spectrumisgreen

EVERY year, pretty much, the Jewish Passover will coincide with Songkran, April 14th by and large being included in the SK festivities.. so if you're from Lebanon (regardless of ACTUAL links to such as Hezbollah.. none reported here I notice!!).. then your presence at this time in Thailand will be treated as 'suspicious' and you will be taken from your place and dragged in for questioning as a possible terrorist, and get your visa revoked to boot??? I mean why IS their presence here so suspect? Is Thailand a Jewish state or outpost of Israel now? And why take guys in to question them, possibly regarding a shooting in the US, like coming to Thailand is an automatic next move for such terrorists? Why even give them visas in the first place if you were only going to arrest them and revoke the visas once they were here?

Doesn't add up as usual, with unenlightening throw away lines dropped in there like saying 'Israel has mentioned this group...' (not the men they've arrested mind, just the fact that there IS a terrorist group.. and, er yep, most countries have them.. so you gonna stop and question everyone from these places too???) And as usual with these things coming out it always seems to happen, that is Thailand suddenly gets so 'sharp' and 'on the (international) ball' - whether there's an actual 'ball; or not!! - just after they've just been accused of being, well, total sh** in regards to intelligence, international security and foreign liaison affairs, such as most recently with their late "Flight 370? Oh yeah we watched it last week on our radar heading the wrong way.. what, you're still looking for it?" debacle!!!

Sorry, I love Thailand.. I just can't take it seriously, regarding serious issues, as it just doesn't do them.. well, seriously...

Like hiring foxes to watch the chickens?

..but IF the foxes really.. REALLY.. promised, then surely the chickens can leave the empties out and, basically, come and go as they please, all with the total peace of mind of knowing what helpful, caring foxes they have as both their guardians and neighbours, no?

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It is time that Thailand went tea total. All bars closed down, no more licences granted, no off sales, nothing. End of problem.

Err. yeah! Good one! End of tourist industry!!!

My bike ('scooter') of choice is a Honda Click 'Play' 110cc/ Automatic, which I've had since Christmas 2008.. older boy's toy, yeah? So, to now over 5 years regular use around Chiang Mai and twice a week minimum to/ from where I stay weekdays and work 30km away in Lamphun.. never a problem with the auto gear-changing, even when I've headed up into the hills, on occasion, and the scooter's got a good solid, heavy and chunky build to hold my bod (and girlfriend's) and at least gives me/ us a little extra protection (certainly much more than some of these little tinny things I see/ hear whizzing about me, endlessly and pointlessly!!.. funny also, mines actually a smoother, faster start at 'go' from the lights, despite many 'bigger' (125) engines , often getting me ahead and out the way of these smokey rattle-machines, before heading on my merry sabai way again!!).. love the scooter-like platform for my feet, so I can sit-up and ride sabai-sabai style around town!.. Honda's, certainly these little runaround types though maybe not the BIG machines, are also catered for much better than most bikes here, due to the availability of proper service stations, plus the local mechanics seem to know a bit more about them... (so, all in all?.. Honda Click automatic: Highly Recommended!!!)...

Perhaps it is time for the true Redshirts (not the leaders, who are paid by the man in Dubai, but the followers who want true justice) to join with the farmers and protesters (again not the leaders, who have their own agenda, but the followers who want true democracy and an end to corruption). If these people could get together without their leaders, we might see true reform.

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so you actually believe that the 'followers', of either side or shirt colour, are anything other than that? Folks to be rounded up like sheep (yes, SHEEP!) and used by those same 'leaders' who all just really want the same thing, again both sides (!!), ie, the control, power, and therefore the money/ purse strings??? Just take even the shortest glimpse of any rally site, red faced shouty leader up on the podium in full hate/bitterness-feudal mode ("We're the good guys, they're the EVIL!!!") and you will also see a crowd, sometimes huge, of people laughing and joking (shaking plastic hand-clapper toys or whatever, in appropriate colours!!) and clearly hardly even interested, apparently even much aware (a chorus of 'rattles' on the given marks aside!), of the words of their (so-called) 'leaders-for-change', all like it's just part of some big JOLLY... true justice? A noble enough cause but most Thais clearly just want to live their lives in peace, go about their usual daily business, and not get used by those with absolutely no real empathy for them, by being dragged from pillar to post, stirred and mobilised by leaders, local and nationwide, and their promises of a new Thailand.. ('YOUR Thailand.. well mine actually, once YOU've got me and my pals back in the money-seats'!!!)...

