taxexile

"When the official started to ask questions, Burrowes became angry,

Khun Suksopon said, and snatched back his passport.

Burrowes then said ''F*** You'' and criticised Thailand in an offensive way, Khun Suksopon added.

''If you go to England and behave the way this man did, what would happen?'' Khun Suksopon asked.

you would be given a fast track visa , a work permit , benefits , an interpreter , a counsellor , a lawyer , a hot meal , warm clothing , medical care , and housing for your family and in laws.

the immigration official would be severley disciplined for causing a "service receiver" to feel offended and sent for 6 months corrective training and if the "service receiver" also happened to be a member of a minority group ( religious , ethnic , sexual , animal , vegetable or mineral ) a lengthy inquisitorial investigation would take place resulting in all the placard waving do goody lefties taking to the streets in a show of solidarity towards the "service receiver"

rude and ill mannered ( whether justified or not ) foreigners have rights too in the uk.

As punishment, Col Pornprasert will be dismissed from the force and be stripped of his rank, he said.

The loss of one's police rank is considered very serious in the Royal Thai Police; even former prime Thaksin Shinawatra still formally maintains his rank as a police lieutenant colonel, despite having been convicted in absentia of abuse of power while in office.

Other punitive measures against Col Pornprasert, and the decision on whether to charge him with criminal offenses, rest with the RTP board. The committee is expected to make a decision within two or three months, Col Chaiyaporn said.

why they need 2 or 3 months to reach a decision about a criminal prosecution is beyond me.

jdinasia

not a violent thing overall.

..... it ( the article) also mentions stabbings , beatings with iron bars and lumps of wood , and the hospitalisation of some seriously injured people.

jdinasia

My "newspaper" Thai is not the best so I asked a Mod to take a look

........ and ?

not a violent thing overall.

......apart from the broken legs , broken arms , profusely bleeding head wounds and other injuries reported in the article.

history proves that any crisis provided excellent opportunities to increase ones wealth ...........

...... or excellent opportunities to lose even more of ones wealth. its up to you !

Ex-post-officeman gets 50 years

By The Nation

Published on February 28, 2009

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a former postoffice official to 50 years in jail for embezzling nearly Bt300,000.

window.google_render_ad();

Komkrit "Soranat" Wongsasing took Bt299,674 from 24 money orders between November 16, 2000 and March 2, 2001 when processing money orders at Dusit Post Office.

Komkrit, 32, has returned the money to Cat Telecom, which organises money orders via post offices.

"I was too young to realise I was doing wrong. I was worried about taking care of my elderly parents," he said.

Because Komkrit pleaded guilty, the court commuted his sentence from 100 years.

He was convicted of abuse of authority and corruption.

Komkrit was arrested on November 18 last year.

from tasmania you say ?

Also, as she is dating a farang, she may be being asked why she isnt contributing more financially to the family,

I do think it is was wrong of her to ask you to pay around 30k baht when she is only earning 7k,

and at a cost of near 250,000 Baht (gold 6 Baht + same in cash + ancillaries) I am unwilling to marry her right now.

eek

But,from what you say, it doesnt really sound to me like she is only after money.

its cabaret time !!!!!!

although not really related to the post , this info might be useful.

Consumers win potent new rights

Product law makes it easier to seek justice

By: SURASAK GLAHAN Published: 20/02/2009 at 12:00 AM Newspaper sectionPeople caused suffering by unsafe products will be able to fast-track their damages claims under a new law taking effect tomorrow. Consumer groups have welcomed the law which they say would make damages claims faster, easier and less of a burden, but the business sector says aspects of the law are unfair.

The Product Liability Act of 2008 imposes strict liability as well as the burden of proof on the entire chain of business - from design to manufacturing, import to distribution.

It defines that damage caused by unsafe products can be blamed on defects in manufacture or design, or a lack of instructions or warnings.

''This is a milestone [in legislation] in Thailand, allowing consumers to be able to better seek justice should they be harmed by defective products,'' said Saree Aongsomwang, manager of the Foundation for Consumers.

Consumers with complaints about an unsafe product could lodge a claim with the Consumer Protection Board.

The law is a product of the 2006 coup-appointed lawmakers. It also falls under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Case Procedures Act of 2008 which took effect last August.

''Under the new law, you don't have to be the one who bought services or products [to be able to file cases],'' said Michael Ramirez, a Bangkok-based consumer law expert and a consultant for law firm Tilleke & Gibbins.

