outsider

Democracy, diplomacy and freedom of expression.

RIght...

First they inconvenient travellers and tourists at DM for hours. Just to show off some military hardware to kids. Now they will literally paralyse the heart of BKK by holding a parade in some of the busiest streets in the city - at rush hour, no less, and when people just want to go home or unwind after a long day. I'm sure people will be very HAPPY. Thainess indeed.

"... but did not know the performance would also feature so-called "Coyote dancers ..."

It's called checking for suitability, especially where children are concerned.

Comes as standard in a caring society.

Comes as standard if one uses THE brain, more like :-)

... "how that may compromise editorial integrity'... "professional independence"... hmm... let's see... ok, never mind.

Thai Researchers in Community Happiness Association... ok, right.

He can start counting his lucky stars already, that at least he is not in a prison or in a system where 'accidental deaths' and 'suicides' are the norm.

Sickeningly stupid. Can't believe these cancerous idiots can go around patting themselves on the back when the fact remains that more than 300 people died. Never mind that this number is less than last year. Sheesh... What do these people have for brains???

Rumor has it they will be targeting an increase in the price of bar fines next month.

Yeah, those on the streets can't compete, so they made a complain and it's decided that bars should increase their bar fines.

<deleted>... oh never mind

Personally, I don't mind negotiating a fare beforehand. Was always so here before the arrival of the meters. A fare to downtown Sukhumvhit is about £8 or $13. Just spent $100 (Bt3000) for a taxi ride to the airport back home, over a similar distance, to catch a flight to Swampy. About 7 times the price. Some of you guys on TV really are kineaw's

Base your comments - and your calculations - in the context of expenditure in Thailand, will you please? Stop all this 'it is like this back home' nonsense. This is Thailand. Not many people here will give two hoots about how much you paid to go to the airport 'where you came from'. People here will be more concerned about how much they pay HERE, and that is going up because of tunnel-visioned and selfish people like you who only see things from your own perspective and have no regards for the bigger picture. As I said before, feel free to remain in the 'dumb farang' category and enjoy being ripped off, scammed and cheated. But don't expect the rest of the world to join you in redefining the word 'clueless'.

Are you Thai! Do you earn the average wage of Bt 6000 a month. Thats about what the Taxi driver earns if he's lucky. Always tip the poor buggers if they are friendly. And you have the hide to call me selfish. LOL ! Get a life.

My nationality, how much I earn and how I choose to spend is really way beyond your concern. I tip MOST taxi drivers - the nice ones just get a bigger tip. I hope that encourages them, and hope the idea 'honest work pays' spreads. I also have no issues paying the driver off-the-meter if he asks nicely for a fair price, and then a little more. My issue is with buggers who blatantly overcharge. And those who oblige to being overcharged. Because this encourages the cabbies to do the same to others and soon it becomes hard for the rest of us to get an honest ride. But you go right ahead... enjoy being a walking public ATM if that's what floats your raft.

Personally, I don't mind negotiating a fare beforehand. Was always so here before the arrival of the meters. A fare to downtown Sukhumvhit is about £8 or $13. Just spent $100 (Bt3000) for a taxi ride to the airport back home, over a similar distance, to catch a flight to Swampy. About 7 times the price. Some of you guys on TV really are kineaw's

Base your comments - and your calculations - in the context of expenditure in Thailand, will you please? Stop all this 'it is like this back home' nonsense. This is Thailand. Not many people here will give two hoots about how much you paid to go to the airport 'where you came from'. People here will be more concerned about how much they pay HERE, and that is going up because of tunnel-visioned and selfish people like you who only see things from your own perspective and have no regards for the bigger picture. As I said before, feel free to remain in the 'dumb farang' category and enjoy being ripped off, scammed and cheated. But don't expect the rest of the world to join you in redefining the word 'clueless'.

Good to see some hi-so-elite brats being hauled up for breaking the law. Thailand can learn from this. One hopes.

