piete121

I guess he didn't see the BBC Horizon show where they had a scientist check vaping fluids for damage to lung tissue - result was 5-30% damage from e-cigs (depending on vaping fluid flavour) but 95% from regular ciggies. Seems a lot safer to me. Maybe looking at adult medical advice would be better than looking at adolescent medical advice.

As to blood pressure? Well, I guess coffee is going to be next on the 'it's bad for you' list!! But then again, as everyone mentions, the tax issue - coffee tax is non-existent!

By the way, isn't this the guy who said there was 'absolutely no evidence anywhere of medical benefit from the use of cannabis'?

I was there yesterday and the building to the left of the immigration booths, where you pay the overstay fine, has a re-entry permit booth as well.

Hope that helps.

For me it's numbers 11 & 41!!

Here's some real ones from Chitlom last night. Bit of colour work on the big close up but nothing else.

Wasn't the 30 Baht Healtrhcare program initiated by the Democrats?

No, the original 30 baht scheme was another wonder of Thaksin. That likely would have bankrupted the health system.

The Democrats actually made it free - but the Red Shirts in 2010 were actually saying they wanted the 30 baht scheme because they didn't want to be seen as poor.

As a football/soccer follower i am hoping TRUE and CTH come to some kind of agreement on the football. It cant be profitable for either of them in the current state. It is exorbitantly expensive to replace TRUE with CTH in condominium's not to mention that many people prefer the other options on TRUE.

They cannot use the same wiring, so needs a completely new system. Surely it is in the best interest of both TRUE and CTH if they come to some kind of agreement between themselves where TRUE vision subscribers can watch through their current boxes.

It seems like some kind of Mexican stand off between the companies which can only be negative for the consumers.

I think you might find that the battle between True and CTH has nothing to do with wiring or providing an alternative or anything at all to do with the customers and everything to do with trying to destroy the old guard of Thailand. Remember the GMM/True Euros saga from the other year - same thing. This is the criminal in the desert making sure no one who doesn't support him can get what they want. And before you say this has nothing to do with him, one of his Lawyers is the owner of CTH - a bit like that maid of his maybe?

I would love to see a map of the cable side of CTH (Cable Thai Holdings if you didn't know) since their call centre has just told me it will be 1 year before they have a cable system available.

Joke? I wish it was but then TiT!!

Pandora's box has been opened. The people have been shown that you can ignore the law as violence or the threat of violence will get you what you want. When/if they arrive in Bangkok and the authorities don't want them here what are they going to do? As soon as they use any kind of force to get them to go home then the authorities will be accused of double standards. Mind you I am sure they can spin the old 'foreign made tear gas canister' accident to their own ends and/or make it look like the work of the 'third hand'.

PTP now have a choice. Clamp down hard and take the noise for the next 3 years (or until the Dr is back in the house) then woo the voters with yet more populist policies and stay in power or give in to mob rule and find that every time they want something that the villagers don't like they have to accept that they can't do it.

I can see only one way this may go since so many in authority now, love the power and the payments.

Thanks for the advice. Thing is I am looking for human stories, not necessarily heroes, and not just those who are here for being in Thailand. But I am looking for stories of people getting on with their local communities and how they have managed to integrate. After all there is the old adage from the rural communities in the UK that even when you have lived in the village for 20 years you are still deemed the newbie and not part of the 'community'. I'd love to know how people find that over here. Is it that you are welcomed? Or are you shunned? Have you managed to become respected in the communities you live in here or are you still the farang or มัน who is willing to buy everyone beer.

The flood is the one thing that almost every community on the planet can agree is a bad thing to happen if not dealt with properly. But how have you been working through it? How have the people around you dealt with you during this time? Has it made your interaction with Thais change in any way? These are the kind of questions I would love to be able to show everyone back home. Not to make them jealous but just to show that in reality people the world over are actually not that different from each other.

Thanks for the pointers. I will certainly look at each of those as future stories, but the hot story now is the flood and that is the one that can open a production door to getting the others. The soi dogs story is one I have been tinkering with for a while and know that it will be great if more of the right stories can be found.

The financial one would probably be best done as a fairy tale as that is how they can give everyone credit cards!

