allan michaud

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4 new checkpoints? Not bad, meaning we would have more places to cross the border.

However, even more interesting would be a plan to allow private vehicles across all international border checkpoints, complete with insurance offered at the border (particularly on the Cambodian side, where this is not currently the case).

I came though Aranyapathet/Poipet a few days ago and Thai cars were pouring through into Cambodia. I go through regularly and have never seen it like that in 13 years using that crossing. Maybe things have already changed although given the right hand left hand issue it could be dangerous too. The roads in Cambodia are not great and the thought of Somchai driving drunk at highspeed and tailgating people here, is rather scary.

No mention of Kao Tao then?

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And last week the same guy wanted to raise airline ticket prices. Comical.

"BANGKOK – Thailand’s military government is asking domestic “low-cost” airlines to raise their ticket prices to prevent stealing market share from inter-provincial bus companies.

Thailand's Minister of Transport, Air Chief Marshal Prajin Janthong, said the cheap fares for domestic flights offered by low-cost airlines are hampering the business of public bus companies in Thailand.

"We cannot set the fares of low-cost airlines, but we will seek cooperation from these airlines to refrain from setting fares that are too low, because they may affect other types of public transportation," said ACM Prajin, who also sits in the ruling military junta."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/790456-thai-govt-wants-to-raise-fares-of-low-cost-airlines/

My thought too, although I had not realised it was the exact same person. These people are muppets.

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"They have been charged with possession of explosives without permits. "

That'll teach them that the next time they bomb a bus, better remember to get those permits. Kids these days! They always want to skip the formalities.

Seems a bit of a "nothing" charge, don't they have reckless endangerment, attempted murder/manslaughter or something similar?

Or are they simply treating this as harmless fun that's got a little out of hand? Cos if so, they're dead wrong ... these kids are trying to kill each other, and anyone else that gets caught in the crossfire.

Just endless examples of Thainess today. Pretty much anywhere else on earth and they are in juve/jail for a very long time. Astounding Thailand.

Lot's of excellent examples of Thainess for us all to see today.

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Interesting that, Uncle Too has not uttered one syllable about this racketeering.

Afraid to face facts, un-elected PM?

Or would that be losing face? alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20> alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

Sorry, are you suggesting he is in someway to blame for the rampant prostitution in LOS? Anyhting done to tackle this wonderful example of Thainess is fine with me.

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Perhaps the bullet should have gone straight up and then straight down... alt=facepalm.gif>

Perhaps it depended on the angle the gun was pointed when the trigger was pulled. Vertically it probably would come more or less straight back down. Pointed at an angle less than vertical, then it won't.

You don't say.

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religion of peace, right

Just like all those peace loving fundamentalist Christians? Generally speaking religions are not peaceful, it's more a case of my way or the highway, which is why I am an atheist.

Absloute joke, yet another excellent example of Thainess at work.

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Maybe these guys are watching too many British football games...

Are you refering to British football hooligans? If so you might want to move on with your life, that was a good 2 even 3 deades ago.

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I'm waiting for "The shoe's on the other foot now" comments!!! alt=whistling.gif>

As someone with a soon to be ex-thai wife who quite litterally gave away over 1million baht, due to being a moron, I have no sympathy what so ever. It makes me feel a bit better that this woman appears to be dumber than my wife, although she didn't lose quite so much.

Sadly the Thai interent nazis won't let me access the link to the original story but UK chef (and complete tosser) Jamie Olover has just helped get Macdonalds to change their practices regarding nuggets and other foods. In the US they were using meat not allowed for human consumption after treating it with amonia, apparent;y this was only happening in the US as food regulations elsewhere meant they could not do it in places like the UK, South America countries and Australia.

You might try googling macdonalds pink slime

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My support is for the elephant.

Aren't elephants supposed to have a special significance for the Thais.

Ooop's

I forgot., it is only when the elephants are made to walk the streets in appalling conditions so as to solicit ''donations'' for the handler and thus the handlers can pay the rental to the elephant owner that the elephants then assume any significant importance.

Yet more Thai bashing ...

How many wild animals are allowed to wander into a town in your country without the end result being the animal is 'removed' ( read 'shot') under the pretence of safety.

