kennalder

The centre's director, Ladda Tangsupachai, said she found many clips in which the nun encouraged the wrong attitudes and condoned inappropriate actions such as repeatedly forcing water into a girl's nostrils. However, she said most of these clips had already been removed, perhaps by the posters themselves.

"Posting such clips is a legal offence under the 2007 Computer Crime Act. Offenders face up to five years in jail and/or a maximum fine of Bt100,000," she said.

Posting clips of a water-boarding nun is punishable by up to 5 years? First question I have is, who took the video? If it was the nun herself, is she immune under the same lack of law that allows her to perform these acts? If so she could perform the deeds, make movies of the deeds, and have no consequences. But someone shedding light is up the creek. What a great slogan: Amazing Thailand!

Just where does this nonsensical computer crime act stop? If I am taking a movie of say a wedding, and a dog in the background is pissing on something sacred, do I go to jail for posting it on the web?

Really, does anyone know the scope of this insane law?

Wouldn't it be worth finding out the scope of the law before declaring it as beeing insane? I see a lot of posters have very strong opinions about this law yet I don't see any evidence that anyone even knows what its about.

How much do you need to know? 5 years for posting a clip of a nun torturing someone, your idea of sanity? How about for posting a clip of 3 topless dancers in a land where prostitution runs rampant? Where you can get a bj under the table in some places? Still sound sane? The severity of the punishment alone is enough for me to call it insane. I doubt knowing every subtlety of the law will change my mind, but I am willing to listen.

The centre's director, Ladda Tangsupachai, said she found many clips in which the nun encouraged the wrong attitudes and condoned inappropriate actions such as repeatedly forcing water into a girl's nostrils. However, she said most of these clips had already been removed, perhaps by the posters themselves.

"Posting such clips is a legal offence under the 2007 Computer Crime Act. Offenders face up to five years in jail and/or a maximum fine of Bt100,000," she said.

Posting clips of a water-boarding nun is punishable by up to 5 years? First question I have is, who took the video? If it was the nun herself, is she immune under the same lack of law that allows her to perform these acts? If so she could perform the deeds, make movies of the deeds, and have no consequences. But someone shedding light is up the creek. What a great slogan: Amazing Thailand!

Just where does this nonsensical computer crime act stop? If I am taking a movie of say a wedding, and a dog in the background is pissing on something sacred, do I go to jail for posting it on the web?

Really, does anyone know the scope of this insane law?

What is a village leader?

Someone who loves the sound of his own voice.

And fervently believes that everyone else does, too...

So far you haven't narrowed the field one iota.

As mogos said silver is looked at in a silver/gold ratio

Back on Oct 2008 that ratio was 77/1

Today it stands at 36/1

So in 08 it took 77 ounces of silver to buy 1 ounce of gold

Today it takes 36

IMHO Silver has legs yet to run

Lastly remember that neither Silver nor gold is going up.

It is the fiat currencies that they are measured in that are going down in buying power.

It takes more of these devalued dollars to buy gold/silver/commodities

This is only partly true. If it were the total explanation then Silver and Gold would have gone up by identical percentages. The change in the ratio is due to speculation on whether or not a shortage could develop in Silver. It is unknown how much is due to recent speculation on whether or not the fiat currencies could collapse partially or completely.

I spent almost 25 years in futures and options business. During that time I learned one saying and made up another.

I learned when everyone is thinking the same thing, then no-one is thinking.

I made up the following when someone asked me what I thought was the quickest way to make a bunch of money in a short time. I responded: Take the opposite side of someone trying to make a bunch of money in a short time. (circa 1995)

“The Science and TechnologyMinistry will this week unveil a locally-developed weather forecast anddisaster warning device.

Science andTechnology Minister Weerachai Weerametheekul said the National Science andTechnology Development Agency is set to unveil its weather forecast machinesome time this week.”

Perhaps we canget the machine to warn us what day that might be, after all I am sure it willqualify as a disaster. But then so was this story and it came with no warning.DOH!

bless them, bangkok is becoming like manchester. everything that came up they were there 'can we have it' trying to make the dreary shithole bearable, even trying to get the olympics

I lived and worked in Manchester for many years and I knew that something was tugging at my brain strings with its correlation with Bangkok, got it now, thank you.

Can you imagine the Olympics in BKK? Would they even bother painting lines to mark the lanes on the track? Then there was the Thai guy assigned to lane 8 in the 400m, decides to do a U-turn cutting everyone off, and sneaks around the other way on the inside lane.

