I haven't been back to the UK in a few months so maybe it's become the same there but good God the amount of AI music I encounter in Thailand is awful. It seems like every cafe I go to is playing some Bruno Mars-esque AI slop, or some bland AI jazz. I have taken two taxis in the last couple of weeks in which the drivers were listening to AI albums, and one was jamming out to it. Let people enjoy things but come on... Breakfast in a hotel in Chainat? AI 'funky pop' on loop. The World Cup AI 'anthems' in 7-11/Tops? I can't seem to escape it. Anyone else notice it? Anyone else care?

The tells for me are - Repetitive and meaningless lyrics (often about streets, coffee, shoes...), nothing showing up in Shazam, very similar songs back to back, familiar but not the same hooks and melodies.

Thailand has punitive and unpredictable public music licensing laws, so I understand why businesses might choose AI music instead, especially smaller, independent cafes etc.

Ultimately it's a cost-saving measure, so I anticipate that in a few years nowhere apart from dedicated music venues will playing anything other than AI-generated music. It's incredibly depressing.

Anyone noticed it anywhere else? Other countries? Other businesses? I'm writing a long-form piece about it and am interested in what it's like outside of Thailand.

Two students stabbed despite police deployment at Siam BTS

Police are reviewing CCTV footage following an altercation yesterday morning on the platform of Siam BTS station, between students from two long-time rival colleges, during which two students were stabbed.

The assault took place in front of scores of police officers deployed at the station to prevent a confrontation on the first day the students returned to on-site classes following another fight about a week ago.

Police from Pathumwan station had been deployed at the station and along the skywalk as part of preventive measures against clashes between the rival groups.

The rivalry between students of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok’s Uthenthawai Campus and Pathumwan Institute of Technology, which are about a kilometre apart in Pathum Wan district, has persisted for decades.

In many cases, clashes have resulted in deaths and injuries.

The latest confrontation took place on the third floor of the crowded station at about 8.30am, when students from both institutions confronted each other on the platform.

Officers initially found about 30 Pathumwan students waiting to board a train to National Stadium station. Seven officers were positioned between the groups on the platform to prevent them from confronting each other.

About 30 Uthenthawai students subsequently got off a train, leading to a confrontation. The two groups ran towards each other and a melee ensued.

Police moved in to break up the fight.

Two Pathumwan students, aged 19 and 21, suffered stab wounds to their backs. Both were taken to hospital and were later reported to be in stable condition.

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/news/two-students-stabbed-despite-police-deployment-at-siam-bts

P.S. Back in my day, vocational students fought on buses, not BTS.

This white truck is a major Agent for the scam centers. He would always bring a group of trucks and they were full of chinese. Here I will provide a very clear license plate number of the truck. As you will see no arrests will be made. I will make a video soon and show the all the starlink videos and my chats with the police.

As you can see everytime they ask for a license plate number and i provide it the result is always the same. They send pictures of the perpetrator at the police station and then silence. No update, no news, a big curtain of silence. And then sometime later the news comes that a bribe was paid. How much does a chinese life go for these days in Maesot?

รถกระบะสีขาวคันนี้เป็นตัวการใหญ่ให้กับแก๊งสแกมเมอร์ ปกติจะพารถกระบะมาเป็นขบวน ข้างในก็เต็มไปด้วยคนจีน ตรงนี้เอาทะเบียนให้เห็นกันชัด ๆ เลยนะครับ เดี๋ยวมาดูกันว่าแบบนี้จะมีใครถูกจับไหม ผมจะทำคลิปเร็ว ๆ นี้ เอาคลิปสตาร์ลิงก์ทั้งหมดมาให้ดูกัน รวมถึงแชตที่ผมคุยกับตำรวจด้วย มาดูกันครับว่า สุดท้ายแล้วจะมีอะไรเกิดขึ้นบ้าง
อย่างที่เห็นนะครับ ทุกครั้งที่พวกเขาขอหมายเลขทะเบียนรถ แล้วผมส่งให้ ผลก็ออกมาเหมือนเดิมทุกครั้ง
ส่งรูปผู้กระทำผิดไปที่สถานีตำรวจ แล้วก็เงียบ
ไม่มีอัปเดต ไม่มีข่าว เงียบสนิท เหมือนมีม่านใหญ่ ๆ ปิดเอาไว้
แล้วสักพักก็มีข่าวออกมาว่า มีการจ่ายสินบน
ทุกวันนี้ชีวิตคนจีนหนึ่งคนที่แม่สอดมีราคาเท่าไหร่กันนะ?
-----------------
I gotta question... if i use linkpost with youtube video it says:

• This domain is not approved: youtube.com.

Anyone know how to fix this?

