monkeycountry

Apparently she is attending a very important mobile cabinet meeting in Lopburi

Forbes recently issues this years list of the worlds most powerful people, apparently Putin beat Obama this year. I assume Yingluck has no aspirations to ever be on that list

" Pastika said that for insurance coverage to be extended a fee would have to be paid by every visitor passing through a Bali air or seaport. From this fee a premium would be paid to provide both insurance coverage and separate funds for the "protections of Bali's culture and environment"."

A few bulldozers for Kuta wouldn't go amiss

My guess is "funds for the protection of Bali's culture" is Balinese for tea money to Bali's officials.

Ah!, so they realize that things are not going to go their way,

they had their chance many years ago to fight the ruling and

I don't think they bothered to turn up.

Some of them act like children if they cannot get what they want.

regards Worgeordie

Many years ago at the original ruling, Thailand had politicial troubles inside and could not do anything.

Than for decades Cambodia and Thailand were happy to govern the area together and avoid any conflict by calling it "overlapping" area.

Than Thaksin made his shady deal with Hun Sen for his island resort in Cambodia in exchange for the temple land, that causes the Nationalists on both sides to wake up.

I should have known Thaksin would have been behind it! Don't you obsessives ever give up. During those decades that conflict was avoided did they include the two and a bit years when Abhisit was PM? No, now what do you think caused conflict with the RTA lobbing cluster shells over the border. Couldn't possibly be abhisit and co trying to cosy up to the nationalist nutters aka the old PAD, oh no, surely not.

Since you never give up defending Thaksin and the PTP no matter what they do or don't do, then why should the "obsessives" give up?

Why does Thailand want to be a member of the UN anyway? General thai mentality is different from that of most other member countries, and Thailand rarely agrees with anything the UN says or does.

Must be nice to be a rice farmer. Elsewhere in Thailand rubber farmers are fighting hard to get small subsidies from the PTP, while the PTP happily throws money at the rice farmers left and right, even without anyone protesting. If I was a rubber farmer, I would change my t-shirt

It is quite simple. Do as Singapore. Open up casinos, but let only foreigners get in without a "license". As for Thai customers, charge them a substantial amount to gain access. Singapore charges 100 SGD = 2,500 baht / visit. Or have some government office issue a "gambling licence" for Thais who can prove they have plenty of means to gamble and are not in danger of losing their house and/or family. Similar to the retirement visa financial requirements for foreigners in Thailand.

This would ensure plenty of jobs and revenue for Thailand. It will ensure redistribution of wealth from rich thais who gamble, as their losses will end as taxable casino profits. And it will prevent social problems for poor gambling addicted Thais, as they are not allowed inside the casinos. Basically a win/win for everyone.

Singapore can make it work better than most, but has experienced a number of gambling related problems.

One in particular are numbers of 'foreign' tourists from the land of 'Zero-fee tours' who produce documentation, open credit lines and have an odd affinity for skipping town without paying up. This is truly unfortunate.

Perhaps Thailand could introduce a 30,000 Baht country entrance fee to help offset potentially unpaid gambling debts.

One large casino in Singapore belongs to an American who also owns casinos in the US including Las Vegas. The way they avoid unpaid bills for the average person is to sell gambling chips. You can't gamble with real money. You have to first go to a window and buy your chips or "tokens" in whatever denominations you want with real money. Then you gamble with their chips, and when finished you cash in if you have any chips left. If you are a winner you will have more chips and therefore more cash than you started with. Most people play until their chips are gone and leave losers. But you can't keep playing when your chips are gone unless you buy more.

They will take credit cards for the chips. Some people get into deep trouble with that.

There are only two good things about Las Vegas. The shows and the food. I used to go there and have a great dinner while I watched Elvis and other greats on the stage, live. I haven't been there for a while because it was more fun when I was younger.

As far as I know all major legal casinos in the world use prepaid chips, not cash. Not only Singapore and Las Vegas, but Macau as well.

It is quite simple. Do as Singapore. Open up casinos, but let only foreigners get in without a "license". As for Thai customers, charge them a substantial amount to gain access. Singapore charges 100 SGD = 2,500 baht / visit. Or have some government office issue a "gambling licence" for Thais who can prove they have plenty of means to gamble and are not in danger of losing their house and/or family. Similar to the retirement visa financial requirements for foreigners in Thailand.

This would ensure plenty of jobs and revenue for Thailand. It will ensure redistribution of wealth from rich thais who gamble, as their losses will end as taxable casino profits. And it will prevent social problems for poor gambling addicted Thais, as they are not allowed inside the casinos. Basically a win/win for everyone.

