connda
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Posts posted by connda
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Absolutely ludicrous.
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The LOS needs to learn Water Manager before building new reservoirs. Why did you empty the ones you already had?
"We empty. Be ready for flood."
Da*m!!! Long range forecasting didn't predict a drought, and now your 'dam late and some water short'. Oh my. Get with the 21th century and except outside help. <head shake>
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Big Brother is watching you.
Big Brother? More like "Who's your Daddy?"
China or the US. US or China.
At the moment the LOS has slid up to China as it's Papa, after having shot down the TPP. But the US tends to have most of the smaller countries by the proverbial 'balls' in one way, shape, or form. At some point in time, they decide it's time to give a little squeeze, and suddenly the US has a new friend.
Give it time, and we'll see which Daddy Thailand likes the best.
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I carried a hand gun for 28+ years, 12 of those years as law enforcement investigator, 8 years as a private investigator, 5 years selling jewelry, the rest of the time I had a "carry permit".
In 28+ years I pulled the hand gun 2 times, pointed it once
.
1) when 3 people started to enter a store in the middle of summer in long coats, in the middle of the double doors they turned around. Police were called, their car stopped about 10 minutes later by 5 cruisers with weapons drawn. In the car the police found 3 sawed off shot guns, 5 handguns. === the folks had criminal records.
2) was caught in the middle of a store robery. The local police chief ( who I knew ) had his weapon pointed at the armed robber, the robber's weapon at the chief. I asked the chief where I should "shoot the robber" if he didn't follow police commands. I was behind the robber. When the robber heard me, he decided to put the weapon down and assume the position. === identified as a ex-con
Civilians who carry hand weapons are total nuts.....right!!!!!!
Criminals do not follow the rules / laws. The "gun free zone" around schools is a disaster...killing fields for the criminal, life or death unknown for the people in the "gun free zones"
I started carrying around 1978 after being a witness in an assault with a deadly weapon case where the accused was convicted. After receiving death threats against myself and family, I obtained a concealed carry permit. I carried concealed as a private citizen until I moved to Thailand.
I never once had to draw my gun for any reason, well, accept at the shooting range.
Citizen who legally carry are not 'Cowboys' nor are they 'gun-nut crazies'. The people I knew who legally carried a firearm were some of the most down to earth, stable, and sane people I've met. The people I was worried about? Those not carrying legally and criminals. They are out there. And they are dangerous. And they prey on the weakest in society: like unprotected schools that are 'gun-free zones' - that's an armed psychopath's wet dream come true. Some states have now enacted legislation specifically legalizing the carrying of guns on campus. If you understand US gun culture, you understand why.
You either understand US gun culture or you don't. It's that simple.
So, what you are saying is that you bought and carried a gun for years THAT YOU NEVER NEEDED.
And I thank God that I never needed to take a human life, even during my time in the military. But under the right circumstances, I was quite prepared to do so.
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Ummm you might want to dig deeper.....Some of the victims and their families are against gun control as is many of the people in that town. They can see the reality of it. Gun control laws is not the answer. They don't want to be left with out any self defense. Most if not all the the attackers in these events have had histories of mental problems. Therein lies the answer.
I think you are on the right track. There must be something wrong with anyone who believes killing a bunch of innocent people will further their cause. Of course, there may be some other excuses.
I suggest the gun-control lobbyists (and other gun-control advocates, Government and Non-Government) take it to the Gun Owner lobbyists, especially the NRA— the National Rifle Association, the powerful civilian nonprofit gun-rights advocate organization—to work in conjunction with them in a Gun Responsibility Group to have legislature proposed to the state and federal congresses which would help end this indiscriminate gun violence.
To get NRA and other Gun-Owner advocates’ support, give them considerable control of the Gun Responsibility Group and allow them to take credit for reducing these shootings. To further garner NRA and other Gun-Owner advocates’ support, give them the sponsorship of the additional training required to get a Responsible Gun Owners License—Gun Safety Test, Gun Shooting Test, Criminal Background Check, Mental Appropriateness Test, and any additional testing deemed necessary by the Gun Responsibility Group. There should be plenty of revenue generators therein.
