dageurreotype

I'd like to see an expanded map - not just the lower Sukhumvit area. ThongLor for example, isn't shown on this map. I wonder what the ThongLor cops think about this... is it going to hinder their moneymaking activities, or are they getting a big increase?

If this law persists and does not fall by the wayside, it is going to affect a lot of businesses. I know one owner of two restaurants on Soi 8 that is in the red zone now. She won't be too pleased about this.

I think it would make sense if they applied some forethought, and some zoning. Where is an area away from the schools that could become a new nightlife district?

Ideally, the better solution would be to move the schools out of the city core to a location that is easily accessible by transit for students. This would saolve a lot of traffic and congestion in the city center evey day.

But I have been here long enough to know that rational thinking is never part of the process.

Whooa, your proposal is to move schools out of cities so you can get pissed up and whore all day?

I wouldn't mind having a bet on this nonsense being the beginning of a push to get rid of bars and hookers.....

One can dream

From the map, it looks like the lower end of Nana, Soi 6, Soi 8 and around that side of Suk, and some of Soi 11 all the way to Cowboy and surrounding areas cannot sell alcohol.

I don't see mention of a time limit...like up until 8pm at night. Can't imagine that they would make it 24 hour ban.

Pretty funny if this is in fact true and enforced.

A lot of unhappy Mongers.

One way to curb the sex trade Who would've thought Prayut could think so creatively

Talk about using a mallet to kill a mosquito. Basically the entire adult population within a 300 meter radius must be inconvenienced in the vain hope the students don't drink.

Has anyone asked the students if they think this will alter their drinking habits? Or will they just walk farther and buy in bulk. The idea that this will stop or reduce drinking is just stupid.

Thailand is fast becoming a nanny state with top down declarations based on the whims of whatever pressure group is flavour of the week, to which the junta kowtows in a vain effort to show how popular and in touch with the people it is.

Today's BP reports that the swiftness of this action on those bars/restaurants within the zones have taken everyone by surprise. A student lamented the fact he would have to spend extra money to travel farther to buy booze, he didn't say he would. I do know that when I drank the ridiculous times set for selling alcohol were a major irritation. I'd stopped drinking local products so the small shops still being allowed to operate all day were out of the question. It did put me off an earlier than usual 'over the yard arm' one though So, yes, I believe it will have an affect on students drinking.

Some things are just Thai.

Indeed, which is why an opportunity was sadly lost in not going full on Magic Mike as a true representation of their country

"Huge arsenal"??

555

in America that's called a "starter kit"

Haven't spotted any massacres since the black churchgoers down south recently. Bearing in mind there were usually one or two per week, have they become so commonplace and boring they're not bothering to report them now? I certainly stopped bothering to read them

I think your report is probably one of very, very few where a driver actually developed road rage, which is generally a non-existant concept in Thailand except maybe if your bad driving happened to result in an accident. If it doesn't, then nobody cares, there's nothing to see here.

Are you serious??? Almost every day here on Phuket I see some dick or two on a Click pulling in front of another driver shouting and swearing at them and making 'pulling gun' gestures. Some even pull guns as per poor bastard on a main road in town recently gunned down in front of his kid. Some years ago, I was driving too slowly towards a main intersection as the lights had turned red. Four Thai guys honking at me got out of their pickup and strode angrily towards me. They weren't about to ask me out for a drink. Fortunately the inside lane had cleared and so did I, off Another time I happened to walk in front of some hi so git in Central's inside car park, the middle aged guy stopped, opened his door, let out a stream of abuse and then tried to reverse over me!

I remember someone writing in a local opinion piece re bad driving here 'What happens to the gentle Thai when he gets inside a car?' True that.

Not in the carefully crafted OP is a typical curt retort by Prayuth that if protestors don't need the power plant, they can walk around in lanterns.

He simply can't stop himself can he.

Tunyaratt Achariyachai, vice president of Kata Group Resorts, one of most famous hotel groups in Phuket, said all major cities in the region would need more electricity because of the increase in the number of investment projects and business expansion.

