sambum

I saw another photo of this" miss" and " she" certainly looked like a boy , moustache and all.

See post #38

I guess that is the way things are done in Pattaya , get permission for an acceptible 7 storey hotel and then change it to 13 storeys by sleight of hand .

Demolition of the ground floor by the army cannot be disputed and makes the hotel inoperable . The owners have to spend money to demolish the rest .

Or, since the army will not be demolishing the supporting columns, simply build the ground floor walls again when the army leaves and open the hotel. I am guessing that will be both cheaper and more profitable for the owners.

And what's to stop the Army coming back and repeating the procedure as many times as it takes?

Thai law resticts or bans many things - the problem is of course selective enforcement. You can walk down Sukhumvit Road any day and purchase pornography, prescription drugs (mostly fake), knives, tazers, and a plethora of counterfeit goods - all of wich are illegal, and all of which the police turn a blind eye to. Yet, dare to accidentaly drop a cigaret but on the already filthy sidewalk and you will immediately be fined 2,000 Baht on the spot!

Moral - those who can afford to be fined will be fined, other are time wasters and are no use to police coffers.

Question - Did you EVER see a Thai fined for "littering" of any kind, cigarette butts or any other kind of rubbish - anywhere, not just Bangkok?

When does a PM of a country get to tell the police what to do? This guy still thinks he is a general

Article 44? Absolute power? You haven't been paying attention, have you?

"Thammarat gave up the name of his dealer to police after being questioned."

Can we have a recent photo please?

"Police then searched Amporn at her home and found 20 grams of crystal meth."

"Her" home? Sure about that?

You can not legislate self discipline. Looking at a Beer Girl, picture of a beer can/glass is not going to make someone drink too much, it is a lack of self discipline that does it.

Where do they get all these stupid rules from, ignorance ?

One of the big problems Thailand has is that too many of those in positions of responsibility have a very bad lack of "Circumspect", they have not opened their mind and do not want to respect opinions of non Thai's.

Enough, I do not need a knock on the door !! I have lived here as a guess for 11 years, I also respect many Thais I have met, but they have some very basic problems they need to deal with.

By the way, Dear General/PM keep flushing the devise, the water is not clear yet !!

And girls are not to wear bikinis on the beach after dark!

This is a run-down of what is banned (from http://www.establishmentpost.com/junta-ordered-thailand-law-enforcement-signals-end-happy-hour/):

• Alcohol sales to anyone under the age of 20 is banned.
• Alcohol can not be sold to anyone who is visibly drunk.
• The promotion of wine or beer tastings is banned.
• Enticing or encouraging someone to drink alcohol is banned.
• Drinking after midnight in bars or restaurants, even though alcohol sales have stopped is banned.
• Photographs of glasses or bottles in the media must have any brands or logos blurred.
• Drinking while riding a bicycle, motorbike or in a car, whether driving or not, is banned.
• All alcohol products must carry a government health warning – a choice of five approved health warning messages are available to chose from – and list all of the ingredients.
• Promoting alcohol sales through methods such as happy hours, free ice and mixers, buy two get one free, and the use of ‘beer girls’ is banned.
• Glasses, ashtrays and other restaurant or bar paraphernalia cannot carry alcohol logos.
• The display of posters or bottles with alcohol company logos, even old posters or empty bottles, is banned.
• Bar and restaurant staff are forbidden from wearing clothing embossed or printed with alcohol logos while working.
• The use of images that are associated with alcohol products, such as red stars for Heineken or a black bat on a red circular background for Bacardi, in promotional literature is prohibited.
• Promoting alcohol by word of mouth is illegal (a waiter would be breaking the law if he/she suggested a particular brand of wine or beer).
• Drinking is banned in government buildings, including education centres, public parks, petrol or gas refueling stations and temples or religious venues.
• Alcohol cannot be sold by vending machines.
• Promoting alcohol by offering points, prizes, discounts, incentives or rewards is banned.
• Television advertising is only permitted between 10pm and 5am while the amount of space alcohol logos can occupy in printed or online advertising is limited. In addition audio health warning must be clear and legible down to each syllable, while printed health warnings must run the full width of the advertisement, whether electronic, printed, or online and occupy no less than one-quarter of the advertising space.

