HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: yongyuth@ipied.tu.ac.TH (Yongyuth Pahirah)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: (none)
Date: 5 Oct 1992 12:54:05 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au



Govt ready to review third-party auto insurance law.

The Nation Oct 4 edition

  Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said yesterday he supports enforcement of the
  third-party automobile insurance law but would like to consider if there
  should be some changes.

  He said premiums which will be collected from more than 9 million motorists
  nationwide are high because the rates cover compensation to the insured in
  case of accidents.

  Commerce Minister Uthai Pimchaichon said the motorcycle premium of Bt600 per
  year will be reviewed since the amount will pose financial burden on
  motorbike owners, most of whom are poor people.

  Public understanding of the third party auto insurance law is not yet good
  and the government will have to intensify its publicity campaigns. The House
  of Representatives, meanwhile, will begin a new debate on this law tommorrow
  following complaints that the law will cause hardships on poor people.
  Government and company sources said enforcement of this law will also pose a
  host of problems in the initial stage. For instance, there will be
  inconvenience for both motorists and insurance firms having to issue
  policies to more than 9 million vehicles nationwide and to set up databases
  on accident and compensation records.

  They said government-owned vehicles which are not required to purchase
  third-party insurance will also have difficulties when they are at fault in
  accidents since the fund to be responsible for compensation will not be set
  up until October next year.

  Although the government has approved a budget of Bt60 million for this fund,
  the money will not be available until the start of 1993 fiscal year.
  Difficulties will also prevail in assessing medical expenses and
  reimbursement of compensation money.
From: ws2a+@andrew.cmu.edu (Wisanu Subsompon)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Fwd: Kathina(4)
Date: 28 Sep 92 07:50:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.Ielmatm00UhB02VrBM
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

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To: ws2a@andrew.cmu.edu
Cc: pxs1000@tesla.njit.edu
Message-Id: <00961278.35BF5616.11886@tesla.njit.edu>
Subject: Kathina

Dear friends,
On Kathina Day, which falls on Sunday 1st November 1992, you are cordially 
invited to share in great merit by making a donation to a share in great 
merit by making a donation to fund which will be offered to all the monastic
community who have passed the rainy season retreat at Phra Dhammakaya Temple
This great offering will facilitate the offering of almsfood to the community
and the remainder of the fund will be used for the construction of the World
Dhammakaya Centre.  The latter project is of such a large scale and so 
important for the future of the peace in the world, that the opportunity to
share in being a patron is very rare.
From:  (Thomas Mc Neill)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: War and Peace
Date: 6 Oct 92 12:37:29 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.thai
Distribution: soc.culture.thai
Organization: Loughborough Uni. Technology

In article <1992Oct2.163041.2915@news2.cis.umn.edu>,
bunt0003@student.tc.umn.edu wrote:
> 
> 
> To have an artificial peace is no more or less dangerous than a real war. 
> Reasonable conflicts need not be bad.

There's no such thing as a reasonable conflict.

Tom Mc Neill
Loughborough University
Leics.,UK, LE11 3TU
Email: T.Mcneill@lut.ac.uk
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Subject: UN school
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 23:05:00 GMT

 Does anyone know the address, phone or fax number of the new UN school
in Bangkok?

Laurence

Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: olmstead@sail.uwaterloo.ca ()
Subject: RACISM
Originator: olmstead@sail.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 16:00:56 GMT

To Thai netters:

I have been accused on your network of being a racist because I called
someone else a racist for making a generalization of a group of people,
namely farang.  It was assumed that I was offended because I am farang.
I am offended because my adopted daughter is Thai.  I don't like any
form of classifying people by race.

I have also been accused of thinking that I am better than Thais.  I
honestly cannot see how my postings displayed this.  If I offended the
Thais on this network I am sorry. I am at a loss as to how this would
have been implied.

I have recieved support from several Thais across North America who
asked not to be involved and so sent me e-mail instead of posting.

In my postings I clearly stated that any farang being paid more
because s/he is white should be fired.  This is the same as being paid
less because you are female.  Its wrong and it should never happen.
No where in my postings did I support higher pay farang doing the same
job as the Thais. If a so called foreign expert is not really an expert
then they should be turfed, period. 

The posting that began this mess described a problem where farang who
were doing the very same job as Thais were paid more because of the
perception of the administrators who felt that these foreign experts
were more qualified.  I am sure this is a valid point.  What irked me
was the broad statements and generalities.  The second posting described
a seminar called dictating the third world.  The poster went on to say
that she could not believe the attitudes of people in this part of the
world....more generalities.

