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A Shan princess reaches deep into the past to shed light on the present in a fascinating memoir full of travels, triumphs, history and heartbreak

Sao Nang Mya Sanda has, at the wonderful age of 80, graced us with a remarkable memoir that rides on history’s elephantine back out of Burma’s northern hills and across the world, ultimately to return to her homeland and contemplate the broad sweep of all it has encompassed.

The moving family portrait that is at the heart of “The Moon Princess” serves as the colourful basis for an edifying account of the Shan people, their history and their venerated but beleaguered rulers, for a fascinating glimpse of Bangkok as it used to be, for a dalliance with Cambridge higher learning, for a lesson in Lao politics and, of course, for an important personal assessment of Burmese treachery.

Sanda’s father, Sao Shwe Thaike - who she called Sao U Hpa - was the last saohpa of Yawnghwe, the last “lord of the sky” of the Shan States’ prominent southern territory that huddled against Inle Lake. He was at one time the elected president of the Union of Burma - how strange those words sound now.

A fearsome but deeply loved husband and father, he was the epitome of Asian nobility and commanded respect from everyone who would seek influence among the Shan, and that, of course, included the British and Japanese imperial armies.

Sao U Hpa wielded considerable national power as Speaker of the House of Nationalities, by which Burma’s ethnic minorities forged the Panglong Agreement that was to guarantee them autonomy at the end of British rule, and was at the forefront of negotiations with every important figure to come along with promises, both local and foreign. He knew Aung San well, and U Nu and Ne Win too, received their assurances and suffered their dismissals.

Sanda had by then been removed from the fray. As the president’s daughter she attended the wedding of Britain’s Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and it was decided that she would stay on and enrol at Cambridge. She didn’t go home for another six years, but when she returned again a second time in 1956 she did so in adventurous style - overland by Range Rover - with her British husband Peter Simms, a Buddhist scholar.

In 1953 Simms had been recruited from Cambridge to teach at Prasarnmitr College in Bangkok, and Sanda, after some trepidation, decided to join him here and become his wife. She too began teaching in Bangkok, at Trium Udon School for Girls.

Simms launched a magazine called Thought and Word for his students’ benefit and MR Kukrit Pramoj made him a Thai-culture columnist on his Siam Rath newspaper. The couple were friends with Prince Svasti as well, so they were feeling quite welcome.

“I don’t suppose anyone could have adequately described to me what I might find in the Bangkok of the 1950s,” Sanda writes. “It was a charming and romantic city with its splendid Buddhist temples, fine palaces, museums and extensive parks … There were far less motorcars then and, despite the numerous motorised samlor, there was little pollution and hardly any traffic jams.”

Home was a rented old house perched on piles on the Chao Phya River that was everything she dreamed off - until the resident ghost began complaining.

The nightly sound of the safe in the study being opened and the door slamming shut again, and the keys of Simms’ typewriter rattling, made them believers. Then a maid saw a prince upstairs, so they brought in a monk who advised them to extract the prince’s belongings from cupboards under the eves. When his gear was moved out, the prince did too.

There is much more in the book about Bangkok, complete with Jim Thompson himself, but Sanda and Peter had many more travels and career moves ahead before their gaze returned once again to Burma.

They were journalists in Vientiane in 1962 when Ne Win staged the coup that buried Burma in its bottomless dictatorship. The Simmses were allowed back into the country briefly but harassed constantly, and could do nothing for Sao U Hpa, who was rewarded for his espousal of Shan autonomy by being allowed to die a few months hence in Insein Prison.

In her epilogue Sanda joins the rest of the world watching the monks’ insurrection in Rangoon last September. “Much may ultimately depend on how much the generals value world opinion,” she concludes with optimism belying her experience.

Sanda’s story would have benefited from a good-shepherd editor, but this is a marvellous memoir whose reach extends far from the Shan mountains to touch on matters of great historical and social importance - and matters of the swelling heart as well.

With Beijing set to host this summer’s Olympics, much of the capital’s landscape has changed rapidly in preparation for the influx of visitors. Major sites have been updated, renovated, reinforced and protected, while formerly closed temples and gardens have been opened to woo the army of visitor

Beijing boasts a slew of new hotels and restaurants, with the possibility of advance online bookings. And visitors are now guaranteed easier mobility with more flights, trains, taxis and buses to and from China’s capital. Such positive changes are sure to provide a stimulus to exploring the breadth and depth of Beijing, “an elusive city, where the dreamlike is constantly clashing with the everyday”.

In “Beijing Walks”, Don Cohn - who has visited the city more than 200 times since the 1980s - introduces six walking routes: the Forbidden City; the former Legation Quarter and Tiananmen Square; Beihai Park; the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Sky;

the Confucius Temple; and the Imperial Academy, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace.

