tominbkk

Seems the defense would argue the knife was for cutting the bag straps... Just saying...

Watch the vid though, he is intentionally stabbing her.

Goodness I hope he doesn't just starve to death. What a waste to humanity that would be!

Because it dosen't make Thaksin a hero and he has no rebuttal other than a inane statement that has nothing to do with reality.

or because it is just the normal propaganda pushed out here which has nothing to do with reality.

"2012-05-18: Eyewitnesses have come forward in the case of slain Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi, his sister said today, ensuring that his case will be heard before Thai courts.

...

We don't have the man who killed Fabio. We don't have this kind of evidence, but until now we have general witnesses that can say, at that moment, the army were shooting… We haven't identified the shooter, but we have elements to think that the shooting came from the Army side.

Anyone dumb enough to be running around in a war zone must accept the consequences that their head may be disconnected from their body. He knew the risk and took the chance. Case closed.

Sorry to be disrespectful, not intended at all. But if you were in the middle of this, you would have known the risks involved. You take your chances, you get the consequences.

Absolutely. What about the redshirt guy holding his three year old boy above the barricade so they wouldn't shoot in his direction. What animals!

They're not used to free speech here yet. There are too many things Thais are not allowed to say, or in some cases think. It's all about moving the primitive ideologues out and letting freer minds run the joint.

Spot on!

I hope she apology to the Thai nation, Buddhism and to our KING (twice, because of the double width blue). Else, I am sure there are a lot of fanatic patriots in Thailand, especially the yellow PAD, and the multicolored TUL, will report such matter to the Thai police in an ALLEGED breaking the LM 112 law. If some nut(s) really do, then the police (or worst, the DSI, or even the Interpol) will have to investigate and bring charges. The penalty for each violation is 3 to 20 years, COMPOUNDING.

For me, I will just pretend that I have no knowledge of this event, as I did not attend the concert, and never devour any of her flashy white products.

I think you need to pull that stick out, it is making you much too uptight!

Decadent piece of trash....worse of all, this thing is influencing others, especially women that may regard her stage antics and behavior as acceptable. Spreading her social-perverted disease throughout the populace, all the while decent folk have to deal with the aftermath..scumbag. Go back to the depths of Hades that spawned you.

She's an entertainer, who goes for the outrageous. I suppose you were out there burning Bowie records in the dark at one point too, eh? Gaga stands for people to be able to be themselves, express themselves, freely. That notion doesn't bide well with sexually repressed homophobes such as yourself. I don't even like her music that much (though there are a few of her songs in my ipod's workout playlist), and wouldn't pay to see her, though might go if I was invited. However, I appreciate her drive, creativity, and ability to make billions off being fringe in a cookie cutter mainstream entertainment industry. the milk-toast yawnfest of the Thai music scene should be dying for some breakaways like her.

lady Gaga.... says it all, every more word about her/it/that thing is wasted time -

Ooh such hatred does not become you.

Personally, I think she is rubbish; a marketing ploy and nothing more. However, if the flag incident

She actually has a great voice, and writes some great songs (some, not all), and as well plays piano quite well. What happens to her songs in production as they are prepared for the mass market is something else. She is playing the game though, very much in the way Bowie expertly played the game.

Check this vid out. It's not perfect, but it's damend emotional and moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_GMgkcc2KM

Easy fix to this mess:

1. Any school that is caught fighting, the school is closed down for 2 weeks.

2. Any student from a school that kills or maims another person, the school is fined between 500000 to 1000000 baht per injured person/death.

This would immediately stop this nonsense. The owners of these school encourage this thuggery. The students are but pawns in their own weird game of chess. Hit them in the pocket and they will call it all off.

This has gone on the 20 years I have been here, every couple years a few of them kill or get killed, outrage ensues, but nothing is ever done. Same ole same ole.

At the mini mall by my house, out in the middle of nowhere, transgenders and those going in that direction run the Lotus Express. The beauty salon is managed and run by a couple Toms and their Dees. A massage place has a couple rather effeminate guys who appear to own and run it, a very popular proper foot massage place, not the other kind! All friendly, happy, socializing folks. I usually end up at that mall once day for one reason or another, have never seen victimization of anyone over the several years of going there.

Big Middle School right next to my village. Lots of effeminate boys walking with their 'girlfriends', looking very happy and gay, pun intended. Not being chased for their lives, not being victimized, but seeming to enjoy their status as one of the girls.

I believe this is the reality of everyday LGBT peoples in Thailand, from a local and for the most part non-Western area of town. People just going on with their lives with nobody bothering them. Makes for boring news though, so you won't hear it in the Nation.

it works fine but its rather useless, unless you have some kind of "right accent"

None of the thai names in the phone book ever work, also siri gets mixed up with numbers.

i am pretty sure though its something about the accent

If you want to go through the trouble, I think you can set vocal names in the phone book, e.g. you can set how a name is pronounced for a contact by speaking the name out loud, and after that SIRI will find those entries...

I can't find that option...do you know where it is?

Just use Android phone. there are a lot more options and their features are much better than Iphone. I have a Sony model Ray and compare to my wife's Iphone is a lot better phone and a lot cheaper

I have quite extensive experience with Android and IoS devices, phone and tablets included. I would like to know how the features of an android are so much better than an iPhone. Your vague comparisons do nothing for your argument.

