pliny

There is no news of an interruption to the visa application process at Be Bangkok on their website either as a consequence of UKvisas' incorporation into the new UK Border Agency or Thai prostitution in the UK.

Frankly, the notion that one of the busiest UK visa sections in the world would close because of a few toms nicked in Blighty is just plain daft.

Perhaps we should remember that the laws of this land are designed to protect Thai's, NOT purposefully discriminate against foreigners.

I have lived in Thailand for only 3 years but in that time I have understood that the laws prevailing are not for the Thai as a nation but for a tiny minority who exploit the remainder mercilessly, including farang, as they think fit.

Mind you, this reality does not prevent my imminent retirement there. In the land of illusions it's best not to have any.

I suppose it boils down to the fact that out of all choices available Thailand remains the most attractive economically and they have a culture of politeness and I do like good manners.

The confusion arises from a mod deleting posts in another thread and depositing them here. Perhaps this thread is now a trashcan?

Actually, practice is the noun whereas practise is the verb.

Vis a vis 'site' for cite, scrutinise your posts herein and you will find.

The practice may be good for you.

Quite how some posters can extrapolate cultural relativism, neo colonialism and anarchy from my post ( #28 ) is really quite mystifying. I would have thought that the facts speak for themselves.

Incidentally, Jonniebkk, in the context you intended ' cite ' is the correct spelling, not ' site ' . I suppose being a member of a former subject race you could be excused for using ' tonite ' on the grounds that this solecism is so widely practised in your country that it may well have become proper usage.

Muslim, in adjectival form, is not necessarily subject to the convention of a capital letter according to my lexicon but let's not get too pedantic, eh what?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I am fairly certain that adultery in Thailand is not a criminal offence, for if it were then probably half the country would be behind bars.

It may come as a surprise to most, but adultery, or as it is sometimes known "alienation of affection," is still a civil and CRIMINAL offense in some states of the American South. Recently, some men have been sued in civil courts for damages by husbands who have been the victim of this offense.

Your reference to the Southern states as if they were some sort of validation of your eccentric opinions comes as no surprise and probably marks you out rather more than any other poster, including myself, possibly could.

Let us be clear; adultery is not a criminal offence in any civilised society whereas bigamy is.Of course, in muslim societies the opposite is often the case but that is definitely another story

Your arguments seem as muddled as your grasp of Latin - please research ad hominem and try to avoid a similar mistake.

They both broke the law in the Philippines (she in particular as she knew she was not in a position to get married) and both should serve the jail sentences they were given. Hopefully, the Philippine (or Thai) authorities will see to it that they are extradited back to the Philippines to serve their sentences.

In reading this post I was rather hoping to discover an irony buried somehere therein but it seems entirely sincere. Quite breathtaking really but still possibly a trolling comment ( one would hope ).

I am not sure what extradition agreements have been signed between the two countries but it is a convention that for the return of a fugitive from one to the other it should be proven that the offender has committed a crime that exists in both countries' penal codes. Correct me if I am wrong, but I am fairly certain that adultery in Thailand is not a criminal offence, for if it were then probably half the country would be behind bars.

Under an amendment to the British Nationality Act which came into operation in 2006, children born out of wedlock to British fathers could apply for citizenship provided paternity was proven. Assuming the DNA test confirms this then it will doubtless follow that a settlement visa application will be submitted in respect of the mother and the family will be allowed to proceed fairly quickly to the UK.

Certainly, the father has proven himself to be committed to the relationship and one would wish them a prosperous and flourishing future in Swindon, notwithstanding the churlish views expressed by others about that town and the father's position in the socio-economic order that may prevail there.

FYI - maybe you have seen this already..........

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2008/04/11/thai-pm-orders-investigation-into-tourist-killings-april-10-2008/

://http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2008...pril-10-2008/

://http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2008....pril-10-2008/

..........good thing.

The officer in question can sometimes still be seen on the streets of Pai, still drunk and still carrying a gun. He very recently said to a friend of mine 'Either I take your passport or you let me take your girlfriend home'. His gun was seen at his waist at the time. Apparently he also threatened to shoot someone the same evening in a separate conversation.

When the tourist police were told the reply was something along the lines of 'Well, we don't want to make a problem'.

Amazing.

Very worrying insight into the reality of the abuse of power so insidious in Thailand and how it could impinge upon naive tourists who believe the blandishments from vested interests that the country and its scenic spots are entirely safe.

