Misterwhisper

The only thing that really is tarnishing Thailand's image is the kneejerk reaction of a culture minister on an obvious spoof that merely reminds us in a sarcastic way of what we've known all along: that the sex business exists everywhere in Thailand, although it's supposed to be illegal.

The only logical thing for everyone to do now is to repost that video as often as they can, just to teach that hypocrite a lesson.

Isn't that the same guy who allegedly sheltered his father, a convicted murderer, for god knows how long? Oh, what a bastion of good morals and ethics he is!

I am also wondering whether this most capable minister is aware that some 90% of local prostitutes cater exclusively to Thai customers. But I guess that makes it perfectly alright. After all, they already know Thai and won't need Rosetta Stone...

Just recently, the police bragged about the arrest of Somchai Khunpluem, the former "Godfather of Chonburi", and how that had helped to miraculously repair the tarnished image of the Thai police force.

And then a high-ranking cop was captured basically red-handed while poaching with 6 other suspects in a national park.

And now yet another cop has been nabbed, this time smuggling elephant tusks.

I'd say all that image repair gained from the godfather arrest has now been eroded again. As they say: "Easily gained, easily lost."

Buchholz' earlier presentation of evidence refuting Yingluck's statement was as flawless as ever. I couldn't agree more with Buchholz. Let's regurgigate that:

Thai Cabinet Reshuffle Sees Return Of Thaksin Loyalists

Chalerm: Those MPs Left Out Of The Cabinet To See Thaksin

Thaksin Calls In To 'Instruct' Thai Cabinet

Thai Cabinet Endorses Thaksin Amnesty Plan

Cabinet Line-Up To Show Thaksin's Resolve

And now let's juxtapose that with...

Yingluck: "I AM THE REAL PRIME MINISTER!"

Why do we still have people in this room who obviously cannot see the forest for the trees and feel the need to defend her?

She is as much the "real prime minister" as she was the "real executive director" (or whatever it was called) at her family's company, a position that was created especially for her so she could live under the illusion she had a meaningful purpose, when in fact she had very, very little actual decision-making power. Needless to say that this position was reportedly slashed without substitute after she had left the company to go into politics.

If only she wouldn't so frequently and vehemently deny such accusations, we might actually be inclined to believe her claims that she - and only she! - holds all reins.

Perhaps all those countless pilgrimages to Dubai, Hong Kong, Laos and Cambodia, those Skype call-ins from abroad, those announcements by Big Brother about decisions made on this or that government policy - practically all of which also were reported in the Thai media - are apparently nothing else but vivid figments of our paranoid minds.

But then again, regardless how often a puppet may keep telling us that it is not a puppet, it nevertheless still remains a puppet manipulated by an operator.

I fondly remember Queen Mom, who did enjoy an occasional gin. I admire the British for accepting the monarchy into their daily lifes and at the same time having no qualms about making fun of the institution; with said insitution taking it all in a stride, of course.. After all, the Royals ARE essentially Hanoverians (with a bit of Bavarian blood mixed in), so they shold be used to be the butt of occasional jokes. In the end, very few of their subjects are "real" Brits anyway, as most of them seem to be either descendants of Normans, Angles or Saxons, none of which are truly indigenous to the " Misty Island". I've always wondered how the English language came up with a word like "mutton". But then again, whenever I have the pleasure of encountering an Englishman whose last name is "Ballard", it all becomes crystal clear.

"The large group of mainly Thai taxi drivers protested in Bang Tao yesterday (January 28) against Russian businesses who are, they say, undercutting the market and taking business from locals."

There is no such thing as "undercutting the market". Every viable business still has to turn a profit in order to stay alive. "Undercutting" is equivalent o "competition", something Thai people are not used to.

The mafia-like shenanigans of Phuket's taxi and tuk-tuk drivers have often been a matter of scornful discussion not only on TV but also in the local media.

A fare of $100 from Phuket airport to Patong is even considered shameful in "more advanced" countries, yet the local twits seem to think that they are somehow entitled to such outrageous prices for a single fare. The motto seems to be in unison with local "sabai" practices, though. One fare a day at an inflated price is enough to bring your family through - AND still be able to afford a minor wife without having to worry.

Phuket? Not 10 horses could drag me to that "neck of the Thai woods", yet it seems incredibly popular with Russians. I am not sure how expensive taxi fares are in Russia these days.

He's GOT to be joking...

I still vividly remember when Beatrix' mom Queen Juliana quit in favor of her daughter. Man, am I getting old or what?!

By comparison, there currently is another queen reigning in Europe who stubbornly refuses to let go and retire while her eldest son and supposed successor is slowly but surely approaching geezer age.

If you're a little more adventurous, some truly amazing places to visit are Namibia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Madagascar. The cost of living is really low and you'll find very little mass tourism there. When in Namibia, make sure you also visit the breath-taking Victoria Falls (easy flight from Windhoek) in Zambia/Zimbabwe.

Other great places are the "safer" Central Asian, Caspian Sea and Black Sea former Soviet republics, such as Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and - to a certain extent - Georgia.

