VictorOne

In Thailand, threr were 11048 fatalities from road traffic accident in 2009.

11 048 / 365 = 30.3

Only 4 more than the 2009 average...

EVERYDAY IS BAD DAY ON THAI ROAD!

Provinces Launch Road Safety Centers

Many provinces are opening road assistance centers to welcome the New Year holiday.

Motorists will be encouraged to wear helmets, fasten seat belts, to drive within the speed limit, to drive only with a license, and not to drink and drive.

Encouraged?? They should be forced with horrendous penalties if found in breach. It is after all the LAW!!!

AND Thai statistics are well known for being under reported "the real figures are not good for tourism"

2 many unmanned level crossings.... people always getting killed.

Well well!

Behind every smile is an angry Thai.

Seems like many of them wear brown uniforms.

Thinking back to the Royal Thai Police officers who executed the backpacker in Pai, the one who executed two of them in Kanchanaburi, the one who cut off the arms of that karaoke girl, the one who executed another cop and his wife at a roadstop.... etc etc.

They are not allowed in the culture to show anger, so it stays bottled up till they get drunk, and that is the only time they are forgiving for showing negative emotions. That said some bottle up way to much, and have access to lethal weapons, like this BiB and the assault weapon.

Loss of face, pent up anger, weapons and alcohol are very dangerous combined in this culture.

At least it they haven't found that they all commited suicide.

About time that there was some good news.

The world is now a better (safer) place.

If the headline "Chiang Mai-Bangkok" is correct this w......had only driven a 100 odd clicks before falling asleep.

He must have been on the p..s prior to leaving or had worked through with no rest break. Maybe had driven up from the 'Big Mango' and turned around and headed back.

I have some sympathy for those injured but the perps who are really responsible (the bus company) will walk.

Nothing will change as a result.

TIT

Thailand does not go 4G!

Thailand does not even go 3G like most countries in Dark Africa or like Cambodia did over a decade ago.

As long as fossils in the TOT and CAT are allowed to form a government within a government and are able to frustrate government policy by staying corrupt and allowing only their CP friends to benefit grossly, Thailand is stuck in a hardly working GPRS environment. hardly working because lots of areas do not even have GPRS coverage.

The elite has kept Thailand back for at least half a century.

They are still just a banana republic and it will be aeons before anything changes.

No, what caused the accident was a poorly fastened seating...

Seconded. Did they really blame the husband?

The re-assignment of blame and in-ability to take any responsibility here whatsoever knows no bounds.

Amazing Thailand yet again.

RIP and condolences.

The report doesn't apportion blame; it just states what happened. You lot are too paranoid.

It (the report) at 'least so far' does not apportion blame however the case has not been conclusively investigated yet.

It is fairly clear that the company is responsible (insecure seat) but historically whether there will be any action is another matter 'TIT'

Excellent news, hope it happens soon.

Exactly, like yesterday!

TIT

All six women were charged with illegal possession of prescription drugs.

But not for theft or drugging tourists???

Drugging tourists (successfully) is considered a meritorious achievment. And robbing tourists, well that shows initiative.

Easy fixed. Sabotage amounts to treason. Put armed troops on site and shoot to maim, if that doesn't work shoot to kill.

The watch the insurgents run.

You can not let it be, huh?! Teary eyed, yes! Maybe because she feels sad for her herself...but maybe...just maybe, she also feels sad for people dieing, drowning, loosing their possessions, being in horrible situations....

It is called "compassion"- something that most of you are obviously lacking!

Compassion is something that is a big ask of anyone after being in the realm for 20 years.

Talking about digging up roads (which were originally canals in the first place) is sheer stupidity but it is another case covered by 'TIT' There are thousands of examples of imbecilic decisions by past politicians and others that show that the patients took over the asylums years ago.

e.g. 1100 boats moored in the Chao Praya to push the water out to the gulf. Sukhamband going to the temple to ask some God or another for help to have the sea accept the flood waters.

This event is predominately man made and not an event of nature. Cutting down trees, rampant corruption. And then you talk of compassion. "sorry but don't get me started"

Before this wreck is done, Thailand will be asking for and getting help from a dozen or more nations and the UN.

Disease will likely break out due to people being forced into unhealthy living conditions.

I hope I am wrong but I see bad things ahead.

So what's new ? It's TIT after all

I suspect that there's a lot more breaking down barriers than is being reported. The PM mentioned it several times in her speech the other day.

People who have been submerged for weeks are getting to be very resentful of their neighbors who are still dry and protected, so they are knocking down the barriers that keep the water on their land.

Yea there are two sides to the coin. But flooding others will only mean that the relief when it comes will cost more and take longer.

But people are resenting the PM for protecting BKK, will cost her votes.

will cost her votes. I woudn't count on it. Denizens of the realm have notoriously short memories. 'TIT'

Unesco extends help to World Heritage sites

The Nation

Thailand's Fine Arts Department is prepared to ask for a financial support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), to save historical sites in Ayutthaya.

