Mackie

Entirely plausible. My condolences to her family. She won't be the last one to kill herself over a man. Her boyfriend most likely went out with some hot Thai chick and left her alone in a hotel room. He got a real surprise when he returned.

To all those who keep whining and complaining about racism here. Have you ever travelled across Asia? Japan - Japanese women want to have lighter skin, China - Chinese women want to have lighter skin, South Korea - South Korean women want to have lighter skin etc...etc...It is their own choice. It is their own choice to choose what they like or not. If they prefer lighter and whiter skin, so be it. You may disagree with them but trying to impose forcefully your own views upon more than 2 billion people just makes you a bigot of another kind. If you think that the war against whiteness is somehow progressive - you got it terribly wrong. It's just another form of bigotry.

Sadly with so little information I am not surprised some people are highly suspicious of a cover up, it seems this happened well over 12 hours ago... yet no one knows if he was found dead in his room, the sea, where I would have thought that some people would have heard some rumours by now other than a FB account of someone who may be the deceased.

Chances are this was an accident or self inflicted...

Most likely. However I wouldn't exclude the possibility that the lad was doing some sort of his own 'undercover' investigation. Asking too many questions can get you killed in some parts of the world. Anyway deceased young man shared the surname with more 'famous' victim David Miller. In any case another waste of life. We can blame it on Koh Tao death island, but there are plenty of our tour operators/travel agencies which keep advertising and selling packages for Koh Tao as some sort of paradise holiday for youngsters. At the end of the day, it's all about money. Neither Thais nor our governments care much about lost lives.

I used to work with the Employment services and got to know few Indians and Sikhs. Knowing a bit about their culture I highly doubt that any Sikh would commit suicide. They firmly reject suicide. And the person who allegedly committed a suicide was Sikh. Sikhs believe that both birth and death are the mercy of the creator. No one has the right to take his/her own life.

Come on guys, give them some credit. Whether this guy was involved or not, he was caught with over 200 hundred fake passports and bomb equipment at his apartment. Good enough for me to lock him up for a long time. And if he doesn't cooperate, fly in few US experts to make him talk. I'm almost certain a foreign intelligence service tipped Thais off with regard to phone calls. They record everything. It takes time to comb through the data.

How are you almost certain of that?

Thais don't have the means and sophisticated technology to collect and analyse all electronic and phone communications.

Come on guys, give them some credit. Whether this guy was involved or not, he was caught with over 200 hundred fake passports and bomb equipment at his apartment. Good enough for me to lock him up for a long time. And if he doesn't cooperate, fly in few US experts to make him talk. I'm almost certain a foreign intelligence service tipped Thais off with regard to phone calls. They record everything. It takes time to comb through the data.

I really am amused with consistent talk about Thai elites as if the USA or the UK have no their own elites which totally abuse supposedly democratic systems for their own gains. It's a juvenile argument. Our elites are as bad as Thais, if not worse. US oligarchy for sure. They only take and give nothing in return. A fact.

The western world should simply start meddling into internal affairs of sovereign countries. Whenever we get involved, there is a civil war and carnage. Former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syrian, Ukraine etc...etc...I would hate to see Thailand taking the same route. Transition from one system to another takes same. If you rush into it, the civil war is inevitable. See above examples.

This may be partially true, but conflict of interest and commercial relationships are declared by procedure and are in the public domain.

In Thailand, the government serves it's paymasters first and then the people second. Rules are written to suit very narrow interests with little public scrutiny or declaration.

There is one renowned giver in Thailand and there are few others. The restrictions to business are now a brake on progress but no govt will be allowed to break down these barriers whilst the humble Thai consumer continues to overpay for goods and services and companies are discouraged from investing in Thailand bringing more jobs.

Corruption is ingrained into the system to a degree that it is common place and the system is actively set up to prohibit investigation and prevention. Everything is in the favour of the manipulative and corrupt.

