Suffinator

The Thai Government can thank it's lucky stars that the British PM is a weak and spineless fool who employs Ambassadors of the same make-up. If I were the PM I would have made a phone call within hours of the murder advising Thailand that Scotland Yard was on it's way to jointly investigate the crime - it wouldn't have been a request!

If this is true it might give the environment a year to recover from all the pollution - especially all the speedboats. I wonder if those are going to be stopped? I'll phone a couple of friends who live nearby and see if they can see any difference.

The TAT is preparing to launch another campaign called '24 Hours Enjoy Thailand' to attract foreigners to visit the country under martial law. According to the agency, martial law actually benefits tourism because it ensures that foreigners are safe round-the-clock.

Has it stopped scams? NO.

Has it stopped violence against foreigners? NO

Has it stopped foreigners from being murdered? NO

Yes Thai logic .... Ignore the truth and bury your head in the sand and just keep getting the press releases out there saying all is rosy.

Family Holidays .... Where the dickens are they going to go without being subjected to prostitution - deep within the National Parks where they are charged 5 or 10 times more than a Thai? Sure I'd want to bring my family to Thailand - in fact left a couple of weeks ago and oh and I so much happier.

Same as being stupid enough to build an airport on swamp land... opss... yes they already did that!

Could you be any more sick or narcissistic?

Thai definition of progress = reversion

The General is failing to understand that whilst this may be considered an internal matter it was in fact two British nationals who were murdered and therefore in the interest of transparency and indeed finding those responsible Thailand should have granted the UK permission immediately to help with the investigation - should have been a joint effort - period!

The General can thank his lucky stars that the UK Prime Minister is a hapless, spineless moron. He can also thank his lucky stars that I'm not the British PM because I would have made a phone call and I wouldn't have asked for anything - I would have merely pointed out what WAS going to happen and any resistance would result in all diplomatic ties being severed. I would of also addressed the nation and told my countrymen of the issue and strongly advised that no British national travel to Thailand; a step further would have been to ensure that no person deciding to travel would have access to insurance.

Finally the good General can kiss goodbye to any trade agreements... I heard yesterday that some Thai nationalist thinks Thailand can live in isolation; we'll I'd certainly let them do without the UK.

As for me... unlike many others here just moaning about it and calling on tourists to boycott the place I did something about it... I left.

The social media were swamped with nationalistic opprobrium, with some calling for a tit-for-tat response and others going as far as to say Thailand should shrug off any diplomatic pressure as it could easily live in isolation.

Certainly I'm no fan of the EU but if the Thais honestly think they can live in isolation then let them try. Imagine if every expat left, tourism dried up and sanctions were implemented to prevent foreign investment... that type of isolation would throw Thailand back into the dark ages within 6 months of less. Think... no expats spending, no tourists dollars, no import duty raised... the list goes on.

And here lies the rub... nationalistic rhetoric with no substance of the harsh realities that the world is now a very small place and that without foreign investment, be it tourism, expats or indeed trade, Thailand would be plunged into abject poverty.

I just talked with friend in USA who happens to be travel agent. She says arranged to rent house boat in Koh Tao. I suggested she hire some body guards. When I mentioned Koh Tao, she said "Where those two Burmese killed those British?". I proceeded to give her thumbnail of this sham. It seems to confirm once more that Americans don't really care about international news unless it has direct impact on USA. I asked if she could cancel that reservation. I don't want one satang going to that place until they come clean about this whole mess.

Keep the pressure on, then double it.

Do you live in Thailand? If not then refraining from visiting and spending is the only way to effect change. If you are an expat you should leave in protest. I did.

Another weak arse response from the British Government - it's about time Thailand was told, not asked, that a team of investigators will be conducting an independent investigation.

Stock prices in ear medication just rose sharply the markets reported on the new Charlem was alive and well ...

Might have been useful if Mr. Kent and the Foreign Office found some balls and insisted upon it.

