Splatter

ive been to phuket and to the aussie bar loads of times but i know one thing for sure the next time i go i won't be going back to the aussie bar and i hope his trade goes down after all this fuss over a beer matt when he could of easy gone to the police and said forget come on the women had kids and was on her mums 60th bday . not like she was a cheap charlie backpacker . im sure he made a few bucks from her and her mates that night . my advise is give the place a wide birth stick to the brit bars they don't grass

I will have no problems in returning to the Aussie Bar.

I've listened to the bar owner's interview on The Age.

I've listened to the woman's story on The Age.

However, I don't think the police and mayor managed the media very well.

Seeing as I didn't and won't be voting for the Phuket mayor I don't think this will be a problem

that will create an echoing void in my life.

And considering I won't be planning to nick anything from a bar I doubt I'll need a chat with the police.

Too late, the tourism damage is done

I doubt it.

Among sane tourists I know, that is.

In Australia the normal folk I know will be laughing about a silly woman

on a boozing night with her "mates" who nicked a beer mat without paying for it

(when they could have bought one quite cheaply) - and stuck it in her bag.

And was caught by the bar staff.

And the woman rather than apologising for her and her mates' actions

dug herself in further... because "it was raining and she ran across the road"...

and then mouthed off to the police ...when she could have had a slap on the wrist

and written the story off as childish silly behaviour and apologised for her mates actions.

And her mates chipped in and apologised too.

And paid for the towel/mat with a tip to the staff for the problems caused.

I'd suggest most Australians have the common sense to work it out.

I'd suggest most tourists who don't put bar equipment in their bags without buying it have the common sense to work it out.

I'd suggest most bar owners and business owners have the common sense to work it out.

I'd suggest many of those drinking in the Aussie Bar right now have the common sense to work it out.

I'd suggest I can work it out.

Of course. If her "mates" had rammed a condom full of coke up her butt

without her knowing and she was caught at the airport I might sound more concillatory.

Seems Melbourne's "The Age"

is now having a field day with Phuket stories.

Here's today's latest....

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-new...90519-be71.html

Patong.

The New Kuta.

I have just listened to the interview with the Aussie Bar guy.... on The Age

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-new...90519-bd3r.html

He sounds a fair, level headed chap.

Okay it is one side of the story,

but I have no reason to suggest he was not speaking

totally as he understood it.

I'd suggest most bar owners in Thailand would agree with his analysis,

and feel that because the situation escalated between some tourists and the

police, his business has suffered.

I've been to the bar many times.

My thoughts are that it is a well run place where all nationalities, sexes and ages can

have a good time.

The place has even got security cameras in the ceilings over all the tables keeping an

eye on things.

The staff told us the cameras where there

so that if there were any disputes over bills

they could be easily resolved.

I won't be boycotting the place.

I might even buy a bar mat and get the bloke to sign it for me.

<<SNIP>> but patents are a monopoly that distort the market and kill competition, Microsoft's market dominance allows it to absorb or destroy any software competitors.

I setup my own business. Not too many staff in the early days,

and we were up against two very big players in the market.

We needed patents to protect ourselves from those two large companies who

could copy our ideas and use their existing might to block us out from the market.

Patents also work for small growing businesses.

My words are "truth and enlightment"

<SNIP>

The group in power, Abhisit & co, allowed their friends to occupy the airport and government house without using the army.

But when the red shirts demonstrated, out came rifles albeit with (I hope) blanks.

<SNIP>

However, the army WAS called out when there was violence

between the police and the PAD

around Parliament House

on the evening of October 7th.

edited to add pictures I took on Sunday October 11th, 2008.

(these may not be the army, I am not sure, but they are the armed forces.)

...and this morning's news on the BBC website

regarding Sondhi's shooting is really going to help

build tourist confidence.

AK47s

100s of rounds

oh dear oh dear oh dear.

And now what. If worst comes to worst, he will flee to Uganda or Burundi and be able to live quite comfortably in the presidential palace there with his billions.

Guess if he ends up in one of these places, he will not be able to get his daily feed of sicky rice. 55555

...is there a burundivisa.com/forum that Thaksin can log into?

...to check about marrying an African girlfriend, doing a visa run, and how to buy a beer bar?

I posted a better transcription somewhere yesterday, but the gist is the same, and so is his response. The first "no" can't be really imitated, you must see it if you get a chance.

One can imitate it.

If you have ever seen Eric Idle in a Monty Python sketch called "Nudge Nudge"

at point 2 mins 20 secs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBt3CKZ0OAA...feature=related

>>>are you insinuating something?

