Pattaya Jet Ski Scam in Action

Even though Pattaya is in the full grips of low season there are still plenty of tourists around to be taken advantage of at the beach, and they are still being taken by the same jet ski operators that continue to ply their scams on Pattaya beach.

Since I first wrote about the Pattaya jet ski scam in The Pattaya Jet Ski Scam in Pictures there has been a lot of activity from expats and tourists alike telling their stories here and more importantly on the Mayor of Pattaya, Tik Kunplome’s, Facebook page, Pattaya Furure. The Mayor for his part let everyone know that he was on top of the Pattaya Jet ski scam problem and that investigations were already in place, he also took the opportunity to go to Pattaya beach and to the Soi 9 police station for a photo opportunity showing himself in action.

Unfortunately that has been the only action taken in the Pattaya jet ski scam problem. For a few weeks after my initial post about the jet ski scams the Mayors Facebook page was full of activity with people from Pattaya and around the world telling of their experiences being scammed or threatened on Pattaya beach by the jet ski operators. The Mayor seemed to be taking it all in and responded to the majority of comments, and then it all went silent.

At one point the Mayor was asking if someone could put together a power point presentation he could show to Pattaya City Hall with the multitude of pictures and video of the Pattaya jet ski scams that had been posted as well as pictures of the people aiding in the scams. I found this an odd request especially when there was a supposed ongoing investigation into the scams by City Hall. We were told we would hear news of this investigation within weeks of the initial fanfare and here we are 2 months later and still no news of the investigation into the Pattaya jet ski scams.

Back on April 12th there was apparently a meeting between Jet ski operators, City hall and the Mayor where the jet ski operators were told that City Hall is considering banning all jet skis from Pattaya beach. If this was actually stated during the meeting it did absolutely nothing to scare the jet ski operators as they have thumbed their noses at Pattaya City Hall and the Mayor since then by continuing with the jet ski scams openly.

In a more recent development brought to my attention by Camille over at PADI, diving and Instructor Development (IDC) around Thailand , the Pattaya Mail ran an article entitled Justice Ministry, Chonburi governor join fray over Pattaya jet skis which not only talked about the Pattaya jet ski scam problem but also got reactions from Chonburi’s Governor and the Ministry of Justice. Of course,  they are all outraged by the scams being perpetrated on tourists, expats and Thai’s alike and it all makes for great copy but no one has lifted a finger to stop the scams from taking place.

Not to be outdone even Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security, Suthep Thaugsuban, has made headlines in the media by stating  after attending meetings with the Tourist Fraud Prevention Committee that the problem needs to be eliminated.

There are many forms of cheating, starting with Thais cheating foreign tourists, foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners, and Thais and foreigners working together to cheat other foreign tourists.

From the year 2007 to 2010, around 6,000 Thais were arrested for cheating tourists, and 517 groups of foreign gangs were arrested.

Suthep has assigned the Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Sombat Kuruphan the responsibility of preventing tourist fraud in Bangkok and at Suvarnabhumi Airport. At the same time, Interior Permanent Secretary Deputy Pranai Suwannarat will be in charge of towns frequented by tourists such as Phuket, Pattaya, and Chaing Mai.

From the top down there seems to be a lot of Thai politicians talking about fraud prevention in Thailand, they have even gone as far as using stern words towards those committing the fraud on the Thailand tourist community, unfortunately they haven’t gone as far as actually preventing these frauds and in the case of the Pattaya jet ski scam I think we all know who is running the show and it surely isn’t the elected officials.

For now the Pattaya jet ski scam continues daily on Pattaya beach just as it has for the past 2 decades or so and the Mayor for his part still talks openly about making Pattaya a top tourism destination, well Mr. Mayor if you can’t protect the tourists and and citizens of Pattaya from the crimes perpetrated by the jet ski operators on Pattaya beach then it’s highly unlikely that your plans for Pattaya will ever be taken seriously by the much needed tourists you are courting.

I can’t say this strongly enough:

Beware the Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

DO NOT RENT JET SKIS IN PATTAYA

Related Articles of Interest:

• Followup to the Pattaya Jet Ski Scam
• Reggae on the Rocks 2
• Thailand Holidays 2009
• The Pattaya Jet Ski Scam in Pictures
• Pattaya Countdown Shedule

Thailand Travel Tragedies

Thailand Travel Tragedies is a new website being developed by the parents of Sarah Carter who died mysteriously after staying at the Downtown Inn Hotel in Chiang Mai back in February. Originally it was thought that Sarah and her friends had eaten some toxic seaweed at a local night market that made them ill but it soon became clear that there was more to the story.

Sarah Carter’s friends Emma Langlands, 23, and Amanda Eliason, 24 also became ill that day but with milder symptoms. After food poisoning was ruled out disturbing news of other deaths at the same hotel started to come out. A month before Sarah Carter took ill an American, Mariam Soraya Vorster, 33, of Seattle, died under similar circumstances but not at the same hotel. Within days of Sarah Carter’s death an elderly British couple were found to have died together in room 423 of the Downtown Inn Hotel. A week prior a Thai tourist guide died under similar circumstances.

All together there have been 7 deaths attributed to a mysterious illnes in Chiang Mai. Not helping matters much Chiang Mai Governor Pannada Disakul made the announcement before tests had been completed and came to the conclusion that these deaths were all a coincidence. An independent report has come to the conclusion that at least three of the deaths were due to myocarditis, the enlargement of the heart, cause unknown.

There have been quite a few conspiracy theories making the rounds MSG poisoning to puffer fish disguised as salmon. And while the Downtown Inn Hotel figures prominently in the deaths at least one death, Mariam Soraya Vorster, had no connection whatsoever to the hotel.

Food poisoning is most likely the culprit but because of the way the case was handled it’s doubtful we will ever know.

This has been a tragedy for all concerned and gives us all pause for thought about the things we often eat in Thailand but I have to wonder what a Thailand Travel Tragedies website will really bring to the table.

Richard Carter says the website Thailand Travel Tragedies has been set up because of the cover-ups the family has experienced in Thailand.

I can’t begin to know or understand this mans pain of losing a child and while I’m not sure of a coverup, once again Thailand authorities have bungled an investigation that is important, not only to those involved but to Thailand tourism. Time and time again Thailand has dropped the ball in such cases.

While Thailand Travel Tragedies is still being developed you can go to the home page and read the mission statement which reads in part:

This website has been set up to list all occurrences of fatalities or serious illness contracted while visiting Thailand.

This could be a very good thing. A website dedicated to tracking fatalities and serious illnesses in Thailand. In theory over time we may be able to see seasonal trends or work practices in certain parts of the tourism industry that need to be addressed. If they indeed gather information on all fatalities and serious illness this would be a very resourceful site for travelers as well as Thai authorities because it would be independent. Of course this would all depend on how they gather the information and if all cases are independently confirmed. Rumors and hypotheticals wouldn’t be helpful.

Unfortunately the mission statement goes on to say the following:

Its intention is to make all travelers to Thailand more aware of the very real dangers they face in a country which appears a tropical paradise on the surface but in fact has very low health and safety standards and an undercurrent of drug and human rights crimes covered up from exposure to the rest of the world.

