pacharaphet

So what we have here is a couple of aussies who objected to the American smoking in a bar in which that is not legal. The ashtray mysteriously leaped off the table hitting the American and a chain reaction occurs.

CSI Harry! He sees how it all went down, so perceptive! Seriously, what is the point of such conjecture?

So (and correct me if I am wrong), the more people that dont enforce right from wrong, the more backwards this country goes,

Well I can't agree with this. This is Thailand and it is run by Thais, albeit Chinese Thais. This is obviously the way they like it. The economy seems to be OK. So we are not going backwards?

The west is a guilt focused society, Asia is shame focused society. So being reassigned as a government official is shame enough.

My recent thinking about westerners complaining about things being wrong in Thailand is more reflection on the demographics of the westerners now coming here and not that things in Thailand and becoming increasingly wrong or bad.

I'd be interest to hear more of your thoughts. You had me at "Chinese Thais run the country." For sure, don't disagree at all, it's crazy how the farang and chinese have so much silent influence, because kwaam pen thai must be the end-all say-all, even if only in name but not at all in material reality.

The situation is a lot more compliment than both the OP and many others seem to imply. But I don't think anyone really wants to go into the details really. Saving Face has, at many times, its benefits.

I don't think you can say that a parent who lets their child wail in Lotus is saving face. I have seen plenty of Thais slap their kids and tell them to be quiet in stores, both in rural and urban areas. Many Thais consider parents letting their children do whatever they want to be quit inappropriate, and usually it gets turned into this : mi naa luuk tam dtua yae yae yaang nii...duu si por mae mai sang sawn loei (no wonder that child is acting like that, look, the parents aren't teaching/raising them at all). I see how you want to say that it's embarassing to yell at your kids in the store so it's easier not to do it, but I don't know how many Thais would agree with you that this is part of saving face. I think it's more about laziness in that specific instance.

As for the driving....no comment....driving in Thailand isn't great, but I wouldn't pin it all on "raksaa naa" by any means.

You will be a foreigner in here forever, no matter what documents you have, it is what you are inside and how you look to them.

Once a Farang always a Farang,and no bits of paper will ever change that.

Well, it depends on a lot of things....there are lots of things to learn about Thailand than how to get papers....like the language, which the better you learn, the less problems you have...but I am only 25, I feel like it's easier for younger farangs who aren't throwing around their money in bar cultures (for the most part) to blend into their milieu than it is for older men who wear their money on their sleeve in those places...

Wow, that's interesting... Thailand such a country where US has influence, and now Iranian president visiting Thailand?

I believe that next decades wars will be about Water instead of Oil.

It has already started in fact: Libya.

Libya was about to finish one of the worlds greatest man made water projects in the middle of the desert. now it's all destroyed and many libyan small towns are struggling to get fresh water.

Water is a resource that the middle east is working hard to secure and western main corporations to monopolize.

The things you don't see on the main-stream news media...

Absolutely, oil is old, it's all about the H20, and call me paranoid, but in my lifetime I may see a shift towards air being a heavy commodity as well. Already starting in China.

This is not news. 200,000 hits is not viral. It was posted 6 months ago. The film isn't doing anything exciting at all. It would never be banned, its just reciting what everyone always learns. He acts like this is going to be more than memorizing dates and names, and then lists off names, dates, and movements.

Maybe the only time they bring up "farang" is when they're saying "Why can't that idiot farang learn to speak even some modicum of Thai after being in Thailand for 5+ freakin years??"

I have been here 7 years and dont speak thai and have a thai wife family and none of them refer to me as farang they use my name when they are talking about me to each other so I think the OP's family is being disrespectful to him.

As for those that will say after 7 years I should speak Thai maybe so Im just not good at languages I can get by in thai but don't speak fluently and probably never will and my family are ok with that its not an issue.

I think that you could say you do speak Thai. Many Thais think there is nothing more difficult for a westerner than learning their language, and while they will not never stop being annoyed (some of them, most are veryyy understanding) that you cant say money or sleepy or oven properly, they usually really seem to appreciate. I think your comment speaks to that, as even though you say you are far from fluent, I bet you have seen a certain level of acceptance brought about by your efforts to learn the language. I also bet that you saying: "I speak no Thai" when you are probably at least conversational is something else the Thais in your vicinity like...nobody likes a showoff. Just wanted to say, I think your comment could be framed in such a way that is a bit more motivating for the OP.

Thailand is not an official member of ICJ, right? I think that's why they talk like "If we win, yay Hague, if we lose, forget the Hague!"

