timmyp

Go to school and study properly. I cannot stress that enough.

Everybody who speaks Thai at any decent level will tell you the same thing.

There are plenty of people who claim to speak Thai, but speak so poorly, and will only impress those who know nothing.

I promise that 3 months at a proper Thai language school with a half-a$sed effort will get you to a higher level than people who learned to speak with bargirls and claim to be proficient with their 30-word vocabulary.

One less "self-made" internet genius posting here?

555

That is a really great observation, because of course people working off the internet are fraudsters.

I actually took this news report as one more fat wealthy elitist who can't write his address is Thai being removed. Don't feel offended if that doesn't fit you.

five-five-five

Ummmm ... "five-five-five" ?????????????????????????????

That makes no sense ... ha ha ha.

Let us know when you get that joke.

I didn't mean to use such high-brow humour on you, bangkokequity. Say the numbers in Thai, and you will get it.

I would insert a joke about your inability to have figured that out, but I'm afraid it will be over your head again.

One less "self-made" internet genius posting here?

555

How long has he been on the run? I found charges on him from 2007, so he's been on the run for 8 years? Hope he lived it up, and is content with those memories.

What a beautiful use of wealth.

The potential punishment seems ridiculously harsh.

Wow, that size that fin... that thing must have been huge.

It should just read, "No more announcements about elections until 2016"

Wow 2 pages in and no digital pikey derailment??

It's a lot more pleasant around here now the "clique" has sloped off to continue their low-brow "banter" elsewhere.

Instead of the digital pikey derailment, there are opinions from overweight corporate elitists who are incapable of writing their own address in Thai?

I think many digital "pikeys" are have no problem making appropriate purchases when occupying a seat in coffee house or restaurant.

I good rule might be "leave 30 minutes after making your purchase", meaning that you can make a new purchase and reset the clock.

That's OK for a cup of coffee, but what about a meal? I would finish it in 30 mins (provided the chicken did not come 30 mins after the French Fries).

We are talking about eating establishments as well as coffee shops aren't we?

I was not intending to start a debate as to the best method. Obviously there should be something that addresses the size of the purchase. Or maybe you should just purchase a small drink at the restaurant to reset the clock on your seat-occupancy time. But that's just a brainstorming idea, the main point is to have a seat time linked to a purchase.

In the U.S., many fast food places have a sign stating that you have have eat & leave in a certain period of time. That has always seemed appropriate to me, as do the spirit of the seat-charges in Japan.

Notice I said "the spirit of the seat-charges." The seat-charge was made to ensure that people didn't occupy a seat at the bar for too long without making a purchase. I am not one of the people that nursed my drinks. I always made lots of purchases, so it seemed unfair that I had to pay the seat charge. I certainly understand the bar's need to make sure they are earning on people occupying the seats, so it would have been nice to have the seat-charge linked to a purchase.

There are some malls near me that are almost completely empty. I can't imagine how the few shops in there turn a profit, but I guess they must? Fronts for illegal earnings? I have no idea, but it's a mystery to me how malls like that remain open, and why they are building more.

Hilarious story, thanks for sharing. I fully support those who challenge the silly crap people believe is true but is just based on silly rumour... though most folks seem to get irritated even after they've been shown the truth: "Why can't he just accept it? He only got lucky this time. We refuse to stop believing." Hope your finger heals.

Good advice. I often eat seeds of various fruits. Just need to find out what the fruit in question looks like now.

Me, too. I am also a seed-eater. I enjoy it more than carefully chewing and spitting them out. I'm surprised that these seeds are a health risk. Seeds are made to be eaten and pooped out, though obviously it depends on the size of the animal consuming the seed.

When I sit for long periods of time at a coffee shop, I keep ordering. I see it as rental of the seat/table. They are running a business after all.

Such fees are common in Japan. I think the translation is a "seat charge." Usually it's in bars.

It's not a public park, it's a business. I am often bewildered that people think they can use the facilities so freely. It seems ridiculously selfish to me.

It's not easy for management to ask someone to leave. It certainly risks conflict. There is nothing Thai or Asian about the desire to avoid a conflict. Westerns who believe they can so easily confront people either get off from telling others what to do, or really lack social skills.

For management to confront a customer, It makes other customers feel uncomfortable as well, especially if the freeloader customer begins in argument. Posting the rules makes it clear and easy, and would put the burden back on the customer to pay up for the seat they occupying.

I good rule might be "leave 30 minutes after making your purchase", meaning that you can make a new purchase and reset the clock.

I've never known a successful person who didn't have good people skills. In fact the most successful I've known had people skills as their number one asset. Trump has put together a team over time and he's also had to deal with bankers even when times were tough. He's had to keep the support of people.

I suspect that Trump has very good people skills and in fact what we are seeing may be a window into that. He may be so good that this act has people eating out of his hand. He's kept people eating out of his hand all of his adult life while he mastered the ropes in New York City. New York ain't easy to master.

Certainly at one time, that was the case. It seems more likely that he has degenerated into an excessively egotistical curmudgeon who believes that he can do no wrong? But maybe that's just the character he's trying to present to us?

I've never really paid much attention to him, but nowadays I admit that I'm curious what sorts of silliness he will spout off with. Perhaps that's just what his clever mind has strategically counted on, and I am just being drawn into his web. As it may be effective in getting my attention, it's far from getting any of my respect. His comments have generated all of the talk on this forum, for whatever that's worth. Still, nobody on this forum is saying, "He's makes some really insightful points," or, "He really knows foreign policy," but some saying, "He made himself really rich, maybe he's secretly smarter than his abrasive diatribes suggest."

