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cpofc
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"sexual violation of family members (3.8 per cent)."
Absolute rubbish! EU and American figures are at 16% average concerning city life - they are worse in rural areas by far.
I wonder; well I don't. Rather, I'd say why hide the truth Thailand? The figures for Southern Asia are astronomical - that's why.
Thank you. This feels like a Thai bashing article. Wonder who wrote it? Wonder who published it? Just visit the American south, places like Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama, and then lets compare.
hehehe of course it is! One of the reasons I stopped frequenting Ex Pat Pubs, bars etc., over a decade ago was because of the rampant, unabashed hypocracy one had to put up with. it never ceases to amaze me really. Talk about glass houses.
Now I am not a Thai apologist and I find domestic violence in Thailand as abhorrent as I do in my own native country. I could assail you with no end of very frightening stats on Domestic Violence in Australia. here is just one - Domestic violence is the leading cause of death and injury in women under 45, with more than one woman murdered by her current or former partner every week
this was in the Oz news TODAY!
- PARENTS convicted of their child’s murder, manslaughter or neglect should have any other children taken from them as soon they are born, the coroner who presided over the Chloe Valentine inquest says. South Australian coroner Mark Johns has called for a major overhaul of Families SA — which he labelled broken and flawed — in inquest findings handed down in Adelaide today.
Try typing into google domestic violence in australia. The Stats are as frightening as they are damning. There is a Royal Commission On Domestic Violence In Australia being convened AS WE SPEAK!! it is perhaps the biggest social issue in Australia today
And as for the 'Buddhist thing' - may I remind you that Australia likes to call itself a Christian Country founded on Christian beliefs. yada yada yada get real!
So, for the Bashers - It is not a unique Thai trait and the LOS is not a hub, it is a worldwide disgrace.
We need to clean up our own backyards before we start bagging everyone else.
Unfortunately. as i read again this week about record household debt, the problem will probably only get worse.
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With all the absolute disgust being expressed here.....isn't it amazing how many people actually watched the video....Why?
It reminds me of the beheadings of late.......so many people outraged...but yet managed to watch them.....again....Why?
Would you rather it be censored and covered up ?
No thanks, not me, i have no intention of watching the Video. Why on earth would I?
Some years back, I had a friend, although he's not anymore, who had stored on his mob phone one of the very first videos of the Taliban Beheadings, he thought it was highly amusing to show it around to people at social gatherings. Most, like myself, were appalled.
Online Outrage? This may explain a few things.
Link below - Sadism and the Online Mob
There are three common theories of why people join online outrage mobs. The first is that they are simply angry. Blogger Adam Gurri calls this “telescopic morality”--– the tendency of people to get emotionally worked up about things that are far away. The second theory is that participating in an outrage mob allows people to feel social acceptance -- it demonstrates that there are a lot of other people who are on our “side,” who share our values and who are willing to march alongside us. The third theory is that outrage is a form of social performance -- that we profess outrage to show other people that we’re on their side.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-12-23/sadism-and-the-online-mob
as for those evil Thais .......
Below - Sydney, Australia Today!! (not an isolated case either) Sydney mother pleads guilty to manslaughter of her son, 7, who had 'plethora of injuries'
A Sydney mother has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her seven-year-old son after admitting he did not fall off a pogo stick as first claimed, but was subject to months of neglect and sickening physical abuse at the hands of herself and her boyfriend.
Numerous cases exist of mainly, De Facto (male) Spouses abusing and killing their partners children.
Indeed. The current Australian of the Year 2015, Rosey Batty's 11 year old son Luke was beaten to death by his own biological father with a cricket bat whilst he cowered in the nets at his team's afternoon Cricket practice.
(Australian) ABC Four Corners Program Below - Rosie's Story
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2014/07/14/4043135.htm
Child abuse and Filicide is not unique to Thailand, not by a long chalk, and those who like to unfairly pretend it is need to get a life and add a few more URLs to their favourites folder apart from TV. Why is it people are surprised atrocities such as this can happen here just because most Thais are Buddhist? Noone ever makes the same link in cases like this when it comes to Australia and Christianity. Luke 18:16
The best we can hope for, as so-called civilised societies, is that the Law (and Karma) is permitted to run its course. unless of course you would prefer to live in a place like Pakistan or Afghanistan.
and on that note, I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.
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Never say never I guess, but Google seem to have everything going for them right now. They are the ones with all the money and resources. I am afraid they are going to be around for a long, long time. They have become an institution in their own right. They will take a lot of beating.
I go back to when Yahoo was the premier search engine. it was every web designers dream to get onto Yahoo. Every website was evaluated by a human in those days. There were no robots and crawlers like there are today I deeply studied SEO at this time. it took me 18 months to get my site listed on Yahoo. Then there was Excite. You could submit your site to Excite remotely. But you needed to do some study when it came to good SEO for this. Behind the scenes there was a mob no one really ever heard of and it was never advertised.. It was called 'Inkotomy' (spelling) you needed to get onto to this hidden list if you wanted a chance to get listed in the 'premier' Search Engines of the Day.
