5 More Musicians Jailed

[elektrified]

Never seen a fight at Dayli--seen several at John's Place, and several at Sbicy (in one night!). Sheers. If I didn't like the thais, I sure as heck wouldn't come to LOS. Plenty of drunk American idiots here in America--don't need a 21 hour flight to meet more of them.

Same for me,

But it's more than being scared of violence, a lot of the expats I see around are scared of mixing with a different culture.

(excluding the bar girls they frequent)

I think they call those people "Missionaries", Sarah--western moo baan, western SUV, private western style school for the brats, and milk shakes and double cheeseburgers for everyone, and a 8000 THB grocery tab at RimPing.

I am at a lost about the T.V. sad ones going on about missionaries. Perhaps because you are on the down and out with your daily pennies to spend here you find the need to make a big deal about people spending nickels and dimes? This tired rant drips with envy ! You sound quite envious which is not a good trait at all. Perhaps a little work, a little time reading the Good Book would help you out with your green with envy out look and view of others here..

I would have to say the missionaries help out here a heck of a lot more than some even in thier most delusional dream night!.

My mama always taught us, "If you do not have something good to say..."

That's funny. When I go to Rimping it's usually the Thais in line ahead of me that are dropping 6-8K on groceries. But I too, hear the envy in his writing...

Edited May 17, 2011 by elektrified

[elektrified]

I discovered a new bar last Friday

Live Thai band playing Thai rock

First 3 large Changs for 100bht (140bht for 3 after that)

3 Coyote dancers on stage with the band (shorts and crop tops)

15 serving girls aged 20+ all wearing high heels and short shorts (men don't pour drinks in Thai bars)

I really don't understand why anyone would want to go to a 'farang bar' pay for overpriced beer and listen to white men playing music badly.

The music scene in CM rocks, and it doesn't involve white amateurs.

At least we have the choice to go where we want and spend what we want.

Aren't you the guy who feeds his family on 80 baht a day something equally outrageous, looking for the cheapest housing and eateries/deals?

I sometimes go and drink 3 Archers for 150 baht in a local Thai bar, I often (most nights) go to my nearest Thai restaurant for a glass of 59 baht wine and listen to the Thai pianist and excellent female Thai singer... BUT I do like to go to the local Italian and pay through the nose for a beer or wine and pizza and enjoy excellent Farang music (currently suspended!) And some of the other farangy musicky places.... it's called choice, something I have, something I'm guessing you can't afford to have!

I suspect that you are entirely correct about that David. He/she lives like a poor, low-class Thai. And seems to be proud of it.

[sarahsbloke]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

[elektrified]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

I haven't seen one post that is "anti-Thai".

[Throatwobbler]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

Just been reading through this thread and you really come over as quite a sad person who feels that they are better than everyone else. I go to Thai bars I eat at Thai restaurants, oh I wish I was born Thai. Very sad really.

[venturalaw]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

I haven't seen one post that is "anti-Thai".

But we certainly have seen one post that denigrates 'whites':

I really don't understand why anyone would want to go to a 'farang bar' pay for overpriced beer and listen to white men playing music badly.

The music scene in CM rocks, and it doesn't involve white amateurs.

[sarahsbloke]

I'm living like a poor Thai ...... that's some sort of crime?

Stealing a job from a poor Thai ......... that's not a crime?

Maybe you all think I should try working playing music in a bar without a work permit so that I'm not so poor ....... that would make me a better person?

Keep digging guys.

I'm sort of happy living like a poor Thai though.

Means I don't have to pay someone to be my wife.

Means I don't have to worry about her only wanting me for what she can get!

[venturalaw]

Means I don't have to pay someone to be my wife.

Means I don't have to worry about her only wanting me for what she can get!

So you prefer the company of poor Thai men over being with a Thai woman.

What ever floats your boat.

Edited May 17, 2011 by venturalaw

[sarahsbloke]

Means I don't have to pay someone to be my wife.

Means I don't have to worry about her only wanting me for what she can get!

So you prefer the company of poor Thai men over being with a Thai woman.

What ever floats your boat.

Now we have an anti-gay post!

Or is the concept of a man with a wife, not having to pay the woman to be his wife beyond you?

Edited May 17, 2011 by sarahsbloke

[venturalaw]

Means I don't have to pay someone to be my wife.

Means I don't have to worry about her only wanting me for what she can get!

So you prefer the company of poor Thai men over being with a Thai woman.

What ever floats your boat.

Now we have an anti-gay post!

No. Not at all. Just acknowledging your preference. And I am not anti-Thai either. But you made it quite clear that you are anti-white.

To each his own.

