timmyp

TimmyP, do you know you have just given me a 'like', was it a mistake or what?

No mistake, possum. Just trying to show that I respect your point, and to not keep a battle going on like so many do on Thai-Visa.

small price to pay for the safety of their lives

crazy law indeed ... no right to self defence ?

They aren't being fined for shooting the bear, the article says that they are being fined for not having someone on "polar bear watch," and for taking insufficient measures with the trip wire, etc.

I don't get why people are so freaked out by motorbikes on the sidewalk. I've never seen anyone being a jerk on on a motorbike while driving on the sidewalk, but I have seen farang dramatically leap out of the way like an accident was imminent, or refuse to step aside when a motorbike approaches. I don't doubt that accidents have occurred, but all the motorbikes I've seen driving on the sidewalk do so carefully enough to not threaten pedestrians (again, I don't doubt that their are aggressive jerks, I'm only saying that it's far from the norm). I live in Bangkok and ride my motorbike everyday (yes, often on the sidewalk if the sidewalk is clear and it seems like the most sense to get through a traffic jam). I find there to be an appropriate amount of accommodation and give-and-take between pedestrians and motorbikes on the sidewalk, both when I am walking on the footpath, and when I am on a motorbike.

Really, I think some people have a rather restrictive sense of the rules, and they have a meltdown when they see something that rattles their paradigm.

You are wrong, imagine the scenario, you ride your bike on the sidewalk because the sidewalk is clear, then someone walks out (maybe even a kid) from a shop entrance

and you hit him/her, or someone is crossing the road and your view is blocked by stationary traffic, and they step on to the sidewalk and you hit them.

I bet you are the type who will keep on riding on the side walk despite what I have told you.

That's why I don't drive close to doorways or, when in the street, alongside buses where passengers get off.

I open my eyes when I drive, and apply other bits of common sense to avoid accidents.

>I bet you are the type who will keep on riding on the side walk despite what I have told you.

I am the type that doesn't find your example very convincing, and am slightly irritated that you think you are in a position to tell me how to drive.

I retort with an "I bet you are the type of person" statement back to you:

I bet your are the type will gets very upset when people aren't doing what you want them to? Sorry to rattle your world.

Clearly, the more money you have, the smarter you are, and that's why Trump is such a well-spoken brilliant man. I think he should skip the presidency and run for Pope.

They travel with rifles and revolvers? I guess that's for protection from polar bears? Obviously it paid off, but I never would have thought that tourists in Norway would be so well armed.

It is very wide-spread, particularly in S.E Asia. Go look in the pharmacies, supermarkets & 7-11's in Thailand. And on TB, skin whiteners & pale 1/2 Falang soap opera stars. It is a HUGE Business here. I am tempted to consider that you do not live here if you believe that.

It is not just Cambodia, it is a belief in many Asian cultures (and southern European ones too) that dark skin is a sign of having worked in the fields and is looked down on as lower class.

Yes, guys, that was my point, I was being sarcastic.

Thank the good Lord that this problem is only in Cambodia. Much of the world would seriously need to consider re-vamping its healthy attitudes towards skin color if this whiter-is-better silliness in Cambodia were more widespread.

By the way Japan there's no need to rush a decision as another remand in custody is quite acceptable.

True, but there has to be a new charge.

The prosecutor in Japan gets a 10-day investigation. If not satisfied, the prosecutor can extend the investigation for another 10 days, and then a decision must be made on what the charges are.

They can re-arrest someone already in custody for new charges, and then they get another 10 days investigation period (that can be extended once for 10 days). In order to re-arrest someone, though, there must be a new charge.

Still around 60% illiteracy in Cambodia. What do you expect? My friend has a joke, he watched Terminator with his Cambodian gf, she thinks Terminator is real. Why do they think Tiger Balm and Birds Nest soup are medicines?

I rent a small apartment in Bkk. The unit rate for the past 3 years has remained consistant at 7 baht.

your landlord cheats you by adding 100% and might therefore absorb a rate increase (if any). but there was no increase!

....Or all our resident linguists could just admit that you were wrong.

You are a cunning bunch, you know.

We got it right that she wasn't Australian. Admitedly wrong on the other speculation. I thought it was ok to guess here? I don't want to take away from your haha-you-got-it-wrong dance, though.

I like the "cunning linguist" allusion. Clever.

