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1. dont withhold payment from a Thai if you are a farang. find another way to solve the dispute.

2. never use vulgar language or raise your voice with Thai people.

3. if you cant follow Thai ways, dont live here because you will get f-ed up sooner or later.

i should add, if u want paradise, go to the beaches for vacation. dont build there. i dont see these kinds of attacks happening in Isaan. when we want paradise, we take a beach trip. we dont try to build a house down where all of Thailand's gangsters, thugs, and politicians live.

Shhh!!! It's a secret

How far away does one have to get to truly get away from the American non-sense that constantly flows out of the government? Sorry, but meaningless scare tactics don't impress me. Furthermore, if two people can stimulate a panic without even doing anything, then the so-called bad guys win, period.

In addition, this 'cry wolf' crap is really getting old. Here's an idea America: try minding your own business and stop pissing on the rest of the world. See how that works instead of the normal gospel-spreading course, please.

My sentiments EXACTLY... Thank you...

Since it is highly unlikely that "America" is reading this thread and won't get the various ideas presented, it could work to your advantage to make use of the Embassy services offered. As a citizen you have the right to complain, offer sound advice on how to run the Embassy services and tell them to stop pissing on the world, mind their own business and to stop crying wolf. Instead of moaning, make that difference.

http://bangkok.usemb...ov/contact.html

I am certainly thankful for the information.

Good shout. If you dont like what they are saying, then dont read it. It's like these people who sit through a TV program just so they can maon abaout it. If you don't like it, then turn it off....duh!

How far away does one have to get to truly get away from the American non-sense that constantly flows out of the government? Sorry, but meaningless scare tactics don't impress me. Furthermore, if two people can stimulate a panic without even doing anything, then the so-called bad guys win, period.

In addition, this 'cry wolf' crap is really getting old. Here's an idea America: try minding your own business and stop pissing on the rest of the world. See how that works instead of the normal gospel-spreading course, please.

They're damned if they do and they're damned if they don't. Personally, I am happy to hear what the USA is advising its citizens to do. It's then up to me how I react.

Play your own game.

There are other ways to get justice.

And the money these guys put up, for legal proceedings, would see that kind of justice done, no questions asked. Sometimes maybe people do have the right to take justice into their own hands. I will catch hell for this statement!

Well....you know what they say....when in Rome!!!!!!!

Someone give her a box of tissues and tell her to dry her eyes! Honestly, what did she expect?

Maybe time for a monkey crack down!?

I take it that the source of these 'quotes' is reliable and unbiased? Wouldn't be the first time. And reading through the posts on this thread, a lot of people are forming a lot of opionions based on them.

looks like a setup scene.

why are there so much cameras and why aren't the blows harder?

Agreed!

For Ning`s sake I hope that she will not feel used once more, this time by the only ones who will really benefit from this whole charade.

Arrogant p***k. You hear it from the horse's mouth and you still think you know better and that she doesn't 'really' know what's going on. You know that place better than her do you. Shame on you!

I was standing around 30 m across the road in Silom when this happened.

It was really loud sound.. just a single time. no smoke or fire seen.

We walked closer to see what was it... all we saw from across the road (that is opposite bangkok bank).. a shattered glass of telephone booth.. a pink taxi in front with some minor damage... and about 3 lebanese guys (or may be more like italian to me) running up and down and taking photographs.. .later i was told those lebanese guys were owners of a restaurant in that area... and they got famous for assisting police in getting caught of bike robbers (in earlier times).. and so they acted like heros and took control of the situation.

no police in sight for a long time... only say about 30-45 minutes.. a first cop arrived on scene.

and then for the next few hours... that side of the road was blocked from mahesak road junction.

and we had no idea what caused it up until i see the news in website.

So let me get this right. An explosion goes of which shatters glass etc, the area is not yet secured and you walk TOWARDS it!. You walk TOWARDS, not AWAY, from a bomb attack.

Have you ever heard of the Darwin awards?

I wondered if anyone else picked up on that Darwin awards.....love the comparision

I know that these guys arent very good at what they do, whatever colour t shirts they are wearing, but it is only a matter of time before they pick up on the effectivness of 'secondary devices'. Made Northern Ireland an interesting place to be when I served her majesty

Golly, everyone seems to know so much ... such keen insight!

