DavidSL

Is this where all the TV nut jobs meet?

No, but it seems to be attracting the village idiots...

It seems it's only the "good" that will be raptured on the 21st. Everyone else will just stew in their own juice until 21 October when God will destroy everything - the whole universe (it'll be a big day!). So no discounts for the naughty ones, unless maybe coupons to expire on 21 Oct.

I just read this, too. It seems that Jesus will save true-believers, and then reign over 5 months of despair and failings as the World falls apart, and we will all know that Jesus is Lord, but none of us can be saved after the 21st May. Why do fundamentalist (I love that that word has 'mentalist' in it) Christians make God and Jesus into a right pair of bastards? In my understanding God and Jesus are supposed to be enlightened beings, not cruel and sadistic. It's no wonder fundamentalists are such bitter, twisted souls.

Just to clarify, I read that Harold Camping came by this date by calculating the amount of days from 1 AD to now by adding together 3 holy numbers and multiplying by 2. He said he was amazed by the results. He did this previously in 1994 but it came to nothing - he says he had not read enough of the Bible at that time and had made a mistake in his calculations. You would think that by age 72 a preacher would have read all of the Bible quite carefully!

Things like this really piss me off. He calls himself a Christian but spends his life spitting hatred towards different ways of life and then has the audacity to spread fear amongst believers by claiming the end of the World is coming and we're all going to Hell. I don't hate him for it - I can't, really. I just feel sad that people listen to him.

Edited for spelling.

Forum arguments aside - it's an interesting theory. It seems to attract it's fair share of believers and non-believers, just like any theory.

Here's one I found.

http://www.neilslade.com/Papers/how.html

Now lets stop trying to be clever and debate this on a more mature level. I know, I know, I started it

I think the most interesting thing about this subject is the debates that arise from it. You have the open-minded, the ones who simply acknowledge the possibility, and the close-minded, those who simply refuse to even acknowledge the possibility.

Being close-minded is very common. It's easy to close your mind and say, 'nope - Gods were created by man to repress the population and keep us in control' - but where is YOUR proof? All you are doing is simply regurgitating age-old theories, just as we are about reincarnation and religion. It all starts somewhere, and maybe neither of us are right or wrong. BUT simply saying 'MYTH' or 'debunking' any of our beliefs by reciting things you once heard on a TV programme doesn't really change the fact that neither of us can explain any of this. That's why being open-minded isn't saying, 'Yes, this is definitely reincarnation' but simply acknowledging the possibility that there is something out there we don't yet understand that could be spiritual or otherwise.

SteeleJoe, why don't you do a Google search if you're so interested. Why should we pander to you by quoting scientists - it's a well known theory that we only use 10% of our brains. It's not that the other 90% gives us magical powers, but scientists do believe there are many cognitive functions that we don't understand or use on freak occurrences. If you haven't heard this before, maybe you should research and open your mind a little.

Thank you.

Some good advice there if on the whole negative. I only hope this experience, which ever way it goes, does not leave me so jaded.

I will continue contact with this woman. She has not asked me for money, she wants me to learn Thai ( from what I've read, most scammers don't want you to know Thai as it hinders their plans) and she also wants me to come see her when I can but understands I am fa rang.

She did not use any of my funds from my wallet and was invaluable in helping me with police. I GAVE her 20000 baht for 2 months stay with her, where is the sense of decency in some of the reply posts?

Weather or not she has other boyfriends? Well she is a woman and she does have needs, I cannot be there for those full time. The same goes in any country in a new relationship.

I am privy to far more personal information about this woman and our relationship than any of you. Despite what some of you may think from my post, I am intelligent and will not be scammed.

However I think this is more of a case of two people with feelings for each other trying to make something work through all the Thai/fa rang/scammer/distance bullshit.

In hindsight, I should have kept this issue to myself and dealt with it as I have other issues in my life.

Thank you to those of you who took the time to post genuine advice. The others that posted jaded, negative comments, I have nothing to say.

