spidermike007

Sorry to inform you, Prayuth. But when you run a nation built upon a foundation that only protects the elite, the super wealthy, those that are well connected, those in power, and a spectacularly corrupt army, and then you reach out to nations that observe the rules of law and order for help, you get ignored, scorned, and ridiculed. Nobody is listening to you these days, much less Interpol. You are NOT a serious man. 98% of Thailand knows this, and most of the world does too. 7 very long years has proven that time and time again. The real problem is, they will not go after these guys. Not the top bankers, not the high ranking guys, not the provincial authorities, and certainly not the army, or the police. They are all corrupt beyond imagination. And the level of corruption simply escalates, the further up the food chain you go. They police and army are not expected to be honest, and they are not expected to engage in law enforcement, traffic or public safety, on any level. It is an irrevocably broken and dysfunctional system. Any hyperbole to the contrary, is just a smoke screen, intended to deceive the most naive amongst us. The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) is one of the most feeble and ineffective of all the tools Prayuth has used to deceive the people into believing that he is fighting corruption. Who was the last high level authority, in the police, immigration, the army, or the active administration they arrested, charged, tried convicted, and sent to prison? Nobody. Zero. Nunca. Nada. Why? Because Prayuth has had a mandate from the beginning to do the very opposite. To protect the elite, the super wealthy who are guilty, those that are connected, and those who are in power. Just think Dark Tao. Just think Red Bull. The list goes on, and on, and on. Only the most naive amongst us believe he or ACT secretary-general Mana Nimitmongkol are sincere about this. The former AG may have been following the law. Prayuth's law of protecting the elite.

And how many believe this nonsense? Working around the clock? To find someone to frame? I have so little faith in the earnestness of the RTP, that the very term RTP detective seems like an oxymoron.

Very probable. Everyone I know in the tourism industry, and that is alot of people, complained about falling revenue, a far lower quality of tourist and the decline of the industry. This goes back five years or longer. Prayuth and Phiphat where the two worst things to even happen to the once vital and important tourism industry. The sabateurs in chief. And the same can be said about Thailand in general. They are very dark clouds on the nation's future, and likely to cause a decline of Angolan proportions. They must go. Whatever it takes.

We do not even know what those tourism numbers represented. Can anything this administration does be trusted? No. Were they total arrivals? Did they include some transit passengers? Did they include business arrivals? How about ex-pats traveling back and forth? Were we deliberately excluded to create a more accurate indicator? I seriously doubt it.

Justin Bieber. Sorn the plumber. Nam the bargirl. Porntip the maid. Thanathorn. Thaksin, LOL. They would all be far more capable than the current leadership. Speaking of the current leadership, name their five msot successful policies in the past 7 years. Please. I dare you to even try.

Some of the fattest, most overpriced, and ugliest hooks in America. At $800 a pop, you are far better off staying closer to home!

Monaco, St. Lucia, and Sardinia. Gorgeous spots. But expensive. So, I would have to clarify the terms of the offer. I thought it said all expenses. LOL.

According to worldometer Indonesia had over 39,000 new cases yesterday. And 1,635 deaths. About 4%. The other chart indicates far fewer cases. I think this chart is more realistic. And America is #1 again. The Anti Vax (clinical proof Darwin's theories were correct) movement is taking the nation down a very dark and desolate path of ignorance. And the real shame is the top vaccines are available in abundance, and they are free and easy to obtain. Gump would have alot to say about this crowd. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. ... Better be unborn than untaught, for ignorance is the root of misfortune. ... Ignorance is an enemy, even to its owner. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

You have a consistent habit of under estimating the amount of damage done here, and over estimating the capability of the leadership here. I would suspect 80% in the tourism sector would disagree with you. Thailand was facing horrendous tourism issues long before Covid came along. Numbers were up, yet revenue was way, way down. The lower to lower middle income earners from China, India and Malaysia was never going to be a solution. Simply a bandaid applied by inept and incapable men. And even with the tourism break, no effort is being made on any level to address the pre-Covid issues. None. Nunca. Nada. Zero. One might have hoped the authorities would gain some humility and perspective from all this. It appears they are a very inferior human subset, and are not capable of learning adapting or improving. Woe is Thailand.

Certainly good advise. I have cut way back on the news. I agree things are pretty awful in the US. The quality of life continues to decline for all but the very rich. The rest contend with staggering inflation and skyrocketing prices. Fortunately, I am married. For my single friends back there, few are finding suitable partners for romance or relationships. Most American women have really lost the plot, and are both hugely unappealing, and lacking much in the way of femininity as a result. My life is good here. Just need to learn how to keep my head in the sand more!

