eddie61

Rather myopic news article.

Indeed sir... The new Chinese regional city of Sansha in the Spratly islands, as well as the process of democratization in Myanmar might open the eyes.

Whichever party is in power, the US does have some vital strategic interests in Thailand.

It has consistently disregarded the call for democracy and transparency in Thai politics over the last 50 years, in favour of kleptocrats and demagogues.

The grant of a visa to Mr T is a hedge.

Very wise....

Yes, the US, but not only the US. Europe has great financial interest here, and calling the kettle black in this potboiler is only more hypocrisy.

You misunderstand me: Europe is too f..ed to look for issues beyond its borders. Mr T probably does read the papers, and realises that it is the US that is telling the world about its Pivot. Great opportunity for the great opportunist to make political hay while the sun shines.

Rather myopic news article.

Indeed sir... The new Chinese regional city of Sansha in the Spratly islands, as well as the process of democratization in Myanmar might open the eyes.

Whichever party is in power, the US does have some vital strategic interests in Thailand.

It has consistently disregarded the call for democracy and transparency in Thai politics over the last 50 years, in favour of kleptocrats and demagogues.

The grant of a visa to Mr T is a hedge.

Very wise....

Don't think you will see many international school educated kids as clerks and shopkeepers/workers in Bkk. Might get some, but not many.

No, the few that I've met seem to spend most of their free time spending their parents' money but I was not actually saying the clerks and shopkeepers were international school students. I know it's a bit early so perhaps you misread my post.

Well, if given the choice between English, Mandarin and Thai, what would you all chose?

If given the choice between English, Spanish and Welsh, what would you chose?

No disrespect to minority languages, but they are minority languages........it is a mathematical certainty that eventually they will cease to exist, quaint as they are, and sad as that may be.

Vive la France!

Thailand's policy is to establish the country as a regional centre for education. This means a significant expansion of facilities to attract students from around the world."

..............a hub!

"We plan to provide a total 'British university' experience here for graduate and post-graduate studies

Oh dear! Do the locals realise what the total British university experience is?

"In phase one, we want to build a student population of 5,000. Of this number, about 20 per cent will come from Europe, as many have expressed interest in coming here.

1000 European uni students descending on Thailand to ..'study'! Mostly coming from the UK no doubt. I bet on reading this the people at the British embassy responsible for prison visits are having palpitations.

Him hab good idea! Make thailan hub for satudy abroad for peepen no hab place in englit unibersity, dey come here satudy.

"once we’ve identified dangerous areas, implemented the necessary technology and coordinated our efforts – is to strictly enforce the law in accordance with the wishes of Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung"

It is wonderful that it depends on the wishes of a tainted interior minister to strictly enforce the law, rather than on duty, and probably a sworn oath to the sovereign

Dream on silly man, talk to the Dwarf first - will never happen

Chalerm will actually have rid the tourism industry of mafia before this happens. Or maybe the mafia will go home, because there wont be a tourism industry worth getting excited about.

50,000 baht reward money was divided up among the police investigators who worked on the successful investigation.

LOL

Truly truly bad people, They harmed the tourist industry and made Thailand lose face in the eyes of foreigners.....

Waiting for U-tapao to be redeveloped for charter airlines: common sense may finally prevail, but the Navy will want a cut of the action, along with Air Force at DM

Prostitution in a Bar in Pattaya? I wouldn't expect that

That is absolutely absurd: the girls go upstairs to play chess with customers

And the important thing, above all else, is the "the Image" of the country. The reality of lawlessness and shortcuts for profit are completely irrelevant...

Answers please.......just answers. This is a diabolical torture for their families, get the pathologists in and find out, now. Fly in Canadian pathologists to assist.

We can do without conspiracy theories, just answers.

Please.

i'd be offended seeing her in a skimpy outfit too.

You might do, but would you make a federal case about it, as the government of Thailand is doing?

Pilicock sat on pilicock hill! and we pay the taxes

I do not think Thailand is ready for this, let them solve the flood problems first and learn Thai to drive. Such a railway is asking for many problems and a need of thousants of security personel.

