MisterTee

Israel does not want peace.

Some Israelis do, and their organizations are the ones that should be supported and encouraged.

The radical Zionists who run the country must be removed from power before there can be any hope for peace in the Middle East.

The best way to do that is through non-violent means by boycotting them economically, academically, and culturally, until they stop expanding illegal settlements and grabbing Palestinian land.

That is the way forward and the rest of the world is beginning to realize that... even nitwits like Biden.

OP your "friend" has ONE option. Fly to UK after paying fine. Mainly because he has ZERO money.

Fly somewhere in Asia and do what? Even if no ban he cannot return and support himself

If it were me in this position, given I consider my home country one of the least desireable places to live on the planet, I would:

#1) get the new Passport,

#2) Pay the fee at the airport and fly to Penom Penh (cheap),

#3) On arrival, pay $5 extra for the "ordinary" visa (not "tourist")

#4) Start teaching English there - a job within a week with any degree. A TESL + experience are a bonus. He will need ~$90 for the initial work-permit (3 months worth).

With his first month's salary, he can pay to extend the "ordinary" visa for 6 mo or a year, and repeat this forever without ever leaving the country. In 5 years, he can return to Thailand.

In Penom Penh, a fan-room is $50/mo, and you don't get mugged on the way home at night. Food from the market (fish + veggies + rice) under $3/day. Not pretty, not nearly as nice as Thailand (to me), but a good way to get back on one's feet. I did this for a few months, a few years back, to save money while getting a new internet-based business off the ground. The people are remarkably friendly, and I ate healthier than I have before or since.

Vietnam is another option, but I know less about how quickly he could obtain work / permits / long-term visas there.

Nice to see some non-patronising, down to earth and sensible advice.

Yes, sensible advice and this guy's best way out.

I always let my wife pick up the bill in restaurants and I always agree with her judgement on how much to tip. If she is unsure I will be consulted but invariably say it is up to her.

That's the way I've always done it too.

Mamma knows best.

I recently spent a month in India. Without going into detail I was very happy to return to civilization in Thailand... Hahaha

I think it really depends on what you left behind as to how you feel about the place you are now. I often hear Brits say how perfect Thailand is and perhaps it is to them because of the weather, prices, fat women, crime etc in England. Having spent time there I was also happy to return to Thailand. Where I lived in the USA the place was great, beautiful mountains, great fishing and hunting, very professional nice people, cost of living not too bad, etc etc .... When I return to Thailand I find myself getting upset sometimes due to things not working correctly here. I can however accept this as part of the Thai experience and get on with it.

When in Thailand I miss some things about the U.S. And when in the U.S. I miss some things about Thailand. I am thinking about spending 6 months in U.S. And then 6 months in Thailand after I can fully retire. I have grown to love this country but I will always love where I come from. It's all a matter of acceptance.

Good post.....yup,nothing will likely reset your appreciation faster, for just about anywhere,than a one month trip to India..tak'n bout the 'Real-World'!

If you have the means,periodic travel outside Thailand is indeed a stimulating pressure-valve for keeping a fresh perspective on living in LOS. We spend 8-months here and go back to Van.Island from May-Sept. to work,in a few days I leave the family and go to Nepal for the annul 1-month "summer-vacation". Even though I enjoy Thailand at it's ground-level I prefer to live aloof...remaining friendly but distant from local-Thai.

We all have to find our own particular rhythm,each persons living arrangement is unique and their ability to cope depends on their individual constitution & temperament. Not everyone is cut-out for foreign travel or cross-cultural relationship where flexibility of thought is paramount.

Otherwise every little oopsee' & inconvenience can amplify and expand in ones consciousness until you find yourself backed into a corner surrounded by bitterness and defeat....much like the sounds of the OP.(troll or not)..nothing to do at this point but press the jettison-button.

Your last paragraph is worth considering as one of the reasons for the nature of so many of the posts on this forum.

Why does it have to be so complicated? It is all an escalation of sectarian commitment. Carpet boom the whole region and start again.

