catweazle

RIP Nina, condolences to family and friends!

"One District One Route for Bigger Smiles”

Oh yeah, there are so many big smiles given to tourists in Krabi - especially in Ao Nang - by the locals that it hurts... problem is most of those big smiles are hidden under the burqas...

"Thailand is a huge market for tourism. More tourists will attract more investors," Singhe said...

Ignorance is definitively not bliss in his case... To attract investors, not more tourists are needed, but groundbreaking new laws for foreign investors allowing them to actually own and control their investment to 100%. Since this is a pipe dream, there will be stagnation.

How can there be progress if millions of cheap Charly freeloader tourists from China flood the country, while the western tourists who liked to happily spend their Euros and dollars here stay away flocking into other, more attractive destinations where staff is better educated and actually values the visiting tourist and treats him accordingly?

Perhaps I am missing something and Mr. Singhe is expecting visitors from outer space?

I'm bored - anyone?

A couple of years back my Thai daughter came to me wanting help with an English homework test paper that she had been given at her (primary) school. There were about 50 questions to be answered of the multiple choice type. I couldn't help but notice that almost all of the questions (in English) had mistakes, spelling, punctuation or gramattical. I answered the questions for her and then with a red ballpoint pen proceeded to correct all the errors in the test paper.

This was somewhat foolish of me as I should have realised that by showing up the teachers ignorance of the language that he was supposed to be teaching, he would loose face.

My duughter still comes to me for help with her English homework, but insists that I only write on the exam paper in pencil so that she can erase anything that might be contentious.

The Thai education system is hopeless.

"I answered the questions for her".

And how does that help with her English?

Buzzzteeeed !!!

As shocking as the test result is, the outcome should not surprise anyone. As long as learning here is based on dull repetition conducted by unskilled and clueless teachers in a system where any student is just waved through with a smile, regardless how weak he is, nothing will change. Thailand is in denial and might wake up once the ASEAN thing gets going with well educated asians flooding the market. It was a long fall, but the final impact will be hard and devastating for this country.

Boot camp, ten years of forced hard labour for all gang members throughout Thailand and they will be "reformed"

No mercy on those empathy depraved thugs, who have no respect for anything or anyone and who pull the names of their parents into the dirt. After typing this... I'd say let make it 15 years instead, hard labour I mean...

This does not implicate that I am not aware of the fact that some parents are also responsible.

Yeah, right - wait right there, relax a little and strive on free food and drinks, humming along a little during the day since you will need your energy for some of your erratic on stage rants, once "Superman" leaves the stage, what will - not happen soon... So hang in there pal, better for you!

Does this mean they will shoot the corrupt national park rangers first, or will they "assist" in that "war"?

"Thai Rights Commission" isn't that a contradiction in terms, especially in these days???

Is it truly necessary to mention that his partner/girlfriend is transgender, mention the name perhaps and that's it? Who writes this crap?

My predicition is that the EU will collapse and dissolve at some given point and that civil war in certain parts of it will break out due to mass immigration, religious conflict, unemployment, skyrocketing taxes, sharp increase in food and beverage prices, rents and general cost of living, the problems in Greece, Italy, France, etc... and spineless politicians in Germany, Sweden and Austria. Your money kept in a european account will either wither away or be impounded when banks go bankrupt, or during a currency reform, where all accounts are switched back to zero. The longer you keep your money there, the greater the risk. What I would do is to wait until the Baht equals 39/40 what could be in a few weeks or months from now and then exchange it, before it punges to unexpected lows. The market has been flooded with cheap money for too long. Hyperinflation and other horrors are waiting right at the doorstep! If you wait longer, the Euro might be gone already since this Euro experiment most likely will be coming to a quick and very painful end and then you will lose at least 50% of its value if not all!

Just to sidetrack a little, but did anyone get the same laugh I got at the pix and caption in the OP? (The navy equivalent of the Keystone Cops, in a dinghy with a little outboard patrolling thousands of square km of ocean)

Yes, it looks pathetic and I had a nice hot Cappucino and a good chuckle over that pic

As an Ex-Pat, if you dont like Thailands policy your free to hope on a boat and leave.