Hey, as well as the good stories there always have to be the bad ones to make the good ones look even better so if you have anything that might be interesting maybe you could drop me an outline off post so that I can see if there is anything I can do with it in another doc. (pietepotts(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk)

How long have you lived over here? It might be good just to sit down one day and have a chat about things?

Not necessarily a book but more likely a documentary. I want to show that the foreigners who come to Thailand are not all here for one reason. As soon as anyone says they are going to Thailand for an extended period the nudge nudge wink wink attitude happens and I want to show that the vast majority of non-Thais who live here are here for a far better reason.

If there is anyone you know who is not on TV who could have a good story please let me know.

Cheers.

Hi to all TVF'ers,

I know this is probably not the best time to be asking some of you this, and I apologise now if it seems insensitive, but I am looking for any and all interesting stories of those of you affected by the floods.

I don't mind if you are in Bangkok or surrounding areas or in Chiang Mai or in Issan. What I am looking for are people who have some interesting tales of how you have been affected, how you have helped your communities, how your communities have helped you. Anything and everything is interesting. If you can let me know your stories and allow me to contact you once I have had a chance to read them all maybe I can get your tales out into the public eye.

If you think you have a truly powerful story please contact me by pm and maybe we can have a chat online when it is good for you.

I have been watching/lurking around TV for a few years now and know that there are some really interesting people here who can give a deeper and better insight into the Thailand that we all adore. And I think that the people back home would love to know some of the more interesting stories that happen here on a daily basis.

So please, don't hold back. Hit me with your best shot as the old song said. I want it all and I want it asap. This flood will disappear from the news soon and we will all be left to pick up the pieces in any way we can.

Good luck to all of you who are suffering now and I hope that no one takes offense to me requesting this at this time.

Thanks for any kind of help you can be and I wish all the best for you and yours.

Pete

While we're waiting for them to get back to us on that, maybe someone here could speculate what possible positive meaning it might have. I'm placing a bet with myself here. I'll tell you later if I win or not.

A possibly plausible reason for having a sticker that says only a certain type may board is that accountants are running the boats. And so as to be able to know exactly how many people they rescue and can easily categorise them, they are using a lot of boats and each one has a sticker saying '.......shirts only'. Meaning that they can count how many people who wear each kind of shirt they rescue.

Either the 'no top' boat or the 'hawaiian' boat are probably being provided in multiple numbers.

Or, but this might be a stretch. The boat is part of a flotilla of news boats and all reporters are part of the group - including journalists from the red media. And some nasty sarccy person has just labeled each boat with a brief description of who will get on the boat.

In that guess I think it might be the 'media-star' journos that would require all the extra boats.

Let me know what you think of these two ideas?

dam_n, lost that bet. I had geriatrickid on the nose because the odds were so short.

As for your hypotheses I don't find the first one compelling at all and the second one seems very unlikely, especially as these stickers were printed I would thinkl a flotilla of reporters might be assembled rather hastily and such designations wouldn't be made. Thanks for playing.

Don't worry, I got them both from the same place Jatuporn and Nattawut (sic) get their 'facts and figures'!

I'd say that willingly denying people access to assistance according to their political persuasion is not exactly what one could call an act of humanity.

I'd like to see the people responsible for putting that sticker on that boat explain why they did it.

Of course we can all make guesses according to our approach to the subject but it would be interesting to hear it from the horses mouth.

While we're waiting for them to get back to us on that, maybe someone here could speculate what possible positive meaning it might have. I'm placing a bet with myself here. I'll tell you later if I win or not.

A possibly plausible reason for having a sticker that says only a certain type may board is that accountants are running the boats. And so as to be able to know exactly how many people they rescue and can easily categorise them, they are using a lot of boats and each one has a sticker saying '.......shirts only'. Meaning that they can count how many people who wear each kind of shirt they rescue.

Either the 'no top' boat or the 'hawaiian' boat are probably being provided in multiple numbers.

Or, but this might be a stretch. The boat is part of a flotilla of news boats and all reporters are part of the group - including journalists from the red media. And some nasty sarccy person has just labeled each boat with a brief description of who will get on the boat.

In that guess I think it might be the 'media-star' journos that would require all the extra boats.

