False Prophecy Leads To US$13m Loss In Tourism Revenues At Tak's Bhumibol Dam

[najman]

First of all predictions are possible but the timing may be off. Or it could have been averted already by actions taken over the last 37 years to re-enforce the dam. Time is in a constant flux and changes all the time.

<snip>

Surely if someone is psychic enough to predict a dam collapse, they shouldn't have any problem predicting a bit of maintenance work ...

If it's true someone knew of the prophesy and then released water from the dam or increased it's strength then obviously it can be averted. Prophesy is not a chess game. The point is there are those that don't believe anything spiritual and those that take it too far. There are those that have a lot of spiritual awareness and those that don't think it's even possible. If you believe you will be successful then you are right. If you believe you will not be successful you are also right. Thought affects the physical universe in ways most don't understand yet.

I recommend reading up on Noetic Science as mentioned in "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. Science is getting to the point where it can experiment with thought, thought waves and brain waves. The US military has finally reverse engineered flight controls using brain waves coming out in the next gen of high tech helicopters and jet fighters.

Edited January 4, 2012 by najman

[diehard60]

I can not believe what I am reading here. thai Visa has really hit the bottom of the barrel for news. I have to laugh. Hahahahahahaha. Thanks for the new year's smile.

[animatic]

...Thongbai last month informed local media of a prophecy made by his late son, a supposed five-year-old psychic, that Bhumibol Dam would burst on December 31, 2011. It did not....

....Provincial officials said the false prediction caused a drop of 90 per cent in tourist arrivals to Tak during the holiday season, and a loss of Bt400 million (US$13.3 million) in income....

OK, the MEDIA spread the old coots 'prophecy' the old guy just called the media.

What the MEDIA is not to blame too?

Funny never heard about that prophesy here... Nor this old guy.

Lets see if you can find ANY non-Thai, who will say

'they didn't go to Tak because they heard this'.

Most people knew that the floods damaged much of the upland country.

Most people jeard the dams were the source of the flooding...

How many were jumping up and down to go visit the source of the flooding?

Tourists did not come... wait for it....

flooding back for High season to northern and central Thailand.

And they expected different? They REALLY believe this guy caused that?

Let's not blame the nation wide flood, lets blame one guy, who the media talked about, and not the media and not the actual catastrophe. Classic! Trying to spread the blame for their wishful thinking expectations not being met, and some senile old guy is the perfect patsy.

Despicable official conduct.

A major face loser for all involve prosecuting the old guy.

Edited January 4, 2012 by animatic

[Fookhaht]

As we all know, in most of our homelands, the guy would just be simply dismissed as a lunatic and would not get any attention from even his friends, let alone the media and general public.

It's the gullible "customers" and the indiscriminate media that should be arrested for giving the guy a gram of credibility (hearers) and a platform (the media).

T.I.T.

In my country lunatics like this and their predictions are big news and some people take them seriously

http://en.wikipedia....imes_prediction

Your citation weakens rather than strengthens your argument. It says...

The vast majority of Christian groups, including most Protestant and Catholic believers, did not accept Camping's predictions

As said by an earlier poster, it was only big news because the lunatic was being ridiculed by the public at large.

Edited January 4, 2012 by Fookhaht

[GentlemanJim]

How convenient to be able to blame the lack of tourists not on the flooding or the political protests or the incompetence of the Government but on a 73 year old who said the dam_n was going to be destroyed in an Earthquake. I didn't see that as a travel warning on any of the embassy web sites. Sounds like the local police are as stupid as the poor old man.

[Fookhaht]

First of all predictions are possible but the timing may be off.

Not really a prediction then, is it?

I predict you will die.

I predict that dam will eventually break.

I predict your computer hard drive will quit.

I predict the end of the world.

All these will happen in time, won't they?

[Sloototter]

Why do the messenger or the source of the message is assumed that people are stupid. The lost in tourism is due to greed or some people. The Russian Mafia in Thailand welcomed with open arms, the tourists are ripped off if possible. The Thai smile is not the same as the expressions in the surrounding countries. Thailand get a deteriorating name abroad in the field of tourism. Thailand must take a closer look at themselves if they only been able to. The Thai smile goes a bit like Wuhaaaaaaaa.

