plachon

These statistics are not unusual in an uneducated society.

On that basis, the UK must be the least educated society in Europe, as teen pregnancy rates are highest.

Comparing this with the wealth the Vatican and other churches possess in Europe and America, it's not such a big deal.

Also comparing the life style and habits of the clergy in other religions again there is no much difference here.

All wrong.....here and there, but nobody had the guts up to now, to put an end to this.

Ever heard of Henry VIII? Or Martin Luther? Or thousands of others I could mention who have challenged the power and wealth of the Vatican over the years in Europe? Do they not teach history in Greece?

NGO bigshots are some of the worst scum in SE Asia.

The World Health Organisation is not an NGO fyi, but a part of the United Nations stable, which is inter-governmental. Therefore, this guy works for a GO, albeit working under a distinct set of rules that leaves ample opportunity for some to flout them, as in this case.

What is your problem with NGOs? who incidentally have been there when this maid needs help and are often the ones who blow the whistle on government abuses of power and authority, at least in the semi-democratic SE Asian countries that permit them.

you know top charoen optician; have shops everywhere, blue and white branding always seem to have short skirted female staff sitting in the window and hardly ever any customers.

i often wondered how they made any money and suspected they may be a front for money laundering.

i was dating a thai lawyer last year and mentioned this to her, she said they had been investigated for exactly these activities but cleared.

i still dont know how they make any money...

I bought glasses from top charoen in Phon Charoen. They charged a fortune but I needed them. Their price was comparable if not more expensive than farangland. And it wasn't a case of "hit the farang", my Thai wife was with me and prices were marked.

I am guessing if they sell 1 pair a week they have made their money.

The marked prices are purely notional in Thai opticians. Most Thais normally know this, so I am afraid your wife was not savvy enough to realise this. I have often bought marked price glasses at a half or less of the marked price, after some bargaining. But when farangs do pay the marked prices, then it makes their day and shows the pricing strategy is worth it..... You probably paid double what the average Somchai would have paid for same pair.

education, or lack of it, I see people throwing rubbish out of car windows all the time, kids on scooters throwing icecoffee containers and bag onto side of road, ??????

it is lack of education, it is not a matter that thai society and media talk about.

When driving with my GF, she often throws the garbage that is in a plastic bag out of the window. I get angry and try to educate her to keep it till we come home and drop it in the bin.

Her response is always you stupid farlang, this is thailand and i do what i want.

Like the rubbish, why do you not just dump her? If she doesn't listen to your opinion over something as simple as that, then I'd suggest she's not a keeper.

Over 20 years ago, when I first started going out with my wife, I took her on a trip to Kanchanaburi. We hired a moped and whilst driving along a country road with her on the back, I noticed out my peripheral vision her sling an empty plastic water bottle in plastic bag into the ditch at the side of the road. Without saying anything, I turned around and drove back slowly, looking for the bag. When I spotted it, I stopped, pointed to it and said. ". That's really ugly there. Go and pick it up, or you are walking home." She didn't hesitate, as she knew it was a long way back to the town. So she carried it for miles until I found a bin she could dispose of it in. Later, I explained why I hate people just dropping litter and we talked rationally about the problem of litter in Thailand. I wouldn't really have made her walk, but you can bet we wouldn't have been together for much longer after that, if she had refused to pick it up or called me "stupid farang, this is Thailand".

Basically, your GF looks upon you like the litter she throws out the window. Your call, but why bother getting angry, when your "education" strategy has clearly failed? Disposibility can work several ways......

About 66 million baht per floor......sounds like a good deal (ahem) to the investors to me.... I am assuming that Bangkok University, being private, is not squeezing the taxpayer on this one, but I might be wrong....anyone know who funds this boondoggle? Having only 10 out of 2,500 foreign students suggests that they have a long way to go to "internationalise" their reputation and student base.

and of course while they circle jerk and no decision is bring made, Thailand's reserves of gas will deplete causing them to import more gas at a higher cost and in the end the current operators will get fed up with the uncertainly and put their capex and exploration resources somewhere else.

the current operators will get fed up with the uncertainly and put their capex and exploration resources somewhere else.

Where are they to go? They are businesses and don't get their feeling hurt and so take their ball and go home. With oil prices falling, more and more drilling operations are being shut down because existing sources of oil/gas are so much cheaper that finding/producing new sources. These drilling and exploration companies will soon be willing to make a better deal, in Thailand's favor, then. In the mean time, importing oil is cheaper than looking for new sources as long as they don't delay too long. Domestic sources, even if more expensive, are crucial to giving the nation energy security.