In the end it all depends on what you intend to get out of a vacation. If you're only up for a beach holiday, try French Polynesia (as some posters have already suggested), some of the smaller Caribbean island nations (although getting there is rather expensive and time-consuming) or some of the Central American countries like Honduras, Belize, and yes, even Nicaragua (ask Thaksin!).

Europe (southern France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, sothern Germany, Portugal, the Greek islands, just to mention a few) can be extraordinarily charming, but you've got to have a much larger travel budget. Europe is not cheap.

It's about time that all guilty parties would be taking responsibility instead of shuffling around the blame. The seller in this case is not only a victim, but also a perpetrator by selling those fake goods in the first place (and being fully aware that they're fake), thus equally guilty as the police trying to extort "bail money". If you're selling fake goods you shouldn't be all too surprised that eventually "someone" is going to take that as a pretext for fleecing you one way or another - and it serves you right.

I am not a religious prson, but even I found this rather insensitive and thoughtless. If you have to plaster an image of a deity or religious leader over toilet cubicles, why not resort to your own Jesus before resorting to someone else's?

I don't think he would have minded either. I notice you ignore us pagans. Any particular reason?

No, no particular reason, just a personal, conscious choice. Just as much as it probably is your personal choice to believe in a certain deity... and your unalienable right, too.

And another "stereotype" that becomes painfully obvious over this non-issue: Thai transgender people have no sense of humour. As the saying goes, "humour is if you can have a laugh about yourself".

It's getting more bizarre by the day. The pregnant wife had an "inkling" her husband wanted to have sex with his foreign female passenger, thus she got out and let him proceed with what she must've assumed was his god-given right, and despite the fact that he was her husband? How many "inklings" has she had in the past and how did she handle those situations?

Just last week, Thailand's Foreign Ministry sheep-herded foreign diplomats and press members around to a couple of shrimp-processing facilities in Samut Songkhram province. There had been reports in the international media that these places allegedly used illegal and underaged labour, and the ministry was of course (once again) deeply concerned about Thailand's image abroad. That trip was announced well over a week ahead, and needless to say that we didn't find any illegal or underaged workers at those facilities during our visit. In fact, it seemed that the workers who had lined up as welcoming committees had been carefully chosen to look particularly old. One of the foreign diplomats told me off the record: "What else did you expect, that they openly parade before us their child workers?" I only could nod in agreement. Yet the Foreign Minister gleefully announced that the entire diplomatic delegation was very satisfied to see first-hand that the media allegations had been absolutely groundless. He also reiterated his government's commitment to stamp out child labour and human trafficking.

Just a few days later we were all delighted to learn, of course, that government officials allegedly are/were involved in "selling" rounded-up Rohingya refugees to human trafficking gangs. Even the army chief admitted that some high-ranking officers attached to the Isoc (Internal Security Operations Command) may be involved in the scheme.

And now we are privileged to hear from yet another foreign organisation about alleged labour abuses in Thailand's pineapple industry, an accusation that without doubt constitutes nothing else but a renewed, vile - naturally entirely groundless - attempt by foreigners to discredit Thailand in order to serve some ulterior, malevolent motives.

Can we expect a FM-organised trip to the Natural Fruit Company in Prachuabkhirikhan soon? Oh, and please inform the company in question at least one week in advance, will ya?

What do you expect from short-sighted people? Far-sighted plans?

Whenever I have to go to Phuket (and I don't go very often, because I loathe the island for all the reasons that are all too frequently published in the media), I deploy a neat little trick that has often worked wonders. As soon as I get into a metered taxi and the vehicle has started moving, I demonstratively (so the driver does notice it) pull out a note pad and copy the license plate number, the driver's registration number, as well as his name (or whatever relevant info I can get). Without saying anything I then put the note pad back in my bag or pocket. Some of the drivers ask why I did that. I don't respond and only smile. Nine out of ten drivers don't try any shenanigans after that.

If the driver nevertheless starts demanding more than the metered fare, I deploy my heavy artillery in the form of my Thai government-issued press card. I hold it up in front of their nose. It mentions (in Thai script, obviously) that it's been issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Pulling that one miraculously transforms even the nastiest, scammiest cabbie into the nicest person you've ever met. Admittedly, I am fortunate to have that card and this trick won't be of any help to a 'normal' visitor of Phuket. But try the approach I mentioned at the beginning. It might work for you also. At least you're showing the driver that you cannot be taken for a fool and know the law.

And yet another rich scumbag. His alleged behaviour hardly raises an eyebrow, though.

A total ban is nothing but window-dressing as long as it is not actively enforced. And since we're living in Thailand, we all know how such a ban would work out. Not.

As long as there's money to be made, a lot of parties will be reluctant to slap a general ban on the trade.

I've honestly always found it rather perverse that Buddhist statuettes, amulets and other religious knick-knack are carved from elephant tusks. If nowadays synthetic materials are good enough for pool balls because they closely imitate the properties of natural tusks, one would assume that the same stuff would also be good enough for religious items.

Where is Hau Hinn? Is that anywhere near Brojab Killigang? Or is it closer to Battaia?

Perhaps we should replace all current lawmakers and cabinet ministers with 8 to 12-year-olds; seems they have more common sense and honest minds than the current bunch of ear medicine addicts and T-sycophants.