pmem

As an American who has worked in five different countries and becoming more aware of international events, I feel the visit of President Obama is a positive gesture to the countries of South-East Asia. The USA needs to show that these countries are not being ignored or considered not important. Will his visit make any big differences to business? NO. But it is the symbolism that counts. China already has their financial influence in the developing countries of South East Asia. (If you live in Thailand, you know what I mean.) The West needs to pay attention to Asia since presently it is the growing world economy. If Romney was president, all he would want to do is bad mouth China, Russia, and Iran as if he was back in the 1960's and 70's. The world needs to put more energy in diplomatic discussion than bombs.

Maybe he could take tea with the President of Iran while he's out and about

What exactly is the big draw of Paris Hilton ???

She don't sing...she don't dance...What does she do?

Yes she is a looker but plenty of darker skined ladies in Phuket to party with on New Years Eve...

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind paying her bar fine. I'm sure she can dance horizontal just fine.

For Thailand's sake I hope they abandon the ridiculous notion of bidding for a F1 race.

A country and people that put so much store in saving face have been embarrassed for years by the 3G fiasco and now the Futsal farce. Another would be just too much.

You really think the 'real' people of Thailand are embarrassed by these things? You've got to be kidding; they don't give a rats arse as they are too busy trying to make a decent living. I sat with five Thai's in my village last evening and brought up the Futsal fiasco and guess what? They didn't even know what the hell I was talking about. You need to get out more.

I think you do, old chap.

If you got away from your village you might notice how embarassed most younger Thais are at the 3G nonsense in particular.

So now they have lost face, just go out and beat up on a few my innocent farangs.

So, people here on ThaiVisa complain about the justice system not working in Thailand but are all in agreement that this particular man raped the girl. Without even asking what the man has to say about it. Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"?

The video does not give any information whatsoever. It probably became viral for two reasons:

1.) It is good music

2.) It is very opinionated (I don't expect the father to be neutral) and installs hatred. The rifle in his hand is certainly a prop with a meaning. That's "sexy" in marketing terms.

I fully understand the father's behaviour and intention, but let's not judge before any fair trial has taken place.

End remark: The politician's remark was indeed stupid.

Stupid or brown paper bag crafty. This cretin will never go to jail.

The location of this stadium could not be more ludicrous. They may have well put it on the moon. It is inaccessible by any means others than car or perhaps some buses. I play golf at The Pine which is in Nong Chok, and it takes me one hour to drive there from Bangkok when there is little traffic. Can't imagine how long it would take during normal business hours.

Obviously someone made a lot of money on the land and the construction, which is the norm for Thailand (TIT).

And that ladies and gentlemen is the bottom Line. Case closed.

He's heard about Soi Cowboy's so called Coyotes

Something doesn't sound right - he's just returning home now after 2 weeks in Thailand, yet, they seized material (presumably with evidence) in Australia two weeks ago, presumably before the alleged offence had taken place. Thy guy was stupid enough to leave evidence of his planned activities? Thanks for stitching yourself up

Based on your post, I can't help wondering what kind of monitoring the AFP is doing on individuals. Was he individually targeted for some reason or was he part of a general monitoring effort? Can any of you Aussies comment on the state of the police state in, pardon the expression, down under?

First of all Australia is not a police state.

Where have you been living for the past decade? Australian states are one of, if not the most over policed (as in laws) in the western world.

Maybe her air headed sister (Thai PM) can quell the noise, she and all the other pollies will be there. As I have said on previous posts, we don't need members bagging one other the Thais are doing just fine.

Send the idiot an invite and a brown bag and he will shut up.

Tourism Minister Chumphol Silapa-archa had said earlier that the incident could not be considered rape. He quoted provincial tourism police chief, Pol Maj-General Loi Ingkhaphairoj as saying: "The woman had dinner with the Thai suspect and a foreign man. Later, she told the foreign man to return to the hotel before heading off with the suspect."

Good work dip-stick, you have now made it impossible for the lady to receive natural justice. Do you have any daughters arse hole.

Is the daughter willing to come back to testify or is this a matter of they want justice done magically. Regretfully but unavoidably, you need to have victims relive their experience through testimony if you want prosecution ... even in his country.

I certainly hope so and I would expect farangs in mass to get behind her, support her and protect her from intimidation by the low life police, judiciary and political cretins.

