WinnieTheKhwai

I most certainly don't get upset.

I live in Thailand, where -thank god- common human interaction is still allowed.

That said, no situation is alike, and while I appreciate some kinds words meant in a kind way, there are also people that I prefer to keep my daughter away from. And they're not necessarily all Thai either.

Lots of yapping, few facts. Another fine day on Thaivisa.

This is the site of the Marine Pollution Control Department: http://www.marinepcd.org

On there you can find surveys of all touristed beaches in Thailand. Here's one for 2006:

http://www.marinepcd.org/MWQI/MWQI-49_2.pdf

This shows the result for the WQI, the (Marine) Water Quality Index.

This is explained, for example, here: http://www.plu.edu/~envt/envt350/indicator%202005/WQI.htm

As you can see, the values for the whole gulf are overwhelmingly similar, with obviously far lower values around Bangkok (Samuit Prakan, Samut Songkhram and also Petchaburi is not good).

For Pattaya beach, only South Pattaya scores average. Parts of Jomtien are also average. North Pattaya is 'good', at least as good as anything else on the Gulf coast towards Trat.

For Chonburi the big exception in negative sense as you might expect is Laem Chabang harbour. Don't swim there.

Does anyone know the location of the SONY repair store. I thought they used to be on Chang Klang rd. but they seemed to have moved...

They are actually on Hang Dong Road - coming from town they are on the right just past Macro (which is on the left). They are open I think from 9-4 pm at least Mon-Fri, but we got lucky and found them open on Saturday. Some English....

Just to clarify, Makro is on the left, then you do a U-turn at the first opportunity, as the Sony center is on the right side.

Look carefully, the Sony sign is tiny.

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I'm so shocked reading this thread. It's probably the most disgusting stuff I read for many months.

Absolutely agree.

I can't understand why any of this is even allowed. Harmless banter that's fun and innocent is culled, and here we see absolutely vile hatred being peddled.

Disgusting. Closed or not, I'm not reading any more of it.

As I pointed out somewhere else, I apparently do have some morals left and I don't want to have anything to do with this shit. For christ sakes, a young woman is killed and there's post after post of her having it coming and being lowest of the low. I can't even believe I'm having to point this out. And then someone much earlier on was saying that a picture in a newspaper is distasteful (it was), but for crying out loud at least the newspaper didn't feel the need to slander the victim of a very tragic case.

What I am most bothered by, is the extreme lack of taste exhibited by the press (and television) in Thailand re: publishing images like this.

Still you gotta agree we're giving them a good run for their money here on this forum in terms of distastefulness.

Yeah, they have a lot but mostly stuff used in Thai/Chinese cooking. And in really big packages usually.

Quick quick, the OP has had his answer, close the topic!

Heh, some dude from India recently gave me sample spice-packs of the basic ingredients: green cardamom seeds, clove, cinnamon bark and black pepper. Kind of a 'do it yourself' graram massala. Other things that you might add to the mixture I think can be found in Thailand easily.

Want some? It's not a huge quantity but I'm not going to finish it in this life-time or the next.

Would love to learn how to use it in Indian cooking. I already learned the hard way that you don't need to use too much of the cloves and cardamom.....

That wasn't the point.

Also, BBC does provide background analysis, which is ALWAYS a case of presenting the opinions out there. I think they balance those opinions and viewpoints very well, in this case MUCH better than the Thai press which are (self) censored and/or just biased as shown by that rant by one of their journalists that I posed in post #2; those are the people that write the content for those papers!

( In fact I think the BBC is by FAR the best news organization in the world. Are they beyond criticism: obviously not , but they do a heck of a job. )

As per another current topic on Thaivisa, it's not just BBC. Perhaps someone can edit the poll to ask if the NY Times, CNN, Al Jazeera and everyone-else-not-the-Bangkok-post-and-Nation are biased?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Couple-Opini...Tr-t259642.html

The comparison in the second of article of Thaksin and Peron is very astute. Note that Juan Peron was a fascist dictator who exploited the frustrations of the peasants. I disagree that there is significant danger Thaksin will ever return to power. The reason? The reaction of the man on the street in Bangkok to the red terrorism of Black Songkran. He simply lacks enough support for what he wants to pull off and he is now severely damaged, shown to be a liar, hypocrite, violent instigator, and coward.

Again, you're overly focussed on Thaksin again. The issue is NOT Thaksin. Did you read those two articles? The issues go deeper but are clear as day. For starters, you write 'Thaksin returning to power', which assumes that Thai prime ministers are actually in charge of things.

You're completely blinded by your hate for one person, eclipsing the topics brought forward in the two linked articles.

Sticking with Peron: Whatever you think of the man matters far less than the fact that Argentina HAS become a proper democracy. One can only hope that ultimately Thailand will arrive there as well, and without going through a dirty war.

Contrary to popular Falang wisdom, Thai bovines do from time to time need a veterinarian's hand and aren't blessed with eternal life.

Thanks for posting those!! Again some much needed balance that you just don't get from the usual suspects in the Thai press.

(Perhaps some people can start a poll on if the NY Times is biased, too)

I saw some small red flags coming back, apparently having been stuck to sign posts and the like overnight. Oh well, it's a start.

What I think will be interesting to see is if the verdicts will be seen to be fair. For example if they get a fine or probation or jail-time already served for the disruption of traffic then I think that will be seen as fair. (Would personally consider that fair though that's not very relevant). If they get major jailtime, also for things like 'illegal assembly' then the reaction may be stronger.

While they're at it, I would also like they'd be prosecuted for disrupting the gay pride parade. (Peaceblondie will be happy to hear that no doubt) becsause it should be made clear that that's NOT a proper way to conduct protests.

In other words, punish the people who protested in improper and illegal ways, which will give more legitimacy to 'Red' leaning people who can manage to voice their opinions within the law.

Personal opinion: I think the Reds would do well to focus any and all energy on getting organized for the next elections whenever Abby plans to finally have them. They stand to gain or lose much more from that than from any protest action, legal or illegal.

It's strange how some 'liberal' people in a Western sense support a feudal regime in Thailand that very much tries to keep the poor down and uneducated and without real political power. I sincerely don't even understand how that works in people's heads. Jingthing for example always struck me as a liberal kind of person when the topic is something other than Thailand. Even Sriracha John I think favored the liberal/left wing side of things when the topic was the USA.

Welcome Dainty!!

Any questions so far?

(The illegal assembly of more than 10 people charge is a bit iffy as Chiang Mai was officially never under emergency law) Not sure if that matters of course.

Chiang Mai 'Red Shirts' begin surrendering to police CHIANG MAI, April 22 (TNA) – Red-clad anti-government protesters in the northern province of Chiang Mai began surrendering to police Wednesday after arrest warrants were issued for instigating chaos in the province.

Phetchawat Wattanapongsirikul, a “Love Chiang Mai 51” group leader, on Wednesday surrendered to police at Saraphi and then again at Mae Ping police station on a separate warrant.

At Saraphi police station, Mr. Phetchawat was freed after Sa-nguan Wongmanee used his post as a member of parliament from Lamphun province as surety to bail him out.

Meanwhile, Mr. Phetchawat along with Kanyaphak Maneechak and Phumjai Chaiya, disc jockeys at a Chiang Mai community radio station, is scheduled to surrender to police at Phupingrajanivej police station on Thursday.

Following the issuing of the arrest warrants, Mr. Phetchawat was charged with illegal assembly of more than 10 people, with creating a public disturbance, and with inciting the crowd to violate the law.

Mr. Phetchawat and other UDD supporters also blocked roads in Saraphi and Mae Ping districts during Songkran, the Thai New Year period.

They also blocked the entrance to the Chiang Mai International Airport during the official visit of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on April 4.

The “Love Chiang Mai 51” group are supporters of Chiang Mai- born ex- prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Chiang Mai is his major stronghold.

In addition, red minibuses of Lanna Transport Cooperatives, Singkham Nanti, who was served an arrest warrant with five colleagues, surrendered to police on Tuesday night.

All were accused of leading protesters to gather in downtown Thaphae Road which obstructed traffic before the Songkran Festival.

