hardy1943

As if bombing Porntiva's family business can't be seen as political?

An easy target to disgruntle or shake up Newins faction a notch.

Even if most things are aimed at the Dems, Bhum Jai is certainly on the

get'm list of the reds.

Might very well be an opportunistic attempt to getrid of competition. Massage parlor operators are hardly pillars of society with great business ethics.

Can anyone else imagine a country where the commerce minister's family business is a massage parlour? I love this country!!!!

Blame that on the REDS TOO

Woo now I know why the red shirts are here. It is too hot back home

Better yet blame the hot weather on the REDS too

The PAD did not close the airport.

Hahahaha it never grows old, funny to see that even politicians are using it now and defending the yellow.

Lets do this, lock up the yellow and red shirts, everyone of them and get on with our life.

P.s Sondhi did not even show up for his court case, isnt that slandering the justice system as well? Something everybody talks about over the red shirts. And i don't even know how that guy can still be walking free as he should have gotten the death penalty for remarks he made over the RF when he was drunk.

Let these guys protest it is their right, nothing will come from it though and if they win the yellow shirts will come out again.

we are living in a cartoon here..

Yes we are! Put them all in a barrel, pull them out, they all look the same have the same the goal to help themselves only.

But what do they do in the other 6-8 months of the year? Rice farming is not steady work. At least half of the year there is nothing to do with their crops. Perhaps conditions are different in Southern Isaan. My wife's village is in Surin.

Please note, I am not making judgments or saying they are lazy. I am simply stating that there is very little for them to do once they have reached the age of about 50 as their bodies are bent and broken from farming. At 50 they look like they are 70. Also, before the age of 50 there is very little to do for much of the year if they are a farming family.

The young men will usually go off to do itinerant construction work, mostly in Bangkok or the surrounding areas. If they are lucky they might find something a little closer to home.

Yes it is the conditions in the northern Issan (Nakhon Phanom and North of Nakhon Phanom). Except a small band along the Mekong, the soil is of poor quality. My In Law family lives at 15km from Mekong: the one yearly crop of rice is of poor quality, the drought is severe, the soil can feed only few cows: so not everybody has cows and buffalos. When not farming the rice, they are fishing (hunting except few snakes nothing left), making basket. My father in law spend its time fishing in a small lake (in average 2 or 3 small fish per day). The village is empty except week end.

Young men try to find a job elsewhere (Bangkok)... This is the situation

I live in a village in Issaan. The wife's family are spread out around neighbouring villages and some have moved to another province in the region. Whichever village I have visited, the one thing that strikes me is that (with some notable exceptions) every one works. Not all are farmers. Some buy glass, aluminium and cardboard to sell fo re-cycling, others make sweets and sell them door to door in the village, others still sell any surplus produce they may have in the local markets. Irrespective of their age, everybody has at least one business to do if times are slow on the farm. The only people round here who do not work are those who are either physically or mentally incapable of doing any work.

Many young people from this village seek work in industrial towns when there is nothing for them to do on the farm; some work abroad.

The notable exceptions are those young women who have been fortunate enough to be "sponsored" by a farrang - usually by two or more farrangs.

The state does not take care of the elderly now and it is not going to do so in the foreseeable future. The burden will continue to rest with the family.

Thank you another great post.

Where are all they airheads today? Drunk please have another bottle.

I know that none of these up and coming old folk chose to be born into a 5th world country but why is this making news.

I mean they don't pay 'sfa' tax in their lives, so how can they expect benefits from the govt.

And just thing where would many of these old codgers be if they hadn't got their daughters (and a good few of their sons) fitted up with western men.

Every bad negative thing that Thai's experience has been caused by Thai's.

These 'chok wows' currently demolishing the very structure of the realm who are they helping (who do they think they are helping) but a convicted criminal.

I see you again after my holiday

And after we all go down the road crying about the old Thai's not getting a benefit why doesn't give some thought to the fact that we practically wiped Japan and Germany off the may. Do you hear them bleating. ??

Both the aforementioned countries are populated by doers and not a bunch of whining people who think that have been dealt a bad hand.

Even Vietnam is way ahead of the realm despite all the napalm etc.

Thailand has had more than 700 years (they are so proud of telling us) never been colonised. That was / is no thanks to them.

They would all been speaking Japanese now if it hadn't the allies come to their aid and still doing so with double pricing etc. OK Thailand had a bit of an underground but if it hadn't been for the yanks, the limeys, the dutch, the Ozies and the Kiwis. there would not even be a country called Thailand.

I can not beleive it actually people with brain here today.

Well put thank you so much.

The Revenge of The Reds.....................

As the elderly elites age they will come to rely more and more upon their caregivers that have historically come from the North.

Will these northerners leave the shrivelled elites to sit in their feces? So many scenarios. The lesson is that one should be kind to all as we never know when we may need the kindness returned.

Thank you so much could not agree more.

Finally someone here that has more then air between their ears.

Thank you so much who ever you are.

Great...

