dddave

The reality is that the girls/other than girls working the beach are no different than street-walkers anywhere. They come from the fringes of society and desperate circumstances. More often than not, drugs are involved somewhere, whether themselves or a partner they're supporting. They are not having sex with strangers for fun, it's all for money and if a customer is dumb enough to leave a bundle of cash in place for an easy grab, then a harsh lesson learned. Buying sex is not the same as buying a shirt.

I fear for Bang Krachao, sometimes called "Bangkok's Green Lung" just across the river. Though not a totally undeveloped area, it is still as close to a rural, non-urban space as one is likely to find anywhere around Bangkok.

The video of this killing shown on the TV news clearly shows the perps running across the street to attack the victim. "Self-defense" doesn't hold water.

The REDDIT "Thailand Tourism" and "Thailand" forums draw a much younger crowd than this forum. Questions about ADHD and other drugs like those for depression are common there. The advice usually given is to get a prescription on the approved international form and only bring enough for the limit of the visit. I believe 90 days supply is maximum. There are Psychiatric hospitals in Thailand that can prescribe some meds, at least ones approved for use in Thailand but many common meds are not allowed.

Interesting to me as Sunday night, actually around 0300-0330 Monday, I awoke to go to the bathroom, then stepped out onto my balcony in Jomtien. I noticed a distinct but not very strong odor of diesel fuel. I wondered if there had been a fuel leak somewhere close, maybe an accident involving a tanker truck. This explains it. Dropping fuel off Samut Sarkon around mid afternoon would have allowed the evaporated fuel fumes to widely disperse in the atmosphere. By morning, the scent of fuel was gone.

Brawls like this in Pattaya used to be rarer than virgins in a beer-bar. The recent influx of the MMA/MuayThai wanna-be's seems to have kicked the testosterone level of Pattaya sois up a couple of levels.

Perhaps, but for all we know he could also be an abusive SOB. We have no clue and no basis to judge.

About 10 years ago, I was in Vientiane. There is a large arch on a boulevard in the city and I sat down on a nearby bench to take a rest and people watch. Another man, middle aged was sitting on the same bench, his children playing nearby. We began to chat; his English was perfect. It turned out he was a Hmong and had lived in Michigan for nearly 20 years. This was his first visit to Laos since departing as a refugee. We had a pleasant conversation. He did say he had to be careful as the Laotian authorities really don't like Hmong and persecute them. His kids said they were hungry so he and his kids departed. I was about to depart as well when three men in casual clothes approached me and flashed police badges. They sat me back down on the bench and started interrogating me about "my friend". They wanted to know exactly what he had said to me. They really pressed me as to whether if I had ever seen him before or if anybody had arranged me to meet him. It was really spooky. They were finally satisfied it was a chance meeting and let me go but from that point, I always had the sense I was being watched. I have no doubt this was because he was an visiting Hmong refugee.

I was on a golf course once when without any warning, a lightning bolt hit a large oak tree about 50 feet away. The tree literally exploded, sending large wood splinters like shrapnel from a bomb. In my group we were uninjured but definitely in shock. A fellow in a nearby group had a large, nearly foot long splinter lodged in his thigh and had to be helicoptered to a hospital as they were concerned it might be close to the artery.

My home city of Boston (USA) is a good example. NOBODY used to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The fine was like $20. Then, after a couple of needless deaths got the attention of the media, new, stricter crosswalk regulations were passed including a $250 fine. Every crosswalk got large cones with the $250 fine for not stopping prominently displayed. Word got around quickly that the new rules were being enforced and drivers began to stop. It actually worked.

When I was recently studying for the Thai Driving license exam, I was surprised to learn that the maximum fine for blocking or not giving way an emergency vehicle was shockingly low, like under B1000

I was playing a lot of golf, walking the course wearing walking shoes, not specific golf shoes. I got a painful case of Plantar Fasciitis and consulted a podiatrist. (This was in the USA) He said "walking shoes" are not really stiff enough and do not support the arch well enough when walking long distances and on hilly terrain. He said walking shoes were more about comfort, light weight, soft, shock absorbing heels and soles, Custom made insoles were very expensive but he guided me to insoles sold at larger sports stores. Sorry, I forget the brand but they worked very well and my symptoms faded quickly. They were quite rigid and had very specific arch and heel support. Maybe worth checking Decathlon Sports here in Thailand for good insoles.

Ahh...So you're advocating every automobile passenger wear a high-speed impact rated helmet, 5 point harness with head restraint, fireproof coveralls with impact padding, sit in a molded seat surrounded by titanium cage and roll-bar?

The buses are one thing but the most critical issue is drivers driving extended hours and either falling asleep at the wheel or making poor decisions. Many countries have driver apps that keep track of their driving hours. The buses are equipped with code readers and must be signed into before they will operate. Thailand needs such a system for buses and trucks as well.

How is he playing the victim here? He just wants to be left alone and make his own decisions.