christcourt

Lack of European tourists has nothing to do with tuk-tuks, rip-offs, or, anything else within Phuket, no matter how much some people would like to think it is.

It is all about nervousness about job losses, paying down credit debt instead of a holiday, the uncertain future of the economy and the bad exchange rate.

I couldn't agree more!! The exchange rate is a real factor in all this as the Baht strengthens against most currencies. The value of the Pound and Dollar has dropped over 30 % in three years so its no wonder people are looking else where. Add all the other bad press items like the Red and Yellow shirt brigades, doing there <deleted> in Bangkok its no wonder.

Does anyone have a list of these provinces under curfew?

Hi all,

Me to!! does anyone know what provinces?? I'm in Malaysia at the moment, but I am due to fly to Udon Thani on 29th May which is just over a week now. Then car journey to Sakon Nakhon.

Proof all over the net? What like all the factual information on this thread? Don't be silly 9/11 was real as is Bin Ladin and his band of merry men! If it was a conspiracy the attack on the Pentagon or one tower would have been enough to go to war and a staged failed attempt on Bush's life would also have done the job! Not sure what planet your on but obviously not the same planet as the 5000 victims and their surviving families. Your not even funny! LOL

Regardless of the above it triggered an invasion of Iraq, 1,000,000 civilian deaths, an Invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen?, Iran?, Missiles pointed at Moscow, Beijing, etc etc.. Seems to be a pattern here... hmm.. Anyway. Sorry for the O.T.

Partly why im scared by Thailand, will the military ruled west (what else can it be called? - Obama has increased the military budget!) allow Thailand to join its ranks ignoring civil rights for the global war against the big bad boogey men of the Islamic persuasion?

Now attacks near a judges house and on a relative of Newin's house

It will be interesting to see if any more comes out about information from foreign allies including tapped phones and if it is linked

Errrrrrrrrrrr White Russian I think you need to take you Pills poor man, as you are way off topic and nice to see "hammered" getting this thread back on track!!

I really don't see that the Government or the Army have anything to gain by starting violence. Quite the opposite in fact. I suspect that the grenade was fired by an extremist, probably Red.

But then again maybe Yellow idiots trying to make the Reds look bad in the eyes of the international media looking on.

Breaking news : my dog just moved outside...

That's bad!! Get a hold of the "Alien Assistance Bureau" for help and you hehehe

A word to the language critics....

If you can do better and have a good source available, please translate it and post it.

Thank you

ditto

regards Brewsta

Somebody already has!! But we get the message!! "there was a fire in a hotel in Krabi". If ever you watch a Thai Electrician doing a house wiring job just have alook yourself you'll see why!

TOT = Totally Obsolete Telecomm (company)

AIS = As If Service (were any concern of ours)

NTC = Naughty Television Censors

"Now I like this"

We'll never be entirely sure until they start flavouring it. Pull into the petrol station, get given a drop in a wine glass so you can swirl it about, have a sniff and a taste before accepting it or not. That's the only way.

Not taken yer tablets to-day have we!!!!!!

These Phuket posts always involve sleaze, or rip-offs by baht bus drivers. People in Phuket want to consider moving upmarket to a high class destination like Pattaya -

Nice one Pattaya eh! lovely place hehehe! But there has been a warning of pending "Crackdown" on illegal Foreign owners of bars so it seems the BIB are asking for help and got it from the FBI this time. I suspect this "crackdown" will continue as other foreign agenies check their files. The sex for sale was here before Falang arrived and it will be here when we're gone, as it's part of their culture and long may it continue.

I wouldn't say they were the worst, but they're certainly the noisiest. If more attention was paid to sound-proofing they'd go up in my estimation. This also applies to condos.

Sorry! I'll be more quiet next time !!!

We can only conclude that this is a very rare occurrence in Thailand. If the authorities in Amsterdam, Brussels, Madrid or in Santa Domingo would have to report these things, the entire local "Thai visa" site would have been filled with messages like this. In Europe, the US or Latin you will not find one but 30 people in a plane having this rubbish in their stomach.

The bottom line is that it seldom happens.

