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Ask your wife what brand of Whisky the brothers usually drink - the usual suspects here are (in ascending price), 100 Pipers, Red Label, Black Label, Chivas Regal. Really no point in going overboard, so buy one litre of the next level up from their usual tipple in the USA and put it in your stowed baggage. Don't buy any more drinking alcohol of any sort in duty free. Problem solved.

This is good advice and is sensitive to custom. I'm not sure if there is anything to be saved in buying 100 pipers duty free. It is my whiskey of choice because i mix with coke zero and it is cheap at your local 7/11. Don't listen to posters who assume all Thais drink the cheap "lao khao" because, while many do, you will offend if they don't. My wife's family have always been happy with 100 pipers. Having added that AyG's advice is spot on the mark.

So civilised and law respecting, democracy loving, peaceful, wonderful, enlightened souls; why can't everyone see how virutous and 100% right about everything they are? Oh the injustice!

Ahh, so you are opposed to dissent and freedom of expression?

There is nothing in the report that states that the mourners were either uncivilised, or in violation of the law.

The mourners came to the courthouse to express their concern about the death of the person. No one was assaulted, and no laws broken, correct?

What is your take on the L.A. riots? Wasn't the twin towers tragedy an expression of discontent with US diplomacy and foreign policy? Were they are 'good thing' to be encouraged? Are you going to be selective and who do you think should deciding what is acceptable or not? Are you OK with the shutting down of Swampy?

The notion that the exploited Red Rabble took to the streets on this occasion had little to do with the death of a prison inmate or the lack of health care facilities and procedures. Would they have been there if the deceased had been a common or garden druggie? I doubt that many reasonable people would consider lugging a corpse around town an example of civilised behaviour.

As for the lady indulging herself in a spot of extreme protestation, I suggest that most were more focused on her boobs that the placard she was waving about. Certainly she will have caused more of a stir than the viragoes who mustered at Greenham Common.

Did she have a placard? Well there you go.

Does the upcoming Gubnatorial elections have anything to do with this or is it just coincidence?

So now there is only one coward left in this red/yellow game.

Don't hold your breath for the discovery of any courage there. Apparently used to have Shincorp switch off all mobile phone networks when he went south. Talk about all for one.

I wonder if military support for Khun Chamlong will count for anything? A heavy sentence will cause considerable acrimony within the military circles. Dangerous ground for prosecutors?

If the "Thai's" think along the same lines as the "foreigners", then based on the rather heated "debates" here on TV amongst the (mostly) foreigners, there is never going to be any "reconciliation" whatsoever here in Thailand. The 2 x sides are so far apart on what each thinks that there simply is no middle ground anymore. Neither will back down or compromise, neither will make any accommodations with the other, neither will accept anything less than what "they" want. So what's the answer or solution?

Excellent question.

I may quibble with the notion of there being extra-ordinary political divisions in Thailand more than anywhere else. Things are pretty heated in other countries also, with respect to Politics. Just the nature of the beast. The only difference I see, is perhaps the attitude of the minority side of this political divide thinking they are God's gift to Thailand, and anyone governing other than themselves, must be taking the country on a path to armageddon. They can't understand why the electorate doesn't see that, making them quite comfortable in doing away with elections altogether if they could. It is the vein of thought out of which comes the condemnation of all Politicians as a class. Demonization far exceeding normal jibes at lawyers and politicians.

The answer to your question?........IMHO is continuance of Electoral Democracy, with hopefully some professionalizing of it. In spite of all its' weaknesses and blights that are obvious to everyone, especially those of us from mature Western Democracies. I cannot think of anything better to keep things somewhat politically organized. We have seen the alternatives born from the 2006 Coup caper, when those who consider themselves 'born to lead Thailand" - elections be damned - couldn't contain themselves.

If the "Thai's" think along the same lines as the "foreigners", then based on the rather heated "debates" here on TV amongst the (mostly) foreigners, there is never going to be any "reconciliation" whatsoever here in Thailand. The 2 x sides are so far apart on what each thinks that there simply is no middle ground anymore. Neither will back down or compromise, neither will make any accommodations with the other, neither will accept anything less than what "they" want. So what's the answer or solution?

Convicted people do their time and honest people reconcile. Why does reconciliation need to be tied to the pardon of someone convicted of a crime. List the charges not yet proceeded with against the Ex-PM in exile and work out for yourself if the issue is Political or criminal. There really is only one answer.

Righteous you really should rerthink your definitions of political and criminal voluntary exile.

If the "Thai's" think along the same lines as the "foreigners", then based on the rather heated "debates" here on TV amongst the (mostly) foreigners, there is never going to be any "reconciliation" whatsoever here in Thailand. The 2 x sides are so far apart on what each thinks that there simply is no middle ground anymore. Neither will back down or compromise, neither will make any accommodations with the other, neither will accept anything less than what "they" want. So what's the answer or solution?

