zydeco

i went into an "all you can eat" breakfast bar in Virginia some years ago, full of fat slobs noshing, dinner time they change the menu, it was an unbelievable site, crash-bang- wallop, up they get, one mad rush, like pigs rushing to the trough, at feeding time, it was nausiating to watch.

Come on, what a contribution to the world civilization, peace and culture:

Fast fat food

Atomic bomb

War all over the world

No social security for the weakest of society.

Genetically modified food

Capital inhuman punishment

Etc....

God bless America

But all the same, America is your obsession, your constant thought, your overwhelming preoccupation. Pure reaction formation, I think. Otherwise, why would you be posting here?

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Can you discuss what I said instead of me. Thanks

You think you're Eleanor Roosevelt? Are you really Hillary Clinton?

i went into an "all you can eat" breakfast bar in Virginia some years ago, full of fat slobs noshing, dinner time they change the menu, it was an unbelievable site, crash-bang- wallop, up they get, one mad rush, like pigs rushing to the trough, at feeding time, it was nausiating to watch.

Come on, what a contribution to the world civilization, peace and culture:

Fast fat food

Atomic bomb

War all over the world

No social security for the weakest of society.

Genetically modified food

Capital inhuman punishment

Etc....

God bless America

But all the same, America is your obsession, your constant thought, your overwhelming preoccupation. Pure reaction formation, I think. Otherwise, why would you be posting here?

Nice looking chap....

Looks like Richard Quest from CNN

It's the very best of the USA politics ...the endless ping pong game that never ends ...Chinese quite enjoy watching at the sidelines

Yes, conflict, challenge, and debate leads to innovation and progress. Enjoy your harmony.

.As a European, please allow me on behalf of my fellow Europeans to thank you, for confirming, what we already knew about the American level of "knowledge".

What a load of BS!!

i am also europeen and i agree with that comment from joc.

white americans should remenber that they where invaders first, and slavers too, and that their roots are most of them from europe, (poor guys, men out of jail, sent to america to colonize indians...you are immigrants...nothing else )

i worked in america, so i met many americans and it was incredible to see, talking to them that they have mainly no idea of nothing outside of america ....and this jungle jim whatever looks exactly the same, a man with no idea about what he is talking about....poor man !

Vincent, as difficult as it might be for you to believe, those "many Americans" you met were not interested in you and where you came from because you and your country were probably just not important enough for them to notice.

Thank for reminding me!!

I forgot to mention Americans selfinflated opinion about their own importance!!

Now, don't take offense, JOC. I'm sure that you come from a nice little country somewhere and probably have real genuine type Yuropeen sophistication.

What? After giving the developed world the two fingers and chasing Chinese and Russians, they want to now get their quality tourists back?

Amazing Thailand.....

"...they want to now get their quality tourists back?"

No they want Europeans. Preferably not the ones that the police have to capture for extradition or who fiddle with children or who beg on the streets (and then spend their donations in Pattaya bars).

"Quality" is not synonymous with race or nationality.

Looks like you found a hipster in its natural environment.

The euros don,t come here for culture. They come here for two reasons. Can you guess what ? And yes Vietnam is far better for culture. Thailand has the idea cover every square inch with Euros , girly bars, foreign restaurants and resorts. Zero charm and no American or Canadian with any brain cells left, that is not already married to a Thai would think of staying or visiting here. i did not move to Thailand twenty years ago to be around millions of very questionable Euros granted not all are bad but i think the majority of Thais have had enough of the Euros, Russians and the middle east types.

As a European, please allow me on behalf of my fellow Europeans to thank you, for confirming, what we already knew about the American level of "knowledge".

What a load of BS!!

i am also europeen and i agree with that comment from joc.

white americans should remenber that they where invaders first, and slavers too, and that their roots are most of them from europe, (poor guys, men out of jail, sent to america to colonize indians...you are immigrants...nothing else )

i worked in america, so i met many americans and it was incredible to see, talking to them that they have mainly no idea of nothing outside of america ....and this jungle jim whatever looks exactly the same, a man with no idea about what he is talking about....poor man !

