Tarragona

Keep Central Thai as the official language and let the people converse in any language they want in day to day use, be it in the North, Issan or the South.

The problem is that "day to day use" for many people includes occasional contact with various government/official departments. The point about the idea is that in such situations they should be able to use the local dialect. It doesn't mean that the dialect becomes an official language, simply that it can be used by local people (who may not be able to speak Central Thai) when they need to communicate in district offices and the like.

I have yesterday's Thai Rath here and there's a shoulders-up picture of the prince with a young lady. There's nothing inappropriate going on but they look close. The story is that the picture is a fake.

If this is the picture in question, attempting to ban its circulation could be because A) it's been doctored, or B) it's a personal photograph that was not intended for public release.

In case A) I would see no problem in explaining the situation and it would probably fizzle out quite quickly. In case B) Thailand does not tolerate a tabloid approach in royal matters and again I have no problem with that.

Many people are saying that Brazil aren't at they're best but you always get the feeling that they can all of a sudden string 3 passes together and bang. Goal!

Is right. Well done to both teams - the ball hardly left the ground. Brazil were often sloppy with their passing and better teams will make them pay for that. But I can still see it coming together for them and giving us a couple of special performances.

Separating people from their mother tongue can be a dangerous situation. Take a look at Turkey (and Iraq) and the Kurds.

It also maintains an 'us' and 'them' division where all those not using Thai are 'them'.

the objection is to an official status for Yawi, not Bahasa Melayu.

Read it again carefully - you are making the exactly the same error as the Thai officials

The idea is to make Malay a working language, NOT an official language

rooney at united plays just behind the striker not up front as a out and out striker,i thought he did ok for someone who has just come back from injury and is not fully match fit and not playing in his best position.

I don't think Rooney's going to score very many playing up there on his own. Rooney and Crouch might not be such a bad partnership. There is no need for hoofball either as Crouch is much better on the deck than in the air.

I think we'll have our goals when Lampard and Gerrard hit a little form. Hope it's not too late though.

I really think having 2 up front and playing a midfield 4 of Gerrard, Lampard, Hargreaves and Cole would be effective. I haven't really got anything against Beckham - he's having a decent enough tournament. It's just that there may now be better options. As Lampard / Gerrard in the middle doesn't seem to work, I think playing Gerrard on the right and letting him roam would help things. No chance though.

rooney at united plays just behind the striker not up front as a out and out striker,i thought he did ok for someone who has just come back from injury and is not fully match fit and not playing in his best position.

I don't think Rooney's going to score very many playing up there on his own. Rooney and Crouch might not be such a bad partnership. There is no need for hoofball either as Crouch is much better on the deck than in the air.

I suspect he will have a very short career; he just seems to have one of those bodies that will get fatter and fatter, regardless of how much training and exercise he does. I suspect he won't be playing much after he's 26/27/28.

If his body gets fatter and fatter it will be because of the ale and the pies. If he does train and keep to a decent diet, fitness won't be a problem. People forget he's still so young and you have to look beyond the hype to see that he's still learning the game. 26/27/28 should be the peak of his career if he looks after himself and he could become a great player. He's not a prolific scorer though and I think England will be struggling if they keep him up front on his own.

My local cable provider in Samutprakan has had the Disney Channel (and, on and off, the junior version) for a long time.

It's totally depressing to think that Steve is going to be taking over from Sven. It'll just be more of the same old.

so who would you have given the job

I think their first choice for the job would have done well: Big Phil Scolari. He publicly said that he wouldn't consider the job until after the World Cup, so they went and tried to push him into before it started .

Interesting to see a quote from him today that he could still see himself in the job at some stage in the future.

It's totally depressing to think that Steve is going to be taking over from Sven. It'll just be more of the same old.

Ever been at the concerts or temple festivals of those areas, at the karaokes late night, at the illegal motorcycle races?

Yes - many many times (seen a number of fights, a couple of stabbings. I usually go to concerts with a couple of guys from the motorcy 'win'. Interestingly I have been at temple fair concerts where there was absolutely no trouble and the next day someone tells me about the mass brawl and murders etc., etc. - which just didn't happen.)

Yes - I do the karaoke bars sometimes.

No - never been to the races.

I'm not trying to argue that you don't need to take care but I also don't think there's any need to suggest that if you go to a temple fair in deepest darkest Samutprakan you likely to become a victim of violent crime.

I know about the murder rates. I would be interested to know about rates of random violence or violence against total strangers.

