MEL1

Oh dear, oh dear oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

Someones grassed him up, he's <snip>.

Who cares? Lock him up and throw away the key. He might just spend the latter years of his life drug free!

boring, old boring news. If you can't do it, don't do it!

mel.

Spoken like a true politicians rent boy, todays drug laws are akin to burning witches and are only supported by people who have very low IQs. It looks to me as though the drugs found were for personal use but through his own stupidity is now facing serious charges.

I guess you are all in favour of your own little sniff then? I don't care if they were for personal use, the law is the law. If you contend to break it, then by all means suffer the consequences, especially in this land. I think you response referring to IQ levels has totally demonstrated yours, and that probably from your own abuse, seeing as you condone the laws as being hundreds of years old. So what, for personal use. He's traversed from another country to Thailand, and knows the consequences. What planet do you come from? Planet bottle-top? I'll give you change for a grog, for your 2oz...... baa words from you! I hope to Buddha and God and Allah, if you're into that high merit of shit, that he does get good time. Another user and intimidator out of circulation. I have no sypmathy for the idiot whatsoever!

As for IQ, you introduced, go get a measure, sniff it, and then tell me what your measurement is!!

-mel.

Immigration is certainly a problem for tourists and businessmen arriving in Bangkok.

But Thailand is not the only country with these problems.

Read today's IHT, where the situation in US is described as "disgraceful".

Now I don't say, Thailand does not have a serious problem, indeed they have, but is not a problem unique to Thailand.

Just a few ideas on how to improve the immigration problem:

- at least the long distance flight by THAI could put an immigration officer in the plane. If he has up-to-date equipment, he could finalize the immigration procedure in the plane, otherwise at least check if the arrival cards are correctly filled in.

- I don't uderstand why Thailand makes such a big fuzz when leaving the kingdom. Why not just ask at check-in to give back the arrival/departure card and skip the lenghty check at immigration, at least for non-Thai-citizen.

Someone has other ideas?

I've never spent more than 5 mins at immigration. I don't understand the problem, unless TV members are just writing for fun. ???

Please enlighten me to these major problems.

Thanks in advance.

-mel.

If you have been thru immigration entering the US, you would see it makes a really bad first impression of the country, and tinges the rest of the experience. Ignorant, aggressive, supercilious gun-toting immigration staff sneering at the stupidity of new arrivals who dare to think they are worthy enough to visit doesn't create a positive impression, I'm afraid.

I have been thru immigration in US, at both Cincinatti, and Michigan's Metro. I accept slight delay, as they are doing their jobs purely in the interest of National Security. It isn't off-putting, as it is purely a step into the country. I DO NOT consider it as part of my welcome and tourist friendly, or not, experience or impression of my visit to the US. I don't see why anybody would. Of course, this is just my opinion. I don't see why anybody would consider their entry to Thailand in the same light. If they haven't bothered to gain a visa before travel, or are happening upon their chances, why should they not expect delay? Those who are prepared go straight thru, without question, in my experience.

-mel.

Edit: Those without correct paperwork have to simply go through a normal system of paperwork checks. As farang, they are no better or worse than anybody who is not prepared. I don't see how paperwork checks affect friendly or non-friendly images of the tourism industry of any country, as the headline suggests.

Bangkok airport problems threaten tourist-friendly image

Despite what has previously been posted about swamp airport, may I ask how an airport can affect a tourist-friendly image?

Once past the airport, we then encounter what is tourist friendly or not - not the ruddy airport itself.

What a misleading headline, if I ever saw one!!

-mel

You did everything you could have except let your wife give them some money. Thai's often do this as do I when I feel it is the right time as you cannot do it to everyone every day. I might not give money for months then one day I see someone and decide it is the time so I drop some coins in. Nothing wrong with helping other human beings.

The longer you stay in Bkk the more you will see it and the less you will worry about it so to speak but your heart is in the right place and you decide to make a stand in any way then the rest of us should back you up on this. It's sad and sickening that the parents let this happen especially in the sun.

It is sometimes ok to give money, but in reality you can't help them all. If you did, you'd end up on the streets begging yourself.

