wrecker

It's not vehicle emissions. If it was, then it'd occur only/significantly more in the city, which is quite obviously not the case. Any 1-2-3 hour drive in any direction will confirm that.

it is the slash and burn in the hills, and it is the fact that all villagers are amking stickpilces of leaves and dead wood and burning it. The same is happening in Chiangrai and Mae hong son. I was there yesterday I could not see over 50 meter. The police however is too busy fining children who are going to school.

Hi all,

My Thai wife's due to give birth to our first baby (boy) in May. Being English myself the baby will have dual nationality, entitling him to a UK passport hence no visas required for any visits to Blighty.

Other than having to cough up about 12000 Baht for birth certificate and passport at the British Embassy (robbing bsatards) are there any disadvantages to holding dual nationality and living in Thailand? Are there any benefits, other than the UK passport?

Thanks in advance,

SL.

T'was discussed just days ago. Learn to use the search function.

Not all people live a virtual life on these kinds of sites like you do.

It is all much better since Thaksin has gone. The handling of the economy is sublime, on top of that the invitations extended to foreign in vestors are unheard of and the government constantly show how many standards they have for different investors. It is a good thing when the economy suffers it would support a counter coup to get these criminals out.

The engineer confirmed that the technical crack in question was part of soil improvement, and it could do no damage to the runway.

Source , Airport Authority of Thailand....

I must confess : i'm impressed by their incredible imagination. I mean : respect !

Day after day, they are challenging themselves to push the limits, beyond, way beyond.

Far, far away.

unfortunately for you, it is indeed the reason, the Japanese and Western Designers already explained this more than two years ago. But people are too busy finding a reason to screw thaksin.

Taxi driver slain just 100 metres away from Suvarnabhumi Airport

SUVARNABHUMI: -- A taxi driver was found killed on the Bang Na-Trat highway just 100 metres before the Suvarnabhumi Airport Wednesday morning, police said.

Police said Somwang Puensomboon, 54, had his throat slit and died behind the wheel.

Passers-by alerted police of the death at 6:30 am.

His wallet was emptied.

--The Nation 2007-03-07

Quite an reason to kill a taxi driver who works for his money, a taxi driver's wallet is always empty.

I arrived back in Thailand a couple of days ago, after many years commuting from Thailand with no problem, they spent time counting how many days I had been in the country over the past 180 days, pointing to the sign on desks stating only allowed 90 days out of 180, they eventually let me in for 15 days, as I understand it my only option now is to leave country and get visa at an embassy? Is that correct?

Thanks.

yes or ask for a second passport. And switch your passport now and than. Entries are counted on the basis of a passport number and the stamps, not on your full coordinates.

suggest that all foreigners should carry their original passport with them at all times

wear and tear, loose it,theft......... if u have a malaysian passport, loose it once, hard to get new one, loose it a second time and u dont get a new one fore 10 years (i ma not malaysia by the way ). If i were malaysian, a day or so locked up sounds better than 10 years not travelling.....

Think of the permutations... Songkran....bucket of water......powder...... does real good for ur passport.

Yes and in the Pattaya bar scene passportss are a hot item, it is sold for 20,000 baht for an book with few stamps. better make a copy, in case they give a real hard time you always have 24 hours to produce the original. (or make a payment I suppose)

This is going on for many years, certain hot shots must be in on it. Sometimes one or two do escape tell their story and give particulars. Just like the arsonist in the South who are obviously close to the army, it is strange that they never get caught. There is a ton of evidence, kidnappings take place on an industrial scale. Do not believe the stories that the children go to Malaysia, Malay people take babies not people of 9-15 years old. We can only guess what is happening with them and it is not bad. The same is happening in Borth and North Eastern Burma and on the Cambodian side of the border. It shows again that the police do have their prioritiees wrong!

Don't like the style of the articles, it's all one-sided journalism...everywhere in the world there are a bunch of people who want their independent this and autonomous that, with NO clue what to do with it afterwards. Or it would probably be like in areas of the former USSR, where the "freedom fighters" just want enough autonomy to smuggle God knows what across their borders.

I have no sympathy whatsoever for these people...while the Burmese government is certainly guilty of human rights abuses, it is not the monstrous genocidal regime some portray it to be and I doubt those villagers would truly be worse off if an agreement would be reached. Another piece of oh-so-informative fluff from Ms. Kate.

