plachon

1990-93 seemed to be a particularly bad period for serious accidents, just as Thailand's economic growth was at its height and health and safety corners were being cut everywhere to keep the bandwaggon rolling. At the same time, the World Bank and IMF were hailing Thailand as the miracle economy and new Asian tiger, soon ready to leave the ranks of NIC-status and become a "developed nation". Seems like the neo-liberal economic pundits were a tad hasty on that one, also missing the Asian economic crash in 97 and continuing two-track economy between the haves and have-nots brought about by their prescriptions for "growth at any cost".

Of course it should all be shelved as the scheme/s were designed not from a water management /engineering aspect, but solely for the benefit of the few to cream-off as much as they could.

Time to get a few of the worlds experts in and review the whole water management system, including the clearing and sorting out of the existing system so heavily clogged and run-down it can not possibly handle the peak flows when necessary.

You have the motivation for the 350 billion baht water management project just about nailed, as have been other large-scale infrastructure projects in Thailand in the past, whether water, transport or energy. There are other motivations by the elite promoters, such as the pork-barreling aspects of gaining votes from the electorate and continual programme of centralisation of decision-making in a few hands, including bureaucrats, politicians and business elite, from the competing political networks. This Thaksin/TRT promoted one was particularly egregious, as I have it on good authority from someone who has studied this sector closely, that the deal with K-Water as main contractor was done indecently quickly by Thaksin on a trip to Korea, while the sum of 350 billion baht was basically worked out on the back of an envelope by a couple of non- WRM experts and all else followed in the quest to mobilise this fantastical figure from the public purse, supported by a massive overseas loan, that would ensure its controllers almost certain victory at future general elections. Hence, another good reason for the "other side" to ensure it was not allowed to proceed.

The problem now is that an alternative and competitive plan will almost certainly be hatched by the new incumbents, that may be just as bad and self-interested as the plan it replaces. The whole system of centrally-controlled mega-project planning needs to be challenged before there will be a fundamental change in water resources development. And I see no real appetite for decentralisation and participatory planning approaches amongst the junta at present.

So where on the list is the order that KFC must close at 7pm hey? Not had a Kentucky for ages (you know how it is when you have the urge for a certain something and nothing else will do) I turned last night at 8pm Jungceylon licking my lips and - sign on door Closed 7pm

<deleted>?? What bearing do KFC have on Thai politics...

They are filthy imperial, capitalist lackey chickens, sent over by Colonel Sanders to infiltrate the nation and corrupt Thai kids. Didn't you know?

Been following the situation on the news,how safe is it to come to Thailand at the moment.

Where do you want to go and what do you want to do?

Pretty much anywhere in the north, northeast, and Bangkok (in other words, most of Thailand), is a potential flashpoint. For as long as the 10 p.m. curfew is enforced, and it is being enforced, there is no point in coming for the nightlife. If you want to play on a beach in the south and go to bed early you should be fine.

Oh yeah, go south, as there's no problems down there. In fact, the further south the better. Try the beaches in Pattani and Narathiwat - lovely and deserted this time of year, or so I'm told.

The names on that list are scary, very dangerous men who have been involved in many notorious and violent incidents in the past.

People Thaksin liked to mix with.

Yes, too many violent incidents to mention individually, but I am sure these guys know where many bodies are buried (metaphorical and literal) in many state-ordered executions from the Thaksin regime, including the notorious "War on Drugs" killing spree. They were not angels before or after Thaksin's 6 years despotic regime, but it was during that period that they accumulated some of the worst blood on their hands. However, they need justice in a normal court of law, not a closed military court or tribunal. No doubt none of them will ever be charged for their alleged crimes, but will just be kept out of circulation for a short while.

