HannahD

It is nearly certain that the people on Taiwan are closely watching the imposition of Beijing rule on Hong Kong in spite of promises of One country-Two Systems. Even more interesting is the fact that apparently Beijing doesn't care what people in Taiwan think because Beijing believes that nothing can stop their eventual takeover of Taiwan.

The recognition of degrees from Thai universities is really a matter of accreditation. The educational standards may or may not be up to international standards but without accreditation by an internationally respected agency the degrees are not going to be recognized as a valid measure of education. There are very few universities in Thailand (perhaps only one) that have international accreditation. Thai hospitals also can obtain international accreditation and some have.

There is cash income and there is imputed income. If you are an employee (or even a retiree) and your employer/former employer is paying you a cash salary (or pension) and also paying a large portion of your health insurance, that employer portion of the health insurance costs really is income to you. For a typical US Gov't civil retiree the employer share of the health policy is in the neighborhood of 30,000 baht per month. For private employers or labor unions who provide health insurance the amount would probably be similar. Although in making an affirmation of income at the Consulate it would be totally honest to count these payments as income there is the possibility that should Thai authorities wish to see documentation this might not fly. A similar case could be made if an employer is paying for your apartment. That is income.

I don't know if this is an Isaan thing or Thaiwide but I find it strange when they put a few scoops of ice cream into a hot dog roll to eat.

Saw it in Bangkok in 1966.

10,000000 known guns! In a so called Buddhist country.

What? Only 1 for every 6 people? In the good ol' US of A there are more privately owned firearms than there are people according to some sources while others claim it is only 89 private firearms per 100 people far more than any other country in the world. Yemen reputedly comes in second with 55 firearms per 100 people.

The depth of the clay layer over the Bangkok area is estimated to range from 550 meters to 2000 meters according to Engineering Properties of Bangkok Clay by S. Shibuya and S.B. Tamrakar. As the area subsides and the sea rises will this clay turn to soup and swallow Bangkok?

Several years ago when I was teaching English to pharmacy students I suggested that perhaps one of them could compound a powder that would act as birth control and mild tranquilizer for soi dogs. Just a bit sprinkled on food put out for the dogs would work wonders. Regrettably no pharmacist has yet come up with such a magic potion. It is still probably a great idea and anyone who can compound such a medication could make a fortune just by advertising on TV.

Several decades ago nearly all items in Thailand were sold in biodegradable packaging. Typically a leaf tied with a vine or for dry items scrap paper. Thai people were in the habit of just tossing these wappings wherever they pleased and the tropical heat and damp air soon digested the discarded wrappers. Visitors to Thailand even then complained about the refuse carelessly tossed about but at least the refuse was mainly biodegradable. Then came wax impregnated paper and cardboard followed by the now ubiquitous plastics. Nearly immortal trash just as carelessly tossed. The solution is probably to ban all packaging that is not biodegradable or recyclable and to compost everything else. Thailand could become the hub if clean and no need to compare cities.

Does it really matter if they go or not, before the US went to a all volunteer force there was an education draft the sons of the rich seemed to all be in university. Dick Cheney, comes to mind O and George Bush joined the national Guard to protect Texas from all of the wet backs. Give it up boys some go and some do not. I went for 26 years no big deal

And then George Bush failed to honor his commitment to serve a full 6 years. Never mind. Can still become President if you have the right name and connections. The .001% behave the same the world over. Not unique to Thailand.

From what I have read on TV and the press, dogs that are 'saved" from the slaughterhouse are put into shelters where the great majority succumb to disease, starvation or just plain neglect. If I had a dog that was stolen from me I would prefer to think the poor animal died quickly and relatively painlessly at the slaughterhouse rather than died slowly and cruelly in a "shelter." Now I read that some are skinned alive rather than killed first. I can not decide which fate would be worse for the dog.

It would appear that there can never be another election in Thailand. All an obstructive party need do is prevent a few candidates from registering or prevent voting at a few polling stations and by this precedent the election is automatically void.

Has anyone on the forum ever been to Saudi Arabia? The ultimate hub of illogic.

Simply part of the ASEAN policy of non-interference. What happens in another member state area is neither officially observed nor commented on.

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Not sure how to post links but if you search widow ghost in the Isaan forum you can read all about it. Originated in Surin.

All over the wife's village in Surin. Buriram is a Johnny come lately. Have been for almost two years.

