ZhouZhou

With Abhisit on top the Democrats lost the the last election. it wasn't the first time. but all that didn't matter for the yesmen members of the Democrats party. they put him on top again.

As is their democratic right, surely ? At least they got to choose.

There are indeed other candidates for leader, within the Democratic Party, but they chose to reelect Abhisit. Up to them ... doesn't necessarily make them "yesmen", does it ?

TRT/PPP/PTP have a seemingly-inexhaustable supply of new leaders, who mostly come from the same family, is that somehow more democratic or healthy for the political system ?

I myself don't think political-families maintaining control of a country long-term, as with Singapore or North Korea for example, is a good thing. What would you say, about that when it happens here in Thailand, as it currently is ?

Looking beyond the cheap Abhisit-bashing, do you really believe the S-Clan are that talented ?

in case you didn't notice, this topic is about the democrats. there are plenty topics on the trt-ptp brigade were you can talk about them for a cheap bashing.

as for "political-families maintaining control" that would be even more the case if the democrats had won the election. their current top men are a few generations more involved in politics as the "newcomer" Thaksin.

furthermore Thaksin and standbys winning the election, so why the should change their team? doh, you should do that when you are losing.

......Abhisit failed to get the democrats re-elected and get rid of Thaksin......I wouldn't hold your breath.....

Could the reason he failed to get re-elected be because he wasn't prepared to make silly election promises that he knew would cost the country dearly?

the reason was most probably that he was unwanted.

It would not be remotely possible to make this stuff up.... Spraying piss and dry ice in opposing flight patterns to remove smoke/dust from the air?? Rose colored glasses brigade, please hit google and see if this concept has been used in farang countries...... Plodprasop move aside, in the wacky science department, you have just been one upped. Remaining options are praying to Buddha, actually putting the fires out, or fining the crap out of people who are starting the fires.. Am fairly sure the path with the best chance of success would be putting them out.

Not really sure of the net value of the crops created by slash and burn, but it sure as hell has to be a lot smaller than the loss of tourism and health damage created by everyone there breathing in polluted air.

as a western tourist you might not know but this is a royal project. it is a good idea.

Got any problems with Chinese, Russians and Indians?

ZhouZhou, I think that his point was the fact that Chinese and Indians, as well as many (but not all) Russians tend to on average spend a lot less than Americans, Brits, Aussies, Swiss and Kiwis. He doesn't have a problem, he is communicating fact. Quality is not quality in Thailand, it is generally about getting people to spend more. quality actually means higher spending in Thailand. Quality Tourist means Higher Spending tourist.

Chinese spend less? I'll have to disagree on that. It's quite the norm for Chinese tourists from Beijing and Shanghai shop till they drop. The average Singaporean, Taiwanese or Hongkonger spends more in a day what the average Western backpacker spends in a month.

Sorry to disappoint but it takes 4 average spending chinese to equal 1 average westerner. I see them here everyday in Chiang mai they eat in the cheapest place, stay in the cheapest place to be lost in Thailand. I am not taking the piss on chinese but those are the facts as I have observed them

most impressive is the massive mob of old, cheap & grumpy Chinamen complaining here in the topic that Thailand want attracts more high end tourists, because they feel excluded.

Not sure this program is going well. Thailand seems to be flooded

with Chinese and Russians on budget tour packages, and then throw in

the Indians on top of that. Definitely would not make me want to

open a five star restaurant here.. :-)

Got any problems with Chinese, Russians and Indians?

ZhouZhou, I think that his point was the fact that Chinese and Indians, as well as many (but not all) Russians tend to on average spend a lot less than Americans, Brits, Aussies, Swiss and Kiwis. He doesn't have a problem, he is communicating fact. Quality is not quality in Thailand, it is generally about getting people to spend more. quality actually means higher spending in Thailand. Quality Tourist means Higher Spending tourist.

Chinese spend less? I'll have to disagree on that. It's quite the norm for Chinese tourists from Beijing and Shanghai shop till they drop. The average Singaporean, Taiwanese or Hongkonger spends more in a day what the average Western backpacker spends in a month.

exactly.

Why don't they have beer bars in ladies prison so that ladies can earn a little extra money. It would be a novelty for men to be able to go to jail for a <deleted> !

brilliant idea, why not go to the nearest police station and tell them about your plan. i am sure they will welcome your input.

Speaking at the meeting, deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said the party needed a structural revamp, as it had not won a national election since 1992. Unless it changed, it would not be able to win at the polls, he said.

btw, how many elections they did not win since 1992? took them a few days since to come up with that structural revamp idea. makes me wonder what will happen with the head. aren't defeated candidates usually replaced with new faces? the Democrats should try that.

I believe you are failing to give former-PM Abhiait the credit he deserves, he promised to resign & give his party the chance to change leaders if he lost the election, and he kept his word, a rare thing in Thai politics. They then re-elected him.

Whereas the TRT/PPP/PTP/Red-mob changed their then-PM, replacing former-PM Samak with party-thinker Thaksin's brother-in-law PM-Somchai, without asking the MPs or party-faithful, just the executive made that democratic decision.

