DumFarang

Ooooooo....SURPRISE!!!

Instead, the Ministry needs to pursue Mr Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman for the unpaid tax before the case reaches its statute of limitations.

Good luck! This has all fizzled on a technicality. It could have fizzled years before.

Asked if she was in contact with her brother, she replied: "No, I am not talking to anyone."

Right, not talking to anyone. That's like a pathetic line from a bad cop tv serial where the hapless villain's accomplice in a police interrogation says, "No, I don't know anything, and I didn't talk to anyone." Then the detective's interest in piqued as he moves in closer and with raised eyebrows says, "who said anything about you talking to anyone?" Then the criminal shrinks farther into his chair.

another one with "extensive" knowledge of the area

Seriously boys try to see other streets besides soi 6

It's the same in most places my friend. It's not about looking in one place or not. It's not a unanimous thing but, in general, Thai tourist destinations do a pretty good job of allocating "services" to sections. I happen to live in one place where the girly bars are spread out all over rather than having a red light district, but there's nothing uncommon about red light districts for many places, Pattaya being one of them.

Also you might want to read previous posts and then you might have noticed that the ONLY thing I agreed with the other poster about was whether or not Pattaya makes a prime family destination. Other than that, if you go back and read the words, you might notice that you and I would have likely been in agreement.

Sattire is an a very good coping/avoidance mechanism. It actually helps a lot of people deal with the harsh realities of life. A lot of emergency service personell (Military, Police Ambo's) use sattire or black humour to help them deal with stressful situations. The people of Pattaya are using it in the same way and I say good on them if it helps them deal with the reality of what Pattaya really is.

That's a bit strong don't you think? It's not like you can compare a little black humor out of Pattaya to the reasons people in law enforcement, fire fighting, medical care, or military might use it. Come on now. It has its faults, but it's not a traumatizing place unless someone is the victim of a crime or something, but then that makes anywhere in the world a traumatizing place for the percentage of people who are unfortunate enough to be victimized.

It is a place that attracts a specific type of person looking for a specific type of entertainment tho. Not exactly a family holiday destination.

I agree with the family destination part, but that's beginning to go for Thailand in general with the ever increasing numbers of girly bars and Kathoeys in most tourist destinations. A minority of spots are left that don't have the Babylon thing going on.

Here we go again. If you don't like thaksin you are therefore a democrat lover.

Here we go again, if it's not the same as US or wherever then it's wrong.

I accept that Thailand has a new government that will start work in the next few days, but I will never forget, or allow you to forget, the lack of democratic values by thaksin and the nasty manipulative tactics of he and his no conscience no morals cronies which have got them to this point.

You can say all you like about 'a coup should not have been allowed, etc', but like many I hate to imagine where this country would be today if the paymaster had not been stopped.

It's so easy to forget that he had already put a number of members of his family, most with no qualificiations or relevant experience, and no capability, into high and powerful positions, he had muzzled the media, he had destroyed the electoral commission, he had intimated the judiciary, he had committed massive human rights abused and waved flags about it, he had changed significant laws for his own massive personal benefit, and more.

These are excellent points that should never be forgotten. Some posters on here have said something to the effect of, "Well he's no Mugabe, Hitler, or Stalin etc....out of context etc...poor comparison etc." Well, as the above post makes abundantly clear he was doing a fine job of following in their footsteps but thankfully he was usurped, stripped of power, and forced into exile when only responsible for a few thousand deaths not thousands upon thousands. God help us if he had managed to stay in power, and thank God he never won, nor ever could win, the allegiance of the military. Every despot must have that.

So what's all the buzz now? This mad man has a second crack at righting all HIS wrongs (those would be the wrongs that caused him to lose power, not the moral and ethical ones) via little sister proxy. Here we go again, happy times.

PTP won. Democrats, Abhisit and yellow shirts lost. That is a fact no matter how much it hurts you. Move on and stop dwelling in the past.

Every time I see the "PTP won by democratic process so just get over it" argument I just have to laugh. For starters, can anyone tell me what era ended when that happened that we're supposed to stop talking about? Did someone pen it as a rule somewhere? Did I not get the memo?

Secondly, the question the article raises is the exact reason we should still be talking about it. Thailand may very well be on the verge of devolving into mob rule right on the heels of a successful democratic election. What are we supposed to not be talking about again?

Thirdly, if a mobocracy is developing right before our very eyes it's Thaksin's little intimidation machine that's driving the bus, and he may lose control of it. I don't see why a discussion about how potentially awful this/Thaksin is should be censored and limited to only the Thaksin of today, conveniently dredging nothing up from his murky past when there are so many examples.

For instance (one possible future), "hey Bob."

"Hey Tom."

"Bob, do you remember a few years back when Thaksin got caught in all those shady tax evasion schemes?"

"Yeah, Tom I do. Why?"

"Well don't these funky corporate sell offs happening right now that Yingluck promised she has nothing to do with look like exactly the same thing?"

"Tom, I think you're right."

(together) "hmmm"

Yeah so anyway...the mob and stuff like the article was talking about. Or are certain people going to continue being too preoccupied dragging Thaksin into any and every problem Thailand has?

