attento

If the Chinese are intent on this going ahead they obviously have the people,funds and know how to make this a success and it is indeed very possible.

That said the initial report and facts surrounding the project already shows signs of errors and cracks so the likelihood of this going ahead and being a success is about as likely as West Ham winning the Champions league in the next 20 years.

For China to become involved, there has to be some political advantage, however slight or distant the apparent reward.

It is seldom, if ever, a straight commercial decision.

The scale of the task is not a major consideration ( - they are "building" islands now in the middle of the ocean, in order to confirm larger areas of territorial water !).

It is unlikely the long term aim is to stop this line at BKK, more credible would be a termination in Singapore.

So, which Environmental Protection body or trading standards authority has been responsible during the previous 7 years for testing and verifying compliance with Legislation ?

Someone has questions to answer, not only VW.

I noticed most of the violence and terror in this world come from Muslims.

Have you also observed that a substantial proportion of this is Muslim on Muslim violence ?

"Africans appear to be the most prevalent offenders" would have been a nicer way to say it instead of "watch out for them khon dam, you can't trust a guy with black skin"

Try tell that to a Native American or a Aboriginal, or to anyone with dark skin...you will fine out that the white man has been the most prevalent offenders in the world that you can not trust...

doggie, If you cannot trust a white man , who can you trust..? and doggie, There is no such thing as a Aboriginal... Duhh....

No such thing as an Aboriginal ? The term has it's origins in the Latin "aborigines", meaning "from the beginning", and has been used since Roman times to describe peoples who inhabited a particular area from the earliest times. Hence, an aboriginal.

The frequently used term, 'aborigine', is a mistaken attempt at creating a singular noun from the word 'aborigines', and has unfortunately moved into common usage.

Using the term "Aboriginal" acknowledges the true status of an individual or a people, and is in no way disrespectful, when used correctly.

But, to hell with it, what did the Romans know. . .

What a coup for the tourist industry. What better way to enhance Thailand's international reputation as a high-quality tourist destination . .

I wonder if Mr Xi is aware that China was not the power that brought about the defeat of Japan 70 years ago?

You can be certain that he knows that it was the KMT Nationalists, and not the CPC, who were the major Chinese force resisting the Japanese, but he is not letting on to the rest of the population .

With all his power, how sad that Mr. Xi doesn't aspire to moral superiority. Armaments take money, but moral courage is without price. The biggest threat to the future wellbeing of the Chinese people is not some foreign power, but the ruling party dictatorship. The biggest threat to the ruling dictatorship is a growing middle class in China. An increasingly worldly-wise sector, which is learning for itself how much of the rest of the world lives and thrives. Mr. Xi has little reason to fear the rest of the world (that's just so much bluster), his real and constant fear is his own country people.

Well even with the problems the ruling party dictatorship did a good job the last decade or two.

They are very grateful to Walmart et al., for making this "good job" possible.

With all his power, how sad that Mr. Xi doesn't aspire to moral superiority. Armaments take money, but moral courage is without price. The biggest threat to the future wellbeing of the Chinese people is not some foreign power, but the ruling party dictatorship. The biggest threat to the ruling dictatorship is a growing middle class in China. An increasingly worldly-wise sector, which is learning for itself how much of the rest of the world lives and thrives. Mr. Xi has little reason to fear the rest of the world (that's just so much bluster), his real and constant fear is his own country people.

He was charged with attempting to use counterfeit currency. This is illegal in most, if not all countries. How could it be otherwise?

This man may have mitigating circumstances to put before the court, but he cannot deny the offence.

What is the true story behind the report of this Chinese citizen having to bribe immigration officials to gain entry to Thailand ?

Chinese citizens are entitled to a 15 day tourism visa-on-arrival.

Right or wrong ?

I think that was the guy in the apartment (with a fake Turkey passport), not the guy the got today.

OK. I didn't realise that. So, the immigration people recognised it as a fake Turkish document ?

