Ricardo

Last time you spoke with TIME in January 2007, you said you were finished with politics and that you would retire. What changed?

[My political opponents] have been bullying me politically nonstop since then. I already declared that I wanted to retire. I wanted to spend my life with my family. But they were bullying me. The rule of law is not there [in Thailand]. The democratic process is not there. That is too much. All of my supporters urged me: 'you have to come and fight back politically.' They want [Thailand] to come back to a mature democracy.

Hope someone is clear why he has to fight.

Koo, you & Thaksin forget, when he was removed, Thailand was anything but a "mature democracy". In fact he had been steadily dismantling the limited-democracy which he had taken over. Who said "Democracy is not my aim" ? Was he lying then, or is he lying now, you tell us ?

If the democratic process is weak, or "the rule of law is not there", when will he accept any of the responsibility for the situation, which he himself helped to create ? For the division in Thai society ? He has a twisted view of history.

He didn't declare that he "wanted to retire", he said "I have quit", was he lying then, or is he lying now ? If he has quit, why does he fund nominee-parties, and place his family amongst the leadership of the latest one ?

All his supporters urge him to come and fight back except, he conveniently forgets to mention, the ones who have deserted him to help put the current government in power. No wonder he trusts only his family now.

We all want Thailand to grow into a democracy, the question is whether he has anything further to contribute, in moving towards it. Most of us, observing from the sidelines, think not. His legacy was, to have made the poor people slightly more important, in Thai politics. Witness the Democrats now continuing with populist measures.

In continuing to fight, and to try to damage the country's reputation overseas, he is also damaging his own reputation, which is sad. He should keep quiet, negotiate the return of most of his frozen-assets, and accept that the world has moved on.

We are waiting for some kind on confirmation from the Som Tam Lady

Her daughter tells me, she waves at farangs with big Choppers, but that's only 2nd-hand rumour.

Wonder how the results might be, for non-Thais in Thailand, by comparison ?

Interesting to see that it was Pfizer, who carried-out the survey, now I wonder whether they're saying that there is more need for a certain one of their products, or claiming the credit for achieving a high score ?

In the end of the day, I hope you guys are happy with Thailand's current situation, and the one from last year or 2 years ago, things improved drastically...NOT

OK the world economy is going down the pan, and this is only just starting to hit Thailand, also the wide divisions in Thai politics remain, not helped by stirring/funding/phone-calls from Hong Kong or Dubai or Nicaragua or wherever.

But surely you can't seriously mean it was better, 1-2 years ago, under a military-appointed junta, than now with elected-MPs forming coalition governments ?

yeah, military backed mp-coalitions are a huge step in the right direction.

Yes, MP-coalitions are better than a military-appointed junta, not that any government in Thailand rules without the support of the military, look at poor PM-Somchai floundering about for example.

So you now say that things have improved, over a year or two ago, which is the opposite of your original post. Not sure that I'd agree with you it is a "huge step in the right direction", but a small step certainly, IMHO.

In the end of the day, I hope you guys are happy with Thailand's current situation, and the one from last year or 2 years ago, things improved drastically...NOT

OK the world economy is going down the pan, and this is only just starting to hit Thailand, also the wide divisions in Thai politics remain, not helped by stirring/funding/phone-calls from Hong Kong or Dubai or Nicaragua or wherever.

But surely you can't seriously mean it was better, 1-2 years ago, under a military-appointed junta, than now with elected-MPs forming coalition governments ?

Loch Lomond is indeed a malt from Loch Lomond.

Its not a whisky to be taken dry.

Taken wet its OK.

Thanks for the correction & tip, I had a look at their web-site too, but still found it pretty rough.

I'm currently enjoying, one sip at a time, a Macallan 12-year malt.

Hope that the villagers do finally get the cash, they've certainly suffered for it, pity EGAT didn't put proper filters on the emissions, in the first place.

We used to host a monthly get-together, for food & gossip & cards, and more than a few moans. It may have helped the new-arrivals to settle-in, but some of the girls used to 'stir' them up, which can't have helped their chances of making the cultural-transition successfully.

I used to be too busy at work to attend, except to say 'Hi' in passing.

Now we're in the LOS, a similar event occurs for farangs, monthly or thereabouts. Same same not different !

'The (Chiang Mai) Fog' might be topical, and cheap to make, on the special-effects ?

'For a Few Burgers More' with Clint Eastwood, perhaps ?

'Once Upon A Time In The North', lots of roles there for water-buffaloes, painted like cows ?

Or perhaps plan your trip to travel via Mae Sai while in Thailand, do a land-border crossing for an hour to Tachileik costing 500B (Burmese side), and return to continue your journey for up to 15 days ? This should be no real problem/hassle, if you're already planning to visit Chiang Rai/Mae Salong, on your trip.

Have a good trip !

Hope that the project brings some jobs, that's always welcome, maybe even a few roles for farang extras ?

