northernjohn

What a load of rubbish. Corruption is the mindset of business, not this or that nationality. Some nations have managed to pretty much root it out of the business mindset, but i assume that is through decent political governence and exemplary leadership. In general, the more business there is the more corruption there is. The big difference between say a thailand and an america is that here it is more obvious, but in america corruption is still rife in the business and political world.

As for students 'cheating' on assignments, hardly corruption is it! In fact if teachers continue to teach in a top-down structure while giving out utterly boring assignments which are too difficult, then copying will naturally continue. Don't blame the student, blame the appalling system and education.

And just 3% said they'd not repay their student loans? Not bad at all, but again, hardly corruption.

The most disappointing thing in this news is that this is being spouted by the president of a university. They should be the first ones to look for real causes of student (or citizen) behaviour, rather than just coming out with tired cliches that offer no solutions. The whole eductional structure is a top-down structure, everybogy higher 'telling' everybody lower, with the students at the bottom. When it's boring and difficult, why not copy?? Get creative and set assigments that can't be copied.

Well I like a lot of what you say. But I believe that corruption is in a way a bottom up thing here in Thailand.

The people look at corruption as a cheap way to avoid paying a large fine on not wearing a helmet and other such minor things. For the most part they have no idea of the size of it at the government level. They have no idea of how much each person on an average has put into the rice scam. It is a inconceivable amount to them so forget it and pretend like it is not happening.

As for the students well consider that it was just a teacher talking and naturally he was not going to say any thing about the lack of teachers with the ability to teach in a way that would encourage learning. That would not look good on him. Best to blame it on the students. forget about his inability to teach and patrol the class rooms to eliminate cheating if the teachers even care.

Sucks for the Democ rats. They should have participated in the elections.

Well in a way you are right. They would have won.

On the other hand it would have been a back door approval of how the government is run in such a corrupt way.

They recognized that change is necessary and not from just one side. That is why they chose to support the idea of a non elected council to make the changes. Of course the changes would have to go to the voters for approval.

+1 for the above.

Can't fool Dave2

Excellent article. Some one in the Nation has finally had the 'balls' to truthfully put it all together and tell it as it is.

Not quite right; the anti-government protesters are yelling so loudly because they cannot win an election. They had an opportunity to introduce a manifesto that would attract a majority vote but instead chose to go down their well trodden road of screwing up the incumbents administration, hoping the army would step in and place them in office.

wghat are you talking about. Maybe you should try the agricultural forum or some other one.

The anti Government protestors are not a political party there fore they have no candidate's to run for office. They are just trying to make the government be an honest one.

To put it bluntly the village idiot would know you can't win if you are not in the race.

Why do you have such a problem with that?

At Soan Dok Hospital take the road that goes along the east side of the building.

Go down it a ways and you will see a lab on the right hand side of the road. I don't know about the Ram other than I went in there once with a couple of friends to get are blood checked for the I believe it is INR? level to determine the amount of Wharphin? a super blood thinner to take. We had to go to reception first and make an appointment and then we sat a short period of time. Cost was close to 300 baht. I had been told that last year the same test at Soan Dok Hospital was about 90 baht.

What I would like to know is where did you find a Nutritionist in Chiang Mai?

Also can they speak English?

This writer was convicted of election campaign irregularities in the USA representing the laundering and funneling of more than 700k dollars into the Democratic Party fund raising on behalf of CP group and others she "insisted" on bringing to the luncheons...she should know from first hand knowledge about corruption and how deeply rooted it is... and she should look in the mirror before she opens her mouth...

If that is true does it really make any difference to the points raised?

Of course who will stop the next lot of traitors when they tAke office assuming the corruption continues?

Yes it is true .... just look her up under her name or her "US" name Pauline....and many of the things she may have learned from her own entanglement in the US courts and appeals courts... but it doesn't erase many things she mentioned... some are spot on... it is clear she is a Dem and leans in that direction and from personal experience she knows first hand how to funnel where to funnel and in some cases maybe even who is funneling ( here and now)... but in fact she is part of the problem not part of the solution... the question is who is going to educate the future generations Moms, Dads, teachers...pretty much ..the government ( any color) all the business monopolists..and on and on ....are not going to change anything... not for ages and ages.. it all starts with the young ones...there may never be the highly held reforms being bandied about ..I sincerely doubt it it may b e too ingrained but for sure screaming reform reform reform is a wonderful hue and cry... and then kicking the current scape goat and pointing alot... this is decades old and will take decades more to sort out..and you are so right...who will stop the next lot of traitors when they take office...?

Indeed to have someone bemoaning a kleptocracy who has been done for campaign funds illegalities in another country, really is one of the most glorious bits of amart hypocrisy I can think of.

Now let us get this straight you are saying that it is hypocrisy to tell the truth just because they have done it.

Now if they were saying it was OK for them but not for you that would be hypocrisy.

That how ever is not the case here.

I think you are trying to cover up for some one.

Please try to be straight forward and use names rather than a mysterious group.

Saying the amart is as intelligent as saying the men in black.

Both fictional groups with no names.

