Jonathan Swift

The courts would be that higher authority. This would require a lawyer, but probably the right move.

If these are organized extortionists they may have paid off the police, hence, no fear of them. But I think it's more likely a bluff, part of the intimidation "act".

In what world? Where exactly do you live? In a convent? Try looking around. This is the REAL world, out here. Doesn't sound like you're living in it. What exactly is your idea of self defense? The guy was threatening and extorting people. That's all you need. Ever hear the quote "talk softly but carry a big stick"? You don't have to actually beat the guy, but if he stands there threatening and being aggressive then he needs a beating. Chances are if you pull out a bat the coward will run home to mama crying. I can tell you that if he threatened me I wouldn't hesitate to crack a chair over his head if need be. But I'll bet a good slap upside the head. would send him running. No warning, just a slap hard enough to knock him over and humiliate him in front of his victims. These people deserve no less. It would all be on video, so self defense.

You're right about needing a multi faceted approach to dealing with the poor and unemployed. The same problem is the same in the US and elsewhere. Your statements about welfare are not what invariably actually happens in the real (western) world. Have you ever been on welfare? I have, in the US. Nobody in those lines wanted to be there, they would gladly accept any decent job. And they often did eventually. I couldn't wait to get off. The amount of actual welfare cheating (in western countries) is actually so relatively small that it really has little effect, and the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I make $1625 a month on disability and still get $170.00 in food assistance in the US, no benefits here other than my $1624. However, corruption in Thailand is a different story, and you may be right about this program's implementation here. However, if one weighs the benefits to persons in dire need against the cons, it may be worth a shot. I say give it a try and watch closely to see how it pans out. Some of this is fact, and some is just my opinion.

Really? Thailand is no different what any other capitalist country. Price is set subject to supply and demand forces. It has nothing to do with greed. It's purely business. Maybe you should go back to school, it seems this most basic economic principal has flown over your head.

How do you know what caused this fire? Are you psychic? Due to the location of the damage, how do you know it wasn't a lithium battery pack fire from inside someone's luggage in the baggage compartment or passenger area? Nobody checks for that on buses. I've been riding buses in Thailand for the past 11 years, my confidence in them is not the least bit diminished by the occasional accident. I have only had one bus incident in my entire 67 years, and that was in the US where the driver had been monkeying around with the engine himself.

"Petrol (gasoline) has a fairly low flashpoint at −43 °C (−45 °F). This means that, unless you’re in one of the coldest places in the world, your petrol fuel is above its flashpoint. White Diesel, on the other hand, enjoys a mid-range flash point of over 52 °C (126 °F), meaning the exact opposite! Diesel will likely be below its flash point unless you are in a particularly hot place. Both petrol and diesel have quite high autoignition temperatures, or our vehicles would be in trouble! Petrol and diesel have autoignition temperatures of 280 °C (536 °F) and 210 °C (410 °F), respectively." OK with you?

So you're arguing just to argue? It is a fact that diesel is much more difficult to ignite than gasoline. It's a matter of physics. The flash point is much higher. Pouring diesel onto an open flame also does not change that basic fact. If you pour liquid diesel onto a lit match the match will extinguish. Not so with gasoline. The commenter said nothing about diesel at much higher than normal temperatures such as leaking onto a hot manifold. If you pour both gasoline and diesel onto to the same manifold at the same temperature which will ignite first? Which is more explosive, gasoline vapor or diesel vapor? Duh. Plus that photo you posted is meaningless. The flash point, or minimal temperature for ignition to take place, of diesel is greater than 126º F/ 52º C. You might want to actually read up before you post. Auto ignition is exactly what it says - the temperature at which the fuel will spontaneously burst into flame. Here: "Petrol (gasoline) has a fairly low flashpoint at −43 °C (−45 °F). This means that, unless you’re in one of the coldest places in the world, your petrol fuel is above its flashpoint. White Diesel, on the other hand, enjoys a mid-range flash point of over 52 °C (126 °F), meaning the exact opposite! Diesel will likely be below its flash point unless you are in a particularly hot place. Both petrol and diesel have quite high autoignition temperatures, or our vehicles would be in trouble! Petrol and diesel have autoignition temperatures of 280 °C (536 °F) and 210 °C (410 °F), respectively."

So I guess we need to rethink who doesn't know what they're talking about, don't we? I'm not a professional, but have worked on a lot of cars. I suspect this could have been from a battery fire inside someone's luggage, since it was the upper deck that burned. Or, possibly a runaway diesel engine, but I never heard of that happening on a bus or commercial engine. But there's no point in guessing, we should wait until the investigation is complete.

Diesel is much more difficult to ignite than gasoline, unlikely that low voltage battery terminal sparks would do it. Also, fuel lines don't run anywhere near the battery. Lastly, it looks like the upper deck was the focal point which would suggest possibly someone's battery power pack inside luggage as a possibility. These are just guesses, but I agree that it's great news that no one was hurt.

well, it's a good thing there are so many "dumb" people out there so that you can pretend to be smart by comparison, isn't it?

Does it feel good to ridicule people? Did you bully the other kids in school? While we're at it, let's see if facebook can find your lost humanity and sympathy. As to YOUR brain, well, you can't find something that was never there.

For practice in filling out silly government forms

But the "ladies' " knobs are ok then?

The way I heard it in the US was "Here I sit all broken hearted, came to $ht, but only ƒarted"

Not just pee. But who doesn't think people pee in the water while swimming? Urine is just another type of salt water, only yellow. This is a matter of optics, and of disrespectful public behavior.

The smart thing would be to create enhanced penalties for doing this to emergency vehicles

And no one ever in any other country does the same? You have no psychotic road rage drivers in your country? You don't even know the nationality of the driver. If it's a Thai person He probably learned this from Americans.

She's no doubt waiting for marriage to toys is legalized. Wants to have kids, maybe a few little buttplugs running around.

So I take it you're a Thailand licensed attorney?

You have it upside down. More likely that these guys are undercutting Thais and not fairly competing. That's what happens when you flood the market with underpriced services and products. You also can't trust people who do such things, they're more likely to misrepresent things and not honor their word. That's why we have strict immigration laws about work permits and visas. Anyone who wants to knows you can negotiate prices with the Thai tour operators. They are absolutely not "overcharging" unless you don't know enough to negotiate. If someone doesn't negotiate, then they are ok with the price and they pay, so nobody is losing business because of overcharging. I've never done business with anyone but legitimate tour businesses. If someone wants to run a legitimate business they can take the necessary steps for operating a business in Thailand. If they cheat the government then they're more likely to cheat their customers. The whole point of this is whether these vendors are operating legally, which is doubtful.

And it's not in their nature to anything but courteous. They don't assume people to be bad. He was assaulting the girl and the husband had a right to defend her. Case closed.

Are there a lot of Swiss people smuggling guns then? I haven't heard of any

That might be true, but he should have checked. wait, there are those signs with photos of hand grenades, pipe bombs, guns, and everything that is prohibited. I suspect perhaps senile.

Doesn't really matter much - I think checked bags are x-rayed. But I would guess carry on. Maybe he has Alzheimers, that would explain something like that at his age.