CrazyExpat

Does anyone who lives in Bangkok see any visible changes there with security and police? Expecting to see them? here is the story from the Bangkok Post: A security force of nearly 7,000 will be deployed on Saturday in Bangkok's Dusit district, where United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship supporters will hold an anti-government rally to demand a progress report on the UUD's petition for royal pardon for convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. City police chief Pol Maj-Gen Worasak Nopsitthiporn met with senior officials on Friday to finalise plans to ensure law and order at the UDD rally sites at the Royal Plaza and Government House. Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) spokesman Maj-Gen Ditthaporn Sasasamith said the Peace Keeping Command Centre will implement 'operation plan number one', but did not explain it. Altogether 6,600 police and military personnel and 350 officials of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be deployed to protect state offices, Government House, the parliament, Chitralada Palace and the Bangkok residence of Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, he said. Police will set up checkpoints at Wang Daeng, Si Sao Thewes, the Royal Plaza, Wat Benjama Borphit, Thewakham, Nang Lerng, Makawan Rangsan bridge and Miksakawan intersections in the Dusit district to prevent a third hand from inciting violence, Pol Maj-Gen Worasak said. For the rest of the story: http://bangkokpost.com/news/politics/157244/security-to-be-tightened-in-capital

Democrat MP for Nakhon Nayok Chanchai Issarasenarak has threatened that he and 30 other party MPs will try to topple the coalition government if the prime minister presses ahead on charter change. “We will also seek to impeach party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban. The government has no duty to please its coalition partners,” Mr Chanchai said, adding that he was not worried about negative consequence from his movement. “Whether or not the charter is rewritten must be decided by the people, not politicians. I do not see what benefit the people will gain from the changes. Only politicians will benefit,” he said. He said he has the constitutional right to act against the party’s resolution and that his announcement did not reflect rifts within the Democrat camp. Mr Chanchai insisted he was not acting on anyone's orders, and he had no idea whether Banyat Banthatdan, a party adviser, also opposes the charter changes. The nine-member charter amendment drafting committee held its first meeting on Friday despite the ongoing confusion over whether there would be any change to the 2007 constitution at all. The committee, chaired by Jareh Panprueng, deputy secretary-general of the House of Representatives, comprises appointed members from the law offices of the lower and upper Houses. Mr Jareh said the committee would consult on guidelines with the parliament committee on reconciliation, political reform and charter amendment which recommended rewriting six provisions in the charter. For the rest of the story: http://bangkokpost.com/news/politics/157246/charter-change-hits-another-obstacle

Apple Mac's all the way baby!

We found spots offering good health care, culture and affordability. Forbes cannot promise retirees "paradise on $30 a day." Quite the opposite. We promise seniors wishing to move out of the U.S. that they will not find paradise anywhere. Each country is unique--with assets and liabilities--and the key to successful retirement as an ex-pat is carefully matching your own personal priorities and finances to the country that has caught your eye. To help matters along, Forbes has compiled its own list of the 10 best retirement havens, based on a wide variety of criteria ranging from safety to retiree-friendly visa requirements to decent medical care. The countries on our hit list: Austria, Thailand, Italy, Panama, Ireland, Australia, France, Malaysia, Spain and Canada. No place is perfect. Some countries rank high in one area but lower in others. Australia is by one well-regarded rating, the Country Brand Index, the most livable place in the world. (For the Country Brand and other rankings, see "Retire At Home Or Abroad?")But if you plan to return to the U.S. frequently, Australia makes for a long slog. Canada is No. 2 in the Country Brand ratings and certainly convenient for Americans, but its harsh winters are well-known. Italy scores high on quality of life, medical care, and even cost of living and climate for retirees residing in the Southern parts of the country. But its complicated taxes and bureaucracy require patience. So, the key to any decision: Know yourself and do your homework. For the full article: http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/15/ten-best-retirement-havens-personal-finance-retire-abroad.html

For now, just the poster. If it is a constant thing, we will take other measures.

