RayOday

Not all that surprising, given the widespread disregard for process and safety in Thailand. Driving statistics, the absence of behavioral escalation paths for citizens (the police do reasonably well in this area), loose adherence to laws protecting public safety—such as crosswalks—weak security in food supply chains, and minimal consequences for failures in public works projects, particularly regarding quality and safety, all paint a troubling picture. One would expect the armed forces to maintain rigid processes around ordinance, with zero tolerance for error. While I can accept that mistakes in fire and ordinance may occur in kinetic battles, I cannot accept anything less than zero tolerance for this type of accident. Who was in charge? Who is the investigative authority? Who conducts the failure mode analysis? Who is held accountable? What revised processes, execution standards, and audits will ensure such “mistakes” never occur again? My best wishes to the unfortunate soldier affected by this failure. A Sergeant Major and their superiors should face review, possible demotion and punishment for such lax standards. The outcome of the investigation must be transparent, and the results communicated to restore credibility and raise awareness. In such a dangerous environment, process must rule, not cultural nods to acceptance and forgiveness.

The only issue with this measured approach is that Ital-Thai may not be sufficiently financially viable to to project manage the remainder of the work in compliance with recognized standards. The group cannot service their debt due to speculative investments where they are unable to recover any of the funds. A test might be, given any reasonable financial analysis, would you invest your money in Ital-Thai? If not, then why would you entrust serious public infrastructure, to Ital-Thai where they have failed repeatedly (141 dead in 2 years)..

I was driving between Pak Nam Pram and Khao Tao last night at 2120 and the road was blocked with cars. I thought someone got hit by a car. When I finally got to the action there were local candidates and their reps paying off voters in the darkness of the night. We spoke to Yai today, who lives in a small moo ban in rural Surin, and she said the villager were holding out for a few more days to see who comes with the highest payout. Last year the payout was 300. They are hoping for 500. They don't see much difference in the corrupt choices so they go for the cash.

The boorish dolt puts Thailand on its 75 banned visa countries and then sends an invite. He has no shame. He sends the US Navy to Venezuela, kidnaps their dictator, steals their oil and has the proceeds sent to his account in the middle east, bombs Syria, bombs Iran, threatens to invade Greenland, sells out Ukraine and NATO, and wants to lead a global board of peace where he personally charges those who want to join $1 billion. Why? All to assauge his pussy ego and then he thinks he can co-opt the Nobel Peace Prize and give it to himself. I have been am expat for 30+years and it's sad to see my taxes paid to that Bloviate ass's administration. As usual the British (excluding his boorish UK Putin buddy) sum it up best.

ITD needs to be shut down and liquidated. They are in a financial death spiral. They have already killed 141 Thai and Myanmar people because they don't have the financial liquidity to execute a safe, efficient, or timely project. The extreme slap in the face to the Thai people would be to reorganize under a government bailout. Adding to the insolvency the company's directors and board are corrupt and self dealing. It will be interesting to see how the Karnasuta's fellow plutocrats decide their fate. See below: Italian-Thai Development (ITD) PCL’s investment in the Dawei Port and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has been a primary driver of the company's severe financial instability, leading to a massive debt burden and a liquidity crisis that peaked in 2024–2026. The project, once envisioned as a $8.6 billion gateway to the Indian Ocean, shifted from a growth opportunity to a "sunk cost" trap that effectively crippled the company’s balance sheet. 1. Massive Capital Immobilization (Sunk Costs)ITD invested over 8 billion baht (roughly $267 million) into the project's infrastructure, including roads and early-stage port facilities. Stranded Assets: Because the Myanmar government terminated ITD's concession agreements in 2021—citing "repeated delays" and "failure to confirm financial capacity"—this capital became trapped. Non-Productive Debt: As of late 2024, ITD’s financial statements still carried development costs for the Dawei project totaling over 7.8 billion baht. Without the project moving forward, these assets generate zero revenue while interest on the loans used to fund them continues to accumulate. 2. Liquidity Crisis and Debt TrapThe financial strain from Dawei triggered a "domino effect" on ITD’s overall health: The 100 Billion Baht Debt: By 2024, ITD’s total liabilities surpassed 100 billion baht. The company struggled to pay subcontractors and even delayed employee salaries. Bond Postponements: ITD was forced to ask bondholders to postpone payments for two years on over 10 billion baht in bonds due to a lack of cash flow. Bank Intervention: The company’s "Big Four" creditor banks (including Bangkok Bank and Kasikornbank) effectively took control of ITD's finances to manage cash flow and ensure essential operations could continue. 3. Credit Rating and Market ImpactCredit Downgrades: The failure of the Dawei project led to significant downgrades in ITD’s credit ratings, making it increasingly expensive for the company to borrow money for other, more viable projects. Loss of Government Confidence: The financial weakness stemming from Dawei—compounded by safety incidents on other sites—eventually led the Thai government in early 2026 to strip ITD of major domestic contracts (like the high-speed railway), further cutting off future revenue streams. Summary of Financial ImpactDirect Losses - Over 8 billion baht in non-recoverable development costs. Total Debt- over 100 billion baht as of 2004. Equity Position - Debt to equity ratios reached critical levels (4.31 in early stages and worsening) Liquidity - Severe cash shortages leaving to salary delays and missed contractor payments. I wouldn't let these incompetent corrupt gamblers clean my garage let alone build out Thailand's public infrastructure. The government and their crony capitalism let this happen. ITD should be delisted and the assets sold. It's shameful that the corrupt government bidding allowed these catastrophes to happen.