Evidently, the wretch still considers himself to be inviolate. I wonder why that is?

...how can you possibly argue that the torch relay is a "beautiful and peaceful event"...

"...can and should be...", I said, and that "It was really ugly what happened with the torch relay in some other countries...Let us hope that there will be no violence at the Bangkok relay"

--

Maestro

On the contrary, violence and disruption is the appropriate response on this occasion and every other whenever the posturing of the Chinese exploiting the Olympics occurs.

Democratic countries have shown them their hypocrisy cannot be ignored and what is truly beautiful is their discomfiture at the protests, something not permitted of course in China or, seemingly, in Thailand.

Presumably, this post too will be deleted since it doesn't accord with your personal opinions ?

The Gourmet supermarket at Emporium has the best steak mince and because everything is comparatively new there presentation and hygiene appears immaculate.Their outlet in Siam Paragon is even newer.

Can't be faulted for your Spag Bol or Chilli and homemade burgers have flavour without the greasiness found elsewhere.

Thanks.

What happened to it? I can't find it anywhere and my contribution to it has been deleted from my posts.

Was there a complaint forcing deletion or perhaps the potential for grief was considered too risky?

Just wondering.

Surely a larger airport open to all carriers would increase tourist development to the point that a properly engineered road network with concomitant drainage, both for run off and waste management, would then ensue?

I know the cynics will scream their usual refrain but one must accept eventually that even the Thai will see the sense of it.

The very helpful lady even gave me here personal mobile number in case of problems.

Are we being just a little teensie weensie naive here, Governor?

Positively Panglossian my dear chap when you begin to take everything in the round and all.

You clearly believe in the Nanny state, whereas I prefer to make my own informed decisions rather than have them made for me.

Fine, make your own ill informed decision to smoke, but don't subject others (willing or unwilling) to the fall out.

I've yet to see any reasonable argument from the pro-smoking lobby as to why the pre-smoking ban status quo should be maintained.

Personally I have yet to visit any local pub to find that the landlord has gained new custom from the smoking ban yet invariably he complains that he has lost it from his smoking addicted regulars who simply do not visit as often as they did before the ban.Interestingly, I have not heard a single non smoking bar habitue supporting the ban, so, anecdotally, can we assume that those in favour are probably folk who don't actually frequent bars?

Inevitably pubs in the UK will close as a consequence which is the best argument I can think of for reversing the prohibition.

The Londoner is way over priced and certainly I would not dream of patronising it outside of the Wednesday night buy one get one promo unless induced.............smoking happy hour perchance?

This Clayton SeeLess does come across as an insufferable prig.

And what about farang who wish to visit for 2 weeks and are admitted without any visa requirement whereas Thai who wish to reciprocate have to pay an average of $100 for an application with no guarantee of success?

And what happens to the upwardly mobile Thai who tries to buy a condo in lower Suk? Heck, he pays the going rate and who set the market in that burgh? Isaan farmer or foreign investor/retiree/multinational employee/expat dip or NGO fatcat?

Sure you get ripped off in a Pattaya baht bus, visiting tourist sites and national parks but who cares except the penny wise but pound foolish cheapskate losers.

What does piss me off is the moment one has delusions that a successful business can be operated there is always a Thai who is waiting in the wings to exploit you for whatever he can get away with whether it be a landlord, accountant, the entire Thai bureaucracy, police or envious competitor. But that's another story.

Sentiment is one thing but I think that the significance of the current conditions has escaped many " optimists ".

We are in unchartered waters. Governments and Central banks are just learning that the traditional tool of interest rate intervention has now no linkage with liquidity but in discovering this they have risked inflation at the expense of all else.

Socialising the debt fallout is their next staggering step into the last chance saloon but frankly recession is inevitable and not necessarily such a bad thing. Let the house of cards fall and we can then get on with the next pyramid selling scam.

China's implosion would certainly be an interesting development.

Not surprised - market for the most part is completely sound. Fear is what has driven the market for quite some time.

Seldom have I read a more asinine comment upon the current situation.

The past 5 years represented the most irrational exuberance yet seen and will be followed by an equally proportionate correction. Speculation funded by cheap money unsecured by nothing more than greed and whimsy is over.Finito.Kaputt.Ended.

The walk in the wilderness has only just begun.

"Fear is what has driven the market"..... Too bloody right mate, fear that folk have lost an estimated $400 billion and rising.

