Pops

Quote: CHIANG MAI: -- Police have arrested a Chiang Rai man and seized 1.368 million yaba tablets and 108 kilograms of crystal meth worth a total of Bt1 billion, National Police chief Priewpan Damapong announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

First, it all happened in Chiangrai so why does the title and even the quoted section above mention Chiangmai ? Furthermore 1,3 billion tablets of Yaba and 108 kilograms of christal meth worth 1 billion THB ???

Facts as they are slowly revealed - one being he claimed he left his house at 5:10 and hit the victim 5:30. Did they forget that one?

You can bet 'darling dad' will have the hidden safe open and counting the millions out for favours but as already stated, this is becoming THE test case for the Thai Police and Judiciary. My guess is he will get a 10 year slap, and cosy 'safe' prison (easily accessed by the privileged), and be out in 12 months after the heat dies down and will most likely get a sideways shift once released to an international location for 'study' until it is safe for a low profile return.

Drunk driving resulting in death. Guilty as charged your honour - throw the book at this idiot.

It doesn't matter which penalty he gets.

As custom, he will pay some poor so to replace him and do the actual time.

The man only admitted to, sometimes having to tell "white lies", in order to avoid panic reactions which could seriously harm the market.

All finance departments of all governments around the world, do exactly this when faced with situations in which a serious panic reaction by the people, might cause enormous harm to the market.

Get a freaking life and open your eyes, at least the man is open enough to admit it.

Time for another Minister to get his name in the newspapers just before Cabinet reshuffle time. They make it so blindingly obvious its silly.

What they have not thought through, whether they like it or not is that tourists world-wide come here knowing they can get their fake rolex or LV handbag and the wording of such a strong warning really will scare tourists away from coming. This is a really really bad move when tourism has suffered and they are trying to give it a boost. It will suit the crap advertising campaign they have come up with for Thailand on the TV, not even close to matching India or Malaysia.

They may not do fake goods overtly in many countries but they dont give you a warning when you are on short finals that will scare half the tourist population on an aircraft to death. Stupid, stupid! Another example of engaging mouth before brain!

Please read the thread: They are talking about importing fake goods INTO Thailand, not exporting.

Tourists can still come and buy all locally produced fake goods and export to their desire !

Sounds like a logic result of a generation which is fed by the media with all kinds of things they have to have but with parents that cannot afford the goods promoted to their children.

Many Thai youths are very displeased with their situation and see no way out for the future.

Their needs are being fed through all kinds of media (TV, Internet, Magazines) with constant reminders of what they should look like and possess.

If they would have possibilities to have a future in which these things would be within reach, things would look a lot brighter for them, but unfortunately their parents do not even have money to afford good schooling.

Sad !

I do however think that the so called EQ in Western countries is decreasing as well.

Are there any numbers known about that ?

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday announced that it would be installing emergency boxes at 112 dangerous locations in 22 districts to help people report crimes, emergencies or public annoyances round the clock. The law enforcers' motorbikes would be equipped with a GPS to locate the problem area in time.

So the box is on a bike? Pleeeeeeeeease get some journalists.

Learn to read boy, "The law enforcers' motorbikes would be equipped with a GPS to locate the problem area in time."

Pleeeeeeeeeease get some freaking glasses

PTP wants to select their own crony?

There's a surprise!

Isn't it normal in most countries that top positions are appointed by the government with consultation with military chiefs? I know in Australia positions like the Chief of the defence force is Government appointed and shared b/w the Army/Navy/Airforce (a rotation) other organisations like the police forces also are government appointed (chief Comm) They still work independently but senior positions are government appointmennts.

While comparing, you could also contrast. In Australia, we appoint people of proven intelligence, management skills and achievements. Here that is seemingly irrelevant compared to which class you attended (read cronyism), to whom you are related either directly or by marriage (nepotism), and to which political R-sole you are prepared to sell you soul, not to mention your country (corruption).

When those factors become insignificant, it might be a good idea to let the politicians have more influence. But while the government is run like a criminal conspiracy by Chalerm and Thaksin's glove puppet, perhaps not.

And besides, they have their own army, or so they believe.

Buddy, no matter what, Thailand has a democratically chosen government and this government should be able to govern according to law. Period.