Or spend some time in the living areas of the industrial zones surrounding Bangkok - this might rapidly change the positive perception one has about Thailand's safety issues.

I do and it doesn't. That's not to say there's nothing to worry about but I don't think there is anything inherently worse here than in many western countries.

Football is fast becoming a non-contact sport and the art of tackling, which is as much an art as passing and finishing, is being lost. It's depressing to see good tackles being called as fouls.

The penalty Croatia got today was rightly adjudged to be a foul but it was completely unnecessary to book the Japanese player too. He misses the next game and with the current reffing policies it's so easy to get booked that I'm sure there'll be quite a lot who get the two yellows.

Beckham's game has always been fairly limited but so far he hasn't played too badly. I wouldn't mind if he was dropped but there's no guarantee you'll get more out of Lennon.

You will almost certainly get very little from Owen if you bring him on as a late sub. If he's short of match fitness he needs time on the pitch. He's still England's best bet as a goalscorer and, as he pointed out himself, he hasn't had too many chances yet.

The Argies look very good. It's too early to declare them Champions though. Some of the other teams will gradually gather steam and games will get much tighter in the later stages.

Really, who gives a flying?

One of the biggest criticisms of Crouch is that he doesn't have the physical presence. So if he's having a go, good on him. He's also been the victim of some very poor refereeing over the two games, especially the first when it seemed like he was being penalised for being tall. Football has a way of evening things out.

I dont understand people saying that they are showing tax papers and id cards and what not. Are you offering this information to the person, trying to justify you getting the thai price?

People are showing them because it's something they ask to see. I have done the 'hand-them-the-correct-amount' routine and they said that's great if I show them my tax card. On another occasion, I asked first and again they requested to see the tax card (and weren't interested in the work permit).

I worked with a bearded farang once. It wasn't a real issue but when they were gossiping, I know some of the Thai staff thought him 'dirty'.

Because there is not an Isaan language.

You could make an argument there.

The Isaan population speak Khymer in the South, Lao in the and North/East and Suuay in the middle. There is no Isaan language.

Gerard, Lampard, Cole and Beckham in midfield: I don't think there's a better quartet of midfielders in the world anywhere. Absolute class.

As already mentioned they look good on paper but they have never really looked the part together. Sven always keeps Gerrard back as the holding midfielder, while for Liverpool he is at his best roaming and going forward. But Lampard can't really play the holding role and his form hasn't been that great recently anyway. Cole's got the trickery but not a lot at the end of it. Beckham takes a nice corner.

Still, get an early goal and I reckon England could beat most of the others. We're not likely to see much flowing football from the English but they do have the knack of putting other teams off their game.

Just wait and see.

Not long, and the festivities are over, and we will be right back to the selfdestructing political fight and nasty powergames, and the great show of loyality will be replaced by egoism and greed.

I am sorry if i hurt anyone's feelings here, but, please - wake up to reality.

I'm sure that is all going to come as a huge shock to all the people wearing yellow shirts because they have no idea of the realities of life in Thailand.

My friends here see, and have shown me over the years, a more balanced picture of Thailand, many beautyful sides, and also the very ugly sides. They don't expect me to "show respect and appreciation" by empty gestures such as donning a yellow shirt, and professing my love and respect with so many words.

Would they look down on me if i decide to wear a yellow shirt? Hardly. But they would think it a bit odd if i have to resort to such symbolic gestures.

Ha, ha. Not 'following' like other people, but posting like this to show how you fit in with a more enlightened kind of Thai - so just a sheep in your own way. Do you really believe that people who put on a yellow shirt have never seen "a more balanced picture of Thailand, many beautyful sides, and also the very ugly sides."

And people who work for the community are all having a wry smille at the shirt wearers?

What an utterly bizarre post.

Ferdinand ( on one of his rare good days he is one of the best)

Not to mention Carragher (who rarely has anything but a good day), though the Cockney media would probably have a fit if Sven actually played Carragher in his real position ahead of Ferdinand.

Feel sorry for the Liverpool fans too. Although i had heard there was talks of a transfer for him in the closed season.

That's why you need to feel sorry for the Liverpool fans - 8 million or so wiped out from their transfer kitty.

As mentioned already and confirmed, BANKERS' DRAFTS DO NOT EXIST in Thailand.

However outside Bangkok 'DEMAND DRAFTS ' are used

Both are identical other than colour.

How can they be identical if one of them doesn't exist?