aqua4

But the US is accused of trying to prevent countries, which have manufacturing capacity, such as Thailand and India, making and selling cheap generic versions so as to preserve the monopolies of the drug giants.

Bejeepers ... And all they had to do was spend ten years and ten billion dollars to

get these patents.

And who else is going to come up with new drugs, India, Thailand, Don't think so.

Naka.

Well said!

This is just another excuse for kicking out as many foreigners as possible, with the old story of wanting "Quality farangs".

Quality Tourists are measured by the amount of money they spend per day (ignoring the fact that backbackers and travellers stay for much longer periods, and end up spend just as much).

Quality Investors - those who invest millions of dollars in advance (making life very hard for the small investors, that still bring in a significant amount of capital and do create many jobs).

Now Quality Teachers, well, they don't have a good way to really measure that quality, so they bring up the degrees requirement, as irrelevant as it may be. Then, mentioning pedophiles to create negative emotions, hatred towards foreigners, that's just typical demagogic manipulation. Just like that article in BKK Post that compared foreign investors who are not interested to invest by the new rules, to a tourist that refuses to take off his shoes in the Emerald Buddha Temple. Trying to play on cultural and religious sensitivities to justify the stupid rules.

The message is clear: Foreigners Out!

(and for anyone who wonders - no, I am not a native English speaker, and no, I am not a teaching anyone English. My Thai girlfriend studies English in a Thai School, from Thai teachers, and very often I find redicilous mistakes in the books she is given).

Well said. I think you must be the only one who has posted in this thread that can see the broader picture. It has little to do with teaching. The last 2-3 months have seen huge changes, most if not all of those changes have been with a tag - Go Home!

Now you guys can go on about what you need and what you don't.

Not all people who have bought fakes have used them, proably 99.9% have

A guy who works at the language school with me bought a fake degree to use but when he found out that the language school didn't care if he had a WP or not, he never gave it to them. So his name would obviously be on the so called list obtained from the so called seazed computers from the KSR degree makers, but he never did anything with the fake. Do you think he can be busted for just "buying" a fake degree? He is obviously working without a WP which he can be busted for, but it would be interesting to know if he could be busted for just buying the fake degree, even though he has never used it..........................

I would not think so. He bought it as a novelty item and since it was never submitted to anyone official, no fraud took place. If I had to take a guess, they are matching the names on the KSR list with those on the work permit list, then drawing the file to see if the KSR degree had been submitted for the work permit.

The big boys in the Pharmacueticals industries are not looking at Thailand (or Africa or .... ad nauseuem) as a potential market when they price meds where the yearly cost is more than the yearly income of a patient.

This might surprise you then, but they do look at the global market including Asia and Africa. These are the problematic markets. It is when these market cannot get with the program that they create cheap generics for the market. Those exact substandard generics end up flooding the lucrative Western market. It dilutes profit and creates super viruses.

This was in 2000:

The internet - generic medicines go beyond borders.

9,000; that's a pretty big number.

(post edited. It's an immigration list)

This is what they reported on Thai Television. It might just be scare tactics as I would think they meant it in the way that there are 9,000 checks to be done, not that there are 9,000 copies in the system unless they want to check it from 1971?

Maybe one more raid before the close of schools if these ones did not get an avalanche of work permits back?

one time only ,

it effects us all , longer we wait , argue about who does what ............

worse it's going to be

There is never a one time only. Look at how many drugs are copied in India as an example. We are doing nothing more than killing ourselves. For each drug that gets copied, we as humans loose. Drugs companies will not invest in R&D if they cannot turn a profit. It is capitalism unless we all want to move to North Korea. Look at the huge amount of sub standard generic drugs the US and EU are trying to keep out of their countries. The exact same morons who manufacture and profit from that substandard drugs create even far worst problems by creating super viruses. Who gets to research and cure the super virus? Ping Pong Drugs Inc? They could not give a hoot! Just take a look at how XDR-TB has spread in Africa.

I don't think there will be a cure for AIDS in my lifetime. It is something I have to think about if I ever wish to drain my snake in a snake pit. I am responsible to my family. I am responsible to my children. IF I fail in MY responsibility, I have no one else to blame but myself.

victim of a lifestyle disease

Clear the emotion as you cannot think straight when debating irresponsibility. Africans do not believe in the use of condoms, it is against their culture. They view condoms as a being a part of colonialism. Migrant labor, second and third wives, truck stop sex. What do you expect? Am I suppose to feel sorry because some man in the middle of Africa did not consider his children before he decided where to drain his snake?