You might have made a fine Burmese government soldier, a German or a japanese WWII soldier or a Khmer Ruge Soldier. If I follow your thoughts, people should not rise against oppressors. The jews should simply have agreed to the German holocaust, the people in Darfur to the rape of the Janjaweed, the Baltic states should have remain in Russia, just because they were occupied and as thus should have kissed up with the Russians, the people from Cambodia should have agree dto the killingfields and it was fine to kill them all. Why? Well an agreement could have been reached and the villagers would not have beeen worse off agreeing to the governments will of destroying them. You are right dead is dead, so it is all the same it is for beter or worse. It shows however in my opinion either your ignorance, lack of understanding or what I suspect your real character.

I find your remarks shameless. Maybe we should allow Darfur to happen to. after all those stupid women and children should simply agree to what the government wants from them, in this case their lives and bodies.

The Tai Yai and the Karen do have the right on an own land it is written down in a charter by the British in 1948. I truly feel that you are off the mark. The problem are not the villagers they simply want to be left alone. Regimes that build new Capitals while spending less on healthcare and education than the poorest African Nation are great governments to negotiate with. My question to you is, if you are an Indian perhaps, who loves to do business with this bloody regime, a Chinese who needs the trees and the gas and who does not give about human rights? Are you a paid lobbyist for the bloodthirsty backward government of Burma, or do you simply show your lack of manners by talking right what is really wrong.

Try to read the report "License to rape" it may change your mind. It could have been your wife or daughter too.

And to speak with the Australians: Concentrations of military are the most dangerous. Why? well the shoot better than all the rest, ask the 1992 survivors. A Bloodless coup always turn in a very bloody one after a year or less.

[snip] The fact that Sonthi has lifted martial law in the South and lifted rewards on the captures of killers of women and children, rather than lifting martial law in Izan or the North, shows the real agenda of these people.

Stay away from the military should have been the advise, and if there is an terrorist attack , hey blame it on Thaksin.

It is hot today, too hot, bet that Thaksin is to blame for this wheater.

Yes we have the right man! I still remember the last high profile case in which the head of the immigration said it. After all the chap had confessed. Sadly he did not do anything. It is ridiculous to believe that someone who claims to be a robber, just shoot the girls without taking anything. Just view it in the light of most Pattaya suicides, hands bound on the back, and hooded. the Pattaya police is notorious in finding scapegoats, or nothing at all.

global markets slump overnight, now pridiyathorn resigns. just a gentle reminder for those a bit slow off the bat, SELL ALL POSITIONS ON THE SET NOW!

Do you think that there are still sensible people who hold positions in the SET? It would be very unwise with an government in place who do not mind to impose 10,000% fines on companies, ban free speech, appoint cronies at the helm of public companies and demonize neigboring countries.

You could as well go to the Chinese stockmarket or the horse races. Your chances are considerably better, than investing in the SET.

I would like to know what will happen with all those billions of dollars from government controlled pension funds that are forceably injected by this dumb ass who resigned in the SET. Yes Pridiyathorn has done the damage. This piece of work torpedoed the SET with his absurd capital control requirements and the foreign business act.

I suppose that the PM did not had another choice than to bring back a finance minister who must even the most hardline Bangkokians on better times. Shame on Pridiyathorn!

So Thaksin was right after all. It were Southern insurgents who were behind the New year bombings.. This government is a disgrace. There is no reason to leave Sonthi in charge. The government should crush murderers not pamper them like this government does.

Typically a government thing. You approve a design (12 years ago) , you make changes, this government had all the time ton postpone the opening of the airport, they did not do so. They went along with the design (It is a well known Japanese agency, so there is not much reason to doubt them) than you use the toilet space for smoking rooms, and retail space. You lock the exits (bet they will blame the former government for the locked doors today) and than in the end, you create a panel. The panel contains only ass kissers of the goveernment which will always come with a guilty party, and you guess right. That is ALWAYS a foreign party...

The report is of course inaccurate. After all the arson attacks on schools and murders were already in full swing under the Chuan I and II governments. We should not forget that it is not Thaksin who pulled the trigger but his army. Mister Sonthi who staged the putsch, was in charge of the South for almost btwo years. And he was the one who never had enough powers and wanted more. These days when it starts raining they blame it on Thaksin. But Sonthi was right, he is doing a much better job in the South. Maybe he should encourage ALL Muslims to break the law and officially marry multiple women. Than they do not have time anymore. Funny was also the picture of the man, sought for the Bangkok New year bombings. Blamed Sonthi and fellow crooks it on the former government , now it seems that the only suspect with a name is a Southern Bomber and Arsonist! Keep on the good work Sonthi, it is a typical case of SOM NAM NAA!

How stupid can one be? I thought this was only done by Russians and Chinese foreigners.

