zthyadat

Since when did Monks have Wives, or is this a case of Some Pigs are more equal than others.I'm Shocked.?.

According my wife, they should have specified ex-wife as they did in the Thai language media.

"Their suspicions were assuaged by Vachira staff, who assured them that the "unrecognizable" body on the gurney was indeed that of their friend."

Typical here. Rather than do the work and search for the real body and double check, they always insist they're right and you're mistaken. Even when the evidence is in hand..er...on the wrist.

Surprised anyone?

And when the mistake was acknowledged, it was the responsibility of the family to return the wrong body and pick up the right one. And shouldn't the hospital have better cadaver carrying equipment than the family? With a funeral already in full swing and a load of shocked mourners who took valuable time off to be there, why wouldn't they send a vehicle out there with the right corpse and swap. They created the problem and it would be the solution that would most quickly address the inconvenience caused by their incompetence.

The sheer arrogance of insisting it was the right corpse in the face of people who actually knew the person is mind boggling. There seems to be no hesitation to condescend to foreign "idiots" without pausing to consider that perhaps they might have made a mistake. Oh well, as long as short-term face is maintained, that is the main thing.

Things were going very smoothly there until you mentioned left-handed clubs.

Now I can;t say for certain about Kanchanaburi golf courses, but I, a left-hander, have visited at least ten driving ranges and three golf courses in Bangkok and asked for a single left handed club - just a five iron would do, and was told that they didn't have any. They had literally hundreds of right-handed clubs, but no lefts - not a single one. The same goes for most golfing equipment shops - only one of several visited had a full set of left-handed clubs, and of course, very limited selection of putters, if any. Most said they could special order them. So it appears that a majority of golf facilities in Bangkok at least have decided that the money of 7-10% of the population (according to Wikipedia) is of no use to them. Perhaps you'll get lucky. It is just possible that the more touristed golf courses outside of Bangkok may provide them assuming receiving requests for them in the past - since a lot of people don't bring their clubs on holiday.

Good luck.

Oh yes, and Blue Sapphire is a lovely course and the green fees vary form about 400-700, the latter figure on weekends. I don't know if they have leftie clubs, as the time I went, I had managed to borrow a set from a foreigner friend, so call ahead.

New Thai Army Chief Named

Gen. Prayuth will replace General Anupong Paochinda who is scheduled to retire at the end of September. While Gen. Anupong initially appeared uncertain how to handle this year's massive street protests in Bangkok, even suggesting new elections should be held, Gen. Prayuth, 56 years old, is believed to be much more willing to take a harder line if Thaksin supporters, known as Red Shirts, take to the streets again.

Continues:

http://online.wsj.co...3863739588.html

Wall Street Journal - September 3, 2010

Has anyone else ever noticed that they never give any career history in the newspapers when these appointments take place? Heaven forbid the public should be given the necessary information to scrutinise these guys. Google any of them and with very few exceptions, there is almost no hard information about them.

Talking to a senior policeman about corruption yesterday he voiced despair of any viable solution.

I mentioned a possible huge increase of a junior policeman's salary from 10,000 to 40,000 baht.

It's not enough, he said, they can probable make that now through various methods.

Only harsh punishment coupled with decent salaries will have any effect.

This is a great truth and should be implemented. Interesting to see the policeman actually had a solution. But the fish stinks from the head down and changes suggested like this would be welcome and real. Let's see if starting with punishment or the increased salary first will get the ball rolling - I would support this.

If they are making 40k now through various means, then the pay rise would mean they'd be making 70k - hoohaw!!

It seems like the only solution would be to sack everyone and start over.

This guy is in La La Land, delusions of grandeur, he needs help, then again,this is Thai democracy???

This is the sort of democracy where the defense minister makes the news by saying the rumours of a coup are not true - when there were no rumours in the first place.

What he said: "Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has voiced his readiness to consider lifting the state of emergency should the situation ease off,

stressing that the military has no initiative to orchestrate a coup d’état."

What he meant: Just in case you have all forgotten, the army considers it an option to have a coup anytime the government displeases us, so keep that military budget flowing, boys.

Can you imagine the reaction if the UK defense minister made a similar statement? It would likely be perceived as rather undemocratic that the subject of a coup is even on the table.

I saved it and then opened it in Lightroom and the fingers are more white - sometimes it is just the computer rendering that makes the difference. Not saying it isn't a fake, just that the fingers argument is weak.

