edko

If they are the faces of evil, why have their eyes been pixilated so that you can't really see the faces?

27 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

 

I would like to think you are right as he deserves the torment.  However, I am not convinced he is imbued with sufficient conscience to feel regret.

I've only been here for three years...my observation is that, I assume in the manner in which Thais are raised and imbued with a morality that I cannot really fathom, that the majority of Thais do not posess "conscience" as westerners know it.  In most cases is seems that the families of the victims are willing to accept a cash payment from the family of the responsible party and then life goes on as if nothing happened.

http://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/09/07/american-woman-falls-from-thailand-cliff-to-escape-sex-attack/21467221/

The number of medical conditions that cannabis oil has remedied or alleviated is becoming greater on a daily basis...but alas, the one thing that it cannot cure or remedy is the pitiful stupidiy and ignorance of the subject matter which seems to be so abundant on this forum.

After the documentary video "Run From The Cure" came out in 2008, I envisioned Thailand seizing upon the opportunity to make medicinal marijuana legal and make a killing offering cancer treatment spas and treatment resorts.  Maybe the wiser minds in the government will seize the opportunity now.  They don't need to legalize it for recreational use unless they want to collect tax, but decriminalization for use and possession would be in order in a rational world.  The golden opportunity is in curing of cancer.  If you think that pot is only for getting high, you owe it to yourself to watch the video.  If you watch the video and still have nothing but negativity, then you are probably in the employ of the pharmaceutical industry.

Until it was outlawed in this land, people used it as a vegetable, as a flavor enhancer in soups and stews, and as cure for numerous ailments.  A lady I know here who is about 43 yrs old told me that her father grew it and she knew it only as a "delicious" vegetable.

Think that big global pharma plays no role in government, penalizing one faction so that another can become enriched?  Here's a wonderful article about how the government here made a similar attempt several years ago with common staples of the Thai diet that failed miserably :

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-gardening/Gardening-Neem-tree-all-seasons/60361

Isn't it incredible that it was known for more than 3,000 years, named "the great hemp" in the Chinese Materia Medica, for its healing properties, yet it was made illegal with harsh penalties for possession in China.  Think that the pharmaceutical industry in China played no role?

No such thingo r word as a "quandarie" so it follows that there can not be "quandaries". Please take note all of you for whom English is a second language, the correct word is quandry. If it was only a TVF responder I wouldn't be so trite, but this is a headline by someone who is receiving money to slay the English language.

I look forward to reciprocal / retaliatory arrangements by foreign countries, especially those who choose to leave the EU and can start afresh with their rules without centralised EU meddling.

Hmmm. I wonder how many of the thousands of Thai restaurants in the USA have an American partner? I know a Thai guy in Bangkok who ran a successful restaurant in Florida (sold it) but still commutes back and forth because he owns several rental properties (houses) in Florida. Seems to me that every country should have reciprocal agreements, i.e., if a foreigner in Thailand must have a Thai partner, then a Thai must have a national partner in the country he wants to set up shop in. If a foreigner can't own land in Thailand, then why in the hell should a Thai be allowed to purchase a home in a foreign country sans a mickey mouse recurring long term lease agreement as it is here? I can understand that the Thais don't want vast tracts of agricultural land transferred over to foreign agribusinesses and that they don't want vast swaths of beachfront property owned by international hotels and property developers, but 1 rai or less for a homestead?

The Thai Driver's manual states quite clearly that you are to stop for pedestrians in a zebra crossing. Correct me if I'm mistaken. But in a country where you can still pay a corrupt examiner to pass both the written test and the driving test and get a license, far too many Thais behind the wheel of a lethal weapon are totally unaware of the regulation, not that it would matter to most anyway. More than one Thai person has commented to me that Thais show no consideration for others, that they think only of themselves.

Maybe if the travelguides would blatently point out to potential tourists before they arrive that it is unsafe for a pedestrian to cross any road and especially in a zebra zone, the Thai Tourist Authority might actually get serious and ask the police to actually enforce driving regulations...I know....dream on!

