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1 minute ago, Isaan sailor said:

On the contrary, governments want to control their own digital currency.  So they can track citizens spending—and thus reward or punish you according to what you bought.  Look at China’s new digital currency, for an example.

That's my very point.  A government created currency by any means digital or otherwise is simply fiat currency. The US senate want to have every transaction over $600 reported to the IRS.

Couple that with tracking us by phone location and the millions of cameras, plus the need to tell the world what we're having for lunch and our political thoughts on Facebook and Twitter, if we scratch our backside they know which hand we used.

The whole point of a surrogate currency such as bitcoin is to keep governments thieving hands off it, and only create new money when sufficient energy and effort have been expended in the form of mining.

Ironically, illegal entries may exceed legal entries in 2022.

Ask yourself this question........why is there a sign in every hotel in Thailand that requests you not to dispose of prophylactics in the toilet?  

Edit:  To clarify for NNE speakers, a prophylactic is (amongst other things) the old skool word for a condom.  But just realised that even the Covid 19 vaccine is a prophylactic.  Go figure.

17 hours ago, Screaming said:

I would have to agree, Pattaya is one big toilet. Why build a new one when you already have one.

I didn't know Pattaya had been officially downgraded from a cesspit to a toilet.  I would have expected an intermediate ranking of at least an open sewer before such a serious demotion to that of a mere toilet.

For clarity, I reside in the cesspit and love it for both what it is, and what it isn't.

And back on topic - the lack of public toilets can be great entertainment.  Nothing funnier than sitting in a Beach Road bar and watching an ageing philanthropist mincing his way from the beach to the bar wearing his bathers, dangerously dodging scooters and song-taeows with that "I'm on a mission" look on his face.

He yells out "elephant" to the staff as he heads towards the pristine facilities of the establishment, emerging 20 minutes later to his (by then) warm beer and muttering about no loo paper.  A discussion promptly ensues regarding the benefits and pitfalls of bum guns, imodium, charcoal, and antibiotics.

4 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

I hope very soon. Those poor poor ladyboy gangs, scam artists and jet ski mafia operators have been in such dire straits trying to find people to rob, beat up and rip off. How will those beach chair/umbrella hawkers realize the 1,000% profit they were promised by the "Public Beach" mafia that "rented" them state owned property? It truly breaks my heart to think about the entire line of knock-off, fake Rolex watch makers, shippers and peddlers being starved out of existence.

I do so long for the days of yore when tuk-tuk drivers entertained prospective passengers with random machete fights and gang beat downs of the occasional drunk tourist that refused them an extra 10 baht.

And OMG!, What's that smell? Is that Air?!? Where's the motor fume filled airways we have all come to love and adore that goes so hand-in-hand with the pristine beach and never ending road construction?

Aw, but I'm just preaching to the choir, aren't I? 

You know something?  I'd forgotten just how much I miss about the pre-covid world until you reminded me how wonderful Pattaya can be. 

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

....and there's me thinking it must come before shelter ....555

If we could get in the TARDIS and head back 40,000 years and ask the first Neanderthal we met if he had to choose between a cave or a woman, what would he choose - It'd be at best a toss-up as to what the answer might be, especially if it wasn't snowing at the time.

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

Surprised Maslow's hierarchical needs didn't include Nana at some level.

Actually I think it does.  Self Actualization - achieving one's full potential and creativity.  

4 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Just the consequences of a free market economy where supply is structured to meet demand I guess.

 

If the supply or the demand is missing nothing is going to happen.

In general agreement, but my book of Keynesian Economics clearly suggests that since the dawn of time there are only two commodities for which there is always more demand than supply even in a free market, and one of them is food. 

They'll be back but not in the same numbers as previously.  The "genuine" ones - with a genuine owner who ran the place as a bar to make a few baht after paying off the coppers will have mostly folded and they won't return in volumes unless some totally new owner is prepared to invest some funds.

However, the ones that were clearly a front for laundering money will definitely be back.  Seeing some gogo's with 180 staff and 5 customers per night will be the order of the day for a while. 

As long as they can open the door and turn on the lights they have a vehicle for inflating actual revenue, procuring genuine tax invoices for salaries and utilities, plus "creative" invoices for inputs from other suppliers. They then wash the money through the bank, pay their legitimate taxes, and hey presto, 10M of dirty money is turned into 5M of clean money.

I can empathize with them.  I always cross myself and say a Hail-Mary every time I press "submit" on my annual tax return.

And I'm a Jehovah's Witness.  ????

The best place is in Jomtien.  It's called Jack 'n Daves.  On the 3rd floor of a building next door to Frazers restaurant on Thappraya Road.

They're a couple of Indian dudes and they know their stuff. I've had several suits made by them and they are superb.  They aren't cheap but if you want something that is well made and looks sharp, these are the guys.  

I had an Aussie mate with a similar problem with Commonwealth and he was unable to resolve it.  He ended up changing the phone number registered with the bank to his son's Aussie number and liaised with him when he did the transfer to sms him the the code to authorise the transaction on the app within the time limit.

From what he told me it was a bit of a nightmare to get the phone number changed.  Ironically they wanted him to authorise the change with a code that he could not receive - a bit of a circular problem.  But eventually he got a sympathetic ear at the bank and they did some kind of "one off" change.

Anyway, the son got the code and sms'd him - all went well.

I'd ask him for clarification but unfortunately he passed away a few months ago.

For a 2009 model I think most large roadside MC shops will have an aftermarket part.  Certainly here in Patts I replaced panels after a lowside.

Try polishing the plastic screen with a cutting compound - it may just be faded or worn - I used to carry a water bottle there and the mini vibrations made the plastic go opaque.

Or it may be water getting behind the outer plastic and fogging the gauge itself.  If so, a large MC roadside shop could probably sort you out. 

If you're in Patts I suggest the shop on Pattaya Klang, about 30M up from 3rd Road heading away from the beach - a favorite place of the Thais and their parts assortment puts the Honda and Yamaha dealers to shame.