Spock

The military dinosaurs are bedfellows now of the Pheu Thai party.

Please don't quote Bob Dylan and praise Thaksin in the same post. They are incomparable as people and public figures. Thaksin and Dutertes have a lot in common, and any close friend of Hun Sen is no friend of mine.

Getting them to take down any of the many gratuitous animal cruelty videos is an exercise in futility. Nothing you report seems to infringe their guidelines or is considered unacceptable. Not that I want to see Facebook banned but I would like to see the owners display some moral fibre. Get sick of seeing Chinese people dragging dogs destined for the dinner table behind their bikes and cars or videos of large animals and snakes throttling domestic animals to death etc.

As someone who is perfectly happy with legalised marijuana, I don't want to see Thaksin back in Thai politics.

It is already banned from public places, including hotels. I seem to remember smoking in public can carry a 3 month prison sentence.

I think you are being generous to the tik-tok man describing his Thai ability to be upper immediate or advanced. Also think you are underestimating the gas attendant's English. What really happened is that both spoke a foreign language to each other. I don't think the gap in ability was that great.

I must admit that I have seen Thai police show remarkable restraint with belligerent foreigners and go out of their way to help them.

Totally agree, particularly after being kicked off a flight. Should have been arrested.

Lots of ordinary Thais who don't use cannabis will buy it. Anyone who does use or has used cannabis will know it is total nonsense. Maybe cannabis was thrown in on top of drunkenness or hard drug use, but it alone sure as hell isn't the cause of this kind of destructive behaviour. Makes me ashamed to be an Australian as well as hate the guy for adding fuel to the fire of the anti cannabis campaigners.

Vomit-worthy stuff. Thai politics is a joke best ignored by anyone who wants to live in this country. The rich and famous escape punishment and scrutiny every time, aided by the very bodies and systems that should be investigating and punishing them. The Red Bull killer is still free to wander the world, as is Prawit to own $22m in watches and become the next PM. Meanwhile, the only guy who presents as a leader of substance is excluded over B42,000 of useless shares. This country has a long way to go before it has any chance to be a true and fair democracy. In fact, I think achieving this target is impossible.

You're not a Trump supporter by any chance!????

Yet Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai were spotless when I was there last month. Whatever is being done there to keep those cities clean needs to be applied elsewhere in Thailand.

I have never thought of badminton as a child's game.

The article clearly states that the father slap occurred AFTER his son was beaten, but just about everyone here has stated that was the act that incited the beating shown in the video. I also struggle to understand how anyone can defend the group beating and kicking by a security team who should be employed to defuse rather than inflame situations. Sure dad and his son may have acted obnoxiously to be kicked out, but that does not excuse the out of control and cowardly actions of the bouncers. Anyone who considers this kind of violence acceptable in the context needs to re-examine their own moral values. Thai bar and security staff thrive on using violence on foreigners when they are given an opening through circumstances. These guys should be charged by police for abusing the role for which they are paid.

Any friend of Hun Sen is no friend of mine.

Sometimes I appreciate confrontation in Thai politics rather than merely shifting pieces around on a chessboard or pussying around forming coalitions with the other loser mates. Say it as it is and if they don't like it, stuff'em.

I have stayed in 3 Bangkok hotel/apartments at this price in the last month.

Yes there is, but I am not so sure that Thaksin would see the difference that we see between the two substances.

One big problem I had with Thaksin was his Duterte like 'shoot a drug dealer/user' campaign which failed to discriminate between real criminals and small time users and dealers. You would not think Thaksin would be tolerant of legalised marijuana if he was again in a position of power.

Are banks closed throughout this period too? I need to send money to a Thai friend's account but it appears he will have to wait.

Which two days? I need to stock up.

Don't know how the average expat can afford cheese. It's so expensive here compared to back home.

Perhaps just change 'always' to 'always too often'.

Cambodia doesn't really even have an opposition anymore, let alone a credible alternative party. For that you have Hun Sen and China to thank. The country doesn't even make any real pretence of being a democracy now that it's clutched to the bosom of Mainland China. Thailand does offer a selection of parties, but the military and the overruling parliamentary structure ensure that only the old guard can win in the end.

Whatever. From personal experience I say 6 months for one joint is impossible. There has to be something else involved. Posters here are querying how this guy got months for 2 ecstasy pills, a crime much more serious than marijuana.