Can I tell somebody I like it?

This silliness is the extreme end result of a totalitarian government, now the question is , what else are the silliness administration going to ban or introduce next, that is the question. perhaps the banning of alcohol , now that would be interesting and quite on the cards.

Ah, yes, you haven't QUITE said it, but you have put it in their minds! Let's ban PLAYING CARDS, because they encourage gambling!

So you can't have logos in a menu, but it's ok to be seen from miles away?

Showing the brand is perfectly ok. It's showing what's termed a 'pack-shot' - product, glass with contents - that's illegal here.

But WHY?

By the way, Samui is a safe place now. The next bomb will explode elsewhere.

+1

The horse bolted already.

Terrorists are not like lightning strikes: they bomb a place and move on to the next whilst the stupid authorities run around the scene like a disturbed ants nest. Almost for sure the next bomb will not be in Samui irrespective of the security there now.

"The horse bolted already" leaving behind the usual knee jerk reactions, and step ups in security measures. However, in this case, if it makes things safer, and gives some people a proper job to do - fine by me.

In response to the comment from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee Chief Suthep Thaugsuban that only a person who lived abroad could have funded the bomb, Kongsheep said that he believed that as "he did not think that Thai’s would hurt one another because of different ideologies."

Can I have some of what he's been drinking? From somebody in his position, I think that must qualify as this New Year's most idiotic comment!

"And this year's Buffoon of The New Year award goes to ............."

"As a Buddhist monk, Phra Suthep should refrain from lying, as speaking an untruth was a sin under Buddhism".

The Brit was way out of order. The most common complaint from all the expats here is "the problem is that a lot of guys who come here think all of the girls here are available and go about treating them like they are". You don't grab any female off the street and physically touch them, in your home country you would be charged with assault for doing just that. Be a bit more respectful guys, not all women are available and keep your hands to yourself and maybe you will enjoy Pattaya incident free just like all the other long term expats do.

Fully agree - and it shouldn't matter whether it's Pattaya, Bangkok, or Phuket. The girl in the street may be somebody's wife/girlfriend/sister who is merely on her way home, or to meet somebody, or any number of reasons that should not warrant a "groping" from a drunken foreigner, whereas the girls in the bars will soon let you know if they are "available" or not.

Unfortunately,(in my neck of the woods in the UK ), a great percentage of the people tend to think that anyone who comes to Thailand on holiday is some kind of pervert, anyway, so if they do decide to come here, then they decide to act the part!

Pumpin area of Surathani. It's all over the TV at the moment.

What - 2 bombs - one in Surat and one on Samui?

This is really crazy - all that stuff in the south has forever been about Muslims asking for the right to follow their religion in schools where not even one teacher was Buddhist.

Dozens of schools where there were all Muslim staff and children but they had to have Buddhist rites because this was Thailand.

How does that translate to car bombs on Samui and in Surat Thani?

R

I am not religious, but how do you know Muslims were responsible?

This image used to be on the Ministry of Culture website (until the 2011 Songkran episode):

That image was a portion of this original painting by the Thai artist Sompop Budtarad:

The offending image was changed after the MoC condemned topless revellers during the 2011 celebration and a flurry of people pointed out that the MoC had an image of topless girls on their website !

Perhaps what is "appropriate" depends largely on how it looks when you wear it (or don't) yourself !

I never have, and never will, understand why so many people think it is bad to show the female breast and or nipple!

Some sort of strange puritan, victorian perversion I guess.

Before western influence interfered, it was common for Thai women to not cover their breasts.

Breasts and nipples are not all about recreational sex.