I suppose I'm too naive to venture an opinion, so I'll just listen you all you wise men on this site.

It's because none of them hail from a country that has ever agressively raised it's hand against another state or section of society. That's why they are in such a hurry to cast the first stone! It's either that or good old fashioned ex-pat arrogance.

This is extreme in more than one way. Who has the expertise to put this kind of bomb together? Where do you get C4? This isn't an ordinary hit.

My condolences to the friends and family.

Theres been a home made bomb incident in BKK with the use of C4 today also, perhaps there selling it up at the burmese boarder?

I'm impressed that, with all of their other short-comings, the Thai police seem to be far more advanced than western police forces in their forensic testing procedures. It would take the London Met Police a lab and a couple of days to come up with this level of certainty over their chemical analysis. Sounds like someone's guessing to me. Wouldn't be the first time. This could be, and probably is, far more low tech than the headline grabbers would like us to think.

Never the less, must have been a terrifying last night for the guy. Sympathies to all affected.

There really seems to be a lot of anti-foreign sentiment lately. More than usual, that's for sure.

It's easy to blame foreigners for your country's woes. It is happening no less in the UK. Apparently, according to the uneducated masses (tabloid readers), immigrants are to blame for most of the problems in the UK. Short-sighted, narrow-minded f***-wits.....whatever country they're in.

I believe that those who don't agree with the freebie do not like the fact that we will attract a lot of tourists and make previous expats not be able to stand out of the crowd.It Cha la si

Yes....because Thailand is expecting crowds of tourists again.... ....dont think so some how. LOS is ten years away from crowds of tourists even if it does play its cards perfectly from now on.....which is a tall order.

The recent collection of items on the 'reasons not to go to Thailand' list will make people (tourists) go elsewhere in the short term. Whilst 'elsewhere' they discover that 'elswhere' exists and they decide that 'elsewhere' is lovely and where they will go next year.....and the year after.....making sure that they tell their friends what a great time they had 'elsewhere'.

It's obvious to most ex-pats living in Thailand and those who visit the country regularly that the Thai government are getting more greedy, opportunistic and scheming. Look at the outrageous visa fees and the cost of getting a few days extension and the prohibitive fines if you overstay a short time. Speak to any ex-pat teacher and see how disillusioned they are. The Thais seem to forget it is we farangs who dragged them out of their poverty stricken agrarian backwater with our money spent there over the decades. Now they are 'sitting pretty' they just exploit us. Time will tell when farangs put their two fingers up and go to Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam instead.

Arrangment of my wife and step-daughter's British passports involve a fee of £1,200. Swings and roundabouts old chap. two sides to every story.

Xenophobes make poor hosts.

Seconded.

Totally agree.

I'm afraid that I totally disagree. In my experience (10yrs), you learn the language, learn the culture, understand the religion and Thais will treat you as one of their own. Be different and expect to be treated differently.

Blimey! The UK, and a lot of other western coutries are becoming more right wing by the day. We are as bad as you are accusing them of being.

Thailand does not owe you acceptance. You have to work at it as with everything in life.

Maybe things are just different out in Issan and away from the big cities.

I guess that these free rooms will run along side the 50% discount in fares with Thai Air that we were told about earlier in the year

A BRITISH man is facing a two-year sentence in a hellish Thai prison for being 'rude' to an official.

Voice reader Simon Burrowes, from Wembley, north London, was ending a holiday with a friend when Thai authorities in Phuket airport detained him on January 31, preventing him from returning to the UK.

Immigration officials suspected Burrowes' passport was a forgery. Speaking to The Voice via phone from Thailand, Burrowes said: "A woman at immigration was looking at my passport and then handed it to the man behind her. I was ushered to sit down whilst he took out a magnifying glass and proceeded to check my passport for half an hour," he explained.

He was told that he was not getting on the plane and was taken to a detention centre, whilst his friend Matthew was able to fly back to the UK. Burrowes said: "I'm a black man so I'm used to getting hassle at airports, but I was shocked by this." For three weeks, the 44-year old was held with 126 men in a cramped prison cell.