I was surprised when Google seemed to come from nowhere and virtually pushed all the others aside on it's stellar rise to the top.
Google has almost reached the stage, in the 'connected' world, where it is almost 'too big to fail'.
What worries me is that the internet is almost becoming 'owned' by just a few 'big boys', something it was never intended to be.
that's progress I guess.
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Your words.OMG
Only a fine Amazing Thailand Fined and banned from picking up passengers at the airport.
Do you want him hanged or something?
Is this really all a bit of a storm in a Teacup yer reckon? So many bad things going on in this world today.
hehehe perhaps he should be ordered to work exclusively out of Thong Lor, attend compulsory Japanese language Classes, eat Yaki Soba for lunch daily, recalibrate his meter to Yen, and replace the 'I Love Farang' sign stuck on his back window with 'I Love Ippun'
if he refuses, then hang him.
What would be nice is if the two of them could be gotten together publicly to apologise to each other, bow and wai, smile, shake hands, no hard feelings.
Both cultures are up for it. Why not.
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No they are not supporting the Greens at all. They are the Greens!Don't forget the ABC is supposed to belong to the Australian (taxpaying) people, not the ALP, Greens or Trade Unions - they are supposed to operate within a written charter, a charter they choose to ignore whilst they thumb their noses at the Majority of Australian Citizens.ABC International and Australia Network Expand China Media Cooperation
April 29, 2014
ABC International and its Australia Network have further strengthened and expanded the long term international relationship with China’s media powerhouse, the Shanghai Media Group, with support from the media authorities of the Chinese Government in Shanghai.
On the back of the Australian Government’s Australia Week in China trade mission, ABC International and the Australia Network have struck an international multi-platform media cooperation arrangement supported by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and TV. The detailed agreement to formalise the arrangement is slated to be signed in Shanghai on May 4.
Through the cooperation, ABC International will establish an online portal in China through which a range of ABC and other Australian media content and services can be offered and presented to partner Chinese media organisations.
The arrangement also enables the ABC to establish a base in Shanghai with official approval to represent and sell media content across China, enter into international co-productions, and generate international sponsorship and promotional opportunities.
“This historic agreement opens up a whole new world of television and online cooperation between Australia and China,” ABC Managing Director, Mark Scott, said. “It provides a truly unique window for all Australian media to build a friendly and mutually cooperative relationship with China. International Channel Shanghai last week broadcast a week of Australian TV programs provided by the ABC and Australia Network to coincide with Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s visit. Q&A’s live broadcast in China was the first open interactive public comment style program broadcast live from China to Australia. The success of last week and the future under this agreement will help build understanding between China and Australia.”
Mr Sun Wei, the Executive Director of the Shanghai Media Group’s International Channel Shanghai, said, “The Shanghai Media Group is China’s second largest media organisation and its recent restructure ensures we are looking to further build our international media partnerships. Ground breaking international broadcasts such as Q&A, which was produced as a collaboration between Australian and Chinese television crews, pave the way for bigger and better international media cooperation and cultural connections in the future.”
Lynley Marshall, the CEO of ABC International, said, “This agreement will enable us to put the full range of Australia Network programming and content from other Australian media into China and for China to connect more closely with our media. Most importantly, the agreement will provide opportunities for promotion of Australian business, tourism, entertainment, culture and education.”
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Basically, the bum has fallen out of world commodity prices. Our coal and iron ore, LPG revenue has plummeted. Australia's debt is increasing by over $1 Billion per month and the government is being blocked in the senate from reigning in the debt. Just last month another 200,000 people applied for the Disability Support Pension for Christ's sake. There is already almost 1 million Australians of working age on the disability support pension. Along with an ageing population, a Taxation system that needed a serious and complete overhaul more than 20 years ago, Healthcare Cost blowout - and on, and on..
Now with the US economy said to be recovering, along with the crisis in Europe we are in a really bad place.
The 'Lucky Country' is just about to run out of luck. Much speculation about the Reserve Banks Interest Rate meeting next week. if they cut it, then watch the AUD fall!
This is an edited extract of a speech BCA (Business Council Of Australia) Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott delivered at the Australian Unity Great Australia Day Breakfast. (26JAN15)
....consider our current national trajectory, evidenced by data and events in the last three months of 2014.
• The terms of trade experienced their biggest fall in 50 years.• Write-downs to economic forecasts in the mid-year budget update wiped billions of dollars off the budget bottom line.
• The deficit has blown out to 40 billion dollars, some 10 billion dollars more than originally forecast.
• Commonwealth net debt has risen to 245 billion dollars this year.
