Monirith Chnea, remarkable Cambodian painter in the autobiographical excerpt.

“I was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia during the 1960’s. I grew up at the wrong time in Cambodia. There were two classes during this period, the very rich and the very poor. When I was still a child, I wasn’t aware of the class separation in my country, but I knew that I had many more things than some of the children with whom I played. Early on in my childhood, I began to notice much sadness in many of the adults around me. The revolution which occurred in my country between 1975 and the beginning of 1979 under the regime of Democratic Kampuchea was responsible for a million Cambodian people dying from starvation, overwork, torture, disease, and execution.

While it is very difficult to make comparisons between my expressionistic style of painting and traditional Cambodian art, there are similarities which I have found. As I searched for literature dealing with Cambodian art, I came across a book on Angkor Wat, titled “Angkor: The Hidden Glories,” by Michael Freeman and Roger Warner. Although the ancient ruins at Angkor Wat reveal a world of spiritual representations, they also reveal depictions of everyday life, as found in the bas reliefs which show Cambodians eating rice using their fingers. This reminds me of one of my paintings titled Peasants Gathering Rice, which I completed in 1990. This is one of my large scale paintings which I created from early childhood memories of happier times when I would travel with my father to the Cambodian countryside to visit the farm we once owned. I always noticed the peasants working in therice fields and wanted to show the beauty of the land and the importance Cambodians place on rice as their main staple. In this painting as in most of my oil paintings, I used bold colors and brushstrokes of thick paint called impasto, to create a textural rhythm in order to introduce a more intense feeling in the work.

What I have found often in my artwork is an outlet to be able to deal with the difficult and painful memories of my childhood and adolescence. In one of my early charcoal drawings, completed in 1988, I drew a self portrait with a Khmer Rouge soldier standing menacingly above me. I titled this work Childhood, and feel that it is one of my most powerful pieces. As I am sitting in a bleak and cold place, I am terrified of my fate and all I can do is cling to my bare and beaten legs. The faceless soldier stands above me as he powerfully grips his hand into a tight fist. The shadow which his body casts forms a demon-like image. This self-portrait is very symbolic of the Khmer Rouge’s power and control over me and reminds me of the helpless feeling I had during this part of my life.

In one of my large oil paintings titled Boys in the Field, completed in 1991, I depicted young emaciated boys treated like slaves in the labor camp. This painting represents the male children who were part of the group of Cambodian people from the cities who were labelled “New People” and were subjected to very cruel working conditions and starvation. The young boys in the painting carry heavy bags of rice which force their thin bodies to twist in agony. The boy in the foreground only wears pants and his ribs stick out as he is near starvation. While I depicted the ugliness and brutality of the times in the foreground, in the background there is evidence of hope with the immense blue sky and the large palm trees in the distance.

A thread running through my work which can be found are groups of people working in the fields or individuals expressing a variety of emotions. These are my memories ofthe “New People” during the Khmer Rouge regime. I often use red, yellow and orange colors in my work because I remember the hot, dry summers spent in the labor camp. During this time, summer was the most difficult season to survive because of the lack of food. Many people were unable to make it through this season and died from starvation. While I do not feel fortunate for having had to have gone through a brutal regime, I believe that it provided me with a profound appreciation for life and hope that people can learn from history and from the mistakes brought on by hatred and war.”

The Hmong (pronounced without the ‘H’) is one of the oldest people in Asia.  The early history of the Hmong is not known for sure.  One Hmong tale tells us of life in a land of ice and snow, which may have been Mongolia where the Hmong might have come from (The Hmong in Winona, 1995).  Chinese history tells about people who could have been the Hmong around 2700 B.C.  “Later Chinese history tells about how the Hmong were forced to move from the Yangtze plains around 2000 B.C.  Over thousands of years, Hmong people have migrated throughout Southeast Asia, into what is now known as northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma in the early nineteenth century”  (Center for Cross-Cultural Health, 1998).  There is no absolute knowledge of where the Hmong originally came from, but it is believed that the Hmong were related to people who long ago had migrated from the west into Eurasia and then later migrated to Siberia.  This explained the reason why in the seventeenth century when the first westerners made contact with the Hmong, the Hmong mostly had blonde hair and blue eyes.  While it is rare now to see a Hmong with blonde hair and blue eyes, it was common back then.  “The Chinese defeated the Hmong and as punishment for their rebellion, ordered the death of every male Hmong they could find, even children and infants.”  (Quincy, 14)

