TomnearCentral

On a whole, the Red Shirts have initiated a completely new discourse in Thai politics, leading to rapidly growing political consciousness in previously politically apathetic sectors of the population, questioning all aspects of the Thai state. A modern democracy needs a political awakened population, it needs a culture of debate and discussion, and that was before the Red Shirts not existing, politics then being mostly a game of different elites and vested interests.

That does not mean that the Red Shirts are always correct, or that the political development process is finished, far from it - the Red Shirts are often wrong, and there is much more development to take place. But the gates have finally be opened also in Thailand. Lets see what comes out of it.

In regard to this topic, i do find it encouraging that most of the Red Shirt groups have put politics aside for the time being, and use their formidable networks in flood relief, even working together with the military (disregarding the uniformed blather of Thanong in the article that initiated this discussion).

I am sorry, but you really believe that this has or will change due to the Red Shirt movement? Are you telling us that the current leadership is not also a elite and is not "playing" a game?

And if anything, they "helped" to create a huge separation in the country between the two different faction that are right now the Red Shirt followers and all others that do not agree with them.

Just in my humble opinion of course

Once again... an avoidance of addressing the reoccurring sentiment voiced by ThaiOats'

They (the Red shirts) are accountable for any actions done by their people unless they admit that it was wrong and reprimand the people who've misrepresented them. Unless that's done, the negativity stays.

And once again - the Red Shirts are a multifaceted social mass movement consisting of many independent groups that are not under the authority of the UDD leadership, but are to differing degrees affiliated with the UDD. That counts for most community Radio Stations, Sombat's Red Sunday, the groups that were formerly under the now dissolved Red Siam, and many other small groups.

For you the negativity stays regardless, whatever Red Shirts are doing.

Maybe this has something to do with the fact that a lot of people (most importantly Thai and foreigner alike) really have great difficulties seeing all the positive aspects of the Red Shirt movement up to now?

Would you be so kind to just point out briefly a few of those major positive aspects of the Red Shirt movement? I and a lot of my Thai colleagues and friends have difficulties seeing those positive aspects that you mentioned and at least I would really appreciate it if you could highlight some of those to me so that I could better understand your position.

It is really unbelievable......

You could show some people Youtube-Videos of Red Shirt leaders promoting violence and the burning of a City, but they would still question if this really happened. Oh, wait....

Surely they were "Fake Reds" that did it.

Thank you for expressly demonstrating one possible explanation for the photo. It is hard to imagine people being so callous in a natural disaster.

And thank for "TomnearCentral" for clearly demonstrating how callous some red shirts are in a natural disaster.

For the sake of objectivity and balance, shouldn't your comment be "And thank for "TomnearCentral" for clearly demonstrating how callous some red shirts are in a natural disaster."

You wouldn't want anyone thinking that you are blinkered to any other possibility, right?

How do you conspiracy theorist explain this photo then? Also photoshopped?

Tell me which bit you want changing!

The white stickers on the boats please, thanks.

By the way, I can do that myself as well, but it would not look and be real. And I doubt that you could do a better job than me but please go ahead and prove me wrong!

How do you conspiracy theorist explain this photo then? Also photoshopped?

After ordering a few times already thru the Apple Store Thailand Website I can confirm that you will not have to pay any import duty (and your stuff should normally arrive directly from the Chinese Apple Supply Chain and not from Singapore). As far as I understand it Singapore is "just" handling all the billing.

One question for all the Germans on this forum,

According to the Thai English language newspaper we can not quote, Kasit has said that "The German government was pressured by one of its coalition parties from the southern part of [Germany]" to allow Thaksin to enter the country.

Anybody know which coalition party they are referring to?

I do not know if it is true what Kasit is saying, but the only southern coalition partner is the CSU (Christlich Soziale Union) from Bavaria.

Thai Airways are about 60-75% of that and people will do absolutely ANYTHING to get those jobs. I know a mid size public company in BKK that pays their COO about the same as that.

Let me get this straight:

Are you saying Thai Airways Cabin crew makes 60-75% of 14,000 Baht a month on basic salary? I highly doubt that...

And what is your basis for doubting that? please enlighten us with your insider information.

I do not have any "insider information". If I remember I did not claim that. I do however find it hard to believe that Thai Airways Crew earns less then 10,500 Baht a month.

If somebody can come forward with solid information that this is so I will obviously not doubt it anymore, but just saying that it is so does not make it a fact, or does it?

"Educated" people in Thailand (and surely you must be "educated" to score a job with Thai Airways) are paid more then that kind of money these days in Thailand according to my own personal experienced living and working here for a while.

You summed it up very good above and it is on days like this that I feel slightly ashamed to be German.

Either he is a convicted criminal on the run or he isn't. A "change in political situation" should not change the status of somebodies conviction...

Thai Airways are about 60-75% of that and people will do absolutely ANYTHING to get those jobs. I know a mid size public company in BKK that pays their COO about the same as that.

Let me get this straight:

Are you saying Thai Airways Cabin crew makes 60-75% of 14,000 Baht a month on basic salary? I highly doubt that...

If the OP is located in Bangkok I would definitely suggest to check out memorytoday.com at Fortune.

