hansnl

You can not drive out of Thailand, or into Laos, without the green book and a purple book.

Period.

Has been like this for as long as I am in Thailand (6+ years)

Do you have any substantial criticism of the article? Do you really think these policies are affordable? I'd love to know where you think the money is going to come from.

Sure, let take one of the statements blithely thrown out:

"The pledge to raise the minimum wage to Bt300 in 90 days might also lead to uncontrollable inflation. It is crucial that the minimum wage level be acceptable to both employers and workers so as to ensure it is practical and conducive to the business environment. A rate set too high would discourage factories from hiring workers, causing high inflation and creating potential job losses as factories turned to outsourcing."

Uncontrollable inflation? How would that lead to such an unstoppable juggernaut?

It might cause some additional inflation, but even so, I would think a minimum wage of $10 a day should be considered a basic necessity, not a luxury. When was the last time the minimum wage was raised? This being Thailand, I'm sure it was quite some time ago. Of course inflation would have continued apace in the interim, so this would likely allow worked to pull even with the erosion in buying power they have already suffered. Gawd, these awful PT people think workers should get 7,200 baht a month for a 6-day workweek?

Because Thailand can't compete in efficiency and innovation, it has to battle it out on price, so someone has to make the sacrifice -- of course the powerless workers should take the hit.

At any rate,the statement above is alarmist exaggeration, and is one part of what is sure to be a continuing campaign of attacks by the Nation, which BTW, I'm sure doesn't want to pay it's workers a decent wage.

Ten dollar a day might be a nice wage.

However, at this moment the minimum wage is 180 baht or so.

Which means that a raise to 300 baht in 90 days is quite hefty.

You think prices will not rise?

Or, seen the 65% hike, explode?

Prices will rise some?

Think again what this will mean for the export, the prices of anything in Thailand.

The me me me brigade has started already.

Thats why we will never get Democracy in Thailand.....

And when will the eyes of the Isan people open?

Maybe then they will see that they were used as "voting fodder".

Seems like another typical scheme with no thought put into it; TIT

Probably to better identify the alien kids from neighbouring countries (including hill tribe kids) who, unscrupulously, misuse Thai educational and medical facilities, while encroaching on Thai soil, breathing Thai air...

Ahhhhhhhhh

Those aliens.

I thought the farang kind.....

So sorry?

Ahhhhhhh

Welcome in the world of airway deceit.

ATV/Quads can not be registered in Thaland and thus not road legal. Thats public roads. Can be used off road and on private roads

It is possible to obtain compulsory Insurance, but as it is not road legal, it will not cover

Some even install a plate from another vehicle, often Honda waves, which is punishable with imprisonment 6 months to 5 years

Not entirely true, however.

"Skylabs", the mode of public transport in Udon, have no plate either.

However, they do have insurance, and can be on public roads, and are insured.

The producer of skylabs in Udon told me that skylabs, for example, are allowed to move around within the city limits.

But that seems to be a decision of the local government.

For example, in Pattaya one is driving around, for 2 years or more already....no problem.

The right thing to do. If renominated, he should make it clear he wont accept. The country needs an opposition as well as a government and Abhisit is a divisive character who will distract from the job an opposition has to do.

It is a good early test of whether the democrats can start to move forward. The old way will be to renominate and reelect and stay still. The modern way will be to thank him, accept he has gone and chose a new leader to rebuild the party

In a country with proportional representation it is a bad thing if one party has more as 50% of the seats.

A coalition Government is the best thing.

Otherwise a Government will be able to act as a dictatorship.

Reconciliation can never come as long as Thaksin is pulling the strings and that is the bottom line. Allowing Thaksin to run another puppet government does nothing but move Thailand backwards. I could care less if an actual Thaksin clone won the election but at some point all Thais have to realize that having Thaksin in anyway running the show is bad for all Thais in the long run. If Thaksin cared even one ounce about the Thai people he would have handled his life as fugitive very differently.

A big part of why what you say is true is because; Thaksins strategy and tactics to win and maintain power are specifically based on keeping the hatred going in a big way. He took the demagoguery of 'Us vs Them' and brought it to new lows that Thailand may never be able to recover from. He no doubt thinks this was 'leadership' since his political machine is leading the polls, but true national leaders unite, not divide. As you said, as long as he seeks to control the country via his machine the hatred will remain, revenge and retribution will be the order of the day and reconciliation is not possible.

Quite true, the big lie that this is a rural poor versus Bangkok elite issue has been told repeatedly by the absentee multi-billionaire. His chinese ancestry seems to have been completely forgotten by the poor ethnic Thais of Isaan and the premeditated conspiracy to cause many deaths amongst their number has also been forgotten. The phrase 'Useful idiots' springs to mind here and now Thailand will pay in the long run for it's short term myopia.

Example, one of the promises.

