dave111223

From the evolutionary perspective, the most ideal scenario for a women is to have a rich, faithful husband who will raise and care for a son of another man with superior genes (attractive, young, strong) who is not her husband.

Yes young genes are great... too bad they wear out after awhile...

In Bangkok, Pile Drivers are no longer authorized, you have to use the drilling method, to prevent damage to existing building.

I don't think this is accurate? I see pile driving going on all the time in my neighborhood (Ratchada). (Unless they are all breaking the law?)

I got a motorbike (moped) but am unsure about insurance and drivers license.

I asked my wife about insurance and she said we had to pay 100baht to the government for some kind of required insurance.

But i'd like to get some real insurance. I mean if i crashed the bike into someones car (or even worse someone) and caused damage i'd hate to be liable for however much they think your worth.

I'm not so worried about covering the bike itself (if it got totaled it wouldn't be the end of the world) but if I somehow manage to trash someones BMW that might be a different story.

Anyone know where insurance like this can be obtained (in Bangkok)?

If one were to get into a traffic accident here what is the procedure (assuming i am able to get insurance).

I know back home you would call the police and they'd come to make a report and exchange contact/insurance information.

Does it work the same way here?

Also do i need a license to drive it, if so what is the procedure for obtaining one.

Your responses are appreciated.

I asked the missus which way she voted and was told never mind. Her choice to vote whatever way she feels is right not ours.

Sounds like you have a healthy relationship.

The only reasons I heard for people voting Yes was "If we don't vote 'Yes' we won't have any elections".

My wife voted No, then came home and picked up the constitution booklet and started reading it (for the first time), got about half a page in and said "Actually they seem kind of nice", then put the booklet down (probably never to be picked up again).

I'm guessing this is how much a lot of Thais care about these things.

how do poor people who cant afford the huge payments for true watch football games? in the west, these games are run on free television programs. is football not a right? is it only a privilage of the wealthy?

You hook a cable into someone who is paying for it.

You mean the Subway restaurant, not the MRT?

Either way it doesn't make any sense. There are no chairs at the MRT and if there were they definitely wouldn't let you sleep there.

And i don't see the Subway restaurant allowing bums to sleep in their dining area.

I definitely noticed a big drop in the offshore rate, i wonder if the onshore rate will follow.

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?...;amt=1&t=3m

The Thai "Boyfriend" may have just been some guy she was sitting next to (and may have made some small talk).

I know if a girl was sitting next to me and got into it with some Thai hooker i would just keep myself well out of the situation (you never know if her pimp b/f might be sitting in the next row just waiting for you to get involved).

6 month tourist visa? I never knew such a visa even existed? I thought 60 day tourist visa was max....?

But I sympathize with the Thai woman on the Pattaya bus.

Thats ridiculous, how can you in any way shape or form sympathise with someone who will start a fight about such a minor thing.

If it was males involved in something so small it could escalate into serious violence

Agreed.

I'm guessing the popshirt would also sympathize with some hooligan bottling some guy in the face for spilling his beer?

(if they didn't why would the bus manufacturers continue to build reclining seats?).

and the last row ?

barrel , fish ,in

On most (half way decent) buses the last row can also recline; they leave like a foot of space between the last row and the back wall.

P.S. I prefer the back row as it is "guilt free" reclining

But the ride to Pattaya is like 2 1/2 hours! Come on! Anyone can tolerate a reclined seat for that long!

The Thai girl was way out of line.

In that case, why didn't the farang girl show some consideration and leave her seat in the upright position?

I agree that if the Farang girl had been asked politely to adjust the seat slightly it would have been the civil thing to do so.

But if all of a sudden the girl behind just started yelling i would not have been inclined (no pun intended) to put the seat up either.

And at the end of the day i still hold that each customer has the right to choose whether or not to recline their seat (if they didn't why would the bus manufacturers continue to build reclining seats?).

Don’t they realize they have their own reclining seat to recline, there is always some selfish people on airplanes that think because they don’t want to recline their seat everyone in front of them should have their seat upright and uncomfortable. If everyone reclines they all have the same space. However I have noticed on some buses that the occasional seat is wrongly adjusted and is able to recline too far, probably squashing anyone behind.

I agree.

I do however find it annoying when someone reclines their seat, but at the end of the day I accept that they have the right to do so seeing as the seats are designed with this feature.

Maybe if you were on a 8hour+ trip and the person infronts seat was broken and reclining too far, and after some times of polite asking the person still refused to adjust the seat I could understand a few harsh words.

But the ride to Pattaya is like 2 1/2 hours! Come on! Anyone can tolerate a reclined seat for that long!

The Thai girl was way out of line.

What annoys me more than someone reclining their seat too far is the people who continual kick the back of your seat throughout the journey; that really gets me.

As others have mentioned i would be seriously careful about your foot.

I got a ton of bites on one of feet while visiting koh samet. It got really swollen then got blisters. This was when i made the biggest mistake of popping the blisters with a safety pin. To cut a long story short I spent the next 2 weeks visiting the hospital daily to have them cut the dangling skin off my foot.