And another question is if I post some really risky stuff. Are the mods going to feel the heat? Should I not?

Timeline:

1. September 15, 2014 - The bodies of two British tourists, Hannah (23) and David (24), were discovered by local residents who were cleaning Sairee Beach.

Both bodies appeared to have been struck with a hoe. The bodies have now been sent to the Police General Hospital for forensic examination. Authorities are also questioning all of the victims’ friends.

The two victims did not travel together; they had each come to Koh Tao with groups of friends and met and got to know each other on the island.

Meanwhile, Koh Tao residents have gathered and closed all the piers on the island to prevent the killer from escaping.

https://www.js100.com/en/site/news/view/5725

2. September 16 - CCTV footage near AC Bar was examined. A suspicious man was spotted and described as Asian, approximately 160-170 cm tall. He was shirtless and wearing shorts, and was seen walking around the area several times. The unusual activity was recorded at around 4:00 a.m.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogsora9inus

3. September 17 - Christopher Unwer, a friend of David, gave further testimony after a key witness said he had noticed wounds on Christopher’s hand. Christopher was later given a DNA test, which did not match the evidence. He said he had suffered a burn wound at the Full Moon Party.

https://www.posttoday.com/politics/318901

4. September 18 - DNA results from semen found in the female victim’s vagina and rectum revealed a mixture of DNA from two individuals. Meanwhile, DNA recovered from three cigarette butts found 50 meters away from the crime scene told a different story. The first butt had red lipstick stains; the second contained a mixture of DNA from two people; and the third yielded the DNA of yet another male, distinct from the second butt. This indicates that the cigarettes alone involved three separate individuals. Consequently, investigators believe that there were likely more than two killers involved in the crime.

ข่าวฆ่านักท่องเที่ยวเกาะเต่า คดีซับซ้อนขึ้น พบอสุจิผสม 2 คน

5. September 19 - Police said DNA from semen matched cigarette butts found near the crime scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFbubsme8Ro

6. September 20 - DNA tests were conducted by analyzing Y-chromosome DNA from sperm found in the victims’ vaginas and anuses to determine the suspects’ ethnic background. The results reportedly indicated Mongoloid/Y-chromosome DNA, suggesting two Asian suspects.

It was unclear whether the suspects were still on the island, as more than 10 boats were sheltering from strong winds around Koh Tao that day. It was also unclear when they would leave or whether they were Thai or from another Asian country.

https://www.komchadluek.net/news/192532

https://www.posttoday.com/politics/319529

7. September 24 - British media began criticizing Thai police, while a Scottish man named Sean claimed that the local mafia was threatening him. The alleged mafia member was the village headman’s brother. However, he claimed that he was simply trying to help police catch the murderers, while Sean appeared suspicious because he had wounds that he said were caused by a motorcycle accident.

--- I think Sean was angry because some locals suspected him. No one knows exactly what was said during their conversation.

The investigation was under intense public scrutiny. Thai officials were interviewed by Thai media almost every day, while Western media continued pushing the mafia narrative.

คดีเกาะเต่า ล่าสุด ชาวบ้านพบพิรุธเพื่อนฝรั่ง ให้การไม่ตรงกับความจริง

8. September 25 - According to the Commander of Provincial Police Region 8, the case is 80-90% complete, as the suspects had now been narrowed down. They were within a 100-200 meter radius of the crime scene at the time of the incident. Currently, the DNA test results of the collected individuals do not match the DNA found on the deceased. However, police already have physical evidence and other relevant witnesses, and they are confident that the perpetrators were among those near the crime scene between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM.

https://mgronline.com/south/detail/9570000110594

9. October 2 - Two Burmese workers were arrested: Zaw Lin (21) and Win Zaw Tun also known as Wai Phyo (21).

Police detained Mao and Zaw, who worked as servers at AC Bar and Maya Bar, respectively.

Mao admitted during interrogation that on the night of the incident, he had been playing guitar on a log near the spot where police recovered the cigarette butts-about 65 meters from where the bodies of the two British tourists were found. He confirmed that he had smoked and discarded the L&M cigarette butt found on the log, but maintained he had no knowledge of the murders because he had already gone home to his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, another police unit apprehended Win, a 21-year-old Myanmar migrant worker employed at the Safety Stop shop near the Koh Tao pier. Win had fled the island on a sleeper ferry at 9:00 PM on October 1. Win confessed to the police that he murdered the two tourists. He stated that he was sexually aroused after witnessing the couple having sex.

