Flashermac

<< there's a newer convention that says that forced treaties are not valid. >> Tell that to the victors of WWII. The UN Charter on Human Rights also says it is illegal to expel the population from conquered territory and replace it with your own. Want to try to put eastern Europe back the way it was in 1945? "The current Cuban government considers the U.S. presence in Guantánamo to be an illegal occupation of the area, and argues that the Cuban-American Treaty, which established the lease in 1903, now violates article 52 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, though the issue is still open to argument. However, Article 4 of the same document states that Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties shall not be retroactively applied to any treaties made before itself." Didn't realise this: "Until the 1953-59 revolution, thousands of Cubans commuted daily from outside the base to jobs within. In mid-1958, vehicular traffic was stopped; workers were required to walk through the base's several gates. Public Works Center buses were pressed into service almost overnight to carry the tides of workers to and from the gate. In 2006, only two elderly Cubans still crossed the base's North East Gate daily to work on the base; the Cuban government prohibits new recruitment." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base

Sort of like Ceuta.

Unless things have changed, a lot of Cubans make their living working at Guantanamo.

You wouldn't even recognise the old Bangkok if I showed you photos. If you want to see it, go around the Grand Palace or over to Chinatown. Not much left besides that.

Which is one reason the landowner chose an "extra-legal" solution. With his money, he knew he could use force. Fat chance the renters have of fighting a multi-millionaire in court. My tendency is to side with the proles against the robber barons. p.s. Multiply 18,000 times the number of renters (30) times 12 and I bet you get a rather respectable return for doing nothing with a vacant piece of land - 6,480,000 baht. Then multiply that times 20 = 129,600,000 baht. I think I could scrape by on that.

Equal time for the Irish ... Mrs. Donovan was walking down O'Connell Street in Dublin when she encountered Father Flaherty. The priest greeted her warmly. "Top o' the mornin'. Is it Mrs. Donovan you are and didn't I marry you and yer hoosband 2 years ago?" She replied, "Aye, that you did, Fadder." The priest asked, "And be there any wee little ones yet?" She replied, "No, not yet, Fadder. He said, "Well, I'm goin' to Rome next week and I'll light a candle for ye." She replied, "Oh, thank ye, Fadder." They then parted ways. Some years later, they chanced to meet again. Father Flaherty asked, 'Ah, Mrs. Donovan, how are ye these days?' She replied, 'Oh, very well, Fadder!' Father Flaherty asked, "And tell me, have ye any been blessed wit wee ones now?" "Oh yes, Fadder! T'ree sets o'twins and 4 singles, 10 in all!" "That's wonderful!" he said. "And how is yer loving hoosband doing?" She replied, "He's gone off to Rome to blow out yer f*ckin' candle!"

If the guy had been paying me 18,000 baht a month to park his cart on my front lawn for 20 years or more, I think I might tend to cut him a little slack. Again let's face it, this landowner has made millions of baht over the years from these renters. He can't be hurting for money. The word GREED comes to mind. Greed and impatience to make even more - that plus the feeling that since he is rich, he is above the law and can do whatever he wants. Who needs courts of law anyway ...

Here's the problem: << "I have never fallen behind in my rent schedule," Lue said. He said he always paid the rent through Samruai, who assured him that the business could continue as usual even when a board was erected to demand that the stalls relocate or face legal action. "Samruai told me that he could settle things with the landlord," Lue said. "But in whatever case talk is a much better option. One should not resort to violence." >> The agent was telling the renters everything was fine and apparently still collecting the rent. What did he do with it? Also, the sign said "or face legal action". The owner has a rather strange idea of what "legal action" consitutes. Apparently, you also think there is no need to trouble the courts with such matters, especially since going to court can take a very long time. Just hire some thugs to sort it out. Cheaper and quicker.

<< then handling these issue in a quick, non-violent way. >> Yeah, sending 100 plus goons in to destroy the place is really non-violent. What's violent ... if they killed everybody?

They'd probably ignore you - unless for some reason you tried to stop them. Chuwit sent his raiding party to destroy Soi 10 at around 3 am. They seem to like the hours when no one is likely to be around, including the police. p.s. This is a variation on an old theme. Landlords used to set fire to slum areas, often managing to kill a few residents in the process. The location in this case made that impractical.

At 4 am what would you be doing in a closed market?

More in today's NATION: Lt-Colonel Pairach Saiyalert, an inspector with Makkasan police, said 17 people had lodged complaints about the shops' demolition. "We will investigate the case further and bring culprits to justice," Pairach said. He estimated the damage to be around Bt1.2million. One of the complainants, Lue Nakpayon, said he had operated his stall for more than 10 years and never thought that such violent means would be used against traders. "I have never fallen behind in my rent schedule," Lue said. He said he always paid the rent through Samruai, who assured him that the business could continue as usual even when a board was erected to demand that the stalls relocate or face legal action. "Samruai told me that he could settle things with the landlord," Lue said. "But in whatever case talk is a much better option. One should not resort to violence." Lue said he had heard that Suraphan had arranged to meet Samruai today.