If they were not kept hidden and secret, those who are so excited about them, would not be nearly as interested in them.

I was told by a japanese girlfriend once that when Japanese women were prohibited to expose the back of their neck in public, Japanese men considered the nexk the most erotic part of the female body!

Why are male nipples not taboo to display in public?

IMO..the whole concept of bad breasts is ridiculous!

Can anyone please explain to me what is so bad about a nipple?

We all have them!

The showing of bare female breasts in the media is considered "obscene", yet showing photos of mutilated dead bodies seems to be totally acceptable. I know which one I consider "obscene"!

Claimed Mr Hunnington threw the first punch.

Of course.

Funny. The farang always initiates these 'gang' attacks.

Bad farang.

He's drunk, he's a Brit, he groped a Thai woman . . . sorry, but he probably did throw the first punch. He allegedly punched the farang boyfriend of the woman he groped, not a gang of Thai men. The Thai men apparently came to the defense of the Finnish man.

Yes, of course the South Koreans have never had problems with their boats. Unless you count the captain who abandoned ship leaving hundreds of school children to die last year. Costa Concordia....oh so sorry didnt see the sandbank. Townsend Thoresen....oh awfully sorry old chap didn't realise we had to close the doors. Those whinging about Thai marine accidents should look closer at home methinks.

Not to mention the number of ferry disasters in the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, (especially that country) India and Egypt, (I've dived of a sunken ferry there) And there are plenty of others. When we put to sea, we are at risk.

And no, equalizer, it is not normal practice to don life jackets on this type of vessel unless and until an emergency occurs. Praise is due to the crew, the rescue services, both professional and willing amateurs for what was, overall a successful outcome.

Well said! And can you imagine the chaos when the ferry reaches its destination, and everybody is trying to hand their life jackets in? It's pretty much a "free for all" already with everyone trying to be among the first off.

seatran.jpg This was a tourist ferry leaving from Koh Tao a few days ago . I thought it was on fire ! until I saw it do the same thing the next day . the engine is clearly in a bad condition for it to create this much smoke !! how long before it blows up and sinks just like the Krabi boat ? I decided not to use this ferry company when I left the island !

Another reason (as if there aren't enough already!) not to visit Koh Tao!

Dumping garbage, kids on bikes chucking rubbish, its a way of life here. It'll take a new generation to change things not a government overnight fix it.

Just like nearly everything else here that hasn't changed at all. That is except a crackdown on everything foreign.

The small complex where I rent my house which is just off the main road, and actually in the "city" limits) does not have a rubbish collection service, so we have to dispose of our own. (e.g. put it in plastic carrier bags and take it to the nearest green wheelie bin, which is usually full to overflowing, with piles of stinking bags beside it. A neighbour (Middle Eastern) did not even bother doing that - he just dumped his bags of rubbish at the side of the lane leading to our complex! (Just to illustrate that it's not just a Thai problem!)

I agree with your post - it could take a new generation to change things, but only if the anti littering laws are enforced by that generation. Did you ever hear of ANY Thai being fined or punished in any way for dumping rubbish? But, if a farang walks down the street in Bangkok and drops a cigarette butt - he/she is immediately jumped on by the "litter police" and fined 2000 baht.

The way forward is to convince the Thai "powers that be", and the Thai citizens that cater for the tourist trade, that garbage dumping, especially in holiday destinations can and does have a detrimental effect on tourism, and hence dramatically decreases the number of baht that goes into their pockets, and by giving them a hefty fine at the same time, their pockets are being hit twice!

I have mixed feelings...

Sure it's worrying about the power that article 44 allows, but that same power also allows for all of the red tape and bureaucracy to be side stepped in order to make meaningful changes in months rather than years or decades...

I look at many western countries and see that the road to 'meaningful democracy' was paved with Violent revolutions, civil wars, protests and uprisings.... And to be honest, if you asked me about a year ago, seemed this was the path that Thailand was heading as well.

