bradiston

17 hours ago, pj123 said:

Looking at family coming to visit from the UK in Christmas 2024 and taken aback by the prices for economy seats, LHR/BKK

Cheapest option using flexible dates EVA £1,448, TG £1,415. And this is returning 14 January.

My daughter usually visits from the UK at peak season, but as we're selling our property here, I'm working on meeting halfway or thereabouts. Maybe Turkey, or Central Asia. This place has had it!

12 minutes ago, johng said:

They should have taken the deal offered by Russia that was amost agreed to but Boris Johnson rushed to Kiev pledging full support if Ukraine scrap that and fight Russia.

Fight to the last Ukrainian  a price well worth paying for America and its lapdogs to "weaken" Russia and provoke regime change in the Kremlin...

Do you have a shred of evidence for any of your statements above? What deal? What visit? What textbook are you reading from?

4 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

I have to say that is utterly wrong. Russia, China, India, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have formed a broad trade and security alliance. Within that are alliances like BRICS with Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Russia and China have been leading the way with trade and security alliances with the non-western countries for decades, because of the USA-NATO-EU lead 'western' trade and security alliances.  Not only does Russia have all of its previous advantages, but it is also a lot closer to China than it has ever been in the past. China will never accept a western invasion/takeover of Russia - no more than than they would in Nth Korea.  If Russia and China and all its allies joined their military forces together, it would be more than capable of taking on USA - on their home soils. 

I disagree. None of those alliances include military support. BRICS is just a trade agreement. Russia's on its own. Their actions in Ukraine are and were unilateral and unsupported. Russia has great mineral wealth so all those countries pay lip service for cheap oil etc. It's an utterly corrupt kleptocracy.

And does anybody really understand why Putin invaded? The result, after 2 years of appalling bloodshed and destruction, is pretty much as it was. Except now Ukraine for sure will join NATO and Europe. It's cost trillions, taking into account the world wide impact. Sheer lunacy.

10 hours ago, S Mart said:

I’m sorry but any man that beats up any woman such as this Swiss #2 Coward did should be publicly horse whipped and sent back to Switzerland ASAP. What a worthless human this derelict is. Anyone that defends this coward is cut from the same cloth. Go with him good riddance.

 

This is not about him.

Just now, swissie said:

Why is it, that some Western Newssources "know" about Russian losses? But not "knowing" about Ukrainian losses? The Ukrainian losses are a well kept secret.

No they're not.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War

Everybody has their own widely differing estimates. But it seems both sides have suffered huge losses, anywhere from 300,000 to 450,000.

17 minutes ago, swissie said:

Most of the above countries will not rush to the defence of Europe. "Putins armaments almost exhausted"? Stay away from Social Media Newssources. If anyone is running out of armaments it's the Ukraine.

It's not just the defence of Europe. You want to live under a putinesque regime? No, nor do I. He can't have many years left. Maybe 5? Then what? Sure, Ukraine's running low on armaments. Not the point. Russia takes on virtually the whole world? I don't think so. The threat would be enough. Send him packing. He's not going to drop any bomb. He's got his billions stashed. What does he care? Can't take them with him. Same with Kim. He's only interested in maintaining his family's control of North Korea. If it gets blown to kingdom come, so does that.

11 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

A full European invasion???   Mate - take it easy - you'll have a heart attack. 

Well, everybody's talking about WWIII, which I think is highly inappropriate. Russia has no military allies, except maybe North Korea. China's not interested. Japan and South Korea are totally western aligned, and could launch attacks in the east of Russia. Can't see any African or south American states getting involved. With the whole of Europe and the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, new Zealand , Canada, Turkey's NATO so wouldn't have much choice, then various central Asian states who've had enough of post soviet domination, that's a lot of fire power. India? Forget it! And as for nuclear, I never believed Putin's threats. MAD.

Hardly a world war. I can't see Putin taking on that lot. His army's and armaments almost exhausted. Now would be a good time to kick his butt to hell.

3 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

A full European invasion???   Mate - take it easy - you'll have a heart attack. 

Nah. Just looking at various scenarios. I'm fascinated to see how this plays out now. Sure, I was incensed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine but now? What can I do? Let the European politicians deal with Putin.

44 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Not to forget Georgias border 20%, Chechnya, and a few Stan countries, 

And the Baltic countries who have been screaming at the rest of the EU since way before this war broke out about the Russian threat to their borders. They suffered under soviet communism like central Europe. Fortunately their memories are longer than Hungary's, for instance.

43 minutes ago, johng said:

Russia wants to secure its western border  they have taken almost 20% of Ukraine in the Donbas and Crimea regions to that end, there is absolutely no sign they want to advance any further west let alone all the way to Calais.

Their western borders were already secure. This is just a land grab and total destruction of Ukraine. Securing their borders my ass. And what was Medvedev shouting about recently? The whole of Ukraine is Russian? Anybody that cant read Putin's real intentions is blind. Expansion and control. Europe is paralysed with fear. Caught in the headlights. Terrified, in short. The most shocking post WWII capitulation to the old soviet bloc.

On 2/27/2024 at 8:29 PM, mfd101 said:

Yes, certainly the proportion of feckless, hopeless, drunken males I see in my village far outweighs their numbers in my former Falang life. And no-show fathers very common too.

Met a girl last night who lost her baby after her Thai bf punched her in the stomach. The most the girls can hope for is a no show.

Wow. That's some encroachment. Forget about a couple of steps and kickbacks, or kicks in the back.

4 hours ago, johng said:

You realise that if they sent troops that would mean a declaration of war against Russia and hence WWIII ?

Russia has said it reserves the right to use nukes if it's territory is threatened ( same as all other nuclear bomb wielding nations)

So where will they stop Russia? Calais?

28 minutes ago, thesetat said:

Are you kidding me.. 99% of businesses in Thailand that are really owned by foreigners are on paper using Thai proxies owning 51% and the foreigner 49%. It is the biggest scam in the country spanning every major tourist city. As well as property ownership with land, condo ownership, etc... There are many Thai companies created by foreigners as well for the sole purpose of purchasing land or opening businesses that also use this method. Why now is the government playing dumb pretending they never knew this was happening? 

They've been outed along with every land office in the country. Nice little earner with backhanders galore. Now the wheels have all come off and for foreigners, it's man the lifeboats. We're going down! Apologies for the mixed metaphor.

1 hour ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

The point being they have the mentality to do it. 

What gives you that impression? Sunak? Huh? Leyden? Seriously? Seems like you have the mentality, not them. Pure projection. They wouldn't even send troops or air cover to Ukraine let alone nuclear weapons. Never called Nukin's bluff. Now he's rehearsed for a full on European invasion.

15 minutes ago, edwardflory said:

 

I live 20 minutes outside Korat and use AIS FIBER ( connect via WiFi - 1st connection in my community area ) and Android TV Box for MY TV needs, wife uses AIS PLAY Box. Slightly faster speed if you connect to router supplied by provider

 

What is the advertised and actual bandwidth provided by AIS?

3 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Biden and Zelensky, Von der Leyen, Trudeau, Sunak - all of them.

Despite 3 of them not having any nuclear weapons?

9 hours ago, transam said:

Dave has not faced any punishment yet, it seems many from all top to bottom Thais are interested in  Dave "kicking a doctor", who then reported it.

If Dave kicked some bird in Makro it would be in the small print, but he kicked a DOCTOR.............😱

Is "the kick" an established fact?

9 hours ago, Hummin said:

You really do not understand simple things do you? 

 

We are guests here, doesnt matter how bad the reality is, this is a perfect incident for locals, to vent their frustration on everything that is wrong with their society. Someone who have connections high up think they can do whatever they want with no consequenses, and this time ot was an foreigner who was caught with his pants down.

 

It is not only a thai phenomenon, it is universal.

 

 

Yeah, vent their frustration on a foreigner. Next time, it might be you. See it everywhere. First, blame the immigrants. Same in your country, same in mine. But it doesn't make any difference. At first, I was against him. You can read my comments. But now this. Sorry, but the moral outrage is totally fake.

10 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Wow! You have changed the story into your own narrative.

The Thai mob' as you put it, was in uproar because the foreigner 'kicked, (not pushed), a woman, not just a 'person'), off his, (not his - 'public property), steps.

There, I've stated the facts - not your manipulated 'facts'.

 

However, as a parent, I too would not be happy with just 'an apology'!

Has the kick been established as a fact?

10 hours ago, Pique Dard said:

...tell that to the judge and jury members who will decide your case!

No jury trials in Thailand. Too many people to bribe.

36 minutes ago, steven100 said:

that depends on whether any more envelopes come into play

You mean the envelopers?

I'm free to leave any time I like.

You could try asking in a Russian bar.