Harpov

I ride bikes and have been doing so for years. And yes, I see stupid check points every week. Some manned and some not because (I assume) they're lazy to dismantle them so they just leave them on the road until 'next time' they wish to collect some 'donations' to their club house or pension fund. And not only that, those boys in brown run into the middle of the traffic in attempt to stop a motorcycle or other vehicle travelling on the outer lanes. They stop lorries and trucks on the left lane and then fine motorcyclists who have to over take them from the right 'for not staying on the left lane'. Some check points are well marked while others are really not.

About time ! The amount of plastic bags given at Big-C, Lotus etc. is ridiculous even when you just buy handful of items. Charging for plastic bags will make people bring their own bags and the consumption will drop drastically. Proven fact - something that was done in some of the Nordic countries already back in the 70's.

Stupid avoidable accident due to pure laziness. Quit those illegal crossings and use the U-turn that's what it's there for.RIP.

The network/system tracks your phone already. As you move about from one cell-site coverage to another it's been tracked. And when you make calls etc more info is being  provided.

Are these guys dumb or what ? The technology is there already. The network tracks your phone already. When you move around the system tracks your handset as your transfer from one cell-site/tower to another. And when you make calls more information is provided for billing etc. And the ministry of communication doesn't know this lol :-)

Why an earth anyone bothers to visit these stone aged places where rape victims get charged themselves. If camels could only speak.

What was the exact crime they committed ? Not very clear at all from this article. By the way, neither the Turks nor the Iranians are Arabs.

Sangkhlaburi is a peaceful place and great for a long weekends. The Mon bridge was damaged couple years back due to heavy flooding and debris stuck on it's supports. There's a nice public area across the river mouth on the opposite side from the town/hotels. Good spot to take some pics. Here's few picks from late 2010............

Sukhumvith Soi 22 (opposite Queen's Park Plaza) used to have a small Northern-Thai restaurant that served Khao Soi. I assume it's still there though I haven't checked in a long long time.............good luck

I't seems that the main problem was a build up of floating weeds that got tangled among the bridge supports and not just the volume of water.

It was suspected that the damage was caused by strong floods.

You don't say

Please read on folks

A bridge area food vendor Apiradee Aree, 24, said she heard a loud thud from the bridge and saw a section being swept away at 6.30pm on Sunday. Three nearby rafts were also swept into each other before sinking. She urged authorities to speedily fix the bridge before the tourist season resumes in a few months.

Sorry folks, but, floating weeds do not make a loud thud noise, only the rafts in Kan make a noise like that.

Win from Kan

Dear Win, I assume the loud thud noise came from the bridge collapsing. The weeds that got tangled along the bridge support partly blocked the water flow and no doubt increased the water pressure on the wooden bridge structure. As it is located on a river mouth there could also be some sediment build-up against the bridge structure ??

Cheers,

Harpov

Was there only last month. what a shame! Feel sorry for the people living on those floating homes

.....what a pity. Very nice place with a fantastic bridge (pics taken 2010). They were doing some work on the bridge back in 2010..........

H

Whatever happened to the 20 odd years sentence he received a while back for fraud during the 90's. Gave dodgy financial information to secure a loan that his media empire is today based on. Wiped under carpet, old age etc ?

Poor old Thailand really is in the dog house over Xayaburi Dam. On or about 17th April 2012 Ch Kangchang a Thai company specifically formed for the purpose of building Xayaburi Dam. This followed an earlier contract with the same company for Initial design and procurement activities. To date Thailand's financial exposure must be at least 100 Billion Baht. There is litigation pending which would explain why Yingluck as chief executive of the defendant could not agree to meet a protest group that are allied to the litigant against the Thai government.

Ch. Karnchang has not been specifically formed to build this project. They'v been around forever building numerous infrastructure projects (often with foreign partners too); Expressways, Bkk Underground, Water tunnels etc you name it.

Sainyabuli is the only Laotian province that is west of the Mekong River how convenient! The toponym; Mother of Rivers says it all...

FYI Sayaburi is not the only Lao province west of Mekong, Pakse is too. Future dams there too ????

'The TOT board will grant a permit to only one lowest bidder to operate the third-generation telecommunication service( 3G) for the whole country. The TOT said the system was very complicated and should, therefore, be operated by only one company, which will be required to use the same equipment throughout the nation.'

Fantastic TOT are only allowing one 3G operator, nothing like a bit of healthy competition to keep the prices down and consumers happy. Would be great to be able to see the consumer pricing structures from all the bidders as opposed to simply finding out who won the contract.

So AIS, sorry I mean the unknown lowest bidder will have a(nother) strangle hold over Thailand's communications infrastructure.

Quite confusing article. I believe the reporter got things mixed up. Sounds like TOT is going to build something of their own, otherwise 'the lowest bidder' doesn't make much sense. I think there's two things here, a TOT operated 3G, and 3G networks operated by others, which licences would be awarded at a later date (and where highest bidders naturally win).

That would then explain why they prefer a single vendor policy ( as they feel the technology is complicated ), so they would have the whole country covered with same technology, instead of dealing with multiple vendors, when operating and maintaining. What AIS and True are in for is beyond me. The usual equipment vendor suspects should be Nokia-Siemens, Ericsson, Hua Wei etc.

Harpov

Old strategy done by leaders... create a war (or the "bad guys") to get the country united and forget their domestic troubles.

Yes. Somewhat reminds me about the Argentinians pulling similar stunts over the Falklands early 80s. I let you do the math but as a hint - they didn't come out of it too well. Let's hope common sense prevails.

Webfact :- This is not a troll !!!!! "Q" Isn't the entrance to the Temple on the Thai side of boarder ? if so are World Heritage aware of that ?

