MW72

I miss long summer days. In the north of Scotland the sky is still light at midnight.

I don't miss the short winter days. I'm happy not to suffer those any more.

I think the most amazing thing about this story is,

"Arsenault, who fled to Thailand last April, was among 16 people charged with running a telemarketing scheme that reportedly embezzled over US$20 million (about Bt700 million) from 290 victims in 46 states and Canada."

That is an average of just under $70,000 per person. My 2 questions are, what were they pretending to sell to their victims and who gives $70,000 away to a stranger after a phone call? Unbelievable. (not the OP but that people would fall for this type of scam)

The alternative was a concentration camp or slave labour camp. I believe only about 10% were actual volunteers.

Exactly

All these comments from people who never saw the war , or had the priviledge to be born of parents who experienced it seperated from the whole mess by seas or Channels

There was virtually no choice for these veterans who would have been mere boys back then , and like the Fins , who came out so badly off by the end of the war , while having been embroiled in it near the start , Stalin was the great enemy , and anyone opposing that monster ( who annihalted 10 million of his own ) was the greatest of enemies to their own small nations

They are peaceful democracies today ( unlike Russia ) and even their own leaders recognize the sacrifices those kids made!

Exactly wrong.

The Waffen SS had a number of non German units made up from volunteers from a surprising number of countries.

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Galicia, Georgia, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Asian Regiment, Arab Regiment, USA and Britain.

The people sent to concentration camps and slave labour camps would never have been allowed to join the SS as they were considered to be sub human. To say their only alternative to the concentration camp was to join the SS is false.

Only recruits sworn in after 1943 were considered involuntary and were afforded the rights of veterans denied to the rest of the SS who were considered to be war criminals. Strangely enough the majority of the mass killings took place before the end of 1943 when membership of the SS was still voluntary.

Oh that's just freken great, so 80% of Germans should have been executed because they supported their country during a war.

A few other points, The deaths of 6 million Jews + some others is always used to 'prove' just how terrible Germany was during wwii.

Consider this-

* It was not Germany's intention to exterminate jews when they started wwii in order to create an empire (something that Napoleon's France and countless others had done throught history) This is something that happened AFTER the US entered the war and began to carpet bomb Germany. I have talked to 2 people who lives in German occupied Europe during wwii (one was in belgium and one in Amsterdam). They both said the same thing, at the begining of the war things were normal, as the war progressed and Germany started loosing, the situation became dark and there were massive food shortages. In fact the majority of the people that died in the concentration camps died of hunger and disease, not gas chambers.

* The US sent Japanese-Americans to concentration camps during wwii, would they have survived if say, Japan had developed an A-bomb and anihalated many american cities? We can't know that.

* As early as 1942, Germany was willing to negotiate an end to the war, the Allies would only accept unconditional surrender.

* The German Army was professional in the early days of the war when they were winning, ie. Their invasion and occupation of France did not include massive war crimes. Stalin had killed 8 million Ukranians prior to Germany's liberation of that country, I call it 'liberation' because most Ukranians (as Latvians) saw Germany as a liberator, again early on, they weren't so bad, better than Stalin.. and the fact that Stalin had committed these war crimes pretty much gave Germany a PASS to invade the Soviets.. I mean shit, we invaded Iraq and that has killed a million people for WMDs that weren't there and in retaliation for a terrorist attack that was carried out by Saudi Arabians(those people that are currently supporting ISIS).

* Robert McNamera once said that "If we had lost the war, (wwii) we would have all been tried as war criminals." In regards to the US Carpet Bombing of Axis countries during wwii.

* Germany's logic in starting wwii went something like this- The British, French, and even the US were imperialists and were dominating countries all over the world, so who are they to say we can't dominate eastern europe? AND, the Soviet Union was a disaster and was oppressing and killing millions of eastern europeans who wanted to be liberated so were going to bring them our 'better' non-communist system.. When you look at it from their perspective, it wasn't really that insane from a political perspective.

They should of all been Executed for War Crimes, They were Quite Savage in their dealings in WW 2...

Maybe I'm being an Ass@&$%, Mr. Peter

My mum told me the same. They should have been executed in the late 40's and early 50's but 80% of the Germans supported the Nazis and we had over 250,000 members of the Waffen SS and just only 35 were executed.

Merkel of Germany and the rest of the EU will just ignore them.