These tours provide clues to the riches of Old Peking, more and more of which is fast vanishing.

Told through foreign travellers’ accounts, lavish illustrations and quotes from notable figures in history, the guide comes complete with maps, detailed instructions of where to go and other practical facts and figures.

Yet it’s not a conventional guidebook because it also offers a curious peek into the lesser-known facets of Beijing life, from the private lives of emperors and the pomposity of the foreign legation quarter to labour-intensive architectural marvels and the ubiquitous, centuries-old trees.

Check the emperor’s safety standards, for instance. He never took two bites of any dish, lest his culinary preferences provide a clue for a potential assassin.

When in Beijing, the author warns, be prepared for the oceans of tourists flooding the key attractions, which is understandable because Beijing remains “the Greatest Show on Earth”.

Source: nationmultimedia.com

Full Country Name: Thailand (Prathet Thai, meaning “land of the free”)

Capital: Bangkok (Krung Thep, meaning “city of angels”)

The kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a natural gateway to Indochina, Myanmar and Southern China. Its shape and geography divide into four natural regions : the mountains and forests of the North; the vast rice fields of the Central Plains; the semi-arid farm lands of the Northeast plateau; and the tropical islands and long coastline of the peninsula South.

The country comprises 76 provinces that are further divided into districts, sub-districts and villages. Bangkok is the capital city and centre of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. It is also the seat of Thailand’s revered Royal Family, with His Majesty the King recognised as Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist religion and Upholder of all religions.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, the present king. The King has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, the Kingdom is a never-ending source of fascination and pleasure for international visitors.

Neighboring Countries:
1) Myanmar - west and north,
2) Lao P.D.R. - north and northeast,
3) Cambodia - southeast and
4) Malaysia - south.

Area: 513,115 sq. km.

Topography: Thailand is divided into 4 natural regions:

The mountainous North, with its profusion of multi-coloured orchids, fascinating native handicrafts and winter temperatures are sufficiently cool to permit cultivation of temperate fruits such as strawberries and peaches;

The high Northeast Plateau, which still jealously guards its many archaeological and anthropological mysteries;

The Central Plain, one of the world’s most fertile rice and fruit-growing areas with colourful traditional culture and way of life as well as the sandy beaches of the East Coast and vibrant cosmopolitan Bangkok;

The peninsular South, where the unspoiled beaches and idyllic islands complement economically vital tin mining, rubber cultivation and fishing.

Population: Thais are well-known for their friendliness and hospitality. A large majority of over 62 million citizens of Thailand are ethic Thai, along with strong communities whose ethnic origins lie in China, India and elsewhere. About 7 million people reside in the capital city of Bangkok.

People: Thai (80%), Chinese (10%), Malay (3%), and the rest are minorities (Mons, Khmers, hill tribes) Ethnic Thais form the majority, though the area has historically been a migratory crossroads, and has thus produced a degree of ethnic diversity. Integration is such, however, that culturally and socially there is enormous unity.

Language: Spoken and written Thai is largely incomprehensible to the casual visitor. However, English is widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where it is almost the major commercial language. English and some European Languages are spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants in major tourist destinations, and Thai-English road and street signs are found nationwide.

Religion: Buddhism (95%), Muslim (4%), others (1%)

Government: Thailand has had a constitutional monarchy since 1932. Parliament is composed of 2 houses, The House of Representatives and the Senate. Both representatives and senators are elected by the people. A prime minister elected from among the representatives leads the government. The country is divided into 76 provinces. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration comes under an elected governor. Appointed provincial governors administer the other 75 provinces (Changwat), which are divided into districts (Amphoe), sub-districts (Tambon) and villages (Mu Ban).

Head of State: H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty)

Administration: 76 provinces, each subdivided into amphoe (district), tambon (sub-district) and muban (village)

Time: The time in Thailand is seven hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+7 hours GMT).

Climate: Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with three distinct seasons-hot and dry from February to May (average temperature 34 degrees Celsius and 75% humidity); rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to October (average day temperature 29 degrees Celsius and 87% humidity); and cool from November to January (temperatures range from 32 degrees Celsius to below 20 degrees Celsius with a drop in humidity).

Much lower temperatures are experienced in the North and Northeast during nighttime. The South has a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures averaging 28 degrees Celsius almost all year round.

Electricity: The electric current is 220 volt AC (50 cycles) throughout the country. Many different types of plugs and sockets are in use. Travellers with electric shavers, hair dryers, tape recorders and other appliances should carry a plug adapter kit. The better hotels will make available 110-volt transformers.

