rene123

Guess earnings are not immoral if you are doing something for the greater good. Evility/immorality remains trivial.

Fact is more farangs are in the immoral business then the thai girls.

Ain't that the truth. And, whose business is it when it is a private deal agreed to by both parties?

The traditional trail (Pilgrim's Trail) to Wat Doi Suthep starts near Wat Fai Hin (top of Suthep Road), passes through Wat Palaat, and ends at Wat Doi Suthep. No where does it go near Huay Keow falls. Nobody in their right mind pays 200bht to enter Montathon Falls, walk in round the back

If you start at the top of Sutthep road then you haven't climbed up Doi Sutthep mountain from the bottom. The bottom section is very scenic and quite easy for anyone without physical disabilities. I often see tourists walking down the road and I've stopped more than a few of them to show them a shorter and more pleasant way down to the bottom.

I'm talking about trails higher up near the top of Doi Pui, and Doi Pa Kha. When I refer to Doi Suthep, I refer to the mountain, not the temple. I guess we're talking different trails.

When I refer to Doi Sutthep I'm also talking about the mountain and not the temples near the top. Huay Keow waterfalls ARE at the bottom of the mountain and there is a trail from Huay Keow waterfalls a fair distance up the mountain, or at least to where the stream flows under the road. If you cross the road and look in the bushes on the other side you will find another trail heading upward. It goes for about another 1/2 walk upstream and sort of ends there below a waterfall in a narrow canyon. I wasn't able to find any trail beyond that point so I've made my own.

And, I would not discount the 200 baht park fee to the other falls, unless you are just a Cheap Charlie. 200 baht is peanuts compared to buying a western meal in a farang restaurant. Stupid men are quite willing to buy lady drinks for some Thai gal to sit with them in a bar.

It's even sadder when lovely countryside like the paths up to Doi Suthep are spoiled: there really is no need for it.

The paths up to Doi Suthep are pristine and litter free.

(Huay Keow waterfalls is not a path up to Doi Suthep)

I beg to differ. I've done it lots of times. There is a good trail from Huay Keow waterfalls at the bottom of the mountain and all the way up to where the creek runs under the highway. Then, there is another trail beyond that and it will eventually go to the top. And, if you see a big tall red head with a bush axe in her hand, don't be alarmed. It's just me building more trails. Right now, If you want to walk to the top of the mountain then you have to go up the highway a few kilometers and go into the park (200 baht) There is a steep trail from there that comes out on the top of the mountain above the temple. .

The two top teams in English Premiership league met tonight and the game lived up to its hype. Manchester City carried the play in the opening 45 minutes, but Manchester United came away with a 2 zip score when Rooney scored the first two goals on the only two chances that Manchester United had. The City side came out running and gunning in the second half and eventually tied the game 2 all at full time. But, in added time the United were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty box and Van Persie curled a lovely shot over the defence and just inside the far post to win it for United.

Then why can't they pack it out empty instead of tossing their rubbish along a pristine stream in the few wilderness areas with good access? I live in Chiang Mai and one of my favourite spots near the city are the trails up the mountain from HueyKaew waterfalls (at the base of Doi Sutthep). But, the problem of dumping trash is not just in that pretty park, it's most everywhere I go in Thailand. There was only one exception and that was in a Christianized valley south of Mae Sariang. I didn't see the same trash there and locals cleaned up their own mess.

And, it's not just a problem in Thailand. I've seen the same thing in BC campsites after every long weekend. Slobs bother me with their lack of caring.

I've seen and HEARD lots of big noisy Harlies roaring down narrow sois.

Down under bar at the foot of Loi Kroh is advertising it and so is the Zoom bar in the boxing complex on Loi Kroh. Down Under bar will probably be less crowded, though.

The question is have you ever been to a park place with NO Parking attendants and no whistles?

A local market I go to a few times a week, parking is marked out about 140 parking spaces........ often just sit and watch in amazement people trying to park.. would appear so many have a problem as to witch way to turn the wheel when reversing, mostly females, appears the younger they are and the smaller the car the more difficult it becomes, saying females and there cars as most of the males drive pickup around here but yes even some of them will take 6 or more attempts in there pickups to get into a space which can be done in 1 or max 2.

Where woman are concerned, that is not just a problem in Thailand.

