PanzerJohn

Who's going to be this schools Headmaster.......Taksin maybe!!!!

1 million baht!! Do I hear the ker-ching of an inflated insurance claim?

Dman, another week of that carp ...

Let your carp go outside....it'll take to Songkran like a fish to water!!

Good on the girl. This is one moron that will think twice before misbehaving again.

What an R sole.

how stiff is "stiff"?

Don't feed the Troll. Must be close to to Songkran. Next week it will be, "bloody drunk English with water cannons, I hate it, stay indoors for the week,as do my Thai friends, as I am nearly Thai myself.Don't know why I live in Patters,I could live anywhere and moan, all the drunks and prostitutes. But then I couldn't sneak down Soi 6 after golf on Sunday."

Is this "blacklisting "going to be like the Sept. 1998 list . Then the Minister of the Interior issued an order to banish 34 undesirable Foreigners from the Country.

I think I remember there was no trial or method of appeal. I know that two from Pattaya were involved.

One was the owner of the Bavaria House in Pattaya -- Wolfgang Ullrick who was accused of "sending Thai women to Germany for the purpose of prostitution"

The other was Ray Kelly who had the Classroom and Misty gogo bars and was charged with "operating "beer bars" which provide women for prostitution"

Ray Kellys got bars in Angeles City PI where he is not the most popular of people.

As far as tourism from places like the UK is concerned, I would say this.

The average Brit probably books his holiday in the sun at least 6 months in advance, and relies on travel brochures, travel agents, travel articles in magazines and newspapers, and the all important TV holiday programmes to make his choice. Price , of course is also big factor.

Now I have no idea to what extent the negative press about Thailand is seepoing to the outside world, but my guess is that not a great deal has yet. But when it does, it won't take long to get up a head of steam. It will only take a couple of negative pieces in the travel journals, and something uncomplimentary on one of the travel shows and the ball will begin to roll. Can you imagine a Tv travel slot where the presenter complains about the debauchery and sex industry in Pattaya, the dual pricing at National parks, and maybe the increasing anti - foreigner sentiment in the country. This is to say nothing of sensationalist stuff getting into the general news, like coups and tanks on the street, the killings in the South, the murders of tourists and so on.

All these things can be explained away till the cows come home - but it is the perception that counts. Not too long ago, Thailand with it's lovely, kind, smiling welcoming people, was one of the most coveted destinations for UK holidaymakers. Not sure that is true any more, and the word will soon be out, if it's not already.

Once booking's start to tail off a little, the tour companies will look elsewhere to find holidays to sell, and Thailand will start to feel a definite chill.

P.S. I'm not, and never have been in the travel industry, and the forgoing is purely my opinion. Maybe the professionals out there would like to comment, and shoot me down in flames if I am wrong?

I previously mentioned I was having dinner this weekend with an old friend from the UK who heads up one of the Big Three Far East travel agents...his 'professional' comments follow:

Basically, his company is up 6-7% on last years numbers and he is very happy, as are Thailand's hoteliers (he visits once a year to secure contracts with 40+ 4-5 star hotels). This year he has holiday bookings in excess of 11,000 passengers, so I think his comments are broad enough to form an opinion!

His company's demographics are 45+ year old 'professionals' (business owners, accountants, solicitors etc) who bring their family to Thailand and stay an average of 14 days.

He wondered what the hel_l I was talking about when I mentioned this thread!

I hope this helps?

Most of these "quality" tourist families tend to stay in the up upmarket resorts and spend most of their time and money on-site, only venturing out for the odd visit to specific attractions. They certainly don't spread their money around the street vendors,bars,local eateries etc apart from maybe buying the odd trinket.

Its good to see that with all the murders,rapes,shootings and muggings, the cops are clamping down on the really serious stuff. Can you imagine the harm that a few guys sitting around a table playing cards can do? I take my hat off to them.

There was a segment on BBC news 24 the other night about how declining tourism and spending is hitting stall holders at Chatuchak market.One stall holder reckoned he was 50 % down on the previous year.

Seems to me that its about time the police sorted###########,I wouldn't have thought it would be that difficult. maybe there's too much "tea money" involved. Isn't one of the bars that has Russian "dancers" (how did they get work permits?) owned by one the BiB?

Every single day an idiot gets up............... Thought the moderator wants to delete shit like this??

or do we have to write the bad word here to be deletet??

german= Nazis

english= hooligans

swedish= alcoholics

aussi = sheepfuc....rs

russians =prostitutes and mafiapimps???

.....go and look more american criminal soaps and dont give us your hatefull postings after

a couple of beers. Guys with an advatar and name like u have to be deletet asap anyway

sorry forgot the other name already...bulkhead? ....a professional cambodian, 1,80cm tall shooter which needs to fire 10shots on two sleeping girls...hm sounds to me like problem solved.....nobody mentioned a burmese yet

give the police a chance to figure it out, guess they try hard....world is watching and waiting.

I dont trust them much more as you all do....but they deserve a chance, no policemen want

to work in Yala in future.

The voice of the liberal,all for free speech unless it upsets your own agenda..you a social worker or something?

Seems to me that its about time the police sorted out these Russian hookers,I wouldn't have thought it would be that difficult. maybe there's too much "tea money" involved. Isn't one of the bars that has Russian "dancers" (how did they get work permits?) owned by one the BiB?

hi ozzy - have you considered buying a couple of rottweilers?

Thats not a failsafe either, the bastards just poison them.

Thanks John; substantial camera water-proofing required!

Now added more bike photos taken today:

http://www.pbase.com/hughden/burbikes

Exellent pics, some real class machines there. Looks like great fun, especially when sittingin miserable old blighty!.

Mines because my hobby is restoring Second World War German military vehicles. Here's the latest project,a 1943 Kettenkrad tracked motorcycle,rescued from a Norweigen farm.

More pics please gents!!! Great photos of Songkran by the way Hughden.

I used the Louis Tavern last month and thought it was great value, 1000 bht for a couple of hours. Includes full bar, soft drinks and beverages,food, icecream,tv,newspapers, internet,restrooms,showers.Shame its so badly sign posted and hidden away at the far end of the airport, near to the A gates, of course mine was the other end, bloody long walk.

R.I.P.

I was wondering how they will get the lid on!!!!! lol

I love this globalwarming stuff, us Brits are fussing about a couple of inches of snow, in New York State they have had several feet!.

I hope the 6 chefs had their work permits in order.

The contract said an area of 5,000 square metres should be utilised. But we calculated that around 10,000 square metres have been used - 6,000 square metres more than the original agreement.

Some really good maths there!!! No wonder they are in such a mess.

I'm flying in Sat am, from Gatwick luckily, Heathrow is a mess because of the fog. How's things at Suvarnathingy? Any problems or is everything going OK there?

I wonder how much it will cost not to take the test?

Thailand..the hub of U-turns.