Mister Fixit

Wonder how the SAS recuits in Wales would get on if they came here to train and were made to sit in the mess with everyone else and eat bowls and bowls of extra hot chillies three times a day. May be a few of them RTU'd too.

Ha! You know nothing about the Regiment, obviously. It was a matter of pride to be able to eat the hottest possible curries - all mess dinners had a blasting curry on the menu.

Guys would go out for training in the Brecons with a plastc box full of red-hot home-made curry with them, including me.

I'm afraid that I'm rapidly losing confidence in these so-called "special forces" with their low temperature intolerance. What if some VIPs had been taken hostage in MBK, and MBK happened to have their air-con turned up too high? (as they sometimes DO, by the way) Are you telling me these guys would refuse the mission, with some excuse like, "I'm sorry, precious, we don't do COLD!"

That's it, you've hit the nail on the head. They must be saving on training costs, and now send their trainees into MBK in flip-flops, shorts and a T shirt and they're not allowed to leave for 8 hours.

Cold-weather training and they don't even have to leave the country.

And if they had to do an operation to say free some hostages or part of a peace keeping force in the UN in far flung parts of the world like they have before ?

Come on even you can see the sense in a special forces unit being able to cope with ... well special or extreme conditions and perform, or they arnt special forces.

It dosnt really do to say im not getting in that cold water and i suspect it was a shock to find out what real special forces have to go through. Im sure they are great lads all the same and no doubt tip top in the jungle.

Precisely. SD should be operate anywhere, any time, although obviously someone from a hot country would find the going hard in eg, Scandinavia. However, the UK SAS, after passing Selection, go straight to the jungles of Belize for further training (and weeding out), so I do think the Thai SF should have stuck it out. Surely it's a matter of pride not to quit? I did my Selection in Kenya on the equator at Nanyuki and in the bush in that area, having trained in freezing Wales, so quite a contrast, and passed.

This chap was a particularly nice guy. I live in a village in Nothaburi which is packed wih ex and current branches of the Thai forces and they are excellent to a man. Very friendly, always a nice word.

My landlord is a retired Air Marshall, there's also a retired vice admiral, as well as a colonel, plus a current colonel with excellent English (son of the older colonel) and a couple of retired police generals etc. No crime in my Moo-ban!

I have a friend in Sattahip who is a Thai navy seal. A more considerate and polite person you couldn't meet. These people train hard, often with U S navy seals and their loyalty to Thailand and the risks they take, even in training, should not be trivialised.

Well, I was in the UK SAS Reserves (23 Regt) for 5 years a very long time ago, and I know what the training is like. However, some years back I was teaching a corporate class near Don Muang for a Government-related body. One of my students was something big in security and an ex-commando with the Thai army.

He told me that quite some years ago 20 Thai commandos were sent to Hereford to train with the regular SAS (22 Regt). They were back in Thailand after a week. It was too cold for them. They were sent to the Brecons in Wales during winter, (standard place for training Brits) where they froze. They were supposed to jump into a lake in November in full kit and bergen (backpack) and stay in the water for 5 minutes. They refused and were RTU'd (Returned to Unit) ie, sent back to Thailand in disgrace.

So I have some scepticism about your claim that they are that good. They may be good in Thai terms, but not THAT good.

I really can't see why a Thai special forces unit needs to be able to endure extreme cold when their only likely area of operations would be in the tropics.

After living in a reasonably cold (in winter) area, I have lived in the tropics for more than 10 years. Now, anything under 20 degrees chills me to the bone, but that might be old age.

it's not about if they need to endure it or not - they "refused" - they just have not got it.

Precisely my point. Whooshed over someone's head though ...

I have a friend in Sattahip who is a Thai navy seal. A more considerate and polite person you couldn't meet. These people train hard, often with U S navy seals and their loyalty to Thailand and the risks they take, even in training, should not be trivialised.

Well, I was in the UK SAS Reserves (23 Regt) for 5 years a very long time ago, and I know what the training is like. However, some years back I was teaching a corporate class near Don Muang for a Government-related body. One of my students was something big in security and an ex-commando with the Thai army.

He told me that quite some years ago 20 Thai commandos were sent to Hereford to train with the regular SAS (22 Regt). They were back in Thailand after a week. It was too cold for them. They were sent to the Brecons in Wales during winter, (standard place for training Brits) where they froze. They were supposed to jump into a lake in November in full kit and bergen (backpack) and stay in the water for 5 minutes. They refused and were RTU'd (Returned to Unit) ie, sent back to Thailand in disgrace.

So I have some scepticism about your claim that they are that good. They may be good in Thai terms, but not THAT good.

I really can't see why a Thai special forces unit needs to be able to endure extreme cold when their only likely area of operations would be in the tropics.

