TTT2019: Day 25--Who's Running the Country?

My final two meals in Bangkok began with another epicurean treat in my room from the Gourmet Market.  First I caught the tuk-tuk shuttle to the Emporium.  Note that the sides to protect you from rain are down because of the water festival:

No attack by hoses, buckets and water rifles, but an interesting street scene:

My room meal of goose foie gras pate', Castello Blue Cheese, almond spinach cream soup, Bugles, potato chips, Milan Salami, salad, loaf of bread, glass of Merlot and Archa beer, the third, and lowest premium beer, meaning cheapest ($1.25 for large bottle):

Then for dinner I went to the Soba Factory in the Marriott Marquis:

My best restaurant dinner this trip in Bangkok.  The soba was perfectly al dente and the oyako domburi was just right.

I'll close with two more examples of culture differences.  First, this is what durian looks like in the Gourmet Market.  I was tempted to buy a container, but hotels warn you not to bring them back to your room because they smell so bad.  If I read that price correctly, that is abut $12 for three pieces.

On Songkran, my hotel left me what looked like a drink and some candy in an attractive bag:

Then I thought I'd read the small information sheet.  In the bottle is scented water, which you are supposed to use to mix with the white chalk  (limestone) "candy" and apply to your face for Songkran.  I was so close to drinking and eating this gift.

I'm traveling between Bangkok and Seoul today (my plane will go in the opposite direction), so will send this posting a day early.  Not sure when my next blog entry will be.  Comparing Thailand and South Korea:

                             THAILAND    SOUTH KOREA

Population            68 million             52 million
Area                 200,000 sq mi          39,000 sq mi
Currency             32 Baht/$              1130 Won/$
Religion              Buddhism              Mostly none
GDP/Capita            $6,732                   $29,750

By now you must know that Benjamin Netanyahu won his fifth term as Israel's prime minister and that UK PM Theresa May is hanging in there for begging a BREXIT deadline extension until the end of October.  However, most have no idea what is happening  in those countries across the Pacific Ocean.

Thailand and Japan, for example.  On April 30 Emperor Akihito abdicates and the next day, May 1, Naruhito becomes the next emperor, beginning the Reiwa period.  Since 660 BC, Japan has had 125 emperors.  The Imperial House is the longest reigning monarchy ever, with #2 being Cambodia (since 68 AD).  Bitish royalty?  #5, since 871AD, or maybe it was 1066.

A few days later, from May 4-6, HM King Vajiralongkorn will officially be crowned as Rama X.  Not only are the Thai enjoying a 5-day holiday from April 12-16 for Songkrat (New Year), the coronation will create another holiday on May 6.  Japan, likewise, will enjoy a 10-day Golden Week period from April 27 to May 6.

Okay but those two gentlemen do not run the country. Thailand  on March 24 voted for the presidency, but nearly three weeks later, there has been no official announcement, and the purported date for this to occur, April 16, looms to be delayed.  Why?  The ruling party is afraid that once the public knows the results, mass protests will again occur.  Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army, undercut a possible solution calling for all parties to, as a unit, run the government.

The situation is bad in the USA.  It's much worse in Thailand.  However, any delay is good for me because the airport remains operational absent serious protests.

In India, the largest election in history started last week.  When all is said and done, and this goes on until May 19, nearly 900 million will have voted.  The result will be announced on May 23.  Voters will select the 543 seats of the Lower House.  Whichever party wins 272 or more seats will choose the Prime Minister, who currently is Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who has led since 2014.

His primary opponent is Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress (INC), here with his sister, Priyanka Gandhi.  Who is Rahul?  First, no relationship to The Gandhi.  However, his grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, founded the country, mother Indira, daughter of Nehru, was a Prime Minister, and assassinated, while his father, Rajiv, succeeded his mother as PM, and also was assassinated.  Rahul spent some time at Harvard, and went on to gain a master's at Cambridge.  His mother Sonia, essentially took charge of the INC, until handing the reins to Rahul in 2017.

Who will win?  Well, bookies and poll trackers, like Satta Bazzar, say 245-250 seats for the BJP and only 75-77 for the INC.  Looks good for Modi at this time.  In 2014 86.4% of eligible voters cast ballots.

Then, there is Indonesia, where nearly 200 million mostly Muslims from 17,000 islands will vote for their new president, either incumbent Joko Widodo (left), political outsider with an everyman personality, who has ruled for five years, or Prabowo Subianto, a Donald Trump-type strongman vowing to put Indonesia first.  Hopefully Indonesians are not like Americans.  I select Widodo to retain the presidency.

Last May, Mahathir Mohamad again became prime minister.  In something called by-elections, his party these past few weeks appears to be losing favor.  You say, wait a minute, I thought he retired in 2003?  Yes, but he's back, at the age of 93.

On May 18 Australians vote on their next three-year cycle, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, of a minority Coalition Government, attempting to win a third term against the Labor opposition, led by Bill Shorten.  Voting in Australia is compulsory, which means if you didn't have good reason, you pay a $20 penalty, or something like that.  Who is who?  Does it matter?

Moving along, the 83-year old Dalai Lama was recently ill.  Here is a photo taken on April 12 as he left his Delhi hospital bed.

While there is no need for physical transition at this time, there remains a lot of controversy about who will select the 15th Dalai Lama.  My guess is that China will go ahead and determine the process, but no one in Tibet and world will recognize it.

The Philippines will have a mid-term election on May 13.  President Rodrigo Duterte is not in trouble, but there is a bit of concern about his health, and a lot about his maniacal policies.  A same, but different, kind of Donald Trump.  Known as Duterte Harry, he has blessed the assassination of from 5,000 to 12,000 drug-types, the number based on who you ask.  Forbes sized him up a couple of months ago and deprecated his economic efforts.  Worth a read.  Duterte wants Ferdinand Marcos Jr to replace him.

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