Sharp

I am a middle aged Australian and self funded retiree.

I grew up poor. I was raised by my mum in a housing commission flat in a dreadful area of western Sydney.

Much of my child hood was spent hiding from tattooed, drunk, violent and abusive Australian men. My father was one of them.

It follows that I now have zero tolerance for drunken white trash.

In the decades past I used to spend a lot of time on Bali.

I stopped going there because I grew tired of watching senselessly drunk Australian tourists abusing the locals.

I now live in Phuket. I have been here for nearly three years and live in a lovely quiet part of the island.

I have made some wonderful Thai and expat friends and am very happy with my life.

Why I do not go to Patong

One of my strategies for ensuring a happy and safe life in Phuket is to never go to Patong.

In my first year of explorations of Phuket, I went to Patong a number of times. I have even ridden at night, without incident, on the infamous red tuk tuks.

But in the wake of these earlier explorations I now choose not to go to Patong.

My reason is simple: as stated above I have zero tolerance for drunken white trash.

If I wanted to wear a wife basher singlet and mix with tattooed, drunk, violent and abusive white men I could have stayed in the suburb I grew up in, dropped out of school, stole cars, and drunk myself stupid. Instead I lived in a garden shed for six years, worked three jobs, put myself through through university, started my own business, and retired at 45.

Why is Patong full of white trash?

Put simply, Phuket would appear in the final stages of it's product life cycle. Quality tourists have now moved on to more pristine milieus. As a destination, Patong is therefore left to scrap the bottom of the tourist barrel with the assistance of low cost airlines flying out from Australia (and Russia).

Is violent crime against Australians on the rise in Phuket?

Unfortunately, the answer would appear to be yes. The recent murder of Michelle Smith is a relevant example. A well regarded family lady doing nothing more than walking home from dinner with her friend and college was stabbed to death for her hand bag. My heart felt condolences go out to all of her family and friends.

Do some Australian tourists provoke violent responses from Thais?

I will leave you, kind reader, to answer this question for yourself. But to assist you with your thoughts it should prove useful to first have a look at some of the facts surrounding the recent bashing of Peter Hulands.

A few days ago the Phuket Gazette reported that Peter was bashed by five Tuk Tuk drivers. Apparently one driver made a comment about a hat worn by his girlfriend Kitty Cardway. The article is here:

http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16585.html

To be fair to Peter, Kitty, and the Tuk Tuk drivers of Patong, it seemed prudent to carry out some further research on the incident. Fortunately one need look no further than Kitty's own Facebook page.

On Facebook, Kitty writes:

"Some tuk tuk drivers said something offensive about me as we walked past and Peter went back and said "what did you f'n say?" ... and then he was on the ground and there were 5 of them kicking him. That's all that it took ... in hindsight we should have kept walking but can't change things now "

So it would seem that Peter and Kitty's side of the story can be simply stated as follows:

Offensive behavior toward women is not acceptable. Peter's response to the tuk tuk driver was therefore justified.

Or in Kitty's own words from her Facebook page:

"Unfortunately, it doesn't matter where in the world you are, you will always find this element of people who have no regard for others ... so sad "

Yes Kitty, stamping out offensive behavior toward women is important. Mainstream Thai culture embodies this at its core. Outside of the bar scene, a man touching a Thai women in public is a BIG taboo.

The problem for you and Peter however is that morality is reciprocal arrangement. That is, you respect the locals and in turn they respect you.

Perhaps if there were less Australian men, such as Peter, groping the breasts of Thai women in public, there would be less tuk tuk drivers making offensive comments Australian women.

A photo from your Facebook page says it all:

Yeah but that's a bloke .......

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Go with the dealership my friend....

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Why bust the little mum and pop stores, they aren't exactly selling truckloads and what they do sell hardly provides enoungh income to feed the family for a day.

Actually your wrong and let's be fair if the clubs ,bars , restaurants do it the everyone should after all it's their culture ....for me sell alcohol when you like but ...l

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Quick!

Get Chalerm on the case.

I bet he wasn't without his ear medicine the past few days!

FLMAO .....

