anon022

Oh my!

"He said the bills aimed "to control those who think unlike others - those who have their own mind and are not considering the thinking of the collective."

What's next, book burning?

Not about who you sympathise with or who was there first, it is that the elephants are breeding up to the stage where there is not enough habitat to sustain them.

In the past when that happened they started dying off from starvation and disease, now there are the man made plantations around which are far more productive than the jungle and the elephants are going out of the jungle to help themselves to that food resource, which means that the natural population check no longer exists and numbers can and will increase even more.

These are large beasties which need between 400 and 600 KG of food each a day, they have no fear off man and will go wherever they can to get that food and will have no hesitation in killing anyone who tries to stop them.

I have great empathy with forests and their inhabitants but know from experience in NZ that there can come a time when an animal population can get to the stage where they can destroy their forest habitat, in primitive times they would then die off and the forest would regenerate but things are different now and man has to be factored into the equation for the farmers and their crops are the ones who feed the rest of us.

What the answer is in relation to elephants is I don't know for it is an emotive subject and the wild Asian elephant is not in huge numbers but their habitat is also small and it would appear that in places the numbers have outgrown the habitat.

As far as the school is concerned a good (and cheap) option to try would be low voltage electric fences as used on farms elsewhere, they give a fearsome jolt without doing any actual damage, I know that from experience.

Wild elephants are in drastic decline, so you wasted your time.

What else is new, genocide of the Palestinians has been the main objective all along.

Splendid!

So, every single nation outside Thailand should stick to the Junta in Thailand and have no opinion on their own?

Summon every body you want with your Thainess and "attitude adjustment", but realize that everybody outside Thailand is NOT THAI and don't think as a Thai.

What, the US junta? Yes.

For heavens sake, get with it, it's 2015 you know

Does that come before or after 1984?

We are seeing the inevitable demise of socialism. Everyone finally ran out of other peoples money. The last gasp is that unelected rable they call the uropean Union. Fasten your seat belts. It will be a long ride.

Yes Socialism is dying. Socialism is the last safety net for the poor and down trodden so what will happen to them?. We do not all have a Bill Gates or Warren Buffett mentality. Maybe we could enslave them more like lobotomize them all to do the bidding of the 85 people that control half the worlds wealth(in another 50 years all of it oops the world will not last another 50 years my mistake). Maybe we could make them into a fuel to fill up our monster cars with or fuel our rockets to Mars. After robotics and 3D printing and all the medical marvels (that make us live longer for what?) further reduces the working masses by 50% or more what will these poor unfortunates do? Yes we are moving towards a Soylent Green way of life only the little cakes will be made from the living not the deceased and yes it will be a long ride to the bottom.

Yes, Soylent Green, it pops up in my mind more often lately. There's no doubt the writer was spot on with the story. Probably found a crystal ball in a cellar somewhere.

It would be great if Russia, or Iran or Venezuela started trading oil and gas in Euros instead of in dollars. And there you have it. This only can save the Euro and trash the dollar. It's that simple. Pray Russia will take this step. Iraq and Libya tried, and you know the story. Invading Russia however is out of the question.

For all those who think the Junta and the General have done a great job are you now prepared to see the truth?

The very pillar of freedom is the right to express your opinions freely and this is clearly being oppressed. It's time the UN stated with some heavy sanctions, tourists stopping coming, foreign expats left and foreign investment pulled out ... any such involvement only fuels the military's ability to hold on to power.

And talking about the military's ability to hold onto power:

After the 2006 Thai coup d'état, Prayut was appointed to the National Legislative Assembly. In this capacity, he joined the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Prayut sits on the executive boards of a number of companies including the state electricity utility company, MEA. From 2007 to 2010 he was independent director at Thai Oil Public Co, Ltd. Since October 7, 2010 he has been a director of Thai Military Bank^[20] and chairman of the Army United Football Club.

In May 2013, Prayut sold nine plots of land in a Bangkok suburb to a company called 69 Property for THB600 million. Reporters subsequently asked him about the land sale and the prime minister's position is that the media has no business questioning him on the matter. "The land has belonged to me since I was a kid, it belonged to my father. So what's the problem?" Gen Prayuth said. "Please stop criticising me already."^[26]

In his mandatory 2014 asset disclosure to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the prime minister listed THB128.6 million (US$3.9 million) in assets and THB654,745 baht (US$20,000) in liabilities. His assets include a Mercedes Benz S600L car, a BMW 740Li Series sedan, luxury watches, rings, and several pistols. He also reported the transfer of THB466.5 million (US$14.3 million) to other family members. ( errm, have we seen this before? ) As army chief, prior to his retirement at the end of September, the general received a THB1.4 million (US$43,000) annual salary.^[27][28]

^{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayut_Chan-o-cha}

Jealous much? Perhaps you should address the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and those who were responsible for it.

Envious about dishonest wealth? Are you serious?

The original and true meaning of jealous is something you may like to learn about.

You haven't met my ex yet!

Where were all the NGOs when Thaksin complete destroyed the freedom of press?