"Thai prisons are notorious for being some of the worst. There is no privacy. You go to the toilet in the open and there is no toilet paper. There were guys in there that had scabies and were next to me," said Burrowes.

He contacted the British Consulate, who confirmed his passport was genuine. However, the disgruntled Brit claims that the Consulate should have done more, saying that they took long to react to his case.

"I was disgusted and beside myself. People talk of them [the British Consulate] like they are the cavalry. If you have issues abroad they come charging to help. But they didn't really help me," he fumed. Burrowes was later charged with 'rude and aggressive behaviour' towards an immigration officer, a claim he denies, and was released on £2,000 bail. He must remain in Thailand until his trial begins on April 26, and his lawyer has warned he could face a two-year jail sentence.

"I have to find some way to sustain myself financially while I am here. I went to Thailand to enjoy the land, learn the culture and spend some money. It's turned into a nightmare," he said. Burrowes is hoping that he will soon be able to fly back to the UK.

"If they find me guilty, who knows what will happen. I met people in prison who are doing five years for having two spliffs on them. It's very difficult to hold yourself up in a Thai prison. I feel very bitter about what has happened," he said. A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London told The Voice they are

looking into the case.

Link to story here.

It would appear that he swore at the immigration official, criticised Thailand & snatched his passport back, so on that basis he got what he deserved & if he does receive a prison sentence, he has only himself to blame - end of discussion. I'd just add that I've no sympathy for him whatsoever.

Tool! How can being rude possibly justify a prison term. My guess is your one of those old b'stards always pointing a finger at anyone younger than 30. Like I said.....tool!

"Now I'm off to vote for something, loose the vote and then cry and throw a tantrum!"

Looks like you are already in tantrum mode.

There you go again....I see the letters but just seem to read blah blah blah

I just read that SAS is flying to Suvarnabhumi from tomorrow 04dec landing on 5dec, so the airport must be open for business then.

Bit late now. They could have done with the SAS a week ago!

So tell me me.....is this one of these "peaceful protesters" that some of you monkeys keep telling me about? And don't give me any rollocks about 'there to protect the women'. If this guy had a set he wouldnt have a mask on.

Not sure if you're and bunch of 'PAD Muppets' or 'MAD Puppets'....then again you could just as easily be 'PAD Puppets' or 'MAD Muppets'.

Suggest your opinions are gathered from further afield than the end of your nose in future.

Now I'm off to vote for something, loose the vote and then cry and throw a tantrum!

Aiii !

This is again a prove that the PAD demonstrators where no terrorists again.

Its unbelievable that an occupied airport by thousands of demonstrators who where camping there for a week caused not any damaged and can be re-opend in not yet 48 hours.

I can only congrutaled those demonstrators with their discipline.

What??

Keep smokin the weed mate....

Word!!

They won't have much luck. PAD had a peaceful demonstration their and the airport decided to close for security reasons.

No doubt that it is not real but they made it that way and all media reported it that way.

seems like they have foreseen that.

****! fill in the blanks.

Indeed, they would NOT have occupied the airport, Somchai would still be sacked.

They would have saved this country from a lot of misery.

They lost a lot of support by their stupid action.

Congratulations to a bunch of idiots

Now now....I think that you are doing idiots all over the World a disservice there.

I hate to spoil the PAD's celebrations, but... Somchai is gone because of a decision by the courts. That decision had nothing whatsoever to do with the PAD and its disruptive protests which were largely targeting the economy and foreigners. So while they may have got what they wanted, it had nothing, in the end, to do with their existence. They've actually achieved nothing in the last week except a lot of heartache for businesses and individuals across Thailand - and the trickle down effects such as the death of tourists on the highway, trying to escape the country....

Exactly ..... I guess these 'educated' city types are not a clever as they like to think they are ... or they were looking for an easy out.

PAD - they have created a short-term difficulty that will result in a long-term benefit for the Thais.

Best you get back to propping up your local economy Chaimai, maybe the bartender will believe that crap.

Agreed!

What they have in fact done is created long term damage to Thailand, its reputation and its economy and short term benefit to an overwhelmingly small but loud minority.

I'm very glad that my/my wife's family and friends are the "uneducated masses" in the country. You can take your educated elite and shove them up your departure lounge.