jonclark

Thailand should encourage these worthless scum - they cause lost tourism income and shame the nation. It means more poverty, more suffering, more pain in society which is precisely what they deserve.

Who's taken the jam out of your donut mate !! Wake up on the wrong side of the bed did we?

Only Thailand has rip off taxi drivers and tour operators?

Obviously not, but this forum is about Thailand.

I'm amazed at all the strong feelings expressed about how terrible these programs are - and I fully agree - but no one mentions the solution? I mean what's the point of being the "rich farang boss", in a country where the man of the house is supposed to be the boss anyway, if you don't control what's going on in your own house?

I've been the head of three households involved with raising children, and haven't allowed broadcast television in any of them. We have a monitor hooked up to play recorded videos, so that the adults can control what the children see. The only choices presented for the children to select from are more or less educational, and certainly don't feature violence or traumatic drama.

I have occasionally permitted staff/girlfriend/wives to have their own TV hookup, but only in a private room, nowhere I or the children would be exposed to it, and the bill's paid for out of their own personal spending money/wages and only to be viewed when they're off the clock.

And the kids are in bed with the lights out by 7:30pm

Spot on Big Johnny, don't blame the TV channels if they produce sh*t. All TVs come with an off button. Parents should use it more often.

Just to add my two cents worth, you said your looking for brand names - At both Patpong and MBK you'll only get copies of the brand names and the quality you'd expect from a copy, although some are better than others.

If you want originals then look at some of the more reputable stores like at Central world and Central, prices reflect the 'originality' of the product.

I'd always recommend JJ weekend market, but it is huge!!

The fact that the current government is the result of a coup d'etat by the military is not a good beginning to reform a country that has such a turbulent history. The Burmese raiding the Thai capital and making Thais move it two times after the Sukhothai period. Thailand raiding of Angkor Wat and annexing territories in Cambodia resulting in 13 new Thai provinces. Opening the doors of Thailand to the Japanese to setup concentration camps and army bases on Thai soil. From the times of Suriyothai Thailand has been at war within itself or the neighbors. That creates a special mentality favoring intrigue, corruption and military might as viable means of governing. Today's Thailand is a consequence of its history. Why then is common knowledge that positions in the military can be purchased? Why at the lowest level we know that bogus traffic violations are easily fixed with the right brand of "tea money"? Why is the charge of Lesse Majeste used as a way to silence the voice of the people? Why no one is clamoring for a true in depth investigation into the assassination of Se Dang? It would be a dangerous assertion by the elitist minds to dismiss it as non important and/or sweep it under the rug. Why a 16 year old, without a driver license, drives her car in to a mini van causing and accident that kills 8 people and walks free and the parents are not held accountable? These are merely the symptoms of a corrupt and dysfunctional state. Why the elites governing the country care more about Bangkok than the rest of the country? Because in this megalopolis live about 1/6 of the country's population. Rome understood this equation very well and gave the citizens bread and circus to keep the city-state happy. But the provinces rebelled and eventually the hegemony of the metropolis crumbled and in time the total demise of the Empire followed. This parallel illustrates the lack of balance between the ruling class favoring the city in which they live and govern and the rest of a country that feels forsaken. For as long as the status quo continues, there will always be another Taksin taking his place and the same dynamics will remain extant. It is only too easy to blame a fugitive ex PM as the root of all the ills that affect this lovely country. The causes that produced a Taksin and an Abhisit existed for centuries before them. One thing is for sure: the masses, the majority of the population is feeling increasingly restless. The writing is on the wall. I only hope and pray that the powers that be read it.

perfectly right

good post. bang on the money

One of my friend is pro yellow and even told me that to have a correct country thailand should apply this principle: for each 1 millions baht in your account you can have 1 vote...less than one million...no vote...

This is democracy

Would that apply to farangs as well - hell , we could end up running the country !!!

Having read this, I'm beginning to think that some members of the PAD are on crack. The only reason they object here is because the french lawyers are french. And to this bunch of xenophobic zealots that is simply unacceptable. If the lawyers, were Germany, Dutch, British, American etc. they''d still use the same excuses / accusations against the government. PAD grow up and embrace the world.

over a year later, with an election pending, a Human Rights Group from the USA decides to throw their hat into an already busy ring

do they really think they are helping?

what about the rights of the current (not dead yet) folks here whos rights are going to hurt by this groups inflaming of an already RED hot situation

could they consider the timing of their self promoting dramatic report thats likely been pushed in to the current arena by the moron Robert Amsterdam

maybe we should ask them for a comment in Human rights terms about the murder of Bin Laden and the murder by Nato of Gaddafi's son and grandchildren

what about their rights?

i expect they will have a sympathetic word for them too

they should Brad Adams on a plane immediately, tell him to mind his own business and revoke his visa permanently (if he has one) isn't what he is doing considered working?

the world would be a much better place without these overpaid, sanctimonious, holier than thou dickheads passing judgement on world situations from the comfort of a high rise corner office to justify their own inflated wages................