Let me know what you think of these two ideas?

Here is Sukhimvit Soi 50 at about noon today. Soi is just damp now. Let's see what happens during tonights high tide.

Yingluck denies she is shedding tears

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra appeared tearful yesterday when asked if she had anything to tell Bangkok residents as she continued leading the fight against one of the biggest floods to hit the capital.

Yingluck, blinking back tears, said: "I want people to know that I have good intention and willingness. I will not be disheartened."

When asked if she had been crying often since the floods hit crisis level, Yingluck insisted she had never become emotional.

"Pictures [looking like I've been crying] published earlier were just taken from a different angle."

"I've never cried because in my position, I need to be strong," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-28

Just the proof you need that people don't read what doesn't fit with what they don't want it to be. I guess the rumours of the onion were right after all.

BTW have I made the relevant quote big enough yet? Or does it need to be spelt out better? Maybe the RSA's here can rewrite it into a more palatable quote.

About the photo angle, yeah, I have heard that some people look so 'really good' when photographed from the 'right' angle.

Bangkok and Thailand are on the verge of huge devastation and this is what the paper chooses to print? Makes you wonder if having somebody control the press is a good idea if there idea of news at a critical time like this is to inflame politics. Absolutely no reason in the world to run this story now. After the waters recedes then you can inflame politics but at this point it seems like many people are simply using this natural disaster to put politics before Thailand and its people.

I'm all for seeing an end to Thaksin and his family in politics but this is a time when people need to pull together. If things do get very bad I have a feeling many people are going to die that would not have needed to die if politics were not taking front stage right now. I even think the government is scared to deploy the military for fear of a coup and instead are depending on the police who not only are taking care of themselves and their own families now but have nowhere near the capabilities the army does in handling something like this.

Very very sad and as you can see from the comments on Thaivisa and the English newspapers, this is not just a Thai thing.

And just plane wrong to mislead readers to believing this story has anything to do with flooding. Politicians lie, that is what they do best across the globe and if these newspapers had real reporters then we'd be getting facts instead of nonsense and politicians would be less likely to lie so boldly.

True the story has nothing to do with the flooding, but if I may be so bold as to suggest you read up on Jo Moore from the UK. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Moore) She wrote an email on September 11th clearly stating it was a good time for British government departments to 'bury bad news'. She wasn't even a politician but a 'Spin Doctor' - someone who's only job is to twist and control the press to get their point of view the platform it needs to have it believed by the public (also known as a consultant!). This is exactly how all governments think - when the public are distracted they can get the news/laws that they want.

I won't say anyone is stupid but I will say most are naive to think that politicians in Thailand aren't as good as their western counterparts when it comes to conning the voting public. If the voters had real information and a real ability to critically assess what they are told then, I would hope, half of all governments worldwide would not be elected. I even heard a story the other day how some Red Villagers believe that Thaksin, in his generosity to the Thai people, paid off a 500million Baht IMF loan from his own pocket. Maybe he used some of the money he arranged to be lent to the Burmese government for their broadcasting infrastructure overhaul. Not to mention the amazing generosity of Jatuporn to 'personally' donate so many relief packages to the Red Villages that have been affected by this disaster. After all if someone's face is on a product aren't they responsible for it being there?

The real problem is that governments the world over think they should muzzle the press. And the press go along with it. Embedded reporters in Iraq/Afghanistan have shown time and again that they can only show what the establishment wants them to say, anything else or contrary to the party line is deemed incorrect and is not published. The BBC is frequently deemed to be a government mouthpiece in the UK, but when a broadcaster is only going to keep getting access by not telling the real story they will do whatever they can to stay even with their competitors. How do you think Fox News does so well? It parrots the party line and while it still talks utter b*****it through it's 'Opinion' presenters, their system is designed to keep the American public blissfully unaware of what is the truth. Just look at the news surrounding the 'Occupy' protests. How much of that is designed to make you think the protest is just a bunch of hairy teenage hippies who don't do diddly squat except leech off the system?