The congressional passing of a law which is sponsored by the traditional anti-gun law groups should be little problem—especially since the Gun-Control law advocates will gain more gun control under the Responsible Gun Owners law.
Certainly, it would be easy to enforce the Responsible Gun Owners law for new gun owner applicants to earn a Responsible Gun Owners license, but current gun owners will balk at having to take the Responsible Gun Owners License test. That, of course, may leave a large number of Mentally Inappropriate current gun owners—and any other causal categories deemed potentially responsible. Consequently, current gun owners need to be motivated to earn the Responsible Gun Owners License.
Give the current gun owners who pass the Gun Responsibility test an honorary title, a recognition pin or medallion, special status in the NRA and other Gun-Owner advocates’ groups, special rates on all NRA and other Gun-Owner advocates’ groups’ functions (including the Responsible Gun Owners License test), give them priority treatment in all gun competitions, discounts in all hunting licenses, increase their game taking limits in all hunting jurisdictions, give them discounts on gun purchases, ammunition and gun-related products—it should be rather easy to get sponsorship through gun-related businesses, especially to support a popular Responsible Gun law.
Then, you have to deal with various states wanting to amend the Responsible Gun Owners law and the fact that a person not licensed under the Responsible Gun Owners law will get their hands on a gun. Of course, you have to deal with the registering of all guns owned by all Responsible Gun Owner licensees and non licensees. Each gun would have its nomenclature, ballistic finger-print, and serial number recorded. Those issues would be quite difficult to address.
Now, how many indiscriminate shootings will be stopped?
Sure, it would be a lot easier just to have a big brother law which mandates, “Say no to guns” and have all personal guns taken away.
Not so, you would probably get shot. It is a constitutional right of all Americans to keep and bear arms. Certainly, an amendment to the US Constitution is possible—basically, a new amendment must be made to change the old (second) amendment; that requires 2/3 of congress to pass the law, then 3/4 of the states to ratify it.
Numerous political factions have tried, but the vast majority of Americans want the right; even though many would like to have tighter gun control. If you are so against Americans having guns, get a constitutional amendment passed.
I'm in agreement with you. It's too easy for someone who has no firearm training to purchase a firearm. I personally think there should be minimum training requirement to purchase a firearm, to use it for hunting, to use it for home self-defense, to use it for target and competition shooting, and to carry concealed. Each one of these instances should require a higher level of training respectively. For example, to purchase a handgun an individual should be required to attend a basic firearm course that covers, at a minimum: safety, use, technique, and state laws. For example: https://firearmsacademy.com/classes/handgun. Also, because the gun will probably be stored in a home, the buyer should also be required to attend a home defense course. NRA offers these classes as do many private organizations.
As a gun owner and an individual who carried concealed in the US, I absolutely agree that gun training should be a prerequisite to purchase and own a firearm, and the firearm instructors should be trained to screen for individuals who display 'abnormal behavior' during the courses. There are people I've met who shouldn't be anywhere near a firearm. I completely support our Second Amendment right to bear arms in the United States, but there is a heavy responsibly that goes along with that right. Imho, no normal, sane average citizen should be barred from owning firearms in the United States of America. But! Firearm training should be mandatory. And trust me, that's not me being liberal; that me being conservative.
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On the road from night market towards TG where it bends around into McDonald's.
Walk from TG towards river and it's first or second soi on right, past 7/11 and before wat.
Sleep clinic sign at start of soi.
But it doesn't do any of the stuff the other guy mentioned. I thought you had insomnia and needed tranquilizers.
Mabye he does, not sure. Speaks good English so easy to check.
Open 6-8.30 pm mon-fri so go tonight.
Maybe he opens at night because insomniacs are sleep through the day.
any reviews and prices for this please?
