spidermike007

Only those few, who are sitting on fortunes of hundreds of millions, or billions of baht, could be this impervious to the fortunes of the masses, millions of whom are utterly crushed by the lack of international tourism. How callous. How indifferent. How paranoid, cowardly, timid, and mind numbingly uncreative. 

18 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It isn't about him. It's about the kind of world that his kids would have to endure in the future. Bob Dylan wrote in the 60s about 'the fear to bring children into this world'. Such thoughts aren't new.

Wise words, yes the wonderful thing about this day and age is that we don't have tribal compunctions, that compel us to spawn children. We don't need to make sure that we have children to pick the crops and therefore we have the luxury of being able to actually make a decision as to whether or not having children is best for us. We have a choice whether or not we want to be selfish and for some of us like myself, that decision was probably the single smartest and wisest decision I've ever made, to NOT have children.

As much as I love children, not having children has improved the quality of my life to such a dramatic degree, that no comparison could be made to what it would have been like had I had that huge responsibility. So, thank you very much, we have a choice these days and it is a wonderful choice to have! 

The dreaming continues. These ministries consider Thailand to be the center of the universe. The world cannot live without Thailand. The level of superiority within Thailand and Thai society on so many levels is obvious. The world sees that, right?

No. Wrong. The world can live without that which Thailand has to offer. And the world is a different place, post Covid. Tourism was already in decline here based on occupancy levels over the past couple of years. Now? The industry will be decimated for a long time to come. Much creativity is needed. Pipat needs to be replaced yesterday. He is without ideas and in way, way over his head. 

Billions have been invested  in tourism with the faith and the hope that should anything terrible happen, the government would be there, they would step in and they would do something to assist and to help both Thais and international companies that have invested billions of dollars. Instead what are they getting? Absolutely nothing, sheer timidity and an extreme and pathetic lack of courage and a do nothing attitude.

Do anything, just don't do nothing, we are counting on you to do something. Anything is better than what you're currently doing, which is nothing. Pathetic. Cowardly. Apathetic. Grossly incompetent. 

54 minutes ago, 2009 said:

Even if your last sentences were true, it isn't just about the army any more, is it? These demonstrators have shot themselves in the foot by bringing another (more dearly loved) institution into it - and now divided the country into two and therefor lost half of the country's support. Unwise.

I think your statement conveys a general misunderstanding of the sentiments of many. 

It is great that the Thais are stepping up, taking advantage of great deals, and supporting the tourism industry. It helps, no doubt. But, it is only a portion of what the hotels, restaurants, and other businesses need. The industry is hurting, big time. 

Thailand needs courageous leadership. They don't have it. The army are major cowards. ANY person from ANY nation should be welcome starting tomorrow, if they are willing to subject themselves to a 14 day quarantine and pay excessive fees for that two week sentence. There is no downside or risk, and only upside for the nation. No groveling from a local consulate should be required. That is utter nonsense. A covid free letter and a booking at an approved hotel. 

Was he wearing the absolute best helmet he could afford? Granted, this sounds like a horrific wreck, and it is likely it would not have saved his life. But, she appears to be without one. And in many cases it does save a life. Skulls are very fragile. 

My heart goes out to this woman. That is tragic and devastating. My advice to anyone driving a bike here?

If driving, especially on a motorbike, treat the activity as an act of war, in a sense that you may be mowed down or killed at any moment. 

Maintain eyes in the back of your head. Watch everyone. Expect craziness, insanity, lack of reason, and a complete lack of courtesy and respect on the roads, at all times.

Expect cars and trucks to be coming at you in the wrong lane. Expect people to overtake you with the slimmest of margins. Expect trucks to be driving very slowly in the fast lane of a highway.

If riding a motorbike, only do so if you have many years of experience. Treat the activity as an act of war, in a sense that you may be mowed down or killed at any moment.
Maintain eyes in the back of your head. Watch everyone. Expect craziness, insanity, lack of reason, and a complete lack of courtesy and respect on the roads, at all times.
Expect cars and trucks to be coming at you in the wrong lane. Expect people to overtake you with the slimmest of margins. Especially on the southern islands, where huge numbers of foreigners leave Thailand in a wooden box. Wear the best helmet you can afford. And drive like a grandmother. This applies to ex-pats too. Bring along an international drivers license. This helps you to avoid being fleeced by the local police franchisee.

