renaissanc

From what I've heard over the years here, you're pretty well spot on. That's how karaoke bars operate and how they can afford so many staff whose job it is to beat up anyone who complains.

The best way to avoid being scammed by bars in Thailand is to give up alcohol. Every glass of alcohol damages the body because it is a Group 1 carcinogen (the worst of the worst, along with processed meats). There is sufficient evidence linking it to cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver. I gave up alcohol on 5th November 1982 on the island of St. Vincent and I've not been to a bar since.

I wouldn't dare to do this nowadays, even with flour. If the Customs Officer who sees the flour is corrupt, he could exchange it for real drugs and extort you or arrest you if you won't pay. I used to live near a BKK Port Customs officer. He was very wealthy. But maybe this was because of working overtime often.

Heroin suppliers work with the Police in Thailand. In exchange for letting them run their operation, they pay the Police the agreed-upon amount each month and help the Police arrest drug mules now and again. The drug suppliers will choose someone to sacrifice so that they can carry on their business. It's a Win-Win for them and the Police. In this case, the American was probably the sacrifice. The Police will probably then sell the heroin. The business model is excellent!

This is a lot of money to MANY people. In my case, it can buy for my 26 cats 71 packets of cat treats (enough for maybe 3 years) or 9 x 20 kgs of dried cat food (1 bag per 3 weeks) or 379 cans of wet cat food (enough for a year @ 1 can per day). If the sum is of no consequence to you, please send the amount to Catdom's Chief Accountant:

Every foreigner is recorded in a centralised computer register. If a foreigner commits a crime, chances are that s/he can be found. The same should happen to ALL transgender women (or whatever they are) in Pattaya because so many of them are carrying out criminal activities. Anyone who has a sex change should be fingerprinted and photographed. I wouldn't dare to converse with one of them in Pattaya because the transgender is likely to have a fellow transgender behind me about to rob me.

Jail him for XX years, fine him XXX,000 Baht, then deport and blacklist him. It's tempting to add, "Bury him leaving his head exposed, and then make the area around his face a place that attracts dogs to xxxx on him.", but I wouldn't dream of saying this.

I moved out 7 years ago because I could see what was happening in Tung Kru, Samuth Prakarn where my wife and I used to live in a housing estate next to a canal that connects to the sea. It's a real phenonomenon!

When nobody buys Russian oil, then the war economy will collapse. I think that Putin will be assassinated then.

I think the foreigners thought the cat was a stray. The Police will be able to trace the car to their home address. They should have asked around first, though, if the cat had an owner.

BTS hasn't thought about this yet. They will change the rule soon. It's a no-brainer. If BTS decides to be stupid and to ban policemen from the BTS, I expect that an audit of their accounts will uncover some interesting information. BTS knows this. Every corporation has skeletons in its cupboards ... and what about the bribes that the BTS has paid over the years to do business? How embarrassing if they were uncovered!

What absolute nonsense! ..."Thailand will chew you up and spit you out if you're not ready," I've been here 41 years and never experienced anything remotely near to this scenario. Thailand isn't a mission impossible.

Aside from the prophecies and visions about global destruction, I think this is inevitable because it seems to be the only way for mankind to reset the world and to move to the next level, which is world unity. The leaders of North Korea, Russia, China, and Iran are leading mankind towards World War 3. There will be no winner in this war, even though they think they will win it. There will just be many, many years of fighting, the death of global trade, and the destruction of the world's currencies and economic systems. Those who have gold and their own land to grow food will come out on top.

I think their decision to homeschool their children is a good idea. The international schools in Thailand are SO expensive. The various refundable and non-refundable deposits are a financial killer. The Sarasas bilingual schools certainly used to be affordable.

Dale, I've just skimmed through a video about Mansfield. I can see why you would want to leave the place. I expect people will point out that your dream of living in Thailand is difficult and you'll fail. Ignore them! If you have a dream, go for it despite the difficulties. I came to Thailand with a suitcase in 1984 and have been here ever since. I assume you've thought about how you'll earn an income. To get yourself going financially, you might like to consider ensuring income by using your cash to buy and sell 5 Baht or 10 Baht gold bars. Many Thais do this. I don't know about westerners doing this, though. You probably don't have a pension. You won't need one if you learn about gold. Bank interest is around 1.5%. Gold increases its annual value by around 28%. It's up to you. I suppose you have gravitated towards living in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, or some city or other. If you have loads of money to burn on rent, fine. If you want to save money, choose a rural town and rent a condominium or house for much less. My family of 4's first accommodation was renting a room in Phuket. Choose your friends carefully. In my experience, expats can be quite negative and might pull you down. There are always ways to achieve your dream. I wish you success and a happy life here!