Katipo

Fair point. I am friends with many an individual with different opinions to mine.... but then none of them launched a war on a sovereign nation based on lies and deceit that resulted in the death of millions.

Well that's not going to bring the Indian tourists in, they can see that kind of thing in their own country.

5m??? Someone did extremely well out of that deal.

So once again we see the tools are only as effective as the people who use them.

Cinema today, much like music, are little more than recycled distractions for the masses. Superficial escapism from the meaninglessness of most peoples lives. If you dig a little deeper, you'll find there are actually plenty of original movies being made, you just might not find them in your local mall cineplex..... just like you won't find the good music in the top 40 charts.

30.42 million Thais, or 57 per cent of the population, gamble.......population of Thailand is 69,672,348

If moving the capital meant getting a bunch of Gov people, their cars, and motorcades our of Bangkok, it can only be a good thing for everyone else. It would have to be somewhere not far from Bangkok and the airports etc, so perhaps Prachinburi, Nakon Nayok or similar.

And here I was thinking the article was going to be about an Iranian rug seller.

This is actually a huge story, and yet it seems up until now to have been ignored by the Gov. Ignoring a problem until it goes away is the go-to strategy, and often it works. If it doesn't, how can they play it? That he was one troubled individual? That means it's not problem with the system, and so after assuring the public he will get the support he needs, it's business as usual. Or they could acknowledge that certain problems do exist, and then pay lip service to fixing them. This also is a favourite strategy employed by those in power. They know more often than not, this will be enough to soothe the initial outrage on social media. Finally, and least likely.... as in it's just not going to happen, the Gov not only acknowledges that a serious problem exists, but they overall the system that enables it to thrive, and then puts in last checks and balances to ensure it doesn't creep back in. I just put this last part in for so we can all have a good chuckle.

IMO Thaibev was nothing, and would still be nothing, without the legally dubious Carlsberg debarcle. Once again bullying and shady business practices win the day (anyone remember the Bangkok chief of police who was most definitely "not" on their payroll?).

It really depends on the landlord, and the relationship you have with them. SOme charge a cleaning fee, some do not. This can come down to the landlord's policy, but also how clean the place is when you move out. Re the deposit, again, I have had both situations occur.

Well, if he admitted to Thai being in a serious situation, he would kind of be responsible. What sort of example would it set to other Gov officials (and appointed officials) if they started accepting responsibility for their, and the system's, failings?

It's still amazing to me after all these years how decades of social conditioning can pacify a populace to the point that no matter what happens, 99.9% just accept it as the way things are. I mean, we see it to a certain extent in western democracies, but it's taken to an entirely new level in this part of the world.