DavidB4

"Orders" That's all a military man like him can do, and he probably actually expects his orders to be carried out. Whenever the military first takes over they can coast for a while and even appear to have created some stability and benefits but the longer it goes the more their limited view of how things work will cause more and more problems.

Big demand for tacos...but my idea is to meet that demand with tacos al pastor...marinated (in pineapple juice) cubed pork on a tortilla shell. Forget the beef and cheese...they don't put cheese on tacos in Mexico...pickled red onion, ground cabbage, salsa...yes. Otherwise, you are just acting as a tax collector. A stand or cart....not a restaurant...very simple menu...when you run out; you close. You might be able to do 2 for 60, and make 20 in profit...you need to sell to Thais and farang.......I've seen at least five businesses fail up here by CMU, that were opened with farang BF's money. There was this one dress shop, that was dead, except it sold bananas on a table out front, (the best! cheap). I was a regular customer. One day I walked in to ask where the bananas were, and a German guy was sitting there, and he gave me a very puzzled look, like they were doing it behind his back. Place was closed a week later. A number of coffee shops (in a saturated market)..they seem to think they can charge double by using fancier equipment...students won't pay it...the place 60 meters away with 25 thb house coffee and semi-broken chairs does 15 times more business. We have a successful fruit shake girl......she is putting in long, strenuous hours....10 per bag, 20 for shake..she sets up in front of a pharmacy. She might make 1000 per day in profit. The Omelet cart is also popular...I've seen him start the night with 17 x 30 or 510 eggs....2 egg omelets for 25 thb.

Great chefs fail all the time, same with carpenters...because it is more about cash management than cooking or building. Many people, in general, are bad with money, and it's no different in Thailand. Lower income people have kids at a young age, and never get ahead. Laziness is only a small part of it. The other parts are being suckers for consumer debts, and feeling obligated to support family member's bad decisions. How much do you think the average Thai smart phone user has saved in the bank? 10K? Maybe more like 2 or 3.

Just curious how you can say there is a big demand for tacos(besides from me) when there are hardly any places that sell them?

My suggestion: find a Thai Product that you can develop a relationship with a supplier where you don't have to buy the items till you have an order and sell them online. Where and how you sell them online is the key aspect of building this business. eBay is one the biggest markets but they are also a nightmare when it comes to customer service but it costs almost nothing to get started and try it out. With an online business you don't need to invest much, no employees, no work visa needed and you don't have to have a registered company. You can also set up your own website for free with such services like Weebly and sell all over the world. I have not determined yet (and if you find out let me know!) if a Thai Based Product/Website can sell on Alibaba but if you can that would be worth trying = the biggest online market in the world and there are many Thai products that the Chinese like. Good luck and remember it takes time to build it up.

"The children’s father said that he wanted to trick the evil spirits into thinking his children were a genuine couple rather than twin brother and sister, so that they would be free from bad luck."

Guess those evil spirits are a couple of bananas short of a bunch.

That's what I was thinking! = the only thing dumber than the parents are the spirits, which makes "sense" I guess because the spirits are of dead Thai People....or are they? I'm so confused.

Well he faces 25 years in Thai jail to think about his actions......

Is that really how long?! Poor guy. And they let murderers off with a fine....if they're Thai of course.

For MaeJoMTB and David (quotes below) --

You sound authoritative, MaeJo, but a little research will show that the zip line industry is almost entirely self regulated -- even in the USA. So where did you get your "correct and safe" idea about minimum weight limits for riders? It's not any kind of industry standard, and I don't think it's even a good idea. Zip lines vary in design and slope. Why should a small or light rider be banned when there are safe and easy work-arounds?

As for you, David, it seems clear to me that you've never ridden a zip line. Am I right? Are you even familiar with them? Or expert about braking mechanisms or recreational rides? You write like an authority in all three areas, but I'm pretty sure you're not familiar with zip lines.

So let me educate you a bit.... Riders come off zip lines at different speeds. Some people like to land hard and fast. Some come in facing forward. Others come in backwards or sideways. There is usually padding at the end of long or fast zip lines, but it's still good practice (IMHO) for one or two attendents to catch each rider and help them land safely. If that didn't happen here, and somebody got hurt, then I guess I do have questions about whether the attendants were following their own park's safety rules -- or maybe were negligent. Sounds like at least one insurance company has already concluded they were.

Finally, am I good at "letting people off the hook"? I don't think so. I used to practice personal injury law, and I wasn't known for letting negligent people off the hook. I was better known for suing them.