When I lived in Thailand I did not find common attitudes.  I did not
find some character trait  or ability that I could say was Thai.  I have
never found this anywhere in the world.  Sure there are cosmetic
differences like how religion, culture etc. shape your views but most of
its the same.  We are born, we fall in love, we get married, we take our
kids to their grandparents on holidays and we mourn the loss of loved
ones. 

What I am trying to say is that difference between individuals within a
culture or racial group is much greater than the difference between the
group and other groups.  That is why classifying people on any of
these grounds to describe their personal traits makes no sense.

I'd rather listen to Tawit than continue with this string.

Mike Olmstead
olmstead@sail.uwaterloo.ca
From: trin@tlaeng.enet.dec.com (Trin Tantsetthi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Suggestions for the new government
Date: 26 Sep 92 06:42:44 +0700
Organization: Digital Equipment (Thailand), Ltd.

In article <1992Sep25.112503.1@woods.ulowell.edu>, horburapm@woods.ulowell.edu writes:
> ....
> I beleive in Democrats. They can do the things that they told to thai
> people. Make better Democracy....

Democracy cannot be given.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: nilsuwan@cae.wisc.edu (Sunchai Nilsuwankosit)
Subject: Sorry. 
Organization: College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: 29 Sep 92 08:41:21 CDT
Originator: nilsuwan@sun-8.cae.wisc.edu



Please excuse me for reposting my message again and again.

Sunchai
From: sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Schitt Laowattana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: SOS
Date: 6 Oct 92 08:45:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.weoQ_Ra00UhBQ2OVAw
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Excerpts from netnews.soc.culture.thai: 5-Oct-92 Re: Foreign Experts: a
comm.. by John Stephens Cronin@pri 

......................[Text deleted]....................................
........................................................................
> Many of these students go on to get graduate degrees, and many of those
> (maybe about half?  I am not sure) stay in the USA and work here, some
> permanently (these eventually become citizens). ......................
........................................................................
......................[Text deleted]....................................

    It 's a bad luck for Thailand if many of them decide to stay in USA.
 However, it is their right to do so.  

    Lately, I have been in touch with Thai S&T professionals aboard. 
According to my survey, there are three main reasons why they want to
work here:

    (1) Wealth
    (2) Technical experience and advancement
    (3) Being fed up with current situation and systems in Thailand


    Eventhrough, some of them initially planed to stay just a few years,
they found it difficult to go back to Thailand due to difference in
salary and working atmosphere.  Only stronly determined people, like a
NASA researcher (BKK post published his story)  will go back for the
sake of our country.

    I would like to remind that Thailand still belongs to all of
you(Thai students and professionals aboard) regardless where you are. 
Every plan, ideas, comments which is discussed in this net, will be
meaningless, if implementation is not carried out carefully and
effectively.   The key success of implementaion is that we have "enough"
and "capable" manpower like you.  Your helps in any form are highly
appreciated by the majority of Thai (poor) people who have been paying
tax for the primary and secondary educational system through which some
of you might have gone. I don't think the development of "Ban Rao" can
be done properly without you.  Please do not let corrupted, incapable
people rule our society.

    I believe closing holes is a better solution than jumping ships.


Posted by
        

Schitt(DJ)  Laowattana

****************************************************************************
Current Address in USA:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
USA
Tel. No. 268-8880
Fax. No. 268-3348
e-mail: sl2k@andrew.cmu.edu


Permanent Address in Thailand:

Center of Operation for FIeld roBOtics Development(FIBO)
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Thonburi
91 Suksawasd 48  Ratburana  Bangmod
Bangkok 10140, Thailand

Tel. No. 428-3374, 427-4421 and 4270151-9 Ext. 461
Fax. No. 427-8077, 427-8787

*****************************************************************************
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: emaruchi@meena.cc.uregina.ca
Subject: Decentralization = promoting local mafia
Date: 1 OCT 92 18:44:31 GMT
Organization: University of Regina, Regina, Sask., Canada

        Our friend on the network had sent a letter to PM Chuan supporting
the election of provincial governors.  So far as money can buy votes, the
election of provincial governors is nothing but promoting local mafia all over
the country.  Look at the last general election in many provinces, what kind of
"some" persons had been elected.  If provincial governors were elected, I can
assure you that mafias like the local riches, big business men, illegal casino
owners would be elected, not people like the former Bangkok Governor Chamlong
for sure.
                                Bunlur
From: kamol@munnari.oz.AU (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: sept 29: Manoon to come home soon.
Date: 29 Sep 1992 13:20:37 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au


Manoon expected to fight charges
 
FUGITIVE Young Turk officer Maj-Gen Manoon Roopkachorn may return from 
overseas to face charges of masterminding an assassination plot 
against national figures, First Special Branch Division commander Pol 
Maj-Gen Yothin Matayomnand said yesterday.
 