Begs the question - why would a woman like her need Hillbilly Heroin in the first place.

Surely she wouldn't have gone as far in her career as she had while being an addict?

I have no knowledge of this particular addiction...maybe one can function normally.

How about she had a secret Yakuza lover who put her up to it?

I love cats, I have 2 sleeping on my desk right now. But just as many said about the guys caught with the dog meat in other news: Meat is meat. Unless you're a vegetarian, I don't get how people can think it's ethical to eat certain animals and not other ones. Cuteness seems like a silly reason to select what we do or don't eat.

The law stipulating that we should only eat animals that were raised to be eaten makes alot of sense, but of course it means that we could eat cats and dogs if we raised them to be eaten.

These people would have been screened for adoption of the other children and would have been licensed as foster parents. There needs to be a very serious look at who was making the annual home visit to license the home.

Absolutely!...The report said cockroach infested, and mentioned faeces and urine.

She worked in the office that does the screening?

My mom was a social worker for the Department of Children and Family Services in Chicago for 22 years. She said the number of case loads were just overwhelming. They were supposed to have a total of 15 cases per month, but she said it was never less than double that, usually around 40/month. She said there just isn't enough time to check up on kids in the foster home, that inevitably kids slip through the cracks. The social worker gets blamed when really it was the underfunded and poorly run system.

There's still something not right here...she is definitely of British upbringing, or an actor. I've heard American actors, good actors, trying to do "Australian" and it often comes out very British-sounding....usually Cockney, though (eg Elaine from Seinfeld)...even actresses such as Streep in the "A dingo stole my baby" movie.

I did catch the Californian hint to her accent, and a bit of Antipodes.....but it seems now she is feigning.

Yeah, Americans are rotten bad at accents. There just isn't the cultural awareness of dialects and accents that there is in the UK. Few Americans can tell the difference between accents and fewer can do a passable job.

That said, who knows if she feigning. It's possible she really is the victim of brain trauma, and believes that she is Australian with a goofy accent. Like sdaniel commented above, I have also heard of people suffering amnesia and speaking with another accent. The brain is a mysterious, screwy thing.

Glad they found out who she is. I hope she gets the treatment she needs, be that for recovery from amnesia or psychiatric treatment for seeking such attention or speech coach lessons to do a more convincing accent.

A company like Toyota has massive clout in Japanese society, and they could easily get her out of this if they cared to. I'm guessing that Toyota just wanted to get rid of her, and they're happy to take full advantage of her blunder.

It's in the Japanese press as another example of how foreigners abused drugs and have no regard for Japanese law.

I think they are keeping Kamronwit dangling because he insulted them by trying to bring a loaded revolver through their airport security and onto a commercial passenger plane. He is being punished for his arrogance. I don't know from Japanese today but their history shows they can be merciless. They are letting him twist in the wind to teach him, and any other Thai/foreigner that you don't mess with Japan.

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I find Japanese people to be totally merciless when they think someone deserves to be taught a lesson. People aren't the same as the gov, though. In Japan (as in most places in the world), having a network and connections of people that speak up for you is very powerful. That can most certainly influence this case. I mean, the reports were originally that he was released! I highly doubt that was an error in reporting, I think the decision was likely made to release him, and then some other higher-up people changed that decision.

Prior to the coup, Japanese news media was on the side of Thaksin and the red shirts. Perhaps this case will just be handled as it should, in a non-political way. But if powerful people speak up for Kamronwit, then it's likely there will be political dealings that determine how the case is handled. I really don't know anything about Kamronwit other than what I read here. The only point I'm raising is that much of the rule-abiding image the world has of Japan is a misconception. Status and support of a strong group is everything in Japan. Japanese officials will be happy to dangle this case in front of the noses of anyone who can do something to significantly benefit them.

And perhaps nothing will come of that, and they will just stick him in jail as they would for anyone caught trying to get a gun onto a plane.

I don't think Japan needs any assistance in doing business in Thailand.

For sure, Japanese companies are doing well. But anybody is happy to take get a leg up in negotiations.

Do you really think this idiot rates any special "deals" to be done re bargaining for contracts - he wouldn't even rate as a full-stop on the documents under consideration or influence any outcome considering the graft commissions likely to come from major projects.

