StreetSmart's posts with tag: politics
|  | Considering what a notorious BAD BOY Chuwit Kamolvisit is, his park is such a goody-two-shoes~!!
For those of you who aren't familiar with dear Chuwit, here's a crash course on Thailand's favorite mustached, straight-talkin', (naughty) massage tycoon-turned-politician media darling:
- Chuwit Kamolvisit was originally known as Thailand's "sex king" - owner of numerous hi-so massage parlors offering scantily-clad ladies who would bathe and (AHEM) "massage" customers in private rooms (yeap, that's him topless on the right, surrounded by his lovely devoted "employees").
- In 2003, he was allegedly the mastermind behind the razing of Sukhumvit Square, a commercial building situated between Sukhumvit 8 and 10 (supposedly, he "borrowed" a few military tanks to flatten the whole place around 4 am, when Sukhumvit Road was free of traffic).
Here's a pic of what was left of Sukhumvit Square, which I got from the website bangkokeyes.com:
And a few choice words for Chuwit himself:
 
Fast-forward to the present.... all traces of the Sukhumvit Square  brou-ha-ha are GONE. In place, stands "Chuwit Garden", a surprisingly peaceful and green park open to the public, complete with a manifesto written about the enigmatic man:
"Bangkok has become a large metropolis through economic and cultural development as a result of globalization. This has led to a rapid expansion of the population, infrastructure and other constructions in the city. Our lifestyle has improved but at the same time, our values have changed. Today, our busy lives prevent us from enjoying a life in balance with nature as we used to experience in the past. It is, therefore, Mr. Chuwit Kamolvisit's dream to bring serenity back to our lives through his endowment of Chuwit Garden.
Chuwit Ga rden is a blend of Western and local Eastern arts. This perfect harmony of style is apparent in the tall structure at the center of the garden, which serves as a focal point and of the site, or the moldings atop elegantly sculpted columns around the garden. Every little element of the garden including the fence, the walls or the carved sandstone structure took a tremendous amount of time, effort and rare, delicate skills.
It takes decades for trees to grow and offer cool and comfortable shade. They need to be cared for with affection and attention as if they are part of a family.
By introducing nature into our everyday life, it helps bring a sense of responsibility to society, which is needed in any large city, including Bangkok.
Through the vision and generosity of Mr. Chuwit, this sanctuary is endowed to the city for all to enjoy regardless of nationality or religion at no expense. It is his belief that money and wealth cannot be carried on to the next life. The only thing that can be passed on to the next generation is the selfless bequest one can offer to society.
This land where the garden is situated, though has tremendous commercial value, is an honor and a legacy to be passed on to the city. As part of the community, Mr. Kamolvisit truly believes that it is a responsibility toward the family, the country, the world and oneself to give back to society while we still can."
Watch VDO clip which explains more about the colorful character of Chuwit~!!
And don't forget to read about the time when I (accidentally) met the man himself in Sukhumvit 24~!! (Click to read it~!!)
 a new leaf~??
streetsmartsukhumvit@gmail.com
 sukhumvit  bangkok  thailand
CLICK ON INDIVIDUAL PIC FOR A BIGGER VIEW AND MORE INFO.
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| |  There will be NO ALCOHOL SALES in the whole Kingdom of Siam starting from 22 December 2007, all the way to the end of the next day.
OH THE TRAGEDY~~~ Is it because of some Buddhist holiday? A national strike of alcohol workers? THE END OF THE WORLD~?!?! Nah… it’s just the (long-awaited, multiple-times-postponed, much-joked-about) GENERAL ELECTIONS~~~!!! Yippaaaaaaay~~!!! That’s right, folks, we all are on the way of getting a new government~~!!! * * So of coz, everybody should vote with a clean (a.k.a. SOBER) mind; thus, the ban on alcohol sales * *
Here on Sukhumvit Road, the election excitement has slowly been building up; and now it’s reached a fevered pitch~!! Nobody can even set one foot on Sukhumvit without coming face-to-face with hopeful candidates pleading (along with their hangers-on) with those weepy puppy-dog eyes, declaring that they would give you the world if only you would vote for them… The moment you step outside, you're assaulted by election stuff EVERYWHERE. And when I say everywhere, I mean exactly that; I ain’t exaggerating.
PROOF as follows: On the street, night and day.
Littering the ground, night and day.
Stuck on street vendors’ booths.
In the newspaper.
On siilors. 
Blaring from modified pickup trucks equipped with a “sound system” fierce enough to make your ears bleed and beg for mercy.
On the BTS.
 
Given away as handouts.
Inside a taxi.
Hell, even on the floor of a TAXI~!!
(* wipes sweat from brow *) PHEUH~ There’s absolutely no escape… I gotta admit, though, that this year’s election posters are a bit different compared to earlier elections. It’s about time that politicians realize that it takes more than just “policies and promises” to win an election~!! It’s all about the IMAGE, people~!! Gotta get on with the times, yo~!! I’ve taken special notice of this one particular political party represented by “The Three Stooges”. These dudes did away with the usual uniformed, stiff and poker-faced photos and instead opted for some creativity: 
Looks typical, right? But walk around Sukhumvit for a while, then you’ll notice that these guys actually have different (artistic) looks and poses~!! Examples: "Boring Choices? Pick US~!! "The Cure-ALL Solution"
"We are Team WINNER~!!!" "Something Stinks...
