The BBC thinks Thailand is a Military Dictatorship, this is wrong. Thailand is, in fact, governed by soap opera actresses. The soap operas control what everybody thinks, what people wear, what people eat and what people consider to the be correct social behavior. Soap opera actresses and Pretty socialites have a god-like status and are worshiped by millions of fanatical devotees who applaud their wildest excesses. So much so, that the police, army and courts are terrified of them. This became evident when a student, the son of a high ranking military man, wanted to enter the bathroom at the Malin Sky Bar, in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately for him the bar was being honored by the presence of five soap opera idols. The Divine Magnificence of Prin “Mark” Suparat, Nattapohn “Taew” Tameeruks, Nittha “Mew” Jirayungyurn, Benjasiri “Bow” Wattana and Lakana “Aum” Wattanawongsiri. Apparently, the bathroom was reserved for their Magnificences, and when the student tried to enter he was beaten to a pulp by berserker bouncers. Visitors to Thailand are warned that if they find themselves in a restaurant patronized by Thai actresses, they should make no attempt to use the bathroom. Better still, they should avoid, completely, the trendy bars and restaurants that these people frequent. See also Pandora’s boxes, and How to hospitalize people with your car in Thailand. The story from Khaosod (28 Nov):
CHIANG MAI — A Chiang Mai rooftop bar was permanently closed by police Sunday after a customer was badly beaten in a brawl there by guards over his use of a restroom. Issarajnuwat Wankawisan was assaulted and seriously injured by security at Malin Sky Bar on Friday night after he attempted to use a washroom but was denied entry by four guards who told him some celebrities were using them. Thanomsak Pipatkitjakarn, one of the guards subsequently charged with assault, told police that Issarajnuwat was trying to enter a women’s restroom, which led to the fight. Issarajnuwat, who is the son of regional army commander Maj. Gen. Witthaya Wankawisan, was hospitalized with a broken nose, broken jaw, fractured teeth and injury to his left eye. The 23-year-old student told police that after he complained about the incident, the guards beat him on the order of one of the actors. Celebrities at the scene included Channel 3 soap opera actors Prin “Mark” Suparat, Nattapohn “Taew” Tameeruks, Nittha “Mew” Jirayungyurn, Benjasiri “Bow” Wattana and Lakana “Aum” Wattanawongsiri. Most actors at the scene stepped up to tell reporters that while they were at the bar Friday night, they were not involved with what happened. “We went there for dinner. We don’t know what really happened there because we sat at a table which was really far from [Issarajnuwat’s] table,” Lakana said at a press conference last night in Chiang Mai. The CCTV cameras at the venue were broken, according to owner Thanin Loedamrungkul. Maj. Gen. Montri Samboonnanon, chief of Chiang Mai city police, said justice would be served equally for both sides. The incident overwhelmed traditional and social media and was widely debated over the weekend. Most of the blame went toward the celebrities, whose Instagram accounts were flooded with harsh comments. Malin Sky Bar’s contract with Chiang Mai Complex Project was reportedly terminated, and its Facebook page was no longer available Monday.
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Trials of the new homes (pictured above) have proven extremely popular with lower income groups. These new homes can be set up almost everywhere and are ideal for itinerant workers. Plans are, to start mass production of these homes early next year.
