Thanet

I'll listen to what you say, so long as you agree with me. If you don't, then I'll get my men to terrify you into shutting up.

At last, the solution!

A bunch of old career soldiers will surely be able to turn around the fortunes of the national airline.

Justice-at-the-speed-of light - junta style.

Next they'll hang draw and quarter her. Fifteen years for possession of a small amount of drugs is a disgraceful miscarriage of justice.

But then again, justice is not one of Thailand's virtues.

Huh? They make a statement like this completely freely?

Just doesn't sound right does it especially with NCPO declaring a major clampdown on corruption yet a private company voices expectations over contract awards ?

Oh don't be so cynical. The junta have told us that they will stop all corruption, and they've ordered us not to criticise them and to believe everything that they say.

I'm sure that there is absolutely no connection between figures in the Junta and CH Karnchang. I'd also like to buy some shares though.

All cases against Suthep for running amok will disappear into a legal black hole, never to be seen nor heard of again.

That's how it is in Thailand for those who are above the rule of law, and that's how it's always been.

They'll drive anyway.

I take my hat off to the OP for not giving up, and I'm sure he'll be successful this time if he addresses the reasons for refusal in this second application. Visa requirements are obscure, immigration officials are unpredictable, and sometimes people don't get it right the first time. The important thing is to learn from what went wrong, and reapply in good grace.

I'm sure that the OP and Mrs. Thaimite will be laughing at this whole experience over a pint of fabulous English beer very soon. May the weather be kind to them too.

Yawn - how is this news?

Didn't they say that after the last one, and before this one? Whether or not this is the last coup or the last bar ten will depend entirely on whether the army gets its share of the goodies from whatever excuse for a government eventuates from this mess.

Meaningless propaganda.

I understand your frustration OP. The old saying "what can't be cured must be endured" applies.

As much as I sympathise with you regards the pettiness of this rejection, and as much as I share your distaste of all this pointless bureaucracy, the simple fact is this: Raging against the machine won't help you in any tangible way, I'm sorry to say.

All you need to do is get bank statements, or fix whatever else the worthless bureaucrats want to see, suck it up and reapply with a deferential smile. More than likely, Mrs. T will then get her visa, and you shall both go to the ball, and have a wonderful time in beautiful England. Weather permitting, of course, but the pubs are fantastic whatever the weather.

If at first you don't succeed, stiff upper lip, and all that.

Didn't around 120 people die when a ferry pier on the Chao Praya sank through overloading in the 90's?

Also, another pier sank at the Mae Nam Hotel, full or revellers. Not sure how many died there ...

12 years for 1 single iddy biddy poppy seed?...really?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?/topic/170435-Stopovers-In-Dubai-,-Uae.--Taking-Medication-?#entry1828213

Quote from above link .... "A Swiss national currently serving 4 years after 3 poppy seeds were found on his clothes by customs officials at Dubai airport. He had bought and eaten a bread roll at Heathrow before flying to UAE."

.... Good grief! Jailed for eating a bread roll! I'll never fly Emirates again!

I take half a Xanax a couple of times a week. I can't sleep well without it.

I know it's not good to be dependent on it but that's just how it is.

Surely one strip in my check in will be okay?

If not, what about Valium?

Go to see the doctor when you get to the UK. Don't risk getting locked up in Dubai.

As has been said elsewhere here - don't do it. Your friend will disappear and leave to to face the music if you get caught.

Leaves on the track i suspect Cannot wait until they get

the high speed trains,not that i would ever travel on one.

regards Worgeordie

Like you, I can't wait for the high-speed trains. But I'll definitely be using them. Amazing how some farangs prefer Thailand to stay in the past rather then develop.

Unfortunately, the NCPO is about to announce that they will not be proceeding with any of the HSR projects. They will have to wait until the next govt. They will happen in time given the bipartisan support for the projects (and obviously given money will be made).

The irony is that the HSR line projects were proposed by the previous Democratic government, had it been reelected in 2011 would have started on the Rayong HSR line (first proposed in 1996) by the end of 2011 (realistically early 2012). We'd now be talking about that line opening in 2016 and the ability to get down from inner BKK to the eastern seaboard in less than 1 hr. This line is financially the most sound.