It sounds to me like you didn't come here for advice at all, but rather to read what you wanted said. Those here that come across as jaded are mainly speaking from experience. I have no experience with Thai girls bar one, who I'm with now - but I didn't meet her in a bar and she was a nice family girl I met through a friend of a friend.

This situation you're in, to me, sounds 50/50. As in, it could be great, it could be another Thai horror story for you. Only time will tell that, but those that have given you negative comments shouldn't be ignored, as they have much more experience than you or I.

I genuinely hope for you that it is real, but just be careful. The only thing that nags at me is this comment:

Weather or not she has other boyfriends? Well she is a woman and she does have needs, I cannot be there for those full time. The same goes in any country in a new relationship.

Do you really feel this way? That's pretty sad. You shouldn't settle for someone who can't wait for her needs to be met by you. It sounds like you are already compromising on your feelings for this woman, and that is a worrying sign, and definitely a little naive. I'm not trying to be insulting, I'm only a couple of years older than you, but I feel that maybe you are letting your heart rule over common sense.

Anyway, I'm a romantic - and truly, honestly, I really do hope this is a genuine love story and it works out for you. There's nothing better than the holiday of a lifetime and a romance coming out of it!

"I'm retired. I invented dice when I was a kid, so..."

Yes, I stole it from a movie, but I doubt they will have heard it here (or understand it).

Good thats sorted out all religions then . Closed no, but at least its not "gullible"

But definitely closed. I respect that you don't share these beliefs, but to throw a little insult in there to try to disuade us is a bit pointless. You surely must understand that we don't know everything? What you see everyday in your daily life is obviously, to you, what is real, and there is no possibility that anything else could exist, however fantastical. But to some of us, we like to keep an open mind as to that possibility. We know, through science, that there are many, many things we ourselves would never know about otherwise - and how many of us would have believed in the wonders of the universe without it being shown to us by cleverer persons than I? The fact is, the World is miraculous in itself, but through our daily lives we don't experience it, and it cultivates the simple attitude that because our lives don't come into contact with wonder, it can't be out there.

And many more believe in other self serving, baseless hope giving theorys, completely without one single iota of tangible evidence other such completely insane things

Half the world....that proves =zero. It shows how backwards we are. Think of it, so many people believe in talking snakes, a world created in 7 days...

using you grandpa's tragic end as some sort of evidence is like me saying my mother grandma did not like chicken and I do not also because of that...

Oh, so seeing as though the dali lama is chosen that way, it must mean it's got something. Well, seeing as though he is a sexist and his comment recently on gays " it is actually a sin.." forgive me for not quite accepting that.

Oh and your like him as well, oh, that it then,,,, its proven.... sorry for posting!

And what do you believe? Do you believe in nothing at all? It shows how backwards you are! Every brain should be able to process the notion of possibility!

I don't think the OP actually defended the Dali Lama in any way - he just pointed out that it is how the Dali Lama is chosen. Way to throw your weight around, though, you've really added to your side of the debate...

There is no Buddhist church. Buddhism is more a Philosophy ,rather than a religion. There is no "bible" or "koran" in Buddhism. No demand that you regularly attend a "church " service. No demand that you regularly pray. Etc.,Etc.,As a final comment ,there is no God or gods in Buddhism

Isn't a Temple considered a Buddhist Church? I'm really quite interested in Buddhism since coming here. I don't see myself becoming a Buddhist, but I really do like their spirituality and mindset. They may not have a 'God' - but they certainly have a 'leader'. Buddha, by my understanding, is like a God without being a creator? I find most fascinating their belief but not following of Hinduism, as well. They certainly believe in the Gods of that religion - and their belief in spirits would indicate a further belief in the existence of another 'Godly' presence.