So, we who are well-read are aware of the profound depths of corruption endemic to Thai politics. When will the voters in Issan figure it out. Or maybe they've also known, but for them corruption is no big deal. Perhaps for them, being very rich (and making promises to make others rich) is what matters most. Making reforms in how poor Issan farmers think is as important as any other reforms.

Corruption is culturally embedded in the Thai psyche. It's similar to the concept of not being able to see anything wrong with buying pirated goods. How to change deep-set concepts in how people think? I don't know.

I think, if there are going to be 'reforms' that stick (at all) they'll have to come down the tubes from those who are elected to do such things. Currently, it's Shinawatre lovers who are winning elections. If reforms don't happen with them, then.... let's hope future elections will bring in (at least) a half-decent bunch of leaders who can implement some improvements.

I don't believe a lot of Thai people realize the depth of corruption in Thailand. to many of them it is just paying the police man 200 baht for not wearing a helmet or some other such small thing. Many of them even in the middle class can not conceive of the vast amounts being taken by members of the government for their own private off shore bank accounts. For instance and feel free to correct my math but the 350 billion baht for the water management would work out to about 350,000 baht for each Thai man women and child in Thailand.

as I said feel free to correct my figures.

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Ah...walking the Red Bull guy through the procedure to get back to LOS unscathed.

finally a much more intelligent chalerm reference than the very tired ear drop joke.

well done sir!

Defiantly can't allow instructions for the passing of money to be open to a spy.

Seriously though. It might be a four week course he is going to take. For his sake I hope it works.

Then again maybe he is going to meet up with his old friend Thaksin.

That certainly seems to be the case in Chiang Mai.

Foreign tourists seem to understand that the latest bit of Thainess is par for the course here. They know that the country is not run by politicians but by businessmen on the make who wouldn't last five minutes at home. Every so often the corruption, squabbling and the accompanying moronic violence breaks out until the army are forced to tell the political kindergarten it's time to stop and we have a few months peace and quiet before they are let out to play again.

As long as they avoid the bun fights in Bangkok, the busses, the trains, the jet skis, the late night tuk tuk drivers, the clip joints and the traffic police they'll be fine and have a great time.

Enjoy!

Well it sounds good but the numbers are down.

I have a friend who is a tour guide for tours all over Thailand and she tells me that they are having to cancel some of the tours. Here in Chiang Mai I think it has been a good year but we have an international airport.

How ever we are starting to see some red shirts show how stupid they are by standing in the sun blocking traffic. I believe they are planning a rally this weekend. They have done a little bit of violence kind of tame to the anti government protestors. If word gets out about that we might see some cancelations here. Time will tell.

In the mean time tourism is down numerically Nation wide.

seajae,...

i see that you are overlooking the unlawful acts of blocking polling stations and polling registration. i think it was Sutheps followers illegal acts that Kotee was referring to that the army was overlooking. besides you just keep brining up what the red shirts do wrong to justify what Sutheps Id#$&*s are doing.

Sutheps just show is political difference with government, Reds show there wish to separate from the country and try to drive country to civil war.....

In laksi accident Kotee always said he was not on the scene, but a lot of picture show him, some in a police van

Please do not confuse Rocky and his type with facts.

It is hard enough on them living in dream land.

Still in need of evidence Khun Chalerm...??!

Chalerm hasn't seen the sign himself. He hasn't spoken directly with Kotee about this issue. He doesn't know if this Kotee is an imposter or the real one. Who can trust media reports. As far as he knows it's just a big conspiracy to bad mouth the red-shirts.

On the other hand, personally I don't think there is a real risk of Thailand separating into multiple countries.

Well I agree with you on that. No chance of separating.

But just to speculate who would go where.

We know thee red shirts favor violence and the Yellow shirts were trying to instigate a war with Cambodia.

Thankfully both groups are in the minority.

But think of the possibilities if they were to unite. They could take their army of 600,000 and attack Cambodia. Thus giving each what he wants the red shirts get to be violent and the yellow shirts get their war. Maybe even get far enough to liberate their leader from a Cambodian jail. The main airport would be safe as Thaksin would own it on his land in Chiang Mai.

I pick Khun Prayut in this fight.

Not a hard choice to make.

Consider the fact that Kotee only has one oar in the water it is pretty hard to listen to any thing he says.

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'Thai hotels ranked among world's cheapest'

​sure, if you're talking about quality, service, security, professionalism, etc.

I think those are items that Cheap Charlie's can not comprehend.

The use of the work cheep, is incorrect, the phrase of less expensive is more accurate. Cheap also could indicate the the standards of quality and service are also low.

+1

My very thoughts.

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Going to the boss for directions.

Isn't that special.

I think this time it is very important. I see in the Bangkok Post where he wants to meet with Suthep. This very important person might want to make sure Suthep hasn't taken any ear medicine when he get's his instructions.

"Assumption is the mother of all F*** Ups"

This "source" would have a name too I'd presume? Nothing like a bit of disinformation and creating red herrings is there?

Just like the "alleged victims of PDRC attacks" this is just waaaaaaaay too convenient for everyone to speculate about

Unfortunately you have a point. It is however a pretty fair assumption based on their history that when you have people protesting and wanting to get rid of Thaksin and their are red shirts in the area that there will be violence from them. They have a history of it.

