drummer

at the end of the day the majority of Thai people* are too uneducated and stupid not to drink, eat rubbish and whatever

By that definition, Thais are for more smart, educated, and savvy than farang....

Let's not forget the following for their high fat content:

avocados

olives

milk

cheese

ice cream (do you really want a tax on ice cream?)

eggs

deep-fried bananas

deep-fried taro

deep-fried shrimp (battered and unbattered)

deep-fried fish (battered and unbattered)

Hoi Tort (clam omelet)

Kai Jiaw (regular Thai omelet)

Moo Grop (3-layers pork--like bacon--but deep fried)

Deep fried chicken knuckles

All of the deep fried meat-on-a-stick vendors should also have to pay an exhorbitant social demise tax, particularly for their little hot dogs wrapped in bacon sticks.

But Thais don't want to look in their own backyard. They want to blame MTV, Pepsi, Tesco, and everything else from the west. They make plenty of junk food, but far be it from them to do any wrong.

Thats right - People eating Thai food are too fat already. Thai food is just as bad as any other food out there...

Voltaire once said "Common sense is not so common." A quick glance at the size of standand restaurant goers in Thailand vs the West (or even Japan these days) shows there is a clear waistline difference. Med research is showing that skinnier is healthier, almost always.

The more foods get processed the worse they are for you. Eggs from factory farms raise your cholestorol levels. Eggs from free range chickens LOWER your cholestoral. Moo Glop is fine as long as the pig was raised healthily. Why is Germany skinnier than America? Germans have much "fattier" foods than America does...

The rule of thumb is "eat foods that remember where they come from. Sugary coffee does not pose the same health risk that sodas do, or anything else processed. Moreover, India at least has pesticides in their sodas.

I for one think this is a great idea. Certinaly not the only thing that should be done,but a great initiative, even if nothing else comes of it.

Portland, Oregon, USA just passed legislation providing incentives for schools to buy their school lunches locally. Good for them, too. All the extra costs associated with eating processed foods, the pollution from shipping the food, and the tax money staying local are all worthwhile in and of themselves. Good for them.

Hey - I was talking to China Air and the rep said that my wife cannot fly through Vancouver BC because she is Thai, and will need a visa just to use the airport. Anyone have any knowedge of this? It sounded to me like BS, but you never know. thanks

No problem going to the embassy to pick up the visa. I think they may not allow he passports to be mailed anymore, anyway

I've heard that it takes up to 3 days, but all the planes are almost full already, and we have to buy the ticket. Is it possible to make sure we get the visa the next day? the rest of the week is already full.

The bigger problem though might be provocateurs from the other side, such as a women last week which has thrown a bag of feces against one of the demonstrators. Not reported in the English language media, but in the Thai papers it was on the cover.

Provocation is indeed a worry. It is a very old tactic to hire some thugs to pretend they work for the other side. These protests hve reportedly had their own thugs to police thmselves and have been trying to start a fight with police too. It could be eplosive.

You basically need a work permit in Thailand. That "proves" that you are living in Thailand, and makes you eligible for Direct Consular Processing. This is really quite fast. In addition, you get the CR1 visa which provides your spouse with a green card right away. With a K3/K1 visa, you have to adjust her status in the US, meaning years of paperwork and thousands in fees.

Speaking of fees, next month they are generally doubling.

IF you don't have a wok permit, then you must go through the USCIS, which is slow beyond belief and painful.

re: fiance vs spouse ..... the fiance visa is marginally faster. But it is such a pain that unless you are split up and can't visit each other that I would strongly recommend going for the I-130 CR1 visa alone. Don't bother with the 129f K3 visa unless every week counts.

Thats very good news for you! GREAT news. The CR1 visa is the I-130 application... this will save you well over $1,000 dollars in later fees because she will get a green card right away.

The ONLY benefit of a K3 visa is that it is faster than an CR1. The CR1 is way better to have in every other respect. Once you get out you are preetty much done with the USCIS for another 10 years. With the K3 you are looking at another 2 years of paperwork and fees.

Furhtermore, I can only presume that you already paid the application fee for the I-130, so you probably only have to pay $45. You had to file the I-130 before you were allowed to file the I-129f...

Siezes only 1 pornographic VCD? I thought he would have picked up more than one while he was out ... must be planning on only a light weekemd....

Khunying Kasama says teenage pregnancy may be the result of low self esteem, lack of social support, and loneliness,

Thats right, blame the girl. Not one word about ignorance. Human beings are curious - if you don't tell them the real skinny then they are going to make something up to explain it. And thats the real reason for sex ed.

If you don't teach your daughter, she'll learn everything she knows about sex from her 14 year old boyfriend!

Guns are the same way. Teach children how to use them properly and you will lower the amount of gun use - accidental and otherwise!!!!

I don't have time to catch myself up on the whole conversation, but I just heard an "in-depth" report by the NPR (the US's BBC) about Thailand and Brazil's Big Pharma battle ...