The Minister for Development, Mr Hi So, talked to Private Tye. “Our main priority is, of course, the economy. Currently our entire construction sector is engaged in building condominiums. With a bank loan, almost anybody can buy one or more of these, even people in middle income groups! Its a great investment as the value of the condominium will rise faster than the interest on the bank loan. Its just like America in 2005. At present 80% of condominiums are unoccupied, by the end of next year we expect that 90% will be unoccupied. We now have thousands of Chinese flocking in to take advantage of a this one in a life-time opportunity not seen since the Dutch tulip bulbs.” “Our main problem is the number of people sleeping in the doorways of the new condos. These make it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for real-estate agents and their clients to gain entry. The new mobiles homes are the perfect solution. If lower income groups are found sleeping near newly constructed condominiums, security guards can easily wheel them away.” The story from Ethailand: The Current State of Thailand’s Luxury Real Estate Market and Predictions For 2016-2018 Despite its economic woes, Thailand’s luxury real estate market is doing just fine. But that’s not unusual for a country where, come bull or bear, the market for luxury real estate continues expanding and diversifying. Both foreign and domestic buyers are still willing to shell out serious cash to live in, what some may argue, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The Market Faces Challenges, But the Future is Bright Thailand’s economic path isn’t written in gold, and its luxury property market isn’t all rainbow and butterflies either. In places like Koh Samui and Phuket, both resort destinations that rely heavily on investment from foreigners, has seen a marked decline in sales volumes. These key areas thrive on investors who purchase holiday condos and villas or second homes. Political troubles in the country and a stronger baht have caused investors to be more cautious. High-end sectors, like the resort properties in Phuket and condos in Bangkok, have been directly affected by a stronger baht, which makes the market less attractive to foreign buyers. These negative factors coupled with the red tape and restrictive laws regarding foreign ownership have deterred international investors from purchasing property in Thailand’s luxury property market. But despite these obstacles, political stabilization and a slight boost to the economy has improved the outlook for the market heading into the next two years. We’re also starting to see improvements in the condo markets in areas like Bangkok, which is a key location for foreign buyers. The condominium index climbed 14% in 2014. The price index for condos increased by 6.60%, while the residential land price index soared 6.36% during the same time period. Supply and demand for luxury condos in Bangkok is also rising. In 2015, 951 new properties were added to the market. In 2014, we saw 367 new properties added, so the market is clearly showing signs of improvement. Over in Phuket, 53 clifftop and oceanfront properties went onto the market in 2015. In both 2013 and 2014, there were no new properties of this type on the market. Political and economic issues aside, low property taxes make Thailand an appealing place for foreign buyers. And while the country does has restrictive foreign ownership laws, they are still more lax compared to other nearby countries. The luxury market will face competition due to new supply this year. But an improving economy and a stable political landscape will support the market. The vast majority of demand for luxury residential properties in Thailand will still come from Thais with high net worth. The market will largely be driven by social demographics, which are changing rather quickly. Smaller household sizes and lifestyle changes will impact the luxury market in the coming years as demand for housing in downtown areas will continue to grow for people of all ages. With pricing for prime land in Bangkok at THB 1 million per square wah, developers are being forced to build luxury properties, which means that we’re likely to see this segment of the market grow in the coming years. Well, WHO (World Health Organization) does. He’s an international role model according to them. It appears that the Shogun’s Government House compulsory exercise regime is going to solve our health problems. Bangkok is the 13th most air polluted city in Asia; never mind, doing a few physical jerks should solve the problem. Pollution from traffic is so bad that many people simply can not breathe in the nation’s capital, maybe they should try doing a few push ups. Then there is the smog from deforestation and crop burning; the simple solution: do a few squats. If you get sick, remember: its not the fault of rapacious agro-industrial and chemical companies, its not the fault of corrupt Governments turning a blind eye to environmental destruction, its not the fault of callous career bureaucrats at the United Nations. It is YOUR fault for not getting enough exercise. The WHO spends US $ 4 billion a year which comes from taxpayers worldwide. Great job people. But do not despair. The Private Tye “Bangkok Exerciser's Mask” is now available by mail order at just US $ 199. Please note there will be no refunds to people who die of asphyxia. The Nation 27 Nov THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) praised Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for being an international role model for the benefits of exercise, while the government will set up a strategy to encourage more people to exercise regularly. Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday disclosed that WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan had applauded the Prime Minister Prayut for his project to encourage the country’s civil servants to exercise at least once a week – every Wednesday – and stated that the PM’s initiative was a good example for the other countries to follow. “WHO thanks Thailand for promoting the importance of exercise and implementing the policy very quickly and it can be announced that it is the first step forward for the Bangkok Convention on exercising for a healthier world and sustainable development,” Sansern said. He also stated that the government was drafting the strategy plan that aimed to encourage Thai people to increase their exercise rate from 68 per cent to 75 per cent in the next five years. He said the strategy would focus on children, teenagers, working people, and the elderly and promote exercising in hospitals, offices, schools, parks, and bus terminals. The government will support the initiative through research, audits, development, and advertising. “The prime minister stated that our country has the potential and medical advancement, so the government is ready to further develop this course to let the people have healthier lives by exercise regularly in every population age group and decrease the chance for suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer or diabetes,” he said. “Therefore, the government would like to invite all civil servants to participate in Wednesday exercise sessions from 3.30pm to 4.30pm every week and encourage all the people to exercise regularly at the time and place that is convenient for them.” Less than a fifth of this year’s Cambodian budget is for “unallocated spending”, whereas in 2014 “unallocated spending” accounted for half the budget. Private Tye explains what is going on.
