lumply

The appalling air quality caused by the burn off has long term health implications. As a foreigner I would never live in such a high risk environment. Hong Kong and Beijing are the same, not unlike the famous London smogs of the 1950's that killed hundreds of thousands prematurely. Happy breathing everyone.

Jet skis are relatively easy to ride fast in a straight line. It's the manoeuvring that requires skill. The unfortunate victim seems to have been riding at high speed and lost his situational awareness. I will not ride a jet ski anymore now that I'm older and wiser; without training, they're death traps. I can understand the exhilaration though.

I'm confused, so time to move on.

Yes, that was pretty dramatic footage and my sympathies go out to all those affected. Everyone likes a good heroism story bu lets's get things into perspective. Any pilot will instinctively take evading action in the case of an emergency, just like a car driver will steer away from an obstacle. This is not bravery, it is self preservation. In the case of a malfunctioning aircraft, the handling pilot has very little time to react at low altitude. He will have practised set emergency scenarios in a simulator throughout his or her training, and during post qualification check rides. Regrettably in this case all those considerable skills were to little avail.

I did find it strange that the stressed Mayday call from the a/c was answered by an instruction from the Tower to change frequency 119.??. In the circumstances the non handling pilot would not have had a chance to comply due to their rapid descent, proximity to the ground and unusual attitude. If you are lucky to survive a Mayday situation, from experience I know how training kicks in and endlessly practiced emergency procedures saves the day in some cases, but at such low altitude as in this case the outcome is most likely to end in grief. Thank God there were survivors.

"...the British foreign secretary raised his governments opposition to the use of the death penalty against Sandiford."

Simple. Don't let your citizens travel to places with laws you oppose.

These idiots that risk smuggling drugs in a country that have a death penalty for smuggling drugs are not real bright. No great loss.

So, what you are suggesting is that the government restricts freedom of choice in respect of travel. God help us all if ever that was made into law. A ridiculous notion. However drug smugglers deserve what's coming to them if they get caught. One might also feel the same about Ebola health workers who get needle stick.

I was introduced to Thailand in the late 70's through business. Didn't like BKK at all, was cautious and confused, and was holed up in the hotel after work for 10 days. That soon wore off and the rest is history.

The Russians are broke. As are the Americans, the Brits, the Chinese, and most everyone else. (Except for the Nordic nations).

One is not broke....yet which is why a couple of weeks there in a 5* hotel is already booked for April. In the meantime it's a 'slumb' job (NOT) in a the luxury pad in another part of the world where the sun always shines. Happy days.

Sycophants the lot of them but I guess protocol demands

As individuals we all have differing emotions. This guy was sad, stoked by alcohol very likely, and reacted the way he did. We should be more understanding and less critical.

Bad move.

They were not committing a crime, they were offering a service that Thais can't offer.

They were taking nobody's job.

Just another excuse to say how bad these foreigners are..................

I know, you can't work without a WP, but at this instance they were harming nobody.

Most likely not, but the law states that they were indulging in an activity that required a WP, so they were acting illegally, hence their current predicament.

Looks similar to a 787 but with a380's noisy flap actuators

I was waiting for it to stall because of its faulty pitot tubes.

Airbus passengers are either clapping at the end of the ride because they're surprised they made it OR THEY are screaming in sheer terror whilst their pilots fight the planes computer for control.

?

Said in jest? Or else the comments are nonsence

We we should be aware that as we age our ability to regulate our body temperature declines. We then have to adopt coping mechanisms in extreme heat or cold. Most people manage without dying.

one should tell tourists to stop negotiating with fake watch sellers from first hand. Don't even start a fri...g negotiation unless you really intend to buy a fake watch for the price that is called minus 70%.

What is so astonishing, I watch the Russian tourists stop the fake watch seller, wind him up in a 30 minute bartering session, and then try to send him his way.

If I was a seller, I would get angry, too. You are wasting my time, I have got a life to live by selling watches to people who are interested, not to people to just want to make it a show to their friends and their grandmother.

Even if I get solicited while walking down the street, by a watch seller, I have the dignity of leaving HIM his very own dignity. I do NOT stand in front of him proudly proclaiming " Your watches are all but a fake" . I would tell him "leave me alone, I do not need a watch", and let him go after his business . .. I strongly doubt if you call them off in the correct manner, insisting you are not interested in his offers, they will stop insisting to sell you a watch and keep walking on, no matter if the fri....g watch is fake or not.

just say no, in a polite and comitted manner. Stop insulting them or calling them scammers of a million of fake watches.

You spit against the wind, you get spat yourself.

So are you suggesting that the watch seller was justified in pulling a knife? God help us all if you are because that's what it reads like. Get angry and stab someone, now that's really gross.

wife, child I would say chiang maai. it has all you would need

What about the burn off smoke in Chang Mai. That's enough to create havoc I with an adults lungs let alone a child's. You'll regret it later in life.

I agree that a tablet for a 20 month old is far too young an age. What about a good old fashioned book? The OP could benefit from some traditional methods himself. Let's not encourage the prolification of zombie education in our youngsters.

CB cells can exist at FL32 (approx 32,000ft) and certainly a 5nm seperation would nowhere near be sufficient enough to avoid severe turbulence and momentary loss of control of the aircraft, more like 25-50nm. It would be interesting to know what other pilots flying in the area were reporting. A sudden loss of a transponder signal or no apparent time for a 7700 Mayday code could indicate initially a catastrophic structural failure or other sudden de-pressurisation event.

Know the cardinal compass points and where the sun is, and a photocopy of the Thailand page from an atlas and a reasonably intelligent person who can also read road signs will be able to navigate accurately enough anywhere in the world. Ditch the GPS technology (admittedly useful for locating specific locations), otherwise ditch the GPS and be adventurous.

What a thoroughly un-noteworthy article even though it was written in painful jest. I would had no sympathy for the child nor its' parent had the shark landed on the push chair if it was true that the infant had been tapping on the tank.

Probably because imported oil prices are negotiated well in advance. Therefore any drop in world prices of crude would not be reflected immediately, or at all, at market level. Look at the negotiated cost of imported oil, not today's cost.

NO!

So without being able to tell me directly, I'm having to assume the boots are now f***ed beyond repair?

Anything positive to add?

Why do you think they may be f'd beyond repair? If they are structurally OK then surely it's a re dye job that's required. An expert bookmaker should be able to restore them to their former glory.

This happened last year, why is it news now?

For those who didn't see it first time round perhaps? Some of us have to work for a living.

Good for him. I like adventurers who are prepared to push boundaries and challenge norms. What a boring place the world would be if we only had footballers to keep us entertained!

If it ain't broke why fix it? I am perfectly happy to let my G/F do everything when we are in China, essentially her patch. In Thailand or anywhere else we pitch in together and manage adequately. Isn't that what a partnership is about no matter what are the vews of other people?