wandasloan

First off, I am an American, who has been living in Thailand for 9 years. I served in the US Military and have owned 1 firearm, which I have only used for shooting at targets, never at anything living.

Excellent. And a very readable and entirely true post. Thanks for both.

I just want to point out that the United States has more gun violence, no doubt about it. But every country has its unique problems. And just to pick a non-US country at random, you will not see all these headlines in ONE DAY in the United States, either, as you saw one day this week in the randomly chosen country:

I can't imagine anyone on this planet who loves guns more than Americans. Not all Americans, of course, but a good number. It's truly part of the culture. If you want to upset certain Americans, suggest taking away his guns. Them is fightin' words!

As for Thais, I've only met one or two who even own guns. And it's almost never talked about with most Thais that I run into. Maybe it's different out in the country, but in the urban areas, not really a big topic of discussion.

I was going to write exactly that. You can't compare, because in the US, guns are part of the culture, and in Thailand they are not. It's similar to asking who loves rice more, people in Ayutthaya or people in Louisiana.

Khun Berkshire, just a guess, but I bet you've met more than one or two people who own guns. In fact that's one of the main points of the contrast, that any American will talk about her (lack of) guns, but Thais often prefer to keep their little secret.

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Most banks in US now days have e-deposit option so you can deposit the check electronically without sending the actual check to the bank

Fins a fried who has a US account and deposit to his/her account and get the money from him/her

Most of the US government has stopped cutting cheques completely. You can have direct deposit to your bank account, as you say, or you can get a pre-loaded "credit/ATM card" mailed to you if you don't have a bank account. The Social Security people stopped cutting cheques a year or three ago for example, I read that.

If this poor girl's cheque is actually bounced on her by the bank, then she should instruct the IRS (via online is fine) to redo her payment via card, to her friend's US address. There's no time limit on using the card, which can be used like any Visa ATM card anywhere, up to the limit stored, such as $800.

She may have to call or fill out a form and sign it to return or invalidate the cheque. That's probably going to be the hardest part, telling the IRS she didn't cash the cheque.

She should try at several banks to deposit the cheque in her account, or maybe endorse it to a friend or a company that can help her. If that really fails, then she'll have to go back to IRS, and next time choose something other than cheque. I recommend the "ATM card" solution.

Again, this is for Social Security but it is a guideline on what's available and how the US government is operating.

http://www.ssa.gov/deposit/howtosign.htm

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Not sufficient security at an Air Force base to prevent demonstrators from entering?? Hmm..................

This is the military many believe should intervene to keep order. Defeated and overrun by 100 people armed with whistles. And the air force was well prepared with riot troops in Darth Vader suits and all. And totally overrun.

Reason number 327 why the generals should just shut up. Reason 842 why military coup is beyond stupid.

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Are you saying Yingluck and Samak are/were not part of the elite?

If you mean amaart-elite, these two are/were not part of the elite. If you mean they are privileged big-shots slash pooyai, they are/were. Samak actually had a claim on being a member of the elite through his family but chose not to use it.

But you see the confusion? If you mean the latter, I suggest you use "privileged big shots" or pooyai or something like that. I'd recommend you save "elite" for "amaart" discussions, otherwise it's very confusing. For Thailand discussions, "elite" when referring to people or classes has come to have that special meaning over the last few years.

"Bigwigs" is good. Well, from these political factions some of them are still locked up and denied bail. No one has been convicted and imprisoned. It's rare and newsworthy when the door clanks shut on pooyai, we all know that. It happens, but not so often as it should. You win no points by stressing a well-known fact that big-shots get jailed less than they should, in Thailand and worldwide.

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Both rallies currently under way 18:50 Wednesday: Check them out yourself

Bluesky:

http://www.malimar.tv/watch.php?vid=cc0bacb20

UDD net:

http://www.uddtoday.net/page/redtvonline-asia-update

Bolleaux, I'm afraid.

Burapha Phayak is the name of a regiment of House Guards belonging to the 2nd Infantry Division. The name means "Tiger of The East".

You're both not wrong. It is as you write. It is ALSO picked up by any breathing Thai as soon as you say "Burapha Payak" and they think of General Prayuth and his, well, influential toadies. It's like if you say "Class 8" all brains turn to "Yutthasak". Double meaning.

Here are two Thais talking about it, for a Thai newspaper. The newspaper is approved, vetted, stamped by the Thai Visa Seal of Readableness.

http://goo.gl/bWd6T6

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This is yesterday. What do you bet for tonight? I bet about the same, maybe a bit bigger. And don't you try to past-post me, now, I'm watching!

It's actually not fair. The reds are going for size right now, Suthep is hiding in the air-con building and has only a small crowd hanging on outside. It really should be a no-contest day. But on the weekend, the reds won by quite a bit.