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation wrote some very nasty white papers about the Thaksin regime and certainly on restriction of press freedom, buying of the media companies (ITV) etc.

I know them very well and often popped by their office for a coffee and make use of their library.

They suffered greatly during the Nazi years. Many of those students and leaders were send to the concentration camps when Hitler came to power.

As the FEF is affiliated with the SPD and they use Thailand as a base for the annual reporting of each country in Asia I think the Thai Army should be a bit more careful, otherwise they might can export their products only to Asia and possible have problems with the E.U.

Furthermore the German Foreign Minister is from the SPD and the Deputy Chancellor is SPD too.

My guess will be a diplomatic protest is currently been evaluated and the Thai Ambassador will be called in to the German Foreign Department.

I would say Thailand goes very backwards and this is just the start.

And where were the NGO's when TS ordered the crackdown and killings at Tak Bai? Where were they during the War on Drugs? Where were they when TS said, quote, "I'm going to kill them!", unquote, and ordered the extra-judicial slaughter of suspects, and anyone who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time?

For all those who think the Junta and the General have done a great job are you now prepared to see the truth?

The very pillar of freedom is the right to express your opinions freely and this is clearly being oppressed. It's time the UN stated with some heavy sanctions, tourists stopping coming, foreign expats left and foreign investment pulled out ... any such involvement only fuels the military's ability to hold on to power.

And talking about the military's ability to hold onto power:

After the 2006 Thai coup d'état, Prayut was appointed to the National Legislative Assembly. In this capacity, he joined the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Prayut sits on the executive boards of a number of companies including the state electricity utility company, MEA. From 2007 to 2010 he was independent director at Thai Oil Public Co, Ltd. Since October 7, 2010 he has been a director of Thai Military Bank^[20] and chairman of the Army United Football Club.

In May 2013, Prayut sold nine plots of land in a Bangkok suburb to a company called 69 Property for THB600 million. Reporters subsequently asked him about the land sale and the prime minister's position is that the media has no business questioning him on the matter. "The land has belonged to me since I was a kid, it belonged to my father. So what's the problem?" Gen Prayuth said. "Please stop criticising me already."^[26]

In his mandatory 2014 asset disclosure to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the prime minister listed THB128.6 million (US$3.9 million) in assets and THB654,745 baht (US$20,000) in liabilities. His assets include a Mercedes Benz S600L car, a BMW 740Li Series sedan, luxury watches, rings, and several pistols. He also reported the transfer of THB466.5 million (US$14.3 million) to other family members. ( errm, have we seen this before? ) As army chief, prior to his retirement at the end of September, the general received a THB1.4 million (US$43,000) annual salary.^[27][28]

^{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayut_Chan-o-cha}

Jealous much? Perhaps you should address the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and those who were responsible for it.

They forgot to add the adj. "Chinese"

This IPhone model must be very valuable. A girl in China did offer her virginity for one. Now a Thai architect risked life and limb over it.

Thai girls on facebook sell their virginity's for 10000 baht. So for the price of the i phone 6 the Chinese girl was asking you could get two and a half Thai virgins.

Who says?

Send me a private message and we'll talk about the details.

You may know already...Being the head of anything in Thailand has nothing to do with being smart, skilled or talented. It's all about who your daddy is or who you paid to get your position. In Thailand, it's not the "cream" that rises to the top.

You might as well ommit, "In Thailand". It's universal, or do you think "W" was a smart president, Kurry a smart Secretary of State, or Palin a smart Repulblican running mate?

Get a life, delete FB

At last. But the "never enough" mentality has already been firmly rooted in today's consumption addicts.

Hey, I don't doubt that the law was technically broken here and blah, blah, blah, but this is certainly a case of selective prosecution that has nothing to do with maintaining law and order and everything to do with maintaining...hmmm, I'll leave that for now.

But I'm amused at all the moral outrage on display here for people that have the audacity to go to work and earn a living. I'm not advocating mayhem on the streets but the people involved were probably decent people just trying to get by in life. And make their way as they go.

And yeah, there are plenty of creeps that find their way to

thailand but just because somebody gets caught up in something like this doesn't give us free reign to condemn them as lowlifes. Stones and glass houses and all that.

Most of us on here should learn these lines by heart, thank you Beb.

Did anyone else notice the bust was at 12:30 am? What schools operate at that hour? 11:30 pm in PEK? Perhaps a boiler room calling Europe? Overall, it seems like most here support the arrests. It reminds me of last month in Singapore, with the two Germans facing the cane. They recalled 20 years ago, the case of American Michael Fay, sentenced to 6 strokes. Apparently, there were thousands of letters sent to the Singapore Embassy in Washington. Almost all were in favor of the caning of their own citizen and were envious of the Singapore judicial system.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the Canadians are frequently at the forefront of foreign teacher scandals. Maybe it's all the Chinese in Canada....they think they are above the law. I believe the manager should get a couple of years. Since it's the end of the month; I doubt the trashpackers will have bail. There is a lot of money in one way airline tickets on short notice, and governments have been known to get a cut of that action. That was the MO for spring break miscreants in Mexico.....buy your drunk kid a one way ticket home for 3000 usd or we are throwing his arse in mexi-jail. Worked like a charm.

but why do it here? why not cambodia where you can be legal with no effort? surely siem reap has as much to offer as chiang mai. cost wise similar?

