Old Man River

On golf shown by True Vision, I have seen all the LPGA tournaments this and last year. They don't have tournaments every week and are never shown on the Golf Channel. I have a PVR and go to Search, type in LPGA and find out when they are shown and what True Visions Sports Channel they will be televised on. Same with PGA events. If you expect to see them on the Golf Channel, you won't. Often it is the middle of the night so I record them. 

Just so you know, the much awaited upgrade of whatever it was, never happened. I talked to a customer service rep today, and not hearing the usual countdown, surmised they trashed it, but called anyway to make sure I hadn't done anything wrong.

It seems, at the end of the day, after all the newspaper articles, they, for a reason never explained, decided not to do it. The girl said she had already received numerous complaints. Since it was never clearly explained to begin with, I couldn't care less, but do see humor in it. After spending so much on PR and fanfare, it seems they were hoping nobody really paid any attention to it (whatever it was) and canceled it.

Right. Since when are facts and politicians together? The most BS comes from politicians! World over.

And just why would anyone believe her account of what democracy is or that she would not be impartial to what she tells them. Her track record of bold faced lies and of hiding true accounts as well as using the word democracy only when it suits her needs should have been enough to keep the UE for from talking to her

She was elected in a landslide victory against a squeaky clean looking, well spoken, unelected puppet, who is also asking the junta to step aside.. She should have had the chance to fight an impeachment or be voted out.

44% of the vote in 2011 is not bad, but it hardly can be called a landslide victory.

Actually it was over 48% of the Party list. Coupled with great results in the winner takes all constituency indeed meant a landslide victory, no need to try and downplay that victory.

Less than half = landslide, ok.

Right. Since when are facts and politicians together? The most BS comes from politicians! World over.

And just why would anyone believe her account of what democracy is or that she would not be impartial to what she tells them. Her track record of bold faced lies and of hiding true accounts as well as using the word democracy only when it suits her needs should have been enough to keep the UE for from talking to her

She was elected in a landslide victory against a squeaky clean looking, well spoken, unelected puppet, who is also asking the junta to step aside.. She should have had the chance to fight an impeachment or be voted out.

44% of the vote in 2011 is not bad, but it hardly can be called a landslide victory.

Whichever one you choose, make sure they cover nurse practitioners. During the holidays in the US, I went to the local hospital to get some meds for an ear infection. I assumed the guy who prescribed the medicine etc. was a Dr., only to find out he was an NP, and my travel insurance carrier (Pacific) stuck me with a USD 1200 bill.

Apparently, several hospitals, for non life threatening issues, have you see an NP, with the Dr. also charging a smaller fee when they review what the NP has prescribed. This happened in Florida at a large hospital.

Actually they do have fiber optic to home available in Bangkok as had it installed to replace my ADSL last week here. That said they did offer the old coax/fiber system as a connection one house down so no install charge - I opted to run the extra 300 meters to nearest fiber point. As they had offered free change to fiber in letter there was much discussion on if/how much extra I would have to pay and when it got down to the 1,000 baht range said go. And yes this is fiber optic to home modem/router (coax cable from there to TV for video service). It also includes a 02 phone line in the 30M package. I opted for the Smart TV package as had stations wife interested in.

I have not watched but wife is happy and all cable stations are available (seems there are less when use satellite?). The internet is good 30M at most times.

Lopburi, I was told by several at True that I would not be able to switch to fiber optic from satellite unless I also subscribe to True for my internet and telephone. In essence, they were bundling their other products with their TV product. As I'm already under contracts to TOT and AIS. I passed.

They said bundling is good for condos, but not for existing houses with existing contracts.

To the OP, we built our retirement house in Bangkok next to my wife's mother and very close to other family members. During family functions (other than Cheng Meng) we never have far to go. Originally, we looked all over Thailand, but this worked out way better.

Thank you Patyh. I have talked with True and their marketing is bundling fiber optic with their internet and mobile phone services. Since we are already under contracts with TOT and AIS, it would end up costing us more to get fiber optic cable, even though it is cheaper for them.

At some point they will target the market segment we are in and then, based on what I could find out (including your comments), we would make the switch from satellite to cable.