• Interest repayments this year on that debt are 11 billion dollars.
• In October, the unemployment rate hit 6.3 per cent, the highest rate recorded in 12 years.
• It fell back to 6.1 per cent in December, but remember at the height of the Global Financial Crisis it only reached 5.9 per cent for a short period of time.
• Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high.
• Our competitiveness continues to slip and our multifactor productivity is stagnant, making the task of job creation even harder.
So what do all these numbers mean?
Well, the budget is confronting a “pincer movement” from increasing demand for services and from an ageing population.
At the same time as the capacity of the economy to pay is being weakened.
The ageing of our population alone could drive a fiscal gap of 4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product by 2060 – in today’s terms that’s about 65 billion dollars.
A reversion of the terms of trade to their long-run, pre-boom levels could alone increase the deficit by around another 40 billion dollars.
Another global financial crisis, which saw a 70 billion dollar budget deterioration, would turn all of this into a perfect storm.
At the same time:
• the global economy is still sluggish• there is still enormous global economic volatility
• and our geopolitical environment is very fragile on so many fronts.
If all this doesn’t constitute a burning platform, I’m not sure what does.
Surprisingly, very few commentators, with the exception of The Australian’s Paul Kelly, called these changes out last year.-
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it really annoys me to see how many punters have been conned about the ABC Budget Cuts when it comes to the Australia Network. The Left/Green anti Abbot ABC have sold you all a pup! And you swallowed it, hook, liner and sinker! Mark Scott is a bloody liar! The Corporate Makeover and Rebranding of the Australia Network, to Australia Plus along with the new multi layered website with all the bells and whistles must have cost a fortune. Not to mention it was all planned long before ANY cuts to their budget were even hinted at! They are spending a fortune in China.
The Corporate, profit making, outfit that is the ABC, is huge. They have multiple radio and tv stations, 100s of websites/pages, more coverage in OZ than any other media outlet in the country! No other Media Company in Oz would be allowed so much coverage! Shops, stores, online buying. In fact the ABC have around $200 MILLION in their own coffers!!
You have been conned by Mark Scott and the Left Wing Socialists and Greens who now dominate YOUR (very biased) ABC!
The local Thai Cable Operators have carried it since it's inception, then CTH picked it up after their amalgamation, Historically True and UBC have never had it. All of a sudden True gets the gig and it is suddenly dropped or pulled by CTH and their local operators. Save for a few odd ones.
One can only assume the ABC have upped their prices or done some sort of deal with True.
The Budget cuts were quite small relatively speaking. Mark Scott offset these by getting rid of 'deadwood' staff he didn't want from the regional locations around Oz. Namely South Australia, Adelaide in particular. The power base is in Ultimo (inner suburban Sydney). Bloated with inner city, soy latte sipping, greens, lefties, academics and armchair socialists. The ABC and Australia Plus, today is nothing more than the Media Arm of the Labor party. A propaganda platform for the left and Greens paid for by the Australian Taxpayer.
You blokes need to do a bit of study and get out more. Fair dinkum!
The reason why you think the service has deteriorated is because they have all been on Xmas Leave!!!!! The are Public Servants after all. It is the TV Non Rating Period on Oz! Normal programming resumes next week! Sheeeesh!
Why would a government service like the ABC engage in TV Ratings you ask? Think about it..
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Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.
You do realise taxi fares have ineased (twice if my memory's not failing me) in the past 4 years-that might account for the rising rice. Plz don't believe the ''fares have been stagnant since the end of the war'' brigade
8 Baht in 5 years! Quick send me your Bank Account details and I'll send you a few bob. You're obviously doing it tough.
And what war would that be? if it is the one I am thinking of, and, for many years after it ended, ALL fares were negotiated prior to getting into the vehicle. I wonder these days how many of the pampered whinger brigade could cope with that!
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they already did this about 15 years ago at DM. The lines were huge and the inevitable long wait was a big PIA. Not for me thanks, not again! When I arrive I just want to get the hell out of there and get home.
I still just go up to the departure level and get a cab dropping off. No waiting. I generally have no problem. But then knowing where you are going, plus, as someone mentioned in another related thread, if you are able to speak decent Thai like an 'old hand', doors will open for you, cab doors that is, not to mention the opening of the meter too. BTW I am only about 24 K from the Airport. Very rarely will the cabbie try it on, if he does I just go to the next one. There is no shortage of them.
When I do get the cab and the cabbie is a good, fair, honest bloke, the meter is on, no mucking about, I am ALWAYS very appreciative for his service and his honesty and generally reward him quite well with a decent tip. A decent tip really only being a few dollars in my native currency.
