jonclark

25 minutes ago, hansnl said:

As if civilian run governments, all over the world, do such a great job.

That is hardly a good counter arguement. Because unsurpringly yhe huge majority of civilian governments do a far better job than any military government despite the huge imperfections in the civilian system of government.

If all of the civilian run governments were replaces overnight with military run ones. Do you think the world would actually be a better place? 

Guess there is no CCTV footage available from the myriad of cameras in that area then. 

Yup those boys at the BMA are on to a winner. In their haste ro beautify Bangkok to lure the tourist dollar they have oveelooked the fact that pretty much the entire working population relies on street food to get them through the working day. And we all know how much Thai folk like to nibble. Street food arose as a cultural reaponse to the Thai obsession with food.

 It seems that this dictate has arisen from another  Thai cultural feature of putting absolute dicks with  no understanding of the world aroumd them in positions of power. 

This will soon bw forgotten once the man or women who thought up this idea realises he or she will soon have to walk more than 50 yards to get something to eat if this plan is ever implemented.

It should be obvious to all that changing such and object in such a prominant geographical location is either a very very ballsy and brazen action by a small group of independent individuals. Or it was approved by someone very high up in the government. 

Designing, producing and installing said object clearly of the two options indicates state involement. And the silence from the state is very noticable. 

A historical rewrite as part of the reform process perhaps?

1 hour ago, Tarteso said:

Kuhn Han: Do you know what is the meaning of Patriotism?.
After all, the British capture of Gibraltar was an act of piracy by Almirante Rookes. Everybody knows and is written in blood in history books.

I wrote before in this forum, that after the Teatry Utrecht, The Rock belong to British Crown, but the sovereignty of the waters, are Spanish.

My point is, if you know what is the patriotic sense? Have you read how many times, in the last 300 years, the British navals warships provoked tensions in this waters and vice versa?.

Sir Robert Gardiner, Gobernor of Gibraltar said in 1856:
"What must be the feeling of all Hispaniards on this noble Rock, every times they look at the rock?". Can you imagine the feeling of British citizen, with a Chinese or Taiwanesse colony in English territory in XXI century?.

It does not make sense to speak in this forum, about the era of Invasions of countries like Spain did in Asia or America, or the English, French, Portuguese colonies in other part of the world. Or talk about why Spain have Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa. We should return these last to Morroco.

I insist, at IMHO, we are in XXI st. century, If our rules, are not able to get an agreement that benefits the two parties, we will not get you and me, in this forum, and we keep playing the pirates until one falls, it would be probably Spain. We are not warlike power, but PATRIOTS. This in my point.

Regards.

 

I just dont understand why we cant just all get along. The spanish and english have far far more in common than that which seperates them. 

4 hours ago, Gandtee said:

Who has authority to change the seals?

 

Now that is the question that authorities do not want asked. 

Clearly the production and  changing of the pegs has been planned and approved at what I am guessing is a high level given the prominent geography. 

1 hour ago, IMA_FARANG said:

 

In many ways, Songkran and how it is now "celebrated" is a representation of how far Thai society has deteriorated since 1977.

In my opinion, much of that is due to the adoption of non-Thai "western" values.

Just my opinion.

 

I think you are being quite selective here with "Western Values". There are a host of very positive western values

Equality or genders, religion, ethnicity and sexual persuasion.

Equaity before the law for all (now we needn't go into that one in Thailand shall we) 

Freedom of conciousness and expression

The right to an education

The right to live free from fear and intimidation

There are a great number of outstanding UN human rights conventions and protocols (mainly instigated by western countries) that Thailand really does need to sign.

http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/research/ratification-thailand.html

Songkran celebrations are a bit excessive and rowdy - But that is just because we are older, grumpier and like the quiet life. Give the youth their chance to be young, stupid and wildly optimistic. They have the rest of their lives to be miserable, pessimistic old gits. 

Section 397 should be given as a handout to all tourists on arrival. Perfect for dealing with jet ski / taxi and other countless scams and tourist lures.

Are we allowed to view/share/like this without risk of being classified as "followers" of a  criminal? 

41 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

What concerns to me is that they also want those who 'liked' post. So now you have say anything but by just pressing a button one is regarded as a 'follower'. This is very similar to what happened the other day with foreigners apparently charged with lese majeste crimes where Thai authorities maintained that by following (on the net) such people might break the computer law and could be charged and jailed. In other words this could be seen as a further squeezing of rights.

Well lets hope a couple of million click like. Those police inquiries into the likers should keep the udon police chief bogged down in mind numbing report wriring until he retires.