Thank you.

Truevisions has been expanding their usage of fiber optic cables to bring their tv services into the home. I now can choose one or the other. Costs aside (still checking), anybody have any experience with truevisions fiber optic TV in a residential home (not condo)?

He said that the minimum wage should be determined by the skills of each individual worker ...

as someone just noted, this kind of statement proves his ignorance with regard to the purpose of the minimum wage.

But that is not a surprise coming from a millionaire former general who obviously "earned" his wages base on his individual "skills".

Whadda jerk.

TBThailand, regardless of the basis of the decision, do you think it was the right decision? In other words, do you agree with the PM that he made the right decision?

I do not agree with his logic, or more correctly - lack of logic, nor do I agree with the decision.

The next question could easily be, "well, TB, what would you do?" and for that, I would (1) keep a single minimum wage level across the entire country, (2) peg the minimum wage to inflation, and (3) keep the mechanism which allows the minimum wage to be adapted in the future independent of inflation.

TB, core or headline?

Note, headline is in the negative which would mean a reduction in the minimum wage based on above. Core would currently allow a very small increase.

I do wonder on what basis YL used to come up with the THB 300, other than it sounded good.

He said that the minimum wage should be determined by the skills of each individual worker ...

as someone just noted, this kind of statement proves his ignorance with regard to the purpose of the minimum wage.

But that is not a surprise coming from a millionaire former general who obviously "earned" his wages base on his individual "skills".

Whadda jerk.

TBThailand, regardless of the basis of the decision, do you think it was the right decision? In other words, do you agree with the PM that he made the right decision?

"Thailand needs no casinos to draw foreign tourists."

Yes, but what about the hundreds of thousands of Thais that might like a deal,a spin and a roll and presently support Cambodia's border casinos?

korbkan.jpg

Not to mention the Asian tourists who go elsewhere.

It is almost like they are trying to goad the working class and the students back out into the streets again with proposals like this. Maybe the minimum wage was a success, maybe it wasn't, but I can imagine a lot of very angry people out there should this measure go ahead...

which comes first - rising minimum wages or jobs?

As far as I remember, there was an agreement between Thailand and the British Empie not to build that canal.

In 189?, Rama V signed an agreement not to build a new water way to India to protect the importance of the harbour of Singapore and in counter part the British would respect the limits of the Thai territory.

Was that agreement cancelled ?

No, the British Empire was canceled.

Won't happen.

Too much money flowing from Singapore has prevented this project from moving.

It would be a devastating blow to the Singapore shipping industry.

The Malacca Straits are close to their limit already and this would be 10 years away. The canal could have some military benefits for China as it assumes they would finance it and retain some of the operating control. However, this project may never come to fruition.

The project to watch is the Port Bara port, when constructed, being linked to the port in Songkhla via oil and land bridges. That will help Thailand, especially when linked north and south via rail. It will also give China a reliable avenue to transport its oil shipments from the ME without going through the pirate invested waters near the Malacca Straits.

BTW, Singapore makes more money from usage of its ports than transportation fees through the Straits. Hence, this much smaller undertaking could affect Singapore's ports, but I doubt they are that worried.

Could be me, but those numbers don't add up to 8,800, even when the tip is included.

It is amazing how many here jumped to the conclusion that the prices were the problem, not the math.

It is a scam.

The prices on the menu were not the same as the prices on the bill that was the scam not the maths

Clearly, the amounts written down don't add up to the subtotal (before the 10% service charge). Even adding in a 17% VAT doesn't equate to the sub-total.

Now if you are looking at a menu and can directly compare and can see differences in the prices and what they were charged per item, that would be a double scam.

No, make it a triple scam since VAT is 7%, not 17%. Also, service charge is normally charged on food and drink items, not after tax and the inflated amount.

Summary, Tourist Police take note.

Could be me, but those numbers don't add up to 8,800, even when the tip is included.

It is amazing how many here jumped to the conclusion that the prices were the problem, not the math.

It is a scam.