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I guess because the Op's acting like Donald Sterling's Ex, that he must be American.

In most countries, unless the authoriies record you or you've consented to be recorded, the recording isn't worth jack crap.

OR it's worth charges at the police station for illegal wiretapping which, in Thailand, it definitely is. Or both.

The plan to get the police involved is total, completely corruption. There is nothing criminal that has happened. Until Jane turns on Machoman's recorder, THEN it's criminal. You could probably hire a policeman as intimidator, don't think he'd be too happy involved in an actual crime, though. And finally, more advisers should have noted the very, very distinct possibility Mr Ratbird will become incensed when confronted over this debt, and even if he comes up with a payment scheme, he'll be figuring out several other ways to get his 9,000 baht's worth.

If all of the above is worth the principle of standing up for a girl who does not want standing up for, then away you go.

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Rubbish! Both sides are paying for their renta-mobs and the daily rate seems to be around Bt.1,000 per day plus transport (Bus). A group of about 20 women from my wife's village were paid to attend Sutheps gatherings a few weeks ago. Got to BKK, received their attendance money, and were then refused the money for the fare home again. So for all those claiming this is a red-only activity.....sorry, you're wrong! They're as bad as each other.

Sorry, Khun Chris, your post just happened to be last in the queue with this opinion. Look, people, all you people who the reds or the yellows or both get paid to turn out. First of all, why not go along and check what the rallies are like? These aren't people putting in their time on the clock like some street sweeper or bank drone. But second, for pete's sake, doesn't anyone here have any Logic 101? You yellow haters and all-in haters, do you really think all or even most of these people got paid?

You Thaksin-red haters and you all-in haters, do you REALLY BELIEVE these people got 1,000 baht or 100 baht or 10 baht? Really?

Anyone who answered "yes", you're crazy. Really you are.

These groups red and yellow spend money on food, they pay workers, their guards are paid, they hire drivers on and on, it costs big money to organise and drive one of these rallies, quite big money. But the masses you see in those pictures are there because they want to be there.

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You don't fool me Wanda4. You can post all the smug and condescending comments you like, but you don't fool me for one minute.

Thanks for repeating my post, without marking it up with meaningful comment or refutation or anything a reader might think about instead of what's in my post. If only one reader sees this for the first time and goes "hmmm", you've done a great thing. Thanks again.

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These people have no hesitation in placing people in danger for no reason than their own selfish self imposed propaganda, they would do more good to turn the country around by lobbying for the rice farmers to get their entitlements , under the rice scheme scam plus some compensation from the previous bunch of malcontents, than flogging the brand name of Shinawatra.

After six solid months of protesting by yellows, a yellow voice is raised against those who protest. Admit it. You're jealous the army won't guard your folks, right?

But I'm curious. Why would anyone at any time under any circumstances be in danger at Utthayan Road? The only danger I can see is if they are attacked. I can't see any other possible danger in that place or for a long way around it. Not just Khun chainarong.

Anyone have any idea what the danger is (or might be) at and around the Buddhamonthorn area, specifically on Utthayan Road? Other than snipers, sappers or artillery fire from a rogue and angry general with a personal vendetta who can't be trusted to obey orders and currently isn't doing so, I mean?

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I suppose we await TV's rabid reds to come along and say they are fake reds shirts and they where planted by Suthep to undermine "democracy"

Which of course is impossible because in the whole history of Earth there never has been a false-flag operation.

I for one think, again, as with some few but careful posts in Thai Visas, that this is very clever stuff. The yellows are out-propagandising the reds by miles with this subtle, black stuff. I suspect there's a mastermind and of course there are ALWAYS useful idiots to buy into it, not least of all right hear. But the core group behind this is quite good, actually. The health-service van one was excellent. This one is pretty good - as many comments attest.

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Thanks. Just like you I am a bit shaken and saddened by this event; maybe my Colorado links. As you say, there is nothing that will make up for that moment of ... whatever that took one life completely, ruined another and no doubt has shaken their very tiny and tight community much more than me.

If the hare did not stop for a sleep, the tortoise would not have won the race. Despite "if", it did.

Almost all rifles in Colorado homes are not in a gun safe. Your link explains why in a fairly understandable manner, actually.

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perhaps the defense minister could get off her lard arse and go and show shes got her finger on the pulse .of this problem.....not going to happen...she enjoying herself in chang mai/..bless her..

There's a female defence minister again? Who is it? Paveena? Last I heard Niwatthamrong took the job, but that was last week. Obviously, I am way behind. When did they change?