The som-tam lady says, they plan a remake called 'The Bridge on the River Ping', or possibly 'Air Lanna' about a CIA-owned airline, can any TV-members suggest some other locally-based films which they might wish to make ?

Here is the chic look of the Nouveau Poor. You wear this hideous thing to keep warm in cold climates because you can't pay the heating bill. They are selling like hotcakes. Hotcakes, being cheap food, are also selling like hotcakes ...

As I recall, they used to be the best thing since sliced-bread, once the bread-slicer had indeed been invented ?

Do you think the poor young Charlette, feeling the cold, might appreciate a nice warm blanket ? I'm thinking of organising a collection, amongst the hill-tribe folk, now that the hot season has arrived, and they no longer need theirs ! Perhaps the blankets might migrate seasonally, to wherever they were most urgently needed, do you think ?

Perhaps off the coast of Nicaragua, I remember a film called Jurassic Park, about an island full of dinosaurs thereabouts ?

I believe the OP will find that back-to-back visas are back, only for 14/15 days at land-borders, that was one welcome change last November.

But agree that the reduction from 30 days was not helpful, to keeping Thailand's tourist-industry jogging along, how about boosting it to 60 days on-arrival, wherever/however people arrive ? !

If Malaysia can do me 90 days, surely Thailand can manage 60, at least !

It's quite easy to get a 60 day Tourist visa to Thailand. Just walk in with your passport, a couple of pictures, and pay the FEE.

Oh I see, you meant a free visa.

Now, how does that FREE visa benefit the Thai government's revenues?

Tourist arrives with free visa-on-arrival, spends money in hotels/shopping or national-parks or domestic-flights, and government collects VAT or park-fees or airport-charges. Tourist buys a beer or pack of ciggies, government collects excise-duty.

But the main benefit of tourists is to the Thai economy, not direct to the government, I would agree.

why they need 2 or 3 months to reach a decision about a criminal prosecution is beyond me.

Because it was fast-tracked ?

Someone flying on a route which doesn't start/end in the UK ?

There is a big difference between rural England and rural Thailand.

Well, knock me down with a feather, really ?

I never knew that....

I guess one learns something new every day.

I must remember this, next time I'm meeting someone at CNX International, as I would definitely not wish to find myself running the country, by accident !

Ian, that's what I believe is called a 'moo-katar', and I would strongly recommend the one (called 'Sukhonta' ?) with it's entrance next to Hillside Condo on Kad Suan Kaew, drive through the archway and down the soi leading to the car-park & restaurant.

The price is much the same, they seat what looks like a couple of thousand, and have live entertainment. Excellent selection of food, even ice-cream & donuts for the kids, of all ages.

I always take visitors there, so they can see the locals, relaxed & enjoying themselves !

As far as Thailand goes I won't be returning in the near future until the country is more stable and has at least two fully working international airports, one in the south and one in the north.

Erm ... Chiang Mai in the north, and Phuket or Hat Yai in the South, so it's already safe to return again by your criteria, in fact it always was, even during the 1-week problem in Bangkok.

Myself I wouldn't want to risk the UK, with all the goings-on at Stansted, and Heathrow almost closed by the snow, and please don't let me get started about 'Chairman Brown' and political or economic stability ! I'll just get my jacket !

Another cost cutting opportunity: Eliminate over-night hotel costs for crew after a one hour Domestic flight. I recently flew BKK-Surat Thani on a morning flight; found that the crew had checked into my same hotel and were not scheduled to return to BKK until the next afternoon.

Saw the crew returning to CNX this afternoon, after a night in town, I thought it was not necessary for the flight-crew to have an up-market limo while the cabin-crew had a minibus. Why not put everyone in the minibus ? Cost no object !

I think we have to thank Thaksin for Airasia

Yes ... interesting that, when the Malaysian owner of Air Asia wanted to start a Thai subsidiary, he felt that he could only do so, if he took the PM into partnership on it. Why ?

Mind you, they did manage to get some tax-concessions, not available to any other start-up airline at the time, purely coincidental of course. Nothing to do with who the part-owner was.

And remember when Shin Corp got sold, and Air Asia Thai almost got shut down, because it was no longer Thai-owned, they had to lend someone Thai a lot of money, so that he could be the new 'Thai owner' of Temasek's shares.

My God !

Advance the Big-Brother State !

Remember when the UK was a free country ?

I believe the OP will find that back-to-back visas are back, only for 14/15 days at land-borders, that was one welcome change last November.

But agree that the reduction from 30 days was not helpful, to keeping Thailand's tourist-industry jogging along, how about boosting it to 60 days on-arrival, wherever/however people arrive ? !

If Malaysia can do me 90 days, surely Thailand can manage 60, at least !

Anyone else think that the Thai economy is about to crash and burn? No exports, hardly any tourists, an over-valued currency!!! Everything that has made Thailand what it is today has come from foreign money, take that away and what are you left with!!!

Do you have fixed exchange rate in Thailand?

no.

Khun Naam, would you from your intergalactic viewpoint agree that it is partly-managed, and doesn't float totally freely ?