It ain't fear, it's reality. Unfortunately, there are those who couldn't recognise a car accident even if they were in one.

Recession is inevitable.

Actiondell's post is, I suspect, apocryphal.

Most enforcement officers in the civilized world are bound by due process and would not subject a passenger to an intimate search without reasonable cause. Certainly, the application of a rubber gloved digit by such an officer belongs to the world of fantasy since cavity searches can only be conducted by a medically qualified person and under heavily prescribed circumstances. A bald statement alone that someone acting suspiciously would not trigger such a sequence of events unless it was supported by sufficient evidence.

I have no idea what ID the poster allegedly flourished but its effect was probably as fictitious as the entire anecdote.

Most things are available in Bangkok and can be found in the shopping malls located at Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom and The Emporium at Phrom Pong. The grocery stores at Tops, Foodland and Villa Market are much more hit and miss but the latter has perhaps the best variety of tinned goods you would wish for although their fresh produce may be lacking.

Thai cheese is abominable and not worth buying. Australian imported Cheddar and butter are reasonable alternatives to English produce and perhaps the nearest in taste and are moderately priced.

Quality bread can only be found at the aforementioned outlets but of the Thai supermarket chains perhaps Carrefour offer the best "French" bread sticks reflecting their origins. Wine will always be bit of a bugger because of the taxation but I invariably found that the plonk varieties offered by Carrefour to be the best value and most drinkable, again reflecting the buying prowess of their French employees.

The only item I found to be wholly elusive was American long grain rice such as Uncle Ben's.

Death in the Orient does not hold such dread as elsewhere in the world and posters should at least attempt to address this phenomenon before they seek to impose their western sentiment upon a society that cannot digest it without a pill of karma related balm.

Uncomfortable though it may seem, karma is the bedrock of the Thai. They will be appalled at this crime and their authorities will make all the right noises that may find an echo within the falang if only to save commercial face but ultimately her death will change nothing and if you understand Buddhism you will understand this.

It's not callous, it's just that is the way things are.

Why is not a sensible question here and has no relevance. There is no " Christian " purpose. Anyone asking it is in the wrong church.

sad news but 100,000 bht is an insult. hope they find the truth.

In averaged Thai terms this amount represents the typical annual income.

Equating it to more developed countries the reward would amount, say in the UK, to approximately 20,000GBP.

A reasonable sum for information leading to the apprehension of any miscreant.

Perhaps those writhing in indignation should reflect upon the reality of Thailand and temper their outrage accordingly.

In view of the reported circumstances so far one could deduce that this was an opportunist attack and probably committed by a Thai since the victim was dispatched by a knife.

The timing of the crime is unusual and suggests that the perpetrator(s) may have been in the vicinity for quite a while and given the nature of the attack one could reasonably suspect they were probably intoxicated either by drink or drugs.

The venue has been described as remote, in Phuket terms, and so it shouldn't be too difficult to ascertain if such a group had been sighted by other locals.

Admittedly, there is a tendency for the police to make the person fit the crime for expediency sake but a quick resolution could reasonably be expected.

How the poor girl may have disported herself is, I would suggest, not an issue and hardly an excuse for espousing conflicting arguments upon cultural mores. She was walking alone on a deserted beach at a respectable hour enjoying a quiet moment on an island portrayed around the world as a desirable and safe location but was killed. That is her epitaph.

What I still dont understand is if you currently get paid in Baht or Pound but anyway nobody can make the decision for you and in case you have to chose one time without the option to switch in the future I would suggest that you flip a coin and wish you good luck.

BINGO! anything else is unsubstantiated bla-bla respectively reading chicken entrails

Mmmmm......so, you think a strategy has no value?

As dismal as it gets, economics do observe laws and sometimes the runes are there to be read provided you follow a soothsayer worth his salt.

Ultimately, the USD will rebound and the Euro may be the loser. The GBP has a way to go yet before bottoming at a rate more representative of the debt burden and the forthcoming recession and I wouldn't rule out eventual occasional parity with the Euro.

But then, whither the Baht?

Ita vero, we said the same shit about the Carthaginians and the bastards came across the Po valley but we sure showed Hannibal what he could do with his ephalumps.

Now, hey, we all speak wop and sell tickets to anyone who wants to come.

Carthago delenda est?

In your dreams mi amico.

Today's Poles where yesterday's Irish.

Grow up, switch on and slap yore bitch, innit.