MK1

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.

Security on these islands appears to be a real concern as this is not the first occasion of rape and murder in recent times. Most of the offenders in the past have been local and migrant workers predominately working in the hospitality, service and fishing industry. In the end, most of them have been apprehended with the exception of some professional hits still outstanding.

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.

A clash of cultures maybe? The Saudi’s most likely had high expectations that Thailand and it’s people would adapt to their culture. Also I presume, there must be an insurance company that wont payout on the lost diamond fiasco in the end which probably explains why they’re a bit-terse with Thai at the moment.

Not unusual, just like a 7 year reoccurring itch, consistent with the last crackdown/blitz in 2006-2007 after that coup. If you survived that probe; then you should survive this one. If you’ve not seen your lawyer or accountant in some time, it might be an idea to do so. Never fear Gen/PM Prayuth is here.

The problem with this scheme in the end it’s just another form of self-regulating by the very people who can’t be trusted an operator’s license to begin with. Operators should be made to show cause that they’re fit and proper persons to own an operator’s license such as showing they’ve paid for insurance including paid tax on their income from hiring out jet ski’s in the past. Training and inducting the hirer in the use of the machine is just a small part of it. Eliminating the culture of money laundering scammers is the primary cause.

Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Act 2011, 

they have that here? well pluck my chickens, could have fooled me

Indeed, and if this is the case, then if they wish to reduce the occurrence of these accidents as opposed to being reactive, then they ought  to start enforcing the O.S.H&E Act 2011 across the whole of Thailand; sooner rather than later. 

A dangerous thing those "stilettos".

Same, same, no-different. Grease one’s palm first and let someone else worry about the capital infrastructure later.

This area must be the longest ongoing drainage project in history.