Seastallion

"Wanichsan Ruangsri, a merchant in Trang, said he had to stop selling rubber seedlings during the prolonged slump, as some planters had switched to other crops such as palm and fruit trees."

At least some of the farmers are starting to diversify.

What's the bet, though, that they ALL plant the same fruit, whichever has a good price NOW? And in four years time, the market will be flooded with that fruit, and prices will drop.

It's a never-ending cycle of poverty.

I don't like to generalsie, but it does seem that many Thais can simply not plan for the future, whether it be in 10 seconds after the lights have just turned red and they continue to accelerate, or in ten years when all their neighbours have planted the same crop and the price will inevitably drop.

"Colonel Somchai Kanpachai, deputy commander of 23rd Military Circle, said people have the right to distribute the calendars but not at public or official functions or meetings.

He said Yingluck's signing autographs on the calendars was inappropriate because it looked like she was trying to raise her profile or popularity by carrying out such activities in public places.

"We do not want this as it may lead to political conflicts,'' he said."

Sounds like you're making up the rules on the spot.

And, by the way, political opposition is how democracy works, and any person has a right to promote themself.

I may not like the Shins, but Yingluck has as much right to do what she's been told she can't do, as any other citizen. (until she's convicted, of course)

I wonder if Dr. C got into college because of "social engineering"? He doesn't seem bright enough to have gone in solely on qualifications & intelligence.

Dr. Ben Carson, being the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head, is arguably the best neurosurgeon in America. You are not a good judge of intelligence - to put it mildly.

And you judge intelligence as being a person who thinks the pyramids were made for grain storage, that Darwin's Theory of Evolution was inspired by the devil, that gun control meant that the Jews couldn't protect themselves and thus had there been no gun control there would have been no holocaust, that Obama's overtures for gun control are actually the prelude to dictatorship, that a flat rate of tax is the best system,...and dozens more inane comments and beliefs.

Hard to deal with corruption until the police and judiciary are reformed.

Yes, and the ones assigned to find graft:

"civil servants facing temporary suspension are Mr Apichart Thanomsap, director of Litigation of Anti-Money Laundering Office"

Give up, Carson. You are so out of touch with reality that you have no chance of ever becoming president. None whatsoever. IF you got the Rep nomination, it would simply guarantee a Democrat victory.

You are so out of touch with reality that you don't realise you have a snowball's chance in hell.

I used to work for a 12000 acre ranch a little west of there and know of some of the conflict in that area. I am not going to refute what was said in those links because I do not know all the facts in this case except to say that there is a lot left out. Cattle do a lot of damage to the land, especially to water ways. In that area it takes acres of land to sustain each head of cattle. In trying to preserve the land, BLM for one has limited the number of head of cattle that can graze on public land, and in some cases closed off areas that have been over grazed,trampled and eroded. Damage around waterways is a big problem. BLM does fence off water sources due to the damage caused by cattle--but ranchers do the same to protect their own.

In the area I was in the water problem is acute. Water rights that were given to the ranchers years ago (part of an enticement to get them to move there in the first place) are being cut since water is needed to keep enough water in the rivers for salmon spawning. The ranchers have forcible cut chains and re-routed water in the past (didn't get this coverage though).

As for the jury. Each side gets to throw out a number. I've sat on one and was thrown out of two. I really would like to know what the question was that was asked about "rancher's culture" that got them removed.

Thank you for that....I felt that there was more to it than the link provided so far.

It's messy.

But Bundy is still a dork.

I would suggest that there will be more of this sort of thing. There is a limit to a people's tolerance, and Arab Israeli tolerance of Jewish Israeli injustices will only go so far. Israelis living in fear is only reaping what they sow.

Why dose it sound the that somehow you rejoice when an Israel or jew get killed?

you're not doing a very good job at hiding it either, the way you ' predict ' more of the

same sound like, oh well, they deserve it...

Bingo! The Israel demonization ideology has an obvious agenda of destroying the state of Israel.

Looking at the dialogue thus far, your post is exceptionally irrational. Where on earth did you draw that silly conclusion from? Destroying the state of Israel??? Please, please (as I (and everyone else) know you read my "ignored" posts) explain how you came to that nonsense conclusion.

I would suggest that there will be more of this sort of thing. There is a limit to a people's tolerance, and Arab Israeli tolerance of Jewish Israeli injustices will only go so far. Israelis living in fear is only reaping what they sow.

Why dose it sound the that somehow you rejoice when an Israel or jew get killed?

you're not doing a very good job at hiding it either, the way you ' predict ' more of the

same sound like, oh well, they deserve it...

No, I think it's just your ears hear that because you want to hear that. When people don't want to face the truth, they do invent and believe in fantasy. It's akin to "sour grapes", the Aesop fable.

The OP seems to be written so bad it look like a 5 year old wrote it and it's not even worth commenting

on what is wrong and how misinformed it is....

Some members have quite a hide to comment on poor writing skills.

Just saying

Why is Hezbollah targeting Israeli

I don't know

Because the most recent act was of violence by Israel against Arabs. It is simple, and fair, retaliation.

It's a silly question really.

