khaowong1

Sounds like the preamble to a tax duty increase, to 'save us from ourselves'. Same old BS in every country in the world.

Also they don't mention the tax revenue when talking about expenses. OK so they allegedly spend 51.5 bn on 'smoking related illnesses' (impossible to define but there you go).

Judging by global prices, the tax take per pack of cigarettes must be somewhere between 30-40 baht.

11 mn smokers, lets assume average consumption of 1 pack per day.....

11,000,000 x 30 baht (erring on caution) x 365 days = 120,450,000,000 (120 bn).

So if we all gave up tomorrow the government would lose 69 Bn per annum net revenue ($2.3 bn), the classic double edged sword faced by governments worldwide.

Someone calculated a few years ago if everyone in the UK stopped smoking the health service would collapse, as the average smoker pays 3-4 times in tax on their cigarettes than what it costs to treat them. Yet they are still villified as a burden on the National Health Service - go figure.

Same in the U.S. And do you think they keep all that cigerette tax seperate to pay for health costs? oh no my friends, congress robs that piggy bank whenever they feel the urge to put a new 13 mile highway that starts nowhere and ends nowhere just to say they are helping keep the highways in tip top shape. of course that new 13 mile highway just happens to run by some congressmans home out in the country.

It's a face thing pure and simple. Thailand doesn't care a whit about this temple other than to march up and down and posture.

"If you resist arrest, a loss can be expected". Who writes these things?

Whenever I see or hear the word "Scheme", I cringe.

this topic will not drift into a football topic....

You mean "soccer" topic.

It seems to me, the all important question is, has Karon Muncipality done the 12,000 cubic meter/day -200 mil. Baht upgrade they promised to do last year. What is the status of that?

Mabey they should have waited to build that silly Patong Gateway structure on the hill, and instead bought the back-up generator LAST YEAR. They wouldn't be in this position now.

Have any of the members of the Thai Tourism Authority ever actually visited a successful world class tourist destination? Do they have any idea what they are doing? What's the Master Plan?

Anyone know where to obtain a transcript of the minutes of these meetings? I would really be interested in getting a copy of them going back historically.

Do you really think that if the members of the Thai Tourism Authority actually went and visited a world class tourist destination, they would come back and say, jeez, were in a world of shit? I have a feeling they would keep it to themselves. THAT's their Master Plan. Keep everyone in the dark.

There is a Thai lady, a cousin of the Queen I believe, who is also active in protecting the tigers in Thailand. Does anyone know about her? There was a British tv show about her I think this year or maybe last year. I used to know her back in the mid 80's and have lost touch with her. I believe she lives up around Chiang Mai.

There's no crying in baseball!!

I'll bet very few remember that statement from Tom Hanks..

So basically what Thaksin is saying, it's up to him to decide who becomes PM if Pheu Thai wins. wow.. what an ego..

There is a famous saying in the U.S. concerning real estate... LOCATION - LOCATION - LOCATION

NOTHING like this happens in Thailand without the support of the Police

Bingo, you win the prize.

She is going to run into the same pitfalls that tripped up her brother and also many, many other successful business people that try to go into politics. Namely unrelenting criticism that you are unused to receiving and having every word you utter picked apart.

Wonder how long it will be before she shows up at a news conference with a buzzer and little sign with "X" on it to avoid answering questions she doesn't like.

TH

Similar to Ross Perot when he ran for president. He was an astute, well qualified business man, but knew little about politics or world events. Interesting to see however, most of his predictions came to be, especially about NAFTA. That little debacle with Bill Clintons nod of approval, sent many jobs outside of the country. NAFTA is the main reason why when you pick up the phone to talk to your insurance company, your talking to someone in New Delhi. If he could have run on the Republican ticket instead of the Independant ticket, I believe he would have won.

Of course she's nervous. Hows she going to compete agains't a known politician. Remember when Carolyn Kennedy was asked to run for the Senate to replace her Uncle Ted. She barely got out of the gate and gave it up. She said she wasn't willing to put up with all the bs it takes to win a political election and she certainly wasn't qualified to fill his shoes. Neither was her brother John. Sooo. If those two couldn't step up, you know politics don't run in family dna. It takes a certain type to be good at it and I'm guessing it isn't her. Although she would sure look good for Thailands image.

I've been talking to the Thai people who live here in the U.S. and I have yet to meet anyone or talk to anyone who feels like putting Yingluck up for PM is nothing but a Thaksin ploy. They are all having a pretty good laugh about it. They don't think she has a chance. They say that Thailand isn't ready for a woman PM. Especially Thaksins sister.

Any Police and Officials mentioned in the sting and in the alleged file should be stood down pending the outcome of the investigation.

Thats the way it works in police investigations in most of the world, but then, this isn't anything like most of the world is it?

Good answers all. thank you. I just some times get discourged when so few people come to the temple. Last Sunday, here at Wat Promkunaram in Phoenix, Arizona, we only had 7 people come to the temple. One thing I did do different, was I had a short talk with the Americans visiting, 3, and talked to them in English. Explained the Pali chants to them and talked a little about what the Buddha taught. I was told that a lot of Americans don't come because everything here prior to me is always done in Thai with not much emphasis on explaining to those who don't speak Thai. I was thanked by the Americans that came for explaining what's going on. I think when the abbot gets back from Thailand, I will see if he will let me give a short Dhamma talk in English every Sunday. Thank you all again.

