Katipo

Thailand had a chance to use their work ethic but instead they beat them to death

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Many of the Burnmese do speak English, which puts ahead of the many Thais don't, and in my view that is a BIG EDGE

It won't take The Burmese to long to distance themselves in all areas of economic activity from Thailand.

Because Thailand has a huge difficulty in reaching decisions with debating everything from which toilet paper to use to wipe there

Arse's with plus 100s of other issues they put themselves at a trememdous disadvantage.

They are too busy pointing fingers at one another and playing musical chairs they cripple themselves from moving forward 1000s

of ways.

It is because of their work ethic and English skills that some feel threatened by, and thus treat them as they do. Travel agencies, restaurants, hair salons, maids.... anything where speaking English is a huge advantage, people would often rather employ Burmese or certain other SEA nationalities. Just walk around Sukumvit and you will see (and hear)

"Unprecedented" Have they forgotten what happened last year?

"Doing our best". I seem to remember hearing that last year as I was paddling around Ayudhya.

I'd like to know the last time that the politicians who made this decision ever sought treatment in a typical public hospital. Obviously not in their recent memories or they wouldn't have reached the above conclusion.

I guess the Govt. is losing money hand over fist thanks to the enormous tomb that is Makkhasan Station. Has anyone been in there? It's freaking huuuuuuge, and empty. They should turn it into a mall that just happens to have a train station in it, not a station that is trying to have a mall. Failing that, it's big enough to put an all weather 9 hole golf course inside.

Of course they should quit having the Express Train stopping at alternate locations. Either have all of them only stop at Phyathai (where there is actually a useful interchange), or have then both stop at Makkhasan and Phyathai. The latter option would only add a minute or two to the journey. Both choices would require only 4 Express Trains instead of two. Perhaps pass the savings on to the customers while making the trains more full.

Of course I expect no such common sense for the foreseeable future, but would love to be proved wrong.

And now it starts.

The money has gone, but where did it all go? Any tangible evidence out there anywhere of what the 120 billion actually built?

Very little. The klongs are still full of silt and garbage, I haven't seen any new canals or drainage systems, most of the industrial estates haven't finished their preparations.... mind you, these are all being done privately. So what has the government done? Set aside x number of farmers land for inundation as part of the new catchment areas. As far as I know many of the farmers don't even know whether they have been included. Has anyone seen a map? There has to be one. Perhaps the money was used to buy this land from the farmers, but some how I don't think so.

The flood simulation drainage tests had to be abandoned because....well, while the drainage part of the tests didn't work, the flooding part did.

One of my staff says the water is nearly at her house in Ayudhya again. I jokingly said doesn't flood to a certain extent everywhere? She said no, other than last year this is as bad as she can remember in recent years.

You'd think they'd try to keep stories like this hushed. They really are quite embarrassing for Thailand. I mean granting bail after a conviction and then inevitably having the rich/well connected convicted criminal overturn/erase the conviction never to see the inside of a jail cell.

I'd have preferred it if he has said it WOULD flood, because then we'd know that it wouldn't. As it stands now, I think Ol' Swampy is going to be returning to it's former glory.

Quite possibly a set up. Not that that is any excuse.

The "motorbikes must ride in the left lane where they can get squished under buses and suddenly stopping taxis" rule is my favourite. I wonder how many LCD TV's I've bought for the local constabulary in recent years due to this farcical law. Unlike most traffic laws which at least serve a purpose (such as preventing U-turns at dangerous places), this one serves solely as an income generator.

I wish my Thai language skills we good enough to ask the officer about this so called law. It maybe common practice, but It really makes no sense as law. Not that would surprise me for it to actually be a law here. Has anyone who can speak Thai ever asked about this or tried to explain to the officer that it's far more dangerous to stay in the lane where people drive the wrong way and is often blocked by the buses,parked cars, stalled vehicles etc.

I think they count on our ignorance and unwillingness to argue the point.

I once talked with an English speaking officer (really) and he said because motorbikes were slow (as another poster mentioned). The fact that I was on a 400cc bike and going much faster than any car wasn't a factor he was willing to take into consideration. But then when was logic ever police strong point (especially when there is money to be made).

At least they are getting rid of some more of those horrid trees. Not so long ago Phuket was covered in them! Leaves dropping everywhere. What an eye-sore! Looks much better now with all these shiny new building developments and well planned roads conveniently criss-crossing the landscape.

