Expat1

The moral component of execution aside, given the precepts of US and State statutes and Common law in the US which is an open democracy as we are told, I am curious to know how a secrecy law, not associated with national security (and many of those should not exist), is in fact, constitutional, even Arkansas's Constitution?

How many times I gotta say this. If you want justice in Asia, go get it yourself.

Whoa.. Let's back up here. For you FNGs lets do some recap. In the past 30 years VN has just started to emerge from it's autocratic militant based Communist mentality. During that period up until recently VN and it's various military arms were none to nice to anyone that even strayed into their waters, let alone got caught fishing in them. The Thais have been the brunt of this for many years resulting in numerous deaths, incarcerations (usually out of all proportion to the crime I might add) and vessel seizures.

Now with VN having become more economically successful and aggressive it is their vessels "straying" into other's waters. Turn about is fair play in SE Asia.

Now do not misunderstand I do not in any way condone such actions as shooting fishermen down,(unless they fire on you first, of course) but this matter should be kept in perspective with the not too distant past history among the participants.

To date the USG nor CNN, et al, has given any real proof of the accusation only unsubtantiated statements. RT news chased down the reporter guy that first voiced this situation, the British online investigative group Bellingcat, Eliot Higgins, and he ran and hid. Not an overly credible source. It seems that the USG wants to deflect attention from their own screwups by pointing the finger at others (one of their now time honored traditional practices) also there is no proof as yet. Since CNN, Fox, WSJ all fabricate their own news and are so bad at it they continually get caught out, I agree with the Russkies, enough with innuendo...show evidence. Is this like the WMD in Iraq? I don't really care if these missiles crashed or not but, I do care though that the USG is showing itself to be so ever more anal that they need to resort to this type of high school nonsense if not true. This isn't realpolitik this childish. So put up or shut up.

Outf'instanding. Impressive medical science. Go Aus doctors.

Captain Mark? Is that Mark Smith? Former SF captain Mark?

Too bad. I always felt that the roadblocks for traffic offense had a purpose here and a positive effect. It kept the drivers in line and they were frightened to death of being caught inebriated. Rather they be frightened to death than they cause a death. Yes, I realize it may have inconvenienced some people but, in Asia such action is necessary to keep them in line and on the straight and narrow. I mean really, can anyone here actually say they drive here according to rules and courtesy that most do in most Western countries and they don't need viable supervision on the roads. I think not.

The court case is not as simple as this article makes out. He fell foul of the US media a while back and that is a crime there apparently. As to Canada not giving him permanent residency well, he should have known better, he is from the wrong country and the wrong persuasion. He should have come here. Randy, stay away from Caucasian run countries. Good advice.

"Reuters news agency said he observed Israeli undercover agents disguised as Palestinian youths inciting stone throwing". Typical. Can anyone say false flag? The boys that were on the vessel 'USS Liberty' can. Now feature that we are talking about a group whose govt intelligence organ has the words "By Deception Make War" written on the lintel above the entrance way to it's building. This is very much their petty mentally and does anyone actually doubt that they would do this piddling thing. Pleaseee. These guy are really getting predicable.

Outstanding. Way to go, kid.

Good. It's the 21st century they should have submarines if they want them if for no other reason then to say they have them. What govts worldwide waste on nonsense and just print more debt and demand more from their citizens and get nothing for it, then buying submarines is not so bad IMO as at least they get an asset for the purchase. Can you say Sub-Prime, with 3/4 trillion dollars paid out? and the asset value was....? and anyone who thinks that govts, anywhere, can continue to afford that lunacy are delusional. This ain't so bad.

Funny, checking the history of that region it was called Palestine (and the Levant) through most of the 19th century and the 20th century until 1949 when the Khazarians invaded that region from Europe, et al. and started terrorist campaigns and murdering people (Stern gang , et al). Of course, the revision history prevalent in the West now has it down different but, the Atlases of the time disagree. The British sold it out for the wars they were losing (see Balfour Declaration as the initial agreement) which of course, the British had no right to do so but, then that has never stopped an imperial power before. There is an old Abe Lincoln expression that is appropriate here regards that comment, "You can fool some of the people all the time, all the people some of the time but, you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

Times are a changin' and people are learning the truth and reality.

Insurance is a wonderful thing and no doubt needed however, after having had 2 close friends die over the years in road accidents while they rode motorcycles my recommendation is to keep good insurance and stay the F' off of motorcycles in this country.

The question begs, was that study done similar to the US Govt Marijuana studies?

This is definitely not a new phenomenon. The only thing new about it is the coverage on the various media and social exposure networks. Now having said that, the begging part of it is a bit new. The begging was not very prevalent years back however, completely running out of all resources and still wanting to stay and chase tail and drink and not go home is very old. One guy in the 1980's got down on his luck and met a girl who was a nurse and a real kinky kid. So they started a private S&M house out in Lad Prao. It ran ok for a while one assumes because he seemed to have enough cash to get around. Then one day he was in the newspaper. He was charged with pimping his girlfriend and her friends (not sure if they were nurses though). You could not miss him he was 6'1" , very fat and the thickest glasses you have ever seen. Ok, fast forward about 6 months and I saw the BiB dragging him out of Lumpini Park where he had set up camp. There are 101 other similar stories in the same vane. But it's true, he did not beg.