YANGON: A total of 42 trafficked Myanmar citizens, trafficked to Thailand, have been repatriated to Myanmar's eastern border town of Myawaddy, sources with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said on Thursday. The trafficked Myanmar people, including 30 women and three children, were handed over by the Thai Ministry of Social Welfare and Development to its Myanmar counterpart in Myawaddy last weekend, the sources said. The returnees have been brought to Mon state's capital of Mawlamyine and are being accommodated in a vocational skill training school and after the training, they will be sent back to their respective homes, the sources added. Meanwhile, in August this year, six trafficked Myanmar young women were saved and repatriated back from China to Myanmar across the border following a joint combating of human trafficking crime by special squads of both sides The six were handed over by the Ruili anti-human trafficking special squad of China to Myanmar's Muse squad. A total of 13 men brokers and seven women brokers of two human trafficking gangs were also arrested in Ruili, a border town opposite to Myanmar's Muse, according to Myanmar anti-drug authorities. According to the ministry, under the government to government system, a total of 686 victims smuggled out of Myanmar had been rescued and brought back to the country as of 2008 and they were being kept at the rehabilitation centers. Of them, those who were repatriated back from Thailand were the majority with 344, followed by those from China with 272, Malaysia with 45, Japan, Bangladesh, Jamaica and Singapore as well as China's Macao, Chinese Taiwan, the ministry's figures showed. Myanmar has so far set up border liaison offices in Muse with immediate neighbor of China and in Tachilek, Myawaddy and Kawthoung with Thailand to promote cooperation in cracking down on human trafficking at the basic level. Coordination is also being made for the move involving the UNODC and UN Inter Agency Project (UNIPA) on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). The government has so far built eight rehabilitation centers offering educational program and vocational skill training for the victims. In the latest development, Myanmar is also planning to set up a temporary care center in Muse for the victims with the help of GGA organization of Japan in November this year. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-10/15/content_8799033.htm

We believe in a free flow of information and exchange of ideas and debate on this site. However, today I had to ban our first member. He was insistent on sending messages to other members degrading the site and trying to get them to another site which he considers more useful than this one. In fact all of his posts directed others to that site. I kindly sent him a PM and asked him to at least elaborate on the discussion at hand as opposed to just saying, "Look here" Obviously, some other sites may consider this site as competition or a threat. It is not meant at such. We are a non-commercial site trying to create an atmosphere of community and acceptance and to promote Thailand. We do not strive to make profit or to go commercial. We have no interests in getting into board wars with other sites. We feel we can offer some people a chance to have a good forum for discussions on issues that we all enjoy. We do advertise on other sites as a way to bring traffic to this site and so far we have been successful in getting around 1k plus visitors per day. We have not converted them into participants of the forum yet but we believe with time, many will come to make this their home. I only wanted to bring this to your attention. Thank you all for participating here and for making this one of your homes!

BANGKOK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's condition is "good" but he needs time to recover from pneumonia, the palace said on Wednesday after concerns over his health sparked a tumble in Thailand's financial markets. The king, the world's longest-reigning monarch and Thailand's single unifying figure, is regarded as semi-divine by many of the country's 63 million people. His health is an extremely sensitive topic. Thai stock prices and the local baht currency fell sharply on Wednesday on concerns over his condition. [iD:nBKK105974] "His majesty the king's general condition is good," said a statement from the Bureau of the Royal Household after markets had closed. "However, a further period of recovery of lung pneumonia is necessary, as in the case of the elderly." King Bhumibol, 81, has been in hospital since Sept. 19, making this his longest period of treatment since suffering a blood clot in 2007. The statement said he would stay in hospital for "continuous rehabilitation therapies", the first suggestion he could remain in hospital for some time. Over the past few weeks many Thais have gathered at Siriraj Hospital where he is being treated to sign get-well books for the king or lay garlands in front of a monument of Prince Mahidol of Songkla, the king's father, to pray for a speedy recovery. Strict lese majeste laws in Thailand make comment on royal matters risky. The king's condition is followed closely in financial markets, in part because of concerns about succession. Bhumibol's son and presumed heir, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, does not command his father's popular support. A focus on the issue of royal succession would add another element of uncertainty to a polarising four-year political crisis that has put a squeeze on foreign investment in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy. Underlining that, the cost of insuring Thailand's sovereign debt rose on Wednesday, with five-year credit default swaps climbing 5 basis points to 89.8 bps, CDS monitor CMA Datavision said. Credit default swaps (CDS) are used by investors to insure against the risk of debt default or restructuring. [iD:nLE207641] Thai stocks .SETI slid more than 4 percent, led by foreign selling, before recouping some ground to end down 2.04 percent. The baht currency THB= fell, trading at 33.46 per dollar against an intraday high of 33.20 earlier. The king's health also made headlines last December at his 81st birthday, when he failed to give his traditional address to the nation. His daughter, Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, said then that he had a throat infection and was on a saline drip. http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUSBKK34911820091014