The activist groups have contended that they are not against the bidding but they wanted the law to be amended first to ensure fairness and better benefits for Thailand regarding the exploitation of oil and gas of both offshore and onshore.

by your remarks you obviously have very little insight into how the industry works

Where are they to go? -

they don't go anywhere they just shut down, all operators are MNC's - Thailand is only 1 operation, its only a very small part in their world wide operations, just think of it of the likes of Toyota closing a factory in a specific country, its the same thing, no ones feelings are getting hurt, its just business.

As to your second point which I am not sure what exactly the point is your trying to make ?

I don't know why your focused on oil, Thailand has very little oil to start with, the primary driver is gas, and under the current system, the government is being "sold it" at a discount rate

to ensure fairness and better benefits for Thailand....let me translate this for statement for you

its called nationalization, yes dear reader this is what they are up

one of the proposals on the table is production sharing on a 70/30 split, as opposed to the current royalty system, in other words "they" want the "government" to receive 70% of the gross, while the operator only gets 30%, but here is the amusing bit, the government invests nothing and the operator is expected to front the cost and take all the risk.

No operator including the likes of PTTEP would go for something like this

operators in in the business of making profits and if they cant make profits, they shut down and operation as its not financially viable, if the powers that be make producing oil & gas in the gas, not financially viable, they will shut up shop...its that simple

Rametindallas made far more sense in his post than you. You said, quote: "while they circle jerk and no decision is bring made, Thailand's reserves of gas will deplete causing them to import more gas at a higher cost and in the end the current operators will get fed up with the uncertainly and put their capex and exploration resources somewhere else", suggesting that delaying a decision now will cause locally-based, but foreign, suppliers of gas to pack up and piss-off home, which presumably means the gas will be left in the ground, not exploited, so how then will reserves deplete? Or are you suggesting they will leak out the ground by themselves unless foreign producers are there to pump them out? Secondly, because gas supplies might have to be imported, it does not necessarily follow that they will be more expensive than those produced locally. Gas supplies from Burma or Oman or other ME locations might be much cheaper than locally-produced gas, which has high costs of production and it makes far more sense at the moment to import it, especially as PTTEP has several offshore operations these days. Same goes for oil.

Your logic really seems to be lacking, but I do sense a knee-jerk fear of "nationalization" and any wish by leaders or civil society organizations to get a better deal for the country. Go ask the average Mexican whether they are glad their govt nationalised Pemex, rather than allowed US and Western companies to rape their reserves, and see what kind of response you get. Nationalization is not a panacea, but I would say it beats the US-model of privatized rape of natural resources, where benefits accumulate to the Bushes of your country, not the average Joe Blow.

Are Apico drilling for conventional oil or gas reserves, or are they involved in a fracking operation? In which case, the villagers have every right to be concerned and the EIA should be scrutinised very carefully by external experts to ensure it meets international standards. There is a long history of companies in Thailand employing tame consultancies to write sub-standard EIA's that overlook obvious environmental impacts for the benefit of that operation's profit. Meanwhile state agency regulation and enforcement of environmental standards is often weak and subject to political pressure.

If you knew anything at all about fracking, you would hold your tongue. Instead of reading the doomsday media report, it would behoove you to check out what really happens.

Why so aggressive in your tone? And how can you tell what my level of knowledge is about fracking and where I get my information from, based on a 4 line post? So go Gonsalviz, amaze me with your knowledge of fracking in Thailand and tell me "what really happens". I can't wait to be educated, oh wise one.

Are Apico drilling for conventional oil or gas reserves, or are they involved in a fracking operation? In which case, the villagers have every right to be concerned and the EIA should be scrutinised very carefully by external experts to ensure it meets international standards. There is a long history of companies in Thailand employing tame consultancies to write sub-standard EIA's that overlook obvious environmental impacts for the benefit of that operation's profit. Meanwhile state agency regulation and enforcement of environmental standards is often weak and subject to political pressure.

Good news. Whilst the problem was somewhat exaggerated in the first place, making an official announcement that it is to be stopped is a sensible move.

However, there will always be some here who badmouth anything the Thai authorities do. They could be offering free beer and hand jobs and some of you would still be complaining.

Jeez, if a Thai cop offered me free beer and a hand job, I wouldn't be complaining. I'd be legging it down the soi like I was Usain Bolt on steroids.

I guess your into a man in uniform then.

Quite the opposite....I'd be running to escape the pervert and his offer of a hand shandy.

Good news. Whilst the problem was somewhat exaggerated in the first place, making an official announcement that it is to be stopped is a sensible move.

However, there will always be some here who badmouth anything the Thai authorities do. They could be offering free beer and hand jobs and some of you would still be complaining.

