Soi Dog

You seem to imply that a British scientist started the internet when everything body knows it was Al Gore.  Shame on you.

I was once in an ambulance on the tollway and rather than use the shorter and quicker EZ pass line the driver went through the regular line.  Fortunately mine was not a life or death trip but I asked the doctor why they did not use EZ pass and he told me that by using the regular lines they can get through for free.  Hopefully they don’t do that on real emergencies and risk a life for 55 baht.

Good observations about Thai officialdom.  Although I have not been able to master the language I have still never failed to be impressed by the treatment I have gotten from Thai officials in immigration and in getting my driver’s license.  Of course being a PR helps a great deal at immigration but when I think how a Thai might fare at the hands of DMV officials in the US I cringe.

This is a case where the narrative seems to be getting ahead of the facts.  Make no mistake - paraquat is bad stuff and probably should be banned.  However, the facts as presented here are not consistent with paraquat poisoning.  Paraquat’s Toxicity is primarily in the lungs where it can cause a slow and painful asphyxiation, which is why I think it should be banned.  It does not, however, cause a flesh eating disease.  Also, it is not surprising that they found high concentrations in the soil.  In the environment paraquat binds tightly to soil and does not degrade.  It also does not get into water.  So while I would love to see another nail in its coffin this case does not seem to be on point.

I heard that somebody asked Prawit when we would have elections and he said "Not on my watch."

Never trust a skinny baker.

The term silicone valley comes to mind.

Elections continue to be on the same schedule as always - next year.  And I know a bar that serves free beer tomorrow.

Just remember that when politicians are outlawed, only outlaws will be politicians.  Come to think of it.........

The election date saga reminds me of a sign I saw in a bar that said “free beer tomorrow”.  Just change that to “election next year”.

I've always said that transparency is just another English word the Thais can't pronounce.

I have TOT fiber and it usually worked very well but in the last couple of days is is very spotty.  SOmetimes slow service, sometimes no service at all.  Most of the problems are with international sites so I wonder if the problem is with the undersea cable?  I have exactly the same problem with my AIS 4G service on my phone and also when I use it as a personal hotspot. Has anybody else been having similar problems?

This reminds me of the story about when a blind snake and a blind rabbit met in the woods.  They both said they didn't really know what kind of animal they were so they agreed to feel each other and try to figure it out.  First the snake crawled all over the rabbit and then he said "you are warm and furry and you have big ears and a cotton tail so you must be a rabbit."  Then the bunny felt the snake and said "You ar cold and slimy and slither on the ground and I could not detect any heart beat.  You must be a lawyer."

Not sure what the big deal is about Koh Tao.  After all at least 2-3 people are murdered everyone week in Midsomer.

Having only one US and one Indian airport on the worst list and no US airlines on the worst list pretty much destroys any claim to credibility for this report.

ANother example of the extraordinary efficiency of the Thai Police.  In most countries it can take 15 minutes or more for a policeman to reach the scene of a crime.  In Thailand they are already on the scene!

I have has similar experiences.  I have a fiber connection that usually works well but the last couple of evenings it has gone down completely.  It copies back up the next morning but it is still  annoying.  I called TOT once for help when the red light was on and although  I live in Nonthaburi I got a call from a technician trying to find my house on Koh Samui.  Fortunately the problem went away on its own.  The wife (she who must be obeyed) is convinced that we should switch to AIS.  Anybody have any experience with AIS?

2 hours ago, Brer Fox said:

This story has about the same humour value as the one about the election being held this time next year.

This reminds me of a sign I once saw in a bar.  "Free beer tomorrow!"

Yeah, I used to despair about how the RTP almost never get it right when there is somebody important involved.  But now I realize they are up to FBI standards so I guess that's something to be proud of.  Or not.

As someone who grew up in the midwest and made frequent trips to Washington D.C.  I often wondered why a visa was not required for someone from "flyover country" visiting this'd foreign metropolis.  

In my life I have come to believe three things to be true (sometimes learned the hard way):

1.  Being educated is not the same thing as being smart.

2.  Being smart is not the same thing as being wise.

3. Knowing more is not the same thing as knowing better.

Sadly, the coasters in the US have not learned these lessons and will probably not have learned them even after those who exemplify them made their voices heard yesterday.

Good thing they are establishing a precedent so we will know who to go after for this year's flooding.  Karma is a bitch.

This is the age old conundrum for countries like Thailand.  Do they protect against outside competition or work to be competitive in their own right.  Sadly, Thailand's default tends to be the former and it's wrong on many levels.  I don't buy the argument that Thai architects could not be up to the job.  I have seen enough talent, skill and creativity here to know that not to be true.  The real question is why was an opportunity missed here?  Why did Thai architects not step up to the challenge - or were they even given a chance?

And Mussolini got the trains to run on time.