Hope this is helpful --

Quotes:

From MaeJoMTB: "The correct and safe answer is, those outside the weight limits can't participate. Two to a zip is negligent at every occurrence."

From David: "Man are you good at letting people off the hook!"

Allot of things seem to be clear to you with little or no information. Can't imagine how you successfully sued people unless it was for sexual harassment and you just made it up. To answer the only thing I care to on your post let me educate you smarty: yes I have zip lined several times(how many have you?) in Costa Rica where they have proper mechanical breaks on the mechanism, not a stick. So now you say: "I guess I do have questions " wow!

I hate to interrupt the pile-on about Thailand and zip lining, but has anyone read the original report? Or thought about why so much criticism is being heaped on here?

The original report says one person didn't weigh enough to make the zip line reach the other end. That happens sometimes, like with our daughter, who started zip lining when she was 5. If a person is too light for a long run, an attendent will usually ride along and help him/her reach the end. There's nothing negligent or wrong about it. I get the feeling that people criticizing this part of what happened don't know much about zip lining or how it works.

If the girl in this story hit the end at a bad angle and then collapsed, it probably was not apparent what had gone wrong. Unless somebody was watching her head closely at just the right split second, how would they know what had happened? Think about it. If somebody collapsed in front of you on a ride, would you know why? Right away?

I don't see a cover up here. When the broken neck was found during an autopsy, the people from the ride came forward and assumed responsibility. They didn't lawyer up and hide. It looks to me like they were and are trying to do the right thing.

And there is a speed control on CM zip lines. It's a forked stick that riders hold. Hang it over the cable and pull down. You slow or stop. Simple and effective.

So let's keep in mind that people get hurt and killed every day doing ordinary things like driving, swimming, boating, etc. Cars crash and airplanes fall down. People choke in restaurants. It's unfortunate when someone gets hurt, but not every death or injury means somebody did something wrong -- or that a country or a business should be flamed.

Man are you good at letting people off the hook! Talk about reading the report: it said she ran into another person at the end because no one caught her. And that they even need to catch anyone is because the idea that a "forked stick" hanging over the cable is a safe breaking mechanism is ludicrous! The fact that people get hurt doing ordinary things has absolutely NOTHING to do with this tragedy, what are you thinking! This is a business that is being run improperly and people like you are the main reason they will continue to do so, unbelievable!

It is not a "small thing" and if you genuinely have not done anything to provoke this "silent treatment" you have a BIG problem.

I very much doubt the lady will be able to vocalise any coherent reason for her behavior.

Best you give some very serious thought to any future plans you may have.

I agree, it is not a small thing and not talking about it either means she doesn't actually know herself what's bothering her or she does and doesn't think talking to you will help so that would probably mean it's something that would mean the end of the relationship(in her mind). Key thing to watch out for: if she starts doing things to make you angry. Women hate being the bad guy and if they think the relationship will not work they often instigate fights so that when you get angry they can blame you. If she doesn't do that it most likely means she still hasn't given up on you...yet. Good luck, not being able to talk sucks, I know.

You have got to be F,ing kidding?! If that's true it's crazy and every embassy out there should tell their citizens immediately or they should also be held as negligent!

Why even bother with "usual comments"? These places are over-flowing with negligence and incompetence. A young lady lost her life by placing her trust with two losers and a company that puts profits first ahead of safety.

This is an interesting point joejai makes here: "why even bother with usual comments?" Not sure what he means by usual but in regards to commenting....which means talking about this tragedy my response would be because talking about it is the first step. The next step is the media reports on it, maybe more because we are talking about it. Then others (police, etc?) get involved because they are starting to look bad and then the final step is just Maybe something is done about it. But it all starts with the first step = talking about it, a step that sadly is usually lacking in Thai Society so needless to say they rarely get to the last step. We talk about things, sure there are instances where it just sounds like bitching and complaining(which it is sometimes) but that's the way you get things out in the open and chew on them and maybe, just maybe, get something done about it. Viva la Expat!

jacko45k, my thoughts exactly = it's called a brake and they had them where I went zip lining in Costa Rica and the type of accident they describe here I believe would be impossible there, besides the simple fact that they don't let people stand on the platform...in the way....they clear them out. This is another one of those unbelievable unsafe operations that Thailand is unfortunately becoming known for. Maybe the PM should look into it...yeah right.

Two weeks ago I finally installed a VPN (Cloak) to my computer and I am really loving Netflix here in Thailand. It is very inexpensive considering how many times I've used it already.

For the past few nights I've been binge watching House of Cards. Great entertainment.

