jamesbrock

I'd say the tourists started it and I'm not an idiot.

I beg to differ

I agree with him, however the Thai's response was absolutely disgusting behaviour that is totally unjustifiable.

The tourists certainly did themselves no favours at all.

What started out as an argument between the Thai in the white shirt and the Thai in the black t-shirt with red square (the same guy that floored all three tourists) escalated when the white shirt walks into the son, who literally pushed him out of the way - at 23 seconds - but apart from being pushed, stumbling and smashing his face into the step, no punches were thrown up to this point.

When the mother confronted white shirt, black t-shirt was out of the picture having a conversation with friends letting a farang walk through their group without a second thought. This farang stopped to watch the exact moment the mother slapped white shirt - at 55 seconds - and smartly decided to walk away.

Black t-shirt walks back of to put his arm around white shirt—the same time as son gets to his feet and joins his mother—and the mother went straight for him - even though up to this point he had been uninvolved and was not even aware the mum had slapped white shirt.

The son walks around and grabs black t-shirt while a little weed appears to headset mum. The dad then punches black t-shirt to the face while son holds him - at 1:18. At this stage a black cap wearing farang intervenes and appears to try to advise the mum to let it go. By this stage, it was too late; son had let black t-shirt go and he walks around the group coward-punching the dad, the knocking mum to the ground followed by the son.

I'm certainly not saying the tourists deserved to be set upon, but they're definitely not the innocents most people are making them out to be.

Edit: before I get flamed, let me just reiterate nothing justifies kicking someone to the head and stamping on people while they're down, especially to an elderly lady.

It raises now the morality of holidaying there?

Last night Australian TV showed the heat Thailand was said to be experiencing ( the hottest in decades according to news reporters)

As pictures of baby elephants were shown and zoo animals eating ice blocks.

Western media has largely ignored Thai human rights abuses .

Even EU threats to red card their fishing industry has piped down for a few more months .

Tourists are largely unaware of what goes on there or cares.

Thais have little help from ambassadors these days and it seems everyone is in on the insidious game of allowing peasants / students to be terrified along with others to even raise objection to what is a horses ass of a document that fixes the odds in the armies favour .

To suggest otherwise is sheer folly and fabrication.

But when is the international community going to say ""look we have warned you repeatedly that jailing and detaining people against their will is not allowed in the civilised world "" and invoke sanctions ?

At the end of the day the movement of the military is towards silencing all opposition.

How far will this go is anyone's guess.

If they do manage to carry of elections and retain control over the nation by proxy for decades the Thai people effectively were sold out.

The west and all their fake moral posturing , which is why guys like Trump are succeeding in a non PC fashion .

Will largely be at fault.

It seems Thailand is willing to burn all bridges with the west if it doesn't turn a blind eye to its antics .

And cooling down elephants on our TV screens and excited daughters saying ""lets go there"" is what is being fed to us.

What happened to the death camps discovered in jungles and rulings on Fishing slaves ?

What happened to promises ?

Why are the freedoms of speech guardians ?

Why are these men receiving awards in New York whilst arresting their citizens over red bowls , Facebook likes and having an opinion?

The final and only thing left for moral people to do if their governments won't act.

Is boycott the place and look at labels to make sure it's not Thai.

Maybe only then will pressures be sufficient for the apathy to give way to progress.

Right now Thailand is bottling up an awful amount of frustration .

If something gives I am not so sure white skinned people will be received well be either side.

One side says we are not Thai and should mind our own business.

The other side watches as we do nothing and hand out awards to same leaders?

Thailand is closing the door.

And we must place a foot out while its possible .

Otherwise it closes for ever

Maybe ASEAN could do something as well.

Other ASEAN nations have their own problems; have you seen this guy?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-28/philippine-candidate-rodrigo-duterte-vows-murder-pardon/7365436

He amazingly makes the General look good!

I'll give him one thing though, at least he's up front about his intentions/plans, rather than repeating lines that are demonstrably false as though the more times you repeat something the more truthful it becomes...

