MK1

and the embassy said?

You have really stuck your neck out staying here with no back up or support system in place.

I have no magic advice.

I wish you luck.

Please keep us informed.

I know.. I stayed here for 7 years with no issues whatsoever though. I really did not anticipate the shitstorm that fell on me for the past six months.

The embassy said they could not cover the overstay. They weren't even sure they could pay for a plane ticket.

Therefore, you've held a relative work permit, and respective Visa. Also your past employers have respectfully paid your withholding tax, paid money into a social security & retirement fund including health care fund on your behalf In accordance with the law. If this is true, as outlined above, your first stop is the nearest social security and dept of labour office to claim back social security savings. Make sure you have all relative documentation when visiting them. Good luck. Hope you overcome your personal crisis soon.

Phuket appears to be in the midst of a crime spree as result of perhaps the release of over 200 pardon detainees on Saturday...Fast & Furious 5

I guess this means Prayut or a military junta led Government will need to remain in power in order to see the project successfully delivered. The question is, do they have the capacity to do it and the answer is; they most likely can, if the people empower them to do so in 2016.

If anyone was watching Thai TV news this morning, they would realize it was those pesky Panda’s again obviously squeezing out between the bars while their caretakers were goofing off. Neglecting to maintain security to world zoological standards is to blame.

Since the devaluation of Australian currency against the US dollar over the last the last 3 months, the cost of exports to Australia for example have soared by as much as 30%. Thailand is in for rude awakening if it does not adjust its currency to counteract the effect of diminishing tourists and a significant decline in exports which seems to be definitely on the horizon in 2015.

The problem with sensationalist journalism is not always whether they tell the truth or not, but sometimes what they leave out and the context of the facts. For example falang diving into a river to save drowning child could be reported as foreigner assaults innocent child. Or, man writing about Mohammed's child bride could turn into man wanting to discuss sex with children. This is the sort of way of working that sold the News of the world and other trash papers. Lets have the truth in exposing wrong doers by all means, but it's best done with the honest truthful facts without the sensationalist twists.

Mmh - never seen that happen before. Have you got a real credible example.

MK 1

Read again - the whipping boys I referred to are Thaivisa and the British Embassy, not myself. The reason I chose to be an independent journalist many years was that I was no longer subject to the whims of newspaper editors. I hope and believe I have impacted on people's lives for the better. Those whom I have affected for the worse has been done with little regret - because that will have impacted on other people for the better.

Then that may explain everything, unless your previous employer was the Murdoch press, you failed to respect your line management newspaper editors of the past who perhaps inadvertently seen you as a risky Journo to begin with. Long live Marta Journalism !

Andrew Drummond chose to be a shock Journo with all the risks attached that go with that territory. He was no fool and knew what he was getting into from the very start. Alternatively, he could have chosen not be a rebel Journo as opposed to being a real one. Good riddance to his kangaroo journalism. Now he should be held accountable for his actions and stand by what he professed. Anything else, such as running away from Thailand, would just typify the type of coward he really was.

Now that must be one of the most unpleasant postings that I have ever read on Thaivisa. He knew what he was getting into, yes. He stated quite some time ago that he could no longer afford to send his kids to the school they were going to, he changed schools. Constant hiring of lawyers and paying bail for stupid trumped up reasons made things very difficult for him. He then started to receive threats like 'we know where your kids go to school'. They are now going to school in the UK, which is the right decision for most expats with kids here.

Why don't you go visit a taxidermist for a consultation?

Love him or hate him?.I believe everyone has the right as member of Thai Visa to view their opinions irrespective of whether you think that only positive things should be said about that man. In the same way, you have right to be Pro-Drummond for a man who neglected to put the safety of his family first or was he ignorant of that risk? Boo-hoo if he was.

