jaapfries

"It is not important what other people think of one; it is only important what one thinks of oneself" - for ultimately Karma will determine & judge.

It is obvious that there exist only very few 'true' emulators of Buddha.

“Buddhism” is not a religion; the Lord Buddha is some God: the only reason true followers wai to him and pray, is to thank him for showing them the way. This Lord Buddha is not served by people worshiping him. Buddhist temples are not meant to be places of ‘worship’, rather places of quiet, peaceful solitude, where an individual can begin the process of ‘looking inside’ himself.

The masses are deceiving themselves if they think that "making merit" will do anything for them at all; on the contrary - ultimately Karma will determine & judge.

It is far 'better' to treat a downtrodden unfortunate with compassion than it is to 'donate' fortunes to a building or a group of chaps who have donned saffron robes: the latter action is totally without merit.

A beggar who shares his meager meal with a stray dog is far more 'enlightened' & compassionate than a rich man donating a million dollars to some temple.

Myself; I already feel compassion for those who never 'got it', for when they arrive in the next dimension, their eyes will suddenly be opened and only then will they begin to understand . . . . .

If one buys a "Grey-Import" car, like Benz, BMW etc., the the first and most obvious consequence is that the actual Dealer network will not extend any warranty with regards to these vehicles.

THAT in itself will prove that these vehicles are not 'kosher' when it comes to the manner in which these were imported. ALL of the vehicles imported in this manner have been imported "Illegally" - there's no rocket-science at work here at all.

Like some Posters wrote before: How come we hear nothing about the DSI investigating the Custom's Department, because that's where the 'smell of fish' is, by far, the strongest ! ! ! !

Can't you people say anything positive once in awhile? Give credit where credit is due. I mean I for one and glad that they are here to try and protect us.

Crackdowns are not something that only the Pattaya police do and they are not part of an every day routine. Crackdowns are done in every country in the world. It is beyond their regular daily duties.

Who do you people call when you have been robbed or when your motorbike is stolen?

I had a Thai contractor and 15 of his men want to fight me because i asked to stop draining water into the dirt road making it a mud pit which the children coming home from school had to walk through they couldn't go around because of a barbed wire fence .. I called the police they wouldn't help thank god for many friends i called them they came and we cooled the situation down .. but you ever had a problem with some one wanting to fight you .. I guess not .. even the tourist police were useless ... I have lived here over 30 + years and found the police next to useless ...

Yep; I'm afraid you told it as it is . . . . . This is one of the reasons why I loved Canada, my friend; even the lowest cop there would not be able to don a uniform, unless he had at least attained a college education. Here in Thailand it seems that the regular street-cops come straight form the country-side, attend some brief training-session, then get handed uniform, handcuffs & gun - followed by their presence on the streets of Thailand , , , , , I also vividly remember that test they gave to ALL the Traffic-Officers (I use that 'Officer' term loosely !) and we were told in the Bangkok Post that 87% of these guys failed that test, which was equal to the written part of the driver's licence test ! ! - And these are the guys enforcing "Traffic-Laws" whereas they have no clue what's actually in the laws . . . . . .

If ti wasn't so serious it would be funny; but nobody is laughing . . . . . .

a "joint-Operation", is the writer trying to "stick" a pun in there somewhere ? ? ? ? ?

This was not just any ordinary monk; Phra Mitsuo had, in fact, reached one if the highest levels of Nirvana; which would immediately dismiss phenomena such as 'being homesick', or 'wanting to take care of his ageing parents'. Likewise; "diabetes" would not be a reason to quit, that simply does not compute at the level Phra Mitsuo had attained. I dare say that it is much more likely that Phra Mitsuo has had some kind of experience with a member of the opposite sex (finally; monks ARE still MEN & human beings !) - a turn of events which would have had a dramatic effect on his psyche - hence the sudden "self-disrobing" and flight from Thailand.

This man is totally disappointed in himself and cannot stand to live in a country like Thailand, where he would be reminded of "the monkhood" at each & every turn !

I feel incredibly sorry for him, since he gave-up a nearly 4 decade dedication and 'learning-curve' for the attraction of the flesh . . . . . .

Phra Mitsuo: I hope you can manage to find yourself again and that you will not be too hard on yourself.

"Seven inspection teams were dispatched by Pol Lt General Kornwat Parnprapakorn, commander of the special operation division of the DSI."

First of all; within the DSI there are no "ranks" !

Secondly the chap's name is Korrawat Parnprapakorn and he was previously a Pol. Ltnt. Colonel at the CCSD; certainly not a General.

Thirdly; Khun Korrawat is a Director of Special Ops. at the DSI HQ in Bangkok.

If you're going to report stuff, please do the requited homework and be precise.

@Corkythreat: Before you purchase a sailing-dinghy, drop me a PM. I've sailed small boats all my life and I would not have a problem with giving you a few pointers, okay ?

Also; I'been sailing Pattaya waters + for the past 21 years.