Tap water: Tap water is clean but drinking from it directly should be avoided. Bottled water is recommended

Clothing: Light, cool clothes are sensible and a jacket is needed for formal meetings and dining in top restaurants. Shorts (except knee length walking shorts), sleeveless shirts, tank tops and other beach-style attire are considered inappropriate dress when not actually at the beach or in a resort area.

Weights & Measures: The metric system is used throughout Thailand. Numerals on vehicle speed ohmmeters, highway markers and speed limits all indicate kilometres.

Business hours: Most commercial concerns in Bangkok operate on a five-day week, usually from 8 am to 5 pm. Many stores open seven days a week from 10 am to 10 pm. Government offices are generally open between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm with a noon to 1 pm lunch break, Monday to Friday except on public holidays. Banks are open Mondays to Fridays from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm except on public holidays.

Postal Services : Thailand’s mail service is reliable and efficient. Major hotels provide basic postal services on their premises. Provincial post offices are usually open from 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

International Roaming Mobile Phone : A Subscriber Identity Module Card (SIM Card) is now available for Thai and foreign customers who are travelling around for work. The SIM Card must be used in conjunction with a Digital GSM mobile phone within the 900-MHz range or a Digital PCN mobile phone within the 1800-MHz range.

Fax and E-Mail : All of Thailand’s leading hotels offer facsimile (fax) and e-mail services. Numerous private businesses offer such facilities, most often in conjunction with translation services.

Internet Services : Thailand has been expanding its information service for residents and tourists alike through the Internet system. Services are now available at Thailand’s leading hotels and at the many ” Cyber-Cafes ” that are cropping up in all major tourist destinations.
Emergency Telephone Numbers
Central Emergency (Police, Ambulance, Fire) : 191
Highway Patrol : 1193
Crime Suppression : 195 or (662) 513 3844
Tourist Police (English, French and German spoken) : 1155
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Call Centre : 1672
Immigration Bureau : (662) 287 3101-10

The Monarchy: Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and the Royal Children.

Religion: Visitors should dress neatly in all religious shrines. They should never go topless, or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable attire. It is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept.

Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack of respect. Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it.

Social Norms: Thais don’t normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called “Wai”. Generally a younger person wais an elder, who returns it. Thai’s regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively. Therefore, avoid touching people on the head and try not to point your feet at people or an object. It is considered very rude. Shoe’s should be removed when entering a private Thai home. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon.

Special Advice:
- Beware of unauthorized people who offer their services as guides. For all tourist information, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tel: 1672. For information about Bangkok , contact the Bangkok Metropolitan Tourist Bureau, Tel: 0 2225 7612-4.

- Observe all normal precautions as regards to personal safety, as well as the safety of your belongings. Walking alone on quiet streets or deserted areas is not recommended. Be sure that all your valuables-money, jewelry, and airline tickets are properly protected from loss. Visitors needing assistance relating to safety, unethical practices, or other matters, please call the Tourist Police at Tel: 1155.

- Drop your garbage into a waste container. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is strictly enforcing the law in an effort to keep the city clean and healthy. The fine will be imposed on a person who spits, discards cigarette stubs, or drops rubbish in public areas.

- Do not get yourself involved with drugs. Penalties for drug offences are very severe in Thailand . DEATH PENALTY.

Most prescription medication is accepted. Please check with your travel bureau

- Do not support any manner of wild animal abuse. Never purchase any products or souvenirs made from wild animals including reptiles like snakes, monitor lizards, and also turtle shell and ivory. Avoid patronizing local restaurants that serve wild animal delicacies. It is against the law to slaughter wildlife for food in Thailand .

Getting About : Flying is the most convenient mode of transportation for most visitors traveling to Thailand . Domestic flights are also easy and convenient, cutting down on journey time. A number of domestic carriers service a majority of large provincial cities dotting generously across the country. Travel to neighboring countries is cheaper when booked within Thailand . Train services connect Bangkok to all regions of the country at reasonable prices. A regular rail service also runs between Bangkok and Singapore via Malaysia . Long distance coaches, both air-conditioned and open-aired, connect all major cities. At the local level, diverse forms of transportation are provided: provincial buses, city buses, songthaews, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, boats, and even rental cars.

International Travel Air : With Bangkok serving as the international travel hub of SE Asia , the capital serves as the landing port for numerous international airlines, most with direct flights from their destinations. Some chartered and regional flights may land at one of the other international airports within Thailand , consisting of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Phuket, and Ubon Ratchatani. The country’s national airline is Thai Airways. Airport departure taxes for international departures costs 500 baht/person. The check-in counters open 2 hours and close half an hour prior departure time.

International flights information
(662) 535-1254 (departures) (662) 535-1301 (arrivals)
Those traveling from neighboring countries may enter Thailand via road, rail, ships, or ferries.

Domestic Travel : Domestic travel during public holidays and on weekends, particularly to popular destinations should be booked well in advance for all modes of transportation. Booking is particularly difficult during the Songkran Holiday and New Year’s Holiday.

