up-country_sinclair

I think this is a lack of teaching history in the schools.

A lack of brain cells may also have something to do with it.

It is not related to intelligence, but rather ignorance. To many Thais, Hitler is an icon without context or even a basic level of knowledge.

Moody is watching........a downgrade would perhaps hurt the govt. more than the voting public are likely to do.

Has there been any indication if / when Moody's might make a decision on Thailand?

I don't think that privilege will be extended to maids. Only professional employees.

Yes.

Under MRAs, ASEAN members have agreed on the free flow of professional-level labor in seven fields, namely engineering, architectural, surveying, nursing, medical, dental, and accounting services. For the tourism industry, skilled workers must register their profession, or obtain job certification, or pass specific job tests of the host nation. They must also obtain a work permit from the host country and comply with related rules and regulations.

http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_news.php?id=6796&a=3

Got a text message last week informing us that the 100,000 would be deposited into our account the next day. And it was.

1 year and 2 weeks from date of delivery. We paid cash for the car.

I hope this venture is successful, but the taxi/tuktuk gang is surely plotting multiple ways for it to fail.

How absurd this all is.

Why isn't Yuthasak questioned on the tape's authenticity? Should be quite simple for Yingluck to call her Deputy Defense Minister into her office and ask, "is the recording real'?

She could also ask her brother.

But no, apparently the "authenticity needs to be checked".

What a farce.

I don't know what the fake shock is all about. As if anyone didn't know that TS was interfering in the country's affairs.

The thing that really shocked me was this...."Some red-shirt scholars may also want further clarifications"

The red shirts have scholars..!!!!

I'm about as far away from being a rd shirt sympathizer as it gets, but have Thai friends who are reds, who are intellectuals

Yes, many Thai academics support the red movement.

I have a lot of confidence in Thailand, because I am teaching its' future leaders.

One would hope that you're not teaching them English punctuation.

there is so much more to this story including the very first contact with the officer concerned, the reason for his appearance, his questions and those individuals that called the officer..(these were scooter rental people by the way !)

It really doesn't matter if it was a motorcycle rental shop who notified immigration. The fact remains that he broke the law by overstaying his visa by 3 months. You'll never be able to convince me this was an accident caused by forgetfulness or confusion about policy.

I'd like to point out that I'm generally not a rigid law and order type, but as has been pointed out by others on this thread, the overstayers put the rest of us in a bad light, and will possibly make staying legal more cumbersome.

Maybe the motor cycle renters had his passport and wouldn't give it back because they were trying to scam him so he couldn't leave the country.

It's hard to keep all of these different stories straight, but if I remember correctly, this guy overstayed by 3 months.

Safe to say that more than a few mouth breathers failed this exam, but we still need to see the questions and instructions before condemning the lot.

This is going to sound callous, and maybe it is, but...

I think you should contact her family and a govt. hospital ASAP. If god forbid she takes her own life and the police can't determine cause of death, then it might put you in a difficult spot.

Before he called himself Jim from Canada. Maybe some guys know him from parking lot at Big C, Lotus or Central. He was a good con artist in Phuket Town in the last years. About 2 years ago had a topic here in thaivisa.

What was the nature of his con? Was he the guy begging in the carpark and promising to pay it back?

Exactly.

That is unbelievably pathetic.

I don't feel much or any sympathy for this guy. He had to know he was breaking the law, and what the consequences would be. He rolled the dice (for 3 years) and eventually lost.

I don't, however, see the point of keeping him in jail for any extended period. If he's got the money for a 1 way ticket back to Canada, put him on a plane (in handcuffs if you need to make an example of him) and place his name on a black list so that he can never re-enter the country.

And by the way, somebody definitely dropped a dime on him, and it was probably someone he owed money to--GF, landlord, (supposed) friend, etc...

This seems curios to me. I assume there will be another shoe to drop soon.

^do the drivers have health insurance?

Better yet, do they have life insurance?

A breathalyzer that determines whether or not the engine turns over. I'd feel much safer on the roads if every vehicle in this country had one.

Edit: Tongue in cheek of course, but at least partly serious.

I know someone who doesn't close the back door of the taxi and walks away if the driver tells him that he won't take him to his destination.

Risky, but it must be nice feeling of revenge.

What's the saying? Gone to h*ll in a hand basket...that's it.

The saying I was thinking of is, "When you're in a hole, stop digging".