Maggusoil

Give me a good dictator, with good intentions any day over the conniving, lying, grubby politicians and thieving bureaucrats all covering for one another.

There are some real issues with this reasoning, but I agree. In order to solve the problems the world is facing at the moment, the present elected governments have to go.

A benevolent dictatorship is definitely good for getting things done, but, as a form of government, it has one fatal flaw. Succession.

As Winston Churchill said:-

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."

and a well worn quote it is. . .

Well put, albeit by a principal of democracy. He would advocate it.

We're facing a succession problem in Thailand right now

In the Royalty and in the Government

Still, as we have noticed, life, meaning the workers, work on.

Democracy has become too simplistic a term for what is now a complex beast.

Its justices and fairness are in decline, even in the West.

Unless we enlighten ourselves as to how to support it, we will never free ourselves from our oppressors.

In particular the banks.

Give me a good dictator, with good intentions any day over the conniving, lying, grubby politicians and thieving bureaucrats all covering for one another.

There are some real issues with this reasoning, but I agree. In order to solve the problems the world is facing at the moment, the present elected governments have to go.

The reason for the reasoning is, they are in the pay of the banks. Certainly in the west. In Australia the banks control the courts and the pollies.

Nobody looks beyond the coddling of the nanny state, and its proposed gunless, cashless society.

How's that for opening a few doors I shouldn't have opened.

Thanks for the consumer conscious post.

"just walk along this straight line sir!"

Oh! My head hurts!

Oh for the autobahn! Oops, streets a bit short . . . Alcohol . . . .great stuff, in small doses

He could not help himself...he was still in the afterglow of the chicks he nailed in BKK...after a few drinks...he forgot where he was...fine him 500 baht...and make him apologize...jail time is too harsh for such a small infraction...

Its an expensive lesson in manners. Some people just can't keep their head down in foreign cultures. Drinking definitely lowers the

common sense barriers.

I don't see any thing wrong with it, for too long now all sorts of " cowboys" operators

had a free hand in bringing unchecked number of foreign workers in to the kingdom

with all the good and bad implications, it's about time some one will put the whole loose

business of migrant workers in to proper order....

Its just commerce. You got a job to do, someone wants to do it. You don't want to do it. Someone else will.

I ran a contract labouring outfit in my home country doing jobs, the labourers in big companies refused to do.

Hard and dirty work. We got lots of it and made good bucks.

That's all that's going on here. People who are worse off have to come across the border. Think about them.

They have every right to feel nervous, they don't get put in jail for working harder than the locals will.

If he's guilty of murdering a mother of three, then he should be getting the time of his life.

Lets hope the court can deliver some justice.

I have an extremely knowledgable educated Thai friend, who speaks fluent English and is a translator. He also has an unambiguous knowledge of his countrymen, which is frequently not that flattering.

I have fascinating conversations with this man. If you cannot manage good conversations with a Thai, I would change the way you look for it.

By the looks of him, it will not be long before his real funeral, if he is not dead already by the anger caused to relatives and people that attended his fake funeral.

Even for charity reasons, I don't find his actions amusing.

LOl.... you really think he tried to "fake" it.....c'mon ..wake up ... it was a 'dress rehearsal' , all those attending were quite aware of this.

Very creative. At least he knows who's on the invite list. Very organised. That could be a first. May start a trend even.

Stage your own funeral, get all the details right! I like it.

Come on baby light my fire!!

many in Thailand just dont realize that Bar girl/boy/tran prostitution in Thailand IS human trafficing

Quite correct . . . but how many are there within prostitution "by choice" . . . ? Is that still trafficking? (I'm talking about "adults" here not "children")

The so-called "choice" you talk about ( consoling yourself are you? ) would for 99.9% of them, be at the bottom of the list of options, had their been alternatives. So many were of them were children, young women, burdened with the obligation to support their parents. They were pushed into getting money by any means.

The masters of slavery are consumers, all over the world and including you, who crave the latest in everything from electronics to fashion, at the lowest price. The customers of the arrested cafe owner, who use his girls, are as guilty as he is. Paid for sex in Thailand , have you?

I like the posts, and its a good comment about choice. The trafficking must refer to "underage".