Great selection of RAM, helpful staff and good prices. Bought there several times already over the last few years and never had a problem.

If my memory serves me correct, the film has something to do with the subject matter, as they were pointing out in the the fact that the biggest and healthiest dolphins that they would catch during the herding would actually be sold at huge costs to zoo's and dolphinariums around the world. Most likely in this case to the one that is going to be build in Phuket....

I am against captive dolphin shows, however, I fail to see what the documentary "The Cove" has to do with the issue.

This film was secretely filmed in Japan and shows an annual slaughter of wild dolphins by local fishermen. They herd scores of the mammals into a bay, net them and then chop them up with knives and spears to obtain the meat. An entirely different matter to capture and training of the creatures.

This sort of over the top, misleading and dramatic arguement does not help their case against dolphin shows.

They may not realize it now, but they will eventually.

It is a sad day for Thailand.

I did not fell this sick for a very long time. Simply do not understand how apparently also a lot of people that you would consider "educated" voted for this circus. How can they forget that easily???

Only good thing coming out of all this is going to be that their dreams will soon turn in nightmares for a lot of people and that is when hopefully they will realized what kind of mistake they made voting for them....

As far as Yingluck, I give her at a maximum of 6 month and then she will disappear from the political arena...but PLEASE, let us all enjoy at least one interview of her on BBC Hard Talk or similar before she is gone, will you! ;-)

Isn't it ironic? The Reds feel like demonstrating and it is raining AGAIN!

Guess I will not have to be a genius to predict what kind of weather we will have tomorrow during the "million" man march....

Well, in theory of course a channel relocation is not a problem in itself.

However IT IS a problem when I come back after a business trip today and find that no channel about 95 can be watched, as I always get the message "Searching for Signal"....

After calling the great customer service at Truevision I was told that "there is a problem" at my Condo and that a service technician will drop by sometime this month!! Thank you very much Truevision!! Never mind that the Australian Open will start tomorrow and that I most likely will not be able to watch a single match because they moved the Sport Channels.

Anyway, we all know TIT, so what to do?!

Anyone know what nightclub was used for filming?

Well, that was the funny thing for me: They actually filmed those scenes at the nightclub that is really named Caribbean! I wonder if the club owners had to pay for this very good free advertising, as most if not all of the girls shown in the movie actually work(ed) there! ....So I have been told by a reliable source, not that I would ever frequent places like this...

Yeah right...that might be your personal experience, but it is not mine over the last 14 years driving cars in Thailand.

As I am sometimes driving slightly over the speed limit and as I would like to prevent to provide the boys in tight brown with any further donations, I am wondering if somebody could point me to a shop in which I could buy a Radar/Laser Detector? I tried already the usual search engines, but I did not come up with any really useful information, so any first hand advice would be highly appreciated.

...You need to prove that last year's audited revenue is at least of the same amount of the coming year's salary of the work permit holder. In case of a European, the minimum salary is 60,000 Baht/month (to qualify for a 1 year extension), so last year should have generated at least 720,000 Baht revenue (12 X 60,000).

Did they raise the monthly salary requirement? I thought it was 50,000 Baht/month and not 60,000 Baht? This is what I paid myself for the last two years and I always got the extensions. You got me nervous here, as my extension renewal is up again in three month!!

Sorry, I'm wrong here, it's indeed 50,000 for persons from following regions: Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, USA.

45,000 for: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan.

35,000 for: Other Asian Countries not listed, Central and South America, eastern Europe, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey.

and

25,000 for: Africa, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Do note that the minimum salary requirement is demanded by immigration when applying for an extension based on employment. It is NOT the same amount needed by the labour department when applying for your work permit, although they also have certain minimum salary requirements, they are more based on the kind of employment (aide, management function, production etc...)

Its interesting that you have Europe at 50,000..As MD of my company I was told by Immigration last year that it needed to be 60,000 baht per month..!! Has this changed? I am from the UK....

I am German, also MD of my company and had for the last two years a monthly income of 50,000 Baht per month and no problems obtaining the extensions at Suan Plu. At which Immigration were you told that it's 60K?

...You need to prove that last year's audited revenue is at least of the same amount of the coming year's salary of the work permit holder. In case of a European, the minimum salary is 60,000 Baht/month (to qualify for a 1 year extension), so last year should have generated at least 720,000 Baht revenue (12 X 60,000).

Did they raise the monthly salary requirement? I thought it was 50,000 Baht/month and not 60,000 Baht? This is what I paid myself for the last two years and I always got the extensions. You got me nervous here, as my extension renewal is up again in three month!!

In my opinion you would be cutting it to fine. If I were you I would show up around 5:30am. But then again, I do not like to be in a rush....

Anyway, what I really fail to understand as a Frequent flier is how I can clear the immigration (inbound or outbound) in Singapore in 2 minutes max (never had more then 2 people in front of me at any time of the day), but at our great new Aviation Hub I takes most of the times at least 20 minutes ("best" was 90 minutes!)?? Ah, wait.....they admit they do not have enough immigration staff now, after more then one year of operation. But then again, if they say that we should keep "45-60 minutes for immigration procedures" I might have been lucky until now

I just installed the new version on my win mobile device and the location feature IS working, at least in Phuket.

Great stuff!