Which brings me to another point. "Teaching Thai's to think". You mean about something other than ones own selfish immediate needs?

It's all a worthwhile cause, but when you are teaching math to grade schoolers, you don't start with differential equations. These Thai politicians, hell bent on getting publicity appear to actually think you can go from worst to first with a little lip service. I can't wait for the next iteration.

Looks like we have a trend going here.

http://www.alternet.org/story/150307/crime_rates_are_plummeting_--_and_no_one_knows_why?akid=6697.257039.aSlIV8&rd=1&t=3

Since no-one in the US knows why, hell, let me take credit. No more far fetched than the Thai story!

After reading these two articles, I no longer feel it necessary to lock my doors when going to the bathroom.

Virus killed NZ tourist in Thailand

Updated: 14:13, Saturday March 12, 2011

A young New Zealander who died in Thailand last month had a highly infectious virus which can spark the heart condition which killed her, tests show.

Sarah Carter, 23, died in Chiang Mai, where she was holidaying with friends Emma Langlands, 23, and Amanda Eliason, 24. All three were seriously ill and suffered vomiting and heart complications but only Carter died.

Four other people - an elderly British couple, an American woman and a Thai woman - also died unexpectedly in Chiang Mai within five weeks and their deaths are being investigated.

But the Dominion Post on Saturday reported tests carried out on Carter showed she had echovirus - a highly contagious disease which can cause myocarditis, the heart condition which killed her. The disease is linked to dirty, overcrowded conditions.

The discovery was revealed by Thai doctor Pasakorn Akarasewi, who met New Zealand embassy staff to report the investigation's latest findings on Thursday night.

British couple George and Eileen Everitt died in the Downtown Inn - the same hotel Carter and her friends were staying in - just two weeks later, while Thai woman Waraporn Pungmahisiranon, 47, died in the room next to Carter on February 3, the day before the New Zealanders became ill.

The hotel's air conditioning and facilities have been checked but nothing suspicious found.

http://www.skynews.c...?id=588109&vId=

Tests link virus to dead Kiwi tourist

Tests have revealed that Kiwi backpacker Sarah Carter had a highly infectious virus that can cause the same heart condition that killed her in Thailand last month. Thai health authorities are still investigating what caused the sudden deaths of Ms Carter, 23, and four others in Chiang Mai within five week, including an elderly British couple, an American woman and a Thai woman.

Ms Carter and Kiwi friends Emma Langlands, 23, and Amanda Eliason, 24, became seriously ill with vomiting and heart complications while staying at the Downtown Inn in the northern tourist city.

Ms Carter died of myocarditis, or acute inflammation of the heart muscle, on February 6, and Ms Eliason needed emergency heart surgery. Their illness was initially blamed on food poisoning from a seaweed toxin.

Thai doctor Pasakorn Akarasewi met New Zealand embassy staff for a two-hour briefing on Thursday night to report the investigation's latest findings.

His report includes newly released autopsy tests, which showed Ms Carter had echovirus, a highly contagious disease linked to dirty, overcrowded conditions, which can cause myocarditis.

Dr Akarasewi, Bureau of Epidemiology director for Thailand's Department of Disease Control, said doctors were unsure what caused the Kiwis' illnesses.

"After the group of three New Zealanders, we set up the joint investigation team," he said.

Soon after, the team heard about the deaths of elderly British couple George and Eileen Everitt in the same hotel only two weeks later. Members also heard about Thai woman Waraporn Pungmahisiranon, 47, who died in the room next to Ms Carter on February 3 – the day before the New Zealanders became severely ill.

Dr Akarasewi said autopsy results showed the British couple had blocked heart arteries, which could have caused their deaths.

A fifth victim, American woman Mariam Soraya Vorster, 33, who died on January 11, though not in the Downtown Inn, had symptoms that were "in the same pattern" as Ms Carter's.

Although her death occurred a month earlier, an autopsy had been performed before her cremation in Chiang Mai, he said.

Thai police had checked the Downtown Inn's air conditioning and facilities but found nothing untoward.

- The Dominion Post

http://www.stuff.co....ad-Kiwi-tourist

Surely this is just inaccurate reporting. Tell me it wasn't the police that checked it.

jjjjeeezzz jjjjay, my only regret is I didn't know about them prior to the event. I know they must have been loud as I could hear them in SanSai. I will do my best to be there next year. Maybe some ear plugs for you, then enjoy the visual stimulation?

