OneMoreFarang

I look at the news. And the news from many sources. I don't see anything joyful about how many Israelis treat many Palestinians.

The one big difference between Thaksin and many other corrupt Thais was and is that he is not only corrupt and lying, he does it in your face. Others do illegal things, but they at least try to hide what they are doing. It seems Thaksin wants that people see how corrupt he is. Like: See I can do what I want, and there is nothing you can do about that. It's sad that there are still many people out there who admire this criminal.

Just to be sure: Is she legally your wife? If yes, good. If no, then the embassy will try to contact your farang children, if you have any. And even if you didn't have any contact with those children over many years, it's up to them what happens with your dead body. Dao, from AMAR, see Sheryl's post, can explain this all to you. Her English is perfect.

That is something you should think about. She should have experience with funerals and she should know that 40k will do the job for a basic funeral. Many Thais like to have funerals over many days, which cost more, the thing with the face and all that. So maybe she wants to spend a lot of money on your funeral to show everyone how rich you/she is. Or maybe she has other reasons to tell you a funeral would cost 10 times more than it actually does...

When the police stop you, there are two options (at least for me on motorcycle for the last two decades): a) They want cash there and then. I paid often 100B. b) They give you a ticket and you have to pay that ticket at the police station. Earliest on the next day, and I think officially within the next 10 days or so. If you have a driver license then they confiscate your driver license and keep it. When you pay the fine at the station then they give you back the license.

I think most of the time nothing happens. I had a ticket which I paid maybe a year later. The police told me I am late, but I paid the regular amount, no problem. But I guess as usual there is a difference about what normally happens and what could possibly happen. Maybe they hold him back at the airport and tell him to go to the local police station and pay the fine before he can leaf. I don't say this will happen, but nothing would surprise me in Thailand.

I guess he can call himself lucky that nobody beat him up.

Does any of those politicians in Thailand think at least a minute or two before they open their mouth? In more civilized countries projects like this would take years from an initial idea to a feasibility study to actual planning and execution. In Thailand it seems one day someone has the idea: Let's move that port...

I have no personal experience with any drugs, except alcohol. Obviously, the effects of weed and yaba are vastly different. But they are both, in many countries, illegal. And it seems people who try drug x are more likely also to try drug y. I only talked about weed in above post because in Thailand it is an example how not to legalize drugs. As far as I understand the idea about legalizing drugs is to take the crime out of it. And officially available drugs are cleaner than illegal drugs - at least in general. It should be legal, but it should not be advertised. It is crazy that in Thailand cigarettes are hidden in shops, and I think no advertisements. Weed shops with big advertisement are anywhere, at least where I live in Sukhumvit. There should be no advertising for any drugs.

I agree. But one important part is legalize it and make sure to tell people it is bad and help them if they need it. The recent Thai legalization of weed is a good example how not to do it. Having lots of shops everywhere who advertise weed is certainly not the way to go. The very recent way how Germany implemented this is, IMHO, a good controlled way.

That reminds me of an interview about a retired drug police officer in the UK. The police just confiscated a huge amount of drugs (I think it was cocaine) and the reporter asked what will be the consequences. The retired drug police officer replied: The price will go up. And for that reason there will be more crimes from people who need more money to buy the drugs. Not much else will change. So much about that.

I know multiple Thais who used it, sometimes for years, and later stopped using it. I think drugs are often a question of the environment. If "everybody" around you takes x, then you take x, and it is very hard to stop. If you are lucky enough to get out of that environment then there is hope. This is, or at least was, a good option: Official Wat Thamkrabok Homepage (wat-thamkrabok.org)

That is one of the problems. It is poison, and because it is unregulated it is often different poison. That makes it worse.

It's several years ago since I made that trip. I know I made it once on my VFR400, and I didn't like it because of all the trucks. I sold the VFR and a few years later I bought a Duke 390. I don't think I ever made that trip with that bike. If anybody would suggest now to make that trip with any bike, I wouldn't want to do it. But if I would do it, then with a bike which can at least accelerate to 140 or something like that. Maybe the road is better now. I have no idea.

I wonder how often she thinks how wonderful life could be if she would be a nobody and just spend all that money.

It's like asking: Can you walk from Pattaya to Bangkok? Yes, you can. But it is not recommended. About that little bike: You will have crazy cars and small and big trucks around you. Possibly you will survive it. But I wouldn't bet on it.

Just send him to the USA. I know that is a harsh punishment, but I am sure he will remember and behave better next time.

This morning at the train station probably 10 times the amount of people, compared to usual, got on the train. But at least they all still fitted in that train. I am sure tomorrow and Saturday it will be worse.

Yes, but... It's difficult to make a survey with people who had to leave Thailand because they didn't have any money anymore. But I am pretty sure that many of them would do it again. Because a couple of years fun in Thailand is for many better than no fun at all in their life.

And then there are the Israeli settler with guns who tell the Palestinians to f#@$ off. And what can the Palestinians do about that? Nothing! What a wonderful way to live in peace together. Or maybe not?

The good thing in Thailand is we can live cheap if we want to or need to. Meal for 50B on the street, or >1000B in nice restaurants. And obviously it's possible to spend a lot on entertainment - if there is enough money for that. When I arrived in Thailand with little money, I lived cheap. Now, not so much.

It depends. In my previous apartment, without door to the kitchen and no working hood, I had the agreement with my gf that she only does the extreme smelly cooking when I am away for a few hours.

equal rights? What a bad joke.

Yes. And in general it seems sets of pots and pans are significantly cheaper compared to the sum of the single item prices.