Diazepam is much cheaper than Xanax, but unfortunately I can't remember the prices. I haven't been there for awhile. I get my meds from our provincial hospital where 30 diazapam and the doctor visit costs me under 100 THB.
The doctor at Panu Clinic carries Xanax in 0.5 and 1.0mg and diazepam in 5 and 10mg.
The will also charge you a one time fee for a patient card which I believe is 100 THB.
I'd suggest calling them at 053-207131. According the the card they will answer 24/7, but TIT, maybe yes maybe no. If you live outside of Muang Chiang Mai, you should look for one of your provincial hospitals or clinics in your specific Amphur. Significantly less expensive than clinics in the city.
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i take 5 mg of Atarax for a good night sleep. Available at any pharmacy.
I've taken Atarax before. The day after taking it I feel like a slug. It just saps the energy right out of me which is a side effect of this class of drug.
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Gabapentin is a powerful medication with many potential side effects
Despite being available OTC it is not a medication which should , IMHO, be experimented with or self prescribed.
Agree. And certainly should not be used solely for insomnia. Risks outweigh benefits....plus, like all medications, you will develop a tolerance to its sleep effects over time.
Completely understood.
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President Obama represents the vast majority of Americans when he speaks of the great number of issues to include guns.
How's that Jim Jone's brand of Kool-Aide taste. A little bitter? Smells like almonds?
Boy have you sure taken that bait - hook, line, and sinker.It's the trite and glib Kool-Aide mantra of the dismissive right once again. Mixing metaphors besides with the old hook, line and sinker tripe. Yet another rightwingnut picnic of stinking fish, cheap refreshments and cliched politics, if I may invoke some imagery of my own.
Say something intelligent please so one can respond.
Ok, sure. You spent 8 years in the US military as did I. You took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Do you still honor that oath? As an American, and US veteran, do you fully support our Constitution in it's entirety? I'll respect your answer, whatever it may be, and will leave it at that.
You will leave it at standing back and down.
Because on second thought it'd be better to stick to the trite and glib Kool-Aide and dead fish cliches. The questions are as boorish as are the stinking fish barbeque picnics of the raffish right.
Ok. Have an nice night.
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Welcome to Roseberg, OR. Surrounded by farmland, a small city in rural Oregon, where they still maintain conservative values, and the average citizen owns guns and supports the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.
Indeed, most people have no idea just how conservative, apart from pot growing and smoking, are the folks in southern Oregon. Portland and Eugene are really just islands, one big and one small, in a sea of conservatism. Back in the late 1960s we all knew that on the road south to the Bay area one did not linger south of Eugene if one had long hair. Too bad for the suffocating conservatism as otherwise southern Oregon would be a paradise with the great weather, great landscape, and fantastic outdoor opportunities. Roseburg would make a great retirement location being close to the ocean, close to the mountains, and not all that far away from Portland. But you do have to be able to tolerate a polite but very, very conservative mindset from the majority of the neighbors.
I'm trying to reconcile the imagery of a place where a dude fears to linger because of his hair, and a place where everyone is polite.
Just curious, not being argumentative.
1950s, 1960s, maybe even early 1970s. It was very rural and very conservative. And in the 60s, some of the hippie types headed out those directions to establish communal paradise, much to the dismay of the locals. Lol. My brother-in-law and sister were just that: long-haired, pot-smoking, hippie-types who bought a farm near coastal Oregon, and lived by commercial fishing and subsistence farming. Living their ideals. It's interesting that they were considered to be liberal to the extreme, but my brother-in-law was also an extremely independent, self-reliant guy. Quite the paradox when you consider that those are considered to be conservative traits by many. There actually was not a whole lot of difference between him and the farmers around him other than he had shoulder length hair and smoked pot and didn't own a firearm. Other than that, they probably had more similarities than differences. Lol
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Welcome to Roseberg, OR. Surrounded by farmland, a small city in rural Oregon, where they still maintain conservative values, and the average citizen owns guns and supports the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.
