Suffinator

Democracy.... what a joke. Military shouldn't have a voice.

Phuket, Chalong Pier.... New Year's Eve. Last year it was very quiet but this year the pier was almost devoid of foreigners; I estimate less than 30. Even the local bar and restaurant owner are admitting they've never had it so bad and now many are trying to sell up and off-load what is a financial burden and clearly a very bad investment.

Will it get better? Debatable.

No doubt bad spirits and they'll be building a condo to house them all. You would think (thinking be the operative word) that with the amount of buses crashing on Patong Hill they would learn.

So glad the officials cleared that one up for there was me thinking it came down to people drinking driving and deplorable standard of test and driving skill.... phew!

Pick a number.... yeah any number.

it's dead here in Phuket; still a few Chinese wondering all over the roads but apart from that it's like a ghost town. I wonder if they'll ever wake up to the realities of why tourists are avoiding Thailand?

In all fairness I've watched the lifeguards in action; that is even asking people not to go swimming and they are often ignored. There is only one solution and that is for the authorities to close the beach during the seasons where rip tides are most prevalent.

Yes, money rules and so that's unlikely to happen.

When will the Thai Government learn and appreciate that being able to say.... "Welcome handsome man", "Me love you long time", "I want go with you." and other such phrases is not a commendable standard of English nor is it useful outside of any bar.

Seriously they need to put off joining AEC for at least the next 100 years as they'll never be able to complete when most other AEC member countries have such an adequate command of the English language.

On a serious note, key points:

1. Introduce Drivers Ed to all schools

2. Make everyone pass a proper examinations, written test and physical driving test (without the brown envelope)

3. Increase fines for traffic violations TEN fold

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

Yes it appears impossible but it is only so if you have such a mentality. Of course such would require effort and expertise which is severely lacking in any Government office building.

Massive tourism? Didn't the Minster of Finance say there's been a huge decline? Maybe more tourist fancy flocking to Thailand for a stabbing whilst the police roam around on the take.

Working in Thailand... yes if you don't have all your mental faculties. It's the same as buying property here; only those with no brains would engage in such an act.

No doubt really proud of taking a once stunning tropical paradise and paving it with concrete to fuel greed. Yeah, great job and no doubt the next 1,000 shophouses constructed in the next couple of months will also allow a few more 7/11's, Family Marts, Mom and Pop stores, beauty salons , etc.

Could you get any dumber?

Due to the immigrants ... ah yes they mean those that took over a few hundred years ago and now rule by elitism. Yeah, I get it now; Thai / Chinese .... no wonder they are confused.

The truth is that it has come to the point where it doesn't matter if you do have a duly democratically elected Government for there will always be one side that opposes the appointment therefore demonstrating for their own greed and the round-about continues to revolve.

You cannot and will not have democracy in a country where the people are ignorant to its true meaning nor where certain individuals are prevented from getting their snouts in the trough.

If corruption could be removed (most unlikely) then maybe, just maybe it could work - until then those stupid enough to follow either color will continue to be blindly lead by those who greedy and corrupt.

Is it ever really going to change here? I doubt it and every couple of years one group or another will be aggravated enough to protest therefore turning violent. Best let them get on with it and when the country burns they can them blame all their woes and lack of any foreign investment on the farang.... as usual.

It's like a circus and every clown is in on the act.

Not exactly a healthy situation and will certainly have foreign investors worried. A long, long, long, long, long way to go before an real improvement.

Looks like the Thai Government need to bring in as much cash as possible to prop up the Baht. With tourism almost in the toilet this isn't much of a surprise. Only a few months remaining and I'm outta here for good.

Just another useless turd that I'm forced to pay for through my taxes. There were so many useful aspects he could of touched on such as the issues expats here face; no the wet decided to laud the virtues of tourist coming and being fleeced.

Where do the British Gov find these morons - old schoolboy network.

Next step, declaring a state of emergency and then the Military announcing the Government no longer has control - right back to a Junta.

TAT are likely to spin this as some sort of mardi gras where this is all a misunderstanding and that the Thais are merely having fun.

The ruling elite are never going to give up power which in turn will never allow democracy to prevail.

http://meebal.com/road-to-democracy-in-thailand-marred-with-color/

and then the Minister woke up. Yes it's the stuff of fairy-tales.

Another farce from debt ridden Britain - yeah bugger the citizen at every turn providing the established 'old boys network' is still over paid.