dhream

This is what happens when someone decides it's a good idea to weld the church to the state.

If this is botched it could unleash all sorts of hell.

Laughing boy claiming legitimacy under the Constitution, and the rule of law be damned.

7 hours ago, JAG said:

Whilst I agree with your conclusion, I was actually thinking about another announcement...

That happened, it was all over every local channel yesterday. And even on a post here. 

As you know with these matters, blink and you'd miss it. 

That's what it's come to.

52 minutes ago, electric said:

 

That's an intriguing comment dhream ... did I miss something on this mornings news ?  

 

Imminent alien invasion ? Comet impact ? 

 

Should I be buying more gold ? or maybe not bother to renew my car rego beyond 6 months ?

 

More information about "certain events have occurred" would be most appreciated.

It's not news.

It's what now is, and will be.

And that won't be what was.

Not even close to what was.

You can find out more with a bit of googling and a server not based within the reach of the NCPO.

1 hour ago, elgordo38 said:

Look around Asia its the same all over. Duteute, Najib, Park, Modi, Cambodia's new labor laws, Mr. Xi and I am sure there are a couple I forgot to mention. 

It's basically find the odd man out in Asia. As far as I know, there isn't one. Even Dodo ended up being a disappointment. 

Henry is basically just following LKYs playbook. Granted, Singapore has much to admire, but like all of Asia you'd best shut up, or you're going away on a government vacation.

Japan and Taiwan, I think are the only truly democratic states with rule of law.

Korea has just been exposed as a scam, or she'd be gone by now.

1 hour ago, elgordo38 said:

Is Thailand now the new hub for curing AIDS or is this really aspirin that you put between your knees 

Elgordo, shame on you! As a follower of all things local, you should know that Thailand is the new hub for, er, Hubs.

The Thai Red Cross are extremely cost effective and efficient when it comes to having 'the tests' done, way cheaper than any clinics, and turnaround inside an hour.

But, if they invented an oral prophylactic, I'd have thought it would be world breaking news. 

Or is it another click bait headline? 

That's why you can bet I haven't bothered to read the article.

31 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

 

The curse of the 3rd generation. Grandpa Chaleo toil and started Red Bull. Daddy Chalerm expanded the business to reach its zenith and son will squander the wealth. True of so many wealthy families. 

I understand there's about 12 billionaires in this family alone at this point. They were recently chided in an editorial to get out if the shadows, and return honor to the family by pressuring the suspect to face justice. 

Surprised this story hasn't gone global by now.

F1 might consider withdrawal of contracts, particularly since laughing boy is suspected of evading vehicular manslaughter charges. 

2 hours ago, pookiki said:

For me, the biggest issue is the extent to which individuals and/or corporations go to such great lengths to avoid paying taxes that could make this planet a much better place for all of us. A fairer tax system would be a great start and prohibiting or criminalizing the placement of funds in 'off-shore' tax havens to avoid paying taxes.  There is this pervasive and inexplicable mindset that there is 'never enough'!

I'm all for getting off our butts and getting ahead, but yes, it's this never ending lust for more than they could ever hope to spend in tens of lifetimes, what's up with that? 

Very little philanthropy evident from the disproportionate amount of billionaires here. 

Giving huge donations to temples may be all very Thai, but it's not very philanthropic. 

16 minutes ago, eddie61 said:

That means parents taking responsibility for their kids..... the Thai gene pool missed that sequence

Yup, while massive reform is long overdue on the roads and in the BIB.

Parents are the ones who bear the ultimate responsibility.

Never quite get why some folks, in every country, rely so much on the authorities/government, to be everyones nanny. 

While the police here definitely need to do their job, we as a planet, need less government, not more.

In one area of a northern city, the police regularly have a roadblock.

They nab decrepit pick up trucks, and helmetless riders, usually wave everyone else through. 

At least those guys seem to be doing their job.

There's a strategy alright, only these guys won't be a part of it. 

Certain events have occurred. 

Everything is about to change in ways they cannot imagine, much less comprehend.

They're living in Unicorn land if they think it's gonna be business as usual -for them in particular.

19 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No objection here, but I dream of a world without mass jet air travel or private cars in cities, free public transport, and sane work/ accommodation policies. What chance that dream becoming reality when every man, woman and child wants their own personal conveyance and no one wants to pay more tax for public transport?

It could well be that the driverless vehicle will bring your vision to fruition. 

If nobody can use their vehicle as an extension of their dick (my car is faster and bigger and I CONTROL its behaviour).

The only other options then are likely to be shape (largely mandated by future congestion and traffic technology) colour, and interior luxury.

Consider how a billionaire and I can both afford the same choice of excellent smartphones right now, that's where I see vehicle technology and affordability going. Public transport could be individual Spartan vehicles that you can literally hose out. CCTV and or 'black boxes' could resolve vandalism or littering by charging the offender at the end of the ride. A little off topic, but uplifting. Let's hope we get there soon!

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The science of flight is determined by fixed scientific principles.

The science of the environment is mainly guesswork. There is no "united" scientific determination on how it works, despite the best efforts of the Chicken Littles to convince us otherwise.

I explained that badly. I was using aircraft design to suggest that computer models are sophisticated enough to predict whether say, the A380 would fly when built. 

Computer models are only as good as the data they're given. 

Since climate change data is a historical fact, it's pretty hard to say that data is flawed.

Where we disagree, is the results extrapolated from such data. 

I the skeptics are wrong, we're all going to face a bleak future. 

