Why do all the white people on here suddenly think this is about them? It's about illegal migrant labour on building sites, in factories, on boats, working in call centres, or tour guides. A number that greatly outweighs the number of "farang" working in Thailand either legally or illegally. Some of the new clauses appear directly related to several high profile court cases involving migrant and immigrant labour over the past year. The new law also formalises contract farming.  If you are illegal, then you are illegal. No different to laws in most of our own home countries. Nothing to moan about. Times are a changing. Thailand is growing up.  

6 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

Morons. Tobacco is not for kids. Actually, tobacco is for nobody, except those who are too weak to get rid of the filthy addiction.

 

But I think the parents are also to blame - when your kid is stuck in a detention center, it means that somewhere along the way, you failed as a parent.

Had your little rant for the day? 
 

Take a valium and have a hot cup of tea, you'll feel much better.

On 6/13/2017 at 1:31 PM, billd766 said:

 

 I agree with you, after of course deduction the cost of the storage etc over the last few years.

 

If you assume that it was bought for 15,000 per ton then there is an immediate los of 5,500 baht per ton as the difference between the buying and the selling price, the cost of storage for 3 or 4 years, the cost of the interest on the money that the government (the taxpayers money) to buy the rice in the first place and there won't be much left of that 9,346 baht per ton.

Delay in the sale is not the fault of the defendant. 

Only hom mali was paid for at Bt15,000/ ton. 

What a totally useless piece of 'journalism' by The Nation. Not even a mention of where any of the Thai universities sit. 

Thailand Higher Education: Like Lipstick on a Pig
 

In Thailand, home to some of the regions most established (and expensive) higher education institutions the 2018 QS International University Ranking presents far from cheery reading.

Thailand’s number one university, the 100-year-old Chulalongkorn University (CU), leads Thailand universities into this years list with a global ranking of 245. An increase of seven places above its ranking in the 2017 QS International University Ranking, ‘Chula’ also claims the title of Asean’s sixth highest ranked university.

Source  University Rankings: Malaysia Emerges as Higher Education Hub – Singapore's Nanyang Dethrones
 

Bt9,346 / US$274.50  a ton by my calculation 

and it should certainly be deducted from the governments claim against Yingluck if it was rice collected and paid for under the rice pledging scheme. As should earlier sales the government has conducted of pledging scheme rice.  

Some people shouldn't be allowed to own animals (or have children) 

For crisis support  

Samaritans of Thailand can be contacted on (02) 713-6793 from midday to 10pm.

Samaritans of Chiang Mai can be contacted on (53) 225 977/8. 
 

Who paid the fine?

18 hours ago, tso310 said:

Years ago I'm sure road deaths were counted only at the scene of the accident. That may have changed.

I believe it now includes any death related to a road crash irrespective of how long after. We saw the figures for the second day amended on the the third da due to two deaths from injuries.

Added to that, who wants to live on the 16th floor when the fire service ladder will only reach the fifth?

Skilled workers and Cambodia, or compliance and Cambodia (and lots of other pairings with 'Cambodia') are an oxymoron. The last electrician we had totally dismantled an electric insect killer to change the globes (and then couldn't get it back together). 

19 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I think the big problem is that there has been massive construction of "luxury" condos/apartments for which there is no market.

 

Ordinary house/flat rental prices have been pretty stable, are already pretty reasonable, and there is no glut of them - places are available but not huge numbers vacant. It is these new, overpriced things that are sitting empty.

 

Even the boreys didn't have a high clearance rate last year according to that article. But you are correct. All these $100,000+ condos in a country where the minimum wage is $150 a month. It's not like Phnom Penh has the infrastructure, entertainment, or commerce that Bangkok, KL, or Jakarta have. Not many lights on in those luxury places at night time. Must be pretty eerie being one of only perhaps 20 in a building designed for a couple of hundred. 

This says property prices in Cambodia could fall by as much as 50% du t the constant release of new accommodation priced in the $100,000+ range. It points out a few projets that have stopped also. There does seem to be a lot of empty property according this. Possible? 

"Additionally 2016 saw 11,550 new units released for presale, with link type houses accounting for 89.1 per cent, or 10,290 units. However, only 51 per cent were sold. Of the 100,278 strata housing units available at the end of 2016, VTrust says only 67 per cent or some 68,190 had found buyers."

"The view of a burgeoning oversupply in the Phnom Penh property market are echoed by Knight Frank in its Cambodia Real Estate Highlights H2 2016 report. In it the international property consultancy giant forewarns of an additional 1,053 more serviced apartment units coming online by the end of this year, adding to the existing recorded pool of 4,214 units available right now."