And, even being a woman I have to agree with you. The funny thing is that last night a friend and I were having a short conversation in the parking lot of our hotel, when a Thai woman started to TRY and park her little car. It should have been a simple one turn and stop operation, but it took the woman about 10 attempts to get it only partially right. My lady friend said - "Women drivers!" while shaking her head. And then we both laughed.

I thought the topic was about road rage in Thailand, not gun control. Gun control is an entirely different topic with 2 polarized points of view. I was raised with guns and hunting, but in Canada we are not allowed to carry handguns or use them anywhere but at licensed gun ranges. Just south of our border the Americans have an entirely different point of view, and the number of accidental killings reflect that change. The only question I ask is how many times in anyone's life have they ever actually needed a handgun for protection? I can't think of any time in my life, and even my father, who spent considerable time in some scary places, never felt he needed a handgun. Would it be fun to go plinking with a handgun? Sure, but do we really need them?

For many rational and straight thinking expats , I believe it's a love-hate relationship.

So many things to love and just as many to hate.

For tourists point of view, can not really see how they can be objective when they do not know even 90% of it.

Everyone loves holidays , but living in the country opens whole new world

That is well said in the fewest number of words. Some of the very things I find annoying about Thailand are also the things I treasure the most. But, as I already said, I don't live here full time. Because I can come and go as I please I don't feel trapped. I might feel trapped if I was a full time resident. There are many things that are more expensive in Thailand, and their are fewer opportunities available if you want to work. It takes a while for our North American (or European) bodies to adapt to the heat, the weather and the change in diet. If you just want to eat farang food then you are better off at home.

I know this thread is about yet another thing that make Thais look stupid.

I'm sorry if I kill the party now, not the intention.

Just to help some of you (you know who you are),

The whistle is to draw your attention, NOT for the purpose of communication (stop here, go there, etc).

The hand signals and body language in general is the communication.

Oh yes, go to the Philippines, and you see the real masters in action.

There are huge parking lots at malls all over North America. With a few notible exceptions, everyone finds their way safely in and out of them. I've yet to see a whistle blower or anyone guiding the traffic. If a shoe fits, wear it.

I thought all the bar girls in Pattaya were "fossil" collectors?

thai mentality !! to kill people in the streets, to have school children killed , to have police turn against their own , you have to be joking

Are you talking about Thailand or California? It sounds more like various US states.

Also elsewhere saw some tall Ladyboys as you said but also quite a few girls still sitting outside the main venues on Changklan

It was funny at one of them three police officers in uniform sitting at a table with them

From what I've been told, the police in that area are all working for the same scam of milking unsuspecting tourists in the Kareoke bars. The poor suckers get taken there by crooked tuk tuk drivers and are then scammed out of 30,000 baht for items they didn't order. They are over charged by the mamma san and it's all backed up by the police.

we have nicely slid from cold weather into ladyboys, scams, crooked tuk tuk drivers and karaoke bars..............Thats more like it Get in there Rene123

Sorry for that. I was just commenting on something that caught my attention.

This Canadian gal is enjoing the cooler weather. I don't feel like taking a shower every 20 minutes or so.

A much better way to piss off tailgaters is to slow down and then when they try to undertake you ( with no signal to tell you this) you give a signal and doubly piss them off as you move into the lane they want to undertake in, its even more sttisfying if they then get stuck behind you as all other traffic now passes freely in the outside lane.

This involves no finger waving or anything and is nicely effective at winding them up.

There is one universal technique for tailgating that works the world over, even in Dubai where they make the Thais look like grandparents driving a 30's Buick. When being tailgated gently take your foot off the gas, flick on your hazard lights do a couple of quick left and right tugs on the steering wheel. Then watch them swerve into the next lane almost immediately. Requires no sudden braking on your part and they dont even know you have done it to deliberately wind them up. Works every time.

love this one!!!

I'm not sure that would work while riding a scooter and they were in a truck.

Also elsewhere saw some tall Ladyboys as you said but also quite a few girls still sitting outside the main venues on Changklan

It was funny at one of them three police officers in uniform sitting at a table with them

From what I've been told, the police in that area are all working for the same scam of milking unsuspecting tourists in the Kareoke bars. The poor suckers get taken there by crooked tuk tuk drivers and are then scammed out of 30,000 baht for items they didn't order. They are over charged by the mamma san and it's all backed up by the police.

