Mai Krap

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2008...militant-groups

"Don't forget that they are all Muslim brothers and will be part of a global jihad,"

I shouldn't be surprised the Bangkok Post has printed such trash. The entire article is ridiculous as it is written. If they want to make a point about the dangers of escalating the Southern Problems they should make it by writing well researched articles, not insulting every Muslim in the world.

Martin, Your doctor can sign a paper for you to receive a 90 day medical visa. Some people have received 4 and possibly more during their treatment for car wrecks and other things. Maybe you can get your visa sorted but if not, this could buy you some time. Immigration in Korat should be able to stamp you 90 days but if you need details send me a PM.

WOW, I'm surprised some people actually agree with me about something. As hard as it is, sometimes one just has to watch and keep their mouth shut to protect their own interests, including family.

I was not suggesting he be scared, only that he be smart. Confronting anyone who is angry and has a gun is a bad business, not for the hobbyist. Certainly if the man came onto his property waving a gun around he would have no choice but to take direct action. Any sober family man who is not being directly threatened should only be concerned about his family and should put them first. This may sound pretty tough but if the woman was dumb enough to get involved with violent idiot and then not get her self away from him its not the responsibility of anyone but her and her family to keep her safe.

Truth is, in most cases confronting a family feud will not make you a hero. Usually they end up hating you for your trouble, being this is free advice/commentary, take it or leave it.

OP, Never ever never get involved in a Thai domestic dispute. If anything the guy involved will turn on you and possibly come after you with the gun. In one way your lucky, most Thai houses are concrete so relatively safe from the odd misplaced gunshot. You may consider adding extra bricks to the wall of one room to create a safe room but whatever you do, stay inside and do not get involved. In fact it may already be to late if the Thai Police told the guy you were the one who called them on him and insisted they get involved. If they did tell him and he is a suicidal nut case you and your family will be high up on his list of people to target when he does go off the rails.

Nobody is going to be laughing about the flu after it increases in numbers substantially. While it may be no worse than other flu in some ways, it is way more serious for borderline alcoholics and smokers, to those who have questionable health. The Expat Community could really be effected by a large number of deaths compared to the Thais just because of lifestyle choices and poor general health.

I for one will be avoiding all English Pubs and Breakfasts till the Pound gets better. Its not like the Brits weren't already crying in their beers and teas about the exchange rate before any of this. I already have to avoid a few people who do not seem to realize I don't give a hoot about the English economy nor do I care to listen to another piss artist bitch and moan about America.

I guarantee this will never happen. Just go take a look and see how many internet shops are actually closed for two weeks.

http://nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/09/nat...al_30106918.php

Death toll on the rise

By The Nation

Published on July 9, 2009

Death toll on the rise

63-year-old woman in coma in Samut Prakan

Thailand's type-A (H1N1) influenza death toll has risen to 11, with 2,714 other cases certified - among them a 63-year-old female patient admitted to Samut Prakan Hospital yesterday with high fever, who went into shock and is now in a coma.

The Bang Sao Thong resident's condition is critical, because she has a history of chronic illness, including heart disease, said hospital director Chalit Thongprayoon.

The province's most severe case, she is hooked up to a respirator while staff await samples sent to the Medical Science Department's lab.

Many private hospitals in Samut Prakan have had flu patients seeking treatment, but determining whether they have the new flu depends on lab confirmation costing from Bt4,000 to Bt5,000 a case, a source reported yesterday.

Many schools have been closed for cleaning after students came down with conventional flu. The Bang Pu Industrial Estate has reported workers with flu and some factories have installed thermal scanners to prevent workers or visitors with high body temperatures from entering workplaces, the source reported.

In Chiang Mai, where 50 type-A (H1N1) flu patients have been reported, a 26-year-old man died of acute pneumonia, and doctors believe he was infected with the virus, said Chiang Mai's chief public-health officer.

Dr Wattana Kanchanakamol said the man died only two hours after being admitted to a private hospital, and tests to confirm the virus are under way.

In Phuket, 37 new flu patients have been reported. Provincial public-health chief Dr Pongsawat Rattanasaeng said three had been in direct contact with freshmen from Prince of Songkhla University who were infected with the new virus last week and were under surveillance.

Deputy university rector Methee Sanpanich announced a two-day closure for the institute from yesterday, to clean the 1,500 student-dormitory rooms.

Department of Medical Services chief Rewat Wisarutvej yesterday visited a male patient, 45, unconscious at Ayutthaya's Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital.

He said the Bangkok man, who weighed 103 kilograms and suffered chronic illness, including heart disease and a deteriorated kidney, had been visiting relatives in the province. He developed a high fever and was unable to breathe on his own. The hospital suspects he may have type-A (H1N1) flu and has submitted his samples for testing.