Trump appeals to many of the righteously frustrated citizens in the USA...but his call for a ban will ultimately hurt him...especially if he is seen exploiting the deaths of 50 people for political gain...he should walk this stance back asap....regroup...and proceed with more measured actions...

but I don't see it happening...his "brand" is to never apologize or retreat publicly...so I would expect his support to steadily decline until only his base and fervent supporters are left...

which means...President Clinton...

what an opportunity for a conservative candidate to hijack the nomination and possibly win election against clinton!!! but i don't see anyone with the balls to do it...

There is a conservative candidate, but he's not getting the publicity that he deserves. Gary Johnson, the former Republican 2 term Governor of New Mexico will be on the ballot in all 50 states as the Libertarian candidate.

I just skipped to the last so don't know if anyone mentioned that the LIbertarian candidate will be on the ballot in all 50 states and therefore must be included in the debates, and he might be able to change the entire ball game. I just know that more than one of my Dem friends became a Trump advocate due to hating Hillary so much. The thought of Queen Hillary in the White House is more frightening to me than Trump who seems to be too much of a loose cannon, so I have an alternative for sanity, and his stance on marijuana is the first indication. We Americans who still have a stake should try to listen or watch the debates if possible.

Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico.

Wrong. He does not need to be included in debates unless he reaches a level of support that he probably won't reach.

Next ...

Hmmm...That was not what was reported recently, I believe on CNBC...as a news item on AOL which included some excerpts of an interview with a reporter. He would have a level of support if enough people took the time to check him out and that might require some grass roots efforts. He has an accomplished resume as a responsible rational leader. From where I sit, he's a clear choice over the other two. According to the polls,Hillary would trump Trump as the lesser of two evils, but according to polls, Kasich would have beaten Hillary. Do you really want Hill and Bill running the show again? All it really takes for people to take notice is to ask friends to check him out on Wikipedia and if they like what they see, to ask their friends until enough people see that there is actually a choice for sanity..

I just skipped to the last so don't know if anyone mentioned that the LIbertarian candidate will be on the ballot in all 50 states and therefore must be included in the debates, and he might be able to change the entire ball game. I just know that more than one of my Dem friends became a Trump advocate due to hating Hillary so much. The thought of Queen Hillary in the White House is more frightening to me than Trump who seems to be too much of a loose cannon, so I have an alternative for sanity, and his stance on marijuana is the first indication. We Americans who still have a stake should try to listen or watch the debates if possible.

Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico.

Says a lot about the Thai view of manhood. Perish the thought that the Vietnamese might come one day: the prospect of seeing these types running for the hills would be of some amusement

Please could someone explain. I am not being facetious. I really do not understand. Are Vietnamese supposed to be tough or something?

The Thai army has never in the last century fought a war against any other nation. I suspect it wouldn't do too well if the occasion arose.

Just another demonstration of the flower of Thai manhood. I wonder how many would fill their underwear if they had to fight alone. And I wonder when the judiciary will start handing out attempted murder sentences for these kinds of acts. I won't hold my breath.

The North Vietnamese won a war against the pre-eminent military power in the world in 1972. Doesn't that tell you something?

Thailand sent troops, not large contingents, but they did send troops to Vietnam to assist both the French and the Americans. If you read the book about Dien Bien Phu written by the victors, the Thai troops are mentioned as being annilhilated. I had a buddy in the US Army who served alongside Thais in Vietnam and became friends with many of them.

Watch the video carefully http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/british-family-attacked-in-hua-hin-thailand/news-story/18a5b6ab08e34c865dd121d1d83a6a35 The younger Brit didn't fall as a result of the light retribution push by the Than man that he pushed to start it all, the son falls after being pushed much harder by his mother. The Thai man who was pushed, who pushes in return, he's slapped by Rosemary, then she grabs him and pushes him backward and he does nothing. I sure hope that he is not one of the Thai men being charged considering his total restraint. What really amazes me are the comments that attribute the "attack" as Thais being offended by a Thai male being slapped when the man who was slapped does nothing but turn the other cheek in a sense. There was no "mob" assault that resulted from Thais witnessing the man being slapped. From the get-go, the "thugish" behavior is by all 3 members of the British family, especially the men. So many Thai Visa commentators decry the Thais for not fighting in a gentlemanly manner...do they condone the son holding a Thai so that his father can hit him?

We were duped for two weeks with the tale that it was an unprovoked attack, but now that the video is out the we can see that it was far from unprovoked.