Thats the one flaw with prosecting likes on facebook. If a few hundred thousand click like the legal system would just collapse if the police follow through. An if they dont well their threats are just hot air. 

3 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

And so the total creeps ever higher. 79 dead in a single day is just horrific.What is wrong with Thai people?

The police, for once, have actually started doing their job, but the Thais have obviously not taken note of the call for safer driving at all!

I would dearly love to know how many of the dead over the last three days were travelling in the back of a pick up truck.

Every single one of those should be on the PM's conscience for backing down on the ban.

At a guess i would say the overwhelming majority of dead and injured would sadly be youngsters on motorbikes. Just basing that on the 80% ish who died suring songkran last year were in that bracket. 

I have noticed recently that there seem to be more new users on TV who are much more junta and police friendly in their posts than the usual TV posters. Seems to have happened right after the Nation took over control. Must be a coincidence? 

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

The buffalo is revered in Thailand so that means Khun Prayuth is also revered ....

Revered for pulling a plough...and now its been replaced by a tractor cause its better. Reverence is so fickle. 

15 minutes ago, losername said:

Then it's not tradition is it?

Traditions are a product of the times. They are organic and ever changing. If they fail to adapt to the increasingly dynamc times they become obsolete and irrelevent. 

Only diehards cling to the belief things were better in the old days. They were not. They were just more relevent. (And the diehards younger and more optimist to boot)

4 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

it is for the children, teenagers, low class and low educated adult thais and various foreign idiots.

 

educated, middle/upper class thais dislike and avoid what songkran has become as much as the rest of us normal people

I do love the smelly of good honest old fashioned snobbery.

I am sure the middle and upper class Thais are delighted that you speak for all of them. Their little farang pet springing to the defence of their sensibilities.a So cute.

28 minutes ago, jimstar1 said:

Pissed Up Prats No Brains

I though that was the correct way to behave during songkran?

1 hour ago, cloudhopper said:

Because credit brings consumption sooner than using retained earnings would otherwise permit. It is logical but not sustainable lol....most will  be 'getting it' soon too...

so if credit drives consumption which in turn drives debt. The solution is to drastically reduce consumption. How would that affect the national and international economics.

I am not an economist. But if all the countries of the world combined owe in debt more than their combined GDP (albeit at different % ratios. ) Then it seems that the entire global system is built on the principle of accruing debt.

I dont get how the world can owe more than it can produce. Its a man made juxtaposition that defies logic.

10 minutes ago, TerrylSky said:

He should have complained to the bus driver; the bus driver should have stopped and put her on the luggage rack on top. The woman is a impolite disrespectful well... you got it.... Farang.  

Racist and sterotypical claptrap. 

24 minutes ago, Khon Kaen Dave said:

Jon

read your post, i thought it rather a silly reply. Are you of the same ilk of this woman and do not think that it is offensive to do such a thing , considering its offensive in this country, And that you would find it ok to have the same thing done to you? What other things can you name that have been done that have been morally outrageous to the "natives " as you call them, i think that that is a morally outrageous term in itself.

A happy(if smelly) songkran to you also

I find the term farang outragous.. but i have more important things to worry about.

The fact you goad me with" of the same ilk as this women" (see my response above).

As for other morally outragous... things that forigners have done to Thais (is that acceptable?). Well those are very few and that kinda is my point. So getting all hot and sweaty (like the feet) under the collar is shows just how lucky Thailand if this the worst forigners do here. It is a rather trivial event tbh. The only thing hurt here is someones sensibility. No lasting damage. 

But i do know if a Thai has been shamed this way. The Computer Crimes act would have been whipped out and the poster would be up on degamation charges quicker than you could blink. Irrespective of the cultural intricacies here.

I reckon the french women ahould sure for him defamation given the amount of character assasination that has occured as a result of him posting his video.

Personally I am still trying to work out if it is the foul feet or the ethnicity of the own of the feet which has generated the greater or lesser proportion of the alleged outrage. 

Given the state of the problems the world is facing. If raised smelly feet is thw most morally outrageous thing foreginers have done to the natives they really have very little to complain about.

Peace and happy songkran folks. Stinky feet an' all.

There are times when the Police have my sympathy.

Having to deal with di**s like this on a daily basis. Now wonder they don't think they get paid enough!

Pull the other one its got bells on it. It Songkran - all the rich and well heeled are off on their New Year holiday. My bet is its the Maldives he's heading too.

Fully agree that those that damage the environment should be held financially accountable.

With that thought in mind how about making the locals accounta le for them vast amount of waste that they produce that damages the coral reefs and food chains. Or that not fair?