In agreement. But my point was the life for average Joe back in the UK or the USA is as bad as life of ordinary Thais. Our elites do exactly the same as Thai elites. The only difference is they are hiding it better. Plus they use media to manipulate masses more efficiently than Thais.

I really am amused with consistent talk about Thai elites as if the USA or the UK have no their own elites which totally abuse supposedly democratic systems for their own gains. It's a juvenile argument. Our elites are as bad as Thais, if not worse. US oligarchy for sure. They only take and give nothing in return. A fact.

The western world should simply stop meddling into internal affairs of sovereign countries. Whenever we get involved, there is a civil war and carnage. Former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syrian, Ukraine etc...etc...I would hate to see Thailand taking the same route. Transition from one system to another takes same. If you rush into it, the civil war is inevitable. See above examples.

I'm sorry to say that he is right.

The cornerstone of democracy is that the people elected by the government are people of the highest morale fiber who will put the needs of the people in their constituency and the country above their own. More than that : if they do not then the people have the power to remove them from office.

The 310:0 amnesty disgrace was a tragedy with implications far beyond whether the bogeyman comes back or not. It showed just how dishonest and corrupt every single member of the government was.

A democracy cannot function when the people will elect representatives like that. Thailand needs something else - where naughty officials can get spanked for stealing. Long prison terms and lifetime bans would be a start : the rules as they are now have clearly been written by politicians with an eye to protecting themselves should they end up being the one under the spotlight.

You are dead right..... nail right on the head etc....... But, Thailand does not have one politician of the highest moral fiber .. sorry, not one.. If the Thai people knew just how many Multi millions of dollars consecutive Thai prime ministers have been paid by the government of Singapore NOT to build a canal from just south of Chumpon only 48 Kilometres to the canal at La-un and straight out to sea at Ranong.. Just this one continuous bribe has cost the people of Thailand dearly.. Singapore would have been finished years ago.. Completely finished, And that canal would have become more important than the Suez canal... But Thai politicians think more about their personal bank accounts than they do of their own peoples... and their own countries... Remember they are almost all Thai-Chinese .. same as Singapore... Lee Kuan Yew was the man..!

Do you honestly think Thailand is the place where the decision about that canal will be made? Who do you think make decisions about important geostrategic projects in the world? USA/UK/IMF or Thailand?

China announces strategically important Kra Isthmus Canal in Thailand

http://chinadailymail.com/2015/05/17/china-announces-strategically-important-kra-isthmus-canal-in-thailand/

Some people here really cannot be pleased. No matter what Thais do they will find the reason to complain. This action is definitely a step in the right direction. Thailand faces complete extinction of their favourite animal - the Elephant if urgent actions aren't taken. Deforestation, poaching elephant babies and torturing them in order to use them in entertainment industry, killing elephants for ivory etc...etc....Much more needs to be done and I hope this government and the next one will continue tackling all those issues.

There was a Poll of the people over the weekend and 78% of Thai's wanted the present government to remain for another two (2) years! The Red Shirts

do not like the Charter and Constitution, so maybe the government is doing something right! I personally like the Corruption Courts being setup, so lets

give the people the government they want and wait until the government is running smoothly before turning the government back to the politicians!

Oh, another "poll" it must be true then eh?

Could it be possible that this "poll" result was written to justify the extension of the coup makers power?

Come on, how could anyone be so naive to think that these "polls" are real?

Tom, don't you watch Thai television?

Don't you wonder sometimes about the multitude of news stories running each night featuring the wealthy elites (usually middle aged or older) at gala dinners, award ceremonies etc etc all dressed in their expensive clothes, the endless parade of military officers in their ice cream suits, all happening in Bangkok.

This is the power structure of Thailand Tom, this is where the money is concentrated and this is where they intend it to remain.

Not with the 90% of poor Thais in the rest of the country.

The coup was all about maintaining the power structure of traditional Thailand, the old established families close to the top of the pile, who own everything, but want more.

