Ministry of Som Tam

Well,don't say I didn't warn you when the inevitable happens,I've seen it happen many,many times back in Europe.If you can't mind your own business you are asking for it!

I'm not asking for anything, except that people are able to walk on the street without being harassed by scum telling them lies.

And yes, it is my business that people can walk undisturbed, so I am minding my own business by informing them what is happening.

Absolute have a very lucrative and successful business selling timeshare,that is what you can't stand that they are far more successful than you will ever be,it's simply jealousy and nothing more!

They employ many Thai workers and pay their dues to the Phuket Govt.The people that buy timeshare come back year after year and help out the local economy,that's how timeshare works!

There is nothing about their business model that justifies you calling them 'scum',you are just very bitter at their continued success but I doubt very much that they are bothered about you!

As mentioned many times already, I don't mind the product, although it is not for me.

What I do mind is the way they are selling it, with lie after lie after lie, harassment, etc. So yes, there is something about the businessmodel that justifies calling them scum, look at all the complaints about the touts on travel sites like Tripadvisor.

They have stopped harassing people in the general area of my shop, so I do think that they are bothered about me.

Oh, and thanks for the psycho analysis, but you'd better stick to selling timeshare, you're too far of the mark for any success in that field.

I don't sell timeshare,I used to 20 years ago and it opened many doors for me.That's why I'm not moaning on an expat forum about my failing business!

Good luck to anyone doing a visa run with a Yaa Baa'd up,speeding,untrained driver who is generally unlicensed and will run away leaving everyone for dead in the event of a crash!
The last time I drove myself to The Andaman Club in Ranong I saw just such a crash and 4 people died in it. (Yes,the driver ran off and left the victims for dead!)
Save on intensive care or funeral bills and just fly for the same price!

Your girlfriend sounds quite traditional and correct in her reluctance to socialize with monks. It is seen a bad form for a woman to be riding around in a car with a monk or doing anything with a monk for that matter. When monks are collected and driven to a ceremony outside the temple, it is always a man who picks them up.

Monks are also supposed to be dedicated to the disciplines of the religion and less attached to the material and social aspects of society. You could be seen as corrupting them, in a way. Then again they could be using the whole monk thing as a way to get a visa, so no real harm done.

In Thailand though, I would suggest you listen to your girlfriend if she insists that somethings are just not done.

I would imagine that most of what you have just posted goes against just about every single teaching in Buddhism!

Remind me,Thailand is a Buddhist Nation,isn't it?

I think that Thai people, especially my wife, forget that they are real people as long as they are wearing the safron robes, BUT:

A few year ago there was a shindig at our local temple where many of the head monks from diffent temples were there. After it was over my wife asked me to take one of the monks back to his temple, about 30 kilometers away. I agreed, and after stopping at 4 different places for him to buy things we arrived and bid him fairwell. He was former neighbor and had been head monk for about 12 years.

About a week later, I was asleep in bed and my wife woke me up and told me that my "friend" was outside and wanted to drink with me. I asked who, she said go look. I looked and saw a girl and a man sitting in the gazebo but didn't recognize them. She then told me that it was the monk that I had driven to the temple. I said monks aren't supposed to drink. She told me that he had quit the monkhood fearing that his girlfriend would marry someone else. So I went and drank with him.

They got married, had a child, and now he is the biggest alcoholic in the village. Guess that they are "real people"! True story!

Is that a 'Thai style' happy ending then,apart from the other obvious one?

They are obviously paying enough tea money to the police,why do they need work permits?They are also helping the economy in Phuket,by bringing timeshare owners back to Phuket year after year,unless they use the exchange system!

It's not your country 'Irish Ivan',so if you don't like it here's a solution...go home!

Maybe because they are working here?

You don't work for the Thai Govt so not your business,if you don't like the way the Phuket Govt operates...go home!

Nah I think I will stay. Its actually great fun asking these desperados for work permits. If they reach the point in their life that they have to stoop to selling timeshare, perhaps they should be going home. Shoot me in the head if I ever get that desperate.

And pray tell me why Thai OPCs ('touts') need work permits?Do you not have a clear grasp of employment laws here?

Well,don't say I didn't warn you when the inevitable happens,I've seen it happen many,many times back in Europe.If you can't mind your own business you are asking for it!