Edited May 17, 2011 by venturalaw

[Paagai]

I haven't seen one post that is "anti-Thai".

:cheesy:

Really:

He/she lives like a poor, low-class Thai. And seems to be proud of it.

I'd say the insinuation that Thai's are low class if they are poor is not going to win you too many friends down at Somchai's Somtam shack

Anyway this thread seems to have fast gone down hill and I think the point that was being made, and which has been lost was that there are plenty of excellent Thai music venues in town, the music scene certainly won't die here if Farangs aren't playing. That's not to say some farangs can't make an excellent contribution provided they do it within "the system".

Of course, the people also likely to be living like a "poor Thai" (Low-class insult omitted) are those Farangs living here and working illegally, playing music for a couple of hundred Baht a night. Whether you think it's right or wrong, such people are likely not more than barely subsisting here, and not making a big financial contribution to Thailand. I believe it's been made very clear those are the people the Thai government don't want here, and that's not something Farangs have any say in.

[CNXpuuyaibaan]

Never seen a fight at Dayli--seen several at John's Place, and several at Sbicy (in one night!). Sheers. If I didn't like the thais, I sure as heck wouldn't come to LOS. Plenty of drunk American idiots here in America--don't need a 21 hour flight to meet more of them.

Same for me,

But it's more than being scared of violence, a lot of the expats I see around are scared of mixing with a different culture.

(excluding the bar girls they frequent)

I think they call those people "Missionaries", Sarah--western moo baan, western SUV, private western style school for the brats, and milk shakes and double cheeseburgers for everyone, and a 8000 THB grocery tab at RimPing.

Nah, I can't tell you how many times I have been warned about going out drinking with Thai men (by other foreigners here in Thailand). It isn't just the missionaries, it appears that many foreigners here are rather afraid of mixing socially in a mostly Thai setting.

it depends if the company is gay? I say this as I noticed that gays tend to accept other gays no matter what the nationality - with straights it's more dangerous

[Paagai]

So you prefer the company of poor Thai men over being with a Thai woman.

What ever floats your boat.

Absolutely! Actually, I prefer rich Thai men, but whilst waiting for Mr Right to come along a poor one will float my boat just fine

I've even had some great evenings out at Guitar Man with a bunch of very poor Tai Yai guys, listening to some great music by people of a variety of different of colours

So why don't we all play nicely and cut the racist and homophobic quips and stick to the topic?

[CheGuava]

Nah, I can't tell you how many times I have been warned about going out drinking with Thai men (by other foreigners here in Thailand). It isn't just the missionaries, it appears that many foreigners here are rather afraid of mixing socially in a mostly Thai setting.

Agreed. It's almost everyone. From what I've seen, only a small minority regular frequents places outside of the tourist/Farang scene. This may not be a bad thing, though.

What on earth re you on about?

Local Thai restaurant serving wine ......... ha ha .... that's a good one.

Mont Clair have been pretty active in their marketing recently. A lot of places ended up with a box or two. It's not the best wine in the world (mild understatement), but not the worse either.

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

The forum is rife with anti Thai posts and posts just being needlessly denigrating to anything Thai, to the point that it doesn't even register to most people including our forum stewards. Only when some complete wack job starts screaming in all caps is action taken, but all the little jabs just go by unchallenged. Pointing it out each and every time would be a full time job.

[jdinasia]

it depends if the company is gay? I say this as I noticed that gays tend to accept other gays no matter what the nationality - with straights it's more dangerous

HUH?

There's another fun stereotype (and totally inaccurate)! Actually, the vast majority of my friends in Thailand are Str8. But hey, if you think (for whatever reason) that str8 men are dangerous and gay men are tolerant ..... I would have to assume you have your own reasons for it

[CNXpuuyaibaan]

it depends if the company is gay? I say this as I noticed that gays tend to accept other gays no matter what the nationality - with straights it's more dangerous

HUH?

There's another fun stereotype (and totally inaccurate)! Actually, the vast majority of my friends in Thailand are Str8. But hey, if you think (for whatever reason) that str8 men are dangerous and gay men are tolerant ..... I would have to assume you have your own reasons for it

not at all - but you're gay right? I was just asking if it was less dangerous I have no idea as I am not gay - I just thought it reasonable to assume it might be less dangerous as you are all members of the same 'club' - no offence you seem very defensive old chap

[jdinasia]

I say this as I noticed that gays tend to accept other gays no matter what the nationality - with straights it's more dangerous

... You seem to be talking about your experiences, and making a declarative statement

To that I say "psshaw" --- Nothing defensive about my reply. You just made another fun stereotype is all ... (and like I said -- not at all accurate)

[buddhalady]

I haven't seen one post that is "anti-Thai".

