HeijoshinCool

Who exactly are "Open Society Justice Initiative"?

Who elected them, or are they self-chosen?

Why do they think they have the right to lecture and pontificate about the correct methods of capturing terrorists who murdered thousands of people?

Although I am not a U.S. citizen, I believe the U.S. government had the right and duty to destroy the people responsible, and organisation behind them, by any means possible. If that includes torture, then so what? It would not have been worse than what the people in the Twin Towers and the airplanes suffered.

If other governments had the courage to act as the U.S. did, then this scourge of Islamic terrorism could be contained and reduced much more effectively. Thailand take note of what is happening in the southern provinces!

If you believe that the US Government "had the right and duty to destroy the people responsible" then why didn't they attack Saudi Arabia first instead of Iraq and Afghanistan?

Or Dick Cheney?

Rich people in most countries can get away with murder.

Why pick on Thailand?

Because this isn't www.mostcountries.com

.

This is your brain on drugs....

Great. I can stay one more day in Hong Kong!

It is a bit of a trek, but Siargao Island off the east coast of Mindanao is very laid back . There are a few surfies gone local and a few nice resorts. Well that was a few years back . General Luna was a well run town and the mayor had the guns under control . Enjoy your green tomato , onion and vinegar salad.

I would avoid any place on the Pacific side....Typhoon alley....stick to the west side and south of center...more protected.

Good points.

Been to both places. Extremely happily married to a Filipina and now have plans to move to the Philippines. I agree on most accounts of the Thai/Philippines comparison, Thai infrastructure, food, cleanliness better but the people make up for the those differences. The Philippine people are more genuine, open, speak great English, easy to understand. The different islands are a treat and an adventure in itself.

Can you recommend some islands for someone seeking solitude. Peace and quiet, a place to buy food and a few beers, and a decent bungalow to rent for a few months?

It is a bit of a trek, but Siargao Island off the east coast of Mindanao is very laid back . There are a few surfies gone local and a few nice resorts. Well that was a few years back . General Luna was a well run town and the mayor had the guns under control . Enjoy your green tomato , onion and vinegar salad.

Thanks for the tip.

I had a friend of mine bring me tomato seeds that were meant to be grown in Southern Florida. Over several years, I planted them in the regular ground, compost, sterilized soil and potting soil. All had the same results. They grew well with strong large stalks. They blossomed and when the tomatoes were marble size, the plants wilted and died. I gave up.

I gave some seeds to a friend of mine and his Thai wife planted them. She hilled up regular soil and kept the ditch between the rows. She only watered the ditches and not the plants. She grew beautiful large tomatoes.

Did I try that? No, I was disgusted and had given up. The hills and watering just the ditch may be the answer.

So much to learn, so little time.

Thai women not being able to read maps, or knowing their left from their right?

Hardly just a Thai problem chaps.

Yep.

Why does it take 10 million sperm starting out to find the egg?

Because none will stop and ask directions.

30K a month for either a senior officer or teacher, how much less for a junior officer just starting out?

30K doesn't sound a lot to me, but what do I know I don't live in Thailand any opinions?

It is not a lot. That is why Thailand has instituted the bribe system and month end collection at traffic stops. That is how Thailand operates in all departments, whether it is government or private industry. Who is to say it is wrong? It's just a different system than in the west. And, surprisingly enough it seems to work without impinging on people's lives too much. In Thailand you are free to kill yourself when you do something stupid. In the west we try to create laws to protect stupid people from hurting themselves and hurting others. It hasn't worked any better than the Thai system.

Well, since you asked. I'd say it's wrong. And to state all the reasons why would require a hundred thousand word doctoral thesis.

When a drunk can pay his way out of slaughtering a child and her mother riding on a motorbike, I would say that is "impinging" on peoples lives.

Or, like that Senior Master-sergeant I mentioned. He supplements his income by "overlooking" a pedophile's behavior. (The reason I stopped associating with the cop.) That's impinging on someone, wouldn't you say?

In Thailand, if you are rich, you are free to kill someone when you do something stupid.

I know a senior sergeant-major who made, after 30 years, about 30k per month. Er, I mean his paycheck was about 30k per month.

But if I can't own land, I'll scratch it off my list. One of the many reasons I want to leave here. I want to move one more time, build, and die.

I don't understand why you have to own land for your plans? Using land for residential and business purposes in Thailand is easy and safe if you do it the right way and as far as I know it's similar in Philippines?

Yes, if you go through the added expense of making it the business that "owns" the land. I'd prefer something less complex and costly.