This belies the initial statement in total. While bringing up health and safety standards is definitely within the realm of scope for a website that claims to want to document fatalities and serious illnesses in Thailand the drug and human rights statement pretty much tells the tale. This won’t be an impartial website to help travelers to Thailand understand the trends and risks.

I get it, I really do. The mans daughter died and that has to be an unbearable pain and I would want to lash out against the perceived bad guys too.  But, when you start to look at the facts it becomes a whole lot less clear.

Yes, Thailand is perceived by most of us westerners to have low quality health and safety standards…but do they really? I have always assumed so because I come from America that has some of the strictest health and safety standards in the world. That means it’s the safest, right? Wrong. In 1999 The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta compiled statistics from the most complete food poisoning study ever done in America. The study found that over 76 million Americans suffer food poisoning every year and that results in about 5000 deaths.

The agency’s estimate of annual illnesses caused by food poisoning is more than twice as high as that suggested in earlier studies, which put the figure at 30 million. Its estimate of deaths, on the other hand, is much lower than the old figure of 9,000. We aren’t just talking about mom and pop restaurants here either, major corporations have let everything from contaminated peanut butter to salmonella laced lettuce loose on the public knowingly and people have died.

Food poisoning happens every place in the world and people are dying from it as you read this and there is nothing you can do about it. How outbreaks of food poisoning are handled are critical and this is something Thailand has yet to understand. Hopefully the events of the past few moths in Chiang Mai have provided a wake up call to Thai authorities that they need to do more sooner and give the facts instead of trying to put a good face on things to save tourism.

I’m not going to comment on the human rights violations and drug crimes part of the Thailand Travel Tragedies mission statement as they are just ridiculous additions to what could have been a very resourceful site. Have there been human rights violations in Thailand, YES. Have there been drug crimes in Thailand, YES. As there have in every country in the entire world. Human beings are animals and yes kiddies sometimes we eat our own.

I really hope Mr. Carter can see past his recent tragedy to the point where he does develop Thailand Travel Tragedies into what could be potentially a very resourceful site for both travelers and Thai authorities alike. Not only might he change the climate in Thailand as it concerns reporting and handling such incidents but I think it would be a fitting tribute to a daughter he obviously loves greatly and misses dearly. Maybe through her he can help prevent similar incidents from unfolding as they have in Thailand.

One way to prevent any travel disaster is by using a great holiday provider, this will ensure airfare and accomodation are guranteed in terms of availibility and in case of any other disruptions. I normally use www.cheapholidays.com as they offer travel insurance also which gives me peace of mind and the only thing i worry about is packing for my next destination.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Travel Insurance, Don’t Leave Home Without It!
• Thailand Tourism Bargains
• Travel Insurance
• What Thailand Really Needs is…
• Thailand in the News Week Ending 07/31/2010

Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

And an Open Letter to the Mayor of Pattaya

I have to be honest, I never thought my recent post about the Pattaya Jet Ski Scam would garner anywhere near as much attention as it did. In less than 24 hours there were over 8000 page views, 61 comments, 36 tweets, 200 Facebook shares and it even got posted to the Mayor of Pattaya’s Facebook page.

Seems this is a little more important than even I realized and many people are up in arms about the jet ski scam taking place on Pattaya beach.

The Mayor commented to many people that he was looking into the Pattaya jet ski scam and that Pattaya City Hall was looking for a solution. While this is all well and good I made the comment on his Facebook page that he should ban jet ski operators from the beach period and that would take care of everyone’s problem.

Well, today I did what I said I wasn’t going to do for a while, I headed back to the beach with my camera. I didn’t think I would see much action in the Pattaya jest ski scam today as it was overcast and had rained. Indeed most of the jet skis were moored and not many were out on the water unless the operators themselves were riding them.

Then about 100 yards down the beach from Pattaya Beer Garden I spotted 7 Indian tourists just taking 4 jet skis out for an hour spin. So, I sat down and ordered a coke and watched these Indian tourists have a ball for an hour. Not once did I see any of the 4 jet skis come close enough to each other to hit nor did I see any of the 4 jet skis come into contact with anything else. I watched nothing but these four jet skis for an hour, I knew the Jet Ski scam would be in play.

As they came in one by one they were brought onto the beach where as you can see in the above picture damage was found. They didn’t find damage on one jet ski, nor did they find damage on 2 jet skis…they found damage on all four jet skis!

The Pattaya Jet Ski Scam in Action…Again

Before the Indian tourists could get dried off one of the Thai girls involved with the jet ski scam called in the big boss and within minutes he arrived and was surveying the supposed damage. Then more phone calls were made and the estimator showed up to give an estimate on the damage costs.

You’ll love this one Mr. Mayor. Withing 20 minutes another phone call was made to the police and can you guess which officer showed up? You won’t have to his picture is above. Does he look familiar? He should, here he is the other day helping out with the exact same jet ski scam but at a different jet ski operator. Helpful isn’t he.

This police officer shows up at 80% of the jet ski scams and helps to negotiate the price. Apparently he always thinks the estimate is too large and the price should be reduced.

Mr. Mayor why is it that Beach road can be cleared of freelance prostitutes at the drop of a dime but you can’t seem to remove the Pattaya jet ski scam operators for even 2 minutes?  Why can’t you just ban the jet ski operators from Pattaya beach period? Today, again, I witnessed and photographed criminals facilitaing a scam on tourists on Pattaya’s beach. I watched as the police were called in and instead of arresting the Thai thugs running the scam the police officer again negotiated a “Fair Price” for the damage that these tourists didn’t do to the jet skis..

Why are the police interfering in a civil matter Mr. Mayor? Why are they doing the job of the Thai court system, this is a civil matter. We all know why, don’t we?

If I were Mayor of Pattaya City and I had numerous complaints on my Facebook page regarding the Pattaya jet ski scam I would immediately have all the jet ski operators on Pattaya beach shut down while I investigated. Why haven’t you done this? Why do tourists and expats have to reveal this problem to everyone?

Are you embarrassed yet Mr. Mayor? You should be. While you and Pattaya city hall look into the jet ski scams to find a solution this scam continues to hurt tourists, Pattaya tourism and Thailand tourism. 7 More tourists today were robbed while in your city on vacation. They were robbed in broad daylight with the assistance of police. They were robbed on Pattaya beach where the tourists are robbed every day by the same jet ski scams. Will more tourists be robbed on Pattaya’s Beach tomorrow Mr. Mayor?

I’m putting myself in danger by writing about these jet ski scams and taking the pictures I have, I’m stupid, but at least I can say I care enough about Pattaya and Thailand to make a stand and put the information out there about the jet ski scam. What are you doing Mr. Mayor?

I’ll make you a deal Mr. Mayor, I’ll keep taking pictures and writing about the ongoing Pattaya jet ski scams and posting them here, to your Facebook page and anywhere else that will accept them until you stand up and rid your town of this criminal activity known as the Pattaya jet ski scam.