:cheesy:

Really:

He/she lives like a poor, low-class Thai. And seems to be proud of it.

I'd say the insinuation that Thai's are low class if they are poor is not going to win you too many friends down at Somchai's Somtam shack

Anyway this thread seems to have fast gone down hill and I think the point that was being made, and which has been lost was that there are plenty of excellent Thai music venues in town, the music scene certainly won't die here if Farangs aren't playing. That's not to say some farangs can't make an excellent contribution provided they do it within "the system".

Of course, the people also likely to be living like a "poor Thai" (Low-class insult omitted) are those Farangs living here and working illegally, playing music for a couple of hundred Baht a night. Whether you think it's right or wrong, such people are likely not more than barely subsisting here, and not making a big financial contribution to Thailand. I believe it's been made very clear those are the people the Thai government don't want here, and that's not something Farangs have any say in.

One person, a female farang with a well-trained and very good voice as well as a stage personality, who was contributing to the communites here by singing at charity functions and suchlike, hadn't been seen around for a while. Several nights ago I found out why -- she has, apparently, left CM and possibly Thailand out of fear of being arrested for giving of her undeniable talent to help those who needed help. Most performers need to perform, to share their gifts - the lucky few make a living from it, the rest just enjoy the sharing and the music making.

As a former fully-trained professional classical soprano who was lucky enough to have worked for a good few years at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, UK, with many of the greats of the opera world, I understand exactly the wish to perfom if it's in the heart to do so. What I don't understand is how mean-minded people can try to prevent, for whatever reason, rhe sharing of this, one of the oldest communications skills known to humanity.

I've been here for five years now - too many negative changes taking place these days, doubt if I'll make it to six.

[Sparkles]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

Foreign musos who play for FREE in a restaurant are not taking jobs from Thais. They are in fact creating jobs for Thais if the ambience attracts additional people to enjoy the music because obviuosly the venue needs more Thai staff to serve food and drink.Nobody is telling Thais how to run their country and if you speak to any intelligent Thai person they will tell you the same ,they are frankly embarrassed by this ridiculous knee jerk reaction from Thai immigration.One restaurant I have just left tonight, and who used to have music, is now having to lay off staff. Thats the stupidity of this argument, everyone loses.

[Thighlander]

Never seen a fight at Dayli--seen several at John's Place, and several at Sbicy (in one night!). Sheers. If I didn't like the thais, I sure as heck wouldn't come to LOS. Plenty of drunk American idiots here in America--don't need a 21 hour flight to meet more of them.

Same for me,

But it's more than being scared of violence, a lot of the expats I see around are scared of mixing with a different culture.

(excluding the bar girls they frequent)

I think they call those people "Missionaries", Sarah--western moo baan, western SUV, private western style school for the brats, and milk shakes and double cheeseburgers for everyone, and a 8000 THB grocery tab at RimPing.

I am at a lost about the T.V. sad ones going on about missionaries. Perhaps because you are on the down and out with your daily pennies to spend here you find the need to make a big deal about people spending nickels and dimes? This tired rant drips with envy ! You sound quite envious which is not a good trait at all. Perhaps a little work, a little time reading the Good Book would help you out with your green with envy out look and view of others here..

I would have to say the missionaries help out here a heck of a lot more than some even in thier most delusional dream night!.

My mama always taught us, "If you do not have something good to say..."

Here is my "Good Book" and I still prefer the Thai places.

Edited May 17, 2011 by Thighlander

[jackjones]

Sorry about this, but I think I am a decent person. I work hard here and I enjoy it even though I don't have an excess of nickels, dimes or even dollars. I am sure I don't earn as much as a missionary and I am not a bit envious of them either. I just want to know how they feel they are "helping out" and could they please explain this "good book " thing and how it is any better or more relevant to this country than any Buddhist publication? I would be real interested to know and I sure as heck would appreciate a reply.

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

Foreign musos who play for FREE in a restaurant are not taking jobs from Thais. They are in fact creating jobs for Thais if the ambience attracts additional people to enjoy the music because obviuosly the venue needs more Thai staff to serve food and drink.Nobody is telling Thais how to run their country and if you speak to any intelligent Thai person they will tell you the same ,they are frankly embarrassed by this ridiculous knee jerk reaction from Thai immigration.One restaurant I have just left tonight, and who used to have music, is now having to lay off staff. Thats the stupidity of this argument, everyone loses.

Well said; Sarah's joke...er bloke should goose step his way back to 1930's Germany. Unbelievable.

