kmart

I probably drink to excess and it has cost me more than money on a few occasions.

This year however, I have given up cigarettes (8 months) totally and feel great about that; so hopefully I can start to cut down on booze and binge drinking especially. The hardest part for me is to pay up and walk away from a group of friends who are having a laugh together in the pub after work. When you are the last one at the bar, after they have all gone, that in itself should be a sign...

I have quite a stressful job in an almost 100% Thai company, and though I speak the language very well after working here a long time; I relish the bonhomie and conversation of other Western friends in the pub after work; and this usually results in me drinking too much. Its quite a set pattern of behaviour that I have trouble breaking. But I'm giving it a go.

Someone like him should know when to step aside to avoid further damage.

He has done enough already.

Stepping aside is probably the last thing on Tacky's mind. He is a total megalomaniac, and thinks the world will stop turning if he steps down. He has gotten away with so much since forming the TRT; who could blame him?

Amazing how the Bangkok middle class who initially were his support base are now so against him. They thought that; "Hey! This guy is so rich he doesn't need to be corrupt! Maybe we can trust him??!?!?"

I always make a point of saying "Hello" to other foreigners. As a scapegoated "ethnic minority" ( ) its always good to share a greeting together.

If other people cannot return the nod or pleasantry; its their problem.

The Thai - Burmese border has a whole host of players involved in the drug trade. The Chinese Wei drug lords have a very big influence there too.

This case resurfacing shows that Tacky has lost his teflon veneer somewhat lately. Credit to this Monson guy for persuing him through the courts for so long. You think Tacky would have settled out of court by now, but,.... perhaps not; "This Is Thailand" and we can get away with anything.

Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost.

Summary execution of "drug dealers", my arse! Those were low-level mules and addicts running yaba to stay in their habits. Lets put it this way, in my small town in Rayong, a Thai cop recently knifed a girl to death for refusing to push drugs for him. This little sh*te was on the national news for the killing. I saw him last week, shaking down a local bar for protection money;- free as a lark. All show, and no knackers these people.

Am I the only one to find this astonishing? How long was he out of circulation for and why isn't he featured on national news again?

Apparently, somebody bailed him. Astonishing is not the word to describe this; i agree with you. Why? - Because of attention-spans rivalling goldfish in brevity.

Seems amazing that while out on bail, he's still going round the bars for tea money. "Sickening" may actually be the correct word, tbh.

What utter crap to politicize the accidental shooting of that Brazilian guy. He was challenged to stop, but he was illegal and not fluent in English, so he ran - wearing bulky clothing. This is of course just after the Madrid and London bombings, so you'll forgive the cops for being jumpy. In that split-second to decide, the cops shot him. More than once okay. Everyone in Europe is jumpy right now. Freedoms that were so hard earned from the last century have been squandered on people who don't deserve, and have no right to them. The UK's defining moment was beating off the attack of the European Nazis and Fascists, and then it let the Cultural and religious bigots through the back door.

Summary execution of "drug dealers", my arse! Those were low-level mules and addicts running yaba to stay in their habits. Lets put it this way, in my small town in Rayong, a Thai cop recently knifed a girl to death for refusing to push drugs for him. This little sh*te was on the national news for the killing. I saw him last week, shaking down a local bar for protection money;- free as a lark. All show, and no knackers these people.

Gas canisters can be made into lethal bombs or "blevvies" quite easily; and have been used to kill people and claim falsely for insurance purposes.

Having said that. The sentence and "trial" sounds like a total travesty, and just a means of extorting all the money they can from this bloke.

One thing I remember from working in Khanom; S. Thailand, is one of my Thai engineers telling me that local problems in Bangkok and environs might end up at the police station; but problems in S. Thailand can sometimes end up in the wat. ie someone might get killed as a result of some seemingly trivial matter.

Oh no! Not Banharn again?!? Amazing how much power these little mafia types wield here.

They obviously know where all the bodies are buried / loot is stored. Give the little man credit though, he's done pretty good for an illegal immigrant.

Tacky is on the way out, he's upset the old money crowd too much. Expect to see this whole pre-electoral shower of sh;te played out in some Isaan backwater; with these wonderful people dressed condescendingly in farmer shirts, and throwing coloured beads out to rustic simpletons from the back of a truck.

.

The company that killed this girl should be examined and put on probation. Better yet, they should be heavily fined and their license suspended for some period.