Yes and once again they could resist throwing in how wonderful tourism was doing.

Hello all... I'm helping out the guy who is running the petition (http://goo.gl/FD66Th) to get the UK gov to independently investigate David and Hannah's murders and I need a favour from you wonderful people... The numbers of signees are slowing down somewhat, but we need to keep going - if we reach 100k (currently just over 50k) we can ask for it to be discussed in Parliament.

Anyway trying it tap into new channels outside if what we are currently hitting, so we've just set up a Twitter account - if you have twitter can you pls follow us and give us a share/retweet? Many thanks... We are at: @ThailandJustice

Thank you

Good luck and all the best to your good work.

We need all the outside (international) help we can get, as the situation within Thailand is hopeless. The Chief of Police has declared the perfect arrest, the Prime Minister said he will give awards to the Police team, the Thai media is censored, the country is under martial law, the British Ambassador is acting very coy and his words have been be twisted by the Govt-friendly press, the Myanmese Govt doesn't want to be in the spotlight considering their own poor human rights record, and, unfortunately, many Thais do not care much about the plight of Burmese people.

Your petition can be accessed today, but the Thai authorities can block the website any time they like, so, for those in Thailand, hurry.

If the situation is 'hopeless' as you claim why doesn't the expat community stage a massive walk out. Take away their source of income and watch how quickly they turn things around... either that or the country will suffer the economic realities.

I wonder how many more idiots will be rushing to buy property in the Land of Scams. Yeah, sounds like a great deal... hand over money for something you can't own. Duh!

Are you really surprise by all the revelations and allegations? You shouldn't be. Are you really that enraged by all that has gone on which again only reinforces the belief that anyone that is not Thai is considered nothing short of cattle? You shouldn't be.

What you should be is righteous enough to do what is required.... LEAVE Thailand and leave now. I walked out after the second day and I won't return until this and other pressing issues are fixed. It's time the expat community did more than sitting on a bar stool moaning about the situation.

IMHO - all those who remain only fuel the continuation of the abuse and are in fact no better than the Thai authorities who continue abusing people's human rights for their own nationalistic agenda.

I wouldn't invest a single penny in this country.

The solution is easy .... avoid Thailand like the plague. There are hundreds of other wonderful destinations around the world which exercise more constraint to their greed.

Horse - Barn - Bolt - Door

That's the trouble with the Thai authorities... more concerned about retaining the income from tourism and expats than they are about safety. They couldn't care less if thousands died every year providing the money didn't dry up.

When will the expat community learn that they hold the key... if they leave in protest then change could be demanded for it's unlikely the economy could take a massive financial hit through masses of expats heading to the border.

I, and a few of my friends, left... none of us are willing to support such a regime. It's a shame the bulk of the expat community doesn't have the spine to do the same... I guess sitting on a bar stool moaning at least gives you something to do.

If the RTP have nothing to hide an independent test would not / should not be a problem. What is there to hide if their analysis of the DNA is correct. The longer this goes on the more face Thailand will lose and eventually their much coveted to tourism industry.

I've phoned a number of my expat friends and a number of them are now preparing to leave - I still think the only way for Thailand to change is to force it by withdrawing money and if every expat walked the economy would take a massive hit... isn't it about time we served justice?

Pol Maj-Gen Apichart Boonsriroj, commander of Surat Thani provincial police, said today (Thursday) that the three Myanmar migrant workers were under the care of the police and the public prosecutor had been asked to seek the court’s permission to bring the three witnesses to testify in advance.

Sure I'd want to be in that situation considering the allegations of torture inflicted on the two suspects ( or guilty parties as the Thai Police refer to them).

It's high time the international community stepped in and took control. These two need moving to a cell of their own with around the clock (non-Thai) security. Now waiting for the authorities to announced that they killed themselves out of remorse.

So glad I'm no longer living in a country where the rule of law is governed by money and face.