The Hoax Paper Birds of Thailand

Last week 100 million paper birds were airdropped in southern Thailand. The airdrop was supposed to be the Thai government's symbolic peace gesture towards the Muslim separatists who live there. Billionaire Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra personally signed one of the paper birds, promising that whoever found this autographed bird would win a university scholarship (sounds like he has ambitions to be a modern-day Willy Wonka). A few days later a young girl came forward saying that she had found the bird. Provincial authorities checked it out and said that it looked genuine. But alas, it now appears the bird was a hoax. Shinawatra has indicated that he might give her a free scholarship anyway. But nobody knows how many more hoax paper birds are floating around out there.

Con Artists Places

Posted on Wed Dec 15, 2004


Comments

Why would he give her the scholarship anyway? If she forges signatures on paper birds, what's to stop her from cheating on exams and copying other students' work?
Posted by John  on  Wed Dec 15, 2004  at  08:08 PM
If it was supposed to be a good cause and a symbol of peace, why didn't he just mail eveyone a bird and start a contest for eveyone in the area to enter to give out the college scholarship instead of polluting?
Posted by Fay-Fay  on  Thu Dec 16, 2004  at  12:35 AM
I suppose at least paper is easily biodegradable.
Posted by Ponygirl  on  Sun Dec 19, 2004  at  03:41 PM
100 mil. birds! Are they crazy.
Once we discussed ecological weapon effectiveness with my friend. What if instead of using cruise missiles ($100 mil. each) and bombs government will use ping-pong balls. Imagine 10-100 billions ping pong balls (I guess $0.1 each) dropped down on some country. Crops are dying, cars cannot move etc.
Posted by Loxx  on  Mon Dec 20, 2004  at  10:57 AM
Ping-pong balls are sort of light. How could crops die & cars not be able to move? Also...it wouldn't be like a flood...where the ping pong balls would rise....they'd roll around & bounce all over. If they were being dropped by a plane...the wind would pick them up & send them way off course. Great prank...bad weapon.
Posted by Maegan  on  Mon Dec 20, 2004  at  11:29 AM
100's of Billions of ping pong balls? It would be like a great snow that never melts. Plus it they caught fire it would be a huge weapon. If you have ever put a lighter to a ping pong ball you know what I mean. They are filled with a flammible gas, not explosive but if you had billions the flame up would be HUGE and then the naplam plastic would be thrown everywhere. Then we drop the whiffle balls ha ha ha ha haaaa
Posted by Oscar  on  Mon Dec 20, 2004  at  03:04 PM
I believe that gas inside ping pong balls is a blend of nitrogen and oxygen, or to use the technical scientific term, "air."
Posted by Big Gary C  on  Mon Dec 20, 2004  at  05:43 PM
Good university in very expensive in Thailand. I can understand that the girl may have forged the signature.
Posted by Thai girl  on  Wed Mar 26, 2008  at  01:17 PM
You may don't know the full story, the paper birds were made by many many organizations and schools(Not government) in Middle, Northern, Northeastern and Eastern of Thailand. And all organiztions gave them to government to drop at Southern part of Thailand, where the separatist insurgent is active.

Due to so many people involve in making this paper bird, it's very possible that some one put the signature on the paper bird, and the girl found it.

I personaly believe the girl.
Posted by Daniel  on  Thu Feb 18, 2010  at  01:17 PM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.