So while I do not look through any rose tinted glasses and while I do look at article 44 with some trepidation and fear as to how it could be abused...

I also do have some amount of hope that it could allow for real changes in Thailand government and institutions that could greatly benefit Thai society and democracy in the long term.

So it will all come down to how things play out and how it is used, but personally I am willing to wait and see before I make any final judgements.

BANGKOK: -- THE NEW charter must be accepted by the international community, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and it's starting to show - he is now starting to try to enforce his will on the "International community" by virtually saying that if they don't like the fact that he has given himself absolute power, they can lump it (or words to that effect!)

(Mods - Sorry can't change the bold type!)

No loss there then ! I too had the misfortune to visit CM UK Consulate apalling,rude & arrogant Thai lady ran the place under the Hon Consuler who was never to be seen.or contacted as always"too busy". Disgrace of a place. Pattaya had some fat,ugly gay guy & gay team including a formidable looking lady man working next to immigration a few years ago but although making themselves a few quid were at least efficient.

The only decent UK Consulate I met was an ex-Army man on Koh Samui about 6 yrs ago but I think he packed it in as just got grief...all very sad.

The ex Army man/ Honorary Consul is still alive and well and operational on Koh Samui, and still doing a good job!

quote

"This is consistent with how we support British nationals elsewhere in Thailand."

Thank will be piss bugger all then?

Piss poor to think of a once proud empire reduced to jack, some may disagree but it is another example to the world that we are in decline to my way of thinking.

The UK still has the Falklands and it's about to build a high speed train line between London and Birmingham costing 50-100 billion or more! It will knock 10-15 minutes off the travel time compared to a normal train. The trains may be built in France, Germany or Japan but it's still a British idea! Decline is all in the mind.

You can NOT be serious! (With thanks to John McEnroe!)

"In April, Surat Thani Governor Mr.Chatpong Chatraphuti, along with the government sectors went to inspect the area after Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha commanded the governor to take care of the problem."

For those who don't know, the incinerators have been closed for years, it is not a recent problem. Unfortunately the governor has been too busy to do anything about it, and everything else for that matter, until now. The plan is now to dig the garbage further down and cover it with dirt, and the job has to be completed before the generals next visit.

For those who don't know, there are no waste water treatment plants on Samui either, in case anyone wondered what happens to the dirty water in the island's many klongs

"In April, Surat Thani Governor Mr.Chatpong Chatraphuti, along with the government sectors went to inspect the area after Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha commanded the governor to take care of the problem."

Presumably, as the command was given by Gen Prayuth, that would be April 2015, which is only 7 days old - so a fairly recent commandment then?

"In April, Surat Thani Governor Mr.Chatpong Chatraphuti, along with the government sectors went to inspect the area after Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha commanded the governor to take care of the problem."

For those who don't know, the incinerators have been closed for years, it is not a recent problem. Unfortunately the governor has been too busy to do anything about it, and everything else for that matter, until now. The plan is now to dig the garbage further down and cover it with dirt, and the job has to be completed before the generals next visit.

For those who don't know, there are no waste water treatment plants on Samui either, in case anyone wondered what happens to the dirty water in the island's many klongs

Now that someone has miraculously discovered that piles of stinking rubbish, and overflowing wheelie bins could have/is having a negative impact on tourist revenue, something might get done about it - environmental problems are not a primary concern, as is obvious from the sweeping under the carpet way of resolving the problem :-

." The plan is now to dig the garbage further down and cover it with dirt, and the job has to be completed before the generals next visit."

And after that, then presumably start dumping on top of it again!

Why not ask Gen Prayuth to order the Governor to get the incinerators fixed, and instal some waste water treatment plants? (This would be more or less normal procedure in a Western civilised country, would it not?)

Another reason why Thailand is a 3rd World Country (Think I'll start copying and pasting that!)

If this is an April Fools scam I am not amused

I don't beleeeve it!