The basic problem here is most of these gasses will cost more to buy than what will be stolen. I have often wondered if the military has some knockout gas that is being stolen from the barracks and used on civilians during robberies. Most of the stories I have heard involved people sleeping in air-conditioned rooms with the doors and windows closed. They slip a tube under the door and release the gas supposedly. If you do not have air conditioning, sleep with a fan and open windows its very unlikely you will be knocked out with any gas but its possible.

If this is a true story and I have been told it many many times. Anyone caught doing this should face a possible death sentence and life in prison for endangering the lives of their victims in such a way. Same goes for drugging people, I was drugged in the P.I. and having a good knowledge of medicines it was a very scary ordeal. Often the victims of these type crimes die and its just written off as a overdose or alcohol death, no big deal to local cops.

Irish scientist escapes Thai airport shoplifting charge in flight to freedom

Published

By Andrew Drummond on July 5, 2009

'You! You! You go jail six months!'

Well, thats a first. Deleting nearly every single post in a thread.

That was pretty bad, seems people are getting more extreme in commentary. Maybe its just the South in general as a subject, few have very much knowledge about what is going on down there. Even less have enough idea to actually make logical comment on the subject.

I thought that Thaihome gave a pretty good analysis. Penalty clauses are one of the so-called neo-classical contracting tools and often appear in contracts that also specify arrangements for agreed arbitration. If the parties are relying on the courts to enforce the penalties, the outcome is unpredictable.

In other words the contract may or may not be worth the paper it is written on.

There are some old threads on this somewhere. The tour guide laws are set to change in 2010 or so according to old agreements made long ago. Having the law though does not necessarily mean anyone issuing licenses will give seekers a fair deal.

Can the title of the thread be changed to "Battering Tourism In Thailand" as it seems that would be more appropriate.

To the guy having problems with ladyboys at night in Pattaya. Sir you are not very clued up on how things operate with them. If you stop and talk to them that's as much as saying your game for what they have to offer. Its best to just keep walking and not deal with them at all as they are impossible. Meeting some transgender person in business or in a professional environment is one thing, there are some very intelligent and great transgender people in Thailand. That stated, dealing with hookers walking down the street at night anywhere in the world is a dangerous game, adding drugs, alcohol, and misunderstandings just makes the situation more volatile.

As for leaving Thailand for the Philippines, I honestly believe they have better doctors over there but that's where it ends. It is far more violent in a very bad way for long term tourist. Just wait till you go to the bank and there are two or three guys swinging machine guns around behind locked doors, its very uncomfortable. Around Christmas time the killing for Christmas presents begins, its a annual ritual, just ask anyone that's ever been there in that period.

Certainly it can be bad here in Thailand but one can get past the negativity if they figure out how to live here. My life changed dramatically when I stopped going out at night hanging out with losers, that goes for Expats and Thai.

If your friend is having problems communicating most likely its not a professional business he is dealing with. In that case it is highly unlikely that the situation will ever be resolved satisfactorily for them. If they are not on location during the build its normal for a Thai business to take other projects and mothball old ones till they feel like getting to it. The only case I know of where a westerner actually kept funds for a penalty during a work contract involved a bond and five years of court cases, the total was about 500,000 TB on a 5,000,0000 TB Project and included death threats and many sleepless night for the friend.

Building boats in Thailand is doable but its almost always better to be on the ground with the build, hands on. There are also some guy that build and have boats for sale but the prices will not be local as they are built on spec for export.

Can you give a few details without revealing the name of the builder? What city? Fiberglass, steel, or wood? What kind of boat? How much money are you talking about?

This is terrible news, a young man is gone who evidently had great promise and had worked his way out of a very tough country only to have this happen. I feel so sorry for his family when they find out about all this. Their journey to know what has truly happened to their son will be a impossible one.

This will be another shot in the foot for the entire Thai way of handling things, guaranteed. I would not be bothered by the Thai Health Care System or Justice System but it is Thailand itself which spends millions of dollars a year asking people to come here. When they invite people there is no health release as if one is venturing off into a dangerous land full of pitfalls and lacking any accountability.

My point in this case is very straight forward, the contradictions in the news story combined with the history of forensics in Thailand will leave everyone unenlightened as to whether this boy died as a accident or was murdered over a football game.

Hope nobody figures out I planted a half dozen banana trees in the back yard. Maybe I should get right out there and dig them back up!

http://www.pr-inside.com/wounded-as-gunmen...rn-r1338231.htm

8 wounded as gunmen attack southern Thai temple

© AP

2009-06-22 19:44:04 -

PATTANI, Thailand (AP) - Suspected Muslim insurgents opened fire on a Buddhist temple in southern Thailand on Monday, wounding eight people, an army officer said. Lt. Col. Piyawat Chalermsri said at least four attackers shot into the compound of the temple in Narathiwat province as about 30 people were taking part in an aerobics class there. Buddhist temples often serve as community centers in Thailand.