''For example, your mum buys a microwave but you are the one who uses it and are harmed by its defects. Then you can file a consumer suit.''

Both acts remove the burden of proof and other difficulties, as regulated in the civil and commercial code, facing individuals when they seek damages for harm caused by unsafe products.

Now they only have to prove they suffered damage due to the use of certain products without identifying business operators and the technical background of a product's defects.

Business operators are obliged to prove in court that their products are safe and not defective.

The law allows damaged parties to file cases, in writing or verbally, to a court without the need to hire lawyers to represent them. They are also exempted from court fees. The court is required to commence proceedings without delay.

In addition to compensation, the court can order punitive damages and psychological damage can be taken into account. The product liability law forces manufacturers, businesses hiring others to manufacture, importers and distributors to be held liable together for damage caused by their unsafe products.

The law has sent nervous ripples through the business sector. Businesses could still be liable for the harm caused by their defective products even if they have conformed with existing regulations and standards in the manufacture and sale, Mr Ramirez said.

''From our clients' perspectives, that's precisely the area they're concerned about. There isn't a means to protect them,'' he said.

Distributors or sellers of the products who may not be aware of the defects and failed to identify the manufacturer will also be held liable, he said.

But Ms Saree said the business community should not be frightened by the act if they are determined to do the right thing.

Unlike consumer cases in countries like the United States, where giant awards have been given as punitive damages, the Thai act is not harsh on that matter, she said.

Instead, the law would force the entire business community to be more responsible. For example, advertisers giving wrong information on unsafe products should be held liable, she said.

''If you're not involved in the process of creating such defects, you will just need to prove it in court,'' she said.

This will lift the standard of manufacture and sale in all sectors of business, she said.

''What I worry more about is that, culturally, Thai people may not be very active in seeking their rights under these acts,'' she said.

Mr Raminez agreed there would not be an explosion of product liability cases similar to the West as there is no class action law here.

pepper spraying the thieving katoey hookers on the beach road ???

somebody give the man a medal please.

...... and have him come to bangkok to do some roach control along sukhumvit.

jdinasia

Who is laughing at Thailand? Can you give us examples, or is this just your bias showing?

who is laughing at thailand ???

more to the point , who takes thailand and its governmental and judicial systems seriously ?

absolutely nobody , thats who.

the wife of the absent british gobshite wanted for the shooting is now out on bail according to posts on another website.

originally captured trying to flee the country , she has now been released on bail and requested not to leave the country !! amazing thailand !!

on the same website is a very moving post from the victim , describing his disabilities (paralysis from the neck down , but able to breathe on his own now , limited arm function , constant pain) , and his hope for justice.

What I find kind of insulting, is that certain topics such as bar girls/boys canot be discussed, quite right in my opinion, yet the site is inundated with sexually related adds...from ladyboys to bar girls. That is wrong IMHO.

....... making money from sexually related advertising ????

there must be a word for that .

As a cross-section, its pretty dull stuff. There was a topic attracting interest about a murder/suicide conundrum, but that was 'closed' awaiting new information.

i cant understand why it was closed , or why so many other topics are suddenly closed. talking about moderation policy is , for some unspecified reason , not allowed , so these issues can never be fully discussed in an open way.

if threads are only allowed to have new information in them then close the whole forum and just post newsfeeds as and when they are released , then you will have pure information , just like a newspaper.

chat , humour , speculation , banter , abuse and respect , both idle and informed , are what keeps forums alive and interesting , and there should be room for all that in any thread.

yes , it should.

NHS occupational therapist claiming sick leave 'emigrated to Thailand'

An occupational therapist who went on sick leave from his NHS job has been struck off after his managers discovered he had actually emigrated to Thailand.

By Aislinn Simpson

Last Updated: 2:08PM GMT 23 Feb 2009

Benedict Ciappara was employed as a senior member of staff by Surrey Primary Care Trust to help people suffering from memory loss and mental health issues.

At the beginning of October 2006, he left work complaining of feeling ill then failed to make contact with his managers again.

After almost six weeks with no word, a worried colleague contacted police who discovered that Mr Ciappara had emigrated to Thailand.

A disciplinary hearing by the Health Professions Council conducted in Mr Ciappara's absence heard that his actions led to a lack of cover on an acute mental health ward and put his colleagues at risk.

The chairman of the committee, Elspeth Metcalfe, said: "The panel was satisfied that the registrant's misconduct was such that it currently impaired his fitness to practise.

