bapoboy

Creating a Schengen-style visa for ASEAN is simply not going to happen. ASEAN is NOT the European Union.

The governments of the countries in ASEAN want to keep their borders, each government is refusing to hand out any power or controls it has over it's own country. Remember, if you scrap your borders and become one area of united countries, well, the seperate governments in those countries start to lose power and control. In Europe, because it is united, it has Brussels, and countries agree that rules that come out of Brussels will be follwed by everybody. We all know that ASEAN will never have a place similar to Brussels.

Can anyone imagine, ASEAN picks a city, say Hanoi. And they all send their representatives to Hanoi, and work out rules collectively. You really think that the governments of Laos and Burma are going to accept the new rules, and hence, have their own power and control reduced ?? No way.

the problem with the EU is that there is no democracy, all countries should be equal, all countries should have the same rules and regulations as determined in brussels .. new Soviet Union, the EU

Quote

"Thailand has good prospects to be a regional hub for tourism."

This doesn't seem to be the case at present

thailand is and has long been a hub for both tourists and transit countries, are you awake or what?

The whole proposal was a joke from the start as is most things this junta puts up for headlines.

It's not the alcohol that kilos it's the bloody idiots who drink drive and the bloody stupid laws that are lax or are never enforced and even the police break them all time.

I know it's impossible but if there are no standards set then just expect these figures to continue every new year and songran.

No good bitching about it as no helmets no seat belts 3 to 5 people on a motorbike people crammed into backs of utes substandard vehicles and pissed up drivers are just the norm and Thailand throughout various governments have had plenty of time to at least try and fix it but chose not to.

Oh and a mere slap on the wrist for those who do get caught.

i like thailand because it is a free country compared to home where there are laws and rules on everything.

Just ban or highly tax this disgusting super cheap whiskey which destroys the life and families of the poors. For under 100THB you can buy this stuff and get yourself drunk the whole day.

are you socialist?

oh my god, the nanny state attacked?

I wonder how many taxis here would pass the stringent UK PSV test? (Are taxis still called PSVs and lorries HGVs?)

Been away too long!!

we are not in UK and thank God for it, in thailand we have personal freedom, in the UK there is no liberty, if you miss laws and regulations then one should stay in perfect vest, hahah lol

I'm glad I live in safe thailand, I have escaped from westen, too much Muslims and Islamists, just wait a few years so do most western countries like Saudi arbaia with Sharia law, women who walk around with solid garments ban against eating pork, all meat should be halal, they have Allr started in several countries, uk, france, sweden, belgium, believing that Europe becomes safer better with mass immigration really believe also in Father Christmas, when European nanny states are occupied and are fortress war so I sit in thailand and is included on the countries that were wealthy now lies in ruins ......

I wonder how many taxis here would pass the stringent UK PSV test? (Are taxis still called PSVs and lorries HGVs?)

Been away too long!!

most western countries is communist government owns you and your body, if you do not like thailand you may as well just go home to the perfect rip off world (nanny states) and enjoy your personal freedom there, hahahahhahahaha

Seat belts in the back? I'll believe it when i see it....Never seen any yet...

in nanny state has the seat belt behind theif you've never seen seatbelt behind, you're blind or you need glasses? hve time I have taken the taxi as there are seat belt in the rear. taxi, it should not be required to use, whether to use or not is a personal choice, my body, my choice, the authorities do not own my body.

anyway what pepole say about thai police or the scam or whatever, thailand is 1000 times better place the most western countries, the different between thailand and western countries are in thailand police/bargirls steal your money, but in most western countries the goverment steal your money (huge taxes)...

also the 24 hour time go get food here, all kinds off food we have also here.

This case and koh tao case, I think that people do not walk around killing tourists for fun, I mean it's always a reason, otherwise I bridal been killed long ago, mysteries constantly, but I know one thing what I read on thaivisa.com is as much trash as I read in the British media, so take everything you read here with a grain of salt.

my holiday this time is 17% more expensive for me than it was in May before this year, Norwegian krone bath 4.6thb now. in May there was 5.5thb ..... that the Norwegian krone has weakened me gives me chills, reason is that Norwegian krone has been weak, while thai bath has remained stable, it seems the last 6 months ... the best time for me was in 2005 when one Norwegian krone was 6.6thb ...

"However Dr Samarn assured, however, he proposed only banning of sales but did not prohibit drinking.

Customers still can buy before the banned time goes into effect, and then take them out for drinking during the festive time, he said."

So what is the point of the ban then?

Thainess at its very best or should that be worst ?

Good to know the country has such outstanding leaders.

we have a fairly similar law in Norway, you can not buy alcohol based on election days but one can drink. makes no sense, people act only alcohol based day before.

I just did a visarun to Vientiane. The driver never exceeded 120kmh, but did tailgating all over the time which led into a couple of critical situations. This van hat seat belts for every seats, but nobody used it. We were only farangs.

but using seat belts is personal choice, or you mister nannystate?

Thai new best buddies.....the chinese & russian.

better then nannystate (us and europe)

can anyone tell me why there is so much unrest in southern Thailand? and bombing and killing all the time?

Thanks.

is so insanely many on this forum that should move the fat ass home to his nanny state paradise, if everything is so bad here, why stay here, you have certainly much more personal freedom at home, democratic, it is also home .. hm hm

Now then lads ,is Thailand going against world sanctions by supporting Russia. Maybe N Korea and the ISIS next. What is the matter with the Thai PM ?

my home country NORWAY, is as communist as North Koreans.

Isn't that nice??

Two undemocratic third world countries working together for the greater good!!

Thailand has never been a thirdworld country, before writing you should know what you're talking about, read about thirdworld before writing.

another farang as sitting at home complaining about how terrible thailand, remember if you live here, so no one forces you to go home, you chose to come here .. nanny state waiting for you.

Cost of a 3-kilometer ride in April, 2011

*All prices converted into US dollars on April 16, 2011

The left price reflects little to no waiting in traffic, the right price reflects high-traffic situations plus night or weekend surcharges.

$0.90 – $1.58 Delhi, India

$0.97 – $1.29 Mumbai, India

$1.01 – $1.68 Cairo, Egypt

$1.15 – $1.73 La Paz, Bolivia

$1.16 – $1.85 Manila, Philippines

$1.25 – $3.00 Panama City, Panama

$1.27 – $1.73 Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

$1.28 – $1.91 Fez, Morocco

$1.29 – $2.14 Mexico City, Mexico

$1.32 – $1.98 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

$1.43 – $1.91 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

$1.53 – $3.06 Beijing, China

$1.53 – $1.91 Hanoi, Vietnam

$1.66 – $2.32 Bangkok, Thailand

$1.69 – $3.38 Kathmandu, Nepal

$1.84 – $2.76 Shanghai, China

$1.91 – $3.19 Marrakech, Morocco

$2.00 – $4.00 Quito, Ecuador

$2.06 – $2.94 Sofia, Bulgaria

$2.11 – $3.69 Montevideo, Uruguay

How about Thai insurance and liability coverage for passengers? Can a passenger recover any accident damage from the taxi company? Is this part of Thai "regulatory standards?"