And It's NOT Us"
Heck, even Dinosaur Banharn has realized that he’d surely gain some brownie points with the fickle and fashion-forward youth with his new “dek naew” look (below): 
Blazer in a non-dark, non-depressing, non-“riep rooy” color? Check. Collar outside and no tie? Check. Top buttons undone instead of choking neck? Check check check.
Then there’s the team of the OTHER Three Stooges who are trying to cover ALL bases by wearing ALL the colors that are astrologically favored by the Thai population: yellow, pink, green. 
Tsk, tsk, tsk… Quite sneaky, in my opinion; and just a bit of a kiss-ass.
But where oh where is Chuwit Kamolvisit?? (Don’t know who Chuwit is? Click HERE). I’ve been looking high and low, all over Sukhumvit and seen no funky Chuwit posters ANYWHERE~!! Now THAT is a real tragedy. For what it’s worth, here’s my Sukhumvit Wish List for whoever w ins the election: - Plant more trees (being “green” is really HOT nowadays~!!). And by trees I mean: tall, imposing leafy things, NOT mere wimpy bushes. Then maybe our "winter" next year will be longer and cooler, thus letting everybody break out their "winter clothes" again.
- Get them poor begging elephants off the city streets. And punish the shameless humans who abuse them (like the creep HERE) by making them collect elephant poop – hey elephant poop can actually be made into very pretty, useful and non-stin ky stuff~!! Like: Memo boxes~!! (Go to www.elephantdung.co.uk to view more products made from elephant poop).
- Please~!! (* forehead touching the ground *) Keep the TCDC open o n the sixth floor of the Emporium~!! - Declare that since the months of July/August to September/October (can never be sure nowadays; damn global warming~!!) are the “rainy season”, Thailand needs an official “rainy season fashion”. The argument for this is HERE. P.S. More serious (and REAL politics stuff) election info is on the Election Commission’s website HERE. Who cares about these chumps instead~!! streetsmartsukhumvit@gmail.com
sukhumvit bangkok thailand CHECK OUT MORE HOPEFUL CHUMPS' PICS (plus my totally unsolicited comments) BELOW: |
Oh my~~~ I bumped into notorious Chuwit Kamolvisit yesterday~!! I was coming out from a condo deep inside Sukhumvit 24 when I spotted him. "Khun Chuwit~!!" I greeted him. "Do you remember me? I interviewed you during the general election campaign before~!!" He searched my face for a while and said, "Yes, yes I remember you... You're from the newspaper, right?" I swear I could feel my grin spread from ear-to-ear (should I be flattered he remembered me~?!). "Yes, I came with my editor to see you, the big farang guy~!!" "You still a journalist?" he asked. "Oh no, I quit already," I said. (And I swear as soon as I said this, he seemed to relax more ha ha ha - I wonder whyyyyy). "What do you do now?" he asked. "I just opened a language school in Thonglo," I said. "You got a name card?" he asked. (I internally kicked my own ass in my mind~!!) "Erm, no... My school just newly opened... I haven't gotten a chance to make any name cards..." He took out his wallet and gave me his name card. It was an eye-popping one:
(Sorry I had to blot out his phone number; but I am sure that Khun Chuwit would NOT appreciate it if I parade his phone number in the world wide web for everybody AND their mother to see... And trust me, you wouldn't wanna piss off someone like Khun Chuwit~!!) "Whoa~ nice picture~!!!" I remarked, and he laughed. I swear I better laminate this card coz I am gonna be showing this off to EVERYBODY I know~!!! And for those who have no idea who Chuwit Kamolvisit is, here's a little crash course: - Chuwit Kamolvisit (controversial ex-massage parlor tycoon) gained notoriety in 2003 when he was accused of (sneakily) razing Sukhumvit Square at 4 am in the morning using military tanks (he later "renovated" the area and turned it into "Chuwit Garden") - Chuwit Kamolvisit gained even MORE notoriety when he claimed that he paid 12 million baht a month (plus Rolex watches) as bribes to the police - Chuwit became a media darling when he appeared on various TV programs after he said he was kidnapped due to the statement above - ran for the Bangkok Governor election in 2004 (but lost to Apirak Kosayodthin). Nevertheless, he still reached third place, perhaps due t o his "unconventional" election posters (like the one pictured right - from the general election). - During his interview I asked him WHAT IS UP with the hammer he's holding~?! He said, "The hammer means I will smash all of Thailand's problems~!! Ordinary people need someone who is not afraid to speak up, someone ordinary like them, but with a big mouth." - my all-time favorite Chuwit's quote from my interview:  "When I did the massage parlor business, I cleaned the body. When I get into politics, I shall also clean the body. There are a lot of dirty people in the Parliament." (PRICELESS~!!) - Chuwit managed to enter the House of Representatives but was kicked out of the Parliament by the Constitution Court last year More on the colorful Chuwit: http://www.tomvater.com/chuwit.html http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2003/s999627.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuwit_Kamolvisit http://www.bangkokpost.net/bkkgov2004/chuwit.html http://www.bangkokeyes.com/2006aug01.html (Well, since Chuwit is out of politics already...) streetsmartsukhumvit@gmail.com sukhumvit bangkok thailand
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