Panhandler007

OK……..Cheap Charlie is it…….Some time ago, a couple of years I think I was single, in Pattaya, sat at a bar and got talking to this bloke, (I won’t mention his nationality) Nice bloke, told a good tail, anyway after an hour I had to go somewhere, “which way you heading” he said…I told him, “could you give me a ride” he said……”sure, why not” so, off we go.

After about 5 minutes of small talk he screams out STOP!……I near shit myself and lock up, <deleted> have I hit? He un-does his belt, smiles at me, (like the cat that got the cream) jumps out the pickup and disappears, comes back 10 seconds later, so smug , holding onto an empty ‘Leo’ beer can…….Waves it in my face like he was holding a KG of Mayan gold and say’s in a low voice ………”50 satang man……..50 satang”……..Great I said, put you seat belt on. 2 minutes later………Yep….”Stop” I stop, he gives me that smile, he gets out………I drive off and leave him.

So all you tight <deleted> out there………………………….. Good for you just do it on your own time, Please!

I LOVE Thailand! Itès the absolute sh@t!!!!

So alcoholic drinks are sold at factories? That is just plain retarded!

5% of the Thai population are alcoholics. Another 5% is addicted to YaBa or YaIce. At least 10% of the Thai population is addicted to something. These are government stats. I am guessing that the real figure is higher.

Do the numbers seem high when compared to other counties?

This is something that has been nagging at the back of my mind also. I am single and live alone. When I die I am sure none of my family will be able to fly over and get my body(if anyone here knows who to contact in the first place). I would like some thai here to take charge get me cremated and send the ashes home.But how to organize this is just beyond me. I donot even know where to start. I used to joke when i die just throw me in a dtch by the road. That is maybe where I will end up. I have absolutlely no one to take care of this for me. and have no idea how to arrange it.. Seems to me to be an impossible task.

It sad to not have anyone to fall back on.

But the situation is not imposwsible. I m kinda thinking all you would have to do would be to hook up with even a HALF decent local girl or befriend of decent local guy who would take care of cremation and sending your remains off to OZ. Leave some cash to help ease things along. It sounds like you have or will have been in LOS for a number of years. Surely you mush have had some decent relations with at least some locals who can help you out in this regard. I really can t think of a Thai who would not help out in this regard, once a relationship has been created...

Several years ago there was a fellow from California who settled in Kampot, Cambodia. He set up a cafe selling drinks and baked goods. He also set up a website called www.euthanasiacambodia.com(I beleive). It has since closed down. The site stated that since Cambodia does not have laws against euthanasia, he though he would be doing the world a favour by providing assisted suicides! One English lady took up the offer after finding out she had been diagnosed with cancer.

There was a write up bout this guy in the NYT.

Here is link from a local Cambodia news site.

http://www.khmerfuture.com/index.php/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=648

Ban the sale of alcohol in factories? wont people just buy it from Somchai and his "coffee cart" outside the front door???

Who the hell is this SOMCHAI fellow? I hear his name all the time! I think the guy who used to ride around my house selling Gai was named Somchai! Why is every other Thai dude called Somchai? It is as if Somchai is some sort of generic name for Thai guys.

Ohhhhhh, wait! I get it! Somchai is a generic name for Thai guys! Like Joe is in America! Koool

Call me Somchai!

Many newbie farangs come to Thailand believing that Thailand is some sort of Disney type paradise wonderland, the streets are paved with gold and that all Thai people love and respect the great white Ghana.

Those of wealth also believe that by throwing money and gifts around they can purchase the loyalty of women, have everything a Thai woman wants, can buy themselves best friends and have those which provide services jumping about for them because the philosophy is; those who hold the gold, determine the rules.

A person cannot own people or buy true friendship and respect. As a matter of fact this can have the opposite effect. Thai people can come to resent the presence of these foreigners in their land, the love and respect can quickly turn to hate.

