ourmanflint

^ The real world is not a place is it? it is "the realm of practical or actual experience, as opposed to the abstract, theoretical, or idealized sphere of the classroom, laboratory,etc.:"

If you think any students anywhere in the world tend to be anything other than idealistic then we are too different to ever agree. That you think these propaganda fed small world country kids are anything other than idealistic is absurd. That anyone would encourage these students is plain crazy

Yes, I wonder if Ghandi would have agreed with you.

My son and many of his friends were students, he and his pals were nothing like these kids, all they were interested in was playing football, shagging, and getting shyt faced!! and it's more likely you who hasn't clue, so you've traveled all over the world to form opinions that students are too idealistic then? Sounds like you've never lived nor been in the real world either.

Your a bandwagon jumper, I bet you also believe all backpackers are the great unwashed too.

Those who encourage these kids all believe in one thing... the Junta are NOT the people to be running this country, and anyone who supports living under a military power is every bit as crazy as these students.

Anyone that encourages these students has to be either a full on fist in the air red shirt supporter or a moron! I cannot think of any other reason why any reasonable person would continue to show support for these stupid kids. They are all from the north east and attend Khon Kaen university, they were all in their early teens when mum, dad, auntie and uncle were riding into Bangkok to oust the then Abhisit government by "burning down" central Bangkok, they probably thought that there families were heroes for doing that.

Now you want to encourage these brainwashed numpties to stand up against a junta that removed their corrupted red shirt installed government. Why?

and YOU win! the dumbest post of the week award.

At least make an argument not 'they are all from the North East' go have another Chang and try to engage brain and not fall off your barstool

I see so being raised around the red shirt homeland in no way infected their spongy teenage minds? I would say I was dumb to assume anything other than that.

^ The real world is not a place is it? it is "the realm of practical or actual experience, as opposed to the abstract, theoretical, or idealized sphere of the classroom, laboratory,etc.:"

If you think any students anywhere in the world tend to be anything other than idealistic then we are too different to ever agree. That you think these propaganda fed small world country kids are anything other than idealistic is absurd. That anyone would encourage these students is plain crazy

Anyone that encourages these students has to be either a full on fist in the air red shirt supporter or a moron! I cannot think of any other reason why any reasonable person would continue to show support for these stupid kids. They are all from the north east and attend Khon Kaen university, they were all in their early teens when mum, dad, auntie and uncle were riding into Bangkok to oust the then Abhisit government by "burning down" central Bangkok, they probably thought that there families were heroes for doing that.

Now you want to encourage these brainwashed numpties to stand up against a junta that removed their corrupted red shirt installed government. Why?

go back to class and stop wasting your time trying to be a big shot, you can actually make a difference when you have the education and are contributing to Thailand in a constructive way - this nonsense is getting really old

It reminds me of a guy near where I live that wanted to be heard - he went through all sorts of tweaking with his motorbike doing this and that and eventually completely removed the exhaust which resulted in a few neighbours giving him a slap to reset his stupidity into reality,

Yeah that's right. Go back to class, swallow your junta brand propaganda and be a good little sheep in Thai society. Are you junta pyscophants starting to feel uneasy like the general because some people are starting to rebel against these bullies?

God speed to these students. They are brave young men and women fighting for their rights and risking Their freedom.

Oh, and before the pyscophants Say they are being paid, they have directly challenged the junta to put their money were their mouth is and prove it. We're still waiting.

Do you think that you should be encouraging anti-government protests by anyone in Thailand yet alone a bunch of simpleton students who will have had zero experience of the real world? I hope you will be happy to take some of the responsibility for encouraging them when they are rounded up again next time or worse.

good, its looking like everyones hopes about her were completely wrong and she is a wolf in sheeps clothing, being an ultra-nationalist, she would cause more trouble for Burma's minorities if given free reign.

It amazes me that the hang em' high club don't stop for a moment and think how easily something similar could happen to them.

Let's say you move to England with your Thai wife, perhaps take your wife's child from a previous relationship too. Your wife is insulted by another woman in a supermarket, bar or other public place; perhaps called an immigrant, a prostitute or other derogatory term. Your wife snaps and slaps this woman. The woman files an assault charge and your wife, and your adopted son/daughter are then facing deportation.

