Thailand Voice

FROM ANDREW DRUMMOND, BANGKOK, FEBRUARY 27 2010 Link to Sunday Mail Scotland   A SCOTS engineer said to have weeks to live has stunned doctors by making a recovery – helped by his Thai partner. Allan Hyne    , 64, is to be discharged from a hospital in Thailand having got over a brain bug, which left him in a… Read full story >>>

  From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok, December 10 A Briton, who fled Thailand with his girlfriend after they believe they were seriously sexually abused after being drugged on a holiday island, has returned to complete his evidence for Thai police. Police in Koh Chang, 250 miles south east of Bangkok, said today they had now … Read full story >>>

This is a blog I have been watching with interest the web reaction to ‘The Times’ interview with Thaksin on some of the local forums, and am amazed that few people actually get it……. and that,perhaps,  includes the author. The interview by … Read full story >>>

WSJ has an editorial on the arrests in Thailand of three people for allegedly spreading rumors related to HM the King's health. Key quote: Many analysts say that the stock market dip in October took place because of an information vacuum about the health of the King; in … Read full story >>>

AP: A government spokesman says that Thailand’s ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived in Cambodia, fueling tensions between the neighoring countries. The fugitive leader was earlier named economic advisor to the Cambodian government and was to deliver a lecture on economic matters while in Phnom Penh. Government … Read full story >>>

From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok October 26 An eight-yr-old British boy was held with a sharpened pencil to his throat held by an apparently drug crazed thief on the outskirts of the Thai capital Bangkok, his father said today. Screaming and shouting in Thai, the thief, in his twenties, demanded cash after … Read full story >>>

This is a blog only On her Majesty’s Pattaya Service Phew. What a week. When it rains it pours. Just had workmen in re-painting ‘the ex-wife’s house’, then the salas and then the getaway boat, when the phone just rings and rings and rings . Seems there has been a scandal in London… Read full story >>>

Kareem Arbaji, arrested in 2007, has received a three-year jail sentence for comments he posted on the akhawia.net web forum. Other Syrian bloggers have also been arrested in the past few years: seven bloggers were arrested in 2006 and sentenced in 2007; two of them (Maher Isber Ibrahim … Read full story >>>

Back on August the 9th I made a promise of eight upcoming blogs as a result of my friends the Martins visit for 10 days. Well finally here is the final one. It simply is a selection of photos taken from the car during our time touring around the province of Ubon Ratchatani. Everyone in … Read full story >>>

There is rarely any shortage of nonsense written about Thailand but if ever we are running short we can rely on one consistent source: Shawn P Crispin, take a bow. In his latest piece in the usually quite good Asia Times online, Mr Crispin argues that an (imaginary) strong improvement in the… Read full story >>>

An article based on a new Suan Dusit Poll for the government media arm, the Public Relations Department, states in a headline 'Majority say “United Thais, Strong Thais Project” could lead to national reconciliation'.  The actual article based on the poll doesn't show what the… Read full story >>>

  Phuket jet-ski operator JJ Naiman apologised to the Thai people for disappointing them on national television tonight, but said he was tricked into appearing on the controversial British television series ‘Big Trouble in Thailand.” The jet ski operator… Read full story >>>

Dropped down last night to the Soi 8 bar on, Sukhumvit Soi 8 of course,  for the ‘wake’ of Lydia Riach.  People familiar with Scottish wakes of course will know they are a celebration of a life, rather than the … Read full story >>>

Bangkok Post : “ Nation marks 09/09/09 for King ” The government joined Thais nationwide in paying respect to His Majesty the King, the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, at 9.09am on the auspicious date of the ninth day of the ninth month of 2009. There’s Read full story >>>

  Picture special:  by Andrew Drummond, Bangkok Pictures: Andy Chant/Gavin Hill/Vera Productions (pops rewrite) Royal Marines fresh from a tour of duty fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan have been involved in armed stand-off with the mafia thugs on the Thai holiday island of Phuket. The marine ‘section’,  on exercise in South … Read full story >>>

[Bangkok Post] Gunmen kill 3 in Yala[All of them were killed in front of the village headman's house in Yaha district.At least three gunmen were involved in the shooting and they sprayed dozens of bullets with M-16 and AK47 assault rifles on the three villagers, police said.]tags: insurgencyPosted from Diigo. … Read full story >>>

The Bangkok Post reports:State-run media company MCOT Plc is coming under fire after its radio station broadcast an interview with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in which he said he was ready to negotiate with all sides of politics.Thaksin gave the interview yesterday on… Read full story >>>

I’m on holiday for the moment Wester Ross  in the Western Highlands of Scotland with my wife Pat and daughter Annie. Normal service on this website will be resumed shortly, well in another week or so. Meanwhile here’s Annie before the summer temperature dropped to 9 Read full story >>>

This post was about Thai Visa.com’s rather dubious  new ‘news service’  and has been deleted.  While I stand by the contents, on reflection it may have been a little harsh on one chap whom I guess is just trying to get by in Thailand. I do remain … Read full story >>>

Today I had to go to school again even though it was Sunday, we have had teacher training the last few days so it has meant no break over the weekend. Today was also a special day, so I had to leave the teacher training early (I was upset) and… Read full story >>>

Link to Evening Standard   Nine people including foreign tourists were killed today in suicide bomb attacks on two hotels in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The explosions in the city’s business district hit the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott Hotels in the early hours, blowing out windows and scattering debris and glass across the… Read full story >>>

Lady boy of Bangkok walks off with Australian Navy’s little secrets  Exclusive From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok   An Australian Naval officer has lost his official computer after picking up a ‘lady boy’ in a Bangkok red light area.   Nana Plaza The officer a Lt. Commander, … Read full story >>>

Had to make a little visit to Chula Hospital in Bangkok. We were advised to 'get masked up', and so we did. Trouble was, I had the worst case of swine flu ever (which wasn't the reason for having to gp). After having… Read full story >>>