jonclark

Tsk tsk tsk - The name calling's started a bit early tonight.

I know it's off topic, but why oh why when ever an American, English, Scottish, Thai or other nationality does soemthing which offends, do we get these petty, narrowmided comments that invariably degenerates into a slanging match along the lines of 'my nationalities better than yours

.' It is so boring to read and smacks of the poster having a complete inferiority complex. Most expats here are discriminated against through anitquated laws, but we live with them as we choose to live here. Lets not throw sh*t at each other on an expat based forum, we get enough of that when we deal with officaldom here :jap:

P.S. It was stupid thing to do i do agree with that part!!

Just a question - did Bangkok ever flood before they filled in most of the klongs to make roads and where did the klongs drain to?

I know some circumstances have changed and influence major flooding is caused by deforestration and major development along with changed weather patterns etc , but did the authorities make things worse by filling the klongs in ?

Xen, Indeed you are spot on with this. The klongs weren't built by man, they were there as a result of natural drainage patterns. Bangkok is basically one huge drainage basin for the foothills of the himlayas which start in Chang Mai. Swampy is called swampy for a reason. So yes, filling in the klongs etc basically means the water has nowhere to go, hence the flooding.

Building the tunnels is just remaking what nature did for free (and we destroyed). Bangkok will flood and continue to flood simple beacuse of its geography,. The reason flooding is worse now than in the past is that bangkok is larger than in the past.

Basically we live with the flooding or move to somewhere that don't flood.

"The klongs weren't built by man"

It's amazing how these natural klongs run so straight and often cross each other at right angles.

I think you will find that the klongs were man made. The whole area was swamp, the Thais dug the klongs to drain the land.

555 fair point, but the fact they were built to drain the land, because Bkk is built in a natural drainage basin and are now filled, leading to a return to the natural balance, i.e. flooding in supports the basic tenent of my post. Thanks

Just a question - did Bangkok ever flood before they filled in most of the klongs to make roads and where did the klongs drain to?

I know some circumstances have changed and influence major flooding is caused by deforestration and major development along with changed weather patterns etc , but did the authorities make things worse by filling the klongs in ?

Xen, Indeed you are spot on with this. The klongs weren't built by man, they were there as a result of natural drainage patterns. Bangkok is basically one huge drainage basin for the foothills of the himlayas which start in Chang Mai. Swampy is called swampy for a reason. So yes, filling in the klongs etc basically means the water has nowhere to go, hence the flooding.

Building the tunnels is just remaking what nature did for free (and we destroyed). Bangkok will flood and continue to flood simple beacuse of its geography,. The reason flooding is worse now than in the past is that bangkok is larger than in the past.

Basically we live with the flooding or move to somewhere that don't flood.

The PAD are nothing these days, they were even criticized by Kasit recently over their border stance.

....

The New Politics party is a joke as seen in the recent council elections.

So why "nothing" does manage the country / give order to the PM in such sensitive issues.

BECAUSE THEY HAVE STRONG SUPPORT above the gvt: in the army and in the occult powers who, indeed, run the country...

These people WANT war and they'll have it.

Woo Woo .. the occult's...woo woo, pibob's and all. Someone open the asylum doors? War is coming...woo, woo

:lol: Well said roadman

They (Thai government) cannot locate and keep track of the man nor his various bank accounts/transactions, internationally. He seems to travel by private aircraft but they cannot seem to have access to flight plans, etc. I wonder how the avenue of returning the excess monies which were held by the government, was found. Those that say T is smarter than those hunting for him, could be construed as insulting both parties. I would doubt that his where abouts is much concern to the majority of Thai's and less so to the rest of the world.

The admission they can't find him is an admission of complete and utter incompetence on their part.

According to the Nation this morning he was in Norway, having a meeting with the Deputy PM!!!!

So make yer frickin mind up - muppets!!!

So if they can't find taksin, anyone like to offer odds on the chances the BiB manage to track down my 5 year old red Honda Wave which was nicked a few days ago

And people wonder why Thailand attracts so many 'undesirable' foriegners.If they can't even track down Taksin this sends a crystal clear message around that globe that the authorities are unable to find their own backsides with a map so any foreign fuguitive will be perfectly safe here.

You could give these guys a try - We use them for all our science equipment and they ship wthin 24hours if you need it urgently

http://www.gammaco.com/gammaco/index.php

Hope this helps

And to think there was another thread running about Thais not understanding the common good.