>>>Oh no no no no. YES.

Sorry this is probably already here but here's the Thaksin BBC interview...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7996781.stm

I'm truly embarrassed just as a farang living in Thailand. He's succeeded in humiliating his country once again. So sad!

Transcript of BBC interview.

INTERVIEWER:

Are you the man behind what we are seeing?

Are you orchestrating this?

Are you fanning the flames because you’re in almost daily contact

with your video links to those supporters

THAKSIN:

Yes.

No.

I would like, I would just like to give them moral support.

I never instigate that, but I want them fight to get the true democracy.

We’ve been fighting for many years.

We’ve been having gone through so many coups you know.

We have had ten successful coups, actually seventeen coups,

but ten successful coups.

Many bloodsheds but we have only 22 elections in the 10 successful coups

in the past 16 years and we’ve been coup once after another.

The poor cannot be / cannot get help, and then during my administration

the poor feel like you know they / the democracy is really mean to them.

INTERVIEWER:

You keep talking about democracy,

but this is a democratically elected government that these protesters

are simply trying to force out of government, through their weight on the streets.

Now that is not democracy.

THAKSIN:

No no no no.

This is, they are really just protest.

But if you look at the way the government come to power,

it’s they form the government in military balance,

it’s by the help of the military, the army commanders and also the privy councilor.

They are trying to dissolve the parties.

You know if you look at the way the constitution court in Thailand,

they hearings in the morning and they sentence in the afternoon,

it’s very, very swift and because they want to dissolve the parties

that come from the people, the majority parties,

and then trying to steal some of the MPs to join the opposition camp.

So that is very unconstitutional from the first place.

This is the reason why it make the people not happy with it

INTERVIEWER:

Would you like to return to the country?

Would you like to lead the country again?

Is that what is behind this?

THAKSIN:

No no no.

It is not really behind.

Because if I were to go back to the country it should be for the good of the country. I’m happy I’m now happy outside.

I’m not care going back or not, but I’m worry about the poor.

I’m worried about the middle class people that they need opportunities.

It should be democracy for all so the opportunities will be prevail.

But now you know because of all the independent agencies

it’s not really independent,

it has been installed by most of the coup, most of them installed by the coup d’etat

INTERVIEWER:

You of course were found guilty of corruption charges,

would you consider going back, trying to clear your name?

THAKSIN:

No.

Definitely I am not.

I can clear my name easily because I have done nothing wrong.

Because if you look if you look at the past

you can see that the committee that they set to do the case, they all are my opponents.

Thaksin interview on CNN

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Here is the transcript from the CNN interview....

INTERVIEWER:

Mr Thaksin, thank you very much for being with us. You have called for a revolution,

and you are saying you may head back to Thailand when you feel ready.

When do you think that is?

THAKSIN:

Well I just would like to encourage the Thai people who really want to see the true democracy in Thailand

because we have been deceived that we already have the true democracy but it is actually the democracy for few.

We want to see democracy for all, and that is the reason why the people they are now gathering.

They want to, they come with bare hand, they want to ask for democracy peacefully.

But I don’t know how it/is end up this way. It is a very, very <<can’t understand>> situation.

INTERVIEWER:

The difficulty in understanding that idea that you are presenting right now the idea of democracy in Thailand

is that there was democracy when the last government was ousted in December

because they were and a court found them guilty of electoral fraud for buying votes.

Where is democracy in that?

So there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the Thai people really want.

THAKSIN:

Do you know in Thailand many institution is <intervened??> by the elite groups and it is not true democracy.

Many independent agency have no responsibility directly to the people,

and they can sack the politicians that come directly from people, and the unjustice or double standard is there.

That is the reason why the Thai people are not happy. T

hey have been watching double standards for three years and double standard is really injustice.

They have been watching it for three years, and the suppression of the red shirts is really the extreme example for the double standard.

They are trying to come out.

INTERVIEWER:

When do you plan to go back to Thailand? Are you ready to possibly face jail time?

THAKSIN:

Well, you know I am ready to go when the timing is right, but now I like to see the peaceful protest for the democracy.

Actually you know they are all innocent people, they come with bare hand,

and they are asking for the true democracy and justice but they got undemocratic ways back and also with a lot of usual suppression.

If you can notice what happening in Pattaya and what is happening in front of the Ministry of Interior and what is going on this morning

and the Thai <<<place/police??>>> now has intervened completely they cannot speak the truth

so now even the spokesman of the army is coming to lie to the people

that they are not using the true bullet they are using blank bullet, and they shot to the sky but they aim horizontally.