Thais are notorious whingers. Cabbies are fair game. it doesn't surprise me about the number of complaints. I come from a country where cabs are scarce, outrageously expensive, they are a protected industry with tight restrictions on numbers, often they are dirty and the cabbie speaks in a foreign language and doesn't know where he is going. For me Thailand is Taxi Heaven. At least the cabbies here are 'natives of their country.
20 years ago, where I live in outer suburban Bangkok, if you went into town for a night out or to meet visiting friends, it was dreadfully difficult to get a cab home late at night, no one wanted to take you. So I know how frustrating this can be. But all that has changed now as cabs are plentiful 24/7.
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The whole thing was a con job by Mark Scott of the ABC. The Australia Network has ended in name only. It had a corporate makeover and rebranding and is now called Australia Plus.
Budget cuts? what a load of crap. It was a damned lie. Their online web presence, now, is huge, dual language, subtitles, multi layered, and more, and must have cost a motza. It was always part of the ABCs Strategy to increase web presence and it was all put in place long before the so-called cuts. But of course the Left Wing, soy latte sipping socialists believe it.
Australia's ABC closed down their SAT Service via Intelsat (PAS) 8 at 166E and are now broadcasting on the C Band at 180E (although I haven't had my large dish re pointed yet) so I can't advise on reception from Intelsat 18 at 180E This I suspect was to provide a better footprint into China. Where they are making huge inroads into TV media there.
I have True Cable, it is on there. It used to be on CTH but for some reason they removed it, about the same time the Military Government at last lifted the broadcast restriction of it. Due to the ABCs Pro Taksin stance. I have both services. I haven't checked CTH for a few weeks but last time I looked it was still absent.
You can also get yourself a VPN and watch ABC Iview, Ten Play, 9 Catchup etc. over the net. VPNs are made easy these days, self installing, no hassle. IPTV - the future of Television.
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I take cabs almost every day of my life here. Maybe I am just lucky but I can only speak highly of the very large majority of cabs and the cabbies. Keeping in mind that the fare hasn't gone up in 20 years! A very good Thai friend where I live had to give the job away recently and return to an office, admin job. He just couldn't make a decent enough living and he is a very good driver and a terrific bloke. He battled for years at it too.
Let's see. Airport to Saphan Kwai. Off the top of my head, including Toll Way. Traffic. You really wouldn't get a helluva lot of change out of 700. Certainly not worth all this froth and bubble anyway.
To be honest I reckon the Jap is being a bit kinneow. If could walk out of the airport, get a good clean cab, good aircon, good music on the radio, friendly driver, a pleasant no hassle trip. without taking the 'scenic route', from the airport all the way to Saphan Kwai for 700 (Toll Included), I reckon I'd gladly take it. And I may even add to it, if he was a good bloke and stopped at the 7/11 for me on the way!
Ippun Kee Nok!
I support the cabbies!
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EBAY is the go. I have been doing a bit of shopping on EBAY over the past year. The is not alot you can't get. Just go to ebay.com - in the search box (all categories), type in, movie posters fire & rescue - In the left column select parameters, Buy Now - Free Shipping - and - voila! All is revealed.
Best part is you don't even have to get off your a**e. The purchases are delivered to your door!
I have already checked this out and I think you will get what you are looking for. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Planes-Fire-Rescue-Bridge-Mini-Poster-40X50cm-200Gsm-Official-Disney-Film-/361047223308?pt=AU_Movie_Memorabilia&hash=item5410176c0c#shpCntId
And I don't get hit up for any extra Tax on delivery. A couple of times the postie has hit me for 7 Baht. Although not the same it seems if your purchase is from the US where I have previously been stung on delivery.
Some of the shipping costs are outrageous so always search with the 'free shipping' filter checked first.
The Chinese sellers offer alot of Free Shipping
I have been interior decorating and changing over my entire house to LED Lighting with Remote, Phone App and wifi controlled etc. They have a ton of gear, all the latest technology. Cheap, free delivery to my front door. No Tax. Gotta be happy with that,
You will need a paypal account though. This makes the whole process painless.
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I think the one thing that bugs me about all this is all the high and mighty people on this forum that group overstay and visa runs in the same breath.
There is a massive difference between people staying here and keeping within the guidelines that immigration themselves established by doing visa runs, and people who were/are here on overstay.
Many, many people built lives for themselves here whilst keeping within the rules and doing visa runs, not a day of overstay - other longer term visas were of course available but unnecessary given the visa run system that happily existed for so long. For example allot of offshore guys used this system on 6 week off periods as it was easy and absolutely no problem with immigration, it was pretty much encouraged - then the rules change and that's it. Posters here giving it the big one about try this in the UK, USA etc when those places have way more illegals than Thailand for the most part is quite frankly ridiculous.
I am personally in favour of the tightening of rules, they do make my life a bit more difficult after having been here for 5 years on a work permit and choosing to switch to a tourist visa for the 3-4 months a year I will be here, but the guys doing visa runs previously were doing absolutely nothing wrong if they weren't working - just following the rules that the immigration department had put in place to allow people to stay here.
