Ko Chang, which means Elephant Island. Just beautiful.
We stayed on a bungalow over the water. It was just perfect.
There were so many times I thought to myself- I could stay here- FOREVER!!
The town we stayed in was a fishing village. We did not need to leave the pier- everything was right there…our hut, shopping, restaurants, diving... It was such a different pace.
Lisa got her diving license and found her calling to become a dive master in some tropical location-CANT wait!!! I was disappointed in the diving, but they said we just caught it on a bad day-poor visibility. I got very burnt, you’d think Id learn to reapply the sunscreen by this age, but oops. Overall it was an awesome trip.
April 30, 2010
April 28, 2010
Bamboo Fortress
I got some pictures of the bamboo-tire fortress. Bizarre huh?
I attended a town hall meeting sponsored by the American Embassy to discuss the current situation. There were 600 Americans attended. As you can imagine, there were some real nut jobs there too.
It was interesting, but no extra insight.
Here are some take aways...to get the anxiety flowing
- avoid protest tourism- no problem!
- have 72 hours worth of food/water
- have a contingency plan- i hope the ambassador doesn’t mind that my plan is to go to his house- he's my neighbor. I wonder how that would work out.
-leave if you don’t feel safe
I attended a town hall meeting sponsored by the American Embassy to discuss the current situation. There were 600 Americans attended. As you can imagine, there were some real nut jobs there too.
It was interesting, but no extra insight.
Here are some take aways...to get the anxiety flowing
- avoid protest tourism- no problem!
- have 72 hours worth of food/water
- have a contingency plan- i hope the ambassador doesn’t mind that my plan is to go to his house- he's my neighbor. I wonder how that would work out.
-leave if you don’t feel safe
April 27, 2010
An update on the craziness…
The mood here has drastically changed…no more happy, happy- the celebration is over. Last week the red shirts began stopping traffic to create their own checkpoints, we assume to prevent anyone from smuggling in military officers??? In “their” intersections (one of which is by my building), they have piled up hundreds of tires and bamboo stakes in the road to section off their areas. They have now draped cloth and poured gasoline over these stakes. I promise you, if they light that on fire-I’m outta here.
It’s just wild-everyday it gets more insane. Today they put the tires on the tracks of the skytrain and shut the whole system down for several hours.
Last Friday, after the Thursday’s splurge of violence, the government vowed to “crack down” within 48 hours. Obviously, this did not happen. The past weekend was one of the quietest since I have been here. I understand the military is in a hard situation because if they make a move, it’s pretty much guaranteed there will lots of bloodshed and then everyone will be more unhappy and they will get the blame. But enough is enough, right? No one in my office can get to work without car searches and waiting in what was already bad traffic. My class will move to its third location this week.
Now the protestors are starting to lose their marbles. They are so paranoid about when this crackdown is going to happen. Today, when walking home from work, they were on the bridges with their binoculars- I assume looking for troops. They have decided to stop wearing red-I guess to blend in?
The local bangkokians are also losing their marbles, waiting for the government to do something because their lives have been held hostage. Now they are gathering to “take matters into their own hands”.
Meanwhile the redshirts took a couple of garbage truck hostage in order to block an intersection..so now they won’t get any trash pickup….F*NG disgusting, especially when you remeber that they don’t have restrooms.
On a lighter note, I went out to a food crawl last night with some nice coworkers- life must go on. Cabin fever sucks. Bangkok is really good at compartmentalizing issues. I was taken to an open-air diner that has awarding winning pad thai –SOOO flipping good- it was wrapped in a fried egg. We followed that up by a trip to the local pizza joint (first pizza since I left the states-long overdue) then to a local thai post dinner hangout. The big dessert item was toast! Who knew? But it wasn’t just normal toast- the fresh bread was topped with the most delicious sweet flavors- we sampled three: a condensed milk custard like mixture, cream corn blended with coconut milk (sounds weird but good), and a fruity jelly. Yummy!
