ableguy

"The sitting guides were hired at a rate of 800 baht per day to ride along with the tour group in order to meet Thai labor law requirements, the source said."

The law exists before they started business, Farang cannot be a tour guide in Thailand. They should have invest the money into training Thai guides understand Russian, not used Russians working illegally.

Russian language is more than a little tricky and I completely understand why a company would want to use Russians for the job of Russian tour guides. Lets not lose sight of the fact that many Thai laws are there to benefit certain Thai's more than others.

We can't expect Thai's to learn all the languages that visit Thailand as effectively as is necessary, if the general level of competence in English is anything to go on then look out.

Its a shame these people will have to bail themselves out. They have had a terrible past and for many I imagine its a holiday of a lifetime.

Russian hookers are working in Pattaya openly so why not tour guides in Phuket ???????

How can the embassy hold him, do they have cells what about extraditing him and the laws or am I reading this wrong?

I think there are a lot of things about this story that have been left out, or are simply unknown. I can understand, to some degree, a suicide if death from cancer in imminent, but not naked, and not by diving from the 18th floor of a condo. There are other ways that would, in my mind, seem somewhat more "appropriate". Something about this story just doesn't sound right.

How many farangs in Pattaya die every year by suicide falling from or jumping from a high rise some even with their hands tied, sin city.

Such a sad ending for any person.

MY 5 year Thai driving Licence works very well as ID, national parks, airlines, hotels, all accept it.

If you are here for more than 6 months (on retirement or married extension) and drive any vehicle you have to get it anyway.

Why do you need it for national parks ? do you get the Thai price for admission ?

What bull ...how about sorting out the corruption in the Royal Thai Police...yes the first word from RTP is the key but no one in any Government ever in Thailand has the balls to do anything about it

This has to be the hub of bull£hit....next year will be another announcement of a Clamp down on Entertainment venues again, it is called the annual increase of tea money

Must agree all hot air perhaps next they will vow to wipe out prostitution in fact the word vow is in such common use in politics and police waffle it does not have any meaning at all.

This wannabee dictator is a joke but a dagerous one, if he does come back I cannot see him surviving for too long as he will probably join general Deng, then we may see true peace coming to Thailand ( after the initial uproar ). Just my honest opinion

Is anyone really interested in what any corrupt Thai official has to say ? outside of the amusement factor that is .

This man is tresding on dangerous ground am thinking maybe will end up in the klong.

Who is going to pay for all of these lost lives, lost homes, injuries, burn victims, etc? The rich fools who sponsored the event, in the middle of a town with predominately wooden houses? The city of Saphan Buri? The governor, who seems to have done little to alleviate the suffering of the people, other than to make some vague pronouncements about a police investigation. How was this allowed to happen? Why was it not pushed to the outskirts of town, where it would have been far safer? Why was the company who was hired so incompetent? Will they be held responsible? How much will the owner of that company have to pay the governor, or the mayor, of the police chief, to walk away scot free, while these poor folks are scarred for life with 3rd degree burns? Who is going to lose their jobs over this? I believe the Tambon chief, the mayor, the governor, the police chief, and other should be immediately fired, and replaced with people who have at least a tiny concern for human safety.

Nobody will pay , nobody will be punshed and there will be no conclusive investigation as this is Thailand. Sadly only money talks and your position in the pecking order.

My understading is that when passports are swiped on exiting UK the info is passed on to DOSS automatically, I got this from a guy who went to Canada for six months to help out his disabled daughter who had given birth, when he got back everything had been cancelled and he had to enlist the support of his MP to get benefits re enstated,

what about our deposits?

Well maybe he don't know where to pick up girls except in the bars?

Anyway he learned his lesson now.....

On the juice again are we ?

I am sure of one thing only regarding this under no circumstance would I ever believe one word uttered by any elected member of this government or any previous government and any future government. If the USA embassy says there is a threat then thats the way it is.

'human traffickers had brought Chinese prostitutes into Thailand', wow, we don't have enough already!

Sir we have no prostitutes in LOS as the sport is illegal, we need a crack down on posts like this

"No government agency, including the police -- judiciary and interior ministry -- opposed the re-issue of Thaksin's passport," he said.

Now there's a suprise seeing he has relatives in key positions...

