Benmart

I do hope they remember to sell demolition and clean up bills to the squatters. No reason tax payers should have to pick it up.

It may be small bill to foot compared to the magnitude of the encroachment on public land.

I agree that those squatting should be required to pay. However, let the cleansing take place and address restitution for the cleanup at a later time.

some serious stuff going on there

I wonder if the businesses on the sea side of walking street pattaya are all on public land, in fact maybe the whole street is built on what used to be a continuation of the beach

Indeed. Business is not business as usual.

The face of Beach Road and Walking Street may see a face lift.

Two thumbs up.

The previous title holders, thumbs down.

hahahha, SOAP

in most toilets you don't find any

and even there is, you still see people working in restaurants, taking a dump, comming out, and splashing some water on their hair & leaving

I don't know who is defecating or urinating as my potty-cam is out of,order. I carry my own hand soap/sanitizer and a small hand towel.

When I see the splash and dash technique, I change venues.

Someone sitting on your bike, happened to me before, just smile at them, they move off, and you get on with your life

Another apologist for the unacceptable behaviour of Thai youth (and their elders).

Why is it never the Thai's fault ?

Are you that desperate to live in or just like Thailand that you'll put up with a never ending shafting at the behest of thugs and lawless teens ?

Sad but the way things are these days, now it has mostly gone to sh*t.

I didn't read any apology for their behavior in the post.

What I did read was a possible alternative to avoid confrontation and avoid a replication of what happened to the man that was murdered.

Life is full of options. One is choosing what path to take when confronted with illogical behaviors or thoughts.

Putting up with potentially life-ending behavior is certainly an option. Smiling and moving on is a viable alternative to having one's life ended.

I prefer that my headstone say that I lived a long and good life and not one that says "He stood up to the thugs and lawless teens".

Retreating and letting those better trained and equipped to handle dangerous situations is an alternative I have learned to adopt.

I wasnt there, didn't see what happened and certainly am not qualified to say who is an apologist.

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Some things never change and never will. Too much money involved.

so true..... this is not an isolated incident. This is how prohibition works....Same all round the world. Anyone who thinks it's gonna change is delusional.

Change is no delusion IMO.

The faces, names and circumstances change. What remains static are those that do what is easy, illegal and immoral. The tune they dance to is a quick step to "The dark side".

I prefer to pay my way, obey the law and avoid those that don't.

Think, Think, Think.

Whenever I read about an arrest like this, I always have trouble deciding between believing:

a. this criminal was arrested because he was breaking the law by people who actually want to enforce the law.

or

b. this criminal was arrested because he pissed off or otherwise was at odds with bigger and more influential criminals.

I usually end up leaning toward believing B.

The possibilities are certainly numerous.

However, I hope this housecleaning is a genuine A selection.

What country has ever prospered under a military Junta?

What country has ever prospered after a general appointed himself Prime Minister for life?

If you can answer those questions, you have a good chance of predicting the future.

Of course we can not compare the Commander in Chief in Thailand with the Ladyboy in the WH, you know the Union organizer with no knowledge of any kind except the communist procedures

The current occupant of the WH is a human being, as all Lady Boys are.

What differentiates a gentle person from a non-gentle person, is the expanse of their thoughts, words and actions.

While I have no love for the current resident of the WH, I still refer to him as the President or by name.

As i always say ,i am sometimes right sometimes wrong 50/50 ,but its always hard to say what is going to happen in Thailand ,over twenty odd years it still catches me out ,but i would not buy in a company name ,you never know ,better safe than sorry ,as for the baht ,a lot depends on what happens to the dollor.

The $ will be in the gutter. The pound will be renamed "ounce". That would be 16 ounces per pound. I suggest that all farangs move into a place above the 7th floor in Thailand. Thai Military Bank no longer open accounts with US passports. How is a newly retired American supposed to transfer money to Thailand? I know that other banks still open accounts, but that may change also. A friend who is dual citizen, US and Swiss, lives in the US was told to close her Swiss bank account. She traveled to Switzerland, went to the bank to close the account and wanted the cash. The bank told her that it could only be transferred to a US bank account. The US is hell bent to keep the $ as the reserve currency otherwise it will drop 50% at a minimum.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/147eb496a3339cfa

Thanks for the post. I will relocate from the 4th floor to the 7th.

I will also look into the bartering system as an option. LOL.

IMO it's difficult to forecast long range weather, let alone a long range currency forecast.

With the world economies so intertwined, rumors of conflict, political turmoil or disease is enough to cause significant fluctuations in exhange rates.

I prefer diversification and home banking. So far, so good. I'll most likely never be a millionaire, but prefer the relative security of prudent economics. Whatever that means is up to the individual.

Yes, we farangs - whiteys are the ones who stinks the most, unfortunately.