If you check the date of this blog post with photos of other people (inc Bill Clinton) in the same room also with Mandela, who is also in the same attire as the Thaksin photo, one could conclude the photos were taken around the World Cup period.

That's not the same shirt Mandela is wearing, and the books behind the desk are in a completely different arrangement.

But I'm equally SURE that whoever chose / approved usage of the word "Terrorism" NEVER for a second stopped to consider that this single word would invalidate over 1000 insurance policies... costing the business owners... TWO HUNDRED BILLION BAHT!!!

Interesting thought and point.

But whatever if the term terrorism justified or not. I would be more worried about the situation where the authorities think about the money involved before they press some deserved charges. charges they came up with according to the existing law.

And an insurance company is just another form of business. They exclude terrorism for a god reason in their policies. To avoid the T-word just to make the insurance companies pay for everything means a loss of TWO HUNDRED BILLION BAHT!! for the insurance companies. They don't print the money.

If the T-word had been avoided there would have been other items in small print, like 'civil unrest'. don't feel too sorry for insurance companies.

Indeed... civil unrest is another invalidator that's in every such contract, as is royal demise. When a huge mob of people assemble and close down major sections of town with barbed wire barricades, it is what it ism regardless of nomenclature - you could officially call it a tea party and the insurance companies still won't cough up.

Wow, never thought this would be a new thing in the twenty first century. Lets go start verbal harassment toteachers, educational personnel, university staff, members of the Army, police officials or judges cause supposedly harassment is ok for this group and yet Benjawan is so proud that this is finally being implemented.

Only in Thailand where men are not created equal!!!

ARE YOU SERIOUS! What country do you ocme from?

In many countries where such laws have been applied in a blanket way, it is the men that are usually if not always the culprits transgressing this ambiguious law. If a woman in Aus touches a man on the bum, she was just playing, the other way round, it is sexual. The gender inequality is rife in all countries where these laws exist. Should this come into place here and not be closely monitored ofr gender equality, then well it is a road well trodden and the story isn't good.

Look at what these laws have done to modern civalised countries, and you will see that the people are no way near as happy as they should be. I don'know how this is going to make the Thai people any happier.

This is not as serious an issue as the level of poverty here, where a government official still usually earns about 15k per month, while the government heads, well the skys the limits.

Surely 206 bart per 8 hour day, with no government protection for job security is more important that a glance that could be misconstrude as sexual!

Legislation isn't necessarily about creating happiness amongst the general masses... But in the case of someone getting persistently harassed and having no recourse, such legislation can make a few people less miserable.

By the way, are you serious that in Australia you couldn't lay a complaint against a female employee for grabbing your bum? I doubt that somehow - unless Australian law really does have separate rules for men and women.

You know, men are usually the culprits in these new laws because the vast majority of such actions is committed by men. There are exceptions, but this behaviour stems from men bullying women and holding them down for hundreds if not thousands of years. Old habits die hard.

Well that leave a lot up to personal interpretation, for instance:

Third was sexual gestures, such as looking at others in a "sexual" manner.

Seems just about anything could be used as a complaint against someone you dont like.

Anyway how do you prove that 'she looked at me in a sexual way'

Exactly... This is not good news. Someone who doesn't want to be touched, yes I understand that. But these laws tend to bounce the other way dramatically where it gives the supposedly 'offended' a huge club to use however and whenever they want. Flirting is part of being human. It's natural and it's healthy and if it goes too far (in case man towards a woman), slap the jerk. Business attire for females usually includes some sort of v-neck top and a skirt, and beyond that they're the fairer species for a reason. Females don't look the way they do for nothing.

Get fired for what looking at or even flirting with what 6 billion years of evolution has coded us to do? F off. Go back to England or America if you like it like that.

Oooohh, sounds like some people came out here specifically to get away from such rules... Seems fair enough to me if the woman gets sick of some slobbering old goat in the office leering away at her, and making "flirtatious" remarks. If the flirting isn't mutual, it isn't flirting, it's harassment. By the way, '6 billion years of evolution' has also coded us to rape the women of rival tribes, but that is against the law too - in most countries.

It does seem to me though that the handbook should specify that the object (or 'victim') of the harassment should let the person know their attentions are unwanted before they go running to the boss to file a complaint. Fair's fair - the guy may be too insensitivew to realise he is annoying the woman and making a fool of himself, so should get the opportunity to sort out his behaviour without his job being at risk.