“The Hmong culture is agrarian, with religious beliefs based on animism (including the use of shamans for guidance, healing and other ceremonies)”  (Lindsay, 1998).  In Laos, the Hmong people had farmlands to plant rice, cucumbers, corn, wheat and many other kinds of vegetables.  Hmong people also had many other animals that they raised for either labor or food such as pigs, chickens, cows, horses and water buffaloes.  The main source of food for the Hmong is rice.  It is always eaten at every meal whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Hmong people practice a pure form of shamanism.  The shaman is not a witch doctor but a regular man or woman who deals directly with the spiritual world.  “The shaman falls into a trance and his soul leaves his body and enters the world of the souls, phantoms, genies, and ghosts.  There he combats the evil spirits that cause illness, death and misfortune.  Since shamanism originated in Siberia, this is further evidence, though not conclusive, that the Hmong came from there.”  (Quincy, 24)

Hmong culture is an oral culture.  In the early 1950’s, the Hmong language was given written letters by French missionaries.  Hmong history and life was mainly told through the making of elaborate tapestries known as story cloths or “paj ntaub.’   There were many forms of written language attempted but the method now used is a romanization system in which pronunciation seems highly non intuitive for both English and Hmong speakers, although it seems to be based on both sound and linguistic principles.  (Lindsay, 1998)  “Hmong oral literature probably reached its golden age in a time lost in prehistory.  Born in the heart of China, it grew ever richer across the centuries, diversifying into several genres:  soul calling and baby naming ceremonies, marriage rituals and funeral rites, songs of love and complaint, blessings and prayers for the New Year and for veneration of the ancestors.”  (Johnson, v)  Hmong is mainly a monosyllabic language which is when most words appear in the shape of a single syllable.  “Each syllable is made up of an initial consonant or consonant cluster, a vowel or a diphthong, and a simultaneous tone.  There are no final consonants, except for ng, as in English ’sing’, which occurs only as part of the pronunciation of the nasalized vowels of Hmong and hence is not considered a full-fledged final consonant.”  (Hargreaves, 1)  There are also different types of tones.  The most common type of tone is the use of normal voice quality and changes in pitch.  In Hmong, pitch changes are part of a phenomenon called tone and these form an intrinsic part of the syllable.
Hmong society is made up of numerous clans, each having a different surname such as Yang, Lor, Vang, Xiong or Thao.  Even though Hmong people with the same clan surname may not have a blood relationship, they still feel deeply bonded and might even consider each other cousins based purely by the surname.  Each clan has a designated elder male as its leader.  This person is usually considered to be the most wise and righteous.  This person is also considered to be the decision maker in many important issues (Center for Cross-Cultural Health, 1998).  Hmong society is strongly patriarchal and traditionally lived in extended families.  In Hmong culture, age is considered wisdom.  The older you are, the wiser you are because with age also comes with knowledge and experience.  Children are subject to and obedient to any elders.  Traditionally, “women are also subservient to men and know that their place is in the home and the garden.”  (Johnson, x)  Traditional marriages are arranged by the couple’s fathers and uncles, with payment of a negotiated price by families, paid to the bride’s father.  “Traditionally, young people of marriageable could only play together during a ritualized courtship game of ball tossing during New Year’s celebrations, where plural marriages are a possible option, and where a desperate suitor could precipitate marriage arrangements by kidnapping his chosen bride.”  (Johnson, x)  Nowadays, arranged marriages still happen but the are very rare.  Couples can choose who they want to marry and their marriages are monogamous.

By:  Ge Yang & Rich

How to get there:
The best way to get here is to get the Skytrain to Mo Chit station, which is only about five minutes walk away from the market. Finding your way from the station is easy - just follow the large crowd of people that will also be heading to/from there. Alternatively, many buses go past here. To get a taxi ask for “Talad Jatujak” (Talad stands for “Market”).

Jatujak is clearly the mother of all Bangkok markets. But to label Jatujak as simply a market is to do it a disservice of epic proportions.

While it is indeed a shopper’s paradise, Jatujak is also a microcosm of the entire country. On any given weekend, Thailand’s rich and Thailand’s poor, Thailand’s old and Thailand’s young, Thailand’s urban and Thailand’s rural, Thailand’s tourists and Thailand’s Thais can all be found mingling, meandering and merging in the stifling, clogged lanes of Jatujak Market.

While one end of their massive amalgam of humanity throbs with rural farmers hawking their earthen wares, the other pulses with urban youths sitting in cramped cafés sipping their afternoon away.
It is this uncertainty, this chance of a treasure around every corner that makes Jatujak what it is.

Wandering down the twisting, turning aisles of clothing, crafts, furniture, flowers, antiques and animals is such a mesmerising delight that overheated explorers can hardly fathom making an escape.

