Comments on: In Xanadu did Kubla Khan … http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:28:26 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Melody Kemp http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/comment-page-1/#comment-107492 Melody Kemp Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:57:08 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/#comment-107492 I gather that another one is planned for the banks of the Mekong opposite the Royal Steps in Luang Prabang. I am not sure that it will be of the same Disney Park dimensions, but nevertheless it will no doubt be of the similar Mad Ling Ludwig dimensions as all the other so called cultural gifts from China. There is one going up in Udomxai that looks a bit like one of those huge places that builders erect to show how well they are doing. It is I gather from my Lao colleague that it is part of the Boten chain as will be the one in Vientiane Province. There is a law that says that you cannot build more than one, so they are licenced as being subbranches of the Boten one.. Learned from the King of franchising, Soeharto. A huge golf course is being planned outside Vientiane and in LP.. Gosh how did they know we all wanted such things. I gather that another one is planned for the banks of the Mekong opposite the Royal Steps in Luang Prabang. I am not sure that it will be of the same Disney Park dimensions, but nevertheless it will no doubt be of the similar Mad Ling Ludwig dimensions as all the other so called cultural gifts from China.
There is one going up in Udomxai that looks a bit like one of those huge places that builders erect to show how well they are doing. It is I gather from my Lao colleague that it is part of the Boten chain as will be the one in Vientiane Province. There is a law that says that you cannot build more than one, so they are licenced as being subbranches of the Boten one.. Learned from the King of franchising, Soeharto.
A huge golf course is being planned outside Vientiane and in LP.. Gosh how did they know we all wanted such things.

]]> By: New Mandala » Border contrast http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/comment-page-1/#comment-19998 New Mandala » Border contrast Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:16:27 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/#comment-19998 [...] Further to my post about Boten, in the far north of Laos, Warren Mayes has provided these great shots from early 2006. The first shows Boten on the Lao side of the border.  [...] [...] Further to my post about Boten, in the far north of Laos, Warren Mayes has provided these great shots from early 2006. The first shows Boten on the Lao side of the border.  [...]

]]> By: patiwat http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/comment-page-1/#comment-19295 patiwat Tue, 09 Jan 2007 04:37:31 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/01/09/in-xanadu-did-kubla-khan/#comment-19295 Some time ago, China strictly cracked down on gambling within it's borders. This was done for two reasons. 1) To channel gamblers to Macau, where gambling is legal. Macau needs to be successful in the long run, or else the Chinese government will be accused of post-transfer economic mismanagement. 2) To reduce official corruption and money laundering. Casinos have traditionally been a preferred place for officials to launder ill-earned income. Some North Korean border casinos thought they could cash in and expand their operations to attract Chinese gamblers. China didn't look favorably to this, and threatened to shut down electricity transmission to the North Koreans. The North Korean border casinos soon shut down. I suspect the border casinos at Boten will soon meet the same fate. What Big Brother wants, Big Brother gets. Some time ago, China strictly cracked down on gambling within it’s borders. This was done for two reasons. 1) To channel gamblers to Macau, where gambling is legal. Macau needs to be successful in the long run, or else the Chinese government will be accused of post-transfer economic mismanagement. 2) To reduce official corruption and money laundering. Casinos have traditionally been a preferred place for officials to launder ill-earned income.

Some North Korean border casinos thought they could cash in and expand their operations to attract Chinese gamblers. China didn’t look favorably to this, and threatened to shut down electricity transmission to the North Koreans. The North Korean border casinos soon shut down.

I suspect the border casinos at Boten will soon meet the same fate. What Big Brother wants, Big Brother gets.

]]>