The great pity is that so many see themselves without a choice and in some cases, especially for a young girl, there may be no perceived choice. Sent by the family. This guy should have known better than to employ underage girls and or his subscription to the gendarmerie got behind.

The comment , "Help create a Democracy suited to Thailand" , this in itself is cause for concern, as they had Thai Democracy and look where it got them, another mention in the Guiness book of records. Business as usual score: 9/10

What good does it do teaching police to be feel good, spin doctors, while they are really interested in enriching themselves?

Besides wise Generals trying to keep the peace, I believe a great many Thai people already know what democracy really should be, including a corruption free judiciary and police force, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and real politicians to vote for.

As in politicians representing the ordinary people and not just power and money mad autocrats.

"Too tall an order?" is the question of the day.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Keep in mind most of these people, and most other people in Thailand, care so much about the environment, that they happily throw their garbage anywhere but in the garbage bin. And if they do manage to collect a pile of garbage, they will simply burn it, even if it contains hazardous materials. In short, they do not care about their own health, or the health of anyone else, so why should anyone care about their health? My main worry in this regard, is if any of the waste ends up in the food those provinces grow and sell to the rest of Thailand.

it is so sad how thais have no respect for thier city thier country or the planet....please stop the plastic bag,foam dish and now the tech waste..with some education,i have tried to educate my kids,and just when it seems they are''getting it'',they disapoiint me,yet again with the old lazy habits...plastic bags,foam bowls and general disrespect..but they sure respect pay day and thier i phones...thais just dont ''get it''...sad

They do get it!

But like most children, need reminding. No dinner without speaking English to get served. That was from my childhood. No dinner without ordering it in French. No money for lollies, ice creams or the like if you throw the wrapper anywhere else. There are lots of ways to incentivise situations, if people cannot 'get it'.

I drive a lot when I am in Australia. I live in one of the world's cleanest cities with the highest recycling rate in Australia, but I still see people throwing cigarettes and lunch boxes out of their cars.

If you want to see real problems with waste, go to Indonesia.

Cigarette smokers would have to be the laziest people in the world.

It does go with the territory somewhat. Dirty inside and out . . .

Kind of curious, how much is a Thai cinema chair worth?

I do not know what a chair is worth nor its replacement cost and the question is not relevant to this discussion at all.

Just one of many questions that must be asked is why should a cinema patron be expected to pay for wear and tear on an item that thousands of people have plonked their ample posteriors into? The chair clearly has a design fault and poses a danger to customers such as myself. Who is to say what initially triggered the design fault that led to the chair cracking?

Not once did staff or management ask about my health or well being and while I was uninjured from the chair a simple enquiry from any member of the cinema staff would have been appropriate if not a pre requisite of such a situation. I am of course a paying customer using their provided equipment and I could have been injured.

Perhaps the old suing the cinema for not providing safe seating, is the better approach. With great respect of course.

You fall off with great style and noise, your partner helps you, to hobble to the manager's office with a please explain query. . .

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Keep in mind most of these people, and most other people in Thailand, care so much about the environment, that they happily throw their garbage anywhere but in the garbage bin. And if they do manage to collect a pile of garbage, they will simply burn it, even if it contains hazardous materials. In short, they do not care about their own health, or the health of anyone else, so why should anyone care about their health? My main worry in this regard, is if any of the waste ends up in the food those provinces grow and sell to the rest of Thailand.

it is so sad how thais have no respect for thier city thier country or the planet....please stop the plastic bag,foam dish and now the tech waste..with some education,i have tried to educate my kids,and just when it seems they are''getting it'',they disapoiint me,yet again with the old lazy habits...plastic bags,foam bowls and general disrespect..but they sure respect pay day and thier i phones...thais just dont ''get it''...sad

They do get it!

But like most children, need reminding. No dinner without speaking English to get served. That was from my childhood. No dinner without ordering it in French. No money for lollies, ice creams or the like if you throw the wrapper anywhere else. There are lots of ways to incentivise situations, if people cannot 'get it'.

I drive a lot when I am in Australia. I live in one of the world's cleanest cities with the highest recycling rate in Australia, but I still see people throwing cigarettes and lunch boxes out of their cars.

If you want to see real problems with waste, go to Indonesia.

Another way to look at it. Do good thai men marry thai prostitutes.................................lol.

What's a 'good' Thai man?