The wounded included a 1-year-old girl and a local Muslim, said Piyawat. The temple hosts a small army encampment, like others in the insurgency-plagued region. «The security forces fired back as soon at the attack began, otherwise there might have been more casualties,» Piyawat said, adding that the attackers arrived on motorcycles. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Thailand's three southernmost provinces since a separatist insurgency flared up in January 2004. Since the start of this month, 36 people have been killed and more than 100 have been wounded in violence in the region.

The most deadly incident was killing of 10 Muslims at a mosque in Narathiwat on June 8. Some Thai authorities blamed the mosque attack on insurgents, claiming it was meant to inflame tensions between the Muslim and Buddhist communities. Rumors have also circulated that the mosque attack was masterminded by Thai authorities, something strongly denied by the government. The insurgents make no public pronouncements, but are thought to be fighting to carve out an independent Muslim state in the three southern provinces. While many there do not support the rebels, there is widespread distrust among Muslims of the predominantly Buddhist Thai authorities.

http://www.realestatechannel.com/internati...hailand-973.php

Thailand Now Plans to Put Itself on International Destination Map

Alex Finkelstein

06/22/09 12:14 PM EST

*

(BANGKOK, THAILAND) -- Creative Kingdom Inc. of Los Angeles, the creator of Dubai's Palm and World Islands and other global exotic-themed developments, now plans to put Thailand on the international destination map.

The company unveiled plans today for Chiang Mai Wood (CNX-Wood), a 175-acre mixed-use movie studio and residential development in Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand.

Once completed, the multi-million-dollar-plus sprawling complex will house the state-of-the-art CNX Movie World Studios, as well as an integrated network of self-sufficient residential neighborhoods, a wide variety of entertainment offerings, cultural venues, museums and world-class restaurants.

The development will offer multiple residential neighborhoods, including villa and luxury housing, that will be connected to the film facilities via an integrated network of bike and walking paths.

Each neighborhood will be fully independent, with its own infrastructure, stores, libraries, schools, medical facilities, water/electrical services, shopping, parks, entertainment and cultural venues.

In addition, a wide variety of entertainment offerings will be spread out over nine specially-themed areas in the complex. Movie theaters, a water park, theme parks, beach club, a man-made lagoon and a Japanese-themed amusement center are just some of the diverse features residents and visitors alike will discover.

For businesses, the complex will offer new corporate office buildings for international headquarters or regional bureaus. It will also be fully equipped to host corporate gatherings, conferences, events, product launches and other important functions.

"CNX-Wood is sure to become one of the most advanced mixed-use destinations in the world, and we are extremely excited by its potential," says Eduardo Robles, chief executive officer, Creative Kingdom, Inc.

"The new CNX Movie World Studios will serve as the hub for Asia's booming film industry and become one of the premier destinations for the world's movie makers.

"In addition, the integrated nature of the facilities will be unrivaled in providing its residents, from those looking for a vacation or second home to those seeking an unmatched luxury lifestyle, with the perfect mix of entertainment, culture and life balance."

The CNX Movie World Studios will feature a series of state-of-the-art film production studios, animation facilities and special effects laboratories.

Robles says the facilities will provide film makers with the most advanced tools and technologies for developing and producing top quality domestic and international movies.

The CNX-Wood development will be completed over five stages, beginning with the film studios.

Robles says Creative Kingdom, Inc. (CKI) is the world's leading creator of themed design architecture and destinations.

In addition to its architecture and master planning expertise, the multi-faceted company conducts cutting edge work with CGI 3-D architectural video animation, 2-D/3-D cartoon animation, and video, film and music production.

Creative Kingdom's global headquarters are based in Los Angeles, with offices on Dubai, UAE; Beijing, China; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Pasig City, Philippines.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?artic...bCategoryId=200

Thai student killed in fight in Southwest China

Updated June 23, 2009 01:00 AM

KUNMING, (Xinhua) -- A student from Thailand was killed in a fight yesterday in a night bazaar in southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to the Yunnan Normal University.

The 21-year-old student who studied in the Institute of Chinese and International Studies of the university was stabbed by a knife on the abdomen during a fight at about 2 a.m. outside an entertainment place in Kunming City, capital of Yunnan, said spokesman of the university.

He was rushed to the hospital but died after treatment failed. Police had arrested the suspect, the spokesman said.

The university had contacted the student's relatives and the investigation was under way. No other details about the student were available at present.

Here we go again, restoring confidence into the tourism sector. Maybe they could be bothered to clean the trains while they all sit there going nowhere. Truthfully I'm surprised the train and its tracks are still functional as I have not seen one single improvement done to the railway system since I rode the the train the first time years ago, seems it gets dirtier every year.

