Toknarok

The worst I've encountered was a trip many years ago from London to Athens. Being naive and foolish I decided to take the well known "Magic Bus".It was cheap and I thought it would be an adventure. 4 days on a clapped out bus that must have been at least 20 years old.Ihad the misfortune to be seated next to an extremely fat old Greek woman with a hairy face. If that wasn't bad enough she had the most appalling body odour that I have ever experienced. It wasn't just me that noticed it but I bore the brunt of it. Above our seat was a vent in the bus roof which I opened, she objected to this and shut it. So I again I opened it to the applause of the passengers nearby. This went on for a while until eventually she realised she was on a loosing wicket and changed seats.

Had a great time in Athens as usual but when it was time to return to the UK I decided to forgo my return ticket and to take the ferry to Italy and then the train through Switzerland,France to the UK. All went well until I got on the GTV train from Lauserne to Paris. Sitting next to me was another elderly woman, French this time. Too make it worse she not only had the most foul garlic breath that I have ever smelled her B.O. was almost as bad as the Greek woman on the bus, but she had with her a bloody miniature poodle that took a fancy to me and wanted to sit on my lap. I didn't mind that so much until the animal pissed on me. Time to change seats.

Edited to appologise to Costas if the Greek woman was one of his relatives.

C'mon., It's not that cold where you are is it?

From OP "Analysts say Article 44 is similar to Article 17 enforced during Field Marshal Sarit Thanarats dictorial regime from the late 1960's to the early 1960's'

The actions of our present leader mirror those of Sarit almost identically to what happened nearly 60 years ago. Plus ca change.

Read about Sarit here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarit_Thanarat

I read the article and basically have to agree with it. It's no joke when the person in charge of a Country (I avoid the 'D' word) who has given himself 'godlike' powers threatens to execute anyone who may disagree with or annoy him. Shades of North Korea.

I read it every day. I understand it's against forum rules to say how to circumvent the ban, just let's say I don't use proxy servers or anything like that, I wouldn't know how, I'm a computer moron.

Warnings on fag packets just dont work

Wrong. There's plenty of evidence that suggest that they do. Google 'cigarette health warnings' you will find plenty of links. Here's just one http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0325.pdf

Today was the 'lottery' for conscription into the Thai Forces for our local thambon/amphur. +Great excitement especially with the young girls barracking or booing the poor unfortunate young men who are forced to endure this awful process. As their names are called out they are required to go up to the podium and choose a red or black ball rotating in a 'lottery' drum. As they do so the 'audience' of young girls scream 'sii dam' or ' 'sii daeng' (red or black) apparently wanting or otherwise their young males to be conscripted. It may sound like fun but how would you feel if a screaming audience wanted to get rid of you for a couple of years.

My son went there today. He was in actual fact looking forward to being conscripted, he was prepared to forgo the 'lottery' and voluntarily sign up. There is quite a strict medical you have to undergo and he failed because he had a slight squint in his left eye. He'll get over it.

In today's Al Jazeera there is an article about female genital mutilation in Thailand. I had no idea that this disgusting practise was happening in this Country, and just hope that the powers that be make every effort to eradicate it.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2015/03/female-genital-cutting-thailand-south-150309083458995.html

Reminds me of the joke 'How many monks does it take to replace a light bulb?'

In the OP it states "grants him near-absolute power' In my reading of Article 44 it would seem that that he has granted himself absolute power. Can anyone enlighten me as to what he is prevented in doing?

68% of prostitutes say they have been raped at one time or another. Rape is not a sexual act it is about violent control. A Rapist gets his jollies from terrorising and assaulting his victim. I wasn't there but if the victim needed hospital treatment and the suspect had a wound to his head which she said she inflicted I'd be inclined to believe her story.

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

After many attempts my missus now cooks perfect eggs with sliced toast, for 'soldiers'.

We've got half a dozen of those terrapin/turtle things in a tank in our garden. Every month on the 1st and 15th my missus grabs one and 'reads' the number on the underside of the shell. She rarely wins but it's all in good fun I suppose.

In today's Daily Mail there is yet another report of a safety incident concerning a Thai airline. Being the Mail I cannot post a link, but briefly an Orient Thai aircraft left from Phuket to a destination in China. When it was in Chinese airspace one of the engines suddenly failed causing the plane to go into a very steep dive. Oxygen masks deployed and there allegedly was panic amongst passengers and crew. Many passengers suffered nose and mouth bleeds. The plane was forced to land at the nearest airport and passengers were ferried onto their destination.

Thailand really needs to address its air safety record AT ONCE.

http://www.aviationnews-online.com/editorial-comment/will-icao-hit-thailand-hard-and-are-the-big-ulcc-investors-moving-to-grab-jetlines/

I will just copy and paste one paragraph from this article:

If this were to happen then it is likely that EASA and the FAA would have to react and that would affect licences for 10 Thai-registered airlines operating international flights, 10 domestic and chartered airlines, and one cargo carrier.

As can be seen this is likely to affect TWENTY ONE Thai registered airlines. I would think that that's just about ALL of them.

Last time I was in the local Govt. hospital the bed next to me was occupied by a Cambodian who was suffering from snakebite. He was treated for free and I've no doubt he just walked back to the nearby Cambodian border. Apparantly this hospital treats quite a few Cambodians. They can hardly turn away someone in urgent need of medical attention.

The border clinics appear to be a good idea, but as prieviously stated you're not going to get much for half a million baht.

He said 'If there's no election will anybody die?' I'm afraid that if there isn't an election then that is precisely what will happen, and it could well be on a scale far worse than when his Southern thugs took to the streets and prevented the last election.

Good on the copper. But this story just shows once again the appalling lack of facilities for the disabled in this Country.

Whose going to sue who? The 'alleged' taxi driver was not identified. Will the Taxi Drivers Association (if there is one) sue. Perhaps an offence has been committed under the Computer Crimes Act. Who knows, who cares?

Just how do the Police estimate the value of drugs. Just under 600 grams worth 1.5 million? I confess ignorance concerning the trade in amphetamines and the like. What is the price of a yaba pill or is it sold by weight. Just curious.

Try the pet shop mans brother in Notlob.

Hope that no country will ever extradite any LM suspects to Thailand!!

Most countries extradition treaties would not allow it. The crime typically has to be considered a crime in both the country that the person is being extradited from and the country that they are being extradited to -- which is why I am suspicious of the potential to trump up the charges to more serious crimes so the extradition treaty would cover it.

I however would not cry if Ms. Rose is extradited.... I don't like people using their host countries for the purpose of violating laws back in their home country (he is doing Thai language LM broadcasts - which is obviously targeted to be seen in Thailand).

I however would not cry if Ms. Rose is extradited.... I don't like people using their host countries for the purpose of violating laws back in their home country (he is doing Thai language LM broadcasts - which is obviously targeted to be seen in Thailand).

Also known as freedom of speech. Indeed a very dangerous animal..........................

People use their host Countries to criticise their own Countries all the time. There are groups in the UK that broadcast and print publications about abuses in Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe et al. You might call it propoganda but it also falls under the banner of free speech.