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.

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

On 6/1/2023 at 6:48 PM, Dickie Dee said:

A very wise lady once told me that money…..can fix a LOT of problems. 

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

12 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Actually, it looks weird. When your with someone that looks like your daughter it looks weird in public. There’s no way of avoiding it. You need to overcome the feeling of people staring and gossiping.

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!

19 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

We never had teacher patrols when I was in grade 7, 8, 9 or 10 in UK. 

 

11 and 12 is sixth form. No teacher patrols there either.

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.

On 5/26/2023 at 8:38 PM, The Old Bull said:

China has not been communist since Deng Xiopeng. Also it is not a dictatorship ,it has a one party system that keeps the wealth from buying conrol . An that what pisses off the yanks. 

Er, what?!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Communist_Party

On 5/26/2023 at 1:18 AM, h90 said:

not yet premier and already the first damage done

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.

7 hours ago, Zapitapi said:

nonsense..nicotine isnt addictive the additives in ciggies are..nicotine binds to the ace-2 receptors and is actually aiding in preventing multiple health issues..

And the Earth is flat!

On 4/19/2023 at 2:55 AM, NorthernRyland said:

Well yes, I'm under the under assumption this was guy was causing trouble but maybe he was  just slightly rude and deserve this. Who knows without being there....

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!

1 hour ago, isaanistical said:

Assume you are speaking from experience? (Yes, I have been in a few stoushes over the years here).

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.

8 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

maybe, but I find it really hard to care to be honest

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!

On 4/1/2023 at 8:47 AM, Operator2002 said:

Yes, ordinary tour-package tourists don't come for 1 month and more - but long stay people who can afford it, - do! 

And they spend minimum 20 000 baht per month: they rent property, they eat food, they shop - which is good for Thai economy and just better than nothing anyway. 

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.

3 hours ago, Mark mark said:

Yes, they are very Dangerous pieces of Kit Fork Lifts ! ... I wonder if they have to have a special license to drive one as they do in other Places ... Like Crain Driving, forklift Drivers are usually Lifers also !!! and well it wreaks their backs also, as they have No ? Or Minimal springs, as they have to lift stuff up. ... Plenty of Folang Ex Fork Lift drivers in this country too I would say. ... Maybe one could post for us here !!! ??? ... I had better loo below I guess ? 

????????????  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!

19 hours ago, Operator2002 said:

Do you prefer to be selfish and save your life or die for nothing as cannon fodder? Just common sense. It is clear until there are mass protests in Russia these youngsters cannot change the regime alone (or you will repressed immediately even for anti-war picture drawn by your daughter in school) when the most of Russian society support it or passive conformists. 

 

Stiil, some people are just tourists looking for a holiday after long COVID period. 

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!

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.

13 minutes ago, Bob12345 said:

It might be unique to The Netherlands then, but eveyrbody pays the same for a single ticket at the door no matter your country of origin.

I suppose that is the same all over Europe (at least Northern Europe), but maybe I am wrong.

 

What they normally do is sell yearly memberships. One time entrance is say 10 euro's, or you can come as many times as you like for a year for the total sum of say 50 euro's. That way the local people can enjoy the attraction for a lower average price, but there is no dual pricing (which is against the law). In Holland you buy a museum year card and you can enter 200 musea for a year for like 100 euros. Visit 5 museums and you got your money out of it already. A similar thing I see here in Thailand as well: the aquarium here on Phuket sells a yearly membership for 999 baht where a regular ticket is about 100-200 baht. A waterpark sold tickets for 500 baht, or you buy a yearly membership for 4 people for 25K baht. Come once a month and you are better off with the yearly ticket, but for tourists it is not worth it as they are only here for a couple of days/weeks.

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.

1 hour ago, dddave said:

The sad truth is, most countries charge tourist more than locals.  If you travel in the USA, even if a citizen, cross a state line and visit a state park, you will pay higher entrance and usage fees than locals will.  Go to any public beach and locals will have parking stickers allowing them to park for far less.  Go to almost any museum or public attraction in the US or Europe, locals pay less than outsiders.  Even US National Parks charge Non-citizens higher fees.

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.