Cthulhu

Say goodbye to your sun chair, umbrella and cold drink because there is new sheriff in town.

Whenever I hear this kind of complaining, I chock it up to pure selfishness. I want what I want. I don't care about the ecological impact of what I do.

They're insane for taking away my sun chair!!! What about the tourists? The horror!

The people renting you a chair were operating a business illegally on public land. They were paying the people whose job it was to protect the land (who were turning around and selling it).

I have no empathy for them or you. This is the best thing that ever happened to Thailand. They should be taking out all those structures that have illegally encroached the beaches all along the coast. There are plenty of them in Hua Hin that should and will be coming down. Good riddance. Finally, someone put a stop to the encroachment, the illegal businesses and the corruption.

Sorry buddy. The only thing on the King's beach... sand. Insane, right?

Leaving aside the utter nastiness of these remarks, i would only point out that the "ecological impact" of beach chairs and umbrellas is exactly zero.

If this is "the best thing that ever happened to Thailand" then I really do feel sorry for the long-suffering Thai people.

A real future without hope.

Abhisit went to Eton and Oxford. Proof that even the best education in the world won't guarantee you a functioning brain.

I shouldn't fret too much about "Khun Mark". Eton & Oxford may have opened doors in the UK for the likes of Cameron, Osborne & Johnson but I doubt it cuts much ice over here; rather he is seen as too English. Even in the UK we get sick of their presumption of "the right to rule".

The Democrats haven't won an open election for over 20 years and I would guess that Suthep's recent antics have put the final nail in their coffin. Their only future appears to be as nominees to some sort of appointed assembly.

Democracy will ultimately return to Thailand but the Democrat Party will surely be consigned to the dustbin of history. Abhisit's best bet would probably be to try to start a new party.

At least, unlike Cameron, Osborne & Johnson, he doesn't seem to have been one of the Bullingdon Club yahoos.
 

My company uses software that can spot T&A in emails. Pornography is strictly forbidden, but many people used to ignore it.

No-one wants to have to sit and snoop through peoples' mailboxes to look for it, so an automated process does it for them.

Microsoft have similar technology by the way.

As long as it's only a dumb program doing image analysis I don't really see a problem. As someone else said, it's in the terms and conditions and if you choose to use it, and then abuse it, you are the one that is to blame.

 

I have no problem using GMail, because I don't email kiddie porn, and I applaud them for using technology to nail these scum.

 

It's not as if the subhuman involved was denied due process.

 

Added: I'm pretty certain that Benjamin Franklin didn't know much about the Internet or child pornography for that matter.

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean by T&A but making, a guess, fair enough; email is not the place for porn. But what baffles me is why anyone would use email for kiddy porn.

And Gmail???

I don't disagree with your comments about the person concerned but you could also add "brainless stupidity" to your observations.

Watneys red barrel and cheese and onion crisps

Ugh! You brought back horrible memories there. Thankfully Red Barrel is long gone, along with Whitbread Tankard and various other brands of keg muck.

These days you stand a good chance of getting Wadworth 6X, or Old Speckled Hen or somesuch in a decent pub back home. But you're right; even if there were a "British" pub near Swampie or at Latkrabang there's little prospect of it selling the real ale that makes a good pub in England so attractive.

Just as a footnote, the only beer I've ever tasted more vile than Red Barrel is Chang draught, but I guess it sells on price.

Cheers!

As the Roman Stoics used to say: "Fiat iustitia, ruat caelum", or paraphrased in English "Let justice be done, even if it brings the sky crashing down."

 

Nobody can guarantee the future will be better than today. Gen. Prayuth's job is to stoically push forward with reforms no matter what the populous may think, because that is the right thing to do. I believe Prayuth is a genuinely good man with best wishes for his country and he will do the right thing.

 

 

 

If we are to play at Latin tags perhaps Tacitus is equally appropriate regarding the Junta and it's actions. "Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant"; ie "they create a desert and call it peace".

They may have created peace, but only because no one dare contradict them. Politically Thailand is now an intellectual desert. Only the Generals and the Colonels are allowed an opinion. As you say above.... "no matter what the population think, because that is the right thing to do".

Pure Fascism.
 

"Such threats include riots, terrorism and political turmoil."

But surely everybody says there is no risk here so why is it necessary?

