zydeco

In one respect the article is correct. There is some very good young talent in Thailand. But it's not the government's fault that they cannot find distribution for their product. The fact is that the current broadcasting and exhibition models in Thailand work--they make a profit, which, of course, is the bottom line. Thai people are happy with their soaps and, to a lesser extent, Thai cinema. Until they get bored and migrate to someone willing to offer an alternative on, say, one or two of the digital HD channels, nothing will change. Why should it? Why go through the expense of changing things when you're already profitable.

The other idea mentioned by the article would be a catastrophe. Limiting exhibition or broadcast of foreign (they mean American, mainly) productions would put Thailand in the crosshairs. Foreign production would pull out of Thailand--it's connected. And if foreign production goes, there goes a lot of work for prestige production companies like Living Films and less prestigious but even more work heavy companies like Grand Elephant. Not to mention the scores of mainly foreign owned or backed production service companies operating in Thailand. Take those companies out and you kill the industry in this country.

Couldn't quite put the 'Thai' in 'Thai-American' boyfriend, could ya TV?

TVF certainly does slant towards being anti-American. But in this case, I think the headline is from CB, which itself is even more hardline anti-American.

What in the world, does the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City have to do with the topic of a news article about a military exercise in Thailand?

Talk about going off topic....

The conspiracy theorists do something similar in just about every thread concerning the US.

After watching the staff at the airport on episode 2 they all seem to appear as immature kidults, constantly laughing and larking about, more interested in candy crush, their smart phones and doing each others hair than anything. I thought the big fat ladyboy was quite embarrassing telling viewers to say sawadee' ka' instead of khrap. Yes it's all smiles until they get confronted with a real problem, then everything changes. On camera of course they do their best, apart from the sulky resentfully looking tourist Police again, they clearly come out badly even on camera.

That poor young woman with the Tourist Police is dealing with a human zoo everyday. A zoo full of people who should never be allowed outside of their own country. Drunken drug abusers, on one hand. Incompetent, inconsiderate blowhards who feel entitled to treat the Tourist Police like their own private travel agency, on the other hand. I would rather spend all day with any member of the Thai staff, except maybe for the VAT ladyboy, than two minutes with any of those British/Australian travelers.

you got to be kidding right?

why don't we just invite the North Koreans while we are at it.

i wonder if the Thais cleared this with the US military before inviting the commies and their "disaster relief and peoples support exercises" bulls*it?

"we" ?

you hold Thai citizenship?

"We" in this case also refers to the United States, which is the major organizer behind Cobra Gold. So, yes, "we," meaning American citizens, certainly do have a right to question the appropriateness of Chinese participation--even if it was authorized by both the Thais and the US.

Didn't realise that The US now had sovereignty over Thailand.

Not over Thailand but over Cobra Gold it most certainly does. Without the US, there is NO Cobra Gold. Remember, the Thais were worried that the US would move Cobra Gold to the Philippines or Australia. That tells you all you need to know about who is in charge.

The exercise is held in Thailand so I am sure that Thailand can invite any of her friends she likes. Wasn't the U.S pulling out of the exercise anyway.

No, Thailand cannot do so. It is a US-Thai co-sponsored exercise with multinational participation. https://www.facebook.com/ExerciseCobraGold

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

Don't ya think you're splitting hairs there a little bit? Get a grip man.

Ever stop to think that this isn't about you and it isn't about me. It's about the average taxi customer--who happens to be Thai. For them, being robbed of an extra 8 baht (20 baht for the longer round trip back) per day just might be a significant impact over a month. You need at least to try and see the world through the eyes of others. Several threads in the past have addressed this matter. It's always the little expat prigs who can only see the (crooked) taxi side and who are utterly blind to the impact on somebody pushing along for around 10-15k per month.

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

Wow, an 8 baht increase over 5 years, should we organise a whip round for you? Traffic congestion would easily account for that huge increase.

I often wonder about the sad, bitter and lonely lives I see exhibited on this board. I make an utterly neutral comment, and you feel compelled to grunt out a personal insult. Over nothing. A friend of mine who looks in on this board occasionally always tells me the comments go down in quality the longer the day goes by and the bars stay open.

Have any of the allegedly educated ever read the book "The Ugly American"? I have. "The Ugly American" was an ironic comment about a character who went out, helped the common people, got his hands dirty and was not one of the "Beautiful Americans" that do the Embassy circuit, the hiso gatherings and all that. If someone wishes to call me an "Ugly American" I will say "If you are referring to the character in the book described as "the ugly American", I will take that as a compliment.

The OP references the Brando film, not the book. And the film is as depicted in the OP.

Of course the reds are upping the pressure, they want to be ready when the power grabbing race will be opened again.

The more unstable the country is, the more chances the reds will have when the day comes.

Actually destabilizing the country was Suthep's plan, and, with the help of the military, it worked like a dream.

The people you refer to as "reds" have consistently "grabbed" power in elections, which is why some people oppose them and democracy.

They are called "reds," because that is what they are. They wear Red Shirts and the Red Shirt organization has at its core leadership people who are Communists and allies of members of the Khmer Rouge.