Indeed, most people have no idea just how conservative, apart from pot growing and smoking, are the folks in southern Oregon. Portland and Eugene are really just islands, one big and one small, in a sea of conservatism. Back in the late 1960s we all knew that on the road south to the Bay area one did not linger south of Eugene if one had long hair. Too bad for the suffocating conservatism as otherwise southern Oregon would be a paradise with the great weather, great landscape, and fantastic outdoor opportunities. Roseburg would make a great retirement location being close to the ocean, close to the mountains, and not all that far away from Portland. But you do have to be able to tolerate a polite but very, very conservative mindset from the majority of the neighbors.
Southern Oregon is an extremely beautiful place. Yeah, it would be a nice place to retire. I've lived in major US cities (Seattle/Portland/SF/East Bay/San Diego/Pittsburg), suburbs, small cities, and in rural America. I'm pretty much at home anywhere. I consider myself to be a political atheist, I belong to no political groups, and I don't define myself by the political agendas of others. Talk to me one day and you might call me conservative; talk to me the next and I may come across as liberal. I try not to fit in anybodies paradigm box. So I find it easy to fit in pretty much anywhere I go. However, talk to me about the Second Amendment and gun rights, and you will come away thinking I'm a raging conservative, well, until I roll a joint and offer you a hit over a beer or wine (Pot is legal where I live in the US). Then the conversation could take a turn towards a more liberal tone. Then you might start thinking I'm one of those 'stoner' ex-hippie types. That's just me.
Grant's Pass, Medford, Ashland. Yeah, I could easily live in those areas. Then up and over the Siskiyous Pass and into NorCal and the Mt Shasta regions. Another thing of beauty. I understand the area has changed quiet a bit since the drought. That's a shame. Hopefully water will find it's way back to that area of the US.
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After reading your probably well-thought over post, suddenly that wall around the USA starts to make a lot of sense. Not so much to keep people out, as to keep people like you in.
God forbid the 'communist' countries in Europe with the very low gun-related deaths will have to listen to opinions like yours. Please keep that over there.
The vast majority of the voter population of the USA are politically center-middle so we entirely appreciate your points and we know them well. USA is high profile globally so every warthead gets greatly magnified, to include the views expressed by its rejects abroad.
We long ago established and continue to maintain a cultural wall of separation of crackpots vs the majority. President Obama represents the vast majority of Americans when he speaks of the great number of issues to include guns.
The loonies who showed up to the president's motorcade in Roseberg carrying their guns are indeed tearaways.
President Obama represents the vast majority of Americans when he speaks of the great number of issues to include guns.
How's that Jim Jone's brand of Kool-Aide taste. A little bitter? Smells like almonds?
Boy have you sure taken that bait - hook, line, and sinker.
It's the trite and glib Kool-Aide mantra of the dismissive right once again. Mixing metaphors besides with the old hook, line and sinker tripe. Yet another rightwingnut picnic of stinking fish, cheap refreshments and cliched politics, if I may invoke some imagery of my own.
Say something intelligent please so one can respond.
Ok, sure. You spent 8 years in the US military as did I. You took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Do you still honor that oath? As an American, and US veteran, do you fully support our Constitution in it's entirety? I'll respect your answer, whatever it may be, and will leave it at that.
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I wish that those on this forum would state their home country when speaking on topics like gun control.....it is clear that the comatose European progressives have been marginalized and brainwashed by decades of low education standards and have become victims of Social Engineering internationalist (Communist)
indoctrination....rendering them virtually impossible to think clearly.....if Americans give in to the gun-grabbers then America will surely go the way of an Islamicized Europe ...or, as Orianna Fallaci.characterized it, EURABIA.....your choice.
After reading your probably well-thought over post, suddenly that wall around the USA starts to make a lot of sense. Not so much to keep people out, as to keep people like you in.
God forbid the 'communist' countries in Europe with the very low gun-related deaths will have to listen to opinions like yours. Please keep that over there.