Anyway, doubt if it will have any effect, most travelers will have already booked their holidays for this year and until the political situation changes don't see too many adding Thailand to their list for the coming year(s) either.

But surely everybody says there is no risk here so why is it necessary?

You say this as if the Junta were behind the terrorist attacks. There is no risk at all unless the UDD terrorists are emboldened and start their attacks again. The reason this is included is because a lot of western insurance does not cover for these incidents so the Junta have proposed this to "fill the gaps" so to speak and restore tourist numbers to benefit the Thai tourist industry. That can only be a good thing right? Restoring confidence and tourist numbers to encourage growth and jobs? Good or bad?

Anyway, doubt if it will have any effect, most travelers will have already booked their holidays

Hang on? This is further enforcing my point of evolving excuses as the Junta come up with solutions.

Before they could get insurance the excuses why the tourists were not coming was "Tourists can't get insurance cover" Now they can get insurance cover the excuse has changed to "most travelers will have already booked their holidays for this year". Apart from this being your belief as opposed to facts what will the excuse be when they start arriving and the numbers do go up? Darwin's theory of evolution stated evolution takes millions of years. On TVF the excuse evolve on a daily basis.

until the political situation changes don't see too many adding Thailand to their list for the coming year(s) either.

Well your right. The political situation changed on the 20th of May. It went from daily terrorist attacks in the capital of the country to nothing. When visiting a country do you prefer to visit when there is daily terrorist attacks in the capital or when there is peace and stability? Well going by the below graphs tourists don't like visiting when the capital is rocked with daily terrorist attacks. Numbers dropped quicker than a one armed, blind, drunk rock climber with no safety harness during these daily terrorist attacks compared to 2013. June has seen drop of 27% as well which is no surprise because of the uncertainty of a military take over. Jeez, even I was worried. I put my condo on the market to sell it ASAP. Economic indicators dropped as well. Then we saw the stability and confidence return all the economic indicators bounced back up. I took my condo off the market and things are looking good again.

In fact your peers were correct in their excuses. Tourists didn't want to come, not because the country was peaceful again, not because terrorist attacks stopped (It is funny that I have to explain this), but because they couldn't get insurance cover. Now they can. Now some countries are offered entry with no visa to stimulate the numbers as well. Is that a good thing or not?

I am very receptive to your reasoning how tourists (with insurance) would prefer not to visit a military ruled country with peace and stability where tourists have as much freedom as they did before the coup over a (supposed) democratic country that had daily terrorist attacks in the capital? Do you think the tourist numbers would have gone up if the PTP were still in a stalemate and the daily terrorist attacks continued? See the below graphs again for the tourist trends under daily terrorist attacks before you answer. Would you visit a country that had daily terrorist attacks in the capital? I wouldn't. That is shown in the graph.

So really your whole post is negative and flies against all reason, logic and facts AGAIN! In fact all the negativity by the RS apologists is based on things in the future that have not happened yet. Based on their projection of potential Junta failures and so far they have all been proven wrong every time thus is why the excuses are evolving. Yet they keep projecting when proven wrong. It reminds me of a dedicated 2 ft tall hurdler continuing to try to jump 5ft hurdles. He keeps going even though he will stumble on every hurdle on the way yet still thinks he will jump the next one.

Thailand is better off economically and is more stable than it has been in the past 9 months. Is that not good? Is stability not conducive to tourism? Agenda aside can you answer that honestly? According to some it isn't. I pity those people.

Time to leave the bitter past behind and breath the air of reform.

You really do come out with some exaggerated drivel !

You keep repeating the mantra of daily "terrorist" attacks. There was nothing of the sort. There were occasional night time skirmishes between the more hot headed UDD and the Suttepista loonies. Sensible tourists, following their own government's advice, stayed well away and got on with having a good time. You really don't know what "terrorism" means. I accept that any form of political violence is unacceptable but your gross over exaggerations are ludicrous.

As for the new world of peace, what we have got now is far more harrasment on the streets and in places of entertainment, with endless road blocks, pee test, pat downs, bag searches, lights on music/off licence checks, forced early closures etc, and now no more moon parties (not that I've ever been to one). (If you don't believe me try reading Stickman's Sunday column about westerners being constantly stopped and searched on Sukhumvit at night.)