This is the only way to come to the heart of the problem and answers to questions like: "Does Thailand actually have a democratic chosen government with power or is it run by other forces" ?

Every foreigner on this panel thinks they know the answer and knows how it should and would work of course but none of us really knows how or what, we haven't got a clue.

You mention "a criminal conspiracy by Chalerm and Thaksin's glove puppet", but was the military cooperation between their glove puppet Abhisit and his crony Suthep that much less corrupt or that much better ???

I also do not know but think it is better to let the Thais run their own country.

As public servants shouldn't they have to report wrongdoing with public funds??? This is criminal behavior, you can't just sit on the info until it suits you.

The Democrats have to investigate first, how much knowledge and proof Phua Thai might have of the wrongdoings with public funds during its own reign, before they can safely report wrongdoings of Phua Thai of course.

Quote: "The aim was to create equality in the liquor market, as well as to reduce consumption, she explained."

Equality, by putting more tax on imported alcoholic beverages then on locally produced alcoholic beverages, really ??

And this price hike, of only several THB for locally produced alcoholic beverages that makes them a little bit more expensive but still within reach of the (poor) consumer, should reduce consumption.

Yeah, right !!

If anyone would slap my kid i would rip his f....ng head off.

You just do not slap any-ones kids that's a job for the parents.

Quote: "The two-time MP and former Uthai Thani mayor has been acquitted in two murder cases in which he was accused of being the mastermind."

Two time MP and former mayor despite being involved in (acquitted) in two murder cases.

Wow, he must have some power.

Sounds like that is 3 murder cases now.

Maybe we will see him as Prime Minister or deputy Prime Minister once

Lets not panic too quickly. I work out the extra cost on a bottle of San Mig Light being 2 baht.

Is it not 400 THB/Liter divided by contents of bottle san miguel light, for this is an imported alcoholic beverage ???

so if a bottle of San Miguel Light is 33 cl it would get 133 THB more expensive, right ??

" sand, which has spiraled upward following the raid and closure of an illegal quarry in Phang Nga. "

Hmmmmmmm. "illegal quarry"

Price is half that of next nearest supplier.

At which point in the supply chain, did the buyer not know the sand was illegal?

Just asking.

Yeah in any Western country the seller of illegally gained raw material would be legally punished but so would the buyer.

Here we just ask the governor to adjust the prices to illegally gained raw material level.

They plainly admit having used illegally obtained raw material for years, better even, the whole of Phuket has been using it apparently.

You gotta love it !!!

Awesome !!!

Quote:

The PACC also found that many high-level officials, politicians and celebrities had used their influence to force forest and land officials to issue land-ownership documents for forest reserve and national park areas for them, he said.:

How did they force the forest and land officials ??

By giving them cash ??

Quote: Other countries, like Vietnam or Cambodja are getting more and more competitive as nearly everyone speaks fluent English!

Additionally they are highly motivated.

I do business in both Cambodia and Vietnam and can assure you, that your statement, that everyone there, speaks fluent English and is highly motivated is absolute nonsense.

I know you just ventilate an opinion, but it would be nice if this opinion would at least be based on some knowledge.

Thailand should look at countries that have had similar problems in the past and learn from what they did.

Holland for instance has been struggling in the past with a huge shortage of farmland and farmers willing to do the backbreaking work.

Furthermore, housing developments raised land prices, so less and more expensive farmland was the result.

Government therefore regulated and controlled land usage.

Land plots can be bought and sold but have a pre-determined future purpose set by the government !

Farmland should only be used and sold for farm purposes so it become unattractive for investors.

This also regulated sales prices of land plots.

Also look at new, more modern and productive ways of farming, like so called vertical farming.

If rice farming indeed is the backbone of this country, it should have full government support, in developing more modern and profitable ways of farming rice.

If rice farming becomes more profitable and less back breaking I guess more people would consider it as a future.

Right now it is indeed hard hard work and the awards are minimal.

I feel sorry for and also deeply respect current Thai rice farmers !

In reading some other info on this case, some questions arise. Why did none of the family or the shooter take her to the hospital? Why was an ambulance not called and why did the manager have to take her to hospital after some delay? It was also reported first that it was his secretary and now ex wife? Why were the police so quick to make a statement supporting the accident claim? Apparently extremely rare for this weapon to be fired accidentally, did the police take this into consideration when pronouncing their conclusion? Everything looks damning and then i think that if i were going to kill my ex wife i certainly would not whip out an Uzi at the dinner table in front of the family, unless i wanted to make a dam_n strong statement.