Remember that in ancient times there was no difference between a leader’s wealth and that of the state. The Egyptians paid their taxes to the Pharaoh and he spent the money however he liked. He might buy a new chariot, build a temple or expand the army. Now move forward to the 21st century and we find that a leader needs the approval of the BBC and CNN. To do this you need to be elected. That’s easy enough. You can buy votes or assassinate all your opponents, the BBC does not care as long as you have the votes. However, in a Democracy the wealth of the Prime Minister and that of the state are supposed to be separate. The Cambodian Prime Minister’s solution was simple. Half the tax revenue was for public institutions, the other half was “unallocated spending” which he could use to buy things like new cars, condominiums in London and beach-front villas in the Bahamas. However, this is such an obvious scam that even CNN might notice (especially if you are being friendly with China rather than the USA). What you should do is this: All the tax money goes into the public funds. Then you initiate a big project, say, road building. You arrange for one of your cronies to get the contract. The crony spends one third of the money on the roads, keeps one third for himself and transfers the other third to your bank account in the British Virgin Islands. You use the Virgin Islands money to buy your new yacht, your London Condominium Etc. Not even CNN could criticize this procedure. However, there can still be problems. If you want to avoid being the victim of American regime change you will need to make a huge contribution to the Clinton Foundation and this will have to come out of your Virgin Islands money. Oops, the Clinton Foundation just got Trumped. Hun Sen seems to have seen this coming, and no doubt saved a lot of money. Looks like he is really learning to play the game these days. The story from the Cambodia Daily (25 Nov): Budget’s Biggest Item Is ‘Unallocated Spending’ Where does the money go? It’s the perennial question of Cambodia’s civil society and opposition parties when the time comes for parliament to pass the national budget, as it did on Wednesday. “The budget process is not transparent and the amount of information contained in the budget document is too abstract for anyone to do accurate analysis,” Preap Kol, director of Transparency International (T.I.) in Cambodia, said in an email. In a country perceived as the most corrupt in the region by T.I.’s rankings last year, the largest line item in the budget seems especially opaque: almost $854 million set aside for “unallocated spending,” out of a total budget of $5 billion. The government insists there’s nothing nefarious about the funds, which it says are spent on disaster relief and other spontaneous needs. But critics claim the practice gives wide latitude to Prime Minister Hun Sen with very little oversight. Finance Ministry officials could not be reached for comment. Responding to criticism in 2014, however, when reserve funds totaled $1.53 billion and constituted almost half of the budget, the ministry said in a statement that the money went toward electricity subsidies, repaying loans, diplomatic missions and infrastructure projects. But the ministry’s wording was imprecise, specifying that over half of the funds would go to unspecified “ministries and institutions.” Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan urged “stupid” critics in the opposition party to scrutinize end-of-year budget reports, which contain breakdowns of the “emergency, unpredictable funding” for items like flood relief. “Every Friday, we always hold a meeting. Any proposal to spend extra money, [ministers] have to submit to the government meeting,” he said. The funding is then voted up or down by the prime minister’s Cabinet, according to Mr. Siphan. “The government has to close that account. Any urgent need, they have to explain at the end of the year,” he said. The opposition should “go back and read that table.” But opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said the government’s explanations were too vague and the practice was inappropriate. “That is not the proper way. The government can do whatever it likes,” he said, adding that “we hardly see money” for disaster relief. “When it comes time to the election, they use this money to do the propaganda,” he said. The practice of setting aside such a large chunk of money “isn’t very common, at all” in other countries, said Miguel Chanco, lead regional analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit. “Governments around the region would consider themselves lucky if they ever found themselves in a situation where they can set aside funds for ‘reserve.’ That Cambodia’s government continues with this practice—and doing so in large amounts—fuels long-standing concerns over the lack of fiscal transparency,” he wrote in an email. The practice also eroded the authority of the National Assembly, according to Markus Karbaum, a German political scientist focused on Cambodia. “Budgeting is the most prominent right of the legislative,” he wrote. Giving control to the prime minister “means a self-disempowerment of Cambodia’s parliament as its members will hardly vote on the concrete spending.” “However, as this reserve was incredible high at 44 percent in 2014, the reduction is clearly a development into the right direction,” he added. Sophal Ear, an associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said he was encouraged that the government appeared to be steering more funding through the budget rather than off the books, as it had in the past. “This would be a huge step towards bringing the budgeting process in line with international standards,” he said. “Then comes the hard part: what is in the budget should be spent properly; it should be procured competitively; it should be delivered to the right places and should not be sold in markets,” he added. “$5 billion is a lot of money…. If you have a leaky bucket (or budget), a lot of that is going to end up elsewhere." Ever wondered what that strange flying saucer thing is near Bangkok’s old airport? Thai prosecutors have claimed that its a giant laundry machine. They have ordered the arrest of Dhamm Chayo, Abbot of the Conaguy temple, on charges of money laundering. However, things are not what they seemed to be. This was revealed when Thailand’s leading prosecutor, Mr Han Gum Hi, gave an exclusive interview to Private Tye: “As you know we have been trying to gain access to the Conaguy temple for months. We finally got in a few days ago and it was not what we expected. We thought that the temple was a giant centrifuge capable of laundering billions of Thai Baht at a time. Its not, in fact, the temple has no moving parts. The laundry operation is entirely manual. The temple has thousands of monks with begging bowls full of hot water and Omo, each 500 baht note is scrubbed by hand. They can process millions this way, but they have a problem drying out the wet banknotes.” Dhamm Chayo achieved world renown after he spoke to Steve Jobs shortly after Jobs died. He is now on the run from the authorities. Police are on the lookout for a man with a shaved head trying to buy things with damp banknotes. The other story from Khaosod (24 Nov) BANGKOK — Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Thursday he believes the fugitive abbot of Dhammakaya was still in the country a day after prosecutors indicted him on six-month old charges of money laundering. Dhammachayo, the leader of influential Buddhist sect, was ordered brought to court to face a count of money laundering and other charges relating 1.4 billion baht he received from the former head of the credit union now serving a 16-year prison term for massive embezzlement. Prosecutors said Wednesday they had instructed the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, to capture Dhammachayo before the statute of limitations for the 2009 crime expire in 2024. Attempts to bring the abbot to justice in June were abandoned when he ensconced himself inside his order’s massive campus in northern metro Bangkok, defended by followers who said they would die to protect him. Dhammachayo and and his acolyte Sasithorn Chokeprasit are accused of receiving 27 checks from Sapachai and other two others involved in the Klong Chan Credit Union embezzlement scandal. His aides have insisted the monk was not aware the money was tainted. His followers had previously said the sect’s founder failed to respond to an arrest warrant due to health problems. They also turned down government offers of hospital treatment. Four other people charged along with Dhammachayo were required to report themselves to prosecutors by Nov. 30. Dismissing rumors the fugitive abbott has already fled the country, Prawit, who is also deputy junta leader, gave responsibility for tracking the abbot down to Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya. “I support the justice minister,” Prawit said. “We don’t have to be concerned, we will proceed according to the law.” The DSI quickly announced Wednesday it was ready to make the arrest once proper documents were received from prosecutors. Whether law enforcement will risk confrontation remains to be seen. The high-profile agency laid partial siege to the order’s massive, UFO-like headquarters in June but failed to capture the abbot. Though armed with court warrants, they finally scrapped the effort and withdrew from Wat Phra Dhammakaya after thousands of his faithful followers gathered to block the way. On Friday, Dhammachayo was named in a fresh arrest warrant in an unrelated case of land encroachment. Deputy police commissioner Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Wednesday police had yet to apply for a search warrant because they weren’t sure he was still inside the temple. Police said they were standing ready to help DSI capture the fugitive abbot in the money laundering case. The temple has steadfastly insisted Dhammachayo is innocent and the charges are politically motivated. Its publicity department planned a press conference at the Pathum Thani temple at 3pm on Thursday. Killing Fields leader Nuon Chea will remain in prison now that his appeal to the Cambodian Supreme Court has been rejected.