You can also drop me an e-mail at: <deleted>

Cheers,

Jaap

Funny should bring this up: I recently asked a good mate of mine what he thought about starting a new club in Pattaya (we've been here >20 yrs.) consisting of only "normal" people . . . . .

after a moment's pause my friend answered:

"That will be a VERY small club !"

This phenomena is not unique to Thailand; it occurs in tribal-cultures pretty much all over the globe. Apparently there's a very good & simple reason for it: Traditionally, when people moved through forested, jungle or other 'rough-terrains', the man would be "on point" just in case there was any danger (snakes, wild animals, tribal enemies etc.) on their path. He was also the first line of defense in case of trouble.

Somehow (like many other customary phenomena) this particular routine has stood the test of time and is still very much evident in many parts of the world.

True monks (Buddhism) will NOT drink alcohol. In fact; the food they eat, traditionally, is also not to give pleasure (taste) so a true monk will mix the rice with any other dished, including any desert. "Food" is only meant to be taken as "sustenance" in order for the body to be able to function; most certainly NOT for the purpose of "enjoyment".

The only "enjoyment" a true monk will aspire to is an ever increasing sense of "self" and "enlightenment".

There are many books written on this subject.

Ohhh; and you better hurry, 'cause it will probably close down again after a month or so - for lack of 'business' . . . . . . .

As my old uncle Percy used to say - "caviar temptor"

I doubt that; I reckon Uncle Percy used to say "caviat emptor", as this story has nothing to do with any fish-eggs . . . . . . . .

You can import the boat free of excise-duty (iow: Tax-Free), but you still have to pay 7% VAT.

You can not import the Outboard Motor free of excise-duty (+ 200% of new-value) and you also have to pay 7% over the total, which includes cost of CIF !

Forget importing anything with wheels on it, because the import-duties are way too high.

Hope this helps.

A 16yo riding home at 4 a.m. after spending the night on Soi Sunnee Plaza.

He will be out of business for quite some time.

In Holland we'd say: 2 vliegen in één klap.(2 flies in one smack)

Correct ! - and we also say something about "Boontje komt om z'n Loontje" - whereas in English they would refer to this as a "Double Edged Sword" !

Even-though we're being jocular here, it's a horrible thing to experience being stabbed and I sincerely hope that this young guy recovers and possibly re-thinks his, hitherto, chosen career path ?

Sounds like a tailor-made "excuse" to venture to Phuket and do some serious flapping-of-the-sails, in July then !

The solution is as simple as it is brilliant; the proven way in which to cut traffic in half, is the "Odd-Day /\ Even-Day" system: on Odd days, only cars with an odd last digit are permitted on the road and on Even days, only cars with an even last digit . . . . . . .

Violators to be fined an even Tbt. 5,000.- per violation !

Voila; problem solved !

I sincerely hope that people don't judge all Lady-Boys by the behavior of a few.

During my 20 odd years in Thailand I have actually met a few of them and I must say that this is not a phenomena to be joked about; how would YOU like to be born a physical "male", yet inside you feel completely like a "female" - I don't know about any of you guys, but I find life touch enough as it is, without THAT extra baggage to lug around.

I am not saying that there are no 'crazy katoeys' around; but at least I try (successfully !) and feel compassion for those who are not . . . . . .

I know they guy,he gave me one of the football tops,hope he is ok,a realy nice guy,not seen his older lady though.

I don't like this Liberian guy; one of many always trying to emulate my physique. In all honesty, I must admit that he is getting awfully close ! !

The more I get these stories in my inbox, the more positive I am that I made the correct move getting the hell out of Thailand.

Disagree, Aaron: I've lived/worked here a bit over 20 years and I've never ran into any trouble of this kind. Of course I don't take tuk-tuks to Kareoke Bars, not to mention another 75 odd "No-No's" in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Canada, USA, OZ, and a score of other 'civilized' countries.

Oh; and before any of you start; none of this has happened to 99% of my friends here in Thailand. I guess the old adage "Prevention is better than Cure" still applies. Of course it also helps if one speaks the local language . . . a bit.

For a start, what about a mandatory test for AIDS, STDs, TB, Hepatitis B? ALL workers and food vendors should be screened.

"ALL workers and food vendors should be screened."

SHOULD being the operative word

Will not happen in our lifetimes, my friend.

I'd like to see a picture of the guy. He must be some prize.

What do you mean: BEFORE or AFTER his 'beloved' wife returns home ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Definitely written by a native English speaker, attempting to 'hide' that fact.

That kills it for me.

Maybe a few millepide traps can help

Look at this website http://wartook.vic.a...lipede-invasion

I believe the way to catch these creatures is very clever & innovative; however; they ARE creatures and why do they deserve to die ? ? ? It was US to invade THEIR territory, why not take that bucket full of these small animals and set them free in some natural area well away from your home ? ? ?

We live near Jomtien and catch a variety of snakes on our properties, with some regularity. I invested in a special tool (with a fairly long handle !) enabling me to gently, yet firmly pick-up any snake and then walk across the road to a "jungle-area", where I release these snakes . . . . . simple.

Why are we all so intent of killing other creatures ? ? ? ?

Next time; please think before you kill !

Cheers