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of garbage. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate.

Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older.

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!
 

It is a real shame the administration has no pride. If they did, they would do something about this carnage. There are a dozen potentially effective solutions. The fact that they are doing NOTHING, proves how apathetic they are, toward the masses.
 

Domestic tourism is increasing. Many Thais are seeing that the resorts are largely empty, and the prices are great. I booked a room in a seaview resort on Samui later in the month. Usually 2,500 to 3,000 baht. Got a deluxe seaview room for 630 baht! According to friends who live there, there are far more Thai tourists on Samui, than ever before. Phuket has countless issues. It is overpriced, especially during a holiday. Many still do not get it. And it is way over developed. In my opinion, other than the Andaman, which is gorgeous, Phuket lost it's charm 20 years ago. Now? It is a pale shadow of it's former self. 

Hua Hin was packed over the weekend. So were other coastal towns. Probably Pattaya too. 

The army needs to somehow find some courage, within their very timid minds, and allow international tourism again. If ANY person from ANY nation gets a covid test before boarding the plane, then pays for an expensive 14 day prison sentence (quarantine), there is no risk for Thailand, and only upside.

Get your act together guys. Man up. Do it for your people. If you care one iota. 

Domestic tourism is increasing. Many Thais are seeing that the resorts are largely empty, and the prices are great. I booked a room in a seaview resort on Samui later in the month. Usually 2,500 to 3,000 baht. Got a deluxe seaview room for 630 baht! According to friends who live there, there are far more Thai tourists on Samui, than ever before. Phuket has countless issues. It is overpriced, especially during a holiday. Many still do not get it. And it is way over developed. Hua Hin was packed over the weekend. So were other coastal town. Probably Pattaya too. 

The army needs to somehow find some courage, within their very timid minds, and allow international tourism again. If ANY person from ANY nation gets a covid test before boarding the plane, then pays for an expensive 14 day prison sentence (quarantine), there is no risk for Thailand, and only upside. Get your act together guys. Man up. Do it for your people. If you care one iota. 

There is little doubt that Saudi Arabia is a chief enemy of the Western world. Their continued support of extremism, either directly, or through the extremist Madrasas, preaching a hateful brand of Wahhabism, is toxic and dangerous. MBS is a serial killer, no doubt. The world seems to be aware of this, and his reign of terror just seems to be getting started. He needs to be stopped, somehow. The sooner, the better.

On 9/6/2020 at 6:37 AM, MajarTheLion said:

No one wants four more years of Antifa and BLM rioting, looting and pillaging. Democrats own this 100%. Virtually all Democrat-led towns. A large majority Democrat-led states. Democrats refusing to reign in the violence and refusing help from the feds.

Exactly. And a case can easily be made that Trump is causing alot of the mayhem, with his total lack of empathy, his hatred and divisiveness, and his inability to act as a true leader would, in times of crisis. This is all happening on his watch, so it is a bit disingenuous of him to claim it would be worse with Biden in charge. 

Following Floyd’s death, protests took place in at least 450 cities. As NBC News fact checked Wednesday night, those include large demonstrations in Miami, whose mayor is a registered Republican, and smaller ones in smaller cities and towns in regions supportive of Trump.

Your antifa garbage has been disproven already. And some republican cities have seen major unrest. So, the hyperbolic nonsense you are trotting out is just that. 

According to multiple reports, including a Washington Post fact check, there were no signs that that antifa was behind violence at these protests. As of earlier this month, federal prosecutors had not been able to link dozens of people arrested in protests in Portland, Ore., to antifa. In fact, in at least one instance where a police officer was killed during a protest, the suspect was actually aligned with a far-right extremist group. In Oakland, Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Carrillo — a member of the “boogaloo,” an online extremist group with violent views — is accused of killing a federal officer. Authorities have said he was using nearby peaceful protests as cover.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/blog/2020-08-27-rnc-updates-n1238267/ncrd1238583#blogHeader

The Thai Foreign Ministry responded, saying that, in the past two months, the Government has permitted students, and people in general, to hold several protests, in full recognition of their rights to free expression and peaceful public assembly, which are fundamental in democratic societies.