Vincent, as difficult as it might be for you to believe, those "many Americans" you met were not interested in you and where you came from because you and your country were probably just not important enough for them to notice.

Pssst! This is entirely unnecessary.

Europeans already visit Thailand in massive numbers.

I believe there is a lot of scope to increase the number of European visitors.

Out of curiosity I calculated the number of visitors per thousand of the population for the top 20 countries by tourist arrivals.

Not surprisingly, the top of the list is dominated by Asian countries. The first non-Asian country is Australia with 39 per thousand of the population visiting each year.

Sweden comes next with a very similar 36/thousand.

It should be possible to bring the levels of other countries up to the 35 mark, e.g. UK (15), Russia (12), France (9), Germany (9).

The United States provides very few visitors (3). Again, it should be possible to increase these numbers, despite the travel distance.

Of course, the potential for increasing the number of visitors from wealthy occidental countries doesn't actually mean that TAT will be able to deliver.

Thailand_arrivals.gif

Americans looking for beaches and tropical settings are not going to come to Thailand, because:

*unlike Europe there are many, many tropical alternatives not only within the US but right next door in neighboring countries and islands (some day maybe even Cuba, again)

*why get a passport and visa when you can go to Hawaii? (Only an insane person would pick Thailand over Hawaii)

*SE Asia still largely has a negative mental imprint on most Americans

*for those who are even aware of the region, Vietnam looks more interesting for historical, cultural, and even nostalgic reasons

*if Americans want to stretch their dollar on a vacation to the Far East, they'll go to the Philippines, where English is spoken and there still exists an historical relationship and many American cultural practices.

Frankly, I'm surprised that hardly any Americans at all come to Thailand. Most of them must be Thai expats living in the US or US citizens of Thai descent.

No matter where you live, the loudspeaker bombing will eventually get you. I was okay with the occasional blast coming through the village for some holiday or another. But where things really wore me down was when the Red Shirts set up camp about a kilometer away on Uttthayan Road last spring and thumped out speeches over the loudspeakers 24/7 for a few weeks. My village is pretty much in a Yellow area, but none of this seemed to bother anybody but me. Thais seem to just shrug it off.

Got to love Russian bashing.

Let's see who should thailand be friends with? Someone who offers friendship or someone who dictates the terms of it

Someone who is closer or further

Someone whose nationals invest more in 1 year than any other nation

Someone who has close ties with another 3 neighbouring countries or someone who threats sanctions.

Hard choices there.i wonder what Thailand would chose especially since last words of "condemnation "

"Someone who is closer or further." In the case of Russia, you definitely want to ally with someone further. Almost everybody on Russia's European border fears and loathes them. To know Russia is to hate Russia. Things were better during the Cold War when these barbarous drunkards were confined behind the wall of their own making.

As a German, living in Berlin I can ensure every potential sceptic, that many, especially young folks, flock to Berlin cause of it's very unique nature without a second, no match in the entire world!

At a rate of 40-50 K.p.A. "newcomers" it is not really overwhelming number of people, cause Berlin, it's population, hasn't grown over the passed 40 or so wall years, but shrunk! People, Industries, Employers left this city like rats a sinking ship!

Now things are re-adjusting and that is just fine!

Many creative young people are drawn to this city from all over the globe and live happily next to each other, in some clubs one can hear almost every language spoken on this planet, here in Berlin are by now people from 197 different nations registered!

Taking the economic underperformance of some other EU-countries into account it is understandable what is happening right now, UK faces the same flood of migrating workers manly from eastern EU memberstates!

While som of the expats, commenting here, enjoy their stay in the Kingdom of Thailand, please be generous and let others enjoy their lives in their country of choice too!

Who knows what this will bring in the future, maybe some very positive new development, a new EU population without thick brick walls in their heads and hearts!

Hmmm. Germany. Hipster heaven capital of the world. Who would have thought it.

Americans have some of the most sophisticated palates on the planet.

JT, I am 100% sure that you have a very sophisticated palette. But judging from the attitude of hundreds of US citizens from all walks of life who have ate at my hotels over the past 10 years, I have zero confidence that your statement above is anywhere near the truth.

