Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Language barrier

Today, on the way to the clinic, the Thai radio ran a news bulletin, which clearly included "Australia" twice. It was repeated on the way home.

Asking the driver (who's a natural Thai and Mon speaker, and has basic English) what it was, he was only able to say, "Yes, Australia. Aaah - Police. Australia. Aaah, hmm".

This was not so reassuring.

So, as soon as we got back, I put on BBC world: the Gaza pullout and Slobodan Milosevic. BBC online: extradition trial in Italy. ABC online: bombs in Bangladesh. Asia Today: reduction of Bali sentences and the sale of Telstra.

Can anyone fill me in? What happened in Australia today (that may or may not have involved the police) that was so significant as to have made it to the Thai news, but not the ABC? Sonehow I think it wasn't Telstra.

(News need not involve acutal facts).

6 comments:

macca said...

Derek, did you go for a nudy run again ? :)

Anonymous said...

Okay - couple of thoughts. There has been some discussion (but my memory is poor and details are sketchy) about the child sex tourism in cambodia - which could explain why he was uncomfortable and didn't want to discuss details.

There was also a big seizure (200kg) of kava in NT and he might not have known what it was.

Or it could well be the aforementioned nudy run!

Nothing is jumping out for me. You call me a worry wart :)

Michelle

Anonymous said...

Had I gone on a nudy run I would have thought it would have made the BBC, or ABC at the least.

melt said...

The BBC talked about the situation in Cambodia, but I'm not sure why that would include more than one reference to Australia and not other countries.

Also I don't think Kava is enough to make the news in Thailand: it's rather innocuous given the drug issues here!

Re the nudy runs - this sounds like a recurrent event. More information?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mel

The Federal Police were teaching the Thai police how to investigate things that have been blown up or partially washed away. Here's the link that you were looking for. http://www.abc.net.au/news/
newsitems/200508/s1442387.htm

If you read it carefully, you will find absolutely no references to nudy runs.

Mick.

Anonymous said...

read between the lines Mick

Chris.