I love Thailand. But there are people................greed, greed, greed, themselves first, The very,very, very last position of the row of respect are the people who brings the money to Thailand tourism

[LUSHGOAT]

complete bullshit the tourists didnt come cos they are been ripped off left right and center I know several who cancelled their holiday here because of the exchange rate and foreigners are going to countries where they can buy a house or a car or whatever and not be screwed out of it by some women who pretends to love him. I pity all those men who have left with nothing. Cop on government police etc before you kill the goose that lays the golden egg and leave that old prophet alone. Devalue the bath give farangs better rights and protection form been conned then you will see change

[wlcart]

was there already a law on the books against false prophecy or do they make laws as they go here?

[silentnine]

my wife went to see some monks last year .. so this must of been a realiable prophesy

they told her that her buiness was very good. and they also gave her the lottery numbers

can i sue them as she did not win the lotter and she still keeps asking me to prop up her buisness

this caused me to lost 1000's of baht as i belived them completley

Edited January 4, 2012 by silentnine

[lannarebirth]

Did anyone arrest the politicians that said Bangkok was safe from flooding yet?

[metisdead]

An off topic post riddled with derogatory comments has been removed.

[siampolee]

http://visitbulgaria.info/new-thai-culture-minister-pushes-phallus-amulets

September 2008

Thailand's newly appointed Culture Minister Worawat Ua-apinyakul has announced plans to promote the sale of black magic amulets, including phallus and buffalo-shaped ones, as souvenirs for tourists, media reports said Wednesday.

"We can turn local amulets with phallus symbols and buffalo statuettes into key chains and sell them to tourists," said Worawat, unveiling his bold plans for the culture ministry under his leadership. Worawat was named Minister of Culture last week.

Although the dominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism, there is a strong undercurrent of Brahmanism and black magic in local customs, such as the use of amulets that are believed to protect the wearer from harm or endow them with special powers.

Two of the most popular such amulets are the phallus-shaped Palad Khik - a prophylactic against danger, and the buffalo-shaped Kwai Tanoo - a strength enhancer.

"They are cultural products," insisted Worawat, as reported by the Daily XPress newspaper.

One is led to wonder what the situation may be regarding the Bible and the Koran and their prophicies ?

March 2006.

PM says enemies using 'black magic'

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a firm believer in astrology and the supernatural, conceded yesterday that the stars have not been in his favour lately, but said his political enemies were taking it a step too far. ''They are using all kinds of means to try to destroy me, including black magic and the supernatural,'' he told a meeting of civil servants at Government House. Without naming names, Mr Thaksin said his critics were using photographs and voodoo-like dolls to cast spells.

''But don't worry, I have talismans and various Buddha amulets with me to ward off their magic,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin has denied any wrongdoing and said all his good deeds for the country would help him through, giving him ''good karma to protect [him] from evil''.

In January, respected astrologer and Senator Boonlert Pairintra predicted Mr Thaksin's downfall, saying that the planet Mercury used to favour the prime minister but has been eclipsed by the God of Darkness. Sen Boonlert said Mr Thaksin's words would now bring him more enemies than friends.A

Seems as if those in power in the past and now currently manipulating the strings like a bit of the Black Magic too.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

A couple of thoughts...

1. I wouldn't put out of the realm of possibility the one explanation one poster reported above that this was all a big scheme to get locals to sell out their local land holdings at cheap prices.... Stranger and more sinister things certainly have happened before.

2. If the police can go after this old guy for being wrong, I like the comment suggested above that they ought to go after most of the government leadership for all the B.S. predictions/forecasts and promises they made during the floods and their aftermath. There's enough B.S. there to keep the courts busy well into the next century.

3. I'm surprised the old geezer could actually remember what his deceased son predicted some 37 years ago... Heck, my Thai wife is in her early 30s and most of the time she can't remember what happened yesterday or what's she's supposed to do tomorrow. (That's why she keeps me around!!!)

