AmusingBellyDancers

If you are taking about permanent you might find Malaysia has pretty tough standards.

Plus it is a Muslim country with two sets of laws the Shari (sorry about the spelling) or normal ones. We were in K L 5 years ago and there was talk of making it illegal for a non Muslim married couple to walk down the street and hold hands. That kind of thinking is enough for me to not even consider living there.

What's the big deal about that? How many married couples walk around in public holding hands anyway? If there is a big age gap it's not a good look anywhere.

The other man's post was a bit silly, I think.

Here is a very funny video.

What is the silliest driving you have seen in Thailand?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCu34Tq94I

Very good new thread. I will watch this and read your comments. Thank you.

I'm sure more than half of the posters here will place Sierra Leone somewhere in South America.

One of the Spice Islands? The PI?

Hang on, didn't Sierra Leone lose to Barcelona in the FA Cup?

Look at the image I will attach to this forum message. I think it dates from 2005.

Does it surprise you? Can you explain the results.

Why are the top-ranked provinces so high, and why are the lower-ranked provinces so low?

No, it doesn't surprise, and yes it is easily explained. All Thai people are registered in certain provinces as living there. Many/most working age people in certain provinces do not actually live and work in the province they are registered in. Instead they work in a province like Rayong. Their economic contribution is counted in that province, at whatever factory or business they work in, but for the census they are counted in their home province. Hence they are dividing by the wrong number.

The average income in Rayong is not remotely close to $20,000 year. It's just that there are huge numbers of people from other provinces working there in factories, so the economic production of those people is counted there, but when they divide by the number of people, they are diving by only the number of people registered in Rayong and they are not counting the hundreds of thousands from other provinces that live and work there.

Similarly other provinces are having the contribution of their workers counted somewhere else, but they are still counting all those workers as living in that province even though their contribution isn't counted there. Additionally, for many provinces, the majority of economic activity is grey market and unrecorded. No one records all the small shops and restaurants, but a big factory is always recorded.

This is probably true. I think it's why Phuket, Surat Thani (Samui) and Songkhla (expat O&G workers) rank so high. All of these provinces generate higher than average wealth, but the wealth relies a lot on "extra-provincial" labour and the businesses themselves are (in many cases) subject to formal accounting practices.

But I think the disparity between top and bottom is still enormous.

Ditto Lamphun, there's a whole mass of Japanese owned clean engineering firms in Lamphun, Chiang Mai itself has relatively little industry although it is an agricultural hub and distribution centre.

Thank you for that. I never knew.

Oh, and just realised, Sa Keaw is in Issan.

Ha ha. Are you sure?

I can understand your girl being offended because she may genuinely want to have a drink alone

Oh dear.

Amusing Belly Dancers distract me from my wine,

Across Tibetian mountains

Are memories of mine

I've stood some ghostly moments

With natives in the hills

Recorded here on paper

My chills and thrills and spills

Song - Take Me I'm Yours. Band - Squeeze.

I've stood some ghostly moments

GUTSY MOMENTS

Ghastly

Grouchy.

OK, we all can't wait to live in a Muslim country. Have it your way. It seems to me there's an awful lot of Muslims trying to get out of their own countries.

Would you like to live in Vatican City?

I agree that countries like Iran and Afghanistan are very dangerous, but so are Manila, Guatemala City and Rio. Phuket also seems to be unsafe.

I also agree that Saudi Arabia is too strict for most people.

If it's okay with, I would rather not discuss religion. It's my fault becuase I am the man who introduced the subject, but I promise I shall not discuss it again.

Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!!

Please..........stop your preaching!

For the animal kingdom it is their instinct to reproduce......although we as homo sapiens are part of the animal kingdom, we have a higher intellect that allows us to make choices as opposed........driven by animal instinct.

Open your mind......it might do you some good.

Why are you here on Earth?

Do you thank your father for being driven by his animal instinct?

Or do you thank him for his "higher intellect" that allowed him to "make choices"?

I thank my mother for carrying me in her womb for 9 months and giving me life.

What a wonderful woman your mother is/was. She did not refer to you as a "little creature". See post 52.

Some very sick people here in Thailand.

1. 70 something

* chachoensao...I have no idea. What is your theory?

Don't know about Chachoensao. That one puzzles me.