Basically I am at loss for words as to what the professor is saying in his article. I had to read it three times and even on the third reading I still found the article nothing but BS. He states:

"Unfortunately, there is confusion about the meaning of the term exceptionalism. It does not mean superiority, though it can contribute to feeling superior and promoting ultra-nationalism. Its actual meaning is uniqueness; something that one country has that is distinctive, which no other country has. Defined in this way, I have identified a number of examples of Thai exceptionalism. Some are quite important, while others are fascinating but rather trivial."

I don't know about you but I never had any confusion about the term and without going through his laundry list of "exceptionalisms" I really don't find most of the items have all that much bearing on Thai "uniqueness". What was the point of listing the tenth item. So what if the zoo and parliament are in close proximity. Is this guy nuts? The article is poorly written and superficial and the list of items is so inconsequential to Thai "uniqueness" as to be of little benefit in understanding how these things make Thais unique. Not a very scholarly work for someone with a PhD.

I think those latter points are just an excuse to name drop Mr Condom, and prove that he gets most of his information about Thai history, politics and culture from visits to Cabbages and Condoms to dine with Mechai and associated royalist friends, rather than any profound knowledge of Thailand's perceived exceptionalism and society. It is a superficial account definitely, that actually proceeds to strengthen the phenomenon he purports to want to debunk. His failure to mention the draconian lese majeste and defamation laws is evidence of this selective myopia.

i really can not understand how you ferangs can have any right to comment on the policies of this country, why do you not keep your comments to your own corupt and failed countries eg , britian and the united states, for god sake you do not run the world any more

As a matter of fact, "ferangs" (I assume you mean "Westerners"?) have every right to comment and criticise this project and the political actors and policies related to it, as it was funded by an Asian Development Bank loan, which means that money from both the nations you mention, plus a whole load more, was used on this project. Yes, that's right, ordinary tax payers money was channeled through the ADB to fund the corrupt activities of Wattana Assanavahame and all his cronies in Samut Prakan and the PCD, and it is us, as well as the Thai people who lose out from this disastrous waste of money. So, perhaps you'd better do a little bit of checking before you tell others that they have no right to comment on their own money sliding into the pockets of corrupt politicians and civil servants in Thailand. The world is getting smaller and we are all interlinked these days, for better or worse.

As I understand it, the naga chilli was developed in Dorset, England....so hardly similar growing conditions to Isaan..... but who knows, stranger things have happened! I've never had much success taking UK seeds to Thailand and vice versa, but better success has come from bringing seeds from Mediterranean or semi-tropical countries to either place. At the moment am experimenting with green tomatoes and a type of dwarf bean from Mexico, neither of which are doing that well thus far - the toms are already flowering at about 10 inches height plants!

I remember seeing a survey not so long ago, that placed countries on a continuum of acceptance of climate change by the general population from countries with a high proportion of denial of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) (e.g. USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia) at one end, to nations with a high degree of acceptance of ACC at the other. I was rather surprised to see that Thailand came out at the latter end of the spectrum with only one other nation (Turkey I think) having a higher proportion of citizens accepting ACC. The researchers found that a common determining factor of denial or acceptance was the production of oil and gas, Thus, based on the results of this survey, it should not be necessary to persuade most citizens that climate change is real and human activity plays a significant part in it, but rather education as to how individual and collective behaviour can be changed to ameliorate the impacts of climate change and ways to CC-proof households and communities to make them less vulnerable and more resilient. Most resources should probably be spent on changing the mindset of the wealthier and higher material consumption sections of society, for maximum benefits into the future for all.

Thais also believe in ghosts, lucky amulets, and fortune tellers.

And your point being? Thais are generally superstitious by nature? Tell me something I don't already know, but please make it relevant to the thread.