One note to point out though: Be very very careful in trying to intefere or help strongly. Never forget that you are in a third world country, and why would you try to convince yourself that Thailand isn't like the South Americas or African areas with slums and beggars. It is a perception only, because you expect (we) more because you (we) love the country.

Why don't the Thais passing interject? It isn't normally culturally acceptable to interfere with another's business - that's truly why.

If your next-door neighbour is arguing and beating his wife do you call the Police? NO WAY! You'd be asking for all sorts of future troubles. One turns a blind eye to personal rigours and business. It's the way it is. (I agree, I'd love to interfere sometimes, but it is the Thais who have to change their ways and their reality of neighbourly care, not farang. That may sound callous, indeed, but it is the Thai way - despite our knowledge and experience of western ways - Thailand is nowhere near that yet.

I'm afraid to say 'sad but true'. (post not directed at 'you' Gone, but you as in 'we' in general terms - replace you for 'one')

-mel.

Incredible, isn't it? These missing tablets stories have only recently come to light and yet, in all reality, this has probably been going on for donkeys years!

One hospital, in Udon, has '37million' tablets missing in 3 years. Now why would one hospital have a need to prescribe, and issue, that many tablets, for flu (sudafed - to be accurate), over 3 years anyway? That's a mighty potential issue for 'one' hospital amongst many.

Sudafed (which pseudoephedrine is obtained from), is a maximum dosage of 4 tabs per day, and a max of 7 days of taking. So that's 28 tabs per patient - with flu. 37M / 28 = 1,321,428 patients over 3 years = 433,000+ patients per year. If one hospital has nearly half a million patients I would be very highly surprised.

So, in essence, the people who are in control of persons' health; pharmacists and their management; have been creaming millions of baht to supply the Class A drug industry. How sad, and how shocking.

And to add, my figures above are just one hospital's example, where we see that a not so well normally paid pharmacist has 7M baht in the bank, ignoring his mentors' gains.

TIT so I need to get over it! But why should I? The people in control of other's health are responsible in large part for the drug addictions and drug supplies of crystal meth, hindering many in the Esan lands and probably most other parts of Th where meth addiction, and what goes with it, is rife. All for the love of money.

-mel.

"Ms Thida said that the merit-making ceremony....."

Well blow me, the red-shirts now akin Thaksin to Esan Buddhist practices..... hum?

The UDD chairperson urged retailers and shop owners in the Ratchaprasong area to adjust their work and sales hours in anticipation of a mass gathering of Red Shirt supporters and ease its impact on their trade.

Shut up shop, in case there is a riot?

----------

"The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) or the Red Shirt movement "

Always makes me laugh, and cringe, when I read UDD. Democracy against Dictatorship? They're having the last laugh aren't they?

Thaksins, both of the leaders in the sense of the words 'dictators', have no idea about what democracy is. Democracy to them is 'line our pockets first based upon your gullibleness' to believe in our false hopes and promises, and then when what we say goes, and you hook line and sinker to what we say with gratitude, believing that we will deliver our promises to you.

IT SUCKS! they SUCK! They are out for trouble, just as TS is in Laos, and it's all set for a bloody hell again.

Thanks to you personally, you red-shirt democratics! :'(

-mel

It isn't the best and most popular destination for the head of the Shinawatra family just yet, and may he forever hold his time-piece, as time peace doesn't exist to the scrawny tw@it!

-mel.

Oh dear, oh dear oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

Someones grassed him up, he's <snip>.

Who cares? Lock him up and throw away the key. He might just spend the latter years of his life drug free!

boring, old boring news. If you can't do it, don't do it!

mel.

It should still be under warranty, if you have doubt why not call Samsung and have come at take a look at it for free?

Like everyone said, it is normal. I also have a new Samsung refrigerator and haven't had any problems with the back being hot.

I hope you don't have a problem with a Samsung product. I bought an air conditioner and after 3 months of trying to get a factory authorized service company to repair ir with no luck, I repaired it myself. I'll never again own anything with a Samsung name o it.

Samsung TV's are great for their price and quality.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Skin phone.

-mel.

