willyumiii

The true wonderfulness of TV.

All terribly amusing - maybe this woman was actually trafficking young women and forcing them into prostitution - it happens all the time.

So if she is arrested- good- might save a few guillable girls in the future

Hmmm....methinks you should have omitted the word 'gullible' and included the word 'greedy'. These women were only interested in the piles of cash and had no thoughts about the possible consequences of chasing it !

Would you be interested in leaving your home to work in a foreign country if the money offered was not a good amount?

I would not.

All of his money?

He must put some aside to pay for all of the Viagra he is eating.

Or maybe she gives him an allowance for that.

Can anyone explain the difference between ISIL and ISIS ?

I assume they are referring to the same organization.

If so, why the confusion with the names?

You can also call them DAESH

ISIL, ISIS, Islamic State, Daesh: What's The Difference?

http://www.ibtimes.com/isil-isis-islamic-state-daesh-whats-difference-2187131

Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One group, many names

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27994277

All muslims.

And all KKK members are Christians.

Don't even go there.

Insinuating that all Muslims are radical extremist terrorist is just wrong.

The huge majority of Muslims are not.

It is very common for people or organizations to claim credit for crimes they did not commit.

Sometimes for publicity, sometimes because of mental disorders and many times due to both.

P.S. The CIA investigators on this case have just stated that it is unlikely that this crime is linked to terrorism or Islam.

Can anyone explain the difference between ISIL and ISIS ?

I assume they are referring to the same organization.

If so, why the confusion with the names?

Sure it's impressive. Now wait for Immigration Police to issue warnings for working without a permit and doing work that Thais could and should do.

T.A.T., take note. "Come to Thailand and clean up an amazing beach"

I often hear folks on TV warning about doing good deeds, without pay in Thailand that they will get in trouble for not having a work permit.

Yet, I have never met a person or even read a post from a person who has had problems because the volunteered to do something good for the sake of doing something good.

The whole thing behind work permits is to prevent non Thai people from taking paying jobs away from Thai people.

Unless someone has been paying Thai people to pick up trash on the beach and have lost their jobs because foreign volunteers have done such a good job that trash no longer exists....I don't see a problem.

I have volunteered to help out at my local school before ( without a work permit ) and worked right along side local police officers and Immigration officers who were also volunteering and were aware of my status and they had no problem with me helping at all.

Thai people are not as stupid and unreasonable as some foreigners would like to believe they are!

Th

It seems there are a lot more butterflies about this year and they are beautiful

I think of them as the flying flowers of my garden.

But, as a result of so many butterflies in the yard, there are now thousands of caterpillars and they are eating almost everything.

They are totally defoliating some plants.

Does anyone know any tricks to get rid of them without using anything too toxic?

Most of the caterpillars are of this type..and again, they are everywhere in the garden now.

It seems most of the information they ask you for is the same information you provide when applying for a visa or an extension of same.

I am about to complete my fifth year here and have yet to get a visit from police or immigration ( except for one occasion when local police came to my home to ask me to teach officers to speak English).

I am aware that I could get a visit from either at any time.

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

If they call ahead, I will prepare a nice lunch before they arrive.

Israel sucks.

They go out of their way to cause trouble ,

and then when they get a little payback, they scream that they are being persecuted.

They are cocky and act tough as long as they know the U.S will finance and support them.

Israel has been an "independent" country for about 60 years now.

It is time they were truly independent and learned how to conduct themselves in a manor that does not put their existence in jeopardy with out a big brother to stick up for them.

Their attitude is a huge reason there can be no peace in the middle east, and that puts the safety of the entire world at risk.

They are the spoiled brats and bullies of the world and they need to grow up.

It's past time the USA let Israel either sink or swim on their own

I agree.

I prefer tomatoes with more base and less trebel.

And their volume turned up to eleven!

Oh the irony here.... you managed to spell both bass and treble wrong while making a joke about the spelling. LOL Well done!

And you are the first to notice, or at least mention it. LOL, Well done...

or is that medium rare?

Chonburi area- Tomatoes- at Makro 59 Baht per Kg/ Big C- 55 B/ Lotus-59 B/ Market 70B- per. Also, other vegetable prices up as well as eggs. If this is because of the drought- simply go back to Songkran when people were wasting water and no conservation efforts. Now everyone suffering from high prices .

Where did all that "wasted water" from songkran go??

It went back into the ground and became ( guess what) ground water, or evaporated, went into the atmosphere, condensed and became rain.

Water does not vanish, it just cycles

The conservation needed is retaining the flood waters in rainy season in resiviours for use in the dry season rather than letting it all flow down the river into the gulf where it becomes useless.

This would also reduce flooding.

I agree.

I prefer tomatoes with more base and less trebel.

And their volume turned up to eleven!

There is a strange attitude about safety and fault while driving here in Thailand.

I will never forget an incident a couple of years ago where a young woman on a motorbike was waiting in a turning lane to make a left turn when I driver in a truck drove right over her while using the lane to pass a car.

She was killed. **

I found it hard to believe when I heard Thai people state that it was not the truck drivers fault because he was passing someone!

If you drive in Thailand for very long, you learn that Thai drivers feel they obligated pass every vehicle possible, no matter how dangerous it is to do so.

But to the point of killing others in the process of passing, I will never understand.

** She was 19 years old, recently married, and had a new baby.

youre right the girlfriend uses the normal "Thai get out" excuse , she was too close, first rule is to allow enough space to stop in any conditions.

Where I come from, California, anyone who rear ends anyone is in the wrong.

Period.

Case closed.

But this is not California, this is Thailand.

"I remain flabbergasted when the same people who say most Muslims are peaceful seem to think that most gun owners aren't. There's a disconnect there."

Only a small percentage of Muslims in America are radical extremist.

