wrecker

A sad story, 5 years for an attempted robbery is quite a harsh sentence, certainly when you keep in mind that UK bankers are pretty good in robbing their own banks in full view of everybody and even get rewarded bonuses and nice pensions after being caught red handed.

Give the guy a break, it could have been worse, he could have come to Thailand and could have called himself a teacher, thereby screwing lots of unwitting children.

This is a powerhouse of the Democratic party. The democrats are not too often in the position to form a government. Local elite must be rewarded for their loyalty. They have been informed long before the "family friendly destination" statement was made public. So they have been involved already in a land grab. Next the land will be made absurd pricey and sold off to the hated foreign hotel conglomerates. So the local elite take the money, the foreigner the blame, a destination is ruined, and the prices go up what makes it very family unfriendly but that is the way things go in Thailand under the current elitist system.

Thailand is one of the very few immature countries where libel is handled through the criminal courts instead of the civil courts. It is quite absurd that any person should get jailtime for libel, it would have been nicer to see Sondhi go to work on a bicycle after paying out a huge amount. But in the end it is a matter of som nam naa. The criminal courts are ruled in general by his friends, if he had (and he has) libelled Thaksin he would have gotten away with it (see Suthep's remark about president Thaksin).

Let's hope he will do some time, lets assume in this case that it was not for libel but for the airport closure.

But there is nothing new under the sun. Any government could crack down on any seaport or airport and notice that there is as much wrong with it as in Thailand. These hubs attracts mafia worldwide. the difference between Thailand and other countries is, that Suthep and his apprentice Abhisit deal with the small people scratching out a meager living. They leave the big shots rooted in the elitist society alone. They do not even think about charging them. So nothing will change.

It is completely uninteresting. This kind of things happen in police states. Thailand is a police state with the democratic party a shame for its name. They are still so afraid for Thaksin that they are already busy instructing the courts to disband Peu Thai. But nobody in its right mind would even like to argue that it is wasted time. A government that holds 66% of their voters in disregard do not deserve to be taken seriously. Luckily for Tahksin he has brains whereas Suthep only has a big mouth.

One measure has been to transfer some officials who were thought to be involved with the gangs. A reshuffle of officials will be made this month, he said. Mr Serirat said the AoT will spend 15 million baht starting on Oct 1 to try and end the illegal operations.

This makes me laugh !

Instead of firing rotten apples like they deserve, they get transferred to another position,.. where they will most likely find a similar way to fill their greedy pockets !

totster

It should make anyone laugh, except for the fact that this is precisely Thailand's problem for 60 years. Do not upset the status quo, do not disturb the system, the sad thing is that all the hi-rakis involved are considered stand-up guys in Thailand elitist system. Stealing is fine, as long as it is not from them. The system locks up teenage people with a party pill for 8 months but this scum will get simply another position. They lay down and after a few months they are free to get involved in the same business again. a typical case of TIT

This is another case where you notice immediately the difference between the strong arm of Thaksin, who would have sacked immediately the authorities involved, replaced the police or would have declared some kind of war on thugs and the slowly slowly approach of the democrats. Chuan was already known for his lack of doing something and his strengths were not to upset anyone, especially not his kingmaker Sanan. Now you have another PM without power, who has to maneuver very slowly and carefully. After all the people in power in the airport belong to the elite, the elite are the people keeping this government in power. Therefore the most simple things link sacking AOT bosses and top police will not work. This government is a disaster for the country.

This "trick" of bag-snatching from the back of a motorbike has been injuring tourists and Thais alike for years!

I personally know several people injured by these scum, who know full well there are going to hurt people by deliberately causing the victims motorbikes to crash.

Perhaps this poor Scottish lady's injuries might be the tipping point. There are many ways, chiefly informants I would think. for the police to catch the perps. It is frustrating to see the Thai government fail to protect the people, both foreign and Thai. Not to mention the self-interest of protecting a revenue stream from tourism. Each of these events is talked about by the victims and results in a perceived bad crime problem in Thailand.

Come on, criminals operate everywhere. Thailand is not half as dangerous as Europe or let alone the US where people get mugged all the time and have on top of that an brainless government that allow their citizens guns. Thailand is a heaven in comparison with other countries. Though this kind of robbers you will find in any society, she was unlucky and statistics are simply working against her, that is sad for her and her family but does not Thailand and cowboy country.