They couldn't give tuppence for the poor, it has always been like this and a modern democracy would spoil their party.

No, this is all about maintaining and entrenching the old power elite for as long as possible.

If you ever land at Don Muang airport, have a look down the end, past all the terminals, where all the private jets park.

if you time it right, you might be there when one of the old matrons and her entourage are returning from a shopping trip to Paris, to get the latest bag or a pair of shoes.

Check out the use of military or police escorts to usher them through the customs and immigration.

Two different worlds Tom, and they're running the country right now.

Wow Bob, you have a BIG chip on your shoulder at rich people. If he was still here Bob, the most expensive jet in that line would belong to Thaksin. There will be mega-rich whoever is in government : are you a communist Bob ?.

Do you seriously think Pheu-Thai care any more for the poor ?. If they did, Bob, why do you think they allowed the vast majority of the rice scheme money disappear in corruption instead of making sure the poor got it ?. Maybe you should go look around at who got rich under Pheu-Thai Bob and have a good whinge about them.

It's true, Bob, Thailand needs a better option than the Junta, but Thaksin and Pheu-Thai are not it. Maybe if all future politicians can campaign across the country without getting shot at by red-shirts, Thailand will take a step towards it.

Oh - and the coup was because Pheu-Thai were murdering protesters on the streets and had every intention of continuing to do it. If they stopped, there would have been no coup. Why do you people refuse to accept it Bob ?. What newspapers do you read ?.

Ha ha oh great.. it's forelock tugger John.

Nothing like the British working class to know their place....

Born within a rigid class system like the English aristocracy control, it's hard to think outside the square John, and I sympathize with that.

No John, of course I'm not a communist, ha ha, how silly, I was born in an egalitarian society where democracy gives everyone a chance.

I started working class, yet with hard work and borrowed money I succeeded into upper middle class with assets and investments.

It makes me sick to see the poor struggle here, while the filthy rich families get richer.

it has nothing to do with Peu Thai, it has everything to do with the feudal history of Thailand, but for God's sake, it 2015 now, and yet these parasites still think it's 1800.

With the influx of foreign investment into this country, it has just made them greedier.

Anyway John, good to see you still know your place.

I assume you are a Yank. Don't you think you are being a hypocrite? You know very well that the biggest divide between the rich and the poor is in the USA, there are 55 million Americans who are officially classified poor, apparently there are 46 million Americans in need of basic food assistance etc...etc...Sort out your own house before you point fingers at others. The USA has turned into an oligarchy. The corporate rule. You can vote all you want, nothing changes, the Wall Street rules. The rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer. Life in Thailand is better.

I do believe the bomb was made domestically. I'm sure that there are quite a few bomb making dens in Thailand still undiscovered. As you will see from the evidence provided they only get discovered by accident.

In 2010 in Nonthaburi a powerful bomb accidentally exploded killing a room full of red shirts. Weapons and ammunition were also found in the room during the investigation - weapons similar to stockpiles discovered around the country during nationwide sweeps in the wake of the 2014 coup.

In 2014 in Min Buri - connected to the Nonthaburi bomb-ring - another bomb accidentally exploded, killing two red shirt would-be bombers while riding a motorcycle. The explosive devices discovered in Min Buri were very similar to those in Nonthaburi, and would resemble other devices to be used in the near future.

In early February 2015 a double pipe bombing was carried out in downtown Bangkok - just down the road from the recent bombing - near the Siam Paragon shopping complex. According to Thai PBS, the devices used were described as pipe bombs 10 centimeters in diameter, and 20 centimeters in length, containing explosives and 2-3 inch nails. The device, similar to those found in both Min Buri and Nonthaburi linked all three incidents together. It was delivered by two suspects who dropped off bags at the bomb site similar to how Monday's bombing was carried out.

