“Alive and well”

“Alive and well”

This photo of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra taken with former South African president Nelson Mandela was a subject of much discussion on the Internet yesterday.

There was a big debate about whether it was real or “photoshopped”, i.e., doctored to appear real using the popular software program.

One reason for the disbelief is that there have recently been rumours that Mr Thaksin was seriously ill and staying in nearby Brunei. His month-long silence – his last twitter posting was July 26 – only added to the suspicion that the rumours might be true.

Yesterday’s release of two photos, the second taken with Mr Mandela’s former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was clearly an attempt to quash those rumours.

Mr Thaksin’s spokesman Noppadon Pattama, who circulated the pictures during a press conference, said Mr Thaksin was in excellent health but had stayed out of the spotlight to avoid stirring up controversy and facilitate reconciliation.

Mr Thaksin was keen on bringing about reconciliation in Thailand and his meeting with Mr Mandela, Africa’s model reconciliation statesman, was to tap the latter’s experience, Mr Noppadon said. He also insisted that the photos were authentic.

He did not say when the photo with Mr Mandela was taken but said the photo with Mr Mandela’s former wife was taken on Friday.

Mr Noppadon said Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya’s present visit to Montenegro as part of the government’s attempts to have Mr Thaksin extradited were in vain as Mr Thaksin had been granted citizenship. This made extradition unlikely.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat said yesterday Mr Thaksin was definitely in good health and was not in any country close to Thailand. Mr Somchai said Mr Thaksin phoned him on Sunday to wish him a happy birthday.

ousted – forced out of a position of power ขับออกจากอำนาจ

doctor – to change a photo, document, tape, film, etc. in order to deceive people ปลอมแปลงเพื่อหลอกลวง

appear – to seem ดูเหมือนจะ, ดูเหมือนว่า

disbelief – the feeling of not believing someone or something, especially something shocking or unexpected ความไม่เชื่อ

rumour – a piece of information, or a story, that people talk about, but that may not be true ข่าวลือ

suspicion – a belief that a crime has been committed ความสงสัย

quash – to stop something from continuing ปราบ, กำจัด (ข่าวลือ, กรต่อต้าน) ยกเลิก

circulate – to send to many different people หมุนเวียน

press conference – an official meeting where someone makes a formal statement about a particular issue or event to journalists and answers their questions about it การแถลงข่าว

spotlight – the centre of public attention จุดสนใจของผู้คน, เป็นที่สนใจ

stir up – to make someone feel upset or angry ก่อให้เกิดความขุ่นใจ

controversy – a strong disagreement, especially about a public policy or moral issue ความขัดแย้ง ประเด็นข้อขัดแย้ง

facilitate – to make it possible or easier for something to happen ทำให้สะดวกขึ้น

reconciliation – a new and friendly relationship with someone who you argued with or fought with การทำให้ปรองดองกันอีก, การสมานฉันท์

Is not what it should be back on the image content that has done wrong then.

When free is not free

When free is not free

Wai Kru ceremony at Kanchanapisek School in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum.

Thailand 15-year free public school system is not universally free. The Ministry of Education does allow schools to collect additional fees under certain conditions.

First, the fees are supposed to be suitable and approved by the school’s committee. Secondly, the school is also required to seek the consent of students and parents.

Students and parents from Kanchanapisek School in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum are complaining that these conditions were clearly not met in the school’s massive fee increase this year.

The school is under fire for increasing its fees by up to 65% — in ‘‘flagrant disregard for the government’s 15-year free education scheme’’, a group representing students say.

About 10 students and parents from Kanchanapisek School yesterday lodged a complaint with Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat calling on him to investigate the school for allegedly collecting high tuition fees from both boarding and non-resident students.

They claimed the tuition fee had increased by between 33% and 65% without their consent. New Mathayom Suksa 1 (Grade 7) students are suffering the most, paying 42,000 baht a year in tuition fees.

The school has cited higher expenses from setting up IT rooms and hiring foreign teachers to justify the increases. Each student has to pay 2,500 baht to use IT services and another 500 baht to be taught by foreign teachers.

However, the school had not provided enough computers for all students, a student representative said. And no foreign teachers had been hired.

The students and parents also complained that the school had failed to hand out free textbooks provided by the government to students.

