internationalism

so alcohol makes us hammered but ganja makes us stoned and hammered? I think ganja liberates people to think and act by themselves. Everybody can grow it easily so it's free and independent from the commercialised supplier. Hippies were stoned but at the same time they were pushing for social and political change. And they were successful at times. That's why conservatives and ultra-royalists are by large opposing liberalisation of ganja. They can't control it. In thailand it's more generation gap, with big disadvantage to elders, as they are not much politically vocal outside election times

nothing is going to stop ongoing and highly popular decriminalisation and recreational use of ganja. Not any law would change it. It's too late to reverse. Democrats, as well as Pheua Thai, had chance to act much earlier, over the last 3 years. Anutin outsmarted them by small steps. They had chance to jump on bandwagon a few months but ignored it. So now they are scared of his popularity and success of bhumjaithai at the coming general elections, to which they will lose many votes. Surely, for democrats and Pheua it's not a principal stance, pure political rivalry. I don't know about medical personel from chula, but I don't think they differ from the general population. More likely they were forced by their rector or governing body to join opposition to ganja. Medical and pharmaceutical lobby do lose some influence if people self-medicate and stop buying drugs

is it chinese embassy joining thai police in hunting triads or did ambassador ask ministry of interior for doing their proper job and supplied them with intelligence, data? I think the second option is more likely, judging from the scale and speed police started to act. Embassy try to please Beijing with proactive work.

if domestic there is no immigration and no customs. You mean airport security

that is rather customs duty to check luggage for strange items, unless immigration interrogates and look for some clues in personal belongings

they should simplify their entry requirements. I don't remember anywhere in europe travellers being fingerprinted and photographed - passport scan and glance at passenger, 10 seconds procedure. That thai procedure gives an impression of entering police state. Doesn't create holiday mood for tourists. Despite those and many other immigration measures, thailand is heaven for criminals. Their system doesn't work properly. The main fault being probably manpower - unqualified, corrupted, unmotivated and lazy, bureaucratic. So many stories of immigration officers being biased and downright rude - just from my personal experience at border crossing and in immigration offices. The second is probably poor digital data processing. Outdated systems, not integrated with world's security data. That's how travellers to and from thailand can use stolen/lost passports - that, as well as fake passports made in thailand itself. Another story are visas from thai consulates. There were cases of fake visas being sold in Kuala Lumphur. That is not responsibility of immigration. But shows that thai police was not cooperating with ministry of foreign affairs to detect this scam

as this law is just a ministerial order, it can be reversed or changed any time. It was introduced on the very same day a proper bill was to be voted at the Parliament. So this bill was torpedoed by the government. The bill failed by margin of 2 votes. Prayuth had over 8 years to deal with oligopoly, but he didn't care to act. Without proper legislature, and radical one, very little will change. It will be many years before this bill can be discussed again. Those thai alcohol oligarchs do support undemocratic regimes, because that's how they thrive, uncontrolled and unhindered. Those people, families, clans, are the richest in thailand, $ billionaires. Every year they donate hundreds of millions vasal homage from their personal wealth, so they are protected from any turbulence. Those families did actively support military coup in 2014, by donations and even by personal participation by some at yellow shirt's Bangkok Shutdown and obstructing the general elections. In fact they instigated 2014 military coup, conspiring from the time yingluck won in 2011. Prayuth was just their henchman, to do dirty work

I don't know details, but probably less than half of pre-covid. probably very few from china. British Airlines not flying till spring 2023. But flights are pretty full. At the beginning of this year Emirates were doing some 35% of traffic to thailand. So difficult for newcomers to enter market

but they are holding thai passport. They had chance to come back since sandbox 1.06.21 and certainly easier since test&go from 1.11.21. From June not any restrictions for vaccinated.

that means that in the rest 9 months this year there were 4mln travellers (in another news a few days ago there were 7mln total). Those who entered in october are not necessarily tourists. October is still rainy season (it just officially ended the last weekend, lasted 2 weeks later then yearly average). Those are rather travellers of different sorts, who were postponing travel in earlier months.

