NongKhaiKid

If you give it ... you had better be prepared to take it

Good for the students ... hope they plan more rallies and protests

Like all bullies the reds can dish it out but can't take it and also have the insurance that government controlled institutions like the BIB will back them to the hilt.

Double standards doesn't even scratch the surface of what's happening

It's funny that this topic should suddenly turn up. Only last week was I talking to a group of Thai people about Carlsberg and big hotel chains.

They were telling me that "Thai businessmen are very clever and ruthless". They invite foreign companies in as partners and learn as much as they can from them and when they have learnt enough they force some kind of break up. After that they start their own business in the same lines.

I hope that VW stay well clear of Thailand.

I have have got this wrong and am happy to be corrected but a couple of years ago a Danish friend told me Carslberg moved out as it was discovered their Thai joint venture partners were siphoning off the beer and bottling as their own product.

The magical 90 day deadline again and of course a road map can be produced in that time as it doesn't take much research, consultation or imagination to know what a PTP controlled body will come up with then expect everyone to accept without any opposition.

Unfortunately for them it's not that simple but of course failure to accept the poisoned chalice will be everybody else's fault that the country cannot move forward.

Another " don't do as we do... " comment from the always out of touch YL. If any of the Dems MPs protesting are from the south how is supporting constituents politicising the situation ? Mind you I'm not saying politicians don't take every opportunity to get a dig in at their opponents.

YL asks the rubber farmers to talk which is good but for he fact this government is prone to listen to only it's own views and now cosseting it's own supporters in the rice growing sector has come home to roost as initially they were prepared to dismiss the rubber farmers' complaints as nothing but political.

Unfortunately for PTP they are haunted by their own usual first reaction to everything which projects an " always right " mentality.

Why am I not surprised?

and if he gets away with this and all the other charges there will be no shame shown by anyone.

If he makes it to September 3, he's out free.

No just the speeding part

I hope someone can clear this up but the other day when there was a thread on this subject it was suggested the deceased's family had accepted B3 million compensation and were no longer interested in proceedings.

I don't know about Thailand when they make it up as they go along but a prosecution for the death etc. could still go ahead in the public interest

More bad news for Thailand and it's tourism money maker.

I look forward to the TAT's spin on this one...

It will be ignored anything negative usually is.

I travel in that area at least twice a week. There are a lot of accidents. My condolences to the family and friends of the victims. May the injured make a speedy recovery.

Did the driver survive?

According to the Thai press, he survived with serious injuries, and so cannot give a statement.

The cops arrested the lorry driver instead.

There were 16 people in the van - 9 dead, 7 injured.

IN Channel news at 1200hrs said the driver told police he did not see the lorry and ran into it but it was described as an 18 wheeler. Lots to be considered, it was 0540hrs so still not full daylight, lights or otherwise on the truck and what the van driver was doing.

Another tragedy.

There is no evidence that the drugs were planted to demand a bribe from the victims. Using unsuspected travelers is a well known way to smuggle things. A scarry expeirence nonetheless, as the consequences for them when caught would have been very serious.

You think it was a gift?

It was a handful of weed. That is not someone trying to use someone's bag for smuggling.

Clearly not an attempt by a 3rd party to smuggle but to set them up. Interestingly, the Embassy basically told them to dump it, buy new suitcases and clean their clothes and content of the cases to prevent any detection by search dogs. Seems the Embassy figured not much chance of convincing the authorities it was just a plant.

Who better than an Embassy to know what's going on and the advice to couple speaks volumes on how much trust and respect for Thai authorities and how they operate.

One of the more interesting comments to come from Day 1 was from former coup leader Gen. Sonthi who said democracy had to be " Thai style " and not based on any other model.

If democracy is to be Thai style then all these forums etc are a waste of time and money as nothing will be achieved. We can see Thai democracy is action just now with one man making the decisions and telling his puppets what to do, they in turn tell the public and opposition is not tolerated. In fact it may well be against " national security ".

Of course Sonthi means democracy beyond Thaksin, I presume, but Thailand's ruling elite, no matter their colour, will never allow anything like real democracy as they will never lessen their grip on complete control.

This article is not particularly well written so I hope I've got it right and my comments well founded.

It says 5 civil servants are expected (sic ) of being involved including a Malaysian woman so I'm presuming it should read suspected of involvement. I'm also presuming this means Thai civil servants so how can a Malaysian be a Thai civil servant ? A locally recruited employee maybe.

My main point however si that only 48 hours ago Thai officialdom jumped the gun as usual with assurances that no Thais were involved and many posters correctly said why don't they wait until the situation is clear before making definitive statements but apart from anything else that would need Thais in prominent positions to change the habits of a lifetime.

They have to talk and talk as often and as early as they can and to hell with the consequences.

I think the main problem is that there is to many people after their 15 minutes of fame and want the media publicity. A little like all these photo opportunities. There is no leader in the organisation who speaks instead a lot of chooks running around try to be 1st in the spotlight.

Exactly. I'm sure if a department nominated a single spokesperson or issued speaking note guidelines no one would pay a blind bit of notice as they want in on the act.

Produce a microphone anywhere near a Thai official and they're off and running off at the mouth.

It seems to be held as a failure to say " I'll get back to you ", " please wait until the situation is clearer " and all the usual polite and not necessarily evasive sidesteps until hard fact can be released.

However here they give an answer, any answer and it usually backfires big time.

This does not apply to the PM of course whose response to questioning is to smile and leg it.

There's an article in another newspaper indicating how the government are already blaming the opposition for any lack of success resulting from the forum since they decline to take part.

Nice defensive move and have excuses prepared well in advance.

Why can't can't the opposition do what they are told, turn up and agree with everything the government says and give the whole issue an air of respectability and responsibility ?

We have seen time after timet hat disagreeing with the government automatically means you are wrong.

I wonder what nationality Ms. Kirida is ?

She is Thai, see link.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/people/kirida-bhaopichitr

Maybe it explains why she too doesn't see any problems

Tajikistan, a 98% Muslim country promoting Buddhism. That I will believe when I see it and even then would get my eyes checked.(as well as my wallet.)

It would be a massacre. Muslims don't take too kindly to their brothers and sisters being converted away from islam, They would consider it an attack on their faith.

So Yimgluk has got the prime minister of Tajikistan to import the rotten and contaminated rice reserves to be to be distributed to the rest of Asia, in an effort to hoodwink the rest of Asia that it is from Tajikistan, to bypass any blockades currently thrown up to stop the import of crap Thai rice.

But as a bonus also manages to get him to agree to enrage 98% of his people by importing a new, better religion.

Pull the other one.

YL has gone far beyond being naive and is now a very bad joke.