See how Lamphun is ranked at number 12. Why do you think that is? And yet Chiang Mai is way down at 33.

How about Songkhla at number 15?

What prizes do we get?

Ha ha!

Sorry, no prizes. Let's just share our knowledge.

Why does CHACHOENSAO rank so high?

Please..........stop your preaching!

For the animal kingdom it is their instinct to reproduce......although we as homo sapiens are part of the animal kingdom, we have a higher intellect that allows us to make choices as opposed........driven by animal instinct.

Open your mind......it might do you some good.

Why are you here on Earth?

Do you thank your father for being driven by his animal instinct?

Or do you thank him for his "higher intellect" that allowed him to "make choices"?

What is your geographical knowledge of Thailand?

Look at the image I will attach to this forum message. I think it dates from 2005.

Does it surprise you? Can you explain the results.

Why are the top-ranked provinces so high, and why are the lower-ranked provinces so low?

So many people on this forum speak knowingly about Thailand and yet know so little.

I have a quiz for you.

1. How many provinces are there in Thailand?

2. How many provinces are there in the south of Thailand?

3. Is Sa Keaw in Isaan or central Thailand?

4. Is Petchabun in Isaan or the north of Thailand?

5. What are the newest provinces in Thailand?

OP, if a womans ability to bake cakes is how you judge her morality and ability to be loyal and respectful..then..well..tbh...i think you are a bit deluded...

If im baking and i am wearing 100% only what God gave me and an apron, i doesnt affect my ability to be loyal and faithful to my boyfriend. Although funnily enough, those kinds of fun antics, do however, help HIM to remain loyal and faithful to me. HAHA!

This thread useless without pics.

Well not me..but a shameless baking hussy! I bet the OP would kick her RIGHT outta the kitchen, regardless of her kitchen skills!

Looks like self raising flour.

This photo is very rude. There is no need for this.

...i L♥VE thinking about men's bodies, particularly my boyfriends. Weirdly enough, despite that, Im totally loyal, faithful, and respectful. Ahhh..but maybe its because i can bake!

But -- as you stated clearly before -- you do NOT flaunt yourself. This is the point I am trying to make.

You are a conservative woman. You are devoted and faithful. You are what many men would describe as a "good woman".

Your boyfriend is very lucky.

Having a personal preference is fair enough..but how you have written your post OP comes across as pretty narrow minded to be honest.

...and then i read the cake baking part, and then i...............................................

I'm sorry if you disagree. I have no desire to cause controversy.

For me, a woman who bakes cakes is a motherly woman. In my experience, a motherly woman will never cheat or show disrespect or be disloyal.

I have another term, too. I use this term for woman who do not show loyalty and respect to their men.

The term I use is this: women who flaunt themselves and think about men's bodies..

Do Thai Women show too much?

What do you think?

I prefer Thai women who dress modestly.

I dislike mini-skirts, but I accept knee-length skirts. I think Thai women look better and more feminine and more respectable when things are left to the imagination.

I like tight leggings, and I think they look great when covered by an ample or overly long shirt.

I dislike the sight of female cleavage. I think this is cheap and degrading.

I respect women who bake cakes. To me, this simple statement captures the essence of virtue, decency, modesty and trust.

I worry though that the younger generation of Thai women are now dressing in a manner that is provocative and (to me) distasteful.

Amusing Belly Dancers distract me from my wine,

Across Tibetian mountains

Are memories of mine

I've stood some ghostly moments

With natives in the hills

Recorded here on paper

My chills and thrills and spills

Song - Take Me I'm Yours. Band - Squeeze.

I've stood some ghostly moments

GUTSY MOMENTS

One last thought though....It would be good if the Thai Government

stops mucking about with invented problems and initiates a dusk

to after dawn SOS (Shoot On Site) curfew in the Southern Provinces.

At least it keeps the bad guys visible to an extent. Won't be the be

and end all but it will sure help matters until the Government coins

a workable plan...whatever that will be.

Do you know where the south of Thailand is? Have you ever been there?

Why do you say "Southern Provinces"? Did you know that the southern provinces begin at Chumpon?

Do you think there should be "a dusk to after dawn SOS (Shoot On Site) curfew" in Phuket? Phuket is a Southern Province.

Do you know about the ethnicity of Muslims in the three provinces?