Having just ventured off into Malaysia this year they have one of the most beautiful central railway stations in the world and are soon to open high speed rail all the way from Singapore to the border at Hat Yai in Thailand.

Can I asked where you got the information about Malaysia's high speed link. I did an internet search and the only recent reference I could find was this

"There is a bullet train project at 300 km/h (186 mph) proposed to link Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, proposed by current Malaysian operator KLIA Express YTL Corporation, which links Kuala Lumpur with the KLIA. It would be the first transborder high speed line outside of Europe if built. Travel time would be 90 minutes, compared with 4 hours of highway drive, 7 hours currently by standard rail, 2 hours of flight including commuting to and from airport, check in and boarding. Talks of a Bangkok - Kuala Lumpur - Singapore line spanning the 3 nations have been suggested previously, though no action has been taken.

Plans for project were shelved due to high cost that the government would have to bear. The project also faces opposition from rail operator rivals such as Keretapi Tanah Melayu."

My bad, poor choice of terms. The current train known as "The Commuter" that now travels from KL to Ipoh will be in service to the Thai border, at least that is what I understood from asking while I was there. While this is not a Bullet Train it is high speed compared to the Thai rail system. I saw with my own eyes the concrete foundation being poured with gravel being laid over it and rail line between Panang and the border. I'm not sure how fast a train this line can handle as I'm not a engineer and have not seen the specs, however it is a very modern system. Overall the trains in Malaysia are fantastic compared to Thailand, based on my travels there.

Here we go again, restoring confidence into the tourism sector. Maybe they could be bothered to clean the trains while they all sit there going nowhere. Truthfully I'm surprised the train and its tracks are still functional as I have not seen one single improvement done to the railway system since I rode the the train the first time years ago, seems it gets dirtier every year.

Having just ventured off into Malaysia this year they have one of the most beautiful central railway stations in the world and are soon to open high speed rail all the way from Singapore to the border at Hat Yai in Thailand.

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=10415

Government set to encourage long public holidays, says PM

BANGKOK, June 20 (TNA) – Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday announced that the government is ready to encourage a long public holiday as part of efforts to stimulate local tourism.

Speaking during a visit to the “Seminar in Thailand, Proud of Assisting Country,” he said his government had increased promotion of seminar and tour activities in Thailand in a bid to ease the impacts of the current economic sluggishness on tourism.

He conceded that the economic meltdown had trimmed Thailand’s tourism revenue by about Bt 500 billion annually.

To spur tourism, he said, the government is encouraging the public and private sectors to hold meetings and seminars here, and will provide tax relief to tourism operators.

What the government will do next is to consider longer public holidays in a particular period as it deems apppropriate.

In the past, people preferred traveling to various tourist destinations within Thailand during the long public holidays, he said, adding that it helped boost the distribution of incomes in different parts of the country. (TNA)

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=10405

Special security force dispatched to restive South

PATTANI, June 18 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Army has dispatched an additional combined unit of special security personnel to the Thailand’s southern border provinces to guard local residents, following renewed violent attacks by presumed insurgents in the region.

Lt-Gen. Kasikon Kirisri, commander of the Joint Civilian Police Military Task Force, said the new team of security personnel will work in areas where insurgents are active to provide security for local people, teachers and monks.

“The extra force will help ease the burden on the existing military in the area, who could be weary due to a long period on duty. Initially, the additional force will be on mission until the end of June,” Gen. Kasikon explained.

The commander added that violence-prone areas to be particularly monitored include Yala’s Bannang Sata and Raman districts, Narathiwat’s Bacho and Rangae districts, and Pattani’s Nong Chik, Sai Buri, Kapho and Thung Yang Daeng districts.

Meanwhile, Pol.Lt-Gen. Peera Phumpichet, commander of the Southern Border Provinces Police Operations Centre, reported on the status of the investigation of the mosque shootings in Cho Ai Rong district of Narathiwat on June 8.

Police have so far questioned 34 witnesses and collected spent cartridges from assault rifles at the scene.

According to the investigation, the bullets came from the same rifles earlier used in violent attacks in Narathiwat’s Rangae district. A special investigation unit was set up to solve the case as well as other cases including killing a Buddhist monk and teachers and bomb attacks on passenger pick-up truck.

According to the centre, since violence erupted in 2004, there have been 6,599 security-related cases occurring in the troubled South, with 6,902 arrest warrants issued and 3,809 suspects being detained.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, meanwhile, visited Pattani on Thursday, to meet local officials and discuss security issues and violence related cases.

He said officials from all sides worked well together but police and soldiers needed to improve the providing of security to ensure safety of local people. (TNA)

General News : Last Update : 17:48:07 18 June 2009 (GMT+7:00)