Sydebolle

Thank you profoundly for your expert advice on what I know and what I do not know yet - most gracious of you indeed!

The "Office of the Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports" needs to be awarded a medal - or even better = give 'em two. I'm always appalled by the EXACT number of alien crossing into the holy land; there must be hundreds if not thousands of "number counting officers"; I for one would use the scare government resources of tourism budgets to improve the image, get the product streamlined promoted professionally for quality tourism. Until then I shall get some more popcorn and wait for the next avalanche of numbers being drizzled all over those empty hotels and restaurants looking depressed into a bleak future of countless tourists from India, China and North Asia - most of them in the "zero dollar" category. The few Laotian shoppers and the Malay gents crossing for some bedsheet fun might not affect the tourism gauge that much ????

"The Bhumjaithai Party has filed a defamation lawsuit" because they are HURT? Anutin and Chuwit in the boxing ring this time and I know on who I would put my betting money on ???? This defamation lawsuit business here in Thailand is yet another lack of common sense imported from across the Pacific ......... Big drum-up in the media, the lawyers are happy and the courts are filled with more nonsense! Instead of whining like a small baby over a spilt bottle of milk I might suggest that the "hurt" party in the conflict comes up with corresponding proof to counter the initiator's statement ......... or just shut up and carry on with all the other business ....... pathetic farçe!

The boiling point gets closer and closer - beware of a stormy summer ahead!

That is yet another department which needs a proper and total reset. It is, pardon my French, absolutely ridiculous, how test plus the initial retest after two years and thereafter every five years are made. A self-profiling lady officer, in one of those funny uniforms, lectures in Thai, what "Mae" (word for mother) has up her sleeve. Two hours of video, all in Thai, compulsory for all the foreigners (not only one hour but you get the full Monty with two hours), of which a longer period of time is to explain the countless different number plates. In hierarchical order they start with royal plates, diplomatic and government agency plates, trucks, taxis, tuktuks, motorbikes, private vehicles in blue, green and black lettering. Just go and take existing ideas from i.e. Germany, Switzerland or Italy. They all can drive and are good drivers, without rechecking every X years; no funny little videos - presented by "Mae" whose job is to instruct an underling to change the CD - and a theoretical as well as a practical test. A proof of i.e. 20 physical driving lessons with authorized driving schools is basics. You fail = you fail; it is not possible that everybody passes. And, if you believe, this is not possible; above is what happens in Nong Khai. While the outsourced motor vehicle agencies doing roadworthiness tests are serious about their business, it quite obviously is not possible to let semi-divine Khon Thai fail after all, they saw the video and did that absolutely unworldly physical test with worn breaks in what should be a simulator. Needless to say, that the very department getting loud over all those "driving license agencies" is at fault for all this nonsense. Last not least, it is mostly the non-Thai clientele, which gets completely lost in the bureaucratic maze of Thai-language and Thaiway of ....... obtaining/renewing a driving license.

The 10'000 Baht = the proverbial carrot in front of the rabbit. In other countries you would call it vote buying; here it is more like "vote paying". All those successive governments over the last decades promised things which had to be executed by the private industry, be it higher minimum salaries, more holidays or, in this case the post-payment of 10'000 Baht. In short, this country is very, very, very far off a democracy as the education level of the average Somchai is simply too poor to understand the system. It's like written in the holy bible "forgive them for they do not know what they are doing". Obviously I would go and take while the taking is good and millions of Thais are not interested in whatever lies and cheats are presented as long as their own greed is satisfied ????

Red plates are actually to be used by garages and car dealers only to transport non-registered vehicles from A to B. Apart from affixing the red plates on the vehicle, one should enter the trip from A to B in a car registration book which has a red/brown cover; as the car(s) change with these plates regularly, one would have to enter VIN and engine number as well - in all practicality 99% of the cars with red plates do NOT have the said book nor entry in the latter. You may only drive during daylight hours and only within the province the plates refer to - according to the rules. Breaking those result in the usually roadside "tipping" if caught. Registering a new car is a walk in the park; take the entire paperwork from the dealer and see the Department of Land Transport in your province. You also need to compile the papers of the owner to be registered and that's it. Did it many times, never took me more than 30 minutes and you walk off with the brand-new blue car registration book and a set of brand new registration plates.