Not sure about the 'official' stance on reincarnation - but it's a big part of the Buddhist following. I know that my girlfriend is a strong Buddhist, and tells me her beliefs when we discuss it. Buddhists believe in Heaven, like us, but believe to achieve 'Nirvana' you must lead a full life by being good, kind and giving. Reincarnation occurs and is entirely random, so it seems whether you achieve Nirvana or not is based upon who you are reincarnated as and what you do with that life. We had quite a long discussion about it whilst sitting on Samet Beach late at night just the other weekend. Was a most relaxing debate!

There's a story in the Thai media that my girlfriend has been following like this, but with different circumstances. As far as I can tell from what my girlfriend told me, there was a family with a daughter who had a boyfriend but another guy was interested in her. The two guys were fighting for her affections and she couldn't take it any longer so took her own life. Year later the boyfriend is married and has a daughter. When the daughter was around 3 she started finding things in the house and saying, 'this is mine' (just as kids do). However, she then started telling relatives she had to get a new ... and ... - items that the girlfriend had given to her boyfriend before taking her own life. The little girl refused to be called by her own name, instead saying that she was this woman and knowing her full name. They were interviewing her on TV last night but now she's about 9 and says she doesn't remember much of her previous life.

Do I believe it? Sometimes it's hard not to. Media stories are one thing, and I tend to remain cynical, but hearing something like that in person, wow, that is weird. I think there may be something in it - I like to be open-minded about beliefs.

I think we should just let 'F1fanatic and 'rocketmanbkk' duke it out, to see which moronic side of the argument wins first.

F1fanatice, please stop speaking to thai people like a knob. You are being laughed at and making yourself look like a right knob!

I'm actually doubting whether the poster is actually married, or just talking about a girlfriend. From his posts, I'm going to guess he's around 17 years old?

Unless you're of a similar age to your wife (and worth a lot of money), I suspect your wife will be v tolerant of other, wealthier farang - when not in your company.

Completely unnecessary. Yes, the OP has written some dumb post about how we all look like 'right knobs' in his and his 'wife's' opinion, but there's really no need to start attacking his 'wife's' faithfulness in the relationship. Are you claiming all Thai women go for the wallet? That would surely make you a complete bitch?

"and also teaches her to talk dirty" - Your wife's friend's husband (I think I got that right!) is just the typical, stupid farang that was unable to find a g/f in his home country, moved here and amazingly found a woman that thought him incredibly attractive..... Which is why we have such an awful reputation here.

The last person on earth you need to look to for advice is him or his wife.

Wait, not a complete bitch, just a moron who assumes to know all about everyone here. The reason we have such an awful reputation here, believe it or not, is because of what you just did - ASSUMING. You just did exactly what you seem to hate, perpetuating a stereotype. If a man is in a relationship with a Thai woman, by your standards, they should cease any activity which might further risk the bad reputation these relationships summon. Hypocritical bullsh*t.

Now, I'm not claiming that either of you are morons in the real World, but it looks as if in this thread you are both just living up to the Internet stereotypes of morons on opposite sides.

+1 good post, until " (u % go t two @ ya bite a boa t tipping ski l' ls. :lol:

Good Lord, man, get to a computer class this second!

I speak Thai to Thai people. I know very basic Thai, but I do try. If I can't, then I speak English but simply. I don't speak English like I do to English people, because then I'd come across as one of those <deleted> who thinks people from other Countries should speak the Queens and to Hell with them if they don't. You see, that's how all you people who speak English as you do at home come across over here - obnoxious and impatient with other nationalities. This is why we speak Thaiglish, out of an attempt at communicating on some level with someone who may or may not understand us. It's not about how we sound or taking the piss out of others, it's because we are trying to be considerate with people we don't understand and who don't understand us. If the person responds with good English, then we'd obviously apologise, laugh about it and speak English to them. It works both ways. Thai people here always attempt to speak basic English to accomodate the large percentage of us who are either learning Thai or just can't be bothered.

Concerning Thai people laughing behind our backs, so what? Are you really so worried what other people think of you? People who spend their time laughing at you for being nice and attempting communication politely really don't make a difference to your life. I find here that Thai people can be amazingly nice, but there are those who really don't want to be your friend and happily show it. I don't really care about those people - just let them carry on with their narrow-minded lives and get on with yours. I'm sure not going to stop being nice and polite because a few uneducated individuals can't tolerate it. And by uneducated, before anyone jumps on it, I'm not talking about 'an education' - I'm talking about a learned ability through life experience to not be rude.

Furthermore - does anyone else find it ironic that nearly 50% of the replies to this thread are written in very bad English? Maybe this says more about the typing skills of the posters, but still...

Lastly - no, that's it.

I have nothing very important to add, but I agree with those who say Foodland is the place to go. I'm constantly impressed by Foodland prices, and the constant stream of offers they have, week by week. I enjoy going for dinner there (excellent yellow curry!) and then on with the shopping.

But my weekly shop is at Tops. They have everything I need and then some. My girlfriend can get her Thai produce, and I can get my western foods, and we're pretty much sorted for the week. Between Tops and Foodland (both within driving distance of my home) we are covered. I've rarely shopped in a Big C store, and find them too big for my weekly shopping experience. Same with Carrefour - I was in the Srinakarin branch the other day and just found myself a bit lost - the layout is bizarre!

I like the idea of doing 2-3 months worth of shopping in one go, though my fridge couldn't handle it! I might start doing 'big shops' soon to stop those weekend trips to the supermarket, which do tend to break up the day!

David, you are the one who began the comparison with back home

However, I probably exaggerate by a couple of pounds; but it is getting ridiculous, it hurts to look at a bill.

And yes, when I sit down with my family I need at least a bottle of wine and a few drinks

But...lest we get off topic

If you're with your family ordering a bottle of wine then I understand! Comparisons aside, we spend what we spend, and yes, this is getting silly.

I wish I could afford a 2000 baht meal!

Anyway, enough - you have your places, I have mine.

Depends on what the meal consists of; if you are having a apertif,bottle of wine; appetizers, main courses, desserts, coffee, possibly a cognac or brandy after the meal then I don't think 2000bht per head is that outrageous.

And that is an 'average family meal' how?

Red lobster in the states for example; a family restaurant in every sense of the word and NOT considered expensive, can VERY easily come to 50-60 dollars PER PERSON.

I have also been to the UK where a pint at a restaurant can easily be up to 10 pounds, so a big meal could easily get up to 40 pounds.

Get real or go to McDonalds

But the mistake you're making here is comparing a normal family restaurant in America to a normal family restaurant in Bangkok. There are lots of 'normal' family restaurants here that cater to Western tastes that don't cost that much. I seriously doubt you were charged 10 pounds for a pint in England - although our prices are ridiculously high, 10 pounds is a mockery. If that is indeed true, then it shows what you consider normal and I think we can end the discussion there. You are obviously a man of certain tastes!

McDonalds as the alternative to a 2000 baht meal? I think you're living in the wrong Thailand!

This all comes down to the recent Western centring of all human life experience around the children of a nuclear family. Every burp or fart or gurgle by the children is applauded and given its own diary entry. Going out for a meal with parents and their offspring is a pointless activity as every interesting conversation is stopped by the parents so they can listen to their vile children's rambling incoherence.

This has not yet reached Thailand, so when the child-centred, saintly Western parents bring their children this provokes a clear breach in the social norms. They simply shouldn't be there. Children should not be observed, heard, seen, discussed, mentored, or partake in any social activity of adults.

This tedious centring of the child, focusing on it in breach of the norms of civility and good conduct is just not acceptable here. And if there was a God, then I would thank God.

Some parents love their children and bring them up accordingly. Over-nurturing is bad, I agree, but the extent to which you describe it sounds more like a bitterness on your part than actual experience. I think children nowadays are spoiled by Western rules and imposed safety regulations more than over-bearing parents.

I'm sure there are plenty of grown-ups here who never received that loving family environment and grew into healthy adults, but I don't think it should be a hard and fast rule in society.