It comes to INDIVIDUAL and GOVERNMENTS responsibility not corporate responsibility!

The question here is either to let people die, or supply them with generics. The answer should be simple.

The answer is simple. Prevention is better than cure. What happened to "Mr Condom" in Thailand? Under the Thai campaign of prevention, the HIV rates in Thailand came down while everywhere else it was raising? What did happen?

Was that campaign not stopped by the exact same people who now claim the high moral ground by breaking intellectual property rights? Boo Hoo.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but consistency is important. It occurs to me I have seen stories that quality control is asleep at the wheel or just management not wanting to toss a weak or bad batch.

Correct. Let us push crappy cheap drugs onto the market that makes the disease drug resistant. WHAT? You think that the companies that make generic drugs don't make a profit. They do!

But in case of AIDS the WTO law is applied correctly. AIDS is contagious, has reached national emergency proportions, and supply of necessary, life saving medicine is threatened.

Are you joking? AIDS is a lifestyle disease not a contagious disease per se. It appears to be a national crises because governments have failed to implement preventative steps. They failed alternatively neglected to prevent its spread, so give us a free cure. What sort of mentality is that?

Thai television reports that 60 people had been arrested and two have already been sentenced. On another note though, they have stated that there are 9,000 as in nine thousand people on the list that they are working through.

Clearly they have ceased the computers of the fake degree sellers in Thailand.

i have to agree with the junta on this one, if it costs a thai person $330 a month to buy these drugs which is more than a lot of Thais even earn, plus depending on their illness they might not even be capable of working, and if taking these drugs or not is a matter of life and death or even prolonging someones life and giving them a better life then go ahead. the drug companies are some of the greediest b@stards in the world, while i understand they need a lot of money for R&D they still make staggering profits, there is no need for them to charge the prices they do to countries in Asia/Africa where only the rich and not the average person can afford these life saving drugs. especially if a generic version of the drug can be produced for 10% of the cost, a big difference paying $330 a month as to $33 a month. I think the first thing they've done i agree with.

BB

Boo Hoo. It is because of the stealing of patents that there is so little innovation in the world. Do you really think they are going to spend money on researching cures for AIDS when every Tom Dick and Harry can just simply declare an emergency and copy which ever drugs they want for free? What would encourage ANY company to spend billions on R&D when someone will just come along and copy it for free. Why bother in the first place?

All fine and well he says that drugs companies are greedy, yet it is those same companies that our pensions and retirement plans invest in. They turn a profit, we get better retirement benefits. Who is greedy, the companies or us?

THESE illnesses that we are talking about is not the Bird Flu, Ebola or the West Nile virus, they are PREVENTABLE. The WHO clause is being read like most people read the bible. They interpret it the way it suits their needs or desires. The clause was originally for national emergencies for diseases that were not only contagious but also beyond control in terms of spread. The clause was to prevent mass contamination. Heart disease in Asia, maybe they should encourage people to eat healthy and not stick hamburgers in their faces at every opportunity. Was it not Thailand that spoke last year about the state of children's diets that are making them obese? Has the use of condoms not been advocated in Africa?

We infringe on others rights, those same rights we expect others will uphold in respect of our businesses. Yet because we suffer from tunnel vision, we demand that others surrender their rights to their intellectual property. Why? Simple because it is a short term solution to our greed and ineptness.

What a really negative thread. I am somewhat surprised that the Mods are so negative. Interesting question though is how many teachers will be left when the new school year starts. With an existing shortage adding on the raids will only make it worst. Does this push up salaries? Maybe that would be a dream.

I spoke to a friend of mine who has been running a teachers agency for the past 5 years in Thailand. He told me last week that it is becoming impossible to satisfy everyone and that he is closing up shop at the end of this school term. The reasons he says vary. Firstly it is becoming very difficult to find teachers, with or without degrees. There are just not that many over the last 2 years and has been on a steady decline. Secondly, the schools are becoming impossible to deal with in what they require. For 30k they want a teacher who has a B.Ed and the more he tries to explain that it would be impossible, the more they sit in disbelief. They also cannot set their timetable or hours correctly and at times want teachers to come in on Saturdays because kids had sports or other activities during the week. Added on is the new rules which makes it near impossible to find anyone. Those who he has here are planning on leaving. They don't see the new rules making teaching in Thailand worth its while. I asked him where they are planning on heading and he said mainly Korea and China. He took out a page and wrote something to this effect down:

Thailand

30,000 Baht - Accommodation (4,000 Baht) = 26,000 Baht

China

5,000 Yuan (23,000 Baht) + Free Accommodation + free annual return airline ticket.