Singapore can make it work better than most, but has experienced a number of gambling related problems.

One in particular are numbers of 'foreign' tourists from the land of 'Zero-fee tours' who produce documentation, open credit lines and have an odd affinity for skipping town without paying up. This is truly unfortunate.

Perhaps Thailand could introduce a 30,000 Baht country entrance fee to help offset potentially unpaid gambling debts.

Never heard of this, but if I understand you correct. Foreigners gamble at the casinos on credit and run from the bill?

Solution: Let people pay for their chips up front - I thought that was the case anyway, except for a few high rollers. If you can't afford to pay up front, then you probably cannot afford to gamble either, and should not be allowed into the casino in the first place! If the casino decides to give anyone credit, then it is the casinos own problem if they do not pay. It is not like a hospital where you cannot really turn away people without money.

And yes, some moronic Thai official will most likely propose such an idea if even a single foreigner manage to get away without paying. As someone else already said, the main problem with casinos in Thailand are Thai officials.

It is quite simple. Do as Singapore. Open up casinos, but let only foreigners get in without a "license". As for Thai customers, charge them a substantial amount to gain access. Singapore charges 100 SGD = 2,500 baht / visit. Or have some government office issue a "gambling licence" for Thais who can prove they have plenty of means to gamble and are not in danger of losing their house and/or family. Similar to the retirement visa financial requirements for foreigners in Thailand.

This would ensure plenty of jobs and revenue for Thailand. It will ensure redistribution of wealth from rich thais who gamble, as their losses will end as taxable casino profits. And it will prevent social problems for poor gambling addicted Thais, as they are not allowed inside the casinos. Basically a win/win for everyone.

+1

It has worked in Singapore

Problem is in Thailand too many people would want a piece of the pie

Completely agree

The only winners in these sort of dens of iniquity are the capital raisers and backers.

As George Washington said of gambling:

"It is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and the father of mischief"

Dont do it.

Who is the winner in a bar where people go to drink and have fun? I assume the only financial winner is the bar owner - and perhaps the staff?

Lots of people, especially those who can afford it, go to casinos mainly to have fun, not to win. They know odds are stacked against them, but they do not mind losing as long as they have fun meanwhile. They get excited while playing, kinda like people who gladly pay twice the normal price for a drink in a gogobar, or even rounds of overpriced ladydrinks. The casino and gogobar provides an atmosphere you cannot get by sitting drinking or playing online poker at home - and that comes at a price.

The easy way out is to grant everyone his wish.

Since Abhisit wants to fight in court with Suthep, so be it.

Then throw them in jail quickly and for long... and grant amnesty to everyone else. Including Thaksin.

Everyone happy, right?

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you are accused of a crime such as rape or murder, and get off on a technicality (amnesty in this case) everyone will still consider you a rapist or murderer.

However, if you stand trial you get a chance to prove to everyone that you are not guilty, especially if both the judge's and the prosecutors' salaries are paid by your opponents.

Abhisit is doing the right thing here, both for himself and for Thailand. If he is smart, and if it is legally possible, he will decline an amnesty, even if the amnesty law is implemented and everyone else gets amnesty.

Yes yes. Indeed. So be it.

Let him go to court. Up to him.

For the rest let's move on.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What do you think happens if Thaksin gets an amnesty, comes back to Thailand and becomes PM again? Happy days for everyone? :-)

It should be OK, don't worry >_>

I am pretty sure more people want Thaksin back and see Abhisit and Suthep in jail. It's all right...

And since these two trumpet that they don't mind to go to jail, everything is perfect. Let them be heroes

You are right, Thaksin could even take over the job from his sister. Even better.

Happy end. Very cool.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I have a feeling you are just trolling, at least I hope you are, so will discontinue our little chat here :-)

Some official probably told the truth recently when he hinted that even those who genuinely wanted to stop the local mafias did not dare do so.

In the west, when an official is killed while trying to prevent crime, it becomes a big issue and all kinds of law enforcement will do whatever it takes to catch or kill those behind. The criminals know this, and therefore usually avoid killing officials.

Here there is very little solidarity among officials, so the criminals are not afraid of killing or intimidating them. The officials know this, and therefore understandably avoid any trouble with local mafias etc.

On top of this comes of course the "fact" that the majority of officials here are the criminals they are supposed to catch, and they can't really catch themselves.

So how many of the 6-8 watch sellers they have on video got arrested? If arrested, will it be the usual 500 baht fine for beating up someone?

The easy way out is to grant everyone his wish.

Since Abhisit wants to fight in court with Suthep, so be it.

Then throw them in jail quickly and for long... and grant amnesty to everyone else. Including Thaksin.