Personally I don't think it's illegal here (I don't mean the teachers arrested on this occasion, they were unquestionably acting illegally - I mean people that truly work online exclusively for foreign clients that are paid abroad).

Given the Thai legal definition of work includes walking down the street, what constitutes 'working in Thailand' in practice can only be judged on the basis of precedents. I am unaware of any prior prosecution in Thailand (or anywhere in the world for that matter) of people that travel and work remotely over the internet for foreign entities with payment received outside of the country they are in - aka digital nomads.

It would be very hard to legislate anywhere in the world (for example is sending an email work? Is writing a book that you haven't received an advance for work? Is managing a portfolio work? Is receiving adwords income from a blog you wrote 3 years ago whilst you sit on a beach work?), but harder still in a country that has issued legislation that includes walking down the street and breathing in their definition of work.

Hear, hear!

Welcome to NK Folks

Why do you say this?

Try arriving and expecting to work legally in Australia without a permit.

Try arriving and expecting to work legally in Canada without a permit.

Try arriving and expecting to work legally in the USA without a permit.

Try arriving and expecting to work legally in many other countries without a permit.

You will be very disappointed. Then deported.

Actually there are plenty of people working illegally in those countries while the relevant authorities do not harshly enforce the laws all the time and or everyday and run people out of the country...here one day and thrown out the next....certainly not like that

Fortunately they do not harshly enforce the laws here in Thailand to any great extent while they are very lenient as compared to numerous other countries.

Still...the authorities need to change the laws and requirements because the current laws are basically not being abided by while both Thais and foreigners are complicit.

They have to make it easier for foreigners to make the arrangements to work here legally or people will remain criminalized simply for working and living and staying in Thailand.....hardly a serious crime by any standards.

I am not defending the practice...just pointing out the authorities need to address the problem in a different manner rather than police raids that result in all the more fear and loathing of the police and relevant authorities because the police do not enforce the laws because they believe it is absolutely necessary and required of them rather they have an ulterior motive.

This issue is really a grey area if there ever was while infractions of the immigration laws and labor laws should not be national headlines.

At last, a voice of reason, thank Buddha. I'd already given up. The sheeple rule on TV.

Lets sum that up:

- 17 foreigners without work permit, so paying no taxes or social contribution

- 17 foreigners with a wrong visa

- hired by a company located in Chiang Mai (registered?, 51% Thai ownership ???)

- working all together out of one, central office

- with a fixed salary, paid in the countries' currency

I do NOT know ONE western country, which would tolerate such violations of the labour and immigration laws, if the shit hits the fan.

btw.: they would not risk that in Singapore, there they would end up in jail for a long time....

Oh Singapore, great example. NOT! You want to live in a police state, then Singapore is the place to move to. Have fun.

Iimpossible post t# 232.

So they took out this infested rat hole. Good on them! That will set the example for the rest of the lot! These leeches need to be eradicated, because they are the ones that spoil it for the impeccable ones! Why can't they follow the ever changing rules?? Don't they understand that it doesn't matter that even if they have been teaching legally for many years with a work permit, and built a life here, because it was perfectly fine to teach without a degree - it is now time to say goodbye to their wife or gf and kids, and head back to where they came from 5, 10 or 15 years ago, without them, and be satisfied with an occasional visit to the LoS?

Amazing post

While I am all in favour of visa's being used for the purpose they are designated and assigned too I find the post above in extremely bad taste those people who were nabbed were no doubt under the impression they were legal as no doubt their employers were too based on the recent comments of the top immigration man in Chang Mai.

However kudos to the quoted poster as it must be the first time a transplanted anus has actually posted in a public domain.

Seems you have missed the point completely, and btw, you are breaching the rules of TV. Personal attacks aren't allowed.

Reform, reconciliation and happiness are just pointless words aren't they. Her primary crime is being elected by those "buffalos" who dared to think they may be entitled to a voice in their own country.

And please, no Chang fuelled barroom theorising or claims that she wasn't elected. Only a fool would claim such (although these forums seem to host a few who claim so over and over).

No, her primary crime was believing for one second that with zero experience, she could be the Prime Minister of Thailand.

Ego, stupidity, greed, coercion...whatever it was that made her make that ridiculous decision sealed her fate.

It was doomed from the beginning. Anyone that believes that just because she was "democratically" elected somehow gave her superpowers to be PM is a fool.

A housewife as PM. Really? Clownshoes.

Housewives and soldiers don't really make a good P.M. One cries under pressure and the other throws temper tantrums and spits the dummy. Both should still be at creche together as politics is way out of thier league.

"Housewives and soldiers don't really make a good P.M."

iron.jpg ike.jpg

Housewife. Soldier

Thatcher was forced out of office, because of incompetency remember? Besides that, she rode the waves of the short lived UK oil boom, and wasted the proceeds on the Falklands and populist policies, leaving the coffers empty y the time she was ousted.