skorchio

This is fine Governance, a great example. These thugs have been pulling guns on victims actually ON the beach (they have been filmed doing so), but the BIG CLEANUP starts with asking them to be polite. You weak impotent good for nothing spineless person, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut. The start of the problem is YOU.

The Thai economy is in ruins, thanks to the fiscal mismanagement of the PTP led government. Foreign investor are fleeing like rats from a sinking ship, while the cabinet meander away with bulging pocket, leaving the Thai taxpayer to foot the bill. But its all mai pen rai till the time it takes a days wages to buy a serve of som tam, only by then there will be a wall of security keeping them in check.

The slowdown is regional: http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2013/08/21/is-southeast-asia-headed-for-a-repeat-of-the-late-1990s-financial-crisis/

Yes it is an immature comment isn't it? The core of the article is clearly describing the money movements out of ALL developing Asian nations. Thaksin is taking all of Asia down eh?

parting gift from the Major before they hang him out to dry?

If Tony Blair helps sponsor the return of Taksin, he will be remembered as a warmonger and a mercenary. He is already be remembered as a warmonger and he should be in jail for leading a nation to believe that WMDs existed in Iraq. A personal servant of GW Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. If he has any shred of self-respect, he will quickly and publicly distance himself from Thai 'reconciliation'.

Have to hand it to Taksin though, the guy really is a puppetmaster. Even the most tenacious of manipulators would have given up the game by now. His perseverence is admirable. My fear is that the longer he has to connive and twist things to get himself back, the more hatred he will have on his return, if he does actually get back in. That is a worry. The 'reconciliation' game will change in that event. jesuss ......

I would think the alleged victim would have paid a few baht for this police response.

What do you base that on?

It's well known that if you want the police here to actually do their job, you have to make it worth their while.

The victim seemed to get a good police response, so, I am thinking he must have "rewarded" them quite well.

They will all have a lot of "tea" to drink now.

Again hiding behind others with 'it is well known'.

Not my expereince BTW, if you want something from the unofficial police, yes, you pay, but if you come to the police with real information they will act.

Well it is plenty of people's experience buddy. Are you for real? The BiB only move and act when it suits them, fullstop. You are dreaming if you think otherwise. If you had a good experience, good for you, but the only reason they will do something is because 1. They have to (instruction from higher up) 2. They want to (it is personal) 3. It is worthwhile.

You are 34 and most of the text in your budget alludes to drinking on a meagre budget. What will you be like at 44? Well at least you are heading to the right place for decrepit washed-up budget pissheads. Chok dee bro!

I see no reason to do anything other than scrape them up and send them home. What shame allowing (and I mean allowing) oneself to go homeless in a foreign country. If you are approaching the bones of your arse, use what finances you have left to get yourself back to where you came from. At least someone may give a fork about you where you come from, but over here, you are on your own, and you will likely die if no one is going to help you. Send them home.

wow, I am surprised he has come out and said that. That is a pretty clear admission to bribery of government officials. If they (DSI) keep pressurising him, maybe he will name them outright, out of frustration. If he names them, that would be interesting, but his days might become numbered. They might be already numbered .....

what about the new tiger across the road? is the same stuff used in the decoration there? how about the exits, all up to scratch?

Well that'll show em!!!!!

HSBC are no longer operating in Thailand, much to my disappointment. So you won't be using them no matter what!! They used to provide an excellent service for Premier customers, and that was shuffled off to KrungSri. Now I have extra charges, crap rates and 2 websites to log into .... and transfers are slower. HSBC was excellent. Pissed off they left!!!!

Jasis I am surprised they are getting upset about 5 million quid. I was expecting some disaster number that was making a dent in local economies

But 5 million quid annually, half a pound per visitor? keeniow springs to mind. Tightarsed minister should reconsider this, 50 or 100 million quid OK something needs to be done. But this is pittance and when offset against the revenue per visitor, I think they are on the wrong track here.