In August 2015 a university student in northern Thailand lost his left hand after a homemade bomb he was assembling accidentally exploded. The house he rented was literally a bomb-making den. His house was fully equipped with things like gunpowder, tape, fertilizer and electric detonators. Police reportedly found 13 small homemade explosives in the house. The biggest of them was 15 centimeters in diameter, Kachornsak said, adding that each device had a blast radius of about 15-20 meters and were designed to be detonated remotely.

"Chinese holidaymakers spend far more than any other group of visitor -- 190 billion baht ($5.3 billion) in the first half of this year, according to Thailand’s tourism authority.

This is more than five times the spending of Malaysians and Brits, the next two largest spenders.

And the number of Chinese visitors soared by 138 percent in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2014, when Bangkok was paralysed by often violent protests before May’s military coup.

Thailand is counting on a surge in Chinese visitors in October for the annual National Day holiday, a week-long break in China when hundreds of millions travel domestically and abroad."

And there's people on Thai Visa who are convinced that the Chinese tourists do more harm than good in Thailand. There's people who really do feel that a reduction in the number of Chinese tourists would benefit Thailand. I really wonder about people. There were ideas about how to reduce the flood of Chinese tourists entering Thailand. Ideas like, making it more difficult for Chinese to enter Thailand.

Well, we've had the explosion at Erawan, five mainland-Chinese died, and two from Hong Kong. Was it the case that those who want to see a reduction in the number of Chinese tourists did this attack ? How many Chinese tourists die from road accidents in Thailand ? How many in explosions ? It might have been an attack that was easy to carry out, whilst generating maximum coverage in the media.

" ... according to TAT." .... nuff said ...

Are you laughing at your own ignorance? Keep going. The Chinese have become the biggest spenders just about everywhere in Asia.

• <<<< Link to Bangkok Post removed: 26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum. >>>>
• Chinese revealed as biggest spenders on tax-free shopping ...
  www.traveldailynews.asia/.../chinese-revealed-as-biggest-spenders

  Apr 11, 2014 · ... Thailand and Malaysia also ... Chinese revealed as biggest spenders on tax-free ... China is the top spending international globe ...

• Chinese visitors now the biggest spenders in S'pore - ANN
  www.asianewsnet.net/Chinese-visitors-now-the-biggest-spenders-in...

  The China Post (Taiwan) ... (Thailand) The Star (Malaysia) ... Chinese visitors now the biggest spenders in S'pore. Melissa Lin and Janice Heng .

In my humble opinion he did the right thing. You've got to show to 'dark forces' that they cannot kill the spirit of the country and her people. The sooner the life gets back to normalcy the better. That will send a message to terrorists. You can't win. Life goes on.

Right on Sherlock Holmes. A Thai terrorist could never get hold of TNT, one of the most common military and industrial explosives on the planet.

And, as our 'experts' rightly point out, no Thai with access to Google would ever think of using ball bearings as a cheap and ready source of shrapnel. Only a foreigner could have thought of that.

Blame it on the foreigners, as they always do.

Why don't they shut up until they have solid evidence?

Even watching a couple of movies, such as "Kingdom" with Jamie Foxx, and "Act of Valour" would be enough to give dedicated bombers ideas about such devices.

The movie "Shooter" with Mark Wahlberg shows him and his FBI side kick making pipe bombs.

If the authorities spent more time actually investigating the crime scene, and going over it with a fine tooth comb, instead of hurrying to mop it all up as it would have an impact on tourism, they might have been getting somewhere.

Somyot is a puppet copper, whoever the farangs were on here who lauded his appointment as being a "breath of fresh air" need to go and make merit forever, as he's been far from a "breath of fresh air", he's been no different to all the other coppers who bought their way up the ranks!!

What do you suggest then? Getting rid of the Thai police force completely and let people rule themselves? Or maybe you want an alcoholic reinstalled? Thailand is in Southeast Asia not in Europe. It takes time to build up a civil society. Give it another 20-30 years.

