bumpkin

Good luck, they have shown warnings on the packs for some reason increases sales!

One would wonder what that says, about the smoker...

Albert Einstein was a smoker. I believe he was credited as being fairly intelligent.

Albert Einstein died in 1955

He was undoubtedly a brilliant man, but the relationship between cigarette smoking and cancers was not generally understood at that time.

The US Surgeon General first gave public warnings of the harmful effect of cigarette smoking in 1964.

The following year, the US Congress passed legislation about Cigarette packet labelling with health warnings.

Good luck, they have shown warnings on the packs for some reason increases sales!

Who are " they " ? and where was this result published ?

A GATS survey conducted for the WHO using data from 2008-10 and involving a survey of 250,000 individuals in many countries (including Thailand) concluded ...

• .....Countries with the highest number of quitters were the U.S. and the U.K., “where tobacco control activities are strongest.”
  
• 
  

Thailand pegged its currency at 25 to the dollar from 1984 until July 2, 1997, and 35 to pound sterling when the country was hit by the Asian Financial Crisis. The baht was floated and halved in value, reaching its lowest rate of 56 to the dollar and 88 to the pound in January 1998. Up until 1997 Thailand had been booming at these exchange rates, they can hardly complain now when the exchange rate is only B30/$ and B47/£! You should expect the exchange rates to recover to pre-1997 levels within 2 years as the world economies recover.

Many would say that the recovery in world economies might take just a little longer than 2 years. The EU is still "kicking the can down the road" treating the symptoms and not the cause, while the USA has recently committed itself to the prospect of another 4 years of incredible national borrowing. As for China, only time will tell if Xi's tenure will make any real changes. But, sir, we sincerely wish your prediction is correct !

Just last week, Thailand's Foreign Ministry sheep-herded foreign diplomats and press members around to a couple of shrimp-processing facilities in Samut Songkhram province. There had been reports in the internaitonal media that these places allegedly used illegal and underaged labour, and the ministry was of course (once again) deeply concerned about Thailand's image abroad. That trip was announced well over a week ahead, and needless to say that we didn't find any illegal or underaged workers at those facilities durng our visit. In fact, it seemed that the workers who had lined up as welcoming committees had been carefully chosen to look particularly old. One of the foreign diplomats told me off the record: "What else did you expect, that they openly parade before us their child workers?" I only could nod in agreement. Yet the Foreign Minister gleefully announced that the entire diplomatic delegation was very satisfied to see first-hand that the media allegations had been absolutely groundless. He also reiterated his government's commitment to stamp out child labour and human trafficking.

Just a few days later we were all delighted to learn, of course, that government officials allegedly are/were involved in "selling" rounded-up Rohingya refugees to human trafficking gangs. Even the army chief even that some high-ranking officers attached to the Isoc (Internal Security Operations Command) may have been involved in the scheme.

And now we are privileged to hear from yet another foreign organisation about alleged labour abuses in Thailand's pineapple industry, an accusation that without doubt constitutes nothing else but yet another vile - entirely groundless - attempt by foreigners to discredit Thailand in order to serve some ulterior, malevolent motives.

Can we expect a FM-organised trip to the Natural Fruit Company in Prachuabkhirikhan soon? Oh, and please inform the company in question at least one week in advance, will ya?

The only way is for the foreign buyers to employ independent audit firms who carry out spot checks.

Thai companies all got iso coz they had to. Now they will have to get something else .

There are independant Inspection Companies operating in most countries, including Thailand. These foreign supermarkets are looking for cheap product, no questions asked ! If they wanted to be sure of a guaranteed quality product and sound manufacture, that would cost them. That would be 1 expense too far.

<snip>After buying new tickets, the family have arrived in Phuket with only B50,000 left between them.<snip>

Seems to me they were not using a great deal of common sense AT ALL! If I knew that the cost of new tickets was going to be XXX and after that I only had 50K Baht, I would be reexaming the prudence of even coming. Even with the relatively inexpensive costs here in Thailand that is not enough money to do much more than sit by the pool and eat khao pad every day. Those funds should have been used to save for the next holiday and write this one off.