Meanwhile, you ignore the more general point I make about the rather clear relationship between ACC denying peoples and fossil fuel producing nations, which tends to suggest high levels of anti-scientism in such countries. Canada, USA and Australia are excellent cases in point, where despite relatively good education levels, a high proportion of people are sceptical of the scientific knowledge process and prefer to deny the scientific consensus around ACC as it fits in with their preferred political and/or religious ideology. Being a Republican voter is usually quite a good indication of where a person stands on ACC. No great surprises there any more. But the capacity to continue denying what many observe in their everyday lives and mainstream scientists have confirmed is strongly correlated to fossil fuel combustion emissions (amongst other CC-linked gases, such as methane from livestock or rice fields) is something that can only be maintained for so long, before the pretense crumbles and reality bites, as it is now for cities like Miami and soon will for Bangkok and dozens of other Asian cities:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/18/climate-change-global-warning-calamity-floods-observer-editorial

Your constant "liking" for every ACC deniers' post indicates that you are as much a believer in myths, magic and fairy stories as any Thai you discredit here.

Non response seems to be the norm among thai entities, be they schools,companies, or hospitals, particularly when it is a business or work inquiry.

I know people that have taken considerable time and even hand delivered inquiries and proposals which almost 100% time do not receive as much as a 20 second email to acknowledge it.

Someone from a big G7 law firm sent a formal letter (translated to thai) with a business proposition to a very big thai company. A lot time and effort then professional translation. Not even an acknowledgement.

You would think any entity holding itself out as international/ upscale/ high level, would at least acknowledge an inquiry????

Without going into why it is like that the important thing is it is far from international standard/level.

Correct, from my 15 year experience of working for Thai institutions, both governmental and non-governmental. The latest example of the paradigm was when my daughter, who wants to teach English in the primary school she attended in Isaan, wrote both a letter and email to the director of that school, asking whether she might be able to get a job with them. It took her a long time to draft, translate into Thai with parental help, type out in both languages and then send off, giving them the option to reply by letter or email. That was 3 months ago, and so far....nada, zilch, nowt, back from the school. Very disappointing, as it points to the wider malaise hinted at in many posts, about the general lack of any general communications etiquette and professional approaches in so many organisations and institutions in modern Thailand. It is a characteristic shortcoming that will hold the country back from more substantial and qualitative development into the future, I strongly suspect.

I remember seeing a survey not so long ago, that placed countries on a continuum of acceptance of climate change by the general population from countries with a high proportion of denial of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) (e.g. USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia) at one end, to nations with a high degree of acceptance of ACC at the other. I was rather surprised to see that Thailand came out at the latter end of the spectrum with only one other nation (Turkey I think) having a higher proportion of citizens accepting ACC. The researchers found that a common determining factor of denial or acceptance was the production of oil and gas, Thus, based on the results of this survey, it should not be necessary to persuade most citizens that climate change is real and human activity plays a significant part in it, but rather education as to how individual and collective behaviour can be changed to ameliorate the impacts of climate change and ways to CC-proof households and communities to make them less vulnerable and more resilient. Most resources should probably be spent on changing the mindset of the wealthier and higher material consumption sections of society, for maximum benefits into the future for all.

I dont get it. Digging in the internet just a little bit about fires in waste dumps would tell them how difficult it is to get such a fire under control AND if they think that it stopped that it did not stop at all.

But what are the Thai "experts" doing? As soon as they think it stopped they abandon the dump site. Such a fire continues below the surface for long time. So it was just a matter of time until the fire would have come back. And here it is again. Thainess at its best.

They need to get in an expert company who can deal with this fire, but they think they would loose their face (actually they lost it already...)

Even if it wasn't started deliberately by the authorities, this fire may well turn out to be a blessing in disguise for them, as finding affordable new sites for waste dumps is a massive problem in Thailand today, especially in densely-populated, high-land value Central Thailand and the Bangkok hinterlands. This fire burns through 50 % of the site and the hole created will allow them to continue dumping here for many years to come - problem sorted. Meanwhile, local residents are used to the endless stream of garbage trucks, flies and bad smells that emanate from it on a regular basis, so won't complain when things return to "normal". And if there is a strange spike in cancers and other environmentally-induced diseases in the next few years from this fire, hey, what the hell "we're a developing country".