Also now I can watch HBO Go and don't have to wait until I visit USA to catch up on some of my favorite shows.

I cant' believe it took me so long to finally go with a VPN.

No, I'm not a shill for Cloak.

How much is it?

I'm convinced....sure that they have my best interests at heart, and such big hearts they have!

"Don't Fear" like telling the frog in the pot not to fear the water getting warmer.

Marco, I read online that the internet connections in Cambodia are much slower than in Thailand, what is your experience please? Also can you tell me a little more about how living in Cambodia is compared to Thailand? I know one businessman from the US who lives there with his Thai girlfriend and they both prefer it over Thailand.

"The under-the-table fees amount to 1.8 million baht a day and it is not known who have pocketed them."

How hard is it to ask the immigration guys at the counters where it goes, and then follow the trail? It's not too difficult so clearly they just don't want to do it.

Because they don't want to know where it's been going, just where it's supposed to go from now on = to the Chief!

At my place: 1000 baht.

In my situation all the dogs are pets. The flip-side is that the people from whom I rent my house and share the same front gate appreciate that they can take their kids out to school in the morning and I have already cleaned up any mess. The exception is usually only when I leave real early and the dogs have made their deposit after I leave and then they clean it up themselves so their kids won't step in the mess.

Curious; what would happen if after cleaning up their dogs mess you then dumped it in front of their gate/door?

Given your western attitude and your lack of social skills you are in for a very rude awakening.

I could write volumes, but.in short,

this is rural Thailand, and if you can not accept the communal, "what your's is mine' rural culture here,

you need to pull out and live in town.

With your attitude, you could get hurt, or even disappear.

The police could care less.

You will not win.

Cut your losses now and write it off to a lesson in Thai culture.

Be happy you are only renting and did not buy the land ( in your partner's name )

Choke Dee....( good luck )

I have to agree with him, you will just be in for more and more frustration and then maybe something much worse.

People are going to go in droves and they are in for some big shocks. Cuba does not have the infrastructure that tourists are accustomed too = nice Hotels/rooms, good food, easy transport and most importantly maybe people who will treat the visitors politely. Of course there are good people there but there are also many who will try to scam the foreigners of every dollar they can. When I was there I have never had so many people approach me with a con, seemed like there was new one on every corner. From "can you go in this store and buy some milk for my baby because I'm not allowed" to the most common "can you help me contact my brother, cousin, uncle, whatever who lives in the US and..." It gets old real fast and rather depressing really, you feel for them.

These are not "cons". Last time I was in Cuba, I responded positively to the "shop" request. Cubans were/are not allowed access to the stores for foreigners, which take only Yankee dollars. Buying something simple for maybe a baby or whatever is no big deal.

What sort of paranoid mentality would see this as a con?

Paranoid mentality...maybe one that just had 6 other people in a row hit him up for something else after a night where someone ripped him off for $50.00. Just because you had a good time there does not mean all the people are nice just like mine does not mean they are all bad. But it is a very different world/country than people are accustomed to, or would you call the paranoid too?!

People are going to go in droves and they are in for some big shocks. Cuba does not have the infrastructure that tourists are accustomed too = nice Hotels/rooms, good food, easy transport and most importantly maybe people who will treat the visitors politely. Of course there are good people there but there are also many who will try to scam the foreigners of every dollar they can. When I was there I have never had so many people approach me with a con, seemed like there was new one on every corner. From "can you go in this store and buy some milk for my baby because I'm not allowed" to the most common "can you help me contact my brother, cousin, uncle, whatever who lives in the US and..." It gets old real fast and rather depressing really, you feel for them.

Slap that smile off your face lady. You killed someone. At least show some sensitivity.

Agreed, Disgusting.

Unbelievable! Maybe the payment is enough to hire a hitman?!

Dear Nikolas, i am Belgian to, I discussed your situation with another Belgian friend. We may be able to help you, but we want to meet you first. Send me a message.

Good for you!!!

Some of the compassion and understanding shown here lets me know that should I ever need help I would not look for it here! I hope everyone receives that which they've given, in spades.

I personally think Thailand should require from all retirees proof of income of at least 65,000 baht/month (which is about 800,000 baht/year) and get rid of the 800,000 baht in a bank account rule. Right now, there are way too many people on a tiny pension who choose to live here and do not significantly contribute to the economy

One of the OP's posts.

Perhaps all young digital nomads should be required to show they have savings or guaranteed income to support their layabout lifestyles in Thailand when things go wrong.

personally think that's a croc of ___ !