If you worked here whilst doing visa runs then that is just plain wrongness, but many didn't and they are being treated like criminals now, facing massive life upheavals after just doing what they were told to do by the people that ran the country during the time they spent here to stay within the rules.
The massive difference being, one is breaking the law, the other is abusing it. The objective here is to stop both.
I remember a night some years back now, hooking up with a young (early 20s) Brit bloke who happened to wander into my local(Thai) pub one night. He had parked his motorbike next to the pub. We later left the pub and went out, leaving the bike and taking a taxi. Upon our return, late, we stopped to get his motorbike. Alas it was surrounded by police who had setup a roadblock, right where he had parked it. I started to cross the road when he shouted at me urgently to come back. He was positively terrified, s****ing himself. I told him not to be concerned. The police won't bother you. They'll just wave and say hello. But there was no calming him down. Then he told me. He was on overstay, teaching English illegally in a nearby school. He was very distressed, you could have been forgiven for thinking he was on the run for murder. He wouldn't go near the bike and got cab. I remember thinking what a bugger of a way to live. Like a fugitive. Constantly looking over your shoulder, anxiety attacks everytime you see a copper. Not for me. I only saw him once more after that. With his (Thai) girlfriend, who told me she was worried that he was getting mixed up with a shifty character who was up to no good and could I talk to him. I don't know what ever became of him. There is no way I would want to live like that.
This current 'crackdown', which appears to be alot more fair dinkum than all the other previous 'crackdowns' over the years, has been a long time coming. It couldn't last forever, particulary since the numbers have been increasing exponentially over the past decade.
No, I have no figures to prove it, but IMHO stats would show 'Visa Runners' and 'Overstayers' would be well over represented when it comes to foreigners committing crimes or working illegally in the Kingdom. A classic case of the shonks ruining it for the honest people who just want to stay a little longer than they originally planned.
Thailand was always going to have to clean up its act sooner or later. The two arabs travelling on false passports who boarded the illfated missing Malaysian Airliner were probably the last (embarrassing) straw I reckon.
Go legal, or go home.
Not just a Thai problem
As for Australia, which is also cracking down, and recently changed its laws..
Persons who overstay their visa by more than 28 days may become subject to an exclusion period that prevents them from being granted a temporary visa to travel to Australia for three years. This exclusion period applies whether they leave voluntarily or not. Even after the exclusion period has finished, the person cannot be granted a visa unless they repay any debt they owe to the Commonwealth, including for costs of removal, or they make satisfactory arrangements to repay their debt.
As the federal government cracks down on the estimated 100,000 illegal workers residing in Australia, it can be revealed that almost 17,000 calls have been made to the immigration dob-in line over the past year by concerned Australians.
As from July 2012 - ALMOST 70 new illegal overstayers go missing every week in Australia and there are now 60,000 who cannot be found by immigration authorities.
The number of visa overstayers - who entered the country legally and then failed to leave - has jumped by 3530 in just one year, data reveals.The figures released by immigration show an estimated 59,430 people were in hiding around Australia on December 31, 2011 - up from 55,900 on December 31, 2010.
Over the past five years the number of visa overstayers has jumped by about 10,000, Immigration figures show.
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"The child will never know his twin sister, who was born healthy with him in a Bangkok hospital and has been taken away by their parents'
That's the saddest part for me. Having a sibling and not seeing one another. Truly sad.
i wonder if the parents of the girl will ever tell her she has a brother in Thailand whom they rejected since he didn't meet their specs ?
Makes me wonder where we are headed, with all that is going on in this world today. I guess this appalling situation is always going to occur when we reduce Human Beings to mere commodities, items to be bought and sold. In which case the couple in question appear to have, under Australian Consumer Law, merely returned a defective item. (and before those of you who have destroyed your frontal lobes by way of prolonged, excessive alcohol abuse tear into me - I am being sarcastic)
Maybe in the future we won't have to resort to surrogacy, we'll be able to grow perfect children in laboratories.
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izQB2-Kmiic[/media]
There is a silver lining though. Indeed, the poor little fellar is off to a pretty rough start, but outraged and sympathetic Australians have rallied and already have a Trust Fund set up for Gammy, around 3 Million Baht so far, and counting.
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It would be easier if they just executed every drug user and seller on the spot (in the street). we would be rid of many unwanted "tourists" and other people.
Let's start with alcohol then, seeing it is the number one killer and destroyer of families. Then tobacco, followed by coffee, then we can start on the pharma 'licensed' drugs - how many people do you know who have never taken a tablet in their lives? How many kids are on meds for ADD, or other such excuses of afflictions?
Some people are capable of handling their habits, without becoming drug addicts. Addicts are usually weak, in need of support - not incarceration. I would go so far as to say it is more of a disability - do you propose killing disabled people too?
