PepperMe

The psychologist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker has a very appropriate quote, that consciousness is the spin doctor of the mind.

When some people feel threatened or scared about an event they can't explain, anxiety kicks in and coming up with a reasonable (on that person's mind) scenario to explain it, specially one that is improbable, becomes a psychological defense mechanism.

It may seem counter intuitive, but believing that simple, but scary events are caused by large and sinister forces makes it feel less threatening, after all, if you are a nervous Nellie what is more comforting to believe? That someone could die under relatively normal, every day circumstances, for example mixing medication and alcohol, or that it must had been the result of extremely unlikely circumstances, i.e. serial killer under the protection of a vague but sinister group of VIPs ?

By convincing themselves that the death must had been caused by unlikely causes it makes it not only less threatening (by being less likely to happen to them or someone they care about), it also provides someone to blame.

In short, it's escapism, with a side dish of self righteousness.

On the contrary....

Personally I would take that with a pinch of salt considering this so called expert is using a theory based upon someones reaction to an isolated incident.

Personally I believe that it is perfectly natural for conspiracy theories to be formed when they are applied to an incident that is in no way "isolated".

The facts.

Location: tiny little island with size and population similar to a small village or small housing estate in the west.

6 mysterious deaths of young foreigners in a 6 month period 2 of which we know are murders with a seriously flawed investigation, wide spread suspicion of police cover ups and massive inconsistencies in evidence.

Threats to kill a tourist prior to chasing down to a convenience store for protection.

A very corrupt police force that operates in a very corrupt mafia controlled location.

A desperate desire to protect local and national tourist industry.

The fact the girl was found in the actual property of a known mafia element who is widely suspected of being involved in 2 prior murders, and who are free despite very suspicious inconsistencies in the investigation.

I would say that with this mixture of FACTS!!! It is almost certain that suspicious theories are a 100% natural state of being.

When something like this happens there are two types of commentator... The conspracy theorist and the conspiracy denier.

In an isolated incident, one can assume the the theorist is being irrational and the denier rational.

But in the context that this incident is in, it is actually the denier who irrational and the theorist who is rational.

I find it actually quite absurd that anyone can willfully ignore all the circumstances that make this current "mysterious death" a suspicious incident. You really do have to completely ignore all the previous goings on.

There are far too many things out of place in all these incidents on that island to be anything other than the results of foul play.

FACT!

You can make a good start by not promoting Thainess, and at least trying to keep your tourists alive.

Get a grip mate.... No woman on earth is worth doing yourself harm over.

The socialists are almost certainly going to gain power, default on their bailouts, and reinstate the dracma.

The EU will keep them in the union, because they know if Greece leave, it is the start of a domino topple.

This will also have something to do with the Euro QE printing money from thin air, just like the yanks.

The European Union is headed for a spectacular collapse over the next 10 years.

The Thais are completely incompetent with autopsies. The British embassy should NOT allow them to perform autopsies on British citizens.

It has been days and they "claim" they can not find the cause of death yet... In the UK they can normally determine the cause of death within a day.... no problem

The autopsy in my opinion will be nothing more than clearing every trace of rape and murder and planting toxins into the body to introduce a fake death scenario before the body is released to the family for repatriation and a subsequent UK autopsy.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but when 6 people die in suspicious circumstances in a tiny area with tiny population over a very short 6 month period. Then combine this with our knowledge of corrupt police, cover ups, local mafia and a desire to protect a seriously ailing local tourism industry.... Then it is quite reasonable that every sun subsequent death in that place is met with skepticism and extreme suspicion.

We all know what the RTP are like and we all know what they are capable of and we all know that protecting their tourism is miles above securing justice for a worthless falang walking ATM.

Leopards do not change their spots and all this suspicion and conspiracy has been brought on by themselves.

There is something seriously foul going on in that place, and the police are controlling it.

Yeah why not..... after all, it is not the first time Paris has fallen to the enemy and the government go down on their knees to the bad guys.

Grow some balls for crying out loud.

This has been a major worry of mine for a long time now and I can see the EU and US are itching for a war with Russia so they can get their world domination.

China and Russia and probably the BRICS nations along with most of the middle east will be a formidable coalition.

I can see Europe being wiped out by the Russians, and the US will likely back down.

