SaamBaht

Hey Gang,

I was wondering how you all handle the smoke in Thailand and if there is a magical smoke free region of the country. I have really been feeling the effects. I have difficulty breathing and I'm having a hard time reading to my children because of a lack of oxygen. I do have air purifiers in all our bedrooms but they are a bit on the cheap side. Do the expensive ones really work? Does sealing the cracks and crevices really work? Those old wood window in our home are never really air tight. 

Any thoughts or experiences? 

Cheers!

Thanks...yes I keep the windows closed in my bedroom but our living room is quite large and we have open windows there. So I guess I could use one in the bedroom.

Cheers! lopburi...

Hello All,

We have squatters behind our neighborhood who burn trash, branches, leaves, and other rubbish on a daily basis. Nothing like the smell of plastic in the evenings.

I've asked the local police to speak with them, even giving them an envelope of cash to encourage them. Nothing has changed.  I was thinking of buying an Air Purifier for our living room and for my bedroom. Has anyone tried to use these devices to combat local trash burning? 

I would move but trash and rubbish fires are common most  places in Thailand. 

The article provides no evidence that Thailand agreed to any of this. Only that the Chinese guy said so.

I'm guessing the Junta is playing a little game here.

You're right. Nothing "agreed."

China is looking for strategic partners in the area since pissing everyone off trying to take over international waters throughout the South China Sea.

Hello,

Has anyone rented a car or truck for a one way trip. I want to rent a four door truck from the airport to Khon Kaen with a drop off in Khon Kaen.

Anyone with experience with this? Thanks!

According to all the news articles this affair has been going on for some time.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-palm-thailand-extradition-20150325-story.html

After you read the above posted attachment and several other website news articles you may come to the same conclusion I have.....

That being there was no kidnapping occurring rather it is very possible that there is extortion and black mail involved perpetrated by Shawn Abraham Shaw on Antonio Accornero because Shawn Abraham Shaw and his Girlfriend Dawn Pasqualucci learned that Antonio Accernero supposedly likes young boys and likes the Ladyboys.

I surmise Shawn Abraham Shaw and his girlfriend came up with a plan to extort money out of Antonio Accornero by way of exposing him as being Gay and or an active Kiddy Diddler and or a Ladyboy Lover....which they believed would seriously damage his reputation amongst the business community and his supposed high level connections.

I surmise the promised money to Shawn Abraham Shaw for the business they discussed was not forth coming so they tried to black mail Antonio Accornero and Antonio Accornero countered by filing charges of kidnapping using his high level connections to make the alleged kidnapping a criminal case.

That is what I read between the lines.

Cheers

It's refreshing that you use the word 'surmise'. Can you explain that word to the Dutch guy?

However, he's got such a tiny little boner for Americans, he might not understand.

So they are not guilty of kidnapping but blackmail.. refreshing.

You seem to misread my post I am against the american standard reluctance to extradite.

I am also against the torture allegations as there has never been a proven case of a Westerner being tortured in Thai police.

I am perfectly open to the evidence being flimsy and the case being kicked out on that ground.

Seems I now have something against Brits and Americans because i criticize them. Though I criticize my own countrymen just as much. (see previous link) Maybe you just don't like it when people don't agree with your country or countries actions and think that they are then against you or you country.. how about I am just against those actions.

That probably goes over your head but then again that is to be expected on a forum.

One reason the Americans may be reluctant to extradite is that many countries do not have the same openness in the justice system or general standard of due process. Whatever negative attitudes you might have for the Americans, their justice system, while not perfect, is open and you will get your day in open court with free legal help.

In Thailand or Italy or countless other countries, the whole process is very suspect. No one knows what goes on in a Thai court. In the states you can walk into any courtroom and observe. In Thailand the defendant would be lucky get his face in front of an impartial judge.

Currently, Thailand has no elected government, no constitution, and the military has all power. Whether it's in their interest or not, being that this case is not political, they can be influenced and then they can use that influence and the perps and victims would never know.

I am glad the US is cautious about extradition. And I'm glad they are vigilant about bringing accused criminals to the US to face real justice.