Do the USA have a different definition for terrorists to everyone else?

Yes!

In America if an American blows things up and kills innocent people it is not terrorism.

Terrorist are always foreigners in America.

By their way of thinking, if A Thai person did this...it is not terrorism???

There is a theory (amongst others) that implicate US policy in this terrorist atrocity. Given the US' dubious involvement in the Middle East and their support for the Dictator-in-Exile it is a theory that has some currency. World politics and everything that happens behind the scenes is beyond the comprehension of most of us posting here. I think that there are people within the current Thai administration who have an understanding of the USA's strategy in South East Asia which s why the current government is visibly shifting it's allegiance to China rather than America. I don't know any more than most other expats who post here but I wouldn't trust America, Thaksin or the new US ambassador Glyn Davies. There may be something in all this, there may not. But it's worth discussing n'est-ce pas?

PILLS - keep taking them!

I would advise you to do the same. Come to think of it, double the dose mate.

The US statement is a complete idiocy. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2331 18 U.S. Code § 2331 - Definitions ...It appears that those idiots don't know what an act of terror means. Unless the US officials view the perpetrators as freedom fighters. Don't get me wrong, but sometimes U.S foreign policy makers do support terrorists in order to achieve their geostrategic goals.

The idiocy is all yours, for taking anything verbatim from the Thai news.

Following is from a daily press briefing on August 17 (use a calendar is you need help with that) shortly after the attack.

QUESTION: A follow-up on Thailand. So you said you express your sympathy for the Bangkok explosion. So so far you don’t see that as a terror attack?

MR KIRBY: I think it’s too soon to tell, honestly, and Thai authorities are investigating this. We don’t have any information right now that would lead us to be able to describe the cause here, or if – and if an entity is responsible and who that entity might be. We’re just not there yet.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2015/08/246157.htm

For heaven's sake., then there is no any difference between them and you. Let me break it down into very simple terms. The moment the bomb explodes in the public place killing innocent people it's an act of terrorism. Do I need to draw a diagram?

The US statement is a complete idiocy. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2331 18 U.S. Code § 2331 - Definitions ...It appears that those idiots don't know what an act of terror means. Unless the US officials view the perpetrators as freedom fighters. Don't get me wrong, but sometimes U.S foreign policy makers do support terrorists in order to achieve their geostrategic goals.

Things are getting more and more interesting. The plot thickens once again.

Thai Police: At Least 10 Involved In Bombing

Sky News – 13 minutes ago

Thailand's police chief says at least 10 people were involved in the Bangkok bomb attack that killed 20 people.

He also said the attack had been planned at least one month in advance.

"It is a big network. There was preparation using many people," police chief Somyot Poompanmuang said.

"This includes those who looked out on the streets, prepared the bomb and those at the site and ... those who knew the escape route," he said.

"There must have been at least 10 people involved."

Police had already said they were looking for three suspects , including a young man in a yellow T-shirt seen on grainy video footage apparently planting the bomb.

That man could be foreign, according to authorities, who also released a sketch of the suspect.

There must be a video somewhere of him throwing the bomb. I wonder how they are so sure it wasn't aimed at the BTS track.

Of course they are sure. There is no BTS track under that particular bridge. The device was thrown from the bridge onto the walkway and bounced off into the river. I know the area well. No way they were aiming at the BTS track. However, if they had planted the device inside the pier, it would've caused carnage. Many tourists use this pier to get around the city. Asiatic in particular. Free ride.

I have wasted enough time correcting guys like you. I won't do it again. If interested you can go through my posting history. Dozens of post related to red/black shirt violence and killings.

It isn't an opinion. it's a BBC witness. just like this one :

"Paul told the BBC he had been in a crowd of protesters when he saw a man of about 50 being shot in the chest as he waved a flag from a pick-up truck."... men in black.... men in black...