He would still be considered of Palestinian ethnicity.

Ahhh, so you concede it (Palestinian) is an ethnic group.Please remember that.

I would suggest that there will be more of this sort of thing. There is a limit to a people's tolerance, and Arab Israeli tolerance of Jewish Israeli injustices will only go so far. Israelis living in fear is only reaping what they sow.

Really want to know the what and why?

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/03/full-story-on-whats-going-on-in-oregon-militia-take-over-malheur-national-wildlife-refuge-in-protest-to-hammond-family-persecution/

That's one heck of a sorry story. If accurate, the Hammonds need to fight. But the Bundy way is not the way.

From that website:

"Fear is at the core of liberalism, and love/trust is at the core of conservatism. Liberalism is about control. Conservatism is about self-empowerment." etc.

Looking at that website I get the strong impression this is not an unbiased report.

Agree. I had unease too, that's why I qualified, "If accurate".

I expect much is based on truth and simple fact, though.

Cameras, eh? Well I hope they don't install them on the border-crossing I use for my 90 day visa run (which will remain unnamed because I don't want to encourage a horde of visa-runners spoiling my freedom).

On my first visa run, I went out, through the other country's border, turned around, stopped at duty-free shop, and walked back in. Being unfamiliar with the layout, I just walked where my nose took me. Finding myself on the main street in Thailand, I realised I had bypassed immigration! I walked back into no-man's land, (again not being stopped from what was technically leaving),skirted a building, avoided ANOTHER route (the carpark) to walk unhindered into Thailand, and went through Thai Immigration as per normal.

Things have not changed. I am 99% confident I could not only walk out, but also walk in, with nobody stopping me.

read the paramedics post:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883588-thai-nurses-timely-assistance-saves-german-cyclist/page-3

Interesting. It makes all the hooplah even more silly.

Really want to know the what and why?

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/03/full-story-on-whats-going-on-in-oregon-militia-take-over-malheur-national-wildlife-refuge-in-protest-to-hammond-family-persecution/

That's one heck of a sorry story. If accurate, the Hammonds need to fight. But the Bundy way is not the way.

Nah, it's a no-brainer.

Leave them to their discomfort and wait until they get bored. Deprive them of the publicity they desire. Go as far as disabling the closest cell tower so that they have no comms.

If it was a well-planned thing by smart people....then think about tactics. But these chaps are plainly publicity-seeking morons. The place is so remote, they in fact hold no cards.

They have guns and bombs. The Army should go in and arrest them all.

Bombs?? Are you sure? Reference, please.

No matter....they are in the middle of nowhere...nobody will get hurt except themselves, if the Feds cut them off (lay siege) from all that they need, ie publicity, power, communications and food.

So, did the execution of the Shia cleric have anything to do with anticipating a rise in prices? What other reason for deliberately stoking unrest?

Nah, it's a no-brainer.

Leave them to their discomfort and wait until they get bored. Deprive them of the publicity they desire. Go as far as disabling the closest cell tower so that they have no comms.

If it was a well-planned thing by smart people....then think about tactics. But these chaps are plainly publicity-seeking morons. The place is so remote, they in fact hold no cards.

The US would have more support from me on this issue if they were themselves responsible as far as carbon emissions go. But they're not responsible at all.

10.000.000 baht fines for 150.000 illegal advertisings makes 66 baht each. Sure that will stop them

After a storm those advertisings are flying all over the roads causing many accidents and damage.

It's what they collected, ie what was paid, not what was imposed.

There you go...revenue. Easy revenue.

Now you may be inspired to redouble your efforts at quadrupling the revenue by all out war on parking infringements etc.

Ummm excuse me but wot ??

OK this woman is a nurse and she "gifted him her aid" ?

Not just felt obliged by her code of conduct as a nurse or a human being using common sense with skills that can help then ?

I felt sure that somebody would come along and rain on this parade! Look, if English wasn't your first language you also might use an incorrect word or structure a sentence poorly, from time to time, DON'T YA THINK!

It's not really raining on the parade. Sure, what she did was a good thing, BUT.....it should be seen as the norm for any person to do what they can to save the life of another. Here, they're treating it as some sort of miracle because it's so out of the ordinary.

What's happening here is tantamount to a child being fawningly praised and rewarded for tidying his room or cleaning his teeth, whereas it should just be the norm that he does those things.

It should be the other way around whereby people are castigated for NOT assisting where they can.

Take a piece of plastic instead of something valuable. Does he really think that will serve as a deterrent?

Perhaps......IF there was automatic arrest if caught driving without a license AND routine and frequent checks.

More self-confidence?!

I would say Thais need ANYTHING BUT more confidence. They have more than plenty already! Of the almost 10 countries I have lived in and the dozens countries I have traveled, Thais routinely have more confidence bordering on arrogance mixed with sheer incompetence than almost any other group save for maybe certain parts of China.

What Thai kids and adults need -- desperately -- is a culture of tempering unfounded confidence with serious effort and accomplishment. Immense false confidence and false pride is one of the biggest obstacles preventing the country from moving forward.

I think you're confusing confidence with unquestioning belief in what the system has told them....and this is the problem: Unquestioning.