AWOL 2014 Issue 304 7th November | Page 17

Advertise here from only 40 baht per week to hull and back Mags Meanderings: From Som Tam To Mushy Peas tATty tourism plan You might have noticed a news item recently about a new sculpture installed in Birmingham, once part of the UKs industrial heartland, and its second city. Situated outside the main library, the sculpture depicts what is meant to be a typical family in 2014, consisting of two single mothers, each with a child, while one of the women is heavily pregnant with another addition to the family. Many people are less than pleased with this image, which they claim gives the wrong impression of Birmingham. Some even demand to know where the fathers are, a sentiment probably echoed by many a single mother. Apart from that it seems to be a very well executed piece of sculpture, and if Birmingham doesn’t want it I’m sure there are suitable sites in Hull where it wouldn’t look out of place, and where no-one would even notice that the fathers were missing, apart perhaps for the Child Support Agency. Maybe the critics could channel their outrage more constructively by demanding an explanation as to why the £100,000 sculpture, (around 5.2 million baht,) needed to be made in China. Meanwhile Thailands tourism industry seems to be a bit of a mystery to the people who run it. Some reports claim that last months tourist figures were as much as 20% down from the previous year, which, given the present regime, may not be too much of a surprise. Hua Hin is certainly experiencing a downturn, and while there will no doubt be some of the regulars migrating to escape winter at home followed by the much needed ‘high end’ Christmas holidaymakers, there is a sense of anxiety in the tourism business. TAT shares that concern, and is so concerned that its Governor wants to promote Martial Law Tourism with a campaign entitled ‘24 hours Enjoy Thailand.’ At first I had visions of tourists being taken on conducted tours of barracks and the like for a day. Maybe even being allowed to play with armoured vehicles and AK47’s, and shown a video of Thailands Coups - a potted history. But the title of the TAT campaign is misleading, and Cheap room for rent from just 350 baht 0915094729 Th/Eng 0805626735 Swe/Eng Soi 94 (1st left after 7-11) actually means that tourists should feel safe in the hands of the military for 24 hours a day. Which is fine for expats and regular visitors already accustomed to seeing armed police on the streets. After a while the guns can even become a re-assuring presence and you tend to forget about the level of training involved. No doubt visitors from other countries where armed police etc are the norm won’t bat an eyelid either. Brits however can be quite jittery around firearms, which are only acceptable if they have two barrels - both pointed at a grouse. So for them the TAT campaign could be a hard sell. This weeks word is ‘inchoate’. No, I don’t have a clue how to pronounce it either, but it refers to a vague idea which is not yet fully formed or developed. 17 Disclaimer All articles are published in good faith and based on information available to us at publication. Some articles are satire or ‘spoof’ stories intended as humour. No responsibility is accepted other than that stipulated by law. Although the information in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, AWOL cannot guarantee accuracy in all cases. Any opinions expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All materials copyright. All rights reserved and no part of this Dream Guesthouse publication may be reproduced in part or in full without the previous written consent of the publisher. Neither can any part be stored in a retrieval situation, nor transmitted by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other means. AWOL is printed by Petchpoom Printing, and we can be contacted on [email protected] or 081 614 8728. Please send any other communications to Mrs Chukamol James, Managing Director, AWOL Co. Ltd., 136/229 Emerald Hill, Soi 6, Mooban Borfai, Hua Hin, Prachuap Kiri Khan, 7110, THAILAND. Join the AWOL forum