Stink is an option that I have opted out of. LOL.

The aroma Durian is perfume to me.

OP, very good.

I would add, that BKK has some of the best hotels in the world, taking into consideration the most affordable prices.

Ditto. Recently I enjoyed a fine cigar (my vice), a cool beverage and a beautiful sunset, atop an outside bar on a hi-rise hotel, off of Ploenchit Road near the US Embassy.

It set me back an entire 280 Baht. The view and sunset was worth the price in itself.

Someone sitting on your bike, happened to me before, just smile at them, they move off, and you get on with your life

You have your team of security guards available, which as a bar owner you should have anyway, and you administer a severe bodily admonition to the three. Now that's more like it.

A possible option. Unfortunately, a reaction of violence often results in magnified violence in kind.

What a terrible way to go.....RIP

Yes indeed....we must all learn from this...May he RIP.

Yes indeed. Groups of people, fueled by alcohol or other substances is great reason to exercise extreme caution when interacting with them.

I was trained to back off and call for reinforcements. In this case, it seems that the murdered man may have succumbed to emotion in lieu of backing off. I don't know I wasn't there.

Stay safe folks and walk away with your life.

RIP dear man.

I mentioned she was a Brit because I am also a Brit hence I was able to recognize where she came from, a fellow country person, had I not been able to identify her nationality I would have merely said, a female. But as others have pointed out, I thought it was a useful descriptor, not meant to be derogatory or otherwise, just another piece of data that is known, useful or not. Ditto the fact she was blond, and the drink was a Smirnoff mix, both descriptive items intended to help build a picture, nothing against blonds or Smirnoff either. I hope all that is OK with all of you, if I'd known this was going to be a journalist master class I might have tried harder!

I have friends that are from the UK and are naturalized citizens of another country. I find it hard to tell who is who in this world of travelers.

I appreciated your post which serves as a reminder for me to behave in a civil manner and avoid those that don't.

Keep posting and don't mind the nit-pickers.

Why am i not suprised after all she is a typical Pom

I've been all over the UK and haven't met a "typical POM" yet. Those I know here are non-drinkers.

Sad behavior indeed, but not a Thai/Farang phenomenon. Bad behavior has no national boundaries or nationaility restrictions.

One Day At A Time

In the US state of Florida, dog racing is very popular but, every entrant is still, and foremost, a DOG !

But some "dogs" may be a different pedigree than others.

I hope for the best candidate and will ignore the naysayers, speculators and self-appointed fortune-tellers.

For some circles, any news is an opportunity to express their negative and meaningless views. Those who have the least stake in this appointment, seem to make the loudest noise.

"The view and knowledge of some critics is limited to the length of their noses".

Why is this news? Everything is trying to kill you there, ive had to do a runner from a few brown snakes that ive disturbed while going for a walk

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-11/enhanced/webdr05/20/21/enhanced-buzz-5040-1385000223-15.jpg

News is often the obituary that we all will be the subject of.

The fleet of foot may also be the subject of certain brown snakes at night.

Think, Think, Think.

beginning with Chinese tourists..................

this is the very reason I no longer go to HadYai....sick of all the Chinese in the hotels, too loud, disrespectful plus in the restaurants simply eat and act like pigs

Not seeming to apologize for such behaviors, I prefer to reflect on:

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

― Mark Twain

When that fails, I move on.

They were acting according to "local" or "thai" mentality in the boundaries of local law enforcement and administrations !!!

That is bawlox...

I live at Nai Yang since 2002. That beach used to be very beautiful, with just a couple of (illegal), wooden restaurants that existed before the tsunami and were rebuilt after it, despite the local OrBorTor insisting that the business owners had no right to build on the beach.

Then over the years, the OrBorTor personnel changed, with new people voted in. Suddenly, it was a free-for-all to grab whatever beach land you could to build your business, because all relevant, local authorities were either too scared to oppose the business owners, or had been paid off by them.

Everyone knew that the land was public land. Everyone knew that the businesses were illegal. Almost everyone chose to turn a blind eye to the rule of law. Greed and selfishness was the only thing that mattered.

The army is doing the job that the local officials failed to do ==> upholding the law.

Aside for the "bolox" statement, you are right on spot.

The naysayers claiming that nothing will happen are very silent.

WOW..... I feel happier already!!

HL

Hopefully, the Thai people involved will share in your happiness.

I don't live in that area, but you certainly must, to revel in such joy.

Thai authorities are considering deporting Lunev to Russia.

Why only "considering"?

Considering is proper, I believe. Requests from Interpol are not instantly granted as far as I know from experience.

I prefer to take a deep breath and realize I don't know all the details. I'm not an expert on Interpol, international law or the agreements between The Russian Federation and The Kingdom of Thailand.