ballpoint

BCC is reporting, "Tanks been Hi-jacked on Bangkok streets by Red Shirts". They are showing footage of red shirt people jumping all over the tanks and seen to have control of them. BBC reported the tanks were taken over with no resistance !!!!!

So there are now tanks in Bangkok streets under the control of red shirts. It's kind of comical. I wonder how much tea money to the tank drivers????

Hehe... Indeed it is comical. It really is embarrassing for this country. They can't even maintain law and order from a disruption by a relatively small mob of thugs. I hate to think of what would happen if another country invaded.

The only thing "comical" about this are all the posters here on TV telling the Thai army what it can and can't do. If you've been in this country for decades you will realise that, when they want to, the Thai army can do what they like, kill who they like (or rather, dislike) and smash whatever they want. Sure, the foreign media and governments will squeal, but in the end, what can they do about it? The bodies of 1992 still haven't been found, those responsible have never been tried, and the country continued as normal, including foreign investment and tourism wise, very shortly after it all ended. All the newbies seem to base their views of the Thai army on the incompetent conscripts running around with the red shirts, and forget that it also contains some very nasty people indeed, who will stop at nothing to defend their own interests. It will be interesting to see what all the cheap thugs, running around with molotov cocktails, rocks and sticks, attacking unarmed cars and anyone wearing the wrong colour, do once the border patrol police and elite troops are sent into Bangkok. Despite all the brave talk here of civil war, the more militant of them may be stupid enough to fight, but I suspect most will run away like the cowardly bullies they are.

Errr.... it is a proven fact that corruption was much less during the Thaksin era, than it was before it.

This is the reason the Elite got unhappy and wanted Thaksin out, he cut off many of their "easy money schemes" - like taking toll booth fee's and not giving receipts to drivers.

3000 dead, did Thaksin kill them ?

How many civilians are killed by US bombs or UK bombs ? Are their Presidents or Prime Ministers responsible ? Be careful what "parallels" you try to draw.

The plot has well and truely been lost. All those poor "Elites" sitting in the toll booths skimming off a few baht at a time must really be upset. I never realised that when I handed over my money the girl taking it was a Khunying. And the guy in the other booth, 50th in line to the throne?

Realy sorry to here your dog has vanished.Do you let the dog stray as it might have followed a bitch on heat.If you value your dog you realy need to take it for a walk on a lead unless you are up country which i suspect you are.Hope he turns up knackered after some boom boom with the local bitch.

Just a quick point about having a dog upcountry,do you castrate it or allow it to shag any other bitch and not care if it gets pregnant,as the owner of the bitch allows the bitch to stray too.If thats the case no wonder you have people coming to steal the dogs for money.

Well, I didn't personally castrate it, we let the vet do that. The dog stays in the yard at night and has never wandered off before, so again, it's highly coincidental if it chose to that night. The dogs here are highly territorial, any wandering into anothers territory would not be done without a fight.

Seems weird they'd need to steal/buy family pets when the streets are crawling with strays.

P.S. Just because they like to eat dog, why does that make them "scum"...? I wouldn't personal eat dog, but if someone likes dogs, or cats, or rats or whatever that's doesn't mean they are scum....

Granted, but stealing a family pet to eat DOES make them scum.

They are not going to eat them, they are going to sell the dogs to people (who have no idea they've been stolen) to eat.

Plus there isn't any evidence that the OP has presented that the dog was even stolen by the dog dealers at all.

To be honest it doesn't sound like they would have stolen the dog, for the following reasons:

- Why take the risk of stealing a dog from someone who care about it, when there are 1000s of strays that no one gives a sh*t about.

- Why offer money for a dog that you are willing and able to steal?