Just wonder what will happen if the minimum wage is raised to 300 baht, now standing at 190-200 baht?

Without raising productivity?

Think prices will rise around 10%-15%?

Export will get more difficult or plunge?

What will happen then?

The Chinese upper top of the Thai population will agree to this?

Guess not.

This is the best possible outcome for the thai economy- a landslide win for the majority voice who are the red shirts in this country. The huge margin will make it almost impossible for the yellow shirts or other groups to take over through other means, they would have zero legitimacy. Net result -stability which is what the markets want.

First indicator- watch the SET rise big time in the coming week (s) as foreign investors pour money back into thailand ...

Really?

A satirical article?

I would say, a highly dangerous article.

This peace of satire might give ideas to police chiefs nationwide.

If something goes wrong in the alcohol free period, or maybe far beyond, just blame alcoholic expats.

If reds & yellows start fighting, blame the alcoholic expats, for example.

If you keep stealing the election and don't let the voice of the majority be heard, of course there will be discontent and eventually violence.

Suppression of its people has led to the downfall of many. Thailand isn't the first. Thailand won't be the last.

Say, the redshirts will get 40% of the votes, and the yellowshirts get 35%.

Who is the winner?

The redshirts.

But will it be possible for them to form a coalition?

Or will the yellowshirt be able to do that?

Anyway, the possibility that the redshirts will refer to violence is very real.

Why?

Because no way will they want to see that having 40% of the votes is NOT a majority.

And if other parties do not want to form a coalition, well, I guess there will be violence.

If the government can be formed by a yellowshirt coalition, same recipe.

I am afraid, having heard the warnings of the army boss, the army might not stand apart.

Same recipe for violence.

If, suppose, the redshirts will get less votes as the yellowshirts, same recipe.

Sorry to say, the redshirts laid down the basis, fired up by a family and friends of the family, for the possible violence.

Let us just hope reason will prevail.

Policies of all party's in all countries forgotten after elections.

Empty promises don't matter.

Under Reds, foreigners could get PR, VISA easy

Under Yellows, PR stopped, VISA harder

The Yellows hate foreigners more than the Reds.

I never understand why foreigners love Yellows?

They publicly declare they not trust foreigners.

I care nothing for corrupt or economics or policy

I care who makes it easy for me to live Thailand with wife and family.

I gather you have troubles with your longer time memory?

Quite outrageous!

When will the army butt out of politics and give democracy a chance?

All the Thai army ever does is attack Thai citizens or the occasional neighbor.

They have never got involved in protecting their country as they are too obsessed with trying to run it.

Ahhhhh.

The thing is, the Thai Army does have a role in the country.

As described in the laws of the country.

Try to find out before you throw dirt.

I am not British, so it really is not my business.

But, sorry to say, in the new system so much can go wrong, it is really frightening.

A typical case of bookkeepers taking things in control without any idea of security.

Do you reckon that the Samui and Surat Thani police were colluding? Nah... they wouldn't do that.

The Surat Thani police probably ARE the Koh Samui police in most respects as Koh Samui comes under the jurisdiction of Surat Thani as it is in the Surat Thani province. If you look at the addresses for Koh Samui they will state Surat Thani at the end of it.

The Koh Samui police are probably equivalent's of the village Bobby in leafy Surrey just keeping relative order, and nothing else!!!

Are you serious?

I keep this amount ( no more no less ) in a time deposit account under my name, it is okay. before you go to apply extension of stay, WITHIN THE WEEK you go to the bank and ask for a bank certified balance.

this amount was already in the bank for more than a year. the passbook didn't have any activity in last 3 months and no sum up balance neither. some officers don't get use to this format and I experienced a short delay after they checked my passbook with each other. technically no problem with time deposite account.

If you keep the 400,000 in the account, why not ask your friendly bank manager to make your account a locked account.

Which means you can not get out money in the normal way.

And to mention that fact in the letter to Immigration.

Never asked for the bankbook (Khon Kaen)

We purchased both houses before registering our marriage at the local Amphur. I know that I could be punushed, but the risk for her is much bigger.

Then the houses and land are not Sin Somros marital property under Thai law; therefore not subject to 50/50 split upon divorce. If you could convince the Divorce Court that you paid 100% for the property, then you could conceivably prevail. It has happened, as reported on ThaiVisa. However, all the Title Deeds are in your wife's name so it won't be easy.

If she would have registered the property in her married name, she would have to declare that the money was her money and not from a foreigner.

But.......

LITTLE more complicated than that. The majority of Thais are simply pig sick of being treated like 'untermenschen'. They are learning that they too are 'Thai subjects;'(not citizens, exactly the same as the wealthy, but with very less 'get out of jail free' options).

Know what? Hope they drag the bugger back in. That should stir things up a bit.

HUH?