Are grandfather, grandmother, father, all Dutch and Thai wife + child.

Surely someone, or all have a credit card / ATM card. With the quote, have "only" 50,000 Baht with us, they for sure, just trying, a bit naive,

to get the lost money back faster!

If they paid by Credit Card, maybe they have some chance of a refund from them ?

It's sad how since this happened in Thailand, Thailand gets a bad name for itself and tourists. But if this had happened in the US or anywhere else this wouldn't have even been news.

Oh yes it would. Although you are probably correct about the USA.

I thought the reason that foreign companies weren't allowed to operate in the agriculture industry was that Thai companies weren't ready or capable to compete, yet they are apparently large enough to set up operations in neighbouring countries.

Surely some contradiction here?

Not really, I think that originally this was aimed at Europeans/US companies with higher efficiency and therefore would out compete the Locals. However these companies that went to set up operation outside are probably using the neighbouring countries, and therefore would possibly be more efficient than the locals. Myanmar for example, has just open up, a ripe target there I would think.

So are they big enough now to compete?

Size isnt everything . . . its how efficiently you use what you have, that really matters.

Well, my hope is that when and if this rail line is "launched" it will not indeed become airborne. The thought of a Thai-maintained high-speed rail link actually gives me the cold chills. The Chinese trains are quite possibly good, but will they be installed with ALL of the needed safety features? With the double corruption that will be needed to do this deal -- we've got both Chinese and Thais that will need to be greased -- costs are going to have to be shaved somewhere.

The high-speed train disaster near Shanghai was reportedly caused because anti-expansion additives in the concrete bridge (costly compound from Japan) were not used to shave off funds for various pockets. What helps mitigate the danger in China is that people could get executed for deadly corruption-related accidents. In Thailand they might be promoted to a higher position

and there have been other less well publicised 'incidents' apart from the Wenzhou accident. Some have been linked to failures in the signalling system. But the interesting pointer from China, is that their HSR system is greatly underused, because of the high cost of travel compared to the alternatives.

Do the Thai government expect to subsidise HSR travel ?

I think the BiB have full coffers today.

Tea and cakes all round.

Danish cakes and biscuits for a change.

Oh crumbs.

Why don't more countries have a zero-tolerance policy towards visitors convicted of crimes, deport them, after serving any custodial sentence?

I am sure some bright spark here will tell us, but if many more countries did that, nobody - rich or poor, guilty party or police authority, would have any doubts of the outcome. Sure, on some petty criminals it might seem harsh, but they made their choice.

The glories of FaceBook !

I guess I am just not thin-skinned enough to be a FB user, and my sense of humour is not lacking.

So i guess you are saying that the people who died in the uk, bali and spain bombings got what they deserved right? If it wasnt terrorism then they must have been legitimate targets right?

I guess? Interesting fantasy you have there.

And no, terrorism does not exist. It is either a criminal act or it is not. "Terrorism" is a term used to influence behavior and nothing more.

It has influenced the (published) thoughts and actions of our politicians.

But, one is inclined to agree that it is a convenient smokescreen for increased taxation, and control.

The 'terrorists' have been successul. The lives of normal citizens in many countries have changed, as a result of their activities.

The only path to a resolution is for the governments of Thailand and Malaysia to agree a policy of resolution, then to adhere to it. This is a trans-national problem and will require an almost inconceivable degree of good will and mutual respect from both sides. A joint vision of the future is required. The path will never be easy and not without seriuos incidents. It will require the strongest of nerve from both countries.

Nationalist posturing is never the answer. There is no quick fix solution.

Many countries have difficulties with minorities or with cross-border movement of populations. These difficulties are not uniquely a 'Muslim' condition.

Doesn't look like much tread on the tyres either

Should not use Slicks in the wet, But didnt have time for a pit-stop to fit the rain tyres ?

