Army top brass fly in to visit injured tourists from Samui speedboat tragedy - promise tough action

[VINCENT2012]

I had a difficult job identifying the gift without a finger pointer to guide my focus.

What is this Brands essence?

I reckon it must be a huge con job. I was given one once, it tasted pretty much like a soup cube dissolved in water.

Those little bottles are <deleted> expensive.

theses brand essences are used for shiting actualy, prunes, chickens etc etc.....it looks like that they find that the injured person by boat had more problem with the estomac than the accident itself.....! crasy but real... cleaning your intestin is like having a new spot view from life.. !instead of flowers or chocolate they use to give that kind of funny gift to every one.

[darrendsd]

It is all well and good to dismiss the head of the regulatory body concerned but who replaces him is more important. And I see no evidence that the ruling junta have any ability to clear out corruption and appoint effective management. The people of this country have been subjected to corruption for generations to the point that the majority only want to get their share of the spoils rather than eradicate the cancer.

Edit, wrong quote

Edited May 28, 2016 by darrendsd

[Mangostin]

Yet another 'clampdown'

That's actually a very popular exclamation between the shellfish's harvesters "Clam down P, clam down!...". Maybe the top brass was from the navy?...oh it's also being used when there is a brawl of some sort

[Basil B]

Yes, when they speak of tough action images of Ken Dodd and his tickling stick come to mind.

[PoorSucker]

Political post removed.

[Mangostin]

when they speak of tough action

....it would much more likely be some "dough action", by being taken out for a free pizza or some doughnuts at the nearest shopping center as a reward

[whatproblem]

I believe the army generals ,they will take tough action ,the boat owners will have to pay for the brands baskets

[off road pat]

The top brass must have felt a little insecure and decided it would be a safer for them to wear their guns into the hospital when visiting dangerous injured tourists.

The top brass came by helicopter !!! ......they didn't trust the boats !!!.........555555

[GR8fun in LOS]

"An army deputy general flew into Samui yesterday to visit two UK tourists injured in the speedboat accident that killed two others"

How many Generals are there in Thailand? I know there is an overabundance of "full" generals and now we have deputy generals as well. There are also Police Generals etc etc. It seems everyone has a title and an opinion about Thailand's reputation but nobody can do anything positive to improve that reputation except to present baskets of commercial gifts, which receive the appropriate identification when presented.

[Moonsterk]

Lay off guys, that's a really nice snack basket.

Yes, bird's nest beverage, which is basically sparrow spit and weeds will certainly cheer that patient. Or is it essence of chicken?

Do they really just have no idea how intrusive they are with these BS photo ops? A junta descending en masse to your hospital room- in uniform no less, to someone who has just had their vacation ruined.

Sometimes it just seems as if ... well the comment would be deleted were I to write what I think, but it involves alien spawning.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Moonsterk

[eddie61]

How about tough action on the officials that turned a blind eye to the substandard boat?

[Enoon]

"An army deputy general flew into Samui yesterday to visit two UK tourists injured in the speedboat accident that killed two others"

How many Generals are there in Thailand? I know there is an overabundance of "full" generals and now we have deputy generals as well. There are also Police Generals etc etc. It seems everyone has a title and an opinion about Thailand's reputation but nobody can do anything positive to improve that reputation except to present baskets of commercial gifts, which receive the appropriate identification when presented.

"As of 2013, the Royal Thai Armed Forces had 306,000 active duty personnel.^[4] The Thai military has more than 1,750 flag officers (generals and admirals), a bloated number for a military of its size.^[5] By comparison, the US military as of April 2011 had 964 flag officers for a force several times the size of Thailand's. On 2 May 2015 1,043 new flag officers of all three services (Thailand) promoted in 2014-2015 took the oath of allegiance.^[7] It is not clear how many retired during the same period".

Edited May 28, 2016 by Enoon

[Mangostin]

a bloated number for a military of its size

Somehow that's reminds me when i step inside a coffee shop, and meet 10 baristas that can hardly do the job of 1 person, and they still manage to get the order wrong more often than not...

[lostmebike]

"damaged the image of tourism in the country".

What image is that then?

Ah, the one that says only wealthy business owners and corrupt officials are allowed to harm tourists. Got it!

[elgordo38]

My g/f just mentioned on the news a 3,000 baht fine and his drivers license was out of date. I am wondering is this the driver of boat where 2 people where killed? Sounds about right for Thai justice.

[Sooo Upto Me]

Typical, No apologies in the Deputy Generals statement just worried that it's gonna spoil the image of Thailand's tourism.

Disgraceful.

[lostmebike]

Typical, No apologies in the Deputy Generals statement just worried that it's gonna spoil the image of Thailand's tourism.

Disgraceful.

Dead right.

'Land Of fake Smiles' No concern for the injured or tourists well-being at all if we're honest. Just about the 'image' ... whatever self-proclaimed image that is.

[evadgib]

This carefully corrioghaphed hokey-kokey is very common when tourists get mamed and leaves them utterly bemused. The entourage usually enter unannounced with photographers or TV cameras backing in arrse first, followed by the dignatories, none of whom look towards the patient. They then hit reverse & come back in again with cameras to the left followed by the right until they have what they really came for. After that they crowd around the bed and try to coerce patients into declaring how much they appreciate the invasion of privacy and what a wonderful country this is...

The whole thing is reminiscent of Saddam's 'Guest News' of 1990-1 or General Melchetts ' Are you looking forward to the big push, Tommy?' to which Baldrick replied ' No Sir, I'm bloody terrified!'

The last people it is aimed at is the poor sod who's privacy is being ruthlessly exploited.

Edited May 28, 2016 by evadgib

[Basil B]

How about tough action on the officials that turned a blind eye to the substandard boat?

The boats are not the issue...

It is qualifications and mindset of those who operate them, the ability and willingness of those who are supposed to police them to do their job, the safety equipment carried by these boats, and suitability to take these boats out in all weathers that is at issue here.

Firstly the trip to Angthong National Marine Park is a full day trip, not easy to reschedule the itinerary if the weather changes doubt they will suddenly say hay the weather changing lets head back to Samui.

I also doubt there are emergency contingency plans to to accommodate boat loads of passengers on the Islands of the marine park should the weather turn meaning boats will make a dash for Samui in conditions that will put boats and their passengers at risk.

[billd766]

How about dismissing the head of the regulatory agency that let the boat operate, when it was clearly not up to standards?

That might start to make some difference. When these fat bureaucrats find out that they are out of a job, is when the next in line might start doing their job.

Not much else will have any effect.

One problem with dismissing the head of the agency is that he most probably had no idea that the bot companies were out working in that weather. IMO what should happen, but probably won't, is that the owner of the company should be jailed and the company closed down.

Another problem is that it is very difficult to fire an established civil servant without evidence, warnings, both verbal and written and even transfers etc.

All the agencies can give all the advice in the world but if it is ignored what can you do. Perhaps under the circumstances the Maritime police could be made to enforce a no sailing order to stop the boats from running, (fat chance of that), and I don't really blame the boat captain that much either as I think his choice was, take the boat out or find another job. Nobody down there would give him another job as the word would get around faster than the jungle drums.

Saying that there were other speedboats out that day as well so he wasn't the only one.

[futsukayoi]

Lay off guys, that's a really nice snack basket.

You are joking. Have you ever tried Brands Chicken Essence. One sip and I nearly puked.

[Rayk]

Promised tough action and then completely forgot about it on the walk back to his helicopter.

[Basil B]

Promised tough action and then completely forgot about it on the walk back to his helicopter.

Maybe another accident to jog his memory???