Netzero

Article makes zero sense....he acquired Thai citizenship entered into a business only allowed for Thais and that is somehow a criminal violation? OR did he use a fake Thai ID and enter into a business reserved only for Thais? Who wrote this story??

What would you expect from a gov't subsidized program? Having said that I know two Thais who stayed in BKK in quarantine and had no complaints at all. 

It goes beyond motorcycles - the fundamental issue is that accidents - which should be a deterrence and learning experience - are not - and except for accidents there are really no/insufficient consequences for speeding, reckless driving, running red lights, or driving without lights etc etc etc. Thai police uses checkpoints not traffic stops. Education is needed, but proper law enforcement (including traffic stops and real fines for breaking vehicle laws for both scooters, cars and big bikes) are needed. Dream on. 

Here is a novel idea for Novel Coronavirus....Thailand approve Moderna and Pfizer, allow private hospitals to buy and distribute to supplement the gov't initiative  with the Oxford vaccine, speed up the vaccination program and allow vaccinated travelers to enter without more than a 4 day quarantine and a negative COVID test. Just got back from Mae Hong Son - it is a ghost town like so many other places in Thailand - people are really suffering under the current government approach with no real vaccination effort in sight for months - a novel idea is needed now

WAY too late. The only way to stop the virus and to get the economy open is to vaccinate - ASAP. The Thai Gov't made a major miscalculation (as it turned out) by thinking COVID could be controlled until the local manufacture of the vaccine by the well connected Thai Pharma company could come up to speed...but COVID had other plans...now the only way to get this nipped in the bud is to buy sufficient vaccine to inoculate the population ASAP. 

Do the tests and let’s see how many people on the island have it...that would be useful

Quite a party...made a bit too much noise I suspect....now they are all in a world of hurt

Can anyone see any rational relationship between banning sales of alcohol and preventing COVID? Is the twisted logic that if people drink they won’t stay home or ? 

Not known for imaginative forward thinking.....but then again why would he be? No leadership just the usual vested interests and noise. Having said that Thailand does have excellent doctors and very good health care in general. Better than many places

Close the borders and the flights for 14 days and hunker down ....

Once again .....shameful...the responsibility for the control of illegal burning rests solely on the Thai government. It is the government's responsibility to enforce the law for the safety and health of the Thai people. Last year it was horrible - lots of talk, chatter, and once the rains came - all forgotten, problem solved...until this year rolls around and the same issue again. Except this year, the country is hit with not only the air pollution but COVID 19 and the Thai economy will sadly be devastated by a double whammy. I made the decision to invest in Chiang Mai....I am stuck with that decision but honestly, despite loving the place when the air is good, I am having significant second thoughts as it is clear the government is not stepping up to the plate to protect peoples' health. 

A decision to allow people to continue to sit or stand in the bed of a pickup truck over Songkran is a decision to allow people to die. It's not an IF it will happen - it WILL happen and does frequently. I have lived in Thailand for 20 years - it's always the same story and excuses. What is needed is a change of behavior and while an over night decision to enforce existing laws prohibiting passengers in the bed of a pick up was a bit too shocking - ultimately the decision must be taken. Will it have the most effect on the poor -yes it will - but it will also save lives of the poor.

He should have been a bit smarter about how this was done - all good rules by the way. But traveling in the bed of a pick up truck is dangerous particularly during SongKran...people will die/get injured due to the PM's backing down. He would have saved lives by enforcing that ban immediately.

All of these 'new' rules as announced under Sec 44 make sense (I don't say that often in Thailand). People should not be sitting in the bed of a pickup truck, people should not be sitting on a flat back bench with no seat belts in a two door pick up cab and be unable to easily get out in the event of a crash, passengers in a van should be wearing seat belts as well as the back passengers in a passenger car....all are enforced rules in the US, UK and Oz and they all make sense. Some people complaining...that is to be expected because behavior must change. No sympathy - the Thai road death toll is way to high....now how to stop people from driving like mad men?

Well no surprise and I would like to think that attendance will suffer but they know it won't because farangs can afford it. For me, as a farang with Thai citizenship it does not affect me and I get great satisfaction when being asked to pay 400 to pull my Thai ID card out and pay only 40.

For all of the talk about traffic deaths and horrible Thai driving practices - this is ONE of the worst I have seen. I have not seen this anywhere else. No giving way to Ambulances or other emergency vehicles. I lived in KL and did not see this behavior.

Thai police need to make traffic stops - not just do roadblocks! If they (legitimately) see a traffic violation - like not giving way to an Ambulance they need to pull that vehicle over and give them a ticket. Current practice means no ramification for illegal and dangerous road behavior because Thai police to no pull cars over.

The old adage relating to drugs "Just Say NO" never had more meaning in an alternative context -

Hopefully many people will vote -

As the writer notes correctly the 'sex industry' is primarily for and created by THAI men. It's is much deeper, broader and a lot older than Pat Pong or Soi Cowboy. Virtually every city and town in the country of any note has massage parlors, university students selling themselves and other venues catering to Thai men.

Anything this minister does will be purely for show and directed to the sex industry for tourists. It won't put a dent in the real sex industry of Thailand -