suprnogo

Lived with a farang girl similar to your's for 2 years, so I understand the reluctance to leave her.

Mate, think about your own well-being. You owe it to yourself.

Give that charitable, kind heart to someone more deserving.

deserved got nuthin to do with it.

You've hit the nail on the head here.

Thailand is lawless. End of.

I grew up in a pretty rough Scottish New Town, populated with the dregs of the Glasgow overspill. Salt of the Earth, you understand. The violence there is nothing compared to the fights I saw in Thailand.

Thing to remember is that violence in Asia is pretty full on. Not much of posturing and brinxmanship you get back home. In Thailand it's *BOOM* straight to the chase.

It is my distinct impression that you are extremely unlikely to encounter unprovoked violence here in LOS. I feel a he11 of a lot safer here (and that includes KSR) that I do in any western country. 7 years here, and I have never felt threathened, and I am a drinker who knows nothing about Muay Thai.

Not that I have ever felt the need to tell people about my knowledge or lack of martial art skills anyway - if you are in a situation where you need to fight, you have already made at least one big mistake. Better to focus on not getting to that point in the first place.

7 years in Thailand and you dont know any Muay Thai? Sheesh, what a waste

That said, MT skills are pretty useless against a mob attack. Unless you're Tony Jaa.

Anyhow, I'll ignore the Ad Homs and restate my point. I hung out on Rambutri for a while and have first hand experience of some of the unstable characters that work there. I saw an unprovoked attack against a placid expat in this very bar. The perpetrators in this case ran into the neighbouring Bangkok Bar to hide. Were the police interested? Nah...

I think to get into trouble in KSR, you either have to be exceptionally unlucky or behaving like a real idiot. Neither would be the fault of KSR.

I lived on Soi Rambutri, on and off, for 6 months during the summer of 2003. I was training Muay Thai twice a day at the Sor Vorapin gym close by. I am not a drinker and certainly not a trouble maker.

On the whole the place is pretty mellow, but a fair few of the staff at the Sawadee place are thugs. I saw a farang expat, a graphic designer IIRC, being given a kicking for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You dont have to have done anything to get a beating - and with no consequencies what's stopping heavy handed staff?

It's very easy to think the farangs in this case must've done something. After all Thais are such a genteel, passive people. Heh.

I know you can take the train from London to Singapore....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How?

There's a gap from between HCMC and Thailand.

I did London - Hong Kong by train. Not great, the Trans-Sib is pretty tedious.

Similar story to my friend - a sandal blister left untreated didnt heal. Then came the gangerine, then the amputation.

The fact that he was drunk most of the time and wasn't looking after himself didnt help.

--

The contents of a vitamin E capsule, applied to a wound, helps heal cuts and grazes.

I've seem a monk use an ATM, so they must be able to touch money.

Beer Lao is the tops.

Happy memories of floating down the river in Vang Vien (3 hours outside Vientianne) on a rubber tyre, sipping lovely big bottles of the stuff.

Do you know the Lao Issan/Thai terms for 'fundemental mind' and 'the river of three crossings' ?

Has anyone here experienced the '100 days' ceremony that follows death?

I will be attending one a few weeks from now and am unsure of protocol, what exactly the ceremony is, who will be there.

The ceremony is in Udon Thani.

Personal expericence or any resource that outlines death in Thailand would be much appreciated.

Peace.

UK tv is okay, but 'my hero' has to be one of the worst comedies of the past 10 years.

YMMV

What's the situation with playing music in a bar/restaurant?

Is there a license required (similar to PRS stuff in the uk?)

My GF is opening such a place and says money has to be paid in order for her to play music.

Thankyou for the information.

Getting full details on the prognosis is difficult as my GF's english isnt too great and I'm in England just now.

I know i'll end up paying for the treatment and wondered what a ballpark figure would be.

Makes me wonder if health insurance for her family is a good idea.

My TGF's niece has just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Heavy stuff and I wondered how much treatment will cost (in Bangkok)