skorchio

I usually don't chip in with anti Thai sentiments, but on this occasion I cant help myself.

Is this article taking the p1ss? The Thais with enough dough go to school abroad. The bread and butter degrees in this country are a waste of time. I have read the syllabus and looked at the 1st year physics course in a Bachelor's science degree. I was doing that same material at school. And if they wish to become an international hub, they need to lecture in English. And who is going to do that? Thai lecturers? I wet myself laughing ...

Actually thai police are pretty smart in solving cases especially getting leads etc. They may not be CSI but if the Australian Embassy is serious about getting to the bottom of this and piles pressure on the relevant authorities the results will come in. The shooting doesn't sound random but I think its premature to speculate.

Hopefully they won't just find a fall guy though.

are you <deleted> dreaming? apply pressure and get results? have you just stepped off a plane man?

Thai police get results when, and only when, they want to. End of.

Great news! But they should have done it years ago!

Even though these "students" can take care of them self, it shows clearly that they do not wish to integrate themselves. If you do not have sufficient qualifications to get a job in a foreign country and you are not retired, the least you can do is to learn the language, integrate yourself and then try to positively contribute to the society. Those who just want to be here without doing anything, should not be here!

Who are you to dictate who should and should not be here? What a stupid thing to say ...

Another victory for the Maf!!

And as someone else pointed out, there is a clause that says there will be no free transport provided. Just imagine that happening in another part of the world??!! I am all for supporting the local providers, but when the local provider is a Mafia agency they deserve nothing

We should not wonder how it is possible to take a speedboat late at night from Krabi in the Andaman Sea- presumably sailing via the coast of western Malaysia, Singapore and eastern Malaysia into the Gulf of Thailand - and still arrive at Soi Cowboy before last orders the same night. Amazing! The return journey to Krabi in time for the wedding was also done at supersonic speed. Where did they refuel?

I suppose it is an expression of poetic license - in reality, if they decided that Soi Seadragon (with 2 or 3 decent gogos) off Bangla road was a suitable substitution, it is doable. I reckon 2.5 hrs at 30 knots (and a good navigator) from Krabi around the south of Phuket would get you into Patong beach, and its only 400m to be on a stool in Suzy Wongs getting your back slapped. In fact I think I will try it ....

I have not seen the movie but I intend to ASAP. I did read a few articles about it, and I am a big fan of the first movie, the Vegas trip.

It seems from reading the article that there is a strong sub-plot in the movie examining Thai people's relationship with the Monarchy, the lese Majeste laws and so on. Is this really a theme in the flic, or has the article's author gone completely off topic and just dribbled prosaic diarahea into the newspaper?

This attitude is more like that which we would expect from a budget airline, not a flagship carrier.

What attitude is that?

Have a bunch of crashes as Thai have done and then claim not to have had any.

As a shareholder in QANTAS you want me to suggest that they have a few crashs, kill a few people ??

Plus it is not Qantas but QANTAS.

This whole perception of QANTAS having an impeccible safety record is nonsense. At Don Meuang QA buried a 747 into the runway many years ago, and spent another 2 years rebuilding the plane so as to maintan their "we never crashed" claim. The cost of rebuilding that aircraft would have bought 2 new ones. When I was in Aus about 12 yrs ago, a QA aircraft awaiting takeoff had one of it's engines fall off on the tarmac. Actually fall off!! Minutes from a catastrophe.....so spare us the safty diatribe, it is only a matter of time before your Golden B4lls airline has a proper disaster , mate

Nothing political here...just got to say ..what a honey

aye, thats she certainly is. I had to look again when I read she is 40. But I dont suppose she has ever had to work too hard .... classy looking lady.

It's also a sad indictment of Thailand's public health system, or at least its operation in Chiang Mai, that news of this had to come from outside the country, instead of Thailand's investigators getting to the bottom of the mystery themselves.

Yes, my sentiments exactly. To be honest, this was to be expected. Even if the truth was known to the local health authorities, it would likely never have come out. They would (on instruction) stonewall and expect the case to fade away. I am not sure how many people died, but for a while they were dropping like flies.

The response reminds me of Thaksin years ago, the day after tsunami. He claimed on air that Thailand had the situation under control and did not need any specialist assistance. He didn't even know the extent of the problem ..... they needed all the help that could be summonsed ...

Some interesting ideas though sounding a bit far fetched to me. I love the way Thaksin speaks with the assurance and confidence of an economic guru that seems contemptuous of the world's best (are other countries really struggling because of high taxes - Sweden, Denmark, Norway for example, with the highest standard's of living in the world).

You forgot to mention Ireland with its low company tax etc....maybe Khun Thaksin does not read the same press/media as you and I do

Yes, both points about the taxes I have to agree with. Ireland really is up the creek.

I have to question his motive for making visa applications easier. Is he trying to soften the stance of all the expats? I believe that Western opinion of Thaksin has to extent influenced some Thai people's opinion of him, especially those (Thais) who have daily exposure to Farangs. He hates us, he knows we see past his nonstop barrage of lies, and he knows we share our opinions with the electorate ....

"Pheu Thai expects .....that every student can gain access to e-books, he said."

