bamnutsak

He made quite the splash at Government House this afternoon. Wow!

This is a common misperception. Political assassination is against an unwritten rule of engagement, wthout which every faction here would wipe each other out. Yes, there are the infrequent violations, some here have mentioned there was an attempt on him back in the day. Much more likely would be a veiled threat against his family, but that assumes he doesn't have some form of protections or mutually assured destruction info/pact. Whacking him now would almost be more detrimental than suffering his "act" for a few more years?

They ARE prohibited, assuming they are over 0.2 % THC. Yes, that's already been acknowledged and established. However this child did not purchase on line.

Yes, Global Entry is great (plus the card is RealID compliant), but new applications might take 6 - 18 months for the interview. My on-line renewal was processed in ~ two days. Some report that the free Mobile Passport Control app can be useful, in some airports anyway. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control

You're using mobile data? Or Fixed Broadband? I infer mobile data, given the data rates mentioned, and use of the term "signal". If so, what are the paramaters of your mobile data package. Is this just over the last 2 - 3 weeks? Previously, for some long period of time, in this location with this kit and streaming service/sources, everything worked acceptably? When you're relying on ad hoc re-streamers, who have limitied upstream bandwidth, and more popular streams, it's not unusual to experience issues. I mean companies like Netflix build out massive networks to support streaming applications. Can you describe the network details, kit you use, and the channels/sources you are experiencing issues with? What does this provider say when you contact them regarding your issues?

At the provincial level the country is ruled by a one-headed or duopoly of multi-generational political/criminal (mafia) families. Given the budget at the MoT, and that BJT got both Health and Transport, it is telling that a Chidchob took Transport. The skim volume (even at the acceptable rate of 15%), and potential for kick-backs (another 15%) is MASSIVE. Just not enough safes for sale to hold that much cash.

Reports in the past few weeks for those leaving Thailand seem much more consistent, with waits at check-in of up to 45 minutes, and at security up to 45 minute range, and at departing Immigration of up to 90 minutes. More than a few reports of people missing flights. I guess I might arrive at Suvarnabhumi, for an int'l departure, maybe three or four hours early, just to be safe.

In your experience how long, understanding that there maybe a range, will this wait be? Days? Weeks? Months? And how detailed/definitive will the results be?

eCigs could be a big winner for the government re: citizen health, revenue/tax and a huge committee to manage all aspects of eCigs, like the proposed Cannabis Control Committee (in legislation). Testing, authorizing products and local manufacturing, with Thai-focused flavors could be a boon. I'd submit that some/most/all of the product I see advertised on FB is of dubious origin. It's more of the wild-west than cannabis, IMO. Gaining control of this market would benefit everyone. And even the TTM, now re-branded as the Tobacco Authority of Thailand, could run lead on production and distribution and take their cut. Thailand is struggling with the normalizationof things like cannabis, craft-brewing, gambling/lotteries, with somewhat limited success. I'm not sure there's an acceptable (for the powers that be, and citizens) "model" yet given the proclivity for duopolies here?

Believable first-hand reports are all over the map. Some report 4 minutes (wait at arriving Imm), for an 08:00 arrival on EK, to 2+ hours for an arrival on Qatar in the early afternoon. Some report getting through Imm in 15 min. but then waiting 45 min. for a checked bag. And still others report 1 hour wait in the official taxi queue. Yes, we all know about workarounds: FastTrack, fly in J, don't have checked bags, have a Thai wife, use Grab. Some photos posted yesterday, assuming they are accurately representative, showed massive queues, stretching back into the concourse, making it challenging to get to FastTrack, or the Thai desks.

In other articles what this Sgt. described sounded more like a pyramid scheme, RTP meet Amway, focused on recruiting lower-level members and requiring them to meet certain collection quotas. While the folks higher up sit back and reap the income generated. Maybe a bit like the Thai social construct overall, so not surprising?