There is far less sympathy now for this so called innocent family and they should accept their behavior contributed to their downfall and issue an apology.

You're right. 4 people should be charged. The two Thai men who did the kicking, and both Rosemary and her husband as they were the instigators and the "thugs" were the two British men, one holding the Thai man and his father landing the first unprovoked blow. If anyone should be apologizing, it is the Brit family. They will never return to Thailand? Great, I don't think that those of us who get along just fine with the kind, friendly and hospitable Thai people need them around to give a negative impression of falangs.

"He told Wuthi that it happened because they were drunk. "

Try again. I have been drunk many times in my life and never ever was involved in beatings. It happened because they are psychopathic violent losers who figured no punishment would happen for their night of fun.

10 years in Thai prison might give him time to come up with real reason, not lame excuse. Slim chance of that.

The family claimed that they were not drunk. Yet Mother threw the first punch to the face of a Thai. Later son held that man's arms behind his back while dad punched him again in the face. These were the violent events that led to the even more violent retribution from the Thais. Who are the "psychopathic violent losers" in all of this? All of them are to blame.

Unfortunately the video evidence of the above violence perpetrated by the instigators (the family) has been edited out of the foreign news. Why is that? And why is it that posters on TV who have seen the full video persist in making out that the family were innocent victims? I see racism and it is sickening.

You have it correct. Thai Visa should apologize for their extremely poor choice of sensational headline formation when they brought this to the worlds attention by characterizing it as a "mob attack". This is a much better video posted in the first update http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/british-family-attacked-in-hua-hin-thailand/news-story/18a5b6ab08e34c865dd121d1d83a6a35 . It begins not with a little bump between the Brit son who is following at some distance behind his parents but a little shove of his own to the Thai man who Rosemary eventually pushes and slaps, and the Thai man turns around and pushes the son, who falls, not so much from the push by the Thai man, but by the backhand by his mom! And sonny boy gets up and holds the guy in the black shirt and the elder Brit takes advantage of that situation to throw the first punch...who is the coward? The Thai man or the elder Brit?

You're right about it being racism...drunken aggressive falang characterized by about 95% of the users on this site as being the poor victims and the Thais were just to take it. As I said previously, I saw only 2 Thais who should have been charged and that was the man in the black shirt for the kicks he delivered and the kid who wasn't involved to begin with who kicked two of the Brits in the head after they were down. There was no "mob" attack and the Brits were the instigators.

I know how unpopular my comment will be.

I watched that video over and over and over. The better, clearer video was the one posted in the first update thread from an Australian site by a TV member. Very clear that the Brits started the assault and caused the escalation. All I can say is that I saw only 2 Thais who should be charged with anything and hope that the guy that Rosemary pushed and slapped is not one of those who must now defend himself as he showed remarkable restraint and never raised a fist. Even the blackshirted man who coldcocked all three of the Brits was first headlocked, and punched before he escaped and took his shots. Blackshirt should be charged for inflicting grievous bodily harm for the kicks delivered after knocking the Brits down. The other guy who needs to be charged and given the severest punishment is that little shit who comes in from the left side and kicks Rosemary; he wasn't even involved in the fracas, just an opportunistic cowardly little heathen trying to kill someone and being drunk is hardly an excuse in his case. Thai media should focus on the kicking, that's what is cowardly and abhorrent. After reading almost all comments in every new post on this subject, it is quite easy to understand why eyewitness testimony is not reliable; what some commenters "see" is not borne out by carefully pausing and reversing. And there has been a lot of bs posted about this "mob" on the prowl to attack falang and I can't see evidence of that at all. I don't see a mob attacking the Brits. I also see Thais on Thais preceding and during this altercation.

Sad that Thailand will take the brunt of this unfortunate incident created by the quality British tourists who certainly didn't deserve the brutality but bear the blame that it started. Thails should hang their heads in shame that kicking people in the head when they're down is such a common occurrence seen in so many videos of Thai on Thai.

The details seem clearer on this video, starting from the left of the screen:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/british-family-attacked-in-hua-hin-thailand/news-story/18a5b6ab08e34c865dd121d1d83a6a35

A shocking and horrific incident !