What a nonsense, a constitution is not an criminal law. But in that case let;s start with what would happen with the unelected and one sided constitution drafters. What would happen with them if it works out that they were influenced by Sonthi? Will they be beheaded? Another thing that could be in the the constitution: The law is not applicable to muslims, they may have multiple wives and ohh yes they are allowed to beat them. Grow up! We already know that the thai people get screwed by a Burmese style constitution.

I sincerely enjoy this. The airforce probably already spent thee money they thought they would make from landing and parking fees ass well from the ground services. It is an ill intended decision, just to fill the coffers of the army which owns Don Muang. If an airport neeeds JUST 40 million dollars in repairs, there is very little of a problem. But in the haste to show the world how bad Thaksin was, they started a blame game, it shows the incompetence of this people. If you accuse Thaksin of unsound decisions economically and personally, why do you appoint Somkid, he was the architect of the economic policies. This stinks, I would like to know howw long they can keep on folling the people. if they were serious in healing devisions they should have handled this differently and would have sand Sondhi to China were he can complain about press freedom again, instead of giving him a tv show. To be continued, I would say...

And Singapore says, no problem pay us for it, after all we do not need your Thai licene. The satellites are high up there, and we have the codes. So we will cut your military satellieets off, and that serving UBC, and those serving the TOT.

Sonthi and friends are or incredibly ignorant, or they are the proof that military and intelligence do not go well together.

I wonder what would happen if countries where are those big mouthed people have assets themselves would invalidate their investments. I assume that Thailand will pay a very very high price in Economic development if this escalates. If your investments are not safe and if stupidity rules (our conversations are routed through Singapore.... bahhh) tahn sufficiency economy is the only way to survive. Ask Burma and North korea. Sonthi and Sondhi are here to stay they love to call themselves the elite and do not give a rats ass about democracy ordinary people and foreign investors.

This government is without any pride. The reason why they squander the name of the New Airport is because they could not find anything to justify their coup. If an major airport needs just 40 million dollar to get repaired it is truly a joke. It is less than 1% of the total costs of the airport. The real reason of reopening Don Muang now is ofcourse that the airforce is missing income from their groundservices and Kerosin sales as well the parking fees, Having lost the presidency of the AOT (do not worry the military are pretty good in installing incompetent friends in any state and even public company with state shareholders) are behind this move. Do not get fooled. What will happen if you fly in from izan or the North and need to go international? Just to Don Muang, and a Taxi to the New Airport? What to think about group tours, just maintaining 2 offices. Thailand loves to compare itself with countrie slike France who use also two international airports. The truth is that there is no way to compare it....

I'm curious as to where in Thailand they polled.

That is a good question. Do not believe any Abac or Dusit Polls. They are a fraud. they will :

a. never publish the exact question which they have asked

b. They poll in general just in a handful pof provinces around Bangkok and thuss are not representative for Thailand

c. They never publish the margin of error.

These kinds of poll agencies are a shame for the scientific community.

The Irrawaddy mostly have great in depth stories about Junta's. It is because they are the voice of the Burmese people. And likewise they know that the Thai "elite" clique is no different than that of Burma. The constitution drafting process is equally flawed. Let's wait and see...

Why be so negative. The actual domestic move is a good idea,but it should be all, all domestic.

Air Asia should be made to use the two airports,so no confusion arrives. Not that they arrive on time anyway.If Anyone wants to use Internatial at THe Don, then those airlines should pay 100% of the cost of immigration and customs that would have to be set up.

Thai Airways has long been an inefficient high cost operator,and needs a good over haul.

A good idea??? So because you are an inefficient company, you force your failing business model upon tour operators and travellers. The nonsense that London has two airports makes no sense. Everybody knows that Heathrow is a disaster, it is old fashioned they have too few landing strips, the Spanish operator put too little money in it. And in case of Paris or Milan, it is a bit different. You have the GTV so you can be faster anywhere in France, The Netherlands or Belgium than by air, more convenient and cheaper too, and they have at least connecting flights. The fact that you call it a good idea showws that you have not given it a thought for any minute longer than the Thai authorities. It will kill off the tourist industry. The bottomline is of course that Don Muang is a milityary airport right now and the cronies of the dictator must be rewarded, I suppose the 859,000 THB a month salary is not sufficient for the gentlemen... talking about greed and incompetence.

Thai policy makers seem to have a real problem with their brain. Or should it be so that they deliberately trying to kill of the country. cheaper for the airlines, much more expensive for the tourists, business people, and the tour operators. Hmm Two airports, located 60km apart from each other. That would be great fuin for tour operators, they need 2 offices, they need to hire shuttle buses, and the tourists lose a day in traffic and collecting baggage and checking in. I am always amazed how much geniuses there are in the Thai civil service. The only reason why Malaysia is not taking off is just because they have two separate airports. Well military intelligence.... we know the answer.