Steph1012

Why I have regular conversations similar to this example:

ME: - I went to Daves house today.

WIFE: Oh yes.

ME: Yes, he wants to come over and borrow my bike tomorrow.

WIFE: - Who does?

ME: - DAVE!!!

But the foreign media is simply not very interested to report on events that will not sell, and have no hope to get published. What is presently happening in Thailand is not considered by the foreign media here in Thailand as international news.

So why does the BBC have these two reports today? Neither of which are blocked in Thailand. Disappearing anti-coup protest leaders would be a far more news worthy item than what some nobody from nowhere thinks about the coup.

Thaksin's home town reflects on coup

Thai farmer: 'Thaksin helped us'

This is old hat, the first on is dated 28th September and the second one is dated 2nd October.

You have to remember the BBC is a far left leaning organisation that thinks it is far superior to any political force in the world. Certainly higher and mighter than Thaksin or the new coup leaders.

I see no news of this protest and would like to bet its just the usual rag tag of superior University Intelectuals that consistently critisise all political parties. They too see them selves as aloof, but have they ever sought power through democracy? Course not, as they are elitist toffs living in ivory towers.

When the next Government is formed, they will be there again sniping from the sidelines. The only support they receive is other supposed intelects and fickle students that they have managed to impress by being in daily contact with them. Students whose suppport vapourises when they mature.

Can't we start to do something?????

Start an online petition, send the results to Phuket gazette???

www.petitiononline.com

Just have to rely on word of mouth spreading this, International Hotels, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide etc. Certainly it is coiming more and more to the fore, and you can be sure the Welsh will know all about it when they come now, it is in the news over there.

It's their usual blinkered thinking, stab and nearly kill somebody for a fare (200) thats was well overpriced. End up in police custody and ensure less tourists get in these death traps.

Be sure they will have lost hundreds of thousands of baht through this over the years as most people I know never ever go in them. They won't lose face and admit it, but be sure they lose money in the long term because of their antics.

I am surprised your post wasn't pulled. The Phuket Gazette certainly wouldn't have let a suggestion like this through.

Well done Thai Visa dot com.

You forgot allegations of oil smuggling, evading the tax, and his son running over a policeman who tried to stop his car. I believe nothing ever happened to him.

If I remember rightly one of the sons was recently convicted of widespread cheating in an election.

You're right, Siripon. I didn't have the inclination to copy over all the dozens and dozens of articles written about his various misdeeds. I should have alluded in my post there were many other things in his past.

Nice to see they have landed a big one, but this is not unusual behaviour in the ruling classes.

Corruption is massive across the country and politics only plays a part in who gets arrested. I.e. TRT rounded up a few unscrupulous democrats and sundry dark influences.

Now the boot is on the other foot, the non-TRT dark influences will be breathing more easily.

Only the pendulum has swung. We are certainly no nearer to cleaning anything up.

according to international real estate consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

Bangkok Post 2006-11-30

Says it all really. Another property sales person hoodwinking unsuspecting foreigners into parting with money into a dead and crashing market...

I personally know four estate agents here in Bonking Bangers and all of them tell me the market is currently dead in the water...

One Condo owner who was selling 3 months ago at 7.9 million is now desperate at 5.9 million to sell as he needs the funds...

3 of my friends (me included) who where all going to buy have withdrawn from the market...

Every where I go I see empty condo units...

The leasehold build called 'Metropolis' near Chidlom has not seen any buliding activity for the past 2 months and remains a shell...

need I say more?

Just see how (I guess) real estate agents and some who can't forgive me unearthing they had trashed their money came out of woodwork and jumped all over me in another 2 threads in this section for saying basically the same as you.

Nice one lads, I have had the big fat obnoxious real estate market talker uppers insulting me as well on here.

The cunch with them is to go into their offices and ask them to sell your house for you! When they value it, tell em it was valued as higher by ABC Estate Agents last xmas. They will all tell you the same story then... Prices are falling mate? Its a buyers market.

Then lop 10% off their price and see if they will offer to buy it from you at this remarkable knock down price. After all its 10% quick profit which on my house would be 700,000 baht as they valued it this year, against 850,000 baht at the price the same office valued it at last year. This really happened to me, but I only valued the house to raise money against it!