Jeez, if a Thai cop offered me free beer and a hand job, I wouldn't be complaining. I'd be legging it down the soi like I was Usain Bolt on steroids.

Calm down. He'll wait til you get there.

Clearly you misunderstood me.....I meant to get away from the dirty bugger!

Good news. Whilst the problem was somewhat exaggerated in the first place, making an official announcement that it is to be stopped is a sensible move.

However, there will always be some here who badmouth anything the Thai authorities do. They could be offering free beer and hand jobs and some of you would still be complaining.

Jeez, if a Thai cop offered me free beer and a hand job, I wouldn't be complaining. I'd be legging it down the soi like I was Usain Bolt on steroids.

All through the various bombing campaigns London suffered over the years the matter of tourism was hardly ever mentioned, tourist figures remained the same and life carried on . the comments made here regarding tourism in truth actually start to project a negative image.

That image clearly displays a total disregard for human life and the worship of money, the welfare of any tourists foreign or domestic not actually being of any importance or concern to the T.A.T. or the irrelevant authorities.

Whether these latest bombings were or are politically, religiously, judicial (anti graft) or perhaps a business related grudge matter or even possibly a black flag matter (although personally I somehow doubt that) remains to be seen.

Rest assured that the truth if it is ever found to be anti government or anti establishment will indeed be hidden away from the public lest it should cast the those aforementioned entities powers in a bad light.

Yes, a curious one to decipher until the perp is caught, which is probably quite unlikely given the past record of authorities in bringing the (right) person to book for bomb attacks. I thought Paragon had a strong link to the Thaksin business network (seem to remember him going there once and his heavies beating up a few old protesters towards the end of his tenure), which if that is still the case, it doesn't seem likely to be the work of the Redshirts. However, he may now have nothing to do with it and this was simply a case of trying to stir up trouble and strife by anti-govt elements, rather than a deliberate attempt to target Paragon or seriously injure anyone. Did anyone ever get prosecuted for the series of bombs at New Year a few years ago, for example, again targeted at popular shopping/entertainment areas of central Bangkok?

Quote from the TNA press release on p.1:

"I would like the public to watch out for signs of untoward incidents and condemn those responsible as they do not value the life and property of others," Gen Prayut said.

Jeez, if I was the PM, I think I would be recommending the public immediately report any "untoward incidents" such as planting bombs to the police, not stand and around and condemn them for being irresponsible. "Now look here Somchai, I really don't think that planting that pipe bomb shows respect for the life and property of others, so I condemn your irresponsible actions in the strongest possible terms!" Bang!!!!!

I hope this quote by Prayut was somehow "lost in translation", but sadly I suspect not, from past form of the General.

"He said the democracy loving people were forced to give democracy to this government under the barrel of the gun, did not come out to protest just because they wanted to give a chance to this neutral group of people to resolve the political conflicts in this country with no prejudices."

Yeah, that's why you stayed at home.

In all probability, whatever he says or does is dictated by the Dragon Head.

Is that Mr or (ex) Mrs Shinawatra you'd be referring to?

How on earth can you be comparing structure of the country 600 years ago to today?. I find it very sad that this sort of thing is thought relevant. I try to be clued up on British history, particularly the 19th/20th century, but frankly I haven't a clue who was king in 1448. (I can look it up, but that would be cheating)

My point is that you cannot use feudal comparisons to run a modern state.

By viewing the contemporary context through the lens of past paternalistic kings and hierarchical structures, has proven an effective device for modern autocrats to structure current society in a timewarped ideal of subservience to authority.

Excellent! A bit like a PM citing Oliver Cromwell...?

No, I was thinking more along the lines of General Sir Nick Carter (Head of British Armed Forces) declaring a coup d'etat in UK and subsequently justifying his authority by making reference to the mores and feudal codes of Henry VI's Lancastrian army in the 15th century. It not only answers your question as to the monarch of 1448, but it is worth looking ol' Henry up on Wikipedia to see some uncanny parallels....

DEFINATELY NOT A PASSION FRUIT... I eat passion fruit daily. Eggplant no....

This morning as suggested i cut it open. I could not cut it with a steak knife i had to use a cleaver to slice it.

It s very HARD ( probably not ripe ) the inside is very grainy..

Thanks to all,,,

I think it may be a fruit known in Lao language as mak nam nom (i.e. the milk fruit). I don't know the Thai or common name, but you might like to check with your gf/wife is she knows it. It is edible when it is darker (almost black) and riper than the fruit in your photo. It used to be quite common in villages in southern Laos and provinces bordering the Mekong in Isan.