Sure, it's much better to just ignore the abuses of BOTH sides....Reds rampage and black shirts...but also army firing in a wat (sure this will bring them a very good karma) and killing people....It's amazing how people who are involved or take side for red or yellow tends to say > yes but look here in the world, they do worse.....please admitt that the army has abused its firepower by using smipers and real bullets....

the deaths were the fruit of the same tree

no illegal violent protest

no army involvement

no deaths

no human rights issues

no problem

the reds came to Bangkok looking for trouble

they got what they wanted

so they should stop whining about how poorly they were treated whilst they were trying to seize power during the red revolution

they lost, man up and shut up............

Ahhh how refreshing, the voice of reconciliation and reason, nothing like extending the olive branch to your enemy

This naive gullible tragic man was a victim waiting to happen right from the very beginning when he first arrived in Thailand.

Yes, I agree and that is the real tragedy here, is that in order to stay here you need to view your fellow citizens with great suspicion, and always be vigilant. A truly awful story and one which shows the ugly side of the country, the impotence and corruption of local police and the jealousy of the few.

Would i be stupid in thinking that as the students are getting tablets (should PTP win) then the teachers will be taught how to utilise the tablets in a class room environment.

"Pheu Thai expects .....that every student can gain access to e-books, he said."

Kids have gotta learning to read first dumbass!

And I sincerely hope that it is not you teaching them Sir.

So do I !!!

"Pheu Thai expects .....that every student can gain access to e-books, he said."

Kids have gotta learning to read first dumbass!

Seriously nice gimmick, schools are in desperate need of teachers and basic facilities, not tablets <deleted>

I wonder if you started selling calculators in Thailand that gave incorrect answers, how long would it take before someone noticed?

What, you mean you never noticed this???

good joke;

Ha Ha...and why do Thai calculators always give a higher price than most other calculators?

Because they are made by the same company that makes taxi meters !!

I guess we can all expected shortages of other products as well cooking oil then...

To be expected, more people alive today than ever before, each person requires, land, food and water and unfortunately these are all in a limited supply unlike our ability to reproduce.

Simple case of the finite vs the infinite.

Please don't call me Farang, I have a name! Once again two faced Thai's.

Just out of interest, if a Thai person calls me a Farang, is it rude if I call him a Thai?

For example a Thai person calls out - Farang, come here (farang ma nii) and I go over and say what do you want thai person (Aow a rai kon Thai?) Would the use of Thai be consider rude, if so why?

Basically "chump change" in the great scheme of things. This figure should be a lot higher

That's not thought through very well as Thailand is still a developing country and is bordered with other developing and under-developed countries. Visitors from those countries couldn't possibly meet higher financial requirements and are essential to the Thai economy.

At the risk of being chastised for racial profiling. Congolese men do not come to Thailand to to visit golden orbed temples or stay in beach hotel resorts.

Neither do the vast majority of Western males that engage in sex-tourism and other illegal activities.

Vast majority? I find that hard to beleive...

Agreed Issanben. I think the majority of western men here are not sex tourists

Billions and billions wasted while people continue to live in absolutely shocking poverty and several untouchable families horde great sums of wealth.

Indeed, those Billions would make such a huge difference to the millions which live on the poverty lines, job creation, debt reduction, especially for many state hospitals, education opportunities and development would be far better causes. The Thai miliatry is in desperate need of structural reform, less generals, more transparency and accounability.

Wealthy Nations must pay - well that's most of Europe and North America out of the equation then - Good luck getting any cash out of China, India or the Middle Eastern countries

Thailand: GDP: $ 8,700 (2010 est.)

China:----GDP: $ 7,400 (2010 est.)

India:----- GDP: $ 3,400 (2010 est.)

UAE:------GDP: $40,200 (2010 est.)

USA:------GDP: $47,400 (2010 est.)

UK:--------GDP: $35,100 (2010 est.)

Germany:GDP: $35,900 (2010 est.)

From: https://www.cia.gov/...world-factbook/

Let the dollars roll.........

LaoPo

Thailand has a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than China - Holy Cow!! They must shift a lot of rice and shrimp.

Think those figures are a bit wrong [GDP includes all of private and public consumption, government outlays, investments and exports less imports that occur within a defined territory.]

Thailand GDP $ 263.77 billion

China GDP $5.04 trillion dollars

:jap:

Wealthy Nations must pay - well that's most of Europe and North America out of the equation then - Good luck getting any cash out of China, India or the Middle Eastern countries

Of course its april fools, 60 year old men don't marry 18 year old women to get round immigration laws. They do it for the sex! - Duh

A awful article - Poorly Translated

Title - Ministry to impose maximum tax rate on spirits. (suggesting it has been decided)

Body of text - " his ministry is considering imposing the maximum" and "the Excise Department is studying the feasibility of the tax increase." and "his ministry will come to a conclusion on the policy as soon as possible" (Suggesting nothing has been decided)

Now we know why they want those 300 English Teachers

My god this is a hilarious thread - Which accent is better US / UK / Indian. It's not the accent that is the problem. Its the quality of the teacher and ultimatly that teacher quality is a reflection of the standards expressed in the syllabus that they teach. And therein lies the giant white elephant at the center of this whole issue.