Chatuchak is the hub of grass-roots Thai fashion move,ent that draws its energy not from international labels but from Thai designers. They are often self-taught and come armed with a concept, a strong aesthetic sense, and enough start-up cash to rent one of the nearly 15,000 closet-sized stalls spread over Chatuchak’s 14 hectares, or 35 acres.
A stroll through Chatuchak is like a fashion treasure hunt. You elbow your way slowly through its narrow lanes, called “sois”, passing entire shops devoted to a single item.

The main part of Chatuchak is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Additionally, the plant section is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays (6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.) as well.

Moreover, on Fridays, you will find wholesale shops ready to welcome you from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On Fridays, cars are allowed in JJ but not on Saturdays and Sundays.

Up to the present time, there are 27 sections in Chatuchak Weekend Market, to name a few, clothing and accessories, handicraft products, leatherware, household decorative items, pets and pet-related products, and plants and gardening tools.

From now on I announce some fine articles dealing with Art History. I hope you’ll find this information constructive or else … I was personally involved in some Thai art research, well from traditionalist point of view, sort of exploring in Eliade manner. Looking for the signs, markups, sacred symbols engraved deeply in the playful forms of hinayana duties. I’ll put in writing these possessions afterward or else …In the interim presently try to comprehend and to appreciate …
Thai traditional arts have numerous distinctive qualities which make them easily distinguishable from those of other neighboring countries in South-East Asia. Much of their inspiration and many of their features have been borrowed or adapted from other Asian sources, including the Indian, Mon-Khmer, Sinhalese, Chinese and other civilizations. Thai art mainly deals with the Buddhist religion and is known as Buddhist art, which forms the national ideal and conception of life. It is said that during the greater part of the kingdom’s history, religious motifs predominated; sculpture, metal casting, sacred architecture and the arts were employed for embellishing temples and were for many centuries the principal modes of expression. Just as the mediaeval artists of Europe gave outward form to their religious aspiration by building cathedrals and beautifying them with sculptures, wood-carvings and so forth; or by laboring to produce exquisitely illuminated manuscripts, so did the Thais express their devotion to the sacred doctrine of Lord Buddha by sculpting or casting glorious images and rearing magnificently adorned buildings in which to house them.

The Classical Thai Buddhist Art owes more to India
than to any other country, but it seldom drew its inspiration directly from there. Indian art and craftsmanship are no doubt regarded as the prototypes of Buddhist art in this country. The waves of adaptation and imitation from Indian sources swept the country since the first quarter of the beginning of the Christian Era. It is said that several schools of Indian art came in contact with Thai art at a very early period. Stylistic evidence shows the influence of the Amaravati school of Indian art on Buddhist art in
Thailand in the early centuries of the Christian Era. Later still, the Gupta, Pallava and Pala-Sena elements from India are noticeable in Thai art. In the field of architecture, it received the modelled structure of the architectural art from the Peninsular South India, where the three great empires of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan, the Pallavas of Kanchi on the coast, and the Pandayas of Madurai in the far south flourished. In the field of sculpture and painting also, the Indian school of art played an important part in the Siamese Buddhist artistic workmanship. The images and idols along with the wall-paintings in Siam owe their origin and adaptation to different Indian schools of art such as the Gandhara, Mathura, Amaravati and the Classical art of the Gupta period which were responsible for the introduction, origin and growth of the Buddhist art in Thailand.

Especially the Orissan art and architecture as well as art from Bengal in Eastern India are regarded as the main prototypes of art in Thailand and of other South- East Asian countries.
Thailand is the land of many human cultural activities and artistic workmanship. Several human races have settled down in this country since remote times, and all of them had their cultural and artistic elements, which contributed a lot to Buddhist art in this country. The introduction and origin of the Buddhist art in Thailand, no doubt, represents the close relationship in the primitive art of the early powerful kingdom of Thailand called the Dvaravati kingdom. In the long duration of the Mon’s Dvaravati kingdom in central Thailand, there was considerable artistic activity and movement in both architecture and sculpture, which is classified by scholars as the Dvaravati school of art. It is regarded as the first and earliest Buddhist school of art in Thailand. From archaeological excavation and researches, a few objects belonging to this period have been found which consist of the Buddha Images, basreliefs and Dhammachakra (Wheel-like symbols of the sacred doctrine of the Buddha). They reveal a strong Gupta influence and are probably Indian workmanship. Next to the Dvaravati period of the early Buddhist art of Thailand is Sri-Vijaya kingdom. This kingdom ex tended its sway over parts of present Indonesia, Cambodia and areas of South and Central Thailand. This kingdom reached its zenith around the eighth century A.D. The surviving examples of Sri-Vijaya art in
Thailand strongly resemble the features of the splendid monuments of that period, which are found in Java and Sumatra island. They deal with Mahayana elements, as at that time the Mahayana sect of Buddhism flourished in some island-countries of South-East Asia such as Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and Southern Thailand as well as in Cambodia. This school of art is called the Sri- Vijaya school of art, which is regarded as the next stage of growth of Buddhist art in Thailand, after the Dvaravati school of art, which bears strong elements of Hinayana Buddhist art. The next stage of development can be seen in the art of the Lopburi period It was dominated by the Khmers or Cambodians and as such the art of this period is known locally as Khmer art which deals with Mahayana elements, just like the Sri-Vijaya school of art. This school of Buddhist art marks the last stage of the growth of Buddhist art in Thailand before the rise of the Thai people to power in the land which is now called Thailand.

