anon022

At first I could swear they swapped the headlines with an article about a demonstration somewhere in the US, New York came to mind, where peaceful demonstrations are routinely met with police brutality, especially if a license to demonstrate is not obtained. When your government puts a law place that bars peaceful demonstrations against the government, unless they are allowed to by that same government, then you know you live in a )($;@/);$ Stazi police state!

Was he trying to hide in his suite or something? "The harder they come the harder they fall" certainly was true for the first "King" as it was for the second, MJ.

Failure? I didn't "fail" as an expat in Thailand. I just decided after a 1 year's retirement extension that I preferred the first world amenities in the US. I don't care for bars, bar girls, or an excess of alcohol and Thailand is a craphole compared to "most parts" of the US.

Thailand turned into a nice place to visit about once a year for a max of 180 days but usually more like 90. Then I get on a plane and return to everything that makes a first world country comfortable, and to weather that doesn't melt me with heat and humidity.

I'm not skint. I can do what I want to do so "cost of living" isn't an issue even though living well in Thailand doesn't seem that cheap to me.

Haha, although you have enough cash to live well in both countries, it seams you have totally missed the point of living in a country where, compared to the US, you can still do a lot of things you can only dream of in America, like demonstrating without being arrested, beaten up, peppers prayed, tasered to death or shot by the militarized police, or where your kids can still open a lemonade stand without being arrested, or where your granny can still grow her own vegetables without the food police coming 'round to shut it down. Oh how about opening a little street food stand? Ha, virtually all your freedoms have been taken away, and even the food you eat is so full of crap, the government won't even allow it to be printed on the food labels.

Thats a load of crap............gawd............

Ha, these are facts, whether you like it or not. And btw, you being here proves that you do not prefer to be back where you come from, you prefer to be here.

Failure? I didn't "fail" as an expat in Thailand. I just decided after a 1 year's retirement extension that I preferred the first world amenities in the US. I don't care for bars, bar girls, or an excess of alcohol and Thailand is a craphole compared to "most parts" of the US.

Thailand turned into a nice place to visit about once a year for a max of 180 days but usually more like 90. Then I get on a plane and return to everything that makes a first world country comfortable, and to weather that doesn't melt me with heat and humidity.

I'm not skint. I can do what I want to do so "cost of living" isn't an issue even though living well in Thailand doesn't seem that cheap to me.

Haha, although you have enough cash to live well in both countries, it seems you have totally missed the point of living in a country where, compared to the US, you can still do a lot of things you can only dream of in Amerca, like demonstrating without being arrested, beaten up, peppers prayed, tasered to death or shot by the militarized police, or where your kids can still open a lemonade stand without being arrested, or where your granny can still grow her own vegetables without the food police coming 'round to shut it down. Oh how about opening a little street food stand? Ha, virtually all your freedoms have been taken away, and even the food you eat is so full of crap, the government won't even allow it to be printed on the food labels.

So in a way you did fail. By the way, why do most of you still think more money equals more happiness, you've been totally blinded. In Thailand, just as has been proven in many other countries, people with less money are actually relatively happier. People who have a lot of it, are mainly occupied with getting or needing more and have been found less happier overall. You might be one of them.

Anyone knows that parking your car on a highway is risking your life. Since this water truck was hardly moving, it is akin to parking your car on the middle of the highway. Slow moving vehicles obviously should not be on a highway. You can blame the driver of the van for speeding, but in this case it's clear what caused the accident, the water truck!

never heard of or seen these tubtim pomelos, enlighten me. Seems they are only for export markets?

Blame it on the Ukrainians. Reminds me of positive ground MGB I had back when young. Dicey putting an 8 track in. Had some wafting up from time to time.

You speak in riddles sir.

Hope not. It doesn't belong here. It doesn't fit in, and the name sounds too Nazi-Germany. The last thing I want to be reminded of, is Germany when I'm in Thailand.

Uber avoids all this crap and hassle about taxi queues, meters, bargaining, and taxi drivers with an attitude.

I finally got sick of the Bangkok taxi mafia and downloaded the app (got a 700B initial free ride too).

What a breath of fresh air.

What? Seriously, that name really spoils the fun. I might use it when in Austria, or Germany, NOT in Thailand or any other country, unless there is absolutely no alternative.

Why didn't you or your wife call 1584 to report it? You should, still, and he will curse the day he met you.

Obama and others watching the execution of Osama

His doppelgänger rather.

Not able to put a dent in the deep rooted country's centuries old tribal power balance, the US, as the Soviets and many others who preceded them, have no other option than to pull out. Their main objective was to complete an important gas pipe line. Has this been achieved, there is little reason to stay. Halliburton and other contractors have made billions of this war, but it's wearing off. Time to focus on other, more profitable markets, oh, how about Syria, and the "threat" of Russia? How about the billions of the EU sends to Ukraine on a regular basis, there's more money to be made over there!