As a member of the human race I don't like how other members behave, where do I go?

Suicide is always an option

These frequent Thai Visa discrepancies between headlines in the email newsletters and the actual pieces irritate me to say the least, anyone with me?

Email reads: "Deadly venomous jellyfish plague Krabi beaches"

...then I click expecting reports of box jellyfish which is deadly indeed and get

"Tiny venomous jellyfish plague Krabi beaches"...

... and read something about red jellyfish that is venomous but not deadly??? W T F???

Education would be the key to protect the marine life, but if no one listen's to the teacher, nothing will change. The oceans will be empty in 10 to 20 years from now anyway if not a large scale cataclysm will eradicate most of us humans before, eventually saving nature. This incident of the baby shark petting event is a fly s.... compared to what happens out at sea on a daily basis, i.e. shark finning, etc.

I am always amazed at seeing small incidents (especially involving animals) are causing a nationwide outcry while huge atrocities (mostly against people) are being virtually ignored. A mad world we live in...

Hope they catch that sicko...

What an idiotic claim! The judge should fine all those morons for wasting tax payer's money and for wasting the court's time! How can it become liability of a sports person that "excitement" is guaranteed in any event? Is it April 1st again???

Also, any gown up should know by now that in sports as in any other "gamble" certain "pre-arrangements" could have been made by the people in charge, so what?

Darwinism in full HD

Biggest problem is that people in need are always getting the "pity bonus", i.e. are considered just great persons and an enrichment for the country they flock into. This article truly shows in explicit detail what those people are made of.

What I would do is to rescue all children on that boat up to the age of 15, take em in, give them best education, citizenship, foster parents, whatever since there still is hope in children and they are the ones least responsible for this misery. The rest (with sufficient food and water on board) is pulled back into the waters of the country of origin. Done!

Never trust a report or statistic that hasn't been falsified by yourself

Keep up the great work, pals!!!

Meanwhile I will be on the lookout for those masses of extra tourists... "Hellooooo, anyone out there? Helloooohhh...???

What a relief! Case closed, little paperwork hassle, back early into Mia Noi's arms...

Look who's talking! One of the greatest tax dodgers and crooks of the century "stresses rule of law".

Discover Thainess

What is urgently needed and what would make a great confidence booster and motivation for expats in Thailand would be a system that rewards foreigners who have done all things by the book and never have been in trouble with the law for a longer period of time, let's say 10 years.

All we get is penalties, restrictions and the uneasy feeling of not truly being wanted here; do one mistake, get into a bar brawl, smoke some weed or get into a legal problem with a client or biz partner, etc. and you are always with one feet on a plane back home.

But be good and what happens? Any rewards? Citizenship? Permanent visa without all the registration hassle, uncertainty and costs that registration involves? Any easier visa processing? Anything...? No, we get NOTHING!!!

I have never been in trouble with the law in my 24 years here and what do I get for it? I am just tolerated as a guest, just as much as the next guy stepping off the plane in Bkk for the first time of his life... I am not whining about it, I have adapted and accepted the fact that I always will be a 2nd class citizen here, but this thread asked for suggestions and there you have it.

Cheers,

Catweazle

Quoting Mr. Seastallion "Civilisation has moved past the dark ages."

Exactly!!! Wouldn't it be great if the conservative hardliner Muslim community would be as sharp minded as you are and realize this fact too and act accordingly, what would mean "reform", "rethink", "reconsider", "refresh", "rejoice" (in arts, music, culture), "release" (the women of their slave status and make 'em equal persons), "connect", "open up"... But not trying to bomb the rest of the world back to the stone age, while telling each of us (non-Muslims) in the best case scenario to just shut up, or in the worst case to die or convert - thank you! No tolerance for intolerant people, simple as that!!!

I don't think he is stranded in Thailand, he can always go back to his country of nationality.

Perhaps he's refused entry there too our "dad of the year" sympathetic bloke that should "not be judged by it's cover"...