hawksway

No one man can be an island especially in this case when an election is being fought against a backdrop of unbeatable demographics and vote buying. Only a drastic move against social and economic inequality along with improvements in educational opportunities will enable a level playing field. In those circumstances the Democratic Party may return to power.

Abhisit is the best but perhaps too good for Thailand's waring politics.

With the ballots cast we shall soon see that crime pays.

Even if he resigns as head of Dem Party can't he still be the opposition leader? He is not resigning his post as MP.

Thai Politicians will simply do what Politicians the World over do. Forget the promises they made, plead that in the economic climate are not conducive to fulfilling them or simply re-offer them just before the next election. problem solved!

So we can pay 400 Baht to enter a temple, but we can't get a beer? (Foreigners who don't look Thai). I believe this is called profiling. If profiling works so well when entering temples, why can't it work the other way when ordering a drink in a bar?

Oh well, I'll just stay home, drink whiskey alone and cry. :jap:

It's to protect Foreigners from buying a drink for pleading Thai People!

Pure Consumer greed. So many want something for money and will travel by any airline if it's cheap enough!

So often, safety and reliability are furthest from Customers mind. If they really value these qualties pay up and travel by established carriers.

Oh! So the Lady is "Volunteering to solve the problems of the Country". That should save Thailand some money. Quite a rarity for someone to work without pay.

What is at issue here is not just about a change in the political order, but importantly to demonstrate that those convicted of offences can accept the punishment metered out to them, irrespective to their rank in life.

There is a great reluctance in Thailand to accept responsibility for any wrong doing, Neither is there much remorse. Thailand has a culture of fleeing from the Law be it from road accidents or in the case of the Former Prime Minister from Justice by going abroad. Those who flee from justice should be additiionally charged with that offence and serve longer periods of sentence.

The acceptance of the Law - crime and punishment - is essential to establishing this Third World Country as a modern functioning democracy - Currently it's a long way behind that.

What a load of verbal garbage we are seeing on this issue. Suddenly we have lots of experts around. Wow Qantas needs people like that.

I've flown Qantas and British Airways lots of times and from close frelationships can say that neither airline flies on a shoestring or takes chances with the safety of their passengers and neither would Rolls Royce. Their safety records are no accident. The media report contradicts itself. On the one hand it say the Captain was forced to shut down the engine and on the other that the Captain did this as a precaution.

There is nothing in the article to say what will happen next but likely scenarios are that all the Passengers will have been put into first class hotels with meals and expenses met by Qantas. Not the couldn 't care less approach of Thai when they refused to help their Passengers grounded by the Icelandic Volcanic Dust. Only diplomatic pressure on the Thai Government got them back in the air. Qantas are likely to do an engine change if they have one in Singapore or else may ferry one up from Sydney.

The confidence that the General Public have in Qantas speaks for itself. Try and get a seat on the Kangaroo Route. They are often fully booked for days ahead.

It's normal to have a backup Server ready configured just in case and a dedicated Build Server sitting on a Work Station to rapidly configure everything except permissions. The permissions and data are normally backed up onto tape.

It's a bit far fetched that the story is totally true given the strategic importance of the data and its access

Just another form of vote buying. What Mr Thaksin should be offering is a package to encourage Tax Drivers to seek alternative employment. Taxis are creating mayhem and congestion with excessive numbers in many places including airports and tourist resorts. Pattaya is probably one of the best examples, which of an Evening, is totally gridlocked by taxis. At Suvarnabhumi Airport the demand for taxis has slumped since the City Line train services has been, for many, the preferred choice of transport.

It seems that Mr. Thaksin is far more interested in gaining power than serving the interests of his Country.

Simply vote buying in another guise. The concept would be good if only Thailand had sufficient numbers of I.T literate Teachers and an education standard to International levels.

Thailand with its Nationalist pride is many years away from that point and will achieve very little without foreign assistance.

As usual it's Thaksin up to his usual tricks. He would of course wish to broker the deal personally as he did over the arrangement in supplying the Thai Police some years ago.

