PhootThaiMaiDai

What, everyone has to pay tea-money to the goons but her? They're just waiting for their stack of cash, and they'll slink off to drink...

Just like in America… Crime pays. Rob the public for millions, face a 20,000 fine. Short of hiding the money, claiming bankruptcy and then avoiding civil action, we all lose and institutionalized "justice" perpetuate this sort of behavior.

That's big news for the likes of Vietnam and Myanmar... and the Cambodians that work the tourists to supplement their income…

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I think you both mean the representative from the Ministry of Tea Money right?

Wouldn't the public prosecutor indict rather than the police?

Just thought about the same. Police charge but then again this is Thailand

Hmmm... Anybody else wondering how much more she's actually worth? Where the assets are hidden, how much just this term she's diverted from the Thai people? It's not like the other politicians aren't doing it, but the "Shinawatra" name is so synonymous with graft and corruption...

"...the Justice...slammed her behavior?" Nine years in jail for ruining the life of a child, her child?

First they should rip out her uterus, then sew her up backwards, then send her to a men's penitentiary for the rest of her life and send her daughter all the proceeds (of course in AUD not cigarettes). Of course her other day job would be fingering the seven years of pedophiles. Then when she's dead they can deport her.

Glad to see this sort of thing being done by politicians (anti-corruption investigations), and reported on by news media. Even more impressed if something actually comes of it. This sort of scheming deserves National Security level attention, something like Treason, only then might this sort of abuse of power and socio-economic tinkering find a solution.

And, it's too bad they really didn't go further into the investigation; how it was tied into the Dum Luck Administration, and who all the players were.

Thailand’s tourism and sports minister, said that the government would cover 60 percent of the total cost, and that the rest would come from commercial deals with sponsors such as the Red Bull energy drink and Singha beer brands.

To which the Red bull family have said, sure"I will consider that, but if you jail my son you can take a hike'. I guess the young man won't be going to jail then!

Red Bull!? Sponsor? Not such a good idea as a sponsor for driving fast on the streets of Bangkok... (too soon?)

Really, sounds great. In what country are they proposing to run the race?

510K AUD is nothing to an oil company probably the wages of 2 or 3 workers. Being heard in the Magistrate's Court (The Lowest Court) that was probably the highest amount they could impose. Matters like these are normally heard in the County Court.

Americans!!!

They don't know very much !!!

The matter was heard in the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal, a branch of the Magistrate's Court. Contrary to your comments above, the Tribunal is not "the lowest court". Contrary to what you may believe, the Australian court system is NOT the same as the US. We have no "County Court". The Tribunal is empowered to issue any fine or sentence contained in the appropriate legislation.

"Americans!!!"

Americans? With a name like Chooka, hailing from Melbourne, and a union jack as their avatar...

Who doesn't know "very much" Nigel?

"First oil production from the Montara oil field is now expected in the third quarter of 2011."

-- The Nation 2012-08-31

Third quarter 2011 forecasting by the middle of third quarter 2012, now there's some crack reporting... by The Nation...

Guessing he's a brain surgeon as well as a bomb expert, and a politician? So much promise for Thai and yet, a victim and a target and a hero all in one? Only, the way this is written, it's hard to tell what's going on. He found something suspicious, and luckily wasn't blown to bits, so, bogus, he trashed it, and then as an after-thought found it to be intact so he filed a police report... What? Not that I would bother calling the police in Thai for anything, but shouldn't a politician with even a fake bomb attached to his car call for an investigation before throwing something potentially harmful in the garbage, only, first? Strange days in Thai...

What a surprise, Dum Luck, the sister of Persona Non Grata Toxin, addled by chronic corruption. Who didn't see this coming.

The Thai monetary policy counsel is full of "tools," what it needs is a corruption free government.

What, no one sees the irony in letting Toxin sue for libel while he's finally been indicted for probably (one of) the same crime(s)...

Hopefully the courts got his court costs first, huh?

Fingers crossed all goes well for Thai and the fears of Civil War are just that, just fears.

Then again, taking sides against an objective "middle path" is just the thing for rousing the fears and anger of those with too little, and the greed and controlling nature of those with too much.

Now's the time when a little good will could go a long way.

Taksin had his chance, years ago, to unite the country and lead it into the 21st century, and blew it - huge - criminally so... It's sad to say "we" are resigned to "'Hopefully' the next "leader" won't..." But with little more to work with than Sides Taking, and frustration and inequity in the balance, only one that truly cares about Thai and its people will be able to lead them away from a future of regrets...

Chahk Dee!

I wish that I could read more of these here instead of the "hang him high" guys. Thank you.

Yeah.......whatever.

The fact these dealers ruin other peoples lives doesn't even come into it right?

The fact is you are responsible for your life. Stop blaming other's for your problems and take personal responsibility for your life... As Thailand is a country that believes in this school of thought: Theravada belief, Buddhas, gods or deities are incapable of giving a human being the awakening or lifting them from the state of repeated cycle of birth, illness, aging and death (samsara). For Theravadans, Buddha is only a Teacher of the Noble Eightfold Path, while gods or deities are still subject to anger, jealousy, hatred, vengeance, craving, greed, delusion, and death. No one forces anyone to take drugs, it's a personal choice. If you are a weak person, sum num na. Why blame others for your problems? Personal responsibility is what it is really all about, one cannot legislate morality... Just my humble opinion. Good luck with your life and personal choices.