In Thailand farangs are tolerated but not necessarily liked. I know that some of the opinions of the locals in my area are, farangs can live in Thailand because they can enjoy a better lifestyle and have all the benefits of Thailand far cheaper than in the home countries at the expense and labours of the working class Thais.

This is how many of them feel, probably the majority and there is no reasoning with some of these people.

because

We are second class citizens over here, whether we have truckloads of cash or not, but this is not strictly true in most cases we are not even allowed to become citizens of this country.

Farangs who decide to lay their hats in Thailand should realise these facts and live over here accordingly by not taking too many risks or gambles and not putting too much trust in Thai people. Not because Thai people are bad, but because we are a people living in an alien land with virtually no statutory rights and extremely vulnerable.

Thailand is still a wonderful country to live, but just be realistic, aware and stay safe.

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The statements hold so much water. Thailand is the Land of Smiles, but you stay on that main path man! DO NOT stray from the path. Do not! There are a hell of a lot of dark alleys and side streets in Thailand where all manner of stuff take place. If you are into the darker side of Thai society, go wild! Just take care!

It amazes me that there are so many crimes perpetrated against farangs that go unsolved or unreported or... I do not know another place that has as many unsolved-brushed under the carpet cases of crimes against farangs as in LOS. Thailand, its amazing! <-New TOT solgan?

-P007

Firstly, I think that he is kinda retarded to have invested so much real estate in Thailand. Stocks or other investments would have been fat more prudent.

Although Barack and I are really good buddies, I did not realize that

Just finished reading an article about YaBa written in 2001 in TIME. http://www.time.com/...,100581,00.html

Titled: The Need for Speed

First read this story a few years back, but with that recent YaBa induced hostage taking in BKK thought a conversation on YaBa and YaIce might be timely.

The Bangkok Post states that there are 800,000-900,000 YaBa addicts in Thailand. Other newspaper reports and video documentaries state that about 5% of the population or 2 million people are addicts.

The is incredibly destructive and costly to society.

I have never tried it myself, but I did work with a British dude who was always smoking the stuff. One day during a meeting he upped and left.

How bad is the YaBa situation now. Has it gotten worse or has the situation plateaued?

Also, I assumed that YaIce is stronger and more addictive than YaBa, is this assumption true?

Why would he send an e-mail to get help instead of going to a neighbor...

Have the cops compared the bloody footprints with the guys' actual foot...

It kinda freaks me out reading about all these farang deaths whether they be accidental, natural or otherwise...

Know of an ex-military Brit up country. Married a b-girl. She has a kid from another man and another kid with the Brit. Total alki! All three live in a studio. He drinks alllll day long. Kid acts up at the local Thai school. Not sure whats up with them now, but his life does seem hard.

Know of another couple, have two kids, two cars and live in a new house. The Thai lady has a PHD. In part I think it depends on who you hook up with!

I am still looking for COMBO #3!

The sabi-sabi attitude of the locals acn work either for or against you.

When coming in I always show my retirement visa to an Immigration Officer and ask politely (in Thai) if it would be possible to use the Thai channel. Until now, it always was On departure, the success rate is about 80%...

You sweet talker you!

I dont mind eating at food courts or the occasional street meal, but the almost exclusive use of palm oil is troubling! As Thais say, it is as cheap to eat out as it is to cook your own food in Thailand. I found that to be generally true.

American cuisine! whats that... A slab of meat and potato...

American breakfast for 120bt. thats like 4$. wayyyy over priced.t wooooo fried egg, hot dog, toast coffee amazingly complex farang food for 120bt!!!

Ah, I love it when posters ignore post after post to try and put forth their own prejudices! A number of posers have given examples of American cuisine, yet some people like to flaunt their ignorance.

And hot dogs as part of an "American Breakfast?" Nowhere in the US, that is for sure.

A hot dog is what you get when you order an American breakie in Thailand! You don;t often get a proper sausage!