Quite possibly a set up. Not that that is any excuse.

The "motorbikes must ride in the left lane where they can get squished under buses and suddenly stopping taxis" rule is my favourite. I wonder how many LCD TV's I've bought for the local constabulary in recent years due to this farcical law. Unlike most traffic laws which at least serve a purpose (such as preventing U-turns at dangerous places), this one serves solely as an income generator.

It seems bail, like suspended sentences, are there for the buying if you can afford them.... and even for violent criminals.

"officially destroyed" = repackaged, redistributed, resold.

I'd love to attend, however I am not sure whether I will be in Bangkok on that date (work travel perhaps). Can I be put down for myself and a +1 please? Then if you run out of places, you can give mine to someone else. Apologies if this is an inconvenience.

Of course trucks shouldn't be parked there either. For those who don't know, close to Central a lot of trucks park on the side of the centre road running under the expressway. This is not the frontage road, it's the highway.

"Deadly rivalries between student gangs have seen several teenagers gunned down in Bangkok since the start of the school year in May, leaving the kingdom's authorities scrambling for answers to a decades-old violent tradition"

They know the answer. We all know the answer. Stop allowing people to escape justice through paying bribes. Simple. Might take a year or two, but getting a 200 baht fine for stabbing someone in the head is just encouraging them to continue. Secondly, for juveniles, start harrassing the parents; fine them, have a judge order them to sort their kids out and failure to do so is contempt of court. Loads they could do but it would require an un corrupt judiciary and police, and a police that police.

I doubt these guys can really afford bribes, and the prison system is already filled with those who similarly could not. It is the rich and wealthy who are the real cowards, hiding behind walls of wealth and connection.

The key word above, the word that is really at the heart of the problem, is “hierarchy”. These children see no future; they are at the bottom of the pile. Left to rot their by a corrupt system whose only use for them is to work as labourers in factories making their fat rich bosses even fatter and richer.

While one should never excuse the despicable acts of an individual, we certainly need to look at the system that is guilty of creating them.

Oh pleez. More bleeding heart feel good lefty crap. You being born into a family without money does not give you a license to go be a menace to society and then blame the system. Whats your suggestion anyway? Reverting to communism? With your obvious hatred of anyone who has money sounds like you think thats a fine idea. People need to take responsibility for thier own actions. Blaming society will do nothing but create a soceity of entititlement and victimhood.

Read my last sentence. Understood? Good. I'm not absolving them of responsibility for their actions. What I am saying is that a large part of this problem, and all problems in Thailand, are caused by a corrupt hierarchical system that exists and is maintained to keep the rich and powerful on top at the expense of everything and everyone else.

Those at the bottom will try anyway they know how to taste a little bit of the respect they see being given to others.

Meanwhile the crimes of the rich and powerful go unreported and unpunished while the attentions of small minded individuals are distracted by those committed by the weak and vulnerable.

So I guess this means a 7/11 at the entrance each and every national park?

Well done CP Group on garnering another monopoly (will help make up for losing it's grip on cable TV I guess).

If this isn't the best photo I've ever seen in TV

Suspended sentence and banned from driving? She wasn't meant to be driving anyway. So tell me again how exactly has she meant to have been punished?

I wonder

It won't be long before Myanmar passes Thailand in all areas or social and economic development and Thailand will be eating their

dust.

Chalerm will probably blame these same drugs as being the seed of Myanmar's success when they do.

Less blaming and more doing and perhaps we would see Thailand moving forward again. The 80's Tiger was a long time ago.

" effectively handled the situation" and "shot, beheaded, and burnt corpse" don't really belong in the same news article, nay, the same universe. Then I remember, this is Thailand *sigh*

Lose the plot?

1) No self-respecting American would even talk like that. Which leads us to:

2) Who in the US cares what a newspaper in Australia says about anything having to do the the US presidential election? Let me help you out: NO ONE.

Why is it that non-Americans get diarrhea of the mouth (pen) when talking about US politics?

Because for the country that is the "Leader of the free world", they are an international embarrassment?

I would hope that any self-respecting US Citizen could say whatever they liked about politics in their own country. It's supposed to be the land of the free right?

Odds are this little experiment is going to go horribly horribly wrong.

Expect a few neighborhoods, particularly in poorer areas of Bangkok, to be on the wet end of this 'test'.