skorchio

The family's lawyer is a senator. Whatever slim chance of justice ends right there.

It should have been called Thaiagra or Siamagra don't you think?

As with most here I have enjoyed sticking pins in this hot air balloon of a government but I wonder if we are really pointing at the appropriate target. Since it is the practice inThailand of playing Musical Ministers (well, Musical Everybody in a position of authority) every six months or so, what chance has any Minister got of really getting to grips with his/her portfolio? Are they not reliant upon the facts and advice supplied by their technical 'experts' and the so highly vaunted and respected academics? Would it not be the case, given Thailand's cockeyed education system, that not only do the Ministers not know what they are about but that also applies to their advisors? I would enjoy the event of Plodprasop being demoted to something relevant like the Ministry for Happy Toilets but would his replacement be any improvement? Would the flood situation be sorted then? I doubt it. All it would mean would we would have another football to play with.

This country needs an injection of a great deal of radical, logical and modern thought in many areas, not just the control, and hopefully prevention, of floods. God only knows where it may be found, and if taken on board, would good advice be followed?

I have to agree this, and your comment reminds me of an article in the Post a few years ago. A minister in a previous government was asked about Bangkok's preparedness for global warming, ice-melt, sea level rise. His response was that Thailand was far enough away from Antartica that seas level rises would not affect BKK. Then I wondered how this slipped the journalist and the editor, and then I realised they were both doing the world a favour by printing his comments. Here we are 2 governments later, just a different bunch of kids playing with sluice gates. And fighting about it as well .....

But I must say it is entertaining if nothing else!!

Have the Canadians confirmed this toxicology report? They were provided with tissue samples early in the investigation, I am interested to know if their procedures confirm the presence of DEET.

I am also surprised that the Scottish woman who was with these ladies on the night of their demise was allowed to leave Thailand without a proper grilling. She was working for a bar, most likely as a tout. I suspect she knew more than she told, she was also very ill after their night out. It is quite possible they all knowingly drank this tox-tail (my new word for toxic cocktail) but something went wrong. I await comment from Canada .....

He is just reiterating what Isaan mothers and fathers have been telling their daughters for decades. Do y'all think this is something new?

Maybe you have to pay in advance to get a response. Like an electronic travel permit for Australia ....

Example, swipe card, make call. 200THB deducted from card if phone is answered, thereafter 30THB per min to describe your situation, an then flat fee 500THB for a human response. Then charges are added based on what unfolds ..... you can opt to pay tea money in advance and get a discount, like excess baggage (don't do it at the airport!!)

Isn't Thai politic such a juvenile game? To me it seems everyone is 11 yrs old or under, and some of the kids are smarter than the other kids, and the smart ones make the rules as they go along and when the less smart kids eventually cotton on to what has just happened, they don't want to look stupid for not cottoning on earlier, so they vote for the same smart kids again.

Phuket floods delay flight, mudslide confirmed

Phuket Gazette

A snail enjoys the spectacle of Phuket traffic being slowed to his own pace, as motorists navigate floodwater that seriously affected Thepkrsattri Road in Koh Kaew this morning. Photo: Stephen Fein

PHUKET: -- The floodwater that slowed traffic to a snail’s pace across Phuket this morning resulted in a Thai Airways flight being delayed to ensure passengers caught in traffic jams could get aboard.

Staff at the Phuket International Airport Customer Service department confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that Thai Airways flight number TG204, scheduled to depart Phuket at 10:55am, was delayed for 30 minutes to allow passengers arriving late to clear entry procedures and take their seats on board the aircraft.

However, the staffer also confirmed that was the only flight delayed; all other flights were operating as scheduled.

“Only TG204 of THAI Airways waited for its passengers this morning. Our flight schedule is now running on time, as normal,” she said.

“People who missed the morning flight can catch another flight in the afternoon. There are 11 flights of THAI Airways leaving Phuket to Bangkok daily,” she added.

Meanwhile, Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad confirmed that his office received reports of a landslide in Paklok.

“However, it was only mud on the road. Nobody was injured and no houses were damaged.”

“We also received a report of a damaged road in Paklok Village 4. The road was blocked. It is clear now and traffic can pass as usual.”

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...rmed-16726.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-08-22

This means there was a Thai heavy-hitter stuck in traffic, probably a Govt official.

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

I'm down here in Phuket...over the past day or so, there seems to be a growing number of doubts as to whether the number 4 is actually an accurate count...people who were in the pub say that the number could just well be higher and that the actual numbers aren't being released yet since "officials" don't want the global media attention so things are being suppressed...I don't know how true this is but its been the latest chatter

Thats exactly what I am getting at - if there are 7 or more missing persons, yet 4 bodies .......

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

If I am on the bike around town, if I can get my leg over the bike I will drive. If I am in my car, and drinking, I will only drink up to 5 or 6 bottles, and then I get the car home, take the bike and continue drinking. I dont like being pissed in the car, whereas on the bike I am most likely only going to hurt myself, not others. But the car is a different story .....

What surprises me most is the extent of the flames and the damage. What is there to burn in the roof and ceiling in Tiger? If the light rig went on fire, what exactly can burn in the rig? OK all the cabling, but isnt the whole frame supported by steel, the lights themselves are metal? Isn't the roof a steel grid with asbestos or similar sheeting on top? <deleted> is up there that can burn the way it did?

So a few geezer-grads get to turn up in a skirt, good for them. The more fridge-freezer birds that have an education the better, maybe it will help improve the general behaviour of geezerbirds nationwide. Although I know I am dreaming.

Why say a 'Cowboy' bar girl, it didn't happen in Cowboy, and most likely it was argument over a Thai man if not in the bar. Could be any bar girl in Bangkok.