Which is precisely why their wings should be clipped. The sprawling uglification of oversupply on Phuket continues unabated.

I agree with your post. I was very surprised to learn that just forty years ago the overwhelming majority population of Phuket were Chinese who, as you said, had migrated and operated all the tin mines here. The next percentage were ethnic Malay, the Thai population was miniscule in comparison. However, although they do of course now speak Thai as a first language, many of them retain their mother tongue. Another thing that struck during my many visits to an old Chinese friend at his business in town was that his entire circle of friends were Chinese and a sprinkling of farang. Not one Thai! They kind of laugh at them

Yes totally true.

Not sure when people say these are misconceptions. I too have many Thai-Chinese friends, nice professional people such as doctors, nurses and other civil servants.

They have a different work ethic and do kind of look down on the Thais. As a pharmacist friend says, the Thai-Chinese work harder, that`s why they only marry their own kind. These are her and her friends general perceptions of Thais.

I have just recruited a Thai-Chinese girl, her parents were born in China yet her and her sisters and their subsequent children were born here. Her views echo what some of us know already. Yes they are Thai, but somewhat smarter and more well off! haha

This stuff about the `migration` stopping after the war really is a `misconception`. My new member of staff informs me her father works for the `Chinese community`. Kind of like a charity that helps Chinese families in Korat. She tells me that there are these organizations in every city in Thailand. Chinese business men come to Thailand, some marry, settle here in Thailand so the cycle continues.

It makes you wonder, if the Thai-Chinese were not here, what would the country be like? Just wondering.

Long time ago I'd asked my Thai tutor 'why the hate on the Chinese?' She said 'They say we are lazy and stupid'. I replied 'Poot jing nit noy'

I can sleep better now that no freedom of speech, no elections and police recruits in army green will be the norm, at least until 2017.

They won't last that long ..

I am amazed that idiots still purchase condos even though they must know the place is sinking.

I'm amazed idiots are still building them. Or maybe not .. 'ad your money

The government has been urged to set up a national panel to handle the problem of rising tides and land subsidence, implement solutions and promote public participation.

Ah well, welcome back Venice of The East then

The BIB have to be the laziest and most incompetent police force in the world.

Close but no cigars try sub Sahara Africa, east Africa , North Africa , West Africa. In all this area give me the BIB anytime.

The Indonesians are far worse also. Khmers? are there any?

From my understanding of the current situation within the junta they are about to implode. Nothing else can remove them. Fate has a way of working things out ..

SO, the service has been launched, anyone tried it yet? Apparently, fares are 2-3 times cheaper than ones listed at the airport stands... How are they gonna survive now?

This very day, on the Rawai seafront road, as I awaited transport back home, five large buses all bearing the same resort name carrying Chinese passed as I stood immediately behind some lazy arse 'taxi' driver lying in his hammock with his insignia emblazoned SUV parked at hand. He knew I wasn't about to ask him a fare and he wasn't even going to ask me if I wanted a ride, because he knows I'm not a tourist and can't be ripped off. So I would say, Dream On ..

Perhaps, a sinister person would suspect this is a 'test' to see if all ATMs can be shut down if necessary, one bank tests per weekend.

perhaps not a 'sinister' person but most decidedly paranoid as @#$% one

Winning the first prize in Thai lottery?

Who is your friend, a daughter of a big officer?

I think it's 60 days from draw, if I'm not mistaken ...

Four.Million.Baht. Poof!

Thai people live in Thai-land, an unique place full of Thai culture. All Thai speak the Thai language and love their Thai country. Thai children go to Thai schools where Thai teachers tell them about the Thai language, the Thai culture and Thai logic so these Thai children will stay pure Thai. Thai children become Thai adolescents and these Thai girls and Thai boys make Thai love and beget more Thai children.

Thai farmers sow Thai seeds in Thai ricefields. Thai monks pray in Thai tempels to soothe Thai karma.

All Thai children care for their Thai parents. When Thai parents are getting older they suffer from Thai diseases, go to Thai hospitals where Thai doctors give them Thai medicines. In the end they die, like people everywhere, and they are cremated in the Thai way.