Everyone happy, right?

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you are accused of a crime such as rape or murder, and get off on a technicality (amnesty in this case) everyone will still consider you a rapist or murderer.

However, if you stand trial you get a chance to prove to everyone that you are not guilty, especially if both the judge's and the prosecutors' salaries are paid by your opponents.

Abhisit is doing the right thing here, both for himself and for Thailand. If he is smart, and if it is legally possible, he will decline an amnesty, even if the amnesty law is implemented and everyone else gets amnesty.

Yes yes. Indeed. So be it.

Let him go to court. Up to him.

For the rest let's move on.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What do you think happens if Thaksin gets an amnesty, comes back to Thailand and becomes PM again? Happy days for everyone? :-)

I think Thais will soon realise that they are not ready for ASEAN at all, and will therefore make sure the 2015 date is postponed indefinitely.

The easy way out is to grant everyone his wish.

Since Abhisit wants to fight in court with Suthep, so be it.

Then throw them in jail quickly and for long... and grant amnesty to everyone else. Including Thaksin.

Everyone happy, right?

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you are accused of a crime such as rape or murder, and get off on a technicality (amnesty in this case) everyone will still consider you a rapist or murderer.

However, if you stand trial you get a chance to prove to everyone that you are not guilty, especially if both the judge's and the prosecutors' salaries are paid by your opponents.

Abhisit is doing the right thing here, both for himself and for Thailand. If he is smart, and if it is legally possible, he will decline an amnesty, even if the amnesty law is implemented and everyone else gets amnesty.

So basically the red shirts want amnesty for all their side,(after all they did nothing wrong !)

and prosecute the Democrat side to the fullest extent of the law (after all they were just trying

to restore order) this just goes to show how mixed up things are in Thailand,

Bringing Abhisit and Suthep to court is just a means to blackmail them into supporting the

blanket amnesty,which surprisingly they wont, this must really confound the Government

as putting the Country before oneself is an alien concept to the majority of Thai politicians,

and all this strife just to whitewash one man.

regards worgeordie

Abhisit may be putting the country before himself, I wouldn't know, but he does have other reasons to decline an amnesty.

If given an amnesty, his opponents will forever claim that he was just lucky, and should and would have been in jail if he had been tried in court.

If he goes to court, where he knows he will win, he will make Thaksin, who ran away from justice, look like a coward. Thaksin is well aware of this which is why he is pushing for an amnesty for Abhisit as well. He will lose whatever face he has left if Abhisit stands trial and wins.

I think it came as a surprise to Thaksin back when he first made sure Tarit from the DSI charged Abhisit with murder and Abhisit subsequently declined the amnesty offer.

I think it is a great idea. And may I suggest that all ASEAN countries do the same to all Thais travelling to any ASEAN country. Not just workers, but thai tourists and thai businessmen as well :-)

Glad I may have been of some help [in some way]...for my part I would NOT even contemplate a business in Samui [Lamai in partic]..as I said it's on a downward slope now...I have had many many offers of taking over a business & always turned it down coz I could see what was going to happen in the future [this was abt 5/6yrs ago]...I like to think I am not a bad judge..so far I have been proved right.

I have a business in the UK...for what it's worth on my part...SAMUI will be FINISHED in about 8/10yrs time as a holiday destination,mainly because of the greedy locals...ok

While I do agree Samui has a ton of problems to solve, most main hotels are more or less fully booked for the coming high season, so I am not sure the mentioned downward slope has started just yet? Bangkok Airways Samui flights seem to be doing better than ever too (you can see it on their SPF property fund balance sheet which is publicly available and only covers the Samui part of their business).

You may be right that smaller businesses such as individual shops, restaurants, bars etc. are struggling due partly to oversupply, and partly to the changing demographic?

Surprise surprise. The PTP dictatorship is secretly being introduced, and often with "public referendums" which noone knows about, noone attends and noone in the PTP cares about even if some did complain.

"Yesyes, we get it, you all do not want us to be in total control of the news, so lets vote in parliament. Ups, we have the majority, so shut up already. Oh, and in case you still complain, we can always make a national vote. Surprise again, the 50+ % in isaan who don't follow nor understand the news or the concept and importance of press freedom anyway, support us, so shut up."

There is a risk the PTP can push through any bill in parliament. The only thing stopping this is the opposition by the red shirts who do not want an amnesty for the generals and Abhisit. However, I truly hope the PTP end up issuing a royal decree, as I can almost guarantee that HM the King will neither sign it nor reject it, but simply ignore it, which will be a giant slap in PTP/Yingluck's face. And with a bit of luck, Thais will see the attempt to involve HM the King as offensive!