wandasloan

Yes, OK now. Hijacking in action, says something about that site's security.

Bluehost is a real company, and does not hijack sites. It might be lousy advertising control by the Nation, or it may be you didn't notice that (just like the Bangkok Post) an advert takes over the page you are viewing until you dismiss it - click the X or click beside the advert of something of the sort. This time of advertising is common. Another possibility is your ad-blocker and/or popup blocker isn't working as you wish it. There are other possibilities.

The one thing you are not seeing at the Nation site is Bluehost hijacking the site, because there's no such thing.

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If somebody becomes a member of an aggressive group he agrees to the group policy.

So when the leaders from the stage call for burning Bangkok everybody who does not leave this group shows their agreement and everybody who enters later agrees also.

Oh my. So as a member of Thai Visa you are a strong supporter of aggressive censorship without any recourse.

I definitely disagree with your dot-connection. I completely oppose some of Thai Visa's policies. I submit to them, however. That does not imply support, let alone give it.

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Whatever your political persuasion no one can deny that the coup has woken the slumbering pig known as the RTP. The law has returned to Dodge and most people are happy about that.

Actually not. The censorship of the media today means you learn a lot more about it than you did two months ago. When you can't report so many stories, then these very small crime stories make it to the top of the list at Thai Visa and elsewhere. In fact, they were always there, but deep inside the newspapers.

Before the coup, there were 1,600 arrests of these wood smugglers/merchants in 2014 - more than 300 a month. Today was just another day in the rosewood-arresting business. No changes at all.

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I agree with all of your post except where you put words in my mouth - again.

'I'm not sure I want to have the judicial system that you seem to favour'

Well, I apologise for that. That's not my right. But I'd just add to the unqualified apology for doing that - that what I assumed about fixes you'd like to happen is pretty much as you stated them in your own words.

So at least I sort of kind of put the right words in there. But I'll bear that in mind.

It turns out in the end we agree pretty much on everything in this limited subject, including "terrorism" charges. But what I see the problem (and there *is* certainly a problem or 12) with bail is that it is so terribly abused. Your Kalasin example is very well taken, a terrible offence against justice and indeed the security of the community.

But my claim is that it's not so much a systemic problem as a justice-applied problem. But on the other hand, the judiciary branch of justice is neither fearless nor incorruptible, and THAT is a systemic problem. For example, I don't believe for a second those policemen got bail because the system's flawed. But the fact that there are many places in addition to Kalasin where they might have got bail, that's a problem with the system, that judges are.... let's be non-libellous and say "susceptible".

this is good. Now do the same to suthep

It already has been done. Twice in one day a couple of weeks ago. And two or three times in the past four years.

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This is nothing to do with being partial or impartial. Veera obviously (except to some flea-brained souls) had nothing to do with the protests and violence which resulted in the coup.

It's just another example of a seriously flawed judicial system of handing out bail to those (& friends) that can afford to post the requisite amount. The system is only partial in the sense that it does tend to discriminate against the really poor.

This is a good post, worth repeating. So I did. Trying to conflate Veera and the recent street protests and violence and coup is silly. Veera has been tucked in every night of the past several years by the lovely Hun Sen. His case of alleged so-called "terrorism" has NOTHING to do with current political events, where by "current" I mean 2013-2014.

And while I might dispute this "seriously flawed judicial system" comment in some ways, the fact is that it *is* the system and what happened to Veera on Wednesday happened without regard to the current power holders. EXACTLY the same thing would have happened under the Yingluck regime and the Abhisit regime - exactly, not a smidgeon of difference..

We disagree on some things, though. The thing is that if you lock up Veera and Sondhi Lim and the Maha Chamlong and Jatuporn and Natthawut and all the other accused alleged so-called "terrorists" in order "to await trial", all you're doing is locking them up for life. I'm not sure I want to have the judicial system that you seem to favour, but if you want it, you'll have to tear down every single part of the current system, no exceptions, no stone or cornerstone or law book excepted. That of course won't happen. I don't really want the US or British justice systems launched here. I don't mind being vastly, hugely different from them.

Me, however, I'd settle for a little more actual justice for those "really poor" you mention quite correctly, because on that we agree 101%. I'm really not disturbed that alleged mass murderers like Abhisit and alleged inciters to violence like Suthep and the alleged so-called "terrorists" Sondhi and the Maha and Jatuporn walk among us, I'm really not.