Mr. Singkham was released on bail. Meanwhile the other five were expected to surrender soon. (TNA)

Political News : Last Update : 19:12:04 22 April 2009 (GMT+7:00)

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=9610

.Yeah right....Taksin is the innocent party, he has been hard done by !!!...all he has done is cared about Thailand and the Thai people....<deleted>....Taksin has blood on his hands as well

Hey, hey, I'm not saying that! Easy to put words into my mouth. Thaksin had many failings, so much so that I wouldn't have voted for him if I could. But objectively he represented a lot of people who continue to support him to this day. The way he was deposed and then prosecuted is simply not proper, so in the context of getting political asylum or not I think he's entitled to it.

He's also entitled to have the coup plotters locked up and tried for treason, having the '97 People's Constitution reinstated, having TRT and its leadership reinstated, and having proper elections under UN supervision. THEN under a legal system that's not a puppet theater it would be good if some of the legal proceedings commenced so he can have a fair day in court.

Yes, and sometimes even from both sides in a conflict at the same time.. You gotta be doing something right when that happens.

Anyway, people upset with the BBC can join the queue. Mr. Mugabe also doesn't like BBC reporting, neither does the Burmese Junta, Sudan, etc, etc, etc.

On the BBC: I COMPLETELY agree with their analysis, though this article is not analysis, it shows insight in the view of the "Red" part of the country. This is a MUCH NEEDED balance that's severely lacking in the mainly Bangkok based English language Thai press. Seeing what those papers write, it's not surprising that a lot of people on this forum don't get the full picture, and as a result keep blurting out ridiculous viewpoints like a broken record. (Mostly related to the rural people having been 'bought' (best case) or that they're just uneducated monkies (also quite common). So overall you'd think that educated foreigners would at least manage to find some balance even when they don't get it from the Thai press, or yellow-leaning Thais.

BBC is therefore doing a stellar job, providing some much needed balance and insight into what drives 'Red' leaning people.

I live in Chiang Mai.

Speaking of bias, how about this gem, from, you guessed it, The Nation :

Whatever happened to unbiased reporting?

Published on April 23, 2009

I want to translate a part of an article written by Nation journalist Sopon Onkgara:

"Let Chiang Mai Midnight University remain in intellectual darkness. The academics there are nonsensical and have forgotten their roots. They are ungrateful to their motherland. They may have academic degrees which, when piled up, are higher than their height, but these academics lack conscience and right intellect, hence they are of no use. By honouring the motherland thief, the fugitive, these academics are the servants of the thief."

Why such hatred? What has happened to Thai journalists? Why can't they accept opposing views? Why trash the other side as if your opinion is the only right opinion and everybody else's opinion is evil? What is wrong with journalism in Thailand? Do journalists have the right to make one person evil and another a saint with such conviction?

This article is pure evil on the part of Sopon Onkgara.

Rinthid

Bangkok

Link: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/04/23...on_30101068.php

It'll be quite some time before the BBC gets anywhere near that level!

This is probably the most distasteful conversation I've seen on this forum in a long time.

In regards to men who get 'scammed', let me quote from a Quentin Tarantino script:

"Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood. She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow. She took the snake home and nursed it back to health. One day the snake bit her on the cheek. As she lay dying, she asked the snake, "Why have you done this to me?" And the snake answered, "Look, bitch, you knew I was a snake."

If you want to be out of town then I recommend my hotel ( of course) If you click the advertising link at the top of the page it will get you to the website. It is Away Suansawan (Thai for paradise garden). It has 2 pools, a fitness room, a great spa and plenty of gardens, trees, fish-ponds and a lake. It is really excellent for children if you wamt to get away from the traffic and noise

Thanks, I normally don't get the ads but disabled the ad blocker and visited your site. I have a huge question that I always wanted to ask a hotel operator:

How is it possible that agents and booking sites offer rooms at half the price of either the walk-in price or the price on the hotel's own website? I mean when the guest books through an agent then the agent takes a cut as well, meaning that's even less money in. I just genuinely don't understand it. Is there a business reason why this makes sense?

Ajarn does, obviously. And to a degree I do too, especially the ones that potentially cause harm to others, such as using the phone in the car. When it comes to illegal things that don't harm the people involved then indeed I go by my own morals. (Yes I do have some )