Funny but so true.

The irony is though, as nationalistic as they are, they`ve let the Chinese come in and take over completely. The now Thai-Chinese own most of the land in towns, most of the big businesses and definitely all the mercs and beemers! haha

Then if you take a short trip out of town, not only does the skin tone change but also peoples wealth, standard of living and so on.

I think that's a bit of a misconception, mainly conveyed amongst expats. Years ago, decades to be exact, many Chinese (mostly men) came to Thailand as merchants, to escape war, famine and upheavals back in China and ended up marrying local women, to create the Thai-Chinese we see today. This migration mostly ended a few years after the end of World War II. However, in the process, various Thai governments from all political spectrums have created a national identity through a common language and culture, often at the expense of the original culture. Therefore, Thai-Chinese had to abandon their original Chinese names, start speaking Thai (and only Thai in most cases) and in the process were given Thai nationality, which has been handed down to the next generation.

Current Thai-Chinese think of themselves as Thais, first and foremost. Very few identify with China, very few have even been there and just as few still speak any Chinese dialect, with the exception of a few aging geriatrics who mostly do not pass down these languages to their children and grandchildren, thinking they are mostly useless anyway (and they are right, as far as living in Thailand is concerned). Only those Thais who engage with China or want their children to engage with China see any merit in showcasing their Chinese ethnicity and learning the Chinese national language (Mandarin), but that is not limited to only those Thais with Chinese ethnicity; many non-ethnic Chinese Thais are also learning Chinese and doing business with China these days.

These days many ethnic Chinese Thais are wary of the new generation of Chinese travellers, tourists and businessmen and would never allow them to take a foothold in their country. Many critics of Chinese tourists and their social habits have been ethnic Chinese-Thais themselves.

I agree with your post. I was very surprised to learn that just forty years ago the overwhelming majority population of Phuket were Chinese who, as you said, had migrated and operated all the tin mines here. The next percentage were ethnic Malay, the Thai population was miniscule in comparison. However, although they do of course now speak Thai as a first language, many of them retain their mother tongue. Another thing that struck during my many visits to an old Chinese friend at his business in town was that his entire circle of friends were Chinese and a sprinkling of farang. Not one Thai! They kind of laugh at them

Today's personal experience. I thought I'd take a walk around my tourist island beach bits. Rarely go, stick to town. Met many old chums along the way and all complaining 'no tourists' with many closing up shop and going home. When I'd asked about the so called high spending Chinese tourist they all told me they never frequent their various and diverse businesses but 7/11 always packed out with them. Further on, reach the beach and spot just one Chinese couple on the beach kicking rocks . None in any of the restaurants dotted along the way. THEN I made it to Rawai, a former quaint fishing village now turned ugly glass plated mess complete with what looks like a disco called Superstar. Bus after bus after bus, all with the same resort name emblazoned on the sides, of Chinese tourists. They don't exactly spread the love, do they

We are SO much better off now aren't we. Economy tanking, no real freedom of speech to speak of. I imagine the best is yet to come!

Practically speaking 'we' are much better off. Baht weakening, 'we' never had a say anyway so 'freedom of speech' moot. The Thai population however, not so much.

Is there one? A friend has a forgotten about ticket winning first prize, but was purchased 'long time ago'. Anyone?

I think Thailand is one of the worst places to enter if you are a crook on the run or even an asylum seeker.

When located (and they have ways of knowing where you live now), you are bundled back on to a plane from whence you came, without a moments thought for any personal considerations .

No extradition hearings nor refugee claims slow down the process here.

There is most certainly extradition for those countries with whom Thailand has a treaty. The US is one, so is the UK ..

I order online from Good Karma in Bangkok, they ship anywhere. You'll find their ad in in the Classifieds forum, many products. Truly organic. Miso in Villa Market had 21% Msg so I'm guessing any main supermarket would be the same. Japanese restaurants won't fork out for organic either ..

Adopt a raw food diet and walk for 30 minutes a day. No expenditure on meds and no trash.