Either that is a lame attempt at humour, or you need help... urgently.

Or did you mean start an economic boom based on oriental carpets?

None of the possibilities sound good.

Get a grip, man.

Ah the dinner bell rings, again, in the Pavlov's residence.

I don't wish to minimize the ordeal this poor boy has been through, but Imagine the logistics of Real Madrid stars meeting every orphaned child in Syria for example. They would have precious little time left for filming coca-cola ads. This is In effect the Malala syndrome, where some poor unfortunate is used as a banner for an underlying political statement they are probably not even aware of.

I think they are well aware of the political statement it may send, a bit like the Pink Floyd members did last month...

It probably was a real logistic trouble to have this boy meeting the footballers outside of the West Bank...

It's beyond doubt that the players and everyone else involved were well aware of the political statement they were sending.

Another unmistakable show of support for the plight of the Palestinian people.

The message to Israel is clear: stop building illegal settlements and grabbing land... stop terrorizing innocent people and live within your 1967 borders.

So Herzl was all for ethnically cleansing natives in Argentina but had suddenly turned philanthropist in Palestine. Give us a break.

He was for getting people off the land that he would BUY LEGALLY and providing them jobs elsewhere, so they were better off. That is the part that you purposely deleted from the ACTUAL quote that was on YOUR LINK.

So the Zionists planned to buy the land (never to be resold) then sack and expel any Palestinians farming there making it exclusively Jewish . Some sort of sharing and caring colonialist they were eh.

The point is that is exactly what they did with the small amount of land they did buy. The rest they have since stolen.

But the problem has always been...how can you have a Jewish State when the majority are Palestinians. Israel is still working on it today, occupying, stealing land, ethnically cleansing the resident Palestinians.

As Palestinians became more aware of Zionist intentions, they resisted.

The invasion of European Zionists started the conflict.

That sums it up very well.

All the rest is just smoke and mirrors.

The Zionists as always started the conflict.

Your pretend version of history gets more and more ridiculous. You make this claim and then jump to 1948 during the civil war a few weeks before Israel declared independence. By then, the Arabs had been attacking and murdering Jews pretty regularly for about 28 YEARS. For the first 20 years, the Arabs initiated EVERY political massacre or killing. It took the Jews about 20 years to start fighting back in an organized way. The Arabs started the violence. The Arabs started the conflict.

This is a list of killings and massacres committed in Mandatory Palestine. It is restricted to incidents in which at least three people were deliberately killed. This list does not include unlawful deaths due to criminal activity. It includes all casualties that resulted from the initial attack on civilians or non-combat military personnel.

Note: The designation "responsible party" below refers to those believed to be the principle instigators of the violence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_and_massacres_in_Mandatory_Palestine

That isn't a pretend version of history.

The invasion of Palestine by European Jews is a documented fact.

As are the resulting terrorist offensives, land grabs, and atrocities that they committed.

US currency has had to be pristine to be accepted by Thai banks and money changers for a long time now.

I always thought it was a scam by US banks and/or government.

Maybe not.

The ONLY reason I stay in Thailand is my Wife works here earning good money, if she didnt Id be outta here in a flash.I dont like the Thai people much id say 1 in 10 is decent the rest are pretty awful, I do like the fact I can grow almost anything as I like plants but really thats it.

Thailand needs a real good kick up the ^rse in my opinion

That you don't like Thailand and the Thai people is obvious from the miserable tone of your posts.

My cat is 100% satisfied with anyone who gives out free cat food.

That might also explain Thaksin's popularity.

I think you're all on to something.

"Nabbed" who writes this stuff? Some tired old Sun newspaper hack.

Anyway getting back to the Canadian, he won't have a leg to stand on when they charge him,

Lucky for him he had that old pre-war wooden crutch beside him on the chair.

It took you three times, but you finally got it right.

You've been lying doggo too long, Lord Lucan.

East Asian countries should hold trade workshops in the USA.

That's where help is needed.

Have you been to Detroit recently?

It 'may' help to have the municipalities STOP burning the vegetation on the side of the roads in the mountains.