The Thai military, government, and the National Human Rights Commission have yet to respond to calls by international organisations asking Thailand to investigate into the alleged killing of Rohingya asylum seekers

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BANGKOK – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has promised that the Thai government will take care of Rohingya Muslims in accordance with humanitarian principles.

http://news.abnxcess.com/2013/01/thai-government-will-take-care-of-rohingya-in-accordance-with-humanitarian-principles/

Right, just like she said she'll deal with human trafficking and illegal elephant exports....sure! Just like Obama said he'd help Palestine.

What always gets me reading such articles are the notable absence of any arrests or charges brought against those responsible. We have the name of the victim and a photo, even the name of the hospital that he's recovering in but no names of his ex boss, ex company or the thugs that botched his murder.

So his aggressors know that A. He has told the police who was responsible. B. To expect police attention. C. Where to go to silence the only surviving witness to their attempted murder.

Way to go Thai media and police. You guys are truly amazing. Rather than naming and shaming the victims and witnesses why not name and shame those responsible, plaster their pictures all over the media, publish the addresses where they can be found so that the public can protect themselves by not getting involved with such murderous b@st@rds...

This is only one side of the story. It should be investigated before handing out names to the press. Good job you're not a judge because you'd be finding everyone guilty without even seeing any evidence.

Yes, one side of the story, that of a man who's been beaten and hung from a bridge, made a lucky escape and given a witness statement to the police. Now his name, his location and his story are plastered all over the media but Thai laws protect the same from happening with his alleged attackers. Not saying they should be found guilty before a fair trial (although feel free to apply whatever leaps of logic you like Dave...) but that victim and witness protection and identity/ location secrecy should come before that of the suspects... crazy stuff.

His witness statement would be enough in virtually every civilised country the world over to obtain an arrest warrant for the suspects. That would be enough substance in most to release a public notice that such and such is wanted for questioning in relation to such and such and public beware that they've been known to act violently and throw people off bridges etc.

But you're totally right Dave, protecting the rights of the alleged murderers is of paramount importance and the rights of victims, witnesses and the public as a whole are insignificant in comparison...

While your sarcasm is witty and even amusing to me, don't you make the same leap of logic and couldn't he too maybe have been doing something similar? Just saying, I liked you argument until the last line, as this is not what Dave was insinuating to me, just like you weren't saying these guys shouldn't have a trial, they should just be killed.

Send down some of the 50,000 police - the ones in blue beret's with coloured scarves - and set about house by house searches, establish and record ID's and registration details of all vehicles and match both up. This continued killing of teachers (and monks) by mindless imbeciles is tantamount to condoning the act by doing bugger all and following the continued 'path to reconcilliation' which is getting more people and property destroyed. These 'separatists' (a.k.a. insurgents) are the scum of the earth and need to be taken out with extreme prejudice ASAP. By removing teachers and schools - removing education - clearly shows the path of control they wish to impose on the community.

It's radical reactions like this that make it easy for the US to come in and help duke it out in the War on Terror. And then the US has created Democracy once again by whiping out those who don't agree with the idea of Democracy!

I think what happened/is happening is extremely tragic, but some separation has to be done. Not all separatists are teacher-killers, just as not all red shirts want to overthrow the monarchy.

One again I don't really disagree with you, except for taken care of "with extreme prejudice". That is just scary.

How I envy those who were able to see his development from a European-influenced teenager to the status he has today. It must have been something. I have only been following Thailand for 8 years and while even then the deeds are numerous, to have been able to live in the time that he thrived.... But since we can reflect on it now, those deeds still carry meaning today.

The US Embassy will make available interpreters and translators, with 100 sets of headphones for impromptu translation readied, while the Thai Foreign Ministry has prepared its own interpreters and translators. "The Americans will deploy their own interpreters and translators for the event. Maybe they are afraid we will give the wrong translation?" pondered the source.

pathetic reporting, unnecessarily provocative. It is not suspicious to bring your own translators and interpreters. As if Thais goto America and allow the Americans to provide them with translators, because they trust America so much.

A planned speech in English - which was to have been broadcast live - by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at an event at Government House during Obama's visit on Sunday has been cancelled. Officials feared that a recurrence of her verbal mishaps and mispronunciations, if witnessed globally in real time, could be exploited by her critics and political opponents, as has happened in the past, a Government House source said yesterday.

Now that is really funny.

I just don't understand why an interpreter cannot be used without shame? Many other countries used an interpreter, why is Thailand so obsessed with preserving an image of being a great English speaking-country when it is clearly not where it wants to be? Even some PM's who speak considerably better than her use interpreters...

