kmart

I ditched UBC a couple of years ago. I use a local cable company that supplies reasonably decent service and Western films for 800;- / month.

I only miss the EPL football, but prefer to watch that in the local pub anyway.

If it is true, it might be a sign that Thaksin is still confident that he can buy the judiciary here, like he has done so many times previously.

If , as the article the maximum penalty is 40,000 baht, how can the police charge him more? The law may be wrong, it should probably be more, but how are they going to charge him more than the maximum?

This is one occasion where I support the 2-tier pricing policy....it seems only fair that the offender should be fined proportionately to the profits he stood to gain from his greed & ruthless exploitation of the lorises and the turtle.....AND then some.

There is someone tipping off the officials as to whom is buying the animals and therefore what sort of fine they can extract from them...?

Would these little creatures be less at risk if they were "fast" lorises ?

Beat me to it. Can't be very difficult to catch then?

The Chatuchak market buyers are obviously followed and arrested by bent officials from the source.

So what happens to the Chatuchak vendors / traders then?

Just seen the news this morning that despite all the recent olive branches; apologies; and attempted reconciliations; that the "rebels" are back to shooting teachers and burning schools.

Its probably what they do best...

They are engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign against Thai Buddhists, and thats the whole of it.

I wonder what Malaysia will have to say about this?

They obviously will not be reasoned with, so whats next? Any suggestions from the liberal apologists....?

Yes, very good.

I'm sure the clarification will be as clear as mud.

In all likelyhood it will be back to turning a blind eye.

Regards,

That or wave goodbye to billions of baht of foreign inverstment, and years on loss of confidence. Few years of that and a couple more rules to protect thai compaines will also further decrease their ability to compete. Add to that half their English teachers fleeing this year and we should soon be on an equal footing with mighty nations such as East Timor, Zimbabwe, Sudan etc.

Any big retail companies that get stitched will just pull the plug on Thai produce and the lesson that Carlesberg learned will be taken more seriously in future by the investment community at large.

This was in the FT and thats serious news for Thailand.

Agreed. Its about time this country started sending out some positive messages to investors, instead of the nationalistic cant spouted out to appease uneducated simpletons.

I miss Carlsberg.

I'm looking forward the "Crackdown on Practicality" myself.

Mark,

I think many of us feel a little hurt by this lack of apparent gratitude, even though we do get thanks in other ways.

I've gotten used to it already. The locals always seem to have a wonderful sense of entitlement to things they havn't earned / don't deserve anyway.

Is he doing the "Fonz" ? He just needs the leather jacket.

Mr Wichai got married in pompous ceremony to both twins simultaneously.

Well worth the "pompous ceremony" in my humble opinion. If they were the twin heiresses to a brewing fortune it would be perfect!

Is he wearing lipstick?

Nice one mate. I've heard that there is a lot of work going on over there as well?

Sure are a lot of the newer generation of ex-pats who can't handle a traditional Thai WC without bringing along some TP or would probably, the guys at least, not know how to correctly tie a phakamaa. And judging from this thread and some other recent threads, the ways and correct manners of usage of a traditional Thai commode remain a mystery to many on these boards.

Perhaps just as well?

Squatting doesn't seem very conducive to reading the newspaper. And forget abouot doing the crossword.

Successful heterosexual intercourse creates 100% of all gay children. Some of us gay children manage to have six babies before switching to our natural, normal, un-reproductive behavior.

You straight folks may have created some gay children yourselves. I didn't.

So you're a "breeder" then?

My own sexual tastes run to S&M; necrophilia; and bestiality.

Am I flogging a dead horse?

Maybe he spent in all in National parks paying the farang fee? Oh, he's Korean, forget that.

Maybe open a Korean restaurant selling tasty bear-bile soup there? Or paws? Yummy!

Mr Ullrich has been arrested and possibly in a Thai Prison suffering god knows what humiliation apart from losing his money, yacht etc, if we cannot help this man at least lets not make things difficult for him by convicting him in our forum.

regards to all

He knew the risks of coming back here, and still chanced it so I feel no sympathy for him, I'm afraid. Fair enough.

If his money and his yacht came from scamming people or worse, then mibbe some hard time here before going back to Germany is his fair dues.

At least they won't have to go begging around the streets of Sydney. Or illegally logging whilst cranked up on amphetemines.

Does anyone in Thailand NOT travel with at least a small pack of tissue?

Mibbe refer to the thread about using asian toilets?

My condolenses to his family and friends. I joined here too late to know him, but always empathise with another expat. RIP m8.

George Orwell was right.

Yes he was. I just read the book again recently and its rather scary that a lot of the premise of that story is turning out to be true. Especially phony terrorism threats to justify massive intrusion of the state into people's personal lives.

Its the old Macchiavelli trick of keeping people scared like sheep so they flock to the shepherd. We (UK citizens) suffered massive loss of life and deprivation last century in keeping the twin political evils of Fascism and Communism at bay; just to let this totalitarian <deleted> in through the back door; whilst our press is asleep at the wheel / in cahoots to earn a peerage.

Big Brother indeed.

A bit of historical perspective; the ancient Roman Army (who were fairly successful in conquering a sizeable Empire; and in military matters, generally) actively encouraged homosexuality in the ranks to "bind" their soldiers together, and so look out for their comrades better.

The loutish "laddish" behaviour of a lot of squaddies and other soldiers I have seen suggests a lot of latent homosexuality.

I bet a ladyboy in any particular squadron would be very "popular". Especially after "lights out".

Lower prices only way to stop pirates.

Lower prices, and stop censoring every ###### film available. I'm sick and tired of buying authentic dvd's and vcd's and find out that every cigarette; breast; bottle; gun; etc, has been pixellated out of the bloody film! It just spoils the whole viewing experience. And as a consequence, I now look for the pirate copies.....

I suppose they'll round up a load of out-of-date fakes and have some poor elephant trample over it in another moronic show of commitment to morals / ethics / decency; blah, blah.

The land that knows the price of everything and the value of sod-all.

Rant over.

So Ullrich can't forsake his spiritual home then? As a criminal he seems to have done very well for himself. I've seen a few pics of him amongst Thailand's top mafiosi, so he must be very good at what he does.

Noppadol Pattama.... obviously in need of a better tailor.

Perhaps he should ask for a raise from his billionaire client.

Looks like a little kid dressed in his Dad's suit.

He should ask Thacky to take him down Saville Row?

Is "katoeyism" even a word, nevermind a bona(sic)fide mental disorder?

Maybe should ask over at the "Ladyboy 69" forum?

Happy to take your money, but you will always be an outsider.

Wonder if he can get Shark's Fin Soup in London?

Poor fella, it must be soul-destroying for him to have to take a back seat for once...

But congrats on the visa run!