catweazle

And Jesus wept...

How about free overstays for all travellers killed on Koh Tao in May - that will do the trick and "lure" more "quality tourists" into Thailand...

Discover Thainess!!! RIP to the victims, condolences to the families...

Now what, Mr. PM? Oh yes - why not crack down on small foreign-part-owned tourism businesses, the ones who don't operate these Thailand to the Thais VIP buses with Yaa Baa addicted drivers who kill thousands of people every year? That would be a great start, wouldn't it... since all you officials can do is to point away from the guilty Thai persons or businesses to others, preferrably foreigners who do things by the books. While we are at it - crackdown on scuba operators (part-foreign owned ones only) would be cool too - this certainly will stop your useless Thai drug addicted drunks, who call themselves drivers, from killing people on a daily basis! Keep up the good work in cleaning up Thailand's act!

Power to the people!

I'd like to propose to the TAT to use the OP photo as poster for their "Discover Thainess" campaign since it literally hits the nail on the head...

This should be a "must read" as it is a significant hint to the fact that our beloved Thailand could be a full blown totalitarian communist country soon... I already feel sick...

9 years in the slammer sound like a lottery ticket, given to this scum, for murder... Does this mean, that the longer you conceal your murdered victim in a bin, tub, pond, etc. the lower your sentence will be? If yes, then I'd like to murder a German psycho ex-business partner of mine whose body I would then keep hidden for... let's do the math:

Victim's remains concealed for 2 years = from death penalty reduced to 9 years (equals 45 years vs. 9 years) = 40% deduction per "hidden" year

Victim's remains concealed for 3 years = from 9 years to 5.4 years

Victim's remains concealed for 4 years = from 5.4 years to 3.2 years

Victim's remains concealed for 5 years = from 3.2 years to 1.9 years

Victim's remains concealed for 6 years = from 1.9 years to 1.14 years

Victim's remains concealed for 7 years = from 1.14 years to 0.68 years

Victim's remains concealed for 8 years = from 0.68 years to 0.4 years... roughly 5 months... well, that does it for me... What should I use? Formalin?

Btw - the vote clearly shows that very few posters find that Thailand has changed for the better. Thailand would have had the power and the ressources to be one of the very few places that changed to the better despite the crisis and all, but greed, thurst for power, corruption and the typical "from here to my fridge, tv, motorbike and back" thinking and 'Thailand to the Thais" anti-foreigner Thai mindset destroyed the biggest chance Thailand ever might have been given. It's too late now and under this army tyrant LOS will not only become a no-fun place like Singapore, China or even North Korea, but will be flushed down the drain when the final economic and financial blow will hit the world, which will happen in a not a too distant future... May God/Buddha/Allah have mercy on us!

Scams are getting worse

Violence toward westerners is getting worse

Corruption getting worse (more and more "suicides", not murders)

Cost of living increasing

Teacher's salaries staying the same, though contracts are getting shorter and shorter

More xenophobia

Foreigners getting blamed for everything....more cracking down on us, when they should be dealing with their own problems

Cost of going up (sorry)

Worse traffic jams

More pollution

Less natural environment

think in your case its time to leave as nothing is any good only hell can be worse or syria

Agree. What's funny is his TV name which is so appropriate.

Even though his head might be empty, he has listed some good and true points. Think bullying him is rather inappropriate.

10 years is too short of a time IMO. To me, it seems pretty much the same.

25 years ago the whole sex industry was much wilder and much cheaper, but foreign food was absolutely terrible and there was very little access to many books, films, TV series and music from overseas that are all common now.

I agree.

The nightlife and adults entertainment scenes have become completely commercialised over the last 20 years and although Europeanised foods are now widely available it can be rather expensive, even more so than in our home countries. As regards the more availability of books, films, TV series, music and movies, this is because that most of it is available on the Internet, whereas 20 years plus ago virtually no one had Internet in Thailand. I can remember the only main sources of news from abroad was buying week old additions of over priced foreign newspapers in the town at selected stores, the Bangkok Post and listening to the BBC on a short wave radio. Back in those days the standard waiting list for a landline phone was 4 years or quicker if willing to pay an under the counter exorbitant price.