I get so sick of reading about climatic change. Science clearly shows otherwise.

What a moronically stupid statement. Science clearly shows that climate change is happening and that human activity is one of the major causes.

I don't disagree about the seriousness of climate change. However, I do think humans should be weary of the fact that considerably asking the question: how are humans causing this? considerably adds to the thinking that we are at the heart of this change. Some sources do suggest otherwise, but this is a counterproductive argument for environmentalists and for those who are anti-climate change as a whole, as it decenters human responsibility for the former and proves the extant quality of climate change for the latter. Not enough thought is given by the media to the processes involved in creating the figures that are presented to the different pockets of mass viewership.

So basically what the poll says is that Thais are well aware that they're getting shafted up the arse with their own politicians but don't want to do anything about it themselves. They are looking for the hand of God to strike down the evil in society.

Well, fair enough. I guess it isn't too much to ask for a flaming pile of excrement hurling down from the heavens to wipe out every politician there is in the country. Anything can happen.

Lmao, this was entertaining to read, prolly my favorite post here. But then what happens? Well naturally...The true, noble potential Thai politicians who want only the best for their people will stand up....of course!

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

If this is the criteria for an Embassy warning on one city, I guess they may as well close JFK, LAX, SFO ...etc. You do realize, that by the time I finish typing this, somewhere in the USA, someone just got robbed, raped, beaten, stabbed, shot ... or "all of the above?"

American here. Amen to that. Probably all of the above in any of the above mentioned areas. However, I don't know that everyone suspecting foul play in the apprehension of the suspects is 'off their rocker' so to speak. People have a right to be suspicious, not because it is Thailand, but because historically things that seem open and shut usually prove later on to be much more complex.

There seems there isn't much contradiction or valid claim for lese majeste here right, I mean, we can still celebrate His Majesty the King's birthday as his birthday and Father's Day while still recognizing June 24.

The Nation is never too cocky to distract people from the real facts. not Thaksin's amnesty and that of the army killers is the root of the problem. The elite is the root of the problem. The elite does not give a rat's ass about the voter. They set judicial coups in motion they organize a military putsch when it comes in handy and they rob the country blind.

Thaksin is their problem. Thaksin has waken the poor and that is very inconvenient. So inconvenient that all those Chinese from Sondhi to army generals whose parents overstayed their welcome a long time ago and who are still in the service of China even go themselves to the street.

The elite that organize scams like the police entrance exam, that ask prosecutors, police, nurses and judges to pay money for their positions. The elite that refuses to pay 25% of a Foxcon salary as minimum wage, the elite that enslaves people in their factories on their fishing fleets and in brothels.

It is the inconvenient truth of Thailand.

Thaksin is also Chinese

Okay, so that still doesn't counter the above arguement that it's the totality of the elite, not just one man who caused this. Thaksin would fit into that elite perfectly, and he really still does, except he gave the poor a consciousness that had never been seen before now, and this has created the new problems (now it's not just academics who understand that the wool is being pulled over their eyes but rather a large mass of the population).

The Nation is never too cocky to distract people from the real facts. not Thaksin's amnesty and that of the army killers is the root of the problem. The elite is the root of the problem. The elite does not give a rat's ass about the voter. They set judicial coups in motion they organize a military putsch when it comes in handy and they rob the country blind.

Thaksin is their problem. Thaksin has waken the poor and that is very inconvenient. So inconvenient that all those Chinese from Sondhi to army generals whose parents overstayed their welcome a long time ago and who are still in the service of China even go themselves to the street.

The elite that organize scams like the police entrance exam, that ask prosecutors, police, nurses and judges to pay money for their positions. The elite that refuses to pay 25% of a Foxcon salary as minimum wage, the elite that enslaves people in their factories on their fishing fleets and in brothels.

It is the inconvenient truth of Thailand.

AMEN

"If I were a Thai, I would feel so humiliated," were the words from the Land of the Free, where freedom of expression is held sacred.

Hmm.....why do I think Bunsong the teacher, Jai the political writer/academic, and Aagong might see this differently. Let's ask them...oh wait we can only ask two of them. I'm sure Aagong would not have put his hand up when they asked "Okay, so who thinks we have free expression". And if these were the only three cases in recent years, I might not bring it to issue, but it is getting quite out of hand at this point, and records show this. How is it one can make such logic while so many people are being charged for defamation laws which are directly related to the denial of freedom of expression?