Something doesn't sound right - he's just returning home now after 2 weeks in Thailand, yet, they seized material (presumably with evidence) in Australia two weeks ago, presumably before the alleged offence had taken place. Thy guy was stupid enough to leave evidence of his planned activities? Thanks for stitching yourself up

I agree, something doesn't sound right at all. They discovered 'material' at his home 2 weeks before he was arrested. The AFP are incredibly corrupt. But don't take my word for it. Look at what they did to Schapelle Corby. http://www.expendable.tv/ Just 2 weeks ago they extradited James Henry Kinch (a British citizen) to Australia. He had been illlegally detained for FOUR years in Klong Prem prison, Thailand. They extradited him just hours after the Expendable Team went in to interview him about AFP corruption. http://jameshenrykinch.com/

Nothing is as it seems when it comes to the AFP. They will also have blood on their hands when 2 of the Bali Nine are executed.

So true, the Australian governments, AFP, State police and Prisons are mirror of Thailand. What evidence do I have? - Myself, two brother and a cousin worked in police and prisons.

The chicken or the egg scenario - Which came first; Thai politics or Thai TV Soapies?

Smells of Thai Immigration - the more they can frustrate, obstruct and hinder farangs the happier they are.

European leaders

Several

Three

Two

One

None

I did read 'nine hours', right? So what's wrong with that? I was expecting to read 12 hours. I'll get slated for this, but most Thais (generally) do not push themselves and have two-three people doing a one-man job. Sorry, guys, but if you want the high life and to drag your country out of third world status (), one needs to work ones ass off.

Utter crap. Do you know any Thai people? If you knew enough you'd know that many work extremely hard and it's more like one person doing the job or two or three for many of them. Yes, some places are overstaffed, but it's not the majority.

I have lived on and off in Thailand for over 40 rears and a I can count on one hand the amount of Thais that actually put in a full days hard and meaningful work. (Be it male / female or other) And I know a lot of Thais.

Said it before and will say it again, an arrogant race of people with the largest superiority complex in ASEAN

(Wikipedia - Superiority complex is a psychological defence mechanism in which a person's feelings of superiority counter or conceal his or her feelings of inferiority.)

But can the SME's read or write English? That may be a major factor, and doing business globally - hardly likely it will be of interest in global business if in Thai. The internet is global as is business and the translation programmes are not very good at all. Thailand public schools do not teach English, that seem to be reserved for International or schools that have a 'cost' attached. Sad state of affairs but it keeps the population in the controlling hands of those who wish to manipulate the masses.

They will be doing business locally, so will be communicating in Thai. The internet is local as well as global. If a Thai person wants info on a Thai restaurant, then they will expect it to be in Thai not English.

As for not learning English - Thais would do better to learn Chinese.

Then why are the Chinese hastily learning English?

Undercover agents pretended to solicit sex arranged by the girl, who was charging THB2,000 each for two other underage girls aged 14 and 16

The girls were arrested immediately..

This sounds like a huge ring indeed. So glad they shut it down now and arrested the girls involved . Send all these harlots to the monkey house.

They are just kids in a <deleted>***ed up society, education might help. Of course never happens in a farang society does it.

I would be pushing shit up hill to date any of them.

Same old story, little dicks, little brains!

Its not about the bloody blankets, its about being sick and tired of being treated like imbeciles by the high and mighty corrupt government who think that these people have no pride or morals and will keep on taking handouts to shut-up. A small pebble ca build a huge snowball. It's time ladies and gentlemen - speak up.

Write it down to stupidiness of the Thai counter staff.

Never a problem with Cathay counter staff though, was in and out in less than 5 minutes ( on the way to immigration) on 15 oct.

Write it down to pure and simple arrogance.

It's amazing isn't it, how a small village in the middle of nowhere has a head man who just happens to be an expert in hydrology, geology and seismology, ecology and who knows what else, all the result of a Thai education to age 12 (guesstimate!) Either that or he's been fed a lot of greeny pseudo-science.

Not an expert in any of the fields myself, but I do know that fault lines are very common and not usually "active" (likely to cause an earthquake) unless close to the edge of a tectonic plate. In fact, the last movement on this fault line may have been 10, 20 or 100 million years ago, and the next equally distant. Ask the village headman, or a geologist?

BTW is there really an excess of carbon dioxide or a shortage of oxygen in the area?

Some of you people never cease to amaze me. Day in and day out I read the objections to a corrupt government and a privileged society who can get away with plain murder, and when an uneducated person without clout and the money but as large balls wants to do something to help his neighbours , country- folks and and all the others who have placed trust in him you ridicule him. The Greens in many Farang countries have been pulling these stunts for years to stop projects.

Keep putting the small man down and shit turns to clay.

Top Shit, slowly but surely they are catching on, their is hope yet.