If so, he's unlikely to be anything to do with the bombing gang. Those sorts of people are usually too smart to take a risk with obviously dodgy documents.

Turkish citizens with a valid passport (or a 1st class fake!) can have a 30 day tourism visa-on-arrival, so what was this guy's motive for trying it on with a dodgy document?

What is the true story behind the report of this Chinese citizen having to bribe immigration officials to gain entry to Thailand ?

Chinese citizens are entitled to a 15 day tourism visa-on-arrival.

Right or wrong ?

The points that the obsessive - compulsive gun haters cannot understand is that:

- Most daily killings and woundings with guns in America are done in Black and Hispanic Ghettos -- and most often done with illegally acquired guns. And most of that is Black on Black Gangsta shootings ... Having NOTHING to do with the nearly 100 million legal gun owners

- Most true mass shootings are done - proven by health records -- by people who are mentally unstable ... In America it is VERY DIFFICULT - verging on the impossible to By FORCE commit a disturbed person to confinement in a mental institution for more than 72 hours. All because of Bleeding Heart Liberals who see to it that the laws remain that way. So taking dangerous people off the street and locking them up for mental health reasons cannot easily be done. Actually cannot be done in most states - nor can the patient be FORCED to undergo therapy and become successfully treated or remained confined ... So -- these nutcases are on the streets. Then through hook or crook or a hole in the system of background checks - these nutcases get a gun,...

- Almost every one of the true Mass Shootings in America for the past 15 years have been done by the mentally disturbed - mentally deranged ... We cannot get them off the streets.

- 99.99 percent of the nearly 100 million LEGAL GUN OWNERS of nearly 300 Million Guns commit NO GUN CRIMES - EVER.

- For many millions like me -- Because the LEFTISTS such as Obama have the AGENDA of total GUN Confiscation - and basically doing away with private gun ownership totally -- stripping the Constitution of the 2nd Amendment - and these Gun Haters will not relent on this GUN Confiscation AGENDA.... Then millions of us REFUSE to negotiate on one single compromise... When the LEFTISTS STOP and DROP their total gun Confiscation agenda - there may be room for compromise but not until.

- And REMEMBER --- Obama can try all the Unconstitutional Executive orders he wants -- they will be fought in the courts. And like some of his other illegal unconstitutional executive orders they will get hung up in court until he leaves office. And NO Member of the U.S. House or Representatives Nor or the U.S. Senate are going to do anything relative to Gun Control - when 100 million Voters are hanging over their heads -- ESPECIALLY in this coming Election Year - ... Members of Congress may be worthless - and crooks - but they are not stupid... They want reelection more than anything so it is used against them.

I have made predictions over several years here on TVF -- there will be NO Significant Gun Legislation in the next several years if not in the next 10 or 15 years ... basically NEVER.

Fix uneducated BLACKs - get them off drugs, get them out of the hood mentality - get them out of the poison of HIP HOP RAP that creates a criminal mindset ... GO LISTEN TO IT - the kind that is played in the hood -- it is a call to violence and crime - blared from every automobile and window in the HOOD...

Fix the SYSTEM that does not allow family and the community to COMMIT crazy people against their will ... then mass shooting will go down like a ROCK falling off a cliff.

Why do you need to own a gun in the USA?

We hear too often about the Right to bear arms, and too little about the Responsibilites of so doing. Rights and Responsibilites are two sides of the same coin.

Whether it is shot or shot and killed, either is really sad in an advanced country like the USA. Whatever the question, it is unlikely the answer is to use a gun against unarmed and uninvolved fellow citizens. Theater, School or College shootings ! There are too many flippant or ill-considered responses to these events, but has any organisation conducted a serious and credible investigation into the causes ? Why aren't the USA politicians concerned enough to act, or do they regard this as an inevitable part of modern life ? Gun control might be part of the answer, but the true problem lies in the moral education of the perpetrators.