Of course Thai men don't marry them, nor do foreign men who have lived here for a long time. Only the guys off the boat , or on Thai love sites marry them as they know no better.

You both need to out more!

Ever seen a Thai guy drop his wife off at a bar to work, kiss her on the cheek and say goodbye? Plenty!

I'd venture, this pinpoints one of the main differences between Thai men and farangs. Farangs marry bar girls to 'save' them while the Thais send them out to "work". Who in this picture is sensible?

I'm not marrying anyone again. From anywhere.

. . . and as my mate Stan always says. All women are whores, and he's never been to Asia.

Having said that, one of the best relationships I've had in a long life of many relationships with many women from many cultures,

is with a Thai lady whose reproductive system saved her. More or less.

No need to look at the alcohol problem though . . . ? rerdiculusss

She should stay out of this. The Brits don't like us sticking our nose in their business.

Quite so. She's not a member of Thai Visa, so she should keep her opinions down . .

Is there no 'Constitutional Right' for an American to drive with a pedestrian 'embedded in the car's windscreen'? Even in California?

Not necessary. The pedestrian has become a passenger.

You write that the the guy is an idiot, but he isn't necessarily and you have little or no basis to make that judgement

on the strength of a published few lines.He is just another victim of the scourge of drugs and addiction and the lengths

to which drug addicts will go to secure their supply. Perhaps you all need a dose of compassion and understanding for

this disease, this curse, this destructive force which robs people of their reason and their dignity. Try and restrain your ugly

self righteous urge to gossip for a moment and engage your brain. I sometimes wonder if the vicious comments from "men"

in here are in themselves a kind of sickness disguising self loathing or if its just manifest as a smug self satisfaction.

There, but for the grace of God go all of us...try and break the shackles of your ignorance and act like a man..

Oh, did guns come with his drugs or is that another issue in his case....?

Take one look at the guy. Therapy? He's been watching too many movies.

He obviously has a fantasy tough guy image of himself, probably exacerbated by misuse of cheap drugs.

Give us a break Dr.. I know you might be in need of patients, but seriously.

We can agree. It just may be a bit harsh to describe him as an idiot. Perhaps he is just acting idiotically. Going through a phase, maybe. He certainly needs compassion. For one compelled

to such acts of idiocy, yes, certainly, he needs therapy.

Most likely time therapy. Time to contemplate whether or not there is something better to do in life than sell amphetamines, play with guns

and act the tough guy.

Like the rest of us. He deserves what he gets.

In new enquiries in Australia at the Thai Consulate, based on a one year visit to be with my Thai daughter, my name on birth certificate, not married to her mother, they told me as long as I have the birth papers, is sufficient. I asked for sure they said for sure. Will test it shortly. They said not to worry about bank details.

I assume that was at one of the honorary consulates not the official consulate in Sydney.

You cannot normally get a multiple entry non-o based upon having a Thai child at a embassy or official consulate without being the legal father by way of marriage (divorced or widower) or legitimization.

The Ambassador's Office is in the national capital Canberra.

The Sydney office which I am referring to is the Consul General's (Head) Office. Honorary Consular Offices are listed in the country's other State Capitals.

In new enquiries in Australia at the Thai Consulate, based on a one year visit to be with my Thai daughter, my name on birth certificate, not married to her mother, they told me as long as I have the birth papers, is sufficient. I asked for sure they said for sure. Will test it shortly. They said not to worry about bank details.

I assume that was at one of the honorary consulates not the official consulate in Sydney.

You cannot normally get a multiple entry non-o based upon having a Thai child at a embassy or official consulate without being the legal father by way of marriage (divorced or widower) or legitimization.

Its the Consulate office in the city where "all" the visas are issued from in Sydney.

I will be testing it shortly. I was also advised I did not need a travel date either, or a plane booking.

In the past I have found the phone advice to be accurate.

95% or my travels with 3 month tourist visas, have also been done with one way tickets.

Perhaps the frequency of my travels over the years. I don't know.

In new enquiries in Australia at the Thai Consulate, based on a one year visit to be with my Thai daughter, my name on birth certificate, not married to her mother, they told me as long as I have the birth papers, is sufficient. I asked for sure they said for sure. Will test it shortly. They said not to worry about bank details.