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This is a nice one for the government and it's new PR mob to handle.

Do they lose face by having a review which is an admission something is or may be wrong or do they brass it out and insist it's not as bad as is being portrayed ?

The only thing I'm sure of is no matter what it will be mis-handled

If the truth was ever to be told it would be said the bidders will be considered on merit as to their experience and ability to bring the project in on schedule and within budget PLUS the size of the brown envelopes they have been passing out.

Also to be considered will be the opportunities for more envelopes from the main and hundreds of sub-contracts.

I think I'm right in saying a lot of money was spent on feasibility etc. so at what point did the government decide they weren't interested and perhaps have stopped the waste or is that too simple ?

The government is borrowing money right, left and centre and now has to even borrow an elephant !

Oh sorry I forgot, Thailand is a poor country and that's official, a Deputy PM said it.

I have to say I agree with the comments of Abhisit as quoted in the report.There is something about with the glib conclusions on motivation and the intervention of Chalerm that doesn't feel right.The "cui bono" approach in these matters isn't infallible but the implications of "who benefits" need to be carefully considered.What is needed of course is a thorough police investigation without interference.At this stage nothing can be ruled out.

No one wants to jump to conclusions. We all know Chalerm loves the sound of his own voice and opens his mouth without engaging his brain ( what passes for one anyway ) but long before the deceased's lawyer or anyone for that matter said " political motive " there was Chalerm and his nothing to do with us statement.

This is likely to be yet another " solved " case that will leave more questions than it answers.

in bangkok, you can add a soapy soapy massage or better for that price

when 4 stars on paper means 1 or 2 stars in reality

I did some basic research on the " star ' system years ago for an English course I was dealing with and the basic situation was unless it's a major chain or a really well known hotel the stars cannot be relied on as many hotels simply" award " themselves whatever they want.

One advantage of having an electorate with little or no lingua franca skills is that they rarely if ever get to hear criticism of their government from abroad.

Not so dumb after all!

If reports from correspondents based in Thailand start to annoy will the government react ? I can recall when Mr. T was in the chair he expelled two reporters from Asiaweek and I think it was about the monarchy but am very happy to be corrected.

It was Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) from memory that Thaksin attempted to kick out two journalists I believe this quote from the Nation sums it up:

"Thaksin said his government did not have to explain to the US the Thai police decision to expel two foreign journalists from the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) on grounds that their article threatened Thailand's national security. Thaksin also reiterated that the government had not been involved in the police decision to take action against the FEER journalists. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday in Washington that US ambassador to Thailand Darryl Johnson had raised the issue of the threat to deport the foreign journalists, one of whom is an American, in a meeting in Bangkok with Thaksin last Friday. Thai police blacklisted the FEER journalists following a column in the January 10 edition reporting tension between the prime minister and the Royal Palace. "We are concerned about the prospect that Thailand may bar certain journalists from working in or entering the country for publishing reports that were critical of the government," Boucher said. On Friday FEER's Bangkok bureau chief Shawn Crispin, 33, an American citizen, and correspondent Rodney Tasker, 56, a British national, appealed the police order that asked them to leave the country. Police said their working visas had already been revoked. The order has sparked an outcry from local and foreign media as well as non-government groups over press freedom. Several Thai senators also said the move destroyed the country's reputation as a strong supporter of free speech. Thai police have called on the magazine to either apologise or correct the article to prevent the two journalists being expelled. In a telephone interview with The Nation yesterday, FEER editor Michael Vatikiotis said he was willing to apologise or correct any errors if Thai authorities explicitly indicated what the publication had done wrong. "There have been no specifics from the government on why it is a threat, and most of what we have learned came from media reports and a single letter from the police," he said."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Thaksin-hits-back-at-US-concern-56248.html

Thanks for that, good to have clarification

Mr. Shetty said Thailand should not enact laws restricting people's rights or freedom of expression and it seems the PM did not respond to that point unlike the others raised.

