department store and found a Walls chocolate ice cream wrapper stuck in the elevator. Not sure who did that, must have been some naughty kid who could not resist the temptation of the ice cream so decided to lick it right in the elevator, then somehow managed to stick the wrapper near the lift's door into the gap in the metal.

I got into the empty lift on the 4th floor and was heading for the 1st floor when on the way an old Thai couple got into the lift, so I pointed at the wrapper to get their attention, and they just could not stop laughing. I hope that they did not assume it was me who stuck it in there, ha ha ha.

Thai woman's laugh hits 110 decibels at Ripley's International Laughing Contest, Pattaya

Jittarat Wongsomboon of Thailand wins the "Ripley's International Laughing Contest: World's Loudest, Longest and Funniest" in the Thai resort town of Pattaya on July 05, 2008. The 55 year old Jittarat won the contest on Saturday after laughing continuously for 12 minutes and 26 seconds and hit a peak volume of 110 decibels!





The contest was organized by Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum, Pattaya and the final round was held at the Royal Garden Plaza, Pattaya. She wins 100,000 Baht in cash, plus a gold certificate.

Below is a photo of the banner of Ripley's International Laughing Contest



In the photo below, Kowit Sripong, 32, another contestant in the Ripley's International Laughing Contest jokes with journalists.