A traveller who crossed the Thai-Cambodian border on July 28 reports an unhappy

tale. He says that there are a bunch of Khmer kids who try to make a few riels by

offering an umbrella service to those making the crossing on foot. For an unspecified

tip they will provide a bit of shade while you transit from the Cambodian side to

the Thai Immigration post. However, apparently there is at least one Thai border

policeman who is unhappy with the youngsters' stab at entrepreneurship. The cop raced

in on a motorcycle, managing to catch one of the tykes and then proceeded to pummel

the lad in the face until he was bleeding from the mouth. He then dragged the wailing

kid away and left him tied up to a shed. Another boy who managed to escape the dragnet

told the traveller: "We are from Cambodia; they don't like us."

 

A disgruntled European reader of the Post asked recently: "Why don't you

call your paper the rubbish bin?" The same wizened, very old Asia hand, when

told that George Harrison had terminal cancer, responded by saying: "Let it

be!"

Curio collectors should keep their eyes open for the latest trinket to hit the

streets. The Cambodian Red Cross now has available quite smart-looking Swiss design

watches bearing a portrait of Lok Chumtiev Bun Rany, the CRC's Honorary President.

Several alert readers wondered aloud about the item in last issue's Police Blotter

concerning the untimely death of British citizen Karl Vaughan Howells. After a bit

of checking, it has been determined that Mr. Howells did not die from massive head

injuries sustained from an accident in a toilet. His family and friends prefer that

the matter be left at that.

A restauranteur in Siha-noukville who had just opened a new eatery was visited

by the Fire Department and told he needed to buy one of their extinguishers. The

guy thought, "Okay, that sounds reasonable. Safety first." But the one

that was offered to him indicated no pressure on the gauge. When the guy asked if

he could buy one with the proper pressure he was told, "No, no, no, that's not

a pressure gauge. It's a thermometer. When it gets hot outside the needle will go

up."

Statistics indicate that if the increase in the number of new Elvis impersonators

over the last 10 years continues, by the year 2040 the entire world's population

will look like the King of Rock 'n Roll.