Kids are all perfectly safe Mk 1. I am perfectly safe. And as some posters have correctly pointed out I am now at liberty to post material which I could not do from within Thailand. If anyone has a complaint of any false story they should make the complaint and I will answer. There are none. And if a mistake is made it is always corrected. You are right, everyone has a right to an opinion. But if you wish to make an attack state the specific reason why then I can answer it. Strangely the British Embassy which has been something of a whipping boy have sent a letter saying my reports will be sorely missed. I can assure them they will continue for the time being at least, I have a notebook or two to empty. Thanks you to most of the posters here even though TV has been another whipping boy :-)

A fair and balanced response.with the exception of stereo typing yourself as the chosen whipping boy when the risks surrounding your career as a shock Journo were not hidden from you from the outset. if true, then you would agree in your capacity as a Independent Journo you have made mistakes that has unfortunately impacted upon other people lives’ for the better and regretfully perhaps more so for the worse?

Andrew Drummond chose to be a shock Journo with all the risks attached that go with that territory. He was no fool and knew what he was getting into from the very start. Alternatively, he could have chosen not be a rebel Journo as opposed to being a real one. Good riddance to his kangaroo journalism. Now he should be held accountable for his actions and stand by what he professed. Anything else, such as running away from Thailand, would just typify the type of coward he really was.

Now that must be one of the most unpleasant postings that I have ever read on Thaivisa. He knew what he was getting into, yes. He stated quite some time ago that he could no longer afford to send his kids to the school they were going to, he changed schools. Constant hiring of lawyers and paying bail for stupid trumped up reasons made things very difficult for him. He then started to receive threats like 'we know where your kids go to school'. They are now going to school in the UK, which is the right decision for most expats with kids here.

Why don't you go visit a taxidermist for a consultation?

Love him or hate him?.I believe everyone has the right as member of Thai Visa to view their opinions irrespective of whether you think that only positive things should be said about that man. In the same way, you have right to be Pro-Drummond for a man who neglected to put the safety of his family first or was he ignorant of that risk? Boo-hoo if he was.

Andrew Drummond chose to be a shock Journo with all the risks attached that go with that territory. He was no fool and knew what he was getting into from the very start. Alternatively, he could have chosen not be a rebel Journo as opposed to being a real one. Good riddance to his kangaroo journalism. Now he should be held accountable for his actions and stand by what he professed. Anything else, such as running away from Thailand, would just typify the type of coward he really was.

Thai elders have taken the wrap for their siblings in the past for crimes like these so anything is possible. However, if the bike is registered in say grandpa’s name he’ll be joining the chain gang until a time proven otherwise.

Reported in Thai media, apparently this man had nothing in his baggage to begin with, which explains why he was able to toss it out of the plane. It also makes you wonder if this man was actually engaged in a possible publicity stunt, in conjunction with Air Asia, since they allowed him thereafter to travel on the next flight. I wouldn’t it put past them, since air line staff demonstrated a very cool and tolerate approach to dealing with this incident also publishing video imagery from his camera phone. Already Air Asia have gained significant free publicity from this stunt, if indeed this was staged.

It’s obvious he attracted the attention of others due to his arrogant attitude. Had he used a smaller bag and behaved normally he would’ve of probably winged it.

However, you can also appreciate Air Asia airline staff point of view, if the plane fell out of the sky or was involved in some sought of incident, everyone would have immediately blamed the airline for not following the rules. Som-Nom-Na to the guy who tried to defy the rules at the risk of others.

I will go so far, like the majority of people in this thread, to presume the pre-conditions and causation that led to this collision.

The weather conditions would’ve been variable winds from the south east at 20-30km/per hr, 1-2 metre swell with occasional rain storms. Since the boat was returning from Phi Phi to Phuket at around 4pm visibility would have been reduced due to the direct sun rays and the speed boat would had the advantage of a tail wind which at times caused the boat to plane the waves gaining more speed.

Therefore, distinctively, while the speed boat is plane waving, with a reduced throttle, this is the time when the boat operator loses control over his vessel in terms of both power and steerage.