Just another in a long series of absolute, bald faced lies, by a very toxic administration that continues to assume if you say it, some will believe it. The arrests, continued intimidation, massive police presence, and other challengers these wonderful, courageous, visionary youths are experiencing, are testament to how spectacular insincere this administration is about democracy. 

“The Thai government supports free expression which is creative, non-aggressive and which is not contemptuous of the others or which incites hatred,” said the Ministry, adding that the Government is supportive of a creative exchange of views, with respect for opposing opinions.

Huh? How can ANY of us, nor any Thai citizen NOT be contemptuous of the army, and the administration? You are moving the nation backwards. You are stifling the economy. You are preventing millions from earning a livelihood, with your cowardly approach to tourism. You guys are positively regressive, and despised universally, by nearly all Thais, and ex-pats. You really need to go. The sooner, the better. Free your people from the yoke of repression. 

You simply cannot evaluate a major holiday weekend, and say things are even close to normal. It is great that the Thais are stepping up, taking advantage of great deals, and supporting the tourism industry. It helps, no doubt. But, it is only a portion of what the hotels, restaurants, and other businesses need. The industry is hurting, big time. 

Thailand needs courageous leadership. They don't have it. The army are major cowards. ANY person from ANY nation should be welcome starting tomorrow, if they are willing to subject themselves to a 14 day quarantine and pay excessive fees for that two week sentence. There is no downside or risk, and only upside for the nation. No groveling from a local consulate should be required. That is utter nonsense. A covid free letter and a booking at an approved hotel. 

2 hours ago, moose7117 said:

I am not saying i like or dislike his politics or agree with what he is doing.

As for the "Leader of the free world" anybody who believes the decisions he makes are without the influence of the movers and shakers , like Warren Muffet, the the delightful Koch's and some others should maybe have a better look at who is profiting from Americas shenanigans.

I simply do not understand the American people. and why the are behaving like the are.

Only the most ardent supporters of this man will continue to defend him in the face of these accusations. They are totally in character with who the man is and virtually everything we know about him. They are in character with many statements that he's made about John McCain who was a genuine American hero, and quite a few other generals and military Intelligence people, who have worked for him.

This is a man who dodged the draft on five occasions, did everything in his power to avoid serving his nation at a time his nation asked for his service, and out of a sense of embarrassment, shame or just pure hubris, he continues to insult demean, and lack support for the men and women who put themselves in harm's way, to protect the nation.

There is no doubt that Trump is the opposite of a patriot, there is no doubt that Trump is a coward and a traitor, who will sell out  his nation to despotic dictators, and who will deny aid to faithful allies Hopefully we have just a few more months left of this nonsense and then he will be in gloriously ushered out of Washington to a life of humiliation, a completely radioactive name that nobody in their right mind is ever going to want to touch, and a crumbling mini empire. That is just what he deserves, that is what he's worked hard for and that is something that the world will celebrate. There is no honor in his game. 

Only the most ardent supporters of this man will continue to defend him in the face of these accusations. They are totally in character with who the man is and virtually everything we know about him. They are in character with many statements that he's made about John McCain who was a genuine American hero, and quite a few other generals and military Intelligence people, who have worked for him.

This is a man who dodged the draft on five occasions, did everything in his power to avoid serving his nation at a time his nation asked for his service, and out of a sense of embarrassment, shame or just pure hubris, he continues to insult demean, and lack support for the men and women who put themselves in harm's way, to protect the nation.

There is no doubt that Trump is the opposite of a patriot, there is no doubt that Trump is a coward and a traitor, who will sell out  his nation to despotic dictators, and who will deny aid to faithful allies Hopefully we have just a few more months left of this nonsense and then he will be in gloriously ushered out of Washington to a life of humiliation, a completely radioactive name that nobody in their right mind is ever going to want to touch, and a crumbling mini empire. That is just what he deserves, that is what he's worked hard for and that is something that the world will celebrate. There is no honor in his game.