connda

Monks being cruel, monks only interested in making MONEY.

Monks do not care about animals, they only care about makingMONEY.

Monks can do anything, whatever they want, and the authorities are scared to touch them.

What .... Thailand would be better without Buddhism or what does your comment?

Monks practicing actual Buddhism is fine. But then you have this, monks with wads of cash, monks with hi-so fashion-wear -- lost monks and a lost Sangha trafficking in animal parts. Not good.

The myth was separated from the reality. Ah-oh.

Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, traveled to Koh Samui in Surat Thani to listen to measures being taken to tackle problems in the tourism industry, including those related to the rental of speed boats and ferries, passenger boats, motorcycle taxis and taxis.

And how about the Thai on Farang group beat-downs that are all too common or the beat-downs/assaults due to not having sufficient funds to pay bill (police matter), not having sufficient funds to cover damage to a rental (police matter - maybe), simply loss-of-face (well, call the cops before beating the tar out of the farangs).

Although I'd like to see it, best of luck on that Bernie.

Follow the money. Like proposing a new airport in the middle of no-where-ville Lamphun province to serve Chiang Mai province. That's a bad idea looking for a place to happen. But the developers, taxi services, and local governments see nought but "฿฿฿฿฿฿"

Evil Bridge players strike again???

Excellent athlete. RIP.

The question we all need to ask is what did we do to stop it.

I refused to go into the "temple" and I spoke out to discourage people I know going. It wasn't much, but I did my part. I know many westerners and Thais spoke out as well. The Thai people who worked hard to close the place down were threatened and some were attacked. Please remember the risks and the sacrifices these people made, because members of governments past and present made their lives difficult.

"...we..." ???

You have a mouse in your pocket, mai?

All about the baht. They were NOT monks.

Tourists moved by the spectacle of such splendid creatures living side by side with human beings

They were heavily sedated.

And well fed.

"Public health officials in Chiang Mai and Buriram are warning people as the onset of the rainy season sees a further spike in hemorrhagic fever cases caused by mosquitos."

Just in case the hemorrhagic fever doesn't do you in, the chemical spraying, without evacuating the premises, will.

A lot the spraying is just for show. Why spray in a public area during the day when it is crowded, when spraying at night, when it is virtually abandoned, would be just as effective and not subject humans to the poisonous fog?

But, then again, how could the chemical spray be that dangerous when all that's needed is a 15 Baht cloth mask to protect the person who is exposed to it all day?

Having had dengue before, I'll take my chances with the spraying. The next case I get could be fatal. Ditto for my son.

"TAT would like to assure international travellers that this was an isolated incident, not targeted on any group of foreign tourists in particular."

Sure, of course.

Waiting for the '500 baht, and a slap on the wrist' brigade, to eat their words.

And how are you going to verify the sentence, no less the attackers actually serving the sentence? You, farang, can not. I see what the farang newspapers say, but I don't know what is true and for real. The kid who kicked Rose Owens in the head while she was down 'looked' under-aged. If he was a teenager, I seriously doubt he is in jail for two years because Thai youth are 'blameless victim of their own violence'.

Ten days at a Wat as a junior monk would solve every violent teenager's problems, regardless of who they killed or injured.

This is a start in the right direction. Now....

What about the cab driver, Chidchai Utmacha, who hacked Roy Pilkington to death in Bangkok 3 years ago with a machete? Video

While unemployment slid from 5 percent to 4.7 percent

This is totally statistical BS. The unemployment is close to 25%. This is utterly sickening.

When does this lunacy end???

Thousands of Thai deaths due to smoking - officials make huge seizure of tobacco and cigarettes.

Hummmm

Hypocrisy marches on...................................

And it's gotten to this boys...

Rasmussen Poll: 71% of Democrats Say Clinton Should Run Even if Under Felony Indictment…

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/may_2016/50_say_clinton_should_keep_running_even_if_indicted

Pretty sad commentary on the lack of ethics among Democrats, eh?

