JiveTalker

Less hygienic was the good-fortune ritual led by Sondhi Limthongkul, the powerful leader of a pro-establishment street movement — commonly called the "yellow shirts" — that helped topple the government late last year. On live TV, he announced that female followers had smeared maxi pads stained with menstrual blood on the monument of a 19th-century Thai king — all to supernaturally protect his faithful from enemy attacks.

He should be locked up for that. Insanity.

The followers will do anything they're told without question, pretty scary really.

I read the report and even for a Phuket faramg 'publication' it must have been a very slow news day to warrant any mention.

Not sure what your point is. This kind of inactivity from the police is exactly the kind of thing the local media should be reporting.

You'd rather they stuck to reporting on the booming local property business, right?

I know a new place in Thailand better than everywhere else. It's so secluded only 4 people know about it. It's cheaper than Chiang Mai and the beaches are better than Phuket. It has more nightlife than BKK but no pollution. There is no over development but Tesco and an international hospital are within walking distance. There are no foreign people living there but there is a great bakery and pizza joint in town. The women are the most beautiful in Thailand and none of them are bar girls or have violent Thai boyfriends. There are no soi dogs. PM me for more information. Have your credit card details ready.

How about a T-shirt with LOOK AT ME written on it in huge letters?

Sorry, scrap that, it's you that is after one of them.

I saw a few today too. Along with a Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT VR-4 in N. America) which I thought was funny as it's considered a poor mans Porsche. (Having said that I used to have a VR-4 and would rather again than a Porsche)

Hope they had the wet tyres on today!

Prices in Phuket bend both ways - while tuk-tuks maybe rather expensive, car and motorbike hire is extremely cheap compared to other countries in SEA.

By the way, maybe a mountain bike for hire business would do a roaring trade.

Not the point though, is it. Everywhere else in Thailand it's easy to find cheap metered taxis. These guys are not letting us have this option in Phuket. It's a problem.

The fact that people like this legally hold positions of responsibilty is the biggest problem in this country.

I wonder how many less accidents there would be on the roads in Phuket if people could use reasonably priced metered taxis to get about rather than having a few drinks and driving home? Phuket needs metered taxis and decent buses.

The word farang is an ugly word. The author of the article would do better at chastising users of a general discussion forum if he had chosen not to lump us all into one category with the use of a derogatory generalisation.

hi

i am coming from Samui to Phuket in a couple of weeks time for 3 or 4 days and am looking for inexpensive accomodation in the region of 600 -700 baht per night. ideally i would like to be within half a mile of the main beach and nightlife in patong, any suggestions?

thanks in advance for your help

Can get nice hotels on Soi Nanai (aircon, balcony, en suite) from 400 upwards. Just try a few along that road.

Seriously, stop trying to justify this. It IS a racist policy, and I've been to Thai national parks with Thai friends who have been utterly embarassed by the practice. I've told them not to worry about it, as I'm used to it, but they've refused to go in. I work here, have a Thai work permit but it makes no difference. Sure, there will be the occasional person who will accept the permit, but most don't. It's an ugly practice, and just be thankful that not everyone thinks this is acceptable; be it Thai or foreign.

Just because you have more money than others doesn't make it any less of an issue.

I have never read so much crap on TV. As someone who faced this every weekend for a living it is obvious not one of the posters has. I spent a few years working the door in bars and clubs in the UK and saw the same and worse every week. The guy got exactly what he deserved. To say it is the Thai way to sucker punch a guy is also crap. Do you think in a bar fight you tap the guy on the shoulder and offer to fight him according to the Queensbury rules ? EXACTLY!!!!!!!!

The Thais in a fight are no worse than any other country but people here like to bash the Thais at every opportunity whether it be this type of thing or getting ripped off. Try to remember what it is like where you came from please before ripping into the Thai's

An asshol_e is an asshol_e no matter where he is!

Every single bouncer I met was hel_l bent on violence and initimidation. Asshol_es are generally people that need to resort to violence because they are not intelliegent enough to consider the alternative. Enough said.

This guy is the biggest mug...'who wants it ?' hahahaha

English man gets beat down

What a moronic post. Violence is never the answer, and you're supporting a group of people punching and kicking someone clearly on his own and drunk. He hit his head pretty badly too. The answer would have been to escort the man out of the bar, that is the job of security.