We should all be highly critical of politicians and never take a word they say to be either true or the whole story. They have agendas of their own. Either through their political parties, or their families, or their business interests, or even their own misguided opinions. It was only ever a truly independent press that revealed stories like the Watergate saga. Free the press and the public's mind might just about be able to work out that when voting you are choosing between two (or more) giant lies.

Plain and simply put - Politicians do what is good for them and no one else.

I didn't realise that Thai TV had bought the franchise to show Saturday Night Live - Thai Style. First 'Celebrity' to lead it off - Jatuporn. He's just getting this joke out early to gauge how successful he'll be with his other insane jokes!!

Me thinks 'the plan' is working perfectly. I can see the hero mounting his steed in Dubai - he will be here to take control and make sure everyone is dry and rich in no more than 3 days!!

My sympathies to the families of those lost but I can see this group of politicians being willing to sacrifice anyone, except themselves of course, to get the master plan finished and to that end I honestly think they would flood everywhere but Bangkok!! Maybe even Bangkok as long as the airport is still open - got to get the steed of the plane somehow!!

On another small point, the first Female PM of Thailand with her first big crisis and she gets teary eyed? Sorry but old Mrs T in the UK would have had Mike Tyson's b*lls if she had ever been in the ring with him. I wonder what happened when things went t*ts up at AIS?

Sweepstake in my office has the police repeating their 'actions' (or do I mean 'inaction'?) of last time at evens and the crowd actually leaving at 100-1. I got that Abhisit said he would meet Jatuporn on the hospital and they would have a winner take all muay thai match to see who was tougher!!! I think my choice is not beyond the realms of possibility - TIT after all ;-)

Seriously though - either this will end well or it will end with more bullet holes in the buildings round here. Either way I don't think the Police deserve any respect as they seem only able to prove that they are unable to uphold the law.

<snip> an excuse to continue with the pointless and oppressive state of emergency that is keeping other political parties down.

You find the State of Emergency oppressive? How So?

I've lived in Central Bangkok through out the whole episode, i have not found my daily life to be even slightly affected by the State Of Emergency.

I never said I found it oppressive, I clearly state that is is oppressive for opposition political parties.

Oppressive for Opposition Political Parties? And which parties would they be? From what I see there is no valid Opposition Party here. The Red Shirts are not Puea Thai, just a group of people with no political policies - oh maybe PTP are an opposition party then!!

Whatever, swap the parties around the benches and the same old noises will be made.

'Same Same - but Different' to quote the Tshirt.

The only reason no-one had been injured before the 10th April fighting was because the Government was trying every way to get the Reds to do the Democratic thing and negotiate. If you don't believe that is Democracy in action then please go to the next poorest country that will have your Democratic system, say North Korea? The Red response to the Governments request? .!.. ..!.

Also the Government has continually said if you keep pushing we will push back, first gently, then harder and harder until you understand you are hitting a solid object. A Democratically selected government. Don't bother arguing the point - the Thai system is almost identical to the British system. The biggest party chooses the PM. Again the Red response? .!.. ..!.

So who exactly is the more Democratic group? Those who want negotiations or those who scream about negotiations that will only be in their favour? And then proceed to beat up old ladies and journalist's translators who work for news people the Reds believe are biased against them, oh sorry no he worked for the Czechs so obviously he was beaten up because someone in Montenegro wanted him hurt!! Or was it just some Red ladyboys who thought he had nicked their makeup? (If the Reds can comment on Abhisit's sexuality then why can't we comment on theirs? Or is that not Democratic? In fact, maybe that what it is all about? Ladyboys who are determined to make Thailand the very first Ladyboy run state!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

One of the Red Shirt 'dear leaders' asked for proof that the Red Shirts were preparing sharpened sticks for the battle with the Army. Well sir, here is some proof for you, and of the stones you plan to throw at the Army. The last picture really sums up the hypocrisy of the Puea Thai idea of supporting this lot and bringing Thaksin back. Hope you like them.

(apologies for some not being the right way up)

What is this? Proof of the bombings of tonight? Sharpened sticks? Nobody used sharpened sticks to kill anyone. BOMBS were used. Some people really don't have a clue about what's going on.

So if I shoved a sharpened Bamboo stick in your head you wouldn't die? Tell that to some of the injured soldiers from the other weekend.

