zaphod reborn

One thing I love about the convictions though, he was convicted without being present. How can you have a trial like that?

It's called trial in abstention and is used in almost every legal system throughout the world.

Very interesting story. One side is being charged with using too much force against the protesters. The same protesters who use terrorism in their abduction of the International Airport in Bangkok. While the other side is being charged with using too much force again these same protesters.

I've never heard a sit-in or occupation categorized as terrorism. An element seems to be missing which is violence or threat of violence. But I wouldn't expect a red to be able to fathom the meaning of terrorism. Rather, the reds throw the term around in a fit of name-calling.

And now will the media admit that it has been a complete and utter failure in educating the public about the contents and issues presented by the charter draft? No, it will continue to focus on minor issues about whether a non-elected MP can be selected as PM. The media will never take responsibility for its lack of analysis in presenting the charter draft over the past several months.

The roads in Thailand are not dangerous.

Yes they are. From poor maintenance to unsafe design, they don't meet any internationally recognized standards.

I stand for their right to peacefully protest, activity that was protected by the 2007 charter. I don't think there are any Thai university students that have thought out a reasonable and workable alternative to the stalemate that has gone on for the last 15 years. Their message is pretty worthless until they learn some creative thinking skills and are willing to express their solutions in a public forum where they can be subject to an informed debate.

It might be a crazy reaction, but if you've had to concede liquid containers just over the 100ml limit at a Thai airport security check, you can appreciate her anger. I'd like to an investigation into how much those security agents profit by confiscating and reselling bottles of cosmetics, perfumes and toiletries. For some reason, Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang are the only international airports where I have had liquid containers confiscated.

"None of this would have been possible, though, without official connivance. Just how high the involvement went is still unclear. But it must have been very high.

Towards the end of last year, I was given a briefing by a senior police officer who knows a lot about the human trafficking trade. He told me of at least one huge camp, right on the border with Malaysia, where 1,000 people could be held.

Why did he not shut it down, I asked. He laughed. "You know the border is a military zone", he said. "As a police officer I can do nothing there without military approval."

I think that is what many thought strait off ,how can that happen in a Military controlled area ? . I doubt anything will happen internally , requires the UN to do a full inquiry

It might be a military zone, but the frequency of bombings and killings in the South are adequate proof that the region is not controlled by the Thai military.

AFP ....Ahahaha

What a load of biased craps...

Agreed, why would they label the rice pledging scheme as "populist" and quote Yingluck as saying the program "lifted the quality of life for rice farmers". It was never intended to transfer wealth to poor rice farmers. instead, it was intended to pad the bank accounts of rice millers, warehouse operators, smugglers and other political cronies who could bilk the program and raid government coffers. Unfortunately, the scheme defrauded the very people who elected her to office, robbing them of their harvest and the true power of their votes.

So much for the scamming lottery vendors crying over unsold "unlucky" numbers. Superstitious idiot lottery ghouls.

My solution to the problem is the best. Build a wall like the Israeli wall that keeps the Palestinians and other terrorists on the other side, invite all the mooslums to leave Thailand and join their cousins in Malaya. After the wall is finished anyone on the Thai side of the wall who shouldn't be there will be shot on sight.

Because it's working so well for Israel, right?

And stick the Rohingya in there as well. Humanitarian crisis solved.

RIP to the victim, and condolences to his family and friends.

Doubtful the Rawai police could ever establish fault in this automobile-pedestrian collision. Usually, adult pedestrians do not dart out in front of cars. But, at the time of early morning that this fatal incident occurred, it's possible the victim was inebriated and did just that. I don't expect the police have the capability of doing actual accident reconstructive work, so there probably won't be charges against the driver.

The last throes of the insurgency. Where have we heard that prophecy before?

After a while, the man told her that he had mailed her a parcel through a transport firm. Later on, a woman called her, saying she worked for an international transport firm that handled a parcel that was sent to her.

The woman also mailed her a photo of the parcel and told her that she needed to pay Bt160,000 for customs clearance. She transferred the money to her and found out later that she was deceived.

This scam only worked because even the Thai people know the customs department is corrupt to its core, and this is exactly how customs officials operate.

Probably the only spying criminals more culpable than the NSA are the British media.

EDITORIAL

Referendum debate misses the key point

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Real issue isn't about putting the charter to a vote

In Thailand, constitutions have become political tools. Politicians exploit them or find loopholes in order to win and reclaim power. Our charters are never treated as representing common values that transcend ideologies or personalities.

-- The Nation 2015-05-16

No, the failure of Thai Constitutions and, in fact, all Thai laws is the direct result of the acceptance of poor legal craftsmanship. Every Thai law is fraught with vague and ambiguous generalities and the country lacks a real judicial system to properly interpret these laws. Politicians and government workers exploit the loopholes for their personal gain. Until Thai universities properly teach law to future drafters of charters and legislation, and the country implements a real judicial review branch of government, all charters and laws will continue to be failures.

This is necessary, and hope it works. The Thai medical payments system is similar to the US, except that the government underwrites a higher percentage of the medical costs compared to private insurers. In the US, the government and insurers control the cost of medical services (albeit, not very well). In Thailand, there currently are no controls on medical costs and hospitals are free to charge in excess of insurance coverage limits and adopt multi-tiered pricing.

Wouldn't it be a better process for the referendum to allow alternate choices with respect to the challenged charter provisions? That way PTP can just get it over with, once and for all. They could propose a charter provision appointing Thaksin dictator for life, to see if there really is majority support for the only platform proposal in their arsenal.

An accurate and representative vote of the Thai citizenship, a total lack of understanding and complete apathy on the issue. Sorry to the TVF posting group, but the majority of Thais don't have an opinion on this, because they can't foresee how this charter provision would affect them in the future. Planning is a foreign concept to them, unless told to them by a revered fortune-teller.

People driving too fast for conditions, not leaving enough following distance and a complete lack of flood control measures = disaster. Thailand remains a third world country. Singapore has the same rain conditions without the tragic results.

Amazing that the Chinese, who sell canned bamboo shoots, best the Thais in food safety. Thai bamboo shoots are awful.

Amazing how they swiftly come to action when a foreign fishing vessel enters their territorial waters, but they can't act when their own fishing boats are involved in human trafficking.

Once again the mind through of the elite class shows in the statement that the people do not have the maturity to make a decision on the charter.

A referendum would be good, because it would provide a legitimate basis to implement and maintain the charter. I don't think electoral "maturity" is the issue. The lack of education, understanding and, more importantly, the electorate's complete apathy towards the charter are clear impediments to obtaining an informed choice on the issue. I only think politicians and academics are currently in a position to cast a valid vote. This is a huge, complicated document. I have degrees in political science and law, and I would have difficulty with it. It doesn't help that the media has done such a poor job of educating the public about all the charter provisions, instead focusing on a few headline grabbers like direct election of the PM, selection of a non-MP as PM, and the composition of the Senate. A better public debate followed by a referendum would be the ideal path. Holding a referendum now is worthless IMHO.

"Pidej faces a charge of conspiracy to smuggle migrants illegally into Thailand"

If this is actually prosecuted, it would be the first Thai to face justice for trafficking arising out of the recent discovery of smuggling Burmese and Rohingya. My money is on no prosecution, and no real effort to identify the ringleader of this smuggling operation.

"He said they must clearly show the prices on the menus."

We're dealing with Thai restaurants. Start at square one - a law that requires restaurants to actually have menus.

The trooper should have been reprimanded for poor taste in music. Nothing wrong with dope-smoking and cop-hating.