Blokes in uniform

A footnote to this little tale...a regional TV article said the Thai security sector is booming - companies hiring personnel to protect their assets - interviewed one dorkish looking bloke..."I used to be a driver, but then I became a security guard...and its great" or words to that effect. Having seen the state of Thai driving, these guys are probably about as useful as traffic cones in Hanoi.
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Not entirely unexpected, but there are blokes in something resembling military uniform all over the place here! With the exception of the guards at government installations, most of them look like they picked up their outfit at the local army surplus store - scruffy, skinny little geezers with apparently nothing to do other than hang around on street corners. Not sure if they're for real, or just extras from a local theatre production.
On the same theme I noticed a much more visible security presence in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok - police everywhere, obviously on the look out for dissenters. Pity they can't be given traffic management duties!
In Phuket, it was more a case of give a bloke a "security" uniform and a whistle and he has the power to stop the traffic whenever he pleases - drives you mad, especially when added to all the other daily irritations!