After living in a reasonably cold (in winter) area, I have lived in the tropics for more than 10 years. Now, anything under 20 degrees chills me to the bone, but that might be old age.

They were sent to train with the SAS - that's how the SAS train. Perhaps their senior officers thought it would be all som tam breaks and a gentle stroll up a hill now and again. Er, not quite.

And yeah, I feel the cold now as well after the same length of time as you. But not chilled to the bone, more like a nice cool bracing morning. But then again, I am ex-SAS ...

For gods sake. Enough already! Put this nutcase in the slammer where he belongs and let the ordinary people of Bangkok enjoy their last Sunday before Christmas in peace

Which would be OK if Thais celebrated Christmas ... which they don't, if you hadn't noticed, Mr Farang

Actually many thai people do celebrate christmas - not as a religious holiday, but for the gift-giving. Did you ever notice all the christmas baskets in big c?

Or were you too busy clapping yourself on the back because they are bhuddist not christian?

They aren't Christmas baskets, they're for New Year ... Or do you always make assumptions before thinking properly?

"Jurin Laksanawisit, Democrat deputy spokesman, said the government has also postponed payment of rubber purchases from southern farmers to Feb 14."

Feb 14 is a national holi(y)day, i know enough.

Since when was Valentine's Day a national holiday in Thailand? Or anywhere, for that matter?

Probed with what and by whom ...?

As the world turns and ponders on the age-old fundamental questions - can Pheu Thai think ? - and if so, will they make the obvious decision and acquiesce to the EC's suggestion and delay the election ? Or will they barrel ahead, full cylinders thrusting - gleefully towards an election that will result in a parliament that cannot be opened ? We have to give Pheu Thai a lot of time for this decision. It's really tough.

On the other hand, stop thinking. Just do it.

Too difficult for them. It requires a brain.

This is just more Pheu Thai bullshit and lies to try to discredit Suthep or anyone else opposed to theThaksin megalomaniac clique. Anyone who believes this shit is a moron, just like the shit threatening to kidnap the Army Chief's daughters. Get real, guys. Thais are nothing if unsophisticated about the crap they peddle.

So why all the Christmas trees outside every mall and decorations being sold everywhere, along with Christmas tunes in every supermarket?

Also, Thais celebrate the Christian New Year, or haven't you noticed there's a 5 day holiday coming up?

Unless I am mistaken, the Thai New Year is in April. Please inform me if I am wrong.

Where is your logic, apart from rampant wrongly thought out nationalism, please?

1 Marketing.

2 It's not the 'Christian New Year' it's just about every other country but Thailand's New Year- THEY are the minority, but hey, it's a good excuse for a booze-up.

3 You're not mistaken, just pedantic

4 In my brain, where you don't seem to keep yours. What's nationalistc about reminding someone that Christmas is immaterial to Thais, Mr Brainbox? They go through the motions, that's all. No presents etc. They're bl**dy Buddhists <deleted>! Hadn't you noticed yet?

I understand why many Thais think farang are stupid.

I think you'll find the opposite is the case ...

What happened to the 20 places that would occupied - has he spread himself too thinly? Or are there not enough supporters left?

Your a bundle of joy arent you.

He's probably a Dane - I've met some right miserable Danes, always whinging ...

Dignity? What dignity?

Well, apart from all the transliteration errors, that was mildly interesting, though I knew most of it anyway.

Of course he can read English - he was born there (in my old home town) and went to bloody Eton and Oxford. He's probably the best educated politician in Thailand.

None of these dodgy Thai universities who give out toilet-tissue degrees for him. He has a PROPER degree from one of the top 4 universities in the WORLD.

And anyone who reads Yahoo for news is a brain-dead cretin.

What a load of old tosh. A picture of a bit of hoar frost on a few blades of grass and Thailand panics.

But they're not lagging behind in sanuk are they? Would you rather be fluent in a foreign language or be happy?

I think it is spelled 'sanook' .....

The Royal Thai General System which is the official method of rendering Thai language words in the Latin alphabet thinks it's spelled 'sanuk'

http://www.thai-language.com/id/131195

There are a number of transliteration systems - they are all crap. For example, the way they use a 'u; and not an 'a' 'My name Nut' but they spell it 'Nat'

WRONG!!

A flat 'a' is way different from a flat 'u'

It is interesting to mote that in England some schools are now banning local dialect, not only for teaching but also for conversations between students

If yo cor spayke proppa yo cor tek the exam

Sownds loike yow cum frum the Black Countray! Am yow a yam-yam?

Is there a Thai word for "hypocrisy"?

Something like 'garsrisaeng' (การเสแสร้ง) but the easier 'song na' (two faced) will do