The truth about who did tonight will be no clearer than who actually .......... pick a theory 9/11 or Kennedy or Elvis or Obama's Birthers? With media manipulation and interpretation no-one can follow it all and understand it. So you have to pick it apart line by line and that takes time. I am just trying to show how wrong one of the public comments of the last few days by the Red Shirt 'leaders' is. And if one comment is clearly a lie - how many others are not the truth? Maybe 'we want to negotiate' or maybe 'we want to end corruption' or maybe 'we are not violent'. Prove just one of them true and I'll think about listening to them a bit more.

Realistically, this shows how the Red 'Leaders' are manipulating their interpretations of the news - so of course they (and their supporters) are going to deny any responsibility for any injuries suffered by people, either by stick, stone or bomb.

The only reason no-one had been injured before the 10th April fighting was because the Government was trying every way to get the Reds to do the Democratic thing and negotiate. If you don't believe that is Democracy in action then please go to the next poorest country that will have your Democratic system, say North Korea? The Red response to the Governments request? .!.. ..!.

Also the Government has continually said if you keep pushing we will push back, first gently, then harder and harder until you understand you are hitting a solid object. A Democratically selected government. Don't bother arguing the point - the Thai system is almost identical to the British system. The biggest party chooses the PM. Again the Red response? .!.. ..!.

So who exactly is the more Democratic group? Those who want negotiations or those who scream about negotiations that will only be in their favour? And then proceed to beat up old ladies and journalist's translators who work for news people the Reds believe are biased against them, oh sorry no he worked for the Czechs so obviously he was beaten up because someone in Montenegro wanted him hurt!! Or was it just some Red ladyboys who thought he had nicked their makeup? (If the Reds can comment on Abhisit's sexuality then why can't we comment on theirs? Or is that not Democratic? In fact, maybe that what it is all about? Ladyboys who are determined to make Thailand the very first Ladyboy run state!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

One of the Red Shirt 'dear leaders' asked for proof that the Red Shirts were preparing sharpened sticks for the battle with the Army. Well sir, here is some proof for you, and of the stones you plan to throw at the Army. The last picture really sums up the hypocrisy of the Puea Thai idea of supporting this lot and bringing Thaksin back. Hope you like them.

(apologies for some not being the right way up)

What era are you people living in? This is not good old Europe of 1052, nor is it the Warsaw ghetto and you do not get to barricade in people and then gas them.

The UDD protestors are not going to surrender if your bankrupt strategies are used. Only patience and sincere negotiations will resolve this now, or else the uprising that will ensue will find you all cowering under your beds. Let them pull back in peace. The bottom line is that one area can now be pacified without the further loss of life. These people were already in the other area. Get it through your noggins that these people cannot be forced into submission. They are tough bumiputra. Unlike the typical PAD member they can live rough without wilting. They will not go away no matter how many are shot in the back, gassed or disappear. General Prem must step back and let honest discussions start.

Ummm, what planet are you living on? To have negotiations you need BOTH sides to sit down and talk. The Red Shirts 'Leaders' are not willing to talk anymore. They say they have said enough and are just there for the dissolution and resignation. If they get either I bet we will get to see a modern day lynching.

Democracy is ALL ABOUT negotiation. The Red Shirt 'Leaders' have proven by no longer being willing to talk that Democracy is not and has never been their goal.

I support neither side, but I do have an opinion about people who spout their 'love' for Democracy. The US has failed to force it on people at it's desired speed and so the Red Shirt 'Leaders' will fail to force Democracy on Thailand, a country whose Police & Military have shown a lot more restraint than those of supposedly far more Democratic nations (look at the story of the student in the US beaten close to death at a University Basketball game). Once the people realise that there is no difference between the Elite in Bangkok and their own village Pu Yai, the quicker this whole problem will solve itself. Also, Democracy is not something that allows you to sell your vote - that is Capitalism.

The best programme I know is 'Before You Know It'. www.byki.com I think. I have used it on Mac and PC and it is really useful.

They don't use any transliteration, just Thai and English. It will help with spelling and pronunciation. But you do have to be pretty honest with your answers.

It's a free download but then the extra lists will cost you. If you want more lists for it, I have some and can send them to you if you contact me.