You know, when new legislation was brought in, a lot of guys in Canada didn't understand why they could get in trouble with the law for hooting at women out of cars at 2 in the morning "Hey baby where you going?! You need a ride home?!" They'd protest that they meant no harm - it was just innocent fun and further that the girls were stuck up bitches for getting annoyed by it. What the guys failed to realise was that it frightened the women, and also that they suffer this crap all the time and feel bullied by it.

And yes, there is always one woman at the office with an axe to grind who decides to start laying charges on everyone, but that soon finds its balance. People like that don't get taken very seriously in the end - nobody wants to promote them to their department because they are dangerous. In fact, in Thailand I think the hardest part will be getting any of the complaints taken seriously. There are some big shifts in mentality for most of the men here to understand how some of their behaviour might just be considered a bit abusive, not just "boys being boys".

Once my farang boss slap my bottom with a file. I think it was a friendly slap. However I felt quite unease, so I took the courage to tell him after 3 days. He never did it again, plus I got my promotion this year too. So, don't be afraid and speak up.

That's amazing Piengrudee - especially considering you are actually a farang man masquerading as an attractive young Thai woman.

Well that leave a lot up to personal interpretation, for instance:

Third was sexual gestures, such as looking at others in a "sexual" manner.

Seems just about anything could be used as a complaint against someone you dont like.

Anyway how do you prove that 'she looked at me in a sexual way'

I believe it is called "leering" and it is an expression everyone recognises, though difficult to prove without witnesses and multiple incidents. Laws are supposed to be based what is right, not on how easy it is to enforce them.

And I suppose now one have to preface one's blue comedy routine with "Hey! Who wants to hear a really filthy joke?!"

"in fact, the Thai Education Ministry has a massive annual budget"? Graft, not education is our department motto.

Yes the Education Ministry does have a massive budget, but the facts are that of each 100฿ of that budget only 2 or 3 baht ever reach the classroom.

Not that I doubt you, but where did you get this figure? Does the other 97-98% go to corruption?

Speaking of terrorism, looks like there was a bomb lobbed at channel 11 on Rangsit road... just coming on Thai TV now.

Rubbish article once again

Seems to me they finally dealt with the taxi touts/mafia.

Even to the point you can't use the elevator around door 8 to move your luggage cart up to departure level if you need to connect to a domestic flight. I guess it is to prevent the touts to reach international arrivals doors from upper levels!

As a connecting passenger you need to find an other way to get to check in level

I have to agree, the airport itself is a very well organised operation through my own experiance. Airports around the world are a rip off regarding food and drink as for people sleeping in Airports I don't think I have visited an airport where someone isn't asleep.

The problem regarding Taxi's is not the airports fault its the taxi licencesing authorities issue.

To blame the airport is unfair IMHO as its beyond their control.

Obviously you have never needed a toilet VERY badly at the airport and had to wait anxiously in a queue for a stall to clear... I begged the guy in front of me to let me go first or we would both have an unpleasant olfactory experience within the next thirty seconds.

The touts are out of their control? Since they are committing a crime, I don't see why they can't bring in the cleanest police they can find to bust these guys - oh wait, sorry, it is because the people in charge are being paid to look the other way. This tout problem doesn't occur in other countries with so-called "world class" airports.

The airport generally works okay as far as processing passengers, but the layout sucks... oh yes and then there was the baggage thievery that was going on for ages... I lost a phone from inside my luggage and so did a lot of other people. When I called to complain, I got ping-ponged between the airline and the airport authority, each claiming it wasn't their responsibility because a subcontractor handles the luggage. Hmmm... "nobody" was responsible.

Thais still want to live life as if they are in a soap opera

To be honest I haven't seen an increase in "BOIIING!" noises round my way

But their heads do make that hollow coconut sound when you hit them with a rubber mallet.

I do think it would be a great idea if everyone was equipped with a slide whistle, the 'boing!' device and a snare drum so people know when others are running away, surprised or have just cracked a very funny joke. So far, all we get are security guards with pea whistles so we can spot the self-important a-holes.