Well, nobody said they weren't xenophobes.

Of course it is a war crime, duh. The US invaders should be arrested and imprisoned and/or executed but, then again they are the one's who essentially own the Hague courts, etc and all the war crime lawyers and media so a bit awkward to proceed with any legal action in that regard I suppose. Oh, well.

Ok, well you have discovered the great Asian secret. The Asian (Thai, Chins, India, it really does not matter) view other races with disdain and mixed relationships with their daughters are not usually well received regardless of what fantasy westerners maintain about how an Asian girl with a white boyfriend should be lucky. When the Asian female in question has a family of sufficient wealth and status they do NOT want their daughter tied up with a foreigner of another race, it is not good face in their world and circles. They will need to put up with a great deal of angst from family members (grannies, cousins, etc) and friends and neighbors derogatory comments, gossip and glances. This can be highly intolerable for them. Sorry but that is the reality and 30 years of observation and interaction with these people. I hope you can work it out to your satisfaction but, just the same, plan for an uphill march all the way.

It is up to the Germans but I believe they may consider drop kicking the bit#h. That woman is a shameless grandstander and IMO does not have the German citizenry at heart in the least, her only focus seems to be to placate the media.

Whoa, 57 shops plus a later 30...<deleted>? Over. There are closer to 5700 such shops. The concept of providing assistance and fiscal help for the Mom & Pops (M&Ps) I feel is an excellent idea. This is ideal for govt assistance programs if taken seriously. It would allow M&Ps potentially to purchase in possibly a cooperative type system at increased volume and subsequent price advantages (and hopefully quality advantage). The 7-11 shops has really cut into the M&P revenues and the local banking system would in no way ever assist a small local concern in the face of the 7-11 and their hi-so owners. I always like to buy from the local M&P to support local business when possible, especially as 7-11 seem to providing ever smaller and smaller portions of packaged foods at higher per weight unit basis prices (At least in our area), but the quality and supply in the M&Ps seems to be deteriorating yearly as well. I for one would like to see some realistic program for them as I feel the entire community including Thai suppliers would benefit. Well, maybe not 7-11.

Whoa, that is quite a zio-US propaganda piece. No real need for further comment on such blatant rhetoric.

Well, one reaps what one sows. Many western countries are facing the same problem. Spend decades telling your women to be independent, take charge and you are special, families are not as important as career and get as fat as you like you are still beautiful, and other similar propaganda nonsense. Well, you are not. Media control run amok. I truly feel for both the men and women in the west after years of propaganda shoved in their heads and this is one of the results. Lord knows what real steps they can take to reverse it.

Wow, interesting to see some people waking up to the realpolitik here. It is also good to see that that the rest of the world ie. Russia, Iran, China, et al, is tired of the US and friend's nonsense and subterfuge and is taking a real stand against it. Hopefully this shall continue until a clear victory is reached and a proper solution is realized and some semblance of common sense and decency is established (well, as much as can be expected in human affairs and politics at any rate.).

I wish them luck as they are going to need it especially with 2016 coming up and AEC is to open. I quote from the ASEAN Economic Blueprint , A. Single Market and Production Base, 9. An ASEAN single market and production base shall comprise five core elements: (i) free flow of goods; (ii) free flow of services; (iii) free flow of investment; (iv) freer flow of capital; and (v) free flow of skilled labour.... signed by General Surayud Chulanont for the Kingdom of Thailand That is fairly self explanatory. Thailand is about to have some real economic issues to deal with and they aren't doing much about it. At least it is not obvious to business observers.

Our company, which is very high tech and green product made in a robotized mfr facility, has been discussing with them for a while about placing a facility here and the terms they offer are less than exciting when compared to their ASEAN neighbors. They still have a mentally of it is the 1980's and everyone needs to come here for cheap labor. Well, the labor is no longer cheap but more than that the skill and english levels have not risen with wages. The Thais can do skilled work but there are far too few that have the education and those that do have the education and skills want to leave and go to other countries for better jobs and salaries. If the govt wants high tech firm to come here and stay they are going to need more than loans and fiscal incentives they need to buckle down to the task of proper education and training of their workers and upgrading their English levels (which most technical manuals are written in).

Ah, yes a Chinese son. Have you ever heard of the "Little Emperor" syndrome among the Chins? It is well known around Asia. I had to contend with it for years. It is ok IMO as long they may potentially harm themselves however, it is no longer ok if they do something that may endanger or harass others, then one must take action. Usually just picking them up by the belt and going over to hand them to their parents has usually done the trick.