spidermike007

Hong Kong decreased ever so slightly due to over bearing interference by the authoritarian CCP regime. That tells us everything we need to know.

Of course this has nothing to do with the Prayuth Decimation. Never their own fault. Always something else. Caused by them, not us! Not about falling exports. Not about falling investment money. Not about our own sabotage of the tourism industry. Not about government instability. No, no. Not us. Them.

It is always reasonable to question the RTP. Their credibility is next to zero, the swirling interests are numerous, and their investigative skills are questionable. We have no idea what actually happened. He might have killed himself. Or not. It is far too easy to stage a suicide. Remember David Carradine? How about Epstein? Kenneth Lay? Likely all staged.

Yeah, right. The government should offer incentives, for the farmers to switch crops. This is 2023. Rice and sugar worked in previous centuries. Now, they do not make any sense. Too labor intensive, too much degradation of the land, water, air, and resources. Let's get with the times. Let us move forward. They yak, yak yak, but the authorities do not seem to care, one iota. If they did, something would be done. Instead, only hollow promises. We will enforce the ban on burning. And it never gets enforced. No penalties, no nothing. We will do something about poorly maintained diesel vehicles. And nothing is ever done, because the cops are too lazy, and the highway patrol refuses to patrol the highway, and the special hotlines you set up, do not know anything about the program, or the laws. We care about the environment. Yeah right. Another bald faced lie. You care not, you see the air, you talk about the air, and you do nothing about the air. More empty words from the "do nothing men".

It is time for Thailand to dramatically lower luxury taxes on goods imported from US companies. And the same applies to wine taxes. Note to Sretta. Sir, you simply have to learn how to take responsibility. You cannot spend your entire term deflecting. Each time you do this, you lose credibility.

Very stringent. In the US, if you are convicted of a sex crime, your life is essentially over. Best to leave the country at that point, if you can.

And you hit the nail right on the head. As many of us know, this is not about law enforcement, at all. It is entirely about something else. Either they did not pay their cut, the cops are not profiting, or they pissed someone off. Amusing how the RTP continues to complaint that they don't get any respect. Respect has to be earned and should never, ever be freely given!

Just another example of the RTP engaging in nonsense. They have been wanting to get rid of the nightlife for as long as the army has been in power. Reduce the entire industry to ashes, then rebuild it, in their own pure as snow image. Without a trace of nightlife, or a hint of a sex industry. The work of fake puritans. Of course we know this will not only mean more of a failure to revive the tourism industry, but likely a larger sex industry. Try to stop it, and oppress it, and what happens? It just grows. When you have a nation that pays 3,000 to 5,000 baht a month more for a college graduate with a 4 year degree (after a very expensive education) than an unskilled laborer, alot of women are going to choose to rent their bodies, over a 70 hour a week job, with low pay, and an unpleasant boss.

Thailand has spent decades ignoring mental health issues. It does sound like this women is a bit bonkers. She could likely use either some powerful meds, or 1,000 hours of therapy. And as my father used to say, the vast majority of women look far better with their clothes on, than naked. Especially if over 40.

At least an 8 here, and maybe would be a 6 at most, "back there". This is an entirely subjective topic, of course. But some of us live very good lives here. Some of us have been fortunate enough to find an outstanding woman, who is delightful to be around, on a daily basis, always has our back, and is fun, smart, and lovely. For me, that likelihood of finding that back in the US, would be very low. So, that is a big factor for me. The second factor is just the quality of life. Sure, I miss some of the culture back home. The theatre, independent film (which I can download here with no issues at all, and a super fast 1 gbps fiber optic connection, at under 700 baht per month!), stand up comedy, live jazz, etc. But I have a lovely home that I rent, for about 10% of what I would pay in California, I live very well on an income which is not huge, have access to great health care, at a tiny fraction of what it costs in the US, and do not have to put up with alot of the aggravation that I had to when I lived back there. I also like the Thai people. I appreciate their lightness of being, their humor, their passion for fun and games, and generally find most of them to be delightful to be around. And the food. I adore great Thai food. It is a very personal choice. I have friends who seem to be dropping like flies. I could be dead next year. You just don't know. I am not extravagant, but I live very, very well. A nice house, a new car every few years, new motorbikes for my gal and I every few years, a great art collection, plenty of good wine in the wine cooler, a new 77" OLED TV, a world class home theatre, plenty of international travel, etc. For me, it is a great lifestyle, that I could only dream of in the US. Well worth the expense and very easy to justify. Life is way too short. I have never been a person of extreme thrift. To each his own. I used to have more issues than I do now. I worked on my attitude, which was getting in the way of appreciating Thailand for what it is, and was clouding my experience here. Used to stress over stupid stuff, as you can see from some of my past posts. Used to allow the politics to make me angry. Now it is not something I take seriously, just something I comment on, without anger or an emotional investment. Now, I just tend to laugh it off. Spent some real time back in the US recently, and it allowed some clarity and perspective, that I am very grateful for. Now, I just chuckle at most of the nonsense. Water off a duck's back, so to speak.