Another scenario. Some money goes missing at work. The finger is pointed at the foreigner; your wife. There is no evidence, but another racist member of staff says she saw your wife steal. She is sacked and charged with theft. She now faces deportation. Or perhaps she did steal some money. A stupid moment of madness. Her family were putting pressure on her to send money home to pay some medical bills and she didn't want to ask you. It's totally out of character but she did it. She's human. She made a mistake.

Another scenario. Your wife's child, your adopted child, becomes a tad unruly as a teenager after many years of a loving upbringing by yourself and your wife. He/she starts stealing from shops, nicking car badges and other stupid rebellious things. Turns out this behaviour was brought on because he/she is being bullied at school. But the government don't care. He/she is 16 now and eligible for deportation.

And how about you? What if your cosy life spent judging others from a computer in Nakhon nowhere is upturned because you get into a fight with a Thai. He assaults you first, you hit back, he falls and smacks his head on the floor. He dies. You go to jail and are then deported. Suddenly the place you've called home for the last 10 or 20 years is torn from under your feet. you are separated from your wife, and child, if you have one.

Don't be so quick to judge. Laws change quickly, and any of us could find ourselves victim of a cruel system in the future as Thailand becomes more hostile and right-wing towards foreigners living and working here.

But more than anything, show some compassion and kindness. This guy was brought to the UK, an alien land, when he was six years old - not his choice. His mother, an alcoholic, treated him so badly he asked to go into care. The British step father didn't/doesn't give a crap. His mother then dies. He is alone. He looks different to all the other kids. He grows up surrounded by rough people. I'm willing to bet most of us wouldn't have lasted a year in his shoes with the type of life he's had. Being neglected by your parents is hard enough, being in care, struggling with your identity and growing up in a hostile fight or fall environment is something most of you are lucky enough to have not had to go through.

So what, he stole some money - he was in debt. He has no family to turn to. You did/do. So do I. We are incredibly lucky not to feel that isolated, helpless and alone. So what, he got into a fight (probably) and was charged with assault. You know nothing of the circumstances surrounding that incident. He's probably dealing with so much pain and anger inside that we have no idea how he feels on a day-to-day basis.

What we need to do as a society is give him the guidance and care/rehabilitation for him to get his life back on track and be a good father and citizen, not call him an immigrant and kick him out. Do you think kicking someone again when they're down is going to make them a better person. No, it makes them angrier, more resentful, more fearful, more hateful...

This is the same government that just cut the independent living fund for the disabled. Go figure.

Complete gibberish! Did you even read the article? Only serious crimes with a prison sentence of 12 months or more are subject to deportation.

If this guys father was British I think the story would be different, but it was only his stepfather who was British, his Thai father whoever that may be must be out there somewhere as must his mothers family so they should step in to help shouldn't they?

In the UK he had plenty of opportunity to get citizenship, and I am amazed he managed to last so long without it. In the end he messed up pretty badly and falls foul of a very much needed law that Britain needs to get rid of Eastern European scumbags. Does he deserve another chance? Not really..

This "they broke the law so throw them in jail. The law is the law" litany from apologists demonstrates they have no understanding of basic human rights. There were laws in USA saying whites and blacks couldn't marry, blacks had to only use segregated facilities, etc. Should those still be on the books? Apartheid was all legal and proper in South Africa, should that still be in force?

They are not so stupid as to do this because "man in Dubai" might enjoy protests. They do it because they are smart enough to know their rights are being trampled. I protested the war in Vietnam not because Kremlin might approve, but because I felt war was wrong on so many levels. The law and order crowd might want to consider the content of the laws rather than slavish obedience. Fat chance.

What are you you blathering on about? There is no such thing as basic human rights, it's all in your head, there never has been any such thing, it doesn't even make sense.

What you attribute as basic human rights are a 20th century construct that came about as countries began to become more democratic, That you and many others seem to think these things are somehow universal and timeless is just too funny for words.