Defense lawyers argued that uncle Nuon was now fully reformed and that he was suffering cruel and unusual punishment because the prison food did not meet his dietary requirements. The defense had hoped to call expert witness Doctor Hannibal Lecter, but he failed to appear in court. Another disappointment was that a key character witness, The Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Republic, also failed to appear. A spokesperson for the United Nations Organization for the Rights of Cannibals who do not support North Korea, Iran, Russia or China (UNORC) called the verdict a travesty of justice. He added that the Cambodian Government now appears to be on the side of China not the USA, so everything it does must be wrong. Nuon Chea achieved international fame in 1976 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Mass Murder. Khmer Rouge Cannibalism has been well documented. A recent report from the Cambodian Daily (25 April 2015): Following her arrest and imprisonment in Kraing Ta Chan security center by the Khmer Rouge, Ouk Him bore witness to a scene unfathomable to most. “One day, there was a pregnant woman detained at the prison with me and she felt a stomach pain as she was due to deliver a baby. The Khmer Rouge cadre in charge at the prison brought her out of the detention cell,” Ms. Him said. After the woman was marched onto the grounds of the prison, in Takeo province’s Tram Kak district, Ms. Him said, piercing screams could be heard through the walls of her cell. Then silence. “I saw a Khmer Rouge cadre who walked her out come back into the detention cell. Upon his appearance, he raised up his hand with a human liver and heart and shouted, ‘Here’s the liver and heart from that woman. Let’s eat and drink it with alcohol,’” she said. A full report of the appeal was in The Phnom Penh Post (23 Nov): More than two years since they launched an appeal against their initial convictions, former Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan have been found guilty of crimes against humanity by the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Supreme Court Chamber – a final decision in Case 002/01 that cannot be appealed. The pair, who presided over mass executions and starvation under the brutal regime between 1975 and 1979, were convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison. Both appealed the decision, but both the verdict and their life sentences were upheld. However, the Supreme Court Chamber found the tribunal’s lower Trial Chamber made multiple mistakes and “erroneous” conclusions, and ultimately reversed certain counts of extermination and persecution that had been included in the initial judgement. They also convicted the pair on an additional count of murder for which they had previously not been found guilty. In a decision sure to generate controversy given the government’s at-times contentious relationship with the court, the Supreme Court Chamber also found the Trial Chamber’s decision not to summons Heng Samrin – a former Khmer Rouge commander and the current president of Cambodia’s National Assembly – to be “erroneous”. The charges of murder, extermination, political persecution and “other inhumane acts” stemmed from the forced evacuation of Phnom Penh and later forced disappearances and population movements from other areas of Cambodia, as well as the execution of hundreds of officials from the toppled Lon Nol regime at Tuol Po Chrey in Pursat. In a televised interview posted to the court’s website prior to the decision, Anta Guisse, defence lawyer for Democratic Kampuchea’s former head of state Khieu Samphan, said she had appealed “errors of fact and errors of law”. “They decided already that Khieu Samphan was guilty, and then they tried to arrange the evidence in order to make that conviction stand. And that’s a problem,” she said. “Especially, for example, from Tuol Po Chrey, it was obvious that the way they dealt with the evidence, they had nothing to rely on.” Former Brother Number Two, Nuon Chea, would find the verdict “irrelevant”, regardless of the outcome, according to his defence lawyer Victor Koppe. “In essence, the trial judgement was extremely low quality,” he said in a similar interview prior to the appeal judgement being handed down. “From an academic perspective and from a legal perspective, the judgement was a disaster.” His team had compiled 223 grounds of appeal, and the Supreme Court Chamber’s previous decision not to summons the “most important witness”, Heng Samrin, saw Koppe storm out of the court room during proceedings last year. The prosecution also appealed the Trial Chamber’s decision not to use the most extended form of the Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) legal theory, where people can be held responsible for crimes even if they were not an explicit part of their criminal plan, but were foreseeable under that plan. The Supreme Court Chamber rejected their appeal, upholding the Trial Chamber’s determination that it was not a part of customary international law in 1975 when the crimes took place. The Shogun demonstrates how a fit manager can inspire laborers to work harder. “Managers and Government Official need to be strong enough to give the lower orders the motivation they require”, said Government Spokesman Mr Por Kee Pye.