If it is proven that people have clipped any compensation to those in need, it would nice to see if stocks can be put up in the villages and offenders made to face the wrath of the local villagers.

Couldn't agree more. The idea of stocks in the village would be fantastic

Distasteful posts and the replies to them deleted.

Thank You - Reminder to self - must not reply to trolls

Really quite shocked by this case, but more shocked by the numerous 'give him death.' posts Clearly this person is mentally unstable - to what degree we'll probably never know. But to demand death for a mentally sick person is unforgivable. Why did he stay in the apartment, was he in shock? Was he waiting for her to wake up? If he's KP it's possible he thought she might wake up and was just sleeping.

If he is full control of his faculties and this murder was premeditated then i'm sure the NZ courts will find a punishment which is suitable to the civilised world and not the rabid dogs of TV

So who sunk the ship?? Seems something is missing here from the story.

To all the Pattaya and Chonburi guys and gals, Its friday night, so how about giving this whirl and see how it works out,

Half a dozen pints down walking street, stagger into the 7-11 and say someone stole your wallet - see if they have any idea what your blabbering about. Let everyone at Thai visa know how it went.

Lets see how well this works (or doesn't) before we kill ourselves laughing.

As far as i knew 7-11 were franchise stores, so if this goes national does every franchise have to include this 'tourist assistance' in its training (are 7-11 staff trained anyway). If so who trains them and who picks up the bill. I'd imagine there are more 7-11 than police stations and nearly an equal number of staff.

Imagine being the poor PC who's job it is to train 7-11 staff in say Bangkok, talk about never ending.

The logistics of this make it almost impossible to do.

" Also, laws and regulations will be amended to increase transparency in the state procurement process, incentives offered to participating businesses, and mechanisms set up - such as the introduction of a public scrutiny and independent assessor system and "certificate of corruption free...... which can be provided free of charge for a small under the table donation

"..there are bribes being exchanged for police positions.."

Is there anyone in this country who didn't know this?

Seeing as so many people have strongly suspected this, I hope this policeman has the evidence and courage to name and shame those involved, to substantiate his claims and our suspicions. The PM and Police Chief need to show they are men of principles and support and / or protect this man. I for one don't give a monkeys arse whether the politicians are Dem or PT i'm just getting sick and tired of my tax money propping up a corrupt system and the Mia Nois of fat, aging, viagra popping politicians, whilst so many people live in abject poverty.

The usurper Abhisit is one of the more despised politicans in recent memory. He is not taxing middle income earners which is hurting the poor.There is no distribution of wealth anymore.Isan wants Thaksin back to correct the balance. If his proxy party does win he will come back. Why would he feel concerned for his safety? Everything/everyone will be arranged (payed off or disappear) before his glorious return at Ol' Swampy airport. Chaos reigns in LOS. Always.

Why should he feel concerned for his safety - (well apart from getting butt-f**ked in the shower when he drops the soap in the Bkk Hilton), as many of the top people here despise him as much as he despises them. You say the Abhisit is one of the most despised politicians in history, and that is correct, however you need to add the caveat , ..along with Taksin Shinawatra.. to complete your sentence.

Agree with most of what you say, but i think the downfall of this government, if it happens,might just be that they have been perceived as doing very little to persuade PT supports to vote Dem

IMO, the Democrats don't really need to do much ... PTP can't get their foot out of their mouths most of the time.

Once again we see the PTP threatening that their supporters will get violent if their demands aren't met. Once again we see that the PTP's main aim is to get Thaksin back here and him whitewashed of his crimes.

Very sad to see them threaten violence if something doesn't go their way. Not everybody wants to see this current government go away. Some do, some don't. And elections are planned. Just not in the timeframe they want...

I remember a few months back all the red supporters saying PTP was not about Thaksin...well...looks like that's what they are all about. Period. The rest of their "talk" is just a smoke screen for this action.

Indeed violence will not solve anything. but often it is the easiest thing to do. I think it might be a sign of desperation in the PT camp that they fear parts of their 'grass roots' base has been eroded away and this is all bluster and hot air.

My question always has been this. If were to make a government after the next election how would they deal with the violence and protests which would follow Taksins return. Simply saying we were voted in, therefore we can do as we please, is not democracy.