I cant help feeling sorry for them. They live in a cesspool of deceit, drugs, exploitation and ignorance. Difficult for even a saint to rise out of it...

I have to agree with this. These women enter the scene young and naiive, and once they become involved they are preyed upon by those whose business it is to keep them there, mamasans, dealers etc. My only surprise is that this sort of shit does not happen more often. The only people these girls have to turn to is each other, and I am sure when this lady comes down and realises what she has done she will be sick the rest of her life .... which will no doubt be deservedly behind bars. This is a sad story ....

Sue the darn British retailer flat.

Good idea and when they prove not to be at fault try suing the Thai designer, contractors, workmen and safety inspectors.

Tesco are no doubt a tenant with a lease and the aircon and ceiling is most likely not their responsibility to maintain. I would expect Tesco (and injured shoppers) will be suing the landlord. Particularly if the problem was previously brought to the attention of the landlord who did SFA about it ....

How has it come to light that a civil jet was fired upon with a machine gun? Has this come from the jet? Or was this observed from Thai troops on the other side of the fence? Because I think it is quite impossible for a jet to even be aware of gunfire on the ground ....

10 more happy tourists. Keep up the good work.

Sorry, I don't agree. The deal was 6 tourists for 300bt. That's 50bt per tourist.

The tuk-tuk driver can count to 10, so can I.

He only wanted an extra 100bt for the other 4 tourists. That's a great discount. The Egyptian should have been ecstatic.

But no, the 10 rich tourists had to try and scam the tuk-tuk driver, didn't they!

For what? 100bt .... that's three freakin' dollars .... for heaven's sake!

Was it worth it for $3? They've probably spent $15,000 between the 10 of them for this holiday ... and they're making a fuss over $3.

I am THOROUGHLY SICK AND TIRED of this sort of attitude from foreigners towards Thai workers.

Wake up .... the lot of you!

I'm usually charged 70-100bt. I always tip a tuk-tuk driver a 20. I always tip a taxi driver a 50. For a buck or two, we both walk away with a smile.

We all tip in the US, UK, or Australia ... but when we get to Bangkok, rich tourists suddenly turn into misers, scrouges, and whingers.

Where is that tuk-tuk driver? I'll pay his fine - for the moral wrong - and shout him and his family dinner for standing up for himself!

3 cheers

There is no fare under 300 baht in Phuket. To move the tuktuk, it is 300baht. Thats 6 GBP, 7.3 Euro, 9 USD. If you are trying to tell me thats OK to move 500m up the road, well you need to come here and see how you feel after 2 weeks of these <unts. I am living in Patong 9 yrs and I have watched the fare go from 50-80 negotiable, to 300 non negotiable, and these <unts are becoming increasingly violent.

Futher, tourists have no options for transport. None, diddly squat, zero, except the one bus route that goes to Phuket town. These <unts have gone to extremes of violence to ensure that no public transport service is allowed to operate. They almost killed a naive young man who took the job of driving a public bus run by local authorities. They beat him to within an inch of his life. So I cant stay silent when I read some short sighted comment defending the driver in this instance. Come live here and see how these <unts operate.

And before you tell me 'why dont you move back to your own country'.....let me tell you that I can tolerate this one disgusting facet of life in Patong Phuket Thailand. I will never ever use a tuktuk unless I am dieing. Thats about my limit I reckon. I have a car and a bike, I will not sponsor their intimidation with my patronage. Come here and tip them 50 Baht mate, before long you'll be paying 500 to sit in the bloody thing.

nice... thailand is going after some NAZI regime tactis : report your neighbour and get his belongings (20% they write...)

last time i saw a cleaning lady biking around the moo bahn, with a t-shirt of ADOLF HITLER with swasticas and everything

guess she does not know what it means, only that she must have gotting it free or low priced....

ignorance...

They only know the royal family, they study only thai history, outside thailand there's nothing for them....holy ignorance

Personally I think it is more ignorant for a person WITH an education to diss people from a developing nation for their lack of education and resulting ignorance. It is about as smart as shouting at deaf children.

How do you know when a plane-load of TV members has touched down at Suvarnabhumi?

....

Because even when the engines have been switched off, you still hear whining.

Last time I read this joke, it only mentioned the brits .....

I want to jail myself .....

It's getting to a point that the Thai Tourism claims of Thailand being a a family destination has gone from rediculous to bizzare. Who in their right mind would bring their family here after all the foreigner deaths? It's becoming a "come at your own risk" destination. Always has been but risk levels seem to be increasing.

Thailand like most other countries in SE Asia has always been a 'come at your own risk' destination. That's part of the allure; you take your shots, get your travel insurance in place, pack a first aid kit and go. But I suppose the most important thing to remember is to maintain constant vigilance when you are there. Ultimately there is only so far vigilance will protect you, these girls, God rest their souls, are surely victims of circumtances they could never have been foreseen, whatever those circumsyance are. Personally I think the Scottish lady who was with them, who also fell ill, can throw some light on what happened. What news of the Scottish lady?

I hope this family can find peace. God Bless.

So now we can expect all the roadside flower vendors in Phuket to get banged up????? The Big Boss in Phuket has already got them on his hit list.

Yeah, the bike should be a telltale. But that can also be fabricated quite easily after the event. A good inspection of the tarmac where he is supposed to have come off the bike should provide evidence. And as pointed out, where is the road rash? He should be barked up, nobody comes off a bike here without donating skin to the road; hands, elbows, knees, hips.

If there were witnesses to a brutal attack, they would not necessarily be coming forward and saying so.