Going back to the OP, the Dems defintely need a revamp, I don't think many farangs on TV would argue otherwise, and they are saying the right things. Perhaps other Thai political-parties might follow their example, waiting for legacy-politicians to die off is a slow method, for promoting reform.

With Abhisit on top the Democrats lost the the last election. it wasn't the first time. but all that didn't matter for the yesmen members of the Democrats party. they put him on top again.

What do "soldiers out of uniform" look like?

sporting the same haircut.acting like trained.

Wow, I think they have managed to engage the same principles as the propeller boats to move the river faster.

Sounds very well thought out. Make a hole in the sky and the dust will go into the hole. Brilliant.

I especially like the planes flying clockwise and anticlockwise. Absolute cutting edge stuff this is. A glorious age of science is born.

I await the proposal of hot air balloons fitted with giant hoovers to suck the air clean. Orbetter maybe, recommending the entire Thai population to take their floor fans and point them at the sky to blow the dust to China or Singapore.

If you truly Thai at heart you should contact the Royal Rainmaking Centre with your idea.

Hey, I am awaiting the fruition of their "Black Hole" theory. Do you really believe that this is going to have even the slightest effect on the atmospheric conditions.

its a royal centre, so if you are in Thailand for a while and not since yesterday and have some cross cultural sensitivity you should be aware how it works.

same a the 1000 propeller in the river. it will be a good idea. its a royal project.

Speaking at the meeting, deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said the party needed a structural revamp, as it had not won a national election since 1992. Unless it changed, it would not be able to win at the polls, he said.

btw, how many elections they did not win since 1992? took them a few days since to come up with that structural revamp idea. makes me wonder what will happen with the head. aren't defeated candidates usually replaced with new faces? the Democrats should try that.

He believed Bhichai had learned of the party's actions through the media and might not have received accurate and comprehensive information. The party had sent representatives to talk to Bhichai, he said.

I see, the party did not wrong. it is just the media reporting about the party that is to blame.

Wow, I think they have managed to engage the same principles as the propeller boats to move the river faster.

Sounds very well thought out. Make a hole in the sky and the dust will go into the hole. Brilliant.

I especially like the planes flying clockwise and anticlockwise. Absolute cutting edge stuff this is. A glorious age of science is born.

I await the proposal of hot air balloons fitted with giant hoovers to suck the air clean. Orbetter maybe, recommending the entire Thai population to take their floor fans and point them at the sky to blow the dust to China or Singapore.

If you truly Thai at heart you should contact the Royal Rainmaking Centre with your idea.

Not a big fan of honey but here in Chiang Mai we have a honey shop that sells several different types of honey.

This would indicate to me that there is more than one type honey made in a country. It would depend on the flowers they get the nectar out of.

My question is when they say NZ honey or Ozzie honey are they saying there is only one kind of honey produced in those countries. Doesn't make much sense to me.

Also the Bee pollen they sell in this store is it fake also.

yes different flowers different taste. sometimes the taste of honey that comes from a specific field of flowers the result is a funny taste that is not everyones taste.

its a natural product so taste vary.

honey you can buy locally from your bee keeper is maybe such a honey from a single flower source.

honeys from big brand name companies you find in the supermarket shelves are often blended, a mixture of honey from various sources, various flowers, various regions. to create a product that taste always the same just like the supermarket tomatoes taste always the same

Mayhap because the statistics are collated by International Centre for Prison Studies, which is part of the University of Essex in the UK a widely respected organisation who assist governments and other bodies in establishing prison and incarceration policies.

and nationmaster.com is the official publisher of said organisation?

what makes you sure that nationmaster.com will even present the same data as you can found at the source nationmaster pretends to use?

nothing can make you sure. i would not put any trust in that what i can read at nationmaster without verifying it first. and if you do you will find out that nationmaster is on par with the nation or coconutz when it comes to accuracy.

Nice try, but you missed the trap, thought you would.. The Nationmaster site specifies the date of the dataset as 2003.

They say honey helps the brain. I wonder.

what trap? 10 years old data that cannot be verified a sit is so often with data from nationmaster?

you cannot put trust in nationmaster, if you do you just show that you have not big interest in accuracy or reputation.

what next, give credit to a story about honey you read at coconutz?

Mayhap because the statistics are collated by International Centre for Prison Studies, which is part of the University of Essex in the UK a widely respected organisation who assist governments and other bodies in establishing prison and incarceration policies.

and nationmaster.com is the official publisher of said organisation?

what makes you sure that nationmaster.com will even present the same data as you can found at the source nationmaster pretends to use?

nothing can make you sure. i would not put any trust in that what i can read at nationmaster without verifying it first. and if you do you will find out that nationmaster is on par with the nation or coconutz when it comes to accuracy.

Thailand is world number 1 for female inmates

here is the official link for crime statistics

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_pri_fem-crime-prisoners-female

what makes that link to an "official link"?

"nationmaster" and "i just googled" is on par with the Nation when it comes to accuracy.

HMMM - google produces poor results..?? I often use Google and Wiki while researching - it is important to doule or triple check, but the data can be quite corect...

"i just googled" ≠ double or triple check.

an what if your nice wiki article uses a the nation article as source?

