fnprop

of little interest to the ignorant fools that have gone native and live in the booonies of nakon nowhere ...BUT lets not forget that many Genuine tourists transit thro bkk for a few days and they fear this kind of abuse by any law enforcement as this is the natorious far east and being forced to sign any bull that is made up on that day of a little pill slipped into your shirt pocket can DESTROY your life/////..but hey thailand is perfect isnt it fools

Of course, you're right in the sense that this is of little interest to us kwai dorn. We go about our business, enjoying life without all the harassment.

On the other hand, it shows that there are still enough ignorant fools, both Thai and falang, that actually believe Krungthep is the center of the universe.

Strange point. Other than a few differences in spelling a few words, what are the major grammatical between English, and American English.

I think in that case someone should codify Thai English and just state that English is too difficult and just make up their own version. How about Australian English, or Spanglish, as official languages.

Point 1...Americans donated all the extra letters, especially the vowels, in British spelling to the Welsh. Apparently they've been lost in pub or pasture. Also, as we didn't have any Norman overlords to pay homage to, 'tre' spellings have been replaced by the more phonetic 'ter'.

Point 2 ... Totally agree. Pasa angrit very yaak. Tinglish should be declared an official ASEAN language. Spellings in Thai script will be developed by the Ministry of Inactive Posts, and strictly enforced by the Culture Ministry. Spelling tests in romanicized script will follow the GAT/ONET English test models, where there may be multiple or no correct answers.

Just goes to show, this whole thing has nothing to do with Cambodia. It's all a contrived mess for the benefit of Thai internal politics. Not the orderly government versus the opposition type seen in a real democracy, but the messy Thai type, with third, fourth, fifth hands and feet, fingers, and toes stuck in and stirring, but out of the camera shot.

There is/was no border crisis. Cambodia was well within its rights to sentence the fools, given their previous history of illegal entry, declared aspirations of stirring up trouble in what Cambodia considers its territory, history of violence, and outright stupidity in posting admissions of illegal entry on youtube. I would consider that keeping them out of Cambodia or at least making sure they can't stir up trouble, via a lengthy jail term, is definitely in Cambodia's national interests.

And for their supporters in Thailand it's worth remembering that criticism of a court verdict is a crime here in Thailand. The impunity they've enjoyed in Thailand really doesn't translate into Khmer, does it now?

A few years back a bunch of Iranian diplomats were expelled from the US for taking pics of bridges etc in NY. It always depends who you are, what you represent or are perceived as representing and where you are from.

Posturing

Precisely

He was without portfolio, on his own, entering internationally disputed territory claimed by both another country and his own.

it was not an official delegation pre-arranged through diplomatic channels to find facts, he did it on his own.

It was a military area, and this was stated well before, and he entered it and took pictures.

A military area need not be fenced in to still be a military area.

He entered an area he knew to be controlled by a foreign power,

while disputing that countries control, with no authority to do so.

He is known to be publicly hostile to Cambodia and to dispute Cambodia's sovereignty of the land.

There are so many reasons for them to slap him down hard it's astounding he didn't get MORE TIME.

PAD of course are going ballistic over this, but he made his own bed and must join the bedbugs for some time.

Exactly. I feel this post should answer all questions about his charge and conviction. He kicked the dog and the dog bit him.

:clap2: :clap2:

Impunity works so much better when the courts, government, and institutions you'll encounter are your own, not some foreign nation's.

The vast majority of PATTAYA BRITS do not squander all of their cash on booze, women an drugs....

Well, I suppose if you adopt the George Best philosophy that wouldn't count as squandering.

With 30 to 40 killed on the roads here every day why has this incident turned into such another soap opera?

Because, as was confirmed by several Thai tweeters that themselves was pushing the hate-page, they saw it as a political issue. Include to that several foreigners, as Andrew Spooner etc, pushing the 'political' side of it. Even if there is no merit to it yet.

Right or wrong, the incident did flare into a political issue...and it's not the falang TV posters that pushed it there. It was Thai people. It was a fairly large number of Thai people. It happened very quickly. And the PM being grilled by the media, about a local traffic accident, and responding, validates the characterization.

No, she shouldn't be tried, convicted, and sentenced, or even investigated, on Twitter, Facebook, Hi5, Dek-D, or even TV. Frankly, it's refreshing after all the comments of "it will always be this way because Thai people don't care." Evidently, some of them do.

The Thai Constitution

Section 36. A person shall enjoy the liberty of communication by lawful means.

The censorship, detention or disclosure of communications between persons including any other act disclosing

information in the communication between persons shall not be permitted except by virtue of the provisions of the law specifically

enacted for maintaining the security of the State or maintaining public order or good morals.