The vast majority of the voter population of the USA are politically center-middle so we entirely appreciate your points and we know them well. USA is high profile globally so every warthead gets greatly magnified, to include the views expressed by its rejects abroad.
We long ago established and continue to maintain a cultural wall of separation of crackpots vs the majority. President Obama represents the vast majority of Americans when he speaks of the great number of issues to include guns.
The loonies who showed up to the president's motorcade in Roseberg carrying their guns are indeed tearaways.
President Obama represents the vast majority of Americans when he speaks of the great number of issues to include guns.
How's that Jim Jone's brand of Kool-Aide taste. A little bitter? Smells like almonds?
Boy have you sure taken that bait - hook, line, and sinker.
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I carried a hand gun for 28+ years, 12 of those years as law enforcement investigator, 8 years as a private investigator, 5 years selling jewelry, the rest of the time I had a "carry permit".
In 28+ years I pulled the hand gun 2 times, pointed it once
.
1) when 3 people started to enter a store in the middle of summer in long coats, in the middle of the double doors they turned around. Police were called, their car stopped about 10 minutes later by 5 cruisers with weapons drawn. In the car the police found 3 sawed off shot guns, 5 handguns. === the folks had criminal records.
2) was caught in the middle of a store robery. The local police chief ( who I knew ) had his weapon pointed at the armed robber, the robber's weapon at the chief. I asked the chief where I should "shoot the robber" if he didn't follow police commands. I was behind the robber. When the robber heard me, he decided to put the weapon down and assume the position. === identified as a ex-con
Civilians who carry hand weapons are total nuts.....right!!!!!!
Criminals do not follow the rules / laws. The "gun free zone" around schools is a disaster...killing fields for the criminal, life or death unknown for the people in the "gun free zones"
I started carrying around 1978 after being a witness in an assault with a deadly weapon case where the accused was convicted. After receiving death threats against myself and family, I obtained a concealed carry permit. I carried concealed as a private citizen until I moved to Thailand.
I never once had to draw my gun for any reason, well, accept at the shooting range.
Citizen who legally carry are not 'Cowboys' nor are they 'gun-nut crazies'. The people I knew who legally carried a firearm were some of the most down to earth, stable, and sane people I've met. The people I was worried about? Those not carrying legally and criminals. They are out there. And they are dangerous. And they prey on the weakest in society: like unprotected schools that are 'gun-free zones' - that's an armed psychopath's wet dream come true. Some states have now enacted legislation specifically legalizing the carrying of guns on campus. If you understand US gun culture, you understand why.
You either understand US gun culture or you don't. It's that simple.
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Welcome to Roseberg, OR. Surrounded by farmland, a small city in rural Oregon, where they still maintain conservative values, and the average citizen owns guns and supports the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.
So, being 'met' by pro-gun advocates. He probably didn't even notice, cocooned in the back of a dark-tinted limo. The SS probably diverted his motorcade around any rallies. If you can't see it, it's not there.
But then again, the rally was a waste of time imho. Capitol Hill has expressed it's position on the Second Amendment. Knowledgeable folks know who stands where in Washington's Inner Beltway.
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Just seen the above video. Agree completely with the above poster. What is the news story here? Guys on the scooter completely at fault. As are the kid's families once they see the above evidence. They should all be nicked. I aint a fan of the cops (in any country), but in this instance, no blame apportioned.
If it is proved they were drug dealers, then both lads got their just deserve in the end.
If they were drugs dealers, and stopped, they would have served jail time based on the amount that they were caught with. Instead, the driver opted for a self-inflicted death sentence. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
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I can't find the post I saw in an email summary that said
"What is going on, do not any of you realize what has happened here? Police drove into these 2 kids with their car effectively using it to kill them!"
Glad to see there was an eyewitness. Did you get any video better than that in the link below?
https://www.facebook.com/natapolphuket/videos/1069839336368108/
I watched it a few times and what I saw was a scooter driving in the left lane, then trying to pass a car in front of them by swerving into the right side of the road into opposing traffic and hitting a car head-on?