[Diablo Bob]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

Foreign musos who play for FREE in a restaurant are not taking jobs from Thais. They are in fact creating jobs for Thais if the ambience attracts additional people to enjoy the music because obviuosly the venue needs more Thai staff to serve food and drink.Nobody is telling Thais how to run their country and if you speak to any intelligent Thai person they will tell you the same ,they are frankly embarrassed by this ridiculous knee jerk reaction from Thai immigration.One restaurant I have just left tonight, and who used to have music, is now having to lay off staff. Thats the stupidity of this argument, everyone loses.

Well said; Sarah's joke...er bloke should goose step his way back to 1930's Germany. Unbelievable.

Much ado about nothing! I agree with Sarahsbloke. We have 5 musicians who broke the law.... It doesn't matter if you agree with their interpretation of the law, bottom line is that immigration say's they broke the law, end of story. It doesn't matter IF every other country in the world accepts jamming, here it is against the law!

We have 10 pages dedicated to a subject that all the bitching and moaning won't make a difference. Maybe someday they will interpret the law differently, but until then it's against the law......

[CMX]

A. It is certainly true that "missionaries" here can do more in the way of volunteering than others, since good works are allowed as part of the peddling process. I'm jealous, to be honest, of that volunteering aspect of their visa.

B. From the point of immigration or police, it is a tough call to tell if someone is "volunteering" or taking money under the table - a crux point of our discussions that nobody except a participant can judge -- and they only from their own experiences (if they are honest about every single one - what, no free beer ever?), or hearsay from a limited number of friends - totally invalid as a study. In short, nobody writing here can know for certain to what degree money is involved.

C. I've always thought that the "non-volunteering" aspect of the work-permit law was included just so the possibility of taking jobs from Thais could be prevented, with over-reaction preferred to allowing foreigners to prosper one little bit. Even in the case of some imaginary British bobby, scrupulously honest and superbly paid, determining whether a "volunteer" was working entirely without compensation would take too much time to establish - and then the courts might be jammed with cases. Enforcement is made easier and certain if volunteering is forbidden.

D. Enforcement comes from three sources. One is that someone complains - that has to be investigated and often results in an arrest, fine, and the practice stopped. An honest cop might stop volunteering that might involve money just because it looks, as the saying goes, like a duck. And yes, it might be that police intervention was not prevented in some way involving some form of influence, whereas other times it is somehow. But one must give credit to the principle, I think, that any musicians can gather and play, so long as money is out of the picture; also, that Thai jobs are certainly protected. Nobody can say with any degree of statistical certainty that jobs are lost because of enthusiastic enforcement. In fact, the police are in a far superior position to know (if they have bothered to measure).

E. I might live as a cheap charlie, learn increasingly well how to speak Thai, enjoy the option of interacting with Thai people, principally, and still be accurate in my point of view! But all the deities must work together to help me if I throw darts at those choosing to not immerse themselves in Thai culture at the language level; there will be a deluge of insulting arrows, speaking to my person instead of my thoughts. (Speaking Thai - another jealousy thing with me: Three schools and a tutor; in one ear and out the other. Marriage and joining babies growing into Thai-speaking kids seems the only solution - learn from the kids. But Esteemed Forbes says that is not sensible for a fellow beyond a certain middle age to do so, and then there is that danged April Fool's Day law preventing marriage to a physically fecund female. Hmm)

Edited May 18, 2011 by CMX

[DavidOxon]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

Foreign musos who play for FREE in a restaurant are not taking jobs from Thais. They are in fact creating jobs for Thais if the ambience attracts additional people to enjoy the music because obviuosly the venue needs more Thai staff to serve food and drink.Nobody is telling Thais how to run their country and if you speak to any intelligent Thai person they will tell you the same ,they are frankly embarrassed by this ridiculous knee jerk reaction from Thai immigration.One restaurant I have just left tonight, and who used to have music, is now having to lay off staff. Thats the stupidity of this argument, everyone loses.

Well said; Sarah's joke...er bloke should goose step his way back to 1930's Germany. Unbelievable.

Much ado about nothing! I agree with Sarahsbloke. We have 5 musicians who broke the law.... It doesn't matter if you agree with their interpretation of the law, bottom line is that immigration say's they broke the law, end of story. It doesn't matter IF every other country in the world accepts jamming, here it is against the law!

We have 10 pages dedicated to a subject that all the bitching and moaning won't make a difference. Maybe someday they will interpret the law differently, but until then it's against the law......

Law hasn't been decided on these cases as they are still waiting to go to court. So no law has been shown to be broken yet.

