JAG

8 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

What about when they try to cross to the  other side of the road? 

There is a reason a noodle shop connected to a 100c Honda wave is illegal at the dlt

Crossing to the other side of the road is not exactly a unique activity solely engaged in by mobile noodle shops!

Illegal they may be, but is that because of specific legislation forbidding them "per se", or because there is no rule which specifies that they are allowed? Moreover there is a reason that they are tolerated - maybe because they provide a service within their communities, and are a livelihood to many who could never afford an alternative - whilst being negligible as a cause of traffic accidents.

Maybe I am sticking my neck out here, but I can't help wondering if the real "problem" is that they inconvenience those who wish to sweep by behind their tinted glass.

They are part of the "street scape". They do no harm. That is why they are left alone. 

5 hours ago, Happy enough said:

i kid you not, i saw a toyota camry with red L plates like they have in the uk and driving school logos on it in bkk a few weeks ago. 1st time in 20 odd years i remember seeing a driving instructor in thailand

There are a couple up here in Chiang Rai. They really like the route I take home in the evening -trundling along at 32kph following the line down the centre of the road, like a clapped out scalextric car, bless them.

They have a white sticker about 60 cm by 20cm, with red lettering on the back of the car. I presume it says "driving school" or similar, (I don't read Thai), but there again it might say "up yours mate, I'm in front of you!"

I'll ask Little Miss JAG next time I see one. If she is talking to me - I'm getting the silent treatment at the moment because I wouldn't let her spend Saturday mincing around Central Plaza with her pals!

6 hours ago, kotsak said:

Is the phtoto in the OP from his new music video clip? ?

He needs a microphone because the frog is quite a way away...

Plus, when "Swampy" floods it will float!

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Lots of guys chose to live in Thailand and yet, seem to hate all things Thai.   Except the booze and sex.  And I don't get it.

Well, you can definitely buy the booze, that is normally how one gets it. As for the sex, well I am led to believe that there are certain establishments...

?

It suits certain people with influence.

If you are stateless, you end up in a pool of labour ripe for exploiting, miserable wages, no access to any labour rights, minimum wage not applied and so on.

That labour force represents significantly reduced costs, particularly in construction and agriculture.

Reduced costs mean greater profits.

Greater profits means more influence.

Nothing will change. The beaurocrats in khaki are owned...

12 hours ago, billd766 said:

This time I think that I will try the local hospital sometime next week.

 

The pension providers know that I am Thailand anyway.

Sent you a message.

37 minutes ago, JAG said:

George Washington Bush?

I meant "W". Predictive text

On 8/22/2018 at 9:24 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

I’m very much looking forward to the midterms.

 

I’m even considering a trip to the US to volunteer with the Democrat campaign.

 

Please look me up when the results are in. 

I would be a bit careful if I were you.

Do you remember the campaign by The Guardian, to get it's readers to write to Americans urging them not to vote for George Washington Bush? That was a bit of an own goal by some accounts...

On 8/22/2018 at 8:14 AM, themerg said:

Don't drink public water.

For diarrhea, which I had, here are 3 advices.  Number 1-- Get and keep a supply of all medicines you were given at the hospital.  Number2-- Have the doctor give you a 10-day supply of medications. Thais are smaller people, the normal prescription is 5 days.   Number 3-- Go to a hospital, you will most likely need an IV bag of of Vitamin B complex.

Thai hospitals are very inexpensive. I went to Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai emergency room for diarrhea, it cost me 3, 360 Thai Baht ($100.00 US) with medicines included, and they billed me for 15 days later. In the USA, this would have cost $600.00. I was feeling better and able to travel in 3 hours on a already scheduled trip to Mon Jam.

A packet of generic Immodium (referred to by "Best Beloved" as "Vitamin for not go toilet") would have cost you 30 baht.a litre of water from 7/11 would cost 16 Baht (17 if you wanted a posher label); Robert would be your mothers brother!

?

I collect the stamps for every promotion. Never had a problem...

7/11, now that is a different kettle of fish. I don't think I have ever managed to claim anything.

11 minutes ago, TVGerry said:

Of course he wasn't a victim of 'discipline'. The word you want is 'hazing'.

Character building stuff?

Bastards.

