bannork

Great to see you back,Tippers, at least now and again between your important work assignments. Here's a song that always wakes my cows in the morning. Perhaps the reference to straw stimulates their taste buds..

Owl, regarding the stepdaughter's desire to go to Korea. The authorities there have really clamped down on visa applications from Issan ( I wonder why? lol). Rumours were all applications from Udon were being rejected due to the number of Udonites getting busted bringing in amphetamines to Korea. Dunno if it's true or not but even if not imo it's not difficult for Korean immigration to spot a little ghost. I don't think I've ever met a Thai tourist who travels alone yet little ghosts are advised to say they are travelling alone if questioned, to ensure no one else travelling with them gets refused entry too. Obviously authorities are suspicious about single young people, males looking for factory/ labouring work and females for massage/ karaoke work. So the answer Owl is for you to go as a family, Mr and Mrs Owl plus daughter in law! No doubt you're a fan of K-pop and weepy Korean TV dramas. Just perform some dance moves whilst in the arrivals lineup and you'll sail through

Well, there we go Owl. The driest six months in my memory, then Songkran with three days of stifling heat and the first water splashing for four years. Great to see the youngsters having fun again, imo. And then, as if to say to the grumpy farangs complaining about Thais wasting water in a time of drought, the heavens open up, as if on cue for the end of Songkran, 7.00 pm!

I've always thought Paul Rodgers composed some wonderful tunes but the lyrics heaved. However, this line stuck in my head " Will tomorrow, like yesterday, fade away?''

Maybe it was the chance of rain, maybe it was the lack of available tanks, whatever.

A comprehensive analysis of likely scenarios this year and beyond. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/ukraines-best-chance

And now pharmacies in the UK are in trouble.

It's that time of year when the sun really dominates the lives of us country folk. Up at five to start watering on the farm and doing any necessary digging/ repairing fences before the heat becomes intolerable by 11.00 am. Hats off (or on in their case, hats on) to Asian labourers forced to toil through this heat

The beheading of a Ukrainian soldier. Atrocious leadership or systemic barbarism to induce terror?

British troops saying goodbye to the Ukrainians they've trained

My dear sister is not the easiest woman to please. One time she was in a relationship with a friend of mine ( she had a habit of doing that) and it was a lovely summer's morning in downtown Clevedon ( a very dull town near exciting Bristol). 'Where do you think we should go today, Keith?' Keith ummed and aaahed. He was a nice bloke but he wasn't good at decisions until he'd had his morning spliff. My sister grew impatient. ' Come on Keith, let's see some leadership here. Show some decisiveness, be a man.' 'Okay! Let's go to Cheddar Gorge. On the way back we could stop off at one of the cider orchards and sample the scrumpy. Bannork can drive as he can't stand real cider.' Too true, that stuff just makes my head reel. Keith winked at me, quietly impressed with his quick thinking. But Keith's itinerary proposal only brought sneers. 'Don't tell me what to do or where to go. And don't bring my brother into it too. Who do you think you are ordering me and him around? Relationships require consultations, you know. Talking things over.' Poor old Keith. He shrugged his shoulders, damned if he did, damned if he didn't

The biggest lie Thaksin has told was when it was discovered that shares he owned were in the names of his staff, his driver, maid etc. These were large sums of money which were traded on the Thai stock market for years. The only reason to do that is stock market manipulation. Unknown names buying up stock could push up the price of companies' stock without raising suspicion. Thaksin's defence? It was a honest mistake. Yes, Thaksin, for years you absentmindedly bought and sold stock in your domestic staff's names. For some reason you couldn't remember your own. Pass the sick bag, Alice.

Thailand was never united under Thaksin. A poor public speaker, he turned down pre- election debates as he knew Abhisit would destroy him. What he had/ has is populist policies. That's why the working class voted for him, he himself lacks charisma. All he understood was dominance, a good leader will be decisive but will also listen to all sides and will apologize when making an error. Thaksin never apologized for anything, the Tak Bai massacre, for example, he said the young men died because they were weak from fasting. His arrogance and frequent put downs of others made him many enemies. That's why I'll be surprised if he does come back. Maybe his daughter will be PM one day but not this time. Settha has made it clear he only joined PT if he gets the PM gig. He's not interested in any other Cabinet position.

Bands give up coming to the UK and vice versa https://www.loudersound.com/news/german-band-ditch-uk-tour-after-being-treated-like-criminals-at-border-blame-brexit

The insane red tape of Brexit that is damaging the British tourist industry. https://www.ft.com/content/65905653-5c2f-4247-81e3-73140dceae8a

I think it's time we gave Ukraine some nuclear weapons, powerful nuclear bombs. I say this because once Ukraine take back Crimea, Putin will either be overthrown or he'll nuke Ukraine, imo. So let him know if that happens he'll get the same treatment.

Thaksin will join with Pravit post election leaving Prayut out in the cold. The justification? Unity all round! Settha will become PM.