Thanks, it is much easier to see exactly how the events unfolded in the video you posted the link to.

Just because he is a monk it does not mean he can do whatever he likes. Monjs sjoild be the least vorrupt but it is getying that they are the most. So much for religion and helping the poor - look after yourself! Not what I would call compassionate which religious leaders should be but selfish and looking after himself. I suggest monks should not have personal accounts as they don't need their own wealth.

Would it be so difficult to proofread your submission before you hit the "add reply" button?

I remember in America when drinking and driving was actually an accepted lifestyle. the police stopped one and asked if you were drinking and then told you to go home- which you didn't. the change came when States passed laws making drinking and driving not only unacceptable- but one faced jail; huge fines; and huge increases in insurance rates. the police enforced it and there were no exceptions. This was followed up by TV and Radio campaigns showing what happens when you drink and drive. The concept of a designate non drinking driver was established and it works. Thailand needs to do all this

Where I come from, the first infraction for DUI carries a large fine and loss of license for one year and the result of a conviction will keep insurance rates high for life. A second conviction is automatic prison time. The changes in laws and perception came as a result of a long campaign by "Mothers Against Drunk Driving" across the entire USA.

The problem here is that there is no real deterrent and evidently no real resentment by the majority of Thai citizens to see that the laws are changed and have some real teeth. They continue to characterize collisions as "accidents" when the actions of a drunk driver are anything but accidental. Look at what happened with that little chit head scion of Red Bull; killed a cop in August 2012 and not a damned thing has happened to him! And what about the recent case of the guy in the Mercedes doing 250 kph who wiped out the 2 grad students and wasn't given a blood test because it was his "right" to refuse one. It is sheer insanity that any person involved in a vehicular collision (don't call it an "accident") is allowed to refuse a blood test! Make it a law that anyone involved in a collision resulting in fatality found to be legally drunk after an immediate blood test is automatically conceded to be guilty of vehicular homicide with a minimum prison term of 25 years and I believe you would see far fewer people driving drunk.

The people driving without helmets are threatened with a fine when stopped but 200 baht to the cop and they're on their way without even a ticket. If the powers that be in this country were at all sincerely concerned with lowering the death toll, they would automatically impound the motorbike for 1 month and then the rider is going to have to ride a bus to work or school and they might just decide that wearing a helmet makes more sense than being without convenient transportation. There should be a supervisor on hand when they pull the offenders over and his job should be on the line if anyone is allowed to drive off - why bother with court when it is so obvious. Let them pay a significant fine to get their motorbike back when the period of impound is over and I can almost guarantee you that you're not going to see so many people driving motorbikes without a helmet.

I've been here long enough to know that true deterrent will never happen. That would take a recognition of cause and effect. Almost everything that happens here is explained by karma. If you end up murdered or maimed, that's because it's your karma to end that way. It seems that not many are really concerned about corruption; the corrupt must have been good in a previous life and to be in a position allowing corruption is their just reward. Think that's an insane attitude? I can never forget being told by a Thai friend that I should not give money to a horribly disfigured man in a wheelchair obviously as a result of a terrible fire...well, why shouldn't I give the man a few coins? Because he was a bad person in a previous existence and he's gotten his just desserts in this life.

$81 million over several years since 2005? Someone in Congress should call for an investigation into how payment of such an obscene sum was warranted.

I wont be able to eat my fave squid dish without some schadenfreude now. Recipe for disaster being rich in Thailand.

Photo of the happy family and son-in-law:

http://www.thaichicagousa.com/2013/05/thaifex-with-mae-pranom.html

The son-in-law looks like a greasy weasel and the daughter has that look about her too. I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but some people exude character. Sad for the mother to have to deal with such a despicable offspring.

Where can I buy a bathroom heater in Chiang Mai, not one of those silly Chinese oil filled things you find at Global but a proper bathroom heater?

I saw them yesterday at HomePro, some little dinky things starting at 750 baht and something that would actually work was about 3800.

I agree that education is the answer.

First, the video needs to be saved as part of a documentary to be shown in mandatory school assemblies and the narrative needs to repeatedly use the term "cowardly attack". The second part of the documentary would be the swift public execution by firing squad of first the policeman's son who used the baseball bat as it was most likely he who delivered the fatal blows. Since family is so important here, document the reaction of the parents of the perpetrator at the moment of execution as most Thai kids don't want to do something that will cause distress to their parents..