You're right, no evidence to suggest that they did in fact take the dog, but mighty coincidental for it to have disappeared at that time all the same. Bear in mind that this was a well looked after, healthy, large male black dog. There are very few in the area in such a good condition. You'll find that most of the dogs collected are skinned and the meat sold in pieces, but for a dog like this, it will be sold whole to one of the believers in the magic properties of black dog meat. I'd say that after they saw it and had their offer to buy it turned down, they may have been driving back later and seen it again with no one around and so grabbed it.

I was away for a week and shortly after coming home noticed our dog wasn't around. I asked the wife and was told that a few days ago some men had come around and asked her if she'd sell it for 300 baht. These men go around the area buying up dogs to sell in Sakon Nakhon, where they are eaten. Big black dogs being highly prized because "they make you strong". They come around about every 6 months in a truck with a cage on the back full of mostly mangey, hairless dogs, that I hope makes whoever eats them very sick. Anyway, our dog mysteriously disappeared the following night. It wasn't a special breed or anything, just a regular black dog that we'd raised from a pup, but it was a nice intelligent dog. I still haven't decided what I'll do when they come around next. I'm not stupid enough to do something myself, but I think they'll have a nice welcoming committee of my farm workers when we hear they're back in the district.

laugh it up while you have the chance.

once I buy out this website you lot will all be banned.

That should do your business model a lot of good!

But it does show the mindset of the Thaksinista's. Free speech is fine, as long as it supports Thaksin. Anything else will not be tolerated.

see?

in your blind rage against thaksin, you will look for any little opening to take a swipe, even if it means going completely off topic (in a futile attempt to justify your earlier post).

An interesting point, blind rage or blind love? I think you'll find that most of the anti Thaksin posters here have given their reasons for disliking him. I certainly have in a number of posts. The blind lovers, however, seem to fall into two groups: those who admit he is corrupt and has a human rights record to rival many African dictators, but still want to see him back in charge - their love overruling their common sense; and those who can't even admit to his wrong doings - truely the blind love brigade. These people also use any "emotional" event - his sister's funeral, his daughter's tears, to slam his detractors, as if they somehow make him a better person.

Back on topic, I understand that it took a while for this project to get started, but once it was explained to the siblings just what a book was, they began to make some progress.

Or a Ferrari or a Lambo.

In terms of social recognition, which the vast majority of human beings are interested in obtaining, I think the gap between a Fortuner and an X3 is still much, much smaller than the gap between a Honda Civic and a Click.

...wrong again. A top Civic beats that top Fortuner here, even if it's cheaper.

TIT

I have no idea what you are talking about.

And who cares? A loser is someone who spends more money than they can afford to on a car soley because of what they think other people will think of them.

So a corrupt politician would replace?????? Oh yes a corrupt politician.

No, a corrupt, murdering, thieving politician leading a bunch of corrupt, murdering, thieving thugs would replace a non corrupt politician leading a bunch of corrupt, murdering, thieving thugs.

Majestic Suites is better, by the way, I have stayed there a couple times. but even better than that, if you can reserve in advance, is Suk 11, which is in the same area,

As noted above, Majestic Suites cost more than double The Atlanta. Suk 11 is also more expensive. Personally I prefer The Atlanta over Suk 11. The Atlanta's owner is peculiar enough but the Suk 11's owner is even more arrogant. Say what you will about Mr H (Atlanta), I have never seen him be as rude to guests or prospective guests as Mr A at Suk 11.

In that price range (under 1000B), the only competition The Atlanta has is over in Khao San. Nothing in the Sukhumvit area. Overall the KS places can be better value roomwise, but none have swimming pools for that price or restaurants with authentic Thai food. Suk 11 also, no pool (but very decent tourist Thai restaurant out front).

There are better deals than the Majestic Suites (for that price range) in the Suk area, by the way (IMO). In The Atlanta's price range, I don't think there is.

The cheap places I've stayed at in that area were the Crown, between Sois 6 and 8, and the Golden Palace, on Soi 1. This is going back close to 20 years ago. They were each around B300 a night back then, anyone know what they charge now? Unless they've had a major refurbishment, they can't have gone up too much.