Congrats!

Having lived in Bangkok recently, I know that these protests do not interfere with tourism or change the political structure of things. I wonder how long they will continue? What will it take to bring the people together if that is even possible at all? BANGKOK — Thousands of supporters of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, all in red shirts, rallied Sunday in Bangkok to demand the government step down and call fresh elections. Supporters of Thaksin have been staging sporadic protests that have threatened to rekindle the political turmoil that has gripped the country since before the former leader was ousted in a 2006 military coup. Sunday's protesters called for Parliament to reinstate the 1997 constitution that was abolished after the coup in addition to their demands that the government be dissolved. "If the government is sincere, why not return to the old constitution, which was written by the people and for the people, and return the power to the public?" asked one of the protest leaders, Nattawut Sai-kua, adding that the protesters are collecting signatures to call for the removal of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. "Let's see who the majority vote for. I am sure it will not be this government," he said. At least 2,000 people had flocked to a square in the historic heart of the capital by late afternoon with more expected to arrive later in the evening. About 1,000 policemen were deployed in the area, said Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Worasak Nopsittiporn. The protesters said they would disperse peacefully by midnight. The popularly dubbed "people's constitution" — which was written with extensive public consultation and debate — was abolished by the coup makers in 2006 and replaced with a military-backed charter approved in a national referendum in 2007. Critics say the 2007 constitution weakened political parties and shifted several responsibilities to the judiciary from the executive branch. But anti-Thaksin activists say his supporters are only calling for the old charter — and the strong executive it creates — to rehabilitate the reputation of Thaksin who some accuse of installing a parliamentary dictatorship during his time in power. Although Abhisit has said his government is willing to support amendments to the constitution, parliamentarians have not been able to reach agreement on the issue. Few expect the protests to bring about immediate political changes, but the sporadic campaign has threatened to re-ignite tension between the pro- and anti-Thaksin factions. Rival political groups have staged several rounds of sometimes violent protests. The turmoil began more than three years ago with rallies by those who oppose Thaksin — the "yellow shirts" — that paved the way for his ouster. But when his allies were voted back into power, the yellow shirts protested again — eventually occupying the seat of government and shutting down the capital's two airports. When court rulings did in two governments made up of Thaksin allies, Abhisit came to power. But now the "red shirts" periodically hold demonstrations. Thaksin was accused of corruption and abuse of power during his time in office, but he remains popular among the urban and rural poor. Last year, the billionaire politician was convicted in absentia of violating a conflict-of-interest law and sentenced to two years in prison. Much of his fortune remains frozen in Thai banks, his Thai passport has been revoked, and he has been barred from several countries following diplomatic pressure from Thailand. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3j-vAVG1fg3kEfnogTiH8_4EXvwD9B8R5MO0