Seriously mate, get a grip.

It's the low season.

My opinion...

Phuket. Patong is a dump but most of the rest of the island is stunning. Head to the north of the island for some of the most beautiful desterted beaches. Avoid the westernized areas and you'll find it not too expensive and have a great time. Pattaya is fun, great nightlife. Krabi aslo has some beautiful beaches and the local islands are stunning. Hua Hin and Cha Am I found a little strange, not really sure what they wanted to be. Koh Samui again has great beaches but is getting completely over developed these days. There are still a few nice areas though.

North of Thailand - Chiang Mai is ok for a visit I guess - obviously no beaches and fairly unispiring nightlife. Chiang Rai and Pai are better. For a real Thailand experience avoid all these places and head somewhere like Khon Ken, Naknon Sri Thammarat or Looi.

Always thought this forum would be a good place for a sticky thread about places with dodgy dual pricing policies. I'd like to know who does/ doesn't do it.

Fair play to the Phuket Gazette for giving it a shot.

That's the way it is. Take it or leave it. Nobody cries for you. All is lip-service. No farang, mai pen rai, sabei sabei, prungnee pop gan mai ru phao

Many are wrong to think Thais depend on Farangs. To the contrary. They can live very well without us. Not only certain circles of the elite question Western influence. Once a Democratic PM came back from abroad, saw all written in English at the arrival hall in Don Muang and said: Why is all written in English here? It is Thailand, all should be written in the Thai language...

That PM was one of the most popular, because of his reserved and polite behaviour.

Let's be serious for a moment. Many of the Thai people in Phuket DO rely on tourism to make a living. Hotels are cutting back on staff, reducing wages and some are shutting down or selling up. This obviously has a knock on effect to all those around, and many Thai people are feeling the pinch here.

Maybe you don't cry for the loss of tourists, but plenty of people do depend on money from tourism. I'm sure this is of no concern to you, but try not to gloss over what is a serious problem for many people.

Thanks.

A case of the pot calling the kettle black?

The other side to this story is PG refusing to write controversial or cases of misconduct by public officials or their advertisers, but the media that they are now castigating actually write about local issues, good or bad for the local image.

I thought the story was 'right on', like why should Thailand allow tourists to do things Thais would be arrested for? Good question, na? Hmmmmm, I wonder where Mr Somtamnication is from )

I think you missed both the point of the article and the point of the reply. There are many times over the past years when stories or issues have not made the papers (this is not the fault of the Gazette, this is a problem all over Thailand), so as not to affect tourism. This may be the first time something that has happened in Thailand has perhaps been overplayed by the foreign media, and the paper has felt the need to publish this bizarre apology.

Second story - Thai guy mutilated by his girlfriend, who sliced his member off after a drunken argument. The Thai guy will live, but is in a terrible mental state, as I guess anybody would be. The Gazette has decided to add a picture - to make light of the story - of some sliced salami.

Pretty crass, I reckon.

Worst grounds to visit, Old Trafford and St James Park. No atmosphere at all these days.

Ask any Brit, they'll confirm it.

The UK police force were told that they HAD to recruit more ethnic minorities some years back and so for a while were turning down more suitable candidates simply because they were white. The strange thing is that the PC crowd would not accept that this was reverse discrimination.

In the USA the PC crowd (including Obama) lobbied that the banks were discriminating against ethnic minorities by not offering the same mortgages as they were to more financially stable people that happened to be white. We all know what that led to.

I realise that my posts may appear racist to a degree, but I assure you that I do not have a racist bone in my body.

I'm a Brit. This "BRITAIN HAS GONE PC MAD" is a myth perpetuated by gutter rags such as The Sun and Daily Mail. Britain has not gone PC mad. Britain actually does a pretty good job of ensuring people have similar rights. Sure, there are examples of people going too far, as some people love to bring up, but there are many many more cases of minorities being treated unfairly.

Why do you think we needed more ethnic minorities in the police? Maybe it was because the police system in the UK was "institutionally racist" (remember the Stephen Lawrence case?) Something needed to be done to balance this.

Same in Phuket.

Maxnet TTT is not connecting to - Wikipedia, blog sites, few others. 3 days now. I will be changing provider as soon as possible.

