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Old Dec 23, 2009, 8:59 am
  #61  
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Tsunami-battered countries restart, rebuild amid challenges

An interesting video about the December 26, 2004 Tsunami

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapc...ion=cnn_latest

And another article about the subject: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/...-for-hoteliers
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Old Dec 24, 2009, 9:25 am
  #62  
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Talking Elephant Santas give out gifts

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles...give-out-gifts
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Old Dec 28, 2009, 4:32 pm
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Thailand deports thousands of Hmong refugees

Will they be sending the Hmong who fled Burma/Myanmar back next?

I like Thailand and most things Thai, but this is not good.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...122800557.html
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Old Dec 28, 2009, 7:53 pm
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Originally Posted by hiyo
Will they be sending the Hmong who fled Burma/Myanmar back next?

I like Thailand and most things Thai, but this is not good.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...122800557.html
If you travel on any public bus (except the dedicated tourist bus) from Chiangmai to BKK, you will get to see the general feeling towards immigrants in Thailand. The "mountain people" are extracted from the bus, arrested and sent back to their reservation. They have recently changed the laws as they relate to tribal persons entering Thailand and the third generation citizenship they were afforded in the past. Thai rak Thai.

http://www.un.org/democracyfund/XNew...PLThailand.htm


This is from 2005, but very interesting;

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41661.htm

Last edited by maskedavenger; Dec 28, 2009 at 8:14 pm
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Old Dec 30, 2009, 11:34 pm
  #65  
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Suvarnabhumi airport taxis up in arms over surcharge

Some 900 legal airport taxis at Suvarnabhumi International Airport were refusing to pick up passengers last week, protesting a reported plan by Airports of Thailand (AOT) to change the Bt50 (US$1.50) surcharge on taxi fares of arriving travellers.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home...-30119142.html
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Old Jan 21, 2010, 10:57 pm
  #66  
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Phuket considering metered tuk-tuks

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=8268

In a bid to end disputes between drivers and passengers over fares, the Phuket governor is considering introducing meters to Phuket tuk-tuks.
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Old Jan 22, 2010, 2:52 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by Kalboz
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=8268

Any metered fee structure would still have to reflect Phuket’s status as an international tourist destination, Gov Wichai said.

“The prices aren’t going to start at 35 baht,” he said. “It could be 120 or 250 baht, but I don’t know yet because we have to set up prices that both sides are happy with.”
I think he missed the word "ripoff" between "tourist" and "destination" there

Seriously, the lack of sensibly priced public transport is probably Phuket's single biggest problem in my book. No, I do not want to spend half my holiday bargaining down touts who want 500 baht for the hop to the next beach

And the bizarre thing is that fixing this would be so easy: sell a couple of metered taxi concessions for the island and the problem will be solved. But no, there's too much money involved for everybody in the current tuk-tuk racket, so it's not going to happen...
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Old Jan 22, 2010, 6:53 am
  #68  
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Originally Posted by jpatokal
I think he missed the word "ripoff" between "tourist" and "destination" there

Seriously, the lack of sensibly priced public transport is probably Phuket's single biggest problem in my book. No, I do not want to spend half my holiday bargaining down touts who want 500 baht for the hop to the next beach

And the bizarre thing is that fixing this would be so easy: sell a couple of metered taxi concessions for the island and the problem will be solved. But no, there's too much money involved for everybody in the current tuk-tuk racket, so it's not going to happen...
I couldn't open the link, Cambodia blocks many Thai sites for reasons that are unknown.

Starting the meter at 120 or 250 Baht (as per your quote) is asinine as the locals will just bargain their way as they always do. It will only sanction ripping off unknowing tourists... but that's just business as usual and the way they want it apparently.

And I can only laugh at the reference to 'both sides'. Is that the tuk tuk drivers and the gov officials getting kick-backs?
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Old Jan 25, 2010, 11:08 pm
  #69  
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Swampy installing new body scanner!

The Airports of Thailand (AOT) began a one-month test yesterday of a new body scanner at Suvarnabhumi.

The GEN2 is said to offer a secure and discreet method for detecting hidden items, such as explosives, weapons, contraband, stolen electronic items or restricted good like bottles of liquid or gels.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010...l_30121120.php
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Old Jan 28, 2010, 1:12 am
  #70  
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Two hotels in Thailand are in the top ten of the 2010 edition of TripAdvisor's list of the dirtiest hotels in Asia (based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews):

1. Phi Phi Don Chukit Resort, Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand
2. Raj Residency, Chennai (Madras), India
3. Goldkist Beach Resort, Singapore, Singapore
4. Mahkota Hotel Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
5. Centaur Hotel, IGI Airport, New Delhi, India
6. Tatami Hampton Hotel, Hong Kong, China
7. Pearl of the Pacific Boracay Resort & Spa, Boracay, Philippines
8. First Hotel Bankok, Bangkok, Thailand
9. Seri Costa Hotel-Resort, Melaka, Malaysia
10. Royal Peacock Hotel, Singapore, Singapore

http://www.tripadvisor.com/DirtyHotels-g2

Go to the above link and click on hotels in the list for more info.
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Old Jan 29, 2010, 11:01 am
  #71  
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Jumeirah to Open 5 Star Hotel in Bangkok

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/1...0/4045192.html

The 305-room, five-star luxury Jumeirah Bangkok will have a prime location on the legendary Chao Phraya River, close to the Sathorn Bridge and Bangkok’s Central Business District. With its 200-metre water frontage, the urban resort will be easily accessible from the expressway or by boat through in-house docking stations. The hotel is designed to offer a peaceful environment for business and leisure travelers in the middle of bustling Bangkok.
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Old Feb 14, 2010, 2:19 am
  #72  
 
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Pistol Packing Buddhists (and others!)

what is this world coming to?

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48493

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/inve...troubled-south

http://www.islamonline.net/English/N...rticle08.shtml

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14804

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...6PAkxUY9MCXwsw

Last edited by maskedavenger; Feb 14, 2010 at 2:24 am
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Old Feb 15, 2010, 4:28 am
  #73  
 
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Originally Posted by maskedavenger
what is this world coming to?
La plus ca change...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dhei

Or Sri Lanka for a more modern version.
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Old Feb 15, 2010, 2:26 pm
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by jpatokal
La plus ca change...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dhei

Or Sri Lanka for a more modern version.
interesting......I meant this more in a simplistic Buddhist=Peace/non-violence way......but of course history proves otherwise. I had also read a news piece recently where an abbot in BKK was giving thoughts on the politicians carrying weapons story. He came to the conclusion that Thailand was a Buddhist state and that gun carrying should be frowned upon.

Last edited by maskedavenger; Feb 16, 2010 at 12:29 am
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Old Feb 16, 2010, 9:51 pm
  #75  
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Australia & Canada Issue Thailand Advisories

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010...s_30122739.php
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