I certainly don't spend that kind of money on food, but I also don't go to average priced "family" restaurants (we are talking about an Italian joint in Thailand right, not Somchai's noodle stand?) and complain that an "upscale" restaurant allows children to dine there???

Get real

I'm confused as to how 2000 baht PER HEAD is an average priced family restaurant. I'm confused, because I've been to very nice restaurants suitable for families where you could easily get a nice Italian meal (cooked by Italians, no less), dessert and drink (not a wine or cocktail but beer or soft drink) for under 1000 baht. UNDER 1000 baht, just for those of you who don't understand money. There is absolutely no way that 2000 baht per head is an average family restaurant. Do you pay over 40 pounds per head back home for an average family meal? Because, going by the current exchange rate, this works out at more than that.

Get real...

Anyway, I'm sorry for throwing the thread off topic. I'd rather be next to a table with a child than a group of drunken oafs who don't know how to behave in polite society. I realise the OP wasn't about this, but it all mixes in, in my opinion.

I'll happily post some pics once I get more used to using the camera!

On a side note - how is everyone with an N8 finding it? So far I'm really impressed, but a bit concerned by the call quality. Whilst the quality is great, it's a bit on the 'soft' side and I've noticed a few audible 'pops' or 'cracks' whilst being on a call. Is this happening to everyone? Is it a software issue or is it more likely the hardware? Whilst using the phone to play music or sound there's none of this, it only seems to be on calls - so I don't think it's a problem with the speaker, but rather the software?

2000 baht per head is upscale

A true upscale restaurant is on average upwards of 10,000 baht per head and such a true "fine dining" restaurant will provide adequate ambiance.

Advice: stop slumming it, spend real money or stop complaining

Ridiculous, and you look ridiculous for posting it. 10,000 Baht on a restaurant in Thailand is an idiot's choice. If you have this kind of money to throw around, you must be impressing a lot of other similarly ridiculous people. I understand going to a nice restaurant here and spending a lot of cash, but saying that 2000 Baht is 'slumming it' makes you come across as a bit of an arse.

On topic, I agree with a large number of people that it's a risk you take. You can't blame parents for bringing their child with them, and kudos to those particular parents for getting up and walking around with the child to keep him/her entertained and quiet. I was on a flight that had a screaming baby for quite a large part of the flight, and I just felt sorry for the parent/s. It must be hard looking after a child and whilst there are obviously some inconsiderate parents out there, this post doesn't seem to be about them.

7/11 raincoat > rain

I actually love driving in the rain, less people

Where I live everyone seems to come out at once and sit in their cars not moving.

When I moved here last year I don't remember it raining like this all the time until around June/July. But maybe I missed some of it by not coming until the end of May?

EDIT: And just two minutes later, it's raining again!

Since when has Britain's Got Talent been a show about actual talent? It's always just been a parade of people who want to be on TV desperately. This girl provided 5 mins of laughs for the audience, so she'll be back. But yes, I do agree about the stereotype being perpetuated further. Can't be helped, though - walk around Thailand - is the stereotype so wrong?

Since when has Michael McIntyre been a judge on this show?? I like him, I think he's naturally funny and has a quick wit - but this is just disappointing. I'm starting to see why people get really annoyed seeing him on TV. That crack about her name - "...Watching porn?!?!" and the audience laughing away stupidly - surely that's a little disrespectful?

In short, I'm an idiot. Removed the protective film from the lense and now snapping happily away in it's full 12 megapixel glory. Thankyou, lomatopo!

Abuse deserved, nay, welcomed!

Assuming you've sorted out the usual problems: removing the plastic cover which protects the lens during shipping, cleaned any spooge from the lens, have properly set the camera up, yadda yadda yadda, how are you viewing your pictures? Uploaded to a PC? What is the file size? I am the worst photographer in the known universe and even my pix from a lame-ish 5 MP phone cam with no flash look pretty decent. While it might be possible you have a bad phone/camera, first guess would be operator (new user excitement) error. If in doubt, return it ASAP, and try a new one.

lomatopo, you've saved me not only a rather embarrassing, not to mention pointless trip to the Nokia shop, but you've allowed me a huge sigh of relief, as well. You did good today, and for that you should give yourself a pat on the back, a beer, or whatever it is that you use to congratulate yourself!