Perhaps, but only when he stops voluntarily involving himself.

Fair enough I suppose.

Sattire is an a very good coping/avoidance mechanism. It actually helps a lot of people deal with the harsh realities of life. A lot of emergency service personell (Military, Police Ambo's) use sattire or black humour to help them deal with stressful situations. The people of Pattaya are using it in the same way and I say good on them if it helps them deal with the reality of what Pattaya really is.

That's a bit strong don't you think? It's not like you can compare a little black humor out of Pattaya to the reasons people in law enforcement, fire fighting, medical care, or military might use it. Come on now. It has its faults, but it's not a traumatizing place unless someone is the victim of a crime or something, but then that makes anywhere in the world a traumatizing place for the percentage of people who are unfortunate enough to be victimized.

Yeah so anyway...the mob and stuff like the article was talking about. Or are certain people going to continue being too preoccupied dragging Thaksin into any and every problem Thailand has?

Don't knock the bagpipes. Until recently I had a neighbour who apparently was incapable of speaking at less than 120 decibels. When I politely asked if she could make a lot less noise I was told to close my ears. A former member of the regiment lent me a CD made by the Pipes and Drums, 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (aka The Devils in Skirts), from which I made my own copy. Playing this at full blast and going down the pub for an hour or two solved the problem. As soon as her dulcet tones invaded my senses, the skirl of the pipes invaded hers. I found that this method of audible intimidation far superior in effect than a dozen Barry Manilow LP's.

Hahahaha....that's awesome. I love the bagpipes btw. I've always encountered people who love or hate them, and I love them. However, in no historically even quasi accurate mythological depiction will one ever find a Satyr playing them.

I tried direct linking satire with satyr but failed miserably. For the uneducated masses and the hard of thinking here is a description of a satyr I nicked from Paedophilia Wikipedia.

Satyrs are described as roguish but faint-hearted folk — subversive and dangerous, yet shy and cowardly. As Dionysiac creatures they are lovers of wine and women, and they are ready for every physical pleasure. They roam to the music of pipes, cymbals, castanets, and bagpipes, and they love to dance with the nymphs (with whom they are obsessed, and whom they often pursue), and have a special form of dance called sikinnis. Because of their love of wine, they are often represented holding wine cups, and they appear often in the decorations on wine cups.

I think that Satyr City has a certain ring about it.

I was with you right until the word 'bagpipes' ...... shudder, too many ancestors in the closet.

I didn't bother reading the "Satyr" post all the way. Bagpipes....hahahaha.... Pretty much without fail or exception Satyrs always played pipes, just plain pipes otherwise known as Reed Pipes, you know the ones with maybe 4, 5, or 6 pipes, arranged shortest to longest, tied together. Great post!

Comments about 'newbies' often arise because they are often spectacularly ignorant of life, death and other abuses under Thaksin's government. If you are a recent arrival, subscribing to the anti-coup movement may seem cool, just and fashionable. But in 2006, rabid pro-Thaksin supporters were a distinct minority on this board, the atmosphere in Thailand was oppressive and the media were self-censoring out of fear. More than 3,000 people had been butchered in extra-judicial killings.

The overwhelming reaction to the coup was not despair, it was relief. But if you weren't here you probably don't know that. You probably have no clue what he was. And it's quite easy to believe the output of his successful 5-year propaganda and armed provocateur campaign. That's the whole point of propaganda: Influence the uninformed.

So yeah, when I see a foreigner espousing the 'evil of the coup' or who is living in some fantasy Thailand where order *and* law prevails, I tend to think you just got off the bus. Sorry if you find that offensive, but there aren't too many polite ways to tell people that they are ignorant.

Are you familiar with the Tak Bai massacre? That's a good point to start your education.

It's true. There really are some people who come on here spouting off about democracy and give the man a chance etc. It's foolish, and if some people want to weigh in on serious matters despite such a rudimentary comprehension of events, and then they decide to be so offended when corrected even if, admittedly it can at times be harsh, they should survey the waters they dare tread into a bit more thoroughly before weighing in.

As another member pointed out we're not talking about some of the bigger crises that do exist in the world (Iceland's problems were referenced), however we are talking about events that people feel passionately about. People who live here. This isn't an Icelandic forum, a European, or an American one. So, given the locale and the topics it is supremely important to some people here. I'm not trying to hate, just saying test the waters first.

Kalasin-Issan ,mother and father are still trying to get answers to "Where is our son" missing in the war on drugs, He happens to be 1 of the 2.5 k international organisations do not seem to have the answers. (or are lied to) My point being the P.M. at the time ordered the war on drugs to satisfy the world outcry====what about their(victims) birthday bash???????

At the time, In any given month in there were approximately 400 murders a month, many of which were unsolved and drug related.

<snip>

innocent people were being murdered by the drug dealers on any given day. Chances are that many of these people or their relatives or their friends would have been killed had the government of Thailand not intervened. Civilians always die in wars. That too is the reality.

As I recall, and many of the new posters here may not know this, but at the time the "War on drugs" was started, the consensus was that it was a good idea. It was a great shame that people innocent of the drugs trade were also killed either accidentally or deliberately.