Just read the shooter is allegedly partially paralyzed and this may have contributed to the "Accident". Wouldn't this fact make it more difficult to fire the weapon?

The fact that he is partially paralyzed would probably make it more difficult to fire the weapon, but what about the questions whether a partially paralyzed man, of whom they now say that this handicap could maybe have contributed to the "accident", should have a weapons permit for an Uzi in the first place ???

Quote: "From our initial inquiry, the secretary's family will not sue because they were relatives and it was an accident -- he did not mean to do it," a local police officer told AFP by telephone.

So it is fully legal in Thailand, to have a fully loaded, already cocked a round in the chamber (otherwise the thing won't shoot), with safety switch off, Uzi with you at a public place on the table ??

Wow, interesting !!

They nicked 100mn, but his officially stated wealth was 65mn.

Arent there 2 different issues here, one is that he has declared wealth of 44mn more than he earned, but if he has 100mn under his bed, so one would think, they are only scratching the surface.

They "allegedly" nicked 100 Mln.

With emphasis on allegedly.

"A gang of burglars allegedly stole Bt100 million in cash from his Bangkok home in November."

And only 64.7 confiscated? Common, do the maths.

Read the whole article and it will become clear.

Do not forget that it reads: allegedly stole Bt100 million in cash from his Bangkok home.

"alledgedly" !!!

Unbelieveable....this game with all these fake awards...

Living now for some years in ASIA it is amazing to see for what people get awards.

And behind all these awards is a world of crap, corruption and more bullshit....

Come on guys, you gotta love Bangkok.

Yes it is polluted, but which major city isn't ? Yes it is crowded and footpaths are not wheelchair friendly, but every major city has its negatives.

Bangkok also has a lot to offer and there is something for everybody.

I can understand that tourists love Bangkok !!

L.S. Has the item been sold or can the seller still be contacted in any way.

Very interested in buying !!

I as a Black Man had enough of Prejudice in my life. When I came to Thailand I promised myself I will not be Prejudice. Now I accepted young beautiful Thai women over 23. Just because they are young I will let have my money as fast as letting a older women.

Let us all live let live You have no right to judge me because my wife is 37 years younger than me.

Why she has been staying with me for 17 years already is nobodies business but hers not even mine.

I stay with her because she is beautiful not to old and yes good in bed.

Well said Harry, it's your life, enjoy it while you can !!

Pathetic !

Wish people would stop creating boxes and determining for other people what their lives should look like.

Mutual consent: yes, legal age: yes and the rest is up to the partners.

Live and let live boys and enjoy life a little bit.

There are too many rules and regulations in place already !!

There is no solution, the best you can do is sell up and hope to get as much of your money back as possible.

Us expats rarely make any real contribution to the economy of Thailand and it's naive to assume otherwise. We do manage to drive up property prices in some areas and mostly we spend our money in establishments which are owned or controlled by overseas companes etc.

I'm sure most Thai's wouldn't miss us as long as the tourist trade continues, except a lot of essan families of course.

Sorry I don't buy that. Sure property prices rise in some places.

Most of my cash goes to Thai owned companies, been like that for years.

I have been a net profit for the Thai economy and most of my friends are too.

I said "rarely" and I stand by that..

It is not the financial contribution Foreign owned companies make to Thai economy that needs to be discussed.

It is the in-equality between Expat and Thai owned companies that is at discussion.

If we would all be judged by our contribution to Thai economy, then 90 % of Thai owned small businesses that in most cases do not even have a decent company or pay their tax, would rate very poorly as well.

Foreigners are excluded from al kinds of businesses in Thailand to start with and then also cannot even own the businesses they set up with their own cash.

That is what is at discussion.

If that rule would apply in some of our home countries, every foreigner living there, would be demonstrating on the street with a whole battalion of local supporters behind them.

Just look at it from that perspective.

It is just not a fair situation.

Us driving up property prices in certain areas only emphasizes this inequality, for why should property prices go up or down in the first place ?

Property prices should be driven purely by availability and demand and not by who demands the property, or am I seeing it wrong ?