They also accused it of providing students with low-quality lunches with rotten fruit. Most school buildings were dilapidated, they said.The school’s executives could not be reached for comment yesterday.Adapted from a story in today's Bangkok Post by Sirikul Bunnag.

universally – including all situations; involving or affecting everyone โดยทั่วไป
fee – an amount of money that you pay to be allowed to do something ค่าธรรมเนียม
condition – something that must be done before another thing can happen เงื่อนไข
suitable – acceptable or right for someone or something เหมาะสม
consent – to give permission to do something ยอมให้ทำ, อนุญาต
massive - very large in size, amount or numberใหญ่โต
under fire – being criticised strongly กำลังเป็นที่วิพากษ์วิจารณ์, กำลังโดนโจมตี
flagrant – done in an obvious way that shows you do not care if you break rules or offend people ที่ปรากฏชัด, ชัดๆ, ที่เห็นได้ชัด
disregard – not respecting something or considering it important ความไม่เอาใจใส่, ความเฉยเมย, ความเพิกเฉย

Government should support studies of Thai children than this. Yue and should help a mobile one.

“Betrayal isn’t strong enough”

“Betrayal isn’t strong enough”

Tiger Woods's ex-wife Elin Nordegren, seen here in 2004, has broken her silence over the sex scandal that ended their marriage.

"I felt stupid as more things were revealed. How could I not have known anything? The word betrayal isn't strong enough. I felt like my whole world had fallen apart."

Those were the words of Elin Nordegren, ex-wife of Tiger Woods, as she described for the first time what life has been like since she found out that the world’s top golfer had, to put it mildly, been unfaithful to her throughout much of their six-year marriage.

Nordegren, a 30-year-old Swedish former model, told People magazine she initially felt "shock and disbelief" at learning Woods had cheated on her. Later, as a string of women, including a porn star, a cocktail waitress and a Las Vegas club manager claimed affairs with her husband she began to question herself.

"I've been through hell," she said.

She told the celebrity news weekly that stress from the lurid tabloid scandal caused her insomnia and weight loss, and that in the days before her divorce was finalised she began to lose her hair.

Nordegren said she and Woods had tried to reconcile but she ultimately decided it was hopeless because she had lost her trust in him.

She said she had been truly devoted to Woods and had hoped for a happily-ever-after life together with him.

"I loved him. We had so much fun," she said, "and I felt safe with him."

Woods's spectacular fall from grace began on November 27 last year when he crashed his car into a fire hydrant near his Orlando home.

The incident touched off shocking revelations about a string of extramarital affairs which led to his admission of adultery.

She told People that her interview with the magazine would be her first and last, and that she now intends to remain a private person.

"My immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to our new situation.One thing that won’t be in her life, it seems, is golf. Since her break-up with Woods she said she had not watched a single minute of golf.

Vocabulary

incident – something that happens, usually something bad เหตุการณ์

revelation – a surprising piece of information การเปิดเผย

extramarital – involving a married person and another person who is not their marriage partner นอกสมรส, ผิดผัวผิดเมีย

admission – agreeing that something is true, especially when you are unhappy, sorry or surprised about it การยอมรับ

adultery – sex that takes place between a married person and someone who is not their husband or wife การคบชู้, การมีชู้

immediate – of the most importance and needed to be dealt with now ปัจจุบัน

adjust – to get used to a new situation by changing your ideas or the way you do things ปรับตัว

Men should love one single-minded In spite of his wife will also betray this trust can not Have to quit alone.

Sound Check

Love life

Aof adds some colour

Aof Pongsak

Life is Colorful

GMM Grammy

Aof Pongsak is one artist who never seems to have trouble producing albums that please his many fans. Life is Colorful is Aof's fifth album, and once again the singer doesn't disappoint.

For his latest album, Aof has taken on some different styles that might surprise some of his listeners. Along with his trademark tragic love songs, Aof has recorded some tracks that take a brighter, more positive look at romance.

The highlight of Life is Colorful is the sad song, "Poo Chai Kon Nee Kam Lang Mod Rang (This Man is Exhausted)," which features some very emotional and expressive singing from Aof.

Life is Colorful was made with the help of superb producers like Nim Seefah and Nung Naringvit. The music has a pleasant diversity of styles, including pop, R&B, jazz and soul.

Aof's fans should enjoy hearing the singer tackle different moods and styles on Life is Colorful. With this album, Aof shows that there's more to his music than just blue moods. - VH

Vocabulary

colour (n): interesting and exciting details or qualities
tragic (adj): making you feel very sad, usually because somebody has suffered a lot
expressive (adj): showing your thoughts and feelings
diversity (n): a range of many things that are very different from each other
tackle (v): to make a determined effort to do something difficult

blue (adj): sad or depressed

This man is a singer and a good quality album, genre, is still the same sad song. For those who love secretly heartbroken. Not disappointed bunch of us waiting for the new album Aof Pongsak.