This is one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history /RT @mpoppel:

"@BloombergUTV: Japan Earthquake: Yen falls sharply after quake"

The Yen may have dropped swiftly, but it was a small move. So far it looks like nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction. So far well within a normal days range.

I see in the picture they removed the rope from around him. The 1st thing we were taught as a basic copper in the academy is that you never remove the rope it goes intact with the body to the coroner, and for forensic testing before being removed. They have eliminated evidence that may assist in an investigation.

We don't know if the sister or neighbor took him down or even emergency responders if they got their fast. Sounds like she was home when it happened and she might have got to him right after and may have tried to revive him. I get the feeling that this all transpired fairly quickly and if true then would think any responsible person is going to make an attempt to revive him. I would think not removing or even cutting the person down initially comes into the play when it is beyond clear the person has been dead for a substantial amount of time and their is no hope of reviving.

I can only speak for the US but believe in most states that a paramedic cannot declare somebody dead and except in obvious cases of death beyond recessitation they need to make an attempt to revive that person and this would obviously include removing a noose and taking a hanging person down even to just initially check vitals. I also would think a police officer would have the same responsibility first arriving at a scene where a person may still may have a chance if cut down. If they got there hours after a death I don't think it would be clear if a person could be revived or not without taking the person down.

Didn't go through police academy and could be wrong but I would think there would be a clear distinction in protocol depending on the state of the deceased (dead for a week or still warm to the touch)

Someone was pretty sure he was dead as there is a picture of him hanging. As for who removed the noose? Maybe the young cop holding it in another picture. He learns so quickly, knows how to get his mug published, give that lad a promotion!

Thai police and especially detectives should be made to watch at least a few years worth of CSI and Law & Order as part of basic training. But then would the actors and producers be working without a permit? Taking jobs away from the oh-so-competent Thai police trainers. (Give me a hundred thousand baht son, and that job is yours. You are such a quick study. Promoted!!!)

Kinda, sorta was my experience. I have the exact same model. It has been almost two years so I forget some of the details. I can dial mobile phones okay but not landlines. I think for landlines I have to put the 66 in place of the zero, but rarely dial landlines anyway. When I respond to a text message it shows I am responding to a 6683 xxx xxxx number instead of a 083 number. Often I have to resend text messages.

When it displays the home number it is the US number, not the Thai Sim card number, which may be a clue as to why I have some of the other problems.

I decided to live with the problems as I didn't expect the phone to last that long. It was already close to three years old, and had been dropped in a hot tub before I arrived here 23 months ago. But it just keeps on going and is still on the original battery, though a charge only lasts less than 24 hours now.

I had it "unlocked" at Kad Suan Kaew, by a kid called Lek in a smallish stand on the main electronics floor, straight across from the escalator system closest to the down ramp motor cycle parking area off Huay Kaew Rd.

he charged 800 Bt where most others wanted up to two thousand, so maybe it was a case of I got what I paid for.

No mention of statistics for the general population. The concept of the scientific process has yet to be born in Thailand.

Typical "Nation" reporting.

Unnecessary vehicle accidents are cultural to Thais. Who are we to tell them to stop.

This is true. Best to leave it in the hands of Darwin. He knows what's best.

Unfortunately, Darwin's theory only applies to weeding out the weakest/most stupid, leaving behind an average that is stronger/smarter. If the total pool left surviving is just as weak/stupid, nothing has been accomplished.

Why there is picture of FN Minimi when M16 were stolen?

Maybe they didn't have a "file photo", and now they have NONE left to take a picture of.

Hi the tracking info will only appear on the usps site once it has arrived in the states so keep checking the site.

Looks like it is same for Australia. I have a letter that left BKK Sunday but has not yet appeared on the OZ website. (No event message.)

Update for Australia postal tracking from Thailand. As of today Friday the 25th there is still no events posted. However in calling the recipient, they have already issued a new document and sent it back this way as of Wednesday the 23rd. I guess it is not a reliable system, at least in Aust.

My birth certificate arrived yesterday. Outgoing mail date was Feb. 11, return date Mar. 3, so almost 3 weeks round trip including processing time in Melbourne.

I had some docs notarized by an attorney here who had a sign out front saying Public Notary. The department of Births Deaths and Marriages in Vic., Oz accepted them, so I'm guessing there are Notaries here in Chiang Mai.

