wyynduff

Don't Bad mouth the TAT, it is only the birds that land in Thailand, they will count, they don't cheat.

The TAT does promote and maintain the real culture in Thailand, with it main goal being selling rich peoples resorts and other tourist invented activities. This newly found marketing niche to promote the banks and credit card services, to get more high interest debt for Thai people, who can not afford to pay cash, for their travel is an inspirational idea.. any company stores would be proud of it.

I guess the TAT has learned to judge themselves by quality marketing, and the amount of real GDP it can help raise, not just by foreign currencies it can bring to Thailand, but heads in beds, and loans on credit cards. It is good to see what was once, a sadly run "authority", clean up its act after the shame of some nasty foreign government high officials, dare to be accused Thai government officials, of accepting bribes and how dear their foreign owned company suggest good Thai people would demand a bribe., The Thai officials and her family only offered assistance, should ones daughter be paid for the work she does. The nerve expecting poor Thai people to work for free.

Now the TAT has learned it lesson, they call it "partnering" and only do it with respectable Thai companies, like financial institutions. No fear that of foreign countries governments, whistle blowing on them, is there? It does really help the travel industry long term! It means the Thai owned companies have customers in their beds and more creditors on their books. Thai banks and bank owners do own resorts, do they not? What is the TAT suppose to do if it is not to help Thai companies sell their services, it is travel related debt and interest, is it not. . By the way check out "Cascades" the resort in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai if you out that way, truly beautiful and perhaps you might get some sound financial Thai advise while there. I had the honour to meet the owner, one very early morning. But pity about their full sized billboard on the scenic Mae Rim valley road. But its true "world best" marketing isn't it!

Why only fast food restaurants? While I believe it should be up to the business whether they offer that service or not, if you are going to require it, why not require it at every food service facility? What about at my local Thai owned restaurant where I don't have the choice of just buying a drink at 7?

A sit down restaurant is a bit different as you don't have a choice but for fast food? Also doesn't make much sense when it applies only to the relatively more expensive restaurants. Maybe if you can't afford to buy a drink with your Big Mac or don't like the price you should take your money and buy 4 meals for the same price just a short walk away.

Is this free water available only to customers or anybody who walks in?

Maybe you can walk to the fast food restaurant after you have eaten in your "local Thai owned restaurant" and get a glass there, I am sure they would not mind. After all they are there for the public good, right?

Thailand is famous for their free offers.

I didn't know the army paid that well!

Who said it was her life savings?

It doesn't seem they are that bright, if they got caught and stole from the army or the police in Thailand, where is the honor?

Were they giving extra money back to the government when they were raking in crap tons of cash and taking tourists for all they're worth? Rise and fall with the tide.

And attract tourists with a Lanna festival in BANGKOK??? Oh, look there's a Lanna festival in BKK, let's go to Thailand for vacation...

That is an Idea set out so well connected northern Thailand tourist businesses can over charge the government to attend and promote there businesses. It is an idea of the larger and more politically aware operators who will reap the rewards and assure their place in the Thai peeking order of old boys club. It has nothing to do with promoting foreign tourists, just trying to bring the BKK people back as visitors, who no longer want to support "Red Chiang Mai". Remember CNX was well supported by central Thai tourists in spite you could not see them but they used too greatly out number the western tourist.

I think you may also find that northernthailand.com has some good ideas of where to go and what to see. I personally recommend a you try bungy jumping in Chiang Mai. As well a river cruise may be nice or if you like the wet a trek is good.

Oh my god. No wonder when I asked peeople in Thailand with 13 years of education

and did not recognise such names as Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, Dalai Lama and

Gandi. Could not point where Europe was or where the USA was. Could not tell me

a single planet in the Universe.

Most can't point to where Thailand is on a map of the world.

It seems to me that if it ain't Thailand it ain't taught, that's why everyone is so nationalistic and farangs are not important.

Most of the well educated attend schools abroad. Singapore, Uk etc.

It's hard to learn when you're not allowed to question.

I'm considering pulling my daughter out of school.

She's been there two years and still can't read numbers 1-10 if you jumble them around.

She can sing plenty of songs though.

It just seems a waste of money to me...

If someone does not think there is a problem with The Thai education system by western standards, they must be blind.

It was set up to keep people in their economic place and to create ample field workers who expect little and demand less. The rich and powerful want it that way, and they send their children to private schools and foreign schools to get a better education and assure them their "rightful place" in the Thai society. Why is it the westerners can not think for themselves, do they think because it is suppose to be the same for everyone in the west. that it is how the Chinese-Thai and rich Thai want it here?

Blame the tests for being too hard or the teachers to uneducated but past governments gutted the education by taking them from a very respected profession to a job with little future and less respect than it ever had before.

With all the horror stories I've seen here regarding painters, I'm happy to report a very positive experience with a group called NewLook IPD (Interior Paint & Design) here in Chiang Mai. They not only arrived on time, worked full days and carefully protected things like my wall to wall carpeting but they also thoroughly cleaned up after themselves! The result was a perfect makeover - one I'd recommend to anyone who appreciates attention to detail with virtually no headaches. 'Worth every satang!

Yes please contact me too, with the contact details if possible.