It’s just wild-everyday it gets more insane. Today they put the tires on the tracks of the skytrain and shut the whole system down for several hours.
Last Friday, after the Thursday’s splurge of violence, the government vowed to “crack down” within 48 hours. Obviously, this did not happen. The past weekend was one of the quietest since I have been here. I understand the military is in a hard situation because if they make a move, it’s pretty much guaranteed there will lots of bloodshed and then everyone will be more unhappy and they will get the blame. But enough is enough, right? No one in my office can get to work without car searches and waiting in what was already bad traffic. My class will move to its third location this week.
Now the protestors are starting to lose their marbles. They are so paranoid about when this crackdown is going to happen. Today, when walking home from work, they were on the bridges with their binoculars- I assume looking for troops. They have decided to stop wearing red-I guess to blend in?
The local bangkokians are also losing their marbles, waiting for the government to do something because their lives have been held hostage. Now they are gathering to “take matters into their own hands”.
Meanwhile the redshirts took a couple of garbage truck hostage in order to block an intersection..so now they won’t get any trash pickup….F*NG disgusting, especially when you remeber that they don’t have restrooms.
On a lighter note, I went out to a food crawl last night with some nice coworkers- life must go on. Cabin fever sucks. Bangkok is really good at compartmentalizing issues. I was taken to an open-air diner that has awarding winning pad thai –SOOO flipping good- it was wrapped in a fried egg. We followed that up by a trip to the local pizza joint (first pizza since I left the states-long overdue) then to a local thai post dinner hangout. The big dessert item was toast! Who knew? But it wasn’t just normal toast- the fresh bread was topped with the most delicious sweet flavors- we sampled three: a condensed milk custard like mixture, cream corn blended with coconut milk (sounds weird but good), and a fruity jelly. Yummy!
April 25, 2010
More Elephants
I should be working on my research paper, but I cant focus. What's my problem?
So instead, I put together a video from clips of moments from the elephant camp. Now will someone PLEASE write my paper?? I cant wait to be done with school.
Enjoy.
So instead, I put together a video from clips of moments from the elephant camp. Now will someone PLEASE write my paper?? I cant wait to be done with school.
Enjoy.
April 24, 2010
Ayuthaya Elephant Palace
How am I every going to go back to a normal life?
I haven’t blogged in a bit because I’ve been traveling around Thailand with one of my best friends, Lisa. I am so lucky to have her as friend and am thankful she came out to play. I had SOO much fun and now have a ton of memories to add to our list.
Our first trip was to elephant camp.
The elephant is the symbol of Thailand. Elephants have played a big role in Thailand’s history by fighting in wars, transporting kings, and building cities. Most recently, the elephants from the camp we stayed at assisted in recovering bodies after the 2004 tsunami. They were able to reach places that were otherwise unreachable and bring victims back to their families.
Historically, elephants worked in the logging industry, however since logging has been banned their primary source of work is in tourism. Elephants are very expensive- they eat a ton so being able to bring in income is important. The wild population has dramatically decreased over the years mostly due to loss of land.
Mahouts are elephant handlers. We were learning about what it takes to be a mahout- how to care for an elephant by riding, bathing, feeding, and cleaning them. In the pictures, you will see the mahouts sitting behind us during the elephant rides. Although we were taught the commands, the mahout was ultimately in charge- thank goodness because I think was saying go when I meant stop (the commands were in Thai)! Huah = go. How = stop. That’s all I remember.
Elephant stay is a nonprofit organization. They have many programs. As you will see their breeding program seems very successful- baby elephants were not in short supply. The organization rescues and rehabilitates abused or unwanted elephants- in many cases paying a huge amount of money to save the elephant.
You can find out more here: http://www.elephantstay.com/
I haven’t blogged in a bit because I’ve been traveling around Thailand with one of my best friends, Lisa. I am so lucky to have her as friend and am thankful she came out to play. I had SOO much fun and now have a ton of memories to add to our list.
Our first trip was to elephant camp.