This is by far the most deluded post I have read.

To say the Nazis never intended to slaughter the millions they did and only started mass extermination after the US started carpet bombing them is utter drivel. You give the impression that it is therefore the fault of the US that this happened. The Wannasee conference was held in January 1942. The US had not started boming Germany at this stage. The US did not even declare war against Germany. They declared war against Japan after Pearl Harbor. It was the German's who declared war on the US.

You claim that things were normal in Europe until the Germans started losing the war. What about the Ghettos in Poland in 1939 when Germany was still at peace with Stalin and the war in the west was known as the phoney war as no one was actually fighting? Thousands of people rounded up and put in ghettos where there was no provision of food or medical care which led to a huge mortality rate. Is this the "normal" conditions you talk about. What about all of the jews rounded up in France before the US joined the war.

Have you heard about Mein Kampf? You really don't think this was insane from a political or moral stand point?

My glass was completely full yesterday with Balvenie single malt Whisky as well as my expat friends glasses and we had a brilliant day and even though most are teachers and usually pretty hard up but everyone is very happy with their lot in Thailand I dont think any of the conversation all day & evening involved slagging of the Thais or the Thai culture in general only one getting slagged of was the Italian landlord of our little bar for his excessive cost for a Leo and his reply was to start charging for a bucket of ice because he makes so little money on a Leo, I think most happy expats are married to good Thai woman so no need to slag off or degrade anyone, its always happy days in Thailand. As long as you are smart enough to stay away from all the shady type of people you meet in Thailand foreign and or Thai, and everyone knows who a genuine friend is or just a fair weather friend.

I like your taste for the Balvenie Was it a double wood or a port wood? (totally off topic. Sorry)

Don't ask the US for money.............We are definitely broke!

Cannot be. Have another round of QE and the dollar would go up again.

This is the crazy thing. The US is printing billions of dollars every month (as did the UK and EU with their own currencies). Money coming into existence out of thin air and yet the dollar is getting stronger? I'm no expert but where is the inflation? Where is the devaluation of the dollar? Something has got to give some day and I don't think it will be pretty when it does.

Can anyone explain the following? I know absolutely nothing of pool maintenance.

The OP says "Every chemical was WAY OFF charts! Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity and Cyanuric Acid.". Basic chemistry from school tells me that acids and alkalis nuetrlise each other. How can you get high levels of both? Is it because they are chemically fixed in the water and not free to react with each other?

That also leads to the question of pH. If there is both acid and alkali in the water how can the pH be off the chart?

It is interesting to know these things. Most people just generally accept that pools in public places or hotels are safe especially when you can smell the Chlorine.

RIP Terry Pratchett.

I can't claim to be a fan of his books although many of my friends were. I am more of an Iain M Banks (another sad loss) man but I respected his stance on assisted suicide.

Respect

Not another BS poll. It is amazing how all of these polls have results that are beneficial to the current regime. I'm not saying that the results are fixed but more like the questions are loaded. Where's the poll on how Thais feel about their PM threatening to punch a journalist for asking a perfectly reasonable question? Where's the poll asking the Thais how they feel about the media being censored and not being able to pass critical judgement on the Country's leadership?

Oh I get it. ..you want more polls...with questions loaded against the countries leadership.....

Not at all. I'd be happier with less polls.

The purpose of a poll should be to gauge the public's opinion on any particular issue regardless on whether its outcome will be positive or negative for the sitting government. Under the current regime it is impossible to have a poll that would negatively reflect on the current regime. That would not be allowed so what is the point in having any polls?

IMHO there is only one poll that really matters and that poll is performed at the ballot box. If the PM truly wants to restore democracy to Thailand he needs to get a move on. Spend less time micro managing the small stuff, holding press conferences where he makes a fool of himself and get on with meaningful reform so that the Thais can choose their own government again.

Wow, so many people on this forum do not seem to like or trust this PM.

Did all of you trust the last PM, and her brother as well when he was the PM?

I know that a lot of Red shirt supporters seem to be on this forum, just

from reading all the comments, since Ms. Yingluck and her bunch were finally

tossed from power. What I do not get is how so many of you feel that the

coup was not necessary! Do all of you wished that the situation would

keep on going until there was a full civil war, before it got stopped by the

coup. Look what is going on in Syria, protest getting out of control, country

going out of control, and now 5 years of civil war, and so much of Syria

bombed beyond belief. Look at Libya, and those other countries where

the peaceful situation has gone bye bye, and replaced by the war in Libya as well.