The majority of Thais are no such thing ---- a minority of Thais being paid by a corrupt ex-politician on the run from the law could be described the way you suggest though! ....

Most Thai citizens are both happy and proud to be just that. Thai citizens.

HUH?!

You really should get out more. The ;majority of Thais don't give a rat's about whatever 'law' you believe exists here LOL! And they will take the bribe-to-vote, because they believe it doesn't matter who's snouts are at the trough.

And they.are.not.citizens, They.are.SUBJECTS.

Thank you for so thoroughly defeating your own argument --- even though I find your new argument even more repugnant and insulting to the majority of Thai people. Thai citizens are, as I said, for the most part both happy and proud to be Thai

All Thai people are Thai Citizens.

And in as in any kingdom they are all subjects of H.M. the King!

I'm not sure if this article is saying that some kind of segregation is being proposed by some faction of the red shirt movement.

It apparently stops short of saying that but may be implying it. If it were indeed the case that these people officially wanted segregated areas based along political lines (or any other lines for that matter), that would be a very disturbing move on their part.

Well, when you're treated like second class citizens in your own country, the logical idea would be to create your own land and be treated like first class citizens. Not that I agree with it, but it's true.

Absolutely agree, good post!

There seems to be a world wide revolt against corrupt minority government keeping the wealth of the country confined to a few percent of the population.

Thailand's wealth is much too centralised on the Bangkok elite, of course the masses will eventually revolt. Read your history folks!

I fear there is much trouble ahead for Thailand, could even go the way of some Middle Eastern countries of late.

Only democracy will work in this country but the fact is the greedy few will not allow the wealth to be more evenly distributed.

The next 12 months will be critical for Thailand.

Can you please supply me with the name of a country where most of the wealth is not in the hands of a minority?

And if possible, could you also inform me where the worldwide revolt against corrupt minority governments is taking place?

Corruption, so sorry, is a reality, all over the world, in every country, openly or behind doors.

I do not like it, you do not like it, but we are simply unable to do something about it.

The rich & powerfull will never share wealth or power, and a revolt of the poor, read your history, always made the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Democracy nowadays, wherever in the world, has disappeared and is massaged by the big companies.

Parliaments are just there for appearance's sake, for dealing in marginally and cosmetic subjects.

The really important things will be decided by the CEO's of the huge companies that in reality govern most countries.

As scare mongering goes this is classic. Is it a dangerous form of e-coli or not?????

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

Most have been German avocados from a Supermarket then...........:jap:

So it seem they are re-exported in Germany no Avocado grow and as I know only not important quantities in South of Spain. We can believe they come as original from a other country outside of Europe eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

Avocado's are grown in Europe, North & South

And yes, Thailand imports several kinds of fruit & veg from Europe.

How about me move this over to the pub...

Dear moderator,

Would you please tell me if the google translator also works on this post?

Thank you

Judging from the trailer, the film sets out to make fun of the Lao-speaking Issaners. The western guys seem quite innocent and well-mannered. It looks like just another Bangkok put-down. The villagers are portrayed as drunkards, prone to violence and generally stupid.

No wonder there's so much ill-feeling in the Northeast toward Bangkok and the kind of people who find this kind of thing funny.

The trailer's at http://www.movieseer.com/th/movies/21193--E_Nang_(White_Buffalo)

The language of the Isan is called Isan, not Lao.

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

While I agree with most of your thoughts, there are two points I would like to give my thoughts about.

First, removing people from the workforce who try to voice their concern with the way staff is treated is a very cheap and stupid way to resolve a problem.

In fact, the problem is not removed, but made worse by the action to fire the people who complain.

The problem is still there, and is made worse.

In other words treat people how you would like to be treated.

Second, KFC is a profit making business, I agree.

That said, while profit is indeed the reason the company exists, that does not take away the fact that a company should take care of their staff, and treat them well.

Your thought about this is rather old fsshioned economic thinking.

Most companies have other thoughts, I am happy to say.

Telling staff to <deleted> off if they do not like to work makes the workforce weak.

However,

Its all down to Education, Education , Education, as we have been told in Britain by a famous English Politician Margret Thatcher. and i think its true, if the Thai government spent money on education in stead of pointless adverts thats are on every night, at 7pm and 8pm on all the TV channels.You cannot blame the people for ignorance because they know no different , I have been laughed at because i get mosquito bites and it makes me concerned, Try tell the Thai people about dengue fever, even though many people die every year they seem not to understand..Why not have TV adverts explaining simple things about health issues. like coughs and sneezes , the basic things about general hygiene. the rest should follow. but again every thing is down to Money.

I guess education is important.

But what happens if the students are not interested in education?

Or are unable to concentrate for more than 5 minutes?

Google bed bugs in Khon Kaen and be forewarned.

Sometimes I find a very big bedbug in my bed.

And I live in KK

Pray, tell me what to do now?