I'd enjoy your new vertical frying pan/come fridge. You can heat up some good eggs and toasties on the back of your Samsung, if you intermittently lay it flat.

-mel.

Thailand and Laos have extradition agreement. Fugitive on the run, next-door soon?

I know what I'd be setting up if I was Abhisit.

Bring the bolloc back and hav'im purged!

-mel.

PM's Office Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal, who has 137 million baht in assets, with 129 million baht belonging to his wife!

I'd like to see how the banks assessed her incomes into her accounts, as all he has done is bought a Ph.D. and written a single thesis.

Shift the tea quickly to wifey. What a load of codswallop this report is, as when Niwatthamwrong gets robbed of 248M Baht, and his wifey can't account for it - hum?

But then again, wifey keeps her stash at home, doesn't she?

-mel.

I hope in the hearing trial that 'THE CHILD' is asked about her wants and her requirements and her thoughts. The child is always ignored in these events, when in fact at the age of 8 she isn't dumb, has feelings, and is able to express her own opinion, contrary to social services' dogma and opinion and beliefs in what they do is always best. It is the interests of the child that come first, so why not simply ask her aside, whilst the lawyist groups have the own adult battles? The child will be in total shock at being removed from what she knows and, by the sounds of it, having lived with a doting father.

The child's opinion is so often missed out in these issues, as the adults seem to think a child is incapable of rational decisions until they are 16 or 18, pending country.

Argue about how and the tactics used to find him until the cows come home. What are more important are the true needs of the CHILD. If she is Thai cultured, which is highly likely, bi-lingual in English and Thai, which is likely, and doesn't speak a word of Russian, which is likely; then God help her if she is left with her mother! The child's speak is as important as the adults' in this case, IMHO.

-mel.

Police ready to file charges over fatal hotel fire

But will have to wait for the perp's to arrange their alibis and excuses...so it will go on and on as usual.

And on and on and on Ariston.

Thailand might be choke-full of corrupt politicians but only one of them travels the world preaching his absolute innocence, others know when to shut up.

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

"Thanes Weerasiri suggested, however, the hotel hire a credible engineering institute to inspect, design and assess the repairs before reuse."

A What? A credible engineering institute.

Would he be suggesting that there are Thai engineering institutes that are non-credible?

Looks like a long trip abroad for the hotel owner, to find a credible institute.

-mel.

"Natthawut said he personally wished Thaksin would return home but added it was Thaksin who would make the final decision."

I don't think so! Thaksin will make the final decision?

Methinks a few Thai courts and judges will be making that decision, K. Nutterwut!

Thaksin keeps having his little jollies, getting closer and closer to home. But he keeps missing, for some unknown reason.

Mr Thaksin, it makes me smile to know 'a miss is as good as a mile!'

-mel.

People weren't dumb. They just didn't know the difference, like calgary-ill in the head doesn't. They weren't directed, but simply 300 baht was more than Abhisit was prepared to offer per year long term. 300 baht is a lot of persuasion of the masses of Esan land - when they all think they are getting 20 million baht - but don't know it's 300 each. Marketing is something TS used to be good at. Unfortunately, the 300 baht a year hasn't been maintained, rice selling prices are controlled at all time low, because of the growing mountains, and the rice growers are not stupid, or are they?

They know all of their land is now owned by farang, according to newspaper issues, and there is no law for the wife of farang to stop their fields being transported to USA for a supplement of $40B Baht, which they think USA needs to supply, not knowing most will come from Japan and China. So the rice farmers must bow and wei to farang now, cos we have their land!

And Hey! The rice farmers never stayed in a hotel for a meeting, or never even frequented a hotel, so they don't know what one of them is too!

It surmounts to which rice farming family head is pissed on Esan whisky, when Chalerm speaks his broth, as to agreement and understanding or not.

I see trouble ahead in BKK........ but not from the rice farmers...... but from the spouts of beer broth from a loser who knows he is hated by his own team......

Repeat, repetivive, and quite Chalermly becoming boring."When something happens I'll have much more to say", says Charles Chalerm when his plants wake up and realise what a Alan Bstd he really is, though he will be talking to them in pissed up state, as usual.

-mel.