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Further although I don't approve of the military stepping in sometimes these things are the only way to hit the reset button, also I don't regard a military coup in Thailand the same thing as some crackpot General in Africa chasing a dictatorship rule - in Thailand it's more like preserving society when it all breaks down with no way back - the blame is firmly with PTP in this case - no other and we all know why

19 resets are quite a lot, really.

When one starts to look closely at the Thai Constitution it becomes obvious that any rational, civilised, intelligent debate goes out of the window in fear of the lese majeste laws. All we can do is orbit the sun.

No kidding. Ridiculous and then some. If you can't discuss the Constitution here, you simply can't discuss the current political scene. Luckily, discussion is possible in hundreds of other places, real and virtual, and is vibrant and very alive in all the newspapers including The Chosen Ones. Only this venue suffers, really.

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.My 1st paragraph was cut and pasted from the OP it was not mine. I was not paraphrasing him. Take your beef up with Admin and the original author and not me. I was simply asking a question in relation to this line.

And, your question answered with an opinion, you have no interest in the discussion whatsoever. How.... cool. Because I'm still a trainee mindreader and not official certified, I cannot impute motive, but I know a lot of people call that trolling.

I am aware of section 7, it simply says:

Whenever no provision under this Constitution is applicable to any case, it shall be decided in accordance with the constitutional practice in the democratic regime with King of Head of State

that can mean anything and the senate's shenanagens begs the question..why does the senate get to interprit something that vague to mean that they name a PM with full powers? Since all senate sessions are over and they cannot re-convene until after the new elected parliament is sworn in, the senators are stuck between governments just like all those MPs, many of whom are waiting to be re-elected, they can't do anything, some ex-MPs likly to win their seats back could just as easily have an 'informal session' and "decide" who the 'real' caretaker PM is..

Quite. But turn it around. If not the Senate, who?

In a proper system, the Constitutional Court might help but that's out of the question. So. If not the Senate, who would get to interpret it?

There are grazillions of Thai laws with this sort of phrase tacked on, it's a familiar dilemma. In normal day-to-day governance, the answer is that "anyone can interpret it" since it means all things.

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The gun was the father's responsibility. The gun should have been locked in a gun safe. I'm not speaking to punishment for the kid, just that it never should have been possible for it to happen.

Are you sure? My FIRST assumption, of which I wouldn't be certain at all, is that the boy used his own rifle.

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You don't say? If it wasn't so cold, I might look into getting a visa for this magical land of CO.

You would be surprised like most people how cold Colorado isn't. It's farther south than the bulk of California. Almost all the population lives tucked up in the shelter of the mountains. Below-zero (Fahrenheit) is quite rare. It has a reputation because of the ski areas and the like, and of course if you go high up in any mountains, it gets very cold. But where most people live, Colorado is actually a banana belt, relatively speaking of course.

In the summer it is quite hotter than Bangkok, often for lengthy periods.

The actual weather is VERY changeable, and Colorado folks say that, "If you don't like this weather, wait a couple of hours and try the next batch." But compared with Minnesota or Nebraska or Iowa, New York, Kansas, Colorado has very decent un-cold weather.

I discovered Colorado by accident several years ago and I'm a fan, the weather being one reason.

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I lived in Kauai for the first of my 16 years in Hawaii. One day, I was invited to lunch at the home of a local doctor I"d met. He asked if I had any food preferance and I told him no, I eat everything. Every time I've been asked a similar question since then I answer, I eat anything but poi.

Now THAT is funny. Thank you. And you are so absolutely, totally right. Give me pla ra and a plate of beetles every day, make me go to Suthep concerts every night for a month, but please don't feed me poi.

Yesterday it was in the paper that the military came out against an appointed PM from the Senate, I don't know what you mean by the 'military using section 7'

Agreed.

It matters very, very much. If everyone involved agrees to go forward in a certain manner, then it matters whether they will stick within the system or use Section 7 to paper over their differences and reach an accord that they all agree is peaceful and in everyone's interest.

If everyone does NOT agree, and one power decides to invoke Section 7 over the objections of another power or side or group, there will be quite a lot of "heck" to pay all around as the aggrieved side seeks some payback.

If you're not aware of Section 7, you're not too aware of what's going on in politics. The army has simply chosen again not to be a player. But there are many other players and quite a few options available to them. Section 7 looms over almost all of them in one way or another.

One other thing. The army (not the military) can not only intervene for Pheu Thai. It can intervene against the government for Suthep or the Senate or other rabble. Or, as in 2006 and almost all other coups, it can intervene for its own selfish, grubby, grabby, money-hungry, power-trip reasons aimed at self-aggrandisement and damn the nation. Never say "never", especially in this particular case, and especially with the army. Personally, I don't think they have the guts, but never say "never".