This is not what most tourists want. They want the fun time that Thailand used to be famous for. Not military bullying.

The current situation reminds me of the Roman Seneca's remark, "They create a desert and call it peace".

The great reformer has become a monk for Buddhist Lent. Good, it should keep him quiet for a while. It is said the long protest led by him cost him hundreds of millions of baht personally.Perhaps that explains his outburst and claim to have been in close consultation with General Prayuth since 2012.
It must be galling for him to see the good general take all the power and credit for cleaning up Thailand when he worked and walked so hard himself.

Maybe when he let the cat out of the bag at that party recently the General sent one of the lads round to tell him to button his lip and disappear for a bit.

He clearly caused a degree of embarassment to The Leader.

But why would anyone want to demolish some quite nice sea food restaurants and a number of pretty funky discos and night spots for the sake of a stretch of dirty sand lapped by filthy sea water, with a pollution count more appropriate to a sewage farm?

Ok, "Because it's public land", but that's just cutting off your nose to spite your face. Pattaya is supposed to be a holiday resort for the fun crowd.

City hall will make a lot more from the restaurants and entertainment venues that it ever will from a load more deck chairs, pestered by beggars and hawkers. Anyway, the beach at Jomtien is much nicer.

what are they going to try to control next? "don't love sex"? "don't have too many pets"? "don't be a Christian worshiper"? or just "you WILL be happy - and that's an order"

Next we'll all have to start wearing the same clothes.

You don't sound happy enough.

The Dear Leader has spoken. Shut up and be happy.

Of course. What do you expect. He's the military dictator. It's what dictators do. They dictate.

They tell other people what to do. It's what they get paid for. This aint a democracy you know.

No they can not. Alcohol can only be sold from 11 am to 2 pm and from 5 pm to midnight. Thai law.

Rubbish!

That's for sales of less than 10 litres in shops. Different licensing rules apply to places of entertainment.

Most won't bother to open just for a couple of hours; but one or two usually do in Pattaya where 'lights out' is typically 3.00 am.

May even try opening from about 11.00 pm on.

To those of you who are posting in the 'respect Buddhism' vein: how was it that the needs of Buddhism were adequately served by NOT having alcohol bans until 5 or 6 years ago when that little creep Abhisit, introduced the Buddhist holiday booze ban in order to ingratiate himself with the Buddhist hierarchy.

That was him ? I thought the ban is older.

Yes.. I think you are being slightly unfair to Mr Eton & Oxford. I recall back in 1993, when I was new to the place, being ushered into TQ 2 on Pattaya Beach Rd via the back door, because it was a "Buddha day", and drinking beer out of a tea cup.

These things seem to go up and down depending on the degree of "brown nosing" currently in vogue. I've not known them close for the August royal holiday in Pattaya for many years, but this year things may well be different.

Even the bar owners say they don't know what the score is until they get a letter, are called to a meeting or nothing is said and they open and see if the police come.

What I remember from previous such holiday threads posted over the years

1, That's the final nail in the coffin for tourism in Thailand

2, I'm a tourist it must be illegal to stop me buying a drink

3, I'll sue my travel company when i get home

4, What am i supposed to do if I cannot go to a bar to drink

5, I'm not a Buddhist (already covered)

6, It infringes on my human rights.

7, Thailand and all Thais are rubbish.

Any more, my memory is failing with age.

Of course, as said, some bars will be open as will some mom&pop shops else plan ahead.

Anyone who complains about these minor inconveniences has never experienced Ramadan in Saudi!

Given some of the sanctimonious and patronising comments here I'm suprised some people don't go and live in Saudi; or maybe Iran, there's a fun place..

But then, their moral, teetotal lifestyle wouldn't be so special in places like that. Better to hold the moral high ground in Nakhon Nowhere.

I guess the real irony here is that the criminalization of cannabis in Thailand was part of the world wide American war on drugs; particularly stemming from use of the drug by GIs during the Vietnam war and mass importation of 'Thai sticks' to the US, and worldwide, from the 60s to the 80s.

I quote from an online atrticle easily found:-

"Cannabis use in Thailand was widespread and usually tolerated in a social setting. Prior to the beginning of U.S.-led clampdowns, cannabis was a standard item on the shelves of many Thai kitchens, and was widely available from local markets."