For those with a more enlightened view, big change has already started - after gay marriage, the next whirlwind will be pot legalisation in the good ol' USA; the country that demonised it in the first place.
You should really look at ways to improve your own life, and those around you - simply keeping your opinion to yourself would be a good start.
Stopped reading after "ADD an excuse of affliction blah blah blah..." . You clearly know nothing about medicine and disease.
I was never claiming to be an expert - my only input comes through my school career, where there never was such a thing as ADD (it had not been invented yet) and none of my classmates were on a cocktail of uppers, downers and wake-me-up drugs.
Certainly there were the usual dunces who never paid attention, and maybe I was even one of them - if only I had discovered drugs then!
The past 50 years has seen an enormous waste of lives and money trying to fight the drug war. Not one bit of it has been a success, isn't it time to try a more sensible approach? In my mind that should include looking at pharma drugs immediately as that's where most addicts are.
No you certainly don't need to be an expert.
Just read the news.
Pick a RECENT news story from the Google News Link (Below). Canada, USA, Sth Africa, Australia. Abuse is rife. Trafficking in Schools of prescription (ADHD) drugs is rife.
Even their Mums are using them.
By David Sack, M.D. - When coffee just doesn’t cut it, some moms start using their child’s ADHD medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, to boost their mood, focus and productivity. In the past decade, the number of prescriptions written for Adderall has surged among women over 26 (from about 800,000 in 2002 to 5.4 million in 2010). These medications are highly addictive and can have serious side effects including aggression, paranoia and seizures.
Like many Movie Stars and Celebrities, I guess our resident expert in Medicine and Disease believes that if someone in a white coat gives you something, then it must be ok.
Hands up Class, all those who don't think there is a problem.
During the 50's and 60s, when I was at school in Australia, there was no such thing as ADHD either. So what happened? The only thing I was ever prescribed for bad and/or disruptive behaviour was 'The Strap'. (the cane on a few occasions) Feels like I kinda missed out, it would have been much more pleasant being doped up than receiving corporal punishment.
Below: ABC (Australia) World Today Radio Program - 19th June 2014
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/twt/201406/20140619-twt10-kiddiesdrugs.mp3
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On the subject of Cheese. (Aust & NZ)
There are not alot of farangs where I live, but my local Tesco Hypermart stocks the same imported products as all the others.
Thus, the imported, perishable products don't exactly go racing off the shelves, and as they approach their use by date they are moved to the 'Discount Bin' As we know 'Use By Dates' err greatly on the side of caution.
So, I usually pick up my cheese from the discount bin, where the price is usually discounted 50%, e.g. a B200 block is marked down to B100. A bargain in any man's language.
Farang khee nok?
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Why are Thais allowed to buy land in Australia 100% in their name but Australians are not allowed to do same in Thailand?
When asked a Thai the response was "Poor Country"
They actually have more billionaires than in AUS I am told.
Yesterday, the NSW government announced that there will be no more housing grants for first time home buyers from overseas.
Seems they were latching onto the grant and weren't even Aussies.
Try doing that in Thailand. You can't even buy a house!
Could we be shutting the gate after the horse has bolted?
It was Kevin Rudd who opened it BTW
The Australia Network TV still runs Ads aimed at Asian Buyers for Australian Residential Property.
Selling the farm? Yes. Literally.
Australians are more concerned about making a quick, lucrative quid than they are about retaining ownership of their land. Maybe because we have so much of it that noone really gives a bugger. Just becasue we have been stupid doesn't mean the Thais have to be.
Nowadays Home ownership for young Australians is pretty much out of their reach. The Great Australian Dream is now just that.
Who would blame the Thais for not reciprocating.
Open the Foreign Floodgates!
At the time of the GFC, Australian household’s carried more household debt as a percentage of household disposable income than their American household counterparts. To cover all bases and ensure there wasn’t a devastating collapse of the housing market like in the United States, the government also “streamlined” the administrative requirements for the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).
As part of these changes, temporary residents (e.g. Chinese) could purchase Real Estate in Australia without having to report or gain approval from the FIRB in a bid to help support the market. It was sold to the Australian public as allowing the FIRB to concentrate on larger issues in the ‘National Interest’.
By March 2010, the media was flooded with articles (Australia for Sale) on Australian’s being outbid by an army of Chinese residents, effectively pricing Australian’s out of their own housing market. But the ‘streamlining of administrative requirements’ actually meant no records were kept, or more specifically it would seem that these foreign temporary residents no longer needed to lodge applications with the FIRB. There was public outcry and no real data to support just how big or small this issue actually was.