Air: Local carriers Thai Airways (TG) and Bangkok Airways (PG) fly to most major provincial
airports beyond 250 km distance from Bangkok . Thai Airways’ 2 most popular routes are
Chiang Mai and Phuket. Services to Koh Samui and Sukhothai are only provided by Bangkok Airways. Other smaller local carriers include Angel Air (mainly servicing Phuket) and PB Air which flies to fewer destinations. Air Andaman services is limited to the Southern cities only.

The domestic terminal is located at the southern end of the Bangkok International Airport . Normally, check-ins for domestic flight is one hour prior to departure time and closes half an hour before flight time. Departure tax has already been added to your ticket fare.

And new International Airport is SUVARNABHUMI

Domestic flights Information: (662) 535-1192 (departures) (662) 535-1253 (arrivals)

Reservatio /Ticket: Tickets can be purchased through travel agencies (cheaper for international flights, same for domestic flights) or by booking with the airlines themselves, either via phone, internet, or e-ticketing kiosks (Thai Airways only).

Buses: Inter-city bus services offer a fast means of transport to all corners of the country. Air-conditioned buses service many provincial areas and bookings for both regular and tour coaches (private companies) can be made through major hotels and travel agents, or at the following bus terminals:

Northern Bus Terminal: Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2936-2852-66 ext. 614 0-2936-3670

Eastern Bus Terminal: Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok. Tel: 0-2391-6846, 0-2391-2504

Northeastern Bus Terminal: Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2936-2852-66 ext.605 0-2936-0657

Southern Bus Terminal : Boromratchchonnani Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2435-1200, 0-2435-1199

Central Bus Terminal: Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2936-2841-8 ext.311 0-2537-8055

The government bus company, called Bor Kor Sor (BKS), provides the cheapest mode for getting around Thailand. Being frequent and reliable, no advance booking is necessary. Both air-conditioned ones and open-aired ones stop almost everywhere along their route, with the latter being the cheapest and slowest.

Trains: The State Railway of Thailand runs an efficient rail service linking Bangkok (Hua Lam Phong is the central train station) to the rest of the country at very reasonable prices for express, fast and ordinary trains. Limited western and southern routes out of Bangkok also operate from the Thon Buri Station, traveling to destinations as far as Kanchanaburi province in the west and Chumporn province in southern Thailand. On express trains, sleepers are available in three classes: first and second class (air-conditioned), and second class (non air-conditioned, but with fans). Advance tickets are available at all principal stations or the Bangkok Railway Advance Booking Office at Tel : 0-2220-4444

BTS Skytrain: With stations in major commercial areas and departures every 5 minutes, it is an ideal means of transportation to escape the traffic. Service is via 2 routes: the Mo Chit - On Nut route (runs along Sukhumvit Rd. ) and the National Stadium-Taksin Bridge route (runs along Silom Rd. ). Running from 6 am to midnight , the fare depends on distance traveled, ranging from 10-40 Baht per person. Routes and fares are posted at every station, where tickets must be purchased.

Bangkok Subway: Bangkok ’s newest mass transit system, the subway, is to open on 3 July 2004 . The first 99,999 commuters on the opening date will also receive souvenirs. From the opening date, until August 12, 2004 , the royal birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, commuters will be allowed to use the subway at an especially low rate of 10 baht for all routes.

Boat: Taxis that are even more unusual, though equally convenient, are the river taxis that ply the Chao Phraya River . Some are just cross river ferries, but others serve the many landing stages on both banks and cover a route that goes up as far as the northern suburb of Nonthaburi.

Taxi: Taxis cruising city streets are metered. They charge a minimum of 35 baht for the first 3 kilometers, and approximately 5 baht per kilometer thereafter. Make sure you have change, as taxi drivers often don’t! Passengers must pay tolls in the case of using an expressway. Make sure the Taxi driver Starts the meter when you get into the cab. You will have to pay a small fee as well as the metered fare when picked up at the airport to the taxi driver apon arrival at your destination. Pay the driver while sitting in the cab and make sure you grab everything when you get out of the taxi.

TUK-TUKS: These three-wheeled ‘open-air’ motorized taxis are popular for short journeys.
Fares must be bargained in advance. Minimum fares, for journeys of up to 3 kilometers, are approximately 30 baht.

Bus: Public buses are plentiful and cheap, with a minimum fare of 3.50 baht to most destinations within metropolitan Bangkok . Air-conditioned buses have minimum and maximum fares of 8 and 18 baht, respectively. Air-conditioned micro-buses charge a flat fare of 25 baht all routes. A Bus Route Map is available at bookshops and the TAT office.

Text By : Tourism Authority of Thailand