What is he is working with police hand in hand and is posturing to become minister of interior. On the second picture he looks like he was commandeering those cops. I think there is too much coincidence that suddenly those 5 (or possibly more in the near future) are busted. That might be more behind the scenes than a smokescreen of zero dollar tours, empty safes (or as police call them now "safety boxes). There well might be some political pressure from many angles. Why now? Why so strong? Why chuwit is jumping on bandwagon kick chinese out?

there are not "zero dollar" tours from china for the last 2.5 years. All organised travel was cancelled in Febryary 2020, in the wake of pandemic. Chinese can travel only individually and rather for business, study and family reasons, not as tourists. In china they still have 10 days quarantine (7 days hospital and 3 days at home), pre-departure and on arrival tests, as well as further tests during quarantine. Hospitalisation in case of positive results. So even stricter than thai covid regulations pre-sandbox. That further restricts tourism and chinese government still discourages it. I think Chuwit might be running for the general election, so he is making his face public again and nationalism and xenophobia are still potent tools in politics. How he is able to grab a microphone and talk in front of senior cops, as if he had any position to talk to them or on behalf of them. Unless Chuwit is indeed representing some high governmental figure or working of behalf of an american ambassador (that affair is really handy for american interests just 2 weeks before APEC summit). Thai political and financial elites are chinese descendants, some of them with shady past, triads. So it's pretty easy for chinese mafia to make local connections in any line of business, not only in entertainment. Before covid it was lucrative tourism industry, with some 10mln chinese visitors per year alone.

that is just a ministerial order. It can be changed anytime in the future, at will. That is the governmental move to block proper legislation, which is going to be voted today at Parliament. So it's just Prayuth's nasty political game. "The Government passed a ministerial order on Tuesday allowing people to produce their own alcoholic beverage for local consumption only and without branding. The order came into effect Wednesday. In a related development, Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of opposition Move Forward Party posted on Facebook the move, one day ahead of the parliament voting on progressive alcohol bill proposed by the party, which is much more comprehensive and will enable local people to sell their beverage, is tantamount to an attempt to block the bill and protect big alcohol business oligarchs. Pita asked why the Prayut regime waited eight years before passing the order." https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/posts/pfbid0b5CWcGzPHwodAp9RzzXGCFvWozgyEDYZYgWzCNSELuYF5fSrqGcjug9kwWAsRKz1l

just a bit of nonsense from this linked article: “Jaroen later presented and surrendered himself to police. He told us that he stabbed the wrong person. He said he thought that Mr. Jaroen was an unidentified person that he had an issue with before and apologized for stabbing and killing an innocent person. However the prosecution and investigation continues.” Colonel Sarawut added."

from the article above: "‘Whenever the issue comes up, it stirs a debate. When it was raised during the Chatichai administration, it failed. The regulation was successfully pushed during the Thaksin administration, but there were few buyers.’ Mr Wissanu said. ‘So we want to reduce the number of conditions to attract investors. However, it is yet to take effect and is still being examined by the Council of State.’

"The deputy leader of the new Thai Future Party and a former Democrat Party MP from Phatthalung" His name is not even mentioned in this quoted above article. Looks, like "has been" masquerading under unknown entity Thai Future Party. The general election is coming and for those minor politicians every opportunity is good to promote themselves. That new law just reduces required investment from 5 to 3 years. That is not a radical change. For 20 years, since Thaksin introduced it, not many foreigners invested, so it's a just a dream that suddenly 1mln millionaires will flog in to Thailand - that at time of global financial crisis.

in other mass media they call this safe a "safety box". How were police able to open immediately 2 safes with 700k each, but couldn't open a safety box with just 120b? Why police will look at safes for happy water, if it was already found plentiful on the floor at club's warehouse? Story about "safety box", happy water are just smokescreens to what really was found in this safe

also today at 10:20. Waiting in line of 20 for over 30 minutes to hand out my pass. Another over 30 minutes to pick it up. No bankbook check. re-entry permit line of 20, but moving fast. Handed an application just before 12:00, picked up after lunch at 1:15.

she is mistaken or wants free ride. contribution is 30b per year.

she is entitled to free health care. She doesn't need private healthcare now. Maybe closer to 60 or 65, just before closing gap for insurance. Accident is included in all health policies. If you have insurance yourself you can get discount from the same company

but samui in december is still rainy season, even well into january. There is no point going there, unless for cheap hotels. Also getting to samui is expensive. There use to be seasonal russian charter flights to phuket and utapao, but I don't think I have heard about those to samui. I think this article is just part of TAT advertising campaign

I have 200mg and divide in half. That way is cheaper than smaller doses. I got it from singapore and I will have some more for my family. my regular thai pharmacy doesn't stock it. Possible that small pharmacies can order for you

scabies would rather develop slowly, over several weeks. If sadden onset maybe sandfly bite - in thailand they are not only on beaches. I got bitten in my local park. Usually you don't feel bite, just within hours redness and later blisters. As I have mentioned - you can try ivermectin. It has also anti inflammatory properties

if it's scabies, you can try ivermectin. Pills and creams. Or were you bitten by some insects on the beach?

check lazada