And I must say I think the number is very low. It may be the case that it is not really the money, but the use of service which is placing strain on the public system, which lets face it, is for Thais.

Hub of fans?

Defendants so far have requested a postponement to their trial (no reason provided), and now rejected a translator, to further postpone their trial. As another commentator mentioned: who is running the show here? Seems to me it is the defendants, with the court's complicity. Maybe they are really nice guys ...

Having said that, when the Aussie cowboys who shot the wrong tourist in broad daylight in Soi Sansabai, amongst crowds of people, were released from jail with a warning, I had to make the point that at least the Thai justice system is consistent.

wow thats a lot of smack. and yes to an early poster, $30 US for a gram is not an unusual price, but the gram will be cut and cut and cut (it has to be or it will kill people .... ). Smack really came down in price in Ireland during the 90s. 10 quid back then was all it took to get enough for a skag.

I really do wonder how much of that gear will actually end up being destroyed. So many bricks so many hands ...... all wearing gloves

If I was being attacked in a 7 to 1 scenario, I would certainly prefer a fridge-freezer as backup, instead of a sheila.

And, as the story points out, a 7 on 1 theft attempt, and they didnt manage to nick his motorbike. I am sure the fridge laid a few of these 'men' out, round house hi-heel kick to the temple, while holding his breasts in place from swinging. Never mind the b0ll0x you gotta love it!!!

This is already in operation in Phuket, and I am not being satirical. All drivers carrying passengers have to purchase a monthly card from the Bib which they need to show at any checkpoint. If they don't have it, and they are carrying Farangs, they are fined. Every minivan, limousine, taxi and black taxi needs to pay the card or he will end up paying more if he is stopped. It has been in operation for years .....

In the image, the surf is still VERY small. It would hardly be a yellow flag in Australia.

I doubt many people would even bother trying to ride those waves as they are hardly big enough to do anything with.

I wouldn't be so quick to say it is very small. That beach in those conditions are dangerous in any country, I surfed in Oz for a few yrs and I surf here. Karon is not a safe swimming beach in 3 foot waves, especially for inexperienced swimmers. Sandbanks troughs and rips.

90% of people have no business being in the water when the surf is up like that. Especially on Karon beach. When I go surfing down Kata I am wary but excited when the seas are rolling in like that with onshore winds .... its messy, and for a swimmer it is pretty dangerous. Generally good swimmers also know not to get in when it looks lumpy like that ... so the ones who go in are inexperienced. Or sometimes unable to swim.

At least it was a punchup, and no one pulled out a sharpened iron bar and murdered the other. Isnt this far more civilised?

Another one of the 'real' dangers, example getting stabbed to death, was not mentioned. Any altercation with a local will result in the foreigner being violently reminded that it is advisable to not become involved in an altercation with a local. In my opinion, this is the greatest hazard to foreign visitors in Phuket. Do not become involved even a verbal match with a local. You might get killed for it. Or if you are lucky, maybe just beaten in front of your wife and kids.

But at times, for many people it is difficult not to become involved in an altercation with a local, as there are so many taking advantage of visitors to the island. Most people arrive expecting that they will not be taken advantage of. But actually in reality, this starts as soon as they step off the plane.

these places are fked up beyond repair, best we start over somewhere else ......

yeah, my first thoughts are transport cartels ..... we already know they are low enough to resort to this sort of business ....

Yeah, good point by someone, where is the DSI? With all the heavy hitters present on the island, time to step up to the plate. The BiB can easily find out who was involved in the incident without the need to question the family, and make an impression on the thugs. Hopefully a permanent impression on a vital bodypart. Verbal row turns into gang-beating in front of wife and kids. Lovely stuff Phuket, really lovely. And I can wager a bet they are transport related thugs ....

For all the TiT brigade, PTT's response to the spill in Aus in 2009 was actually applauded by the Aus regulator. I hope they apply themselves as diligently in this case .....