WinnieTheKhwai

It would at least be nice, that people who still continue (after much evidence to the contrary) to say these are peacefull protest, to maybe get their heads out of where ever they have sticked it in ?

There are many photo's of PAD followers beating police, apparently even ran cars over them. Remember the DAAD/PAD confrontation, hardly peacefull.

Even Sondhi admits to a large security force, if it was all peacefull, why spend the money on such a force, it just doesn't make sense.

It would really be good if the government and the police would have dealt with these people from day one, but they have left them there for over 6 weeks, now apparently enough is enough, and rightly so. Now if police would be so nice and hail that coward Sondhi out of governement house, and bring him to justice, that might stop any more unnesessary violence.

Hear hear. You'd think that would be pointing out the bloody obvious.

Enough is enough, let PAD either become a political party, or find legal ways to voice their opinions to which they're entitled under even this flawed constitution.

When I get homesick I crank up the heating, play some Thai/Lao tunes, cook some really spicy food and then go on some Thai social/community sites.

(has it been a week already... sigh... )

Oh well, 10 more days and I'll be back home.

I wouldn't know about that.

I would know that after a brief stint inside some soi off Moon Muang north of Thapae Gate, it's now on Moon Muang itself, South of the Gate.

Next summer myself and my wife are going to spend a few days in Chiang Mai then head down to Tak to visit some of her family. My question is, how long will it take to get to Tak from Chiang Mai and which mode of transport is best to use?

You can get a bus from the Chiang Mai "Arcade" bus terminal (the main one for buses out of Chiang Mai province) to Tak. Many buses to points further down will also stop in Tak.

That's about it for options I suppose.. One-way car rental I don't think is available for Tak. (Well, I'm sure if you pay enough you can get anything arranged, so I suppose a car + driver would work as well)

ASTV is a sham.

I frankly challenge the sanity of anyone taking that tripe seriously.

Finally the police did something GOOD in this country: restore law and order. Quite a change from rounding up school girls not wearing helmets, I for one am happy someone somewhere grew a spine to get this yellow rent-a-mob back to their jobs, or whatever it is they normally do.

Well.. If there's anything I'm noticing about many of the new shop houses going up is that they are FAR nicer in design and finishing than was the standard for the last 50 years or so..

You can just look at it.. More often they build just two together in a block with some space in between, more often they put on a proper roof (rectangular pyramid shape, I'm sure there's a word for that ) rather than just a roof with no sides, kid of a triangular shape but with the top of the triangle far more towards the front of thouse.

You also see the difference in the matrials used. This applies to a lot of them on the Middle Ring (say, before getting to Global House) as well as in the Canal Road area sort of between the Middle and Third ring.

I think it makes good sense to build structures of that type on what will become very busy roads, part of the center of town. Much prefer it to factories, warehouses and the like.

Here's one example; two units together you so could buy a block and having it be a detached unit; shop/business/office/resto downstairs and plenty of living space upstairs.

IMHO this is far better than being in a building were you'll have some run-down shops next door who won't do any maintenance or painting for the next 30 years. No need to look further than Bangkok for some truly horrific examples on "How to make your town look like Mogadishu in one easy step." (answer: invest a bit in glass and chrome downstairs, but and let the upstairs deteriorate as if you were in some basket-case African country. It's the predominant architectural feature of Bangkok..)

Does anyone else find this slightly degrading.. I mean, people who are married, who pay a good part of the mortgage on the house.. ..

What the fuc_k are they afraid of?

Anyway I knew there was some benefit to not ever filling in my actual address on any form that asked for it.

I have also heard that he is considered a traitor because he provided his target info and what ship he flew off of..

That's ridiculous. Even the most leftist commies around don't call him a 'traitor'. They'll call him other things though, but I'll get to that.

Well, I don't know anyone who could endure torture like he and the rest of them did without reaching the breaking point.

And honestly that's why pilots aren't told jack about anything, because in war you must assume some will fall into enemy hands.

He is a hero in my eyes ( and the senator from my state ) and only can sit back and smile when others are quick to tear him apart.

Let me try to make you smile then. Dropping bombs on villages in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia makes one a hero? Or only those who get shot down doing it? And about torture, it's not like he was tortured for 5 years straight in captivity.. What would you do if someone who had been dropping bombs on your family would come crashing down from the sky.. Sure the proper rules are not to torture, but the proper rules are also to not bomb civilians which McCain obviously did (because he was ordered to of course, presumably not because he liked it, though I don't think he's ever come out with the slightest bit of hesitation over dropping more bombs on Laos than on Japan in WWII.) Instead he seems to still think that war and bombing is a joking matter, remember the "Bomb bomb bomb Iran" comment? Nice!