It was indeed a combination of new user excitement and stupidity. You see, I bought the phone and immediately bought one of those rubber cases too keep it from harm. I then bought a screen protector and forgot entirely to check whether the lense had been protected by one of those pieces of film. As soon as you mentioned this I checked the phone and lo and behold, it did. Removed it promptly and excitedly started snapping away. Quality is fantastic - I even put it through our TV using the HDMI cable to check.

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. I hope someday I can jump to your rescue should any of my stupidity befall you!

Thanks all, I finally went for the N8 and it's a fantastic phone, except... the camera doesn't appear to be working to spec at the moment. All my pictures are grainy or foggy (tried flash off, white balance, exposure, everything!) and I'm pretty peeved. If it keeps on like this I'll be visiting the store with it (luckily I bought it from the Nokia store) and having words about it, because to be honest, this is disappointing for a 12 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera!

Started a new post about this!

Ok, so I wanted a smart phone and a good camera was a big need for me. So I went for the N8 - recommended by many to be the best camera phone on the market (with it's 12 megapixel Carl Zeiss lense!). I've been using the camera since yesterday and the quality wasn't too good on the screen, but I figured maybe it'll look a bit better on the computer. Wrong! So far the pictures are grainy and over-exposed, and despite fiddling with the settings I'm not having any luck getting good pictures from this camera. To rub salt in to the wound I tried my girlfriend's LG phone with it's 5 megapixels (it's probably 3 years old by now) and it takes better close-ups than my N8.

Now I KNOW this isn't a bad camera after reading numerous reviews before purchasing, and I know it's meant to be very, very good. So what's the problem? The phone clearly isn't faulty, but something isn't right with this camera, because it just isn't performing to spec, or anywhere near spec.

N8 owners, HELP!

Please, any N8 bashing, take it elsewhere.

In lieu of my last post being a little dry, I'll add this - the weekends are my 'sanuk' time. That's when me and my girlfriend head out around Bangkok and visit temples occasionally, or just head to shopping malls to 'hang out'. I find shopping malls here to be much more thrilling than back home - the nearest shopping mall to me in England is a good 40 minutes away and not the most convenient place to go to spend time. On the weekends we are rarely stuck at home except for our lie-ins and sometimes evenings watching a DVD. We enjoy going to the cinema as well, and find the cinemas here really inviting, but this can be expensive on a regular occasion.

My best advice is this - plan it all, but don't expect to stick to it completely. I find the weather here really slows me down, which is why going to malls on the weekends does become a fun past time because it's nice and cool in the air conditioning and you can find nice restaurants to eat in and relax. That said, if you aren't working then you don't want to be in the habit of waking up late and becoming a sloth - so yes, waking up early to go to Thai lessons is a fantastic idea. If I didn't have my work routine here I would have gone mad by now. Definitely get involved in something educational to keep your mind active.

Good post - I'm always interested to see how other Westerners live their lives here. Although this week has been a slow one for me, I'm out a lot more than I was at home. I'm out every night, and all weekends. None of it involves bars or drinking, either, which is quite refreshing from UK life.

Blimmin' 'eck - you're gonna be a busy one!

I've had all of this week off, and so far, apart from going out with my girlfriend when she gets home from work, I've barely left the room.

I've been...

- watching my 'Red Dwarf' DVDs from my recent trip home,

- playing my PS3 that I sensibly brought back over with me,

- trying my best to practice drawing and keep a daily routine going (when I can summon the willpower),

- reading a little (I'm quite into my comics and find Kinokuniya a little haven on weekends),

and...

- eating.

That's it. I admire people like you - I really need to work on my routine. Of course, I do start back at work next week, so that'll boost my energy levels a bit!