I have 2 Feraris, 2 Porsces and 3 Lamborghinies. Bit I left them at home. Of corse we believe you. :-). Typing this msg from temple as monk.

I bet you even have proof that you own the aforementioned vehicles – but it's classified...

Rather than engage herself in exploitative photo ops with orphans, she could contemplate a donation to charity equal to or greater than the value of the luxury items. That might go some way to repair her tattered image. Not even Lakorn addicts are stupid enough to be fooled by this orchestrated PR BS spin, are they?

Yes, yes they are.

Where is Mr Wanchai Sak-udomchai, director-general of the Meteorological Department? Has he surfaced yet?

You know, the genius who assured us back last month that, "as Thailand has no desert, the chance of being hit by heat wave is impossible"...

''' in case the red bowels fought back

I hope you mean 'bowls'

Bowel is a deserving word and fitting to the occasion. That's what the military deserved.

Have you ever eaten a large serving of red Dragonfruit? I have, and my red bowels could've certainly given the military what it deserves...

Seriously though, is there no bigger threat to the country warranting a combined force of 300 soldiers and police than red bowls?

Pictures in front of orphans. How low can you really get?

The fact that "public displays of piety and charity are routinely employed by Thai celebrities to deflect criticism" pretty much says it all.

'Vacuous' and 'filth' are pretty much the only words that can be typed here, out of all those I thought when reading this article.

She ' staged ' the press conference and how, look at the battery of cameras in the background.

The media should be gutting not feting such people.

The vast majority of the media are as bad as her fawning Instagram followers, who'll lap up her staged faux-charity and believe her ridiculous lies without question.

'Vacuous' and 'filth' are pretty much the only words that can be typed here, out of all those I thought when reading this article.

I have police friends and even they are saying the police loyalties are dividing. They are worried. They also say they their army friends are dividing in loyalries.

All because of what we are seeing more and more.

Their words to me... you are going to be safe in your housebut doubt step outside.

Their advice is to leave.

I am taking that advice as I hear it too mNy times now.

I really hate how this country is tearing apart. Sad.

Another group is rather edgy. This from an army friend. Not the police and military but the saffron. That's why DSI scared to make the arrest and the government scared to make the appoinment of the Supreme Patriach official. All things said, matters are heating up but really you don't have to leave to avoid. Thailand has been through many turbulent times and some worse than this but quick to avoid catastrophe or even severe damage to the economy. .

Thailand has been through many turbulent times for sure, but none, ever, have been faced without the guidance of the land's highest moral authority. That moral authority, with legitimacy equal to or surpassing that of any elected government, will cease to be at some point in the near future, and the ensuing fracturing of Thai society could go either way. I hope I'm being alarmist, I truly do, and I hope I'll have to swallow my words, but thankfully I have the option of being elsewhere.

Neither Donald Trump, nor any other American President will force this Junta from power.

Sanctions, if properly applied will target those who have seized power and those who back/control them. I'm sure that they are known in the appropriate circles.

This junta will be removed by the people - just as the other generals to the north were. Hopefully it will not take as long, and be as peaceful.

I don't think it will take as long, the people are more aware, and the memory of democratic government is fresh. There is also a catalyst

As to whether it will be achieved without bloodshed, I'm not so sure.

My neither, but I hope it can be.

Edit to bring my comment back on topic: Prayuth's ominous manoeuvrings, delaying tactics, fiddlings with the constitution, revocation of any pretence of free speech, and now this—holding a secret referendum, justified with outright lies and xenophobia—are, to me, signs he has no intentions of giving up power until he is either told to or forced to.

perhaps all the contributors to this thread would like to share the contents of the handouts and explain why they think they are lies and deception by the NCPO

"the army has dispatched military officers to distribute useful items in order to encourage the public to come out and cast their votes in the public referendum."

You have a point. I see no lies or deceptions in this, I see blatant vote buying.

"Col. Winthai added that such a campaign has been implemented with honest intention and without distortion or violation of the Public Referendum Act.

He also insisted that the handout campaign is not intended to influence voters’ decision in any way.

Oh wait, there's the lie. But no deception.

