wensiensheng

Elections, no. Revered Buddha day, country wide? Just guessing

Soi Bangla is quite a short street really. What’s so hard about policing it? It’s a known trouble spot, surely a consistent large police presence plus bars being instructed to not serve overly intoxicated people, would contain things. of course, allowing late hour opening has made things worse. It extends the amount of time that requires policing and gives extra time for drunks to get even more drunk.

If the rounds contained no explosives, then they were simply scrap metal moulded into the shape of a munition. Much like a kids toy gun is not a “gun”. One crucial point missing from the article is whether the items actually contained explosive material.

In some respects the article is misleading in that it focuses on the nationality of the foreigner involved. In actual fact, her nationality is irrelevant, being polite is being polite. And in Thailand that often means taking off your shoes. so the majority of your comments are also irrelevant. Be she English, American or any other nationality, she should have done as requested, or gone somewhere else.

I beg to differ. In high season I can’t go on Nai Harn beach because it’s so crowded, morning, noon and night. Low season has big waves and trash. Da Nang beach was much nicer when I visited a couple of months ago. BUT, I’m sure there are crappy beaches in Vietnam, Nha Trang was too busy when I visited 8 years ago. And I’m sure there are still un crowded beaches in Thailand, Trang down south, maybe Khao Lak?

I was in Da Nang a couple of months ago. The lasck of google bars, hostesses and dodgy massage places was genuinely refreshing

I just flew back from Paris. The checkin desk at CDG definitely wanted my TDAC before checking me in. I had it ready, but I reckon they would have asked me to complete it there and then, if I hadn’t already done so. Which would not have been a big deal. It’s ridiculously easy to complete. FWIW, they also wanted to see it at Suvarnabhumi immigration, queried why I hadn’t filled in a return date (I live here) but accepted my explanation that I haven’t decided yet. Although that led to follow up questions about what I would be doing while in Thailand. Obviously concerned that I would not be working. Fortunately I look my 67 years of age, so it wasn’t a big deal when I said I’m retired. All in all, I didn’t see any issues with tdac

Which aspects in particular? Genuinely interested in your opinion

The article is detached from reality in terms of the description of Bangla road, Phuket and Thai tourism in general. Until Thai’s face up to just what their more infamous “vibrant night spots” actually are in reality, they will continue to suffer damage to their reputation, as they see it. For people willing to view such places without rose tinted glasses, or total detachment from reality, such incidents are to be expected just as often as they occur in reality.

I’m sure the French guy will get the book thrown at him. The Thai tour company….not so much

Absolute madness. Are they living in an alternate reality?

I think you are posting on the wrong day. Tomorrow is when the stories are all about crimes committed BY tourists, today is for stories about crimes committed ON tourists. And so it will go on. One day it’s all about protecting the precious tourists, the next it’s about bashing tourists. But……nothing ever changes

Looks like an opening scene from Lost

Singapore is not a facist state. Quite the opposite in fact. It is a multi cultural state and democratic elections are taking place right now.

I think this is a separate thing. I believe that the face recognition thing was so that you could do transfer of over 50k by mobile app. This is a security measure to do with money laundering…I think. And if your phone and bank accounts are in the same name, there is no need to do anything. They match already. Might be wrong so don’t crucify me.

This isn’t new. It’s been ongoing for at least the last year. In fact, I recall it from many years back when phones were being used to detonate bombs in Yala. But don’t let that get in the way of a sensationalized headline and first paragraph.

Feel sorry for him, but he knew, or should have known, his situation before deciding to retire to Thailand. Bleating about it now does no good.

What on earth are they talking about? They highlight a very small intra day movement of the baht that in and of itself is totally meaningless. Meanwhile, a chart of anything from one month to 1 year shows an overall strengthening of the baht against USD, or, to be more accurate, a weakening of the USD. When the baht is above 35 to USD, or even 37 like it was a year or so ago, THEN talk about a weakening. This story is pure fiction and the writer should be sacked

TEN years to fix serious deficiencies identified in a review. Abysmal

Of course it’s racist, because it’s use is premised on the race of the person it’s directed. Non racist terms are not dependent on race. Farang is race dependent.

Better to focus on the (likely) non operational tsunami warning system . Plus all the white markings they painted on the roads near where I live saying, tsunami evacuation route, have worn off. Don’t think the latter did much good tbh, but if it was part of an overall plan, it’s now gone. An earthquake? Better to focus on building better buildings. Warnings come too late because the quake already happened, and where would you go?

Why the outrage over a normal Bangla Road evening? If This citizens want to change the normal to something else, the authorities should do something to change it. Starting with effective policing. Otherwise it’s same old, same old every night. In fact, it’s likely to get worse because those who are looking for a fight know where to go for it.

Abandon? Or forgot? Who says he was uncooperative? Oh right, the authorities. Uncooperative because he didn’t immediately confess to being a terrorist? Or because he kept his mouth shut and wanted a lawyer?

Maybe he forgot his bag ( abandon seems over the top) and there never was any explosive ingredients in the first place. Just faulty scanning equipment. i know which I think is more likely, your John Le Carre theory, or a cock up by the police.

Don’t be silly. There never were any explosive ingredients. That was just faulty equipment used by the bomb squad, or someone didn’t know how to use it properly. As to uncooperative. Imagine being accosted by a bunch of excited Thai policemen who think they have apprehended a master bomb maker/terrorist. I bet they slammed into him full speed accusing him of goodness knows what and like anyone else who is sensible, he kept his mouth shut while he worked out what the heck was happening.