Given that 99% of Thais don't/can't read books then they instinctively react to anything visual they can relate to. Thai people believe, they feel, that what they are watching is 'real'. The 'acting' in these soaps is dreadful - over-exaggerated and stylised. In fact to Western eyes it's so silly it's amusing. But Thais hang open-mouthed on it taking it all in as if it was actually happening.

And then, having studied and learned 'how to behave', they respond just like the hammed-up actors on TV, shrieking and wailing and throwing themselves to the ground in fake fainting fits. I've seen this happen 100 times over the years in family situations and domestic rows.

The tragedy is not that the vast majority of the Thai nation like to see cameos of rich families on TV, but that they learn their roles from watching it, like kids modelling themselves on their favourite comic-book characters. Well - it's a double tragedy as the quality of what they are watching is pure pantomime in the first place. Amazing Thailand.

Perhaps it is the other way around. Maybe Thais have always been histrionic bad actors given to cat fights and screaming fits and the soap operas are imitating them.

Art imitating life imitating art imitating life...

Mr Viktor Bout is a terrorist because he sell arms to "terrorist" americans say.

Why not send Mr. Bush to The Hague International Criminal Court for the use of arms?

Agreed. Send them both away for the rest of their lives. But don't let one go because the other got away with it.

Let us hope he goes free. it would teach the USA a lesson. The US wanted to look smart by adding new charges (at least it shows that they have a judicial system on par with that of Thailand, which is only working for very rich Nationals). Now we may hope that it takes more than 90 days to run those charges it means he goes free.

Yes, I strongly support this point of view.

Thailand is an independent state and is not supposed to obey the orders from Washington.

And Thailand doesn't want to spoil diplomatic relations with Russia.

Good relations with Russia are very important to Thailand.

Either way, if Thailand plays the realpolitik game, they are taking orders from one or the other. So you'd have them abandon an extradition treaty with the US so as not to spoil their relations with Russia? The last time I looked, their relations with the USA were pretty important too.

Let us hope he goes free. it would teach the USA a lesson. The US wanted to look smart by adding new charges (at least it shows that they have a judicial system on par with that of Thailand, which is only working for very rich Nationals). Now we may hope that it takes more than 90 days to run those charges it means he goes free.

What? It will teach the US a lesson in trying every avenue to get a dangerous man extradited? How exactly does this show that their judicial system is on a par with Thailand's? You have got to be joking, right?

A few examples:

1. In Thailand, the equivalent of Bernie Madoff would never have gone to jail.

2. In the US, Moo Ham, the Mercedes Benz killer, would have been locked up forthwith, and would not have gotten away with hiding out in the hospital claiming to be suffering from some non-specified illness. In the US, if you sentence someone to ten years in jail and then release them pending an appeal, there are journalists (and procedures within the system) that follow up the case and publicise the perversion of justice, unlike here where it is just left to dry up and blow away from the public memory.

3. In the US, if a prominent politician's son shot some cop in a nightclub with several witnesses and then did a runner to avoid trial, it is far less likely the witnesses would all change their testimony (and could be charged with contempt of court for doing so), and the murderer would have ended up in the slammer - even if only on the charge of jumping bail. Declared innocent of the murder or not, in the US that charge would stand no matter what. But as far as the Thai justice system is concerned, he was "innocent", so doing a runner was okay.

And you want this (in all likelihood) savage to go free because it will "teach the USA a lesson"? Wow. (Okay, to be fair, he hasn't been tried yet, but there is a pretty strong chance he is guilty, and therefore should be held until guilt or innocence is proven.)

By the way, before any accusations of jingoism come flying in, I am not an American, and I'm generally very critical of the country, but your comparison of their judicial system with Thailand's was too ridiculous to let lie.

They would have been better off spending the money on trying to create a comprehensive transport system in Bangkok and beyond. They now have an old airport laying around, which seems to serve very little purpose. Still they know best and need listen to none but themselves

I think you should instruct them what to do. Seems like you know all about this.

Agreed. Why should normal people have any input or waste their time thinking up ideas for practical solutions when the decision makers have so many vested interests to consider?

Forget it - nothing will be finished without Thaksin. How long was the Airport planned before he got it DONE?

He got it done because he had a majority govt so was in a position to dictate where the kickbacks went a much more efficient setup than coalitions, who must bluff and negotiate, rebluff and negotiate some more.

It might be worth noting though that the Skytrain finally opened under the Democrats, a year before the miracle man bought himself the premiership.