Smiley Face

Meanwhile, captured Thai drug kingpins (read, the guys with all the money) are allowed to escape while surrounded by law enforcement officers! ! !

This memo was obtained from one of the duty bus drivers and translated into English. It clarifies the Land Transport's efforts to ensure the safety of passengers returning from the extended holiday . . .

To all our valued bus drivers:

Yet ANOTHER extended holiday is upon us and in an effort to promote the safety of our passengers who are smart enough to not be driving on the killer highways, we ask your cooperation in the following:

We know that drinking while on the job is normal among our valued drivers but for this extended holiday, we ask that you try not to dink so much that it becomes obvious to our passengers. Once the holiday is over we will not be so picky and you may continue consuming alcohol in order to tolerate the horrible driving practices of the Thai drivers on our streets and highways.

We know that since many of our drivers usually are not available because of sick relatives, sick buffalo and the like, that you are being asked to work some overtime. We will make every effort to limit your shifts to only 23 hours giving you ample time to rest before you come to work the next business day. We fully expect that you will use this off time to get well rested.

We also ask that you help ensure that safety of our passengers by insisting that they wear their seat belts (wink wink).

For your safety we have equipped your buses with GPS device so that we can locate your bus in case of an accident. Don’t worry, the GPS units will only reveal the location of the wrecked bus and not where you are hiding.

Should anyone have any questions please feel free to contact one of our executives. It’s best if you simply leave a message since most will be spending their hard-earned and exorbitant salaries at various resort locations.

You dont fight anything with talkers just get the navy working

Just how do you expect the Navy to do anything, they don't have any submarines?

Convincing liars . . . NOT! These guys are so crooked and stupid that they should be running for public office somewhere in Thailand.

Had there not been Japanese police involved in the capture it is very likely that the suspect would have managed to mysteriously escaped police custody in all the confusion.

I don't fear walking around in Thailand whether it's Bangkok or a rural setting because I know that it's the driving here in Thailand that will kill me first. Driving after dark in Thailand is much more risky than walking through back sois in Bangkok.

I often find that a picture is worth a thousand words. So let me see if I can paraphrase the current state of the Thai economy . . .

OH MY GOD! Does this include Thai Visa use? I think Thai Visa is fomenting a legion of sociopaths! I need to talk to my friends of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see if I've been corrupted by TV . . .

Yawn! Let me know when they start handing out ice cold Singha to keep the farangs cool.

"We are old - how else are we to look after ourselves?"

Here is a classic Thai cultural response. Everything is acceptable in pursuit of financial gain. Morals never enter into the equation. Selling dangerous drugs to children is OK as long as "I" get what I want.

Is that because tickets are only issued to foreigners.

Tourism may be a bright spot in Thailand’s economy, but it is a dangerous industry. While people flock to Thailand to have fun, many do not practice safe driving and end up dead or hospitalized as a result.

It's interesting to note how this article alludes to tourists being responsible for unsafe driving and causing injury or death! ! ! I nearly pee'd myself laughing so hard. I guess tourists need to learn how to drive safer, such as learning to get out of the way of oncoming Thai vehicles as these vehicles pass on blind hills and curves. Or they must learn to wait at least 30 seconds when a light turns green to allow Thai drivers to blast through red lights. Or they must learn to expect Thai drivers to come flying out of side streets onto main highways without first looking for oncoming traffic.

My God, tourists have a lot to learn in order to practice safe driving in Thailand!

I think Thailand is safe from further attacks. The terrorists can see that if they leave the Thais to themselves they create more terror than any outside group could ever conceive. Just driving on the roads in Thailand is utterly terrifying. Now there is also the fear of being imprisoned by the government for speaking your mind. I would have to think that terrorists would be terrified to come to Thailand!

Like in many ‘80s action films, it’s the story of a bygone master who’s laid down his weapons in seek of peaceful pursuits.

It should read, "a bygone,washed-up actor who's laid down his last remnant of pride and will seek any last grasp at notoriety".

accusing the diary company of encroaching on a public land covering a distance of about two kilometers long.

So this is where they make "diaries". Huh, never knew they came from farms. Maybe they make the paper from cow manure!

You want to educate Thai regarding road safety? Here is an easy solution, enforce the law with stiff penalties and, for repeat offenders, jail time. You would be surprised at how fast Thai drivers would learn the law when they have been appropriately fined for ignoring the law. Let's face it, there is nothing more important or more dear to a Thai than money!

Of course this means that the police have to do their jobs. Yeah, I guess it is a stupid idea after all!

The Minister of Transport has said the government still prioritizes on travelers' safety by implementing strict regulation to public transportation such as the installation of GPS system, which will relay all bus data back to the Ministry of Transport, as well as assigning drivers to introduce themselves and instruct passengers to wear safety belts.

Wouldn't it be better to put GPS units on the drivers so that they can be found more easily after they run away from accidents they cause?

And certainly, the cause of most bus fatalities is the failure of the passengers to wear seat belts. Here I was foolish enough to think it was because drivers were speeding, or falling asleep at the wheel, or that the buses were poorly maintained. I'm so relieved to find that the problem can at last be solved just by having passengers wear seat belts!!! Wow, the Minister of Transport is a genius. He found the answers that we all have been looking for.

I don't know why the foreigners get so upset about the Songkran carnage. It obviously is not a concern for the Thai people. If it was then there would be a major upheaval among the populace and police and officials would actually do something "positive and constructive" about it. Instead there is the face-saving veneer of concern and token efforts made but it is easy to see that these measures are ineffective and temporary. If foreigners are so concerned about their safety, then stay off the road for one week. Instead, the foreigners happily participate in the celebration risking their safety just as those who participate in the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona risk their safety for the excitement and the festivities of the holiday there.

I found that getting upset is frustrating and fruitless. It's best to just stay home during this time, stay off the roads (especially after 4pm) and sit back and look in amazement at the ever-increasing death toll knowing that it is a product of foolishness, carelessness and stupidity and that there are always going to be foolish, careless, stupid people. It's hard to legislate these character traits out of people.

How do all these accident happen when the PM has extra police and solders checking for drunk drivers and suspicious people. Every one getting extra pay but just sit on the side of the road and do not check but just sit!

Perhaps if they were encouraged to question things they might get some answers.

But then we know what happens to those who question the decisions of the government in Thailand . . .

Prime Minister threatens 10 year prison sentence for politicians who criticize referendum

They must be waiting for the investigating police to sober up. This will also give the perpetrator time to gather sufficient funds to properly fill the brown envelop. It all makes sense to me.

Rumors which had been circulated in social media that over 100 Songkran revelers had been hospitalized due to illnesses caused by unhygienic water were merely found by the authorities as a hoax.

Exactly! There were no hospitalizations due to unhygienic water. They were all from motor vehicle accidents!

It's funny you should ask, just the other day I read an article that phone sax is a big problem among in CM especially among uni students!

Confucius say, "Not smart to refuse taxi ride to girlfriend of garbage truck driver".

That begs the question, how many Thai can you fit in a Honda Jazz? Obviously 2x many! I get the feeling that this headline is a bit exaggerated.

Samut Prakan officials have resolved to strictly punish drunk drivers and speeders threatening other motorists during Songkran.

Oh my God, do they possible mean . . . TRANSFERRING! Could they even entertain the punishment of transferring the violators to somewhere else like they do to "punish" government officials for corruption or other crimes?

Oh no, they wouldn't . . . would they?

Makes you want to give up drinking completely!