I could not vote in the survey because I think opinions must vary according to how long living in Thailand, which areas we live, age and circumstances. But going back 20 years, 25 years and 30 years, although the lifestyles were basic, I still preferred those times when everything was rough and ready, it was cheap and we seemed to have more fun. Many people have told me that I only feel this way because I have got older, but I don`t believe that because in Thailand over the years life has become much more commercialised, more expensive, fast and furious. Also what we used to take for granted as regular social and nights out, such as adult entertainments, has now become overpriced and an expensive luxury. I could no where near afford to let my hair down and have a night out on the town as often as I could in the past.

So for me I am not enjoying my lifestyle in Thailand as much I as did 10 and more years ago.

You saved me a lot of typing, Beetlejuice Thanks for that - your views mirror mine by a good 80% and I would like to add that Thailand seems not be that much fun anymore just because you are getting older... When I look back 23 years ago when I arrived and compare my findings with everything I see now, I can definitely state that the sentiment and general mindset of the Thai people has gotten colder, especially in the industry.

In the past years and especially the past months since our beloved soldier PM has entered the stage, all I can see on an almost daily basis are more restrictions, more crackdowns (mostly on westerners, their visas and businesses), more eradication of fun places, and shots in the knee of Thailand's tourism...

The beach cleanup had the effect that we have a 30% decrease in arriving tourists who opted to stay home or visit Bali and other fun beaches instead, because they think there is nothing left, not one single beach chair or umbrella at or near the beaches here, and this clusterf..k is just one of the many Mr. P has performed since the coup.

I am angry at myself for investing everything I own here and am concerned about my future and the future of my little Thai/foreign family in Thailand due to recent developments and the never ending "I will make sure to destroy the word FUN in this country once and for all !" stance of Mr. P . I really liked him first for putting an end to the Yellow/Red kerfuffle, but by now this guy starts to p!$$ me off!

"PM Prayut insists democracy in Thailand will never die"

...rrrright, goes very well along with his "controversial new cyber laws" and all the other suppressive BS he implemented. I wonder if he himselve believes any of his daily babbles...

Get rid of that scum Brits and deport them for good after a hefty prison term. Five against two while being at fault in the first place, very brave. If they are caught and scrotum-kicking volunteers are required, I'd like to sign up please!!!

Sell the bar and the Harley and use the money to buy the victim a new pair of teeth. In a perfect world, the bar would go up in flames tonight with the 5 culprits (and the Harley old scrap metal piece of $# ite) locked in it

I said it often, and I say it again; best find a Thai wife who is an oprhan, or at least one coming with as little luggage (kids from previous marriages, parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, grannies, etc.) as possible. The problem here in Thailand is that you always marry the family too. Whenever push comes to shove, 95% of the Thais married to a foreigner will be on the side of their family, no matter how wrong or how bad they are...

My advise to you is to use this little episode as a jumping board into your new life full of freedom and happiness. Kick Invitation Happy Mom, the Turd Keeper, and Lumberjack Daddy out and start a new life without a partnership that feels like a crazy monkey sitting on your shoulders!

Btw - your mail gave me the ideal name for my punk band (in the planning stage) "The unflushed Turds"

Wishing you all the best, do the right thing and follow your heart!

What a relief. Problem of alcoholism in Thailand, especially among the (very) young : solved ! Yippee !

Now the lawmakers can move on to other issues :drugs, violence (especially in gangs), lack of education, status of women, and I'm sure they'll quickly come up with solutions just as effective as this one.

It's a wonderful, wonderful world.

Nice one!

What a laughable farce of a country this land has become... Looks like any dimwit in charge needs to apply certain rules and restrictions to people's privacy and freedom of choice just to show who's boss.