Just did some checking and found that mak nam nom is commonly known as star fruit (Chrysopyhllum cainito). Not sure if this is what you found, in a pre-ripe state, but more detail here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysophyllum_cainito

Go back in a few weeks to see if they've ripened up and report back....

DEFINATELY NOT A PASSION FRUIT... I eat passion fruit daily. Eggplant no....

This morning as suggested i cut it open. I could not cut it with a steak knife i had to use a cleaver to slice it.

It s very HARD ( probably not ripe ) the inside is very grainy..

Thanks to all,,,

I think it may be a fruit known in Lao language as mak nam nom (i.e. the milk fruit). I don't know the Thai or common name, but you might like to check with your gf/wife is she knows it. It is edible when it is darker (almost black) and riper than the fruit in your photo. It used to be quite common in villages in southern Laos and provinces bordering the Mekong in Isan.

How on earth can you be comparing structure of the country 600 years ago to today?. I find it very sad that this sort of thing is thought relevant. I try to be clued up on British history, particularly the 19th/20th century, but frankly I haven't a clue who was king in 1448. (I can look it up, but that would be cheating)

My point is that you cannot use feudal comparisons to run a modern state.

By viewing the contemporary context through the lens of past paternalistic kings and hierarchical structures, has proven an effective device for modern autocrats to structure current society in a timewarped ideal of subservience to authority.

' "We have to look at coal and alternative energy. People might oppose some kinds of fuel such as coal but new technology could make it clean and be more environmentally friendly, I think." '

Yes, bring on that clean coal technology. Of course it will cost a fortune, but that's OK we don't mind if our power bills go up a bit.....do we?

Prayuth clearly has little clue about the global or national energy market and trends. Coal is becoming a sunset industry as countries like Australia are learning to their cost. As climate change kicks in and countries around the world both sign up to lowering CO2 emissions and move towards non-fossil fuel sources of energy, coal is going to be the first to be ditched. Coal is never going to be made "clean and more more environmentally friendly" even with the latest technology. To bunch coal with "alternative energy" like that is disingenuous at the very least. He is clearly being poorly advised and is out of touch with what is happening outside the Thai bubble.

And if the "existing 26 sources of petroleum will run out in the next 6 years" and Thailand does not have any more coming on stream in the next couple of years, then it really is a bit late to only be going out and searching for the last few drops at the bottom of the barrel now. Thailand seems to have passed peak oil nationally long ago and is on the long slow descent down the other side - just the time when any forward looking nation would be moving heaven and earth to transition over to renewables. But not here, where I strongly suspect the govt is going to push for fracking the Northeast, and that is what the geological hunt he alludes to is about. But fracking has just become uneconomical in the short term, as oil and gas prices have crashed on global markets - again, the good general is totally out of touch with reality. Still, he will no doubt push ahead regardless and end up holding any transition beyond fossil fuels back. It will cost Thailand dearly.

You mean they are not going down the hill a mile or two to put a garland round and say a prayer for good luck at Uncle Mok's shrine and Pol Pot's grave before having a flutter in the casino? What an opportunity lost by TAT and their Cambo counterparts for Rouge shirted tourism!

Lest your post should misdirect anyone, the grave of Pol Pot is from memory only a few hundred meters down the hill from the casino which itself is very close to the Laos border post. PP's grave is on the other side of the road from the casino (left side as you go down the hill) and then turn left for 50 metres down a short dirt road, next to a 3 or 4 storey guest house (the only higher building in that area). There is a makeshift notice that I saw coming from the Cambodia side but it would be easy to miss - hence my level of detail.

Not a great deal to see, but given the impact of Pol Pot on humanity it's well-worth the couple of dollars that some old guy next to a makeshift barrier might charge you. He let my Thai wife and my local taxi driver in for free.

[TW had been typically unmoved by my attempts to get her interested in some of the most important regional modern history when we went to Tol Sleung (the killing jail) in Phnom Penh. Then she went on Facebook to say where she was and got a hail of emotion back from those of her mates that are of Khmen origin. She got rapidly interested then!]

Maybe Uncle Mok's shrine is a mile or two down the hill - I haven't seen that

Thanks for the finer directions to PP's grave, which turns out to be just a stone's throw from the casino. Even better then to turn it into a site of pilgrimage and luck charms for the gambling hordes who turn up in their minibuses each w/end. After all, he was a Thai "good guy" for quite a while for his anti-Vietnam resistance (the Thai military even allowed him houses in Trat and Pattaya for a bit of R&R away from the pressures of being a despot, so the rumours go) and did quite a bit of business in logging with the generals for many years, keeping Thais in cheap construction wood and fancy furniture, so a lot of people unwittingly sit on Pol Pot-sourced chairs on a daily basis. And given his love of Khmer magic, I am sure someone could rustle up a good line in Pol Pot lucky charms to sell to the punters, once the potential of his grave is realised. Perhaps Ong-guliman-type thumbs or Tuol Sleng skulls on a necklace perhaps? Would be a variation on the linga-theme, currently so popular.

