bheard

All of the above.

Agree. But I opted for the last one, they do not really want us here.

Spot on. They don't indeed.

And they don't really want to learn English, but they love to be seen to be 'learning' English!

Plenty of confusion here.

Whatever the outcome, it's obvious that the penalty did not match the crime, by a long way.

I'm not too sure if the penalty whatever it is will do anything for the girl, 17 at the time, but an aspect that should be a part of this case, given her tender age (at the time) is that the parents and the car owner (if they are different) have to be included in the legal process, for they are both partially responsible for the 9 deaths.

9 people died!!

OP, take your wife and kids and find a house to rent and live in, as far away as you can from this family.

What you are going through, I don't wish it to anybody.

Good Luck to you all.

TP1 says it well.This is the way to go. It will be difficult and ultimately may not succeed, depends how strong your wife is and how strong her commitment to you is.

However, cut your losses, write off the money and start afresh - if only for the children's sake!! Get them out of that irrational and toxic household!

Best of luck.

I believe the reason they are doing a lot of transfers and little actual arresting is to stop them turning whistle-blower or squealing in court about the others they are protecting.

Its pretty obvious to anyone that the Thai military HAS to be involved since the entire regions been under military control on and off for years, there is simply no way they could have missed it or been unaware which means they are complicit. Theres the Thai navy alleged involvement in the slave trade for starters

The RTP arnt the only ones in uniform that have been benefiting and can only with the knowledge and cooperation of the Military.

Reckon you nailed it right there!

just make them pay restitution for the houses they burn down and people they kill/injure as well as jail them for it. How stupid is it when they cause destruction and death every year yet continue to do it because, well, its tradition screw the deaths and bugger the houses that are destroyed, we are having fun

i saw a video years back and sorry can't remember where or supply links where a couple of drunks tried to fire a rocket but only managed to send it horizontally into some spectators. i think the drunks were the worst injured but would be grateful for any correction and clarification.

Can anyone help ?

Can't help with your history, but can totally picture these events going very very wrong. Was in Isan last year at this time and it was really scary (for this pathetic farang) with rockets going off randomly during the day for weeks. GF wanted me to go to an event (they happen at intervals in towns all around, I was in the Yasothon area), I flatly refused - too dangerous. She looked at me as it I came from another planet.

"Many countries have such laws, simply because no country can afford a sign every twenty meters on all the roads they have.,"

Just looking out my window in Aus, I reckon we are getting close to that 20 metres. Aus is the world's hub of road signs.

And no, we can't afford it.

Oh yes we can, just reduce the old age pension a little.

"Suspect Namonpan Thara-bundit, a top member of UFUN Thailand who was in custody at the time, was nabbed while trying to leave Thailand via Nong Khai last month."

Ummm. . . .

I'm sorry for sounding a little sceptical about the idea of a nationwide toilet cleaning initiative.

I'm thinking this may be interpreted by the local populace that it means they need to clean the toilets but once per year.

I guess that is an improvement on the current cleaning schedule for a lot of public toilets in Thailand - outside of those mentioned in shopping centres etc.

Examples come to mind - public toilets in Lumpini park - the last time (and only) time I used one there, admittedly some years ago, I paid 3 baht to a sloppy witch and the toilet can only be described as disgusting. Other places in more recent times are similar. Get off the moneyed trail and standards are seriously lacking.

It beggars belief!

He kills someone on the road, injures others, and they let him go?

He'll be driving again right now!

well if they all have long dark hair how would they ever be able to tell the difference?

oh, believe me they can tell the difference!

back home it was perfume on clothes and bed sheets i had to be careful about...

Yes they have some kind of genetic supernatural ability to tell the difference between their hair and someone else's hair.

Nah, nothing like that. They just do that to razz you, there's no hair there even.

It's the guilty look on your face and the feeble excuses that give you away!

Then she's got you by the short and curlies!!

Possible reason is your old phone is not 3g and with 4g coming more and more the old 2g phones will no longer be able to be used on the network.

But thats just a guess as i have no knowledge of your particular model.

Wrong forum

MOVED to telecoms

OK, I just looked up the specifications on the phone. It's 2G. I believe that DTAC is eventually going to phase out 2G and return allocated bandwidth back to CAT Telecom.

So, change happens. I'll find a cheapo 3G compatible phone that can live in the same drawer as the i-mobile dinosaur.

Why not buy a simple 4G compatable? Then when they phase out 3G you'll be still operational.

Ah, driving with high heels. Always chancy . . .

How many of these guys are still actually residing in Thailand?

They've had plenty of time to make other arrangements me thinks.

Very sad for the dead driver. Just doing his job. Guess he said goodbye to his family before going to work. Sad for them.

