meatballs

I already rent a cheap room in Pattaya for 3,000/month. I'm looking for something in the 2k range though. Yeah, I know that's mind blowing cheap but I'm looking to push the limits. I've got to do something to protect me against these crappy exchange rates. My current room is in a central location so all I do is walk. Transport is 0 baht. I'd like something in a walkable location ideally.

I agree that the OP is appallingly bad journalism, not sure it deserves that appellation, but like so many things there was an underlying issue in that the US took/takes the view that the honey industry in China was dumping [below cost] the product. To get around that business people tried to claim the honey did not come from China, not for qualitative issues but for duty avoidance ones.

As the old saying goes follow the money.

As to why sometimes and in most cases it's laziness, and or pressure of deadlines. Some here have linked to the Daily Mail in the UK which is (in)famous for taking stories with a grain of truth in them and conflating or expanding, usually by implication, the "real story" as they want to present it to sell their product. See line above

its all about market competition. the Chinese can produce the same product cheaper, it is not necessary of lesser quality. that scares the producer in other countries. so they come up with high import tax and some horror stories about Chinese products. and at this point the racism somewhere starts.

And some here have developed an obscure obsession with anything Chinese. i don't play the racist card because i am lacking facts. some of the uglier racist remarks have disappeared from the thread.

some people think being called a racist is more of a problem then the fact that they are one.

Cheaper because they're keeping their currency rigged and lack of regulations. That's not competition it's cheating. No wonder there economy has done so well.

Buy from a 3rd world country and you get what you're asking for. There must be no regulations over there whatsoever.

This is why the concept of retirement doesn't work. You'll go crazy from boredom. Or become an alcoholic. One of the two.

If he is convicted of robbing this girl of her childhood by inflicting deep mental, physical, and emotional wounds, he should get 20 years to protect the public and to serve as a deterrent to other sick animals.

Think that's a bit extreme. Rape is bad but it's not like he murdered anyone.

I've been living in Thailand for several years. I rent a flat here for about $100 a month(3,000 baht). Has a fan, internet(free), and a good location. Are there apartments in Cambodia for that amount? I've tried to search for them but I'm not having much luck. Mostly the real estate places just want to sell really expensive places to well off foreigners(unfortunately I'm not in that category). You'd think it'd be a snap to find a cheap place there since it's not very developed. I'm looking for places in the $50-$100 a month range. Can't be that hard can it?

This strong Baht is really starting to bite some farang expats. Would you still be around if 1 baht = 25 dollar, 30 euro, or 40 pound? Or even less?? At what point would you toss in the towel and leave Thailand?

$70 a person?!? Incredible. My former country of residence(america) cannot even get healthcare for it's people and it's spending 20% of gdp. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Nice place. India.

See tee-pak.com. Lots of cheap places in the 2k range there.

B.S. I'm renting a 3k/month apt. now. I'm guessing many don't like to rent out the cheapo aps. to farang because they think you will leave in 1 or two months(they think you're a tourist). These landlords want LONG TERM TENANTS, not TOURISTS.

There are normal people in Pattaya?

Paying her is the politest way to tell her to get out now. Companionship? Who's after this?

You can get a freebie every single day here in Thailand without much difficulty. But the girls are almost certainly looking for cash or a relationship after the one night stand. You can lose them the next day but you will be looking over your shoulder all the time.

I don't think Americans drink very much. Many are religious and don't drink at all. I think Thais drink much more alcohol. I'm always seeing Thais buy beer and whiskey at the stores. I never noticed people buying much alcohol when I lived in the states.

Lots of one or two month tourists like to consider themselves expats. They're basically wannabes. Lots around here. Real expats stick around.

Can't believe these exchange rates are not hurting Pattaya. I'm sure we'll see some (farang ) bar/restaurant closures in due time. Of course the 3rd world mass package tourists will keep coming farang or no.

Tough. I've gotta live somehow. If not Thailand then it's Cambodia or Vietnam. But I'm not living in america anymore. It's gotten too expensive and I just don't like living there.

The problem is the system wants to pay us peanuts but then doesn't want to deal with the refuse(us) it has created. That is totally unfair. If they want to treat us like gypsies so be it. I'll just travel around from country to country with my laptop.

I'm having the reverse problem, which is how to spend all these little 1, 5, and 10 Baht coins they give me.

It could be like you said; fear of the unknown.

You said that Thai girls often give you bad looks. This could be because you are fairly attractive. From what I've seen when friends come to visit (girls), the ones that have weight problems or for whatever reason are deemed unattractive by Thai standards, make friends with Thais easier, I would suppose because their threat level is low. but who knows really...

You might not like to hear this, but there is also a possibility, a strong one, that your b/f is simply telling you this because he doesn't want you to be suspicious or worried about him straying. He could be just wanting to assuage any fears you may have about him having his heart stolen by another. As you said he is "young and attractive". Some guys WANT their g/f to know that girls hit on him and that they want to steal him because the guy thinks that if his g/f hears that, she will try "extra hard" to keep him.

Ive never had a farang g/f while ive been here so I don't have first hand experience.

There are plenty of thais who are obesse,a very worrying trend in Thailand.U make out all thai ladies are small and pretty,they are not,far from it.

My Thai wife is 5ft 9ins with a figure to match, but living in the sticks we never see Farang women, on average, I would say that Thai girls are much more attractive than Farang girls.

Depends what you mean by "farang". The Russian ladies beat the socks off anything out there.

Hmmm. I don't think they feel that way. I mean half the western male population comes here to get laid. The Thai girls know the guys aren't missing anything back home.

Looks good doesn't it? I'm sure the feminist NGOs are happy. They found ONE underage bargirl! ONE! In a city of thousands of sex workers. Now they can get more money to pursue non-existent human trafficking and pedophilia rings. Congrats.