Maybe Senior Minster Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore?

Mr Lee can teach Charlem a thing or two .

A two year old could.

I am actually surprised the Nation even printed it. To read the Nation you would think there was no more problems in the South. Yet the killings go on at about twice the rate of the murders of protestors do here.

That is censorship the Nation has forced on it's self. Read the Bangkok Post hardly a day goes by when there is not a death caused by the South's version of red shirts.

In Thailand we have censorship imposed on us in regards to the Royal Family but that hardly amounts to any thing compared to what the Media imposes on it's self.

Journalists have a obligation to report the true facts to not only to the country of Thailand but to the world, their integrity should be beyond reproach , they should have no fear nor favour , free from intimidation and most of all, honesty to themselves , true journalist values are surly test when dealing with some members of the Thai establishment ,like conditions set for interviews by a previous PM , that he use to try to impose on reporters.

Fortunately he is now' living in Dubai and his influence is on the skids.

"THE CALL for secession by pro-government groups and red shirts in the north has become a new subject of a dispute, with legal action being sought for the seditious act by the military and the anti-government movement using it to strengthen its attacks against the caretaker government"

Permit me to say this about that.

This thing reeks of double standards and coup-monger support by the military. Are they saying all that stuff that has been spewed from the Coup-monger stage by you know who, is all sacrosanct? There was NOTHING there with which to pillorize these people about attacks on the current form of Govt. and Democracy?...But somehow that is OK?

And why this mis-characterization about "pro-Govt. groups" when talking about "Pro-Democracy" entities?

And what about this mis-characterization of the coup-mongers as being "anti-Govt.".....They would be on the streets even if the PTP and Ms. Y. were the most effective Govt. and Prime Minister in the history of the world..... Simply because they are not in power.

This is clearly demonstrated in the final words of this quote, using fabricated issues as cover for "it to strengthen its attacks against the caretaker government", or more aptly characterized, as attacks against an elected Govt..

The "elected government" dissolved parliament. There are no elected MPs at the moment, only appointed (shudder; how undemocratic can you get!) ministers in caretaker mode. And even their position is moot.

There is nothing apt about your reference to an elected government, it is a figment of your imagination.

The Elected government dissolved parliament, not Thai Democracy and called for a new election as the only way to settle a dispute in the government!

It is definitely a double standard by the Army aided by the ammart owned new media, that can quickly focus on the slightest issue and make it into a national issue, The army best keep its restraints as they can provoke that they say they oppose.

Equal treatment under the law is a requirement for any society and the army attempted prosecution of a entire section of the country based on its misunderstanding what the initials of a group stand for.

While they stood idly by and let the PDRC rape Bangkok for 3-4 months and now want to take legal action against redshirts for their misunderstanding!

Cheers

"The Elected government dissolved parliament, not Thai Democracy and called for a new election as the only way to settle a dispute in the government!"

Now what are you on about. The PTP was the government. Can't recollect a dispute amoungst them selves. Last vote I believe was 305 to 3. Doesn't sound like a dispute to me. Truly a landslide.

Show me a government that is not a den of thieves and liars. The West has fallen asleep and let democratic principles of justice and freedom be stolen by psychopathic corporations. Here is an interesting article on countries that have reached a far more intransigent stalemate than Thailand: http://rt.com/op-edge/democracy-on-retreat-europe-ukraine-608/ ... all of them in Europe.

The difference between Europe and Thailand is that Thailand has never had a functioning democracy; they seem to have gone from feudalism to neo-feudalism with a democratic mask.

Democracy is dead, long live the democratic charade.

If reform is the way forward then it must start at the very top, with the judges (and backed up by the police). Politicians are not going to reform themselves - it is rather like expecting beggars to morph into philanthropists.

" Politicians are not going to reform themselves - it is rather like expecting beggars to morph into philanthropists."

and it is not going to happen your way either

"If reform is the way forward then it must start at the very top, with the judges (and backed up by the police)."

Reform must start with non Partisan people from all walks of life. All willing to put the welfare of Thailand first.

Where to find them will take a little time but they are out there. I said non partisan people but I do believe there are members of all parties who if able to climb out from under the yoke of their leadership would be glad to put there beliefs aside if there was a better one. Not a lot but some. No I do not know who they are. But I do know some who defiantly would not qualify.

Went there yesterday,left till late thinking I might get a parking space,

it was 3.15 and the place was full, so sent the wife in to get ticket,while

I drove around the car park,waiting for a space,about 15-20 mins later

managed to get a space.

Went inside and she had number 638 ? i think it was, 15 numbers to go,

the place was like the black hole of Calcutta,the air was thick,with the

smell of sweat and other body odors,not a healthy place to be.by the

time i got my passport back they had got to 700+ !,glad i only have to

go every 90 days, working there must be like hell.

regards Worgeordie

Thank goodness I use the visa company to do it for me money well spent I would say. The service from Assist Thai visa is second to none.

How long do you have to wait to get your passport back from them from the moment you hand it to them to the moment they hand it beck to you. What is the cost?