Maj-Gen Manoon has been subject to the charge since the National 
Peace-keeping Council staged a coup d'etat on February 23 last year.
 
Pol Maj-Gen Yothin said that he believes Maj-Gen Manoon will now 
return to fight the charges since a new elected government will be in 
power.
 
He was at first due to return after the general elections but delayed 
it.
 
"He could come back now because things will be better. He has a lot of 
friends in political circles and the political atmosphere is much 
better," Pol Maj-Gen Yothin said.
 
Central Investigation Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Thanu Homhual has 
made enquiries with the Immigration Police concerning the unknown 
arrival date of Maj-Gen Manoon.
 
Pol Lt-Gen Thanu was in charge of the alleged assassination plot 
investigation.
 
Maj-Gen Manoon is leader of the Class 7 Young Turk officers of the 
Chulachomklao Military Academy which has been in conflict with the 
Class 5 officers led by former prime minister Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon 
and former army chief Gen Issarapong Noonpakdee.
 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: mhmann@nyx.cs.du.edu (Me Mann)
Subject: Re: Is Thailand that terrible, Khun Laurence?
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Keywords: Thailand
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 23:05:14 GMT

godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY) writes:

>to go to work in Thailand - it's a very interesting experience.  However,
>I personally would never again work for a Thai university or a Thai company,
>only a foreign-run outfit.  

Ehhh.. You won't visit Singapore again and never will work in Thailand again.
(Regarding the Singapore bit s.c.t readers can read s.c.asean). You seem
to get along rather well with people from the region, so much so that
they must have treated you so well. 8)

>I do not hate Thailand - quite the reverse.  It is not necessary for a 
>place to be faultless in order to love it, nor a person for that matter,
>nor if a place is criticised does it mean that I hate it.  Strange logic.
>

I see you sound very soft here 8).  Certainly strange logic.

-Mann
From: gt4458c@prism.gatech.EDU (John Stephens Cronin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Foreign Experts: a commitment needed to bridge technology gaps
Date: 5 Oct 92 23:25:43 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

I would just like to point out that the USA has used this technique for
a very long time.  We used a large number of German and other "foreign"
experts to build our atomic bombs (you may want to skip this one, its
dangerous) and our space program (this one is very useful, communications
satellites, weather satellites, etc).  They came here because they would
rather live here than at home (Germany), either because they were persecuted
in Germany (ie many Jews such as Einstein), or because their country was
defeated in war (Werner von Braun, the genius behind our Saturn V and moon
landings).

Now, even as many in this country are worried about our economy, particularly
our competitiveness with the Asian nations, I don't worry as much.  Why?
Because of the effectiveness of our education system.  Many foreign students
come here, and they are often some of the best their country has to offer.
Many of these students go on to get graduate degrees, and many of those
(maybe about half?  I am not sure) stay in the USA and work here, some
permanently (these eventually become citizens).  There are many people working
for US companies who are from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, India, Vietnam,
etc.  And most of these people have advanced degrees and are in relatively
important positions.

As an example familiar to most of you, I would like to mention Khun Tawit
(I hope he doesn't mind).  I don't know for certain where he was educated
or what his degree(s) are, but I think it is to the USA's advantage that he
is currently working here for our space program.  His posts lead me to
believe that he may eventually return to Thailand, but even then I believe
the USA will profit.  He will tell others about us.  Not all of what he says
will be favorable to the USA but I am sure he will be fair.  Some who hear
will hear things they want to hear, and they will come, if they are able.
And if they are able (ie strong or smart or determined) then we should want
them and try to keep them if they will stay.  And if Thailand profits because
Khun Tawit returns with valuable knowledge, that is good too.  Not everyone
who comes here will like it.  Some will expect some sort of paradise on earth,
and the USA is certainly not that.  Some will have bad experiences here, and
for that I apologize.  Some will just get homesick (tired of everything being
so DIFFERENT).  Some will have other reasons.

While I will concede there are some barriers, the worst being racism, I would
like to point out that my ancestors were discriminated against when they
arrived in the US (Germans and Irish), and now those are some of the most
respectable ethnic groups in the USA.  I believe that most of the Asian ethnic
groups in the USA will also attain this status, and I would like to add that
I think the racists are idiots.

