mikebell

2nd short circuit story in one day. Is there a rogue electrician operating in this area?

I thought police schools gave lessons in short-circuiting such trivia as exams; traffic rules and the law?

Can't say I blame it. There are 7-11s I never visit because of their pet guard dogs.

Sigh. All those Enid Blyton books gone up in smoke.

The two aims are incompatible. 'Driving whilst in possession of a white face' was always a red flag. When Pattaya still had a police force I was stopped twice a week on average at the same check-point.

Another Thai authority stating the bleedin' obvious as if he'd invented the theory. Why else would civilised countries set the standard at half that of Thailand?

Let's celebrate! Every year on my return trip from UK I surreptitiously smuggle in as many roll-on deodorants as I can carry to off-set the ludicrous prices charged by Thai supermarkets.

Time to dust off the controversy over all the restaurants built illegally over the beach at Walking Street?

Or, in a nutshell don't breathe. No mention of stopping illegal burning; taking off the road all black smoking vehicles unserviced for a decade or so?

Does this include the delay in announcing the results; the missing ballot boxes; the allegation of vote-buying; the multiple political parties all with no agendas other than to get rich; the politicians not turning up for work and jumping from one party to another? Oh and the army staging yet another coup?

Was this a fire in one room?

I got them all from TPB. The actor who plays Shrike seems to have only half a leg in real life AND an operation to fix a hair-lip.

Yet fires are burning plastic daily; convoys of speaker vans are holding up traffic; car exhausts are ignored by the two cops on duty. New slogan for TAT - Get Your Lung Cancer Here.

Part of the problem is down to contractors and their inability to do the maths. Vast quantities are over ordered for a job then left lying about until someone succumbs to temptation.

What a ludicrous sentence for such an innocuous crime. How does it compare to that given for driving a car drunk and killing a cyclist or pedestrian ... or policeman?

Not sure if this was recommended here but FIVE series of BBC detectives by Galbraith AKA JK Rowling. The Cuckoos Calling; The Silkworm; Career of Evil; Lethal White; Troubled Blood. I watched episode 1 of the 1st series & was hooked. Downloaded all the others in about 7 minutes from TPB.

Somebody knew who his father was.

It would appear the MPs have already dissolved it by not coming to work. How would anyone notice if it was dissolved?

Mafia dislike competition.

You appeared to suggest that the article was only relevant to Phuket and not Pattaya.

You're right, I have a jaundiced view of Thai police; I hate bullies and believe you can judge a country by its police force. I was waiting at a U-turn when two tearaways without helmets/license ran into me at 90kph. The scruffy cop who shambled round 15 minutes later decreed I was at fault as I had emerged from a minor road to cross Sukhumvit. His report, all in Thai, showed my vehicle jutting out into the main road. I refused to sign it. My insurance agent said if I didn't the casualties would not get class 1 hospital treatment, so I signed. (He was later replaced.) After months of mental turmoil I paid out over 100K for lawyers and victims; (on a frozen UK pension.) There have been two other incidents where police have used their 'discretion' in dealing with family incidents. I live here because my son owns a restaurant in Bangkok. I am generally happy with my life. As a professional writer I enjoy composing. Every one accepts Thai police are bent on an almost daily basis. Unless people (like the Taiwanese actress) make a fuss, nothing will change. Presumably you have no problem with corruption?

Enjoyed being with my family but seethed at how they were regarded as prey by the locals. As the song goes, 'It's nice to go travelling, but it's oh so nice to come home.' Thanks for asking.

Bolt is not allowed on Samui; don't know about Phuket.

Been in Pattaya less than 20 years and been ripped off three times. My wife extorted out of 17,000 as the bent Sattahip cop threatened to make my next year's visa 'very difficult.'

Well said. Just back from a week as a tourist on Samui where my family were exploited every single day by the taxi mafia; even the taximeters had no meters. We will not return. To my knowledge, ONE taxi driver in Pattaya has been fined in the last dozen YEARS!