The elephant is the symbol of Thailand. Elephants have played a big role in Thailand’s history by fighting in wars, transporting kings, and building cities. Most recently, the elephants from the camp we stayed at assisted in recovering bodies after the 2004 tsunami. They were able to reach places that were otherwise unreachable and bring victims back to their families.
Historically, elephants worked in the logging industry, however since logging has been banned their primary source of work is in tourism. Elephants are very expensive- they eat a ton so being able to bring in income is important. The wild population has dramatically decreased over the years mostly due to loss of land.
Mahouts are elephant handlers. We were learning about what it takes to be a mahout- how to care for an elephant by riding, bathing, feeding, and cleaning them. In the pictures, you will see the mahouts sitting behind us during the elephant rides. Although we were taught the commands, the mahout was ultimately in charge- thank goodness because I think was saying go when I meant stop (the commands were in Thai)! Huah = go. How = stop. That’s all I remember.
Elephant stay is a nonprofit organization. They have many programs. As you will see their breeding program seems very successful- baby elephants were not in short supply. The organization rescues and rehabilitates abused or unwanted elephants- in many cases paying a huge amount of money to save the elephant.
You can find out more here: http://www.elephantstay.com/
April 14, 2010
What’s on the menu??
How about
• Chicken Galangal (ginger) Coconut Soup
• Spicy Mungbean Noodle Salad (glass noodles)
• Chicken with Cashew Nut
• Red Curry Chicken
• Fried Fish Cakes
• And of course, sticky rise and mango
I had a great day at cooking school.
We started out with some lessons on how to shop at the local market. My funny and very flamboyant instructor was sure to point out the three types of basil: sweet, sour and spicy. They each had very distinct smells. We watched a fresh coconut be processed. They crack it take the milk and then put the “meat” into a grinder to make fresh coconut. OMG smelled so fantastic.
After we got our ingredients, we headed up to the classroom. We cleaned all the items and then started on our first dish. We ate each dish once we made it. Needless to day, I was stuffed, but it was all sooo good.
We cooked everything on a wok, except the rice. There are two basic types of rice, regular which you boil, and sticky which you steam.
I was trying so hard to memorize everything I was doing. Fortunately, we got copies of the recipes for dishes we made.
I think the fresh ingredients are key. Some common ingredients were kaffir lime, fish sauce, basil, coriander, lemon grass, bird eye chilies, ginger, and veggies.
I sure hope I can repeat at home-I’d love to be able to share some tastes of Thailand!
• Chicken Galangal (ginger) Coconut Soup
• Spicy Mungbean Noodle Salad (glass noodles)
• Chicken with Cashew Nut
• Red Curry Chicken
• Fried Fish Cakes
• And of course, sticky rise and mango
I had a great day at cooking school.
We started out with some lessons on how to shop at the local market. My funny and very flamboyant instructor was sure to point out the three types of basil: sweet, sour and spicy. They each had very distinct smells. We watched a fresh coconut be processed. They crack it take the milk and then put the “meat” into a grinder to make fresh coconut. OMG smelled so fantastic.
After we got our ingredients, we headed up to the classroom. We cleaned all the items and then started on our first dish. We ate each dish once we made it. Needless to day, I was stuffed, but it was all sooo good.
We cooked everything on a wok, except the rice. There are two basic types of rice, regular which you boil, and sticky which you steam.
I was trying so hard to memorize everything I was doing. Fortunately, we got copies of the recipes for dishes we made.
I think the fresh ingredients are key. Some common ingredients were kaffir lime, fish sauce, basil, coriander, lemon grass, bird eye chilies, ginger, and veggies.
I sure hope I can repeat at home-I’d love to be able to share some tastes of Thailand!
April 12, 2010
Random thoughts
I’m stealing the random thought approach from life with WE blog…it’s so useful to get it all out. thanks, gibber!
Its 100 degrees here. A little hot.