I want the UK out of the EU.... we have fought enough of "other peoples battles". Time to look after ourselves.

The US will NOT win a world war........ They are deluded.

because they get kept down by the Bangkok elite and are not used to express their opinions openly...but in the end it is their right to vote for whomever they want...

I was waiting for this 1 hahahaha always the "Bangkok Elite" ! Find another donkey to beat this one's dead !

There I agree! There is not Bangkok elite. There is bunch of people who owns something (barber shop. Coffee shop...) and suddenly think they are middle class. Between the soaps they go out and follow "The Monk" or something that does not even make sense. These people think, because they look good and spend most of the time with mirror, they are something better/special. I wrote "they think". Still they eat everyday cheap rice. But simple as they are they do not understand that maybe one day there is no rice to eat. The agricultural subsidies make sure that everyone gets their rice. The people who were against that, remember that you vote next time accordingly. If you think you will get a clean system of subsidies you are wrong. If you still can read this and understand ...look into EU. 58 billion euros or more to subsidies for agriculture. Even there is a lot crap (cheating), it will keep some of them working in the fields. I think these people are much more from this planet than those who live in cities.

The real donkeys... There are so many. The best are the guys who told openly to the press, when Thaksin was elected first time, that it was the best that had happened to Thailand. These guys never got the share of the cake and are now against him.

Last...the polls do not show much anything. Vote does. I am sure that next election, if ever happened, the vote buyers will be from the other side than now. For me it's a good thing, because most of the money goes again to North and North-East.

look into EU. 58 billion euros or more to subsidies for agriculture. Even there is a lot crap (cheating), it will keep some of them working in the fields.

With that kind of money, Thailand doesn't need to even grow rice. The can buy it on the open market cheaper than what the Rice Support Program of the Yingluck Thaksin government cost the taxpayers. For the kind of money spent, they could subsidize every farmer a half million Baht a year. I don't think they need to spend that much to keep people working in the fields. Anyway, why do you want to continue keeping Thais as common, manual laborers instead of learning a real trade and improving their condition? Rice in the US is grown on huge farms and because of economy of scale, they grow it cheaply. Thai rice farmers were the least productive in all ASEAN before the program and are still the least productive after the program. That spells 'Boondoggle'.

What has the EU agricultural subsidy policy got to do with this?..... That is 58 Bn Euros split between 28 countries. Yingluck presided over a government that lost almost 25 Bn Euros and the rice farmers almost went broke. Now their industry is wrecked.

Seriously mate...... don't go into business with your mathematical skills..... You will be bankrupt in a week.

Let me know if stock in your restaurant goes public.

I'd like to short it.

You've dissed 2 guys giving excellent feedback. Not a great skill to have in the hospitality business.

Agree. This is one arrogant SOB who really, really doesn't know what he's doing.

Lol....... You will never find me working in a restaurant..... I don't work in any of my businesses, i just run them and count the cash...... So I can be as arrogant as I want.

This forum is full of mean spirited, spiteful old codgers who just want to see every one of their fellow expats fail at everything... Mostly based on jealousy and their own bitter and twisted unsuccessful and boring existences.

Had I left out the last paragraph, the replies would have been a whole lot different... But as soon as I mentioned that I will take the place over, the bile erupted from the sad acts..... Typical TV member hatred.

So you give away pork worth $6. To make that up patron need tabs of @ least $70. assuming gropp profit % of 11%(which i would consider low).

Then if operator wants profit he needs patron to eat 5lbs of rice and drink 20 bottles of beer....................hahaha.

No wonder he was the only one doing the DEAL. and doesnt want to go back to it.

Since when is a proven business model defined by months of opearting.

Pork around here is 155 baht per kilo and if you go to Tesco at the moment you can get it on offer for 109 baht/kilo.

Each portion is 200g of meat so as low as 22 baht per serving which they sell for 159 baht.

So 318 baht for 600g of meat costing no more than 105 baht.

Seriously mate...... don't go into business with your mathematical skills..... You will be bankrupt in a week.

3 months at full capacity while the 3 for 2 offer was in place in a location with successive failures over a 5 year period.... then declining rapidly as soon as the offer is lifted, is not enough information for you to decide what the success was based on?..... a second reason for you to never venture into business.