[lee68]

Well my wife called me in Norway and told me all about this dam bursting and,there was going to be earthquakes in chiang mai were we live,she was worried about me flying home into chaos new years day, that's the Thai media for you,I told her there would be an earthquke if there was no cold beer in the fridge.lol

[siampolee]

I am inclined to agree with the theory espoused by templedog and also yourself Tall GuyJohninBKK.

The ruse of setting in motion spurious rumours so as to aid a personal, political, military or a business agenda is not uknown in fact it is called "Propoganda."

[PoodMaiDai]

So he is only really in trouble because the "prophecy" didn't come true. Had the dam burst, everyone would be asking him for winning lotto numbers and he would be a national hero.

[moonbarman]

Some people have no idea how powerful superstition and rumor mongering are around here. I lost my pre-paid (one of those Agoda no-refund specials) New Year's trip to Samui a year ago because my college-educated, middle-management companion heard from her friends there would be a tsunami there on New Year's Eve.

why didn't you go on your own then you plonker!!

[johnefallis]

I have no idea why people would put much stalk in such nonsense.

Please don't tell anyone about the Mayan Calendar. Heaven only knows what will happen.

Stalk???

[vahack]

obviously it is an excuse for low tourist numbers. no one has heard of this old man, especially in farangland. they need excuses to save their jobs regarding why no one wants to visit some dam in the middle of nowhere when u cant actually get there because all the routes are flooded. there are a bunch of old men to blame, but this one isnt one of them..

[Chalard]

Here's a little "conspiracy theory" to consider......Tak is a strong democratic province (Yellow) and was

under scrutiny during the flood crisis for why the water was being held up at the dam for so long and

then suddenly drained in massive amounts, hence the floods.

So, how convenient for this psychic's predicted catastrophe to cause Tak millions in tourist revenue this

holiday season. Revenge? Also, the Shinawatra's own and control an extensive amount of Thai media.

The Tak governer is outraged by this "old man" psychic and the financial damage he caused Tak,

and from what I heard while in Tak, he is behind the investigation. I also heard that many poor people

in Tak sold their land to a wealthy investor at fire sale prices for fear of being flooded and killed.

That wreaks of a conspiracy to me....if true. This is what I've heard from credible sources while there last weekend.

No, I didn't hear it from an old lady at the beauty parlor, I am talking about educated adults, some who work in the municipal government.

Congratulations, templedog. You win today's TV prize for working Taksin Shinawatra into a totally irrelavent post. A potatao chip is on it's way to you as we speak.

Templedog only mentioned a surname. For you adding T's name into it NCFC, you can finish off the bag of chips!!!

By the way, potato has only 1 a.

[witsawakorn]

As we all know, in most of our homelands, the guy would just be simply dismissed as a lunatic and would not get any attention from even his friends, let alone the media and general public.

It's the gullible "customers" and the indiscriminate media that should be arrested for giving the guy a gram of credibility (hearers) and a platform (the media).

T.I.T.

In my country lunatics like this and their predictions are big news and some people take them seriously

http://en.wikipedia....imes_prediction

I'm from the same country and you are wrong. That was a big joke in the news and the public made fun of those who believed the prediction. Further, the state institutions would never (I hope!) endorse such predictions.

Don't forget Jim Jones, the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church and the Branch Davidans (Waco). What about the posters in this thread who, even after the non event passed, still believe that the guy was correct because they believe that the dam failed and caused the floods in BKK despite no evidence to support this theory,?

[witsawakorn]

Did anyone arrest the politicians that said Bangkok was safe from flooding yet?

What for? Bangkok was safe from flooding. Unfortrunately that applied only in the areas that lie within the flood defence system coverage. (Ias you might expect really). This didn't help people whose homes were flooded though. However those people who work in the city centre could at least go to work and continue earning money

Edited January 4, 2012 by witsawakorn

[Danlo]

I dont read the trash papers because this is about the sort of tripe they print.

[lungmi]

The lost of income was not due to Farang Tourists but to Thai pilgrims.