Why stop there? Take over the airport and really show them. Oh, forgot the........ already did that.

"Foreigners should know Thai culture strictly forbids nakedness and nudeness and respect should be the order."

euh... this is THE land of prostitution of the planet earth

but nakedness and nudeness is forbidden...

PLEASE stop all the GO GO bars and prostitution parlours or stop your hypocrisy

joke or not, story and reactions here show again how original, well mannered, intelligent and tasteful many representatives of the great superior farang culture are.

Best topic posted here for ages instead of articles from the famous FISH WRAPPERS The Nation and Bangkok Post

It's amazing that this found it's way into the media and wasn't censored or ohtherwise suppressed.

Something is changing in Thailand. To the good.

Great news for a Buddhist state to be that open.Hope more openness and honesty from now on.Also great police work

not turning a blind eye like many in the Western world do toward the C......Church.

I'd go further than a tax increase! Make it a law that beer-bars and go-go clubs in Pattaya serve only tea, coffee and soft drinks!

and the girls ware long pants and sweaters ha ha ha

The wording of the article seems a little biased, but the school would not have been closed unless it was guilty of something. Perhaps they were complicit in not reporting students in violation of their visas. I believe schools must assure that foreign students are attending classes etc.

It basically sounds like a fake school where you paid the fee and they signed off on paperwork filed with the Feds.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/05/1513...-officials.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/us/05fraud.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...MsKZ1gD9E833P00

"Menocal and Macia were charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the U.S., and Menocal faces other charges including falsifying immigration documents, according to a grand jury indictment."

...

"Of the approximately 200 students enrolled at Florida Language Institute in each of the past three years, only 5 percent regularly attended class, he said. The school offered classes to help international students improve their English skills.

Menocal and Macia failed to report to authorities, as required by the post-9/11 rules, that the vast majority of the Miami school's students were not coming to class, according to the indictment.

"It's a systemic failure to report to class, not a vacation day here and there," Mangione said.

Oh, youtube video of the news report:

I came from Germany many years ago and attented US schools , the bend over backward to help me but I never missed a class. We all know the Thai Culture expecially the government workers, maybe tomorrow, or next week or never.

Thailand has strong reserves, and that tends to prop up currencies. However, it has political uncertainty and neighbors who are become more attractive for FDI, and those tend to drive down currencies.

With weakening of the dollar, pound, and euro, the baht has gained against them. But against the yen and yuan, it has weakened a little. But it probably should still be a little weaker yet when future economic viability is considered.

The baht is where it is because the major currencies are weakening, has little to do with BOT or rice where Vietnam competes with lower production costs.

The US$ index is at 80.74 the same as it was last year in July,

the low was Dec 1 2009 at 74.10 It make a different in the exchange rate with the Euro and the Pound but has never made any sense with the Thai Baht.You figure???

Not short enough!

Lets blame that on the RED SHIRTS too.

I think the red shirts rally was responsible for the global economic downturn, the high value of the baht, global warming, the yellows occupying the airport. The rising cost of fuel, my inability to putt a ball properly, unexpected credit card bills, polution in Chiang Mai etc.

Of course but you forgot the draught

Foreign investors are generally happy to invest in countries with high levels of corruption, so I do see the point.

If that is the case acording to Bloomberg Thailand be the place in Asia to invest and Great Britain in Western Europe.Acording to Bloomberg Germany is the least corrupt and Great Briton to my surprise the most.

they must be taking a leaf out gordon brown/labours book in the uk,who have declared a class more against the conservation public school boys party who are out for the upper classes first and foremost..

pretty similar to here

and the conservative and dem leaders both went to eton

I hope David Cameron wins the next UK election. It will mean good ties between the UK and Thailand. Eton has produced some really great leaders and I think Khun Abhisit, given the chance will do a lot for this country.

Two most important countries in this world.Both drive on the left side.The rest of world on the right.Oh forgot that makes them so special.

Well it's silly to cancel at the end of the day unless it was the yellows protesting since they have blessed approval to take over airports/govt buildings.

True.The reward for that stupidity? Let them run the country.

AMAZING THAILAND

good for him drugs here its a serious offense now for him not possible to come back Thailand

THE BOYS BKK must be proud over this major bust.

Why is it posted here? To show everyone this is LA LA LAND

I Guess Mr. T would not be a part of the Elite Class they are struggling against.

From my 17 years of watching Thai Politics , it has always been about anything BUT helping the Poor, hence , they are still Poor.

It all has to do with who you know or what you have.

GREED ??

I wonder , do these people know what HYPOCRITES are ?

Can somebody pay everyone to go home please ?

It does not matter who is in power here Greed and Corruption rules.

Bloomberg has this country for 10 years as one of the most corrupt country in Asia 8 years they where #1 the other 2 #2

This guy right now was born not with a silver spoon in his mouth

but platinum and diamonds hanging all over him, talk about spoiled elite,

he has not idea how some have to live in Issan or any place else .

We all should try to live on 1500 Baht a month like many do ,if that much.We all would not have such a big mouth and know it all attitude.