"By his actions, the registrant breached the trust which his employer had in him, acted in an irresponsible and unreliable way, let down his team and compromised treatment to his patients."

Mr Ciappara sent documents from Thailand in his defence, but according to a HPC spokesman, this provided little mitigation.

He said: "The registrant's actions were deliberate and had serious consequences for patients and fellow colleagues, and the reputation of the profession.

"The panel considered the registrant's bundle of documents, and the mitigating factors he presented, but it was clear that he lacks insight into the seriousness of his actions. There was no evidence to suggest that there would be no prospect of a repetition of misconduct."

The spokesman added that the panel had no choice but to strike Mr Ciappara off its accredited list of health professionals.

Daily Telegraph

Sharp decline in Thailand economy

Anti-government protests hit tourism in Thailand

Thailand's economy shrank at a record pace in the last three months of 2008 amid plummeting exports and tourism.

The economy shrank 6.1% in the October to December period from the previous quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) said.

This was the largest contraction since records began in 1993. The NESDB said the economy might contract 1% in 2009.

The export-oriented Asian economy has been hit by the global downturn and political unrest at the end of 2008.

Anti-government protesters shut down Bangkok's airports, hitting tourism, one of the key sectors of the economy.

'Surprise to everyone'

The numbers are bad, and well below market and government expectations

Carl Rajoo, Forecast

Compared with the same period a year earlier, the economy contracted by 4.3% in the fourth quarter.

Exports, which account for more than 60% of Thailand's gross domestic product, dropped 9.4%.

The NESDB also forecast that exports would fall 13.1% in 2009 after growing by 16.8% in 2008.

Carl Rajoo, an economist at Forecast, said: "The numbers are bad, and well below market and government expectations.

"While we have been consistently expecting weakness in economic growth, the extremely sharp drop in manufacturing and trade data towards the year-end came as a surprise to everyone, indicating the clear susceptibility of the nation to external demand pressures." The Bank of Thailand has reduced its key lending rate by a combined 1.75 percentage point to 2% since December in an attempt to save the economy from sliding into its first recession in over a decade.

bbc news

Some of the people giving advice here obviously dont work in the Real estate Buisiness so dont understand the true picture. Still its entertaining to hear your views!

the true picture is that although there might be some sales , albeit at lower or heavily discounted prices , generally speaking there are acres and acres of unfinished ghetto projects , seemingly deserted building sites with one finished showhouse and a couple of finished houses occupied by luckless purchasers condemned to a lifetime of staring at sandy plots , concrete chunks and empty guards shelters.

only a misty eyed fool would buy into one of those projects , and there is certainly no shortage of foreign fools around in thailand these days , but even the most foolish here are capable of showing some sense and will waste their money on women and wine before lining the pockets of surely the most despised people in thailand , the foreign real estate brigade , those spoilers of the landscape , those purveyors of greed and selfishness , those losers who couldnt even make it in a rising market in their own countries who have come here and spread like a nasty virus , pushing property and land prices through the roof , making life very difficult for locals who would like to live in the areas they were born in and uglifying every inch of land they touch by turning it into a cement and steel bombsite.

sell up , take your profits and go home please.

Granted it happens but in this case how would he of put his head in a plastic bag & still tied to this rope?

well , letting my imagination run riot , i would say that he puts his head and neck in the bag , ties the knot around his neck and jumps , the knot tightens , simutaneously decapitating him and closing the bag , the body falls in the river and the bag is held by the knot.

yes , i know it sounds impossible. maybe i should just go and join the thai police force.

i cant comment on this case but there is no shortage of cases of suicide by hanging which have resulted in decapitation.

have a look on google.

i hope they get to the bottom of this

you can say that again.

i had dinner there last july , if i hadnt read this thread then i wouldnt have known there were squatters next door.

its a decent enough restaurant in a great setting , the service was slow but friendly and the food not bad at all , although my wifes thai dish was "watered down" to western tastes as it is in many places that serve tourists.

the face thing - finally and most important of all - FACE - getting caught, looking stupid etc. All Asia suffers form this but Thailand is very bad. IN the west a child or adolescent is taught that it does not matter to be wrong, stupid or to be found out. We are taught to forgive. Along with all the other shortcomings in the education and parenting systems here, the product of Thailand are lovely people until they are confronted, angry or shamed, then they behave like children.

Officially, Thailand has one of the lowest IQs in the world and certainly the lowest if you correlate economic advantage and faclities against it. The people mean well but they are in the true sense of the word, primitive. There is a complete lack of emotional development which is so clear after a few cnversations.