The second person to be executed would be that brave thug who threw the statue on the poor victim while he was down and defenseless. Again, record the reaction of his parents as they express the greatest loss of face imaginable.

The 3rd part of the documentary would be follow ups with the other cretins involved who are sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole; interviews with them every 5 years or so as they reflect on their actions and the ruination of their own lives simply from being members of a gang.

The documentary needs to be shown in every school, every year until every student has seen it numerous times and until events like this cease to happen.

Shortly after New Year in 1976, I arrived in Taipei, Taiwan. Within an hour I was checking in at a hostel for students and while filling out the forms I watched a public execution broadcast on national TV. 3 youths aged 17-19 executed by firing squad. The crime? They had made an armed robbery of a "factory" using knives and although they did not hurt anyone, they got away with the victims wristwatches, wallets, and jewelry. They were apprehended in a matter of minutes, tried, sentenced and executed less than 48 from the time of the commission of the crime. At that time, Taiwan was under martial law and there was an armed soldier on almost every block. Any crime committed by 2 or more persons was classified as a conspiracy against the government and automatically carried the death penalty.

I moonlighted teaching English to Taiwanese businessmen. One was a group of 4 and we would meet for dinner and they would try to hone their conversational skills. One night after dinner I was walking with one of my students and dropped a few coins in the begging cup of a woman who looked like a crab and I was immediately admonished in a sharp tone for doing so. It was explained that the woman was a criminal, that her back was fused from being in a tiger cage for many years, the sentence for something so simple as shoplifting. My student explained that there were simply too many people living in Taiwan and that aberrant behavior was simply not tolerated, that the aberrant were swiftly excised from the population.

Draconian? Sure. But the one thing that was not lost on me was that the public execution sent a very powerful message, and later, the occasional sight of a beggar moving like a crab sent a powerful remindful message also.

Legalize and regulate all drugs, so that users will know exactly what and how much they are taking. That would help a lot. The war on drugs has been a complete failure.

Not quite a total failure kept bread on table for thousands of government officers and their families for ?? Decades. God knows how they're gonna do for employment Now there`s a 'softening' on the immediate horizon ,, oh silly me,, terrorism !!

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And how about trial attorneys and Corrections Corporation of America?

In the summer of 2002, the state of Oregon (USA) passed legislation to re-criminalize the possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, which had been an offense where a ticket and $100 fine and no resulting record from 1972 or 1973 until that time. The new legislation required the signature of the governor before it could become law; said governor (Kitzhaber) waited until the 11th hour to pass before making a decision to sign or not sign the legislation. The day before the new legislation would expire if not signed, the lobbyist group who had pushed the legislation made a last minute attempt to sway the governor by sending a delegation to his home. The governor decided not to sign the legislation. The following day it was disclosed that the lobbyist group pressing to re-criminalize was a group of trial attorneys.

Oregon was one of the first states to adopt rules allowing the medicinal use of marijuana and this summer (July 1) it became legal for Oregon adults to possess up to 1 oz in public, 8 ounces in their homes, and to grow up to 4 plants. There are now 4 states allowing recreational use (Colorado and Washington in 2012); recreational use also became legal in Alaska, where adults may legally possess in public, as well as the District of Columbia (Washingon, D.C.). 23 states have various rules allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana.

Corrections Corp of America's stock (CXW) has not fared well this year.

When I was a kid, China only had 500 million people and India only about 200 million.

Now China has 1.4 billion and India 1.1 billion.

With the rest of the world keeping pace.

3% own 95%.

Does anyone think that things are going to get any better as time and population increases?

Wow, were you living in Shangri-La at the time that the Indian population was 200 million?:

Demographics of India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"It reached 255 million according to the first census taken in 1881" (361 million in 1951)

The Chinese population in 1953 was 582.6 million, so Thailand has outstripped them both in percentage growth: 20 million in 1950, 67+ million today.

What would Rev. Malthus say?

Thomas Robert Malthus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'd venture a guess what Rev. Malthus would say is that Thais must be proactively more procreative than Indians or Chinese?