Thailand is a plutocracy that is protecting the interests of the corrupt Karnasuta family's Ital-Thai's failing company. Their Dawei financial disaster distraction resulting in dangerous cost reductions are in part responsible for every major construction failure resulting in deaths in the past 1.5 years. Recent History: *Nov 2024 Rama 2 (M82) elevated highway 6 deaths *August 2024 High speed rail tunnel 3 deaths *March 2025 Rama 3 expressway 3 deaths * August 2025 SAO Tower 95 deaths * Jan 2026 Sikhio Korat HS train 32+ deaths * Rama 2 (M82) 2 deaths That is at least 141 deaths in less than 2 years. As reference it is reported that 42 Thai armed forces died in the recent Thai Cambodian conflict. That is over three times the deaths inflicted upon Thais than at the hands of Hun Sen. Ital-Thai should have their business license revoked and the company should be dissolved or reorganized without any influence or tentacles of the corrupt Karnasutas. The board is responsible not the subcontractors where they continue to shift blame. The last Italian member died long ago. These are Thai on Thai & Myanmar deaths. A once respected company has demonstrated they can no longer safely execute major construction projects and do not deserve the public trust or money.

Teams is designed primarily for business users. Use yo your credits and find an alternative. I use a US based service that has been cheap and reliable, Possible Digits.

You mean there is something more advanced than my TRS 80, flexing 32 kb of RAM) and it's 8" floppy disk? I can load up my VisiCalc worksheets in as little as 2-6 minutes.

White House slams Nobel Committee in the spirit of peace.

How can you supervise the job if you haven't done the job?

Well my grandson says that Peppa Pig recommends 7 a day.

I read he has another person in the cell for a non violent crime who acts as the warden's aide. The article went on to state that Thaksin will be teaching other inmates English. I see a set up for early release given age and good behavior. Watch for it.

I am boycotting Grab. Used a foreign card on Grab Mart, card was debited the funds, Grab stated the order was unsuccessful and refused refunding the payment. I even submitted the bank advice. Customer service was useless. The amount wasn't worth my sanity in going after them legally. I just refuse to use their services. Competition is good.

This is not medical advice. A systolic reading of 150 is to be treated as a serious risk for a heart related event or stroke. You need to see a cardiologist. I am 70 and have had 1 heart attack due to generational family history. I have been on statins since 1996 as well as Omacore. I am the longest living male member of my family. I am also the only one that has never had bypass operations. I recommend you purchase a blood pressure monitor for home use. Omron is reasonable priced and accurate. Take a reading upon waking after relaxing and seated after 3-5 minutes. There are many free phone apps to keep a record of your systolic, diastolic, and pulse. The reading at the doctors office will almost always be higher due to a number of factors. I took mine this morning and I am still over my goal at 127/66 with a pulse of 60. A key to managing is eating correctly, exercise, very little alcohol (I might have a beer 1x per month. Strength training is important but at 150 I would get a cardiologists opinion before starting on any program. Walking is excellent at ideally 6000-10000 per day or at least 4 days per week. Again speak with your doctor. Periodic blood tests will help you gain a measure of indicative control over the cause and effect of changes to your lifestyle. I have seen a remarkable or rather incredible reduction in my triglyceride levels after taking Omacore (OTC Omega 3 esters) for a while. I was treated excellently at Bumrungrad for the minor heart attack but left due to my doctor's arrogance and impatience during my queries. I have since changed doctors and really enjoy my current cardiologist Dr. Apichai Pongpatananurak at Samitivej Sukhumvit. If you think you require more individual care then you may want to see him. A number of Thai physicians aren't very receptive to interaction and act in a hierarchical manner. They know and you don't. Dr. Apichai doesn't operate that way. I have validated his protocols and I am satisfied with his advice, protocols, and results. Best of luck and don't wait to see a Dr.

Back in the 1990s I exploded 2 lumbar discs doing excessive deadlifts. I no longer used medicine as most negatively affect the liver. If needed, which is rarely, my go to drug is the generic Celecoxib, brand name Celebrex. It helps and doesn't upset the stomach as much as other NSAIDs as it is a COX-2 (enzyme) inhibitor which spares COX-1, which helps spare the stomach and kidneys. It, like other NSAIDs, comes with a host of warnings especially cardiovascular so do your homework if you have ASCVD. I have learned to manage the pain through exercise and knowing how to move. Occasionally I take a strong Indica before bed and it's light out. To avoid taking drugs internally I can recommend starting with a topical like Voltaren gel (Diclofenac) or Elmetacin spray. They may be all you need for short term relief.