Medical tourism is a high-growth industry being driven by globalization and rising healthcare costs in developed countries. More than thirty countries in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe are serving millions of medical tourists annually. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Philippines are the major destinations in the Asian medical tourism market. Thailand is more popular among Western European medical tourists for cosmetic surgery. Singapore and India specialize in complex procedures with India having a cost advantage and Singapore a technology advantage. Global economic downturn has resulted in decline in visitor numbers in Singapore and the same holds true for medical tourists also. The decline is most among Indonesian patients, but is being compensated by patients from other places such as Vietnam and the Middle East. The private healthcare market in Singapore could witness a period of slower growth due to declining medical tourists. The healthcare industry in Thailand has seen rapid growth in recent years, ahead of the country's GDP. In Thailand, medical costs are lower than in Singapore and also, it is a much more popular tourist destination. The cost of healthcare in Thailand is about five times lesser than it is in the US. The Malaysian government is aggressively promoting medical tourism. It has extended the visa period for health tourists from one month to six months. Major hospitals in Malaysia are targeting new markets such as Vietnam and Cambodia. India is one of the lowest cost and highest quality of all medical tourism destinations. It offers low-cost cardiovascular and orthopaedic procedures, at about one-tenth the cost of similar surgeries in the US. Taiwan provides high-quality healthcare at very competitive prices but is a slow starter. A liver transplant costs half as much in Taiwan as in Singapore. China is a key target market for Taiwanese hospitals. The Korean government is promoting the nation's growing medical tourism industry and has set a target of 100,000 foreign patients by 2012. However, Korea is considered to be a latecomer in medical tourism industry. This report gives an overview of the medical tourism industry with focus on Asia. It discusses the major medical tourist destinations like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea and their respective competitive advantages. The major healthcare organizations in Asia are also profiled in the later part of the report. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091009005513&newsLang=en

I'd like to see more balls on this first term.

