loburt

in general I am not really impressed with any embassy operating abroad, not with Western Embassies and not with Thai embassies. Their normal point of view is one of "som nam naa" and your own problem. Chapeau therefore that this embassy has reacted in a decent and great manner. Human trafficking should be stopped at all cost.

where does human trafficking begin and end? Should young girls in Shan State in Burma not be allowed a helping hand (paid for, of course) to make it across the border into Thailand? I know many stories of girls ending up in Thailand to a far better life than they would have otherwise have known in Burma. Most of the millions of Burmese living in Thailand would never be here without "human trafficking". So why stop it at all costs? In what capacity are you to stop any other human being's choice to do what they see as an improvement to their lot? Before you want to stop something at all cost you first have to define what "human trafficking" is.

I would argue that many human traffickers do a better job at solving world poverty than any fat UN bureaucrat. Just what have they ever done for the Burmese people?

Furthermore, I don't believe that there are many Thai girls so gullible as to believe that in such circumstances, they were heading to supply anything other than sexual services. Thais are a lot less stupid than many farangs give them credit for.

In more than five years of reading forum posts on ThaiVisa, this is the most ignorant post I've ever read.

Sorry about the victim, but

How convenient that the culprits are Burmese, pity though that they are not Rohingyas??

Exactly my first thought too. How convenient for the government to find a scapegoat and legitimize their abominable treatment of the Burmese refugees.

So the investigation was carried out by "the government" and it's not possible that a Burmese migrant worker is the culprit?

It's amazing how many people who aren't there already know all the answers.

Intersting list. The only problem is proving it. Proving that men in uniform have appoited their friends in state enterprises and have breached the trust of their sharholders is much easier. How about trippling the economic growth? Or having been able to reduce the death of infants in half? Having been able to reduce the tea money that the friends of the couptakers asked for a place in university or demonstration schools? having supplies the poor with microcredit (not a bad thing given the nobel prize this year), or having been able to help out the poor when their was a disaster (Have not yet seen a hirake in uniform this time, maybe they were too busy). Or what about having reduced the number of children addicted to drugs. And did Thaksin not get his satellite license from the last military government, as well the mobile phone license? Some people must have profitted? It is so easy to make a list, substantiating is much more of a headache.

Wait till that other general Chavalit makes a list about those other generals, that would be more fun.

By the way what happened with the freedom of speech, that Sondhi could use to criticize Thaksin? Why aren't we treated with the same courtesy?

Just wondering

Trippling economic growth? For how long? He had two good years - at the same time everyone else in the region were having good years. Growth for the past two years has been 4-plus percent - excactly the same as under the last two years of the Democrats. And it was the Democrats, not Thaksin, that took Thailand from negative 10.8 percent to plus 4 percent growth. Thaksin came to power when the worst of the problems had already been solved. And not by him. He was part of the governments that helped precipitate the crash.

Reducing payoffs? By all accounts, including studies by the Thailand Research Fund, the cost of bribes to government officials went up during the Thaksin administration. In fact his transport minister, Mr. Suriya, had the nickname "Mr. Twenty Percent."

Where are the statistics that show infant mortality declined by half during the past six years in Thailand? Never saw that, and I don't believe it until you cite a credible source.

Any list Chavalit comes up with would be suspect, seeing as he has always had a distant relationship with truth and reality. However, Gen. Sonthi has a clean reputation. Gen. Chavalit - and his wife the "walking jewelry box" - certainly do not.

Thaksin got his satellite concession by bribing the last military government. None of these generals were part of that government. He got his mobile phone license by bribing politicians and bureaucrats with the help of his uncle who was deputy transport and communications minister.

As for freedom of speech, I see the CNS, PM Surayud and even Prem criticized on a daily basis in the newspapers here - and on websites. There seesm to be plenty of freedom of speech here in Thailand right now.

No need to wonder.

I was a member of the FCCT for eight or nine years and there was indeed a time when it was a significant organization here. As Thailand became less and less important on the world stage, however, the quality of the membership went downhill fast.

Worse, the few real press members left in the club (who under its rules are the only people eligible to be officers) started squabbling among themselves and factional rivalries sprung up that pretty much ruined the place. There were more coups and counter-coups (with staff being fired and rehired each time) than I can really remember.  I'm no long a member myself and few of the other old hands I once saw there are members any longer either. The third-rate so-called 'correspondents' who ended up running the place are like the nitwits who take over condominium boards so they will have someplace to throw their (light) weight around. I'd advise you to give it a miss.

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Well, I think your knowledge of the club is out of date. True, there were a few years there when things were going badly, as you mentioned. But those days are over. There's new leadership, people are working together and the atmosphere is much improved.

The top few positions such as President, VP, etc. are only open to journalists. But other officer positions, such as director of membership, publicity, etc., are open to all.

As for the quality of the membership, it's pretty high. If you look at the directory you will many prominent names, aside from some very fun people. It's still the most vibrant correspondent's club in the region.

Hey guy Go ahead at www.thailandfriends.com and sing up before then introduce your self on journal  ... after chat on chat room and flirting wiht many girt there  heheheh. Can you see her profile and if you interested in her PM to her Finally the time for communication  The last u willl date wiht her  ..

  hehehe i am this member site but i deleted my profile  sure i have new profile but I dont looki for bf there other friendship and partical my english

Impossible_me

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I was a member there as well but not now because I got banned from the ######ing Modurator named Loburt hahahaha I am not mad but what did I do worng? I just spoke out my mind when I see who's ugly, I say they're ugly, I see who's fat, I say they are fat hahahaha

Impossible_me, do you think all are nice / good girls there? well, ok, some are good but most of them are bitch and hookers whore, prostitute or whatever you call.

Anyways, it's none of my business, lets get back to the ranch

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Well, actually Goddess of Whatever, I wasn't the one who banned you. It was another ##### moderator named Zeusbheld. I banned you after you created another profile following your initial banning by Zeus. But as yet another moderator named Onlynx told you, every single moderator on that site agreed you should be banned.

Because you are a nasty piece of garbage who likes hurting other people.

No one has posted anything saying they miss you. Everyone is glad you're gone.

Bitches and hookers? What are you?

I know of at least two married guys on that site you have been screwing. In both cases you know the guys are married and that they and their wives are having difficulties and the wives are trying to make their marriages work.

And yet you go over there while the wives are out working and screw the guys in their wives beds.

I think that qualifies you as a bitch and a whore.

And even the few hookers that actually are on TF have more class than you.

I hope one day you get a taste of your own medicine.

Most members of the FCC are in fact NOT journalists. I'm a member. All are welcome and memberships are not that expensive. The FCC can sometimes be a great place to meet, and other times it's as dead as a door nail. No way to predict.

Socially, the best nights are Friday nights. The bar has a generally interesting mix of journos and non-journos. The music alternates weekly between a jazz group called The Rol Trio, which is excellent, and a pianist named Bob who is extremely talented but at times seems to be stoned out of his mind and goes off on weird, esperimental musical tangents that are grating and annoying. They should tell that guy to shape up or get rid of him.

The other good nights are program nights. Generally Wednesdays, but sometimes other nights also. If it's an interesting topic with interesting panel members, then the club is packed. And frankly, for interesting discussions on what's going on in Thailand and the region, it can't be beat.

If you become a member then they e-mail you a weekly bulletin letting you know what programs and events are coming up.

Yes, they are still in the penthouse of the Maneeya building. And it's possible to stop by one evening and check it out without being a member yet to decide if you might like to join. The atmosphere is very casual.

Hope you join.