MEL1

The cops have a lot to answer for, so busy fining people for not wearing helmets but a pickup truck bed full of women and babies is acceptable.

I think my last post referred to this issue quite clearly!

-mel.

Obviously a banker!

-mel

Sukhumvit soi sib-gao. I saw a tree there once.

-mel.

Thanks for the tips. I figured buyers would be wary of anything like that sold online from Thailand (I know I would have been back home) so figured selling to a dealer here would be a decent option. I got a pretty sweet deal when i bought new and for the IWC in particular I am optimistic I should be able to sell it for pretty much what I paid... got a strong case of buyers remorse!

3 years ago I had both a Rolex and an Omega Constellation to sell, both bought at Paragon official dealers.

There is nowhere in Thailand where you will sell them for any near their potential worth, and you'd even be lucky to get 50%.

Take them home and sell them abroad, with the boxes and paperwork of course, and you'll more likely get 70-75% original value, as I did.

-mel.

Well, quite. I've yet to hear a song make reference to any other country than Magnetic Field's '... on a ferris wheel on Coney Island underneath more stars than there are prostitutes in Thailand', or is it simply that it rhymes? Or, for a male visitor to be handed a box of condoms when asking his MD for vacs for his upcoming visit to, again, Thailand.

Although some of you seem to be living in de Nile.

Proper pain in the willy anyway as they are invariably the smallest size, made for local tadgers.

Yeah, but when they slip off you get the real deal, and always carry a pencil, a magnifying glass and a torch!

Here are tourism arrivals by gender. For the first part of last year, 39.9% of tourist arrivals to Thailand were female. Among Europeans, that percent was 43%.

http://www.tourism.g.../Sex-Travel.pdf

Note that 'sex-travel' there refers to gender of arrivals, nothing more

China

http://www.cnto.org/...alsByAgeSex.asp

In China 35.7% of arrivals were female

Here are statistics for the UK.

http://www.visitbrit...data/index.aspx

43% of tourist to the UK are female. The percent is higher than Thailand, but not significantly. A 50/50 gender ratio among tourists is not normal. Men travel more. Especially to a far off destination.

Some men certainly are going for sex. But they are vastly outnumbered by the millions who are not. The bars would be heaving with customers instead of being half empty and there wouldn't be so many shutting down or doing poorly otherwise.

Let's add to that 43% the 3 million, of which were 480,000 US citizens, coming for cheap medical services. Last years quota of visitors is suppositioned at 11.2 million. 3/11.2=0.28 , so there's another 28% that were not here for the sex industry (maybe a very very small percentage indulged, but I doubt it). So we're upto 71% of tourists not here for the sex trade. Then there's families and couples, which there appear to be no stats for, and yet I see plenty of lovey dovey couples touring hand in hand, and certainly lots of families with babies and children, and even if that number is only 15%, as a low haphazard guess, we are upto 86% of farang not here for sex.

There's your rough figures Thai at Heart. Care to comment on the viable truth of these figures.

Add to those figures the armed services or various countries, who do come onshore and go to use the 'services of vice' probably a good million a year from all countries, and don't forget it was the US invasion of Vietnam that caused this massive reputation downfall of Thailand being free and easy when it came to girls, when they had AK-47s on their backs, I think you find it is about 10% of farang who do come here purely for the sex industry.

What say ye, being Thai at heart?

-mel.

dam_n it! I saw 9 dolphins.

http://www.frenblog.com/illusion/dolphin-illusion/

I need to get out more, or get some education from my Thai wife.

-mel.

Well there aren't any official statistics on that, but it seems clear that it is true. 40% of tourists now are female (higher percent than China or India). Just look around, go to Patpong or lower Suhkumvit and you see a bunch of half empty bars, and then go to Khao San Road or any of the various mega malls and there are huge teeming crowds of people. Demographic of tourists have changed, the single western male headed to gogo bars are a small minority. More families and children come than ever before, huge numbers of young people and couples, Russians are now the largest 'farang' group, and Asians now make up 2/3rds of tourists.

Well, as I said, definitive stats would be better, and I don't argue entirely with what you say. However, a more interesting stat might be, what percentage of all the visitors don't avail themselves in any way of a sexual service during their visit. Ranging from basic massage shops to golf caddies, the potential is enormous.

Particularly as you say about Asians being a very fast increasing market, how many Korean or Japanese golfers don't get a bit of slap and tickle when they are here? One market is replacing another. Whilst you are wondering why Nana is quiet, the jap and korean hostess bars may well be heaving.