Probably its a setup to show the world how serious is Thailand on fake identification. I still doubt its authenticity of this case.

Could well be! Another 'after the event' crackdown, no less!! ie, Thailand, where the original passports used by the Iranian(s) on the Malaysian flight were stolen, NOW proves itself as a serious international protector, watcher and guardian of such illicit IDs!!.. one Iranian.. a fake passport.. lots of publicity... well done.. sorted.. job's a good 'un.. the world can sleep nights again!!!

As always, all these ideas and accusations sound like kids spreading gossip about other kids (they don't like!!) in the playground!.. "I wouldn't be surpised if..." and "They did it before" (but not when the Dems were in, obviously!).. so that proves it then!!.. so now they're going to go to the Lottery Bureau to see if it really was fixed.. yeah, 'cause like that's what you do to find out, turn up and.. what?.. ASK if it was fixed? Or maybe cause enough of a disturbance until some low-ranking, meek and/ or young member of staff feels so intimidated that they say it is, and that's your proof???.. back to the podium, then!!!.. But, nevermind, we know everything's on the up and up, being thought about and investigated in a mature way, because it's the Student body who are 'onto' it!!... haha!.. Thailand, though I still wouldn't swap it back for way too over-serious England, nowadays, just gets a bit too surreal at times, as Alice (in Wonderland) once said.. "Curioser and curioser..."

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It was not the River Kwai. or even the River Khwae.

In typical Top Gear humour they built a bridge over the River "Cock".

As they had just built the bridge in typical Top Gear manner the remark from Clarkson on it's slop was typical of the tongue-in-cheek humour. Sarcastic self deprecating humour that the top gear crew and us British often use to mock each other. Thinking Clarkson was being Racist is so wrong. Not saying he is an angel. He often inserts his foot in his mouth. But on this point I think the observation is well wrong.

How dare you use such an offense word such as "cock" !

You are of course referring to the derogatory term for a gentleman's bits and not the one the crows at dawn

Jeeza for PM

. Dawn is innocent.

I am sure plenty of people have been up the crack of dawn before

Very clever. Not! Are you Jeremy Clarkson?

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It was not the River Kwai. or even the River Khwae.

In typical Top Gear humour they built a bridge over the River "Cock".

As they had just built the bridge in typical Top Gear manner the remark from Clarkson on it's slop was typical of the tongue-in-cheek humour. Sarcastic self deprecating humour that the top gear crew and us British often use to mock each other. Thinking Clarkson was being Racist is so wrong. Not saying he is an angel. He often inserts his foot in his mouth. But on this point I think the observation is well wrong.

How dare you use such an offense word such as "cock" !

You are of course referring to the derogatory term for a gentleman's bits and not the one the crows at dawn

Jeeza for PM

. Dawn is innocent.

Oh no she's not!! Not since she discovered, shall we say, just what it is that crows!!!

Hahahaha...... great joke.

Keep it up Clarky....

BTW 'slope' is not derogatory... It comes from the Vietnam war and was used by US troops to refer to Vietnamese Communist troops.

Gooks, slopes, Cong, VC, Charlies ..... etc.

Not for defaming reasons, but more a casual military designation.

When the Brits liberated the Falkland Islands. The British Squadies referred to the island locals as 'Bennies'.... If you are a Brit you should know what I mean. For those who don't... Benny was the name of a popular 70s soap opera character, who happened to be mildly retarded.

The military put out a communique to all squaddies and contractors not to refer to the locals as 'Bennies'... So after that everyone referred to them as 'stills'.

They're 'still' Bennies........ lol.