And in other breaking news, a recent survey in Thailand concluded that Abhisit was more popular than Jesus.

Not surprising since most Thai's are Buddhist.

With Suthep being Abhist's right hand man and Yingluck being in the major opposing political party, of course Suthep is going to heap positive words on Abhist and heap negative words on Yingluck. It's the political thing to do, especially during election season.

Exactly.. politicians are going to say anything to discredit the other party.

It would be fun to see a debate. But you have to remember, the debate would be in Thai, as only the Thai people would be voting. The truth of the matter is, Thailand pretty much doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks, they are just going to do what ever they want to. As for a debate between Abhist and Yingluck, Abhist is a politician, educated in England and is probably quite good at debating, where as Yingluck probably has never been involved in a debate in her life. I would imagine she would sound quite foolish. My advice to her would be to follow the programs of the U.S. beauty contestants. ie: My wish is for world peace. and - My wish is for all the children of the world to be pretty and have something to eat. etc, etc.

Aha!

To gallop into the Musselman fray on the back of a (very small) buffalo, sharpened bamboo poles at the ready! To offer succour to all the fair bargirls in distress (no doubt bound to a sacrificial dance pole) and save them from the perils of the beer-breathing farangs! To put the needs of all others before themselves! To rally against corruption and the oppressed! To sleep on bare earth without a bed! To take the the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and renounce all worldly goods. To . . . oh what am I saying. Start again . . .

To get a big diploma to hang on the wall. To call themselves Sir Somchai or Sir Nong. To collect more 4-baht gold than their friends and buy at least one Iphone, Ipad and Mercedes on credit without question. To now be seen as so important that more bribes are offered to them for more things. To sh*g freely all the adoring young virgins that now want to throw themselves at their feet. To slay dragons, rivals, anything really, without question or contestation or the need to put ribbons on old trees or sleep 16 to a house to keep ghosts away. To become a real someone that has risen above the others.

I can see the appeal. The rainforest-dwellers in the Congo do the same sort of thing with old rainbow-CDs, squeaky toys, mirror tiles and fridge magnets.

Small world, innit.

R

How can you take a vow of chastity and still shag all the adoring young virgins? Pretty good feat if you can get away with it.

Maybe it's time to rejuvenate the members. Imagine the same survey in 2031: average age will be 70 - 79!!!!

Of course, most of the farang living in Thailand are old chap like us but I see, on a daily basis, young guys LIVING in the country, mostly in Bangkok, I mean expats not tourists.

They would probably not be interested by the useless discussions / forums about Thaksin but they obviously like the country and have something to tell about it.

At this moment, where do they meet (on line)?

Well, perhaps they are just happy to stay here and do not mind about politics and criticisms about Thailand.

The majority of younger men I see in Thailand seem to come from the Scandinavian countries.. Most seem to be seaman with a Thai wife and most seem to live outside of Bangkok near their wifes families. Thats what I see.

Has anyone else who visits this topic, and now frequents a Buddhist temple, noticed that temple attendance seems to be getting lower over the past several years? I know at my temple in Lopburi and even the temple I stay at frequently here in Phoenix, Arizona, that temple attendance has dropped from 20 - 30 people attending every weekend to approx. 10 - 12. And most of the laypeople attending are women, very few men, and even fewer young adults. Anyone have a suggestion why this is? And any suggestions to help relieve this problem? Thanks in advance.

I once asked about Buddha's relics on display in one temple from a witty (and very intelligent/scholarly) Buddhist monk I know (U.S. educated Thai guy, but serving at a Temple in Thailand) and he frankly said:

"There're so many of his supposed relics 'floating around' that I'm not even sure anymore how large the guy was."

My suspicions exactly. Just last Friday I went to the famed Wat Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongol in NE Roi-Et province. After huffing and puffing my way to the top of the inside of the chedi, I arrived at a glass-enclosed altar containing about 10 small glass cylinders--all purported to be relics of Buddha. I've lost count of all the relics I've seen in Thailand over the last 9 years. Let alone all the other countries containing temples with additional relics. It runs counter to logic that all these are from the same human being.

I would hazard a guess, that when it comes to Buddha relics, logic has nothing to do with it. Whether they are all real, in fact are ashes, bones, hairs, etc, from the Buddha, I think we should assume they are unless there is confirmation they are not. Doubt is described in dictionary as a feeling of disbelief. Human beings have this unique gift of disbelieving things even if viewed by the eye. And more often than not, disbelief comes more frequently when viewed in a religious setting. Disbelief in a higher power, Christianity, Buddhism, Judism, Islamism, and all the other ism's. We seem to think that if it doesn't involve us directly, has some thing to do with our personal lives, it's not real. Shakespeare once wrote, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

How was the line at Burger King?

yeah, lets get to the important stuff.

I live in Vientiane, & haven't yet found a good Indian restaurant.

There is one on the riverside (just walk along, you'll see it) & another in the street that runs down to the river from the Fountain. Both are okay, but neither is great.

My Indian housemate agreed that there are no good Indian restaurants in town.

Maybe your house mate should consider starting one. Who knows, maybe you would end up starring in Lonely Planet and get rich. maybe not Just a thought.