Mid afternoon and I am watching billows of smoke coming up right off HWY 107 in Mae Taeng. No one can miss it but it's just business as usual so no worries.

Why don't the BIB set up mountainside checks for anyone with matches or a lighter, and fine them 300 bht.

But hand out 500 bht to anyone with a hose pipe.

the world is probably not that simple.

This is getting just a tad silly. Any free trade advocate will agree that equality of access and opportunity is key to the free market, a fundamental foundation of Capitalism,but at the same time the same advocate will point out that dumping* is outside the permitted framework and will be subject to penalties.

So since this has been the US position for many years and no successful appeal to WTO has been made as far as I'm aware, the position is what it is. I don't know since I'm not the chairman of the Chinese Apiculture Association, maybe ZZ is, if honey is one of the 22 products China is presently appealing to the WTO on.

I am not in a position to comment as to the accuracy of the US claims except to note that this position has not been successfully challenged after over 10 years, despite at least two reviews. The tariffs are also province specific with some honey being subject to 25.88 percent to 57.13 percent on companies from Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui, Heinan and Neimenggu. For companies from other provinces, the anti-dumping tariff is generally higher, up to 183.80 percent.

*Dumping is the US position that Chinese honey is being exported under cost be that by subsidy or by other mechanism.

according to Chinese honey expert EyesWideOpen it are the wages paid to Chinese workers that makes Chinese honey so inexpensive.

Fair global competition ??? Yeah I guess the US honey makers would have a tough time competing with Chinese honey workers getting a dollar a day, or what ever slave wages they are paid.. :-)

which translates to that there are no pesky national socialist union scumbags that would prevent workers eager to do that job for a dollar doing that job for a dollar.

Well, that is just capitalism in action. Selling the cheapest shit you can get away with for the highest possible price. Americans should be applauding these asian fellows for pursuing the spirit of entrepreneurship and free trade.

Nice dig.

but unfortunately capitalism says that as soon as people find out you're selling fakes, you'll go out of business and you wont be trusted to start a new biz with anyone that knows the story.

So its in your best interest to produce the best product you can at the lowest price possible. Once consumer confidence is lost, so is your business.

as the people in HK already knows regarding the mainland products.

the only fake part of the story is that the story itself is fake, not the honey.

true capitalism means free market and free trade.

unfortunately you will not get that in the US of A. you will get high import tax on otherwise fine Chinese honey and fake stories about its quality and hateful antichina propaganda. like you would expect it in any national socialist country.

thank you.

if you should have any more question in the future, just ask me. always willing to answer.

Just look what has happened to the Chinese solar industry once the US put up anti dumping rules. Import tax protectionism happens all over the place, and the west is by no means immune to putting duities on say steel (GW Bush) for political gain. However, it gets a bit ridiculous, when the west is so open for business, and Asian countries hide behind large import duties for very little benefit, e.g. the Thai wine industry. So, quid pro quo, if the Chinese honey has antibiotics inside, the US has every right to stop the import. Anyone can moan that it is protectionism, but if there is a health reason, it's hard to get around.

What antibiotics? Those from that 10 years old daily mail article that stated it is still safe to eat Chinese honey?

that scare mongering stories about poisoned honey turned out to be not true at all but just fabricated lies.

time to call these protectionism laws that what they really are.

The US government don't want that the US citizens can buy some Chinese honey for a reasonable price. thanks god that is not my government and that i am not live there, i would feel real cheated and complain in the internet about that situation instead to defend it in blind patriotism.

we have even member reports how good and tasty Chinese honey is.

Oh and by the way, here I am traveling in China and buying honey....... It of course was delicious, as no chance for the middle man to work it over.... :-)

Borrowed protection

)

The big send off by the bee keepers

Bulk purchase.....

Perhaps our fragrant P.M. might find time to wonder, upon her return from NZ & PNG, why the air there seems so much cleaner & less-polluted by smoke, than in her home town or even the capital ?

And then do something to fix the problem, which causes sickness & premature-deaths for the residents & tourists, both backpackers & hi-so hi-spending ?

But don't hold your breath, or rather, do try (until May & the rains arrive).

do you think she doesn't know that or that her trip to NZ has anything to do with the current situation in the north?

It is quite embarrasing that the heartland of PTP with their supposed power, cannot convince anyone that burning everything has a detrimental effect in general to EVERYONE>

you think so?

Ok enough. Defend as you wish but can you please respond to my post about naming the socialist countries where the government decides for its citizens who they can buy products from? I am serious. I want to know this.

how would you call it if the us government comes up with the protectionist policies and put an ultra high import tax on Chinese honey.

thats a government control the market and the price of the products.

This is the last time I will ask. The US is not a socialist country. Either you do or do not know. Can you please respond to my post about naming the socialist countries where the government decides for its citizens who they can buy products from? I am serious. I want to know this.

protectionist policies with high import tax on foreign products = national socialist policies.

a poor brother in Chicago can not buy some reasonable priced honey from a brother in China, because the government prevents free trade and comes up with restriction for a free market.

i am that free market Manchester liberal guy. anything else is evil socialism for me.