I firmly believe calories do not count on vacation, but I’ve tried to stretch this to “calories don’t count abroad.” Not good. I have a thing for ice cream here (hello "hot") I can do a whole tub in day. Lock me in my room and it is gone in an hour.
I like how calories are listed as “energy” on the nutritional values here (the only English word on the box). I need lots of energy, better have lots of calories! Sound good?
Bangkok needs some rain BAD!! The city smells like urine from the month long residence of protestors. In this heat, it’s getting gross.
Today the protestors drove around the city with the caskets in the back of their trucks. They drove past the embassy and honked their horns, just another day at the office! Times like this I need a friend from home to be like WTF?, without insulting anyone.
On that note…Did I mention how EXCITED I am for Lisa to be here. We are going to have a blast. We have a lot planned, Elephant refugee volunteering, shopping, diving, and lounging on the beach. Can’t wait.
Tomorrow is Songkran, Thai New Year celebration. The government canceled most of the big celebrations, but I am sure there will be stuff going on. Traditionally, it is a day full of water fighting- people spray, throw, dump water on each other. Sounds like a good time especially because its so hot.
I cannot remember my resolutions from our new year. Shoot. Maybe I should make some more. Moderation of ice cream? Nah, who am I kidding.
Even though I have a fabulous chief at home, I going to take a Thai cooking class. I hope I learn a lot to share with everyone when I get home (with all my fingers)- Thai food is DELICIOUS.
I need to do my homework…mid-terms this week. This means I am half way through my journey!
And there she is, looking so harmless, but she can sure make it toasty:
Its 100 degrees here. A little hot.
I firmly believe calories do not count on vacation, but I’ve tried to stretch this to “calories don’t count abroad.” Not good. I have a thing for ice cream here (hello "hot") I can do a whole tub in day. Lock me in my room and it is gone in an hour.
I like how calories are listed as “energy” on the nutritional values here (the only English word on the box). I need lots of energy, better have lots of calories! Sound good?
Bangkok needs some rain BAD!! The city smells like urine from the month long residence of protestors. In this heat, it’s getting gross.
Today the protestors drove around the city with the caskets in the back of their trucks. They drove past the embassy and honked their horns, just another day at the office! Times like this I need a friend from home to be like WTF?, without insulting anyone.
On that note…Did I mention how EXCITED I am for Lisa to be here. We are going to have a blast. We have a lot planned, Elephant refugee volunteering, shopping, diving, and lounging on the beach. Can’t wait.
Tomorrow is Songkran, Thai New Year celebration. The government canceled most of the big celebrations, but I am sure there will be stuff going on. Traditionally, it is a day full of water fighting- people spray, throw, dump water on each other. Sounds like a good time especially because its so hot.
I cannot remember my resolutions from our new year. Shoot. Maybe I should make some more. Moderation of ice cream? Nah, who am I kidding.
Even though I have a fabulous chief at home, I going to take a Thai cooking class. I hope I learn a lot to share with everyone when I get home (with all my fingers)- Thai food is DELICIOUS.
I need to do my homework…mid-terms this week. This means I am half way through my journey!
And there she is, looking so harmless, but she can sure make it toasty:
April 11, 2010
I LOVE Chiang Mai pt 2
Other highlights from Chiang Mai:
The Waterfall. We had to hike (in miserable heat) to this waterfall, but the payoff was worth it. Once we made it, you could jump in and take a dip. The water was refreshing and the waterfall was beautiful.
Karen Village. Not my favorite. The hike to the waterfall took us through a hill tribe village. Most everyone one was sleeping (heat) except a few children who wanted to sell bracelets etc. Many of these villages are refugees from Myanmar (Burma). They have so little-not even plumbing. Their livestock lives under their huts. Pretty depressing-makes me thankful for all that I have (too much).
Sunday Night Market. Awesome!!! They close the streets off so that vendors can line their goodies out on the ground and the people can casually walk up and down. Not only is it a great market, but it’s a nice social event for the locals (and foreigners). Most of the items are handmade-many items i bought were directly from their creator.