There is indeed some merit to your point.

Some merit? Possibly, for many of us, with choices and opportunities and a good upbringing, I would agree... And yet, most of the potential of the less fortunate is left to just such sentiment and light-hearted posturing and we see which way the weak and inopportune choose, still - enough to keep us all socially stigmatized in one way or another. Unfortunately, because of the centuries of just such programming, and the pathetic reliance on politics and a police state and a legal system, the vat of good and bad just keeps churning with coincidence and consequence and perpetuation. If you can keep "turning the other cheek," good on you - too many of us see where that got "him," and us.

Yes we have choices, and one of those choices could be to do more to DETER the likely missteps of other such folk, and the opportunism and parasitic nature that such types have helped breed, and perpetuate and foster.

And while I agree that the death penalty may be entirely too strict and possibly a bit overboard - from an objective point of view, this is not my country, and for him to come here, and do this - so be it.

Entrapment?

Who cares!? Guilty is guilty is guilty.

Reading his obit... I mean article, he sounds like so many criminals that like so many religious folk, hide behind words and interpretations and excuses that have for centuries and millennia been the downfall of decency.

I have always wondered why only a Russian charter plane was allowed to land at U-Tapao Airport (Pattaya) and no other commercial airline, except for a domestic Bangkok Airways flight. I think a lot more than "passengers" are coming in on that flight.

I have a feeling Viktor, and his friends, know this flight very well, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, TIT (This Is Thailand). Just enjoy and try not to make sense out of it. After all, Thailand is in the top 10 of corrupt nations on the planet.

Top 10?

1.Somalia2.Afghanistan3.Myanmar4.Sudan5.Iraq6.Chad7.Uzbekistan8.Turkmenistan9.Iran10.Haiti

Read more: The Top Ten: Most Corrupt Countries — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/toptens/mostcorruptcountries.html#ixzz0x5wDrNrk

Time for Americans to realize that the time of being "world police" is over. Guess it's time to wake up.

:jap:

I guess it's appropriate you used the Japanese Wai. If it wasn't for the USA, Thailand and most all of South East Asia would be Japanese now. But I guess that's old history. Currently Thailand is trying to get off the USA's sh*t list of trading partners for copyright infringement violations. But what the heck, the Thai's let the North Korean arms dealers go too, but probably kept the weapons. Why not let the Russian go too?

It especially pains us to say that the lack of coordination surrounding Viktor Bout's legal case is unfitting of a 'major non-NATO ally,' a designation granted Thailand in 2003," the US lawmakers said.

But I guess you would rather support an international arms dealers than the USA. I hope these arms aren't used against your family or country. Who else is going to stand up against these weapons profiteers? You?

Nicely put.

Sooo... Typical justice. Bad people, companies, officials, profit through illegal action and then pay a fraction of the take and get a slap on the wrist... How will we ever combat crime!?

...oh, that's right, "we" can't. It's the criminals that make up the law in the first place.

No trafficking of Thai women goes on without the assistance of "the untouchables". be they Police officers, Army generals, Politicians or whoever. They can and do get away with it. Thailand is sadly as corrupt if not more so than when I first arrived more than 20 years ago.

Punishment should be made to fit the crime, and NOBODY should be exempt. In the UK even the Royals are occasionally brought to book for motoring offences.

Human trafficking is basically a death sentence, since unless the women can escape they are in real danger of contracting AIDS. As such those that are involved in trafficking should themselves receive a death sentence NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE

I'd second that.

Monkeys give me the creeps. Their little creepy hands, their creepy little faces. I wouldn't even go somewhere named Monkey Beach.

Yea, they remind me of humans...

Glad to see this kind of representation of modern oversight in Thai. But does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

Does the government really do anything, or do they leave it to the villagers to pull their baht together and David and Goliath their way to something like a settlement, while they take their cut?

The fact that this has been up and there isn't one other comment - given the "laws" of standard distribution - and interest - not too encouraging.

"Section 67. The right of a person to give to the State and communities participation in the conservation, preservation and exploitation of natural resources and biological diversities and in the protection, promotion and preservation of the quality of the environment for regular and continued livelihood in the environment which is not hazardous to his or her health and sanitary condition, welfare or quality of life, shall be protected as appropriate.

Any project or activity which may seriously affect the community with respect to the quality of the environment, natural resources and health shall not be permitted, unless, prior to the operation thereof, its impacts on the quality of the environment and on public health have been studied and assessed and a public hearing process has been conducted for consulting the public as well as interested persons and there have been obtained opinions of an independent organisation, consisting of representatives from private organisations in the field of the environment and health and from higher education institutions providing studies in the field of the environment, natural resources or health.

The right of a community to bring a lawsuit against a Government agency, a State agency, a State enterprise, a local government organisation or other State authority which is a juristic person for the performance of duties under this provision shall be protected."