I'm not really sure the problems are caused by just the farmers and the mushroom growers.

Good point.

Finding the sources of the smoke would be the first step in solving the problem.

Israel was part created by terrorism.

Sure, after 20 years of terrorist attacks by the Arabs that started the conflict. It was only a couple of years after Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No one was too careful about how they fought back then.

Arabs started the conflict?

Do you really believe that to be true?

It was the invasion of Palestine by European Jews that created this inferno.

Do you really think that Jews immigrating to the area - where there had been Jews forever - gave the Arabs the right to start murdering them? Well, whatever you think, Jews were forced to fight back and they ended up winning the war that the Arabs started. The Arabs started the war and the Jews finished it.

The Jews finished nothing.

It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

The whole world is against them... and rightly so.

I do not like Trump, but he may be nominated by the party...... That... will says ALL about the USA!

And..if Trump becomes President?.... Mohamed, Jehovah, Buddha and Christ together cannot save the USA!

The USA that I grew up in went to the dogs a long time ago.

It's doubtful that a clown like Trump as POTUS would make things much worse.

A Trump administration might even be the catalyst for an overdue revolution.

the types of rights you are referring to don't exist as much in third world countries.

that's the big trade off, you have more freedom under the radar, but less when things get sticky.

Good point.

Much more freedom here under the radar.

Just keep a low profile and mind your own business. You'll get along fine.

Its good to see a story like this coming out of Thailand.

There are so many negative reports these days that it turns people away

from holidaying here. The Tourism business is down & out and it will

take a long time to recover, if ever.

Good first line...

The rest is hogwash.

Israel was part created by terrorism.

Sure, after 20 years of terrorist attacks by the Arabs that started the conflict. It was only a couple of years after Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No one was too careful about how they fought back then.

Arabs started the conflict?

Do you really believe that to be true?

It was the invasion of Palestine by European Jews that created this inferno.

Maybe a link, some capital letters and spaces after commas? Just for the sake of coherence, you understand. Oh, and check the spelling of "know".

grammer police active tonight,pathetic and irreverent post,do grow up if your going to make sarcastic and childish comments.

Irreverent or Irrelevant post? Your or You're?

Sorry (not).

Have some tolerance for those who use creative English.

They're usually from down under.

Post insulting another member removed.

That was a post by the OP against me.

Please put it back.

It goes to show the character of the poster. It was tame compared to the PM he sent me. I have made mistakes and been laughed at. I can name you three posters who just love to see it happen and many the time when they jump on me I will just hit a I like response.

Good for you, northernjohn.

You have the spunk to defend yourself.

You gotta love a woman who slaps the cop who stopped her Rolls in Beverly Hills! She's a star!

Hey, I'd forgotten all about that.

She had the spunk to do what we've all wanted to do at one time or another.

A New Jersey thug who causes trouble wherever he turns up.

This should be a pinned topic.

I hope the do gooders are happy now they have wrecked Europe, and for those who don't believe this try watching the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/John.LOL.French/videos/885731634879590/?fref=nf

Perhaps in the mind of a simpleton that kind of sensationalized crap feels like it actually means something, like something was said, but thankfully my mind is capable of rational thought and so I see through the drama and the scary music and see it for what that really is, Nazi propaganda.

It is certainly a very carefully edited film, which through both imagery and soundbites sets out to create a very scary scenario. Hugely exaggerated? Probably. But Europe does have a major problem now, simply because many of its governments have decided to accept these people, irrespective of whether they are refugees or economic migrants, and have done so without heeding or consulting their populations. The results of migration on this scale will be significant (Cologne on New Years Eve?),are ignored or not discussed by these governments, and are not wanted by the people of Europe . Perhaps for continental Europe it is too late. At least the British Isles have a physical barrier (the sea) which will stop them.

I really cannot see Thailand as a significant transit point in this movement of peoples.

Neither could anybody else who had even half a brain.

There is no significant movement of people from Syria through Thailand to the EU.

It's just not true.