The Rohingya did not receive false promises of a better life from Thai's. Although they are from the Rakhine State in Myanmar, Myanmar has refused to count them in their most recent census. Rohingya are Muslim speaking. Reportedly, human traffickers have been telling them that better lives exist in other Muslim speaking countries in SE Asia. Thailand is not considered a Muslim speaking country.

Thailand is a link in the chain. Thanks to the current government, Thai human traffickers involved in the chain are being caught and punished.

The issue of what to do with those currently at sea and more that will come is a separate issue altogether. This is an international issue not a Thai issue.

What is your solution?

What is "Muslim speaking " ???

Of course it's a Thai issue when uniformed Thai authorities push people out to sea in unseaworthy vessels , to their death.

Google Muslim speakers. You will get many links. Some of them should be able to help you.

The Rohingya on the water are Myanmar's problem, Thailand's problem, Malaysia's problem and Indonesia's problem, and is a situation exacerbated by economic threats from the U.S. to crackdown on human trafficking leaving the Rohingya with nowhere to go.

Said another way, this is an international problem which needs to be addressed urgently.

Such is the nature of human traffickers; lies and deceit.

Perhaps the current government is scratching the surface, but this is a machine which is not easily dismantled. If given time, PM Prayuth can greatly damage the traffic flow through Thailand. If not, it will most likely return to business as usual.

It is amazing how people lose sight of Myanmar and Malaysia's involvement and wait for Thailand only.

Those on the water do need help and perhaps Graemeaylward's suggestion of a time limit on acceptance is the way to go.

Thailand has been taking in Burmese refugees for many years. I don't know how valid these numbers are, but it has been estimated that Thailand has already taken in approx. 150,000 refugees from Burma (living in refugee camps along the border).

Currently, it has also been estimated that 6,500-7,000 Rohingya are on the water with 250,000-300,000 still living in the Rakhine state. I don't know how this will end up, but this is not a small problem and Thailand has been the one helping out for many years.

The Rohingya did not receive false promises of a better life from Thai's. Although they are from the Rakhine State in Myanmar, Myanmar has refused to count them in their most recent census. Rohingya are Muslim speaking. Reportedly, human traffickers have been telling them that better lives exist in other Muslim speaking countries in SE Asia. Thailand is not considered a Muslim speaking country.

Thailand is a link in the chain. Thanks to the current government, Thai human traffickers involved in the chain are being caught and punished.

The issue of what to do with those currently at sea and more that will come is a separate issue altogether. This is an international issue not a Thai issue.

What is your solution?

He's wasting his breath. Southeast Asian countries have yet to grow up and join humanity. They are not going to lift a finger to help these people.

The same could be said for some European countries as well.

She certainly has more testicular fortitude than her brother Thaksin.

Frankly I wish her the best of ying, because she is up against a stacked deck. And ,no I am not a YS fan.

She was chairperson of the rice committee. If you think there was corruption, then she is guilty of malfeasance. If you don't then no. I think she is guilty.

As per usual, Thai officialdom only reacts, when they are caught with their pants down!!

A mayor and some low ranking police/army officers are sacrificed and the bosses are giving press conferences about their fight against the evil. Laughing all the way to the bank!!

Sometimes I wonder, if the Thai morality DNA has been switched with the all too common greed DNA??

So your accusing Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang, the national police chief of being the boss behind the human trafficking.

Please take your evidence direct to the PM he will be delighted to know just who is the main culprit.

Both the PM's and Chief of Police's power bases are build on the access to butt licking informants.

So I don't believe, that neither of the two gentlemen had no knowledge of a refugee-camp with 700-800 people within the Kingdom.

And IMO money was probably going all the way to the top, just like the drug money from the islands, hence the blind eye turned by the authorities.

In some respects this country is way more rotten, than we mortals can comprehend.

The fact is, it has been this junta that has been uncovering this mess. It was being written about outside of Thailand, but not much was made of it inside Thailand until now.

In 2009, then PM Abhisit said he was going to find out what was going on, but he didn't go any further, publicly.

Now, with PM Prayuth in charge, graves are being discovered and some are being arrested. This didn't happen before.

Can't get any lower than Tier 3, but US can impose sanctions.

The question is, since Myanmar won't recognize them, are the EU and US prepared to take them?