We haven't had any of these fear-mongering, vague stories, usually involving minors and/or crimes, in a while. from the linked article... That shops selling cannabis jellies are not reported to the police is because it cannot be done as it is no longer a drug. Fail. The Police here can investigate anything or anyone they want to. They are not limited by published laws. Cannabis jellies, assuming they have greater than 0.2 % cannabis are ILLEGAL. The only thing with a THC value of greater than 0.2% that is legal is Cannabis flower. Yes, I'll stipulate that some dodgy edible with 0.2% or less THC could cause an issue with a small child (5 YO) or infant. Yes, there are a lot of local and imported edibles being pedalled on FB. Yes, edibles (in the U.S.) have likeable/familiar names and packaging. I seriously doubt some shop "near a school" is selling Cannabis edibles. My guess is that water (drowning), motorized vehicles, predatory adults and a new trend like vaping (many local reels with young children (10 YO) vaping) are much more of threat to children than cannabis edibles.

There is a separate Organic Act which is said to describe the process. I haven't been able to find this, but that was after a very brief search. I think acceptable nominees are put forth to a selection committee, who then select Senators. The Senate needs to be in place in order to select a PM - I think. The current Senate was appointed by the NCPO.

Nothing. OK, maybe two paracetamol. This 300 baht fee is not payment for a health insurance policy. It is a "Landing Fee". Which will go into a fund managed by the Permanent Secretary of Tourism and Sport. Heck, it could be used to pay for 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast rights, or to develop Thai olympic atheletes.

Here they seem to encourage foreign criminal cartels to set up shop, take a cut, and then when they get large bust them, sieze their assets as their own. Win-win-win.

These Censure Debates really have no teeth, and he's survived what, three or four, with no residual damage. And any opposition that asks inconvenient questions gets or will get slapped with Defamation suits. The new Prayut party and the old Prawit party will have more than enough juice to form a coalition government after the next "election". When Prayut mentioned a "twenty-year plan" many thought this was aspirational. Turns out he may have aimed too low.

My guess - I'm not a lawyer - is that Federal charges may be necessary for international extradition. The accident-related charges are for State crimes and Michigan has no standing with Thailand. I doubt that DoJ will bring an indictment in this case. Fleeing the country will obviously not be viewed positively by a prosecutor or, in the case of a jury trail, by a jury. I am not familiar with the timeline but if the victim was alive when the driver fled the accident scene, ouch. Her defense would be that she was sober, has a good driving record, has no criminal record (all assumptions) on her way to work, it was dark, there was no sidewalk, while the victim was walking in the road (I assume), had been ejected from an Uber (why) and was potentially still inebriated from NYE partying. It was an accident. Leaving the scene might be defensible, shock, etc. Fleeing the country, not a good look.

I did, in early December. I could not in December. Go to the DLT, make an appointment. You'll need the Certificate of Residence, or other acceptable proof of residence. It's really not that bad. Same experience as Permission to Stay annual renewal, IME/O. I used a concierge service. Well worth it IMO.

Reading through the filing this jumped out at me... The aftenoon of January 6, after the Capitol came under attack, then-President Trump dialed into Lou Dobbs’ show attempting to get on air. But Fox executives vetoed that decision. Why? Not because of a lack of newsworthiness. January 6 was an important event by any measure. President Trump not only was the sitting President, he was the key figure that day. But Fox refused to allow President Trump on air that evening because “it would be irresponsible to put him on. 171 That seems like new news? I hadn't heard this before.

I'd check the Motor forum where most DL issues are updated. In early December 2022 the wait for an appointment at Bang Chak was 2 ~ 3 months. At Chatuchak it was ~ 25 days. Chatuchak DLT is pretty easy to get to, and my renewals were accomplished in less than 60 minutes. AFAIK, even with a concierge service you need to attend both the appointment and renewal processes in person. I did.

Correct. It as previously called the Communist Suppression Operations Command (CSOC)

Is Lou Dobbs still "vactioning"? (He was forced off the air as a result of the Smartmatic lawsuit.) «On Lou Dobbs: Fox President Jay Wallace: “the North Koreans do a more ‘nuanced show” than Lou Dobbs. Ex.539 (September 2020); Ex.147, Wallace 295:15-296:14.

And I doubt the OP even realizes now how illustrative their original thread-starter was. Yep.

Follow on headline... Pick-up trucks, SUVs to pick up the Asthma slack https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels#global-fossil-fuel-consumption

For those unfamiliar, ISOC = STASI Again, for those unfamiliar, the "I" in ISOC stands for "Internal". Read about Thailand's “red drum” (thang daeng) killings. Now they mostly "manage" opposition politicians, activists and student protesters.