Maybe there is some misunderstanding about Rankings. Rankings are relative positioning. Which countries are they better than, why and how? They must name the names. It is not about how good Thailand is, but how much better other countries are. Anyway, Thailand is above halfway. Not bad considering the country's troubled political history, education system and social stability.

The Government Minister went on to promise that Cambodia would never be involved in the illegal manufacture of copies of other countries Branded clothing, toys and consumer goods . . or did he ?

This would indicate that it is now time for the WHO to review it's guidelines as a matter of urgency.

As the IOC are so confident in their position, no doubt they will indemnify any competitor against any viral or bacterial infection contracted during their participation in seawater sports.

Are the USA or the EU even thinking about imposing economic sanctions ?

Maybe the report originator, Mrs Deputy S-G, is unaware that there is a real global economic cooling.

Check the BRIC countries results, Brazil, Russia and China are slowing, and India is holding about level.

A change of government in Thailand is no guarantee of any change in the country's economic status. ( But, no doubt a salary boost for Mrs Deputy S-G)

Do the authorities really believe they will have access to real-time information from every country in the world ?

What happens when there is a power-out or a computer failure?

Anybody in Thailand heard about hacking ?

Some visitors may be arriving from "non-friendly" countries, or from countries without effective computer records of this information. How will these visitors be processed ?

Databases may contain incorrect records, e.g. people with same names.

Longer waiting times and the potential for ugly scenes at the airports. Not good for tourism !

A recipe for disaster.

If background checking is so important ( considered so for entry to USA and others), why not make it part of the visa application process in the visitors country?

Good concept but it's down to economics. It needs volumes which can be sold and quickly before this type of beer goes off. It's not the same as Thai bottled and canned beer which can be stored for Months.

Once they get it right and attract Customer loyalty prices will tumble.

Are Bar prices influenced by customer loyalty ? How many Bars depend on permanent residents ? The next plane load of customers will be landing soon.

Surely, it is competition from neighbouring establishments which has the greatest affect.

In addition to "other attractions" in the bar . .

Does this piece of legislation prohibit new educational establishments from opening within 300 meters of an existing licensed premises ?

If they felt anyway threatened or were witnessing a breach of the Law, maybe these 'plastic' police could have phoned the real Police ?

Emolient sage as the author may be, he is not the one "pulling the levers" in Tehran.

If he were, the prospects might look brighter.

But..... although he includes many truths in his article and Iran maybe due some sympathy, he omits to mention Iran's sponsorship of terrorism in other countries. He glosses over the murderous regime imposed on a civilised nation by the mullahs. He forgets to mention Iran's flouting of International law and of UN sanctions and the development of nuclear weapons capability. It's claims to be developing a peaceful nuclear energy strategy have never been believed, so, why should anybody trust their word now?

This hard fought deal offers Iran the opportunity to join the peace loving nations, to live, work and trade, peacefully. A chance for Iran to walk tall in the world, a country with honour as well as a long history.

I have not been to these Southern Provinces, but it would seem by now the Army/Police should know everybody living in this area. They should give these people 72 hours to leave Thailand and then do a hand to hand of the whole area arrest and/or kill everybody that has an AK47 or unlicensed weapon, anyone with explosives should be killed on the spot !!

There is a culture in this World, including Thailand, that has no respect for human life, especially if they have a different religion or belief. They should be treated the same way. It is not going to get better, only worse because they want World domination and every living being to conform to their belief !!

"Interesting" logic . . . . kill those with no respect for life

Turkey knows all about the treatment and recognition of minorities. q.v. Kurds, Armenians, Orthodox Christians, etc . . . .

_{Why put the onus on the schools to check criminal record status, and why only for educational establishments ? Why not make it a part of the work visa application process for any work visa? But, , , only if they treat applicants from all countries equally. Too bad on work visa applicants from countries which cannot or will not produce criminal record checks.}