geoman1976

well, the fingerprint thing makes sense but the visa runs don't. if criminals are using this avenue then it seems to be a good way to red flag potential suspects and quickly make a large data base of these people. many legit people have to do this from time to time between jobs. i think the visa crackdown is self defeating because they will diminish their ESL teacher pool of experienced teachers. Not to mention the money they spend sent from home and earned here alike.

Like this country needs more shopping malls to spend their ill gotten, tainted loot....

their loot is about to fly the coop to neighboring countries anyways. this country is being mismanaged back into the dark ages.

Hate to break it to the thais but they will not be able to afford shopping in these places much longer and the farang can go home and go to the same department stores that sell "A" quality goods as oppsed to the "b" quality they sell here for far cheaper. I hate to break it to Thais but H and M qulaity sucks and is wayyy over priced here. Another brilliant and quite boring idea by the Thais. Really? another shopping mall. I wonder if it goes along with their brilliant idea of opening a store right next to 20 other competitors selling the exact same thing...lol. This place is doomed (Thailand) with the management and guidance I see in Thailand.

According to authorities, the attacker(s) had no intentions of taking lives, but instead, were trying to send a message.

If the authorities are in communication with these terrorists, can they tell us who they are?

It's their way of "pleading the 5th"...lol. (The right not to incriminate oneself=5th amendment of the US constitution)

Really, we are watching a country commit economic suicide. and I seriously doubt the tourist industry will return to what it was. Other surrounding countries have become more visitor friendly as of late and the economic prediction for SE Asia has their ghh growth exploding and Thailand's at a basic stand still. Too much nationalism and false founded pride in this has it going down the toilet. The political crisis is only expediting it.

There are several factors that are contributing to this issue...the most obvious being the political situation but there are several other significant factors as well. One, the Thai culture actually seems to be devolving and their global image is suffering from it. The younger generations are exuding a false confidence to a cocky and offesnsive extent and the extreme superficial nature and values that have apparently developed are the worst I have ever seen anywhere in the world. It is a real turn off. Even my Thai elder friends reflect this same statement. I was in BKK a few weeks ago and met some very nice Chinese tourists that had just arrived in BKK for the first time. They were initially excited abut their trip but after one day of seeing inflated pricesa dn the treatment of the Thais to them, they left and went back. I personally helped them get the cab to the airport. The lack of awareness and respect to other cultures outside of Thailand is also a factor. The more and longer duration in which this occurs the more the rest of the world will take notice. Two, surroubing countries which have retained more of their natural beauty and have been inaccessible of recent times due to rogue governments and conflicts are now moving in positive directions and going to great efforts to campaign with global leaders to encourage international economic agreements. Three, recent inflation and rising costs in Thailand are making tourists turn elsewhere. Another good point was made in these regards in the article about Swedes not vacationing here anymore. The US dollar has decreased in value making the vacation spots of the West that are more desirable than thailand more accessible. Regardless of the impression Thais have, most of the foreigners who vacation here that are not sex pats are not wealthy. They came here for the affordability. This coupled with point three means the tourists will go to the now more desirable countries located just outside of Thailand in all directions. Next, the environmental state of Thailand has gone to Haides in a hand basket which is another HUGE turn off for tourists. I hate to say it, but Thailand is in for darker days ahead, and it extends far beyond the current political crisis. To think the AEC is going to be your saving grace is false as well. The internationl community will go the the cheaper destination with a more manageable work force. Need to educate, and learn to listen or I predict the fall will be swift and severe. I have been in Thailand for two years and even I have seen drastic change. Now, i am only here for one reason, I actually found one of the good girls here and she doesn't want to leave her family...but even she is starting to change her tune in that regard.

WHAT??? Banned for 5 years, well wooptidoo. Where I come from, if you are guilty of corruption while in office you can kiss your political career goodbye forever and will probably face criminal charges and jail time. This is oretty soft..really. Especially for a country that has been claiming that Thaksin's family has been controlling the gov't since what, 2001 is it? I say, if your brother is found of such corruption then you shouldn't be allowed either. Too much risk for such an important job that affects so many people. And that should be a lifetime ban. I don't care what color you are. if you are corrupt, you are corrupt and shouldn't be allowed back in to politics at all and neither should your family. I guess that would make too much sense though.

wow, it only took them 6 months? amazing! I know we have been talking about the economic, self defeating damage on these forums since at least December.

demage??? what is that? Oh, you mean "damage". Seriously though, please stear clear of the hospitals. Even in full out war the armies don't consider hospitals to be moral or effective targets. Please leave us innocents out of it. We have enough problems as it is.

demage??? what is that? Oh, you mean "damage". Seriously though, please stear clear of the hospitals. Even in full out war the armies don't consider hospitals to be moral or effective targets. Please leave us innocents out of it. We have enough problems as it is.

That is the best photo for an OP ever.

I wish all OP's had this photo by default.

Yingluck didn't break the law….My ass she didn't…This pic is perfect.