According to all the news articles this affair has been going on for some time.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-palm-thailand-extradition-20150325-story.html

After you read the above posted attachment and several other website news articles you may come to the same conclusion I have.....

That being there was no kidnapping occurring rather it is very possible that there is extortion and black mail involved perpetrated by Shawn Abraham Shaw on Antonio Accornero because Shawn Abraham Shaw and his Girlfriend Dawn Pasqualucci learned that Antonio Accernero supposedly likes young boys and likes the Ladyboys.

I surmise Shawn Abraham Shaw and his girlfriend came up with a plan to extort money out of Antonio Accornero by way of exposing him as being Gay and or an active Kiddy Diddler and or a Ladyboy Lover....which they believed would seriously damage his reputation amongst the business community and his supposed high level connections.

I surmise the promised money to Shawn Abraham Shaw for the business they discussed was not forth coming so they tried to black mail Antonio Accornero and Antonio Accornero countered by filing charges of kidnapping using his high level connections to make the alleged kidnapping a criminal case.

That is what I read between the lines.

Cheers

Nice deduction. Sounds much more plausible than kidnapping. I wouldn't trust the Thai justice system to get to the truth, however.

They simply must not turn him over. Even a foreigner would get refugee status over this with Thailand's current situation.

Typical American reaction.. hand us over anyone we want.. but vice versa.. no no no.

Real arrogant attitude.

I can still remember the Dutch people ticked in the US and extradited. The Netherlands should never again send anyone to the US untll they clean up their act.

So, robblok, you'd like to see a man turned over to a military dictatorship, where justice is cloaked in absolute secrecy? Yet, you take issue with accused criminals being sent to a country where elections, liberty, and due process are the guiding principles for two hundred plus years?

Are you aware how many U.S. Generals are fired annually? Bet not.

By the way, the victim in this case, the man who was supposedly kidnapped, didn't report the incident for more than forty days after is was supposed to have occurred. That's just one of the questionable facts in the case we might start dubbing the IOU Kidnapper, because the supposed perpetrator allowed his victim to walk free on a promise to pay the ransom later.

robblok, you are a piece of work, aren't ya?

I agree to send Swedish citizens suspected and wanted for crimes in the US to US if theres a guarantee that they wont get the death penalty. Even though I consider some of the American laws to be draconian and that US hands out unproportionally long prison sentences sometimes, by Swedish standards.

Im Swedish.

You're right about long prison terms, especially where the accused resides, in Florida, where life long sentences are dished out by the dozen.

Ok have to apologize to NS .. did not find him in any of the Pitbull posts. Thought I seen him there but I was mistaken.. but plenty of Americans there wanted him tried in Thailand and not the UK.

I don't think Americans are for blanket policies. If this man did kidnap this guy, then he should face justice in the country he committed the crime. But the facts of this case are highly questionable, and the military dictators should not be treated as democratically elected citizens. I would, however, caution the Americans when considering extradition to any junta or otherwise non-elected government.

But I'm sure the Americans are used to your kind of attitude. It comes with being top dog in a lowly world lacking in basic liberty and human rights.

They simply must not turn him over. Even a foreigner would get refugee status over this with Thailand's current situation.

Typical American reaction.. hand us over anyone we want.. but vice versa.. no no no.

Real arrogant attitude.

I can still remember the Dutch people ticked in the US and extradited. The Netherlands should never again send anyone to the US untll they clean up their act.

So, robblok, you'd like to see a man turned over to a military dictatorship, where justice is cloaked in absolute secrecy? Yet, you take issue with accused criminals being sent to a country where elections, liberty, and due process are the guiding principles for two hundred plus years?

Are you aware how many U.S. Generals are fired annually? Bet not.

By the way, the victim in this case, the man who was supposedly kidnapped, didn't report the incident for more than forty days after is was supposed to have occurred. That's just one of the questionable facts in the case we might start dubbing the IOU Kidnapper, because the supposed perpetrator allowed his victim to walk free on a promise to pay the ransom later.

robblok, you are a piece of work, aren't ya?

Letting students to get involved in classes may help, encourage them to be active in asking questions and not just sit there to scared to question teachers.

I don't know what kid is going to want to ask a question of a person they must kneel before. This whole respect thing in Thailand is such an barrier to learning. But it's not really respect but fake groveling.