By Mrs Charuwan Phungtian

Rock Climbing - Thailand’s The Spot
By Richard Chapo

Mention Thailand and images of beaches, elephants and Bangkok come to mind. Less known is the fact Thailand rock climbing is some of the best in the world.

Rock Climbing

Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is bordered by Cambodia, Burma and Laos in the north and Malaysia in the south. The shape of the country is somewhat similar to Italy, and you’ll find similar differences between northern and southern Thailand that you do in Italy. For rock climbing enthusiasts, the south of Thailand is where the action is.

The rock formations in Thailand are almost universally limestone. The level of climbing can be as simple as bouldering or as challenging as tackling over vertical cliffs. This makes Thailand a popular rock climbing destination since it has a little something for everyone.

Krabi

Located on the southern section of the “tail” of Thailand, Krabi has a wide variety of rock climbing challenges. Most of the climbs in this area are of the pre-bolted sport route variety. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of climbs with difficulty levels from beginner to multi-pitch knuckle crushers.

The beauty of climbing in Krabi is…well, the beauty. While you might have visions of jungles and mosquitoes when thinking of Thailand, Krabi is an area of a different sort. Most of the climbs have been set up on cliff faces on the beach. Being natural capitalists, the Thai’s have built hotels, bars and so on at these locations. As a result, you can literally climb a multi-pitch route for five hours, cool off with a swim and then have a beer. If there is such a thing as a rock climbing heaven, many feel Krabi is it.

Before you cash in your savings, keep in mind that Thailand is a seasonal vacation spot. If you go during the wet season, there is a good chance you’ll just end up sitting around drinking beer. While that isn’t too bad, you’ll go crazy looking at the climbs that are so close, but oh so far away.

Generally, you want to head to Thailand from late November through maybe April. The summer months tend to be both incredibly hot and wet. Make sure you pull up forecasts for the area before booking a trip.

Flying to Thailand is inexpensive, but flights are incredibly long with stopovers. Still, it is all worth it once you experience Thailand rock climbing.
Continue reading ‘Rock Climbing - Thailand’s The Spot’

Good News. Presently had over and done with the Vision section of MyanmarMike community. The section will be entirely devoted to Art of Photography. I’ll post my works and you of course are welcome to post yours. Please don’t hesitate to mail me using contact form and I’ll give you opportunity to publish your stuff. Evidently the pictures should be SE Asia linked – this is the only regulation. Well, well, unquestionably Thailand porno/Massage parlors documentary crap wouldn’t be tolerated!

Welcome and enjoy Visual.

In next to no time the Visual Art forum section will be established as well and as always any suggestions are warmly saluted.

The first album I published is Tachilek border gloomy town report photos. You read already Tachilek related info on MyanmarMike – just in case ….

Well, MyanmarMike is still alive and kicking despite all the troubles and annoyances. MyanmarMike is still in bad need of your kindly support and contribution.

Cheers,

Mike.

Thailand Train Guide provided by Baka Backapacker, based on www.seat61.com  materials adopted by Baka Backapacker.

Continue reading ‘Thailand Train Guide’

The Lahu are a strong independent and very diverse ethnic group who number about 60,000 in Thailand. The Lahu are located primarly in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces, but can also be found in considerable numbers as far south as Tak province. Their settlements are usually remote from roads and towns, due to their strong commitment to the maintenance of the Lahu way of life.

