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War? What costly war has Thailand been involved with in the past decades? Corruption? Yes, in spades.

A "good degree" needs definition. In my experience in Thai universities, a good degree is what the student puts into it. It isn't so much the school, although of course to some degree that matters too. They can get a perfectly good degree and good knowledge/understanding from cheaper public universities. They can go to Ramkhamhaeng or Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University for something like 7,000 - 20,000 (depending on the program). Even poor people can find ways to go to these two universities, if they care to put in the effort. There are many financial assistance programs available, private and public. Even the top universities of the country are not what I'd call taking "a lot of money", they are mostly public and subsidized, that's why, even though they are decent universities even on an international level (decent, not excellent by any stretch of the imagination), they are only around 20,000 - 50,000. It's not cheap to a poor family obviously, but to a mid level wage earning family, it is doable. There is really no financial excuse, if one really wants the education. Cost is not the problem. The problem is the same problem as to why, as you said, "most Thais I meet with a Thai degree, can just about string one or two English sentences together". It is because they don't care to try. It takes work. It takes effort. It isn't easy. Good things don't always just come along delivered on a silver platter, but that seems to be what they think should happen. It doesn't and it won't.

Awesome story! That is hilarious. It's a fun one for sure😄

The fine should have been accompanied by a jail sentence, interest on the amount he stole (and how about if that interest is matched to the kind of interest he and his despicably detestable grotesque evil family made on their shares - something around 4,850% by my calculation), and court costs for all of these years of litigation that cost taxpayers a bundle. This man is so disgusting, he should be in solitary confinement for the rest of his life. And this is only one of MANY things he did. One thing that the media never talks about much at all (at least I haven't seen it) is all of the laws he manipulated as PM that served to enrich him. He oh so cares about his beloved homeland... you can see how much he cares by the billions of baht he has used (NOT!) to help rehabilitate the education system among a vast number of things he could do if he really cared about his country. His corruption goes WAY back to the 80's, with the police radio insanity. He got away with at the very least that and never stopped. It won't be good enough until his family line ends. 17.6 billion is a pittance for what he has done. It's like the traffic cop letting you go for a couple hundred baht. But, since I never expected anything at all like this to come against him, I'm glad to see that he at the least is losing face. Of course, the brainwashed idiots who blindly support him will never see him as losing face though.... Just like any cult-like political following.

Another one of THESE stories...?🙄😴 A "content creator", whatever that's supposed to be... could be a million different things, from some kind of scientific research content to playing with toys online for children to watch for hours on end... or gaming 12 hours a day.... And an "online fitness business"? lol Yet another thing that could be a thousand different kinds of "business". They could be totally legit or they could be a total joke. So, they've been here a month... and a story is being done on them?? They obviously have a connection somewhere to push their names out there and get a boost to their online businesses. It wouldn't be too farfetched to find out a few months later that they were on the wrong kind of visa and ended up in trouble. These stories are so full of non-story material🙄 It's like someone is trying to paint a pretty picture without connecting the dots first. It sounds like they must come from a really horrible place. The article paints the entirety of the UK as though it's some sort of semi hell on earth. The generalities spewed out here are not helpful for any sort of realistic picture of life in either country. Nothing personal toward them. I hope the best for them. But this story is just gross.