Six police officers transferred pending investigation into hidden Rohingya graves

BANGKOK, 5 May 2015 (NNT) – Royal Thai Police Commissioner Somyot Pumpanmuang would reportedly transfer the commander of Satun Provincial Police and five other policemen at Padang Besa sub-district in Sadao district of Songkhla in connection with the discovery of 26 graves of Rohingya migrants.

Police General Somyot told reporters that warrants had been issued for eight people, four of whom had been arrested. The arrested men were Myanmar nationals between 40-48 years of age. Police believe state officials have been involved in running the hidden shelters. Pol. Gen. Somyot said he was transferring the head of Satun Provincial Police, Police Major General Soontorn Chalermkiat, because of the latter's close ties to the masterminds of the Rohingya trafficking ring, who were residing in Satun.

Amazing how they can immediately arrest the Burmese involved in trafficking, but can't seem to ever find the Thai government officials who masterminded the scheme. Transfer a few low ranking police officers to other posts, while the masterminds are free to continue their crimes.

Surely it is because no Thai would do such a thing.

In Australia we have what is called a Transfer Station. This is where you take your rubbish from time to time when you have stuff that won't fit in the bin (which is collected weekly). These transfer stations contains a lot of rubbish, which, when the station is getting a little full, the authority then takes to the 'tip' - a large hole in the ground.

What I want to know is, in Thailand, when all these corrupt cops are transferred, do they go the Transfer Station? . . . . And after that, a hole in the ground?

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

Quite right. No-one should raise their voice in the face of human rights atrocities and just allow them to carry on, especially those with the clout to do something about it. What planet are you on?

He must be on planet 'Thailand'.

Is it common in Pattaya for men to walk around shirtless like the fellow in the background. I tried it jogging in Chiang Mai and got some dirty looks.

Did you read it? The guy was swimming!

Sad that someone had to die, maybe now some common sense will be absorbed.Sorry, these groups of cyclists, usually riding in pairs, cause serious traffic blockage whichever country they are in. This is Thailand. The driving standards are low (an understatement), drivers patience is low. A group this large is an accident waiting to happen. Why can't they cycle single file on the hard shoulder? Far less risk. I often encounter a small group of fully kitted out sport cyclists in the Sattahip/Pattaya area. They cycle in pairs, about 30 kph ish. Sometimes actually on the highway. If the traffic is heavy, as it is a lot of the time, they cause considerable inconvenience and frustration to normal road users. They are Farang. They are an accident waiting to happen. If I seem non PC about this, tough shit. I hated them in the UK , I detest them here in Thailand. Ride single file, don't irritate the bigger , quicker, denizens of the highways. I don't own the road, but I at least pay to use it, and I get very frustrated when my journeys are impeded by gaggles of cyclists. I expect a lot of flack from this comment. Boll*cks. When I encounter 'real' cyclists travelling from A to B for a purpose I treat them with caution. Groups of cyclists I avoid, but I get a little frustrated when they impede my progress.

Ahh the angry western motorist, "hate them" "pay for it" hey? Take your western crushed and agro mindset elsewhere.

What about the myriad of sidecar motocys? they are everywhere, go slow and are wide, do you threaten them with your car aswell?

You don't think those riders own cars as well? Usually this type of rider does own cars, therefore they pay to use the roads, just as you do, and when using their bikes they don't pollute, but you do, they don't take up much space, but you do, and they don't ride aggressively, whereas you obviously do drive aggressively.

Groups of cyclists are easily seen - they wear colourful clothing to ensure that . Too hard for you to wait a bit? Too hard for you to put your foot on the brake?

Get real mate, your comments are a disgrace. Think through your attitude before you make a fool of yourself again!

I ride a push bike and own two registered vehicles. Don't tell me I'm not paying for it!!

This really saddens me as a fellow Chiang Mai cyclist. Here's the YouTube vid, not for the squeamish https://youtu.be/BFhIQZd0raU

You're right, not for the squeamish . . .

The potential policeman has to pay money to get into the Thai police force.

He does so , because he knows it is a money spinner , not because he wants to uphold the law.

You cannot blame them from wanting a return on the thousands they had to pay out just to get on the first rung.

Now we understand the term "Born Again".

Evil embedded in the seed of a heart cannot sprung a righteous man.

Understand and agree with the first bit from NE1, but "Evil embedded in the seed of a heart cannot sprung a righteous man."?

What sort of gobbledegook is that?

Five luxury cars disappeard!

What a surprise!

There are laws in place.

Just enforce them!

Women make up while driving the world over don't they?

You could say the average young worker in Australia is heavily in debt - he's got a loan for his house which will take him 30 years to pay off.

He does have decent (legislated) wages to allow him to do it of course.

Workplace regulations and equity in Thailand have a long way to go.

This seems to be the type of story that is really a government press release.

See! We are fixing the problem--we pulled over one boat!

And, well, no one was arrested of course....

Spot on I reckon. Yep, this is action. Thai style. "That should convince 'em. After all, those Euros are pretty dumb. . . . "