The Waterfall. We had to hike (in miserable heat) to this waterfall, but the payoff was worth it. Once we made it, you could jump in and take a dip. The water was refreshing and the waterfall was beautiful.
Karen Village. Not my favorite. The hike to the waterfall took us through a hill tribe village. Most everyone one was sleeping (heat) except a few children who wanted to sell bracelets etc. Many of these villages are refugees from Myanmar (Burma). They have so little-not even plumbing. Their livestock lives under their huts. Pretty depressing-makes me thankful for all that I have (too much).
Sunday Night Market. Awesome!!! They close the streets off so that vendors can line their goodies out on the ground and the people can casually walk up and down. Not only is it a great market, but it’s a nice social event for the locals (and foreigners). Most of the items are handmade-many items i bought were directly from their creator.
April 10, 2010
"Black Saturday"
Today, Sunday, was a day of mourning. Bangkok was eerily quiet- not that I did anything, but no traffic, sounds, people. Its crazy how things can spiral out of control in a flash. Nothing like being in a "state crisis" and able to understand the news!! The news here is unedited so its pretty easy to get the story just by the pictures. It shows me how our news at home is much more filtered (and I’m thankful).
The protesters took it up a notch last week when they moved into the business/ commercial areas. Malls, major intersections and other businesses have had to close out of concern for safety (and consumers cannot get there and don’t want to). This has gone on for almost a week, building up a lot of anger.
Yesterday was the breaking point. The government said they had to restore order. They deployed thousands of troops (my friends from the zoo) to these intersections to stop the redshirts from access.
I came back from the weekend market to find my skytrain station was surrounded by the action. They were closing the gates while I was exiting the train. I had to walk really far around it to get to my hotel. I stayed there for the rest of the night-laundry on a Sat night-fun. :-(
My balcony overlooks one of the main roads, so I can always hear and usually see what is going on from a safe distance. I can clearly hear the horns/chants/clappers- all night long, grr.
As I was hiding out here what was reported (very sad):
"There are 18 reported deaths from the evening's violence - nine protesters, two soldiers and one foreign photographer - and 520 injuries"
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/04/11/politics/Chronology-of-Black-Saturday-30126972.html
Obviously, these are not my slides: from a local news source:
I tried to get out this morning (i have bad cabin fever) but the skytrain is still closed. Now i can blog about everything. :-)
The protesters took it up a notch last week when they moved into the business/ commercial areas. Malls, major intersections and other businesses have had to close out of concern for safety (and consumers cannot get there and don’t want to). This has gone on for almost a week, building up a lot of anger.
Yesterday was the breaking point. The government said they had to restore order. They deployed thousands of troops (my friends from the zoo) to these intersections to stop the redshirts from access.
I came back from the weekend market to find my skytrain station was surrounded by the action. They were closing the gates while I was exiting the train. I had to walk really far around it to get to my hotel. I stayed there for the rest of the night-laundry on a Sat night-fun. :-(
My balcony overlooks one of the main roads, so I can always hear and usually see what is going on from a safe distance. I can clearly hear the horns/chants/clappers- all night long, grr.
As I was hiding out here what was reported (very sad):
"There are 18 reported deaths from the evening's violence - nine protesters, two soldiers and one foreign photographer - and 520 injuries"
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/04/11/politics/Chronology-of-Black-Saturday-30126972.html
Obviously, these are not my slides: from a local news source:
I tried to get out this morning (i have bad cabin fever) but the skytrain is still closed. Now i can blog about everything. :-)
I LOVE Chiang Mai
Last weekend, I took a weekend up to Chaing Mai. I was told that’s where many Bangkokians go to get away (aside from the beach spots). I could not have been more pleased with my weekend. I LOVE Chaing Mai…..it is a wonderfully charming town.
I paid $130 for my roundtrip ticket and $35 a night for a quaint room in a very lovely bed and breakfast- “3 Sis”. I can’t say how much I loved this place- as the name implies its ran by 3 sisters-who were sooo nice-made me miss my sisses.