Dear me, you do delude thyself, don't you?

Well good to see the BIB getting it right for once!! It's sending a clear message for all who's thinking of "trying it on" through the Immigration at the Airport.

On another note! Drugs will be smuggled into All countries not just Thailand, but 'Mythbuster' please don't dramatise and I think you need to take a drugs test yourself "30 people in a plane" indeed !!!.

So this time when a red shirt puts a canister of petrol on a gas cylinder - we have reason to pull the trigger? If that is not an act of terrorism then Tacky is innocent! What idiots...

At least as war has been declared the grey area of legality of firing weapons is removed. I wonder what the poor Isaarn farmer will think when they cop a bullet? Was that worth 100 Baht? But like the dopey British in the Khyber Pass - at least the red shirts will make it less bloody to look at! I thought we reached the 21st century?

The British at the Khyber Pass had Red Coats I believe. And Red shirts far out number the Army and Yellow Perils. The so called war is a nonstarter due to the junior ranks coming from the poor, less well off. Lets Kick this Idiot into jail as the Red Coats I mean Shirts can do without this Bullshit. Another Yellow newspaper dribble, drumming up support for the Government to tread on the poor masses I think.

Someones been watching a TV and movies a little too much.

I been watching Silvesta Stallone shooting and blowing up a town!! Is that the same guy LOL

Red Shirts showing their true colours.

Well the Yellow Idiots started it all as I recall, now we have little headless hitlers going around stiring up trouble. What with the government dislike for Falang its only a matter of time before there's another coup and exidus of Westerners if its not already started. And all was quiet when I first came here 8 years ago or so it seemed.

BANGKOK FILM FEST SCANDAL

NACC to consider next move involving Juthamas : DSI

By The Nation

The national anti-graft comission will decide on how to proceed with case of Juthamas Siriwan, a former tourism chief whom has been charged with conspiracy and eight other accounts relating to Bangkok Film Festival in the US court.

Los Angeles court on Tuesday charged Juthamas, former governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand and her daughter Jittisopa for receiving US$1.8 million of bribes from film producers Gerald and Patricia Green between 2002 and 2007 in exchange for running the Bangkok International Film Festival and other tourism-related deals.

The Greens were arrested and convicted of involvement in an overseas corruption scam and were sentenced to be sentenced on Thursday.

The US federal prosecutors said Juthamas and her daughter were charged with conspiracy and eight other counts. Both can face up to 20 years jail term if convicted.

The US prosecutors also said the bribes Juthamas accepted were given both in form of cash and disguised as sales commissions of between 10 and 20 per cent.

Prosecutors added that the suspects opened bank accounts in Singapore and the United Kingdom to receive the corrupt payments.

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tharit Pengdit Thursday said the DSI has investigated the case and submitted the investigation results to the National Anti-Corruption Commission as the accusations were made when Juthamas still served as a Thai state official.

Col Piyawat Kingkate, who headed the investigation team probing Juthamas case in 2007, said the DSI coordinated with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in collecting the evidence.

In its investigation, Col Piyawat said, the DSI concluded that two offences were committed: bid rigging and the malfeasance of state official.

-- The Nation 2010-01-21

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

" and were sentenced to be sentenced on Thursday" who writes this stuff???

Thai's are just soo ignorant at times! No manners, whatsoever!

Excuse me? Did you say Thais are so ignorant and no manners? I'm not Thai but I call your comment foul, uncalled-for. For all I know Thais relatively polite people, wherever you go, inside the train, in the bus, everywhere, with few exceptions like this train incident where you based your inappropriate comment.

How long have you been here mate? 2 weeks?? Time will see you change your opinion on that especially in bkk.

Yep!! Totally agree, ignorant mostly comes from Bangkok just see how they drive around that place.

On another note hope the lady makes a total recovery.

They should remove them all - Zebra crossings present a huge danger to unsuspecting tourists and are quite simply lethal.