Maybe Thailand is not a perfect country where the civilians have gotten

a perfect democratic government, but it is sure a lot better off than some

parts of the world.

Just my 2 cents worth on this subject.

I just hope that the Thailand Baht is more like 30 baht to the Canadian dollar by next Winter.

Then I will believe that the Thai currency is not being jacked up for what ever

reason it is now.

Please don't believe that everyone who dislikes this regime is a Red Shirt. I have posted negative remarks about the PM but that in no way makes me Red.

What you say about civil unrest is perfectly valid but wouldn't it be great if there was a strong constitution and judicial system that could keep a government in check if they tried to abuse their position of power instead of coup after coup? I know the PM says he is dealing with all of this for the better of the country but as I said in my previous post, actions speak louder than words. I personally don't believe that having a fully appointed senate is a very democratic thing especially as half will be appointed by a "council of experts". Who are these experts? The other half appointed from previous prime ministers and commanders of the armed forces. Do you reckon that any of the Red former PMs will be invited to join? With the rest made up from the type of people that support the coup I reckon the senate will be pretty biased.

Whether any of us like it or not, a good portion of this country support the side that is currently being isolated and pushed out of the whole process. That can't be a good thing for any future peace. What will these masses of poor people do when their vote will no longer count as the system is rigged against them?

Not another BS poll. It is amazing how all of these polls have results that are beneficial to the current regime. I'm not saying that the results are fixed but more like the questions are loaded. Where's the poll on how Thais feel about their PM threatening to punch a journalist for asking a perfectly reasonable question? Where's the poll asking the Thais how they feel about the media being censored and not being able to pass critical judgement on the Country's leadership?

Why would anyone believe a single word this guy says? Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.

He said there would be no coup, his actions said otherwise.

He said he didn't want to be Prime Minister, his actions said otherwise.

Only time will tell how true he is to his word but going by his previous record I wouldn't take anything he says at face value. All mouth and no action apart from suppressing dissent of all kinds.

Hub of liver flukes.

A Thai cancer doctor told me that liver cancer is one of the three most common cancers she treats (the other two being breast and cervical) and that most was traced to the liver fluke parasites in pla ra somtam. Here's a somewhat recent NY Times story on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/world/asia/26iht-thailand.html

Never knew about this before. Thanks for the info.

Only cooked fish for me.

Make sure your chicken and pork is cooked through as well. No pink bits!

Pink bits you can get elsewhere

No problem with the chicken and pork being cooked. It's the Lab Nua that they eat raw that's the problem. I really enjoy it but the GF now cooks it for me and it's just as nice if not better. I don't fancy intestinal worms.

I have added your to active subscribers list again. You should get the first newsletter by this afternoon.

Cheers

Cheers george. I received my first newsletter about an hour ago. Much appreciated.

I am using hotmail though I do also have a Yahoo a/c but not registered with Thaivisa. I have received 7 "confirmation unsuscribe newsletter" e-mails from Thaivisa in the last 2 days.

This is despite not unsuscribing from the newsletter.

Briggsy,

I have resubscribed you now.

Not sure why this happened though.

Hi george. Could you help me out also?

I stopped receiving newsletters on the 5th March. I still get tech and classified newsletters but not the news editor. I am pretty sure I never marked any emails as junk however, I found the newsletter email from the 5th in my junk folder. I marked it as safe and transfered it to my inbox but I have never received another email. I did use the support contact form a few days ago to query this but received no response which is unusual as they are normally pretty quick to respond. I use hotmail by the way.

Any help is appreciated. I don't really want to register another email address.

Regards

MW72

Hub of liver flukes.

A Thai cancer doctor told me that liver cancer is one of the three most common cancers she treats (the other two being breast and cervical) and that most was traced to the liver fluke parasites in pla ra somtam. Here's a somewhat recent NY Times story on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/world/asia/26iht-thailand.html

Never knew about this before. Thanks for the info.

Only cooked fish for me.

Obviously the Devil put it there to fool us, or God to test our faith, or some idiot pranksters from The Community College of Arizona just to f* with those self-important pricks from Arizona State U.

