Purdey

Still don't understand what it means for Thailand in particular. Trade continues. Will any country be able to make a new trade deal that they couldn't through other means? Surprising that China and Taiwan are here together considering their tensions.

Wonder how many will make it back in one piece.

Very sad.

Strange. This means the police could have caught illegal foreigners at any time (it seems so easy) but chose to wait until this conference to do so.

Thailand is everyone's friend. Hedging its bets is fine but they should not think that the US wants to rush into a conflict with China over ASEAN.

One thing always surprises me in all highly religious countries. Wherever natural disaster strikes, not one single priest or pastor says it is God's punishment. Just curious.

Local beer has been allowed for a long time but not at large scale. The only way the government can make this work is (1) to forbid large companies from buying small companies even if the small companies are going to go bankrupt (2) forbid small companies selling out to large companies just because they got an offer larger than their value. Won't happen. Small breweries will sell if the price is right.

Alcohol is a much worse drug than cannabis but doctors don't ask for it to be banned (some do, I know). Kids do drink, smoke and have illegal sex, so why the protests now? It's as if someone is losing money. Undoubtedly the ban on casinos is for the same reason - too many make money from illegal gambling and don't want revenue taken away by legitimate casino companies.

If Bill wants to raise his room prices by 300 baht he has the right. But that's not what he wants. What he means is to get everyone to raise their price so he doesn't price himself out of the market. Of course there are many greedy hotel owners who would love to raise prices but worry similar hotels might underprice them. Not everyone plans to stay in expensive hotels so, while 300 baht is not onerous for people who can stay in five star hotels, it means a lot more for anyone looking at 3 or 4 star hotels or hostels.

Must admit I had already bought the shovel and boxes to carry the land back to my own country. Darn, this flip flopping is so inconvenient!

I just cannot imagine him holding up a gold shop then escaping in a wheelchair. I guess he bought and sold stuff to add to his income.

I doubt ending visa on entry would help the Thai economy or stop bad guys entering. There is no global, centralized, database of criminals - though Interpol will help find those with red notices. There are only 7,115 notices, from a global population of almost eight billion. The US's NSA and FBI are able to find more due to their lack of inhibitions regarding the collection of everyone's personal data, both domestic and foreign, through facilities like Pine Gap in Australia and software like Carnivore and Echelon. Two years ago the EU ended data sharing with the US due to this problem. Thus, going to the US is likely to get you in trouble with any sort of criminal record, using a visa or ESTA. There is no reference to criminal records on the Thai T.M.6 Arrival Card and Thai embassies probably don't have the ability to check much. Officers at the port of entry can size someone up (those beady or squinty eyes are a giveaway I guess) but as to a computer system with access to global criminal records - not yet. When I applied for PR I asked my home country police for a letter saying I didn't have a criminal record, which they informed they could not provide but were willing to write that I was not wanted for anything at that time. Immigration doesn't ask for a letter from your police generally except when you apply for a retirement visa and you do need a letter from the police, but as I said, due to privacy acts these days they may not get historical data. I just cannot believe that Thai embassies have the software or manpower to check everyone who applies, so flooding them with visa applications is not the way to go.

Sounds like they already know the idea isn't popular.

Such a sad and horrific event. Now he's old and alone.

Songkhran and new year are the two periods when Thai people just have to go back to see their parents. Of course, they can say they will are not able to visit mum and Gran but then we get TV documentaries about parents and grandparents left alone in a village for Songhran. For those who can't afford a train or bus ticket, they don't have much choice than to accept a free ride in a pickup. As the trains are government owned, the better answer would be to make trains free for the two time periods when they are most needed. I saw that expressways are free on certain public holidays already. If not free then trains could be heavily subsidized to sell 50 baht tickets. Adding goods wagons, they might get a lot more people on charging just 20 baht. I realize that Thai trains don't go everywhere and are prone to breaking down but they are safer than pick up truck flat beds.

If you are a good person, hand it in. If you are a cautious person ask someone to photograph you handing the wallet over to a policeman at the station. To the police it looks like a souvenir photo. To you it is evidence in case someone accuses you of theft and the policeman denies you ever handed it over. However, not all police are bad.

Usually the assets of the unusually rich will be sold off at a public auction and the money goes into the government coffers. I doubt he will be bankrupted. They will decide which part of his assets are in excess of what a policeman holding his rank could afford. Anyway, he might not be in prison long. In the land of opportunities, even a heroin smuggler can become a powerful political figure.

Introducing small breweries to compete with the big guys is a pretty good idea. There are some already but hard to find. The normal train of events has been 1. open a small distillery or brewery 2. become popular 3. get bought out by Thai Bev. So still a good idea.

"You my big big boy." "Is that it?" "Cannot see below the beer belly. "

I don't know what gave him away. It might have been the tee-shirt with the name on it I guess. I don't whether there is a Thai in the country who would know without that darned giveaway.

The information that he was riding a Honda Click was a vital clue. The bomb was probably filled with the ball bearings and nuts from other captured Honda Clicks.

If the bag is fake then the seller should be the one in court.

This sounds like a case for... Big Joke!

Land speculation will drive prices up and there will be more complaints from the poor that they will never be able to afford land. Yet many dream of selling their land for exorbitant prices. However, Thais buy land abroad and take the rent money. No one complains. Reciprocation would be preferable. Governments should have negotiations with countries like Thailand to reach mutual agreements that each allow land at market prices to be owned by retirees who intend to live permanently in each others' countries. Whenever I have met Thais (not often) owning land abroad, they give the feeling that foreigners are idiots for allowing them to own land.

Interesting that no other policeman could have figured this out.