I couldn't agree more - they NEED to go. I used to stop at them, but now no longer do because of the danger caused by tourists now thinking they can cross whereas in reality motorcycles and cars will continue screaming past me... TOURIST DEATH TRAPS

I second that motion ,they should remove the Zebra Crossings as they are a waste of time, and the markings for accidents waiting to happen. On the other hand station traffic control police to stop the flow of traffic to allow pedestrians to cross. Then again "pigs will fly first" .

Try walking across a zebra crossing pushing a Tesco trolley loaded with cement blocks. Or alternatively a 12 foot length of steel pipe held horizontally. Might stop the average jerk. Just joking.

"Nar" yer not far off as you put yer life [and trolley] in your hands going over the Zebra crossing in Tesco's car park. Try the one in Pattaya!! I'm off to buy some concrete blocks .

RIP. Condolences to the family.

It's sad to see a human being's life was taken this way. Hope justice and Karma will prevail.

Very Sad indeed. Lets hope the police get an arrest soon but it doesn't detract the fact that another "old" falang is dead. It wouldn't surprise me [not counting road deaths] if a woman was arrested as most "falang" deaths in Thailand there's a woman involved. Well that's my baht worth, again Sad indeed.

Very Sad indeed. Koh Lan have water lanes for speed boats to drop off their passengers on the beach due to past accidents and counter the possiblity of such an accident in future and its still happening. Looks like this may have happened outside these lanes in open water. Never-the-less very say for all.

Didn't know Hungary had extradition treaties with Thailand... I wonder how many countries actually have? Any numbers and names?

According to The Nation, as reported on Wiki Answers (i.e. none of this is verified), "At present, Thailand has extradition treaties with 14 countries - the US, UK, Canada, China, Belgium, Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, South Korea, Bangladesh, Fiji, and Australia."

Obviously, Cambodia has dropped off of this list.

Nice one!!! very funny LOL.

Enforce the helmet law. A lot of head injuries are more than likely in those figures. See so many people just coming off their bikes.

Yesterday when I left my mooban, there were 2 police on a motorbike, they were headed the same way as me, once out on the main road 2 motorbikes, drivers not wearing helmets, passed right by the police and they didn't even bat any eye. Apparently the police only enforce the helmet law at check points only?

Yep!! That's right this sort of thing is normal if you go out side in the rurals of Thailand. Why? Maybe off duty, going to clock on, or going home, or to the bank to put their "tea money"in, But you never see them act alone but then again I don't blame them either as they might get run over etc etc.

"The law will be strictly enforced during the holiday period." So, what happens at other times?

And I can't yet work out what 3 times cheaper means....

Nar!!!!!!! I can't figure it out either .

'Clockwork Orange' <deleted>?

Some journalist thought it was a good idea to use a 1971 movie that only a small percentage of readers were likely to have seen to explain a sexual attack in Thailand.

As you said, "<deleted>".

These type of crimes (rape) happen all over the world. Why implicate Thailand?

Errrrrrrrrrrrr it happened in Thailand maybe.

So this means, and I never knew it was this easy; "original name" has was a warrant for his/her arrest. By changing name tags, we don't recognize the person because we can't get past the name tag? And therefore, they become invisible, or can't legally be arrested, because no one is anything more than a name?

Thai politics, aka ludicrous, that doesn't make sense either I gather. oy!

Reminds me of an article on the Bangkok Post last weekend by the title "Catch me if you want, but you don't want to, do you?" or something to that effect. The author provides reasonable arguments toward the claim that the Thai govt (the one that calls itself the govt now) deliberately avoids catching him. This story is in favour of that view...why didn't I ever think of it now?? makes a lot of sense.

I think ultimately Thai Gov DOES NOT want Takki in Thailand. Why? Because even he is not in Thailand, he can create such a damage in the Thai society already. If he is captured, put in jail, I can see a riot between the Red, yellow and other groups.

That's why Thai Gov. never pursue him, but keep him far away from Thailand.

Well well someone's got it right. If ever the Thai government Capture Takki and bring him home, the Thailand as you know it will self destruct. All you who call home here will have to flee to another country untill all the unrest has gone. Believe me when I say living up here in N.E they are passionate about Taksin and think he was wrongly convicted