If you had done any research whatsoever, you would know that last year alone 3 million people came to Thailand for medical treatment. If you think they came here for, as you put it ' a sexual service - when ill, then by Buddha you are a not well.

-mel.

Thailand IS the world's brothel-no news here.

volleyballs!

With regard to Thailand being the world's brothel, and some comments about Thailand, I think some users need to get a little education here.

Take a quick peak at the following, and evaluate Taiwan, China, Brazil, AND YES The good ol' U.S of A. !!

http://miradaglobal....emid=34〈=en

Do a bit of google research, and you'll find Thailand is no where near the top of the pile!

-mel.

Perception is everything. Just run a survey in your local pub back home what anyone thinks of first about Thailand.

Perceptions aren't facts. What people think are perceptions, especially with regard to Thailand being all about sex. You may like to know that it is a minority of travellers who come to Thailand for the sex trade.

-mel

With regard to Thailand being the world's brothel, and some comments about Thailand, I think some users need to get a little education here.

Take a quick peak at the following, and evaluate Taiwan, China, Brazil, AND YES The good ol' U.S of A. !!

http://miradaglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=867%3Aprostitucion-globalizada&catid=30%3Asociedad&Itemid=34〈=en

Do a bit of google research, and you'll find Thailand is no where near the top of the pile!

-mel.

That's the nature of the beast of Thai investigation - there were no skid marks, so he must have been 'dozy'.

All other possibilities excluded?

It sure makes one wonder about all the other previous investigations involving farang, when this issue is so open and clear cut - accordingly..

-mel.

I wonder which part of the western world many TV posters come from when they suggest Thailand is a violent place to live. In the 10 years I have lived in SE Asia I have never witnessed anything more violent that a Saturday night fight in an average city centre in UK, USA, Australia.........

If you don't p-ss people off by shagging their girlfriend, acting aggressively, making the locals lose face or indeed breaking security rules such as taking baloons on the BTS, then it is VERY unlikely you will find yourself in this type of situation.

With the current security situation in Thailand being as it is, I applaud the security staff for actually doing the job they are being paid to do, under difficult circumstances dealing with stubburn, drunk, jumped up members of the public who think they have a god given right to put security at risk.

Security staff? A ya ba junkie 19 year old, with a stick, fresh from Ubon........ you're having a larff! Stay in Laos.... you will be safe, I'm sure.

-mel.

What a douche

Pass me the honey, honey. Pass me the sugar, sugar.

Pass me the tea - BAG!

-mel.

"What is wrong with keeping balloons out of the hands of the wrong people?"

Balloons, land mines, torture equipment, cluster bombs, chemical weapons are weapons designed to inflict pain and death on human beings. Most victims are civilians, women and children. How can balloon manufacturers, weapons designers, plant managers, politicians, who have families of their own whom they love, be so insensitive when it comes to the suffering of other human beings?

Wot? .... Balloons are weapons designed to inflict pain? Wot?

>swift removal< face.......... you are a missile off the mark on this one fella!

-mel.

Time to get some actual work done and will follow Metisdead's advice before I get sucked into responding to some of these personal attacks . But I do suggest folks actually watch the video before they believe the headline or the first sentence of the article because the video does NOT show a foreigner being assaulted as the article claims. In fact it is a fairly lengthy video of an out of control foreigner attacking calm and reserved security officers and needing to be restrained by another farang.

Regardless if this guy was at fault or security, it certainly has nothing to do with Thai or any Foriegn society and it is simply about one incident of people who don't claim to represent their entire society by their actions during this incident. If what is usually the case in similar situations is true around the globe then there is likely going to be fault on both sides.

GOOD GOD MAN! How many times do you need to be told that the clip is AFTER he was struck in the face/head? One more time......AFTER!

IS YOUR THICK IGNORANT HEAD FULL OF SAND OR WHAT?

Ssshhhh! Ssshhhhh! You might wake it up!

-mel.

LOL Right... so what we gain from all this. I wish this was the only problem in Thailand, it would be close to paradise hahaha

It is paradise, less events like this. That's why we are here. Simple as.

It's unfortunate that many comments here come from non-Thai residents... they know nothing, and think this is big wonderful news, as does The Nation and TV.

For those of us who keep our noses out, get on with it, love it, and admire it, away from the police estates of the west, then this report is small fish.

In essence, we like to input, either for a laugh or for a wind up........ but this incident will never affect my life here, my travels on BTS if necessary, nor my respect for little asses making their 6k a month with a baton.

-mel.