But at the end of the day, this all comes down to the rule of law, which very sadly for Thailand is non existent here. I will hold my hands up and say i ignore most laws, simply because everyone else does including those leaders who are meant to be am example to us all.

Perhaps Pheu Thai should do something for the people rather then using them for their personal gain.

If Sutheps landslide win is an indication of what to come should elections be held.

Up till now Pheu Thai leadership made many promises to the "grass roots people" as Chalerm likes to call it, but instead brought nothing but broken promises and problems.

Not to mention anyone with half a brain can already see through all the bull that comes out of Pheu Thai

Agree with most of what you say, but i think the downfall of this government, if it happens,might just be that they have been perceived as doing very little to persuade PT supports to vote Dem

Bit of a pointless excercise as most reds can' read. (joke)

But it does say a lot when freedom of speech is stifled through fear and intimidation. Even if you don't like what is being said. (and army generals tell people when they can and can't demonstrate).

The reds brought this upon themselves. If their protests were peaceful, then they would probably still be protesting and websites would not be blocked. This guys statement:

"There is no freedom. There is no space for us to express ourselves even though we chose to fight peacefully," he said in reference to the situation in Thailand when it comes to opposition media.

When did they ever fight peacefully? He's a bit off there....

True, the riots and violence were unacceptable (My wife's sister lost her mobile phone shop in center one when it was burnt down). But for how long do you use that violence carried out by a minority, as a reason for persecuting the majority. 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 10 years??

Just out of interest, has anyone ever read a copy of this magazine? or do we rely on the Thai, English Language media (the Nation) to spoon feed us our understanding of the 'red menace'. If not, how do we know it's as bad as portrayed??

Before people label me a red. I am neither red nor yellow, just an observer.

Bit of a pointless excercise as most reds can' read. (joke)

But it does say a lot when freedom of speech is stifled through fear and intimidation. Even if you don't like what is being said. (and army generals tell people when they can and can't demonstrate).

I think I've finally figure out the rational behind Thai Economic forecasting. Every time Thailand, Bangkok or another Thai city wins some obscure "best city" type poll, the government ups the growth forecast or tourist arrivals prediction for the following year.

So simple it's genius!!

Photocopying shop- I know it's not very glamourous, but a Thai colleague of mine quit her job to open a photocopying business in downtown Bangkok a few years ago and is now making 50K + a month profit with three photocopying machines and a couple of staff. She has contracts with half a dozen local companies and is well situated near a large local university. I honestly would put it down as a non starter but she is doing very nicely from it. She says she makes a 1/4 of a stang profit on every page she copies, obviously she made bugger all in the first 6 - 8 months (like most businesses). She also has no interest in protecting copyrighted books

To the critics, what would you have had him say?

Free beer if i win....perhaps

What gets me is not the the Bangkok Best City bit, but the fact that the TAT, government and various other government agencies needs this almost constant comforting, petting and reassurance from top ten listing and ranking agencies, who no one cares about, in order to feel good about themselves.

Makes me think Thais have an image problem

"On April 10, during a failed military attempt to clear part of Bangkok's historic district of protests, troops "fired thousands of rounds of live ammunition directly into the unarmed Red Shirt crowd," it says.

It cites the examples of one man whose brains were blown out by a rifle shot while carrying a Red Shirt banner, and a renegade general allied to the Reds who was killed by a sniper while giving an interview to a foreign reporter."

The only thing shot here is his own credibility. "Thousands of rounds" achieved one head shot at the time and another 33 days later - that one must have gone into orbit for a month.

Both shots require a degree of marksmanship, something severely lacking with the others fired that day.

Do those making the accusations actually have any evidence of that ' thousands of rounds of live ammunition' were fired'. Or is this Jatuporn demonstrating his mathematical prowess once again 5 = 50 and 1'000 = 1 million (red shirts demonstrating) Interestingly I wonder if they added the grenade / RPG / bomb attack on the army killing the commander as something to be investigated by the world court. Or perhaps feeling justifiably proud their handiwork, they omitted it from their petition.

The World Court will politely throw this out simply because if they accept it, it sets a precedent for any future demonstrations, in any country, which end up in a violent (and fatal) confrontation being forwarded for investigation by the WC.

This is simply the Reds trying to steal some of the limelight away from Mr Bans visit with the PM.