Bangkok Barry

Does this mean the Police are patrolling checking the passports of foreigners now ??? Having police go up to tourists demanding to see their immigration status is not really a good thing for tourism.... The optics are quite appalling really. I could say that demanding to see your papers is like 1930s Germany. But then I might be suspended from watching the BBC. Gary Lineker, come over here. We need you.

The Thai system is that he has spoken, made his recommendations, and his job is done. Anything that happens later is not his responsibility. You, I, he and everyone else knows that what is said will be ignored and is unenforceable, but that is not the point. He has acted, done what he considers to be his job, while actually doing nothing. This happens all the time, at least once a week. Someone makes a declaration and the next day it's ignored and forgotten. But that person has done their job by 'acting'.

poorly written English, in which the report doesn't match the headline. Common here. There is no mention at all in the article that she paid the money.

See my post above. I'm a victim of poor Thai reporting.

I stand corrected. In mitigation, m'lord, the article says that a fake customs man would have been involved. By that it means to me that one wasn't, so who did she pass the money to? More poor Thai reporting perhaps, and what they should have written is was, not would have been?

I stand corrected. In mitigation, m'lord, the article says that a fake customs man would have been involved. By that it means to me that one wasn't, so who did she pass the money to? More poor Thai reporting perhaps, and what they should have written is was, not would have been?

Long straight road, daylight, dry road - and still too difficult for some drivers here to navigate.

Where did you read that she paid anything?

Incredible that nearly every one of the posts above accuse this woman of being stupid and greedy and having been scammed, when exactly the opposite is true. There is no mention of her having paid the money to anyone. It didn't get that far, because she smelled a rat and reported it. So many people unable to comprehend what they read and just jump to a wrong conclusion. The only thing I would say is that the report should have called her a potential victim, not a victim, but that's Thai reporting for you.

And this potential victim went straight to the police. Good for her.

TH beer having to be brewed outside of TH, and then heavily taxed as it (Thai beer not brewed by the monopolies) is imported into TH. So yes, the big two controlling the market by dictating to the government what it can and can't do. It is no coincidence that two of the richest men in Thailand own the breweries.

Thailand only operates trade agreements in one direction, to benefit Thailand. Isn't there supposed to be free trade between ASEAN countries, yet Thailand still imposes huge taxes on imports from Laos and Vietnam, and probably elsewhere. One example is Beer Lao, where I have to pay around 74 baht for a small bottle of their IPA whereas a Thai beer is one half to third of that. A large bottle of regular Beer Lao is 93, Leo around half of that. And let's not get started about tax on wine which could be imported from Laos where it costs a fraction of what it does in Thailand.

According to Damrongsak, the policewomen who covered her mouth and tried to remove her were following the security protocol laid out for the visit. Correction: According to Damrongsak, the policewomen who covered her mouth and tried to remove her were following the security protocol laid out for the visit learned from Chinese authorities, and any other country without a proper democratic government, such as Russia.

I would expect them to contact Airbus HQ in Europe, rather than who knows who in the US where the aircraft isn't manufactured or for sale, unless second-hand I suppose. The article though says they are buying a new aircraft, but that might be a poor translation and they actually mean replacement.

You, like the Thai air force, clearly don't know that the airbus is built in a number of European countries and has nothing at all to do with the US.

Yes, bizarre isn't it. Either it's very poor reporting (again) and the article doesn't say and no-one asked why they are talking to the US about buying a European aircraft, or the air force have no idea where the airbus is built. If anywhere is outside of Thai borders they don't have a clue.

Lost in translation. Just another example of Thais misusing English words that they don't really understand.

Sorry if I've offended you.

Assumption. There's a difference. You assumed - comprehended in your words - without knowing all the facts as they weren't given or made clear. It was a more than reasonable assumption, but an assumption nevertheless. In this instance it has no ramifications and is very trivial and so maybe I shouldn't have commented on it. But leaving something open to interpretation would draw a reprimand from a proper editor, or in other and more serious circumstances be exploited by a lawyer. Language is very precise, but that is an aspect that is unimportant to most. It is important, though, to others who deal in words, and certainly should be in the media.

I don't need your sarcasm. I'm a journalist of over 40 years at the very highest level (the agencies and papers such as the London Times) and know very well what is clear writing and what is not, and how not to jump to conclusions. As others have said, and which you choose to ignore, is that there was no clear indication of whether the sister was talking to her own boyfriend or that of her sister, nor whether he was in the room or on the phone. We can assume it was her boyfriend and he was there in the room, but that is only an assumption. We don't know that for a fact as the writer did not make that clear. My job was and is always to leave no room for doubt. Pedantic perhaps, but that is what a proper journalist needs to be, rather than leave the readership in any doubt. I'm sorry to hear you are struggling to understand that. It was only clear to you because you jumped to a conclusion without questioning what you were reading. As a journalist I never jump to conclusions.

We don't know whose boyfriend he is, due to the usual appalling Thai reporting. We can assume it was the boyfriend of the sister who is still alive, but we don't actually know because we aren't told. Also, as mentioned above. we aren't told if he was there or on the phone. More clear as mud reporting.

He'll probably ban foreigners from driving, or riding on public transport as we're dirty and smelly.

Just change the supplier, it doesn't have to come from Big C or 7/11, plenty of shops with more convenient licensing hours That depends on where you live and what variety the non-chain shops sell, doesn't it? There are none within 50 kms of my place.

It's only a matter of time. This year, next year, five or 10 years from now.

He is, according to the linked article. With a gun. Nice, hmm?