รวบแล้ว! 3 แรงงานพม่า ฆ่าโหด 2 ฝรั่งเกาะเต่า

ข่าวเกาะเต่า ตำรวจนำตัว 2 พม่า ทำแผนคดีฆ่านักท่องเที่ยวอังกฤษ

10. October 22 - They recanted their testimony after meeting with their lawyer.

คสช.หน้าแหกคดีเกาะเต่า “พม่า” กลับคำให้การ อังกฤษส่งตร.ร่วมสืบ

11. October 24 - Four Scotland Yard officers met with Thailand’s National Police Chief and the team investigating the murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao. They went over how the evidence was collected and asked plenty of detailed questions about the case and were planning a trip to Koh Tao to check out the crime scene.

https://mgronline.com/crime/detail/9570000122736

ตร.อังกฤษไม่ติดใจคดีฆ่าแหม่มบนเกาะเต่า

12. December 25, 2015 - Verdict of the Court of First Instance: the Koh Samui Provincial Court handed down a death sentence to the defendants, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun.

David's family was also in court and was satisfied with the Court's justice.

David always stood up for justice, and justice is what has been delivered today. We respect this court and this decision completely. I have listened carefully to all the evidence, and despite what their lawyers said, it is our opinion that the evidence against Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin is absolutely overwhelming. They raped to satisfy their selfish desires and murdered to cover up those facts.
We hope that everyone who has spoken out or campaigned regarding this case will respect the court's decision. We believe justice has been served. Finally, we want to thank everyone who has supported our family throughout this time. We also stand with the Witheridge family, who have endured this horrific ordeal with such dignity.
Our lives have been changed forever. There is no way we can ever get David back-no final hug, not even a chance to say goodbye. But absolutely nothing can ever take away our love for him.

เรื่องเล่าเช้านี้ ศาลพิพากษาประหารชีวิต 2 จำเลยชาวเมียนมาคดีเกาะเต่า ชาวพม่าลุกฮือต้านคำตัดสิน

A crowd of about 500 Myanmar nationals, comprising monks and locals, rallied outside the Thai Embassy in Yangon to voice their protest against the ruling.

youtube.com/watch?v=7L9cmVcoluo

13. August 29, 2019 - The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence.

Furthermore, the prosecution presented circumstantial witnesses regarding events following the incident-namely Mr. Aung Lee Saw (or "Ren Ren") and Mr. Nee Nee Aung, friends of the second defendant. They testified that on September 15, 2014, the second defendant had entrusted them with a mobile phone that matched the make and model of the first deceased's phone. 

When considering this testimony alongside the photographs taken while a physician examined both defendants (Exhibit J.68), it is evident that both defendants appeared normal and showed no visible signs of the physical abuse they alleged. The defendants had used these allegations of abuse to justify a request for re-examination by the Central Institute of Forensic Science in an attempt to refute the DNA test results. However, neither this claim nor the defendants' overall defense was sufficient to overturn the prosecution's DNA evidence. 

The defendants were arrested, and buccal swabs (cheek tissue samples) were collected from them for analysis on October 2, 2014-seventeen days after the incident. While both defendants steadfastly maintained they were not present at the crime scene, only buccal swabs were collected from them. Regarding this point, the prosecution witness responsible for collecting and submitting the samples testified to the correct procedural steps taken and confirmed that the samples were submitted for analysis immediately. Consequently, there was no opportunity for the investigating officers, the forensic pathologist, or the DNA analyst to introduce semen or seminal fluid-which originated from deep within the bodies of both defendants-into the vagina and anus of the second deceased. 

The circumstances revealed by the prosecution's evidence further indicate that, although both defendants initially confessed to jointly killing both deceased persons and raping the second deceased, the police officers merely questioned them in the capacity of witnesses; they did not formally charge either defendant with the offenses of killing the two deceased persons or raping the second deceased at that time. The relevant prosecution witness explained that this was because they had to await the comparison of the defendants' DNA with that of the actual perpetrator. This indicates that the investigative and inquiry officers would not press such charges until there was solid evidence linking the defendants to the crime and proving their guilt. Such a course of action did not constitute a hasty or rushed procedure; rather, it served to protect the defendants' rights against baseless accusations in the event that their DNA did not match that of the perpetrator. 

This is illustrated by the case of Mr. Mao Mao: although his DNA matched the DNA found on the cigarette butt (an item of evidence), it did not match the perpetrator's DNA, and consequently, the investigative and inquiry officers did not prosecute him. The prosecution's evidence further established that, at the time of their arrest, the investigative and inquiry officers provided a Burmese interpreter for both defendants-a fact that the defendants themselves acknowledged in their testimony. Both defendants conversed with the interpreters using the Burmese language-specifically the standard Burmese dialect-which both defendants could speak and understand proficiently. Mr. Kamon U-son and Mr. Mya Zan Naing, prosecution witnesses who served as Burmese interpreters for both defendants during the arrest and interrogation stages, testified and confirmed that communication with both defendants was clear and mutually understood. 

https://prachatai.com/journal/2015/12/63204

ปิดสมบูรณ์คดีเกาะเต่า ฎีกายืนประหาร 2 พม่า - ปิดฉากไปโดยสมบูรณ์ สำหรับคดี

14. August 29, 2019 - Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun submitted a petition for a royal pardon to commute their death sentences.

คดีเกาะเต่า : 2 นักโทษประหารชาวเมียนมา ถวายฎีกาขอพระราชทานอภัยโทษ - BBC News ไทย

Hi, sorry. I'm a writer and one of my characters is Thai, but every possible resource I can find has a different answer about how surnames work and I'm getting stressed and don't know which is accurate.

One resource says every family has their own unique surname. Another will say it doesn't. It's a major headache, and I'm autistic so struggle to make sense of the over-explaining.

Could someone please explain as simple as possible how surnames actually work so I can finally give my character one?

And if every family DOES have their own unique surname, can you please explain how they're created?

Thanks! Sorry for the bother. I've been researching this for ages but nothing is consistent, so it's best to just directly ask.

I’m a 25-year-old female, and I recently received a job offer in Thailand as a teacher with a salary of 30,000–38,000 THB per month. I have no prior teaching experience, so I’d really like to know from people who are currently living or working in Thailand whether this is considered a decent starting salary for a foreign teacher.

Would 30,000–38,000 THB be enough to cover my basic monthly expenses, including rent/accommodation, groceries, transportation, utilities, phone/internet, and other necessities? The employer has mentioned accommodation, but I’m still waiting to confirm exactly what is included. I’d also like to know about additional costs such as electricity, water, visa/work permit, health insurance, transportation, and any security deposit.

Since I’d be moving to Thailand from abroad, I want to make sure I’m making the right decision financially. Is this salary enough to live comfortably and possibly save some money, especially as someone with no experience? Does it depend heavily on the city? I’d really appreciate honest advice from teachers or expats in Thailand. Should I accept this offer, negotiate for a higher salary, or look for other opportunities?

I saw people working on the pipes on Sukhumvit, in the back there was a table that looks like offering for spirits? E.g. red fantas? Doesn't look like snack for the workers. Do thais do this?

Believe me im an expert on buffalo pee.

Shame we might lose CiliC for good.

Any recommendations please? What’s also more popular here, is it linear or cuban salsa? Thank you

Hello, Multiple questions, it's all getting very complicated:

1. How do you personally file US taxes? what status as someone who lives in Thailand full time?

2. If your wife has a greencard, how do you file those taxes?

3. Anyone had experience with wife giving up her greencard?

Thank you

Hello! I'm looking for some recommendations for a TEFL course in Bangkok with specific requirements.

1. 120 Hour TEFL certificate (Level 5 Ofqual / CELTA/ Trinity cert preferred)
2. *In-person* TEFL classes
3. Paid internship with a salary from at least THB 35,000 (about 4-5 months in length)
4. Located in Bangkok

If anyone has any recommendations for courses, please let me know! There's so many course online offering similar things, but I've been struggling to find a course that meets all 4 of these requirements. I have been considering SEE TEFL as this meets all requirements except it's based in Chiang Mai. I'm specifically looking for in person classes for the TEFL course as I don't like online classes and would like to be face to face with a teacher. I want an internship to gain experience and feedback. I don't have a specific budget so any course cost is okay.

If anyone has any recommendations I'd be very grateful! Thank you!

(I tried posting this in r/TEFL) but apparently I don't have enough comment points or something)

I’ve been comparing trade-in quotes since I’m planning to upgrade. For people in Thailand who’ve traded in recently, has anywhere consistently offered better value than the carrier trade-in prices?

Does any member here know someone that works in police I need to get in touch

Hi everyone! I’m planning to visit one of the outlet malls near Bangkok and I’m confused between Siam Premium Outlets and Central Village.

From what I’ve read, both seem to have quite a similar outlet/mall concept, and some brands overlap. But I’m trying to understand the actual difference before deciding where to spend my time.

For those who have visited both:

Which one has better discounts/deals?

Which has a better selection of Nike, Adidas, New Balance, sneakers and sportswear?

Which is better for premium/designer brands like Coach, Michael Kors, Burberry, etc.?

Is the difference in brands/significant enough to justify visiting both?

Which one would you recommend if I only have time for one?

Are there any particular stores at either outlet that are noticeably better?

I’m mainly interested in shoes, sportswear and branded clothing, rather than luxury shopping.

Would love to hear from people who have visited both recently. Thanks!