The guy wears business suit to the front house and teaches you sufficiency economy when he still drinks most expensive wine, smokes imported cigarettes, eats shark fin, plays casinos, travels overseas every week, and gives your neighbors and your brothers free money. This guy is still young and does not know how to make money. His family does not have any noticeable business for 70 years, so he borrows your neighbors when visiting them. Not enough, when your neighbors visit your house, he borrows again.

But Koo, your "husband" did all of these things too. And he didn't bother with borrowing money to give to other people, he stole it, and then loaned it back to those he stole it from.

You can't pretend your husband was a humble poor person when he was an arrogant rich one. You can't pretend that, just because you love him, the police can't lock him up when he commits crimes against your neighbours.

What is the WTC? Thanks.

World Trade Centre, now known as Central World, or something.

we hired a bus for the staff to take them on some day trip out of Bangkok and I told the driver if any of my staff complain about bad driving he would not get the 1000 Baht I was showing him. sure enough my staff all got back and apparently he drove very nice. its ashame that is the only way to get them to drive safe, but I guess that is the way it is over here. for the record, I would never step foot on a bus over here. nearly all buss drivers are mad.

Put it in perspective though. On average, a bus leaves Bangkok headed for Khorat, and Khorat, headed for Bangkok every 10 minutes - 3 companies leaving at 30 minute or less intervals. That's a lot of bus trips every week. When one, or two in this case, but it was coincidental that the out of control one hit another bus, have an "incident" it's still uncommon enough for it to be big news. And that's just between two cities. Factor in all the others, and the chances of being on a bus in a collision are low, and of being killed even lower. Doesn't excuse bad driving, or poorly maintained vehicles, but it does, as I said, put it in perspective.

This is why I do my own travelling on a motorbike folks.

be careful and make sure you dont get hit by an out of control bus!

Unfortunately, travelling in a pickup truck, or even another large bus, didn't save many of these people. If an out of control bus came towards me, and I had time to see it coming, I'd rather be on a bike. If I didn't have time, it wouldn't matter what I was on or in.

The answer's simple. Thaksin has repeatedly said that he wants to come back and help the country through the economic crisis. No need for him to come back, just use this money on a major infrastructure building exercise. Double, electrified rail tracks on all major lines would be a good start, providing jobs and cutting down on the reliance of imported diesel once finished.

Funding megaprojects with Thaksin's money is going to save the country's economy?

Your ideas are almost as useless and ineffective as the Democrat's have been so far.

Thailand's economy is in the swanny and not even a miracle is going to help this time round.

What, the same Democrat's who have been in power for a whole 3 months? How dare they not have the economy sorted out by now!

If you want to see useless and ineffective, have a look at the red protests, or Thaksin, sitting in Zimbabwe, or wherever he is, getting lessons on democracy from the local dictator / despot / military thug / all of the above.

Using his money on something that helps the country would have the added advantage of letting us hear his bleats become a little shriller once he realises he's lost his preciousss. Help the economy and provide a laugh to millions in one easy go.

Why don't the passengers confront the drivers? in over 3 years in Thailand I have been on one bus but have seen many being driven recklessly. As an ex policeman I tend to notice bad driving (even small things) as I generally look out for it, however here I have to let it go as I was close to exploding at the selfish and dangerous driving on Thai roads, also my gf was getting close to smacking me for pointing out bad driving which was normally every 10 seconds.

Back to confronting the drivers, why don't the passengers tell them to slow down and drive carefully, surely people power would cause the driver to slow, or do the passengers sit and accept the bad driving?

Why don't people do anything about the young men who race up and down the street on motorscooters? Why don't the police, directing traffic outside a private school, do anything about the kids riding motorscooters to and from it every day? Why don't motorists do anything about those who push in front, cut off other traffic, overtake on blind corners, all to get where ever they want to go a little faster, at the expense of everyone else? It's not the way it's done here. People either suffer in silence, or they just don't care.

