DeaconJohn

2 hours ago, novacova said:

If you ever make it here you’ll see that a lot of locals use them.

Yes they do, but not in the great numbers that they used to.

Nowadays so many of them have vehicles of their own, or if not, a close friend or relative has one.

When my wife was a student nurse in the early '80s she bought a Honda Cub - à crédit - and only very rarely used songtaews after that.

They will go the way of the samlor sooner rather than later... mostly for tourists.

If under Texas law the boy can't be held responsible then they should go after his guardians.

Trailer trash I'd say.

Befixed

Mee Chok Plaza, 1st floor.

Khun Oh, a competent and honest man who fixes mostly computers but a variety of other things as well.

He might do it.

Lovely girl.

She seems to exemplify all that is good about Thailand.

I think I see one coming already.

He must have heard the good news.

If this has been reported accurately he belongs in a padded cell in Suan Prung.

The big problem now is how to get rid of him.

Maybe the Canadian gov't will step up to the plate and provide a private jet to repatriate him.

Diversity is their strength, isn't it?

37 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I agree.

However, in politics there are no guarantees, and I can forsee the day when the US is forced to give the finger to zionist interference in US politics.

 

Let's hope so..

But don't count on it happening anytime soon.

It's all about the Shekels, baby.

They were originally Benjamins but got lost in translation.

31 minutes ago, Arindos said:

The United States will not send troops into Yemen, in part because the Saudis are more than willing to do that if the situation ever arises. 

 

What I see in the Red Sea is more military involvement from the Indians and Chinese. The US will then focus on countries in the Iranian sphere such as Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan/Pakistan. 

Nonsense.

When it comes to feckless incompetence the Saudis reign supreme.

When was the last time their military was involved in a successful ground invasion?

17 hours ago, VillageIdiot said:

Exceptionally good post.

It's in stark contrast to the clueless drivel that dominates this thread.

Your own experiences are shared - to one extent or another - by most of us who were here before the economic boom and mass-tourism of the 1980's that changed Thailand out of recognition.

One point you didn't make about marrying and settling down here is the importance of learning Thai.

Living in a country and not speaking the language and being functionally literate is like being deaf, dumb, and blind once you leave the tourist ghettos. You just don't know what's going on around you.

Some people seem to be born with an aptitude for learning languages... I wasn't, but I overcame it to learn Thai because I didn't want my wife and children to see me as an illiterate who couldn't speak the language. I would have been a lasting embarrassment to them all.

That's a piece of advice that should be seriously considered by anyono planning to make Thailand - or any foreign country - their new home.

 

Good point.

The OP has a big advantage if he is only in his thirties.

Most farangs come here too late in life.

Too late to master the language and attain some degree of literacy.

Too late to attract anything but a mercenary woman and become the cash-cow for her low-life family.

Thais of the better sort take care of their own and that would include a farang who has lived among them for a long time as a husband and father.

Family means everything here. Your position in the family defines who you are.

Without one you are nobody.

Farang tao-nahn eng. 

On 12/2/2023 at 1:07 PM, JingerBen said:

Wonderful quote that I've always liked.

Nobody could put obnoxious know-it-alls in their place like the Bard.

Militant atheists tend to be a devout lot.

They often become testy - if not downright nasty - when their cherished beliefs are questioned.

For me, the old concept of adaequatio sums it up best. We just don't know, and at this stage in our evolution we are incapable of knowing.

Terrible news for the families of those killed.

The Middle-East should be seen for what it is... a stinking cesspool that should be avoided.

22 hours ago, Purdey said:

This is the first time I noticed that Thaksin looks similar to Jack Ma. Maybe they swapped places?

Or maybe they've been the same person all along.

24 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

No pics?

There ya go...

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

For me, 2 weeks from meeting to Amphur wedding ......... been together 13 years now.

Sounds like you won the marriage lottery.

Most others who marry impulsively don't seem to be so lucky... from my observation anyway.

Even the best of marriages entered into during your prime can go terribly wrong as you grow older.

My own problem is mental issues with my wife of 40+ years.

Our two daughters, successful and out on their own, keep me here but the challenge of living with someone who is clearly unbalanced is great.

Just enjoy what you can when you can.

Nothing lasts for long.

27 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Is anyone surprised he isn't coming? 

No.

No surprise at all.

His major moves have always been accompanied by smoke and mirrors.

He won't return if there is even the slightest chance of doing jail time.

Befixed.

Meechok Plaza.

A very efficient man who fixes a wide variety of electronics and appliances.

7 hours ago, AnnaBanana said:

Oh Brave New World...

   Where every Tom can have her Dee, 

   United in Holy Matrimonee...

Spot on.

The legal bonanza that awaits family court lawyers would be hard to exaggerate. Look abroad.

What is the divorce rate among same-sex couples in countries where it is legal?

Give this new dispensation time to ripen and simmer on the hob for a while.

Any American-style laws that govern family matters will lead to the same dysfunction and idiocy that is so obvious in the US and any other countries that have similar domestic laws.

In my 40+ years here I've seen same sex couples accepted socially among the middle and lower income Thais whom I settled among.

This initiative will provoke violence if it is carried too far.

The situation may not be perfect here in Thailand, but it is miles ahead of anything in Farangland.

Here in Northern Thailand "Chiang Mai Buddy" and the many services they offer were often mentioned on the local forums until fairly recently.

Some posters experiences with them were positive, others less so.

I have no idea what the present situation is, but you might want to check them out.

Good luck whatever you do.

3 hours ago, MisterTee said:

No-see-ums... Ceratopogonidae.

Maybe you're right. 

If it's not a mental condition of some sort.

The most extensive and highly rated lumyai orchards are in the Saraphi and Lamphun areas.

That is where you should drive around and look for signs offering land for sale.

Some years ago our second daughter bought a small fruit farm that we have diversified with other fruit trees and flowering trees and plants.

We had a Thai style farmhouse built of used teak and the place has become a welcome refuge from what Chiang Mai has turned into in recent years.

You can always tell when members of the Shinawatra clan are lying... their lips start moving.

@CMHomeboy78

   Thanks for the interesting historical photos.

All new to me. I've seen others of Songkran crowds in the river under older wooden bridges, but the Nawarat Iron Bridge is a first for me.

Nice to get a positive date on its still being there.

The concrete bridge must have been built some time not too long after 1958.

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

It seems like this thread got hijacked by drugs.

Thaksin was popular with common people for introducing universal healthcare and halving the poverty rate. That's why they liked him. 

Like him they did... and still do in many parts of the North and Nòrtheast.

He has hardcore support from battle-hardened old geezers from former violent clashes in Bangkok.

The degree of their appeal to the wider population could only be known if Thaksin himself were on the scene leading his forces.

This beats comic opera.

"It takes a thief to catch a thief."

Whoever first said that was spot-on.

A contemporary Jonathan Wild to the authorities... a right Judas to his old friends.

On 1/28/2023 at 10:07 AM, AnnaBanana said:

He went away and you hung around

And bothered me every night

And when I wouldn't go out with you

You said things that weren't very nice

 

Thaksin's back and you're gonna be in trouble 

You see him comin' better cut on the double

You been spreading lies that I was untrue

So look out now 'cause he's comin' after you

  

He's been gone for such a long time

Now he's back and things'll be fine

You're gonna be sorry you were ever born

'Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong

 

You're a big man now but he'll cut you down to size

Thaksin's back he's gonna save my reputation

If I were you I'd take a permanent vacation.

Bravo!

   I hope someone points this out to Jatuporn himself.

   He would surely get as big a laugh out of it as I did.

   Who was it that said that in politics there are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests?