Sydebolle

"The _____________ department is actively engaged in addressing the ______________ issue." To facilitate matters, one has to just fill in the blanks. On second thought - forget about it as nothing ever happens anyway. Put the pen back where it belongs and have a drink instead!

Guess whose desk it is onto which one should put the enormous bill of health issues related to the haze in Northern and Northeastern Thailand; who runs the feed mills? But the nine digit cheque on a yearly basis, hand delivered, seems to smoothen the pain and suffering of 60% - 70% of the citizen. One day the chicken will come home to roost, it is on its way but has not hit home just yet 😞

You are absolutely right but it is guaranteed, that this particular culprit will never ever commit any crime ever again apart from saving millions of UKP, EUR or USD taxpayers money. It's like the death penalty on drugs in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It does not eliminate the problem completely but it certainly diminishes it and, in case of a drug dealer, see above. The security and safety of the majority is relevant, so kiss the human rights goodbye and rid society of pedophiles, rapists and drug dealers - me thinks 😉

The only time window where an airline in Thailand can make serious money on domestic flights ........ and then they come and throw in a discount of 30% for good measure. I would have kept the airfares, dusted off the A380 (some five airframes were standing around for a LOOOOONG time) and get the show on the road.

Well, now you have it from the horse's mouth - the "prima-inter-pares" with the standard reply which I've been graciously listening to; still worded as "There's no confirmation yet. I still don't know." The underlying issue is the absolute absence of character and spine of this as well as many other governments before. Once Beijing whistles, it is "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" all over again. What a farçe all this is, nobody has had the guts to stand up for Thailand and state, that as a sovereign state Thailand will make its own decisions rather than collecting instructions - ongoingly - from the lovely red brethren in the North. Shame on all of those involved. In closing, thank you tax payer (i.e. I am one of them) for allowing yet another splurging school excursion of the divine government representatives to China which just underlines the impotence of all those goons and geeks!

How can 800 cars end up in Mae Sot? I've been there and even crossed into Burma/Myanmar with my own car in 2018. Back then there were not 800 cars crossing the old bridge over the river and the traffic in Myanmar is driving on the right hand side of the road. Just curious; there might be closer parking lots available for all those "imports" - me thinks as the registration of such vehicles was done - in the past - usually in Sisaket or Ayuthya as the officers there might have been a little more flexible after someone forgot some little brown manila envelopes? Just wondering ........

"rejected the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) appeal to permit alcohol SALES on trains" so it is nothing but the BYO again for all those millions of us who travel by train ............

Tell this to all those tree huggers and do gooders - I still advocate the gallows for pedophiles, rapists and drug dealers. The damages done by those culprits cannot be undone but you would avoid - guaranteed - any future repetition of "misbehaviour" while saving the tax payers hard earned money.

Dirty farang have been kicked out of the promised land for much, much less. Wondering therefore, why Thailand does not deport the fellow to the German Embassy and let them deal with the problem which will be a repatriation back to Allemania. Apart from getting rid of the problem I would assume, that professional help - if so needed - is easier available in Germany than here.

Nong Fa Sai - as written in the passport and official ID papers? "Delivering a swift slap to the tourist's face." Never ending chicks with dkics story in Pattaya and then the authorities and goons at the tourism promotion board wonder, why Thailand in general and Pattaya (among other places) in particular gain such a pristine reputation. But then again, the Thai face is holier than the holy and they would murder for up keeping their fake façade!

From experience; for one successful operation you'll find 100 just surviving and a 1,000 who failed. It is hard work, a delicate balance between professional purchasing and market-conform selling, the staff issue is endless in whole Thailand but particularly critical in Pattaya and, in all fairness, nobody goes to that area for "dining". Eventually a production kitchen might be the answer. Provide the open beer bars around the area with neutral menu display stands giving a selection of a few pizza options, square, in two slices. Put the sales price onto the display and state "order with our staff here". The bar orders with you, collects the pizza slice/s - say - ten minutes later and pays you the sales price less 20% as their commission. No dining tables, cutleries, waiting staff, air conditioned restaurant etc. etc. - just a thought. Everything else is, in most cases, suicidal in the long run, me thinks! I got out in time with a professional 4* star restaurant; would never ever do anything the like ever again - in Thailand that is.