Thai schools (in gerneral) if they have an national standardised English syllabus (which is very unlikely) are very bad at explaining the learning objectives and expectations to their hired foreign staff. Most of the English teachers i know, as well as the major agencies which supply english teachers, however well intentioned, make up the English syllabus they teach in the school. Sure they may have books, but standardised test, expectations, learning outcomes Nope.. The result is that the teaching of English is highly fragmented, disorganised and when one teacher leaves, the "syllabus" is completely reinterpreted by the next teacher and the students are left perplexed, unmotivated and completly confused.

If you are a supply teacher in the UK / US and you go into school for a day / week / month, you don't make it up as you go along, you follow the national syllabus / curricula. Do any English teachers here (Native speakers) do that. Can any native speakers tell me the objectives and standards they are required to meet. Other than 'make the students speak'

Throwing more money salaries might attract a better qualified teacher, but as the syllabus is so weak for English converstaion and English teaching in general, more money doesn't equal better results. As the old saying goes - you can't polish a turd. Which just about sums up the state of the national English Curricula in Thailand.

I have found that the 8, 10, and 14 year old students all have very good written English knowledge. The need is not to teach basic English but rather proper pronunciation and diction. That is where the problem lies with having so many different dialects of the language presented to these poor kids. And in the case of American vs. UK English, there you have two different languages altogether. So if these students have a UK teacher one year and an American the next, they will have to spend the first month unlearning what they learned the last year, not to mention the difference of hearing UK as opposed to American spoken language. I think it makes a HUGE difference where the "native English speaker" comes from. That is not spoken with a racist overtone, simply reality. If you listen to 5 Americans from different regions talk you would get confused on the meanings of some of what is being said. Now add to that the native accents of India, Philippines, UK, Australia, and the USA and what will these students ultimately take away from their time listening to all these different ways of saying what is already only gibberish to them?

I will assume you have or are a teacher. If so what is your syllabus re: English conversation?

The problem with centering the case around accents being easier to understand is that it is a very subjective case. Person A may find an Southern American accent easy to understand, whilst person B does not, but finds a NY accent much easier. this subjectivity is reflected in the teachers who invariably feel their accent is best as it is such a personal thing.

A national syllabus would include a section on correct pronunciation, so that the teachers understand the expectations for the MoE in terms of what they pass on to the students irrespective of their nationality. As opposed to the current jumble that exists with teachers making it up on the fly based on their own subjective accent.

My god this is a hilarious thread - Which accent is better US / UK / Indian. It's not the accent that is the problem. Its the quality of the teacher and ultimatly that teacher quality is a reflection of the standards expressed in the syllabus that they teach. And therein lies the giant white elephant at the center of this whole issue.

Thai schools (in gerneral) if they have an national standardised English syllabus (which is very unlikely) are very bad at explaining the learning objectives and expectations to their hired foreign staff. Most of the English teachers i know, as well as the major agencies which supply english teachers, however well intentioned, make up the English syllabus they teach in the school. Sure they may have books, but standardised test, expectations, learning outcomes Nope.. The result is that the teaching of English is highly fragmented, disorganised and when one teacher leaves, the "syllabus" is completely reinterpreted by the next teacher and the students are left perplexed, unmotivated and completly confused.

If you are a supply teacher in the UK / US and you go into school for a day / week / month, you don't make it up as you go along, you follow the national syllabus / curricula. Do any English teachers here (Native speakers) do that. Can any native speakers tell me the objectives and standards they are required to meet. Other than 'make the students speak'

Throwing more money salaries might attract a better qualified teacher, but as the syllabus is so weak for English converstaion and English teaching in general, more money doesn't equal better results. As the old saying goes - you can't polish a turd. Which just about sums up the state of the national English Curricula in Thailand.

An admirable attempt, but still lacking the one thing that is needed throughout the entire education system, A modern curriculum and syllabus for the kids to learn from. Not antiquated, half arsed worksheets or textbooks which lack factual information, formative and summative testing which examines both skills and knowledge, and most importantly national guidelines and standards.

As it stands what syllabus will these new teachers be implementing is ...make it up as you go along. As usual big headline but <deleted> all substance.

The DSI should only be given jurisdiction to cover crimes when special investigation methods were required, or if crimes involved complicated technology or wrongdoing too complex for the police.

In an nutshell, then anything involving technology beyond a broken calculator or a task what an advanced 4 year old could figure out will be passed on to the DSI