Ok.. VC and Cong are clearly just names for what the North Vietnamese (Cong) Army were.. but are you seriously trying to convince us that 'Gooks', 'Slopes', 'Charlies' etc weren't just (TOTALLY!!) derogatory spin-offs? Not really surprising ones, I'd also add, for young lads stuck in a war against an enemy they'd quickly grow to both hate and fear, but let's not dress them up as something they aren't, ie that they were simply 'casual military designation' (and if so then it just means the officers, again unsurprisingly, were of the same mind as the squadies!).. same goes for 'Bennies' in the Falklands, clearly, being as the islanders were being labelled as retarded!... as for Jeremy ('Great joke.. keep it up, Clarky'???) Clarkson, he's just a big stupid kid (like the others!) which is why I don't watch the show, boys racing round in big fancy toys (ok, I've 'looked in'!) and with so much money they even go as far as bragging about buying some of these ridiculously expensive cars, showing a total disrespect for their audience.. (or maybe the audience deserves it, if that's the sort of people and stupid antics they wish to 'follow'!!)... lastly, it's not even an English (as in from England) term anyway.. so just shows how far the big dumb dolt will 'reach' to make a stupid 'gag'!!!...

Incarcerate the monster. A nice cell in Nakorn Si Thamarat Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Exactly!!!

"This is not the proper way to do things. This message is a violation of the law and instigates violence," hardly NEEDS saying does it? Like saying murder, or in this case abduction, is wrong.. er.. doh!!.. yeah!!! Just go get him, for f***s sake!!!

Check out the body language of the cop in the first photo - he couldn't give a sh1t....

You beat me to this post!!! Shots were fired at a restaurant, people's lives were in grave danger, and this is the lawman on the scene's very evident response? ("Oh really?.. Whatever..." basically!!!)

Abhisit and the moderates lose out to the insanity that is Suthep and his backers.

As the political crisis continues to escalate its becoming obvious that Suthep will not stop until there is blood on the streets of Bangkok. There is no way the government is going to give him what he wants, the only way he can get anything like his desired unelected council is if the military conducts another coup. And the only way a coup will happen is to defuse violence street clashes that lead to bloodshed, which would give them a mandate to intervene on behalf of the Thai people.

That being said however this will be the end of the democrats as a threat to the PTP in anything resembling a "one man, one vote" election. They are plunging the country into turmoil just to spite Thaksin and his supporters.

I am no bigger fan of Thaksin than I am of Suthep and as far as I'm concerned they should find a nice quiet place in the desert outside Dubai to have it out, instead of it playing out across the streets of this country and costing the lives of innocent Thai's.

Do calm down.

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Calm down? Hardly a rant is it? In fact, I think this is the most sensible, considered post I've read on TV about what's really going on...

"My point is I felt embarrassed that people would think we are from the same place, as to Thais a white guy is just a farang regardless of what country they are from"

Most Thais aren't stupid and can tell the difference between you and him.

Of course they can, but ALL people can be extremely subjective creatures meaning that they will see what they want to see, or at least in the case of many Thais viewing farangs be quite 'happy' to have 'confirmed' just what their initial take on us was!! (we all like to think we've been proved correct, after all!!)...

This is especially a factor around a place like Pattaya which, let's face it, simply DOES have a higher percent of such foreigners making it their home.. hence one reason why the rip-off tuk-tuk and beach vendors feel 'justified' somehow in often giving us such bad service and striving to relieve us of our dosh, certainly using such things as an excuse they can all self-righteously agree on at least!!!

The original post even says how his girlfriend didn't look happy and yet it had already stated that such a guy would think she won't leave him while he keeps paying.. and clearly he was!!

A vicious circle, I reckon.. Thais get a bad impression of us, some take a real dislike, and guys like this just confirm and perpetuate it.. of course it works the other way round too, when we hear of folks getting bad service and scammed by 'these terrible Thais' and then it happens to you, all this causing a bitterness, dislike and distrust, to sneak in regardless of how many genuinely good folks any of us might meet.. frustrating as hell, the (growing!!) minority screwing up both Thai-Farang perceptions, and therefore relations, but we each just to have to make our own way, try to keep a balanced perspective and understanding, as the deeper issues (and people like these!) are NOT about to simply go away, sadly...

(well that's my 'philosophical' soap-boxing done for today, apologies for the waffle!!...)

Well, we already know house dissolution IS NOT what SUTHEP and his power/ money mad cronies want, (U.D.D.. ha!!!).. as he's already stated, just as neither is any kind of real 'DEMOCRACY' (unless they can be guaranteed a win of course - which ain't going to happen, anyway!!!).. hence, better Yingluck takes this step and pulls the rug from under his feet so that he can't hide behind even his own twisted rhetoric any more!!! Let the country decide!!! F* that the Yellow leaders don't even trust 'their own' people to vote for them.. stop being such c***s, then!!!