Kids have gotta learning to read first dumbass!

And I sincerely hope that it is not you teaching them Sir.

Nice gesture but I really don't see how this is going to benefit those effected, other than to make it easier for Japanese to come and live for awhile in Thailand......

Isn't that the idea? Encourage those who can/want to get away, to come to Thailand and stay a while? If I lived in a disaster zone and had the option to leave, I'd be looking to a place like Thailand....fair play to the Administration for spotting a gap, and filling it.

The article does not say where to buy a ticket.

Where can I buy a ticket? I think it would be good craic. ...

Before Siam was subjected to Westernisation, all women, once they were married strolled about their tits out in public. Only adolescent women (with tits) up to time they were married, covered their chests. Once married, and hence breastfeeding, the puppies breathed all day long. This whole business of covering the breasts is new to Thai culture, and in fact is a reversal of the previous state of affairs. What we are seeing now is a revertion to a previous cultural norm. If there is blame to be allocated here, cast your minds back to victorian sexual repression. And for all you homos who are disgusted by this baring of breasts, I think you ought to be ashamed of yourselves: young ladies dancing topless in the streets and you closeteers are complaining? Man up, and give a cheer for the one with the biggest norks

Poor in flight service by rude staff....many of whom are overweight and frumpy.

Personally I rate the service on Thai International to be quite good. The quality of the food is as good as their Middle Eastern counterparts, and I find their service at a personal level to be better actually. Maybe you should try "please" and "thank you" and smile nicely.

One thing you can derive from this is that Thai chicks know which side the bread is buttered on. But this we know already ...

and they want to build a Nuclear Power Plant.

scary thought eh? "40kg of plutonium thought to be missing, but nobody is sure..." or "red-shirts have enough uranium to create 20 warheads" ... the muppet show continues ....

I think the airport is the shame of Thailand. They had an opportunity to build whatever was conceivable; remember that most intetrnational airports are on their original site, added to, rebuilt, extended over decades etc. Few developers get a clean slate to work with. They could have built the showpiece of Asia, the pride of a nation, they could have made it better than Singapore. But they reverted to type, predictably, and built it Thai style, where the customer/passenger is the last person considered. So predictable!! Absolutely in line with the rest of the nation.

But I must admit I live here because of the chaos (I love it). So I ought not complain, I just see a wasted opportunity. I know Singaporeans are proud of their airport, Thais could have been too ...

This is purely a fuel saving green initiative that should be applauded

Yes, this move has a dual purpose. Safety and environment. Fat does not fit down the aisle, clear and simple. Cabin Crew nees to be able to react quickly and effectively in the event of a safety issue, this is their primary task onboard.

And clearly with less kgs onboard, not only will it save fuel but will allow a few extra km/h, so flights can arrive ontime, safer and greener. Bravo TG!!

Remeber they had a cull of the old birds last year? They offered something like 19 months salary for the senior ladies to retire. They are playing catchup to the rest of Asia in this regard; did you ever see an old battleaxe on SQ? Cathay dont so wrinkles either ...

Funny... he kills a Thai and is sentenced within weeks. He kills a Canadian and two years later still hasn't gone to trial.

Isn't it just amazing ? Criminal justice is a joke, is there not one person in the Govt who sees this as a national embarassment?

And bear in mind, if this murderer was in custody, his child-bride would still be alive. It is sickening .....

The fact that prices and the overall cost of living did not decline during the last 3-4 years while the baht got stronger indicates to me that when it weakens exactly nothing will change either. The rich get richer and the poor continue to be disenfranchised and have no rights. My dollar got weaker and my cost of living went up more than 30%. Prices for rice and veges won't change that much because oil is still around $80-90 as it has been for the last 4-5 years. Worst case, bring back that ailig water buffalo. You know him, he's the one that is located on the pecking order, well above all farangs!

In the last 3 years the price of oil has visited 38 dollars, and 148 dollars. Maybe the buffalo sits above you in the pecking....

It was probably a 15 year old celebrity kid in the Fortuner. Not only did Daddy buy him a 4x4, but he can take Daddy's gun for protection. In case some other kids give him trouble......

HOUSEPAINTER your story paints a funny picture, I read it twice.....

Theres loads going on in Bangkok.

Selling their morals for money and ruining peoples lives, cannot contemplate.

Do you have issues working for Goldman Sachs too?

haha, I like your brevity.

Personally I have no problem with boiler rooms or GSachs. If people are fool enough to get involved in a BR operation, they should lose their money. Lax regulation allows GSachs to trade as it does - they are just clever people. Morals? "holds sides laughing.."

I have been to that beach twice. First time I watched an Israeli kid turn his back on 2 monkeys to get a photo taken, they both attacked him, scraped nasty gouges of flesh out of his back and one of them got the teeth in. They are savages. Second time there a young lady was attacked, and she ran and left her bag amonst the beasts. They fought over the bag. Myself and my brother went in back to back with canoe paddles to retrieve it. There does need to be clear warning from guides as to what the monkeys are like, they are extrememly aggressive, the growl on sighting a human and will attack in gropups as soon as you look vulnerable. I hate them. But they singled out the Israeli, so perhaps they are very socially and politically aware.