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It's been a long time since I sent a message here! Being busy with work and more with FB. Most of my friends from here before, I see now on FB. I got a little bit bored with it (like I was bored with TF a few years back ;-)) , especially the abundance of adds was killing me. Also the mass of useless post (does everyone has to know you're at MBK now?). I also blocked all games in FB. I decided to have a look on TF and here am I. I'm following very closely the flood in Thailand because I'm very worried about some friends that lives there. Until now everyone is safe. I feel with all Thais who lost their houses and income and those who died. I changed some pictures and put new ones from April - May 2001, when I was there. I'll be back in December and I'm staying in SE Asia for five weeks. I'll go to Cambodia (my first time) for a few weeks and the rest I'll stay in Chiang Mai and some days in BKK of course. Hope to see some of you there.

Human Rights Watch is calling on the Cambodian government to permanently close down its compulsory drug detention centres. Cambodian drug users are at risk of ‘arbitrary detention’ in centres where they are frequently tortured and raped, according to a new report based on extensive interviews with former detainees. The official function of the centres is treatment and rehabilitation. However punishments documented in Skin on the cable – the illegal arrest, arbitrary detention and torture of people who use drugs in Cambodia include beatings, rapes, forced labour, electric shocks and being chained in the sun. Detainees also describe having to survive on rotten or insect-ridden food and being forced to donate blood. Many of the inmates are arrested without reasonable cause, often on the request of a relative or as part of a police round-up of ‘undesirables’, and have no access to a lawyer. The centres are also used to detain children and people with mental health issues. Last year DDN reported from the International Harm Reduction Agency (IHRA) conference in Bangkok, where speakers described mass roundups of drug users, sex workers and the homeless for detention at a former Khmer Rouge execution centre (DDN, 4 May 2009, page 9). ‘The real motivations for Cambodia’s drug detention centres appear to be a combination of social control, punishment for the perceived moral failure of drug use, and profit,’ states the report. ‘Individuals in these centres are not being treated or rehabilitated, they are being illegally detained and often tortured,’ said director of Human Rights Watch’s health and human rights division, Joseph Amon. ‘These centres do not need to be revamped or modified. They need to be shut down. Drug dependency can be addressed through expanded voluntary, community-based, outpatient treatment that respects human rights and is consistent with international standards.’ Skin on the cable available at www.hrw.org (article from 'Drink and Drugs News' February 1st 2010)

BANGKOK, 12 January 2010 (NNT) – More than 500 Cambodian panhandlers in Thailand were arrested and deported back to their home country yesterday. Most of them are illegal immigrants. On 11 January 2010, Deputy Prime Minister Major General Sanan Kajornprasart, as chair of the illegal migrant labor board, accompanied by Social Development and Human Security Minister Issara Somchai and Immigration Bureau Commander Police Lieutenant General Wuthi Liptapallop, gave a press conference about the arrest of 557 Cambodian beggars. He said the panhandlers, most of them were old people, were found in bustling areas of Bangkok such as the Ying-Charoen Market, Saphan Mai, Bang Kapi, Pratunam, sky train stations, as well as any tourist attractions in other provinces nationwide. The alien beggars were apprehended from 8 to 10 January 2010. Major General Sanan added that the arrested beggars had been smuggled into the Kingdom via northeastern and eastern border checkpoints such as Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo province. -NNT news. ------------------ The city administration is getting ready to tackle human-trafficking rackets and will move to make the issue part of the national agenda, deputy Bangkok governor Theerachon Manomaiphiboon said yesterday. A Bangkok-wide survey will be conducted to estimate the number of beggars, both Thai and illegal immigrants, operating in the capital's 50 districts, he added. Over the weekend the authorities arrested 557 foreign beggars, of whom 220 were men, charged them with illegal entry and are preparing to have them repatriated to Cambodia. The arrests were made jointly by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry and its newly established National Operation Centre on Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking. Speaking at a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, who oversees the government's overall operations, said the arrests would kick-off measures against human traffickers. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration hopes spearheading this project would help make it a role model for other provincial authorities. By The Nation Published on January 12, 2010

what happen to thailand and cambodia now? who is the right one should own khao praviharn and the land around there? the land should seperate by the watershed, shouldnt it? khao praviharn is khmer style but it doesnt mean cambodia is the owner bcz some ppl in surin, sirsarket is khmer too. i know the court had judged and finish the problem about khao praviharn already(in 1962) i disgree but i have to accept what they judged. and now thailand and cambodia have problem to get the land around there. at this time thailand will have any chance to take khao priviharn back? if you go to look into thai history, you will see thailand always lose the land bcz we afraid england and france to take our land so we have to lose small land to still our independence. i hope this time the court should be fair to thailand. but why the fair always come with the power? thailand dont have any big countries support always have corrupt ppl who make thailand get the trouble until now esp taksin! maybe thailand will lose the land again so sad but I HOPE NOT. i am just a small thai ppl and love thailand. hope the right and fair will happen to us and make peace soon....

In december I like go from Bangkok to SIHANOUKVILLE (Cambodia), spend couple of weeks in Cambodia and after go to Samui by Boat. Anybody can give my any suggestion, for my trip? how long ist's the travel from BKK to SIHANOUKVILLE by car? It's better take a taxi or I have to take a plane? Where it's better make the Cambodian Visa? If sombady have already do this travel and has some interesting sugestion please write me. Thank a lot Steven