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so it is possible to do this slowly and also legally, sort of and definately becoming legal when we have sufficient turnover to achieve this, ill look into the ltd firm advice with my ladyfriend

Thanks for the advice so far, its restored in me a little hope that we maybe do have a chance to be together without miraculously winning the lottery or selling various vital organs

Rik,you are or will be illegal my friend no matter how you look at it ,you won't get a work permit for this job my friend tried .Basically you could set up a company with Thai carpenters/labourers and you the owner/director but as so as you go hands on ,in trouble my friend and as been said already you piss somebody off or out of jealously your done in Thailand.

Good luck....

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I'm not sure where to start here, but perhaps to give a little background. My father met a pattaya bar girl 8 years ago, she is much younger than himself (she was 32, he was 62) . Dad came home, she rang him a month later telling him 'my mums gotta have an operation i need money'. dad paid her some money then. he visited her again and they beacme a 'regular thing'. Eventually they moved to her local village down in the south and he built a house on her mums land, fitted it out, got air con, bought a car, etc etc. I visited 'the farm' as he affectionately called it ( i was more inclined to call it a swamp) 3 times over the last few years. As one of his grown up daughters i wrestled with his choices, as i am sure he did with mine over the years, but eventually came to terms with the whole thing. this was dads 3rd marriage, he certainly beleived in enjoying life, but he was wary of women generally and told me once he was sometimes wary of his wife and family, he said he only just trusted her 'so far' he said he would never give her his pin numbers.

to cut to the chase Dad married his wife last summer mainly so she could get the visa to come here for 3 months, it all went very well, we supported dad when other members of the family gave him and wife a difficult time. whilst here he visited a solicitor 3 times to make a will. the first two times, the basic premise was, wife gets everything in thailand, daughters get everything in uk. At the last appointment, his wife accompanied him and it was changed to 'wife gets everything in thailand + 40,000- daughters are the resudual beneficiaries' He didnt have 40k i might add, so this money would come from the sale of the uk property in which his elderly mother lives. Well dad goes back to thailand and within 10 days is dead. We dont really know why, except that he went to hospital with breathing problems. his UK GP, was surprised, having recently seen him and found him to be in good health. by the time my sister and me arrived in thailand, he was embalmed and sealed in a box in the garden. we then watched as the wife visited the cashpoint everyday for our 16 days visit and used his cashpoint cards to take the limit everyday. (she told us he gave her the pin so she could pay the hospital bill) So, what am i asking here?

1] i think his death is suspicious but i also know that bugger all we can do about it, but it would be interesting to get other views.

2] are me and my sister morally OR legally entitled to contest his uk will.

3] we dont want to sell the house to pay the wife cos we will have to evict our elderly gran, do you think wife will agree to wait for the money?

4] if we contest the will, do you think the wife will fight us legally?

Pm me I will give you the name of a good lawyer in Thailand I have used him many times and BELEIVE me do trust him.

Sorry for your loss...

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You need to pay it or you will be cut off and have to pay an extra charge to be re-connected. Just get to your nearest 7-eleven or Tesco Express and pay it.

After the due date u have to pay at the local electric office ...

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What's always puzzled me is when you're drinking with a friend and you both have, say, an inch of beer left in the glass and there's about half a glasses worth left in the jug / bottle, then more often than not the girl will fill up one of your glasses and leave the other persons almost empty, instead of sharing it 50/50. What's all that about? Do they hope you'll buy another jug / bottle to even things out? Does the person she perceives to be of higher status (the bill payer) get their drink topped up? Does she give it to the one who's been drinking at a faster pace? Can't see the logic.

I know what you mean. I think they do it because they're thick.

Ha ha, nice one.

Yeah, pretty sure you don't need brains for that job.

Lmao

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just wrong on so many levels.

Give that thug a gun again ,m,,your right every level.......

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all good and true, but many backpackers are annoying to no end and have no real agenda other than to go to the places everyone else goes to -- where's the adventure in that?

many of them are merely looking for the next "high", whether it's cheap booze or drugs or some adrenaline rush. they have no mental aspirations beyond what their guidebooks tell them. 3rd class travel zombies.

however, youre very right in that they are more likely to support the true local economy. so perhaps putting up with them is worth it if it keeps the "real chiang mai" around just a little longer.

