The Trouble with Tablets in Thailand

Does Video Game Violence Make Kids Weird? (pictured left: my son terrified of a booth babe)

I guess I don't know that much about Thailand, because when I heard that Prime Minister Yingluck was serious about the one tablet per child policy, I expected a different kind of criticism from Bangkok's elite. For example, I figured some astute observers would say things like, "How do we know the company that gets the contract won't be involved in dubious dealings with the Shinawatra family?", or "Why buy tablets when many kids in the impoverished schools in Isan don't even have a decent computer?", and perhaps "How are we going to pay for this shit?"

However, the criticism has been of a more culture warrior variety with critics arguing that children will have access to violent video games and porn. The Nation quotes from concerned citizens about tablets:

Not only do teachers of the target students have to be prepared for the use of the new technology, but parents should also learn how to use the tablets and understand the technology so they can monitor students' use of the tablets and prevent them from accessing improper websites and games.

"Office of Basic Education Commission secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat said schools would have a screening system to block students' access to the Internet as they would have to use the schools' intranet. We want this screening plan to be practical, but people are worried that it won't be, because children learn about technology very quickly [so they may be able to avoid the screening system]," said the head of the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre, Adisak Plitponkarnpim.

Now, I may have been scolded once or ten times by my wife for allowing the boys to play Grand Theft Auto on my iPad. However, I believe that the concern over video game violence is misplaced. Bangkok itself is a pretty crazy city, where you can find prostitutes, meth dealers, and horrendous motorcycle accidents right outside your front door. Additionally, Bangkok is not like Western cities, where the violence is isolated into ghettos, barios, and other areas to steer clear of. In Bangkok, you will see new high-rise condos teeming with young professionals overlooking a slum made of aging wood and corrugated metal roofs. The humanity is pretty in your face no matter what socioeconomic bracket you fall into. So, I believe the getting upset about violent video games seems to be the least of the troubles.

Additionally, businesses in Thailand always complain about the lack of IT skills in the Thai workforce. While just handing a kid a tablet certainly isn't going to solve the problem overnight, investment in IT education isn't a bad bet for the future. Crazies and weirdos were around before video games, so it's probably better to invest in things like training for law enforcement to deter crime rather than fearing the occasional scheisse porn site that pops up on some kid's tablet. Besides, if these kids don't have access to digital media, they'll be stuck reading the ridiculously bizarre magazines that populate Bangkok's newsstands for their entire childhood.

The Trouble with Tablets in Thailand

Tourism Authority Promoting Soi Cowboy and Ladyboys

Clipped from The Nation - June 10, 2011

It's no secret that times are difficult for Thailand's tourist and MICE industry. In addition to the political crises that seem to pop up every year, the currency in Thailand (baht) has been performing strongly compared to the US dollar and Euro, which have been in the toilet for quite some time. The tourist industry in Thailand affects a lot of people across the social strata (from the owners of the 5-star hotels to the taxi drivers), so the government has invested heavily in promoting tourism through the Tourist Authority of Thailand.

The powers that be are either playing off the popularity of Hangover 2 or are very desperate for more visitors. From this ad I clipped from the Nation, they are actually pushing the brothel/ladyboy image that the Thai government has been trying to shy away from for decades. The article reads:

Infamous as it seems, the brightly neon-lit Soi Cowboy is a celebrated must-go among tourists looking for the wondrous nightlife in Bangkok. It is not as raunchy as the equally known Patpong alley in Silom, as it is open-minded and welcome to both male and female clinetele.

...but it is not hard at all to imagine seeing a middle-aged Caucasian expat walking hand-in-hand with a charming Thai ladyboy, or a Japanese young family brushing shoulders with black chador-clad women.

I don't judge the Tourist Authority for this, because, for one thing, the wife and I go to Soi Cowboy occasionally (er, Country Roads is a great place to play pool, I swear). The more important reason is that people in Thailand of all stripes need to make a living, and the decline in tourism has affected a number of people. Don't ever mess with people's ability to make money in Thailand. Therefore, I applaud the Tourist Authority's savvy marketing strategy.

However, I wonder what their colleagues in the Ministry of Culture would have to say, since they made such a big stink about some young girls going topless during Songkran. What would they have to say about the go-go bars being recognized tourist landmarks?

Also, If anyone knows what the hell "chador-clad" means, please email me.

Tourism Authority Promoting Soi Cowboy and Ladyboys

In Defense of Street Vendors

Taken Outside Today Where I Work

Bangkok. Where else can you get a pair of mickey mouse slippers, a jailbroken iPhone, and 3 sticks of luuk chin (mystery meatball things) on your walk home from work? The street vendors that populate the sidewalks selling their cheap meals and wares are just as much of the city landscape as the towering skyscrapers above. From a consumer perspective, it's actually quite convenient, and I have to admire their dedication toward frying up a chicken in the punishing heat and humidity of the city.

Yes, struggling to walk from the On Nut BTS station to Sawngtaeo #4 on the road can be a bit frustrating after a lousy day at work. But, isn't the in your face humanity all part of living in the big city?

Not everyone agrees with me apparently, because this month's Big Chilli magazine has an article that portrays these innovative entrepreneurs as total lowlifes (The Big Chilli magazine unfortunately cannot be seen online). I picked up the magazine today, because I heard that David Lyman was going to be in it. He's a great guy, a Navy vet like me, and a "pretty big wheel down at the cracker factory" as they say. Unfortunately, it turns out he's in next month's issue.

The featured article in May's Big Chilli discusses the mafia connection with the street vendors, which is problematic, as well as how vendors dump trash all over the place. However, I would not necessarily fault the people operating these stalls for the rubbish problem, as there is never a trash can in this city when you need one. Surprisingly, they didn't mention last year's Bangkok Post article about child pornography being sold on Sukhumvit road for dramatic effect. But what I really didn't agree with is the tone of the article, which makes it seems like they should just go away.

Not to wage class war here, but if these people are kicked off the street, where will they go? Then there's the matter of all the people who are dependent on buying these low cost food and goods to get by on a daily basis. A lot of people in Bangkok don't even make $250 a month, and the fancy restaurants that cater to expats and Thai's high society sure aren't going to let them in. Sometimes you have to think about unintended consequences. Besides, if you want a city where everything is pristine and expensive, just go live in Singapore.

In Defense of Street Vendors