Do it quick though as they cannot get "Consultant" on their Work Permits next time round, and it really is these guys that Immigration and the Labour Department are going after.

Most have jumped on the wagon over here coming from mudane factory, farming, labouring, bar working backgrounds. Few have the knowledge and fewer still the financial clout to be operating in this peaking (peaked) market.

What do we have.. Strong Baht, Visa clampdowns, Company clampdowns. Unless The UK, Europe and the States start deporting their rich village idiots in this direction there is little to cheer the market. Money coming in now was committed long ago. Its the new deposits ans start ups that will dry up first.

Duck, I hear the ground trembling... The Big Bad Developer has spotted us....

I do have the knowledge from 20 years in the UK, and the money.. I wouldn't build an outside BBQ over here!

I had a look there, many versions of the commercial where the man wants to buy a 5 baht pack of tissue with a 1000 baht bill but l couldn't find the 7-11 commercial.

Maybe it is too new? Many times the advertising companies have a copy on their website for everyone to download but l can't find that either.

Was that the one where he eventually shits himself whilst waiting for the old lady to work out the change, then asks for a pair of underpants?

Not a great add as it was so funny nobody i know remembers what it was for!! But undoutedly the most enjoyable "add" I have ever seen.

Anyone remember what it was for? I think it was for a debit card but not sure.

I think this is one of the saddest legacies of Thaksin and is an indictment of just how the ruling classes of all parties at all levels strive to keep the poor farmers downtroden.

People were really upbeat about this when it was announced and really thought that their plight may improve, not by a great amount and not for free. They would after all have to work to raise the cows, but this in my experience has never been a problem for farmers (hard work).

Then, as ever, the people in power at every level worked out how to feather their own nests at the expense of the poor farmers, the tax payers and the scheme itself. Everybody including the Thai Government know that the farmers had to pay large bribes to be considered for these cows.

It really would be something to see corruption addressed in Thailand. Not for our sakes and businesses, just for the working farmers of this country. Only when people realise that this money going into corrupt pockets is coming from their pockets (tax revenues) will anybody give a shit and maybe start to do something about it. Thats do, not talk!!

Anybody know the price of a flying pig

50 000 a cow. I wonder if our tv gentlemen farmers could tell us what's the running price for a cow.

We (The wifes family) bought 4 with one of them being pregnant this October for 48,000 baht at market in Sisaket.

She would have made more of an impression at the USA KFC headquarters rather than here in Thailand, why bother here?

the same reason why english teachers dont go to somalia and tusnami volunteers didn't help the victims of famine in ethiopia.

Bang on Many NGO's come out here on some trendy sounding mission and accomplish <deleted> all rather than do something useful in a dangerous place.

Kid and human trafficking that should be done in Cambodia, China or Burma for one. Or how about the end users in the West, Russia, Korea, Japan, Europe? Its the same with the yanks and drugs. They invade, kill and destroy opium growing farmers in third world countries rather than shoot the <deleted> users on the streets of NY.

No way, they would rather come here and bleat about womens rights and red light districts in a Country where most of us (Falang and Thai) men are shit scared of the local women.... when riled.

As part of their brief, they should be made to plant rice for one week, then go back and harvest it for one week, in order to gain an insight as to why people leave the villages. Should be part of the Work Permit requirement that they learn something about their subject before spouting.

he wanted to go to Pattaya - but 'fakit' (his second choice) doesn't sound that bad as well.

He is welcome here as just one more Handsome Man!!

agreed wholeheartedly.

how about some fearless journalism on the subject of the way tourists are milked mercilessly and unfairly every time they visit this country.

from different pricing in hotels for foriegn and thai guests , through national park double pricing , double pricing at attractions such as phukets fantasia , the taxi scams at most tourist resorts , and last but not least , the ineffectiveness of the police in dealing with organised illegal operations.

publicity in the foriegn press should be the first priority , the thai authorities are very sensitive about their image abroad.

any travel journos reading ??

This is the way to go. BUT!!

