17 hours ago, fruitman said:

It's not only vendors blocking the pavement also the real shops like to occupy the sidewalks or just go sitting there themselves.

 

For me Singapore is a paradise, no lowclass uneducated annoying people on the sidewalks blocking the walkways. Everybody speaks good english, they have very good clean foodcourts and i feel respected as a person to walk there. In BKK i prefer to sit in the skytrain instead of walking around. There are lowhanging sharp objects everywhere, dripping aircons, stinky dirty soidogs, dirty foodvendors and the whole streets are filthy from their garbage. Pavement is broken/missing, mototaxi's driving on sidewalks and pedestrians are in danger all the time while out on the street, ridiculous.

 

There are far too many people in BKK who don't contribute to a better life for others, they all think it's normal to block traffic or even whole roadlanes all day long. This all is setting BKK and Thailand back, decent companies refuse to come here and so do educated people.

 

Bangkok is also far too busy, people who have no job shouldn't hang around but go back where they came from and build a life there. Trafficjam costs us many hours a day, it's unlivable now. Having a car is a mini-prison and all because lowclass taxi-drivers/minivans/bahtbuses just don't care at all about other roadusers. 

 

It's sad nothing is being done, i expected more from the General.

 

 

I kind of agree with you, but your constant referral to 'low class' people sucks. Be grateful you were born with the opportunities life has spread before you, a little humility would be a good thing, do you drive a 'luxury' Mini?

4 hours ago, smutcakes said:

 

If you need everything ship shape, safety compliant and sterile why bother living in Thailand?

 

Surely you knew what it was like before you came here. Its strange when people complain about lax law enforcement and this type of thing, when half the people who come here do so because it is more relaxed and less strigent than many other countries have become.

You have a very valid point, I would be lying to say I don't benefit in some way from Thailands 'mai bpen rai' approach to many things, however, I think that long term, the dismal state of infrastructure, and people riding 'motosais' the wrong way with no lights, is not exactly the best way to run things.

I am not a fan of the nanny state, but when it gets to the point of criminals 'renting' the streets, and there are real, serious, multi-casualty, risks that are just laughed off as being 'dramatic', then the authorities are wise to act. Before we do, in fact, have a massive urban tragedy. It does not take much to start a stampede, it happens regularly in India and Saudi at religious pilgrimages, it happens everywhere there are nightclub fires. Most die trying to escape. A vat of hot oil spilling in Silom Road could trigger a panic in that crowd. I have been in a crowd panic (at Notting Hill Carnival as a LEO) and it is the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced, you can FEEL the fear in the air, the screams of people losing their shit does not help, and next thing, you have dead everywhere, all because some two-bit vendors and their criminal landlords are allowed to run amok? No thanks!

PS: Do you know what started the Notting Hill stampede? It is almost comical given where Notting Hill is, it was rain! It started raining, and they all crowded into the Notting Hill tube tunnel/bridge, there were barriers in there for crowd flow control, which then caused a crush, and next thing, it was pure pandemonium. That's how easy it is for things to go horribly wrong, my friend.

20 minutes ago, Loeilad said:

Swampy was a major project that was completed....furthermore the canal will be underwritten by the Chinese....... It is THEY who need this cut.

Yes, and my theory is that the 'ghost' highway flyover was a casualty of departmental miscommunication, or maybe 'progress and practicality' overtook blue sky planning, or maybe it was just blatant corruption, we will never know...

What China wants, China usually gets.

They are pragmatic, and use the chequebook rather than the jackboot, they can afford practically any amount, the venal Australians almost sold a vast swathe of their own country to the Chinese, before the government stepped in, I understand they're STILL trying to offload the Kidman 'ranch' to anyone 'white enough' with a boatload of cash!

Greedy morons. It's dumber than the American tribes selling Manhattan Island, only they didn't know better!

9 hours ago, Loeilad said:

It would appear that the project depends entirely on the Chinese and is really more strategic than economic. 

 

Chinese are mainly concerned with the free flow of oil now that they have overtaken Japan as the world's largest importer of the stuff.

the failure of the Russo-Chinese pipeline and the possibility of sinking one large ship in the Malacca straits could stop supplies from the Middle East makes the canal an attractive alternative route. Also Sino-Singaporean relationships are not that good at present.

 

As pointed out earlier the Thai government may not be too happy about creating an apparent border between the Thai mainland and the Southern provinces that are fighting a separatist insurgency at present

 

Here's Singaporean perspective from the Straits Times...which underlines the minimal economic benefits.

"Analysts say that for the cost of building the canal, the savings of around 72 hours for ships is not significant enough.

The Panama Canal cuts about 12,000km off a journey by bypassing South America, while the Suez took 10,000km off a trip between Europe and South Asia.

There are also environmental consequences and security considerations for the Kra Canal.