Interesting. Out of the seven posts prior to his, only one mentioned lies and/or deception, yet the assertion is that unless one possesses one such "useful item," one can't see the lies inherent in this latest NCPO version of Thaksinomics...

Is there any wonder?

http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/thailand-looks-to-end-first-time-buyer-overhang_id163604.aspx

Is it appropriate or does any country ever has permitted to observe its own referendum.

Did they have the work experience kid doing the translations this morning?

Regardless, no matter how many other countries' referendums have had international observers, that the General has said there is no precedent means that is the reason he will go with moving forward. His mind is obviously made up; no transparency whatsoever. There is no other way the actual powerbrokers in Thai politics can maintain control before, during, and after the transition.

Nope, no precedent anywhere...

http://www.iacis.ru/eng/activities/events/mezhdunarodnyy_institut_monitoringa_razvitiya_demokratii/the_ipa_cis_international_observers_monitoring_the_constitutional_reform_referendum_in_the_republic_/

This guy obviously has some powerful friends...

"the army has dispatched military officers to distribute useful items in order to encourage the public to come out and cast their votes in the public referendum."

Most other countries do it by television adverts, and local council announcements to the electorate, via flyers in the post and community functions.

Most countries aren't being ruled by a form of government that we aren't allowed to accurately describe...

(Indeed if you look at the Wikipedia page for this form of government, you'll see Thailand is currently the only country in the world currently under this form of government.)

may include the relaxation of traffic laws in some respects

Wait, what?!

Edit: I have a suggestion for some measures that could be implemented immediately that would help ensure maximum safety of all who live in Thailand: THE ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS IN ALL RESPECTS!!!!!!

You absolutely stupid <deleted> halfwits!

Article in today's Independent criticising the DNA evidence in this case.......http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/thailand-beach-murders-dna-investigation

Your link appears to be broken: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/thailand-beach-murders-dna-investigation-death-of-british-backpackers-hannah-witteridge-and-david-a7002421.html

Very much want to know what's going on with this case at the moment.

Most likely the authorities are hoping the whole thing dies down... The last thing they want is outside experts sticking their justice-seeking-noses into the case (as per the article above)!

I'm actually quite surprised that they haven't already executed the two scapegoats.

Does anyone know what company this person is the owner of? Just asking so I can avoid giving him any business

He owns the luxury car import business 'Luxotic Automotive' - which no longer has a website nor a Facebook page...

not al is lost, maybe they'll get him for jaywalking.

Maybe the family of his victims ought to plant some mushrooms on him, or, even worse, a red bowl...

stringently conducting inspections of houses and establishments that were constructed before the enactment of regulations on earthquake resistance of buildings

Yep, because all buildings constructed after the enactment of these regulations are perfectly safe...

Since when are arrest warrants issued to prevent suspects from running away??

And people say the judiciary in this country isn't a joke...

LOL, the Thai bashers get so frustrated when its a Thai on Thai crime. They don't know who to blame.

No, but the apologists still have to throw in inane comments like this.

Pity you got your inane comment in before someone like me comes along and blames the Thai culture itself, where any man who's ever watched a Thai soap knows all he has to do is force himself onto the woman before she succumbs...

Unbelievable.

When the news was posted that the parents of the victims asked for manslaughter charges, all posts on Thaivisa declared that it was not possible to proof that he had the intend to kill the victims.

Now when police announce there can be no manslaughter charges for that exact reason, so far all posts blame the police for not pressing the charges.

A bunch of very sick people on this forum

Actually, the parents of the victims sought "premeditated murder" charges, not manslaughter charges - which is what some of the posters, quite rightly, declared impossible to prove.

You can revisit that post here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/911466-victims-families-seek-premeditated-murder-charge-for-mercedes-driver-over-fatal-crash/

I won't even address your last statement...

...but not manslaughter

Of course not.

police have not found any clear evidences that suggest that the suspect had an intention to kill the two victims

Is there no such thing as involuntary manslaughter in Thailand?

So the economists at the Center for Economic and Business Research of the Siam Commercial Bank forecasts economic growth to be lower than the non-economists-propagandists from the government? Quelle surprise!