Section 45. A person shall enjoy the liberty to express his or her opinion, make speeches, write, print, publicise, and make

expression by other means.

The restriction on the liberty under paragraph one shall not be imposed except by virtue of the provisions of the law

specifically enacted for the purpose of maintaining the security of the State, safeguarding the rights, liberties, dignity, reputation, family

or privacy rights of other persons, maintaining public order or good morals or preventing the deterioration of the mind or health

of the public.

The closure of a newspaper or other mass-media business in deprivation of the liberty under this section shall not be

made. The prohibition of a newspaper or other mass-media business from presenting information or expressing opinions in

whole or in part or imposition of interference by any means in deprivation of the liberty under this section shall not be made except

by virtue of the law enacted under paragraph two.

The censorship by a competent official of news or articles before their publication in a newspaper or other mass media shall

not be made except during the time when the country is in a state of war; provided that it must be made by virtue of the law enacted

under paragraph two.

The US Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

And that's the difference in a nutshell. In that "Western constitution", it's no law that can be enacted to abridge the freedom. In the Thai constitution, free speech is only protected by the constitution if there is no law to prohibit it.

And I disagree about media censorship in North America. Rather than self-censoring news from fear of criminal legal reprisal, media organizations self-select news to fit their own advocacy positions or commercial interests. The results may often appear similar to censorship, but there is a big difference in deciding whether to publish an article based on possibly restricted access to future news items or making the decision based on a possible jail sentence.

"In terms of personnel, Thailand is ready. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, which is in charge of expediting the power plants, has about 100 people ready for this task. They have been sent to China, South Korea or Japan for training."

No doubt watching Homer at work on some Simpsons re-runs.

This would be like given a loaded gun to a child and say HAVE FUN.

Yeah, you're not sure what will happen, but chances are pretty good that it will make the papers.

"A Baan Nakhon Nowhere district police spokesman said that as soon as the alarms started ringing, the night shift operator fled the scene. An EGAT union representative claimed that this was all politically motivated, and union members will gather in front of Government House to protest mistreatment of Thai nuclear workers by the EGAT board. The Cabinet met in emergency session, and responsibility for securing the site was turned over to ISOC, claiming that Thaksin was responsible for the meltdown. The plant manager was immediately transferred to a new position at the Ministry of Inactive Posts. Army personnel at scene denied that there had been any incident. A military spokesman claimed that the GT2000 radiation detectors showed that there was no radioactive leakage, and he doesn't understand what the big fuss is about. TAT believes that this will be an great opportunity for tourism, and expects Thailand to replace the Ukraine as the 'Hub of Nuclear Disasters.' Yemenese entrepreneurs, assisted by laborers from the Southern Philippines are already on the scene, buying up allegedly tainted rubble for export. A statement from the Commerce Ministry said that stockpiling, inventory, and export of materials from the site would be under strict government control, like the rice stockpiles."

Excuse me for being so crass, but from a Thai perspective, how will this affect the sin sot value of little miss hi-so?

It will shoot up if she is seen to be untouchable in the eyes of the law

Yep, a few baht can buy a lot more nah.

Plus, Daddy will be looking to cover his payouts.

So in the end, it really doesn't matter whether they are doctored or not.

You could have just said that, and spared us the rest of your diatribe. gl

Yeah, but then it would have sounded like a piece from The Nation.

Besides, it would do some of the posters good to learn that the PM isn't the CINC in Thailand. And that they may have forgotten details of earlier reports, or can't get the news that's available outside of the Kingdom.

Who will examine it? Well Jatuporn did supply his documents to Reuters and the Japanese embassy. I'm sure they have some opinions on the authenticity of the documents. Fortunately, thanks to laws prohibiting the dissemination of news which might upset the social order (not to mention national security), you won't be allowed to read them here.

Abhisit is the CIC? Really, you must shed your western blinders. The prime minister is not the commander in chief of the Thai armed forces. That post is reserved for the head of state.

Before the DSI chief got his story straight, claiming the documents weren't the DSI's, he commented that he suspected that they were some of the documents that the DSI had turned over to the police for further investigation. Only when the pressure mounted, and he had a few moments to consult the spin doctors, did he take advantage of Jatuporn's legacy to concoct the falsification theory.

Both the documents and the chief have referenced soldiers acting in the line of duty. Martial law, the emergency decree, and the ISA all exempt soldiers acting in the line of duty from criminal prosecution. So, it really doesn't matter what their actions were, or if they were justified, appropriate, or not. "I was only following orders" is a legitimate defense under Thai law.

So in the end, it really doesn't matter whether they are doctored or not.