I would not pay too much attention to the figures and statements of this particular government. They seem to have hired a couple of spindoctors. Even if spending power of Thai people are picking up, it is way below it was when Thaksin was PM. Therefore the additional spending power will be used to make ends meet, not to stay in the massage parlour of government ministers of in the khao Yai to watch the property of Surayud that has encroached on pristine forest land.

Foreigners will not come back either, at least if we are not talking Europeans, Americans and Japanese have been scared off by reckless soldiers shooting on each and everything in the street and invoking another security law did not help. But than again, tax payers money is used to help out certain operators, as stated in the article some of the operators, only help comes for people close to government politicians and backers.

I can't share the optimism of higher spending power either, because even when the economy picks up, employment is a lagging factor, it will worsen for soem time to come.

Again do not trust figures, they are either false, incomplete or misrepresented.

Sorry but I gotta say this. The thing that ultimately really upsets me is people who father (or mother) kids and then don't support, love, and nurture them

This sort of irresponsibility gets me really hot and angry.

Some pople never grow up, and they go through life leaving a trail of destruction behind them.

If I had my way this character would be compulsarily working three jobs or whatever to at least ensure the kids in both countries have a roof and food and education.

True, but that was not the nature of the question. Anyhow, even if they informed the police, they will not really hunt him down. Even the Thai police have better things to do. I find it bizar that an embassy confiscates a passport and bring citizens in trouble. If they really like to do something about it, they should have held him in the embassy (Americans have jails everywhere, haven't they, and otherwise they are pretty good in making one, and than put him on the plane. As they are obviously not willing to do so, one can question the incompetence of the embassy.

This takes a very special kind of stupidity, whatever the nationality. Impressive really...

Not necessarily, although you will get stoned to death for it or hanged in Iran, in many European countries it is allowed to do so.

don't hang him out to dry yet... He has not been convicted, he has not been ID by people in the bank... Lets wait on the DNA test of the clothes before we hold the pitchforks.

It would have been nice to include this information in the original post. But what are you talking about DNA profiling in Thailand. I am afraid that the police is doing DNA profiling only in their dreams and that means that he is already convicted anyhow.

Stupidity is world's biggest commodity. He was probably too long in Thailand and got used to the Thai customs. He will meet lot of people in jail the next 6 tot 9 years who had the same plan. I must admit that I always wondered what would happen when real bankrobbers did the job. ATM's are filled without guards present, tens of millions of baht are laying for everybody to see in the open in banks. But I guess we have to wait on the next robbery gone wrong to wonder a bit more.

Luckily for him he did not got shot.

This country should be avoided by all businesses. Nobody should make significant investments in Thailand as the elite are well known for damaging the investment climate. Having themselves major interest anywhere abroad they use the courts and the officials who are on their payroll to make rulings against foreigners which are in general baseless.

It is very common practice to use nominees worldwide. It is a little less common practice to hire blue shorted people to beat the hel_l out of protestors with an other color who become angry and occupy venues. It is even less likely to see an army shooting with sharp, courts being instructed to rule against democratically elected people and parties and it is unseen worldwide that one cell organisms are allowed to occupy an airport just before the holidays so that tourists and exporting countries alike are presented with huge bills.

The Thai elite need to live in a cocoon. They are unsuitable for the world economy, therefore their nationals should be subject to the same absurd rules as foreigners investing in Thailand. Only when the decision makers pockets are targeted something might happen.

The greed of Thais are so overwhelming that former army leaders and appointed prime ministers encroach on national parks, or monopolize beaches like in Hua Hin, Pattaya or other resort towns so nobody is even able to see the sea anymore. It is not the foreigner who is the problem in this Xenophobic country it is the Thai elite and the semi elite.

Crocodile tears are shed by the expat community. A hike of 100% wow..... Any idea how much you have to pay in certain Western countries for the renewal of a permit. It is in the many of thousands Euros. The idea behind allowing people to work is that they posses a skill that is rare or valuable. 99% of the work permits are issued here to teachers and people in the entertaining business I suppose. I can't imagine that any expat who is making a 100,000 dollars or up are complaining.