Western or Thai education - almost all of it has nothing to do with 'Education'. And in that respect I don't see that the Thai education system is in anyway inferior to that of the west (Certainly the UK).

I wouldn't say that the thai education is in anyway- "inferior", however it's "less/lack of challenging"

A good education should be giving you more skills in reasoning and judgment in solving relevant problems in the future, and generally preparing oneself "intellectually" for mature life.

It is mainly the critical thinking skills, that is what I have found lacking most /or less of ...in the thai teaching system, seriously-

--comparing to the western education - generally speaking of course here

Just me

That's an excellent point. A side product of the almost absolute reliance within the Thai education environment for teacher centred learning methodologies.

I wish I could jest on this, but it's not warranted.

Here's an observation on the perceived idea of 'Education'.

I'm betting (one of those bets that can't be proved, but let the reader ask the question of them selves) that the older members posting here went to schools that taught them the three R's and then added onto that 'Craft Studies' - Woodwork, Metal Work, Design and Technology (probably restricted to the boys) while the girls learned Shorthand, Typing and of course Cooking and Needlework.

History and Geography will have been taught as facts to be remembered. (The very much older members will absolutely have been taught by rote)

Younger members might have had some of these craft studies but it is more likely that these were replaced by IT studies, learning how to use computers and various methods of using software packages - perhaps some software languages and maybe some electronics. Boys and girls no longer segregated.

History and geography are likely to have changed to more social and environmental focussed studies.

The point is, while you may regard your 'Western Education' as superior - it is in truth not much about education and a great deal about training people for the needs of industry and commerce. Very little free thinking and a great deal of 'we need factory workers - let's teach 'em the skills they need for a factory' - we need IT workers, let's teach them the skills they need to use a computer.

Most people in the western education system have been 'schooled' not educated - add the garbage of school league tables to this and it becomes little more than turning out a standardized product as close as possible to the specification.

Don't believe me - take a look at the curriculum of the very best Public (Private) schools - No lessons in turning out factory/commerce fodder - a great deal of emphasis on independent thought and absolutely no government testing for league tables.

---

Now there is another lesson to be learned here: We've had in the past old western guys complaining about the educational standards of young western people - [Griping voice going on about how young people these days don't know their 29 times table... or some such complaint.]

The point they miss is, the specification has changed - The 29 times table is no longer the required product. IT Skills are.

They old guy and the young guy have simply had different schooling.

Western or Thai education - almost all of it has nothing to do with 'Education'. And in that respect I don't see that the Thai education system is in anyway inferior to that of the west (Certainly the UK).

There are many reasons that the Thai education is seen as inferior to the Western education system.

• Severe lack of funding
  
• Schools are run as a business rather than an institution of education
  
• Corruption
  
• Non standardized tests
  
• Out dated curriculums
  

These are just some of them. I've taught here now for a number of years, and it's frustrating. The students want to learn, but are let down again and again by the government and administrations.

The original point about the level of English taught by Thai teachers is a fair comment. The level of English taught by these teachers is simply not good enough. The reason for this, again, is lack of funding. Older experienced teachers are moved on, and less experienced teachers are brought in on miniscule wages. Some of the government approved text books are shocking, and more and more students are packed into the classroom, 55 or 60 is not unusual. The students are taught parrot fashion, the teaching in the Thai school system is almost completely teacher centered learning as opposed to student centered learning in the West.

I know the schooling system in the West, and certainly UK, is far from perfect - but to believe that Thai students are afforded the same level of education as Western students - that's sadly not the case.

Me too, about 06.30 I could not download from BBC/CNN/Fox news. Can connect, start down load, then just stall, & timeout. Eventually BBC & CNN started download about 09.00. Fox still not even connect.

I read on another forum this may be due to a problem in Singapore. I had a look on the TT&T website but I can't read Thai very well! Seems to have been a bit better in the last couple of hours, but Wikipedia and others are still missing.

Anybody else experiencing very slow connection speeds this morning?

PST.

Yes. Been awful for a couple of days now. Haven't been able to connect to Wikipedia and some other random sites for 2 days. This morning I can barely connect to any website outside of Thailand. Very strange, and frustrating, as I need to be working.