It would not surprise me, if Pheuthai and Move Forward walk off the stage with landslide winnings. Yet, the dinosaurs will not let go just like that. Prayut threatened more than once, that any query related to 112 is illegal and will be followed up with the full force of the (present) law; latter can only be changed with re-writing it, approval by HM and publishing in the Royal Gazette. In short, MF might be toast before the poll results are out - Catch 22 - as only the ruling boys can amend existing laws and they have the least of intentions. Same applies to the education system; too many benefit of the unbelievable poor status-quo and those who could change benefit from NOT doing so. So, in all fairness, what is to be expected here? Thaksin is in his possibly last race and it is not money; it is face and reputation which he wants to have reinstated. That makes him and his endeavours extremely dangerous and is most feared by those uniformed clowns who helped themselves at the free buffet over the last nine years ..... be warned, difficult moments might be ahead! Unlike all others since 1932, Thaksin did not take only but bred the grassroots level with basic healthcare, SME loans and power to the village administrations. That explains possibly, why he is still so popular, despite having left the country last time for good in 2008. He got "detronizzato" as the Italians say on 19 September 2006, a day before he was to address the general assembly of the United Nations in New York; the date was not co-incidential as the dinosaurs thought that he would lose face completely. Well, that did not happen, he left New York heading for London with a straight back - which he still has today. It is face and name and not money - in his case - and that has been grossly underestimated. Let's see, what our hosts are coming up with over the next weeks - interesting times await!

Yet another monumental fart which will resurface in some years to come.

If you have the stamina; report to the immigration the refusal of your landlord and hence your inability to follow this completely outdated antiquated law ....... give 'em the phone number and name and let them do the talking. Works wonders as Thais are SOOOOOO scared of the government (not having understood that the government is to serve the people and not the other way round) ???? You're welcome!

Wissanu Krea-ngam and his cronies are the main reason, why nothing is supposed to happen. If you throw out all teachers and school books, revamp the entire education system to the late 20th or 21st century levels, it would take at least 1 to 1 ½ generations to kick in. By then all those beneficiaries of uneducated labour and uneducated electorate (unable to understand basic processes) will do everything possible to keep the status quo. It is an absolute disgrace, that the filthy rich oligarchs and eliterian phooyays can literally do what they want while 90% (or even more) of the population remains conveniently unknowledgeable. Take languages; Thais love cartoons and weekends are cartoon sessions for the kids as the parents cannot be asred to spend some quality time with their kiddies. If those cartoons would be broadcasted in their original language (Japanese or English), literally all children would understand both languages perfectly well. The writing can follow later but would do away with Ajarn Somchai teaching English who has not the slightest clue about the language apart from what a braindead editor published in the first place. Notepads have the 1x1s printed on the back cover; explains the fact, that Thailand must have the highest number of calculators per capita. Go figure ........

Name the p1rikc by full name with photo and distribute that all over the local TV and social media. It cannot be, that those "men of the cloth" and their "helpers", be it family or external, just get "defrocked" and thrown out of the "Sangkha". I see many of those brainwashed believers of the faith parting with little money they have just to get scwerded by such cookrs. It gives the entire institution of faith a very bad reputation and this can be stopped to a screeching halt considering the importance of face, reputation and the (assumed) self-esteem. What a farçe!

Raja ferries operated old seventh-hand vessels built by the (since 1990) defunct German Democratic Republic and reached Samui via China. Not quite clear, how these coffins on sea ever got a seaworthiness certification ... given the local resilience in keeping everything in pristine working order ????

I keep on telling the same to all my staff for decades; take all the money you can get and vote for whatever you feel like. If you are too confused or uncertain, stay at home. Nobody will ever come back and complain for not having voted for them as the latter is - according to the local regulations - illegal.

I love the horny looks of the gentleman - unclear remains, if he is kneeling to be on the same level as the "Durian". He certainly had not clue, what the girl actually was selling ........ by the looks of him. Thai chauvinism explained, good luck to the girl and with such ugly "modern fashion" braces she must be more than happy to be endowed nicely with Durian ????

