EricBerg

"They agreed that the new framework should focus on strengthening competitiveness, education and innovation for sustainable development and support Thailand’s role in the South-South cooperation."

I'd rather see cooperation on human rights. The disgusting slavery issue seems to have reached a new high with the horror story of the Rohingya in the south.

Meanwhile the thousands of market stalls all over the country keep selling the pirated dvd's and software. Thousands would become jobless if authories really would mean business in fighting piracy. Therefore this form of copyright infringement will go on undisturbed.

Shouldn't the guy himself suggest a few proper ways for the public to manage their stress? Here's one: don't worry, be happy. Or: live long and prosper.

So strange that Jatuporn isn't behind bars. Perhaps he is cooperating with the junta? Then this whole thing is just a facade to mislead his red shirt buddies? And what about good ole Chalerm. The guy's still free. He must know about everything there is to know about red shirt corruption. Singing as payment for liberty? So far only Tarit and lil sis are being kicked. Mildly that is.

Please lock up the lot of them.

Does that mean the Chinese step back in the railroad investments? Perhaps historic ties prevail here. The Japanese go way back with building Thai railways, had a big project here in the 1940ies. Hope these lines will have better construction. So far I am far from impressed how Thai railways do their job. Hub of train accidents...

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Zutongpae Bridge isn't exactly constructed to carry the tens of thousands of targetted quality tourists. Nor will those hordes be interested much in biking into Myanmar, which btw would mean they would spend money there too. That, in turn, doesn't fit in the TAT plan I think.

Things take time in Thailand. But the point is coming closer where even Thais don't believe TAT. Then they very perhaps finally will start reading here, provided the education improves big time as another target demands. And if all that happens we can only hope coming tv-member generations will be as resourceful and capable as us to show the way the Kingdom should go.

Were they trained by TAT? Small, cosmetic improvements will not convince the US and EU countries. And those are customers Thailand badly needs.

The Thai baht, its goods and many services are overvalued by 30% or so.

Much more than that. 50% is more likely. And the coin will drop significantly at some point.

The scamming, extortions, frauds etc. are an all over the place thing. Severe punishments only can tackle this thainess...

Little bit like the wife and me... when it comes to house chores and sex, she like dead....

Ezzra to his wife: after years of marriage having sex with you is like doing with a dead person. The wife: who killed me?

It's easy to raise a child and make it develop empathy. Then later there is much less chance of the grown up to become a rapist or murderer or some other criminal. But for that there's the condition that one loves his/her child. How can any mom or dad do that to a child? Cage the animals!

It's good to give them some relief. But they very much need to be educated how to do their financial planning. Spend now and don't worry about tomorow is a dead end street. Givce them more time to repay their loan (ten years) but keep paying interest. Makes them realise the consequences of their loan and makes them reconsider if it was wise what they did with that loan.

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Well now this really sounds like effective longer term planning. Good thing. Hope the funding will be arranged for this ambitious plan.

Why? Miniskirts? Farang ladies swimming in bikini? Precious Bodily fluids? What?

Another hub?

The use of nominees in Thailand gained popularity a decade ago when the sitting PM normalized them as his way of skirting dastardly legal rules. To clarify rules concerning the use of nominees, judging by this article, if you are a small player, you are in deep trouble. If you are a billionaire - carry on as usual.

I'll try to find the article, but some time back the current government stated they were going after these nominee companies because Thais were using them for "dastardly" reasons, as you stated. So it's not just foreigners who are doing this. I'm sure plenty of locals use this structure to hide illegally gotten gains?????

Large part of the company is "owned" by Thai "dummies". Those are Thai citizens abroad or in the Kingdom who have nothing to do with the company. They sign some documents and do not get copies or other proof. They get paid for it. Depending the value of the land/home or of the company and depending the number of "dummies" the amount varies. They sign an undated document too in which they withdraw from the property.

There are lawfirms that specialise in this practise and make very good money from it. The firms monitor the dummies a bit. If one dies the document in which he/she withdraws from the property is backdated and the stake is transferred to another one.

This fake ownership apparently is used too by Thai owners of companies who do not want to be held responsible for the (criminal) activities of the companies.

Many high end real estate properties owned by farangs in f.i. Phuket are owned by a company that on paper is owned by dummies but the farang stakeholder has power of management, can decide about all concerning the property.

The general said about a half year ago he wanted to deal with that irregularity too. Including with the leasehold practicies that are used in ways that were not intended. It could even mean that if the government really takes actions like this farangs could lose their home and land overnight without the possibility of getting financial compensation. Only the real estate involved will be worth at least hundreds of millions of euros/dollars, if not billions.

Under the circumstances the latest coup was a good thing for the Kingdom I think. But the military is more nationalistic than any other significant group, so we farangs should watch out for things to happen. We are a way to make easy money. Nothing more, nothing less. Only if the farangs would leave Thailand en masse and the millions of western tourists would stay away, only then a change in general attitude could perhaps come.

If you do what you did. then you'll get what you got. Those rituals didn't help much before so they will not help much now.

Boys need their toys. Berlusconi will welcome the money but not sell his private toy.