Nice try Kwaibah - but nothing will convince me that your village is anything more than backward.

Being 'first' at putting out a red shirt, to ward off the widow ghost, does not qualify you for a MENSA award !

Doubt seriously You'll find any MENSA award material laying about. alt=whistling.gif width=19 height=18>

Who knows that there is no MENSA material laying about? For all we know there may be another Einstein, Borlaug, or Marie Curie in the villages but we will never know because for far too many even secondary education is out of reach. When I was teaching at a large Thai university I soon realized that if I knew what province a student came from I knew what secondary had been attended because there were only two secondary schools in each province that could prepare students adequately to pass the entrance exams. Woefully uneducated and ignorant perhaps but not stupid.

The ridership required to generate adequate revenue to amortize the massive loans is almost certainly unattainable. I can not imagine any sensible investor buying bonds that promise payment based on revenues. This project can only go forward if repayment is guaranteed by the people of Thailand not the State Railway of Thailand.

Implement a one-time wealth tax on high net worth individuals.

How about a value added project? Convert the rice to beer and sell the beer. The best beers are usually made with rice. Or convert the rice to pork or chicken which can be frozen and released to market gradually. Something has to be done and fairly soon. Edible rice has a limited silo life.

It appears to me that the wily Mr. Suthep is planning to "plunder" a warehouse which he already knows is empty. What then?

If the owners won't open the warehouse for inspection then he can just have some farmers burrow into it. Should the owners of the warehouses find themselves short of the rice supposedly contained therein then they shall have to resurrect it.

Maybe it is time to call on the NSA. Surely they have records of all the bank transfers.

If the police and the army remain passive, the military trained Red Shirts will make the draft dodging elites wish they had taken advantage of military training when it was available rather than buying their way out.

The real fly in the ointment is China. More than likely they would absolutely love to get a foothold in the newly constituted state of Lanna and the Shinawatras would turn to China to protect Lanna from the central government. The Chinese might even promise to throw in Shan State like the Japanese did just to get back at the Burmese for turning away from China's warm embrace. And then there is the matter of the up country Army garrisons. Would they or could they remain loyal to Bangkok?

" The Post quoted Supon, a former policeman as saying "The majority of redshirts really like the idea of a separate state. If they stage a coup, we can live without Bangkok."

Yeah right. Then you will end up like other land locked metropolis' such as Loas, Afghanistan, South Sudan etc etc

Yup they really struggle in Leichtenstein Andorra and Switzerland the richest countries in Europe,Vatican,Austria not doing too bad either.

Once the Slowvaks checked out even the Bohemians are doing fine albeit recovering from decades of Russian serfdom.

I think a soul cotrolled by geography is limited.As to your substantive point I think the split unlikely as America wouldn''t like it.This is why the Chinese may encourage a new "Lanna" planner .Interesting times.

In the late '90s after the crash of the Thai Baht it was just the opposite. Significantly cheaper to buy tickets from Thailand to North America than NA to Thailand. Now that the prai by the sweat of their brows have brought about a full recovery, the parasitical ammart are once again flush and the country is awash in money.

All these oft quoted airline fare rules are applied when the target market has lots of money and waived when the market is thin. Any other explanation is specious at best. If you doubt it, peruse some airline sites. Check availability of a First Class seat out of Bangkok to any highly desirable destination.

Certainly a most despicable act. Let's hope for a complete recovery. There is no place in politics of any nation for armed assault. By the way, it is claimed the shooter sped off in the direction of Pibun Mangsahan which is in Ubon. Very strange.

Some suggestions: Breakfast cereal. Bran cereal included. Milk which you can get from 7/11 as you need it. Fruits ready to eat. Fruit juices. Yoghurt. Get some unsalted nuts and make a caveman meal of fruit and nuts. Roast chicken. Can be had without spices if you ask. Thai pumpkin properly cooked is very nice. If you like noodles you're really in luck. Eggs. Bread and jam. Roasted or boiled ears of corn perfectly safe when first removed from heat and eaten without the sauces. Beans. Sardines. Ayam is a very high quality local brand. If you have or can get a refrigerator you can get and keep the makings of quite good sandwiches at any of the large supermarkets. Plan on going a couple of times a week to get a good meal out and to stock up. Some will cook your fish for you. Try to get plenty of greens. Drink plenty of water. Hope this is some help.