The Mad Dog bar and restaurant is usually open at 8 AM and I know they have several sports channels on their TV. I don't know if the fight is scheduled on any of their stations, though. You would have to check with them today. I think the Irish pub is also open in the morning for breakfast.

I don't think there is a week goes by when I do not see a fatal road accident or one causing serious injuries here in Thailand. Most weeks I see multiple such accidents.

Most Thais do not drive like total tw@s, most drive reasonable well - but like everything else here in Thailand nobody gives a flyingfack about the selfish tw@s who drive like lunatics or behave violently when confronted.

But of course here on TV it is the fault of the person making the observation of Tw@ish driving, not the tw@ driver.

I take a slightly different view - Thais driving like lunatics, Thais getting out of cars and shooting each other - I don't care - I do my best to stay clear of these lunatics and if the Thai people want to carry on killing each other on the road the way they seemingly are happy to do so - So be it.

Tw@s are easy to spot on the road - easier still to avoid.

Just take your foot off the gas and let them go up the road to the accident that awaits them.

Well said. I am a red head with the well known red head's temper. I have a short fuse, but I have trained myself to not react when dealing with idiots. There are a lot of idiots in this world and I can't change them, so I have to ignore them, even if they get in my face. You couldn't supply me with enough bullets to shoot all the idiots out there, so why bother? Nobody can really insult me because i don't do anything intentionally wrong. If someone is an asshol_e then that is their problem, not mine. Driving or riding in Thai traffic is always an adventure. I've learned to expect the unexpected and just try to avoid any confrontation, even if the other person is totally at fault. A day doesn't go by that I don't see some lunatic on a motorbike, or driving a vehicle. I consciously try not to let it bother me and just accept it as a part of Thai life.

Unfortunately the laws of Thailand do not allows foreigners to pack heat, which would eliminate the problem.

Although I've often gone hunting with my father in Canada, I certainly would NOT recommend that people carry guns in Thailand. Too many innocent bystanders would get shot and the culprits would most likely escape anyway. Hitting a moving target with any degree of accuracy is very difficult and especially so with a handgun. I can just imagine the mayhem that would occur if motorcyclists started shooting each other over a simple fender bender.

Slow cooker. Isn't that what you get when a large group goes out for a meal in a Thai restaurant?

Sorry for the black humour. It kind of reminded me of a day a few weeks ago when 10 of us went out for a Thai meal. Each person got fed separately, one at a time and very slowly. The first few people were already finished by the time the last of us got our meal. It's just one of the oddities of dining in Thailand. I think it can be explained by the restaurant having one chef with one wok.

Just some more Photos.

The first two are of a Kookaburra, a bit clearer than previously posted.

Then a series of a Black Cockatoo chasing a smaller bird out of a tree, then back to land. I apologize for the lack of detail as they are heavily cropped. (How I wish I had a good long lens)

Regards Bill.

Very nice, Bill. Are you currently in Australia? I don't recall seeing Kookaburas in Thailand, but they were one of my favourite birds in Australia. They are just like a huge Kingfisher we have in Canada.

I think they have machines that can read if cash is in an envellope.

So how would that work then ? or are we now in the Twilight zone of conspriacy theories....where in the xenophobic Thai post office in its attempt to scam money out of the farangs has cunningly installed a "magic" box in all its offices to identify whose mummys from overseas have put money in the Christmas cards for their darling little boys and girls..

one assumes said magic box also identifies the currency conderned and calculates the current exchange rate against the THB, so Somchai the postal worker knows exactly what sort of "tip" he is getting for Xmas ?...

I don't know, Soutpeel, but all I do know is every time I sent a few hundred baht in an envelope it never arrived, even if the address was written in Thai. We did it just as a test from a post office in Pattaya when we first heard about mail going missing. We just figured they had a scanner that could pick up anything metallic in an envelope. I think currency has something metallic in it to prevent counterfeiting.

It can happen anywhere as MrBrad says, and it's not ALWAYS intentional. But, at gas stations it is pretty obvious when they are short changing you. I learned a long time ago to add things up in my head by averaging up or down to the nearest rounded number. It is amazing how accurate you can be when totalling up a lot of items. Even at home with a $100 worth of groceries I'm seldom out more than a few dollars. If you buy ANYTHING, then just bring it UP to the next rounded number. !20 baht would be rounded up to 200 and then you subtract the 200 from 1000 and you should receive at least 800 baht in change. It's quick and easy and you don't get scammed by more than a few baht.