Low scores in English, Science and Maths. And these kids supposedly want to be doctors in the future (news from another post)? *shudders*

I'm happy with this, I'm not happy with that. Sheesh... Grow up. The causes of the accidents are already established. What are YOU going to do about it? More empty shakeups and crackdowns? Or something more affirmative, sustained and transparent? Oh wait... I'm dreaming...

At least she didn't run away like her brother, the Man in Dubai China.

A hub claim by a non-Thai. A litle more credibility than the usual hub-of-all-hubs story then. Pokes aside, this is I believe just a part of plans to move AA out of Malaysia. Thanks to the Malaysian govt.'s 'ethnic politics', many very successful non-Malay-owned businesses had its arms twisted so hard they have moved elsewhere. And continued to flourish. To the benefits of the host country, no less. AA isn't the first, and won't be the last. Forget the AEC. The Malaysian economy will be but an empty shell if this goes on.

I think it only fair to raise the point that 500 Baht is not a great deal of money, especially if you are from a country such as the UK (as I am) where that ammount of cash would not get to to the next junction.

I stopover in Bangkok very often and have never been overcharged for the taxi to my regular hotel. Instead I feel bad about that fact that the driver has waited in line for hours at the airport, only to get me who is going 5 minutes down the road for a fair of Baht 90. I always pay Baht 200 to resolve my concience.

I don't mind going off-meter, as long as you agree to the fee beforehand and the driver sticks to it.

Not everyone is from 'a country such as the UK'. What about those who aren't? So shallow of you to judge from just on your own perspective, without taking into consideration the larger picture or the principle behind the issue. FYI, the whole world does not use 'what is affordable to 'drink75 (YOU)' in the UK' as a benchmark. For some people in Thailand, THB500 is enough for three full meals a day - over two days! If you were in 'a country such as the UK', would you pay the equivalent of six full meals for a 5-minute taxi ride? I guess not... You really don't think too much, do you?

You are free to continue and enjoy being ripped off and live under the 'dumb farang' category but please, do it on your own, and do not expect to impose, or expect the rest of the population to follow, your principles. People like you are one of the main reasons why scammers (not just cabbies) here think it's easy to rip off foreigners. Thank you very much.

This taxi-crap is actually worse now, compared to a mere few years ago. Reforms and crackdowns my @rse. I have been in numerous good rides manned by honest and courteous drivers and I always give them a small tip at the end of the journey. But by and large, most of the taxis and their drivers don't get a single sympathetic thought from me for the trouble they themselves got into, to start with.

Hey, high-ranking interior ministry official - if the main cause of road accidents was drinking and driving, and motorcycles were involved in most accidents, perhaps more affirmative, sustained and dedicated efforts in education and enforcement is better than merely reporting these stats year in, year out?

'Not enough evidence'. Another in a line of stupid statements and remarks. Public health? Nah... forget it. This is Thailand. Next please...

Pray that she pulls through.

The level of stupudity and idiocy is really, really unbelievable. And I'm not referring to just these few idiots, but idiots who do this sort of things during celebrations around the world. Not just Thailand.

Here we go again...

Are there no more pressing matters than a bicycle route for the dear leader? And this predilection with 'happiness'... really. Sheesh...

i took all my copper money , and that was a lot accumulated over the years and tossed it in one of those "build a new temple" kind of boxes you see in the supermarkets

that was after DAIRY QUEENS had rejected brown pennies to my kids when they wanted to buy an ice cream

does that count as merit making ?

it was a good 30+ baht

how minutes in heaven did i buy for this ?

Probably just a drive-by. And that's without a guide explaining the sights to you! LOL...

Jokes aside, I've been trying to find a way to unload those coppers I have. Putting them into one of those boxes at a supermarket is a good idea.

I don't know why they're still in circulation, really. You can't use it as currency, yet all these establishments - supermarkets, fast-food outlets etc. - jam it down our throats. Malaysia has implemented a system where bill totals are rounded up or down to the nearest tenth, essentially doing away with the coppers. Thailand should consider that.