Richard4849

The guy got rich from police corruption!

And now spends his money, as an elected MP in parliament, exposing police corruption. A long-term and major task, if ever there was one !

There's more rejoicing in heaven, over one sinner who's reformed, etc etc

We'll see how much rejoicing there is when he rallies against the police corruption that keeps Cowboy, Nana, and Patpong in business.

What a curious comment, I myself haven't been to any of those places for 20+ years, so could care less about them. There is life for expats outside the Bangkok sex-industry, you know !

And Chuwit's exposure of corruption by the BiBs is commendable, unless one wants the corrupt society to go on like this, forever.

I apologize if my comment doesn't apply to you.

It was meant more as a general comment based on the fact that many farangs rejoice at anti-corruption rhetoric -- but would probably go quiet on the matter if it meant that their favorite places would cease to exist.

So if there was no pending criminal action taken then I would pressume that the notes were not fake

Bad assumption.

It could be that the bills were in fact fake, but the police decided that they did not have enough evidence of intent to prosecute the guy.

No intent, no crime.

I was getting 45 to the baht in 95 and I get 48 today, while many things have gone up.

We feel your pain, but prices everywhere in the world have gone up a lot since 1995. Why would Thailand be any different?

I don't expect things to be different in LOS. I was just making the point to someone else that my wages in the UK went up less in real terms than costs in real terms in Thailand since 1995.

Less than 1.5% increase in your income per year? How do you keep up with inflation in the UK?

According to www.xe.com, the baht was trading at 39.78 to one pound sterling on today's date in 1996.

Today, it's trading at 48.2.

That means that the pound is worth 21% more against the baht today than it was on the same date in 1996.

You say that you paid 800 baht (approx. 20 pounds sterling) in the mid nineties for a hotel room that costs 1,200 baht (approx. 25 pound sterling) today.

That means that the cost of the room has gone up only 25% in sterling terms in 15 years.

A 25% increase in fifteen years...that is piddling! It works out to like a 1.5% increase per year!

Fishy indeed. I wonder if the US Embassy was called to investigate, as they usually are when fake currency pops up?

So ... were the dollars fake or not?

The most important thing in life is to get your precious little snowflake into the very best school you can or you are just a very bad person.

I agree with your statement, even though you made it sarcastically.

Giving a child the best education possible is the number one responsibility of a parent -- in my humble opinion, of course.

Agreed, but you are focusing on just one factor in a good education--the school, while ignoring the role of the parents, the child and his/her innate abilities and motivation, the environment, etc. So many variables are involved, and we haven't even started on what constitutes a 'successful' life.

Indeed...but the school is the one factor you mention that can be controlled. The others are what they are.

Most MP's do not come from hi-so backgrounds.

Most are first, second, and third generation wealth from business. Many, like Chuwit, got rich from illegal businesses and mafia activity.

No one would care about his background if he weren't going on a personal crusade against the very thing that made him rich.

First you determine that there is a) really a pregnancy, and that it is really yours.

Determine these first then decide what you want to do.

Assuming this isn't a troll post, that is.

The most important thing in life is to get your precious little snowflake into the very best school you can or you are just a very bad person.

I agree with your statement, even though you made it sarcastically.

Giving a child the best education possible is the number one responsibility of a parent -- in my humble opinion, of course.

For the OP's information here is a spreadsheet that I keep for the exchange rate at KBank from the beginning of this year up to 1pm today.

I have them going back to 2000 but it makes me sad to look at them but if anybody wants them I will post the short version.

Forex 2011 v1.xls

Historical rates are easily available online from a number of sources.

I'm not sure how the students could have been "glorifying" Naziism when they didn't even know what Naziism is.

It was just a silly dress-up day gone sour. The worst thing they're guilty of is ignorance. Tempest in a very small teapot.

This was a civil case not a criminal case.

The guy got rich from police corruption!

And now spends his money, as an elected MP in parliament, exposing police corruption. A long-term and major task, if ever there was one !

There's more rejoicing in heaven, over one sinner who's reformed, etc etc

We'll see how much rejoicing there is when he rallies against the police corruption that keeps Cowboy, Nana, and Patpong in business.

Yes, frozen.

It's sad that some people apparently think that Chuwit is really an anti-corruption crusader.

More likely, he's trying to deflect attention from the brothels he owns.

It's sad that you have no idea what you are talking about.

Teach me something, rather than just making snarky comments. I'm all ears.

The guy got rich from police corruption!

It's sad that some people apparently think that Chuwit is really an anti-corruption crusader.

More likely, he's trying to deflect attention from the brothels he owns.

I agree.

No one should expect the rest of the world to respect your own "sacred cows".

I remember when it was under 40THB to 1 GBP, and don't seem to recall a shortage of Brits here then.

I remember that too. I also remember how much cheaper Thailand was then.

Absolutely- the bar scene was sooooo much cheaper then. Gone up over 100% in GoGos since the mid 90s.

Unfortunately my wages didn't go up 100% in the same time period!

100% in 15 years is just about a 4% increase per year. Not really anything unusual.

And, since sterling is worth 20% more against the Thai baht now than it was in the mid-90's, the increase in real currency terms is even less than that.

If your salary is calculated in baht, though, and it has not gone up 100% in 15 years, you're pretty much screwed.

What's with this guys and casinos?

Oops...it looks like the Taiwanese aren't taught anything about the outside world either.

Thailand / Taiwan...same-same?

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/28/7-eleven-stores-in-taiwan-pull-hitler-lookalike-items/?hpt=hp_c2

That is a healthy attitude. If you want to enjoy the good in Thailand, you have to put up with the bad. Thankfully, for me, the former far far far exceeds the latter.

I rank this survey #53 on the crock-of-shit list.

I just pay on the spot would even pay more on the spot if needed. Just too much of a hassle to find the police office if your in an unknown part of the city.

The corruption part is where the police makes up allegations that are not true. Saying you did something that you did not.

On the bike i got more problems then when i'm in the car. I still prefer the bike because of the traffic jams here in BKK.

Agreed. That gets you into extortion territory.

I have never ridden a bike in Thailand, but I have been driving a car here for over twenty years (in every part of the country) and can honestly say I have never been ticketed when I was not in the wrong.

One time I got flagged for a breathalyzer test on Silom Road. As I hadn't been drinking, I was happy to blow in their tube and was on my way in less than a minute.