Only thing that will happen is that the man on the street is even more angry, plus more confused and disgruntled tourists standing in front of 7Eleven fridges, with the good stuff so close, yet so far and hundreds of thousands of those little poor sales girlies having to go, "Sollieee, meteeer - cannot sell ancohon now, sollieee!" whenever a foreigner places his well deserved holiday beer on the counter.

There will be (as past has shown) NO decline in accidents, NO decline in domestic violence, NO change to the better because of this stupid alcohol ban. It'll just make things worse. A hardcore drunk will always make sure to have ample stash hidden somewhere, this idiotic restriction will not change this, nor will it change my ever growing doubts if I did the right thing with putting all my money on a horse called Thailand...

I think the photo chosen in this article says everything that needs to be said about that cesspit called island...

Time to work a bit on trip advisor, folks. Mention the murders, the rapes, the blackmails, the arson, the slaughter and beheadings of anyone who steps on the mafia familie's foot, the corrupt island RTP, the spineless traitors who look away whenever another murder happens... Let's put this dump in the place it deserves - the very end of this list!

No problem for the corrupt RTP to pin it on the Burmese patsies, no? Just tell the press you went for another "reenactment", the Burmese ran and committed yet another murder, case closed.

By now it should be obvious, that something fishy is going on on Koh Tao and that it is about time to close that cesspit of an island down for good, as punishment to the blackmailing, murdering and arsoning mafiosi and the spineless cowards who decided to keep their mouths shut during the investigation of David's and Hannah's death, the murder of Nick Pearson, the "hand behind my back hangman suicide" and the several headless bodies found floating off Koh Tao before...

RIP to the victim and sincerest condolences to parents and relatives.

All part of the "Discover Thainess" campaign!

OP: You need to understand that the driver of the white Jazz was in a hurry - this is reason alone to justify his/her actions, given that the driver was Thai. If he/she was a wannabe HiSo Thai, then he/she deserves even more understanding and you should apologize in public for not understanding and for having absolutely no respect for Thainess!

Just kidding of course

One of those typical wannabe HiSo shopping Barbies... what else would you expect of them, but stupidity and mayhem?

Discover Thainess... part of it is perverting and exploiting Buddhism to the fullest.

I think Buddhism in Thailand can be descibed in one meager sentence: Monks (many of them ex convicts) do whatever dirty deeds can be done while hiding behind their robes and titles, while the common man goes to the temple merely to ask for lottery numbers and fortune telling...

Cleanups and crackdowns won't be of help - the change must come from the inside. I however fear that it is too late. Religions are rendered obsolete by human greed and superficiality.

Discover Thainess is a real "hit" as it seems...

Must have been a Burmese, Thais would never do such things, letting alone detroying each other... The Fuehr... ahemm, Dicta... ahemm, sorry, got something in my throat... PM has said it!!!

"Whoever causes chaos to Thailand or takes peace and order away, they should not be recognized as Thais, because Thais don't destroy each other," the junta chairman said in his speech last night.

Yes, good general, just keep telling yourself that.

Second highest road fatality rate in the world;

Second highest gun murder rate in the world;

Vocational students waging quasi-wars against each other;

Almost a fifth of the population addicted to illicit drugs or involved in the drug trade;

Another large part of the population hopeless alcoholics;

Embezzlement and fraud at the highest levels of society;

Headlines about murders, rapes, kidnappings, illegal gambling, modern-day slavery and what not on a practically daily basis.

But hey, "Thais don't destroy each other".

And if the culprits "should not be recognized as Thais", as what should they be recognized then, dear general? Foreigners perhaps?

Sometimes the crazy nationalistic rhetoric in this country just makes me want to puke, honestly.

I also wonder how many locals brandished a smile yesterday as they got stuck in the horrific traffic jams that reportedly had locked down the inner city.

I love you, Mr. Whisper! Couldn't have said it better myself! Your post rounds it all up perfectly!