Doesn't seem to me like any 'deal' has been done other than not to fight like savages and try and kill each other over the King's birthday!!! All that hugging and smiling, saying "We're all Thais", is just a BS temporary 'climbdown', a typical face-saving pretence knowing full-well that they're still all carrying the same hatred as always which all and sundry will continue to demonstrate (well the masses will continue to show how they blindly follow their 'leaders' like sheep even to the point of becoming totally crazed!!!), after a bit of a nice - respectful, haha!! - street party!!! Suthep's "We've won but you can't go home yet!" speech pretty much shows both his delusional thinking AND his total contempt for his 'own' people (obviously doesn't consider them fellow free citizens!!!) and his refusal to even accept the possibility of a 'real' deal with the PM, such as maybe Yingluck's own resignation and perhaps a house dissolution, also shows his total contempt for (to the point of not even bothering to pretend he cares a f* jot about..!!) what 'democracy' actually even involves!!! The democrats haven't won an election for 20 years and isn't good old Mister Suthep just so aware that they ain't about to win another one, even if a new vote WERE called for tomorrow, hence let's just get 'The Thaksins' out (though that's maybe not a bad idea in itself for the country! - just gotta first 'forget' that the sister is actually head of a DEMOCRATICALLY elected government!!!) and put in some folk that WE want to 'rule' (and so we'll have not just the power but also first dobs on the country's assets and cash - again!!!).. Yeah, that'll be DEMOCRACY, alright!!! NOT!!!!!!!

If there's lots of other farangs about, as someone said like in a city, then I wouldn't particularly think about their presence just as I know they aren't thinking about mine. However, if I'm in some place and see only another person or two I tend to look and smile. Sometimes it comes back, sometimes not. I do think a lot of farangs tend to assume that everyone else is here for the 'usual' 'young ladies paid for' and/ or cheap alcohol reasons and that their own presence/ reasons for being here are the only 'worthy' and sincere ones...

Reconciliation . ... hahaha.

Not sure we are going to see the huge numbers that will force any kind of change, but the day will be interesting if Abhisit and fellow democrat MPs do indeed carry out what was reported yesterday and march to Parliament with a group of supporters and demand to enter Parliament grounds. A potentially dangerous moment that could set things off. One nasty incident and we could have mayhem on the streets with the red army waiting in the wings somewhere.

You would hope that common sense would prevail on all sides, but sadly there isn't much of that around.

The 'leaders' will lead their 'followers' in, as usual to use them as a battering ram against their hated - 'we want our turn in power back!' - opponents and quickly hide away while those poor sheep (who they care nothing about!!), mostly who probably don't have much of a clue what they are protesting about anyway (always more a 'LOVE us HATE WITH ALL YOUR HEART them' mobilisation of the masses really!), quite possibly to come to harm and so those same leaders can pop their heads out again to say,.. "See? We told you what an evil lot they were.. are we not therefore proved righteous again in all things?!!"... Common sense? Common apathy towards the common people by those who wish themselves back in the corridors of power (and more money!) more like!!! Why do you think they send the people in, stating beforehand that it'll be a 'peaceful' demonstration and yet never use their microphones and huge PA systems to tell those same people to cool it or to back off when things go crazy, just to incite!!! Reds and Yellows? Bees and wasps.. they both sting especially in big numbers!!!!!!!...

Take it the 'meeting held at the Chonburi Immigration Office in Soi 5 off Jomtien Beach Road on Thursday to discuss how Pattaya should react to claims that Russian “Mafia” activities in Phuket, which have been much publicized in the press, are also present in Pattaya', was pretty much 'de'-meetinged once the Chief of District stated that Russian “Mafia” activities are not present in Pattaya... end of chat, then, yeah?!

Hitmen? Profiles? Categorizing? Various levels to deal with? Is this a new video game the police will be playing?

Also, if this is being taken in any way seriously how will 'checking their [the hitmens'] relations and movements with close associates – parents, relatives, and friends..' 'enable investigators to know how to more effectively approach their targets'??? Doh! Won't it just alert them to the fact they're being pursued? If, as it seems, the police know who so many of these people are and yet still cannot catch them, then they're going to have to be a wee bit sneakier than knocking on their mums' doors and asking 'Who's your hitman son been bumping off and where's he been hiding out lately?'!!!