Related Articles of Interest:

• The Pattaya Jet Ski Scam in Pictures
• Pattaya Jet Ski Scam Still Going Strong
• The Mayor of Pattaya is Listening
• The Real Dangers in Thailand Part 1
• Bangkok’s Floating Market: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

The Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

I’ve written this exact post about the Pattaya Jet ski scam at least 12 times in the past six months and each time as I’ve gotten to the end I’ve hit the delete button.  I was worried that writing about this may come back to haunt me as there is a lot of money changing hands and it wouldn’t be good to disrupt this profitable business. Today I have had a change of heart and don’t care anymore as the jet ski scam continues and is hurting not only tourists but Thailand, and more to the point, Pattaya tourism.

As I walked along Beach Road snapping pictures I saw the old Pattaya jet ski scam play out not once, not twice but three times. So, I decided to take a few pictures of the scam in action. After an accommodating young Thai man threatened to take my life as I took pictures of the jet ski scam, I decided today was the day I would hit the publish button and dedicate this post to him.

Pattaya beach isn’t the nicest beach in Thailand but it does have a certain charm to it. The beach is a gathering point for falang and Thai alike during the day to relax, have a bit to eat or just enjoy a nice cold drink as you watch the waves tumble in. It’s also a place of business for many Thai’s accommodating the many tourists that frequent the beach. From full massages and pedicures to para sailing and boat rides to Koh Larn this is a very important economic area for Pattaya.

If you like you can also rent a jet ski for 1200-1500 baht for half hour and have a little fun. There are many jet ski operations along Pattaya beach and while you think it small money for a little bit of fun, think again as that half hour will cost you much more than the agreed upon 1200-1500 baht.More like 40,000-50,000 baht.

Let me be very clear before I move on, Every jet ski operator on Pattaya beach is involved in the Pattaya jet ski scam, I have personally seen the Pattaya jet ski scam played out daily at every jet ski rental on Pattaya beach…You have been warned.

Pattaya Jet Ski Scam #1

As I sat by Soi 2 on Beach road in Pattaya the following jet ski scam took place. You can see all the players involved from the jet ski renters to the main boss ( wearing a gold Rolex ) and , of course the police officer. I came into the scene just as the police officer moved everyone over to the beach chairs for negotiations. At one point one of the middle eastern men left the discussions followed by one of the jet ski operators. He went across the street to an illegal money changer and exchanged some money. He was at all times watched over by the jet ski thug.

When the man went back to the negotiations this was obviously not enough money and more talk was needed. Eventually they all went with the police officer to get a baht bus. Whether they were heading to the hotel to get more money ( usually the case ) or heading to the police station I don’t know but the jet ski operator was clearly not happy. Photo’s follow the storyline.

While I am absolutely certain that the jet ski scam took place I don’t know whether they left for the hotel to get more money as the money offered was not sufficient or if they headed to the police station for more negotiation. 90% of the time the hotel is the destination to secure more funds. I had to be very careful taking these pictures as I didn’t want to be seen. The Thai motorcy taxi drivers near me as well as many beach vendors were all laughing and pointing at the falang being taken in the Pattaya jet ski scam, there were also openly talking about it.

The Anatomy of the Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

You are walking along Pattaya beach and you see some jet ski’s moored in the water, you think, this could be great fun. You are then approached by the jet ski rental person and told that one half hour will be 1200-1500 baht. You agree to the price and then the trouble begins. Before you go out on the jet ski a rental agreement is produced for you to look over and sign. The rental agreement states, in very good English, that you, the renter, are responsible for any and all damage that occurs to the jet ski.

After you sign the rental agreement you are led to your respective jet ski and offered to take a good look at it before you take off. Here is where the jet ski scam begins. Being as the jet ski is moored in the water you can only visibly inspect the part of the jet ski that is above water. The jet ski operators know this and they also have a nasty little secret, the jet ski’s hull is already damaged but you can’t see it.

So, you look the jet ski over and it seems okay and they will probably have you sign something to this affect. You go out for your half hour of fun and then you head back in to the beach. You pull up short and stop the jet ski in the water where you originally boarded it. As you get off one of the jet ski operators assistants boards the jet ski and drives it right up onto the beach. Now the Pattaya jet ski scam is in full effect.

As soon as the jet ski hits the beach one of the rental assistants points to the hull and exclaims ” what did you hit” , of course you didn’t hit anything and you know it, they know it too but they are now looking at damage on the jet ski that you visually inspected before and probably signed off on only to see ” new damage” They may even produce pictures of the jet ski taken that day that proves the damage was not there.

The damage was always there, and as a matter of fact more than a handful of tourists have already paid for that same exact damage. The pictures of the undamaged jet ski are all part and parcel of the Pattaya jet ski scam. You see, the damage is usually slight hull damage that has the fiberglass chipped. The hull is usually a solid color, so,  in the morning they paint over the damaged area and take some pictures. As the day wears on the paint wears off and guess what, you are being blamed for the damage.

By now several of the other jet ski assistants are around and someone with repair knowledge is on hand or called to come have a look. It seems the damage is much more extensive than it looks and you are looking at 40-50,000 baht in repairs. You are now upset and frustrated as you know you did not cause any damage to the jet ski. You are also starting to notice more Thai guys hanging around and the main players are starting to get angry.

You continue to protest your innocence and probably have refused to pay, this only further angers the jet ski boys and they may at this point threaten you with physical harm. You think the only smart thing to do is call the police, the jet ski operator will probably agree and go get a police officer. This may make you feel better as the law is now going to be involved. Yes the law will now be involved but not to help you as they are just another player in the Pattaya jet ski scam.

The police officer will now move you and the jet ski operators away from the scene of the damage to someplace close to sit and talk. You will be told that you signed an agreement to pay for damage and he will help negotiate that price. If you don’t pay there is a chance you will have to go to the police station. They know this will scare you and it always plays to their advantage. Before you know it you are being escorted to an ATM and or your hotel room to get the money.

Pattaya Jet Ski Scam #2

As I walked back up Beach Road towards home I thought about the Pattaya jet ski scam I just encountered and wished I could have gotten pictures of the jet ski scam that I witnessed before that one. I also knew I was heading towards one of the most infamous Pattaya jet ski scam locations and just as I approached the jet ski scam was in full three ring circus mode with a crowd gathering.

Two youngish falang tourists apparently rented jet skis and when I approached they were in full confrontation mode exclaiming their innocence. The Main player in this scam is the Thai guy with blondish hair. He is well known for running the Pattaya jet ski scam daily and often resorts to violence when he thinks he can get away with it.

With a crowd around I decided to take a few pictures, as I did the main Thai thug yelled to me ” You don’t take pictures or you get hurt” I took a good look around and reasoned that he didn’t have enough back up so I shot back ” go fuck yourself”. At this point another Thai, of about 12 years, approached me and told me I can’t take pictures wherever I want and I could get hurt. I told the cute lad to fuck off and not to come back unless it was with his mother. Pictures below.

This Pattaya jet ski scam took place close to Mikes Shopping Mall and luckily for me a place on the beach where many tourists congregate. I shouldn’t have talked back to the Thai scumbags running the scam but the main thug in the flowered swim trunks and blondish hair was starting to threaten violence on the tourists and I gave them a nice diversion while they called the tourist police. There weren’t enough Thai’s around to help them so I was confident that if they did come after me I stood a good chance.

Pattaya Jet Ski Scam Reality

Pattaya City Hall, the police and everyone who lives in Pattaya knows about the jet ski scams and many people profit from it as well. The police most definitely pocket money for helping to facilitate the scam and I wouldn’t doubt Pattaya City Hall knows about other players in the scam as well. There is a lot of money being made and you can bet that that money flows uphill.

Pattaya city Hall and the Mayor of Pattaya,  Itthiphol Kunplome, may not be in on the Pattaya jet ski scam but they are just as complicit as the main players because they know all about the scam and let it continue on Pattaya Beaches.

The Mayor of Pattaya, Itthiphol Kunplome,  is always saying that he wants Pattaya to be a top tourist destination, Well, I have news for you Mayor; until you stop the Pattaya jet ski scam and other criminal activities played out around town against tourists, Pattaya will never be a top tourist destination.

Do you think it’s good publicity for Pattaya that tourists return home only to tell stories about how they were ripped off for 50,000 baht and how the police helped in the scam. Or worse yet how about when they return home beaten to a bloody pulp because they refused to bend to the will of the Thai thugs running these scams.

Shame on you Mayor and Pattaya City Hall, shame on you. You have all the tools in your power to stop these crimes immediately and yet they continue as you put together committee’s to look into the problem.

Talk is cheap Mayor, but it seems renting a jet ski in town is not!

Potential Pattaya Jet Ski Scam Tourists

DO NOT RENT A JET SKI IN PATTAYA if you do there is a greater than 80% chance that you will be targeted for the Pattaya jet ski scam. The jet ski operators look for the same marks all the time. They like young guys and young men & women in groups. They especially like to go after those of middle eastern decent with their jet ski scam.

The jet ski operators along with the police will try and tell you that not paying for the damage is a criminal matter. This is another lie in the jet ski scam to scare you. The agreement that you signed with a jet ski operator and any subsequent damage discovered is a civil matter and at most the only action a jet ski operator can take is to bring a law suit against you for damages. You can not be jailed or forced to pay for any jet ski damages.

DO NOT RENT JET SKIS IN PATTAYA

Tell everyone you know to never rent jet skis in Pattaya because if you do you will run into trouble. Pattaya City Hall will not help you, the police will not help you, The  Pattaya jet ski scam is real and happens on a daily basis.

Further reading on the matter:

Followup to the Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

The Mayor of Pattaya is listening

Pattaya Jet Ski Scam Video

Related Articles of Interest:

• Followup to the Pattaya Jet Ski Scam
• Pattaya Jet Ski Scam Still Going Strong
• The Mayor of Pattaya is Listening
• The Real Dangers in Thailand Part 1
• Bangkok’s Floating Market: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Antibiotics Over Prescribed?

Up until I was age ten or so I was at the doctors office every other week with some sickness or because some dumb-ass stunt backfired again and I required stitches. The doctor always patched me up fast and just about every visit included a lollipop ( grape, my favorite ) and a shot of penicillin whether it was needed or not, the penicillin…of course I needed the lollipop!

Those days soon faded away as each new visit to the doctor or hospital saw a rapid decline in the use of penicillin and lollipops, I understood why the penicillin all but stopped but the ” You’re too old for lollipops thing” still irks me. Cherish it while you can kids.

The advent of antibiotics was a revolutionary step in the treatment of infectious diseases, doctors thought they had found the God drug, the miracle bullet and made sure to use it as often as possible, even for minor illnesses that really didn’t necessitate antibiotic use, just to be on the safe side. But, what could it hurt? We know now that the opposite is true.

The Antibiotics Curve over the years

Basically, when we take antibiotics that aren’t needed there are no unhealthy bacteria for them to fight so, the antibiotics go after the healthy bacteria in our bodies. The healthy bacteria then goes on the attack as it sees the antibiotic as an intruder. As the Healthy bacteria battles the antibiotic it finds ways to overcome the antibiotics charms leaving our bodies much more resistant to the drugs over time.

Penicillin was so overused in the States that, I chide you not, the doctor would sometimes give us a double shot of penicillin if we were coughing too much…bastard never gave me two lollipops though.

While the penicillin slowed to a trickle in the seventies we were still given new and hybrid antibiotics such as amoxocillin or something similar that usually did the job, but it took a little longer and sometimes another antibiotic would have to be used in unison to get the same effect. The theory here was that mixing up the antibiotics would leave our bodies less resistant to the drugs. Unfortunately antibiotics were still over prescribed. By some accounts antibiotics are still over prescribed today in the West  by a staggering 40%

If antibiotics are still over prescribed in the West by 40% then there can be no doubt that Antibiotics in Thailand are over prescribed by at least 100%. and most likely more.

Throughout my trips to Thailand, and now that I am living here I have partaken of the Thai medical system here quite liberally, much more than I would like in fact and Antibiotics are a way of life here.

Thailand is much like the West was in the 1970′s. Where we had family doctors to tend to our everyday illnesses in the states, Thailand has clinics, and lots of them. These clinics serve as the family doctor for all minor ailments and if you are smart, once you find a good clinic, you frequent that clinic and build up a rapport with the doctor. Then when the need arises you know that you are being seen by someone that knows your history well. I have been going to the same clinic and doctor in Thailand for over 5 years now.

Unfortunately, the doctors in Thailand never seemed to have gotten the memo on antibiotics, as a matter of fact I think they take their cues from my old childhood doctor who had no problem loading me up with antibiotics, and no, they still don’t give me lollipops, the bastards!

Seriously though, this presents a problem not only for me who is susceptible to many minor ailments such as tonsillitis, conjunctivitis, and most importantly dumb-assitis which struck recently at a local water park. This is a major problem for the Thai population as a whole, especially the children.

You see, many Thai doctors believe in the two pronged approach to curing what ails you. Such was the case this week when I found out I had conjunctivitis. I went to the clinic and the doctor confirmed my fear but this time he was slightly conservative in his approach. Instead of a shot of penicillin and multiple antibiotics he prescribed antibiotic eye drops and 2 different antibiotics in small doses for 3 days.

3 days later my left eye was still pink and swollen so I headed back to the clinic and the this time the nuclear approach was taken. I was given 2 shots of penicillin, cheek to cheek, and 3 prescriptions of different antibiotics to be taken 2 at a time three times a day. That’s 18 pills a day!

Now, as an educated adult I should know better as to why this is not good for me, especially since I am susceptible to tonsillitis, strep throat and conjunctivitis as it is. I didn’t speak up because I knew this would cure me quickly, it always does. As a matter of fact just the two doses of penicillin would be enough to do the trick.

Since I go to the same clinic and doctor the vast majority of time he tends to mix up the doses and antibiotics given to me, he still over prescribes in my estimation but I acquiesce because I’m a sissy and hate being sick. I’m usually right as rain within a few days whereas the same problem in the states I had some time ago with strep throat landed me in the hospital with a severe case of strep because the American doctors didn’t act aggressively enough in treating it.

On one hand I enjoy being able to have the nuclear option or just penicillin when I think I need it ( every few months lately ). I know what works for me and at 45 my body has seen enough antibiotics that I think I’ll be okay with resistance. Many of us think like this and sadly it’s the wrong way to think, more so it’s selfish and could be deadly.

When antibiotics are over prescribed on this level it’s not so much you that will be hurt but the repercussions to the community around you. Children and the old are the most susceptible to bacteria and viruses. Routinely over prescribing antibiotics to  these two groups has a host of negative effects from allergic reactions to death in some cases. In children the over prescription of antibiotics has the worst effect. We are basically raising an antibiotic resistant generation.

All children get sick often it’s just a fact of their immune systems growing and developing. It seems to me though that Thai children get sick much more often and are much more prone to life threatening diseases,bacteria and viruses. The Thai children in rural Issan even more so. The children I have seen and have known seem to have a much higher incidence of cold, coughs and flu and I’ve seen quite a few children that have had had prolonged cases of infections including some very bad flesh eating bacteria.

In some of these cases the only and last resort is heavy duty IV antibiotics that run rampant through the body killing any bacteria in it’s way. This has been readily apparent in rural Thailand on the border with Cambodia where drug resistant Malaria is once again rearing it’s ugly head. A disease that was once all but defeated has adapted to become very resilient to the the normal routine of antibiotics usually given. While steps are being taken and a new antibiotic regimen is being used successfully in these new resistant malaria cases how long will it be before it becomes more commonplace and how many people will die.

There is a real fear here that once defeated diseases that were all but forgotten will once again become commonplace in the world. Already new strains of tuberculosis can be found in almost every country in the world and measles are once again on the rise. Will it take place again in our lifetime that measles or another affliction like it will once again becomes an epidemic killing millions? Many doctors are placing blame on parents not getting their children vaccinated in the case of measles but a growing contingent of doctors are quietly pointing to their own complacency as the real culprit because they haven’t kept up promotional programs informing the public.

These same promotional programs have been lax in the field of antibiotics and its high time this was rectified.

Just to be clear, antibiotics can only cure bacterial infections they have no effect whatsoever on viruses and I was only using viruses in my previous statement to show that many of the once thought dead and gone afflictions humans have suffered have started coming back with a vengeance.

Thailand is a relatively small country in the grand scheme of things but if the over prescription of antibiotics continues it can and will have a large impact on the world. And if American doctors are reportedly still over prescribing antibiotics by as much as 40% you only need to ask yourself how many more countries like America and Thailand are doing just the same.

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Here I was out on my normal daily walk and taking pictures when I heard 3 distinct gunshots and yelling a few feet in front of me and to the right.

The gun had a distinct sound that only a Glock could produce and it seemed to be firing hollow point ammunition, or,  it could have been a really cool cap gun for all I know because I know about as much about guns as I know about necrophilia. Just to clarify, I don’t know anything about necrophilia. But I do know police and there were a lot of them around with their guns drawn and smiling.

It would seem I stumbled upon a SWAT team demonstration for visiting dignitaries at the Soi 9 police station. I was deep in thought and taking a picture when I neared the police station parking lot and was so caught off guard by the random gunfire that I actually ducked.

Why do we duck when we hear gunfire?

It seems like a half hearted evolutionary response. It’s like they got to the bottom of the fight or flight response tree and said ” gunfire, evolutionary response=duck because anyone firing a gun at you is definitely aiming at that melon you call a head”.

If I would have been on that evolutionary response team “Duck” would have definitely not been the response. Think about it, you see a violent gang of midgets approaching and you hear gunfire…the response is to duck? And what will you get for your trouble? Shot in the ankles that’s what.

Then again being the smart ass I am there is a good chance that the fight or flight response might have been a shimmy with a 180 degree turn and a Michael Jackson ankle kick. Not anymore embarrassing than ducking really. Well, the cops that saw me got a chuckle at my duck so I doubt the addition of a shimmy and ankle kick would have helped much.

After watching and photographing the events at the police station I got to thinking that maybe following some cops around for the day might be interesting. Obviously the SWAT team was only for show and I doubted they would be called to duty, but there are plenty of boys in brown around.

So, I picked the first police officer I saw and followed him. Fortunately for me he was on foot and didn’t seem to be going far. As a matter of fact he pretty much just walked out into Beach road at Soi 9 and stood there. I got excited when it looked like he might pull someone over or blow his whistle or something but it never happened. My first 15 minutes in real photo journalism wasn’t going so great but you have to admit he cuts a very striking figure.

No, if this photojournalism thing was going to work out I was going to have to go mobile so I beat feet up Soi bucow buakow buakhao that road that goes up to the Tuesday/Friday Market and headed to a place where many low lifes and miscreants are known to hang out, Tukcom. More specifically Starbucks. I had two reasons for my chosen location a perfect vantage point to cover any criminal wrongdoings and excellent Chai Tea Lattes.

My instincts were good,  the full leaf tea latte was perfect, and it didn’t take long before the boys in brown were swarming the place. Okay maybe swarming  isn’t the best word as there were only 3 boys in brown; technically only 2 as I think the one was only a trainee. Either way they were there in force and ready to take on any and all scofflaws.

You might be wondering at this point how I knew there was going to be a police action going on in front of Tukcom, well, like any good photojournalist I have my sources in the police station. Okay, maybe not in the police station but close to the police station. Alright, I overheard 2 cops talking about going to Tukcom to roust criminals.

Anyway I wasn’t 2 sips in to my latte man drink when I saw a very suspicious character rolling up the street, for some reason the police ignored him but I couldn’t help thinking there was definitely an arrestable offense there. What that offense could be I’m not quite sure but he’s definitely violated some law. I mean hell start with the mullet and work your way down.

As a side note and historical reference the man pictured above is known around Pattaya as Glitterman. He rides around town every day just as you see him. Actually this wasn’t a full tilt Glitterman day. On special days he uses another bike with more glitz and he trades the cape in for a full length golden trench coat and a swashbucklers hat complete with feathers as pictured below.

As I looked back to my latte manly cup of hot liquid I caught the police out of the corner of my eye swooping in and taking suspects into custody. You could tell this was serious business by the chains used to chain the suspects together. The criminals were clearly confused by the speed and effectiveness of this police raid.

I know, not much of a crime but I don’t care much for gunfire and really enjoy casually sitting while sipping my tea and doing my investigative journalism. Besides red and white striped curbs are clearly no parking areas and laws were broken and luckily I was there to catch the real police work being done.

As it turns out my investigative journalism career is pretty much stalled at the moment due to the local papers and news organizations not wanting to post such in depth, hard hitting, gritty and raw stories such as I write. Their loss.

Although I was disappointed that no one wanted this story the night turned out better than expected as I started work on a new investigative assignment on Walking street at Angelwitch A Go Go.This one may take a while as I cultivate informants.

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DEA Targets Thailand Nightlife

In a new measure to stem criminal drug activity in South East Asia the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with Thailand authorities, have enlisted the help of Bangkok’s notorious nightlife to help in bringing criminals to justice. No, there won’t be undercover Thai female agents with guns hanging out of their g-strings but the Go Go’s and beer bars of Bangkok will definitely play a part in the search for criminal fugitives.

The DEA’s new campaign in Thailand will be using beer cozy’s, coaster’s,  matchbooks and more to track down their most wanted fugitives in South East Asia. Thailand’s nightlife has long been associated with a criminal element and the DEA is hoping that plastering wanted posters on bar paraphernalia throughout Thailand night spots that there is a good chance someone will not only see and recognize the criminals but also turn them in. The DEA and Thai authorities believe there very well may be wanted fugitives hiding in and around the Bangkok nightlife and Thailand in general so they think there is a good chance this initiative will work.

Color me skeptical but I think this is just another waste of time and money on an already over bloated war on drugs. Let’s face it the average punter sitting in a Go Go bar enjoying a drink may notice the wanted posters for a second but I guarantee they will be fighting an uphill battle for that attention from young, exotic, brown skinned beauties dancing in g-strings or less.

Then lets consider the fact that the pictures posted on these wanted posters are often outdated and the punters drinking may have a less than accurate perspective, IE beer goggles. I can imagine there may be a few drunken phone calls to the DEA proclaiming that a fugitive has been spotted only to find out that the fugitive in question is just another random drunk.

Can You Catch a Drug Lord in Thailand?

Now lets consider the more serious implications. We aren’t talking about the run of the mill yabba dealer here, we are talking about criminal king pins such as Wei Hsueh Kang, a high-ranking official of the United Wa State Army, a drug-dealing rebel group that controls a large part of northeastern Burma.

The United Wa State Army has been responsible for producing and trafficking tons of heroin and methamphetamine’s throughout South East Asia. Wei Hsueh Kang isn’t just another criminal, he is the CEO of a criminal organization. Highly unlikely he would be rubbing elbows with the average punter in one of Bangkok’s Go Go bars, and even if he did, do you think it wise to rely on information from loved up drunken tourists and expats?

Another complication is the reward money on offer for information leading to a fugitives arrest. In the case of Wei Hsueh Kang the reward is 2 million dollars, more than enough incentive for a down and out expat or the like to go looking for trouble where they would most assuredly find it. You might think no one would be stupid enough to take on such a task  and I would submit you haven’t met many Thailand expats. I could go on about the stories I have heard while sitting in such bars from supposed ex CIA, FBI and elusive Navy Seals who have run countless black ops in their minds.

And then there are the Thailand expats with a grudge who might find immense joy in cluing in the DEA to a wanted fugitive who turns out to be just another expat who they would love to see twist for a little while.

For it’s part the DEA and Thai authorities will tell you that the program has thus far been a success in Thailand, since it’s implementation in August of last year the DEA web Thailand site has had over 70,000 hits which they claim has generated over 120 leads they are investigating. I’ll bet more than a few of those leads have led to one or more of the scenarios I have described above.

Even though the program has yet to net a wanted fugitive, Thomas Pasquarello, the DEA’s director for East Asia already claims the program as a success:

We have received reports right from the very top of these organizations-they’re not happy with the program. They’re not happy with the publicity. And, again, for any criminal elements, they want to work underneath the radar of law enforcements. And, what this does is it exposes their operations, it exposes their network. So, it has had an impact on their operations

Now, I might be a tad slow today but if the DEA and major South East Asian authorities already know about these organizations and criminals wouldn’t you think they are already not flying below the radar? I doubt very seriously a few drunken tourists and expats seeing their outdated pictures are making them lose any sleep at night.

Although the DEA hasn’t stated the monetary amount dumped into this program I would bet it is in the millions and quite honestly I think those resources could have been used in a much better way, like setting up a hotline to warn punters in Thailand which Go Go bars are padding their bills or who has the best happy hour specials going on any given day. It won’t help to capture any fugitives hiding in Thailand but then again the DEA’s current program won’t either.

Pictures and Video Courtesy VOA

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Pattaya

There can be no doubt that Pattaya put the sin in sin city And like Las Vegas many a guy hopes what happens in Pattaya stays in Pattaya, but to quote Bob Dylan “the times they are a-changin”.

The lovers of Pattaya, as well as the detractors, will disagree with me intently but there is no doubt that Pattaya is changing into a true tourist destination.

5 years ago there were a multitude of beer bars and entertainment venues along Beach road and second road, while there are still quite a few, large swaths of that land have given way to new upscale shopping malls, eateries, hotels and condo’s. Even Hilton has planted a brand new upscale hotel on Beach road. Don’t get me wrong, Hilton is all about the money and where there is money to be had they will build, sin city or not. But still, the Hilton name adds a measure of legitimacy to the change.

The people pumping money into Pattaya know exactly what they are doing as well as who they are targeting and it isn’t the so called sex tourist. White guys on holiday are taking the back seat to those tourists spending the real money; Russians, Chinese, Koreans and to some extent Indians. And lets not forget domestic tourism with thousands of Thai’s heading to the seaside resort of Pattaya with their families and friends. They aren’t coming to see lesbian shows or make use of the soapies.

The average male holiday maker coming to Pattaya for a 2 week holiday isn’t putting anywhere near as much money into the economy as these other tourist groups are. While they might be taking a day trip or 2, eating out every day and staying in a hotel,  in most cases the vast majority of their money is going into the bars and into Girls purses. The city obviously gets their cut of the taxes for some of that money but not as much as they are getting from the rest of the tourism trade.

Every day you can see busloads of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian tourists being shuttled from their 4 star hotels to local attractions and shopping venues.Central festival is full Russian tourists making extravagant purchase and Mike’s Shopping Mall is doing a brisk business selling bulk to the same.

On any given night the throngs of people on Walking street are a melting pot of nationalities but the majority aren’t there to drink and ogle Thai girls in the GoGo bars, they are there to mingle and take pictures so they can show the folks back home the nightlife of Pattaya.

Of all the signs on Walking street these days, and the rest of Pattaya for that matter, more than a few are now written in Russian and Chinese as well as English. One can even see signs aimed at the Indian Tourists such as the sign in front of Tony’s Disco recently that read Indians Drink for free from 9-11 at Tony’s new Indian Disco.

Perhaps it comes down to the economics of it all. Many of the traditional tourist countries represented in Thailand have been hit hard economically and aren’t taking the trips like they used too. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also aggressively targeted these emerging markets for new tourism while cutting back their advertising to the West.

Yes, if you are looking for the dark side you can easily find it in Pattaya and it will remain that way for some time but you may have to go a littler farther or look a little harder in the future. Will Walking Street disappear? Never, it’s a landmark that all tourists love but many other entertainment venues will move or close as the tourist dollars determine what the city needs to provide.

There are those that look down their nose at Pattaya and it’s inhabitants with a quick word to anyone that will listen about how it’s a dirty town filled with pedophiles, miscreants and criminals. But even they can’t negate the thousands of Thai’s that will make the 2 hour trip from Bangkok to Pattaya with their families for some weekend fun in the sun and relaxation.

The so called sex tourists might argue it from another standpoint letting you know that there are still plenty of girls and fun to be had at a good price and nothing will ever change that.

Both sides will tell you the influx of Russians is due to the Russian Mafia which is just ludicrous. I’ve witnessed hundreds of Russian families enjoying the beaches, malls and local restaurants in the past few months and Mafia they are not. They are tourists in the truest sense of the word and tourists that Thailand has targeted well.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you are on or even if you continue to bury your head in the sand, Pattaya is changing. And while it won’t happen over night it will surely happen. Will the sex trade disappear in Pattaya? No. Just like it hasn’t disappeared from any other city in the world. Will there still be problems with underage sex and pedophiles? Certainly, if the Catholic church can’t stop it what the makes you think Thailand can?Times Square was the epicenter of sex in New York City until they cleaned it up , but you can still get sex there.

The biggest challenge to a changing Pattaya is changing the perception that everyone has of the town.Pattaya evokes different images for each and every person familiar with it and as Pattaya changes those perceptions will have to change as well. Anyone who’s been around long enough will know that Bangkok enjoyed the same reputation back in the day and to some extent Bangkok, as well as  Thailand, still maintains a less than stellar reputation to the ill informed of the West. What will they say about Pattaya in 10 years?

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Make no mistake about it, the faces you see above will be known to future generations as the men who brought the dollar to it’s knees and the United States of America with it.

Let me be very clear, the demise of the dollar didn’t start when President Obama took office nor did it start with the financial collapse of 2008, the demise of the dollar began in 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act and the inception of a central bank. The Federal Reserve Act was enacted in response to several financial panics in the stock market the worst of which happened in 1907.

The group of private bankers pushing the federal reserve and a central banking system stated that with the money under the control of a central banking system there would be no further panics in the financial system. Of course we all know that was a lie as there have been 19 major recessions or depressions since the Federal Reserve Act was enacted, recessions and depressions the Fed promised would never happen again. As a matter of fact the Fed itself created most of these recessions and depressions.

Curiouser still is how the Federal Reserve Act was enacted. Private bankers had been pushing a central banking system since the inception of the United States of America. Along the way some acts were instituted only to later be rescinded as many smart men such as Thomas Jefferson saw through the disguise of the central banking system.

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs. — Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President.

Eventually powerful bankers figured out how they could get a central bank by law, all they had to do was buy themselves a President and they did just That. It can be argued that Woodrow Wilson was not bought and paid for but the evidence refutes those arguments just in the fact of the money given to Wilson by these private bankers throughout his presidential campaign and well after.

Woodrow Wilson made sure the Federal Reserve Act was brought forward and in the middle of a cold winter night in Washington D.C. when Congress was on holiday break a handful of Senators made an emergency vote on the legislation which would later be signed into law by Woodrow Wilson.

You might think President Woodrow Wilson was a supporter of the Federal Reserve Act, and you would be wrong. Here is what he had to say after leaving office:

I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.- Woodrow Wilson, U.S. President

The Federal Reserve is a private bank pretending to be a government institution although many Americans believe it is a government institution. The Federal Reserve operates outside the control of Congress and only reports to Congress on it’s own whim as they are not mandated to do so. The Federal Reserve, the central bank that controls the currency of the United States,  has never been audited nor will it ever be audited.

At one time the dollar was backed by actual commodities such as gold, silver and palladium. This system of banking is known as the Bretton-Woods system, which set the exchange value for all currencies in terms of gold. In the early 1970′s the price of gold was rising devaluing the dollar which led people to sell off their dollars for gold.

Wealth in the hands of the populace is not a good thing for the Federal Reserve so the U.S. decoupled the dollar from gold and moved to a  fractional banking system. The fractional banking system is a convoluted way of saying if a bank the Federal Reserve lends money to has 1 dollar in reserve they will lend them up to 100 times that amount as they perceive the risk ratio to be low. See a problem there? How about I let the Fed describe their own system.

When you or I write a check there must be sufficient funds in out account to cover the check, but when the Federal Reserve writes a check there is no bank deposit on which that check is drawn. When the Federal Reserve writes a check, it is creating money. — Putting it simply, Boston Federal Reserve Bank

Neither paper currency nor deposits have value as commodities, intrinsically, a ‘dollar’ bill is just a piece of paper. Deposits are merely book entries. — Modern Money Mechanics Workbook,Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 1975

The Federal Reserve system pays the U.S. Treasury 020.60 per thousand notes –a little over 2 cents each– without regard to the face value of the note. Federal Reserve Notes, incidentally, are the only type of currency now produced for circulation. They are printed exclusively by the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the $20.60 per thousand price reflects the Bureau’s full cost of production. Federal Reserve Notes are printed in 01, 02, 05, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollar denominations only; notes of 500, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 denominations were last printed in 1945. —Donald J. Winn, Assistant to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve system

We are completely dependent on the commercial banks. Someone has to borrow every dollar we have in circulation, cash or credit. If the banks create ample synthetic money we are prosperous; if not, we starve. We are absolutely without a permanent money system…. It is the most important subject intelligent persons can investigate and reflect upon. It is so important that our present civilization may collapse unless it becomes widely understood and the defects remedied very soon. — Robert H. Hamphill, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank

This ladies and gentleman is the brain trust in control of your money and your country.

Now, you may be asking what this has to do with President Obama, Timothy Geitner and Benjamin Bernake? While many ignorant men have helped to get us to this point we now stand at the brink and these men have decided to push us over the cliff.

In the past 50 years America has been in serious debt and that debt has skyrocketed in the last 2 decades. Do you know how deep in debt America is? Why don’t I just show you…

Government Debt: 13, 692,469,212.89 ( As of 1:29am EST  11/07/2010 )

Total U.S. Debt: 54,702,547,837.00 ( As of 1:32am EST 11/07/2010 )

Take a look at the National Debt Clock yourself and see how much it has grown since this post was published and for more information please read the National Debt clock FAQ.

Yes ladies and gentleman that is trillions and we don’t have the money to repay it,  and never will. And this is the problem. The men I featured at the beginning of this post are now going to kill the dollar. Mark my words,  the death of the dollar happened this week when the Federal Reserve decided it was going to buy U.S. Treasury bonds to the tune of $665 billion dollars worth. Do you remember what the fed said about it’s own money?

When you or I write a check there must be sufficient funds in out account to cover the check, but when the Federal Reserve writes a check there is no bank deposit on which that check is drawn. When the Federal Reserve writes a check, it is creating money. — Putting it simply, Boston Federal Reserve Bank

The Federal Reserve is printing money to buy financial instruments( Treasury Bonds ) that are used to keep the United States afloat financially. While I am not a financial genius it doesn’t take one to figure out this is nothing more than a thinly veiled Ponzi Scheme being perpetrated on the American people and any country who holds major chunks of Treasury Bonds.

A Treasury Bond is a marketable, fixed-interest U.S. government debt security with a maturity of more than 10 years. Treasury bonds make interest payments semi-annually.

As I said before we as a country, The United States, are broke…there is no money so the government has to sell treasury bonds to other countries to get the money needed to keep our country going. These Treasury bonds are bought with the expectation that when they mature in 10 years that the holder will receive their money back as well as the interest over the term of the bond.

So, what happens if a large investor such as the Federal Reserve buys a large chunk of Treasury Bonds with what basically amounts to an IOU? Remember, they are printing money out of thin air to buy these bonds. I could tell you what happens but all you have to do is watch or read the news. Confidence in the market as well as the United States starts eroding and the major holders of bonds start asking questions.

China said Friday that the Federal Reserve needs to explain this week’s decision to purchase bonds to pump money into the world’s biggest economy or risk undermining the global recovery.

Many countries are worried about the impact of the policy on their economies. “It would be appropriate for someone to step forward and give us an explanation. Otherwise, international confidence in the recovery and growth of the global economy might be hurt.

I remember that the finance minister of an advanced economy said that if you print too much money, that is an indirect manipulation of the exchange rate.

The Fed owes us some explanation about their recent decision on monetary policy. We hope that as the main reserve currency-issuing country, that country will adopt a responsible position on this matter.-Vice Foreign Minister Cui, China

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Thursday that the United States was creating problems for the world and the subject would be raised during next week’s Group of 20 leaders summit in Seoul.

Hours after the decision to buy over 600 billion dollars worth of treasury bonds the Federal Reserve Chairman, Benjamin Bernanke had this to say.

This approach eased financial conditions in the past, and so far, looks to be effective again. Easier financial conditions will promote economic growth.

This isn’t the voice of a seasoned financial analyst making an educated decision, this is the voice of an imbecile guessing your future away. This decision not only effects America but every country in the world and the after effects of this decision will be with us for decades if not longer.

It has long been rumored that the Chinese and Japanese were looking to divest themselves of American Treasury bonds and China at the very least has been contemplating a change in the basket currencies they use. Since the beginning of the global economy there have been certain currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the British Pound that all other currencies are pegged against, this decision by the Federal Reserve will most assuredly see the dollar being dropped as a basket currency by many countries over time with the Euro most probably taking it’s place…although the Euro is just  the same dog with different fleas.

The idiocy of the Federal Reserve is only compounded by the likes of President Obama and Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner. Neither knows as much as Bernanke and he is at best leading us down the road to destruction with his guessing games. The inaction of the President and his puppy Geithner to step in and say” wait a minute lets try and figure this out without taking drastic confidence losing measures” is even more worrying than The Federal Reserves decision to buy Treasury Bonds. The president and his Secretary of the Treasury generally see this as a good move.

The stock market soared on the news that the Fed would buy Treasury Bonds and Bernanke and others see this as a motivator to build jobs and reduce interest rates even further.

In conjunction with the Treasury Department now limiting the amount of bonds issued, the buying of these bonds by the the Fed now reduces the yield of interest of all treasury bonds which isn’t a good thing at all. Investors such as China and Japan, who are losing faith in American treasury bonds, will now look to other countries securities to invest in. That will leave who to buy our debt? You guessed it, The Fed will buy our debt with money they will print which will incur even more debt.

Where does that leave the U.S.? Well, Bernanke would say that leaves us motivated but I’ll tell you that it leaves us broke and falsely supporting  a bad economy with worthless money and even more worthless financial plans. The next time you are short on money to pay for your mortgage just print some more and see where that gets you. It’s exactly where Bernanke, Obama and Geithner are taking the United States of America.

The dollar was dropping slowly before, and though it may take a while, The Federal Reserves decision to print money to buy debt on this scale has put the dollar on the road to oblivion. The dollar is dead and the United states of America is soon to follow unless serious action is taken against the United States Government and the Federal Reserve.

As far as I am concerned the above men, and many more, have committed treason against the United States of America with their actions and inaction’s and should have the full penalty of treason applied against them.

I’ll leave you with the wise words of a few very smart men…

It is well that the people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.— Henry Ford

Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create deposits, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take it away from them, and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of Bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create deposits.” — Sir Josia Stamp, (President of the Bank of England in the 1920′s, the second richest man in Britain at the time)

People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on the project (Muscle Shoals Dam) nor contribute a pound of material, will collect more money from the United States than will the People who supply all the material and do all the work. This is the terrible thing about interest …But here is the point: If the Nation can issue a dollar bond it can issue a dollar bill. The element that makes the bond good makes the bill good also. The difference between the bond and the bill is that the bond lets the money broker collect twice the amount of the bond and an additional 20%. Whereas the currency, the honest sort provided by the Constitution pays nobody but those who contribute in some useful way.  It is absurd to say our Country can issue bonds and cannot issue currency. Both are promises to pay, but one fattens the usurer and the other helps the People. If the currency issued by the People were no good, then the bonds would be no good, either. It is a terrible situation when the Government, to insure the National Wealth, must go in debt and submit to ruinous interest charges at the hands of men who control the fictitious value of gold. Interest is the invention of Satan.” — Thomas A. Edison

We have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board. This evil institution has impoverished the people of the United States and has practically bankrupted our government. It has done this through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it. — Congressman Louis T. McFadden in 1932

If Congress has the right [it doesn't] to issue paper money [currency], it was given to them to be used by…[the government] and not to be delegated to individuals or corporations — President Andrew Jackson, Vetoed Bank Bill of 1836

Every Congressman, every Senator knows precisely what causes inflation…but can’t, [won't] support the drastic reforms to stop it [repeal of the Federal Reserve Act] because it could cost him his job. — Robert A. Heinlein, Expanded Universe

Without the confidence factor, many believe a paper money system is liable to collapse eventually-Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Gold, p. 10

As long as we issue fiat currency, I see no alternative to a legal tender law.-Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, 11/20/2003

“The few who understand the system, will either be so interested from it’s profits or so dependent on it’s favors, that there will be no opposition from that class.” — Rothschild Brothers of London, 1863

“Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes it’s laws” — Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild

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In the past 2 months I have watched work crews installing signal lights on all the major roads in central Pattaya. The lights are positioned every 4 blocks or so along Beach Road, Pattaya Klang ( central road ) and Third Road to name a few, and there are a lot of them.I’ve noticed in the past week that they are are now operational and ready for use.

With the many pedestrian involved accidents and deaths on these roads Pattaya City Hall finally has done something about it and I think it’s a step in the right direction. Of course it will come down to the Thai and falang drivers to adhere to the rules of the road and the new traffic signals but I think after some time this step will definitely save lives.

There have always been crosswalks on these well trafficked roads but at best they were only a reminder for drivers to slow down and at worst they have been pedestrian targeting zones. These lights will go a long way in changing that.

The signals work very simply. On the pole is a large button for the pedestrian to push and after a certain period of time the lights will turn red forcing traffic to stop so the pedestrians can cross safely. At all other times the lights are flashing yellow to signal drivers they are approaching a traffic signal and they need to slow down. The real issue is will the baht buses and motorcycle taxi’s stop for these lights or in their haste for the almighty baht will they run them when they can.

I hope after a short time to break in the system the drivers pay attention to the traffic signals and equally I hope the majority of holiday makers and tourists use the new signal enforced crosswalks as much as possible. A few seconds wait for either drivers or pedestrians is a small price to pay to save lives.

While this is a good first step in tourist safety for Pattaya, City Hall now needs to buckle down and tackle the drunk driving problem. These accidents happen daily and the carnage leaves many people injured or dead every month. This isn’t just a Thai problem as many drunk falangs get behind the wheel of a car or get on their motorcycles after a night out on the town. If these people can’t think for themselves then maybe City Hall can enforce the laws and remove them from thew streets permanently.

Personally I think they should have checkpoints throughout town every weekend and all throughout high season. Drivers licenses and cars/motorcycles should be impounded and heavy fines and prison time/community service should be imposed. Being as there are many falang ( foreign ) drunk drivers on Pattaya’s roads immigration should get involved in the issue by making drunk driving a deportation offense, that would make many falang think before drinking and driving.

Falangs have no excuse for drunken driving considering every Western nation has inundated it’s people with drunk driving programs for decades, they should know better.

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