THE NATION 26 August 2007 More than 100 men ravage a Bangkok market More than 100 robust men stormed into a Bangkok market and destroyed about 30 stalls there early Sunday morning. It took them less than 10 minutes to turn the stalls into ruins. The Makkasan Police Station was alerted about what happened at around 4 am. Witnesses said they saw more than 20 vehicles suspiciously parking at the entrance of the market, which is near Uthai Tharam Temple and the Bangkok's Royal City Avenue (RCA), before they moved into the market and released more than 100 vandals. "I am going to demand compensations for damages done," Samruai Nongpong, alias Ruai RCA, said in his capacity as the market's manager. He said all stalls in the market had operated on leased lots with a monthly rent of Bt18,000 for more than 20 years, until three months ago when landowner and businessman Suraphan Wongkarnpot refused to take the rent saying the lease contracts had expired. "I told him we would relocate once we found a new place to set up the stalls, but then such a violent incident happened," Samruai said.

An older gentleman had a toothache. Naturally, he went to the dentist. The dentist looked and said the tooth had to come out. He started preparing a shot of Novocain. "No needles!" the startled patient said. "I can't stand needles!" "How about some nitrous oxide gas?" the dentist asked. "No! Anything covering my face and I panic. I feel like I am going to have a heart attack. No gas!" "Do you have any problem with pills?" the dentist finally asked. "Uh, no," the patient says. "A pill would be fine." "All right, said the doc. "I'm going to give you a Viagra tablet." "Viagra?" the patient asked. "I didn't know Viagra was a painkiller." "It's not, but it'll give you something to hold on to while I pull your tooth."

As I recall, the victims reported they were offered 10,000 baht "compensation" - take it or leave it. And some had one million baht plus invested in their business.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!! I you trying to get yourself shot or something! Repeat: "It never happened."

There was an internet shop that was destroyed - after the computers were removed. Wonder what happened to the washing machines at the laundry. Think there was also a travel agency. It wasn't all just beer bars and pool bars. Wonder which six business owners are being compensated. There were a lot more people who lost everything than just six.

A rancher died and left everything to his young and devoted wife. She was determined to keep the ranch, but knew very little about ranching, so she placed an ad in the newspaper for a ranch hand. Two cowboys applied for the job. One was gay and the other a drunk. She thought long and hard, and when no one else applied she decided to hire the gay guy, figuring it would be safer to have him around the house than the drunk. He proved to be a hard worker who put in long hours every day and knew a lot about ranching. For weeks the two of them worked hard and the ranch was doing very well. Then one day, the rancher's widow said "You have done a really good job, and the ranch looks great. You should go into town and kick up your heels." The hired hand quickly agreed and went into town on a Saturday night. He returned around 2:30 am, and upon entering the room, he found the rancher's widow sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine, waiting for him. She quietly called him over to her. "Unbutton my blouse and take it off," she said. Trembling, he did as she directed. "Now take off my boots." He did as she asked, ever so slowly. "Now take off my socks." He removed each gently and placed them neatly by her boots. "Now take off my skirt." He slowly unbuttoned it, constantly watching her eyes in the fire light. "Now take off my bra." Again, with trembling hands, did as he was told and dropped it to the floor. Then she looked at him and said: "If you ever wear my clothes into town again, you're fired!"

<< THey are now have a technology where they make an infected sperm uninfected. Even in Thailand we have that technology. No problem to have babies anymore. >>

Great to hear. Your situation has no doubt been a wake up call to a lot of other guys.

You happened to be sober at that moment? Or maybe they didn't realise you're Irish? p.s. I've heard that if an expat tests positive for HIV here, he'll be denied a visa extension. No idea if that's true, and even if it were there'd probably be a way around it.

Two Taliban spies met in a busy restaurant after successfully slipping into the United States. The first spy started speaking in Arabic. His comrade quickly hushed him. He whispered, "Idiot! Don't blow our cover! You're in California now. Speak Spanish."

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Switzerland said to a priest who sat next to her, "Father, may I ask a favour?" "Of course," he replied. "What can I do for you?" "Well, I bought an expensive woman's electronic hair dryer for my mother's birthday. It is unopened and it's over the Customs limits, and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me?" "I would love to help you, but I must warn you. I will not lie." "With your honest face, Father, no one will question you." When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her. The official asked, "Father, do you have anything to declare?" "From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare." The official thought this answer strange, so he asked, "And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?" "I have a marvellous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which is to date unused." Roaring with laughter, the official said, "Go ahead, Father."

Shit happens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Point_Disaster