He so out of touch with reality.This forum a few years ago was great it is becoming a joke also.

What will the world think of this on top of the airport being blockaded previously and all the problems people had that could not get back home and to there jobs.

A lawyer I know from Australia had this problem while on his honeymoon in Thailand, as it was he had to beg his boss to give him 1 week off work. Then he was stuck in Thailand, eventually getting a bus south, the price was negotiated for the bus. A few hundred Kilometers out of Bangkok everyone was ordered off the bus, to continue they had to pay again, then this happened once more before reaching there destination.

The current goings on in Thailand have caused very few problems so far, unlike the previous protest.

If you travel to places like Cambodia and Malaysia and China and ask them what they think you get a simple answer: Nuts! or Crazy! or things I can't say here.

I am not trying to spam or generate a heated discussion or whatever..........this is the response I have been getting (for at least four years now).

What I want is what is best for ALL of the people and not a wealthy few.......red, yellow, or whatever color.

The internal rural-urban conflict is seriously hurting Thailand........its economic growth, its reputation in the world.

I am not sure if I can say this, but in my country if you fart the wrong way you are not going to be elected to anything.

This seems to be very different from the situation in Thailand......you can read between the lines.

Chok Dee

It use use to be Ah You lives in Thailand.Now from my relatives in Germany

a chuckle Ah you live in LaLa land it seems to be unthinkable to anyone else that this could happend. Here mai ben rai

The 'uneducated buffoons' are the product of successive governments' failure to invest in education. Now the elites are to some extent being bitten on the bum for their (deliberate) failure.

It's a great shame the elites do not and did not have the wit to realise that a well educated populace would create a much higher GDP and, while the said elites would probably get a smaller share of the pot, they would still be at least as well off as they are now.

Look at what happened in Spain after the Franco dictatorship was overthrown. Education (amongst other things) improved and the economy expanded massively. Everyone benefitted. No this is NOT comparing the current Thai gov.t with Franco's Spain; and no, I don't admire ex premier and convicted criminal Thaksin one little bit either.

Really who really cares yellow shirt red shirt we are all guest here.

When I came here in 2004 we called Thailand LOS on Thaivisa. We Yanks got about 42 Baht per US$, Germans about 52+ per Euro you Britts about73+ and Thai prices where about 33% then they are now. Now I have

to be scared to go to BKK, or lots of other places not back in 2004

I came here to retire and have a wonderful Thai wife and her relatives.

Most of you on this side must be Britts you just love this guy.

You must also love then to get 48 or next week 46 Baht per pound.

I like to spend the rest of my life here peacefully do not care who is in power, whish they quit name calling and fighting among brothers.Why not settle it and have an election 1 vote per person.Ah that maybe to easy and someone may loose.

Actually I was wondering this morning cycling through Chiang Mai city centre whether there shouldn't be an equivalent effort at this time of year to reduce factory and vehicle emissions - surely they make a big contribution to the problem too?

come to Nan, number one tourist destination for Thai people last year, and see the lack of industry and traffic.

90% of this crud in the air is from farmers.

you can smell it, taste it, no matter what time of day or night.

thank god my family and I are shortly off to europe for a month. It seems much worse than last year. I pity everyone who has to live through this because of farmers who have the same intellect as a _____(insert noun of choice)

Where you trying to say as THE BOYS IN BKK???

It would be carnage if foreigners were allowed to own freehold.

That's absurd.

Go to France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy,... and you're allowed to buy any land, is it a carnage?

The USA loves it not just land buy anything you like

foreign investment is welcome it also makes friends.

did anybody really think Abhisit would give into the demands of these people? It will all go away when a more aggressive campaign as to the real nature of the fugitive they are supporting comes to light. To me it's just so weird that they let this cowardly behavior continue from abroad and just a simple campaign with education as the focus might be the best defense. Butwho knows,, everything i thought was normal is, just not here.

I could not see him doing that, and I am glad he stood his ground.

Does anyone really thinks, the RED Shirts Thugs can oust the PM

Yes I do, and I think they will.

Abhisit never won a popular election but was installed by a Parliamentary vote.

Why not accept the gauntlet and stand for election?

That be to fair and easy 1 person 1 vote but very risky for the elite, so forget about

Look I dont really care which way it goes I think Thaksin is so corrupt but know people in the poorer part of Thailand (issan) who say when Thaksin was in there roads improved they got running water in the villages they got rubbish pickups alot of good things were done but it is 50 50 to what I think

How about the yellow shirts awarding 15,000 cushy government jobs for life

Funny 15,000 paid yellow shirts at the take over of the Airport

Corruption no way JOB CREATION for very untrained to really screw up the system.When I came here 6 years ago everyone called Thailand LOS have not seen anyone on Thai Visa call it for the last 2 years. WHY???

I myself was treated more fairly under the Military Junta

from the government employees then now.We seem to be a bother to them.

Then they had 2 people working now 10-15 doing the same thing.

Thank God the still have 1 of the original that knows what he is doing.