I don't have any idea how well connected this guy is. Maybe anyone with any clout in Thailand is chuckling at Kamronwit's situation. If there are folks in Thailand who would like to get contracts for Japanese corporations in exchange for a lighter sentence or just a public showing of punishment with no real punishment, then I imagine that's how things will go.

Any one get the impression that the Japanese authorities are professional, determined and ready to follow this through to the end where ever it may lead.

No. How long has he been under arrest, a week now? And the prosecutors are just now going to interrogate him to determine if he should be prosecuted? Something isn't right here. Even in the U.S. (although there are horrendous exceptions) prosecutors normally make the decision within a day or two after the arrest. I'm not counting the 16 year old kid who was kept in pretrial detention at Rikers Island for three years before the prosecutor realized he had no probable cause to charge the kid. Or the hundreds (thousands?) of cases of poor people who are held for months because they can't make bail.

Something is going on here besides the charges that are being talked about. He has to have done something to offend a powerful person in Japan.

Japan always does this for big cases.

They have 3 days to hold someone before officially arresting them. They will often wait until the 3rd day, even though the charges are clear (especially with foreigners).

The prosecutor then has 10 days to make a case. During this time, the suspect is interrogated by the detective assigned to the case, visiting the prosecutor now and then. The prosecutor can extend the investigation for 10 days, which they often do in big cases. No need to rush. They already said that Kamronwit will be held for 20 days, and that means that the prosecutor has already decided to extend that investigation period. 20 days is totally, totally normal. And so is re-arresting someone after that for other crimes, then repeating the 20 day cycle again.

Everything is proceeding as one would expect. As for what kind of deals are being made behind the scenes, who knows. Of course Japan wants to "save face" as well, they need to send a message about their laws and guns in the airport. Surely Japan will do something to show that foreigners better take J law seriously. Behind the scenes, they will get some big business contracts inside Thailand. This is a good opportunity for them to do so, and I'm sure the people bargaining for Kamronwit will be bargaining with such contracts.

Japanese authorities are not stupid and corrupt as in other place we know so well,

and if this Lt. General think for a moment that he can rank and title his out of this mess.

he's got another thing coming... I foresee lost of Ramen and fish soups on his menu

for sometime to come, and if by miracle he will get out with a light punishment, it will be

because an enormous pressure was put on the prosecutors and the Japanese government....

Interrogation (but probably no forced admission of guilt like in RTP though), no family visits but only a visit from a lawyer and embassy staff, not understanding the language, being shown in TV as a common criminal before convicted, being locked up for days and as prosecution takes their time you are stuck there likely until July 13.

To make it worse it doesn't matter who you know or who you are, your lies - no matter how big they are - are not believed, your former colleagues can't buy you out of jail and there is no special treatment what so ever.

Oh, your own medicine must have such a bitter taste.

She's a Pom, not an Aussie. She's spent some time in NZ, maybe less than ten years, and I also detect a year or two in California.

My guess from her accent.

She's definitely not Australian.

Yeah, UK-base accent for sure with other stuff mixed in. North Americans are really poor at recognizing accents.

"thick Australian accent"... gotta chuckle at that.

@timmyp - depending how you operate (what jurisdiction, whether via a Ltd co or not), you can get insurance against non payers. The other option is to factor invoices and pass on the risk (for a fee). In both cases though it requires adhering to a strict process.

RE accounting, from my experience best to incorporate in a really low reporting environment, in hindsight I would go BVI - suspect I wouldn't even need one, since no filing reqs.

Thanks for the advice, rwd³. Things have gone well for me so far. Most of my clients are larger companies or agencies, and have their own reputations to keep, so I think that is why they have been so good about paying me. Hopefully I won't have a bad experience that drives me to get insurance on clients who don't pay.

I don't have a company, nor the desire to start one. It's easy to feel very overwhelmed by everything involved in starting a company. Few benefits apply to me, and alot of demerits and hassles would come into play. Life is easier just as an independent contractor. Years ago I had a card, but I don't even bother with that anymore. Everything is online now, I haven't met a single client in over 5 years.

I've never even heard of BVI, I had to look it up...

My accounts and billing are very easy to keep track of, I just hate doing it! Just something about dealing with that end of things that really bothers me. If I were a more of a money-oriented guy, I probably wouldn't mind invoicing people.

I believe you and I have had some email exchanges about music, btw, in real life outside this forum . I might have that wrong though.

Anyway, thanks for advice.