Discombobulated

Was At Beirut Restaurant last week. They've changed the menu: more Western style dishes and few authentic Middle Eastern (caving in to the local tourist mob). For authentic ME food go to Soi Nana area. 

I used to live in Japan, and drivers there are not "scum bags": wear white gloves, seats have white slips over them, very polite, etc. So perhaps old man had similar expectations in LOS.

I also used to live in Japan, and agree that the taxi experience there is at the opposite end of the scale: the only time drivers would hint at a little displeasure is if you offered them a tip and tried to open/close the automatic doors! One experience when my parents were visiting was the driver couldn't understand my directions (my rudimentary language failed), but he secured us another taxi and refused any payment. Perhaps it would be useful if the Japanese and/or Thai tourism authorities would provide some basic 'warnings' about the different experience here (or just about any other country I've visited hereabouts!

Stopped at an ATM to get some money. Left keys in the car and Biff the Bull Terrier in the car...

Biff hit the Drivers side door lock and locked the entire car...with keys in it.

No choice but to bust out one of the windows.

Biff thought it was awesome. Dumbest dog ever.

Baby in car...bust window immediately.

Absolutely! Human (and canine) lives matter more than a 'precious' vehicle, although some may be too enamored of the latter.

Too humanitarian to 'simply' decapitate.....first cane him (1000 strokes), then crucify him, THEN chop his head off! ( similar to the previous punishments provided by the Saudi government)

Another one: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/sets-free-rapist-saudi-prince-week-caught-smuggling-2-tons-isis-drugs/?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=savoymatt&utm_content=The+Free+Thought+Project+Newsletter

The efforts of this agency (ThaiHealth) need to be more sympathetic to 'users/abusers' and not so Draconian, dismissive, and sanctimonious. I wonder how many of those specialists (so-called 'experts') are actually former smokers, alcoholics, or recovering addicts with ANY understanding of addiction.

At this point, we can ONLY SAY: Rest in Peace! Nothing else!

A man and his barboy and people jump to conclusions.........................maybe he forgot to take a medicine?

Why does this post make speculations about a) the nature of the relationship ('barboy'), or b] the adherence to medication? Is this not 'jumping to conclusions'?

 

I was expecting the usual nonsense by the Fox News tools.   

 

The American people think that Obama is the worst president since WW2. Why even bother 

making justifications and excuses for his failed policies? No one is buying it anymore. 

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/poll-obama-worst-president-since-wwii-108507.html

 

Phooey!  "Lies, damn lies, and statistics (opinion polls)." For another view, see Post No. 14!

oops wrong video - duplicate - this is the right one !

Oh what wonderful, rich irony....."Price Tag"!!!

Well money does bring happiness to Thais and quite a few of us farang as well - I like the way the army director moves one of the girl singers around with a serious look on his face. It is a serious business bringing happiness to the Kingdom.

Oh please, don't misunderstand......I was referring to the Army 'serenading' the former acting caretaker Prime Shopper! I'm all in favor of the performance!

Oh what wonderful, rich irony....."Price Tag"!!!

Chipping away a little at a time..Seem to have forgotten Chiang Mai---Hopefully soon?

PTP led government did not delay paying the rice farmers. It was EC who tried to bargain with the government - delay election or no payment, and the dem and its pdrc blocking the payments. Threatened banks not to cooperate with the government to pay rice farmers. According to this report, they have been enough funds to pay them and other avenues that funds were available.

I never, ever, ever, ever get sick of reminding people why the rice payments were delayed.

13th of September 2013 - The cabinet approved a total budget of 270 billion baht for the government’s rice pledging scheme, Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangraj. They said they had the money. They said this budget would suffice until February, 2014. They lied.

16th of September - THE FINANCE MINISTRY’s sub-committee assessing the cost of the rice pledging scheme fears the scheme will break budget. The PTP were warned.

8th of October - The World Bank said that the rice pledging scheme had proven to be the most costly and would ring up a bill of 115 billion to 150 billion baht per harvest. The reply - Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan today categorically dismissed the World Bank’s estimate that the Thai government will incur up to 400 billion baht in losses from the rice pledging scheme for two harvests. He went on to say the Finance Ministry should help secure more funding to meet the 270 billion baht target already approved by the cabinet to be used for the 2013-14 harvests. They said they had the money. They lied.

12th November 2013 - IMF called on Thailand to ditch rice support scheme. The PTP said no. The PTP were warned.

9th of Decmeber 2013 - House dissolved.

You can see fault with the EC for following the rule of law and the banks because they do not want to solicit loans because of legality concerns and irrespective of whether Suthep threatened the banks or not is inconsequential because the banks still didn't want to undermine the confidence of their investors. Banks where justified too. Remember the GSB loan and the damage it did to their reputation and finical stability? Smart move by the banks. You however cannot see fault with the PTP after they were warned 3 times in the 3 months leading up to dissolution that they would run out of money. They told the public numerous times they did have the money for the season up to February, 2014 which was a lie. And the cherry on the cake is the Deputy PM denouncing the World Bank, demanding to know where they got the figures while saying they were wrong and the PTP were right.

Guess what…..The PTP were wrong!

Excellent post! Now we have some facts instead of vitriolic blather!

The army did a lot of homework during the months.

Bangkokpost reports that 2 red militants, for carrying out the drive by shooting where two 5 year old children died, were arrested. The sad aspect to it: One ranger killed by a third suspect and escaped.

All done by army intelligence.

Another cheering for the army now.

Ditto!

I wonder how many farming families will still be in debt to loan sharks even after this payment.

many loansharks are a proxy setup by Thaksin's regime. 2%/day repayments ... and different settings from the loansharks we know from before. They eventually will be rounded up too now.

the loansharks have been around for more than 100 years. It's simply pathetic to try to blame Thaksin for that, as well as being profoundly dishonest

Hyperbolic whinging?

"Pathetic"? "Profoundly dishonest"? Let me ask a simple question or two: what rates have they been charging (over 100 years)? What do the middlemen and millers have to 'contribute to with the rice-farming system?

Is this house near to any public transportation? Or, to put it another way, how would one get to public transportation form this location? I'd be interested.

I'm not a fan of Mahatir after what he did to Anwar Ibrahim. However, the bombardment of the hateful comments shows how bestial are the great majority of Europeans.

Then I take it, malm, that you ARE in agreement ('how bestial are the great majority of Europeans') with Tun Dr Mahathir as to: "Dr Mahathir described Westerners - or more particularly 'Anglo-Saxon Europeans' -- as proponents of 'war, sodomy and genocide.'"

Sounds 'bestial' to me! I also take it, malm, that you are not European/Western/Anglo-Saxon?

This is the PM who authored The Malay Dilemma:

"Genetically inferior to justify economic handicaps

The Malay Dilemma was a non-starter, to begin with, based as it was on pseudo-science and propaganda disguised as history. Many prominent Malay intellectuals have said no one should take such “trash” seriously since it lacks objectivity and accuracy and hence serves no useful purpose.

"Malays, Mahathir held, were genetically inferior – i.e. almost sub-humans – compared with the other communities in the country. He went on to argue that, in consequence, they needed to be given a handicap if they were to keep up with the other communities."

Dan Merican (2011). http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/malay-dilemma-redux/

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: "There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action."

Lest we forget......

"...relations with the West have continued to fluctuate. In June this year Dr Mahathir described Westerners - or more particularly 'Anglo-Saxon Europeans' -- as proponents of 'war, sodomy and genocide.'

Days before he resigned, he angered several foreign governments and Jewish groups by claiming the a Jewish cabal 'ruled the world'."

BBC, 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2059518.stm