Highways leading into the US start in Mexico. I think that makes the US belong to Mexico.

Brilliant !

I read in the New York Times that the four leaders who surrendered yesterday, before the greatest unrest and the fires, at the speaking platform inside the Red Shirts area pleaded with those there to just give up that day and to pick up later on, that they could carry on this struggle later on. However, the crowd booed them! The leaders then left to be tried for treason. I really do not believe that, in the hearts of those who lead these demonstrations, they were at all intent on violence; they wanted to peacefully achieve something that the crowd really wants: liberty, equality and fraternity, not the "peace and bread" offerred by the Bolsheviks before the 1917 Revolution. I am sure that these people really care more about Thailand and the future of Thailand than people here seem to give credit. Why are so many here not interested in the deeper ideas behind the protests of the Red Shirts? Is it that you have a "position" here that is comfortable and, of course, with a higher economic level than most Thais will ever enjoy and you are afraid to lose it? Is it that you are carrying with you a certain sense that you are of some higher class or ethnicity than most Thais?

When I move to Thailand in 2011, I know that I will be a guest there. I will act as a guest. I will, most certainly, develop friendships there as well with people of many "classes" as well. I would hope that we could discuss things that are happening in Thai social, political, economic and cultural areas openly and that they can educate ME. I will certainly not be there to dictate what the people want, need or do. When I was there for a month on Phuket, I was fortunate to make friends there and to be able, to this day, to ask questions honestly and to discuss them freely (of course there are some things forbidden and I will not go there with them at all as I respect that as a matter of course). As a "farang" myself, I will never stand in judgement of the actions of any group in Thailand for it is, most certainly, not my "place." Fortunately, you have this forum to talk in and to say as you please to the same extent as I have.

Please, tell me, politically, socially and economically, where the Red Shirts are "off base" here! Also, what are the goods as well as the negatives of BOTH the Red Shirts AND the Yellow Shirts. What are, as you see it, the platforms of each group and how do they mesh or not mesh with the current Thai political, social and economic structure. What are the "classes" in Thai society? Where are you in terms of this heirarchy?

Thank you so much. You may email me directly, if you wish to establish a dialog over time, at [email protected].

Take care. Hopefully, for now, this is settled. However, I am sure that this entire thing will be revisited in the not-too-distant future.

Glad to hear that after 1 month here, and with intention to move here next year, that you are so well informed on the social, political, and economic situation that you are able to advise all us long term expats how we should behave.

Thanks.

Yes and didnt they make a movie about dudes like that. dam whats the name of that movie, it's on the tip of my tongue. Wait I got it, the movie was "Jackass 3"

Dear Anyse, as you can see most ranting that goes on in this forum is not very constructive. However, just like you and myself, they have a right to express their opinions and raise questions. Do not be put off, and I'm sure you're not, about the answers you get in this forum. Fortunately there are still few people left in this forum who have the capacity and ability to analyse and understand the complicity of this issue from both sides of the barrigade, regardless the colour. Those posts are pleasure to read. All the best, H.

I have to go to Lom Sak in Petchabun province tonight. Does the curfew affect travelling out of province?

Petchabun was not mentioned in the list for state of emergency and curfew. Nor were the neighbouring provinces of Loei, Phichit, Phitsanuloke etc

Listen, if the red-shirts are only looking for a new election they WAIT for it, they don't come "peacefully" to throw 800 liters of their own blood on buildings, they don't throw grenades on skytrain stations , they don't kill people, and they don't block the economic centre of a capital city, because this is not peace, this is war!

Can you understand that, or are you so stupid to don't be able to understand something so simple. In any country - i mean democracy - in the world what happened during two months in Thailand would not have lasted more than two weeks! So, believe me, Thailand is not only a democracy - not perfect like all democracies but a democracy anyway - and this government is not the "worst" but probably the best you could have find in this kind of situation. No other country in the world would have wait that long to react, but when it's too much, it's too much. The red shirt movements was destroying the country and the government who has been widely patient had to act.

Now, if you want a new election, it's f+++ing simple: YOU WAIT FOR THE DATE OF THE NEXT ELECTION, like any democratic people would do, you don't put a country on fire because you want an election right now!

Unless you are on the side of the establishment, than don't have to wait at all.

Just order the dissolution of the winning party (twice), organize a military coup, change the constitution, sway MPs elected by voters of the opposition to switch sides with budget incentives and sit pretty at the top .:2 cents:.

Very impressive Firestar. Few year's political manouvering covered in one sentence, instead of ranting away like most do, regardless of the colour. Well put.

There was a one night curfew in Bangkok back in May 1992 after the trouble. Never seen Silom Rd so empty and quiet as it was back then.

it's pointless to do curfew in the whole bangkok - most of the areas are peaceful.

this city lives 24/7, a lot of fresh food trading and deliveries are done throughout the night from the night markets and from the agricultural provinces.

tomorrow morning there might be not much left on the street markets

With all the changes with the constitutions etc. I don't blame the guy making a mistake if he ever did it intentionally I really doubt it. Everything he has said is true and Thai soverignty is not breached as claimed by opponents. Everyone knows that the temple belonged to Cambodia and all the lies were made up discredit the governement. If you look at it its all just politics and its sad really. Its a shame that whatever decision has to be made even those necessary are all made into a political issue thesedays by PAD and its supporters. So much for progress..... PAD is just continuing to spread their lies and inciting dangerous disputes with neighbours to make the news nothing more.

True words. Whatever the motivation, it's in Cambodia and built by the Khmers. Only really occupied by the LOS when opportunity arrived..............

Come on guys they got to be doing something right. You know 'scum floats and solid hit the bottom'.