The man then decides to attempt to karate kick this guard in the chest in order to retrieve the balloons. This guard has clearly not made any physical threat to the man

Oh My Buddha!

It's now a Karate kick from the guy....... well as I said earlier, a majority of exaggerations........ but this bites the biscuit!

-mel.

If I was in that situ, it would have been over in a sec, quick roundhouse, take 'em all out, and easy ride home...

-mel.

Sorry if my definition of the attempted kick is incorrect. I am not a Karate expert (or lawyer). Could you please watch the video at the point around 1:56 where the man leaves the ground with his leg held up aimed in the direction of the BTS guard and advice me as to the correct term that should be used to refer to this type of attempted kick. Maybe i'ved seen too many Jackie Chan videos.

MAYBE, just maybe, when somebody is pulling you it's called 'natural balance'?

Ever nearly slipped on ice, and nearly kicked somebody?

It's all heresay, still...... :z

Edit......: I don't see him leave the ground, by the way! Was he reacting to a previous hit?

Time to get some actual work done and will follow Metisdead's advice before I get sucked into responding to some of these personal attacks . But I do suggest folks actually watch the video before they believe the headline or the first sentence of the article because the video does NOT show a foreigner being assaulted as the article claims. In fact it is a fairly lengthy video of an out of control foreigner attacking calm and reserved security officers and needing to be restrained by another farang.

Regardless if this guy was at fault or security, it certainly has nothing to do with Thai or any Foriegn society and it is simply about one incident of people who don't claim to represent their entire society by their actions during this incident. If what is usually the case in similar situations is true around the globe then there is likely going to be fault on both sides.

GOOD GOD MAN! How many times do you need to be told that the clip is AFTER he was struck in the face/head? One more time......AFTER!

IS YOUR THICK IGNORANT HEAD FULL OF SAND OR WHAT?

Ssshhhh! Ssshhhhh! You might wake it up!

-mel.

Thailand's tourist industry really is struggling, just look at these figures: http://www.aseansec....tat/Table29.pdf

Then compare with the numbers of tourists recorded in Thailand during the same years...

Still waiting to hear what countries should be used as a tourism model for Thailand to emulate...?

Thailand make the number what they want its never true

B.S. Of course the numbers are true.... they're just not published.

1,000,000 to me, and 1 to you. 2,000,000 to me, and 1 to you. Of course also, this is Minister training lingo, from them to Esam farmers, and the farmers are so so grateful, cos they got 1..... I got 1 ..... cool!! Mee kwuam suk mahk!

. lem. .. :Z

Thailand's tourist industry really is struggling, just look at these figures: http://www.aseansec....tat/Table29.pdf

Then compare with the numbers of tourists recorded in Thailand during the same years...

Still waiting to hear what countries should be used as a tourism model for Thailand to emulate...?

Still no response? Much easier to just post derogatory remarks than substance using actual facts and figures.

Please educate us all to what country Thailand should be looking to for advice in attracting Tourists? Anyone?

Ironic that most of the posters here reside in Thailand not as permanent residents but as tourists, with only negative comments about Thailand Tourism...

Well she could slip on a Bikini and say "Where the Bloody hell are Ya", just like the Aussie model.

http://youtu.be/3pMOBVX88Kg

The bosom size doesn't match YuckLing's, nor most Thai's. If you want LOOKS, buy a Goldfish.

She could do a freemantle wind in public, just to show she's not a marrionette however.

-mel.

Thank god Nisa has gone to bed

+10 ! 555+

18 pages about an angry falang hitting and kicking security guards because he can't take his balloons on the train...boo hoo

Did you actually see him hit a guard, or kick one, as opposed to being demonstrative after being hit?

Go on, answer me....... show me the hit/punch/kick! What second of a non-descript video?

-mel.

the foreigner's behavior in the video would have resulted in a dose of the Taser or pepper spray in the U.S.-- heck, in Florida the guards could have shot him and claimed self-defense under the stand-your-ground law.

reading this thread it’s amazing how many people seem to hate the place they have decided to reside in.

In the US , guards would not have stopped him carrying balloons onto a train, a greyhound bus, or wherever; with his wife and child in tow. Just stop exaggerating!

-mel.

The man then decides to attempt to karate kick this guard in the chest in order to retrieve the balloons. This guard has clearly not made any physical threat to the man

Oh My Buddha!

It's now a Karate kick from the guy....... well as I said earlier, a majority of exaggerations........ but this bites the biscuit!

-mel.

If I was in that situ, it would have been over in a sec, quick roundhouse, take 'em all out, and easy ride home...

-mel.