If they're right, what have we lost? 

The benefits of cleaning up the planet, and using sustainable energy from solar etc will STILL be better options than burning fuel (Beijing haze anyone?) 

So even if the science IS a global hoax, even the opponents of warming have to breathe the same air as the progressive thinkers, so to oppose it can only mean the opponents have a monetary stake in the status quo. 

Why should we all be condemned to breathe toxic air so some oligarchs in the coal, plastic, and auto  industry can fly to where the air is pure and the sky is blue?

Fair comment?

The Jamie Bulger murder showed kids can be evil little shits.

But I don't believe a 15 year old would dream this up alone, and this is the second such case in the region. 

There has to be a seriously evil adult behind all this. 

35 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

"Need a French Style Revolt."

Yes. let's. I presume you know who and what Louis XVI was. Try that in Thailand at your peril.

Before you get too far off topic, have a look at recent history, the history that's been banned at 'home', including wiki leaks of US ambassadors cables. You will be very surprised at how precarious the status quo is here. Why do you think the junta are trying to turn the nation into North Korea? They may have the tanks, but they are terrified of the masses.

You are falling for the junta delusion that if you shut down dissent, and promote a vision of universal devotion, you've solved the problem. Big mistake.

1 hour ago, seancbk said:

First of all the top 1% are responsible for employing a huge number of people.

The top 1% might hold 58% of the wealth but that is because their businesses account for a significant % of the countries GDP.

The next 10% of the population probably control 20% of the wealth, the next 20% of the population another 10%...   basically if you divide everyone in Thailand who is middle class and up (lets use 100,000 a month as the cutoff) then there are actually a lot of people who are doing ok, and the rest are just farmers and poor people.   

I wish people would be realistic, you cannot have everyone being well off.   We don't want everyone being able to own a TV, a fridge, a car, etc etc   the planet's resources can't take it, besides when everyone CAN afford to become a consumer that is what makes other people rich. 




 

Which all sounds terribly reasonable, but what you're really saying is that you're OK, and the poor should be grateful for what they've been born with. 

Got any hi-so Thai relatives by any chance?

29 minutes ago, tails said:

 

How do most of the foreigners contribute more tax than local Thais? While I do realise many Thais pay little or no tax, I would have thought most foreigners were either retired, a tourist or working illegally and therefore not paying tax at all...

I pay 7% tax on every legal transaction in Thailand. We all do.

The cash only transactions often involve a 'farang tax' the % of which is whatever the Thai merchant thinks he can get away with.

Then comes the two tier pricing sanctioned by the government. That's around 200% 

Want to treat yourself? They'll soak you 400% luxury tax. 

A consumption tax may be better than taxing earnings, but these margins are a bit much.

Don't they mean the richest 1% stole 58% of Thailand's wealth?

12 hours ago, Ahab said:

I want to see the indisputable science, just not something that is spit out of a computer model.

 

Computer models 'build' modern aircraft.

That would suggest they have a reasonable grasp of the 'science' of flight, and precision engineering.

No doubt you travel by balloon, you have an inexhaustible supply of hot air AND methane by the look of it.

On 11/29/2016 at 8:05 AM, Pimay1 said:

 

Global average temperatures over land have plummeted by more than 1C since the middle of this year – their biggest and steepest fall on record.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3974846/Stunning-new-data-indicates-El-Nino-drove-record-highs-global-temperatures-suggesting-rise-not-man-emissions.html

 

You've quoted a very unreliable source. This newspaper may be popular, but it's really just The Beano for adults, it's a right wing leaning propaganda rag, nothing more.

2 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

They say a photo never lies, but statistics, like photography, can deceive. I have wrecked 8 cars in serious crashes and walked away from every one of them, so in my eyes driving is safer than flying :)

You've wrecked 8 cars? Even a cat only has nine lives, better start walking everywhere, phantom.

18 minutes ago, mcfish said:

I have to admit that I'f my time came I would rather get t boned in a car than spending several minutes spinning out of control with 270 screaming passengers

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

Yeah, it's bad enough in turbulence when some idiot loses their shit, and starts everybody off...

3 hours ago, mcfish said:

Im not. I'm a licensed pilot and Ive already read that site and many others. I suspect you have a strong fear of flying to start with. Do some research on google, you can not argue against stastics :-)

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

Tragic loss. But agree. Aviation is so refined at checklist safety by rote, even surgeons (with an overall appalling safety record) have adopted them. That's why decent hospitals will have the surgical team actually ask you, personally what you are having done, before proceeding, wherever possible. Not the first time they've lopped off a healthy leg.

14 hours ago, GuiseppeD said:

I wanted to hold hands with my friend on the inaugural crossing from Pattaya to Hua Hin.  Just such a disappointment.

 

And I wasn't expecting a pink speedboat.  That's just so gay.

 

 

Real men don't think of pink as 'gay'.

But what makes it truly hilarious, is that the above whiny comment sounds more like your presumably female 'friend' wrote it!

6 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

I can't imagine Andrew Biggs being too pleased at being lumped in with the rest of the wannabes on this list.

 

Three of them I've only heard of through negative publicity... Mate Nate and Baan nok for posting badly misjudged youtube videos recently, and wasn't that Sunny dude the one they mistakenly picked up as the Erawan bomber? 

If you live here and you don't at least know of Andrew Briggs, chances are you don't know much Thai language either. It's never a good idea to remain blissfully illiterate in the language of the country one lives in.