The scooter driver is the one who was driving on the wrong side of the road and he's the one who hit a car head-on.
This isn't about drugs, this isn't about money-loving Thai cops. It's about a driver of a vehicle being asked by the police to stop and instead of stop they decided to run, and due to poor judgment and or poor driving skills they rammed into a car when driving on the wrong side of the road. Unfortunate, too bad for them. They didn't deserve to die but it was the scooter driver's decision that killed them both, not the cops, not the meth, not the bs drug laws, not any other loony conspiracy.
People trying to outrun the police, avoid arrest, drive through roadblocks, speed away from the scene of a crime die all over the world. You make bad choices, sometimes you suffer serious consequences.
In America and other fascist, police-state countries, the moment you decide to run from the police is the moment you decide that living is no longer important. Do that in America and if you don't crash and kill yourself you stand a very high chance of being ran off the road by the cops and crashing an burning or dying of a lead overdose.
I watched it a few times and what I saw was a scooter driving in the left lane, then trying to pass a car in front of them by swerving into the right side of the road into opposing traffic and hitting a car head-on?
That's pretty much what I'm seeing too. And I agree with your post. The scooter driver get's my nomination for this year's Darwin Awards.
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Previously I have filed the top of the nail very thin, and paired the length down almost to the crescent.
So I think I am left with little option to either put up with it, or take the medicine, which I must admit I am a bit wary about.
I must admit I am intrigued by the bleach idea, but it seems a bit hazardous.
You start with a very diluted solution. As I said, I use 1/2 cap of Haiter bleach to 3 liters of warm water in a basin (I just took the time to go measure what I use). 1/2 cap is 1 Tablespoon which is 1/2 fluid Ounces. So use 1 TSP to 3 Liters of warm water. I don't see anyway that that dilution will cause a chemical burn. I think the only problem you may have is if you have an allergy to Sodium Hypochlorite, ie, bleach. If you react, you may want to consider taking an antihistamine.
I soak my feet for 1/2 an hour. Perhaps you try that solution but soak for 5 minutes and then assess your reaction.
If bleach is simply not an option for you, then read this literature by the US National Library of Medicine regarding the use of Fluconazole to cure toenail fungus infections. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9631989
If you can't afford a trip to BKK to see the above specialist, you can at least talk with a local dermatologist about using Fluconazole in a protocol to combat your infection. If it was me, I'd print the USNLM article and take it with me to discuss during my consult. I'd also recommend consulting a doctor to make sure that what you have is actually a fungal infection. Talk to a doctor first, then decide how to proceed.
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It's over the counter. I'm paying 1000baht for a box of 100. I've seen it 25-30% higher.
It's important to get the dosage right. Doctors everywhere know little or nothing about this highly effective pain medication.
I've written about this here:
1000 baht for 100 is very cheap.
When i run out of them , my wife pays 400 baht for 10 in local pharmacy.
Wow. Maybe my 100 THB for 10 was inexpensive after all. My guess is that they will be really cheap at the provincial hospital. My normal hospital visit is usually 300 THB or less including a bag full of drugs. Boy! This ain't the US.
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It's over the counter. I'm paying 1000baht for a box of 100. I've seen it 25-30% higher.
It's important to get the dosage right. Doctors everywhere know little or nothing about this highly effective pain medication.