... not a WORD about Thailand' getting blacklisted. You think it would have come up. They talked specifically about Kalestra, and even had time to get into talking about refrigeration.

Instead, they said that Big Pharma told Thailand that if they kept doing things like licence Kalestra, then Big Pharma would not be able to research new drugs at all. <deleted>??

Gotta love the "liberal" press out here. GEEZ.

Let's see... What about... "Thai Rak Thai 2" ? Sounds good ? Or "Thai Rak Thai Mak" ?

Thai Rak Thai Maak.

I've been out of touch for a couple weeks - but it seems like the situation is a bit cakmer than it was a month or so ago - just reading the tone of the posts... thats good

The total erradication of the TRT influence will occur with the total erradication of poverty in Thailand. Even if Thaksin had never been born- the stresses in a country as divided economically as Thailand will eventually take on a political dimension- whether that is accomodated through ballots or the polling booth is the big question right now.

That is a very Western way to look at things. Thais generally see the whole context o things, and generally accept their role -good or bad- as being just and right, the way things should be. If you are poor, then its because your spirit is lacking. Thais especially rural Thais, just don't have Western values of egalitarianism. That particular dam will break ONLY when the government starts to abuse them in ways that they think is abuse. It is normal and justified for those with money to maintain their status.

Even Suryuth has said that the greatest threat facing Thailand is not the south, not drugs, not even TRT- it is the gap between the rich and poor.

He is a very smart man. It is true, but not so much in the egalitarian way that you are suggesting. A healthy economy "raises all boats" and will put Thailand onto the world scene economically. If they don't do something about it, they will remain where they are economically, while everyone around them moves up. This makes issues AIDS drugs and the like more problematic for Thailand. (among other reasons) ....just my 2 cents here....

We don't know what the wishes of those 15 million people were. We know what they have been told to wish, which is not the same.

In tightly knit communities in rural Thailand policy platforms are just icing on the cake.

"You have to vote for Thaksin, and you will feel good too - he cares about people". Presented this way it sells itself and reduces expenses on vote buying. All TRT had to do is grease the canvassing machine.

This is true... It is precisely why the protests happened. It because very very clear that Thakson does NOT care about people. Also, it should be noted that other politicians use the same tack. I've never been North of BKK, but I've been South, and there is extensive, but not totally uncontrolled vote buying there. Its gotta be way way worse in the much much poorer North and Northeast.

It is absolutely the most important issue facing this struggling democracy. The irony is that there never seems to be any public discourse which is essential to foment strong democracy. The best that could be hoped for from the current approach is, I suppose, is some sort of tiny incremental improvement.

Full disclosure in Thailand? I would be VERY curious to see how that gets achieved...

I do think that Suryud is trying to implement some useful reforms, though. It would make sense to separate the National police from the local police. It, at least, makes if FAR far more expensive to buy everyoine off when there are completely different groups.

Also, this proposal separates power - making TWO police groups when before there were only one. This inevitably weakens both. They now compete in some ways, and neither would want to lose face to the other. Its a good idea. I don't know how far it will go to solving the problems, but it will help... some ...

Well, in the US, where "freedom of speech" is stoutly defended more than anywhere else in the world, including Europe, you still cannot say anything you like. You cannot yell fire in a crowded theater. You can advocate directly for the harm of others.

That is the situation I see here, where you apparantlyu have some groups that are Thaksin related agitating so they can get back into power under the umbrella of free speech. It is a great tactic and gets used a lot

Recent example: In the US, the new Congress is trying to get the troops out of Iraq. Bush says, essentially, "If you take the troops out of Iraq, then it will cause the troops to stay in Iraq longer". Sounds funny, sounds stupid, but it works. It muddies the water as to who is doing what, and lets wrongdoers get away with what they want.

If this is the situation, as look looks like it is to me, then the current guys are doing a very good job. Thaksin ought not be able to shout "Fire!"

I take it the regulatory agencies there are quite lax. If a company discharged waste in to a public waterway, it can be tracked via discharge logs. Surely point sources need to be permitted there like in most countries.

Well, the US has a lot of problems like this, too. Problem is, the fines are cheaper than proper disposal!

"this kind of crime makes me think castration should be a legal punishment. if the guy had no balls, he wouldn't have wanted the girl to come to his table anyway- problem solved for next time. "

The act of rape is not one of sex, per se, but of power. If you removed a rapist's testicles, he'd find another avenue to intimidate and manifest his control.

The desire for physical power/physical aggression, however, is tied to testosterone. Take away the balls, then you would see the guy "mellow out" considerably. Of course, there are more things going on here - the officer in question has obvious mental problems. However, in regards to the rest of it, I also and still advocate castration as a punishment, in lieu of more effective (and cheaper!) rehabilitative techniques

Steely Dan, my wife is the same, was outraged by the police actions and felt really sorry for the girl. However, when I mentioned our attempts to set up a fund for the poor lass she replied "careful, police!!"

AKA "Who wants to put the bell on the cat?" 2 ways ... find he cats OWNER - if possible, go through the King, or probably better, the Princess. If thats possible, I don't know. It would be the best possible solution. Women's Rights groups under Royal patronage would also be very good.