The very fact that this animal lives in relative freedom makes your post sound as bigoted as it really is.

In my country, the UK, we don't have elephants out on the streets collecting money for their owners, we don't have boxing orangutans, we don't have various types of monkeys being kept as money making pets. If you want to start talking 'facts' maybe you should consider that in Thailand wild animals (rather former wild animals) are often seen as entertainment and means of making money.

I note several posts here mentioning Buddhism/morals. Please note the average Thai is about as Buddhist as my left butt cheek.

Still well under the daily average for 2014 - these dangerous days are the safest days to travel according to statistics

The average is well above normal for the provinces. Obviously Bangkok will be less due to it being so quiet.

The injuries are way above the norm.

The national average has been between 55 and 60 deaths per day for several years now. The big holidays like this and Songkran have much lower numbers in general so I don't understand all the fuss, it seems relatively safe to travel now, despite the appalling numbers.

These figures look rather dodgy to me. 1,700 accidents and only 1,700 injuries?

Still, 60 dead per day is just the normal everyday national average slaughter on Thai roads, so it's not really news anyway.

I wonder if that strong 2000 group ever considered getting a job or not buying what they can not afford ?

Are they even capable of understanding that no one owes them anything?

Yup. I think the answers there are no, no and no. Sadly many of these people are so dumb it hurts. I know from personal experience just how stupid many of these people are and I have little sympathy for most. The reality is if you borrow money from a local thug at 10% or more per month knowing full well you can't arrord the interest payements, YOU ARE AN IDIOT. Maybe it's time to sell that expensive smartphone or stop dinking cheap whiskey 24/7.

My wife's village is full of drunken morons with smartphones and IQ's seemingly in single digits. Most sit around all day doing nothing and when the farang turns up the hands come out looking for a few baht to by alcohol. I NEVER pay and I have zero sympathy with these people. From my experience the average Thai villager is incredibly lazy and dumb beyond belief.

If any govt actually wants do do something about this, a good start would be to outlaw loan sharks, but, as most are related to powerful local figures or are lining the pockets of police etc, these scumbags will never be tackled.

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But it was fired from an Eastern direction You can't make this sh_it up...

Yes, the police know this because that is the direction of their party.

The trouble is too many people are now discovering what "Thainess" means, judging by the dramatic increase in Brits being hospitalised or dying. I hear Koh Tao is a great place to discover Thainess.

Good news, I hope others will follow. If you want to see elephants (but not ride them) go to the Elephant Valley Project in Mondulkiri, Cambodia. They currently have 10 rescued/retired elephants that are enjoying life in the forest. This is how they should be being treated.

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Barbarians and should be charged with assault and child abuse. This in the same country that says the U.S should lift Thailands status on Human Rights. What bloody century has the dear leader dragged the country back to? You can understand this in Nth Korea and I guess this is the direction the P.M wants to take the country.

&lt;deleted&gt;, how do you manage to get politics into this story? Many Thai's are violent, end of. This has nothing whatsoever to do with leaders of any hue. Hopefully the current bunch of numpties (they are ALL numpties, red, yellow or the current green mob) in charge will publicly castigate the school for this but they are hardly to blame.

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international prices are not setup by the wish of some thai military pseudo politicians

....or any of the other alleged 'politicians' in Thailand. Stupidity seems to be a national past time.

So, so stupid... but no surprise what so ever. The entire nation appears brain dead at times.

The economies of SE Asia are going to suffer badly over rubber. Thailand possibly less so than their neighbors as rubber is not a big here as in Cambodia and Vietnam. The problem is that the US and Europe are developing new ways to become more self sufficient that will probably start to impact rubber prices towards the end of the decade. It’s a way off yet but this new method of taking latex from dandelions is said to be half the cost of producing rubber from trees and has a much shorter start up time. Time to change crops.

As for subsidies, they seem the only real short term solution. What gets me with subsidies here is that governments seem to ignore the problem of others taking advantage, as with rice, where fertilizer and pesticide prices jumped as did land rental prices. Thai governments of all hues are quick to jump in and tell food vendors to keep prices low, yet they do nothing to stop this gouging by large agro traders and landowners.