One year may suffice, but 3 or 4 would be better. But yeah, one month?? lol 🤣

I watched the show on Koh Phangan, Full Moon Party, etc. It was standard fair. Nothing "salacious" or "sensational" at all. Very run of the mill. They had some tidbits that were a bit interesting. But not really much of anything that anyone living in Thailand for more than 6 months wouldn't likely know already, unless of course they knew nothing about the Full Moon Party scene, which I wouldn't blame them. I only had the misfortune of coming across it when traveling to the island one time. That's more than enough, one time, for that island. The show wasn't even hardly "dark" at all. I'm guessing maybe it was a bit more so in the show that covered Soi Cowboy, etc. But the show I saw was almost more like an invitation to enjoy Thailand than anything, just with some small disclaimers about how you enjoy yourself and what should be obvious anyway, not particularly "dark" - be careful when partying in a place that is foreign to you, wear a damn helmet, be careful riding a scooter on roads that you aren't accustomed to, and that sort of common sense sort of thing. It wasn't in bad taste at all and not demeaning. From the single show I saw, the commenters on here, going off about how ridiculous the show is.... I have no idea where they're coming from. It was an average (or below average), not terribly interesting show where they threw a clueless girl, who didn't seem to know anything about Thailand, into the mix with a script to pull off. But not "dark", "salacious", or "sensational" at all. It's pretty much what you'd expect from your average influencer being fed a script by her handlers, most definitely NOT a professional documentary. And of course it's being presented by a western woman, so they will have that bias that so often shows when they seem to feel threatened by western men preferring some of the attributes of other cultures that haven't been somewhat destroyed by entitled feminists and the beta males that are lapping at their heels. Again, the caveat that perhaps the show on Soy Cowboy, etc., may have been a bit more on that "dark" end of the spectrum, but I doubt it's anywhere near the realities of what goes on in the truly dark side of those places. Maybe I should look it up and watch it, just to see what these commenters are getting all bent out of shape about. By the way, I found it on YouTube! I also couldn't get it with a VPN to London.

To be fair, these sort of things need to be promulgated to the people via the media. Sometimes it is required by law to do so. But, yeah, I agree with you that the news on this site should reflect more what its readers have an interest in and are affected by. Ten baht here a hundred baht there... I'd be amazed if any of the readership here cares a whit about any of this sort of thing compared to multitudinous events that they would be interested in.

Amazing how so many critics in here lambast the BBC, but very obviously never watched any of this series. No wonder people come up with their toxic social media personalities! They just believe everything they read, like the drivel in the article here.... then they amplify the nonsense as though it's real.🙄

I agree and that's what I was figuring. Then I watched an episode and it actually didn't seem to have all that heavy of a "dark side" at all. I've seen MUCH heavier darkness in Thailand, especially in the areas that were being covered in the episode I watched. They actually seemed to be promoting Thailand much more than warning people. Although they were cautioning people to essentially use common sense and even stated that it is like any other country with things you need to be aware of. All of this criticism the article covers is absurdly ridiculous. Utter nonsense.

Yes, but unfortunately, common sense is not an indigenous trait known to have found its way among the populace....

Based some of what I wrote in the very next comment after the one you chose to comment on. And on over 25 years of experience in and out of various parts of their education system, from experimental kindergarten through work with postgrad students at a few of Thailand's top 5 universities, along with travels and interaction with people from farmers and people in various levels of commerce to upper level management in some top companies in the country. And VERY telling has been interaction with a wide variety of people in the provinces.

Too many things sound a bit off the mark here. I'll bring up just one. "with meals averaging 50 baht each. He balances occasional Western cuisine indulgences with cheaper local options" There is no way on earth unless he's foraging for his own food! lol Someone on here said that there are many dishes available for 50 baht. Yeah, there are. But read again! His meals AVERAGE 50 baht! And that average includes "occasional Western cuisine indulgences"?? No way! Unless "occasional" means once a week! Even then, it would drive his average way up. To get down to an average of 50 baht, that means he has many meals for 40 baht and less!??? Where? What is it? Mama noodles with extra fish sauce!? And this in Nonthaburi, which is not some cheap province far off from Bangkok. Along with other problems in the story, I don't buy it at all.

I've even seen top level university profs ask their students what questions they'd like to have in their exams!! lol It is so absurdly ridiculous it makes one laugh!

Yes. I believe that nearly completely! I do believe the level of corruption in terms of students bribing for grades and graduation has decreased significantly. I know it still happens, but not anywhere near to how it used to be.