Dr Thaksin is, like all Thais, homesick when out of the country. You can take a Thai out of Thailand but you cannot take Thailand out of Thai. Having said that, it is appalling to see, that - after he left 15 years ago for the last time - he still calls the shots remote control from Montenegro, Dubai and God-only-knows-from-where. It is possibly the last call for Dr Thaksin to reinstate his name and reputation. He proved beyond any doubt, that his intentions are not monetary; he seems to have more than plenty of that. He needs his name cleared and (re-)hailed by his electorate rooted among the North- and Northeasterners. To this day all other parties have not understood the basics of getting voted on the countryside but reign in the capital. Irrespective of all this it might be high time for some changes and sending all those corrupt crooks and dinosaurs into definite retirement. Goons like the present leadership is a congregation of self-pleasing, egoistic crooks or believe in unjustified semi-divineness ...... your call. I wish Thailand and its honest voters the best; let's cross the bridge once we get there and that is in one week!

For those in need, here is what Al Jazeera had to say about the excellent air quality under the guided government of chief-in-clown Prayut and his goons had to say: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/12/how-chiang-mai-became-the-worlds-most-polluted-city

I think it is a repetition of what started approx. 100 years ago in the United States with Italian immigrants and the mafia. Given the present dedication of Thailand's finest with their open purses and highway robbery attitude in most cases, I can only wish "GOOD LUCK". The Chinese, specially the less than legal crowd, is WAY smarter than the resident crooks in the Land of Smiles!

The clowns threw in the next big joke - this time they outdid themselves. Nong Khai saw burgundy brown/red reading above 200 so in all fairness, what kind of excellent weed are these boys in Bangkok smoking to present the general public with such a load of absolute nonsense. As long as laws are only written to be printed and published ......... nothing will happen. Use those hundreds of helicopters and fly over those burning fields and use the GPS navigation details on board. The website https://landsmaps.dol.go.th lists EVERY land title deed in Thailand and, while the afore-mentioned side is open to the public, I am sure that law enforcers can access more details like the owners of the piece of land on fire. Fine these people seriously hurting fines; if not paid up within 14 - 30 days, then auction off the land. The revenue is earmarked for public awareness of airborne pollution, the costs of operating the helicopters and crew and I give it to you in writing, that the Thai burning will come to a screeching halt immediately. The big beneficiaries of the burnt fields will not like this but it is time to call a spade a spade. People here in Nong Khai have seen, twice daily, dust layers literally everywhere, elder folks have been coughing the best part of the last three months and new born babies will reach kindergarten in a rather "cold smoked" condition. It's useless, what I write, I know, as Khon Thai - as semi-divine as they believe they are, still have not understood the tremendous damage to environment, people and economy. But, as long as some Thais are better than the rest of the flock .............

It would help if you would actually READ what is written!

Even if you get one you might be well advised to know, that most government offices do NOT attend to their mailboxes. Some come with free mailer accounts @bigfoot.com, @hotmail.com, @gmail.com or similar. Whatever you concern is, call them or show up in person as emails - in my humble experience - so far almost never worked.

Call it Greenbacks, Quid or North Korean Won - I understand that the service providers are not too fussy about the currency/ies their services are being compensated with 8-)

Look up the Bible; there is a chapter on Mary and Joseph and some three Kings ......

I remember the days in the 80s when convoys of buses would leave Ekamai station filled with "les belles de nuit" heading for Pattaya proper to welcome those completely under nailed sailors. The birds would even run down the seashore to "welcome sexy man" in knee-deep water. 5'000 sailors, not having seen any women without uniform, must have left truckloads of Baht in the watering holes of the family beachside resort with bar fines which are higher today than the entire package 30 years ago. Also noteworthy - but maybe that is me only - is the fact, that you get much more woman today than 30 years ago ..... weight-wise that is ???? As long as everyone is happy and the sick bay is properly stocked with Amoxicillin - so long boys!

Well, glad that this point is sorted - the price tag attached to the victim clocks 179 million ....... and the mother is certainly not weak once it comes to accounting matters! But, as history proved more often already, what you want is one thing and what you get is another.