First of all I think much of it is lost in translation, and second of all, he's got a point when he says the country is still under Martial Law, and that the media is subject to this as well, there are no exceptions. On top of that, criticism is one thing, but unsubstantial daily PM bashing is something entirely different. In a developed country where the majority has had enough education etc, to know the difference, this wouldn't be an issue, but TIT, where this is not the case, and the uneducated majority has proven to be easily manipulated time and again.

Am I right in thinking in 2018 the statute of limitations runs out and he can return a free man?

Don't know about the statute of limitations but if he does return then he will face the rest of the charges.

Can't see it happening.

He might have found a way to stay undercover. Cosplay costumes are easy to get these days. Who would stop Santa or the Easter Bunny?

That looks nothing like a pigeon and isn't it a dove that represents peace?

Not according to PT, apparently. Glad Mr. T found himself a hobby. Hopefully it keeps him from trying to meddle in politics, or is this sort of a Trojan Horse strategy?

adding subsidy from the government, rubber planters would get 65 baht a kilo which would be enough for the planters to survive.

NO. With the cost of production at Bt64.50 per kg (The Nation 2014-12-15) a Bt1/kg profit margin is not survivable.

The deputy minister assured that rubber planters would be better off next year than this year as rubber price is steadily picking up.

HARDLY. Two recent events have locked the price at Bt60/kg:

1) The minister [Amnuay] said Thailand agreed with Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to increase the natural rubber price to Bt60 per kilogram in 18 months.

2) Thailand also had a limited rubber-price ceiling after signing an agreement with the Chinese government to sell China 400,000 tonnes of rubber at Bt60 per kg to be delivered in 18 months.

The government price subsidy of Bt5/kg will continue for the next 18 months that will cost Bt9 billion. In addition to that are (a) the 1,000 baht/rai handouts to rubber farmers by the government that will cost Bt8.7 billion, (Bt15 billion in soft loans to rubber tapper cooperatives, and © Bt60 million for IT and silos.

But the farmers now demand a 30-per-cent profit that requires a price of Bt94.50/kg. What gives them so much leverage with the Junta-led government?

Many rubber farmers live in the nation's south, a region home to the ultra-royalists who backed the May coup that brought the military to power. As their profits shrivel, the farmers now want payback.

- *** 2014-12-09

Who says the Junta is nuetral in politics? it is no less involved than any elected government.

I sincerely hope that rubber prices stay low enough for farmers to reconsider and start growing food again. The destruction of the landscape, and the pollution from rubber farms are the main reasons!

Well it's 2.30 our sons girlfriend has just had her first xmas dinner with us my sister in law and her son their ninth, what was the highlight? As always the parsnips they love them ,now believe it or not they are all sitting around eating crab,4 of us are also on our Android phones as we talk and listen to xmas songs,Christmas modern style happy boxing day,oh and our neighbour came over with a massive expensive gift. And cheap Charlie me only got them a small one,now I feel sh_t

Well, you should have known better, you're old enough to!

How unfortunate that farmers have been made to believe that they could make a fortune in rubber farming. This is what it has come to. RIP and rest in peace unfortunate farmer!

On the other hand, these rubber plantations - together with a lot of Euca plantations, are now beginning to dominate the North-east as well, destroying its traditionally magnificent landscapes. For me personally, the rubber price couldn't get low enough. It would deter more farmers from starting, and would hopefully move others to make a 180 degree turn, and start farming rice and produce again. It would benefit the Thai in general much more as well, because food prices go up when there's less to eat. You can't eat rubber.

Please not more rubber and Euca farms!

Thailand is one of the countries where you can choose to celebrate it or not, and I, like many here, enjoy a Christmas free existence! That's one of the great things about Thailand!

Here we go.

holidays.jpg

Wow, for reliable info, go to Thai Visa? I'm beginning to have serious doubts. What happened to the 4th, which is a Sunday?

And of course immigration staff at border crossings work as usual.

Anyway, my point was, I would have expected tourism to be of enough importance to facilitate the traveler, and reopen immigration on the 2nd. I'm a bit disappointed in UJ, because, unlike his usual self, he assumes that everyone on a TV is aware that they can extend theirs weeks before it expires. Tourists do not know this, and even most of those who have been here for years do not either, unless they have been reading on this forum for extensive periods of time.

So where are the exact dates? I would think immigration would be open on the 2nd, to facilitate tourists, whose visas expire between 2 and 4 Jan. Since it would otherwise be closed for 5 days, from 31 Dec. onwards, this could cause a lot of inconvenience if you are traveling, which would not sit well with quality tourists.

I had plans to go there just before it happened, but didn't get time off from work. However, my ex was working at Central Festival that day, wasn't sure if she was OK...

It's a long way off from becoming a second NASA, but if you have paid attention, some Thai auto manufacturers are surging ahead In terms of innovative technology, This in itself is quite a surprising development. However, Space technology is a different story. The best candidates would have to come from Bang Fai Valley, where rocket technology has been in development since long before NASA even considered a Moon landing.

It's a positive development to see they are killing each other off now. Keeps the numbers down, keeps the trash from returning home alive, and it keeps them busy among their own, so there's less time to spend fighting others. A win win for the Taliban as well!

Eyebrows and eye lashes, anything more is less!