planetdweller

Adherence to building codes and standards do not exist in Thailand.

I wouldn't think that would come as a surprise to anyone.

You can get a refund.... I got one on the girl I met because her bra was filled with the same. I got my money back !

Thailand...the hub of foam filled stuff !

lmao !!

He shouldn't waste time chewing the fat with the press, but should be firm in his lawsuit defense. He sounds likes he's fit to be tied, but maybe he just needs to slim down his rhetoric.

I like the tone of your reply , your sense of humor is in ship-shape lately.

There are alot of farangs that behave poorly in Thailand. Some may get what they deserve when they don't think about the consequences of their actions.

In this guy's case, I doubt he deserved death for the altercation that had transpired. In fact , there's no way he would deserve meeting such a gruesome fate.

But, I will say alot of taxi drivers in BKK are pretty shady and I have been concerned for my safety around them a few times. 9 times out of 10 , they don't know a word of English.

Drunk holidayers should always be aware that they will be offed for a mere pittance , if they cause a serious problem or loss of face for certain Thais. I continue to see farangs behaving badly , every time I go.

You're better off leaving your ego and machismo tendencies back at immigration and attempt to get along as best you can. You will not win , if you create battles with local Thais. And, in particular, be very careful with bargirls.

They'll have you killed for a mere 2000 baht or so , if you trigger feelings of revenge , which are very easily triggered. Value of human life = zero for many.

I woudn't do it.

You gotta be careful with these fiery-tempered girls , they can come unwound in an instant.

You can get by fairly cheaply in Thailand, but your standard of living (and "quality of life") are going to suck very quickly. If you were to live in a "Thai" style apartment (single room with attached bathroom), they can be found for around 2,500 baht/month. Add water, electricity (cable ? internet ?) and you are probably over 5,000 a month (depending if you have an air-con and how addicted to it you become).

Cook rice in your room and buy other food stuffs from the street vendors. Eat frugally and maybe get by on 100 baht/person (plus the cost of the rice, and water and whatever else you're going to drink - don't even think about drinking the tap water or you'll be needing the medical insurance mentioned below a lot sooner than you'd like !). That's another 6k onto the monthly bill, assuming you don't "splurge" once in awhile, and no boozing at all.

Medical insurance ? Easy to get hurt and without coverage, don't be surprised to be asked to pay up front for any treatment. Add a couple thousand baht/month per person (?) for some basic coverage.

Clothes ? Toiletries ? Phone credit ? Transport ? Even taking baht buses to get around, 10 baht per person one-way = 40 baht round trip for 2. Do that 5-6 times a week and you've added almost another thousand to the monthly expenses.

Visas ? (You can get the 30 day on arrival at the airport, but unless something has changed recently, when you do a "border run" to get it renewed, if you re-enter Thailand by land, they only give you a 15 day stamp. Better off getting multi-entry tourist visas before arriving,. Note that the "visa run" companies charge what, 2,500 baht (per person) for the visa runs these days ? But you usually get a couple meals and perhaps a decent movie out of the trip. You're probably not going to qualify for any other visas unless you can line up a job beforehand.

You can try for the education visa as well, but of course, it isn't free. You have to pay for the course (no idea what they cost). Add that to the expenses (and attend the classes, at least it'll get you out of your tiny little room once in awhile).

Can't be bothered with renewing visa ? No problem. Eventually you'll get caught and thrown in the Immigration Detention Center (jail) where you'll stay until someone (family/friend) can get you a plane ticket out of the country AND pay your fine. Or you can "pay off" the fine at the rate of 1 day in jail per 200 baht of fine. (Someone will no doubt mention that if you can get to the airport (with a plane ticket of course) the max fine is 20,000 baht so you may want to plan ahead for a "rainy" day or something). I'm sure you can google Thai prisons and guess how much fun it'd be to stay in one for more than 2-3 minutes.

Want to work in Thailand ? There is a list (somewhere) of the different trades restricted to Thais only. Get caught working without the proper visa and well, basically read the paragraph above. There was an article just the other day of a foreigner getting busted. He HAD a work-permit, but NOT for the place he was caught working in ! And don't worry, no unscrupulous boss in Thailand would hire you, work you up until the day before payday and then cry a tear when the Immigration Police do a "raid" and arrest all those working illegally !