I found this article and it was just so fascinating that I had to put here. I was quiet surprised at this myself and did not know things like this went on. It’s been a bad year for blueberries and lingonberries in Sweden. Normally, these wild berries grow in abundance in the Swedish forests. But a long, wet summer with more rain than anyone can remember destroyed the berries even before they had matured. That’s bad news for Thailand as well. Every year, in what has become a regular feature in today’s globalized world, thousands of Thais travel to Sweden to pick wild berries. The life may be hard, and anyone from a tropical climate would find the weather unbearable even when it’s summer in Sweden. But, under normal circumstances, Sweden’s abundant fields of wild berries bring wealth to rural Thailand and fresh berries and jams on European tables. In 2007, Swedish immigration authorities began to authorize the country’s diplomatic missions abroad to issue visas and temporary, three-month work permits for nationals of certain countries to pick wild berries in Sweden during the summer. The Swedish embassy in Bangkok was among these, and during the first year 1,129 Thais were allowed to travel to Sweden to pick wild berries. In 2008 3,582 Thais were given permits, as word had spread that it was possible to make a small fortune by Thai standards from spending a couple of months in a remote forest camp in Sweden’s northern provinces. Slave Labor or Lucrative Jobs? The Swedish press described the Thais as “exploited slave workers,” but money they sent back has been enough for some of them to buy a small house somewhere in Thailand’s impoverished northeast, from where most of the berry-pickers came. Some have even been to Sweden more than once, as such jobs are easy to find because it’s a backbreaking work that few Swedes would do. And even if unpredictable weather conditions make it a gamble, it is possible, some of the workers say, to earn up to 20,000-40,000 Swedish crowns a month, or nearly 100,000-200,000 Thai Baht (US$2,850-5,700)—much more than a doctor or other well-paid professional back in Thailand. Not surprisingly, the Thais are not the only foreigners picking berries in the Swedish forests. There are East Europeans and others as well, but the Thais are considered the best. They pick more berries than workers of any other nationality. That could be because of their work ethic. Or, as someone has suggested, stooping down and picking wild berries from tiny sprigs may not be that different from planting and harvesting rice in a paddy field back home in Thailand. This year, as many as 5,911 Thais came to Sweden to pick berries. But bad crops in the Swedish forests turned out to be a disaster. Many had borrowed thousands of dollars to pay for tickets—and for fees to often unscrupulous labor brokers and other middlemen. A foreign worker can only get a visa and temporary work permit if he or she has been employed by a foreign labor broker who is recognized by the SBIF, Skogsbranschens Intresseförening, or the Swedish Forestberries Association. They can then borrow up to 100,000 Thai Baht, or US$3,000, from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, a Thai state enterprise under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance. But, if it’s a bad year for wild berries, where pickers might net $1,000 per month at most, it’s inevitable that it will be difficult to repay those loans. Many workers have also borrowed money from private loan sharks and paid brokers to facilitate the process. As a result of all this, many Thais this year returned destitute instead of rich. And the Thai embassy in the Swedish capital of Stockholm even had to intervene to help some of the workers return home. In August, Thai labor minister Paitoon Kaewthong also traveled to Sweden to see the Thai workers and for talks with representatives of the Swedish companies employing them. Berry-picking was not the only issue he discussed with Swedish employers. The two sides, the Thai daily Bangkok Post reported on August 30, also “discussed how to expand the Swedish job market for Thai laborers”—because there are also other unattractive slots in the Swedish labor markets, which now have to be filled with foreign workers despite rising unemployment among the Swedes themselves. Spread of Thai Culture Today, most Swedes traveling to the northern provinces are likely to meet Thais who are not berry-pickers. There are Thai restaurants, take-away outlets and food stalls not only in major towns but also in small villages in the countryside. Over the past two decades, many Thais have settled in Sweden and the total number of Thai-born people here may now be nearly 30,000. Some are Thai women who have married Swedish men, but there are also Thai men who work in restaurants and other small businesses. On the other side of the ledger, around 300,000 Swedes visit Thailand annually. In Utanede, east of the northern town of Östersund, there is evidence of an even older connection—a genuine Thai pavilion, which has become a tourist attraction for Swedes and foreign visitors alike. Its Thai-style 28-meter spire towers over birch trees and pines, and, in winter, the entire area is under at least a meter of snow. The pavilion, the only of its kind outside Thailand, is built on the spot where Thai King Chulalongkorn visited in 1897. During his European tour, he went to Sweden and found its many sawmills particularly interesting because Thailand at that time had a thriving teak industry. In remote Utanede, local Swedes flocked to gape at the Asian king and his entourage, guests who at that time was seen as extremely exotic. “This is great, says Noi, a young woman speaking in the northeastern dialect. It’s good for the Swedes to experience a bit of our culture, and we feel almost at home here.” The project to build the pavilion to honor King Chulalongkorn even led to a new dimension to Thai-Swedish relations. More than being just a tourist attraction, the Thai pavilion in Utanede also sparked more interest in Sweden for trade and tourism between the two countries. Elsewhere in Sweden, there are other signs of Thai influence in this cold and seemingly un-Thai country in northern Europe. In the central industrial town of Borlänge, with its steel mill and paper factory, the Finns are the most numerous of the town’s foreign workers because their country once was part of Sweden. But the Thais, numbering between 2,000 and 3,000, now make up the second largest immigrant group in Borlänge. On each of the present Thai King and Queen’s birthdays, Dec. 5 or Aug. 12, they gather at the town’s Buddhist shrine together with their spouses and neighbors. So the Thais in Sweden are not only seasonal workers in the northern forests, who sometimes have to suffer unforeseen hardships. Many are here to stay—and they are no longer perceived as “exotic” as King Chulalongkorn was a century ago. They are established members of local communities. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/23592/

I guess everyone likes Thais. I have been a big fan of Polanski for years and although his scandal was before my time, the news had been focused on it for a while. Now, some of his backers are coming forward. The following appeared in the LA Times. Polanski backer Mitterrand is in controversy of his own France's culture minister, Frederic Mitterrand, defended the director over old charges of sex with a minor. Mitterrand is under fire for a book he wrote telling of buying sex with young Thais. Reporting from Paris - France's minister of culture, whose forceful defense of film director Roman Polanski brought scrutiny to his own life, denied in a television interview Thursday that he had slept with underage boys and said his 2005 book about his experiences should not be taken as a literal memoir. Tilting his head to the side and occasionally glancing at his folded hands on the table, Frederic Mitterrand sought to explain passages he wrote in "The Bad Life" ("La Mauvaise Vie") about having sex with young male prostitutes in Thailand. "Yes, I had [sexual] relations with young men, but one cannot confuse pedophilia with homosexuality," the 62-year-old politician said, insisting that he had had sex only with adults. "It is neither a novel nor my memoirs. I preferred to leave things vague," he said. "Nothing is true, nothing is false," he added. "It was a way to tell a life story that resembles mine a lot." The book, widely perceived as autobiographical, raised some questions when it was published but did not cause a scandal and sold well. It resurfaced after Mitterrand made a much criticized and emotional appeal in support of Polanski after the Polish French director's arrest Sept. 26. For the rest of the story: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mitterrand-sex9-2009oct09,0,5528261.story

I am happy he won. But, very surprised and I wonder if this was too premature. He has done little so far other than speak words. I think it was a sign from the community to keep fighting the goof fight. I just really didn't think he had any deeds that deserved the award yet. I am still in shock from the announcement so perhaps more will come to light in the coming days. But, I still congratulate him.