As soon as I saw this headline....I knew it was The Nation. Been printing garbage for team yellow since 2004.

Sadly, some Thai Visa posters swallowed the bait and support the coup.

The Nation really is like an English language government paper.

Sounds like some of The Nation's writers work for the government.

That's right. Who wrote this? The Good General's secretary? Really who cares what Thailand thinks of US foreign policy really. With China asserting itself all over the South China Sea, the US has plenty of other willing buddies--even some of its old enemies like Vietnam.

While I would love to see a closer Thai/US relationship, it doesn't matter. Let the coup cycle continue until a bloody revolution envelopes the entire country.

I wonder how many yellows have LM attached to their crime.

Compared to how many reds have LM attached to their crime.

I don't think the result would surprise anyone.

The yellows are royalists and love the royal family and so I guess there won't be many cases as far as they are concerned so it certainly won't surprise me when many reds are left behind cell bars.

Commit the wrong crime and continue serving time!!!

On that front, reds not yellows committed arson so I guess it will be the same again. They should have protested peacefully and used fire to cook the dinner seems to be the overriding message here!!

Just as always - the reds got things wrong.

Another status quo-er trying to rewrite history. The yellows are not about the family but about hanging on to power. It has nothing to do with love of you know who. Besides, the disenfranchised, forever stomped on Reds love the country and all the family as much as the yellows do. They yellows just use it for cover for breaking the law and suppressing opposing views.

Nice try, though.

It was an invitation she just couldn't turn down.

An offer she couldn't refuse? ...the Italians have a word for that but I just can't think of it. A little help.

I find this very interesting. The PM of Thailand has been disallowed from going to the USA, while it allows an convicted criminal on the run from the law to go. The American law, as I understand it will not allow a visa to anyone that has been convicted in a court of law. It still allowed Thakisin Shinitawatra to travel to the US after he was convicted by the court for corruption, while his Brother-in-Law, was PM.

I believe the US realized that the conviction was politically motivated. The courts have delivered multiple coups in the past decade.

Do you remember when Samak got thrown out for hosting a cooking show? Those Thai courts are a hoot.

The current PM is a criminal and should be rightly barred from U.S. travel.

Anybody who still believes that there is such a thing as democracy in the US or other similar countries is very deluded.

That's a great statement that means very little. As much as I like to criticize the US and other Western nations, those politicians there have to work their asses off to get elected. It appears liberty and the right to vote are alive and well in the West but please do detail how it's all a sham.

I know it is difficult to put yourself in the place of those who struggle to make ends meet but there are dangers everywhere and for many, as evidenced by the number of children passengers on motorbikes, it is the only practical form of transport for them. Since Thais are Buddhist, they believe that if they or their child is injured/killed, it is Karma. In Texas, it is not required for adults on motorcycles to wear helmets. People are also allowed to ride in the back of a pick-up truck with no seat belts. It's called 'personal freedom'. I know many of you who grew up with 'nanny state' governments are horrified at the thought of someone having the choice of a less-safe option, but Nanny States are expensive; both in compliance and enforcement. In time, if the political thieving can be minimized, Thailand will grow more prosperous and can afford to force its citizens into cars. Until then, try to put yourself in the place of poor people whose options are limited by their income.

Yeah, it's a poverty issue for sure. These people can't afford proper transportation so they use what they can. It is so alien to see a family of four riding on a small bike but it's normal here. They should enforce strict helmet and traffic laws.

Thailand spends more money per child for education than any country on Earth. They spend very little of that on basic infrastructure and teacher development and training.

Part of one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Nice legacy, Sam.

"felt like punching a reporter for asking him a question he disliked"

And this guy is a PM???

As a matter of fact, no, he's not a Prime Minister at all. He just calls himself that.

Right. He's a general and generals are not used to disrespect of any kind, especially the kind that isn't.

Wow, how sad. I hope the Ambassador heals quickly. This could really scar a person emotionally. It's also sad to hear the North praising the attack.

Let's hope some justice in South Korea prevails and this sicko gets a long prison term. The last time he made less violent mischief he was given a two year suspended sentence. Let's hope that doesn't happen this time around.