Unfortunately, though as with MS Bremners nasty little hissy fit yesterday. Journo's are not going to do anything useful.

The book of Politically Correct Sterotyping, for journalists would evaluate the story thus:

Male in Patong - sex tourist, drunk woman abuser and probably homophobic (on the grounds that he is a sex tourist in Thailand).

After the Tsunami, the Journos were just looking for smut and kiddie porn stories. Just a bunch of failed writers on a xmas binge.

If he had been a cross dresser and been polietely asked not to use a ladies toilet as children where in there, the whole weight of the media would have been brought to bear on this issue.

A long shot -- If anyone knows of a cancellation or possibility of a room in Patong from 28/12 - 3/1 ( 7 nights ) please let me know. Up to B4,000 / night is ok.

Any help would be appreciated -- thanks

This is almost certainly those <deleted> that are sending E-mails out that we read about last week.

There is a report on TV about the scam. Something to do with dodgy visa cards it said.

4000 baht! CASH and you can have my room.

Life is hard in Thailand! Haven't you noticed? Seen a lot of school kids walking around in bare feet? Street vendors selling Somtum 18 hours per day? Tuk-tuk drivers baking in the sun? Sexy young Thai girls with rich farang grandfathers? Meanwhile we drive our lovely air-conditioned BM's around. Park where we want to park. Do what we want to do. Eat what we want to eat. Sleep with whomever we want to sleep with. I see it every day. I also see my wife's cousins dump their Thai BF for rich farang grandfathers. Old enough to be my grandfather. Certainly no American, Australian, German or Norwegian girls would have these old men. But .... in Thailand ... when you have no money .... life is hard.

There is no excuse for stabbing someone. There is no excuse to be rude or violent. There is no excuse for stabbing someone. But there is no excuse for being drunk and out of control either.

What if .... and this is just a what if ... what if the Welsh guy had smiled at the Tuk-Tuk driver, given him 300bt - yes, 300bt for his trouble at 3:00am in the morning, and a pat on the back and wished the guy well. Seriously, it was an arguement over 80bt - less than 2 Pound. Was it worth it? Does it matter who started it?

Virgil, Out!

This happens the world over. I have seen many western women dump families to live with a rich boyfriend.

Many people here dress down to increase begging income in Patong. Look at the cigarette seller in Bangla, she arrives with very modern artificial legs and calipers then takes them off and hides em when the punters start rolling down. Lot of the kids hop into big 4 x 4s and are bussed up and down between Karon - Kata and Patong, there is no money problem there mate, if they are plying Bangla, they are involved with some big mafia people.

What if the guy had given him 300 baht? That would then have become the minimum fare expected for that time of the morning and anybody accepting less would be losing face.

You can tell the phuket people on here as we all know what absolute vermin these people are. The guy went a searched in his tuk tuk for a knife. If he was under attack how did he manage this manoever?

More publicity required for this, it happens all the time but most of the expats cannot say too much as they know where our businesses are. Thankfully, things are now being brought out into the open with the internet, and many tourists arrive pre-warned.

no one is going to do anything or make any changes because if you ask most Thais why the kid died they would answer it was his time to die. there is no thought towards the irresponsible parents or the fact that he was underaged and without a helmet.

Thats exactly what my wife and her mate said about this!! Spot on.

We often buy garlands for the car, and peep the horn three times at the temple on top of Patong Hill. I always say I am ok now and can drive pissed and carelessly as I have the requisite flowers and have tooted the spirits.

She doesn't know I am taking the piss.

The other thing to watch here is when the Police stop the traffic on the main road to let the school traffic come out... How many kids on each bike, how many helmets...

They just wave em all out of the safety of the school onto the demolition derby race track that is Phukets Roads these days. It is much worse here than anywhere else I have lived in Thailand.

"Alexandra Bremner is a New Zealand writer reporting on her experiences of the countries and peoples of South East Asia.

Source: scoop.co.nz - 27 November 2006"

Total tosh and when I wrote the other week about white women and their hang ups, my post was removed by BKK!!

BKK who?

Not you mate, it just came up as bkk. Put a warning up saying read the terms and don't be derogatory towards us white birds women!!!