Or Fabio Polenghi an Italian Journalist who was shot DEAD in the back while running away.. men in black... men in black... except it has since been proven and ruled by the criminal court that he was shot by an army high velocity bullet coming from where the army was stationed. Wearing journalist vest and arm band, moving and shot in the BACK.

Did you correct that?

You see when someone has the means to pursue a proper investigation we find out it wasn't the evil red shirts or men in black who shot but oddly enough we don't hear much about it

You are right about one thing it isn't the place, then again I'm not the one who brought it up.

Cut that selective nonsense. Taking things out of the context doesn't mean you're right. It means you're deluding yourself into believing in something which is simply not true. The side you keep making excuses for at every corner started the vicious circle of violence. Read through all of it and finally learn something about Thailand.

Descent into Chaos

Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and

the Government Crackdown

http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/thailand0511webwcover_0.pdf

It seems to me the guy was just a delivery boy. Or a deluded radical student obsessed with Hunger Games. I would keep that option open. It wouldn't be the first time nor it will be the last time that someone was given substantial amount of money to deliver 'goods' to a certain point. People are offered money, the content is never discussed. Desperate people take the money, no questions ask. In any case, the authorities need to get him to squeeze out of him who was behind this attack. If he was only a delivery boy, tough luck.

You forget that the reds fired a rocket granade at the emerald buhda and missed.

You forget that the army shot innocent nurses in a temple.......

Let me refresh your memory. It appears it's very short.

Blast Injures Suspected University Student Bomb Maker

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1438778112

CHIANG MAI — A university student in northern Thailand lost his left hand today after a homemade bomb he was assembling accidentally exploded, police said.

The student, whose identity is being withheld by Khaosod English, was seriously injured in the blast which occurred at a house in Chiang Mai province at around 12.30 pm today, according to a local police officer.

“We believe he was hired to build ‘giant fireworks’ and he was working on them at his rented home,” Police Lt. Col. Kachornsak Pandee of the San Sai Police Station said. “His house is fully equipped with things like gunpowder, tape, fertilizer and electric detonators.”

The house was rented to a second-year student from Maejo University, Kachornsak said, who was home alone when the explosion took place. Kachornsak said the student’s left hand and left leg were “completely destroyed” by the blast.

The student has been sent to hospital where he is in stable condition, police said.

Police reportedly found 13 small homemade explosives in the house. The biggest of them was 15 centimeters in diameter, Kachornsak said, adding that each device had a blast radius of about 15-20 meters and were designed to be detonated remotely.

This one was caught purely by accident. And he was hired to build 'giant fireworks'. How many bomb making dens are still not discovered in Thailand? I bet quite a few.

The top cop is bang on the mark. Such admirable detective skills. There's no doubt that Thais were involved in helping the bomber. The taxi driver that took him to Erawan was Thai, as were the hotel staff who gave him a place to stay.

Uhh..., this is THAILAND so there are Thais Is there some way you can blame it on the Yanks?

Oh yes, they can. There was a movie Bangkok Dangerous, Nicolas Cage came to Bangkok to do some Thais in. Blame it on the Yanks for giving the Thais ideas how to rent a foreigner to do a dirty job on their behalf. By the way, Nicolas had the change of heart and went after the bad guys. How surprising!

This is interesting:

So half the people think that it is Thaksin because this bombing will hurt the military government and the other half says that it was the Military Government because it will help them retain power.

Great logic boys.

So then we can safely conclude that the half which says that the Military Government did it is comprised of representatives of absolute idiots. Thailand heavily depends on tourism. The numbers were picking up and the economy was on the way up. Moreover 1 million Chinese tourists were lined up to visit Thailand in October 2015. 1 million! Believe it or not, the Chinese might not have manners but they are the biggest spenders. They spend more than the westerners.

Chinese Holds Thailand’s Top Spenders In 1st Quarter 2015

http://www.mthai.com/en/travel/11879.html

It's more like someone doesn't want all those Chinese to come and give a huge boost to Thai economy. Do your math.