In essence, how is this different from dropbox?

I'm probably thinking too simplistically, but why didn't they do a pilot project with, say, 5,000 students? Check tablets, software, student performance, e-curriculum, teacher/student/parent reactions to impact of tablets in learning.

I know I am very naive. It is much better to throw a million tablets at every student in Thailand all at once, much more impressive!

Friend of mine swears by it to set alarms and reminders.

Here's a battle with Windows Phone - be warned, it's brutal...

That was really funny.

Siri rocks!

In one scene the main katoey character is out at night in hot pants and tank top walking under a freeway overpass bridge, and starts taunting some drunk construction workers when they whistle at him, talking about how their toothpicks wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. Then when they beat him up nobody seems to care that he was strolling around under a bridge dressed the way he was and taunting drunken simpelton workers.

Sounds remarkably like the Coober Pedy scene in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Honestly I doubt that very many thai guys who can act straight are coming out to their parents though, this seems to be more of an idyllic notion in a movie than reality, but it is worth it.

I agree with all your comments, Tom, but I think the whole idea of Thais "coming out" is a bit of a Western concept and even then I think its a bit over-rated; I've never "come out" to anyone, as I've never been "in" - nobody ever asked (OK, twice in my life, in Thailand, and they must have been pretty dumb!), so I have never seen any need to raise the subject.

Same here, nobody here gives a shit what I do with my partner, as long as I act respectfully outside in public, just like straight people have to do to be respected.

In my early 20s I came out to my brother, and a few friends, but it was usually because I didn't really have a choice in the matter, I just had to come clean more than anything else. My mom outed me, by sneaking into my room when I was home for the summer and reading a couple letters I was writing to friends about my amorous exploits on my trip to Mexico. Man, that pissed me off! We made up quite quickly though and she never had a problem with it thereafter, though my dad took a bit longer to accept the way things were to be.

The scene in the movie is actually quite touching, and what I would expect you would find happen in some Western families. I just don't see it going on that way here in Thailand.

It's very simple : Thai drivers are ignorant , selfish, aggressive and for most downright moronic ..

If you randomly picked 10 Thai drivers , and got them to take a proper European style driving test, the failure rate would be 100 %.

They simply have no idea what to drive responsibly and safely means.

another thai basher

he may not like Thais but he does have a point. But I would say failure rate would be about 40-50%.

I was out a few times today running errands etc. Many teens, 13-15 years old, racing one another on motorbikes, no helmets and riding three to four per bike, making formations on the road that block all lanes. They were also getting pelted by big buckets of water, but I witnessed no spills. The last time out, about 6:00 pm, lots of drunk people getting pretty deep into the road, had to be careful not to hit them. Glad to get my supplies for my party at home and stay away from that scene.

On my three times out today I did not see one cop.

I played songkran in my Moo ban today in the communal park - good fun, they set out several barrels of water that they kept refilling, you bring your own water projectile device. I live in a mid to mid-hi so village, kids are respectful, we all had a good time dowsing one another. Much more in what I expect a 'traditional' songkran water throwing activity should be like. also, if you were not int he park, you were not doused. That ensured people could spectate without getting drenched.

I wonder if she will be escorted to these meetings abroad with her good pal from sansiri?

Something that struck me when I first saw this film (awhile back now)- is anyone aware how common actual support groups of the type portrayed in this film are out there in Thailand?

I think they are non-existant.

Well it was an OK movie, quite simple in storyline and character development, but charming in a Thai soap opera kind of way. Happy endings for all the main characters in the movie, in more ways than one! There's even one fairly sultry nipple licking scene towards the end.

I have worked in public and private schools, and have always found the katoey left to themselves. The gay guys are generally accepted within their peer group (of straight guys), if they are not overly effeminate or demonstrative in their sexuality. This movie's simplistic depiction of the katoey's plight leaves something to be desired. In one scene the main katoey character is out at night in hot pants and tank top walking under a freeway overpass bridge, and starts taunting some drunk construction workers when they whistle at him, talking about how their toothpicks wouldn't be enough to satisfy him. Then when they beat him up nobody seems to care that he was strolling around under a bridge dressed the way he was and taunting drunken simpelton workers. Even the boys who beat up the katoey character at school are really one dimensional and not believable at all.

Honestly, I never saw and never see any gay bashing at school here, like this movie tries to say is happening all the time. I find Thai boys and girls to at least be tolerant of their classmates. They may choose not to 'hang out' with them, but that is their prerogative. To tell you the truth, there have been katoeys I have encountered as an adult, whom are the noisiest and most embarrassing people, and who I wouldn't be caught dead being around. Just like I wouldn't hang around an obnoxiously macho guy or an obnoxiously slutty girl.

Nothing like in the states. I had two friends on different occasions beat mercilessly by young jocks who would bait and bash them (one got it with a baseball bat, was in ICU for 3 days). This was in the 80s, but I assume it still goes on there. Glad I live here!

Overall I would recommend the movie...the two gay guys, their budding romance, and family situations as they face 'coming out' is quite heart wrenching and as well heart warming. Honestly I doubt that very many thai guys who can act straight are coming out to their parents though, this seems to be more of an idyllic notion in a movie than reality, but it is worth it.