Many in the Thai establishment would not be happy with a canal that appears to separate the country's four southernmost provinces from the rest of the country.

The provinces have historically resisted Bangkok's rule and are torn by separatist insurgency.

If these obstacles were overcome, questions such as what to do with the tonnes of soil excavated and where to relocate millions of people who live along the proposed site still have to answered."

Could Singapore be a little shortsighted?

Singapore themselves could use the excavations for their desperately needed reclamation projects, unless it is not the right kind of 'dirt' for the job, but I dunno.

Thailand, if it was more pragmatic, would gain so much by 'losing' that portion restive south, maybe they could even 'sell' it back to Malaysia? Its a win-win. Additionally, it would strengthen Thai defenses in the south, were a land invasion threat ever to materialize.

Are there really 'millions' of people down there? Or are we talking a few hundred thousand?

Again, a clean (haha) buyout and resettlement is entirely achievable, they just need to choose which country they want to resettle in.

The sinking of one large ship in the canal would also stymie China, a similar stunt in the Straits could be quickly negated by simply destroying the wreck, not so easy in a canal with a population lining it!

Environment? Yes, we all make soothing noises, then go ahead and eat the burger, drive the SUV, catch the plane, and fart methane, so that's just a bit of hipster bullshit, i'm not being flippant, this is basically the attitude of most people, except tree huggers.

1 minute ago, Loeilad said:

Hardly major project...couple of kilometres by don muang!

Do you realise how big this canal project is??????

1 minute ago, Loeilad said:

Hardly major project...couple of kilometres by don muang!

Do you realise how big this canal project is??????

Ah, OK in context, I see your point.

Which leads to another observation, if, for whatever reason, these pillars were erected, and then abandoned (probably because Swampy was built?)  it does not bode well for the Kra klong caper...

8 hours ago, Loeilad said:

..and that's the basis of your argument? I think you need to review your perception of urban planning for as start and then think about what or isn't a major civil engineering project.

Maybe I'm too smart for religion but don't make the cut on urban planning (I was hungover for that lecture) but abandoned 3 story high transport corridor buttresses are 'minor' engineering in your book? 

Do explain, maybe I myself have misunderstood, I'm happy to be corrected by a professional, it's been a long and tiring lunch, because, retired.

2 hours ago, kannot said:

not  my argument just  pointing out the unfinished motorways

LOL'd at your avatar BTW, nice! You do realise were both going to hell don't you? ;D

21 minutes ago, Basil B said:

 

The first one that comes to mind:

Oh that's going to be the new venue for the lovable firetrap street markets to sell you your 3 day old fried chicken, fake viagra, and Chang singlets!

On 13/11/2016 at 0:02 PM, Gulfsailor said:

Until I hear from my Phatthalung inlaws that Bangkok businessmen are buying large swaths of land in the area, this is not a project about to start anytime soon. 

Edit because I misread your post: Yes, and what a great opportunity to flip it back to the deep state for a few cool trillion, because, heyyyy! the Thai taxpayer will foot the bill, so who gives a Panamanian, boys, it's payday again!

Another mangled report from the PBS, maybe they should hire just ONE foreign proofreader?

We are left to guess if the ejection rockets failed to ignite and eject the seat, if the parachute on the ejected seat failed to deploy (thus stabilising the seat, allowing the pilot to jump free using their personal chute) or even if the pilot was incapacitated and never initiated the ejection sequence.

2 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Funny how, for example, people wearing orange robes can run rings around them.

Orange robes are not bullet proof, there will come a time... at the moment it pays not to rock the boat, if you think the army are afraid of anything, or anyone, since a certain event came to pass, you are not paying attention.

7 hours ago, colinneil said:

Sad thing about this, is that it draws peoples attention away from things that really matter.

Like trying to find a long term solution to the rice farmers problems.

I suppose growing rapidly-being-legalized Cannabis or hemp would be too progressive not to mention insanely profitable?

By the time they cotton on, California will be selling the best weed to the entire (legalized) world.

If you missed it because of the trump election, about FIVE US States ALSO voted to legalize RECREATIONAL weed last week.

"Crime Suppression Division" ?

What do the "other" divisions of the police do then?

International Police Newsflash: ALL divisions are 'crime suppressing' or at least they are in the real world...

Surely we are all at least smart enough to understand that what one country thinks, or even says publicly about another country, has absolutely zero impact on anything whatsoever.

Whenever the UN -or anyone else claiming the moral high ground- start crapping on, the leaders of the state being lectured to, just roll their eyes.

I don't know why they even bother saying anything at all...

Who cares?

Meanwhile,  318.9 million (2014) Americans got on with their lives. 

He's a four year POTUS not the frikken Antichrist!

1 hour ago, bridge2bridge said:

Very well said.

I wish we had him in Australia.

 

We had Sir Abbott of Tony and his Captains calls, that worked out well, didn't it?

