mfd101

As usual in Thailand, the 'authorities' - and Thais in general - are better at picking up the pieces after a disaster than at preventing a disaster in the first place. We all see this on the roads every day of the year.

One professional (Western) seismologist was quoted a couple of days ago saying that seismology is a very imperfect 'science' and that, quite apart from follow-up aftershocks, an earthquake can strike any time anywhere without warning.

Well, given what we all know about the links between competence and corruption in this country, I wouldn't have too much faith in a safety certificate issued by the anxious locals. Try bringing in fully-trained & experienced engineers from some of the less corrupt countries of the world - Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Oz, NZ, Japan ...

Designed as a lesson for budding young auditors in how not to carry out audits.

That's the bit that makes sirens a useful tool ... But only up to a point. If you're in a single-storey or perhaps 2- or even 3-storey building, a warning - or even the first shake - allows you to take cover under a desk or table or bed, or (as we did in the shaky isles of NZ in my childhood) stand in a doorway. The idea being to have something strong over your head. But what if you're in a high-rise building? Nothing you do - either nothing or head under the desk or head down the multiple stairs - is going to save you if the building is about to collapse. And as for racing out onto the roadway between high-rises, well I was always taught that's the last thing you should do ...

And the relevance of that is what?

Yes, to me - as a non-technical old person - alarm sirens seem a more practical idea for the masses of people in a huge city. And have the SMS etc technical solutions as well of course. In any case, speed is of the essence. Not necessarily a strength in Thailand ...

Also Burmese & Cambodians ...

It would be nice if the AI & other writers could master the difference between 'refute' and 'deny'.

Obviously money must have changed hands. But apart from that, why would anyone think that importing 10,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate would be a good idea? Who was the 'end user' supposed to be?

Why would anyone bother? I rode in a Cadillac in Canada a few years ago. Absolute pile of s...t!

Well I'm homosexual so I guess my judgment in such matters is poor.

Only a matter of time till Trump decides that Musk is costing him too much in popularity. Then it'll be time for the TrumpDump.

Well she looks quite an attractive young woman to me.

The question is Why? Why do businesses including banks lend money to people who manifestly have no capacity to pay back the loan, tomorrow or any day? Seems to me that the relevant businesses including banks have noone but themselves to blame. They are all familiar with local poverty and cultural issues.

Flying from Buriram Airport already some 40km nth of Muaeng Buriram is the obvious thing to do. If you take the Thai Airways morning flight to Don Muaeng you'll be in good time to get to Suwanna by taxi or bus before your o/s flight.

But that's just an excuse for doing nothing. Everyone points at everyone else ...

No problems doing transfers from Oz (AUD ⇒ ฿). I don't use Wise as a bank ie no funds 'stored' there. Just set up the transfer with W, then move funds from my Oz bank to W. Funds arrive in BKKbk here same day if done early in Oz, or next day at 1400 TH time otherwise. Never any problem since the 'reason for transfer' [living costs in Thailand] was set up some years ago..

Thanks. I'm guessing the Yaris Cross SUV might be my alternative. Not a patch on the RAV4 though ...

Yes, I had noticed that the Rav4 doesn't show up on the Toyota Thailand website. I hope this might change by this time next year. Will keep an eye on it meantime.

I'm guessing that Zelenskyy probably understands full well that trusting Trump is almost as risky as trusting Putin.

With modern technology they should at least be able to record their final words. Like, for instance: "I'm just going outside and may be some time."

I plan to move to our first-ever SUV next year. Looking at the new (2026) Toyota RAV4 when it arrives, and Mazda possibilities. Limited to those 2 brands because of ease of access for servicing here in south Surin at the end of the world at the edge of the jungle ... And all for the perfectly sensible reasons as set out in the OP. Our beautiful little 2016 Mazda 3 was not built for Thai rural roads and farms nor for my b/f's rugged driving skills.

So they knew the collapse had happened - that's why the drone was up there recording it - yet there was nothing to prevent a truck coming along and crashing down into the collapsed structure???

It's not just about a tariffs war bringing to an end the free-market world of the last 40 years which, on the whole, made the whole world richer. What we are beginning to see amongst Usofa's traditionally closest friends & allies - the Europeans, Oz, Japan ... - is a process just getting under way of disengaging from doing business with Usofa in important areas such as defence & security, on the basis that you can't trust the Yanks any more. Macron, for instance, is busy persuading the Europeans not to buy the F35 (which means switching to French or Swedish alternatives). The boycotting of Tesla products is another obvious example, with public outbreaks of contempt and anti-Usofanism. This will continue gradually gathering speed. Short of major backtracking by Trump (not in his genes, I think), the long-term damage to the Usofan economy will be great indeed.