dageurreotype

I bought one once, many years ago from a local hardware store. I'd wondered, quite possibly as you are doing now, 'Why so scarce'? There's a jolly good reason the locals use those long pointy swing up and over hoes to penetrate the baked earth here 

I hadn't realised this was all about hygiene in the midst of the growing tide of Bangkokians dropping like flies after consumption (sarcasm emoticon), but rather to turn Bangkok into Singapore Mk II  clear the way for pedestrians?

Anyway, back on topic, a bunch of bigwig businessmen are insisting on full disclosure soonest, according to today's BP. Better late than never ..

36 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

This should be handy monitoring those on the "wrong" side of the political divide.

 

The ISOC already has this capability and sufficient legal power to do this; I doubt that the police have the necessary means presently.

 

It would be interesting to hear about those cases which have been unsuccessfully prosecuted because the police lacked this authority/capability.

 

 

This is not merely 'handy', it is it's raison d'etre.

3 hours ago, sanukjim said:

When I came here in 1961 (Udon

 

Thani 4 months) the LOS military and local government officials had their private "houses" that they kept for there very underage entertainment.

Same as the American Embassy. 

1 hour ago, Ron19 said:

Why don't they hit the company that hired the taxi to him.

Obviously no checks when the creep hired the taxi.

I'd be very surprised if there were checks for any job here. Forged documents for your client? Carry on. Sold those drugs you confiscated? Carry on. Botched that surgery? Mai pen rai, on you go ..

Govt lauded for its efforts to fight graft

Lol.

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

living downtown always has its + and -,but the widening of beach rd ,it is now just an extension of sukumvit freeway, as the buses scream down in the ''fast lane'' ....flashing lights at slower moving traffic..and this is all  about moving tour groups to and from the seafood buffet ,to the hotel etc....this is not even a downtown beach,envirment any longer..beach rd is a freeway/boat launch service dock/ashtray/parking lot....everything pattaya was built around is almost lost,but I still have hope someday this will reverse and the environment will be paramount again...

Exactly the same on Phuket. Thank Christ most of them have gone.

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

Maybe they should invest in tourism infrastructure instead of submarines.

Maybe they should invest in ALL infrastructure, not just yet more new roads to accommodate Chinese tour busses. Anyway, from that which I've noticed on Phuket, the Chinese are already becoming bored with Thailand so they can file that figure along with all their stats.

5 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Somehow, being a magnet for a bunch of retirees stuck in the "I miss the old days, but I can't afford to retire (or I hate everything about) back home" doesn't seem like a very viable way to move forward.

As in certain locales on Phuket, a sea of grey.

2 hours ago, Psimbo said:

There are penalties?

That's the common name for 'donations' here, so in a way, yes.

He's just returned from a family holiday on Bali and thought 'Wow, that could work on Thailand's rice plains' 0.o

It's only the proposed restricted age group who want to get pissed up/out of their heads in these places. Meanwhile, this age group (and under) will still be available as entertainment at any and every karaoke bar near you.

3 hours ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

Sorry but he is correct. The junta will decide where these Special economic zones will be. They will then force through the sale of land in these areas. Present owners will be offered an amount and if they refuse they could face S44 and/or get only what the government offers them. There has been no community participation in the setting up of these zones. There will also be no civilian control of who gets what land at which price. These zones will be sold to Chinese and Japanese companies which will not transfer technology nor employ skilled Thai labour nor would they invest in the education of Thai labourers.

 

I am not against special zones nor the 99 year lease but against the way it is being set up. It reeks of corruption opportunities for the junta. The area they want to set a side is also very big, why not start out smaller and first pay the school fees on a smaller zone. The 600 000 rai is about the same area that CP owns and they are the biggest landowner in the country.

I've read these pronouncements on the proposed 99 year leases and nowhere does it say that Dave from Southend nor Babs from Basildon will be able to actually have security of tenure on their home any where, including these 'special economic zones' so must agree with you. I believe the junta are continuing to flail around for any investment from anywhere, all the while propping up the baht for their backers. Cake and eat it same as it ever was.