Is Thailand still advertising itself as a democracy? What a joke. But the idea that the cronies who run Thailand have anything to do with democratic rule has always been laughable.

Agreed, it isn't a real democracy here. However, surrendering to a red mob who want to install a latter day Thai Mussolini is another step in the wrong direction.

hear hear

You do not really know your history well. Mussolini's black shirted people can be compared to the BLUE shirted (Newin/Suthep) gang. Not to the yellow or red shirts. By the way Thailand is a authoritarian police state. Thailand has nothing in common with a democracy. Suthep is applying for the role of "Dear Leader", but we have had more Suthep's in the past. just like Abhisit is a joke as PM (his bioss is indeed Sutheo) we have had Chuan (Boss; Sanan) and Banharn and Chavalit (Boss: Sanoh).

Maybe the money not came?

No money no rally.....

I am not aware that the red shirts do get a cut of the 10% surcharge that this government has planned on an outrageous loan that they are about to take out OR were you born yesterday?

The petition did not fell flat. This government wipes its behind with the rights and wishes of the people. While claiming that they had 5 million signatures (24 hours before it were less than a million) they refused to send the 4 million signatures of the people to the institutions involved. As soon as the wallets of the people in this government has been filled with the money of the gigantic loan that they will take out. they will run, leaving the mess again to Thaksin. They are making it very easy for Thaksin or his nominees to win any upcoming election with two fingers in the nose. Poor people are poor, being poor does not mean being stupid.

All the people on this forum in the camp of the yellow shirts are probably having a girl friend from the entertainment business. Still all those wise noses who need to take up a teaching job of 500 US$ or less a month think they know better than the poor. Lots of foreigners are trapped in in the illusion that they are better educated, that they are smarter and that therefore their opinion is worth more than those of the rural people. Big mistake, the same big mistake the elite is making. There are numerous examples of other countries were the table changed quickly and unexpectedly.

People in Izan and the North are very angry. This rich boys government is underestimating the feelings of the people in an incredible way. If I was a red shirt leader I would change the venue unannounced to the police within the blink of an eye. An SMS is sent quickly and everybody will follow.

Democrats seem to claim a lot these days. As soon as the boys have passed the budget bill which includes again just s under the Chuan mess a huge loan, they take their cut and will run (see the comment of Chidchob today).

Hmm you mean if you are impolite or do not have 10,000 or 20,000 baht laying around. I sincerely believe that you will get away with it in 90% of the cases. If you end up in jail that statistics are working against you.

That sounds sweet, but it does not solve the problems anyhow. The customs boys and grils will sit on the goods with their big fat behind till the moment that you have made the payments anyhow. Companies need to work fast, and you get even receipt when you pay them the money they ask. Nothing will change because the democrats make too much money out of the crooked system. This government is great in dubbel standards, saying one thing doing another. In general everybody can see that the bureaucracy has dramatically increased after the military grabbed power and handed it to the Democrat party.

Not these lovely ladies who study hard are showing inappropriate behaviour. The directors and other fossils do by interfering in the personal lives of these hard working people. We are just a stone throw away from the moment that they will tell us that it is a girls fault when she get raped because they have inappropriate clothes.

Instead of making a fuss about the example that movie stars set they should make an example out of the culture of dishonesty that is king in the circles of the Thai elite.

And in the meantime ladies, a bit shorter skirts please, we love it!

a lovely country. In any civilized country the culprits are caught and brought to justice. Of course King Power is sponsoring all democratic senators and MP's with 100,000 baht (according Sondhi) but telling them to stop instead of bringing them to court is beautiful.

Newin need a lot of blue shirts to keep him out of jail. He was able to defy American justice but this time he will go for many years i the rubber sapling case. Newin is a criminal without taste. a Beckham type with flower wallpaper at home. The fact that the cenosr here will do injustice to remove my comments is because mister Newin is already sentenced a few times.

The government is supporting Newin what makes the case even more curious after all newin is banned from politics. We have seen how Newin damaged the countries image by unleashing blue shirt ex convicts on the red shirts in pattaya. not the red shirts were to blame but newin.

It is absurd that the government comments on a petition that is not directed to one of their ministers or related persons. But than again there are rules for the newin/suthep losers and the rest of us.