That women is as pure as fresh driven snow (and about as cold)

Muay Thai has an art to it....MMA is like a version of human cock fighting....

Thug sport.....

Lol

Ahhhh, the smell of a 'potential' revenue stream in the morning.

Wat Chedi Luang is a large and important temple, people have to pay to go into large and important churches in the UK and it's sometimes over twenty Pounds, not 40 baht. And even if entry to a UK church is free, assuming it's not locked (!) the cost of upkeep is passed on to the tax payer via things such as the Chancel Repair Bill, the cost of which is borne by the tax payer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancel_repair_liability

Wat Chedi Luang is an extremely popular temple and is a 'tourist' spot for Thais too. Most Thais will donate to the temple during their visit. My wife and I have donated at least a few thousand baht during my time in Thailand. This is beyond the scope of normal wear and tear upkeep. it's going to take a few hundred more years of farang walking around that temple to cause the bricks to wear down and need replacing. The wat has plenty of money for upkeep, repair, and upgrades -- the discriminatory fee goes beyond that. As a Theravadam Buddhist, I just find it unsettling to see those responsible for the wats being swayed by greed. It's that greed that goes totally counter to Buddhist teaching.

And this isn't England where there is no separation between church, state, and the means to levy even more taxes on an already heavily taxed populace.

Wife and I go to wats because we're Buddhist. When at a wat, we freely support the wats we visit. Force me to give money based on discriminating against me based on the color of my skin and nationality at birth, I won't go. Simple. They are making Wat Chedi Luang a tourist attraction first, and a wat second. Greed -- such a fascinating human trait. Don't even get me starting on the topic of 'true Buddhism' being hijacked by profiteers.

However, in Chiang Mai, there are hundreds of temples to choose from, and many of those having rich history and a non-discriminatory entrance policy. It's pretty sad when ฿฿฿฿฿฿ becomes more important than Dharma. True Buddhism will only survive in what's left of the forest monasteries and possibly in the stricter Dhammayuttika Nikaya and orders within Sri Lanka. The rest of Thai Buddhism seems to be in a flux and easily coaxed off 'The Path' by the mantra of ฿฿฿"Cha-Ching"฿฿฿

What a fascinating condition -- human Greed! This guy and people like him have it all: money above and beyond most Thais wildest dreams, but he (they) needs more, and more, and more. I imagine he'll be serving his jail term in some country-club prison for Thai socialites, if he serves time at all.

You're obviously not a Thai farmer. Out in rural Northern Thailand, lots of smiles come with the rain. With the rains come mushrooms, and then the fields fill with water and the rice planting can begin. If it continues to rain, the reservoirs will fill, the farmers may be able to plant a second crop, more smiles.

You're confusing Thai city-dwellers with Thai rural folk. Even when its drought or floods - the rural folk smile. And when the planting seasons are really good, they smile even more.

You should consider relocating to San Diego, CA. You'd be happier.

Both political parties are equally responsiblity for the train-wreak that is now the US economy; where the rich get richer (including all congressmen and senators) and the poor get poorer.

The true 'myth' is that government is good for the economy. They need to reestablish Glass-Stegall and other regulations protecting the markets against predatory corporate practices, abolish the Federal Reserve and put the issuance of money back in the hands of the Treasury, and then get the hell out of the way, including allowing any and all businesses, including banks and large corporations, to fail and go bankrupt. Supply a limit social safety net - then keep their hands off the markets.

Extremely wealthy buddhist abbots are obviously 'teflon' and untouchable. Surly the RTP will redirect their energies to bust and jail 'little people' for major crimes like chewing kratom. The wealthy, religious or secular, don't normally get tossed under the bus the way 'little people' do, regardless of the relative magnitude of their crime. It's not just Thailand, but Thailand does seem to disproportionately hold to that philosophy. Rich = 'teflon'. Everyone else = jail fodder.