So what are we looking at now, over 20k a month and you are barely surviving and praying like mad that prices don't go up for anything any time soon. Your spending 90% of your time sweating in your little room watching Thai TV and trying desperately to not turn the fan on for more than a couple minutes. You've probably cashed in your return plane tickets, spent the baht meant to do your next (or last) visa run and are worried about that persistent pain in your gut that just isn't getting better.

The good news is..........you've actually read (most) of the posts here and realize that you have A LOT of planning, preparation and homework to do BEFORE even considering a move like this. And you've woken up and realized that maybe everything you've heard from "friends" has possibly been "embellished" somewhat.

(Don't feel too bad. When I was working in Kabul from 2003-2005, at one point in the space of barely 6 weeks, I had spoken to a bunch of different people and mentioned living in Thailand. 3 of those people all said almost the same bluddy thing "Thailand ? Oh yeah, a friend of mine went there. Said he rented this fantastic house right on the beach, had one woman to do the cooking and another to do the cleaning and was sleeping with both of them, all for $50 a month" !

Seriously. 3 people in less than 6 weeks all telling me basically the same story. "My friend" or "My buddy's friend" or "I know a guy that.." I just looked at them and said the same thing to each of them - "Go tell your (friend/buddy/buddy's friend) that the Vietnam War ended 30 years ago." Of course they don't have a clue what I mean so I tell them that that little story of theirs has been floating around since the Vietnam War ended and that was probably the last time anyone was able to rent a house on a beach and 2 women for $50 a month.

And take this into consideration. I used to live in one of those Thai style apartments (more as a convenience than anything), but now have a house, couple of motorcycles, a military pension, (some) money in the bank, a 1 year visa, and I'm still working in a sh!th0le of a place because I'm worried I won't have enough to get by on (as a single guy). And that's from someone who first visited in '93 and has been calling Thailand home since 2004.

Like we used to say in the army - Fail to Plan ? Then Plan on Failing.

Very sensible and realistic post.

God Da*m I'd be livid. I feel for you guys that are getting fleeced, it is so f____ing corrupt.

They must be very proud for the big bust they made ! Poor guy looks really banged out I see so many guys from all over looking like this , cant understand why people without the means want to live here . Well for that matter I dont understand staying here for more than a long vacation , the Farang here in this country are and always will be second class citizens and the amount of corruption and nonsense that goes on I think will only get worse . I walk around Bangkok and its dirty , smells . Yes I loved it more when i first came here but the shiny veneer wears off quick and I dont like what I see underneath ! I come now only every two years or so and that is getting to be too soon ! Hope this guy straightens himself out .

"always will be second class citizens"

Most farang are not citizens of Thailand at all. This person was an illegal alien. They tend not to rank high in the pecking order in any country.

"I come now only every two years or so and that is getting to be too soon ! "

That makes no sense. If you find the place so disagreeable, why would you keep coming here at all? You're either a masochist or into some sort of self-flagellation, literally or figuratively.

Hey man , this guy entitled to come to Thailand as often or as little as he wants and I happen to agree with alot of what he is saying. Who are you to pick apart his post and assassinate his character with him either being a masochist or blah blah blah. Get off your high horse with your high falutin' holier than thou attitude and correcting people on how they state their opinions.

The Thai gents look very pleased with themselves. The one on the right is starting to develop pom pui belly , something I'm always hearing about from various sorts of people when I spend time in Thailand. ( Love when the pom pui Thai ladies laugh at me walking by and I turn around and point at their protruded midriff bulge and say "you pom pui , too !! " Man, do they hate that ) But I digress.

5 words say it for me = DON"T DO DRUGS IN THAILAND

P4P , as much as it may be scorned by multitudes , is the only way for me. I don't want to be in my ancient years and get cleaned out somehow in a marriage to a Thai woman or any other, for that matter, that suddenly goes sour and wonder what am I going to do now ? I'm already 57. If i get married and get played for the "long" game, I'm going to be in a very dark place, if and when it falls apart. I've got money , but I'm careful with it.

As much fun as I've had with Thai women, I have seen them turn nasty on a dime , to the point of being frightful. I'm not going to say what % of them can be fiery with their tempers , but it's plenty. I may die lonely , but money is required to get you through to your dying day and I will not allow my assets to disappear , because as soon as I'm broke, nobody'll know me.