I can see the links between India and the rest of the world getting stronger and stronger. India has a very unique society where the majority of residents speak English and it is a very educated society. I hope the ties between India and Thailand do strengthen. Here is a recent newspaper article: New Delhi, October 8: Thai Government would sort out critical trade issues like rules of origin and safeguard measures to give a fillip to Thailand-India bilateral trade and investments. Thailand foresees a greater flow of two-way investments following the conclusion of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on August 14, 2009. India and Thailand are eager for a comprehensive agreement including more of services and investments. Thai companies are eager to invest in infrastructure projects in India. PM Manmohan Singh will visit Thailand in late October, 2009 to sort out trade irritants and the Thai PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva is scheduled to visit India around early December, 2009. For the rest of the story: http://www.zopag.com/news/thailand-for-boosting-bilateral-trade-with-india/8211.html

There's growing frustration in Thailand, as a major climate change conference nears its end. Representatives of 180 countries are in Bangkok, following up last month's negotiations in New York. After this meeting there's one more regional negotiating round in Barcelona, before the main Copenhagen summit in December. That's the deadline set by the UN for finalising a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. Time is running out to finalise a draft text for Copenhagen, and wealthy and developing countries have yet to reach consensus on several sticking points. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/stories/200910/s2708947.htm

France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is facing intense pressure over a book he wrote that described paying for "young boys" in Thailand. The book was written four years ago, before he joined the government, but is back in the headlines following his impassioned support for Roman Polanski. Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland on child sex charges. Mr Mitterrand, nephew of former President Francois Mitterrand, has come under attack from right and left. In his 2005 book The Bad Life, he wrote: "I got into the habit of paying for boys," saying his attraction to young male prostitutes was not dimmed despite knowing "the sordid details of this traffic". "All these rituals of the market for youths, the slave market excited me enormously... the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire." Mr Mitterrand, 62, has denied being a paedophile, saying the term "boys" was used loosely. 'Sex tourism' The account of cruising for prostitutes in Thailand attracted little attention when it was published in 2005, when Mr Mitterrand was a TV personality. He did not share his uncle's socialist politics, and was brought into the centre-right government by President Nicolas Sarkozy in June 2009. But his strong defence of Polanski has brought the book back into the public eye. Polanski faces deportation to the United States for having had sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Mr Mitterrand said the US' behaviour, in seeking his extradition, was callous and "horrifying". Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon told Reuters: "As a minister of culture he has drawn attention to himself by defending a film maker accused of raping a child and he has written a book where he said he took advantage of sexual tourism. To say the least, I find it shocking." Marine Le Pen, vice president of the right-wing National Front, read excerpts of Mr Mitterrand's book aloud during a television interview, and said it left "an indelible stain on the government". She called for the culture minister to step down. "Resign, Mr Mitterrand and perhaps, afterwards we'll be able to give lessons to other people," she said. Mr Mitterrand said it was an honour to be dragged though the mud by the National Front, and criticised the Socialists for making common cause with the extreme right. A senior aide to President Sarkozy, Henri Guaino, on Thursday backed the minister, saying the row was "excessive and quite undignified". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8296578.stm

I have been to this place before and done a Bungee Jump there. I do remember signs outside of the place and waivers that gave away your rights in case of an accident. I am not sure what happened here but it all sounds like of fishy to me. Briton survives bungee fall in Thailand Fifty metres (165ft) above a Thai lagoon, ankles bound and secured to a bungee cord, Rishi Baveja shuffled to the edge of a small platform and threw himself off. Horrifyingly, instead of the cord "bungeeing" the 22-year-old back up after unfurling, the harness securing his feet unravelled with disconcerting ease. An unsecured Baveja hit the water at 80mph (130kmh), sustaining injuries likened to those of a car crash victim. Doctors told Baveja he was lucky to be alive after he took the force of the impact on his chest, suffering a ruptured spleen, torn liver, collapsed lungs and massive bruising. He spent a month in a Bangkok hospital following the jump on 30 July this year. "I'm very lucky," he told the Daily Mail. "If I had landed head first I would be brain-damaged, or dead." The Briton was in Phuket on a month-long trip to celebrate graduating from the University of Cambridge. He paid £50 to Jungle Bungy Jump, whose web page on a Phuket tourism site boasts that all activities are "accident free since June 14 1992". Terry Pearce, the owner of Jungle Bungy Jump, said today it was the first accident the company had experienced in more than 140,000 jumps over 17 years. "He didn't follow instructions," Pearce said. "He jumped with his feet first, panicked and kicked his way out of his harness. In 17 years we've never had anyone jump like that before." He said Jungle Bungy Jump had purchased new which would make it "impossible" for anyone to come loose. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/05/briton-survives-bungee-fall-thailand

Death toll increases in the train derailment in Hua Hin. Now at least 10 people have died. (AP) A train derailed during heavy rains Monday near the coastal Thai city of Hua Hin, killing at least 10 people, including a 2-year-old girl, and injuring 88 others, officials said. The train jumped the tracks as it approached a station before dawn near the popular resort on the Gulf of Thailand during a journey from the southern city of Trang to the capital, Bangkok, said Police Lt. Col. Udom Chainoom. Ten people were killed and 88 injured, said Yuthana Thapcharoen, head of the State Railways of Thailand. Of those injured, 22 were hospitalized. All of those killed were Thais, Udom said. One foreigner, suffering broken ribs and other injuries, was undergoing an operation, said Chatree Charoencheewakun, director of the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand. Four other foreigners suffered minor injuries. Their nationalities were not immediately known. About a half-dozen of the train's 16 cars derailed in the accident, Yuthana said. He declined to comment on media speculation that the accident was caused by a malfunctioning railway switch. "We regret the loss of life and we are investigating the cause of the incident," he said. "We are investigating everything from the condition of the track, the switch system, the weather conditions and possible human error." For the rest of the story, go to: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/05/world/main5363110.shtml

Being a tech freak, I am happy that 3G is going to be in Thailand soon. Thailand seems to have one of the best cellular networks I have seen and this was a natural progression. This story from the Bangkok Post: Third-generation (3G) mobile broadband should be launched in Thailand before the end of this year, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday. "The launch of 3G services can no longer be postponed because it would not be worth the investment. ''If it has to be postponed, we may have to scrap it and turn to a newer and more advanced technology," he said after attending a meeting of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC). The prime minister said he agreed with the NTC that the 3G auction should be held before the year's end. The NTC plans to auction 3G spectrum rights in mid-December and grant four licences this year. "We'll have to determine how the Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT) and CAT Telecom state enterprises will survive in the 3G era. They may become a new business entity or improve their old concessions," Mr Abhisit said. For the full story go to: http://bangkokpost.com/tech/technews/156140/pm-3g-should-be-launched-this-year

Sad news from the Hun Hin area about a train derailing because of the rain. BANGKOK (Reuters) - A passenger train bound for Bangkok derailed in Thailand's Hua Hin coastal resort district in heavy rain early Monday, killing at least five people and injuring up to 50, local media reports said. About six of the train's 16 cars went off the tracks and some people were believed trapped, reported Jor Sor Roi, a Bangkok radio station, quoting rescue workers at the scene. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE59404W20091005

I am not getting an virus alert but I have sent a message to the owners of the website to have this checked. It is a flash Intro that may be the issue there.

I think former President Clinton is a perfect choice for the nomination. Qualified and would add great charisma to the court.

I am not worried about getting closed down as we are not a commercial site and do nothing illegal or wrong. I just want to make sure we stick to the rules from Day 1. Sure.