Convicted people do their time and honest people reconcile. Why does reconciliation need to be tied to the pardon of someone convicted of a crime. List the charges not yet proceeded with against the Ex-PM in exile and work out for yourself if the issue is Political or criminal. There really is only one answer.

Some of Abhisit's statements quoted in this article are not very constructive. Almost every utterance of his includes a Thaksin reference, He seems to be 'hard wired' into this change the conversation mold. Not smart. This can be easily turned on him as follows:

• The bit about 'bowing to Thaksin" - Who was he bowing to when hoisted into the PM position. I'm sure there were many. No-one believes he was a "lone ranger"...Not then...Not now.
  
• Twice in these quotes, he uses the old saw of preferencing a Thaksin reference with the agenized-laden "fugitive' label, erroneously avoiding 'political exile' reality. The Media can now do likewise with him, quite correctly preferencing his name with "Alleged murderer". For reasons we can all speculate about, I don't think this will happen.
  

I noticed a strong contingent of Red Shirts on the Bonanza stage on Saturday, suggesting the UDD is working hard in the South drumming up support. Democrat Party blanket political ownership of that area may be weakening a tad.

I don't understand why the "bar" will be higher this time, than when a coup administration held a similar referendum. At that time it was a simple majority for approval, while now, this article suggests it needs to be 50%-plus. But then the coup was not Democratic to start with, and was not there at voter behest. That probably gave them more arbitrary, non-democratic powers to set their own standards. Democratic governance not being one of them.

I can't understand why people don't accept Khun T's exile as political? Oh by the way, what did happen to the Bt500mil that went missing from the

airport scanner contract?

So I read in the story that she admitted to the police that she lost her temper and destroyed his belongings but no report of the police arresting her for it. I will admit that I just don't understand the laws of this country at all. If a foreigner accidentally steps on a remote control car that is being driven under his feet by the vendors on walking st then he is forced to pay for the broken item or be arrested If a thai women admits to the police to losing her temper and destroying the property of a foreigner then she is told to calm herself and go home?

Who ever the tourist was, it was lucky for him that the family couldn't find him and police advised the man to calm down and reconsider his actions.The hooker claimed that she had lost her temper with the foreign customer and destroyed much of his possessions before leaving

Some Thai logic that we foreigners will never understand

Seems logical to me. No Farang tourist (beaten a hasty retreat smart man) to lay a complaint about broken belongings. Police calm those still present. Problem solved as it should be. Job well done to the Royal Thai Police!

and jetstar...i flighted from australia to bali..and they forced me to buy a return ticket(sooo expensive how can they call theirselves low cost) even if i had a reservation...it was illegal..but i had no choice..because they told me "take this or we ban you"

Can you elaborate on how an airline can force you to buy any sort of ticket - one way, or return?

As a sidenote, if you look at the Qantas website to book a flight originating in Thailand, the headline price does not includes taxes, fuel surcharges etc. <deleted>

Like laws all over the world, its the law in the Country your in/operating in thats the law that count. All laws should operate in a way to give all an even playing field in commerce and especially in advertising.

What's it got to do with Australia,Air Asia is hardly any of their business.

Wow! I wonder what made Hedgehog so prickly?

Some time back I wrote on TV of an encounter my wife and I had with a Thai woman married and living in the UK with her English husband.

I say 'living', if you recall my report the woman was spending her days locked in the house, only allowed out with her husband and when she agreed for us to contact a women's support organisation on her behalf, the police and social services were called in, the Thai wife was admitted to hospital suffering malnutrition.

It was for my wife and I a shock to see a woman treated like this by a man ( I use the term loosely) within whom she had presumably placed a great deal of trust.

If that was a one off case it might be considered unusual, it seems it is not.

Since that encounter I have learned of a Thai friend's sister who was rescued by her family from abuse by her British husband, by chance her brother called to visit one evening to discover his sister tied up in the house - not as a result of a break-in but tied up by her husband while he went out in Pattaya (I know in this case justice was sought without the help of the police).

These are, I hope, extreme cases, but I know a number of Thai women who's Farang husbands don't allow them the freedom to go out on girl's nights out, don't allow them to take holidays without their husband, and many more who control the cash and hence their wife's ability to do anything independently of their husbands.

My wife and I yesterday met a Thai woman we've known for over ten years. She was not the well dressed, well presented beauty we know her to be, but wearing no make-up and very plainly dressed. She explained her Nowegian husband doesn't allow her to dress up or wear make-up (This the prompt for my post)

Furthermore, my observations on this are substantiated in frequent reports on the Thai language forum dealing with the 'Thai' side of Thai/Foreign relationships.

It seems there are an awful lot of inadequate men out there who treat their Thai wives/girlfriends like some kind of property, scared sh1tless of allowing another human being the independence we all have a right to.