I just read yesterday:

Fugitive Leader Longs for National Reconciliation This Year

SEOUL: -- The fugitive former Prime Minister insists that Thai political conflicts would be resolved this year.

I guess his sister's government wasn't reading the same article.

I'm sure they were, but hidden agendas mean more tea-money in the long run. I mean, come on, hotel visits prior to asset land sales? ....

-mel.

His attorney at least is smart enough to warn against press conferences. I have come to a conclusion about any case that blends politics and law here. I will simply never get to the truth of it, and I do not think anyone else will either. Sure, we can all line up on one side or the other, but information is harder to find than a virgin in Patpong at 3 AM. Obfuscation is a fine art here. Makes me feel like I am reading the American news, in a distinctly unique frame. The same can be said for any of the countries that are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, of course.

Gentleman, they had a few unique tricks of their own to begin with and we have taught them a few of ours as well. I chat about it, laugh, cry and rail about it, but none of that matters.

The crazy, lopsided, funky machine is howling its heinous sirens as it clunks along...and the marvelous Thainese Maenids in its train are shredding bystanders, reporters and tourists as it grinds and chunks and clunks along ahead.

I'm just staying off the street.

It may well grind to a hault, as quickly as the momentum is carrying it now.

They don't have the intelligence to maintain 'closed shop' mentality, as the backstabbing and cat-clawing to maintain position duly means I will crap on your back to save mine. They are all so deeply in the quagmire, and with dirty shadows afollowing, the ghost will crumble and come out eventually.

It may even be a case of one of the big players jumping ship, and a caused move to re-enable the olde historical adage, as calgaryII's favourite word, 'coup'? History repeats and repeats here, and my apologies for using the word again, but a 'coup' is generally the way, even within a self-party here in Th, to regroup, oust the PM and re-set the non-operative formula. I can see Chalerm offering his services for a coup - as there is no way he believes he is second in the pack or hounds!

-mel.

I guess if they continue to examine the same stuff over and over again by different people for years they are bound at some point to get some answers they like.

What "same stuff" are they investigating, Nisa?

I don't think it matters what 'stuff' they are investigating, be it similar roads or the same path. What IS clear is that the bandwagon of red-shirt barbarians leaders are now in Governmental power seats, Chalerm is covering YL's ass, she is doctoring events to cover her brother, and the clear message is they will all bend every rule in the book to permit TS back; Scott free! That's what matters, and I add 'unfortunately' to that.

-mel.

If you're responding to the OP then it actually does matter what stuff we are talking about and funnily enough none of your post above is at all related to the OP. I'll file your post with Nisas' adult debating response.

You can file it up your back passage for all I'm concerned. We all know these investigations are liable, end up with Anon. witnesses suddenly appearing from nowhere after 2 years! What's the point? In reality, it DOESN'T matter what is investigated or how it is, because the answers are all fraudulent anyway!

-mel.

Quite astounded that India will take a man who is accused of terrorism.....

Possibly because if and until he is found guilty (outside of the court of TV) he is regarded as innocent of those charges in most parts of the world

Well of course, the terrorism charge specifically is probably over the top. Doesn't mean that most countries will issue a visa when you are out on bail for this specific charge though.

I wonder if they let him play with matches while he was away......

"Well of course, the terrorism charge specifically is probably over the top."

I applaud your acceptance of the above. As far as Indian Visa requirements in recent times I'm not so sure - on the occasions that I visited I gathered that the major requirement was being able to queue for long periods at a time at the Embassy in London.

Aha! The answer. He was at the Embassy in London for six months, or was that the Indian Embassy in Dubai?

-mel.

I guess if they continue to examine the same stuff over and over again by different people for years they are bound at some point to get some answers they like.

What "same stuff" are they investigating, Nisa?

I don't think it matters what 'stuff' they are investigating, be it similar roads or the same path. What IS clear is that the bandwagon of red-shirt barbarians leaders are now in Governmental power seats, Chalerm is covering YL's ass, she is doctoring events to cover her brother, and the clear message is they will all bend every rule in the book to permit TS back; Scott free! That's what matters, and I add 'unfortunately' to that.

-mel.