outsider

A loooooooooooooooooooooooong way of saying the (probably half-@r$ed) technician screwed-up.

In an earlier article, it was reported that "During the interrogation Mr. Mahama Wadeng made a claim that he had planted 4 bombs and added that the motorcycle at the airport contained a real bomb." It seems Mr. Wadeng was arrested in the evening of 25 June. But this article mentioned a suspect was arrested on 23 June. I guess it's not the same person (Mr. Wadeng). Which supports the authorities suspicion there is a broader network behind these incidences. This Friday 27 June is "Awal Muharram" or "Maal Hijrah" - apparently it marks the start of the Islamic New Year. Just wondering if these incidences are "in celebration" of the "new year".

Can't wait to see this Puppetongtarn go. Bring daddy along, please.

Thaksin is connected, influential and powerful so it's going to be difficult to get rid of him. But as long as he, his clan and all his clingers-on are around, Thailand will never move forward (no pun intended).

Se-can (scan) dai mai ka?

Alcohol in Thailand isn't the cheapest in the region, but it's way cheaper than Malaysia. A large bottle of Singha in our local Thai seven is still cheaper than one can of Carlsberg (~330ml) in Malaysia's seven. A case of Singha here is what... THB 6xx? In Malaysia, a case of Carlsberg is around MYR 14x. That's around THB 1,1xx. Ditto their wine prices. Prices at restos are even higher. It's surprising that Malaysia still has an 'alcohol industry' given the prices vs average wage in that country.

Any country that wants to have a robust tourism economy has to welcome tourists. Therefore, removing the visa-free policy isn't the answer. Furthermore, Thailand is still fascinating as well as relatively inexpensive and this attracts all sorts. The only way to drill the 'you are welcome as long as you follow our laws and respect local culture' message is enforcement. Swift and strict enforcement, without exception. For example, idiots like this should be arrested, fined and deported - immediately. Subsequent batches will be more well-behaved, once the message goes out that you really can't literally 'do as you please without consequences' in Thailand. But, we all know what 'enforcement' is like in Thailand. It's non-existent, except in high-profile cases and those meted out by Soi-6 security chaps. So until the authorities wake up and start doing something FOR THEIR OWN COUNTRY, local folks as well as decent tourists will have to bear the brunt of this crap.

I don't, for precisely this reason. It's not how many times I've taken it, it's that ONE time when something happens. Anyway, it's just a matter of choice. To each his/her own, right? Safe travels mate - whatever mode of transport we choose.

The inter-provincial and tour buses in Thailand are death traps. Period. Avoid at all costs.

The purpose of the whole article was in the last sentence Sarcasm aside, I guess they do deserve the thumbs-up.

This is wrong. 'Moral standing' should never be in the same sentence as 'Shinawatra' or anything related to this 'clan'.

While the audit administration building was certainly 'under construction', the Ghost Tower isn't exactly completed so technically (and arguably), both are still 'under construction'. The latter has been exposed to the elements for decades, which should've weakened it, but it is still standing tall and erect against the test of time and mother nature (literally). Also, since the Ghost Tower was nearer to completion, its structure would've had to bear more weight than the audit administration building which doesn't have the weights of claddings and finishings added to it yet. So while the derelict continued standing even without care or maintenance, a spanking new building that was supposed to be built using more modern techniques, materials and technologies collapsed like a house of cards. Oh, and as one poster here mentioned, it's just one of the many tall buildings in BKK that did not collapse. 'The Chinese didn't build the Ghost Tower' is the simple answer, but I think the issue runs deeper than that and the corruption that surrounds the development and construction of the collapsed mess.

Months to investigate? For people to forget, more like. Reeks of a cover-up. The 23rd (or 24th, depending on which side of the divide one is on) Chinese 'province' has to tow the Party-line. Can't upset the mainland masters, right?

So is boxing.

I wouldn't bother with Malaysia, honestly. The only thing there that's better than Thailand is they do not have the alcohol prohibition hours. The intra-city rail network is comparable to BKK's too. Some say it's better, but it really depends on where you want to go. But last-mile connection is crap. At least you have the motorcys in BKK that can complete the last one km or so of your journey to your destination If you think taxis in BKK are bad, those in KUL are worse! At least in BKK the ones you flag down still use the meter. In KUL? Forget it. Also, most taxis in BKK use new Toyota Corollas. The ones in KUL are old, beat-up local cars that reek and the seat cushions have the thickness of zero. There are some that use newer cars and they double as Grab/Bolt rides, so these aren't too bad. Their non-halal (especially Chinese) food is good, but you'd need a local to take you to the good ones, else you'll end up in some tourist traps. In other words, it is not that easy to chance upon good food as you would in Thailand. The service attitude in Malaysia is also below par. There is a lack of 'service mind', for want of a better term. I know some of us have complained about deteriorating service levels here in BKK and Thailand, but it's still better than Malaysia/KUL. As for their tourist attractions, well there are a few, but upkeep and maintenance is again, below par, if any. There are some great locales, but are let down by poor maintenance and management. And my pet peeve - toilet manners. There's none. Their public toilets reek, and I'm talking about those at swanky shopping centres ala EmQuartier/Paragon. I travel there often, so I'm not simply bashing.