Valid points I agree.

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Well done Mr Dhanin you make perfect sense

What a sissy getting his legal team and running to court to sue for defamation

ttelise ,post # 1 ^^

I would of course presume that you include all the other Thai politicians who have used this tactic in the past in the quote and labelled them as ''sissies too?.

Thaksin was himself rather fond of using the sue and run tactic and I believe you will find he still has cases before the court too.

Candidly, his actions and MO for dealing with situation make it pretty apparent allegations are correct.

You are of course privy yourself to all the facts concerned in the matter, thus your judgement is based upon pure facts rather than your own opinion ?

If so you should present your evidence to the court so as to assist the defendent in his case.

I am sure that the esteemed legal firm ''Messrs Sue, Grabbit, and Run,'' would indeed be delighted to request your appearance in court so as to enhance their case in defending their client as you so clearly state you are fully aware of the guilt of the plaintiff in the current case before the court ?

Nice ....

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Lazy

Maybe they should call it year zero while their at it

Nice !!!!!

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Nice to see a happy drunk

Agreed ...

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as the saying goes them that talk about what they got actually got <snip> all.

Agreed probably wishing ......

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Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit denied that some party MPs met Thaksin in Hong Kong to lobby for positions in a possible Cabinet reshuffle. He said they went to wish Thaksin well on his birthday and there was no political significance.

Yea,yea.......and the moon is made of cheese.

Yes it is an Edam. A delicious yellow centre, with some undigestible red stuff on the outside.

Flmao.......

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Reds to rally at court for ruling on Jatuporn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Red shirts will stage a rally today in front of the Criminal Court, which is due to decide whether to revoke the bail of red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan.

Phaholyothin police chief Col Chatree Kanchanapakdee said yesterday some red shirts had already put up tents in front of the court on Ratchadapisek Road to wait for the ruling.

The Criminal Court is due to make a decision on a request by the Constitution Court to have Jatuporn's bail revoked.

Chatree said police would be deployed to maintain security at the court due to the rally.

Constitution Court judges sought revocation of Jatuporn's bail after comments by the former Pheu Thai MP during a red-shirt rally in front of Parliament were interpreted as intimidatory.

Jatuporn made the speech after the Constitution Court ruled on May 18 to disqualify him as a Pheu Thai MP.

Worawut Wichaidit, a spokesman for the red-shirt movement, said yesterday that red-shirt leaders and supporters would gather at the court today to provide moral support for Jatuporn.

Worawut said the rally was not an attempt to pressure the court to retain bail for Jatuporn. They simply wanted to provide support for Jatuporn, he said.

The spokesman said red-shirt leaders did not expect the court to revoke Jatuporn's bail and had not prepared any measures in the event his bail is revoked. He said red shirts would be asked to behave during the rally, otherwise they could be accused of contempt of court.

Jatuporn has threatened to stage a hunger strike in prison if his bail is revoked.

In another development, the Democrat Party vowed yesterday to organise political activities in provinces considered to red-shirt strongholds, although Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva encountered strong protests by red shirts in Chiang Mai on Friday.

On Friday, Abhisit visited Chiang Mai to follow up on the Democrats' policy to push for the issuing of community land deeds for the poor in the north.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday that red shirts hounded Abhisit from the airport to a hotel where the Democrats held a seminar. Some even tried to block Abhisit's car with their vehicles.

Chavanond said the Democrats were not worried by the incident but would continue to visit "red" provinces. The government should stop using red shirts as tool to block the Democrats from carrying out political activities, he said.

Also yesterday, Abac Poll gave results of its latest opinion survey, which found that most people felt conflicts over charter amendments were not over yet.

Abac Poll said the survey was carried out among 2,144 residents in 17 provinces from July 16-21. It found about 80 per cent of the respondents believed that conflicts over changes to the charter were not over.

Some 53 per cent of respondents believed courts would help reduce the conflicts, but 60 per cent did not believe that Parliament, the prime minister, or the armed forces would be able to lessen the conflicts.