Wat Phra Borommathat (Ban Tak) is over the year a center for devoted Buddhists of Bangkok and Chonburi (most Karen). The pilgrimage is often connected to the visit of the Bhumibon Dam and the Taksin Festival, specially for all "New Years days".

Local shops and restaurants were mostly closed for two days.

The Expats had a big Party on the Dam or beside. " Being happily drunken I want to see my house drowned" (Hidden superstition, farang style)

[Johpa]

Provincial officials said the false prediction caused a drop of 90 per cent in tourist arrivals to Tak during the holiday season, and a loss of Bt400 million (US$13.3 million) in income.

Balderdash. I have been to Tak and there ain't much there. There is no way that people would spend anywhere near that amount of money in Tak. It would take over 400,000 groups of people (Thais always travel in groups) spending TB1,000 on food and lodging (Thais share lodging and eat cheap so a reasonable estimate) to generate that amount of revenue.

[atyclb]

Every time over the years that I've seen something dumb happen in Thailand, and I think that it won't be topped, the Thais come through and do something even dumber. But of all the lawlessness that occurs in Thailand, that this is what the police involve themselves in...priceless.

Likely the police were given a paper incentive to do this. Why else would the police do anything?

Edited January 4, 2012 by atyclb

[housepainter]

Love it.

Not just stupid but determined to show the world just how stupid.

But let's not forget the 90% of fellow morandi [morons] who believed this drivel!

Forest Gump, that redoubtable sage put it succinctly withhis 'stupid is as stupid does.'

Lost on Thais.

[FOODLOVER]

http://visitbulgaria...phallus-amulets

September 2008

Thailand's newly appointed Culture Minister Worawat Ua-apinyakul has announced plans to promote the sale of black magic amulets, including phallus and buffalo-shaped ones, as souvenirs for tourists, media reports said Wednesday.

"We can turn local amulets with phallus symbols and buffalo statuettes into key chains and sell them to tourists," said Worawat, unveiling his bold plans for the culture ministry under his leadership. Worawat was named Minister of Culture last week.

Although the dominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism, there is a strong undercurrent of Brahmanism and black magic in local customs, such as the use of amulets that are believed to protect the wearer from harm or endow them with special powers.

Two of the most popular such amulets are the phallus-shaped Palad Khik - a prophylactic against danger, and the buffalo-shaped Kwai Tanoo - a strength enhancer.

"They are cultural products," insisted Worawat, as reported by the Daily XPress newspaper.

One is led to wonder what the situation may be regarding the Bible and the Koran and their prophicies ?

March 2006.

PM says enemies using 'black magic'

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a firm believer in astrology and the supernatural, conceded yesterday that the stars have not been in his favour lately, but said his political enemies were taking it a step too far. ''They are using all kinds of means to try to destroy me, including black magic and the supernatural,'' he told a meeting of civil servants at Government House. Without naming names, Mr Thaksin said his critics were using photographs and voodoo-like dolls to cast spells.

''But don't worry, I have talismans and various Buddha amulets with me to ward off their magic,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin has denied any wrongdoing and said all his good deeds for the country would help him through, giving him ''good karma to protect [him] from evil''.

In January, respected astrologer and Senator Boonlert Pairintra predicted Mr Thaksin's downfall, saying that the planet Mercury used to favour the prime minister but has been eclipsed by the God of Darkness. Sen Boonlert said Mr Thaksin's words would now bring him more enemies than friends.A

Seems as if those in power in the past and now currently manipulating the strings like a bit of the Black Magic too.

We too have one of these magic boxes. Every morning around 6:30 am 2 pieces of toast come flying out of the top like clock work.

[noitom]

The TAT local officials in the area of the dam needed some sort of scape goat for the fall off in tourism. So the finger pointing ended up with this poor old guy. Quite a preposterous illustration of Thai law and rationalization that authorities intend to pursue this case. They ought to look more carefully at the manipulative political action that even gave some ludicrous thing like this a moment of visibility in the quest to lay blame for tourist loses. Probably few Thais have ever heard of Nostradamus. To place blame for tourist drop off on this "known" local seer/mystic makes a mockery and laughing stock out of anything still left that masquerades as Thai law and justice.