All expenses paid? Regardless of cost? Sardinia? South coast of Turkey. Monaco. St. Lucia. I could go on and on.

Indonesia at nearly a 5% mortality rate? And the PI at 4%? Vietnam at over 3%. That is astonishing. What are they doing wrong, or are they simply being more honest with the numbers?

When it really comes down to it, the Thais are far more light hearted than most. Not sure how much of this has to do with Buddhism, as I do not find the humor, and fun loving attitude in Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Japan, and other places where Buddhism is practiced. The Thais are unique in their ability to live the unbearable lightness of being, and find fun and enjoyment in the smallest of things. That is a pleasure to be around. Of course, the lightness has been muted by the current circumstances, but it is there below the surface. I may be criticized for saying so, but it appears to me that Malaysia (though one of the most secular of all the Muslim nations), is weighed down by many aspects of contemporary Muslim culture which seem to dissuade fun, dance, music. sex and joy.

Well, it might be a rather interesting twist of fate. Many of us feel the government deliberately allowed the cat out of the bag, so to speak, to prevent the protests from swelling. No doubt there would be millions on the street right now, if it were not for Covid, and the ensuing laws that prevent the gatherings now. How very convenient. How ironic would it be, if the same actions, or should we say lack of actions, are what brought this administration down, due to a collapsed economy. I agree, I do not like seeing the Thai people in pain. However they were already in pain two years ago. On so many levels, as the goon leadership has been moving the nation backwards for quite some time. Sometimes pain is required to bring about change and growth.

Well, there is a difference between pretty and what you mention. There is a difference between attractive, and fat and ugly too. It is a personal thing. I never fault a man for having an ugly woman. I always just presume he is alot "deeper" than I am.

At least a dozen very good reasons, which I have stated repeatedly on previous posts. In addition to the major sabotage inflicted upon the industry in the past 18 months. Have you been to the islands? It is like an apocalyptic vision right now. So many businesses have been crippled, and they will not re-open as they spent their life savings trying to keep their business alive, and unlike in many other countries, where the government actually cares, they got little to no assistance. Tourism will come back. But, it will be a pale shadow of what it was before. The industry has been permanently damaged. Perhaps even sabotaged.

While a step in the right direction, this does not matter. We drive safely at 120kph, and when we get speeding tickets in the mail, we simply throw them out. There is no coordinated system, and there are no repercussions. And it gives me tremendous pleasure to deny any money to these toxic goons. People are going to drive as fast as they want to drive. Speed limits have little to no impact on that. And 90kph on a major highway is simply juvenile.

Should be fine. Bring in your carry on, as that is always wise with valuables. I have never had mine checked upon arrival.

No doubt booked with some of the tourists that would have come here, had Thailand not failed with the covid vaccines so dismally, and had they not shown how fearful and timid they are, by barely allowing any tourism, then putting completely ridiculous restrictions on the devastated industry, just as cases are skyrocketing out of control here. What can one even say?

Really, really bad idea, from an administration that seems to embrace the very concept of bad ideas, and cannot get out of it's own way. They just cannot resist shooting themselves in the foot. Wirachai has always been a trouble maker, he is an extreme xenophobe, and a tiny, tiny man who was fired for very good reasons way back when. Once a failure always a failure in his case. No room for reform in his game. The only thing that comes to mind, is this group of goons is accustomed to picking from the bottom of the barrel, so hence the presence of this goombah again.

The new order repeats many of the same restrictions already in place ‒ announced through a succession of new official orders issued roughly every 72 hours over the past two weeks. Huh? Nonsensical stupidity. Lack of science. Fear mongering. Let us make your stay as uncomfortable as possible. And by the way, you cannot consume alcohol either, during your quarantine. Because everyone knows beer and wine causes Covid. And we would not want you having too much fun. Word gets around. Maybe 5,000 tourists next month? Who comes up with this stuff, and why does the nation tolerate the nonsense, the utter incompetence, the malfeasance? How much longer will they tolerate the extremely regressive army?

My mistake. Meant 3 trillion baht, or $110 billion in tourism revenue lost.

You mean actually giving back to society?

From my humble point of view, Instagram and Twitter are the worst. They are contributing to worldwide cultural and personal degradation, suicide, misery, partisanship, and conflict. There are few aspects of life that have improved as a result of those two platforms. Especially for the youth, who have very little self control, self esteem or discipline.

That figure is wrong. Sorry. I meant $110 billion. Or three trillion baht. Was a typo.