Fine Arts Department director-general Soamsuda Leeyawanich said that she recently received a letter from the Paris-based Unesco headquarters. Unesco stated that it is ready to help save historical sites which are enlisted as the World Heritages.

The application for the emergency funding will be filed soon to the Paris and Bangkok offices of Unesco.

Soamsuda said that she was notified by Unesco that it could immediately approved a fund worth US$75,000 or Bt2.3 million.A group of marine archeologists are now stationed in Ayutthaya to help flood victims, and could launch an initial inspection of historical sites' damage soon, she added.

-- The Nation 2011-10-11

You may think I am being cynical but the only smart country so far is New Zealand - providing Technical Teams no mention of cash. - Look at China - China donated $ one million (Bt 30.7 million) cash and some necessities worth of 10 million yuan (Bt 47 million) to Thailand. US 3 million. Even in time of need and emergency one must say TiT it is odds on to nothing that this money will be well used by those in power with not a dollar going to the needy. :jap:

Correct!, If 10% of money being donated reaches the persons in need they will be doing well. In a country known the world over fot it's corrupt practices they would be lucky to receive SFA in the way of financial aid.

Stories are now coming out of places where flooding exists, of boat owners etc., gouging the people being evacuated. Another example of Thai's exploiting Thais'. But it is no surprise as it is a national pastime in the realm.

And if they are really serious in respect of mitigation measures to counter floods in the future they only need to bring a team of Sq' heads in from the Netherlands.

The old head in the sand trick "at which the denizens of the realm are so good at, followed by fudging figures" anything to preserve the joke which is Thailands image in almost every country in the world.

Thought it might be appropriate and helpful if there were a thread dedicated to Suvarnabhumi Airport and it's ongoing day to day status.

When speaking to my travel agent a short time ago she said that Thai do not issue bulletins and it's either open for business or it's closed.

No forecasts on likely scenarios etc.

So the best information is probably only available from travelers on the ground as they pass through.

Is it thought that flooding will / or might be a problem?

OMG!!!! I really don't think anyone who is stranded in the middle of a flooded village is in any mood for SEX!!!! This news MUST be a big JOKE....rite??

I think that they are just talking about 'horizontal dancing'

Maybe if they put as much thought and effort into prevent the flooding (employing robust water management strategies) than crying about a few decrepit ruins the place would be better for it.

They could run a fleet of D9's through them and they wouldn't be missed 'particularly when they have so many more of these ruins'

Seriously, who is really worried how many Nigerians are in Thai prisons. Fact is that 99.99% have broken laws, scammed someone (many) and thoroughly deserve to be in prison wherever that prison might be.

Whats more as bad as the conditions are in the Thai prisons they are probably far and away better than in their own homes in Nigeria.

So why do we get our t's in a tangle about these people and why is there not more news of young Thai, Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian females (many of them children) being trafficked every day of the week (and sold into sexual servitude) by their very own families.

Don't hear too much from all these 'goody two shoes' abot the latter.

Thailand is the only country in the world with the largest number of international schools what sort of "gobbeldigook" is that? They talk about education and yet are not even competent in the use of the English language.

It was impossible to immediately confirm Abdel Hakim Belhaj's allegations of being "hung," "injected," and refrigerated with "ice" at the airport

I also remember the old smoking rooms at DM.

It this an attempt (reference to 'smoking rooms') in respect of a serious contribution to this thread.

I HAVE READ a few of the comments here and I find it very hard for people to plead ignorant. They don't know? Come on how stupid can an educational facility be? With everything that has been in the news are the teachers and (so called educators) up there realy that stupid? They must be. Not ignoant just plan stupid. NO COMMON SENSE. I feel very sorry for those children. The schoolisprobably run by fools that just want and care about money, not to educate the children. What a bunch of dumbies.

You have hit the nalL on the head. IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY IN THE REALM.

i'm sick of reading this, i'm a 1960 generation, now we have 2011.

get over it.

It must be that the 60's generation were never educated either. Just like the moronic education system in Thailand. They wouldn't know history if it bit them in the arrrse.

What a horrifying story & I hope the couple at least get full compensation for their medical expenses. I wonder if there are any regulations to cover this industry. Seems like they are able to operate with impunity although they must be paying someone. It is widely known elephants can suffer from depression & little wonder given the conditions they are forced to live & work in here in Phuket. As usual the owner does not seem willing to accept any responsibility & pointing the finger at the mahout for Captain's previous rampage.

Incidents such as this & in other industries will continue forever & a day, with tragic consequences, until business owners are forced to accept responsibility for the actions within their companies.

full compensation, what would that amount to in a 5th world country?

the mahout! who employed him, who pays his wages. If this Trin runs the place one would assume she does so she is responsible for compensation.

who are the authorities responsible for overseeing the place? it's clear that they have been sitting on their collective fat rings and turning a blind eye

will it happen again? almost certainly "why" because TIT