More wishful thinking on the part of The Nation. There's an election this year, one way or another. And it will probably end the same way as the last 3 general elections: with the previous prime minister's party on top.

Only question now is of timing. Can the Suthep/Prayuch/Newin junta hang on until the end of the term, or least until the budget and reshuffles are completed? Or will Mingkwan and the newly-muzzled Jatuporn score enough points in either the run-up to or actual censure debate to force an early dissolution?

Abhisit's pre-conditions of "political stability" and "agreement to respect the outcomes?" Sheer fantasy. Hasn't happened in the last eighty years, so I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it now.

There was a reason the guns came out in May. And it wasn't because Bangkok was inconvenienced. The UDD rally was presenting a credible threat to topple the government. And neither side of the political spectrum had enough control to predict the outcome.

In the meantime, same old same old. The army and their political playthings trying to set the preconditions "in law" to guarantee a victory (that worked real well the last time, huh?). An inordinate amount of questioning regarding "loyalty" (or is that fealty?) to play upon the the electorate's heartstrings. Plenty of baht being passed around, with MP's switching sides in the blink of an eye and lao khao sales through the roof.

Should be an interesting year. But it certainly won't be peaceful or politically stable.

The 15 year old daughter of a resident in our village drives her mother and younger brother around our city. I was more than stunned to see this happen. But she comes from a very wealthy family who thinks they can do anything and get away with it.

TiT. They not only think they can do anything and get away with it. They actually can do anything and get away with it.

This may wind up costing the family a few baht and a little nah, but Somkid will soon be able to put this unpleasantness behind her, and live the privileged life she was destined to lead.

So what?? when i came to Thailand did anybody noticed me??

Of course they did, you hansum man!

Having lived where the ISA was imposed before, I agree with Northman. This is not a pretty sight...it looks more like a military occupation than a security set up. And it's all military...no police, no civilians to muck up the works. It still allows indefinite detention without charges.

Two positives:

1. The ISOC can't make laws on a whim, like the CRES could. You can be detained forever, but can't be convicted of anything. There's no authority for shutting down presses and web sites.

2. The military is allegedly answerable for its actions. Correct. It won't happen. But there's no immunity built into the ISA, like there was in the emergency decree.

One more question: Where will the ISA be imposed? Like I said, I've seen this in action before. I would just want to know if the tanks in the streets and machine gun nests at the end of the soi are part of an ISOC activity or a coup.

Amazing with all that going against him you would think he is either on the road to Burma or all ready there.

Funny you should say that. I've read a couple of articles lately, not related specifically to Thailand or Human Rights, that have mentioned Thailand in the same breath with Burma and China regarding media control. I believe it's a sign of how low an opinion the rest of the world (with free, unfiltered access to information) has of Thai "freedoms."

Given the outrageous statements by some Thai leaders, it's clear that their inanities are aimed for domestic consumption. Thank goodness the rest of the world isn't as gullible.

Well, the author (and apparently more than a few TV posters) have once again fallen into the illusion of Thai democracy in action.

The whole Thaksin-in-Washington story has been overblown, and extensively covered. It's really a pity that three other statements, released on the same day that this news broke, haven't received the same amount of attention in ink or bits:

1. The Thai National Human Rights Council stating that there is credible evidence of torture, forced confessions, secret trials and 20-year sentences without legal representation, and false arrests carried out by authorities acting under the CRES. This is one of those quasi-governmental independent bodies, like the National Anti-Corruption Commission, that is supposed to provide some checks and balances on unrestrained use of government powers, not some collection of NGO's.

2. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission chairman said that there would be no satisfactory conclusion to the Commission's work, as the CRES and military institutions have simply ignored requests for any information, and refused to make available or allow any of their members to be interviewed. Again, this is not some UDD splinter group, but a body set up by the government itself, as one of the 5 critical pieces of its Roadmap to Reconciliation that was rejected by the UDD before the second round of shooting started.

3. The DSI (no great UDD fans themselves) has washed its hands of any further investigations of killings during the disturbances, citing the same CRES and military intransigence, and handing the remainder of its work over to the Royal Thai Police Force. This leaves a number of unresolved questions about high-profile incidents like the temple killings and the killing of the Japanese photographer, in limbo. Not to mention the questions of families of the other victims.

All in all, it has been nicely played by the government and its supporters. Dredge up the specter of Public Enemy #1, make idle threats, speculations and boasts about what he can/will/can't/won't do, and what their non-existent response will be. Keep up the noise level until those other statements drop off the public radar. Thaksin and his mouthpieces responding and trading barbs with these people has played right into their hands. They couldn't have given more support if they had been reading from a script.