A few people responded to it with laughter so they were out as well, with a warning not to go white girls bashing. We were only speaking the truth, that they are alowed free reign to call us sex tourists, bald fat dwarves and the like. Call any of them, ugly over opinionated or the like and you is out mate!

Called moderation in some places, we know it as Political Correctness.

its a CRACKING LOOKING, SEXED UP BEAUTIFUL WOMEN WHO LOVES TO TRAVEL AND SHAG YOUNG GUYS.

For free

Nothing is for free!

White women are experts at skinning ex partners in the courts for Alimony and to be kept in the manner they are accustomed to.

I lived in St Tropez for 5 years and the beaches there are festooned with white "good time girls" all looking for money.

Dream on!

"Alexandra Bremner is a New Zealand writer reporting on her experiences of the countries and peoples of South East Asia.

Source: scoop.co.nz - 27 November 2006"

Total tosh and when I wrote the other week about white women and their hang ups, my post was removed by BKK!!

Writer - surely this is stretching things a bit, its worse than many of my Thai students "what I did in the holidays" writing.

If you are going to let these harpies write this shit about white males, at least have the decency to allow us respond.

"experiences of coutries and peoples of south Asia" so why is the idiot bitch going to hang out with a bunch of western druggies on Koh Pang Ngan?

It will be much easier when the sky train finally connects to the airport.

That would bring the Airport up in standard from a thrid world one, to a developing world one.

Developed World status? Not in our life time.

Once they get their way (as they will) everybody with a grudge against the Government is going to turn up therre and block off the Airport.

Watch out over xmas as the deadline set by the residents ends on 20th December. Think they learnt this from the French.

"The ministry often seemed unsure of its role. Until now its most controversial move was to pick 18 Thai pop songs from the past 20 years - including such classics as 'Big and Flabby Buttocks' and 'Let's Grill the Cat' - and ban them as 'offensive to public decency'."

Well they may have banned them, but as always happens, they have just promoted them.

I absolutely must buy these records now and translate them. Please does anyone have a list of all 18 of them.

Lets promote the hel_l out of them and show the Ministry how pathetic their censorship is.

In Patong there is no where that a 200 Baht fair is warranted! From Soi Bangla to Soi Nanai should be a 100 Baht fare. If it was in Bangkok the taxi meter fare would be less than 50 baht for sure!

The Thai Tuk Tuk drivers in Phuket have always been the worst for tourism. Survey after survey taken by TOT, hotels and the cities, show tourists always say they are the worst thing they come across in Phuket!

The previous Governor said at one time he would do away with them altogether, didn't happen! When the police went to one way traffic and then wanted Soi Bangla as pedestrian street, the Tuk Tuk drivers revolted. Some are reasonable, most are terrible and detrimental to Phuket and Thailand’s image. When taxi meters were introduced, the Tuk Tuk drivers again intervened treating their lives!

What to do, the answer is so easy, yet so far away!! Maybe more stories like this and then something will happen!

This guy has nailed it.

The Tuk tuks take all the parking places they need and you better not park your car anywhere near them. They tell you point blank that your car will be damaged. I was told this outside the boxing staduim in the middle of the day, even though there is a fully manned police box less than 10 meteres away from them,

They are complete scum and a blight on Patong. They ran the bus company out of business and attacked the drivers when they set up a route that ran down the coast road. anytime the governor tries to do anything, they block the road, riot and descend on phuket Town offices. Bus fare was about 20 baht from memory... Tuk Tuk charge starts at 500 baht if you are local, ask them in thai or get the missus to ask them. If you are a tourist they start off asking around 5,000 baht for travel 10kms from Patong to Kata and the sunset point.

The only remedy would be for the army to sort them out at gunpoint and catapult the tuk tuks into the sea for divers to explore. They would be heartily cheered for this as well, believe me.

The guy must have been a tourist as NO expats EVER take a tuk tuk how ever pissed they might get. this trip in Pattaya would cost 10 baht! (5 baht if you were Thai). My wife asked how much for one once at Tesco. He said 200 Baht. When he later saw that we had a lot of shopping he doubled it on the spot to 400 baht as he thought we were stuck. Result, I did two trips on my motor bike as we had gone there on it, and he got 000000000000000000000 baht and had to go back and park his rip off mobile back where his mates were!

