Dear parents of students, St. Olaf friends, and family,
I'm writing to let you know that we are all well, even as we wonder how the current crisis in Thailand will be resolved. We will leave on Wednesday morning for a journey south, spending nights in Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, and Ayuthaya. S. and A. are former capitols of Siam. Then we will have two days at a hotel on the beach at Cha-Am, south of Bangkok a couple of hours drive. We cut out two days in Bangkok, given the political situation. So we will be back in Chiang Mai on Monday evening. Then we are hoping to work out a brief visit and overnight stay Tuesday in Chaing Rai, in the Golden Triangle.We return for just a few more classes, and lots of written assignments and an oral final exam in Thai language.
The political situation here is amazingly complicated and confusing. Today we had a lecture on Thai politics that gave us more understanding, but the divisions have become so deep that it is hard to see how things can be resolved. If there is another election the losing side may not accept the result. There is enormous anxiety about what will happen after the current king dies, and some of the political conflict is jockeying to get into position for when that happens. Of course no one can breathe a word about this because they want the king to live forever and even discussing the monarchy is very touchy. The king will deliver a birthday address on December 4 that many people hope will move Thailand to a new place politically. Another background issue is the Thai constitution, and various proposals to revise it. Democracy and elections seem to have brought so many problems and so much corruption that many people would prefer a system of appointments, or a limited franchise, or greater power for the monarchy, or various other schemes. The former Prime Minister, Thaksin, sounds a little like Willie Stark in Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men," a reformer with a lot of charisma who brought hope to the lower classes and also a huge amount of corruption and narcissism. Well, I'll stop my ruminations, but it's pretty fascinating.
A few stranded travelers are starting to get out from the airports, and today Emma's friend Nan, who has been with us since before Thanksgiving, left on the bus for Bangkok, hoping to find a flight back to India, where she has been teaching, and from there back to St. Olaf.
There is the threat of violence, but of course this all has nothing to do with Americans, and most Thais are very upset about the negative image of Thailand this conflict is giving to the world. We feel very safe here and our Thai hosts are looking out for us, so I don't think you should worry about us at all. We may be a little out of touch for the next week, but will communicate as needed--and in any case be thinking of loved ones at home.
Best wishes,
John
The political situation here is amazingly complicated and confusing. Today we had a lecture on Thai politics that gave us more understanding, but the divisions have become so deep that it is hard to see how things can be resolved. If there is another election the losing side may not accept the result. There is enormous anxiety about what will happen after the current king dies, and some of the political conflict is jockeying to get into position for when that happens. Of course no one can breathe a word about this because they want the king to live forever and even discussing the monarchy is very touchy. The king will deliver a birthday address on December 4 that many people hope will move Thailand to a new place politically. Another background issue is the Thai constitution, and various proposals to revise it. Democracy and elections seem to have brought so many problems and so much corruption that many people would prefer a system of appointments, or a limited franchise, or greater power for the monarchy, or various other schemes. The former Prime Minister, Thaksin, sounds a little like Willie Stark in Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men," a reformer with a lot of charisma who brought hope to the lower classes and also a huge amount of corruption and narcissism. Well, I'll stop my ruminations, but it's pretty fascinating.
A few stranded travelers are starting to get out from the airports, and today Emma's friend Nan, who has been with us since before Thanksgiving, left on the bus for Bangkok, hoping to find a flight back to India, where she has been teaching, and from there back to St. Olaf.
There is the threat of violence, but of course this all has nothing to do with Americans, and most Thais are very upset about the negative image of Thailand this conflict is giving to the world. We feel very safe here and our Thai hosts are looking out for us, so I don't think you should worry about us at all. We may be a little out of touch for the next week, but will communicate as needed--and in any case be thinking of loved ones at home.
Best wishes,
John