They shot the people so many people dying and many people injured they hospitalize at least sixty of them.

Now there is still going on suppression.

INTERVIEWER:

Sir, there is democracy, the point that you make, but then there is also the rule of law.

You have also been accused and convicted of corruption.

How can the Thai people trust you?

THAKSIN:

No no no no. No no. I think.

I have been ousted by military coup, they set up the committee who are comprised in my political opponents

and then the process that they are doing is really unconstitutional. it is one <<party???>> system.

I think the system is not really democratic. So that is the reason why the people are asking for true democracy.

It is not just democracy under the control of some elite groups or military, you know,

or the president of privy council intervenes everything.

Even during my administration he intervene in even at the military appointments and reshuffle.

The intervene is there.

INTERVIEWER:

So sir, what are you prepared to do right now?

THAKSIN:

I would like to urge every party that come together peacefully, not just by using force.

You know war never ended war before, and violence beget violence.

I don’t think that is the right approach.

And you trying to lie to the whole world, you are trying to lie the people,

but you know in Thailand we have a saying that when the elephant die you cannot cover it with a small lotus leaf.

It is impossible. You are trying to cover everything.

You trying to saying that you use the police like a control, actually is army, it’s from the division one and the division two.

So that is, they shot the people. They aim the M16 to the people, in the horizontal level and many people dying.

If you can see the pictures that I show, they shot at the heart of the man and the man dead.

And then they even take the dead bodies on the military truck and then take them away. Just trying to conceal everything.

I want everyone to come together peacefully

INTERVIEWER:

Okay sir thank you very much, we appreciate your time

Maybe you should tell the media and Yahoo not to print this.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Thailand/ss/...22d9e9cc1d377fb

Pictures are showing some truth.

This is the sort of email I have recently received from media agencies.

Pictures to order please....

Pictures of selected parts of the truth, preferably violence, please....

-----Original Message-----

From: Turi Munthe mailto:[email protected]

Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 XXXXXX

To: XXXXXXXXXX

Cc: Jonnie Leger

Subject: Thai Protests - media request, Demotix

Dear XXXXXX,

We' ve had some specific requests from the media for images of the soldiers attacks on the UDD. We gather there have been stories of soldiers firing at 'Red Shirt' supporters' legs.

Any images you might have of these protests descending into violence, unfortunately, would be of interest to the mainstream media here.

If you DO have anything, and without putting yourself at risk, do you think I could ask you to be in touch with me and our Head of Sales, Jonnie Leger - who is cc-ed above?

Many thanks indeed, and all best

Turi

--

Turi Munthe

http://www.demotix.com/users/turi/profile

http://twitter.com/turidemotix

Demotix - the Street Wire - www.demotix.com

Portland House, London SW1E 5RS, UK.

Mob: (44) 7939 250 984; Off: (44) 208 282 6004; Skype: turimunthe

To repeat....

"Any images you might have of these protests descending into violence, unfortunately, would be of interest to the mainstream media here."

ANY IMAGES YOU MIGHT HAVE OF THESE PROTESTS DESCENDING INTO VIOLENCE,

UNFORTUNATELY,

WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA HERE.

Nothing new I suppose. But to expect the complete truth to be seen in pictures? Too big an ask.

Ok anybody in the tourist areas that can report whats happing ?

Kao San, Asoke, Chitlom Nana

any idea what the hotels are saying to the tourists

Thanks colino

Chidlom is as quiet as a quiet thing being quiet.

Central Dept Store is open. As is the BTS.

Sorry

Central Dept Store is CLOSED.

Ok anybody in the tourist areas that can report whats happing ?

Kao San, Asoke, Chitlom Nana

any idea what the hotels are saying to the tourists

Thanks colino

Chidlom is as quiet as a quiet thing being quiet.

Central Dept Store is open. As is the BTS.

9.00am

Nana Intersection looks like it is waking up slowly.

No troops or police.

Early signs of water festival continuing.

9.30am

Area around Central Dept Store, Chidlom,

as quiet as quiet can be.

Please,

What does Ect, Ect, Ect mean ?

Ken

Ect ...should be " etc. "

Etcetera.

etc, etc, etc, means, "and so on and so on and so on".

I do care about those 3.000 + people who died in his war on drugs, so on one side you have former PM who is mass murderer

well said

All drug dealers should be put to death. Many Thai's like Thaksin because he had the will and strength to do this to the scum.