The USA sure has plenty of excellent restaurants, but that doesn't mean the diners have sophisticated palettes...

BTW, I'm not saying that the Brits have sophisticated palettes, (I don't think they do). But when I was in New York last time, (granted a few years ago), I was 'knocked' off the 'sidewalk'; by the girth of the average American.

Did they get that fat as a result of their sophisticated palette???

If you think New Yorkers are fat, go to Texas!! Houston especially!! America has by far the fattest people. Fact.

Actually, by fact, Mexicans are. And the proliferation of mexican immigration into the US has no doubt fattened up America's bottom line.

Next time OP don't bother with gifts.

Just give them some bank notes, preferably Baht and they will be very thankful.

I speak from own experience.

Yep, that'll do it. I frequently give the housekeeper extra fruit or other things from the market. She is thankful, but not demonstratively though. When the yearly bonus comes around, however, she is over the moon. And she also loves those 7-11 stamps. It may only be ten or twelve baht per week in those stamps, but she loves them better than 200 baht worth of fruit.

All of which makes me start wondering/thinking:

If someone was diagnosed with Ebola here in Thailand, would the Thai doctors have access to either a) any of the experimental drugs mentioned above, or b] blood plasma from any of the recovered victims???

My guess is... NOT! At least, not for the time being/now.

Yep, probably no chance in Thailand. So, if you're an American, hop in a plane bound for the closest American hospital. Hawaii sounds nice. And plop yourself down in the hospital emergency ward. I'm sure all the anti-quarantine people will have no objection to this plan of action whatsoever.

I do not need financial assistance!! There is a care going round the village now saying I'm Baa (crazy already)

I must admit that I'm not sure exactly how to take your story. But every time you post, this sounds more and more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

OP, I think the expats are secretly love Thailand. They just don't want to admit it yet until they leave Thailand; they will find out that Thailand is one of the best countries to stay.

In youre dreams lady,in youre dreams and old age pensioners are not expats .......when the rose tinted glasses start coming of and the viagra starts wearing off what else has youre great country to offer?

Chang or Heineken?

Strangely compelling thread; a real cliffhanger. The OP's phone number briefly appeared in one of his replies yesterday; I didn't note it down, but others may have. Has anyone phoned him? I find myself wondering if there is going to be a plea for some urgent financial assistance.The believers may quickly convert to cynics. It would certainly make my mind up. I'm sat firmly on the fence at the moment, spectating events with interest & keeping an open mind.

But not nearly as captivating as "What happened to Tony."

"Science" has been turned on its head in this discussion. CDC, journalists, television commentators, and politicians are throwing it around like some magic totem. See, Anderson Cooper said, "science." Oooooh. No more need to look into things any further. It's science. Never mind that the scientific method is built upon skepticism and testable methods. Nowadays, our leaders say science, the church of the gullible nod in agreement, and society passes along in blissful ignorance of what will someday afflict them--right around the corner.

Tony's is a Cold Case, not a Closed Case, as near as I can tell. ^^^

You should reconsider your lifestyle choices.

Stop being such a dick and a smart arse for the record ..I have no problem taking the p*ss out of people a lot of time on TV, but there are occasions when its not warranted, and it appears this is one of those occasions.

Reading through this thread it's hard not to come to the conclusion that... A. He's putting everybody on... Or B. He's nutty as a fruitcake.

Could be that reading so many Black Widow stories on TV finally pushed him over the edge.

This reminds me of that post a few months ago, where some guy in a village noticed that the farang who owned a bar had disappeared and all signs of him erased from the bar. The poster promised to take pictures but never came back with the evidence. Don't know if these are people just making stories or if these things really happen. If you read the Pattaya Daily News then you would think they are the norm.

Yes, what happened to Tony ?

Yea, a very similar story to this one, initially. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/672881-what-happened-to-tony/

This reminds me of that post a few months ago, where some guy in a village noticed that the farang who owned a bar had disappeared and all signs of him erased from the bar. The poster promised to take pictures but never came back with the evidence. Don't know if these are people just making stories or if these things really happen. If you read the Pattaya Daily News then you would think they are the norm.

Coral snake?