fakename

Yeah, get a camera and take all their photos, and make sure from the photos, anyone can tell where the camera was located!! No, no one will kill everyone on the street, but they can make life hell. Its a bad situation, and you didnt really help much. What if you had a good business going, and someone tried to put a stop to it, what would you do? I would try to keep a low profile, and if it bothers you so much, then not much option, but move.

They have either came down the canals that feed the lake or have been "planted", by some good intending government worker. They grow fast, but they still had to of come from somewhere, and they werent here monthes ago,

Scams are just about everywhere, and when you look in one direction, you get hit from another. But that being said, you dont start pushing staff around, to get them out of your way, and the op said he did. Thats about the quickest way to get in some deep trouble. Keep going back to the same place you got scammed at? Wow, that is really funny. I have several places that have short changed me, and didnt realize until I had left, but will stop using their services.

I see that some posters mentioned to the staff that they were wrong, and they all the staff understood. I really doubt that, since gas station attendants are really not the highest educated, and some are not educated at all, so to believe your explanation to them, on what they were doing wrong, was understood,

No Way.

If someone rented a jet ski, and got ripped off, I doubt they would go try and rent another one, but for some reason, catching scammers at a gas station, seems to be a hobby, which could back fire some day.

I never FILL UP my bike or truck anymore, just ask for either 100 baht or 1000 baht, at least they cant short change you this way, and its a lot faster, than waiting for someone to find change for you. I guess it might also help, if when you pull in to the pump, park with your window right next to the pump, instead of being polite, and moving ahead, like we do back home.

Just get the daughter some nice sexy underwear, give the security guard some whiskey, nothing for the others.

Really, I would just be polite to them, and "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year". I will give our guards some cookies or something like that. As you said about your guard, ours never seem to sleep, but then are they doing their job, I really dont know. Once you fall into the "give everyone a present" thing, its hard to get out of. If you do decide to give something, just give them something they can share, like a cake.

They are "water Hyacinth" and they grow on the surface, and no, they were not there before the water level rose. If they were there before, then I must not have been paying attention, as I stood on the shore, and have photographed many sunsets there.

According to the story I heard, a Thai photographer was visiting Florida, in the 50's or so, and seen the flowers, (yes, they will produce a very nice flower) and decided to bring some back to Thailand, so here they are, EveryWhere! Probably about the time, someone thought to bring some nice pythons to Florida, at least they didnt bring any cobras!

Since it seems im the only one that understand what you are talking about, I will give my opinion. I have lived by the lake for three years, and this is the first time I have seen this vegetation here. Its the same plants that cover most of the canals and rivers in Thailand. The same plants form big rafts, that can be seen floating down the river in BKK. Its actually pretty good for the fish, providing hiding places, but after a while, it will start rotting, and will deplete the oxygen, and if the rafts are blown along the dam, then will be hard for anyone to fish. Might be a good hiding place for the snakes too!

My guess is that some engineer thought up the idea to bring some vegetation for the lake, but they are not native to Thailand, and grow fast, but they dont grow in a couple hours! I think the wind just pushed them from one place to another, but they have multiplied quite a bit in the last couple months. I ride along the dam every day, and on that side, its already getting bad. Of course, they could have come down the canals that feed into the lake, and now just got a good environment to grow in. These are water plants, they didnt come from the side of the road.

Another possibility is that the same engineer that had the trees planted in the water,had many bright ideas. They didnt seem to have a clue that the water might rise, although while they were planting, they had to dig in the mud, and the water level was much lower.

Yes, we shall see what happens, the road seems bumper that before, in the place where it looks to be finished, but then maybe they will put on a second layer and smooth it out. They could have widened the bridges a bit, at least take off the pedestrian walk, since no one ever walks over the bridge. Will be a nice place for a wreck.

What kind of treatment was given for dog bites? I was bitten by my neighbors dog, and only got two rabies shots, and another shot that I forget what it was. Cost was a few hundred baht. Maybe you were bitten twice, once by the dog, and next by the hospital. But the fact is, yes the soi dogs are a problem, not just a small problem, especially at night.

Thats why I would never buy a 7/11, because you always get a couple of dogs to sit in the door way. Not sure if you need to pay extra for them, or they are just a freebee, so you will buy the franchise.