But I am greatly, mightily disturbed by the injustice that put those infamous mushroom pickers in prison for 15 years, and a penniless man who sold one CD on the street in Bangkok for 5 years for piracy (!) and a boy on whom a policeman actually planted one ya ba tablet almost went to prison for 12 years until very important intervention in his case - but not in hundreds of others. There are certainly hundreds, probably thousands of such cases, and they really do bother me, whereas seeing the detestable Chamlong on the streets really doesn't.

I can live okay with a hundred murdering Abhisits being free but I am deeply, perpetually troubled by all those locked up without justice.

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So you believe all the arrests to be politically motivated?

And whose watch did the Karen activist disappear on?

Crime and corruption knows few boundaries. And being democratically elected doesn't make your crime legal.

Now as you love to Google, how many of those arrests have translated into successful prosecutions so far?

So you refuse to discuss your fictive statement. Nevertheless, it is 100% false, in both aspects of number and significance.

So, since you refuse to address the issue, like all readers, I shall have to draw my own assumptions about why you wrote that doubly false statement, what ulterior motives you might have had and have now, what made you attempt to pass it off, why you utterly refuse to amend or strike it, And so on. People make errors, people lie, people get paid to propagandise, etc, etc. And since you won't tell them, every single one of your readers in his/her isolation will now have to guess at your motivation. Some of the readers could possibly give you the benefit of the doubt, who knows?

The fox has carefully investigated allegations of a henhouse break-in and concluded the allegations are false. The missing chickens are assumed to be on holidays and the reports of "many feathers" and some bloodstains found in and next to the henhouse cannot be taken seriously. Case closed. The worldwide image of foxes is restored to "high regard".

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The big boys are always going to be harder to pin down. But this action, as long as it is maintained, is serving a warning that they can expect to be targeted, and hopefully it might panic some of them into making a mistake.

Oh for heaven's sake, these arrests take place on a regular basis. Even the Democrats, who get good money from most of these guys, arrest a few every month. The reason you KNOW about this major, big-deal arrest of a dangerous woodcutter is because it's one of the subjects that is allowed to be reported. Two months ago, two years ago, two decades ago, this story was Page 47. Now it's front page because what else can you fill up your newscast with? Actual news? Not more than once.

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Once again a company get screwed in Thailand.

Nonsense. In fact, the Official Thai Visa Junta Boosters Dependable Support Squad, in the original thread of this subject, made it completely clear that the honest, moral and just simply upstanding Royal Thai Army Team in Charge of Happiness would ensure that RS gets paid within this month. Any suggestion that the NBTC would be allowed to stiff RS was shouted down in organised sychophation as simply anti-coup propaganda more dangerous than making a sandwich.

Just a friendly reminder to watch your words around the OTVJBDSS. They take their support status seriously. If your post does not include a boost for the coup and its Dear Leader, obviously you are a subversive.

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Bail for a charge of criminal terrorism? Doesn't that strike you as rather odd?

On the contrary. Every other person in his case is on bail. Alleged so-called "terrorists" of the other side are mostly on bail, although not all. It would be odd if he were were incarcerated. Veera is an "also charged" person in this case anyhow, not one of the alleged so-called terrorist leaders.

Well you are not wrong but you're not discussing this case. First, it's rather difficult to blank the memories of millions of Thais and foreigners. But more importantly, there's no need to intimidate witnesses, just as there is no necessity to drop charges. Neither is at all likely.

It has been five-plus years since the alleged so-called terrorism. No one has been tried. It has been four-plus years since the other, red side's alleged so-called terrorism. There have been a couple of trials of scapegoats, rightly set free, but no one you have ever heard of has been tried. A few court hearings have been scheduled, but the defendants became quite ill the day before and the judges could not proceed. Nor will they..

There's no need to intimidate witnesses, although how you would do such a thing in these two cases is beyond my imagination.

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Good, out of the frying pan and into the fire, I look forward to his court case and hope it will be carried out swiftly and he will be back in a small cell soon....

Your current life expectancy will figure very, very strongly into what you look forward to.