A new "HUB" in the making??

Or a new "crackdown" ?

Let's face it. If Thailand is the Hub of anything, it is the "Hub of Crackdowns".

Only a supply-demand study can tell you if it makes economic sense. See if there is any brown rice being sold, and what it fetches. Then figure out the costs to get each to market. Personally I am more interested in finding locally grown varieties of low G.I. (Glycemic index) rices. See the following quote and link.

So, if you are a big rice eater, opt for the lower GI varieties with a higher amylose content such as basmati, Doongara Clever Rice™ or Moolgiri (see GI Symbol News for more information). These high-amylose rices stay firm and separate when cooked and combine well with Indian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. But keep those portions moderate. Even when you choose a low GI rice, eating too much can have a marked effect on your blood glucose.

http://ginews.blogspot.com/2007/04/low-gi-food-of-month.html

Hi the tracking info will only appear on the usps site once it has arrived in the states so keep checking the site.

Looks like it is same for Australia. I have a letter that left BKK Sunday but has not yet appeared on the OZ website. (No event message.)

Update for Australia postal tracking from Thailand. As of today Friday the 25th there is still no events posted. However in calling the recipient, they have already issued a new document and sent it back this way as of Wednesday the 23rd. I guess it is not a reliable system, at least in Aust.

Hi the tracking info will only appear on the usps site once it has arrived in the states so keep checking the site.

Looks like it is same for Australia. I have a letter that left BKK Sunday but has not yet appeared on the OZ website. (No event message.)

The name of the game is CAPITALISM.

Ehm.. no.

If it was Capitalism then the price would just go up, but anyone could buy as much as they want as long as they could afford it.

Compare: 70 Baht palm oil and you and me can afford it just fine. Versus: Same government limited price, but only one bottle for you, me, the rice farmer and the red bus driver.

So.. the name of the game is actually much closer to COMMUNISM!

Actually, the term is BAILOUT. The US went into such debt when it "saved" the financial system in 2008, (which of course was a problem it caused), then added to that debt through stimulus packages. The only way to pay back that and other debts is with inflated dollars, hence QE I and II...where the Fed monetizes the debt, by printing money out of thin air, which is the definition of inflation. Many of those dollars chase after hard assets, like metals, oil and yes, even food. It will get worse in coming years, perhaps much worse.

So that augers well for the other thread " Where is Gold going in this market".

Its rreasons like this that support an increasing gold price... fear.. So when there is very little food available those wiht gold will be able to buy it,, the rest of us will starve or eat our worthless US currency..

Not so good on the food front tho... the UN has been bleeting about food shortages for years but no one listens !! Surprise surprise..

Exactly. No-one does a thing until there is a crisis. Politicians are in the business of buying votes. Dare not tell the constituents there is trouble ahead, and ask for preventative measures.

So just to clarify the reason commodoties and food prices are skyrocketing and being rationed is because of hyperinflation and the payback to the banks of debts taken by the governments during the crashes....?

More or less. I outlined the chain of events earlier. Keep a couple of things in mind however.

First weather can play a big part and I think is partly to blame for the coconut and Palm oil problems.

Second it wasn't JUST the banks and Wall Street that were greedy. From mortgage brokers to everyday people lying on loan applications, to governments encouraging home ownership, to politicians being bought by mortgage interests such as Fannie and Freddie.

In sum we are about to pay for our collective debt binge of the last 40 or more years. Add a few things like crop shortfalls, genetic engineering gone awry, or another shock to the financial system and that will determine when and how bad it might be.

One of two things happened.

a. Someone pulled out into traffic without looking.

b. Someone was flying against traffic.

The name of the game is CAPITALISM.

Ehm.. no.

If it was Capitalism then the price would just go up, but anyone could buy as much as they want as long as they could afford it.

Compare: 70 Baht palm oil and you and me can afford it just fine. Versus: Same government limited price, but only one bottle for you, me, the rice farmer and the red bus driver.

So.. the name of the game is actually much closer to COMMUNISM!

Actually, the term is BAILOUT. The US went into such debt when it "saved" the financial system in 2008, (which of course was a problem it caused), then added to that debt through stimulus packages. The only way to pay back that and other debts is with inflated dollars, hence QE I and II...where the Fed monetizes the debt, by printing money out of thin air, which is the definition of inflation. Many of those dollars chase after hard assets, like metals, oil and yes, even food. It will get worse in coming years, perhaps much worse.