Dear Believers,

Bin your silly imaginary friend, and his pedo mate, Mo, and your problems will blissfully vanish, its really quite as amazingly simple as that!

3 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Yes no need to give  us the scoop again and again. Laws are being ignored, wild promises made and broken the constitution ripped up. Yes you have achieved your goal. We understand the Republican modus  operendi just keep spouting crap till the opposition is quiet. Trying to impose your misguided will on others. 

Are you even on the right thread?! I'm no Republican, I have rightly accused the media of self evidently trying and FAILING to create a make believe world and sway a vote/referendum with propaganda tactics. They're supposed to be 'reporters' not 'fixers'. It applies to both sides, but the left/liberals have now been stymied TWICE. My own politics lean left, and I'm pissed off about the behaviour of 'my' team, as any decent voter should be!

9 minutes ago, Publicus said:

 

And of course the MSM have *nothing* to do with conflating the situation and spinning it whichever way their boss tells them to, brave new world of press=100% propaganda

 

We're not firing up Old Sparky down there in the dungeon now are we?

 

Along with enhanced interrogation techniques to get the demanded results.

 

Give us the inside scoop about the Trump designs for immediate future if you would plse thx. 

How do you extrapolate TORTURE, or even a nod to Trump from my polemic?

You fit right in to the obfusticating media circus, you have:

1. Blatantly avoided coherently addressing the point(s) I made.

2. Tried to be both clever and condescending, but since you're not very skilled at either, it's unfair to hold you to that allegation.

3. Gone way out left field to the point where your response is practically gibberish.

4. Not been paying attention. Trump has had PLENTY to say since last week, no need for me to scoop anything, and again, what has that got to do with the original allegations that the media have abandoned any pretense at balance?

1 minute ago, Publicus said:

 

Indeed.

 

Final tally expected to be available in another ten dayze or so is reckoned to be plus 2 million Popular Votes ahead of Trump, or approaching it. That would be a Popular Vote winning margin of at least 1.5%. Probably a bit greater.

 

Trump has no popular mandate. The popular mandate is in the streets and that is where it will remain. Voting with one's feet.

And do explain exactly how many 'fiddlesticks' the near 50% of Americans who didn't even bother to vote at all, give about these unwashed malcontents and their popular vote mandate?

Democracy is broken anyway.

I am playing devils advocate here because I am disgusted by the mendacity and 'champagne socialism' of multi-millionaires like Clinton, and the other political elites, who have lied and lied and lied, as my generation, on the brink of retirement, were gutted by the GFC, while Wall Street cleaned up. And nobody even went to jail for that billion dollar global fraud.

They can all kiss my fed up rear end.

This was an 'ABC' election for America 'Anyone But Clinton - or Cruz - or Carson!'

1 minute ago, Publicus said:

 

Unfortunate but not a disqualification to exercise one's Constitutional rights.

 

To reiterate btw, there are always violent people who attach themselves to public demonstrations of protest.

 

Critics of First Amendment rights need to distinguish between the mass of politically motivated demonstrating protesters and the violent types. A failure to do so means the critic is in error or he has an agenda.

And of course the MSM have *nothing* to do with conflating the situation and spinning it whichever way their boss tells them to, brave new world of press=100% propaganda. This election completely finished what Brexit started, both involved a shameful, hugely expensive, failed mind manipulation by an institution that is SUPPOSED to stand for the truth. But do you see the beauty of this? In dishonestly pushing for a 'kinder' world (only applicable if you're a foreigner, bad luck if you're a white person in your own country!) They unleashed their worst nightmare. Maybe next time, they will dispense charity to their own first, and not lie through their <deleted> to get Champagne socialists agendas on the dance card.

27 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

 

Interesting - worth watching ---> 100% on topic.....

................Please watch..............

 

Leadership -        versus subservience ..... 

I love this commentary, and I'm supposed to be a liberal! Where Saudi is concerned, we are ALL quite happy to see them burn in their own oil lake.

41 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

 

Intermission......With a little poke at the lunatic fringe/rioters.....

Just for fun.....

 

Jousting - measuring the longest lance - restarts in 5 minutes....

 

 

The freeze frame of this guys face tells me everything I don't need to know!  

1 hour ago, optad said:

Hong Kong - Macao ferry is about 60 kms and takes a tad over one hour. Done it twice. The ferries leave every fifteen minutes and cost about 30aud. That is about half the distance, a third of the old price and a quarter of the time and fifty times the frequency!!!!

 

So the Pattaya to HH ferry can be done. .......... It just that the thais do infrastructure differently. lol!

 

The above does high the difference too in that SAR region and Thailand. I like that about LOS. Total madness in south china but they do make anything possible. I don't mind it when things don't really work. Just me.

Also it's kind of challenging to drive from Macau to Honkers...