Actually, Trump can't be too dumb having turned his father's real estate company into a 9 billion dollar fortune and perhaps being the best self-promoter of a generation with his own TV show no less. I don't know what his name recognition numbers are but I don't know anyone who doesn't know who he is, or who doesn't know who one is talking about when saying, "You're Fired".

It isn't just anyone with his own Boeing 757 and a helicopter for transport.

The Huffington Post has moved coverage of Donald Trump to its Entertainment section. Hilarious.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/07/17/huffington-post-moves-trump-coverage-to-a-new-vertical/

Trump retorted that he didn't want to be associated with that "money-losing blog". The Post's statement has given him so much national news coverage that he should pay Huffington for the favor. Trump's supporters don't like Huffington anyway.

There is something about Trump, like him or not, that just won't follow the rules of "good politics" and he just won 37% of the Hispanic "vote" in a Nevada poll. He has vaulted to being #1 over all other Republican contenders and right now he has the momentum. He's getting almost ALL of the national news coverage. He has the money to put where his mouth is. He's long been a master at self-promotion. He has name recognition up the wazoo.

He has turned a very dull race into one where if nothing else a person will tune in to see what he's done or said next, LOL.

Cheers

Just before I made this post, I was listening to a radio interview saying pretty much the same thing. Part of the argument was that maybe he should taken more seriously due to his clear success.

I just find him to be such a laughable buffoon that I admit I posted the side of the story that best fit my views. And I also must admit that, as you point out, I am curious to find out what silliness he's wrapped up in when his name hits the headlines. I do that for its entertainment value, though.

It's pretty much impossible to find a country that doesn't have a clown politician appealing to the moronic masses.

The Huffington Post has moved coverage of Donald Trump to its Entertainment section. Hilarious.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/07/17/huffington-post-moves-trump-coverage-to-a-new-vertical/

Well... Looks like I'm the only one on TVF who daily drinks tap water from my apartment. Been doing so for 3 years. No recognizable link to being sick. I pour it into water bottles and cool them in the fridge.

I drink it, too Stan, and a couple of others mentioned that they also drink it, so you're not alone. I don't cool it in the fridge, though, I can't stand cold water.

I'm not against people choosing not to drink straight tap water, I just think people should re-think what they believe about the water.

I totally love your profile pic. Cracks me up every time I see it.

I know this is the Bangkok forum , but if you are worried about Bangkok water , people living in rural area's should be panicking !

Water is different here every day . Sometimes it reeks of chlorine , other times some other chemical , if we're lucky a neutral smell.

Sometimes it is sandy , other times it has stuff in it that clogg the shower head.

I sure don't drink it, but people here let their dog drink it.

Pretty sure restaurants use it to wash food with it. Cheap restaurants don't have filters , and are not going to use the big 20 ? liter plastic bottles for it.

Bad enough I have to wash myself in it. Sometimes it's so bad , that I wouldn't wash my car with it.

What amphoe/amphur do you live in, BuaBS?

I would gamble the restaurants don't use that water to wash the food with, that they use water from the 20 L bottle.

I live in bangkok five years.

Although I do not drink tap water, I do use it sometimes to make tea, since it is brought to a rolling boil.

I use tap water for all cooking and boiling water for coffee. I have previously asked my girlfriend if anyone drinks tap water and the answer was that there are poor people that do so.

If metals are the concern, as so many people are expressing, then boiling isn't going to make it safer (in fact, it just makes it more concentrated, as the OP pointed out).

The tap water is safe from microbes, so there really isn't any reason to boil it, other than enjoying a hot drink.

I think many Thai folks largely drink bottled water because they want to make it clear that they are not those poor people BKKBobby's girlfriend mentioned.

I agree that buying bottled water is not expensive, but it's apparently just taken from the tap, and in the end, it winds up being more questionable than the tap water (I'm referring the article someone posted above).

Frankly, I don't think there's any way for anyone to know if the tap water in BKK is safe for drinking.

Yes, the MWA tests the water coming out of their plants and certifies that it's safe -- if you believe their public announcements.

But the issue is, what happens to the water AFTER that, as it travels through old and poorly maintained water system pipes throughout the city, and then goes into buildings' water storage tanks, and then further into often old water pipes in buildings. There's the potential, depending on exactly where you are, for a lot of junk to make its ways into the drinking water that comes out of your tap.

And if you need any further convincing, just look back at past news reports where where independent testing of both public water dispensing machines and even bottled water sold in stores has found significant portions of both supplies being unhealthy....

You're making good points TallGuy that others have brought up to me. To challenge the-pipes-could-be-nasty argument, I drink the water all over the city. If I eat at a restaurant, I'll drink water from the tap. If I go to my friend's apartment, I drink tap water there. I don't have a Super Intestine, but I still haven't gotten sick. It suggests to me that everyone's fears are overblown. Of course I can't say for sure, and as wide as my sampling is, it's hardly a real survey of water safety.

I saw that article about the water dispensers before, and had heard prior to reading it that the water dispensers are sketchy because they aren't maintained very well.

The article about bottled water was a surprise to me when it came out, and just reassured to me what a scam the bottled water industry is.

Not to be dramatic but just because you haven't gotten sick doesn't mean the water isn't doing longer term damage to your body. Cancer for example, takes years to show up and often without any symptoms.