There are a lot more cases of thai men doing this, especially here in thailand-_-

Perhaps you could focus on that rather than singling out westerners, or perhaps you are racist and expect less from thais?

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect App

I thinkGuesthouse has a valid point to make without going international. Seems to me he has simply cited a couple of cases which he and partner are personally aware of. Tags of racism and focussing on the local Thai male do not detract from the valid point being made and are I think a little harsh and dare I say defensive.

Hilary is a shoe-in and no brainer winner for 2016. The Dems will do anything to get her to run. Maybe they are buying her and Bill a private island to relax on for a few years before campaigning starts. I can't see any other Democrat that the new crop of Republicans like Marco Rubio wouldn't have a shot against. It's just her.

If Hillary isn't running, she should make that definite sooner than later, and that gives some democrats some years to enhance their profile.

I'd be absolutely stunned if there are people out there who don't think Hilary's early departure from her current role as Sec. of State

is to concentrate her efforts on her 2016 Presidential run. Unfettered by constraints of her high office and loyalty to the President who

appointed her she is unstoppable. Add "Big, Bad Billy to the mix and hang on for the ride.

Sorry is this a hotel?

Perhaps these two letters in the title may give you a clue... 'IT'

A charming response to a perfectly civil question. You'd be a pleasure to share a beer with I'm sure.

No it's not an hotel. Rather a building housing a collection ot Information technologists and computer, telephones

and the like. There. Painless.

Cha Am traffic chaos continues.....had to wait 2 minutes for the bloody lights to change........!!!!

You've just broken my heart! When did they put the lights in and why?

"The check and balance mechanisms and anti-corruption measures were in tatters even before the tanks rolled out of their barracks to overthrow the Government of Taksin Shinawatra." States the editorial. An honest but very generous appraisal for the overthrown Government of the events of yesteryear. What the editorial misses is that the check and balance mechanisms and the anti corruption were only in tatters because that Government had deliberatly targetted them causing the tanks to come out of their Barracks before someone declared himself "President for Life"

There are so many companies here in Pattaya cannot find people for work, but many Thais are looking only for the 'easy' way.

Really? Can you PM the list as I have a couple of Thai friends looking for work......

You only need to walk around Pattaya to see many job vacancies in shops, restaurants, hotels. The problem is that in high season, the staff often disappear to work as prostitutes or rent boys because the money is better and the life easier. That's what a restaurant friend of mine told me.

I think,perhaps, there is a mis-understanding of the Pattaya demographic. Like every other tourist destination in the world, Pattaya attracts a class of person from all over Thailand who congregate to make a quick baht (buck) by any means possible except hard work. And they are prepared to steal from farang tourist or Thai alike. Subsequently Pattaya has a more than generous proportion of bottom feeders. Please dont judge Thailand by these bottom feeders as they are all over the world.

Can anybody tell me why there's so many death involving outsiders in Thailand? Why...?

Strangely, most Thais die here too.

'Refused to press charges'??????

What is he hiding would be my first question

Ahhh Pattaya !!! Fireworks of every description available here

Perhaps he would rather his picture was not splashed all over the internet above a caption detailing how he was out with a prostitute in Pattaya.

Thanks Jacko. They must be a little bit slow in Ohio.

So - I guess he'll be out on Bail Monday, pending appeals of his bail revocation...

I would think so with the Yingluck government putting up the bail money from the tax payers of course.

Why shouldn't they he's not convicted yet? Even under a legal system that is a mockery to the rest of the civilized world.

Because, Brian, he violated the bail he was on by threatening judges. Serious in anyone's court.

Glad I visited Phuket a few years ago now.

Happy living in Bangkok with no ambition whatsoever to return.

I am sure it will have no effect on tourism though.

Just that there is much nicer and safer places in Thailand to holiday.

Silly, off-topic post.

No one cares where you're too scared to travel to, Noddy.

Of course someone cares. Especially if he borrows Big Ears car !

Evidence of the strength PM Yinglucks prormise to British PM David Cameron last night to look after tourists is plain for all to see. Hopefully it'll make front page news in the UK - should cause a few blushes. Maybe those blushes will be a bright as this poor blokes claret.

Oh come on Jon. Don't nesessarily like the PM but I think her promise falls short of 4.30 am, drunk and provocatively out of control.

having a big sign like that asking for russian commission based 'tour guides' is asking for it.

what did she expect?

She probably expected more diners. I don't understand your reasoning. Sounds like good business to me.

Oh and to those who think we 'bash' Thais ... you're either too new here, too dense or utterly thick.

This is "Thai bashing." This is not a Thai thing anymore than it's a Canadian thing to kill the cuckolder..

It's a life thing. Internationly perpetrated.

Perhaps there is a misunderstanding of what the word "fluency" means.

Thai fluency is unambiguous. "What your name? Where you come from?"