Based on religion, and race, Muslims are a very small percentage of gun owners in America the largest percentage of gun owners are white Christians

A very small percent of Muslims in America own guns. ( the stats can be found on google )

100% of gun owners one guns, some own many guns.

Guns are made to kill.

Are you still flabbergasted as to why people who do not posses tools to kill are more peaceful than those who own and worship tools made to kill?

I see no disconnect Pimay1.

carpenter does not build without nails and a hammer to pound them with.

Nails are bullets and guns are hammers..

Remove either from the equation and carpenters do nothing.

"to save the GOP from hitching its fortunes to an unpredictable celebrity "

After all, that is what the GOP is all about...

Saving the fortunes of the wealthiest white guys in the country.

GOP = Greedy Old People

"This is the saddest day of my life. I can't even wrap my mind around the horror of what happened last night in Orlando, where 50 joyful dancing queers were murdered by a religious extremist. I'm sad -- devastated, in my soul -- about that; but I'm also sad that the events of Orlando have shattered my political beliefs, as I can no longer swear allegiance to a peace-love-and-unicorns progressive philosophy that only helps to get my fellow queers killed." LINK

Either very old or very bigoted to refer to gays as queers.

Try leaping into the twentyfirst century, or even the late twentieth!

Oh wait!

This is coming from the ever compassionate member who lives in America and is .always posting on a forum for people who live in Thailand , usually about what he perceives as problems in Thailand that he never experiences,

I understand now.

Always consider the source.

Never Mind, It's just Never Sure

How are things in America?

Any new shootings are proud of that we haven't heard about yet?

Bipolar my bum, the only thing that matters is that he was a Muslim, the New York Times did not inspire him to murder, the readers Digest did not, the Koran did.

There is not enough time left in the world to list all of the atrocities committed by Christian extremist in the past 2000 years.

All religious extremist are evil.

A very small percentage of Muslims are extremist.

This can not just be blamed on the fact that he was Muslim.

Statements like yours only cause more extremism.

So, that makes you responsible as well.

I see no mention of the fact that he was an American, born in the U.S.

This was domestic terrorism.

Just an another American wacko with an AR 15.

When you permit civilians to own military weapons designed only to kill a lot of people at one time, you should expect this to happen.

One wacko man killed about 50 people and wounded about 50 more all by himself.

This could not have been done without a military assault weapon.

Think about that.

I can't remember the names, but I have had great experiences with a couple of guest houses in Vientiane.

I did not care for any of the hotels there, not well maintained and very noisy.

The guest houses seemed to take more pride in the service they provided.

There are several to choose from in the part of the city by the river where most of the good bars and eating establishments are located.

You can be hired as a teacher on a Non O visa, ( I was,) but most schools are unaware of this and it was like pulling teeth to convince them.

At one point, I gave up and went to Thai immigration to convert my Non O into a Non B, and the immigration officer convinced me that it would be foolish to do so.

She went above her call and contacted the school and convinced them that I could work as a teacher on a Non O visa.

Since it is an issue for the Ministry of Labor and not immigration, I was very impressed that the immigration officer did this for me.

But, in a nutshell, I must agree, if yo are "starting fresh" with a visa, get a Non B and avoid the battle.

Thanks! I will look into that since I don't mind volunteering! Can I still get a work permit and extend my stay just like a B visa would? any advantages or disadvantages O vs B visa? You are very kind to mention this.

My Non O is due to the fact that I am married to a Thai woman ( and have a child ) There are other types of Non O visas as well.

The advantage is that I should be able to extend my visa every year as long as I am married to a Thai and have a child in Thailand.

If you have a Non B visa because you have a job here, if you ever lose or quit that job, your visa is no longer valid.

My Non O has worked to my advantage already since last year I decided to retire and collect my pension, since I have a Non O visa I was not required to change my visa status..

You mentioned volunteering, you should be aware that the law in Thailand says you require a work permit even if you are volunteering and not getting paid.

You are wise to check into things before relocating here. many do not and many regret it.

Chok Dee! ( good luck!)

P.S. I am not an expert, I only know my experience and situation.

UbonJoe is the man for the best information on visas in Thailand I have ever found and he always seems to be happy to assist.

I have a friend who is convinced that since Thai people NEVER return defective merchandise that many manufactures ship merchandise to Thailand that will not pass quality control.

Who's to say they don't?

I have shared your experience with many good brand named products purchased in Thailand that suck, that would be good reliable products if purchased in America or elsewhere.

You can be hired as a teacher on a Non O visa, ( I was,) but most schools are unaware of this and it was like pulling teeth to convince them.

At one point, I gave up and went to Thai immigration to convert my Non O into a Non B, and the immigration officer convinced me that it would be foolish to do so.

She went above her call and contacted the school and convinced them that I could work as a teacher on a Non O visa.

Since it is an issue for the Ministry of Labor and not immigration, I was very impressed that the immigration officer did this for me.

But, in a nutshell, I must agree, if yo are "starting fresh" with a visa, get a Non B and avoid the battle.

Sanders will get a position of power from this campaign and the Dems will have to adopt some of his policies...... - Clinton cannot ignore him - that is why he is being so tenacious.

I agree.

Clinton must adopt Bernie's policies if she is to get the support of Bernie's supporters.

Without them she can win and she knows it.

Bernie knows exactly what he is doing and he is doing the right thing

Clinton is a corporate owned untrustworthy monster.

Bernie is using his influence to somewhat tame the beast.

But keep in mind, what they say to get into office may have little to do with what they will do in office.

Good luck America.

You have permitted the election to come down to two very poor candidates.

For that, you deserve the mess you will will be dealing with for the next four to eight years.

Whoever wins, those years will be a disaster, maybe for the entire world.

Again, good luck...and thanks.for the mess!