Dream on - this Man is just a politician trying to keep his face in the headlines as an election looms. Like His compatriates in Government the Minister has no hope of bringing about such cultural changes and will receive lip service only.

That's about it. Allow these developments to go ahead under the noses and complicity of Government Officials and hold an enquiry when tradegy strikes!

Absolutely scandalous that this taxi mafia could get away with this behaviour. In most Countries they would have been arrested, taken to Court and fined.

The Cruise Ship Country should be free to make whatever arrangements they like in the interests of their Customers and normal day to day business.

Let's hope this event does not discourage cruise vessels from docking at Phuket in the future.

"In many cases they are old enough to be their father" ( or grandfather) but hey, I'm not casting stones.

"If these people don't have enough money to retire then they shouldn't be here and become a burden to Thailand," I'm not sure how farangs who don't have 800,000 baht in the bank can be a burden. It's not like in the U.S., where a quite a few Thai's draw welfare checks and food stamps, which they don't have in Thailand. I would need an explanation on that statement please.

How about they put that proposal on a nation wide ballot. Think it would fly?

"Nationwide Ballot" ? Nah, they only do that sort of thing in democratic countries. They wouldn't ask the People for fear of getting an unfavourable response!

Well that's good. It will prevent aged Foreigners from being taken for a ride by "innocent Thai Women"

This all started when a PT Politician hiding from criminal charges under Parlimentary Immunity theatened that the Prime Minister could be subject to ICC prosecution for alleged crimes by virtue of his UK Birth.

Now another senior PT Politician wants the Prime Minister to renounce his right to apply for UK Citizenship.

It really shows that Puea Thai's main interests are Jaw Jaw and mischief making when perhaps they should be spending more time on policy issues in the interests of those who voted for them, but it seems even that even these are in short supply for this pathetic excuse for a political party.

Fujitives from justice must feel quite at home in Thailand where crime has become an established culture.

At the end of the day, Business, like Government exists for the benefit of Customers and Phuket transport has a lot to answer for. Perhaps with more foreign competition the quality of Thai Companies in the Travel Trade will improve as they have to make more investment in Staff Training including foreign languages.

Let's just hope the Russians leave their mafia behind - that's something the Thais might not be comfortable with.

How can Victor Bout claim that he was visiting Thailand on "Official Business" ?

If that were true, Bout would have entered Thailand with a Diplomatic Passport and in such a situation, would have been untouchable, whatever He said or did.

It's clear that the Russian Government clearly understood Bout's position to be untenable and could not offer any explicit support even through its channels to the Thai Government. The alledged bribes must have come from Bout's Associates which in a country of such criminality would have been substantial.

Bout is just going to rot in Gaol until the U.S and Russia come to a mutually acceptable arrangement.

Bout will say nothing except continuing to profess his innocence. Whatever the sentence He receives - if found guilty - there will be leverage at some time to swap Him. It's just necessary for Victor Bout to be forgotten in the Public Eye and in 5 years will be back in Moscow.

Come on Guys - what makes you so negative?

These plans are sound sweetners for Airlines to bring in the flights to other parts of Thailand many of you have been waiting for. Airlines have to spend heavily on Route Development costs even before they start with Marketing, Operations, Engineering and Handling. The savings are a win win for both Airlines and the Airport Operators and substitute marginal costs with marginal revenue. If you don't like the taxis then bring a foldaway bike with you.

Cheap Thailand has gone for a long while as Asian Economies align to each other and away from the West.

If there is a sticker over the RAM cover it indicates that an additional RAM upgrade was undertaken as part of the deal. Therefore to save time the Dealer probably did this for the whole batch of machines

Amazing what the Private Sector can do while Government engages in the past times of argument and sleep

We have been married 23 years. Like me, my Thai Wife is Catholic and well educated.<BR><BR>My advice is not to marry out of your religion. If you have no faith then support your Wife in hers.<BR><BR>Communication is paramount. If your Partner is not educated at least to your standard then marriage carries real risks as so many misunderstandings will result threatening the relationship. From these columns you will find that poor communications is the single biggest reason for failure.