Emster23

I have around 900k in bank here so don't have to deal with embassy, so that is shrinking, but at same time my much larger amount in US is worth more... like pouring from one cup into the other and thinking somehow that makes more. And I would hardly say "record levels". I remember when baht was around 40 to the dollar.

That CCTV better be careful, might get hauled into court for confirming harming Thailands image.

"The officer then reportedly handed a ticket to the man and advised him to pay for the ticket at the police station (or settle on the spot, to his pocket), and kept their motorcycle key with him as he continued to patrol the area (never heard of such a thing before). The Russian woman waited for her boyfriend at the motorcycle, he added.

When Pol.Sgt. Nopkrit returned, he said, he saw the Russian woman attempting to move the vehicle away from where he left her, and he called a vehicle towing company to confiscate the motorcycle, because he feared it might be "lost" (Now that is a pile of horse manure! She wanted to be near it, which would seem to make 'losing" a bit difficult).

Seems he needs that police kit they were distributing a few weeks ago, look at section called "evidence" (evidence? we don't need no stinkin' evidence!) We Thai police. Who you gonna believe?

First death, now taxes.... how about a tax on stupid decisions? That would be a goldmine! I don't know if it is called VAT, but now most things you buy have that 7% figured in.... good way to keep the rich happy and make the poor foot the bill.

As many of us know from experience, once the habit of lying is in place it becomes second nature, even when the truth would be less damaging. Clearly we can see Lee Harvey Oswald was up there, in that 6th floor window.

general is waiting for a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

I figure it is just the "new spirit of volunteerism" that is sweeping the nation. Citizens everywhere rising up and saying "I want to help out. I want a piece of the action. Ask not what your country can take from you, but what you can take from your country!"

Brought to mind "Field of Dreams" modded somewhat: "If you build it, they will crash"

My wife recently got her master's degree from a certain "hi so" university. I was not impressed and also got angry from time to time due to the stories she would tell of how things are arranged.

Even though many if not most of the ajarns have degrees from foreign universities, they seemed to have missed the important lesson of just what an education is about in terms of climates that encourage thinking and questioning "conventional wisdom" and authority.

Her advisor ran his department like a third world dictator.

He spent more time criticizing and insulting students for errors in punctuation and form rather than content of their work.

He told them to dedicate their theses to him (not ask, tell).

He told one male student to go and tuck in his shirt (this is graduate school, no uniforms). Imagine a professor doing that in the USA!

Students were never taught to "think outside the box", but rather were slammed if they ever questioned him or his methods.

He would waste whole classes telling students about how great he was and his accomplishments.

I was a teacher for many many years in the USA. My main focus was in teaching students how to think, locate information and apply it to whatever problem might come their way. Memorization is a waste of time in the age of the internet. Being able to find information that is relevant is what counts.

Thailand's system makes me think that it is similar to what may have happened when writing was invented.

"You must memorize this story, epic poem, whatever".

"But professor, this is already written down, wouldn't understanding the meaning be more important?"

This kind of upstart question would lead to a severe fail for lack of kreng jai.....

Arrested them? Isn't kidnapping just about the only business there? Only way to get foreign currency? Guess they forgot to bring a little "tea money" for officials. Live and learn.

Probably try to argue "freedom of expression" excuse. I taught at a black high school and it was a daily battle over saggin'. Fashion comes from prison, where sagging your pants low shows you are so tough that you dare anyone to try to make you their boy toy, if you didn't know. More insane than those tight skirts women used to wear and then could barely walk.

More power to the airline for kicking him off.

There was a soft core flick came out in 1969 "the Stewardesses" that was 3-d. Some leg come poking out at you sort of thing. Not great cinema for sure. So this flick is not the first. Here's a link if you for some reason, wish to know more: My link

""He's Taiwanese and his name is Lao Pan,"" Wasn't that the name of the evil boss in the classic John Carpenter flick "Big Trouble in Little China"? Wanted to marry a green eyed girl and gain immortality?

Could knock maybe 10 baht off the price if they didn't cool down to level of walk in freezer. Promote matinees with cheaper seats is good idea too. Maybe they should post "official" starting time of the actual movie?

The Supreme Court of the US upheld flag burning as a freedom of speech method in 1989, fyi. Texas case of course.

Lot's of good comments here, but I do think some posters are naive at best. The rules are made here by the rich and powerful, not by the people. And laws like LM are tools for keeping the people in line.