Exactly. It sounds like a good idea until strange, unexpected death reports start rolling in. The "this sounds like a good idea" part, for most people anyway, accompanies the assumption that a lot of bad people will go to jail, and, when necessary, there will be some casualties and collateral damage. What actually happened went well beyond what most people imagined.

Was the mayor drunk and high after a few nightrs with some prostitutes when decided to make such a statement?

Uh oh, we might have yet another contestant for: Guess Who Missed The Red Letters?

No matter how guilty and/or convincted Thaksin was of those imputed crimes, there was a process in place in the Constitution and the power of Parliament to remove him and call for snap election or have the Depute PM take care of government until the new and proper elections were carried out. The army stepped in. That coup d'etat erased any semblances of Democracy in Thailand.

The process you talk about for dealing with crimes committed by the PM, we all saw in action in 2001. The process failed. Guilt was as clear to see as in the OJ case. Everyone saw it, even the gawd dam judges saw it, but didn't dare speak it. This was what began the downward spiral for democracy. The coup was just the bump as we hit the bottom and could go no further down.

Also, it's important to not leave out the military's stranglehold on Thai politics. There was an interview at some point in time (I can't possibly be expected to reference it now) of one of the Thai Generals talking about politics. The gist of the question was, "what is the military's role in Thai politics?" The gist of the answer was from the General, "imagine Thai politics is a horse race and the PM is like the jockey. The powers that be can change the jockey and change employees who help get everything ready, but it's always going to be OUR horse."

Here is what I propose to help keep TV members on their toes. Post more stories like this, but do not put little red letters at the top that say satire. Let the story run a few days, and let people guess whether it is true or not. Then rank members to see who is best at figuring which story is satire, or another true story in the Land of Amazing stories. After seeing some of the bizarre stories that have come out in the last year, this could be a tricky process.....

I actually like the fact that it says satire and you still get the serious responses.

This is going to upset a lot of the expats who have been arguing so viciously that Pattaya in a nice sweet family friendly hamlet. It has been known for what it really is around the world for years. If Thais and local government official are telling you what it is really like then accept the facts. People from around the world flock to the place for the seady life there. You can argue black and blue that it is not but this is straight from the horses mouth.

Softgeorge, this is disturbing. You're aware of a certain set of red letters at the top of the article aren't you?

I believed it until I saw the "this shit sells" quote.

Didn't realise we got these things outside of April Fools.

The best part is reading the angry responses about how full of BS living in Thailand is!

If you ever find and print anything good about Pattaya can you let me know, its the single mans heaven and cant be beat so all those lifeless sexless miserable &lt;deleted&gt; who just slaughter it at every available opportunity, I would just like to say I live a very happy life here away from such marvellous places like UK, USA, ETC haa

I think we have our next contestant for: Can You Guess What Those Red Letters Mean?

ps. Whats "satire' mean

It's a conjunction for when people have gotten so angry they just had to sit down: sat-ire.

P.persons A. avoiding T. turbulent T.times A.and Y. yearning A. acquittal ......

Sorry Man...must edit, can't help myself.

Persons

Avoiding

Turbulent

Times

And

Yearning

Acquittal

Couldn't resist.

Democracy is about accepting the will of the people despite objections to process. The new government may surprise the naysayers and achieve progress. Exactly which democracy on Earth is referred to in terms of absence of corruption and self interested politicians? Red, Yellow, Black or Purple Thailand is a great land and remains amazing. Support the democratic process, accept the will of the people and hope for peace and progress. Good luck to Yingluck. May you succeed and achieve.

"The will of the people"? Did PTP get 100% of the vote? How about 50%? The "will of the people" line is cheap political rhetoric. People are entitled to hold dissenting views in a democracy. Suggesting that people should not express dissenting views just because they are not in line with "the will of the people" - is anti-democratic.

Thaksin's last regime he clearly said, if you oppose his government, you oppose Thailand. That's the PTP version of democracy.

Didn't George Bush come out with something similar following 9/11?

Almost verbatim if you substitute "Thailand" for "Amurica."

"Let's not pretend anymore. Sex, drugs, prostitution — this shit sells."

Classic.

(Can anyone really have believed the mayor said that, though?)

Scroll up three posts.

Finally a mayor with a sense for reality. Isn't his dad (Somchai Khuenpluem) still a fugitive from the law?

To finally embrace Pattaya as place where most of businesses are directly or indirectly dependent on prostitution is as bold a move as it is smart. The truth shall set you free!

Perhaps it would be good for the Tourism Authority of Thailand to also finally admit the fact and cease TV commercials like "Pattaya, Pearl of the East. Enjoy!" and instead replace them with plainly inaccurate messages like "Pattaya, Gem of the Eastern Seaboard, where the polluted sea is going to strip the skin off your body and land-based vixens of any type will soothe you in amazing ways.".

But when have you ever encountered a government official who got it right in this country? Where are they holidaying anyway?

do you know what satire means? Its that large word written in red and bald in the beginning of OP

Just in case you do not, Satire is A funny piece of writing that usually makes fun of foolish or evil behavior.

And, it's a very BALD word!