He continued, “many Government Officials have become so fat and lazy that they can hardly lift a bag full of bribery money. Thankfully, our leader has shown that he has what it takes to keep workers on the job. These airy-fairy motivational schemes such as minimum wage, training programs, or rice pledging, just do not work. As that dynamic British Prime Minister, John Major, once said, we need to get back to basics. A good kicking never hurt anybody.” Mr Pye concluded. The other story from Khaosod (22 Nov) BANGKOK — Concerned about the health of his government officials, junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha on Tuesday ordered public servants to exercise every week. Coming on the heels of an international fitness conference held in Bangkok, a government spokesman said Prayuth ordered government officials exercise every Wednesday in response to reports Thais were becoming more sedentary. Therefore from 3pm to 4:30pm every Wednesday starting Nov. 30, officials will be expected to work out at the Government House and other government facilities. The lawn of the Government House will be used as an exercise venue, and Prayuth said he’ll join on any day he can find the time, according to spokeswoman Col. Taksada Sangkachan. New gym clothes aren’t required – the retired general insisted that any sportswear would do. Back in March, officials were asked to avoid running and cycling in front of the Government House as it’s the seat of administrative power and hosts important meetings. High levels of antibiotics in Thai factory farmed poultry mean that pharmacies can offer a new way for you to take your medicine. People who do not like to take capsules can buy chicken infused with doxycycline instead. The anti-biotic content in Thai chicken meat is a happy accident of Thailand's factory farming corporations. These cram 10,000 chickens into one shed. Because the birds are forced to breathe ammonia and particulate matter from feces and feathers all day long, many suffer from serious health problems, including chronic respiratory illnesses and bacterial infections. The sheds are the worlds biggest petri dishes for the production of bacterial and viral diseases. The chickens are only allowed to live for six weeks before slaughter, but they would not live more than a few days without massive doses of anti-biotics. The spokesman for the Thai Drug Pushers Association said “this opens up great opportunities. A whole range of drugs are used on animals; sedatives and steroids to name just a few. In addition to anti-biotic chicken we expect that pharmacies will soon have anti-depressant frozen pork and body-builders frozen beef burgers.” The spokesman also said that “there could be really big problems for Thai supermarkets soon. Under Thai law only a qualified Pharmacist can sell anti-biotics. Supermarket sales staff are not qualified to sell chicken laced with anti-biotics, so they are breaking the law. This needs to stop”, he continued, “we need to change the system so that only pharmacies will be allowed to sell meat products.” The story from Thai PBS (18 Nov)
The Foundation for Consumers (FFC) says it has detected antibiotic residues in chicken sandwiches during its food inspection at Siam Square shopping centre. FFC said officials tested 18 food items it collected from seven food shops at Siam Square during the food inspection. It found that the chicken sandwiches obtained from Subway shop was contaminated with Doxycycline antibiotics at 13.73 micrograms per kilo. However the contaminated residue was not above the Public Health Ministry’s official standard at 200 micrograms. The food inspection this time was aimed at four types of antibiotics. FCC chairperson associate professor Chanpen Wiwat said there are still several types of antibiotics used in animal agriculture which are not yet inspected. She then called on relevant government agencies to standardly conduct persistent inspection of food contamination, and to seek cooperation from fast food operators to refrain from buying from suppliers of contaminated meat to prevent antibiotic resistance in humans. Statistics released by the Thai Drug Watch said an estimated 80,000 Thais have suffered from antibiotic resistant infections a year. Of these patients, 20,000-38,000 have died each year, resulting in economical damages of up to 46 billion baht a year. Prince William has come to tell people in South East Asia about the Rhino. Asian Rhinos are being killed by poachers in Assam because old men in South East Asia think powdered Rhino horn is an aphrodisiac. Of course, everybody knows about this. In fact, the only people William could find that did not already know were some primary school children. Naturally, Rhino horn does not work whereas Viagra does. So, if you want to solve the problem, give away millions of free Viagra samples to all the stupid old Asian fogies who can not get it up. Once they see that Viagra works, and costs relatively little, the market for Rhino horn will disappear. Its a simple way to stop the slaughter of an endangered species. But we would not expect an ultra conservative, in-bred aristocrat to go along with that would we? The story from the Telegraph (16 Nov)
Britain's Prince William has arrived on his first visit to Vietnam where he will take part in an international conference on illegal wildlife trade in the fight to protect elephants, rhinos and other endangered species from extinction. The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of United for Wildlife, will meet Vietnamese prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and vice president Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh on Wednesday before attending the two-day conference starting Thursday in Hanoi. "He knows the people of Vietnam will share his concern that we have less than 25 years to save some of our most iconic species from extinction. He believes Vietnam has a real opportunity to be leaders in wildlife conservation," the Prince's office said in a statement on Tuesday. On Saturday, Vietnamese authorities destroyed 2,253 kilograms (4,956 pounds) of seized elephant ivory and rhino horns, sending a message that the government wants illegal wildlife trafficking stopped. Vietnam is one of the world's major transit points and consumers of trafficked ivory and rhino horns. The Hanoi conference on illegal wildlife trade will bring together leaders and senior officials from more than 40 countries as well as experts from international wildlife conservation groups. The conference is the third of its kind after the one held in London in 2014 and another in Botswana last year. With Jamie Dimon tapped for Treasury Secretary it is clear that the USA will have four years of government by JP Morgan. This has prompted riots by supporters of Harpy Clinton the Goldman Sachs candidate.