How much would a taxi home from the bar cost you?

About 200-300 baht at that hour as a wild guess. So it'd actually be cheaper to grab a cheapo guesthouse room.. Which might be a good thing for other reasons as well.

But anyway, if I read all this correctly they keep the vehicles for the night at least right? So they can only do checkpoints at places where they can keep a bunch of cars without having to pile them up.. Like Thapae Gate. There's not THAT many other locations where they could do this. Possibly the Duang Tawan intersection is another candidate. Three Kings monument of course, but not many people pass there. So that's about it I guess?

( BTW it wouldn't be the first time I knocked over a bunch of traffic cones at a police checkpoint and just kept going. My truck loves traffic cones as a late night snack. )

There's a site / forum with a brilliant topic about this, however it's against forum rules to let you know where it is. I've PM'd you.

Bad air conditions CAUSE such medical conditions in people who don't already have them. That was my point and it isn't at all medically controversial that this is the case.

So all the more reason to stay in Chiang Mai and not Pattaya or Bangkok, seeing that the yearly average here is much better.

And as per my earlier advice, don't be here in mid March to early April; a hot, dry and uncomfortable time anyway.

No, no it's not for sale. There was a sign alright, the French guy who runs it was selling another place located in Moon Muang Soi 2. That one has now been sold, so the sign is gone.

I agree Mayflower is brilliant. Pretty good Western/Italian/French food at very reasonable prices.

( Best of all, they deliver across the road to any bar you may find yourself in.. )

To PB: It's on Loi Kroh road, about the 5th building from the moat on the Southern side of the road. Park at DK around the corner.

(And it's a respectable restaurant, not a bar.)

Another way is through elections. Why don't they try that do you think?

The best way to build a more democratic Thailand is not to throw out democracy and establish a feodal state. This is what PAD wants, it's in their own statements and publications.

Even in the USA, democracy wasn't born perfect. It was imperfect, and gradually perfected over time until this day. What it however did NOT take was a military coup and the shredding of the constitution.. See the difference? You have to start somewhere to put your faith in democracy, however imperfect it may be.

I like the Bangkok Post a whole lot better than The Nation that's for sure!

R_e_s_p_e_c_t... From Your Thai Boss.., do you get any?

Yes, I do.

I cook at home a lot more since prices went up so much. I hardly ever eat in restaurants these days and especially not Western ones.

Most vegetables and fruits come from the local market, most fish, meat and sauces from Tesco, Makro or Big C et al.

I think Dacheeso cheese is bland. Just not a lot of taste there.

Feel free to check the offers available. (Either at the bank or on their websites; most banks offer these properties on their site as well, mostly in Thai but it's there).

I think you will find that the prices are far too high to be reasonable for what it is, or it's just not very attractive. (plain plots of land or dilapidated buildings) But again, don't let me stop you from checking out the offers.

I don't think it's the heat so much, but that it's very salty and probably with a fair amount of MSG as well.

( So, just add salt & MSG to your western food and you'll be fine. )

If it makes you feel any better, it was exactly the same story for me, and I assume a whole lot of other people.. Electrical installations here are done by trial & error.

So help me God, when I leave this part of the world, I will never eat rice again (OK maybe a sweet rice pudding!). I do enjoy Asian food and particularly Thai food, but they will go either on my potatoes or my pasta once I leave here!

So what is stopping you from having Thai dishes with potatoes or pasta right now? I do it quite a lot really, Phad Krapow spaghetti or Phanaeng & Mashed Potatoes...

You erm, could string ping pong balls together?

Sorry, I'll move along now.

the problem when banks sell repossessed houses they are normally run down ,in the wrong area ,anything thats any good is sold to the staffs family or friends

That's exactly it. By going to banks you will be looking at the left-overs that nobody wanted. First would be the bank staff themselves, second their families and friends, and third any people in their network who have indicated to them to go look out for good properties, then the bank staff make a commission on that. Whatever's left after that gets posted on those boards at the bank office that you're looking at.

Guys... lots of countries run somewhat of a deficit.. It's business as usual.

Did any of you folks check out recent economic initiatives in the USA, for example?

Now there's a deficit! Keep it real, people.

PAD brainstorms over "New Politics"

The People's Alliance for Democracy yesterday turned its mass rally at Government House into a brain storming session.

That is a real scary picture.

Maybe they meant 'brain washing session' ?

Yup; Total tripe.

I'm not even sure what it does in a news clippings forum; it's obviously opinion, and then typical PAD / The Nation stuff.

(Perhaps a 'Thai politics' subforum would be a good idea?)