3 hours ago, Boycie said:

Yet a news story that i have to question the figures. 30 to 99 years, great sales pitch but shouldn't it be from 30 to 50 years or 60 to 99 years? 

 

Why not give a 99 year lease instead of complicating things with a 50+49years agreement?

Those questioning the 99 years are obviously not British as that's where they've nicked the figure from. 99 Year leases have been the norm in the UK for decades. My grandfather had one, much to the chagrin of his descendants upon his demise, theyd assumed he'd owned his nice big house in Islington 

On 21/04/2017 at 0:17 PM, Aforek said:

How stupid, you are an English ( I suppose ) dreamer ; no, France will not be the next,  because a big majority of French want to stay in EU, you'll see it in two weeks

 

 yes, Britain will lose more than EU. Your hate of the non british world makes you blind , you have a very short sight ; because  you want to be out of EU, you think every body wants the same than you ?

 

Britain choosed to be alone, big mistake in 2017 ; EU choosed to be together even if there are things to change 

If, as you say, 'a big majority of the French want to stay in the EU', why's ex-US president Obama over there sticking his nose in supporting Blair II - Macron? Spanish polls, rather than the propagandist  US/UK ones are currently predicting a 50/50 split, and they're much closer to France than the bought and paid for ones.

Hopefully the globalist president of nothing now will have the same affect on the French as he had on attempting to bully 'back of the queue' British and they'll vote Le Pen.

Oh, Polls, again. The same polls predicted Brexit and Trump not happening. More msm propaganda. 

2 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

If they (who is they, btw?) do that, they should also investigate White Christian extremists in the same dragnet.  

 

Kudos to French law enforcement, who are some of the best cops anywhere, for quickly finding the abode of the murderer and the cache of weapons.   

Your comparing White Christian extremists with ISIL is laughable and disingenuous. WCE are confined almost entirely to the backwoods of the US. ISIL are every bloody where and growing, thanks to Merkel.

18 hours ago, fforest1 said:

Well this is a little better but there is a hell of a lot more to

Bangkok than Yaowarat and Khao San Road....... 

I do my best to avoid Khao San Road...

Khao San Road should be pedestrians only anyway. There's no need for vehicles to pass through there, excepting delivery trucks. 

I only shop online for things I can be fairly certain will fulfil my expectations. I certainly wouldn't shop for clothing or food for that matter. They tried that on Phuket (and Bangkok). The lack of quality ensured that didn't last long.

Btw, what does she mean by 'making it a more exciting experience'? GoGo girls shrieking into microphones? 

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Occasionally his backbone re-grows, medical miracle, then he's jolted back to his spineless ways.

Just like all other 'controlled opposition', eh Bernie?

16 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Find not perplexing. Whole SEA may have weak democracy but none is governed by a military take-over un-elected junta government. With the exception of socialist Vietnam, all have elections. You seem confused. 

Not at all 'confused'. Repression takes many forms across the entire region, here's just one significant example: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/oct/21/internet-web-censorship-asia

When I first arrived, I'd overheard a long staying English friend remark to another 'Trust the Thais to <deleted> it up'. I was a tad taken aback at the time but in the twenty years since the rose coloured tint had completely disappeared from my glasses. About two years in.

5 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Economic stability comes from allowing the Thai people pursue their dreams, not from an army that is unaccountable .   People who make decisions for a country should be accountable.  Have you ever read quotes from Ben Franklin ? "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither." 

That could be applied to the whole of SE Asia. Look around, how many other SE Asian countries also have repressive governments. Answer: ALL of them. It's a cultural thing only we in the West find perplexing.

4 hours ago, biplanebluey said:

If there was a "high presence of security officers" where were they when the plaque was being dug out and the new one embedded in .Not exactly a 5min job??????? Why has nobody even thought of asking anybody ??????????????

Ah, I see you've yet to come to grips with the tedious Thai Way of dancing around the bleeding obvious in order to preserve 'face'/avoid a defamation suit.