I think Ta Mok's grave is a bit closer to the town of Anlong Veng, as he was after all known as the "Butcher of Anlong Veng" in his heyday and no doubt remains a bit of a local hero for his antics. Do post a site visit report of what's there if ever you're back there, as would be interested to hear how he is viewed or venerated in death?

Like you, I am always rather mystified how disinterested most Thais are in the inter-linked and fascinating history of their nextdoor neighbours. But then as Thai history (as taught in schools) seems to stop in its tracks about 50 years ago and anything more modern didn't exist at all, as it is not in the textbooks or talked about on TV, I guess it is not that surprising. That Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Malay and Burmese students seem to understand not only their own history but that of Thailand also, far better than the average student of an equivalent age in Thailand seems to be of little concern to anyone in Thailand, least of all the phu yai who run the show.

This is a no brainers as the highway 2341 is a death trap for large lorry's or buses. With out building a new by pass you have a new billion baht custom house before the crossing that is un used..BTW that NEW custom house just in back of the original SiSaket Immigration office. And you may ask where are the lorry's coming from ? Laos and Vietnam if and when ASEAN gets going. As for tourist

Loads of tourists already Kwaibah - not going for the historical culture of Siem Reap; not going to revile the memory of one of the world's greatest genocidal butchers; not going to appreciate the cuisine of Cambodia (Thais ... appreciate someone else's food?).

They are all going to the casino on the border of course! Mostly pretty cheap tourists in minbuses from throughout this part of Lower Isaan, from what I've seen on a quick pass through the gilded gambling halls (to go to the toilets!). Vegas this is not.

OK - maybe not strictly tourists then, but tourist authorities will count anyone (twice)

You mean they are not going down the hill a mile or two to put a garland round and say a prayer for good luck at Uncle Mok's shrine and Pol Pot's grave before having a flutter in the casino? What an opportunity lost by TAT and their Cambo counterparts for Rouge shirted tourism!

The water tasted weirdly salty when this happened last year. Then I read in the newspaper about the sea water getting into the water supply and realized why. I could certainly do without a repeat of that. It's tolerable, but it's pretty unpleasant to drink.

Normal filters won't get the salt taste out, the filter has to be capable of desalination.

You drink tap water in Thailand ?

The water will taste salty even if you use a filter, unless your have a filter capable of desalination (not likely).

But yes, I drink the water straight out of the tap. As far as microbes go, it is fine. At least in Bangkok, anyway. I drink it all over the city, so it's not just my area. I never got sick, not even once (I don't have a super intestine). I think we have prejudices about alot of things, and one of those believes is about the filth of the water here.

I can't say anything about other additives in the tap water such as BPs, etc., but you won't get any digestive problems from drinking the water, even if the salt water gets into the system again as the OP describes (but it will taste unpleasant).

Firsthand proof that the water won't make your poop soupy:

I can't believe I just watched you taking five poops over 5 days, but your juggling, banjo playing distractions somehow held my attention. And yes, I believe you, metropolitan tap water won't give you Bangkok belly straight off. It's not so much the E-coli or other microbes I'd be worrying about, so much as the inorganic chemicals and other toxic substances that might be dissolved in it. Probably won't give you a stomach ache in the short term, but could give you something nasty in the long run. But hey, you live in Bangkok, so you've obviously decided to take the risk with the air you breathe and water you drink in any case, so all I can say is.....stay healthy and keep strumming!

The vid was a creative way to prove a point Timmy, so kudos for that. Feel sorry for your girlfriend who has to record it all tho'.

What a load of codswollop!! More lies and propaganda from this military Junta trying fool the Thai public into thinking their regime has legitimacy in the eyes of the Western Nations. UK would NEVER invest in a country that is trying to get into bed with North Korea and China.

You aren't forgetting that Britain not only got into bed with China, but gave her a memorable screwing a while back?.

Oh, I think the screwing involved mutual consent of both partners, although they took extra precautions that a/ there would be no offspring produced and b/ no STD would result from the coupling. It is questionable whether either partner felt any pleasure during coitus, as Albion's stiff upper lip failed to quiver and the Yellow Rose's steely smile remained demur and inscrutable throughout.