Also:- "The DEA runs a number of programs within Thailand. One notable program is the operation ‘Hot Spot’ program in Pattaya (http://www.dea-rewards.com/len/index.php). The Hot Spot program provides monetary rewards for informant tips. The DEA has carried out a number of highly publicized operations within Thailand including Operation Tiger Trap".

Now, in a changing world, we will see Thailand continue to jail dope smokers while large numbers of Americans enjoy the pleasure of leagally getting high at home.

You couldn't make it up!

I love the naive assumption by certain individuals here that only the politicians are corrupt. Get rid of them and "problem solved".

Is there really no corruption in the army system?. So how do you get to join the military top brass?

Don't tell me, "Brilliance at military strategy and bravery on the battle field". Just like Eisenhower, Patton, Zhukov, Montgomery, Rommel etc.

Yeh, right!

In 9 months things might be very different. The coup government is changing the way things are done. Here in Pattaya, bars and discos are being raided and closed down every night, some for days (one bar sign said closed for renovations. Ha!) , for being open after 2 am, including iBar, Insomnia, Flex, Lucifer and others. For the first time in 10 years, I've been witness twice to drug arrests in the middle of a soi by plainclothes and uniformed cops. For the first time I or others can remember, Soi Buakhao was blockaded by police and Thai Navy soldiers and everyone, Thai and farang, were stopped, questioned, and some arrested. For the first time I've ridden into a huge police/military inspection stop on a small subsoi. I was waved through but no Thais were waved through. For the first time, I'm seeing cops on active duty on nighttime streets in Pattaya, not just out collecting for the boss.

If you think things will just go back to "normal" after the recent heavy enforcement activity, you'd better keep your eyes open from now on. Please don't read this as "I love the military" statement. Open your bloody eyes. Remember what Gen Prayuth said recently about changing Thailand's sordid image around the world. Most of you won't want to believe the coming chagnes but I think he was serious and it seems as though he will be around for a long time.

The military made it quite clear that one of their priorities was to crack down on drug use. They are just doing what they said, by focusing on after hours clubs where drugs are routinely taken.

It's just controlling people, no freedom, no choice, no vote, nothing, now cannot even party into the small hours!

The closing times have been around a lot longer than the current Junta that is enforcing them.

Interestingly enough this takes us back to the first Shin (TRT) government in 2001 when Purachai became Interior Mininster.

A TRT parliamentary group met to review the night life industry and recommended that all places of entertainment should close at 10.00 pm (yes, seriously I'm not making this up). Months of discussion followed before the current legislation came into force after the intervention of Dear Leader himself.

There was much talk for a while of midnight closing, but Dear Leader pointed out that as many people had invested in the entertainment industry in good faith, closing at 1.00 am would be more appropriate. Thus for a period it became so. In Pattaya that lasted for about 3 weeks. Fortunately practice soon then reverted back to the previous situation; ie the 2.00 am closing, which I believe was a measure from the 60s designed to save electricity. From the frequency with which they are raided, in Pattaya at least, I guess that discos and clubs are also covered by the same hours. Certainly Ministry of Sound, which invested millions to establish itself in Bangkok, ended up pulling the plug.

Among the long term effects of all this was the prohibition of alcohol sales in supermarkets, 7/11s etc, between 2 - 5 and after midnight, and the end of that great institution, the old Thermae coffee bar which used to re-open from midnight to 6.00am as a beer bar. Also the growth of the beer booths along Sukhumvit, when it was realised that the penalties for unlicensed alchohol sales were much milder than those for breaking the terms of a licence and a lot of thirsty farangs were on the streets after 2.00.

The moral of all this is that the current 2.00 am closing in Bangkok, or 3.00 am+ in Pattaya, is a result of local toleration and this can change at any time. The actual law itself, dating from TRT days is actually stricter. Purachai, (whatever happened to him?) went on record at the time as saying he could not see why anyone would want to be out on the streets after 11.00.

Yingluck Shinawattra was not ousted by the military. She was ousted by a court for acting illegally for nepotistic reasons.

Thaksin Shinawattra was not the PM or even the lawful caretaker PM when he was ousted following his illegal seizure of power.

Interesting how many chose to say things differently or suggest a different scenario.

What drivel !