John Cronin
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 01:04:21 -0400 
From: Schitt Laowattana <sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: In case we don't want "Farang Kee Nok"


    Currently, human shortage is one of the most serious problems in
S&TD in Thailand.  In particular, the supply of engineering graduates
from graduates from academic institutions falls far short of the demand
from the industrail sector.  Most engineering universities in Thailand
also fail to produce capable engineers due to limitations on their
budget and qualification of instructors.  In addition, the existing
three national S&T centers namely MTEC(Material Technology National
center), NECTEC (National Electronics and Technology Computer)and
NCGEB(National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnoloy) still
lack a number of capable researchers.  In this initial stage of our
S&TD, we do need technical assistence from either farangs or Thai
professionals aboard.  This can be seen from the fact that we are
requesting farangs to help on the master/physical plan for a Science &
Technology Research & Development Park.  We hope we hire farangs "Kang
Kok" for these important jobs.  (I personally know many good and capable
farangs and believe that they can work very well if they want to.)  Some
Thai professionals in North America are also sending their helps to Thai
government directly.  Some of them even start going back to Thailand.

    It will be "double jeopardy", if we hired farangs "Kee Nok".  Plaese
help accelerating our S&TD process in ways which you can do.  Yes! I am
calling for helps from Thai students and professionals in foreign
countries. If Thais do not help Thais, who will ?  At least, chances of
smelling "kee nok" are minimized. 

Warm Regards,
Schitt  Laowattana


    
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Subject: Re: Chuan pop prachachon
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Distribution: soc.culture.thai
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 13:41:00 GMT

In article <1992Oct2.221838.13144@news2.cis.umn.edu>, bunt0003@student.tc.umn.edu ()            writes...
> 
>Could anybody tell me if this following proposal would be any helpful to
>our beloved country?
> 
>Inorder to keep our new government led by Khun Chuan Leekpai closely in
>touch with normal Thai people, I would like to see Khun Chuan host a talk
>show program.  It could be on a t.v. station or a national radio station. 
>This talk show will allow Khun Chuan to talk to people under any subject
>by calling in during the show.  From time to time,{some other ministers in
>the government may be invited to join this show.
> 
>If anyone of us has suggestions or commends on this idea, please share
>your thought here.

At the risk of being shot down for saying anything on this group, as I
usually am, I agree it would be a good idea.  Bet he wouldn't agree
to it, unless questions were monitored beforehand.  The other problem
is that the people with real serious problems do not have access to
private telephones and would be afraid of recriminations if they aired
their problems.

The inference in your mail is that the government are out of touch with
ordinary people.  This is true to a certain extent in my country too.  But
it happens because the government WANT it to be that way - after all, if they
want to meet ordinary people there is nothing to prevent them from doing so,
it doesn't need a radio show for that.  The problem for ministers in meeting
real people is that if they're any good at their jobs then they feel
responsible and guilty when they have to listen to the problems of others,
and if they're like most politicians in Thailand they would rather not
have to hear about such problems.

Laurence

Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
From: sdurong@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (sripen durongdej)
Subject: Hiring farang - To Khun Mike from Waterloo
Organization: University of Waterloo
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:27:44 GMT


You raise my sentense of "I don't think Farang is better than us" and you 
disagree with me.  That's fine because you are farang and you have to defend
for yourself.  But to say it is kind of poison?  Well, think it over when I
said I don't think farang is better than us.  If I said farang is worse than
us then I will definitely accept that I have bad attitude toward farang.
If you are so mad, it's because you beleive that you are better than Thais.
If not I still don't understand why I can't generalize this statement.  I pay
tax to the Thai government I don't want money being paid to farang in a triple
rate when we can hire Thai to do the same job.  Is that something wrong?  I
beleive very much that the Thai students who are studying in this part of the  
world will go back home and one day become an important officer who can make
essential decision.  At that time they won't spend money in this way, I hope. 
I don't know how many Thai you know to make you feel very positive that you 
are better than Thai so you have to accuse some one's statement as poison.  
What I raise is some food for thoughts for Thai students.  If that makes you 
feel mad, I'm sorry to say that it's your own personal problem.  This is out
of my business.  Be more open minded as it makes you become a racist. 
 	I feel very positive to make some observations about my own country and
that statement doesn't harm any body except for those who have old attitudes 
and beleive   
that they are better than others.  So please be considerate in making your own
statement.  My statement was mild and general, not aggressive or accusing.
From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Khun Sripen's network class restrictions
Date: 30 Sep 92 16:47:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: sscvx1.30SEP199210473697
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1

I have jut received an email from Khun Sripen informing me that not only should
farang not be allowed to post to discussions between Thais in this group, but
also I am too low class to be on this network!

Might I suggest that she starts a group like:
        high_class_Thais_ONLY.culture.thai

so that she and her high class compatriots can exchange their racist and
bigoted views with one another in private and without the risk of criticism f
from those of us who are less prejudiced.

Should I hazard a guess about Khun Sripen's background, or wonder why she
or her rich parents chose Canada for her education, when she clearly 
hates farang so vehemently?

Laurence

PS.  I've had enough of this exchange with Sripen, and now that my lecturing
has started I can't be bothered to continue it anymore.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai