ONE TWO GO, NOK AIR, AIR ASIA, DANGEROUS AIRLINES IN THAILAND ? ARE LOW COST COMPANIES RISKY ?

Following One Two Go low cost airline accident in Phuket in September 2007 tourists and potential passengers can wonder if it could be dangerous to fly with a low cost airlines in Thailand and in the rest of Asia, as Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The 12Go low-fare airplane carrying many foreign tourists that crashed in heavy rain and broke into pieces on Thailand's resort island of Phuket killing most of the passengers and crew on board was an old plane that has been owned by many companies before being bought by One Two Go, and this is what is often complained about low cost airlines: they use second hand aircrafts, and the maintenance is not always done the perfect way.

The exact cause of the crash remain unclear but witnesses said that the plane slid off the runway soon after touching down in heavy wind and rain, then the plane broke in pieces, maybe because it was too old.

The low-cost airline boom pioneered by America's Southwest Airlines and perfected by Ireland's Ryanair and Easyjet in UK is now a good business everywhere in the world, and also in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

But running an airline by cutting cost usually brings with it accusations of cutting corners on safety, even though all international carriers are subject to stringent safety checks, mandated by intergovernmental treaties, and that dangerous aircrafts can be stuck on the ground.

Of course nobody can deny that some countries in South America and Africa have a less strict policy in enforcing aviation rules for internal flights but it seems that the situation is a lot better in Thailand and in Malaysia where low costs airlines are managed the same way they would be in Europe or in America.

So one's wonder why so many accidents involving these carriers occur, and these problems have raised questions about maintenance and overall safety.

For example Orient Thai airlines, the international arm of One-Two-GO, was warned about its safety procedures in 2006, and now nobody knows if things have since improved.

Another problem for these low cost airlines is the pilot shortage due to the rapid growth in airlines and as European airlines have been forced to raise salaries to attract more pilots into the workforce it's sometimes more difficult for Asian airlines or any smaller and low cost airlines to find good pilots.

So pilots are becoming younger as a result, and some say that the accelerated training program that some trainee receive spits out co-pilots rather than captains, raising the spectre of an under-qualified first officer having to take over if the captain is incapacitated.

No cause has been determined for the One-Two-Go crash and it could turn out pilot error was to blame, but anyway that is not a damning of the Thai aviation safety oversight nor Asian low-cost airlines.

And fortunately budget airline One-Two-Go's aircraft that crashed in Phuket was insured for US$305 million which should be enough to cover damage to the aircraft and passengers, so at least it seems that low cost carriers apply good insurances, as if they knew that their aircrafts could have problems...

 

 

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MISS UNIVERSE MARRY PARADORN, THE MOST FAMOUS THAI TENNIS PLAYER, AND SINGER TATA YOUNG ENGAGED TO MILLIONAIRE PREM BUSARAKHAMWONG, ARE THESE GUYS STUPID ?


Two millionaires, two sexy famous women, maybe too attractive and too famous.

Miss Universe Natalie Glebova has married the most famous (and only one) Thai tennis player, Paradorn Srichaphan, and singer Tata Young has married millionaire handsome Thai guy Prem Busarakhamwong.

Its is said that Paradorn, whose sporting career took off few years ago but who now manages his business, fell for Russian born Natalie Glebova after the pair visited the same Buddhist temple last year and now expect to start a family soon.

But let's say the truth, Paradorn Ball and Natalie Universe is not a perfect match, and they look more than the beauty and the beast than the cartoon characters themselves, and even though they are the hottest couple of the moment, it's difficult to understand how a millionaire as Paradorn who could marry any sincere beautiful Thai lady has chosen also beautiful Natalie but certainly not sincere...

Actually their engagement looks more as a business contract than a real love, and even more when knowing that the isolated Thai businessman need a famous foreign face to represent its products and business worldwide.

And how could somebody imagine that world famous Natalie Universe could marry somebody as tennis player Paradorn who is mostly famous only in his country if there was not any business interest behind the tie. Natalie Glebova could marry many any rich or even billionaire guy anywhere in the world... if they wanted... as western people might be less attracted by her beauty (millions as beautiful as her in Europe and America) and also more aware of her financial interest.

We feel a bit pity on good hearted Paradorn who is taking a big risk to marry this woman who is maybe beautiful by certainly not sincere, as some close friends of her have reported.

Nataly already got 20 millions baht of jewelry as engagement gift and this is just the beginning of what this interested women will collect during the time she will remain married with generous and rich Paradorn, and this is hard to imagine this guy being just a fool and not knowing how much the lady is financially interested in this marriage, so that's why people think that the Thai tennis player is also aware that their union won't last forever but that this is what he needs to develop his fame.

Natalie Glebova name is now Natalie Glebova Srichaphan. but her Thai nick name given by Paradorn's parents is "Piang Fah" which means "High as the Sky", but let's wish that her Thai nickname won't be changed to "Maimot" which means "Witch" too fast.

For their honeymoon, Paradorn is taking former Miss Universe Natalie, her family and his own to Pattaya and other places in Thailand because Natalie wants to show her family the Thai beautiful countryside, before the couple travel to the United States.

At the same time when Paradorn Ball and Nataly Universe tied the knot, Paradorn's former girlfriends, superstar singer Tata Young, also got engaged to a Thai millionaire socialite, Prem Busarakhamwong, who gave her a B100m dowry, which many Thais, by contrast, thought excessive.

The couple also had a lavish engagement ceremony, Thai style, that was also held at a Bangkok hotel yesterday (so unique!), but the couple intend to wait another two years before they really get married, if they can accept to be together that long.

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WALKING AND DRIVING IN THAILAND, WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS AND WHY ARE THAI PEOPLE SO STUPID AND BAD DRIVERS ?


If you have ever tried to walk in Bangkok you surely know how difficult is it to walk and cross roads in Thailand when you have no training, and if you ever tried to drive in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, you certainly know how bad drivers are Thai people, and you might even sometimes think that they are stupid.

Hey, first I have to say that I love Thai people and that I think that they are the nicest people in the world, but even though you love somebody you should be able to tell when he is so bad doing something, because when you tell somebody how bad he is, it should help him to improve, and that's what I wish that will happen with Thai drivers.

So if you travel first time to Thailand and come from Europe or America you will be surprised that Thai drivers for example never stop their car to let you pass when you want to cross the street, and worst, if you already are engaged many of them won't even break to let you enough time to cross the road, as if they would prefer to kill you than having to break their car.

And driving in Thailand is also very dangerous as people really have bad driving habits and do not care so much about what happens on the road, and also because it's difficult to look at the road when you are at the same time speaking on the phone, doing some makeup (women going to office in the morning), or even watching some movies (many cars in Thailand are equipped with DVD players and LCD screen).

And if you want to know the reasons of all this mess, it's not that Thai people are stupid or that drivers are so bad, but it's more because of corruption and because of the whole system. Let me explain.

Driving in Thailand means that you are rich, because compared to the minimum wage, a car priced at least 500000 THB (10000 euros) is very expensive, and construction workers or farmers will most of the time never be be able to buy a car during their whole life, but as everywhere in the world, when you are rich, you can do what you want, and especially in Thailand.

In Thailand doing what you want means getting a driving license even if you don't know how to drive, first because the test seems to be made for retarded or kids and is very easy, and second because if you are too stupid to get your license by passing the test you could also buy it!

Then, as they don't even have to know the minimum driving rules, you understand why Thai people drive so badly, and you also must agree that it's not because they are stupid that they didn't learn the rules, it's because the whole system is made like this, and that nobody teaches them the good things.

A solution could be to make the test more difficult and force people to pay for driving lessons, but this is not really possible because of corruption, as everybody would buy the driving license if it was too difficult to get the legal and official way.

So nobody ever taught Thai drivers that they have to break or stop their car when somebody is crossing the street, but nobody also told them that they have to focus on the road when they are driving, and not do anything else as makeup or speak on the mobile phone.

But this latest point is going to change soon as Thai police will enforce drive and talk law seriously, and a new decree will soon be publicised to ensure that motorists fully understand the conditions involved once it becomes law.

This new law prohibits speaking on cellphone when driving if the car is not equipped with hands free system, and motorists who violate this new regulation will face a fine of between 400 and 1000 baht.

We just have to expect that the ban on using mobiles phones while driving won't provide the police with yet another pretext to squeeze money out of motorists, but this is another problem, and it's already good enough that people will fear the fine and maybe stop speaking on their mobile phone when driving.

Every year in Thailand around 30000 people die on the road, which is 6 times more than any european country with the same population, but maybe more cars and drivers, so everything that can be done in Thailand to reduce the risk and make Thai drivers become more responsible is good,

Another problem is that your life costs nothing in Thailand, and that when a Thai driver harms or kills you when you are walking, he won't have any problem, won't be jailed, and might even not have to pay a fine, so this is also something that should be change to help Thai drivers to become more risk conscious drivers.

Last point, having seen Thai teenagers (you are a teenager until 30 years old in Thailand) driving a car, it seems that their world is different when they are sat behind the wheel, and that this is not the normal life. Thai people have to respect and follow so many rules in their life, especially with their parents, family, and job, that it seems that they feel free to do whatever they want to do when they are driving their car, without anybody to tell them what to do or think, a kind of revenge on their daily life. So many nice Thai people become crazy Thai drivers when they are in their car, as if they had to release the pressure of their respectful daily life, forgetting all the driving rules and risks, and this is very bad, as many teenagers are dying on the road everyday.

So it's maybe sometimes better to get angry and shout at office or with your friends as foreigners would do, and lose face, than taking your car and driving too fast on dangerous Thai roads where even elephants can cross the highway, and lose life.

If you know some Thai drivers, please tell them.

 

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IS THE HEIR OF THAILAND CROWN PRINCE MAHA VAJIRALONGKORN READY TO REIGN ?

Born on July 28th, 1952, the prince of Thailand named Maha Vajiralongjorn was educated at a primary school in Bangkok, and then at Millfield School, Somerset, and The King's School, Sydney.

He received high rank education and is now an expert in many topics.

He was made heir at the age of 20 and served as an officer in the Thai military, holding the ranks of general, admiral and air chief marshal, though his role in recent years has become increasingly ceremonial.

Yes it seems that the Thai prince is preparing to reign, as his father, the beloved Thai King Rama 9, will be 80 years old this month, in 2007.

The Thai prince Maha Vajiralongjorn, whose equivalent in Britain is Prince Charles, is the only son of King Rama IX and Queen Sirikit, and he already has a son who will be the next king following his father.

The Thai prince is such a nice person that he lately made a flying visit to Sussex in UK for a reunion with his former teacher, Jessie Webster, now in her nineties, who taught members of the Thai royal family in the 1960s.

The prince's staff carried two bouquets of flowers into the house, and he spent about 50 minutes inside as a small group of curious neighbours gathered outside, as it hardly happen that a foreign prince comes to this area.

The former teacher had the great chance to receive a formal hug from the prince before he got into his car, as it might be the last time she meet him, the prince being soon too busy with his king's job to fly again to Britain.

 

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If you wonder where to buy a Buddha statue in Thailand you can go to Chiang Mai night market or to Chatuchak week end market in Bangkok.

 

Many Buddha statues are available at this markets and this is where you can find the best prices for Buddhist items in Thailand.

 

You can also order online, for example on ebay or any auctios website.

 

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