The solution is SIMPLE. Make the donor list anonymous, and make sure to point out that donors also come from overseas (they do!). Have the name on the check be from someone offshore, wit no vested interest in business / living in Thailand. The Thai police cannot touch them. Might even make a good press point.

Of course, it would be better to have a Thai bank account because of transfer fees (right?) Someone who really wanted to drum up support for the young lady ought be able to get 100,000 THB NO PROBLEM. Simple PM'ing of everyone who has posted in the thread would be able to get that much.

The bit about face ... Some people just don't seem to get that the best way to save face for everyone is to DO THE RIGHT THING. What a complicated web we weave. No one is really helped out by the face-saving rituals ... Thai people all pretty much know whos face is being saved and why, anyway. IT is just to keep people's feelings from being hurt.

Unfortunately, it creates more hurt than not, overall. There is more การไม่กลมกลืนกัน discord when people have to cover up for some people. It creates more conflict ความบาดหมาง because the different stories all have to be matched up.

None of this helps people understand themselves or nature, and none of this helps the person whose face is being saved, either. It ultimately locks them into the physical world by denying them, and others, true information.

Thats more stable than anything, really, IMHO. He is going to say that no matter whether he means it or not. But if he does mean it (and he very well may) then it would still lend stability because it is a backstop of sorts to prevent bigger problems. Remember, the "top" is ultimately the people in ANY form of government...

Thats not true. For a demonstration, go tell the next monk you see "Kuan dteen!" - in a crowd. See what happens. Besides, the impulse to censor these topics is so strong that it is an active part of Thai foreign policy. I don' see it likely that any Thai calls for total free speech. They don't WANT that.

They do want qualified free speech, though. Politics is one thing that should be free in some areas and heavily censored in others. I don't think anyone, xcept for the primary players, is quite sure where these rallies fall on that spectrum.

My suspicion is that because of the Royal backing, and the apparant alterior motives, that these rallies may very well turn out to be anti-Royal. But, I'm not really sure.

Thais aren't likely to ask for total free speech, not now, and not ever in the forseeable future. There are a few topics that are taboo ...

After readnig up a bit on the actual circumstances of the rally, I find myself supporting the Junta.

Reasons?

As someone said earlier, if the pre-Thaksin crowd with money don't like the new regime, the new guys are DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. The new boss is clearly not the same as the old boss, if the machinery behind the old boss is wiling to take such risks, and spend the cash.

Reading up about the protest tactics.

Democracy? Thats a right loose word when 100 THB buys a vote. Thats 2 EUROS ... and thats in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where folks have more THB and more options, not in Issan.

Do the 'country bumpkins' know the ins and outs of BKK poiltics? I will be the last one to say that "country bumpkins" are stupid, but a lot of them are ignorant. And poor. And just how do they get their information? Most of them don't really know whats going on. Like the articles said, they don't really know much about the censorship issues past the bumper sticker. PTV was billions in debt. Why let them stay open? The only reason they allowed to flaunt the law before was Thaksin's corruption. Rational thought lands you in agreement with the Junta.

The protest organizers hired a private security force to tangle with the police. Thats well thought out, well plnned, and more than a little likely to incite violence.

The Junta have great reputations that have been well earned by all but pro-Thaksin accounts.

Lastly, the American Founding Fathers fully believed that military action was required to protect democracy ... they were sharp guys with lots of foresight. They knew full well about characters like Thaksin (and Bush) who corrupt a democracy from within. Thaksin was indeed taking out the checks+balances to his power. Democracy rests on checks and balances more than votes. Accountability is ONLY way to keep criminals away. You can always fool all of the people for some of the time, P.T. Barnum used to say.

When the Junta start getting corruption scandals more than "He built his house somewhere he shouldn't have", then I'll change my mind. In the meantime, they seem to be doing a decent job cleaning up some contracts (King Power) and actually getting things done. Bumper sticker arguments can say whatever you want them to. Every bumper sticker argument I've heard against the junta falls apart when I start actually reading whats going on. I might not like the methods, but I do like the results.

California Wow is offering 499/month on their website....

(Speaking of California, I was meeting some A+R people today for the first time .... 2 bleach blonde assistants with fake tits. I said to myself "My God, they really ARE from Cali... )

And it may just plant a little seed ,in the back of some thai minds .ie just becouse a person does a job others may not like.Still it does not make her any less of a person.

Or it may cement in some's minds the only thing farang care bout in Thailand is "karaoke singers" ...

Rationalization does some amazing things.

While the above will probably be true for some, I'm really right there with you. I would be very hppy to see this done. There is certainly enough impetus among the posters for something to be done. I'd volunteer to set something up, but I'm not in Thailand, and I don't know the first thing about such things.

Heng's suggestion that a newspaper take on the role is good, as his suggestion for a women's rights group.

Any volunteers to set up the program?

Are there any charities that could be trusted with the money? This would make a good news story, too.