If this was occurring, combined with reduced visibility as a result of direct sun light beaming from the west, then the boat driver would have not had enough time to correct his course in event of an obstruction in the water such as another smaller vessel, while having no control over the speed boat.

The boat drivers motive was perhaps not intentional but most likely he was trying to save on fuel by this action in taking advantage of wave energy by so called plane waving or surfing the waves.

If this was the case, the boat driver is still negligent by taking such a risk by allowing the boat to lose momentary control.

Chinese tourists expected to bolster the arrival figures towards the end of year is just fudging the arrival figures particularly when these tourists do very little to boost local economies; since they’re mostly pre-booked on organized guided Chinese tour packages.

Sadly, the main reason why cases like these fall apart is because of the lack of expertise in forensic science is almost nonexistent in Thailand. This is also because the RTP expect the people who are highly educated in this area to work for a pittance until the case is concluded. It’s only when cases like this don’t stick, do they ever bother calling the likes of Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan. By then; it’s all too late. Moreover, RTP also fear people smarter than them in particular women exposing their poor work.

If the recent crackdown on the taxi-mafia and opportunists encroaching on public land and the beach in Phuket is anything to go by, Koh Tao is also doomed to be shut down too as a result of the circumstances surrounding this event. Out of control greed, corruption and lack of police enforcement on Koh Tao is ultimately to blame in the end for loss of these innocent lives. No doubt there is also rampant mutterings on the island of ghosts now present, and if so, then a collapse of the local economy will most likely be definitely on the cards too.

Ila: This is the end of everything.

Noah: The beginning. The beginning of everything.

Source: Noah (2014)

The God father of Patong has finally met his match with believable the highest authority in the land.

Hopefully this milestone restores the vital business confidence needed for Patong to move forward without these stand over merchants.

The Kra Isthmas canal project route from Ranong when surveyed was seen to be too costly and time consuming because of the enormous amount rock removal.

The most preferred and logical route is double-lane highway 44 to Surat Thani, starting just before Krabi, which was considered to be secretly mapped out and surveyed long ago. Basically the whole route is predominantly soil which could be removed in a very short amount of time without too much difficulty. Plus the elevation of the sea at that route is near to equal both sides doing away with the need for multiple locks.

The whole problem in the past has been political interference and outside influence from the likes of Singapore and Britain. Providing Gen Prayuth supports the idea, and stays in power to see the project delivered, the project could become a revived reality.

One wonders, is the shot gun to protect herself from her former husbands enemies or to protect herself from Pians many wives?

Phuket Gazette – 28 August 2014, Thawit Bilabdullar

Phuket: A Migrant worker from Myanmar is in hospital recovering from head injuries after he slipped and fell from scaffolding at Baan Reua School in Koh Kaew, Thalang.

See more of this story at: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Myanmar-worker-injured-fall-painting-school-building/33699#ad-image-4

“he was busy with checking all the related documents with his clients”

In other words, he’s been manufacturing new documentary evidence to try and convince authorities he had a safety plan; when originally he didn’t really have one in the first place.

Safety was obviously last on that site; not first.

There are plenty of these dodgy medium to high rise condo’s right across Thailand waiting to fail or fall.

The main problem with these buildings is not necessary the design but a combination of issues such as the structural support systems used during construction, work methods and substitution of materials for cheaper inferior building products.

It may look good on the outside, which is always the case in Thailand, but it’s whats on the inside that counts in terms of having structural stability.

The sign “Safety First” erected in front of a construction site is just a marketing illusion to make you feel good about it, when in reality it’s not practiced at all.

Sadly this is because, most Thai construction companies and developers in the last 4 years have been motivated by the notion to build cheap and sell expensive.

That's why the builder tends to "run" when incidents like this happen in the end.

Thailand is still a big magnet for undesirables. Only a matter of time before all foreigners will have to obtain a police clearance, in their country of origin, before obtaining any sought of visa thanks to characters like Farnell.