Cadbury

What's this Five Pillars of Tourism? Another TAT gimmick? 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

FIT (Free Independent Tourists),

And who are these FITS? (Free Independent Tourists as opposed to zero dollar Chinese tourists).

The crapola just keeps on coming. MISFITS is a more likely description..

24 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Rubbish, not even remotely close. Do you have any idea how much Thailand has by way of foreign currency reserves? USD 186 billion, more than most western countries: https://www.bot.or.th/english/statistics/economicandfinancial/pages/statinternationalreserves.aspx

 

At to days exchange rate when the Baht is very strong, those reserves total almost 5 trillion baht, imagine their value in THB if the baht were to weaken say to 36 or 38!

Foreign currency reserves is one thing; not so easy suck that out of the system. Domestic currency reserves is another thing.

The military have plundered the local baht reserves to satisfy their needs to stay in power and buy their war toys.

This pair of sleezebags rely on the defence that she decapitated herself.  As is normal that should hold up well in any Thai court.

These boys will walk.

No doubt he comes with order book, catalogue and gift vouchers in hand.

Many specials on at the moment for Chinese military hardware. Easy yearly repayment terms at low interest rates, big discounts on obsolete equipment, special deals to reduce excess stock. Low mileage pre-owned tanks with free armour piercing shells on special this week only. 

Every chance the budget is going to take a serious hit from this military bonding.

3 minutes ago, JAG said:

Where are they going to station their garrisons?

Pattani.

Police blame the driver. No doubt the driver will pass the blame onto the rain and cyclone Mora.

Deep paranoia is setting in. Now we have a "Dob In Your Neighbour" app and all the information forthcoming (lies included) will of course be the absolute truth if is suits the government's purpose. 

Expect the jokesters to find ways of using this app to lay trails of breadcrumbs everywhere for them. Now more then ever the RTP and armed forces will be running around in circles chasing their tails.

25 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

The Thai are absent.  Most never leave Thailand.   Thailand is too self obsessed with itself to work with its neighbors.  That and the Chinese and Vietnamese are just better business people.   

Agreed, but then by the same token a lot of the Thai domestic smart money is going into investment in Myanmar and Vietnam where growth is happening (GDP'S about double that of Thailand). So I guess that there is a few smart non-government business people in Thailand. Private Investment in one's own country where there is such little growth is not much of an option theses days.

Military "business people" are a different breed altogether and their judgement on business matters should be treated with caution.

Voltaire once said.

5 hours ago, starky said:

What like the US after 9/11?

This subject is nothing to do with the almighty United States of America and 9/11. It is about reconciliation in Thailand. Please keep your mind on the job.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

The laws could stop it in a heartbeat if they arrested the customers as well as the hookers.  Demand would dry up (or just move elsewhere) after a few name and shame articles back home, plus the added scrutiny of crossing back into the home country after an overseas arrest on prostitution charges shows up tied to the passport.

"...they arrested the customers as well as the hookers". Surely you jest?

And just who are "they"?  Presumably you mean the police, those same people who stand most to lose. The police and others in positions of power are not in the slightest bit interested in shutting down the sex industry as they have too much to lose in terms of income and free services. A simple case of too many fingers in the pie and no one wants to kill the Golden Goose....pardon the clichés.

Apart from yourself the only other person I know who wants shut down prostitution is Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul. 

The sex industry is part of the Thai economy and there is nothing that can change that.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Transfer to inactive post = turn up for work but you are OFF the gravy train.

Exactly. Being removed or repositioned lower down the tea money distribution can be serious stuff. What is going happen when he has to tell the missus and any mia nois that their budget has been cut and there will need to be a readjustment to their life styles. That's when the real punishment kicks in.

42 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

what happens to these cars ? if they are illegal, can they be auctioned ? pity the unaware buyers just before seized

I suspect they go to inactive garages to which only a very few privileged people have a key.

1 hour ago, Matt96 said:

cigarettes should be made illegal long time ago -same as other narcotics. but tobacco lobbyists do whatever it takes to keep their source of profit legal.

The tobacco industry could extract the addictive nicotine from the tobacco if they wanted to or were forced to. But then the cigarette companies would not get the sales and the government would not get the taxes. Both are on a big winner. The more people smoke the more money they make. Death and illness for them is just an incidental consequence.

48 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

".....maintaining the country’s traditions...."

And some of these traditions would be?

1. Having the second highest road toll in the world, much to the peril of tourists travelling on public and private transport.

2. Charging tourists double or more than Thais to visit national parks and the like.

3. Taxi rip-offs by varying methods right throughout the country. (Taxi industry needs to be told via Section 44 to move to "Thailand 4.0")

4. Maintaining minimum immigration counters (entry and exit) at major tourist airports.

5. Protection of organised tourist scam artists by the RTP.

6. Random pavement urine drug testing for foreigners.

7. Soldiers patrolling the streets with serious weaponry.

8. Knowing where every tourist is from day to day and sometimes night to night.

10 hours ago, Tarteso said:

After 6 years smelling this fruit in home, I told to my girlfriend, she must to shoose... Durian or me.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

After six years of smelling my girlfriend I told her I have to choose between her and durian. Durian won.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Police close in on hardcore political opponents in hospital bombing

 

The "closing in" success is proportional to the amount of the reward on offer.

Why is this news and why are Thai any different to other cigarette smokers in the world? Nicotine is right up there at the top in addiction rating no matter what the relative price might be. 

As a long reformed smoker I have no sympathy. Smokers of fags get what they ask for and pay for. 

What about the durian flavoured Kit Kats that the dreamers at the Ministry Of Tourism were planning to use to bring tourists flocking to Thailand. 

Are they also unsafe to eat?

19 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

So was he at Phramongkhutklao hospital at the time of the bombing?

 

No idea why they are being so mysterious and wanting to keep people guessing?

 "He that would keep a secret must keep it a secret that he hath a secret to keep"

No cigars for guessing where that came from.

He that would keep a secret must keep it secret that he hath a secret to keep.

"......Deputy Police Chief Pol Gen Sriwara Rangsipromkul said no arrests have been made...."

Rewards need to be offered by the RTP before any arrests can be made by the RTP. The precedent has been set with the Erawan Shrine bombing.

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Oh, please no. Don't start giving stats like "the investigation is 92.5% complete"

 

I remember that nonsense from last time they didn't have a clue. 

Clues are always elusive until they post a large reward for collection by themselves.

Foghorn Leghorn doing the chicken dance with the plebians. I would pay money to see that live.

Perhaps rather a crackdown on those not paying the required "administration fee" to avoid being caught for import tax evasion. 

They could probably get some "admin" tips from the RTP as to how to caste their net wider.

13 hours ago, YetAnother said:

if true: i had this , it is a relatively simple treatment involving histamine; no need to go overseas; long flights alone would acerbate it

Perhaps it was the long flight to Hawaii that exacerbated the problem. Karma at work!

The hunt is on in earnest but not for the bombers it seems. The search appears to be focusing on any old straws sitting around just waiting to be grasped.