"Thaksin had applied for an ordinary passport via the Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates on October 25.

The Foreign Ministry issued the passport for Thaksin on October 26" via diplomatic pouch on the same day

do all ordinary Thai citizens get service like this ?.....

my moneys on...he will be sitting in Chang Mai eating his Somtam by year end...

Could be pushing daisies too

Where there is an apple , there is usually a banana!

you will find them next to the durian.

WOW, and they did all this for 200THB to buy snacks !, and also during the day, is anywhere safe in Thailand now !

Bangkok, considering the population of 11 million there is hardly ever a report of farang muggings.

What happened in Phuket is particularly worrisome considering it was in broad daylight and these guys stabbed to kill! It could have been any farang, just a roll of the dice. Phuket is overtaking pattaya as the number 1 crime hot spot, glad I dont live there

The BIB do all the mugging in Bangkok

Hi Guys for all you retired USA citrizens on social security did your December check arrive on time, mine is usually in my account on the third of every month but not this month on the sixth no sign of it yet, could it be thanks giving that slowed things up, also if it does not show up who to contact, The pamphlets I have been reading seem to suggest contact USA embassy in case of problems but I find this hard to believe, all the phone numbers are 1 800 so no good here and also have checked on line but can find no advice on this, any help appreciated.

Wow they thought this idea up themselves

I was horrified to read an article recently in the BKK post about live rats being exported from Cambodia to Vietnam where they are considered a cheap delicacy. It was stated that 17 tons of live rats are exported annually to Vietnam but the trade had slacked off due to the number of rats drowned in the recent flooding. I think this evil trade in our rodent friends must cease so what can we do. well first off we cannot cross into Cambodia as we could be arrested as spies or start a cross border shelling incident and I am not talking the pea pod variety. so what I have decided to do is pass this over to greenpeace to deal with. after all if they can handle Wales a country full of drunkards who think they can sing and play rugby ( but not at the same time ) surely they can save our rodent friends in Cambodia.

What about our Thai rat friends as surely they will look to Thailand to make up the numbers, I have decided to set up an organisation called PRATS IN THAILAND ( protect rats in Thailand ) with a sub branch PRATS IN BANGKOK ( protect rats in Bangkok ). I suggest we take all the used sandbags in Thailand and dump them in the gulf creating a man made atoll with blue plastic drainpipes layed at random to create a nice sewer enviroment and put all our rodent friends here to live a life that is secure. This will become a tourist attraction generating one point seven six trillion Baht per annum which will go into the government coffers ( less the usual 33 % ) and I vow we can do this in 30 days, further more as ten thousand tons of garbage are generated daily in Bangkok a large proportion of this will be waste from markets and restraunts a gourmet feast for our rodent friends, this refuse transported out daily to Rat Atoll will save the city one point two trillion baht per annum ( less the usual 45 %

Now to put this scheme into action my friends I need your help with cash donations and as this will be done in a transparent manner please put all donations in a clear plastic bag, the type food vendors use but not too many twists with the elastic band.. I will glady pick up all donations of 25,00 baht or more and for doations of one million baht or more the doner will recieve a wall plaque annoumcing you as a chief prat which can be proudly hung in your office or local bar. Remmember transparency = clarity which ryhmes with charity so give now. All surplus funds will go to some deserving girls from up North who struggle to support their families and I will see to this myself.

Condolences to the husband and the whole family of the poor woman. RIP.

As with every such post, I can only note with disgust the various comments... Thai bashing in 90% of all posts... "Thai to be blamed for accident".... "would be treated differently if it would be a Thai"... "would be treated differently in Europe"... "no money to be made, case closed"....

I'd like to ask a question to the Admins: Why do you allow comments on such "news" items? You know what will be coming... you could as well add the standard blaming comments yourself and close the item for comments.... did not see a single comment that add value to the post... probably mine included...

If they did that this site would wither away.

I agree with you ref the cuury, however due to lack of it in Hua Hin I am now totally hooked on Panang, massaman,and green curries.

If you cannot meet the 800k can you meet part of it with the rest coming from a pension

ie 65000 needed a month coming in in pension to stay or 800.000 in bank, you can have say 400,000 in bank and a pension of 32,500 pension if aged over I believe 50 years but may be 55 years old.