PT wasted about 18 months reviewing the projects and changing their priorities to the two N & NE HSR lines. They then caused further delays by consolidating all transport projects into the 2.2 trillion baht bill. The "can do" PT Transport Minister really didn't do much at all apart from make the courageous yet necessary move to close down the northern section of the chiang mai line for much overdue and urgent repairs.

HSR will come to Thailand eventually but more like the early to mid 2020s rather than the mid this decade. It's similar to the expansion of the metro network in BKK, everything is running 5-10 yrs behind original timetables due to the dysfunctional political decision making environment. We all suffer because of it.

I'd say another 20 or 30 years at least. Maybe longer than that.

Bear in mind that Bangkok didn't even get a mass transit system (the skytrain) until 1999 - decades after most other Asian capital cities.

Too many corrupt vested interests cause plans to be scrapped and rehashed time and time again ...

Another one? I love Thai trains - so charming and like going back in time. It seems that they really do need to take better care of the tracks though.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The have tried many times to inform foreign countries of what they are doing and why. Countries like Aust, the U.S and EU just aren't accepting what they are being told. As is evident by news stories posted on thaivisa.

Foreign ministry to step up efforts to create an understanding in the international community of post coup Thailand !

I think the international community pretty much understand and have shown their feelings and intentions!

There seems to be an equating of "informing" with agreement. There was an article recently titled "who will watch the Junta." The Army is in control, absolute control. The actions of the western countries should be seen as a simple check, kind of like, we are watching and listening to what you say you will do to make sure that you do it. Since there can not be any internal political pressure exerted to has as a check, the EU and the U.S. have stepped in to function in this capacity. It is not a bad thing for them to do, I think.

Agreed.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." --- Lord Action

"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it" --- William Pitt

"It is not only the slave or serf who is ameliorated in becoming free... the master himself did not gain less in every point of view,... for absolute power corrupts the best natures." --- Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

the whole world really...i dont think so...come over here and live its fine no problems that i can see since they got rid of the awful caretaker government ...

You are right, in that I'll qualify my previous statement. Perhaps not the whole world but practically the whole world has condemned the generals for usurping a civilian government under the barrel of the gun. Having conceded you this, I still can't think of an example of a civilised country that has actually endorsed the coup, but I can see lots of examples of countries that have robustly condemned it.

No civilised country has any respect for this kind of behaviour, and most countries are highly suspicious that the coup followed a boycott of democratic elections by the side that is aligned to the military. And, as has been said elsewhere here, rightly or wrongly, practically the whole world sees a country as being either a democracy or a tyranny. Countries that lock people up for voicing political opinions, court martial civilians, denying citizens the right to choose their masters, fall into the latter category.

Don't underestimate the power that the western world wields over Thailand's generals either. Lots of them are very rich people, with assets in the western world, and take a look at where all Thailand's military hardware comes from. I guess the generals will have to make concessions as soon as their supply of spare parts start to run out

Crackdown after crackdown after crackdown. I wonder when they'll realise that crackdowns never work.

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

The ambassadors didn't come the last time the army rulers had a meet and greet - they sent their subordinates, basically a diplomatic two finger salute.

So long as it's not a three fingered salute - they'd get locked up for that

I'm sure that all the ambassadors will attend this meeting, smile, pose for photos, and agree with the dictator --- if they are forced to at gunpoint.

The generals just don't get it. The whole world despises them.

Hateful posting. 4 years a member been in a coma ?? Your last 5 words tells me why you are posting on TVF. Accept the results of your corrupt government, who self destructed.

Can you imagine the worlds ambassadors in Thailand being " forced at gunpoint" grow a pair.

The envoy's will not all the words carefully. J Head could report differently.

Looking at the events of the past few weeks, there are various cases of the junta forcing people to do things at gunpoint. After all, the junta are just a bunch of old career soldiers, so forcing people to do things at gunpoint is all they understand, and it's what they do best.

I didn't understand your statement: "The envoys will not all the words carefully" --- are you referring to the establishment of a dystopian totalitarian society, one in which everyone loves each other, and dissenters are intimidated into shutting up?

dont matter, they will just drive around with no license, problem solved

Or buy one.