The Lahu are complex and diverse ethnicity. In Thailand there are no fewer than six different Lahu tribes, some of whose languages are not mutually intelligible. The majority of Lahus in Thailand are Red Lahu, pantheistic animists who follow a Dtobo, a messianic leader. There are also a significant number of Black, Yellow and Shehleh Lahus in Thailand, many of whom have been Christian for nearly one hundred years. Black Lahu are the most populous throughout Southeast Asia and theirs is considered to be the standard Lahu dialect.

Although primarily subsistence farmers, growing rice and corn for their own consumption, the Lahu are also proud of their hunter-warrior heritage. They remain a strict, serious people governed by strong principles of right and wrong, every individual in the village answering to the common will of the elders. While less importance is placed on the extended family than in other hill tribe communities, the Lahu are still strongly committed to principles of unity and working together for survival. Lahus may have the most gender-equitable society in the world.

More on Lahu coming on MyanmarMike, stay connected.

Suvarnabhumi Airport (ท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ; Pronounced su-wan-na-poom), also known as (New) Bangkok International Airport, is the international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. After numerous delays, the airport opened for limited service on 15 September 2006, and opened for all commercial flights on 28 September.[2] The airport is the main hub for Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia and a focus city for China Airlines, EVA Air, Air India, Indian Airlines, and SriLankan Airlines.

he airport covers an approximate area of 8,000 acres ( 20,000 rais). Located at Km.15 on the east-bound Bangna -Trat Highway in Bang Phli District of Samut Prakarn province. The airport is about 25 kms. (40-60 minutes) from Bangkok downtown.
From the North : the airport can be reached via the eight-lane Bangkok-Chonburi elevated expressway linked to the passenger terminal
From the Northwest : it is accessible via a six-lane road linking to the Rom Khlao and King Kaew elevated expressway
From the South : it can be reached via a four-lane road connecting with Bangna_Trat Highway and the Buraphavithi Expressway.

From the Northeast : the airport is accessible via a four-lane road that connects with On-Nut Road

From the West : it can be reached via a four-lane road connecting with King Kaew Road (new route) to the passenger terminal

In the future, a city link between Phayathai-Makkasan-Suvarnabhumi Airport ( an underground railway station underneath the passenger terminal ) will be provided by the State Railway of Thailand.

Suvarnabhumi passenger terminal complex comprises of 7 stories above ground and 2 stories below ground. Facilities for both domestic and terminal passengers are situated in the same building.

* 1 st floor is the bus lobby. Buses are not allowed to go to 2nd and 3rd floors in order to avoid the traffic congestion. Additionally, there is a medical center, an AOT office for electricity monitoring and airport control offices.
* 2 nd floor is the arrival hall for both domestic and international passengers.
* 3 rd floor consists of airline passenger waiting lounges, shops, security checkpoints, meeting points, service counters and CIP lounges.
* 4 th floor is the departures hall. This hall features facilities for both international and domestic passengers, lounges for premium passengers, Thai Airways International PLC, customs control checkpoints, some governmental offices, airline booths, airport information counters and escalators in the centre which can take passengers right up to restaurants on 6th floor.

“In Thailand there are around four million Muslims within a total population of
62 million - 80% of whom live in five southern provinces (Songkhla and
Satun are the other two). Despite violence in the south of Thailand hitting
the headlines in 2004, there has been ongoing dissatisfaction with the
Thai government, in terms of lack of development, cultural identity and
human rights abuses. Intra-elite rivalry and criminality complicate the
picture and contribute to the violence.

The Thai government has identified the Muslim schooling system as a
hotbed of radicalism and has made dramatic changes in this sector. The
government line is that a new generation of Muslims returning from wars
abroad, and from madrasas in places like Pakistan, may have infused new
life into an old separatist problem - and are in danger of hitching it to
wider international networks. The government has taken a series of steps
designed to modernize the thousands of Islamic schools in Thailand. First
of all, the government has announced plans to curtail schools that are too
independent-minded. The number of Islamic schools is to be reduced,
while those not flying Thailand’s flag will be viewed as committing trea-
son. Second, rather than closing all such schools, Thailand has chosen to
monitor their operation. The government will place these schools under
the Ministry of the Interior and restrict funding from foreign sources.
Third, the government has sought to channel Islamic revivalism into more
“acceptable” projects. By 2005 Thailand aims to set up its first Islamic
university, which will be a branch of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University.
Thailand will provide much of the financial backing but will seek aid from
outside sources, including Muslim countries. Fourth, the Thai govern-
ment has shown some concern that violence in the south may give Thai
Muslims a poor reputation. Thailand will sponsor radio and television
programs to educate the Thai population about the Islamic faith…”

All the fat pockets Phuket buyers, are you ready for the Thai Jihad?