I won't go on. You should read more and learn about history.

Well...Well...we have a supposed expert here do we? Not to be disrespectful to you but if you have been keeping up with the "Southern Discomfort" you may well understand that the provinces we are discussing are...

1. Narathiwat.

2. Yala.

3. Pattani.

4. Songkla.

5. Satun.

The 5 Southern Provinces which border Malaysia are the ones being discussed. Mind you only 3 of the provinces are under immediate discussion because they were once the mainstay of the Pattani Sultanate and are highly desirous of the return of that Sultanate today. Plus they are the ones where most of the problems happen.

Songkla and Satun are rather quiet all things considering until bombs detonate or terrorists start shooting up Hatyai.

I know a fair bit about Thai Muslim ethnicity perhaps more than you or parhaps less than you. This is not a topic of this thread...who knows more or what or less.

I live in Krabi these days having moved here from Phuket 4 years ago, where I moved to after 10 years in Bangkok. I have lived in Southeast Asia for 42 years son and have many more years left as far as an old fart can determine.

I will apologise to you for not explaining "Southern Provinces" in a manner in which you understand

I read history...lots of it and I live in the present to hopefully assist future history readers.

You have a great day.

And you have a great day, too.

Well...Well...we have a supposed expert here do we?

Ha ha. Not really.

Not to be disrespectful to you but if you have been keeping up with the "Southern Discomfort" you may well understand that the provinces we are discussing are...

1. Narathiwat.

2. Yala.

3. Pattani.

4. Songkla.

5. Satun.

We are not discussing Satun. No one is. The province was officially given to Thailand in 1909. The Anglo-Siamese treaty decreed that the former Sultanate of Kedah was to be split in such a way that Kedah would be "awarded" to Malaysia and Satun would be "awarded" to Siam. There is no history of insurgency in Satun.

Songkla and Satun are rather quiet all things considering until bombs detonate or terrorists start shooting up Hatyai.

Two or three sub-districts of Songklha were part of what you refer to as the "Pattani Sultante". Not everywhere in Songkhla is safe.

I know a fair bit about Thai Muslim ethnicity perhaps more than you or parhaps less than you.

All Muslims in Thailand are ethnically Malay. All of them. Those in Bangkok are descended from their brethren in Pattani.

I live in Krabi these days having moved here from Phuket 4 years ago, where I moved to after 10 years in Bangkok. I have lived in Southeast Asia for 42 years son and have many more years left as far as an old fart can determine.

Ha ha. Enjoy Thailand!!

Okay, I have lived in Thailand for more than 35 years. Yes, I know what yesterday was and what today is. The wife knows too. No kids and no interest in the little creatures.

I think you'll find that the purpose of life is to have "little creatures".

I suppose I better add later in the evening I took the mrt to Hua Lamphong to go meet Smokie for dinner.......Smokie told me to get a Tuk Tuk to Parak, ( Little India ), which I duly did........and the guy asked me for 400 baht on the way there......

He received a strong Scottish rebuke and an invitation to stop the tuk tuk and let me off, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, I settled on 200 baht which I know is still too much.....okay bite me

I'm not getting back in a tuk tuk in BKK again, I've found the taxis to be excellent and extraordinarily cheap, so maybe that's the answer, just boycott the tuk tuks.

Just sayin'

And it's taken you how many trips to realise this ?

Your friend should not have told you to take a tuk-tuk. And you should not have taken one without first negotiating the price. And sometimes it can be dangerous to argue with these people.

When you take a taxi, make sure it is metered, and check to see if the meter is switched on and working.

so they switch it on before you get in? had this happen to, he took off and would not switch it on. had to open the door in traffic, he quickly slowed down and I got out. never did turn the meter on.

Open the door and check that the meter is switched on. Ask him if he's okay to use the meter. If not, avoid.

When you begin your journey, he should press the button so that the fare commences at 35 Baht. If not, get out.

I lived in Bangkok several years ago and never had a problem.

This is an edit: always sit in the back seat.

Who is Smokie?

This man BLETHER is a good writer. I talked with him on a different thread and he said his articles have been published in magazines. Sometimes in his travel article on this website, he uses very nice phrases.

I don't know if Smokie is his wife or boyfriend, but they are happy together and it it good to see they are now using taxis and being safe.

You can read this man's travel article on another thread.