Someone will be available to take a payment to validate the reqt and look the other way IF it ever comes to this being a reqt...

I wouldn't get involved , if I was you.

Truth to this story or not it does seem Yingluck puts more into looking good in public than to her job, well that's when she's actually in the country. I suppose it doesn't matter too much though as she's only a puppet anyway

Your comment is as petty, snide and bitchy as the best of them . . . well done.

Shades of neo-cons pouncing on Michelle Obama for everything she did/does . . .

But Michelle Obama isn't masquerading as a PM whilst really being controlled by a convicted fugitive offshore based criminal.

Everyone already knows that the PM is not the real power, and her attendance record to parliament is dismal. But, who gives a fig about how often she changes clothes. She certainly looks better than Merkel,Gillard and the witch from Argentina.

You said it brother , she is the fairest of all the "world leaders" . The ones you mention are frightening . And screw the agenda , I just want a PM who's HOT.

thai girls do not like to sweat or smell , they avoid the sun like the plague.

she is no different, she wants to exude a constant freshness , both for her comfort and her perceived responses of those around her.

all those people she comingles with probably make her sweat and she'll have none of it.

sweat permeates the clothing and created a wafting effect that she doesnt want.

period.

RT @191Thailand: Soi Charoensuk is a dead end road. Many narrow alleys in that area. Fire trucks cannot get close to the fire.

Well that's handy.

Let's hope everyone was able to get away in time, and perhaps all future buildings will be built where there is access by fire engines.

A civil engineer are you? Thoroughly reprehensible how quickly some know-nothing has come forward to exploit someone's tragedy with a cheap shot.

Well said

Once again, I am disapointed that I was left of the list...

You have to learn how to spell to make the list.... JUST KIDDING !!!

I do not want to sound racist here. But, how many people are running into Russian tourists here in Thailand, that have redeeming qualities? I constantly meet surly, grouchy, unfriendly, Cossack style Russians, where ever I go. Whether it be Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, or Bangkok, the level of Russians I am running into is scary. Are all Russians like this? They are some pretty icy, rude, loud, arrogant people, without much in the way of redeeming qualities, from my point of view. Am I missing something here? I realize that nearly their entire current wealth is due to ransacking Siberia in the 16-17th centuries, and killing and maiming millions for the sake of the acquisition of fur. In the process they acquired (if rape, and murder is an appropriate way to acquire) an enormous territory, which now constitutes 90% of their natural gas, and 80% or their oil production, not to mention diamonds, gold, etc. But, are there no cultures Russians these days? They are not a pleasant addition to the landscape here in the LOS. Anybody agree? Or disagree?

Agree.

What a disturbing trend. Regardless of what the reality of this situation is , it portrays a change toward evil and bad behavior that seems now to have spread to Samui. I love Thalland more than you can believe ( I'm American ) but I feel I really need to keep my sharp wits about me, all the time, while visiting LOS. I'm saddened by the shift toward more blatent evil.

Don't worry about it, we have all heard the Ex SAS / CIA / FBI / MI5 / MI6 jerks here in the bars.

Bet you he was an FBI = FAT,BALD AND IMPOTENT.

The bars are full of them.

Well done for walking away from the <deleted>.

I assumed it was a Thai, no, if it was a Farang, I would have decked him there and then, I know most of you will say I'm wrong, I am a very easy going mild mannered guy, but if any Farang who I do not know, even as much as threatens me with violence of any kind, I will hit him, and when he hits the ground I will hit him again to make sure he doesn't get back up. he may have a knife. I'm sorry if I sound angry here, but violence or threats of violence is something I will not tolerate.

Better to steer clear , as hard as that may be sometimes. The BIB would have to be paid off if they get in the middle of a farang fight. Plus you don't know who he's with , revenge is a dish best served cold, but not always warranted or suspected.

Looks like they really nailed Tom, I'd be livid , were this to happen to me. Probably a big pack of these cowards lurking and he had little chance to defend properly. P*u*n*k*s.

Shouldn't have a problem , if you use common sense in Thailand. I've been there 14 times and never had an issue, although , yes , I did need to sidestep some attempts at scamming me. Rarely, will a scammer be too persistent , they just move on to another target , if their efforts are rebuffed.

@asiawatcher LMAO Good post !!