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"Holding pattern or dithering?"

 

Let me offer a third option that is particularly troubling; what if the Junta calls for an election in November?

 

Before the idea is dismissed out of hand, it is what was promised to the Americans a while back, laws could be sped up to be in place (you don't have to wait the full 90 or 150 days per the legislation), there have been calls for a quick election and everything could easily (Article 44) be rammed through in a matter of days. Remember a few days ago when the chief Junta lawyer (Wis... I don't want to remember his name) gave his instructions to the EC? One of his reported, published comments was that elections usually occur over a 30 day period (see one of the political threads in the last few days, I can't remember which one it was).

 

Far-fetched, crazy idea? Why?

 

I can imagine the Junta triumphantly touting that they said there would be an election, that having an election in advance of the ASEAN Chairmanship is a good thing, and that opposition parties have been calling for an election for years; now that they have one, they want a delay? Further, the opposition parties are not exactly running on full cylinders; why allow them to have time to get organized? The pro-Junta parties have been openly organizing for a while now; it is likely that they would be ready, or at least readier than the opposition. Finally, as part of the early election call, the Junta could say that they are worried about "disturbances" or "third-parties causing trouble" or some other such nonsense, so they dust off the rules of the referendum and use them; no criticizing the Junta, not real public discussion, etc etc etc.

 

Yes, it would be a gross violation of the rules of Democracy, but what does the Junta care; if they think that they can get away with it, why wouldn't they do it?

 

Yes, it is pure speculation on my part, but I will be watching the international community's reaction to the events in Cambodia quite closely...

 

If Hun Sen could get away with it, why not the Junta?

 

Anyone?

 

Hmm, thought provoking stuff.

But...

It would require a degree of decisiveness, and as it is a risk, courage to pull it off.

I don't think they have it.

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Let me push back a bit on my own post above; I think that there has to be an election and while it may be delayed again, it can't be delayed much more.

 

I think we are in a holding pattern at the moment while the Junta evaluates how to disenfranchise the voters of the N and NE (as JAG often notes). I suspect that the Junta is watching closely what is occurring in Cambodia and what the reaction from various international players actually is.

I suspect there are several options on the table at the moment. Simply not holding an election, using various of the excuses available (ASEAN, sad events, coronation, and of course "disturbance of order", actual, imagined or manufactured remains in play - the big question here remains : do the junta have the ability to control things if the "wheels come off"? I they think they do then the status quo remains. Let's call that "The Burma Option"

42 minutes ago, jayboy said:

There is no need to disenfranchise the voters in the North and North East.One misconception on the part of many is that the actual polling process can be corrupted.Actually it can't these days without great difficulty and there's no need to question the polling result though of course it's useful to have independent foreign monitors.

Disenfranchisement goes beyond simply rigging the results, I agree that is today almost impossible. However, more subtly, removing the main opposition party, and leaving it's likely supporters (possibly a majority of the electorate) with a fractured field of smaller parties to spread their votes over (if they bother) is as effective. The Cambodia Option?

Both options require the junta to make a decision, both will result in internal opposition, whether criticism and/or protest. Both will result in international opposition, as SB observes, to a degree dependant on reaction to Hun Sen's efforts. I suspect that the junta can't decide on the first, and simply don't understand the second.

One of the hallmarks of the trained military mind is supposed to be an ability to carry out an accurate appreciation of the situation, arrive at a firm conclusion, turn that into a plan, and put that plan into action swiftly, firmly and persistantly. Not exactly traits which we have seen up to now; which as an aside, must have come as a disappointment to those who yearned for the "smack of firm government"four years ago!

Holding pattern or dithering?

Might I suggest that the interests of the nearly half a million stateless people, most of whom were born and grew up in the country are not actually very high on the governments list of priorities.

By contrast the interests of the smaller number of "influential" people whose various business interests benefit from the pool of unregulated exploitable labour provided by these stateless people, effectively beyond the coverage of what labour protection there is here, are probably quite high on their list.

The NGOs do sterling work, but I imagine that they are aware that the task they face is rather like urinating up Niagara Falls.

One other point, if we assume that say half of these stateless people would be of voting age, that is some 1/4 of a million geographically concentrated people who are unlikely to vote for "the right people"...