If a lucky date is all it takes to have a successful marrage, then I still have time! Oh shit, now I just seen that im already late! Just have to wait till the next lucky date, but then I may have already passed into the next world.

Maybe he hasnt shot anyone before, but how many people have been shot with the guns he sold?

The mini bus service is only for certain areas, so check to see if your in that area.

I dont think purchasing a gift for someone is in the TIp category, but a show of kindness to the person that helped you. That is what friends are for, to help each other, but usually I try to return their help, not get away with buying some trinket that they may not even want. If I needed help with translation, or just finding something im looking for, I would probably buy them a lunch, or do them some favors.

And why would he jump on the back of the bike? Yes, they picture seems a bit blurred.

Another piece of s*** off the streets!

Sorry for the police officer, but with any luck, someone will start taking a closer look at these stupid bus drivers. Yes, they think they the own the road, along with mini van drivers, a class of their own. Often see buses racing down Sukhumvit , and not paying much attention to the red lights, especially when they are in some sort of convoy, as if they are above the traffic laws.

I wonder if the same people will man the tower, as the ones that man the lifeguard towers on Jomtien beach=== no one!

Would someone actually go to a bar, and ask if they could dispose of your trash? Was at Jomtien beach road a couple days ago, and the street was fairly clean of rubbish, but the side walk on the opposite side stunk so bad, in the heat of the day, from all the cooking oil, that is spilled, or dumped. Maybe the small restaurants and carts have no option for disposing of grease. Such a shame, that the people that depend on the beach for their livelihood are the same people that shit in their own yard.

Where is the Jomtien terminal?

Yeah, its too bad that Bell stops at 18:00, its a very good ride, not at all crazy, like most bus drivers.

Will be an interesting story to follow, but too bad we will never know the outcome. Wonder who the woman in the photo is?

People seem to change, depending on the area they are in. I had a Thai restaurant in Europe, and every high season, we would get one of the family or a friend, to come come from Thailand to help us. At first, I thought I would have a big problem, with them throwing trash from the car or when we were out somewhere. No problem at all, and they even walked around the restaurant, picking up any pieces of paper that blew in. But they, when they went back to Thailand, they reverted back to throwing trash out the car window.

I guess that shows that Thai's can learn, but then they can un-learn, just as fast!

In California, pumping your gas is the Only way you will get gas. I dont think in Thailand, they would like you to pump your own gas, since maybe you put in a few liters, then started the pump again.

As someone pointed out before, these kids that are pumping gas, are not quite the sharpest knives in the box, often they are playing with each other, and dont always know what is going on around them. I dont think some kid was mad at farangs and so didnt want to give you gas, he just didnt figure out what you were doing there. Some appear to be not much over 10 years old, so thats a bit young, for handling something as dangerous as gasoline, but this is Thailand, and if you can drive a motor bike, with two or three friends on it, down Sukhumvit, you can do anything!

I like the theory about the heater, that sounds like the best, since all condos in Thailand have heaters. Usually in Thailand, two people always die at the same time, it just natural here.

I, nor my gf, ever leave the house without a key, and if I did, surly wouldnt go to a hotel, if I couldnt get in. Just too many unusual things that dont make sense. Its probably useless to guess what they took or didnt take, because what ever it was, it could have been mixed with something extra, which we cant know about, unless the police do their work.

Can you imagine the damage it would do, if someone came up along side you, on a motor bike and shot you with that? I have seen many like that in the news, so they must be quite common on the street. I wonder what the people that carry such things, are thinking. Do they really mean to use it, or just to impress their friends?

Good post Lonewolf, but as your name suggest, you are just a lone wolf, and this problem needs a whole pack of wolves! Usually these threads are followed by post, from people saying "if you dont like it here, go back where you came from". Its a wonder that Thai people cant understand this garbage thing, or even that the city officials cant understand. Mostly they are interested in some kind of "gimmick", to get people to come to Pattaya, like building more world class hotels on the beach. Who is going to stay in a world class hotel, that has a beach full of garbage? Yes, you can rake it up in the morning, but world class people dont shit on their floor at night, and say "I will clean it up in the morning"! Even after you clean it, the Stink is still there.