Why does the UK not have a referendum on the death penalty ? Simply because the softy liberal human rights loud mouths know that the majority of the people want it, and would have it come back tomorrow if they could have a referendum.

Pretty easy to understand why the UK does not have a referendum on such an issue.

Majority rule is not always how a country should be lead, without legal checks and humantarian balances.

Sensible leaders know that there is always a chance of getting a death penalty incorrect, thus executing an innocent party.

I refer you to 10 Rillington Place Case and the incorrect hanging of Timothy Evans before they caught the real murderer John Christie.

I'll also show you an extreme example possible through the mathematics of majority rule without

humanitarian considerations and legal checks and balances.

It would obviously not happen, but I hope it destroys the "majority rule" issue.

I hope you can follow it.

Me and my chums have enough money to buy the votes of 26% of the population.

So we have 26% of the population under our wing.

We convince another 25% to join with us, and thus have a majority of 51% of the population to vote for us.

51% beats the 49%.

On gaining control we eradicate the 49% minority.

Next election, my chums in the 26% decide to vote against the 25%.

and then we eradicate that minority.

26% of the population therefore can eradicate the initial 74%

A tad barabaric isn't it?

So therefore we need to establish what educative processes, humanitarian and legal checks / balances

need to be put into place to move a civilisation forward from what

sounds an easy "majority rule" system to a system where minorites are respected

and human decency wins through?

May I suggest you investigate the deeper issues surrounding democratic, ethical government

under the simplistic concept of rule by the majority.

FRIDAY 08.30 to 08.45

Sukhumvit between Asok and Ploenchit.

Both directions.

Traffic very light, no problems at all.

OK, may be I am wrong. So should I go to work tomorrow or not?

If you work for a normal company then yes, you will most likely need to go to work tomorrow.

I don't know about, but if my Prime Minister would say that tomorrow is a National Holiday, I wouldn't even bother to ask my company. I'd be on holidays, until the end of Songkran :-)

Tell your boss you are a Christian high court judge,

and therefore cannot work on

1. the sabbath,

2. the day Jesus entered the world (Dec 25th) and

3. the day Jesus left the world (which this year happens to be tomorrow)

...errrr, does this mean the European stock markets are closed too?

After 25 years here I have learned, other than realising that most of the local citizens seem to have come from a different universe, that the only way to remain sane is to look at all the things here that make the average farang crazy as entertainment, pure and simple, or else you will truly go insane!

<SNIP>

or you can treat it as a photo opportunity...

and something to talk about with your parents (who

have no comprehension of how daft it all looks...)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11401580@N03/

So is MRT and BTS working ?

please

colino

Yes. I rode the BTS a few minutes ago on my way home.

Even open around Victory Monument.

We should have seen that one coming. Abhisit and his yellow shirts are after all famous for closing things.

...you mean like Ratchaweti Road around Victory Monument and Ratchadamnoen Avenue around Democracy Monument?

What a genius of a PM. The markets are already closed 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th for the weekend and then Songkran. So may as well declare the 10th a holiday too and close Thailand for international business for 6 straight days in the middle of an economic crisis.

As I said earlier, all that education but still Thai brain = no common sense or foresight...

Oh I don't know.

If I was going to kick the living day lights out of some my naughty citizens

and it was featured on the international telly

I might also want the foresight to close the stock markets until I had finished the job.

I say that in jest, and I seriously hope that it will remain a jest.

British sense of humour, folks. British sense of humour.

Watch the opening credits of Dad's Army and you'll understand.

Good strategy threatening to use 20,000 taxi's to totally block Bangkok.

Leave the tourists alone so they can fly in and out and go to Phuket etc... but block and shut down central Bangkok.

Should force the governments hand if the capital is totally paralysed.

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

please explain why a party which got 2 times dissolved for electoral fraud is interested in free and fair democratic elections.

If they would like that, they could have done that years ago and safe Thailand a lot hasle+maybe being in power.

Thank you h90.

I did not make it to addressing the second part of the comment

as I had already splurted coffee all over my computer screen.

Good strategy threatening to use 20,000 taxi's to totally block Bangkok.

Leave the tourists alone so they can fly in and out and go to Phuket etc... but block and shut down central Bangkok.

Should force the governments hand if the capital is totally paralysed.

Foreign media will have a field day showing how incompetent and hated the present government are, and how new free and fair democratic elections should be held.

What?

By shutting down "central" Bangkok how will the tourists in central Bangkok get to the airport?