The US never learn...not even when is living in a totally "New World" and "Global Economy".....In the 60's and 70's with the excuse to win the Cold War with Russia, the US/CIA get into internal affairs in democratic countries in South America replacing Democratic Governments with Military Dictatorships, killing thousand of innocent people in the way....Chile, Argentina, Brazil.... thousands of innocent people. Others have to get into exile to save its lives.

After 50 years of control and corruption, even with the end of the Cold War, those countries, and most South America countries are now elected Democratic Socialist Governments, doing better economically without the US help, and getting into alliances with Russia, China, etc. Mexico is getting close to that, even with so close connection with the US. Sure, the US propaganda never will admit that.....like never will admit that the US is making a mess getting into Muslim countries now...killing more this time...and its own people.

The US sub-estimated South America, and it doing the same with Asia...and its will have a surprise again...Prayut Government was not imposed by any foreign "CIA"....and its is very Thai...foreigners like it or not. Prayut becomes a very popular leader. His lack of Politic "education" may be not good for PR with other politicians...but.....he connects very well with PEOPLE...and Thailand, like any country in the World, belongs to its PEOPLE, and Prayut will become an elected PM if he runs for it. No doubts about, and better to the US understand that.

Apparently, you haven't looked lately. Venezuela and Brazil are a mess. Argentina just saw a prosecutor murdered because he was about to testify that the country's president is in bed with Iran and covering up an Iranian terror attack in Buenos Aires against a Jewish cultural center 20 years ago. South America is more full of despots, rogues, killers, and terrorists than at any time in its history. Some progress.

Now i see a problem with the usual self righteous thai bashers.

Here's the deal. If you have been reading this forum long enough you would know that the shinawatras aren't loved here and the fact that they have chinese blood in them makes it even worse.

Then you have america supporting the shinawatras and questioning the present thai govt which causes the US to be bashed and that's a big no no here it's just the typical farang reaction obviously. It's also not a coincidence that the ones that support america and the rest of the west happen to be anti thaksin/shinawatra so now they are in a fix. Thaksin being chinese = china and an american official asking for a fair trial and getting bashed by the thai side well they cannot support the american side now cos that means supporting thaksin and the chinese side.

Off your med's again? "The shinawatras aren't loved" err sorry mate but you are so far off the mark it's almost sad, how do you think they keep wining elections if they are not loved? and please not the buying votes BS.

"It's also not a coincidence that the ones that support America and the rest of the west happen to be anti thaksin/shinawatra so now they are in a fix"

Do you even live here mate? or just a once a year type guy? that thinks he knows it all? You don't have a clue really now do ya.

I live in a very red area and until the coup OVERTLY red with banners, posters and even large cardboard figures of YL on the highway but they've all gone.

My local mom and pop store used to have pictures of Mr. T etc at the front of the store but as soon as martial law was announced they were moved to the corner of the back wall and cannot be seen from the outside. Probably prudent since the store is about 100 yds from one of the entrances to an army camp.

The love for the Shins is still there and will come out into the open as soon as the time's right and they are free to express themselves.

Yep, sounds like Stalin's Soviet Union or Mao's China, which is exactly what the Reds wanted, especially with the Communists and allies of the Khmer Rouge as the core of their leadership.

No mention of who McD's has marketed to over the past couple of decades. Used to be, back in the 70s and 80s, it was sold as a place for families, especially with young children. Of late, it has deliberately chosen to seek an "urban" clientele. McDonald's essentially became ghetto food. Too many videos going around, too, of "urban" costumers assaulting each other and beating up people so they can move to the front of the line. I've never eaten at a McDonald's in my life. And with today's image--the restaurant of choice for the would-be gangsta--I never will.

Russel looks like what he is. A soft, pudgy little prig. A message boy for a government in Washington DC that fouls up each and every single foreign policy initiative it embarks on. Would Libya be better off with its "dictator," who had started to change and shift towards the US? What about Egypt? Could have saved several thousand lives, not to mention the Christian Coptic Church, had the US backed its ally, instead of the Muslim Brotherhood. And even Syria? Syria was at least stable and susceptible to diplomatic pressure before virtually everything crumbled into anarchy. Obama thinks the entire world should function just like a combination of New York City and Chicago, with all the depravity and greed of the former and all the fancied up corruption and violence of the latter.

Switzerland? For doing what? Inventing the cuckoo clock?

That would be an unpaid holiday, right?

Whatever happened to Thai democracy, one thing I know. Yingluck's narcissism will live forever.

Now, I know why so many British get into trouble over here. My God, passed out drunk in the terminal BEFORE they get on the plane.

As far as I'm concerned, almost all of the UK is a no-go zone. Wet, cold, dreary weather. Bad food at too high prices. Not very friendly either. At this point, I don't care if it's muslim or not. I'm not going. Leave'em to their fate.

Why are there so many cynical people on TV.?

A350 modern airplane equaly as good if not better than any boeing plane.

If it is not American its rubbish some people think.

Remember Concord? because it was not American, it took years before the yanks allowed it to fly to America.

No American airline would order it.

Now Airbus is giving Boeing a run for there money Yanks are not happy.

The Concorde was a white elephant, a money loser that was too expensive to maintain and fly as well as creating noise pollution, which is why it was prohibited from flying within the US. An utter folly.