Been to both places. Extremely happily married to a Filipina and now have plans to move to the Philippines. I agree on most accounts of the Thai/Philippines comparison, Thai infrastructure, food, cleanliness better but the people make up for the those differences. The Philippine people are more genuine, open, speak great English, easy to understand. The different islands are a treat and an adventure in itself.

Can you recommend some islands for someone seeking solitude. Peace and quiet, a place to buy food and a few beers, and a decent bungalow to rent for a few months?

Where I live there is pick up twice a week. It's light duty for the garbage men.

People still throw food out the back door to rot, and they burn everything else, including plastic, and even try burning glass. The glass never burns, but that doesn't stop them from trying, again, and again, and again.

They will not change. It's the way their brains are wired. Most Thai don't want change, don't want to learn any other way. That's both an observation from me, and a quote from the GF.

I watched the woman who does laundry for a living, hang freshly washed clothes on a line, taking care to turn them all inside out (fading). Then she proceeded to light a fire a few meters away. For the rest of the afternoon, she burned plastic. Thick plumes of black, acrid smoke, permeated the fresh laundry. This is not an isolated practice with her.

I'm unaware of legalities, but just because you are right, well, you know ...

Perhaps sealing your house, using air 24/7, and some ionizers will help.

Sorry for your troubles, man.

That's why most Thai men smoke. So they can use their disposable lighter to open beer. Never breaks.

TiT, there is no understanding of cause and effect. It just isn't taught to them as they grow up. Thailand is an entire nation of Sideshow Bobs, constantly walking into rakes.

I don't know Sideshow Bob, but your post was pretty funny even still.

Rakes. Ha, ha!

.

The Simpsons, man

Ah, well, that's why I don't know him. Can't remember the last time I watched TV.

Anyway, with a name like Sideshow Bob, images in Thailand of some of what I've witnessed do come to mind.

Is there an equivalent character on Thai TV?

Sideshow Somchai?

The world is being screwed by careless people.....time to pay the price for screwing mother nature

So, having temperate, pleasant weather is a bad thing?

I wouldn't think "police" have authority over customs issues ... oh, wait, that doesn't matter.

TiT, there is no understanding of cause and effect. It just isn't taught to them as they grow up. Thailand is an entire nation of Sideshow Bobs, constantly walking into rakes.

I don't know Sideshow Bob, but your post was pretty funny even still.

Rakes. Ha, ha!

.

Probably more reading than the casual thread surfer is interested in, but I first heard of this study in one of Malcolm Gladwell's books...I forget which one.

About the USA, but explains regional differences in tendency toward, and acceptance of violence...

Link

Quite interesting, actually. I printed it out, gonna read it tonight.

Nice name for this thread, by the way, that you have!

Yes, funny, I laughed, but go back with the balance, would you?

At least there are lines on the road when they drive cars, not sure how they do in boats, regardless of regulations.

Ah, well, my 2 cents.

Even though I was law enforcement for many years, outside of the Job, I never was once in an altercation until I got here. Then there was more than one on Koh Chang. Lots of drunks.

I'd gotten dressed nicely for a meeting. It was a week past Songkran. Driving the motorbike along, I passed right of a large parked truck. At the last second, out jumps this fat westerner (I won't name the nationality but for some reason they think they make the world's best wine and talk with a lot of phlegm) from the front of the truck with a full bucket of water.

Almost lost control, because the entire bucket hit me in the face.

I turned and went back. Thought better of it, but the group thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen, no remorse. All were drunk. I wondered if others would not be so lucky as I was. Maybe the next victim would have a small child on the motorbike.

Their bar girls started taking photos with their phones. Got close to the fat SOB, but politely, calmly engaged him in a discussion of the dangers of throwing things at bike riders. He sneered, started poking me in the chest. Hard. I struck him once in the nerve plexus in his armpit and he went down. His buddy, who looked like a young Keith Richards, ran over and, holding his cigarette that funny way they do, poked it within a few inches of my face and said, "I keeel you and put out my ceegerette in your eye, blah, blah, blah."

He didn't.

I took the phones when I left.

I do think I did the right thing. Someone could have been killed.

But I moved from KC a month later.

"Has anyone ever taught them the principle of safe stopping distances" - no it's not covered in the license Q&A test

Most Thai know everything and what they don't know or see doesn't exist, until their own experience tells them otherwise.

It's pretty hard to teach a Thai.

You can always tell a Thai, just can't tell 'em much.