However the government doesn't really need new laws to restrict freedom of expression as they will happily twist the existing ones to suit their purposes.

One advantage of having an electorate with little or no lingua franca skills is that they rarely if ever get to hear criticism of their government from abroad.

Not so dumb after all!

This is a great point. Leaving aside the rather delicate subject of the main thread it is quite common in countries where the government is dictatorial or at least very heavy handed the foreign media is the only way objective news and comment can be obtained. The government has made it clear they will control the local internet when necessary and I doubt local news outlets will start covering too much criticism carried by the foreign press, TV etc.

If reports from correspondents based in Thailand start to annoy will the government react ? I can recall when Mr. T was in the chair he expelled two reporters from Asiaweek and I think it was about the monarchy but am very happy to be corrected.

If only there was such thing as the IRS in Thailand. They could work for 10 years and jail half of the corrupt officials just by checking the list of luxury car owners.

Unfortunately the Revenue Dept is regarded as one of the most corrupt government departments in Thailand and I have absolutely no idea why !

This is a dumb idea even for Khun P.

I seem to remember the last time the police were offered bounty money we ended up with bodies everywhere but no convictions.

Dead men don't tell tales, they don't lie and most definitely can't tell the truth

With projects this big the squabbling behind the scenes to get a place at the trough must be a joy to behold.

If DSI have actually swung into action there must be Democrats involved.

Another earth shattering headline from The Nation, why do they bother ?

This guy skipped the country in 1984 and stayed away for 20 years for the statute of limitations to run out on his charges related to a failed "pyramid" scam... scheme. is it surprising he has possible enemies? just asking?

Well maybe just one or two but nothing serious...LOL

Thailand has many embassies overseas and presumably they send diplomatic cables back to the Foreign Ministry on matters happening within the country where they are located although Thailand's view of the world is probably rather short sighted compared to other nations.

However knowing what goes on in diplomatic circles will this government be so naive as to think what's happening here isn't been reported around the world and must be making the readers in many Foreign Ministries cringe ?

I suppose we can have a mixture of Thai belief in being " the hub " of everything coupled with the PTP's attitude of " if we say everything is just fine then that's exactly what it is ".

... despite the fact that it has been proven dengue is very hard to diagnose.

You are making that up. The symptoms are pretty much standard across the board in that most people get the tell-tale rash and most people have the debilitating 'break bone' pain. I was provisionally diagnosed when I presented my sick arse to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital after 3 days of misery. When I came back for the follow-up visit 3-days later (to check the blood platelet count and determine exactly how my body was coping with it) they confirmed the type (from the blood taken earlier) and assessed that I was low-risk and let the self-healing begin.

The one aspect that didn't seem to be stressed enough IMHO, was the fact that for a given period, I was considered infectious in that I could transmit the fever via mossie bites, to people near me. They mentioned a sort of quarantine should be considered which was easy for me as I was working in Bangkok and just canceled a couple of weekends when I would normally have flown home to see the family.

Last time this subject there was a post from a member who was in hospital for 5 days and was only correctly diagnosed by an Indian doctor.

The Permanent Secy. is still telling infected people to see a doctor as early as possible despite the fact that it has been proven dengue is very hard to diagnose.

How many folks will arrive at clinics saying they think they have dengue and get tossed out on their ears with some half arsed diagnosis by a doctor who is aggrieved that a patient thinks he knows more than him ?

This must be the PTP equivalent of a gulag, where all the intellectuals are sent.

That would explain why there are none in the government.

If anyone ever sought to question that statement they need only be shown video clips of Chalerm in action and be given translations of what he says in Parliament and to the media.

Is it true that PTP are adopting the old folk song " No Wheels On Our Wagon But We're Still Rolling Along " as the new party anthem ?

No doubt the PM is in support with the idea they can rally, protest etc as long as they don't break the law but at which point will the likely fiery rhetoric be deemed " defamation " according to the government's own standard ?.

Sorry, that's a different story entirely.