Sorry for the distraction; wishing you nevertheless an excellent start into the new week 😉

Can't be true as corruption, like gambling, drugs and prostitution are prohibited in Thailand and hence not existing. Everything else would put Phuket, and for that matter most of the rest of the country, into a bad light and taint the pristine image 😉

Suvarnabhumi is Number Two? Then I assume automatically, that Number One must be Don Meuaioing, better known as Don Muang airport and Number Three to Twenty are all within Thailand. The rest of 21st century aerodromes, like Singapore; Hong Kong etc. in Asia come much, much later.

What scale are they using at Khlong Luek border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet/Sakaeo? They are able to report 0.632 grammes. Another question springs to mind, how can you store 0.632 grammes in a plastic bag? The 0.632 grammes, if you ask me, are less than micro-dust; how sporty of the officers 😉

This incident underscores ongoing challenges faced by local law enforcement in balancing bak shish without losing the face. What happened to the workers Thai colleagues who must have been there in their thousands? Eh... me stupid - Thais do not need a work permit? I guess that 500 Baht to the till will deal with the problem and the culprits were back on the road to try to recover their expenses of the evening?

While the US will not miss a beat in hammering on China, for once it is in line with what the rest of the world feels. Regretfully it might be very difficult to implement, as Thailand has been more than "generous" by issuing passports; see Dr T and the Red Bull boy running around for 10+ years with a Thai passport, despite its validity expires after latest 10 years. In another incident it might be noteworthy, that Miss Universe 1988, a Thai citizen, was issued a red diplomatic passport and that puts the entire subject into a different lime light. Is it possible to ban/restrict holders of Thai diplomatic passports or is it nothing but rattling the cage?

Yes, but the very same applies to Thailand unfortunately

Yes, but the very same applies to Thailand unfortunately

Yes, but the very same applies to Thailand unfortunately

This extradition might be legal within the frame of the Thai legal system. Yet it confirms oncemore again, that the government is NOT in control of the country but follows the whistles coming regularly from Beijing. The Thai government has proven over and over again, that they have no spine, no social responsibility and are completely out of touch with humanity. In all fairness, would 40 Uyghurs really have broken the Thai bank? The smirky smile of Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong, when passing on the bucket to the Foreign Ministry, says it all - what a disgrace; they all should be ashamed. It can be only hoped, that Karma exist and all those responsible will face the music - one day or another!

Quantity over quality - see Bhutan! Some do it right, some don't!

Clear out all those other useless positions in other government offices like revenue department counting photocopies, immigration goons insisting on blue inked stamps and signatures while insisting on bank statements printed on the bank's letter heads as blue rubber stamps and signatures of bank clerks are not accepted. Rid the TM30 and do away with the 90-days inferiority complex and you have tons of loose change to a) train the trainers properly (possibly with non-Thai assistance) and b) pay the teachers a market-relevant remuneration.

One million visitors versus 2,007 consular cases? How many diplomats are assigned to providing such consular services?

Another pristine example of the wisdom of the marketing goons at Thai Airways. This airline is an excellent example, how a generation of absolute incompetence, marred with corruption and lack of control, appointment by bak shish rather than qualification, can ruin an absolutely fantastic product. Up to 1992, when Chatichai Bunya-ananta was forced into retirement as he reached 60 years of age, Thai Airways was a schoolbook example. Founded in 1960 and brought up to its feet with the joining of aviation experts from SAS (Scandinavia) resulted in a small "mother" company called Thai Airways (TH) running the much bigger daughter (TG) and in the late 80s TH and TG were merged into one big star on Asia's aviation sky. The top floors were run by aviation experts, formerly with British Airways, Japan Airlines etc. and that resulted in a customer-focussed product others could only dream about. After 1992 the Air Force and the ministry of finance moved in and ruined the airline to the tune of more than 300 billion Thai Baht; literally bankrupt beyond any chance of resurrection but, due to national pride, kept artificially alive with lots of support by the tax payers. A one-liner wraps it up nicely "TG is like a 7/11 store without cashiers on the way out and everyone is invited to help themselves". They can reduce their baggage allowance to below zero, as far as I am concerned; I have not flown with them in 20+ years and I shall never ever set foot into one of their aircraft - ever again!