PTP respect 15 principles of democracy. My ass they do.…This pic is perfect.

The rice scheme is not corrupt. My ass it isn't…….This pic is perfect.

Thaksin has nothing to do with politics. My ass he doesn't…..This pic is perfect.

LOL...love it...nice work.

does Thailand have a vote of confidence in the parliament in case the pm and ruling party is not doing their job? i know the brits do and i love the idea.

Thank God for Thai Visa. Never a shortage of quasi-doctors giving advice and hand holding.

Actually, Omar Zaid is a real medical doctor.

I understand their grief on how their votes were blocked and how a coup was held to overthrow an elected leader. But is there really a need to protest against everything? Will they accept the verdict of the court even if it is well cited with evidence and shows that the Shinawatra family is in fact in the wrong? I don't have a problem with the UDDs idelogy, but I do have a problem on who they are supporting and where they are getting their funding from.

Man, I hear ya'. FOr some reason, the idea of democracy revolves around the right of assembly to protest but really it is about the majority rule. If you lose, use education, campaigning, and debating to win the next...not block the economy and gov't until a coup happens. this is completely self defeating as we are seeing now with the economy in the crapper and the AEC right around the corner. If I were in the AEC, I would be thinking that Myanmar and other surrounding areas are looking better and better to be the center of our operations.

My feeling is there are more nationalities to follow. The atmosphere has changed with some of its economic success. There is a false sense of security here now. Many Thais call for the foreigners to leave but this is the foundation of your economy. Without the tourists, Thailand will fall from grace completely. The Thais would be better suited to ramp up efforts to create an environment of respect for each other and foreigners alike, especially with countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia about to open the floodgates. Myanmar's beauty is exquisite and has only remained untapped because of the political situation that is now winding down and all but finished. I recently read that they expect 5,000,000 tourists next year and this is no doubt, in direcct correlation to the international campaigning they have done to welcome foreign businesses, politicians, and travelers alike. I have been n thailand two years and the ONLY reason I have remained here is my wife wants to stay close to her family. Recently, our sentiment has changed and she is now warming up to the idea of leaving at a drastic rate. Cultural and political reform is now desperately needed in Thailand. I suggest that the goov't get s a grip on this before the AEC comes or you will surely see the economics of SE Asia turn in favor of surrounding countries. You may see a first to worst economic scenario unfold right before your eyes.

I do support democracy, and if the people of Thailand choose Thaksin's family by an honest election, so be it. However, Yinglock was guilty of corruption and should be removed. Now let the people decide who comes next. Win, lose, or draw, the political parties of Thailand would support an honest election if they want this to be a true democracy by the will of the people. If you lose this time, campaign, educate, and debate better next time. A lot of people are worried what will happen next, as am I, but this is also an opportunity to right some wrongs. Admittedly, very doubtful it will happen but, just sayin'. What would be great, completely unlikely but great, is if the political parties exercised some bipartisanship to establish a security and monitoring election oversight group with equal representation from all parties in Thailand. Checks and balances. i just want to hear the true choice of the Thai majority, exempt from corruption and bought votes.

Buhbye!

Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out!

It is getting tense in here. Let's ease the tension a bit. How many ways can we paraphrase this statement? here's mine:

"don't let the door hit ya' where the good lord split ya'"...lol

All hail Prime Minister Chalerm.

ummm...did you need read that it appears Chalerm is being ousted, too?

The books author is liable for fraudulently representing what the average hooker looks like as they sure don't typically look like her (farang market)

Didn't a well known massage place in bkk emmanuelle have to remove the huge billboard of the baywatch girl after she took legal action.

completely off of the subject, is that your work in the profile pic? I like it a lot!

Demroracy is the worst form of government!

Except for all the others!

yes but Thaksin isn't democracy

This is a Winston Churchill quote. No one said anything about Thaksin. What this person is doing is making the point that appointment with no elections and blocking the elections can be dangerous and lead to a worse form of gov't/reform/situation for the people in the near to far future. Chai mai?

It's noon! any updates from anyone? I have to admit I have been waiting to hear what happens. I am trying to decide whether to go to BKK today or not. I guess no matter what happens it could be bad news.

WoW, way to think outside the box there, guys. Bkk is the biggest city I know that has so little to actually do for fun...and shopping malls aren't fun!

Hey, I know her. Isn't she the one I saw on Craigslist offering her "talented" services to VIP business men and claiming to be a Thai TV star?

my heart goes out to their families. i love this place, too. i go there to get away sometimes. Anytime you are in these waters..or even nearr them, be safe. This is Karst terrain shich means it has many caves. Very similar to where I am from. The river I lived on was called the "river of death" by the indians because you could be walking in ankle deep water and fall through a sedimnet clogged opening that leads into an underwater cave. It happens a lot. So, my advice is, even if you are in shallow calm water, make sure your life vest is properly worn and secured to your body. I just don't want to see this tregdy repeated.

Just add this to the reasons I will NEVER go to Pattaya. Never been, never want to go, and I have lived in Thailand 2 years.