Even video taped one of the hospital sessions; really nasty.

Keep off your feet at all costs, and do not wear shoes and socks.

Hmm... strange. I watched the Newcastle/Bolton game and thought the image quantity and commentary were fine. I wandered off (no pun intended) at halftime so i couldn't say about the halftime talk.

I was watching it on the channel labeled "True Sport 1" (gold color label) not sure if this makes a difference?

Quite relieved to see that i will still be getting all the footy even after all the concern during the summer break.

I'm not sure if "Racism" is the correct word?

I mean a short dark Thai woman and tall light Thai woman are both the same race correct?

...environmental care...tourists should have purchasing power...They must not create problems that lead to natural and environmental destruction...

Whether rich or poor, a tourist urinates and defecates. It is when these wastes are allowed – by hotels, municipal planning authorities, etc. – to flow untreated into rivers and the ocean that environmental pollution occurs. But who is going to tell this to the Minister of Tourism and Sports?

--

Maestro

Silly fool! Quality Tourists don't have anuses.

Dave, while I personally dont agree with body modifying culture or practices such as Suttee...Is it right to force a country to change its culture because it goes against our own culture or our sense of what is right or wrong? To do that we should insist that the Longneck girls should stop that practice, The piercings practiced in the Phillipines, the self flagellation of the Iraqis, the Australian Aborigine practice of spearing, Middle East stonings or many of the other cultures that are practiced throughout the world.

I think there are a lot atrocities that have and do take place which are all part of a countries "culture".

You could say "what may be wrong to you, may not be wrong to them", yes it is true.

But for these cultural practices i feel something like "It hurts of kills someone" would be a valid reason for something being "wrong", and i don't think "But it is just the way it has been for 1000 years" would be a valid rebuttal or reason for continuing the practice.

Or are you of the opinion that the continuing of a "cultural" practice is more important than someones personal safety? I think if someone is being needless hurt it is right to force a culture to change.

Obviously pretty far off topic from the foot and head thing now

Coming back to the foot thing; i just don't think you should be offended when someone, who is totally unaware of your (some what odd) superstition, does something counter to that belief.

Let's say i believe it is bad luck to break a mirror. Doesn't mean i will be offended if some guy is out on his lawn bashing a mirror (might be annoyed about the loud bashing and crashing but that is a separate issue).

realistically, i would state, that those who "find" the sole of the foot offensive, might not have ever needed the "assistance" of a wheelchair. silly superstition at it's best. symbolism is one thing, trying to make it universal is another. unchanging cultural beliefs are as dogmatic as unchanging religious beliefs, both of which can and do hamper the ability to "evolve" with the present, and therefore, the future.

Good point dog412; agreed. I don't see the sense in pointless culture superstition, especially when people try to push them onto outsiders.

Culture is what makes a country unique.....so why should a country change its culture ??

According the Law & Order episode i watched the other day it was/(is?) Afghani culture to perform female circumcision (i won't go into the details but pretty nasty in order to stop females from getting any pleasure). But this is part of the culture, no need to change it right? Obviously the foot thing is not on this level, but it points out the flaw in this theory.

Next you will be telling me that I should walk under ladders....and not to worry about opening umbrellas inside the house....

If you don't like feet it entitles you not to point your feet at others. It does not entitle you to never have others point their feet at you.

Just as someone who believes walking under ladders is bad luck has the right not to walk under ladders, they don't have the right to force others not to walk under ladders also.

I don't understand? It seems like they kind of allude to having to buy nicotine cartridges, but i don't see any cartridges specifically mentioned or sold?

They say it costs "$3 per day" how is this calculated?

And if you do have to buy nicotine inserts how is it any different to the nicotine inhaler (which requires no batteries) and has been available for quite a while?

(Edit here is link to nicotine inhaler that i mean)

http://www.rxzone.us/product.cfm/rx/Nicotr...168-685958.html

Kind of reminds me of the line in the Ali-G movie when he meets the Queen and says:

Next time i put a fifty pence piece in me pocket, i will be honoured having ur head so close to me nuts

I am assuming similar statements made here might get you in quite a bit of trouble.

I wonder what will be on ESPN in Thailand while they are showing football everywhere else?

One of the rudest things you can do to offend a Thai is show them the sole of your foot

It is kind of weird that foot massage is so popular here. I mean if the foot is so offensive, then someone who rubs feet all day for a job must be considered the lowest of the low?

Not much different then from a barber where normally touching another person on the head is taboo. It's an occupational function in these cases.

I just mean it is odd because back home i can't remember the last time i saw a foot massage shop although there is nothing bad about feet there. But here feet are offensive but yet every 10 minutes walking down the street you come across a foot massage shop...

I'm sure I saw an ad on ESPN the other day about the EPL starting (and them having matches), or am i going crazy.

One of the rudest things you can do to offend a Thai is show them the sole of your foot

It is kind of weird that foot massage is so popular here. I mean if the foot is so offensive, then someone who rubs feet all day for a job must be considered the lowest of the low?