There is a lower cost of living in China I am told compared to Thailand. The schools in China also handle all the paperwork for the teachers. I look at Bangkok and I see over the past 3 years how many language centers have fallen off the map. It makes me ponder and I think that speaking English very well is going to be in the elitist domain. It will only be kids whose parents have money that would not be affected. Lower and middle class, I think they will have a rough ride.

This poll was screwy. You should have separated people into Expats and Tourists from the start and gave each his/her own form.

Example:

[4. Where are you now?]

Other country (Home) 43.6% 1,309

1,309 are not expats living in Thailand as they live elsewhere, yet in[5. Expat or tourist?] 1,554 people claim to be expats from between 1-10 years? How is that possible? Do they think because they have been coming to Thailand on 2 week annual holiday breaks for 10 years they are now expats with 10 years of "living" in Thailand? See how the picture starts to blur? If you wanted to pin people down to being honest, you should have used IP tracking in the poll which would have fixed the country/location.

[8. What kind of visa or visa extension do you have?]

1,690 people live in Thailand, yet amazingly enough 2,227 people have a visa for Thailand?

[10. What kind of Internet connection do you have?]

This should have read ......ADD .....in Thailand as it covers [11. Are you normally happy with the quality of your internet connection?]

[13. What is your yearly income in Thai Baht (THB)?]

It should have read while living in Thailand as en expat. This would include people in regular jobs back in the US or Europe.

[14. Do you have a vehicle in Thailand?]

The reason why 1,373 people (48.7%) voted NO is because most of them don't live here.

You said

I'm under 50 and will not qualify for 800K when I turn 50 since the rule has changed

And we wonder why you will not be able to meet the 800k in a bank account for 3 month rule. There is no requirement that you make 800k each year, only that you have that amount in a bank account during the 3 months prior to application of extension of stay.

I think you should also look at his age. Do you think the rules will remain the same for the next 6 or 7 years? Considering what has taken place over the past 4 years, I think it will go up even further.

There is now even more limitations being placed on businesses that are foreign owned. The government now wants to see who has the VOTING RIGHTS. Before one could setup a company and buy a house even though a Thai company owned it at 51/49. You always had the voting rights. That is now also going to stop.

I think the welcome mat is being pulled. I have looked at Malaysia as an option, much better than the Philippines. The Philippines political situation has never been stable and crime is a bit too much. Malaysia would be the only option in my view where there is still a welcome mat and stability.

sunny the current problems are to do with cables under the sea that have been damaged and are going to take up to 2 weeks to repair, info from CNN.

BB

You have not read the whole thread. The problem is not the cables right now but DNS.

If you cannot get anything. Use the settings provided by "Bram". I can now get into Paypal and just about everywhere else. It is a lie in my view that the cable is broken and therefore no internet. They stuffed up their DNS servers now everyone is in the dark.

Thanks Bram for the list.

It is not only Thailand that is being asked where the money has gone though.

Indonesia has a similar system of governance by Government officials. They are being asked the same questions i believe, with a similar response.

THAT is very true!

and I think Thailand or Indonesia are neither the biggest money-squandereres:

I think the point is that this was money given to foreign governments that made its way elsewhere. Where is the question. Into the pockets of corrupt officials or into the pockets of terrorist organizations.

If we changed the question a bit. Would you be angry if your wife squanders your money or if your neighbor squanders your money? You would be angry at both, but with whom would you be more angry?

Next time if help is needed, those very people who you tell to bugger off, you might need their help again.

Nice one Bram!

Thai Visa, on the other hand, is blazingly fast

Thai Visa broke the internet! On another note, I think Singtel is part or the complete backbone of many Asia countries. So if you are hosted in Singapore, you will be up.

From the west coast of North America it's already being routed through Europe to Singapore.

It would route to Singapore. Thai Visa is hosted in Singapore. You should trace route to the Bangkok Post instead.

Let me take a wild guess how this happened:

1. Earthquake broke the cables.

2. TOT technicians thought their DNS servers were broke and kicked the (insert your favorite word here) out of them.

3. Someone fixed the cables or re-routed the traffic.

4. Nothing works now because the DNS servers are broke.

Yeh!

I think I am correct. Also some of the other guys are correct. The DNS is bummed.

I cannot get on www.google.co.th but can with their IP http://72.14.205.104/

:D

P2P does not rely on DNS where as browsing does? Correct? Maybe someone with more knowledge could explain why this odd thing is happening.

Could someone explain the following? I cannot get on Google, yet my P2P program is still downloading at 15kb/s from all across the world.