Reaction in Thailand has been muted. Thai government spokesman, Mr Por Kee Pye, said that they had been expecting that Goldman Sachs would win. However, he said, we congratulate JP Morgan on their victory and are sure we will have constructive and a mutually beneficial relationship. We look forward to working with them on matters of trade, international finance, global surveillance and regime change. We honestly can not see much difference between the two, Mr Pye continued. Both invade countries for Trumped up reasons, both kill thousands of civilians with bombing, both assassinate and torture anybody they want wherever they want, both asset strip developing countries, both are dedicated to turning 99.9 percent of the world's population into debt slaves, and both support human rights and democracy whenever it suits them. Professor Daeng Dementia, at Thailand's Babarbabor University, found that most Asians were indifferent to the election and subsequent riots. He found that agricultural workers in Thailand on the minimum wage of 7 dollars a day (compared to 7 dollars an hour in the USA) just did not care very much about LGBT rights in America. Bangladeshi workers, being paid one dollar a day to make clothes for Americans, cared even less. It is very sad, he said, but true. According to CNBC: In the wake of Donald Trump's upset victory, advisors have floated the idea of naming Jamie Dimon as treasury secretary, according to two people familiar with the matter. According to the Guardian (16 Oct): Hillary Clinton avoided direct criticism of Wall Street as she examined the causes and responses to the 2008 financial crisis during a series of paid speeches to Goldman Sachs, according to transcripts released by WikiLeaks. Three transcripts, released Saturday as part of the hack of her campaign chairman’s emails, did not contain any damning revelations showing she was unduly influenced by contributions from the banking industry, as her Republican opponent Donald Trump has said. Still, her soft-handed approach in the speeches may remind liberals of fears, raised by her former Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, that the party’s nominee is too close to Wall Street to be an effective check on its excesses if elected. In October 2013, the transcripts show, Clinton told bankers she had “great relations” and worked closely with Wall Street as New York’s senator, and said “the jury is still out” on whether the Dodd-Frank financial reforms, enacted after the crisis, were appropriate. She said more openness from the start could have prevented the uproar on Wall Street over those reforms. “What happened, how did it happen, how do we prevent it from happening? You guys help us figure it out, and let’s make sure that we do it right this time,” she told the bankers, according to the transcripts. Working to relate her speech to her audience, Clinton likened her experience as secretary of state to finance, saying: “It’s like anybody’s balance sheet,” with both opportunities and potential liabilities. In one exchange, a conference participant from Texas told Clinton that she had “the honor to raise money for you” during her 2008 presidential campaign. Clinton responded: “You are the smartest people.” In the hard-fought Democratic primary, Sanders repeatedly called on Clinton to release the transcripts of her speeches to Wall Street, some of which earned her hundreds of thousands of dollars. In an ironic twist, the transcripts ended up becoming public because her campaign aides had distributed them among themselves in an effort to prepare for any attacks she might face. Those internal campaign emails were then leaked in the hack of campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails. The transcripts, all from 2013, include speeches and question-and-answer sessions with Clinton at a Builders and Innovators Summit, an Alternative Investment Management Summit and a gathering of CEOs, all hosted by Goldman Sachs. |
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