ABSURDISTAN Land Department Claims 90% Beaches Foreign Owned

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am

Here's a headline that has me searching for an entire bottle of aspirin, first appearing on Thailand's Ministry of Communications newsite and now picked up far and wide by all the usual media outlets.

An official for Thailand's Land Department named Sriracha Charoenpanit has been quoted as saying that up to 90% of beachfront land in Phuket is controlled by foreigners through the use of a nominee system.

If that wasn't enough, then of course the big stick of land seizure and deportation were waved. Areas highlighted as hot spots were Phuket, Koh Samui, and Koh Chang.

Of course, no blood has been spilled, the quotes came from a seminar and subsequent interviews. There is no indication that the individual quoted was in fact stating an official Government position.

Now ink is flooding, the internet blog lines, newslines and those forums are full of conspiracy theories, threats, warning and generally all manner of gloom and over-reaction.

In the land of same, same, and mai pen rai, anyone seriously reading the news will be able to separate the truth of the matter. By tomorrow there will indeed be the need for yet another slash of ink on new breaking headlines to incense readers and elicit feedback.

Star wars somehow become news wars. Welcome to absurdistan, leave your mind at the door, and don't disturb the drunks sleeping on the floor. I've heard bigfoot might be coming by later and we can hit Atlantis on the way home.

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