Typical TV responses ...and no help.

Had the same issue this week...here's the solution.

Make the reservation on the AirAsia site.

Try at least once to pay.

Call the Bangkok call center (be prepared for 15-30 minutes on hold)

Give the reservation code, and tell them you want to pay cash at 7-11.

They'll give you a charge code, tell you the 2nd charge code is the mobile number you're calling from, and give you the total amount to pay.

Truck on over to your local 7-11. Stop by your friendly ATM to get the cash on the way.

Tell them you want to pay for an AirAsia ticket.

They'll scan the AirAsia bar code, then enter the code you've been given, your phone number, and the amount you're paying.

Pay the amount, plus a 20 baht 7-11 convenience fee.

Your confirmation/eticket will be emailed to you the next morning.

No AirAsia "convenience fee" charged.

And I had originally tried with:

A. Chase Bank Debit card

B. Emirates Bank Debit Card

C. Bangkok Bank Debit Card

(all three with name and verified by visa)

D. Krung Thai debit card (no name)

The above transaction sequence has been verified by fnprop

Someone who enter in the Parliament House wearing weapont (a stone or a rifle is not important) is not a protester, is a BANDIT.

And as a bandit have to be treated.

Another myth debunked...the weapon in question was being worn by and taken from Suthep's 'unarmed' security detail.

The many polls I have done are not limited to the insurgent's home base. I am confident I am right about this. How could westerners support an anti-democratic corrupt dictator wannabe like Thaksin.

We don't. And if you believe the vast majority of the reds are fighting for him, you are hopelessly deluding yourself. Keep drinking that government Kool-Aid. Most thinking westerners know better.

And I'll venture to say that most Thais understand by who and how this country is run. Thaksin v Prem is the flashpoint, not the main event. The sleeping giant of the Thai people has now been awakened, and both Thaksin and his opponents will lose. They are all scared. That's why no compromises, no deals. dam_n genie won't go back in the bottle.

History shows that the birth of democracy is, often as not, a painful, bloody affair. So enjoy your little war, it's about to crank up a notch. And don't take the anti-falang comments so personally. We're just collateral damage when either side wants to play the nationalism card.

In practical terms, this means that the military is pre-absolved for any massacres they commit, people may be detained indefinitely without warrant or charges, and all media broadcast and print in the affected areas can be shuttered at a moments notice with no appeal or judicial review.

Anupong got the "get out of jail free" card he wanted before unleashing his dogs. There's no need for a coup, since under the emergency decree the military is in charge of everything. Abhisit and Suthep have now been removed from any effective control of anything.

And for the pollster, you can count this farang out of the vast majority you purport to speak for. The English language press is a farce, parroting undercounts, and expressing the wish of the "vast majority" of Bangkok as well. You obviously haven't seen the enthusiastic support that the Reds have received from the ordinary folks on the street as they pass by. And somehow you missed the Chao Phraya riverbanks and bridges being lined with supporters from Ayuthaya to Krungthep for the flotilla, and the same on Highway 2 from Nong Khai to Korat, leading up to the initial rally. So, go ahead and believe what you read in the Nation and BP.

A big part of the problem is that Bangkok purports to speak for Thailand. The more I see, the more I know it's not true. Concentrating the nations power and wealth into one sinking stinking cesspool guarantees that the battles for control will be fought there. If decentralization had truly been brought to Siam, then most of the issues would not even exist, and your concrete jungle wouldn't be ground zero.

At the moment U.S. is facing open threats from China because the Dalai Lama is going to visit the President Obama soon.

I'm really curious to know what will happen.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing of any signifigance. Typical PRC bluster. They can get away with it in client states like Burma, Laos, and apparently, Thailand. But the US is not going to cancel a visit that offends Beijing's political sensitivities. Neither would VietNam for that matter.

Of course it's about face. The accident had nothing to do with it. However, your pursuit after the fact did. It must be enshrined somewhere in local transport law or regulations that the at-fault party is required to "flee the scene." You interfered with that solemn duty.

Same thing with rear-ended by a juvenile moto-cy driver upcountry. The bike was not driveable, a crowd had gathered, and therefore you interfered with the kid's solemn duty to flee.

Fleeing avoids, albeit only temporaily sometimes, confrontation. Confrontation causes a loss of face. Ergo, fleeing saves face.

Now pay up!

When a group of private citizens form a private army it is not necessarily illegal. Militias etc. are somewhat acceptable.

When a group of private citizens form a private army with the intent to overthrow the government it is called treason. Said army would be immediately put down.

Exactly the same line espoused by King George III a couple of hundred years ago. Didn't quite work out to his satisfaction then, did it?