Prbkk

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

And further more they intend to terrify people I would think there would be an announcement on behalf of those responsible very soon. If no response then we can just guess at the motive for the attack.

The typical approach of international groups is to claim responsibility and to send the message " Don't relax, it will happen again, we're coming for you"...whereas the domestic groups generally stay silent.

It is highly relevant and goes to the heart of the problem: bombs do not discriminate and it is central to the intentions of those responsible to make people feel unsafe. Wicked in intent, devastating in its consequences.

Well the junta junkies on the forum are too embarrassed by the joke draft charter to say anything other than to attack YL. Thailand deserves better than the rubbish being served up on this draft and the people will not accept it ...regardless of what Thaksin or YL say or do not say.

It's certainly long past time for the 20 to go the way of the 10, replaced by coins

Good to see her back and in top form..a breath of fresh air..

Lunacy. In these times wages growth should be limited to CPI/Inflation index, at most. One could bet much of this increase relates to the Bangkok blood-suckers rather than those who need it most.

What blood suckers in Bangkok ? People moan about Bangkok all the time while there are many normal people living here, they make up the majority. With propaganda like that no wonder the reds wanted to burn down Bangkok and now even foreigners demonize Bangkok.

You should look up the statistics and see how many normal people work here.

Its the usual poor n lazy man syndrome to blame the rich for them being poor.

Some believe laziness should be rewarded, while hard working should be punished.

Like farmers, who could go work elsewhere for 10 months of the year instead of swinging in hammocks getting drunk.

I'm not talking about hard workers but rather the great bloated bureaucracy of Bangkok, most of whom couldn't work in an iron lung but retain a sense of entitlement that defies reason

Lunacy. In these times wages growth should be limited to CPI/Inflation index, at most. One could bet much of this increase relates to the Bangkok blood-suckers rather than those who need it most.

If Wasan really thinks people need to be educated that corruption is morally wrong and bad for the country, then he has already admitted defeat. This is the usual smokescreen, and in fact speaks volumes about Thailand as a whole. Corruption is a way of life here, and it's not going to change.

Unless. The authorities arrest the corrupt, put them on trial and then in prison. Do all of this transparently and with full media scrutiny, and then I might just begin to believe.

Particularly so when those who might be described as having unusually high wealth continue to be appointed to very high level positions without transparency/scrutiny/comment

Bangkok license plate number is 0040. Now police, go arrest the guy for driving down the wrong side of the road and more importantly, for assault.

....and it's a certainty that there will be a history of priors..

China stood by and watched as the rest of the world printed money but now Washington complains about dirty tricks? The Yuan rode up with the USD to a point well above fair value. It won't stop at 4% and the rest of Asia will be along for the ride. Fasten your seat belts.

Okay, look at the photo in the OP, and look at the girl on the right. There seems to be a load of people on ThaiVisa who have got something against Chinese tourists.

Now then, after looking at the picture, who on earth in their right mind is going to be against the Chinese tourists ??

Get real, everybody is crying out for more Chinese tourists. Actually, there's more women that look like her in China itself. There'a a few Chinese airlines that can sell you a cheap ticket to China. And if you're lucky, you'ill see Chinese women looking just like her at the airport or on the flight to China.

Actually, an idea to boost tourism in Thailand. Target Thai Airways and subsidise the routes from China to Thailand. That will boost the number of Chinese tourists. And with more women like the one on the right turning up in Thailand, well yes, this will cause more men from other countries to visit Thailand. Get it on !!

Most countries would kill for more tourists from Taiwan and Singapore...money, reliable, polite, clean. Many of the mainland independent tourists are the same. The groups are a bit problematic but only through their inexperience. They will get better. People used to go on and on about Japanese tour groups being a pain...that is no longer heard.

Yes there is a double standard. But, geez...<deleted>, just get on with it and forget about this trivia and lottery tickets and wake up to the fact that Thailand's economy and reputation are in tatters for other reasons. Rome burns and Prayut worries endlessly about lotteries and a few student demonstartors. It has the comical aspects of juntas in Greece and Argentina of decades past.

absolutely nothing wrong with that, countries in the west have similar laws

Pity you didn't feel the same way when Suthep and his acolytes were running riot

That will help get the numbers up to the predicted 28.8 million tourists although going by tourist arrival trends I feel 28.8 million might be a bit under stated.