I note a certain similarity in appearance (and politics ?), between Jatuporn & Kim Jong Un, could they possibly be related ?

It confirms they share a similar taste in haircuts and taste for eating; but in terms of dynastic ties, intellectual limitations and tastes for the bizarre, I always imagine Nong Oak being Thailand's Kim Jong Un in waiting......

I was wondering if the Economist was rueing the earlier free (?) space it gave him (or rather his PR company) in talking him up as some kind of democratic hero four or so years back. Thought it's bias extremely unwise at the time and history has proved me right. At least it opened my eyes to their unashamed bias towards promoting supposed neo-liberal icons in developing countries at the expense of more objective journalism. That's not to condemn all of its articles as biased, but like any journal or magazine, it has its preferred ideology and occasionally backs losers, despots and scoundrels.

Please feel free to provide a link to this apparently paid undeclared publicity. I have never heard of the Economist providing paid for editorial.

Never.

Cast your mind back to 2008 and the sterling work done on Thaksin's PR interests by one Sam Moon. Regular buddies with Thaksin apparently, and they hit it off so well, that Moon once likened Thaksin to Clinton. Thaksin, more modestly you'll recall, preferred to liken his statesmanship with Nelson Mandela. Here's a profile on Moonie from The Nation:

2. *Sam Moon, The Economist ties

(The Nation Nov 19 2008)

-Sam Moon has lived in and worked across Asia for the past 23 years working for The Economist, Dow Jones and his own company in partnership with BusinessWeek. Based mainly in Hong Kong, Sam spearheaded the effort of two global media companies, namely The Economist Group and Dow Jones, in transforming their respective conference activities into an actual growth-oriented and profitable business units. While in The Economist Group, Sam was also made responsible for The Economist Groups conference business for the United States and Latin America, with the aim of facilitating a similar business turnaround for The Economist brand. Mr. Moon first met Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra 16 years ago and has remained in contact with him over the years. Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee, United States.

And?

Thanon in the Nation prints this in 2008, and that means Thaksin can get paid for editorial in the Economist in 2012?

Okayyyyyyyy........ This guy Moon runs conferences.

Whoever mentioned anything about 2012. I was referring to planted pieces in the Economist giving a positive spin on Thaksin's misdeeds in 2008, apparently by this Moon character, and suggesting that The Economist may not be as neutral and objective in its analysis and political alliances, as some might have imagined. That is all. You say "Moon runs conferences" (as if that exonerates him), but you don't confirm or deny whether he had any links with The Economist Group, or the mention allegation that he was a friend or associate of Thaksin's for 16 years. Moon seems like just the sort of company that Thaksin would keep and the sort of person who might try to ensure that his friend received good press in The Economist, whether he wrote it or not. As the pieces are anonymous, I guess we shall never know, but clearly there is a strong finger of suspicion pointing at Moon as "the fixer" in the deal.

No one claiming that Thaksin has bought the exonomist ?

Well. That's novel.

I was wondering if the Economist was rueing the earlier free (?) space it gave him (or rather his PR company) in talking him up as some kind of democratic hero four or so years back. Thought it's bias extremely unwise at the time and history has proved me right. At least it opened my eyes to their unashamed bias towards promoting supposed neo-liberal icons in developing countries at the expense of more objective journalism. That's not to condemn all of its articles as biased, but like any journal or magazine, it has its preferred ideology and occasionally backs losers, despots and scoundrels.

Please feel free to provide a link to this apparently paid undeclared publicity. I have never heard of the Economist providing paid for editorial.

Never.