Does sound like an overhyped let down by Singha.

A bit like their beer.

As usual it's ALL overhyped and I'm pretty sure the promoting Thais knew or just turned a blind eye to the likelihood of no-shows.. it's a warm up.. a practice game after all!.. RvP didn't even join the squad until later, when they were already in Australia, and due to his early intensive training schedule wasn't set to start the next game either!.. if Singha/ Thailand FA, or whoever else get involved in these 'promotions' really feel the top boys must turn out then they should stipulate it in any contract, which obviously they don't as they know what's the likely reality.. they get some cash anyway, of course - always the main thing! - so there shouldn't be a 'beef' really though I can basically understand some dreamy fans thinking all their PL heroes are going to turn out just for them before spending the next 90 minutes displaying a host of Brazil of the Seventies style footballing wizardry!!.. I'm an Everton supporter but I really don't like to see any of our PL sides get a hammering for not putting out their first teams just to please everyone in these pre-season fixtures.. it ain't going to happen, let's be honest, just as all those much-vaunted other sporting events here don't have all the top guys involved, whoever's picture they put up on the posters!!!

"Such things will not affect the relationship between the government and the military,"Yingluck said, adding that everything in Thailand nowadays seems to be turned into a political issue one way or another.

Erm-----

The PM doesn't instantly get what she wants for big bruv and so has a stress which is basically 'F*** me, why's everything turned into a political issue when you're Prime Minister?'!!! Mmmmm... good one.. .. right person for the job, ya'll reckon, if she doesn't even get that incy wincy little implication as per her remit, at least???

BANGKOK: -- After discovering that Luang Pu Nenkham Chattigo, who also goes by the moniker Phra Weerapol Sukpol, spent Bt95 million to buy 22 Mercedes Benz cars, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will also investigate to see if the monk was part of a money-laundering racket.

Buddha bless this stinking dude to HELL,.... Where the hell did he get the money from???

Not hard to suss where the dosh came from.. a lot of money goes into 'the temple' as 'organised' religious institutions throughout the world; donations as per the size of the guilty consciences seeking redemption not to mention those using such 'fronts' to further their own agendas of power, wealth and greed.. As for 'HELL', more a concept of a dark realm you could find yourself in, in Buddhism.. seriously bad karma, ongoing lack of making merit and all that.. think this guy's pretty screwed in that sense and when he comes back as an earwig next time round and gets half-squished underfoot some old beggar's smelly old sandal he'll probably be REALLY sorry about the 22 mercs, private jets, designer gear and all that!.. as I said, probably...

Here here to mandatory insurance. When I worked in the hotel trade here the amount of our guests who didn't have either and, when the sh*t hit the fan, seemed to feel that it was the both the hotel's and Thailand's responsibility to dig them out of situation they found themselves in at no cost to themselves.

I just returned from a trip home and the all singing and dancing travel insurance price was negligible.

Basically if you're dumb enough to travel without insurance you'd do the world a favour by staying at home.

Agree totally.. what other 'argument' is there really? There is just NO excuse for not having any insurance.. my only concern of first reading of the new 'policy' was if the requirement would be to get travellers to buy insurance from within Thailand, meaning a money-spinner and the potential for lots of scamming and cheapie versions.. ARRIVING with insurance already in place is just how it should be.. a no-brainer.. as you say folks without it shouldn't travel.. full stop!!!

Guess If he had pictures of JC and a few crucifix's plastered all over his bike -would that would be OK, but then of course some would want a few passages from the Koran to make it right or some other weird and wonderful mumbo jumbo - so what ever turns you on is ok but it's all bullsh1t anyway.

And why run the guy down - if that's what he wants to believe then just leave it at that as it shouldn't hurt you in anyway unless of course your belief is the only true path or what ever nonsensical clap-trap you want to believe with any other ideas being way wrong (in your view).

Don't get so into yourself or so serious! Sometimes you just gotta laugh!! Also, f* any 'one true path'.. not sure where you're even going with that! (up the garden path, mebbee?).. a guy, even a policeman, carrying a gun and thinking the elements and/or spirits are on his side, isn't someone I want to bump into late one night on my little Honda Click!!!...