If one cannot deny the facts showing record number of tourist arrivals the next logical step is to denounce the quality of tourists.

I for one hope this offers a strong boost to Thailand so the tourist sector can continue to prosper as it has done since rebounding in May last year.

High volume, wafer-thin margin= no growth in real terms.. talk with people in the industry and they will tell you they are only just hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

Here's hoping they make it safely to the border.

My grandmother, wanted the same so did my grandfather. Its the same all over the world young children don't always like to visit their grandparents. Now I wish I had done so more often.

Some want it, true. For me, I want them to come more often...to clean the windows, do the ironing, leave ready-made food for the microwave, do the garden, update the software ( preferably when I am out).

I am praying that the Chiense economy sinks and collapses. will be fun to see how its arse lickers survive then.

Many of those 'arse lickers' predict the US economy will sink and collapse.

Got news for you, the US has already gone bankrupt and has been living on QE since 2012, with central bankers monetizing debt and printing $$$ to prop up every drop in the equities markets...

The tells are there, if your not an 'arse licking' numpty that believes everything that comes out of western financial media...

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/150-days-treasury-says-debt-has-been-frozen-18112975000000

Yes, the end is near.

But it is the new cold war. Maybe even a bit warm if Trump gets elected.

This happened yesterday, and they are certain this won't have any effect?

It seems they haven't caught up with the fact that it's another 2% today in addition to yesterday's cut. Clearly what is happening in China will have an impact. In respect of tourism it could turn out to be a plus as more Chinese look for cheaper, closer alternatives to UK, Europe, US.

"I had a dream"...at least it's one step up the credibility ladder from consulting a soothsayer.

They need at least 7% to absorb graduates and prevent unemployment booming.

the sun will not stop shining even if China's growth is zero. "they need at least..." applies to many countries (e.g. look at youth unemployment in Europe, especially Spain, Portugal and Greece) not to mention a bunch of "emerging" countries where this problem exists not only since a few years but since decades.

The sun may still rise but it would be a very dark and gloomy place. And I doubt that anyone would want to contemplate the prospect of China needing to repatriate some of the TRILLIONS they hold in the US.

It's not so much about gay marriage...that will come in the next year or two...but positioning prior to the next election. Abbott does not want to offend his conservative voters. It's a delay rather than a defeat.

This family is truly the scum of the earth. BILLIONS stolen, mass murderers, pure evil...and most of them living the life of Riley in Singapore and Perth with their ill-gotten loot intact. Vile beyond description.

BBC is reporting a second devaluation of 1.62%.

Yes:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/currencies/australian-dollar-plummets-as-china-devalues-yuan-again-20150812-gix826.html

Hardly a great surprise . The Yuan/RMB operates in a trading range peg to the USD. When the USD is soaring but the Chinese economy is in the toilet , it's pretty obvious that the range needed to be adjusted. But isn't a point looming at which the U.S. Fed might be concerned that any interest rate hike , and consequent strengthening of the USD, will hinder recovery and widen trade deficits again with cheap imports?

hmmm... if a projected ~7% growth in GDP equals "toilet" then what is a befitting expression for the percentages below?

US.................2.20%

UK.................0.60%

Japan............0.75%

Germany........1.10%

Canada..........1.20%

S-Korea.........2.70%

Australia........2.25%

New Zealand..2.50%

Singapore......2.25%

Switzerland...-0.50%

Norway..........0.35%

Sweden.........2.50%

France...........0.50%

Italy...............0.60%

Brazil............-0.50%

Yes, it sounds odd but 7%, even if it's accurate, is effectively a contraction for China. Similarly Thailand needs 'growth' of at least 4-5% just to stay level. Fully developed economies do not ( 2-3 % is sufficient, in these times pretty good).

A lower Baht is a good thing, within reason....but not at the crazy levels of 1997/98 ( it would be a very long hard climb back for the economy if it goes down that far again).

Hardly a great surprise . The Yuan/RMB operates in a trading range peg to the USD. When the USD is soaring but the Chinese economy is in the toilet , it's pretty obvious that the range needed to be adjusted. But isn't a point looming at which the U.S. Fed might be concerned that any interest rate hike , and consequent strengthening of the USD, will hinder recovery and widen trade deficits again with cheap imports?