Just my theory.

T

The good books of religion tell us that the Earth is only a few thousand years old. It must have been put there by one of the many gods to test our faith. I wonder which one?

When I first read the headline I thought there was no way anyone could be so stupid as to believe they could buy a rank in the army. The I remembered that this is Thailand.

After reading the story I find it even more unbelievable that they fell for it. If only the 2 perps would put their energy into thinking up a genuine business idea they may have done quite well. Maybe too much like hard work for them.

I've got no investment advice but that 18 grand a year for 11 years and that more than enough until the old pension comes through, but if I was you I'd by a property here in England with it, live of the rental income for 11 years then sell the property which will increase in value and make more profit , this why your have more then 200000 and that with you pension fund make you a happy man In Thailand, I wish I had your 200000 grand happy days

I would agree with happydude. Like any investment the value can go up or down but at least with property you have an asset that can earn you a steady income. My house in Scotland is worth roughly the same as your nest egg and I get £650 a month in rental income. That's a bit over 30,000 THB a month at current exchange rates and enough to survive in Thailand although not extravegantly. If I decide to move back to Scotland I have somewhere to go and if not then I can sell it when I am a bit older as I have no pension.

It all depends where you live I suppose. For the price of my 3 bedroomed house with large garden in the north of Scotland, you probably couldn't buy a garden shed in London. You could probably rent out a garden shed in London for more than my house.

http://notthenation.com/2011/01/world-pizza-council-revokes-pizza-company%E2%80%99s-use-of-word-pizza/

Careful - some here dont seem to grasp that notthenation is satire. Of course, some here also dont know the meaning of that word, but that's a whole other thread in itself.

Some don't know what a real pizza should taste like and instead are happy to chuck down aberrations like 'Pizza' Company and similar, with ketchup preferably.

But of course, everybody has his own taste, but not all have good taste.

Each to their own. I don't mind the odd pizza from Pizza Hut or the likes but I am not the biggest pizza fan. Unsurprisingly the best pizza I ever had was in Italy at a restaurant in Pompei. Not a Pizza restaurant I hasten to add. I never knew pizza could be so good.

Here's my two pence worth. Nothing political.

I would say that businesses in capital cities world wide benefit from additional business from many areas such as tourism, the political class that spend the week in the capital, generally higher populations with higher incomes etc etc. Surely they should take the rough with the smooth i.e. when the people want to protest on a mass scale against the government they will do so in the capital. This is what happens in Paris, London, Washington. I don't hear of other countries compensating businesses for loss of revenue after protests. If there are riots and property damage then insurance should cover that.

In those developed country there isn't any violent Thai style protest that endangers and interrupts the daily lives of hardworking people, that's ehy unfortunately this country is 4ever in a back and forth brainwashed democracy-illusion bubble babysitting cycle...

You haven't seen the aftermath of the riots in London the other year then? They started to spread all over the country. Businesses torched and looted. Plenty of protests turning violent all over the western world.

Most of the western world is living in a brainwashed democracy illusion bubble. We may vote politicians in but they are slaves to big business, the markets and bankers. Show me a democracy where the gap between the middle class and the rich, never mind the poor and the rich, is getting smaller and I will agree that there is a democracy that is working for the population as a whole.

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

he had a prominent white flag flying and was going in the opposite direction from where the incident occurred ?

Aren't you confusing the French with Italians?

Same Same but different. Both have great wine, great food, great architecture and culture. Just don't ask them to back you up if you get in a scrap.

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

Unbelievable!

"Phuket:- A 55-year-old German tourist was almost killed Saturday when he was knocked unconscious by a speeding jet ski."

Unbelievable!

"The wife and witnesses told police that Heim was swimming in the sea not far from the beach while the wife was sunbathing on the beach when an unidentified French tourist sped his jet ski to hit Heim in the head and shoulder."

Did you not read the full text of the story?

Here's my two pence worth. Nothing political.

I would say that businesses in capital cities world wide benefit from additional business from many areas such as tourism, the political class that spend the week in the capital, generally higher populations with higher incomes etc etc. Surely they should take the rough with the smooth i.e. when the people want to protest on a mass scale against the government they will do so in the capital. This is what happens in Paris, London, Washington. I don't hear of other countries compensating businesses for loss of revenue after protests. If there are riots and property damage then insurance should cover that.