Veera is one of several dozen people already charged with this. Some were charged as far back as 2009. There will be no "small cells" involved in any of these cases for a long, long time. One never says "never" in Thailand, but this airport case is very close to it.

how about just teaching children to think,ask a question etc etc.Most have no idea about the outside world.Maths is ok,you can be sure they know the value of a baht!

Because the morality classes "teach" students to shut up, listen and follow the advice of anyone older. And the morality teaching is being increased because patriotism.

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I'm sad to this. It's the second time in a week that announcements from public officials seem to be geared to please the powers that be, rather than suit the objectives of the particular body concerned.

You seem to feel there is a difference. You are not the only one but it is a lonely place.

The education reforms are working perfectly. No one important feels otherwise, from the Head General In Complete Charge, to the headmistresses of the small school in the far-off districts. Particularly pleased are the Head General, the head of Obec, the education ministry's pooyai and the teachers' unions. What is occurring in education is precisely what is wanted by them all. Sorry to intrude here with technical jargon, but "educators" refer to the current reforms as "getting a more secure snout into a bigger trough".

This is the huge mistake of almost all criticising posts by almost all Thai Visa posters, is that they feel for some reason that what is happening is outside the goal of the ministry/group involved. I haven't seen one development yet that was not a planned and wanted development.

For one thing, you should have read or listened to the Kamnan's speeches a little more. They were like Mein Kampf, gave away the entire plot. Those of you who supported the Kamnan, this is exactly what you asked for. There is no such thing now, and there will not be such a thing for a long time as doing the right thing. You have two choices - crudely put, yellow or red. There is no actual third way. If you're a proud yellow Thaksin hater, this is what you wanted. If you're a proud red buffalo Suthep hater, what you had before is what you want.

It hasn't and it won't happen any other way. So pick your side or just grimace and sit it out.

Once again the cynical brigade are in full voice, enlightening us all with their extensive experience in the LoS and "having seen it all before" No doubt you have seen many things over the years that have been disappointing and regrettable, I don't doubt for a second that you have seen many things that should have been prevented...

That being the case could we all please take a bit of a backseat and give the present government time to enact some real and meaningful change, both the UK and Australia have been struggling for years to modernize and improve their respective education systems. They started with half decent education systems but somehow successive governments (of both sides of the political fence) have managed to mismanage them, in some cases, almost to the point of collapse.

Do you really think this new government should have done more?

This present hierarchy are confronting issues that have been in place for generations, rampant corruption that has become endemic and institutionalized, an economy that has been systematically plundered for many years!!!

Please give them a break and take a chill pill, from where I am sitting the intent and progress seems genuine, time alone will tell whether it will be lasting.

Have a great day

The five stages of a dictatorship.

Stage One: Enthusiasm.

Stage Two: "Give them a chance"....

As you move into Stage Three and progress towards State Five, this could be classic.

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I don't have the answer to your question but that is disgraceful and, surely, not acceptable in any educational establishment.

It is against the law to touch a student. The parents who did not report this to the police are not fit parents.

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From what I understand the shrimp industry isnot the only industry using slave labour. I read somewhere a while ago where a squid fishing boat simply threw its slave crew in the ocean when tey feared they were going to be inspected for using slaves. No crew no slaves simple huh. I also read where some foreigners were out boating near Phuket and came upon a Burmese man in the water who claimed, the skipper of the boat he had worked on threw him overborad raather than pay him his wages.

Gee. Um. Yes, there are many, many industries using slave labour including the supply-a-nanny-to-a-Bangkok-housewife industry. The fishing industry overall may use the LEAST slaves of all the dozens of industries that enslave migrant workers, Thai workers and others. The sex industry, the garment-and-textile industry, the maid industry, the service-station industry, the restaurant industry are among the biggest. Probably THE single biggest industry using slave labour is the canning-and-packing industry, especially fruit canners and fish (tuna, squid, shrimp, etc) packers.

Almost no slaves are used on shrimp boats, largely because there aren't really any shrimp boats so you would notice. Tuna boats and general fishing trawlers use slaves, but in tiny numbers compared with the businesses above and many, many other businesses.

That US report on Trafficking in Persons is free, you know. It's ever so helpful in getting a handle on the problem, how slavery works. There are other excellent sources as well, including the UN and many NGOs for starters.

GIYF here, it's ever so well documented.

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Anyway, there is nothing to worry about at this point. All games beyond the round of 16 will be televised for free.You're making it a bit of a big deal here really.