I agree... sounds dangerous. At least drivers wont flee the scene at 300kmh

methinks the proud little man of Dubai, yes the same man who would lift parked cars off Bangkok's congested streets with Chinooks, won't let his brain fart be consigned to the dustbin of history, which it richly deserves.

why doesn't he do something useful with his time, such as research cold fusion

seems theres not much to do in pattaya during the day........my friends can`t ride big bikes so cant really go touring that much.....go karting will only last so many hours......so i came with the idea of shooting range for a another event.....

what is there to do in pattaya besides geting drunk at a bar and sleaze around????? maybe watch what a tiffany show.........then??? your not going to swim at that dirty beach , your not going to go buy copied cds or knuckle dusters(maybe one or two cds) ....no where to relax with flooding tourist from chinese , korean , to russians........

so what do you locals do??? besides golfing...

Andy

Fishing at one of the many fishing parks can be fun

perfidious french

Lots of expats like Thailand because of the relatively low cost of living. Ever wondered how that works?

yes it works

Prat

seconded

Shenzhen Scope and the Shinawatra administration deserve each other, a match made under the mandate of heaven.

Sad but predictable! So predictable.

Also quite funny unless you pay taxes....

It is sad in a way.

The 3 girls who bared their breasts in Songkhran exuberation last year did more for tourism in Thailand than 1000's of bureaucrats.

It is a reflection of Thailand's problem: too many bureaucrats, with too much power, and too little brain. Thailand will remain poor as long as this Kleptobureaucracy remains in power.

Fire a civil servant and make Thailand a better place

OK, so he was foolish and broke the law, but so are the police breaking the law in their attempt to extort him.

His options are:

1) Pay up the 20,000B.

2) Go with less money and sob stroy, negotiate i.e. down to 5,000B or 10,000B (have 20,000B just incase they refuse to negotiate).

3) Report the passport lost / stolen at police station (on the other side of town) and get a police report. Re-apply for passport at his embassy. Go out to the airport (his port of entry) and get re-stamped (he'll need to remember the day he arrived).

The risk with option 3 is that they might have already alerted the authorities that your friend is facing charges, but unlikely if they are trying to extort him.

In his shoes I would not be willing to go to the police station. For options 1 and 2 he should send a friend to arrange a meeting place (i.e. the first restaurant you met them in).

i would go for option 2@5000 baht cash and no story/embassy involvement.

at the same time, prepare option 3.

option unspoken is when you have left Thailand, tell your friends to go to cambodia or myanmar instead of Thailand.

I think that anyone who's lived here more than a few months knows getting irate in a situation like that in Thailand, in public, is not going to come out in your favor. No offense to the security guards, but they weren't hired for having the mental capacity to make judgement calls in cases like that, deciding that Behan's balloons weren't most likely NOT going to be used in a terroristic manner, especially given the fact his daughter was right there with him.

They are told "no flammables" and then follow the rules, regardless. I know, I've been stopped for trying to carry rubber cement once and another time engine cleaner. Once just took the bus home because I was only a few stops away. The other, I beg and pleaded, in Thai, to let me on, the canisters were sealed, etc... No joy! Frustrated, I just left the cans on his little table and walked into the station.

I feel sorry for Behan, but from the video, he was getting hostile with them, and they were following the rules, technically.

But I want to pose a question: Why not just confiscate people's lighters (and matches) ?? Or at a minimum, follow the rules completely, Nothing quite as flammable as a cigarette lighter! Makes it tough to set other flammable materials on fire with out a fire source.

How about patting everyone down before entrance to check for flammables?? Strip searches??

Funny thing about this incident is that the MRT checks my bag every time, but I've never had my bag checked on the BTS, granted I don't use it that often.

So, just to be clear, the guards are so concerned about the safety of the passengers they refuse entrance to someone carrying balloons, but let anyone with a bag on their back carry whatever they want onto the trains?? And don't stop people from bringing highly flammable lighters as well??

I think all these security measures are just another example of how the "powers that be" want to give the public the appearance of safety, when in reality they only inconvenience, unnecessarily, the public they are trying to protect, and doing that without really adding any additional security. And this is not a problem exclusive to this country, but have become pervasive throughout the world.

The best way forward for both parties to admit their respective mistakes. It clearly was a cultural clash between different educational doctrines: one values critical thought, the other values hierarchical dogma. Both have their value, and both have their flaws. Say Sorry to each other and move on!