Surely the UK Rice trader was mis-quoted, implying that UK will find it hard to return to Thai rice if they are deprived it for some time. Rice is a commodity, Traders make money buying and selling.

There is little sentiment.

Whenever the price is right, Thai rice will enter the international market.

The average British supermarket shopper, seldom reads the small print.

Country of origin doesn't feature highly when making a purchasing decision.

I was at 2 mor lam partys on the weekend and they are all playing this song as a crowd starter. I'm amazed by how many Thai's know the dance and have fallen in love with it.

The issue here is Alcohol and not the song being played. Young 19 year old boys gt plastered on cheap whiskey that could kill them one way or another. I have seen it first hand and nobody stops Young boys from drinking till they fall down.

The issue here is the often-lethal combination of Alcohol and Guns and Youth ! These 3 should never be allowed together !

It's not only leg room which is inadequte on some planes, but seatback height is frequently too low for some passengers.

It it safe for the head rest to reach only to shoulder or neck height?

In a seat with inadequate leg room, this is a torturous combination.

A persons back length is one of the variables in this calculation.

In most populations, each generation is getting taller.

Many airlines will continue to operate at the barest minimum until passengers take action.

And the only action that the guilty airlines will take notice of is a sufficient number of passengers changing their allegiance.

I'm just gob-smacked at the number of TV armchair doctors, pediatricians and neurologists that insist there is no cure for autism.

Just like there is no cure for cancer, aids, and a myriad of other "incurable' conditions which have in fact been cured completely if you'd care to do some research on it!

The world is flat and the sky is falling!

He said there is no cure for autism, , factually correct at the time of writing.

He did not say there would never be a cure.

If you know of a cure, look out,,,the world will be beating a path to your door.

That is very good news...

I have read most of the literature and objesctive research done Doctors both in the West the west and much of it from Japan also..

and no side effects. As a matter of fact,Japanese Medical Doctors are prescribing Maitake Mushrooms for their cancer patience with

much success. The Reishi Mushrooms as well..

WikePedia is an excellent source for many of the Chinese herbs backed up hard facts and hard experiments that described the benefits

to many diseases.

There has been some research into the active compounds contained within some herbs. but not in all cases and not exhaustively or too critically.

Certainlly not enough to be acceptable to the USA FDA or any European pharmaceutical standards.

When some incident occurs in the west caused by unforseen outcomes of modern drug use, the population at large, is rightly alarmed.

There is a great need for the most stringent of testing, before any of these naturally occuring chemicals are incorporated into saleable medication, whatever the level of anecdotal submissions. Many of this historical and anencdotal evidence arises from times before the age of Post-Mortem examination or in cultures where PMs are not practised.

Not so long ago, chemicals such as arsenic or mercury were medically acceptable, as they had been for centuries.

One only hopes that research at this University will be of the highest international standard, and not influencd by the financial outcomes.

((Wikipedia is a souce of information, whether that is all hard fact or not, is open for debate. As with much scientific reporting, the results may be clear, but the difficulties arise in their interpretation. ))

Eye witnesses said a second vehicle pulled up behind the Honda Civic & the occupants also opened fire, but the police seem to know more ??

In general, eye-witness evidence can be notoriously unreliable. Ask any Policeman or Lawyer ? In this case, who knows?

Chicago gangster style. I expect this will be on the increase.

Why?

Why not?

Gang business is profitable. If not, they wouldn't do it.

Gangs have their own ways of enforcing discipline and punishment.

Extremely sad as this story is, it would seem that it was not Emotional control, but Parental control that was lacking in this case.

Most children with these medical symptoms are brought up to be loving and no threat.

Quite right too.

Officers only !

Why should it deter? They can now visit another city prone to flooding

Are their branches of most Thai Banks in the USA ?

More 'business' between Thailand and China. Anyone else see a shifting away from the USA and towards China, or is it just me?

The Amricans have been shiftng their "business" away from the USA for a long time.

Ask WalMart.