JAG

Gracious me, he has lost quite a bit of weight. Must be all the worry!

More than somewhat vague, and unlikely to be enforceable don't you think.

Popular support. Less than he had before the rise of PPP or whatever they are called now, but still massively more than the various parties which make up the yellow underpants squad! There is another source of support of course - that is why he came back. It is universally accepted that he, and his regimes were corrupt, but the fact (common knowledge) that he is being pursued by people, agencies and networks unashamedly as, if not more corrupt than him, rather cancels that out; and despite everything he still commands great support amongst the people. Why? Because pragmatically he is the only effective figure in current Thai politics, since the emasculation of the orange movement, which has ever paid more than lip service to the needs and ambitions of the "lower stratas" in this society.

So, effectively a coup - the Army and the Courts taking over.

He has a Sharpie, indispensable for unilaterally renaming international bodies of water and diverting hurricanes. Phones, more of a problem. Trump phones (gold don't you know) are not due to be available for a couple of months ( takes time to ship them from China of course) and no-one knows what the "coverage will be like). Should be good, as the cost $45.47 is almost twice that of competitors, and all the data will be kept "onshore"!

It is a common, almost universal colloquialism in Thailand. That doesn't mean I like it.

And as such fits in perfectly with just about every other aspect of those two grifting shysters!

Rather defines the dignity of The Office of President doesn't it?

You sir, have a filthy mind!

As they chant from the stands at football matches: "Ere we go, ere we go, ere we go!" Perhaps you could let me have the location, so I can ooze in there and unleash my devastating charm. It's just something to do with those devastatingly sexy green shirts, and the way they coquettishly say "member?" when you come up to the till!

The best reaction to the OP, as with all his posts, is to take the piss. @richard_smith237 is rather accomplished at it!

"White Thai" - I was casting around for a phrase - that one was used by the school to try and explain why she couldn't join the school Army cadets. There is a bit of a "back story" to that one which I can relate by PM if you are interested. Whilst I too obviously don't know everyone in the district, in oh, 12 years I have never come across any other mixed race children. She was also the only "mixed race" child in her school in Chiang Rai, although there was an American boy, and a French girl there for a time. I was also a teacher there. Maybe Lucy has been unlucky, maybe your daughter has been lucky. Lucy's problems have all eventually been resolved, annoyances rather than major obstacles, and I suppose it is only half a dozen events over the last 7 years. Nevertheless, it has been a feature of her young life, and the latest, the driving license business, is particularly annoying.

Did she leave the engine running?

It may be a question of where you live. We are in rural Chiang Rai, and almost certainly she is the only "white Thai" in the Amphur - probably a bit of a novelty in the city as well.

I tried a canvas poncho but I got really wet!

Thank you - with my "Pollyanna of the internet" head on, the thumbs down emojis may have been because they think it is a shame.

I believe his last recorded cock-up cost him 130K!

It's not a BS post @NickyLouie. It is what happened. You can take a running <deleted> at a rolling doughnut!

But I doubt whether many of them have the faintest idea who their father is, don't have "western names" and if they do know who their father is, I doubt it he functions as such.

The Amphur insisted that under the age of 20 she had to be accompanied by a parent. Her mother (my ex wife) was not available. As for the passport, who knows why! I went to buy an induction hob from my local Sinthanee a couple of weeks ago and they wanted my passport! Didn't show it, and they wouldn't sell it, next door no problem!

No I won't go away, and since you refuse to accept it here is a link: https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/detention-statistics/ 90 per cent of arrested immigrants are held in private detention centres apparently.

So many Thai systems, web based and bureaucratic, are simply unable to cope with "Lok khreung". My daughter is trying to get a motorcycle license - she is 19, a Thai national and has an English name and looks Caucasian. The system initially refused her because her Thai ID card photo "didn't look like her". Off we went to the Amphur office for a new one, because she is under 20 I had to accompany her, much group examination of my passport, sucking of teeth, phone calls to higher ups and photocopying of many pages of the passport and her birth certificate. Eventually, armed with a new ID card she went back to the driving license office. Refused - the system (computer and human) wouldn't accept she was Thai! Probably going to have to hire one of those agent chappies to get her one! Just about all Thai systems and their operators are unable to cope with the combination of an English name, western features and Thai nationality. There was the occasion some years ago when her school ordered her to get her hair dyed black! Some may remember the mushroom cloud over Chiang Rai! She wasn't allowed to join the army cadets at school ( didn't mind that one). She was initially refused by the COVID vaccination programme, then when she had COVID the health system tried to charge her as a foreigner. She works part time as a waitress in a restaurant. She has already been interrogated by the Labour Department for working without a work permit! About the only organisation which seems to have no problems is her University - but then they have plenty of International Students, and probably regard her as one! It is petty, venal, ignorant, annoys me and upsets her, although she is quite stoic about that. Xenophobia, petty nationalism, racism (certainly had that at school) or just ignorance, perhaps even stupidity?

It rather appears to be exactly what is happening. No shortage of video... Maybe start by looking at the reports and video of the raid on the second hand market in Los Angeles last weekend. Heavily armed, check. Combat kit, check. Masked, check. No identity, badges or numbers, check.

Google it.

The whole driving test system, web based and bureaucratic, is a cranky almost impenetrable mess. My daughter is trying to get a motorcycle license - she is 19, a Thai national and has a Western name and looks Caucasian. The system initially refused her because her Thai ID card photo "didn't look like her". Off we went to the Amphur office for a new one, because she is under 20 I had to accompany her, much group examination of my passport, sucking of teeth, phone calls to higher ups and photocopying of many pages of the passport and her birth certificate. Eventually, armed with a new ID card she went back to the driving license office. Refused - the system (computer and human) wouldn't accept she was Thai! Probably going to have to hire one of those agent chappies to get her one!