Well okay then!! I hope fervently you are right (the "nothing to worry about", not the World Cup, I could care less but probably won't about the World Cup). While I'm hoping, I shall continue my planning in case you're wrong.

In the meantime here is your well-earned Smile Your Way Through Life Award:

but ... but ... but

"After the agreement was made, the condition was that RS must broadcast every World Cup match on channels 5 and 7."

Just from my sharable supply of 16-bit wide characters

Same question really: Do you think that RS, realistically, has access to any legal avenues to contest what the "independent" NBTC is currently charging? Feel free to use LOTS of that fungible Ascii (or not, your choice), because in my opinion you could write a lengthy article on it.

The reason I say that is there now is a triangle. At the top is the NBTC, bullying all. Just below it to the side is the junta, madly trying to claw some traction in an already announced campaign to make the NBTC accountable, and losing badly. Third side is RS. Of course the public, which put up that half billion baht for a few football games, had, has and will have no rooster in the fight. But out of the three that are involved, what's your opinion about the LAW here? Is there any law at all? Or just guns?

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1. Do you think RS has legal rights in this case, at this time? Not really clear what you mean. Please elaborate before I can give you a yes/no answer.

Some are arguing that since there is a coup and since there is no government and since the NCPO says (brags/admits) it "suggested" that free-TV of the World Cup be arranged, and since there was no public negotiation and since the TV Pool was not involved and since the NBTC has refused to give details of its payment and since there is no public transparency such as the *alleged* promise by the NBTC to spend public money on this private company... then RS seems to have no legal rights at all here. Do you agree with that view, some of that view, none of that view, etc?

And if you don't agree with it, could we know how you conflate the "independent" NBTC with the military "suggestion" that something happen - and it almost instantly did happen after six years of nothing at all happening?

To put it another way: If RS felt somehow aggrieved - it didn't get its money within 15 days from now, or it didn't get all its money, or it has been put under a military order not to discuss the deal, something like this - do you feel RS could launch a credible lawsuit that the courts would consider? Or do you think the military authorities would "suggest" RS not do that or the military authorities would "suggest" the court not consider such a case? Or do you think some third something else?

And of course you are not restricted to yes/no, the ThaiVisa poster is not your mother. It's merely my feeling it would do. It's your personal Ascii supply; use it as you will.

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This is a key moment for the regime. They will stand against this petty, multi-billionaire group - or they will continue to fold in fear as they have done since their first day of seeming to confront it.

So far, it looks like the NBTC is going to stare down and prevail over the regime. One still hopes for a comeback. If this military regime is in charge, at least let it do some good. The NBTC affects every person in the country - every TV watcher, every phone user, every internet customer and a lot more. If it's not brought to heel now, it never will be. Now is the time, general, to show you're more than a populist handout artist and that you actually can fix broken things. The NBTC is a monster enabled by the military Dr Frankenstein, so it's only fitting the doctor should fix it.

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The approved budget for education for the 2014 fiscal year was 460,075.2 million baht, i.e. 460 billion. And now they go to 504 billion. And that, according to the educators is a 4.5% increase.

heh.

That sure says a lot.

Obec's long-term mission is for education reform...

Well, isn't that precious? You want to see some change? Rub a lamp.

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A few appointed MP's are good for real democracy if they are for small minorities that are not represented in Parliamnemtt I remember in Sri Lanka we had 3 apponted European MPs for the large European community. Thailand could have a few for unrepresented hill tribes etc.

Yes. It is certain that hill tribes people are unable to vote intelligently, because they are hill tribes. People in Bangkok should choose their representatives in parliament, because the idea of a constituency including hill tribe areas where hill tribe people would vote for their representative is absurd. One man-one vote has its limits after all. Also Isan. And the North area, people there should be "guided" in who represents them. And the deep South, they can't possibly think they are capable of voting equally with real people. Bangkokians and the people of the near-South, they should be allowed to exercise their privileges as generally superior and able to vote, so long as candidates are carefully vetted before the polls.

Come on guys, this is not an adult only website.

I'm quite sure it is. And should be treated as such, too.

How will he keep up with the payments in prison ? Sounds counter productive to me.

Beat me to it. I was going to ask what they will do to him if he fails to pay the owed money.

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