I've written about this here:
Thanks. I've looked at it pretty extensively. It actually has quite a few 'off-label' applications. I'm using 300mg a couple of hours before heading to bed as an adjunct to my withdrawal from diazepam which I am slowly taper off of. One of the off-label apps is its use in complementing the withdrawal from opiates and benzodiazapines. I've got to admit, it works wonders. I have felt like crap for a few months since I hit the top of the amount of benzos that I'll allow myself to take as my body has developed a tolerance to the drug. At that point it stops working for insomnia. The only reason I continued to take it was to stave off withdrawals because they are no fun (I cycle benzos for insomnia and I've done this before). I have to be in the right mind-set to start my taper. I started my slow taper withdrawal about three weeks ago. Even with a taper I detox and have w/d symptoms which for me are insomnia, neuralgia, fatigue, and just plain not feeling well. I read about gabapentine awhile ago, but didn't start really researching it until last week. Talked to one of my local provincial doctors about it, but they only gave me 100 mg tabs. I took 300mg Thursday night and had a full 8 hours of sleep and woke up feeling like I normally did when I was younger. The research I did indicated that 300mg once a day prior to bed is pretty much an optimal dosage for what I'm using it for. Nothing against doctors, but most are specialist or generalists. Specialist I've talked with in the past tend to have a very specific point of view, and tend not to be open to treatment suggestions by mere patients, and general practitioner have to know a lot about a lot. However, I've found the GPs to be more open to discussing treatment. The provincial doctor we go to is a really great guy, intelligent, and open to discussing options to treatment - how non-Thai for a Thai doctor. So I expect when I talk to him on our next visit, he'll have no problem with the approach I'm using and I should be able to get the 300mg from the hospital's pharmacy. But in the meantime, I bought two strips of 300mg tabs at a Lamphun pharmacy yesterday without any problems, well, other than I paid 100 THB per strip. Lol. Obviously I paid too much. Not a problem. Live and learn. But they do work. My quality of sleep is magnitudes better than it has been in years, and I wake up feeling like a normal human being. You can't beat that.
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It's great that by some estimates this project won't pay for itself for 200 years. Don't want to publicize small facts like this as one would question the folks that approved the use of funds. Corruption at its best financed by the Chinese. Sadly, these funds could be used more judiciously.
Sadly, the Thai government will only have a 30% equity in the project instead of 100%.
It would actually be better to have 100% equity that would maximize the project's contribution to GDP growth rate. It is the Chinese that will instead benefit the most in terms of GDP growth by lending funds to Thailand over a repayment period of 25 to 40 years including the nonpayment grace periods.
I disagree, the main beneficiary of the project is clearly China, which can then get its exports to the Thai ports and away to overseas-markets much quicker, there is only a secondary benefit for Thai domestic-passengers or exports Northwards.
Those Thai exports to China will help Thai GDP, so will the construction of that part of the line ( a small part), which lies within Thailand. But that's no reason to finance the whole of the cost of the entire project.
So it is entirely correct, that Thailand should only pay a minor share of the costs, of setting it up.
Perhaps Thailand can learn from helping the Chinese build the line, and later apply the knowledge to other internal projects, if there are indeed any which would pay back the investment ... a line across to Dawei might be one possibility. Doubling the metre-gauge tracks from north of Bangkok down to the Malaysian-border (where a double-track was recently completed on to Singapore) might be another possibility.
Nice to see someone else has an understanding of what going on in Asia at the macro level. It goes over the head's of most beer swilling, bar-girl chasing expats or even though who lock themselves in gated communities, or limit their exposure to the surrounding cultures and the interaction of the surrounding countries domestically and internationally.
This is part of China's New Silk Road strategy. Google it. You might want to add "Pepe Escobar" to the search as well. He has a good handle on ME/NA and Asian issues and current affairs. He written about and is a correspondent on The New Silk Road.
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Wow! The police finally do a patrol car stop. Thais don't know what a patrol car stop is. A police car with it's lights flashing mean to get out of the way for the VIPs following the cop car.
If they ever want to stop the road carnage, they need to start using patrol cars to stop Thais who are caught doing moving violations or have committed some crime. But at the present, Thais will simply try to outrun the cops, and when they kill themselves in the process, Thai citizens will blame the police. What stupidity. Yeah, I know, we see it on TV in California all the time: Some jackass endangering everyone on the roads outrunning the cops, and most of the time it ends badly. But on the flip side, 99%+ of people on the road in the US and other Western countries will stop and pull over as soon as a following cop car hits their lights and sirens.