Abac Poll said 63 per cent of respondents believed turmoil and conflict over charter amendments would not end even after a national referendum, while 37 per cent believed the problems would end after a referendum.

The survey also found 66 per cent of respondents still support Yingluck Shinawatra as PM.

-- The Nation 2012-07-23

Great the fat pig could do with losing weight

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Nasty

hey all the farangs out there , i require some suggestions on what should i do with my thai wife cuz recently there's been a lot of weird stuff goin on in our relationship and i really don't know how to get out of all this . i have been in a relationship with her for like an year and 7 months now , and it seems like as the time keeps on passing she keeps on changing into a more dominating, rude and feelingless kinda person. screamin shit about me and my family on the road with everyone listening for no bloody reason, tryin to hit me , breaking stuff etc. is all what im goin thru for since the last 5-6 months. The reason this is not normal because i don't have any ego problems or me being superior, with her and im quite sure she's not after my money cuz its never been dat way b/w us. its been this way from the day when we had our first child. im not sure if it has to do anything with that or not but the main point is everythings goin outta my hands, she's forced me to not talk to my folks back home and even tried to suffocate our 5 month child at times.. i really dont know what should i do? everything i own is registerd in her name , i made a big mistake and now im STUCK

Report her to the police first, god forbid something happens to the child and you will blamed or accused .

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Everywhere, except in places for tourists.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESIR GOOD ANSWER !

I did lived for 7 years on my boat in Antibes (French Riviera) where it's even worst, tourist (maybe) called the region the land of grin? For they are considered as walking wallet, for instance 1kg tomatoes 7,5 ¤ sometimes more! On the other hand one should see how many tourist behaved, on the little beach its 50% sand 50% butts, some do not care to go shopping in swimsuit, after midnight hard to find a group of passerby not completely drunk shouting in the street, not to mention the various brawls everywhere. As far as Thailand is concern I have watch some videos on Phuket at night... I swore I will never go to Phuket! When I met my wife first she was reluctant telling me "I do not want to be a Farang's Girl Friend" then she discovered I was a Buddhist ( I was way before coming to Thailand) She is from Isaan, but worked for a company in Koh Samui after divorcing her Thai husband , the couple owning 3 shops they where not poor people, so she had a terrible opinion of the Farangs for she told me, in various occasions old men proposed her money for boum boum, in the streets in broad daylight or even in Big C or Testo Lotus, it takes a certain time to convince her all Farangs are not same! So personally I understand the way some Thais considered many Farangs. One day surfing the web for subjects relating to Thailand I unexpectedly stumbled across a Porn Site where they called poor young Thai girls " Street meat" I was and still am DISGUSTED! It is insulting the whole country,I do not know where this site is located but videos where of course shot in Thailand, I wish they could be caught by Thai police for the bastards to rot in jail for years!

OK Thai people are not perfect, but I am afraid many Farangs are not either, for unfortunately the word respect was never part of their vocabulary!

You certainly got a point there .....

Ask burmese people if thailand is the land of smile...

Back home, somebody smiling means that he is happy/nice people/good mood... in thailand their smile have a total different meaning.

You can take it like a grimace or a tension/contortion of their face.

That why many foreigner are fooled by their "mask".

I had a problem with a Thai neighbour, so I asked someone in my Thai family how to deal with the issue. He said smile each time you see him so if you want to take revenge he won't think it's you; said it's Thai style! So I said but Thai's also smile with their eyes, response was foreigners don't understand Thai smiles...

Ask burmese people if thailand is the land of smile...

Back home, somebody smiling means that he is happy/nice people/good mood... in thailand their smile have a total different meaning.

You can take it like a grimace or a tension/contortion of their face.

That why many foreigner are fooled by their "mask".

I had a problem with a Thai neighbour, so I asked someone in my Thai family how to deal with the issue. He said smile each time you see him so if you want to take revenge he won't think it's you; said it's Thai style! So I said but Thai's also smile with their eyes, response was foreigners don't understand Thai smiles...

It should be called the land of snarls....

Everywhere, except in places for tourists.

Agreed!

Yep spot on ...

Western Union? Run for the hills.

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Yep there's the red flag right there.....