Lancelot

After the US condemned the coup and moved Thailand to Tier 3 on human trafficking I have been expecting a back lash against the USA. I wonder if it will be more than rhetoric for American citizens in Thailand...

In reality, the cops only ticket people at road blocks for no helmet or expired/lack of documents.

The nice people that drive recklessly, the wrong way or run red lights are seldom caught- because after the road blocks are closed, the cops go back to the station to sleep.

What will happen is the "cash" fines will increase. Good PR for the junta and good deal for the cops.

This, he said, is the basis for respecting the rights of others.

Consideration for others? Novel idea

All that slaughter and mayhem does turn a lad's thoughts towards finding a wife and settling down.

Happily married guys with a mortgage seldom wander off to join jihad

I've never felt stuck in Thailand. While I'm here I'm happy- and when I go back home I'll be equally happy

PS- Renting gives you options and mobility

The curfew was lifted less than a week go. How can tourism 'significantly recovered' in less than 7 days?

We really can't expect anything other than this oh so positive nonsense.

As a poster said in a thread recently " were tourists waiting at international airports for the curfew to be lifted ? "

It's bad enough they come out with this rubbish but then insult everyone's intelligence by expecting it to be believed.

Naa, I love good news, pass the Kool Aide please

Oh, I bet by this time next week hotels will be at 100% occupancy and it will be difficult even finding a room

Todays arrest came as Thailands military government scrambles to make up for a year of bad press surrounding the countrys dismal record of combatting human trafficking. Tens of thousands of migrants from neighboring countries are trafficked across Thailands borders every year and many of them are forced into slavery or exploited in the sex industry. Recent reports by Reuters and The Guardian have thrust a global spotlight on the tragic fate of many trafficking victims, as well as the complicity of some Thai officials.

I don't recall seeing how the trafficker would be punished.

Slightly off topic but I did read one report of a trafficker that was "brought to justice." He received a three months jail sentence; the Burmese -not sure if they were slaves or accomplices- received 30 years imprisonment.

Some times an arrest doesn't amount to much and other times it does...

Entertaining tale. The OP has a total of two posts so it makes me curious as to the subject of his first misfortune

zMy personal experience is that there are more rats in Bangkok on lower Sukimvitt. And they are fatter as well- more garbage piled up on the street

My local Mom & Pop store guarantees all of their products. About ice, Uncle Somchai told me if the product didn't meet my highest, bring it back for a prompt exchange- and he will give me another one just like it

Punishing persons involved in corruption is always a good thing. Since the junta naturally wants to justify the coup, its a smart move to highlight cases of abuse.

If the coup had been against a government of the Democratic Party, I dare say many cases of irregularities could have been found as well...

I used to go up to arrivals and catch a cab to Pattaya or BKK. For the trip to Pattaya I would pay 800 to 1,000. In to BKK I never had one refuse to turn on the meter, usually 200 to 300 baht, depending on the traffic.

Now I use the high speed rail link in to BKK and the Bell Bus to Pattaya

Inflation= too many baht chasing too few goods and services

I'm surprised that inflation is not higher considering:

1 Full employment in Thailand

2 Thai government stimulus

3 Easy money policies of central banks world wide. A lot of that extra cash ends up in developing economies like Thailand

The number does not supprise me- all the building sites are staffed with foreign workers, at least for the unskilled manual labor. I've also noticed many of the staff in Thai style restaurants are not Thai.

Same in the USA, when I was a kid, I cut grass for spending money. Now people hire lawn maintenance firms, staffed by Mexicans. I would wager that not one single "American" picks fruit or vegetables in the USA...

They do it because, well, they can and crime does pay very well. Not much down side for locals committing crimes against foreigners.

Yeah,there are the professional criminals that would steal not matter how many tourists visit, but there is usually a correlation between unemployment and rising crime. Some locals who normally don't engage in criminal activities will go for it when their incomes suddenly drop. Not unique to Thailand- this happens world wide...

When I see the headline I was worried then after reading realised it was clamping down on minors which ain't too bad

Please don't close the to go go bars

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Yes, I too support raids to remove underage workers.

But I'm cynical and wonder if the sudden interest in enforcement is in any way related to Thailand's ongoing assertions that it is "Making great progress" eliminating human trafficking...

If I had any money, I would bet that the US will not downgrade Thailand. They will report that Thailand is improving (however slowly) but more progress needs to be made. They will criticize but let Thailand save a little face at the same time.

Yes both sides will continue kicking the can down the road. Its a well rehearsed dance: Thailand saying the right things and appearing contrite; the US wagging its finger and (with fake out rage) sternly warning "This is your last chance!"

Japan is a large buyer of Thai fish as well, I haven't seen any condemnation from them...

Thailand has many progressive laws already in place. Its that "enforcement" thingy that allows the undesirable conditions to continue

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Meanwhile, Burmese fishermen are bought and sold by Thai boat owners and slave traders.

Thais are honestly living in a fantasy land thinking / saying it is getting better. Shame on the USA if they don't downgrade them and sanction the living hell out of them. As it was stated above, there is no other way to try to stop this horrible practice.

If the US and other western nations (the US is not alone ) need to introduce sanctions, they have two good reasons (according to them), military controlled country and people trafficking, two issues that the west is vehemently against, lets see the real money fella's.

The European Union has a greater combined population that the US- and therefore consumer power. Will the EU take a stand and impose sanctions? And the Chinese trump both the US and EU combined, in terms of population. How about the Chinese stepping up to the plate as well?

I agree it would be good if US consumers refused to buy shrimp harvested by companies using slave labor. However, other nations eat shrimp too, how about consumers in the European Union? And if the US and EU refused to buy, how about Chinese and Russian consumers?

My point is that consumers world wide also have a responsibility.