The PM should start a TV and billboard campaign: Cops in hot pursuit with lights and sirens means stop your car/motorcycle -now - and prepared to receive a ticket for some moving violation. Run, and you'll be pursued; crash and be prepared to be thrown into jail for endangering the public roads, if you're still alive.
FYI, cops in the US will force cars off the road in a hot pursuit, often by hitting the back quarter-panel of the pursued car with the front quarter-panel of the cop car causing the pursued car to lose control and spin out. They will also ram pursued cars to stop them. Why? Because someone outrunning the cops is putting the public in danger.
Sorry, but I have no sympathy for the deceased driver's stupidity. Most farang placed in the same situation will, by habit, stop. RIP to the passenger.
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Was there actually any evidence against these 2 in the trial? Apart from the fact they were on the beach that night?
They also drank beer, smoked, played guitar, and rode a motorcycle. Thus far, undisputed.
Disputed:
- Once upon a time, the RTP had semen samples taken from Hannah. DNA from the semen samples matched DNA from the Burmese. The semen samples are now "used up" and cannot be directly retested.
- The Burmese freely confessed to the crimes and demonstrated what they did in a reenactment. Strangely enough, the confessions and reenactments do not tally with what little physical evidence was made available to the court. The Burmese subsequently withdrew their confessions, saying they were extracted under torture and threats.
That is about it.
I wonder if they use the test of "beyond a reasonable doubt" when assessing guilt or innocence here in The Land Of Smiles. For some reason, I don't think so. I think the test of 'political expediency' and the test of 'social status and power' have much more sway when it comes of assessing to convict or not to convict.
Personally, I think they are patsies. I could be wrong, but perceived behavior of the police here in Thailand is not good. Too many accounts of misconduct during interrogation from too many diverse sources. How many time have you heard or read about the police, speaking only Thai and broken English, demanding that a foreign suspect sign a document written in Thai and refusing to translate the document, and then the suspect finds out he/she has signed a confession. Unfortunately for the Thai judicial system, testimony and evidence provided by the police is perceived by the foreign community to be universally questionable.
They need to 'clean house'.
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I just would like to add my 5 cents.
I am an Australian and I know too well how idiotic we can get over seas. Due to the binge drinking culture that we have created, we can barely manage our own affairs on our own streets. Australians have a terrible reputation of misbehaving whilst overseas. We tend to think we are above the law because we are foreigners and because we are from 'Straya'.
We are quick to blame the bouncers but something would've triggered them to react in such a way. Put yourself in their shoes. If you had to deal with drunken yobbos every single night, being abused and dealing with heroes every single night, you can't expect them to be shining beacons of peace.
Sad incident but the fact that the Aussies were so quick to depart the island speaks volumes.
I've had good times with Aussies throughout the Pacific Rim countries, but really drunk Aussies can be a bit disconcerting. I can remember a time back in the 80s were a friend and I went to a bar in Manila owned by an Aussie with lots of Aussie patrons. We really liked the place and the owner. We did have an 'Aussie in their cups' moment where suddenly the 'Yanks' became an object of interest of a group of rugby players who were a couple of sheets to the wind. In the 80s both of us were athletic and far from being pushovers, but we just let the verbal crap coming from the most aggressive guys roll off us and we humored and joked with with least drunk and most sane guys in the group. Eventually everybody calmed down and we had a great time hanging out, telling tall stories, and playing billiards. I like Aussies and I like the culture. I'd rather be brothers than adversaries.
Expats living on their pension in Thailand, why the negativity?
in ASEAN NOW Community Pub
Posted
I live a very simple life. No fancy 'toys'. I don't need a lot of stuff to be happy. And I actually continue to save money from my pension on a monthly basis instead of spending it all.
How many people nowadays save money from their jobs during their peak working years? Hell, most people are in debt to their eyebrows, borrowing to live the good life today. So sad too bad when you hit my age and have nothing a 'debt hole' that your dug yourself.
Try deferring self-gratification and saving for a rainy day. Isn't their an Aesop fable about this?