Be honest, American cuisine is pretty salty and bland when compared to the complex flavours of Thai food.

It is a question I have contemplated many times. Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and the tourist oriented sections of Bangkok attract more than their share of people who like to live on the edge of the law, from both the Thai and the farang sides of the population. Yes, Lonewolf99, I have lived here for many years, and had virtually no problems with criminals, and no problems whatsoever with the police. After more than 15 yrs. here in Thailand, all that I have to report are three robberies of relatively small amounts of cash, and one theft of a broken camera.

Here is a, not necessarily exhaustive, list of the rules that I follow:

1. Don't drive a car - this eliminates courruption re speeding tickets etc. I don't mind spending money for a taxi, when public transportation won't take me where I want to go.

2. Rent, don't buy your living quarters. This eliminates the need to spend a lot of money on security, and also enables quick relocation, if an unresolvable security issue does present itself.

3. Avoid being out on the streets after about 9:00 p.m. or so. (After most people who would be working or shopping during normal business hours have returned home for the evening.) Late at night, avoid venturing into areas where you might become lost or disoriented. If necessary, make an orientation visit during daylight hours, to prepare yourself for a visit after dark. Most street crime, especialy the serious stuff, occurs in the wee hours, when there are few, if any, witnesses around.

4. Don't walk around wearing your most expensive clothing, and dripping with jewellery.

5. Carry your wallet, mobile phone, and anything else of value, in a front trouser pocket. Consider whether the "anything else" is anything that you actually need to be carrying around with you.

6. There are ATM's everywhere in Thailand; there is no need to be walking around with any more money than what you are going to spend in the next few hours.

7. If female, don't carry a purse, especially the "over the shoulder" variety. You can be seriously injured if a passing robber on a motorcycle grabs one of those. (See #5. above.)

8. Avoid becoming inebriated etc. in public places. This sets you up as an easy "mark", who may not even know that he has been pickpocketed until it is much too late to do anything about it.

9. If inviting a stranger to your home/hotel room take sensible precautions - see #'s 4, 6 and 8 above. Be cautious in accompanying someone whom you have just met to a place of their choosing.

10. If you are a resident (as opposed to a tourist), learn to speak as much Thai as you possibly can. This goes a long way towards createing an impression that you are someone to be reckoned with, and hence, not to be selected as the "victim of the day" (or night).

Youève ONLY been burgled 3 times in over a decade...personally that seems like a lot. Never been burgled in farangland, yet....

Had to go to immigration due to visa issues, had to pay a fine. The amount I had to pay was settled on before I went to the office. Once I got there one dude asked for 2000bt to process my paper in one day, otherwise I would have to stay overnight. I didnt pay, but my papeers were still finished by days end. just a small story about corruption in happi, happi land!

On my second visit to Pattaya with a buddy of mine, my buddy got mugged at knife point when he went into an alley to pet a soi dog! Yes, he was drunk. He showed up the next morning at our room. He had spent the night in an alley sharing a drink with some homeless guy!

Never gottne mugged myself.

farang= potential target $$$$

Murders and supposed suicides of farangs. It reminds me if the cop in northern thailand that shot two farangs. one died. he never was charged. he even kept his job...

Farang life seems pretty cheap in Thailand. Better stay away from those d.ark alley ways..

hmmm somehow thai food is a great bargain... 10$ pad thai in da messed up west vs 1$ in LOS. just dont eat farang food. if u need a fix there is always McD

American cuisine! whats that... A slab of meat and potato...

American breakfast for 120bt. thats like 4$. wayyyy over priced.t wooooo fried egg, hot dog, toast coffee amazingly complex farang food for 120bt!!!

May I suggest you tell your wife to stop eating out and you may want to sell your truck! You;ll be able to buy two years worth of rice at the very least!

tourism makes up about 6% of thailand s gdp

>HYDROponics!!! uber kool