The drivers here can make a good living off one fare per week at the rates they charge tourists, so they just sit around all day. For the posters who don't know and sympathise with them, 200 baht a day is a good wage in thailand, and 300 baht exceptional.

There are people worthy of sympathy and support in Thailand and these people are not amongst them.

Rapists of British tourist escape death sentence

While Thailand bills itself as the "Land of Smiles" with sunny beaches, there are regular incidents of foreigners involved in sexual assaults, drug offences and sometimes rape or murder.

-- news.com.au 2006-11-25

Ozzies journos to the fore again!

What crap, and what a slur on Thailand. Most of the foreigners getting into trouble with drugs and stuff are Western and Ozzie dickheads going to Kah Pang Ngan, getting stoned and pissed and behaving as crassly as they do in their own countries. It's not the Thais making them behave so stupidly.

Very safe place Thailand and we don't need third rate news agencies putting this shit out at the start of the high season.

Shows the state of play in the media these days.

Girls, go-go, bars = sad punters, enslavement, sleaze, AIDS, mafia

Katoeys = stylish, trendy, fun and safe (espescially all the organ removals)

Good news for the TAT in their drive to clean up Thailands image anyway. More of those lovely high class tourists clamouring to get here and look at boys... I don't think so.

"For example, someone forwarding a pornographic email could be sentenced to up to three years in jail and fined up to 10,000 baht if found guilty under the new law."

Surely this is the thin end of the wedge. Forwarding any email is a private affair and not subject to any laws. Taken to it's extreme sending a picture of a sexy girl to a friend abroad could land you with a prison sentence? Is this for real?

Yes it is for real, and people like you who are only concerned with being able to have a quick schoolboy perv, should't be shouting down a law designed to tackle some very serious issues.

They aren't going to be going after you lot snickering away at pictures of girls in magazines etc. They will be going after people who view and propogate the sites, espescially at the more extreme end. Do you and other paranoid "big brother" theorists, really believe that the powers that be would be interested in checking out your e-mail viewing if in only contained mild stuff like you suggest?

It may shock you to know that people have actually been filmed being killed on the internet, and if you had kids, you would not want them to come accross sites depicting this or depicting people being killed in the most grusome of accidents.

Perv in peace if you want, but don't encourage lax laws that let people literally get away with murder!

Where do you get off calling me a perv on a public forum?

I said that if forwarding a private e-mail (that contains an attachment that may be considered pornographic) could land someone in jail for three years then this is the thin end of the wedge.

I have lived under repressive regimes before and I kid you not this kind of bill passed by a non-elected junta should cause concern. I'm all for clamping down on real filth but when you start censoring people's e-mails then yes the big brother scenario is not far away. I think this new government has other more important issues to deal with than this.

And as for your "people like you" remarks....... get a life!

Its all may if and what if isn't it with you.

You are suggesting that nothing should be done as somebody like you may just send something that may be considered pornographic.

My thrust was that they should concentrate on the real problem sites as they need to be tackled and leave the majority of sites alone.

Can't just leave all this <deleted> out there can they?

Most of the good free porn sites are back up accessible again. even the ones with inappropriate-sounding URL's. Yippee!

And the lesson here for the next Government attempt at censorship is to limit their scope. They should have learned now the enormity of such a task and concentrate the next effort where it is most effective.

Get at the real hardcore, dangerous filth. Stick to that and hit it hard. In the unlikely event that you wipe it out, then broaden your scope.

Keep it real!

Maybe I got out the wrong side of the bed yesterday!!!

Bit more OT today and me final word..... for now

I was a tad on the offensive, as I regularly run in the Hash, swim and jog most days, play football (veterans now!!) and when I back-pack, I ususally trek 20 odd KM's a day.

I don't really know anybody that isn't fit, as most of my mates are long time riggers who part time between here and work. Therefore the old short fat and bald thing got my goat.

So pleas, remember that ladies, next time you are hear this this crap. Most of us actually aren't and you can feel free to say that rather than agree.