A little empathy for the wives and children of these people who are facing an uncertain future might not go amiss either. How would your families cope if you were deported or jailed for a possible minor infringement of an ill defined and un-enforced (for 10 years++)law?

[folium]

I think they call those people "Missionaries", Sarah--western moo baan, western SUV, private western style school for the brats, and milk shakes and double cheeseburgers for everyone, and a 8000 THB grocery tab at RimPing.

Intrigued by the definition of a "Missionary"

-western moo baan, presume you mean farang-dominated like World Club (are there others?), or do you mean a more upscale one?

western SUV, this one has me baffled. Made by or driven by westerners? The vast majority of SUVs in Thailand, SE Asia, Asia are made in Thailand, SE Asia, Asia and are mainly driven by Thais, SE Asians, and Asians.

private western style school for the brats, looking through the international and private schools in CM I don't see many westerners (plenty of Thai, Korean and Japanese kids), and to be honest no one with any concern for their children's future and even a small amount of income would condemn them to Thai state education

milk shakes and double cheeseburgers for everyone, sounds like McGarbage and their ilk, and if you take a stroll through any of them I don't see many westerners.

8000 THB grocery tab at RimPing, the reward for hard work is the right to decide how and where you spend your money, and Rimping is predominantly non-western from my experience

In fact your definition of Missionary could describe millions of middle-class Thais in terms of their lifestyle and aspirations, and judging by the commentary on this forum, it could also describe many of the TV population.

Dear me, does it make all of them/us, "Missionaries"?

Edited May 18, 2011 by folium

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm quite surprised that TV allows such blatant anti-Thai posts.

Several posters think they have the right to take jobs from 'poor Thais' and look down on 'poor Thais'.

Decide which Thai laws are correct and which are unjust, and then complain about the Thai police.

Those foreigners who know better than Thais how to run the country aren't welcome in Thailand by anybody.

Go home!

In my opinion any foreign musician who works illegally in Thailand should be deported and never allowed to return.

Ignorance of the law has never been a valid excuse for breaking it in the west, why should it be any different here.

Foreign musos who play for FREE in a restaurant are not taking jobs from Thais. They are in fact creating jobs for Thais if the ambience attracts additional people to enjoy the music because obviuosly the venue needs more Thai staff to serve food and drink.Nobody is telling Thais how to run their country and if you speak to any intelligent Thai person they will tell you the same ,they are frankly embarrassed by this ridiculous knee jerk reaction from Thai immigration.One restaurant I have just left tonight, and who used to have music, is now having to lay off staff. Thats the stupidity of this argument, everyone loses.

Well said; Sarah's joke...er bloke should goose step his way back to 1930's Germany. Unbelievable.

Much ado about nothing! I agree with Sarahsbloke. We have 5 musicians who broke the law.... It doesn't matter if you agree with their interpretation of the law, bottom line is that immigration say's they broke the law, end of story. It doesn't matter IF every other country in the world accepts jamming, here it is against the law!

We have 10 pages dedicated to a subject that all the bitching and moaning won't make a difference. Maybe someday they will interpret the law differently, but until then it's against the law......

You are wrong; it is not against the law and it is certainly not the end of the story.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

Well, whether missionary, bar-beer-fly, musician, gay, straight, running up big grocery bills, or living slim on the frugal, whether diva, or spear-carrier in the third act, whether law-and-order, or laissez-faire, we are under the impression that everyone here is a child of god: some us being arrested sooner than others. Some of us able to make bail, and others of us never had the chance.

Today, now, there's room for loving-kindness: if we make room ? Yeah, easy to say.

best, ~o:37;

Edited May 18, 2011 by orang37

[DavidOxon]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

Well, whether missionary, bar-beer-fly, musician, gay, straight, running up big grocery bills, or living slim on the frugal, whether diva, or spear-carrier in the third act, whether law-and-order, or laissez-faire, we are under the impression that everyone here is a child of god: some us being arrested sooner than others. Some of us able to make bail, and others of us never had the chance.

Today, now, there's room for loving-kindness: if we make room ? Yeah, easy to say.

best, ~o:37;

I was looking for the 'like' button then realized I wasn't on Facebook!

[sarahsbloke]

Law hasn't been decided on these cases as they are still waiting to go to court. So no law has been shown to be broken yet.

A little empathy for the wives and children of these people who are facing an uncertain future might not go amiss either. How would your families cope if you were deported or jailed for a possible minor infringement of an ill defined and un-enforced (for 10 years++)law?

Working without a work permit is a deporting offence in almost every country that plays the 'work permit' game.

That includes the EU, Australia and the USA.

It's hardly a minor infringement of the law and at least one of the five had been boasting about earning a living as a musician without a work permit for ages.