The outcry had grown so intense, that on the 24th April 2010 the government buckled and a tightening of foreign investment rules relating to residential property was announced, complete with a package of new civil penalties, compliance, monitoring and enforcement measures. The government even went to lengths to set up a 1800 hot-line for residents to report suspicious property buyers and help calm an outraged public.
The press release by the former Assistant Treasurer, Nick Sherry said “The Rudd Government is acting to make sure that investment in Australian real estate by temporary residents and foreign non-residents, is within the law, meets community expectations and doesn’t place pressure on housing availability for Australians.”
Australia for sale Written by admin on March 27, 2010 – 4:27 pmWith mortgage approvals in Australia falling of a cliff, and Real Estate agents reporting such a strong property market at a time when the market is flooded with near record levels of listings, onehas to ask who is buying?
Mortgage approvals in Australia are down 21 percent from its peak in September 2009. The last month of data shows a 7.9 percent fall for January making it the biggest fall in mortgage approvals for a decade. Since then banks have been continuing to tighten loan value ratios (LVR) for both first home buyers and investors, suggesting bigger falls are to come. It is starting to become common to require a 20 percent deposit, which means for both investors and first home buyers, some sizable and solid savings are required before they can enter the market.
Residential property markets around the country are inundated with listings. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported Sydney has a record 2860 houses and units for auction this month, double the 1400 listings the same time last year. Despite this, Real Estate agents are continuing to report a shortage of homes for sale to create an atmosphere of utmost urgency – buy now or be priced out for ever they claim. The Melbourne Age even writes the “Red Hot Melbourne market starts to glow white!”
So if the number of listings is going through the roof, yet the number of loan approvals through the floor, what is underpinning the market at the moment? Cash savings you say – very funny, we spent all our savings years ago.
The answer may come from the easing of restrictions for foreigners to purchase properties in Australia. In 2008 during the GFC, the government needed to find ways to get more money to flow into Australia to underpin the “strength” of our economy. One such way was to remove some restrictions and make it easier for foreigners to purchase property without government or FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) approval. The government called it streamlining of administrative requirements.
While all statistics sourced from Real Estate agents and their lobby groups should be taken with a grain of salt, some RE agents are suggesting as much as 30 percent of all residential property sales at present are to foreigners. With a surge in listings, and loan approvals down 21 percent to the end of January 2010, there is no reason to doubt that number. If anything it could be a little light on, but remember Real Estate agents exaggerates the numbers, so potentially the market isn’t glowing as white hot as some would want you to believe. Maybe the white is actually a yellowish-orange tinge at 3200K, not 6500K (degrees Kelvin, a measure of colour temperature).
As these changes to foreign investment were likely to become politically sensitive, no records are kept on the number of purchases made by foreigners. This makes understanding what exactly is happening in the market a difficult one.
On the back of such a strong housing market, the RBA has been cranking up the rates in a bid to slow the market down before it makes our current and unprecedented housing bubble a magnitude worse. But will interest rates have any effect to foreign investors using funds sourced outside of Australia? If the market is read wrong, the RBA could be penalising Australians, both the unproductive property market and productive businesses which underpin and create jobs and real value.
In a finance industry conference held in Sydney yesterday, RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said that if the purchase of property by foreigners who borrow abroad becomes “a large-scale phenomenon,” then raising interest rates in Australia wouldn’t “make any difference to them.”
“The question of the role of foreign purchases is an important one and it’s one we’re giving some attention to”, adding that hard facts about the trend is difficult to find. The RBA is closely watching foreign investment in our housing market and if it is contributing to the surge in house prices in recent quarters.
The government now has a big problem, both politically and financially. If they can’t seize back control of the housing market, Australian citizens will be forced to accumulate more debt and spend more on housing expenses as a percentage of the household budget at the expense of discretionary spending further impacting local jobs and businesses. Not only will we not be able to afford basic housing, we will have no jobs.
“In an environment where the affordability of housing is very poor, perceptions that foreigners are fueling house prices could become an issue” for the government, said Shane Oliver, senior economist at AMP Capital Investors.
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what has john howard got to do with vietnam, ex natcho, you are a labor moron, get your times right
yep, can't believe the tripe I read here. For most of the 'brain surgeons' posting here it would take them an hour and a half to watch '60 Minutes'.
who can forget this.... speaking of sucking up to the yanks
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No football, no TV, no bars, no Karaokes, home by 2200
it will be interesting to see the spike in infant births early in the new year 2015
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There is justice after all.
I knew he would eventually go to hell for wrecking a Maserati Biturbo on Top Gear....
I am convinced that this witch hunt against Jeeza is a set up by Daily Mail reading caravan owner's
or theory number two. JCs has really had a gutful of doing Top Gear, and rather than retire gracefully, upsetting his legion of fans, he wants to go out in a blaze of publicity and get the sack.
Just a thought, as it does seem he has a 'death wish'.
Just a small thing. Where I come from (Melbourne, Australia) the rhyme went ' If he hollers let him go'.