Thanks, but at those prices, I'll just have a photograph of a drink ! It's a rum do.

It does leave a sour taste in ones mouth.

Indeed it is

Anyway, no red shirts where I live, so its unlikely to have any effect down here. But I'd be curious how many members have neighbors who are politically active? I know a few locals here on the island who are (yellow shirts, obviously) but most people just go about their lives and roll their eyes at all the foolishness.

well here the soi in BKK, a nice middle class soi:

The neighbour right side: don't know the opinion

opposite: PAD supporters from the south....but don't go anywhere

opposite right: lawer wo is working in other business: PAD supporter, but not let his wife go there (dangerous)

opposite left: unkown

same side left left (single left is empty) unfriendly Chinese, never speak with anyone, once he started to be extreme friendly, reason he found out that my wife is PAD supporting.

3 small mum and pop shops:

2 unknown

1 Thaksin, staff does not buy there anymore.

So a lot politics in our soi, but owner are mostly southerners and chinese

You mean to say Thaksin has been running a small shop in your soi all this time? Does he pay people to shop there?

Mrs Sa-ard = Mrs Clean. Must be all that lime juice. She should be in parliament with a name like that.

The answer's simple. Thaksin has repeatedly said that he wants to come back and help the country through the economic crisis. No need for him to come back, just use this money on a major infrastructure building exercise. Double, electrified rail tracks on all major lines would be a good start, providing jobs and cutting down on the reliance of imported diesel once finished. I'm sure a true patriot like Thaksin would be proud to have his ill gotten gains used for the good of the country.

I dunno,ive travelled all over thailand in buses,always a VIP bus and never experienced a problem.maybe it depends on the bus company,could be worn tyres,anything really,but if the bus was going down hill,a steep gradient,he would presumably be in a low gear,slippery road seems to have done it.very scary if your on the bus.sorry for everyone concerned.

As for riding your own bike being safer,i dont agree,even if you are the model rider,its the other cars,trucks,that will give you the same demise as the bus passengers....................its all a lottery,and you always hope it wont be you.

In the past, I frequently took these Ratchasima Tour buses between Khorat and Bangkok, and never experienced a problem. The point is, it only takes one moment for it to become a major problem. Now I drive or ride myself. Sure, I may get taken out out by someone, but I don't have to worry about the idiot driving my vehicle. Well, not all the time anyway.

There was another horrendous crash on that highway a few weeks back, on the long downwards gradient coming in to Muak Lek, heading towards Bkk. We were stopped for 2 hours while they cleared the road. Again, going too fast in the rain was the cause. There are three lanes in each direction, yet you still see trucks and buses using the right hand most one, either holding everyone up, or speeding along trying to keep up. Wouldn't it be a good idea, as in many countries, to limit anything with more than 4 wheels to the two left hand lanes? Their speed would then be self regulated by the most cautious drivers.

I'm using the CAT CDMA right now, 18km by road from the nearest tower, so probably around 12km in a straight line. I don't have an external antenna, and get 3 bars out of 5 on my signal indicator. According to speedtest.net I'm getting 360kb/sec right now. My signal does occasionally drop out, so I'll be getting an external antenna soon. It'll be interesting to see if it does improve the speed any.

Big Hat, No Cattle.

More like Little Bo Peep. The sheep have wandered over to Old McNewins farm, and don't look like dragging their tails back anytime soon.

TRT have installed their children and sent them unexperienced and ill prepared

out for political slaughter. And so they make colossal mistakes and further sully the family names.

This is just one more example.

When lil Chinchilla opens her mouth in the wrong way, as may likely happenen,

she may make a clean sweep of the family.

Mom, Pop and daughter all banned. We await developments.

And the PTP supporters just don't get it. Instead of putting the right people in the job, these banned MP's only interest is to make sure they continue to get their slice of the pie by putting their children in place of them. Just goes to show too that people will continue to vote for the same old family names they've always been paid to vote for.