The streets are very welcoming and lots of little shops-very old town. Most people were on bikes or motorcycles. Such a different pace.
Bamboo Raft along the river. Soooo peaceful. No pics, they would let you bring your camera b/c you get a little wet. You sit on a flat raft made of bamboo, your hinny gets a bit wet, while a guide steers the raft along the river. Alongside the river, there are covered docks that the locals can rent out for the day-pretty cool. Wouldn't those be an ideal for our MO rivers- float trips!!
“Watting” = the touring of temples (wats). They are fascinating-I do get a feeling of spiritual awareness when I’m in one. Some people have told me this gets old fast, but I still enjoy checking them out-its part of the culture, right? There were several in walking distance from my hotel. One big difference between the temples in Chiang Mai and Bangkok is, the Chiang Mai temples were being visited by locals. Some were very busy, however in Bangkok, they are mostly filled with tourists.
I paid $130 for my roundtrip ticket and $35 a night for a quaint room in a very lovely bed and breakfast- “3 Sis”. I can’t say how much I loved this place- as the name implies its ran by 3 sisters-who were sooo nice-made me miss my sisses.
The streets are very welcoming and lots of little shops-very old town. Most people were on bikes or motorcycles. Such a different pace.
Bamboo Raft along the river. Soooo peaceful. No pics, they would let you bring your camera b/c you get a little wet. You sit on a flat raft made of bamboo, your hinny gets a bit wet, while a guide steers the raft along the river. Alongside the river, there are covered docks that the locals can rent out for the day-pretty cool. Wouldn't those be an ideal for our MO rivers- float trips!!
“Watting” = the touring of temples (wats). They are fascinating-I do get a feeling of spiritual awareness when I’m in one. Some people have told me this gets old fast, but I still enjoy checking them out-its part of the culture, right? There were several in walking distance from my hotel. One big difference between the temples in Chiang Mai and Bangkok is, the Chiang Mai temples were being visited by locals. Some were very busy, however in Bangkok, they are mostly filled with tourists.
April 5, 2010
Fashionable Friday
I am missing St. Louis Fashion week this spring (assuming they are still having it). However, even better, I got to attend the BIFF and BIL --- Bangkok International Fashion Far & Bangkok International Leather. This is a HUGE convention where buyers write orders, there are fashion shows, displays, samples, collections, heaven!!
Bangkok fashion is awesome. A lot of women here are always very trendy and cute- they wear heels everywhere. A lot of American clothing is made in Thailand- they have a huge textile industry which gives them good reason to be so fashionable- wholesale prices!!
Some trends I noticed at the show were skirts/dresses that were long in back/short in front. Prints on white background. Arm cuffs. And hats-similar to the kind Justin Tiberlake was wearning a couple years back (menswear)!!
Photos:
Bangkok fashion is awesome. A lot of women here are always very trendy and cute- they wear heels everywhere. A lot of American clothing is made in Thailand- they have a huge textile industry which gives them good reason to be so fashionable- wholesale prices!!
Some trends I noticed at the show were skirts/dresses that were long in back/short in front. Prints on white background. Arm cuffs. And hats-similar to the kind Justin Tiberlake was wearning a couple years back (menswear)!!
Photos:
Senator Bond
Then on Wednesday, I was invited to attend a breakfast meeting with Senator Kit Bond!!! Who knew I would meet my senator in Thailand!! The senator was in town as a part of his mission to grow jobs for Missouri by further developing business ties and exports.
The breakfast meeting was a mix of leaders from multinational companies in Thailand with base roots in Missouri, along with government representatives (the ambassador again!) The business representatives were able to voice some of their concerns and offer thanks for support to the senator. It was very insightful.
He told me he would like to see more US students study abroad and for the US to have more international students. These programs help everyone see a perspective from another world, perhaps foster some understanding of differences.
The lady in the pic with us is Cynthia-she runs the department Im in. One smart cookie- im going to learn a lot from her.