Gollywogs have been banned, Darkie toothpaste was renamed Darlie, 'N*****R Boy Licorice ceased production. I reckon Jeremy might be next.
I am sure he doesn't need the money.
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Actually you may find the price has gone up a little. Read today's news item about inflation. Weed sells for around 11000 per half kilo block. But you don't consider this as being the 'Street' price. Normally it is usually supplied to the end user in 1300 baht blocks. This price is up from about 900 baht ten years ago. The weed is usually grown in and shipped from Laos. it is not Thai and certainly NOT Thai Buddha.
back in my young days here, Thai Buddha was considered to be the 'Primo' of weed. At least in the Western Hemisphere. Certain people made their fortunes in Australia by illegally importing Thai Buddha Sticks, by the container load in fact, and at one time, prior to hydroponics, in the 1980s, it was dearer per ounce than what gold was.
In the 70's during the VN War R&R period it was everywhere, Buddha Sticks about 6-8 inches long, as thick as your index finger were approx 15 + - baht per stick. During this era too, one could always buy 'ready made' joints in (Krong Thip/Falling Rain) packs of 20 - on the street in Bangkok, for between 100-200 baht.
I remember coming alongside the wharf at the US Navy Base at Sattahip in the early 70's. The line handlers on the wharf were local thais. Whilst we were doubling up and securing the berthing lines one of the Thai Wharfies was trying to sell us ganja. Before we even had the brow across! As for Khlong Toei, Petchburi Road, that was being right in the thick of it. it was the 2nd thing you were offered when getting into a cab.
Alas, you young blokes will never see a 'Primo' Thai Buddha Stick. They haven't existed for decades. What you are getting now is not the famous Thai Ganja but a much inferior product from Laos where it is full of stalks and seeds and the THC content is very low. Your average Australian teenager today would have to smoke half a pound of it to get same buzz as half a joint would with the hi-tech hydro super dope they are growing in their sheds and wardrobes today.
the Corby's were taking the Australian Hydro to Bali. making a killing.
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Not exactly earth shattering news. Look around.
Here, in the real world of Thai (Bangkok) Suburbia I have had three direct marriage proposals in as many weeks, plus a couple of tentative ones. None of these women work in Bars, Karaokes, etc. either.
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Father and Son Bonding in the 21st Century. Bit different to my day.
Wouldn't matter whether the girl was under age or not. (don't take that the wrong way please) Although how they knew her real age, would be open for debate, unless either the Father, or the Son mentioned it in their statements to the police. But then how would either the father or the son be sure of how old the girl was. or maybe the acrimonious divorce has something to do with this?
Whether or not teenagers are sexually active is no excuse. Being drunk is no excuse. Personally I believe the father probably had it all figured before they went drinking and whoring. He was on a mission.
The man is supposed to be a responsible parent and guardian! These are not the actions of one. There is a legal age of consent and prior to reaching that legal age of consent the father, in this case, was the person in charge. He was the (less than) responsible adult in charge. He failed miserably. Teaching your CHILD the facts of life should not involve practical lessons with prostitutes. It is both illegal and immoral. Would he have done the same thing in Australia? No. Why? Because it would be illegal. And it would be very much illegal for the hired sex worker too.
He obviously left his brains, and his morals behind when he stepped on board the plane in Brisbane. Couldn't wait another 5 years or so, he wanted a 'blokey', 'mates', relationship with his 13 YO son now. There is a right way and a wrong way of doing things. This is the wrong way. Probably couldn't wait to get back to the CFMEU Crib Room to brag to all the mates about it.
Whatever happened to the father and son activities such as fishing, camping, Go karting etc.?
If a mother had done the same thing with her under age daughter there would be people screaming from the rooftops!
I remember the bloke (Australian) who owned the 21 Club (Bar) in Mabini Street, Ermita, Manila, in the late 70s. His son, a very big lad, like his father, who looked much older than 14, came to stay with him for the XMAS Holidays. The kid ran 'amok' for over a month, he wasn't paying though. There were no shortage of Filippina 'cougars' who wanted to accommodate him.
Father and Son Bonding? How many can say they have a photo of their first beer in a pub with their old man. The Whistle Stop Bar, Perth, W.A.
March 1969, 15 Years Old. (dad died in 79)
12 months to the day almost, later, Mar 1970. I was set loose, unsupervised, in the flesh pots of SE East Asia, starting with Subic Bay, PI. It all went downhill from there. without any assistance from my father whatsoever.
Only a fine 
Amazing Thailand 
All what old man wants
in Thailand News
Posted · Edited by cpofc
I can still remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing when this Harry Chapin number became a No. 1 'hit'.
Nothing much has changed in the world since then, except for the inevitable reversal of roles the passing years have bestowed upon me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCpsD0ZDfus