sabai-dee-man

Don't know how anyone on the outside (i.e. us foreigners) can be even remotely surprised by these soundbites/reports/speculations. If it does indeed happen, the Thais will just accept it, just like they have every other unelected PM. If Pita does manage to get in, there will just be another coup. Greed knows no bounds, and that's what really drives the ruling class, not a desire to do good for the people. The youngsters are finally starting to get a taste for change though, but I bet it takes another generation, at least, for change. 25 years ago my missus said "Thailand will never change", and so far she's been right.

Well, I know what my personal experience is virtually every time a Thai denies something... They'll stand there and stare you in the eye and tell you the sky is green, rather than admit anything.

When my wife first moved to the UK in the early 2000s, she discovered The History Channel. Not only was she glued to it, but very often I'd see her crying when it came to event regarding Burma and Thailand. She went on to run a local ex-armed forces social club, and became engrossed in western history, particularly WWII as my grandad was a D-Day veteran, and most of the club members were ex-WWII RAF. They're not all dumbarses... sometimes they just need to be shown the way.

Some say "you're only as old as you feel!"... others say "you're only as old as the girl you want to feel!" ????????????

How old was she? ????????????

When I first moved back to the UK with my Thai wife, the age difference was just 6 years.... people still stared, because they are ignorant ars*holes! The only place we can be truly comfortable is in Thailand (and much of Asia in general, to be fair), because most Asians don't have a stick up their backside about age gaps like westerners do. Even a lot of self-righteouos members here commenting on it... I suspect because they're trapped in a relationship with some tattooed porker that's going to take them to the cleaners if they bug out!

Same here. But we had serial killers in the news, and I used to watch things like The Professionals and The Sweeney with my dad, and play "violent" computer games... and still never had the urge to stab and kill anyone! I've given a few kickings though, and taken a few, and even still talk to some of those guys with whom I had fist fights with in school if I ever bump into them. Things were different back then, I guess.

Er, what?! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Communist_Party

What's Thai for Wumao? Surely you must be a Junta shill?

They were quick enough to implement a "show us your vaccine certificate", why can't they implement a "show us your insurance certificate"? No insurance, no entry. Simples. I can't be totally unsympathetic, but it's hard to really care much about their plight. If you can afford the £700+ flight and all the fun when you get here, you can afford the £100 insurance.

Due another... it's been almost 10 years already! ???????????? I think if they don't do it often enough, they fear they'll forget the proceedure! Really, is anyone surprised by all this? Maybe someone new to the country, but anyone who's been here for 10 years or more will have heard all the stories of past. I've seen two in my time, and I'm sure there are members here who've been through 3, 4, even 5 coups. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see anything changing for years, maybe decades to come, unless there's civil war.

And the Earth is flat!

Sorry, I have to disagree. He may well have deserved a damn good slap (who knows, I wasn't there either), but no-one deserves having their head stomped on (or being senselessly kicked while down, which I've seen happen a number of times in Thailand). Thai's have zero self-control once the cork pops, and for some it takes very little to pop it!

Yes, I am, although I've not personally had a kicking. (Sometimes more luck than judgement, in my younger years.) I've seen plenty though, both Thai on Thai and Thai on foreigner. It's not just limited to Thais kicking off on tourists.

I hope you never need to care, too. I've travelled and lived on-and-off in Thailand for the last 25 years, and I've seen extreme reactions from Thai males to the most minor of situations. Whether the American started the trouble or not, stomping on someone's head (or using a weapon, be it improvised or carried, which is very common with Thais) is way out of order. It's the result of the mai bpen rai/face-saving BS and the pent up tension that goes with it, that goes on all over SE Asia. Maybe one day you'll stand up for yourself or make a minor off-the-cuff comment someone takes offence to, and get an absolute kicking. You'll care then!

I stayed for almost 6 months, and spent about £15k. Travelled to Krabi, Khao Lak, Trat, Khao Yai, Korat, Udon and more. Saying that, saving up for 3 years (through Covid) certainly assisted with that spend, but 45 day visas made life simpler. I only had to do 2 border runs in those 6 months.

You're not wrong. I just did 175 days with the 45+30 visas/extensions. Border runs are always a ballache, but when they're 75 days apart it's not so bad.... and easier than the farcical hoops they were asking me to jump through last September for a 60 day tourist visa.

???????????? Many here don't even have a driving license, and you're asking about a fork lift license?!

He doesn't realise how lucky he is... 6-8 Thai guys just waiting to give him a kicking there! I bet the place was virtually empty before he appeared!

I can agree with some of that. My issue is the reported incidents on another popular channel/forum of Russians aggressively taunting Ukranians in Phuket. Sure, I can believe a number are here because they want a break after best part of 3 years of Covid, and that some don't want conflict with Ukranians. But I'd put ฿50 on most of them here not giving a sh*t about Ukraine, and can simply afford not to end up on the frontline... if it was legal to gamble here, of course!

Nothing like a bit of selective editing... there are plenty of middle-aged (read, of fighting/conscription age) Russian men here right now. Your photo showing women and children means nothing.

Draft dodgers... but the more here, the less there are in Ukraine. I don't personally like them; my overriding, albeit limited experiences with them have been largely negative, but they're relatively easy to avoid. I try to remain positive and think that they are "conscientious objectors" rather than supporters of Russia's policies and just cowards! ????‍♂️

Thais have low expectations.

I visited the military museum at Overloon a couple of years ago, and had a "discount for your next visit (in the same year)" included (I'm British -- there was no special "Dutch" ticket). Same happens at the Bovinton Tank Museum in Dorset, UK, which everyone gets too, regardless of nationality. It's the same with many places in the UK like zoos and parks. Took the missus to London when she first relocated 20 years ago, and she was suprised how everyone pays the same (but with concessions for kids and OAPs, and sometimes disabled). There's no excuse for hidden dual pricing.

The difference is, they don't hide it. I'm a Brit, who worked in Florida for a while back in my early 20s, and I was easily able to get a Florida ID card (based on my passport details -- yes, I understand other states/now might be different) that I could then use for "touristy places" and even many night clubs, and they would give me local pricing. Previously, when just holidaying there, it was clear that locals could buy passes to most of the attractions like Disney/Wet'n'Wild/Universal etc., for discounted entry. The irony is that back then, locals were even selling discount "tickets" to tourists to use to get into many places cheaper, that were basically just unused tabs torn from full-price tickets they'd snapped up (or possibly obtained from someone working at the attractions). And don't give me "yeah, but in America it's all in English and and you're a native English speaker", because other than hidden entry fees, when do you EVER see Thai prices written with Thai characters rather than Arabic numerals?! Even in deepest Issan where English menus often don't exist, prices are shown as "฿40/50" etc.