JonnyF

Exactly. They had all the data and decided the rules didn't need to be followed (when they thought the cameras were off). It does indeed make you wonder if the pandemic was as serious as we were told and whether lockdowns actually did more harm than good.

Yes but if the workers are locked down, there is nobody in the factories to manufacture the goods, nobody to operate/maintain the machines, no drivers to deliver them to distributors, ports etc. Shortage of parts from China is a very real thing right now, and not just Auto parts. IT hardware also.

I'm well aware what you are saying. I am saying there is no point for you to keep stating the obvious, since nobody has ever suggested that you won't be allowed to wear one. The topic is about being forced to wear one.

Any teacher caught doing this should have their head shaved in public, then be sacked and banned from teaching for life. The shameful practice would end pretty quickly.

Nobody said you couldn't wear one. Wear a full Hazmat suit with WW2 style gas mask if you like. Just don't impose your personal choice on others. Personally I am over it. I've complied for over 2 years now and I'm sick of the things.

Yes, they do. I personally know at least 5 middle class office girls that were doing annual shopping trips to Singapore before Covid. The amount they saved on the goods more than paid for the flight and hotels so they considered it a free holiday. Middle class Thais tend to be very savvy about how they spend their money. Maybe you will meet some one day.

You're quite the argumentative one aren't you. Calm down, Calm down, you're not in a pub in Toxteth now. You can google "Luxury tax" if you really don't know what it means. It's the amount of this tax that is silly in Thailand. Otherwise, why would goods manufactured in Europe be cheaper in places like Singapore?

Why not remove these silly luxury taxes? Then foreign tourists will come here on shopping trips and spend a fortune in the Thai malls (and hotels, restaurants etc.), instead of Thais saving all their money and spending it on hotels, restaurants and malls in Singapore?

Very true. Like Biden a couple of days ago leaving the plane. Walked down the stairs on his own wearing the mask. As soon as he meets and greets the people at the bottom of the stairs he removes it. Or Trudeau, wearing it when in largely vaccinated Canada but not when in the largely unvaccinated Ukraine. Sturgeon, preaching how important masks are then breaking her own rules multiple times resulting in a police warning. Or my workplace. We all take a Covid test, all test negative and then back to the office where we all put on the masks again despite everyone in the office having a negative test result 5 minutes ago. It's pure theatre at this point.

You're biggest "mistake" was allowing people to vote, exposing how much you and your cronies are detested by the electorate. Given your anti-democratic history, illegal theft of power etc. I'm surprised you made such an elementary error. I can only assume you were delusional about your popularity. Now you know where you stand.

Unlike the Thai Police?

You seem incredibly supportive of the Thai police. I wonder how you'd feel if it was your wife/daughter that was attacked. Would you still be apologising for them releasing someone who confessed to not only this crime, but gave his motive and even admitted to other crimes as well?

The Burmese on Koh Tao retracted the confession. There was little to no evidence against them. Didn't seem to have too many problems getting the conviction. But then, they did a load of DNA tests in that case, didn't hear of any being done here. I wonder if they've checked his phone records, all CCTV in the area, her body for his DNA? His body for her DNA? I doubt it. Like I said, it depends on who is being prosecuted.

I am sure that his confession would have been enough, had they wished it to be.

There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding on this thread of the difference between criticizing the Thai rider (which I don't think anyone is doing but simply putting his achievements so far in perspective) and criticizing the Thai Politician who is exaggerating the rider's achievements for his own benefit. Same as Milli the Mango Muncher, I thought she was great fun and very entertaining actually, but I thought the Politicians attempts to claim that Thai 'soft power' was now being spread around the Globe were laughable. Anyway I've explained it 3 times already, can't be bothered to do it again ????.

If you're referring to "Eddie the Eagle", I can assure you he was far from second rate. He was at least fifth rate ????. He wasn't so much a national hero as he was an endearing figure who was famous for his lack of success, but yes he was thought of fondly, if somewhat a figure of fun. If you're talking about serious competitors in motorsport, the UK has produced some all time greats like Lewis Hamilton, Carl Fogarty, Joey Dunlop, Jonathan Rea etc. and currently have 2 drivers in the top 6 of F1. We also have the most F1 championship titles of any country, ever.

Not at all. Once again the point has gone right over your head, or maybe you are simply deliberately creating a straw man? My criticism is not of the rider (as you imply in your post) but of the politician trying to bask in the glory. Like I said, national hero should be a label reserved for people who have achieved great things, and not necessarily in sport. Throwing around such a label simply devalues the term. Winning a couple of motorbike races in the second tier of the sport is a good achievement and commendable, well done to the rider and let's hope he can progress to the top tier and do well there. However, labeling him a national hero is clutching at straws for a politician looking to bask in the glow of someone else's success, get his name in the news and whip up some nationalism at a time that the government is woefully failing the Thai people. I hope that wasn't too complicated for you.

OK, let me make it simple for you as it appears that your username is not intended to be taken literally. The point is whether being a second tier sportsman with some limited success makes you a national hero. Allow me to use an analogy. It would be like if I claimed that Ohara Davies is a national hero. Who is Ohara Davies, you might ask? He’s a pretty average boxer from the UK, not bad, but nothing special. Then when you question whether a second tier boxer from the UK is really a national hero, I retort “Well, he could beat YOU up”. It’s an inane argument. Real low brow stuff. The type of "comeback" I’d expect from my 10 year old Nephew ????.

I'm pretty sure a previous report said he worked in a government office or had some kind of government job. Can't find it now, but if so I suspect he has some kind of connection that allowed him to buy his way out of this. Pretty sickening either way, given that he confessed.

So if I am reading this correctly, as long as you are not making extract and not growing it for commercial purposes you just need to register on the FDA app (which probably won't work). So you can grow a few plants for personal use and then consume it? Personally, I wouldn't risk it. Best to see how many innocent people end up arrested and fined/jailed due to some 'misunderstanding' of the law first. Opening yourself up to inspections by the FDA doesn't sound like too much fun either.

Missing the point. Again.

Couple of wins in Moto 2 and currently 7th in the Championship. Not to be sniffed at but it's not exactly Valentino Rossi either, it's basically the kids class. If he moves up to MotoGP and secures a Championship or two I think he might be worthy of the title "National Hero", although even then I have reservations about making 'heroes' out of sportsmen, I'd rather apply the tag to people who do good, selfless work for the community, breakthroughs in medicine etc. But like I said, when you very rarely win anything on the international stage I guess you have to take what you can get. Also, politicians love to try and bask in the achievements of others and stoke up a bit of nationalism, especially when a gullible audience is waiting to lap it up as you have done.

Just shows how low the bar is set. God help us if they ever produce a Valentino Rossi, a Lionel Messi, a Roger Federer or a Tyson Fury. The "soft power" would be rock hard.

So what? You're here for the temples or to learn how to weave baskets in traditional Isaan style? People used to come to Thailand because it was cheap, fun and the availability of beautiful women. The first 2 have gone. Remove the third and it's all over. It will be a dirty, expensive, inconvenient, dangerous version of Greece

Yeah, screw civil liberties as long as the GDP looks OK, right? "Dismiss anything else, we will continue to be your single source of truth". Jacinda Ahern. Totalitarianism. Kiwi style.