Gentlemen, we are dealing with children with often a very poor social adjustment wthat makes crime seem ok, yet with grown up toys such as guns so beware...

Just my thoughts... The adult bodies and the warm smiles hide the broken hearts and pent up anger of disfunctional children that never grew up and that is the bulk of the Thai population. This explains many things including the attraction of the girls to many farang guys and why not? The Lolita complex is real and very strong and very attractive but it has a scary other side.

I write this out of respect for the situation but to point out that so much speculation here assumes adult behaviour which Thais are simply rarely capable of. Does this help to understand this and msot Thai behaviour?

very true.

a couple of years ago my brother in law fell out with his wife , it was a normal marriage breakdown , both sides had silly little grievances that on their own didnt amount to much but the sum total of them festering away for a year or so eventually led to an acrimonious split with his wife taking the son and going off to live with a new lover. this brought shame and disrespect on the cuckolded brother in law ,a lovely gentle kind hearted guy who for those very reasons has had no luck with the women he has gone for , and a general loss of face to the family in general , an intolerable situation.

at one of the family pow wows held to discuss this break up it was suggested that the errant wife should meet with an accident , get hit by a car as she left work or something , this was actually mulled over for a while before a couple of the more sensible members of the family vetoed the idea. if all the family had agreed with the idea , then it would most certainly have been carried out. what shocked me was that this idea was considered as an acceptable thing to do , and my in laws are not uneducated lowlifes living in a hut drinking booze all day. these are educated middle class respectable thais leading an honest and upstanding life.

as i say , the idea was shelved , but my eyes were opened just a bit wider to how disagreements and loss of face is dealt with here.

Reporting benefit theft

Benefit theft cost the country around £800 million in 2005-06. If you think someone is committing benefit theft, you can report them and stop them taking money from the people who need it most.

What is benefit fraud?

Benefit theft is when someone lies to get benefit. This includes people who are:

• not reporting they are now living with a partner
  
• not reporting they are receiving other benefits
  
• not reporting any savings or not reporting the right amount
  
• claiming for children who have left home
  
• not reporting they have started work, or started to earn money
  
• not reporting they have inherited money
  
• not reporting they are going abroad, living abroad, or have changed address
  

Ways you can report benefit theft

There are three ways you can report benefit theft:

Online

Complete an online form on the Department for Work and Pensions website.

• Complete benefit thieves reporting form Opens new window
  

By Telephone

Call the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440. Lines are open between 7.00 am and 11.00 pm, 7 days a week. It is free and confidential.

If you have speech or hearing problems you can use a text phone service on 0800 328 0512.

By Post

If you would prefer to make your report in writing, you can send information to:

NBFH, PO Box 224, Preston, PR1 1GP

What information to provide

The law says that there has to be a good reason for investigating someone for benefit theft - so you will need to give as much of the following information as possible:

• the name and address of the person you are reporting and their partner, if they have one
  
• a description of the person
  
• the type of benefit theft you think they are committing and why you suspect them
  
• information about their employer, if you think they are working
  
• information about their vehicle, if they have one
  

You can make an anonymous report

Whether you use the online reporting form, call the hotline, or write a letter, you can choose not to give your contact details if you prefer.

But please bear in mind that it helps if you do so, because the investigation service can get back to you with any questions.

What happens after you report someone?

Benefit theft staff will look at the information you give. If you have given enough information, they will check the person's benefit claim.

The investigation might take some time, and staff aren't allowed to tell you the outcome.

Sometimes no action is taken. It might be that the person has declared the work when claiming and their benefit is not affected by it.

Benefit theft staff will only take action if they find the person has been committing benefit theft. Action can include removing a person's benefits and taking them to court.

How the government is tackling benefit theft

Other things the government is doing to stamp out benefit theft include:

• setting standards for checking Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claims and giving Local Authorities access to government information
  
• requiring more evidence when people apply for a National Insurance number or claim benefits
  
• cross checking benefit and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) records to find benefit cheats
  

More useful links

• Information on targeting benefit thieves Opens new window
  

In this section...

• How your benefit claim is checked for benefit theft
  
• What happens if you're suspected of benefit theft?
  

Reason for edit: Comments about non-hetros deleted.

first it was homosexuals , then it was queers , then gays , then men who have sex with men , now it is non heteros !!

whatever next ??

anyway , about hitting women.

never acceptable , i cant understand why the guys werent set upon by locals , hopefully the police will have had their way with them before locking them up.