Cast your mind back to 2008 and the sterling work done on Thaksin's PR interests by one Sam Moon. Regular buddies with Thaksin apparently, and they hit it off so well, that Moon once likened Thaksin to Clinton. Thaksin, more modestly you'll recall, preferred to liken his statesmanship with Nelson Mandela. Here's a profile on Moonie from The Nation:

2. *Sam Moon, The Economist ties

(The Nation Nov 19 2008)

-Sam Moon has lived in and worked across Asia for the past 23 years working for The Economist, Dow Jones and his own company in partnership with BusinessWeek. Based mainly in Hong Kong, Sam spearheaded the effort of two global media companies, namely The Economist Group and Dow Jones, in transforming their respective conference activities into an actual growth-oriented and profitable business units. While in The Economist Group, Sam was also made responsible for The Economist Group’s conference business for the United States and Latin America, with the aim of facilitating a similar business turnaround for The Economist brand. Mr. Moon first met Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra 16 years ago and has remained in contact with him over the years. Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee, United States.

No one claiming that Thaksin has bought the exonomist ?

Well. That's novel.

I was wondering if the Economist was rueing the earlier free (?) space it gave him (or rather his PR company) in talking him up as some kind of democratic hero four or so years back. Thought it's bias extremely unwise at the time and history has proved me right. At least it opened my eyes to their unashamed bias towards promoting supposed neo-liberal icons in developing countries at the expense of more objective journalism. That's not to condemn all of its articles as biased, but like any journal or magazine, it has its preferred ideology and occasionally backs losers, despots and scoundrels.

Regardless of Politics she is a very attractive woman.

Regardless of you finding her attractive, she's not the Messiah's sister and she's been a very naughty girl.

This reminds me of when I first came to Thailand and the Tuk Tuk drivers would offer to give me a tour of Bangkok for ten Baht. Straight to the tailor shop we went and the Tuk Tuk driver disappeared out the back door. I wonder how many shops you will be taken to with this Bt. 100 scheme. Welcome to Thailand; Hub of Scams.

And if it wasn't tuk-tuks taking you to tailor shops for 10 baht, it was cops in uniforms taking unsuspecting tourists to gem shops. We were even offered to be escorted to a special "one day only sale" by two cops in a BMW. What altruistic, public-spirited behaviour those gentlemen showed - a credit to their jobs.

Siriraj Hospital medical museum

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yeah, seeing the pickled body of the wicked murderer (See-Oui?) is a must-see for anyone visiting BKK. Macabre, but nice.....

Koh Langkawi.......via Satun or Penang.....a great escape for Songkran....

"I voted for Yingluck, now I want to protect her," said Pradit Viengdindam, a 54-year-old street vendor who recently bought life insurance in case his two children are left with no father.

Insurance do not pay if it hapend in a riot, war etc ...

No, they probably do not, but as a committed Redshirt, he is unlikely to have read the smallprint in the policy document, no doubt sold to him by an agent of Thaksin. After all, UDD/PRT have to pay for the coming battle in the usual way - with the money of the masses, rather than out of their own pockets. And Reds never ask awkward questions about the source of the wealth of their man in Dubai. Even when last time in 2010 he said he would pay out a million baht to anyone killed doing his dirty work. How many of those killed were paid this blood money I wonder? Now, they will be paying for their own funerals, while Thaksin reaps their non-payable insurance premiums. Sweet, eh?

For all those tempted to offer advice on this thread to those who are potentially suicidal or just depressed, my humble suggestion is to not offer advice at all to such persons, but just give them a bit of time and listen to them. For most people, having someone who will listen to them when they have a black period in their lives, whether writing online, telephone or in person, is infinitely more valuable than anyone's advice, however well meant.

I once came across a village in Sakon Nakhon where the whole community were considered possessed by spirits, and they moved there to escape prejudice in their own villages and live amongst people who would accept them. Medieval-like belief systems and parallel realities are alive and well in the Isaan boondocks, as evidenced by this and many similar stories. All good news for necromancers, soothsayers, mystic monks and redshirt sellers!

I have not met a Thai full stop that doesn't think they are fantastic looking...and smart

That's odd, as I always thought Thai never had any full stops. I'd suggest you stop hanging out with punctuation marks in any case and stick to girls.