Red against yellow.

It is a bizarre mixture of ethnography, and policy book: The German businessman leads the other in Thailand unusual book "White Lotus". In a country where press freedom is limited, it is sometimes a risk.

 

Again nothing but trouble. Four printers have already been canceled, the fifth will probably make it. But who knows! Thailand is unpredictable. And people are afraid. Diethard Ande knows das Since 39 years the publisher has already lived in the former Siam. "But as bad as at the moment it was never," he says.

It is his concern harmless. A new book, he wants to bring out, one that deals with the political turmoil of the last few months busy. But what in most democracies is a matter of course, in Thailand is sometimes described as foolhardy: a political book, for example.

"Red vs.. Yellow, Volume 1: Thailand's crisis of identity" should read, 160 pages thick, more than half of these images. The author is the German photographer Nick Nostitz, whether he lives a long time in Thailand. He has like hardly any other foreign journalist pursues the unrest, the occupation of the airport, the overthrow of the government, the riots between Rothemden and yellow shirts, like the political parties mentioned. Now he has an impressive compendium of shocking pictures and impressive reports on the chaos presented. And hardly a printing ventures, the time to reproduce the document.

Ande is still the thing through. He has a penchant for beautiful books and, of course, one for business. By Nostitz project he encounters in any case in a gap in the market, because in Buddhist Thailand, there is currently something like the silence of the lambs.

The king is silent

Hardly a day goes by without journalists critical of the government are silenced. Number of Internet sites were blocked because ads Majesty insult adopt radio stations are facing closure. Major opposition politicians sit in prison or exile.

LAST EXIT ...

In the South Seas, the Caribbean or the Pacific? Reaching the Cape of Good Hope or to Koh Lanta? In the Moloch of Bangkok or Beijing? German emigrants to make their dream of a new life true.

What drives them? What do they want in the distance? Issues facing blogs correspondent Thilo Thielke in his column "Last Exit ..." after it.

Recently it was even an Australian locked up for months, because it is in self-publishing a novel was published in which the amorous entanglements of a son named King mentioned. Again and again, there were outbreaks of violence between government opponents and police. Now it continue bubbling under the surface. The king is silent.

Such a use of energy in the global information known only from countries like Burma, North Korea or China. Especially the Thai Minister of Justice is considered the driving force, he would prefer the maximum sentence for insulting the royal family from 15 to 25 years to increase, they say.

From a veritable "panic which currently prevails," wrote the blogger of "Fact" ( "Freedom Against Censorship Thailand"). Thus, on 14 January 2009 the oil workers Suwicha Thakhor arrested. The three family man had been accused of "disseminating material which is insulting the monarchy". He was released in April to ten years imprisonment for insulting Majesty convicted.

And as the beginning of December 2008, at the height of the occupation of Bangkok airport, the British weekly magazine "Economist" a story about the role of the royal family and published in Thailand was the whole issue is not available. Under the heading "A right royal mess", the anonymous author claims that "Thailand's policy of endless conflict" did with the "taboo of his monarchy" to do, and from another indexed work ( "The King Never Smiles") cited.

Security Halber have Nostitz Ande and her book previously submitted to the police and checked. Nobody has so far been little noticed Offensive. That will not mean much. It is courage to do it in any case, in such a country which is in the midst of political and social upheaval is to publish a book.

Retired paradise of Huay Yai

2005, Diethard Ande with his publisher "White Lotus" and the four employees in the village of Huay Yai, a good two hours' drive south of Bangkok, withdrawn. Previously, he was in the capital. But the other is now 71, he has enough of the noise, congestion, the stench - the many nuisances, which are in the Thai capital incessantly exposed. In Huay Yai is opposed to contemplative.

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Ande is on the terrace of his building and Publisher looks on dragon fruit plantations. Later characterized the silhouettes verkitschter pretty villas from. They are used by Germans and Englishmen populated, settled here and the dream of a fairytale castle did. The sea runs a three-quarter hour. Few in this retirement paradise get with what the rest of the country is going on. Early June in the south have a few fanatics, a mosque gestürmt and ten people in prayer shot. And in the north to prepare new government opponents battles against the establishment in Bangkok before.

"Thailand could be nearing a civil war," says the other, in its Southeast Asian home some election coups has experienced for the first time, the power struggle on the flat land extended for the first time, the economy of the country under attack: This is no longer with the coups of the past comparable. "

The northern Ande, born in Hamburg, Germany, grew up in Flensburg, came like so many for the first time in Thailand: a backpacking tourist. Eight months, he was in 1966 by Asia getrampt. Four years later, he had then in Berlin finally graduated to Wirtschaftsingenieur ended. But where? Ande bought a one-way ticket to Thailand. And stayed.

The first two years he worked as managing director of German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, but then resigned, the President, had brought him from, "and there was an asshole." Ande announced. But as a jack-in-all-trades, he found a quick way out. In 1972 the company "White Lotus" and imported from Europe, so what was hit in Thailand: Auto Parts, specialty lubricants, Teflon. Eventually books came into range: book for hotels and their traveling customers.

"Hello My Big Big Honey" is the best -

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The thing with the books like the other: "You hardly pay duties and has interesting things to do." Ande imported art books, antiquarian works, but mostly, what exactly was needed. " The early eighties he read of the Yao, the Lao People's whose inhabitants during the Vietnam War abgedrängt been to Thailand and, influenced by the missionaries, their ancient cult objects sold. Others interested in the topic, but there was still nothing about it. So he decided to become publishers themselves, and enthusiastic expert Jacques Lemoine for the project. "Yao Ceremonial Paintings" became the first academic success of the publisher. "Until today it is considered a standard work," says Ande proud.

The big hit was the history book. Today, "Hello My Big Big Honey. Love Letters to Bangkok Bar Girls" best people can bring. But we must be flexible as a publisher. In Andes range are now Nick Knatterton next Tiziano Terzani (Saigon 1975 ") and books about the Burmese puppetry alongside those concerning paramilitary groups in Thailand.

At the moment the business is not so good. Most "White Lotus" customers are travelers, and in times of economic crisis in Thailand are also many hotels empty. But who knows. Maybe yes Nostitz the book on the political skirmishes of the presence of a blockbuster - if it is not anticipated by the censors of the new government from the circulation.