As I recall it Thaksin won 2 elections with an overwhelming majority. In fact he was the first Prime Minister to achieve an overall majority in free elections (in 2001). He would have won a third time had not the Dems decided to they didn't want to play and decided to boycott further elections, thereby helping to precipitate the 2006 coup.

So in what way was Thaksin's seizure of power illegal? Or do you just define free elections as illegal per se?

And before you squawk about me being a Red Shirt, I personally disliked the Thaksin government intensely, but I'm not Thai and it's not up to me to tell them who to vote for.

Certainly, my then girl friend and her neighbours down in Chantaburi province, not up in Isaan, thought he was wonderful, regardless of what the Farang might say!

That's quite a rant you 'squawked', you clearly should read more, you might learn something....

Ok wise one. Please tell me which of the facts I offered to you are incorrect. I was here at the time and read the Bangkok Post everyday as events unfolded. Please tell me why winning 2 elections was an illegal seizure of power.

Ok I know about corruption and vote buying (but Thais tell me they take the money and then vote for who they prefer anyway) but all the parties do it.

Please also tell me where you would like me to do my reading in order "to learn something". Is the Bangkok Post not up to your exacting standards? Khao Sod maybe?

Also I congratulate you on your choice of name online; it's very appropriate.

Yingluck Shinawattra was not ousted by the military. She was ousted by a court for acting illegally for nepotistic reasons.

Thaksin Shinawattra was not the PM or even the lawful caretaker PM when he was ousted following his illegal seizure of power.

Interesting how many chose to say things differently or suggest a different scenario.

What drivel !

As I recall it Thaksin won 2 elections with an overwhelming majority. In fact he was the first Prime Minister to achieve an overall majority in free elections (in 2001). He would have won a third time had not the Dems decided to they didn't want to play and decided to boycott further elections, thereby helping to precipitate the 2006 coup.

So in what way was Thaksin's seizure of power illegal? Or do you just define free elections as illegal per se?

And before you squawk about me being a Red Shirt, I personally disliked the Thaksin government intensely, but I'm not Thai and it's not up to me to tell them who to vote for.

Certainly, my then girl friend and her neighbours down in Chantaburi province, not up in Isaan, thought he was wonderful, regardless of what the Farang might say!

Good sense at last - well done France

Well it's not really "well done France" is it?

The judgement was by the European Court of Human rights whose judges come from across Europe.

Note also that the case was brought by a Brititsh legal team. Britain has the most aggressive human rights lawyers, who will argue the most preposterous cases and try to exploit every ill judged comma in human rights legislation; usually to the overall detriment of law abiding Brits and British security. Probably the case was so ill devised that French lawyers wouldn't touch it.

So, "well done France" for having the legislation, but shame that French legislation and French national sovereignty are open to foreign (albeit EU) interference in this way.

wrong. france started this. all the british or the EU court did was uphold. please read the OP. france stepped up and put this on out of the park - good on ya frogs!

No sir, that's not correct.

The EU court did uphold France's position, but the crackpot British lawyers, from Birmingham Gawd 'elp up, were the ones who tried to get France's law overturned. (Also, see for additional interest the recent hoo-haa in the UK about the conspiracy to Islamise selected Birmingham schools).

But you're right on one thing: "good on ya Frogs!"

What transgender rights?

Given the constant harassment they seem to get every night on Pattaya Walking Street, both from the BiB and the Blackshirts, I didn't know they had any.

My live-in of 8 years, who just happens to be of the TV persuasion, and who is as honest as the day is long, won't even go down there any more after nearly being carted off to the monkey house, while sitting talking to me in a well know Walking Street bar last month. She/he was upset enough to insist we go home.

Almost everyone else in the bar got lifted although they were all off the street and causing no problem to anyone. The <deleted> who lifted them said he had to make a report of who were the good ladyboys, whatever they might be, but they all knew it was just a cover for a pee test in soi 9.

When I pointed out to my chum that as she never took drugs of any sort she had nothing to fear her response was that she had no desire to be humiliated in a public spectacle and anyway the Pattaya police could do anything they wanted.

B*****ds!

Gosh I can just see it now.

Ee bah gum Doris, says 'ere 't Thai military 'ave sorted taxi mafia at Bangkok airport. Better get down 't travel agent and book us a 'oliday. To 'ell wi Skegness this year. Don't want to miss this for 'owt.

Yeh, right!