Free speech is not a right, it is not a gift from the universe, free speech is something that has been fought for over the centuries as countries became more democratic. It is a right only in those countries that have that right written into their laws. Rights are assigned under law and unless they have been underwritten in law there is no transferrable quality as basic human rights. This is how the world really works.

These students did have the right to protest under an elected government and did have the right to free speech. Under junta rule there is no such thing, junta and military rule is as if we wound back the clocks to before the notion of human rights and the laws that support them. Military rule suspends all such things until a new government can be elected.

Dear Pravit,

you are cordially invited to attend a mandatory attitude adjustment session... please reply to confrm!

I very much doubt that these students who protested have the first clue about what they were doing, they were more than likely goaded into it by an outside influence. I'm afraid they deserve everything that comes to them. Hard to hear but true. The law is the law and if you so publicly decide to break it then you should be ready to accept the consequences.

anybody know where the plaque is exactly?

In almost any other country this would be the lead story on every newscast and front page of every newspaper, here its just a footnote and barely raises an eyebrow.

I'm sure the noodle shops of Lampang were buzzing today with this terrible news.

I don't think 4 metres is enough, better make it 6! In fact a fence from the Adriatic to the Black sea might be needed should Greece fall out of Europe next month.

sounds like the english licking the ar$e of the thais, just like they did with the kao toa murders, poor young players, over prostitutes! prostitutes are not immoral are they

You sad sad man!

It is all too easy to see why Thailand is becoming less friendly to expats, when there are people like yourself.

Both drivers must be blind, but one carrying school kids should be sent to jail for that. He must have seen car coming and still turned.

I cannot believe that you made such a silly comment after watching the video.

The driver of the school van turned into the other cars path, what was he supposed to do "fly"

I made a silly comment! So you would clear the school bus driver of any blame would you, and allow him to carry on taking those kids to school everyday?

Both drivers must be blind, but one carrying school kids should be sent to jail for that. He must have seen car coming and still turned.

Another kick in the guts for the poor farmers who he and his mates were screwing, seeing them being able to put up tens of millions in bail while they, the poor farmers are struggling deep in debt.

That just shows your ignorance to the facts. Basically you have no clue about the scheme at all. The farmers lost out AFTER the coup when the banks where ordered to stop funding it. The scheme benefited the farmers tremendously. The internal corruption screwed the scheme and we are not talking about red shirts here. It failed because people in power who where against the scheme working made sure it would fail. ''Another kick in the guts for farmers hahaha'' clueless

Twonk!

Europe will be fine, but Greece has to go. They lied to get in so they could get their greedy hands on large amounts of euro dosh to fritter away drinking wine and smashing plates. Let them cosy up to Russia if they want to. Putin will be a good friend to Greece I'm sure!

If only the riverside in Bangkok was like that in Phnom Penh. Those damn colonials knew a thing or two about planning even 150 years ago.

She's a coward plain and simple!

She is surely no coward. But she had very bad advisers who were easily bought and then she was politically outmaneuvered by the junta and perhaps she too was bought by the western corpratocracy once the junta rulers decided to bring in the west to offset the rising influence of the Chinese. I thought it was bad news when she was, literally, embraced by Hillary Clinton and then I gave up all hope once she was willing to stand on the same podium to accept an award along with Henry Kissinger from the Atlantic Council in 2012. Today she is a political footnote and few visiting politicians to Burma even bother to meet with her. Today she is just an ordinary politician and it would be political suicide for any politician in Burma to speak out for the Rohingyas.

She is still held in high regard by many millions of people and is mentioned in the same way as Nelson Mandela was, I can only say I am personally disappointed beyond belief that she is shying away from this. Her lack of action on this is cowardly and until she intervenes in one way or another, I will continue to be appalled.

She's a coward plain and simple!

Commercial units of this exact sort have been available for many years, so what exactly have these geniuses invented?

It makes you wonder just how much money has been stolen and embezzled by the "good" people of Thailand. It seems to be so rife that AMLO could pick any government funded agency at random and find that money destined for better things for the Thai people has been siphoned off to buy handbags and shares in dodgy upcountry resorts.