Rubbish. People go rafting because of the danger and adrenaline thrill. There is inherent danger that cannot be totally contained by the operators, ie; you are somewhat open to the forces of nature, and the raft does not run on rails. If you do go over the side, you may hit rocks and / or drown. That is the thrill / attraction to a lot of people.

The company didn't want to kill her. Sh*t happens.

Your tax dollars at work,.....

Looks like the circus is back in town.

DPM Chidchai Wannasathit believes Thailand’s corrections system is one of the best in the world

"Best" at what? Killing people before trial?

If a country was graded according to its prison system; Thailand would be ranked as a 3rd World Sh86hole.

DPM Chidchai is hardly qualified to comment; as no-one from his strata of society ever sees the inside of a Thai prison. Unfortunately.

Why don't you just sell him to the Sakunakon dog meat market?

Makes me laugh that some bigwig politico (Sanoh??) started the "Ministry For Culture" just to give his wife a job to do. He was also famous for having mia-noi's. The Ministry For Culture have since given us hilarious guidelines on how to behave; and fatwahs on things like "spaghetti-strap" dresses, and most recently "Tom Dundee" condoms.

If you need a "Ministry" for culture, then perhaps you don't have any?

Same as it ever was. The military of Thailand and Burma seem to have a long-lasting understanding together. Border skirmish in the morning, then golf in the afternoon. Good for asking for bigger budgets / more weapons / submarines / aircraft carriers, etc.

Toxin will do anything for PTT's interests. Seeing how he managed to get most of the shares at the privatisation; they represent his interests too.

Just my ten cents worth. - I will never back down from an issue that needs sorting out. Don't have to rant and rave, just be gentle but insistent.

To me, the thing about "losing face" and avoiding confrontation is refusal to accept responsibility, and i regard it as a cultural deficiency. I am not going to lose out or accept substandard treatment or service just to save someone's fragile, immature ego.

Thais will compromise every time if they know that you are not a fool. You may also earn a modicum of respect for standing your ground too.

Just don't be aggressive; loud; or use violent body language.

The whole of the N.E. (Isarn) seems to be one big voting bloc for "pooyai's" to drive through, dressed in rural garb; throwing trinkets out to the throngs. These people have never really been given anything regarding education; development; etc.

All politics is about maintaining and consolidating the status quo, btw. When you've never had anything, something tangible (hard cash; 30 baht healthcare; village development funds; etc) means a great deal to these people. They have always been exploited by the Bangkok elite, notwithstanding any one political party.

get with the program team nuclear is the way to go, it's a long process to build a reactor though, so start now.

beyond the FUD , Nuke plants are the future for most countries - just don't let the accountants oversee the engineers.

I hope never in Thailand. Unless the local mindset changes significantly.

Most big industrial projects here are flawed at the planning stage already. Add to that collusion on bidding; inferior materials tacitly approved; nepotism; and blatant disregard for safety standards, and you have a real Cherno Buri waiting to happen.

Wonder if the Southern problems will continue if the Democrats get back in power?

The problems will lessen along with decrease in violence. Getting rid of the martial law imposed by authorities in Bangkok will definitely be a step in the right direction.

The initial problems seem to have stemmed from when the govt. disbanded some soldier (Rangers, i think) units that used to police the southern provinces.

They started using Thai police down there, and thats when the problems and violence started escalating. I wonder why?

Hello, another newbie here. Not my first post here, but I didn't see the intros page. Expat (Brit, 43 y.o.) based in Maptaphut, Rayong. Nine years in Thailand, covering work here and Singapore.

Have enjoyed lurking and reading a few threads here already, hope nobody minds.

Nice to join a forum that seems to have an intelligent / educated population, without all the flaming and windups you might find on similar BBS sites.

Some of the threads and experiences of members here seem to be genuinely beneficial to people like me; and so I'm happy to be here and share back with you all.

Nice to be here.

The govt. seem able to use this as an excuse to legally launch phone-tapping and "eavesdropping" throughout the whole country. *Extra security measures against terrorism* Sound familiar?

Wonder if the Southern problems will continue if the Democrats get back in power?

Yep, not exactly new news, but they don't ever go away, do they?

They do occasionally have a "round-up", but just release them somewhere else, like illegal Pangolins or something.

There is always some wonderful "influential person" behind it all.