I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it just hasn't caught on here.

I think Mr Joe got corrupted by those filthy farang ideas like equality, saying what you think, taking a stand. Too long in USA will do that.

So far as general population here goes I think of Eli Wallach in Magnificent 7: "If God had not meant for them to be sheared, he would not have made them sheep".

Earlier I copied this posting: " People go to jail all the time in the US for showing a police officer disrespect.. they call it disorderly conduct among other things. Kids are disciplined all the time in school for showing teachers disrespect." and thought "Has this person ever been to the USA? Especially about kids being disciplined in school. That doesn't happen. Here a teacher has no problem physically abusing a student who doesn't show enough "respect". In USA you can get in trouble for just touching a student.

The whole LM "respect" thing trickles down through society. People live in total fear and anxiety if they have to make a request, no matter how small or just, to their "superiors".

I agree that respect, like leadership, should be earned from the bottom up, not demanded from the top down. What do I know?

"The free market will fix everything if it is allowed to do so unhindered by government but with property rights (including personal) protected."

What turnip truck did the writer fall off of? This rather simplistic view of economics nicely ignores reality. It is the problem of "the commons" with each producer/polluter seeking to maximize profit and minimize expense. Since the expense of keeping "the commons" clean is not borne by the polluter but rather by the general public, profits are greater and someone else picks up the tab, in degradation of the environment, possible illness, a lower quality of life.

The general public doesn't have it's rights protected, property and otherwise, because the free market makes it profitable for the polluters, mafia, whoever, to buy off the so called government and affordable prices. Few if any speak for the public interest, and still fewer would do more than just give lip service.

I thought "lenghty power cut" hmmmm how long? 4 years?

There are so many ways to die, I just don't which one to choose.

LM is a little too Taliban for my tastes. Freedom isn't freedom if there are thought crimes.

Watching Daily Show animation on big wedding for William, I thought "lock them up and throw away the key" if anything remotely like that was shown in LOS.

I have done that trip too many times to count. Once I had a bus that had seat belts. Just once.

Only time there was an accident was when I foolishly went back to Jomtien during Songkran. Some drunk Thai driver ran his pickup into our bus. Wasn't a big deal because the expressway was going maybe 10 kph tops.

If one were worried you could take the alternative bus that is listed as Jomtien at the Ekamai station. It is the sloooow route, adds maybe an hour. Most collisions would be of lower speed, due to back roads and stopping at every local hamlet.

Brings to mind the PJ O'Rourke book "Parliament of Whores" about US congress. He does rub some the wrong way

For some reason I sort of like him. Ideology? What's that? Platform? What, live music here? It's refreshingly just about power: how to get it, how to use it

"Nobody is forced to work for any employer." No, but people tend to get hungry from time to time.

How can they charge about the same as western outlets, but pay only 10% of the wage costs? Simple. People are willing to pay that much for the product.

got to be status, can't be the food. Almost ANY food stall puts out a superior product at a fraction of the price and 10x the flavor. Plus I tend to get sick after a visit to KFC.

Don't get me started on Starbucks....

They'd have to pay me extra if they wanted me to eat some of that Krispy Kreme junk!

"slapped a transfer order on the superintendent of Huai Khwang police station for allegedly allowing a gambling den to operate in the area under his jurisdiction." OOH that's gotta hurt!

Legalized gambling the police would never agree to. Talk about cutting off a major source of support. I remember the old adage:"The Catholic church and the mafia both oppose legalized gambling". I this case substitute mafia with police, as we all too well know

When the government sets the standard of saying it's okay to rip off tourists (the two tier system), it's hard to put all the blame on the other scams.

I wonder if you'd need a Phd to come up with the results of that survey. Seems evident to anyone who is not in a coma.

Couple of other areas that need attention: How about following most of the rest of the world and give pedestrians the right of way? Many is the time I've cringed seeing some tourist crossing a Thai road assuming the vehicle will stop...

And the impossible dream: clean up corruption in the police

Housepainter hit so many nails on the head he should be a carpenter instead.

Seems people get the governments they deserve. Thais don't seem to care how much they get screwed by the ruling class.

But I do find it hard to believe that some of you still believe the bs about red shirts only supporting because some of them may have gotten some money to protest. It does seems the movement has lost it's populace base and is now being used to promote agendas that aren't so much from the people...

I didn't think Thailand had freedom of speech before, what with so many subjects that could land you in jail for years. Or in court.