Wrong. Prices are up, inflation continues it's march, and income for many Thais who are not successful entrepreneurs, or government workers, is down. Tourism will not recover anytime soon. The quality of tourists continues to drop, the average spend is down, and occupancy rates are low. In addition, exports are down, and we have not even seen a real recession hit yet overseas. Nor has the market correction come yet. So, there is still alot of headwind that Thailand faces. The fact is Thailand could be doing a dozen different things to make itself more attractive to both tourism and investment. But, all the things it could do, to make itself a better version of it's current self, would require sacrifice and vision. Not something this army led govt. nor Sretta and the PT seem capable of. Major tax breaks, drastic lowering of luxury and wine taxes, allowing ownership of land and homes by foreigners, relaxation of inane visa laws, ridding the administration of xenophobic ministers, beginning a program of hiring based on merit, improving traffic safety, paying attention to the air and the environment. The list goes on and on and on. Will any of this happen? One can hope. But, it is unlikely as this administration is likely to be another in a continuing chain of backward thinking, non progressives. They love projections, prognosticactions, declarations and platitudes. But when it comes to the nuts and bolts, and practical improvements, so far, they appear to be absolutely lost in space.

If you do not agree, enlighten us on the great work that the army is doing for the nation.

There is no doubt the government makes a profit on the sale of gasoline. If they were sincere, which they are not, they would pass that onto the consumer.

This was not a fall for Pita. If anything, it raised his prestige as the only one with some integrity in the room. This was a self promotion for his callous opponents, a power grab, a stolen election, a huge moral capitulation from PT, and more gamesmanship from the most toxic institution in Thailand. The army. The people have been robbed. And Thailand continues to mourn. And the army is less popular and less ethical than ever. The "Pors" have succeeded, for now. Their time will come. Eventually, the youth will rule. For now, Thailand continues it's backwards march into near oblivion, and further irrelevance.

The dollar has barely budged against most other currencies. Which means the baht is dropping. And there is ample reason for that. Exports are down, the new government appears incompetent, tourism is way down. And they have no vision or planning.

So far I have not killed anyone doing 110kph, on a good highway, with great weather and light traffic. And I will continue my very, very safe driving. You are welcome to hang out behind the trucks doing 55kph. Fun fun.

Nope. Wrong. We have renewed the registration and the drivers licenses, both without any issues. And I have tossed over 20 speeding tickets in the bin so far. With glee! I drive safely. But, some 4 lane divided highways where they have the speed set at 90kph, are made for the speed limit to be broken. And I happily do it.

It was likely an ingrown toenail. This appears to have all been staged, and planned well in advance, as part of the ultra toxic deal PT made with the army goombahs. The whole thing reeks of insincerity. And the PT, Thaksin, and Paetongtarn are now completely devoid of any credibility they may have once had. Expect him to be released within months.

He will get some attention, as most world leaders have decided not to attend. Four out of five leaders from the permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council won’t be present. The only P5 head of state attending is US President Joe Biden. Last year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres sounded the alarm about a world becoming more divided; this year’s General Assembly may be the manifestation of that trend. With the expansion of BRICS to include six new countries, as well as recent high-level attendance at G7 and G20 meetings, smaller but less divided forums may prove more efficient for some leaders than the UN General Assembly. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/un-general-assembly-snubs-fragmentation

Very true, and quite fascinating. Just one of the things that drew me here in the first place, and one of the aspects of life here that I continue to find enjoyable. Back home, nearly everything and alot of people were very predictable. Not here. And it keeps life fresh and unpredictable, and that is a very good thing. At least for me. I continue to insist that Thailand is NOT a foreign country. It is a distant planet, and is less Westernized than most countries. I love that.

No. You have no understanding of where respect comes from. True leaders really are in the service of their people. True leaders act with integrity and in doing so they establish trust. True leaders genuinely value their people and in doing so they create loyalty. True leaders are in the business of assisting people to realize their full potential, and in doing so they inspire excellence. Nobody can demand respect, loyalty or trust, like the police constantly do. These things have to be earned. the RTP at it's inception seems to have been created with a status quo from the government. We will NOT pay you a living wage, but you have a franchise, and the limit of your income is based solely on your own creativity and initiative, and you will always be protected. Is that not the case? Are they out finding government officials who are engaged in drug trafficking or sex slavery? No. Why? Because those goons are protected. Are they patrolling the highways to find reckless drivers? No. Why? Because they do not care one iota about traffic safety. It is all lip service. The only obscenity committed here, is the one done by the RTP. The level of pretense, the level of fake purity, the dumb and mindless application of laws here is beyond inane. The RTP cannot get enough bad press, as far as I am concerned. To call them derelict in their duties would be too diplomatic. They barely practice any law enforcement, and work the franchise, as if their future fortunes depended upon it, which it seems to. The RTP are a blight on the face of the nation. Kudos to anyone, for calling out these corrupt creeps. Keep it up guys. Hopefully you will get what is coming to you. One can only dream. Always remember one thing. The police here are rarely engaged in law enforcement. They are revenue collection agents, and they each have their own franchise. Nobody will ever touch them. They are protected at the highest levels. They do as they please, and Thailand remains a relatively lawless state.

I think there are circumstances where the crime, or crimes were so horrific, no trial should be required, and there should be a mandatory death penalty carried out within 30 days. Just be off with the cretin. An old school panel of three judges, or something to that effect. If there is enough evidence, eye witnesses, or sufficient forensic proof, why should the state, the people, and the families have to be made to suffer? I truly believe there are lines in life, when stepped over, create a self revocation of the right to consume oxygen. So, why allow him to continue to live?

Thai women seem to recover from a broken heart, faster than I have ever seen. They are resilient and they just move on.

Does anyone know what his background is? What has he accomplished in his life, before this position? I could not find anything on him online, other than his current position. Maybe he has no past history? Move Forward needs a very strong leader, if they want to be an effective opposition party. Is he up for the task?

It barely matters. Your party credibility has been zeroed out. By joining forces with the guys who moved the nation backwards for 9 long years, you lost any support you once had from the people. Now, you are beyond irrelevant. So is your PM.