Is The Phnom Penh Property Market Headed For a Massive Crash?

The reason why newspapers in the west don't report suicides is it encourages other people to grab their '15 minutes of fame' by departing this world in a headline grabbing manner. Seems like leaving a bloody mess for others to clean up is the only way farang can think of leaving this world. Pretty inconsiderate at a place likely to have children passing by, not to mention the risk of landing on some poor sod who has just gotten off a long-haul flight and is pushing their luggage-laden trolley towards an exit in expectations of having a holiday of a life time.  

Hmm, Khmer times 'sponsored content' - probably a tag they should put on every story given recent disclosures. I note that at least one online news source is now has a disclaimer at the bottom of their Cambodia news roundups stating it "will no longer cite The Khmer Times due to poor credibility, probity, and governance."

The claim that "he current entry fee into national parks for foreign tourists has remained unchanged since 2006" is not supported by the facts. In true Thai syle, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has announced that as of 1st February 2015, the entrance fees for 31 national parks in Thailand have been raised. The prices below are for children/adults. Please note there is a dual price system at all parks in Thailand.

Source: Entrance fees have gone up at 31 National Parks in Thailand

Funny, last time I posted a reply to a topic seeking advice on abortion and mentioned this facility - under Royal patronage - my post was deleted and then a whole bunch of "Thaivisa experts' jumped onto the topic decrying how abortion is illegal in Thailand ... pure <deleted>.

On 23/02/2017 at 8:53 PM, wcoast said:

While I totally agree with your sentiments, it's not like a smoke detector is a huge expense. As well I understood that the dorm room was locked and there was no adult supervision throughout the night. I take great exception to the possibility that the girls were locked in with no avenue of escape. Any way you cut it this was a horrific tragedy. I really wonder what has transpired of all the authorities talk about ensuring smoke detectors in similar schools since then?

I agree with wcoast. Smoke detectors aren't a huge cost, and not the only issue here. But there's not much point suing if there's no money at the end of process. As Rotweiler points out. Not much else available for the Hill Tribe kids.

I originally suspected that this is domestic and international. In that case there would not be much change to the past. About 10/11 per cent for international and 6/7 per cent for domestic would sound about correct.

Then again, it does say "130,000 people visiting the nation daily" which would be 47.450 million people. Far above the total of foreign tourists claimed. Placed against the claimed income this equates to an average of Bt52,898 ( US$1,511) per person.

Sounds like TAT jiggling the figures again.

In 2015 following the coup they retroactively altered the 2013 and 2014 tourism arrival figures downwards to make the effect of the coup look less significant while the amount per person increased. It would appear from this, in the absence of poor original writing or translation, that Q1 is now the first quarter of the Thailand fiscal year and not the calendar year.

It looks like a retirement visa is just about to be introduced. It even has a visa category - Class ER.

Not much info on it available, but this article looks at Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia as comparisons Healthcare, Infrastructure May Hinder Cambodia Retirement Visa Success

It says here that they've spent a lot of money on improving Sihanoukville:

According to Im Chantha, deputy director of Preah Sihanouk Province's tourism department, tourist arrivals rose almost 17 per cent YoY during the first half of the year, topping one million visitors. Some two million tourists are expected to visit the province in 2016.

According to Ms Im Sihanoukville has been putting considerable effort into cleaning up its image as a seedy backpacker haunt with poor infrastructure and rampant crime, with an increasing array of upscale accommodation, better infrastructure, and a host of city beautification projects helping to boost the city’s appeal to local and international tourists.

Street lighting, sidewalks, gardens and better utilities have all been invested in by provincial authorities, while more proactive policing has helped to significantly reduce crime. The number of snatch-and-grab robberies, one of the most frequent crimes against tourists, are down substantially since a new provincial police chief took over in April 2015, she said.

Word must be getting out, particularly in Cambodia. Local tourists to Sihanoukville increased by 21 per cent YoY in the first half of the year, compared to only a 3.1 per cent increase in foreign visitors. In the first half of 2016 some 223,000 foreign visitor ventured to Sihanoukville, in addition to 810,000 Khmer, she said.

That would be the same high quality inspection and evaluation that went into buying GT200s I guess.

if someone had posted this photo on an australian web site, s/he' d be in for child porn charges. lucky we live in thailand...

Total &lt;deleted&gt;. And Australian has a capital A

"the new places were rented by non-traders who re-rent spaces" If this is the case then the vendors complaints should be looked into.

There's the Khao Tao Professional Handicraft Centre in Hua Hin.

They're mentioned in this story here and there's some video of them weaving organic cotton.

http://aecnewstoday.com/2015/asean-media-gothailandgoasean/#axzz4BclBYErI