It was a great experiance!!
The breakfast meeting was a mix of leaders from multinational companies in Thailand with base roots in Missouri, along with government representatives (the ambassador again!) The business representatives were able to voice some of their concerns and offer thanks for support to the senator. It was very insightful.
He told me he would like to see more US students study abroad and for the US to have more international students. These programs help everyone see a perspective from another world, perhaps foster some understanding of differences.
The lady in the pic with us is Cynthia-she runs the department Im in. One smart cookie- im going to learn a lot from her.
It was a great experiance!!
Trip to the Prison
Crazy week. I really am loving my internship. It is really keeping me busy-went to prison!!
haha not at all, but... too bad i didnt publish this one on April fools day.
I am interning at the embassy and the objective for department is to help U.S. companies export their products/ services. This means working with a WIDE range of businesses that request help. Commercial agents are assigned to specific industries, but because I am an intern, I get to help with all different areas.
Last Monday a US business owner from Creative C*rrections was in town to attend some business meetings that were setup by commercial services. The gentlemen from Texas was interested in consulting the Thai government with their correctional system/structure. He has a lot of experience in designing and running security facilities along with his experience as a prison warden at several US prisons. One big role commercial services does for American companies is setup business meetings for companies(for a very small fee), then accompany them to the first meeting. I was invited to attend the Creative C*rrections meeting to see how they conduct business here in Thailand.
What an experience. The first meeting was with the juvenile corrections department. There were about 20 people in attendance, a photographer (always), and snacks. It was fascinating to hear about Thailand’s juvenile correction system. They seem to have their hands full, but genuinely have children’s well being as a priority. They are concerned on overcrowding (something like 30% over limits) and lack of community-based support systems. Another issue is the UN has raised the age for separation to 12 from 10, but it would this means 400 children between 10 to 12 need to be moved. They plan to make this adjustment but there is not a plan or facilities to do this just yet.
The next stop was to the adult corrections offices. Thai prisons are known for their over-crowding. Someone told me a story that if you get up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night, you lose your spot to sleep. I found out there are about 100 Americans in their prison system. They must serve at least 4 years before requesting to be moved to the American system (or get a pardon from the king).
Overall, the juvenile division seemed interested in Creative C*rrections-hopefully it works out.
Sure beats a day plugging away in excel.
haha not at all, but... too bad i didnt publish this one on April fools day.
I am interning at the embassy and the objective for department is to help U.S. companies export their products/ services. This means working with a WIDE range of businesses that request help. Commercial agents are assigned to specific industries, but because I am an intern, I get to help with all different areas.
Last Monday a US business owner from Creative C*rrections was in town to attend some business meetings that were setup by commercial services. The gentlemen from Texas was interested in consulting the Thai government with their correctional system/structure. He has a lot of experience in designing and running security facilities along with his experience as a prison warden at several US prisons. One big role commercial services does for American companies is setup business meetings for companies(for a very small fee), then accompany them to the first meeting. I was invited to attend the Creative C*rrections meeting to see how they conduct business here in Thailand.
What an experience. The first meeting was with the juvenile corrections department. There were about 20 people in attendance, a photographer (always), and snacks. It was fascinating to hear about Thailand’s juvenile correction system. They seem to have their hands full, but genuinely have children’s well being as a priority. They are concerned on overcrowding (something like 30% over limits) and lack of community-based support systems. Another issue is the UN has raised the age for separation to 12 from 10, but it would this means 400 children between 10 to 12 need to be moved. They plan to make this adjustment but there is not a plan or facilities to do this just yet.
The next stop was to the adult corrections offices. Thai prisons are known for their over-crowding. Someone told me a story that if you get up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night, you lose your spot to sleep. I found out there are about 100 Americans in their prison system. They must serve at least 4 years before requesting to be moved to the American system (or get a pardon from the king).
Overall, the juvenile division seemed interested in Creative C*rrections-hopefully it works out.
Sure beats a day plugging away in excel.
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