I'm not asking for anything, except that people are able to walk on the street without being harassed by scum telling them lies.

And yes, it is my business that people can walk undisturbed, so I am minding my own business by informing them what is happening.

Absolute have a very lucrative and successful business selling timeshare,that is what you can't stand that they are far more successful than you will ever be,it's simply jealousy and nothing more!

They employ many Thai workers and pay their dues to the Phuket Govt.The people that buy timeshare come back year after year and help out the local economy,that's how timeshare works!

There is nothing about their business model that justifies you calling them 'scum',you are just very bitter at their continued success but I doubt very much that they are bothered about you!

They are obviously paying enough tea money to the police,why do they need work permits?They are also helping the economy in Phuket,by bringing timeshare owners back to Phuket year after year,unless they use the exchange system!

It's not your country 'Irish Ivan',so if you don't like it here's a solution...go home!

Maybe because they are working here?

You don't work for the Thai Govt so not your business,if you don't like the way the Phuket Govt operates...go home!

But the Thai government requires workpermits, just some rogue officers let them get away without having one.

For Thais,why?

They are obviously paying enough tea money to the police,why do they need work permits?They are also helping the economy in Phuket,by bringing timeshare owners back to Phuket year after year,unless they use the exchange system!

It's not your country 'Irish Ivan',so if you don't like it here's a solution...go home!

Maybe because they are working here?

www.thaiair.com!

Well,don't say I didn't warn you when the inevitable happens,I've seen it happen many,many times back in Europe.If you can't mind your own business you are asking for it!

I'm not asking for anything, except that people are able to walk on the street without being harassed by scum telling them lies.

And yes, it is my business that people can walk undisturbed, so I am minding my own business by informing them what is happening.

Well,don't say I didn't warn you when the inevitable happens,I've seen it happen many,many times back in Europe.If you can't mind your own business you are asking for it!

I'm not asking for anything, except that people are able to walk on the street without being harassed by scum telling them lies.

And yes, it is my business that people can walk undisturbed, so I am minding my own business by informing them what is happening.

I couldn't care less about people getting ripped off with timeshare. Its the approach I dont like. Thats why I recommend that people ask these touts for a work permit

They are obviously paying enough tea money to the police,why do they need work permits?They are also helping the economy in Phuket,by bringing timeshare owners back to Phuket year after year,unless they use the exchange system!

It's not your country 'Irish Ivan',so if you don't like it here's a solution...go home!

Assuming the THB Vs. US$ stay constant, then the Pound will be 42.6 baht by August.<br /><br />http://www.forecasts.org/pound.htm

It's been asked before, but how low can it go till expats living on imported money can no longer afford to stay? I wonder if anyone in the government has calculated the social cost if thousands of husbands have to leave their wives and children behind in LOS? Perhaps it's time to make it easier to stay, by reducing visa costs etc. They increased the costs when the ex rate was higher, so perhaps it's time to face reality and change them back.

Your hope is forlorn. The THB is on an upward trajectory at this time and over the weekend rating agencies increased Thailands rating which will portend an increase in the THB.

The Thai government does not have much control over THB other than causing adverse effects in the economy which is undesirable.

Thai government does not care about expat survival in Thailand. Nor does the UK government or the currency speculator community care about expats in Thailand..

You seem to be spectacularly missing the point here,if Thailand is one of the world's biggest exporters of rice,how much must the overbought Baht be hurting what I'm sure is one of their biggest exports and a large percentage of Thailand's GDP?

In fact,anything that Thailand exports,motorbikes,cars will be adversely affected by the strength of the Thai Baht.Thailand's account deficit as of January 2013 is USD -$2337 million,a record all time low,meaning they are exporting far more than they are importing right now

Banks trade currencies overnight,I'm sure you've heard of Overnight Interest Rates?Central Banks also use these same overnight interest rates to control currencies that are over or under bought.The benchmark interest rate in Thailand was last recorded at 2.75 percent.The Overnight Interest Rate in Thailand is reported by the Bank of Thailand,they could cut this to weaken their currency but seem unwilling to do so,following their catastrophic devaluation of the Baht that started the Asian Financial Crisis back in 1997!

It seems it's not just bar girls that are either 0% or 100% and nothing in between but the Finance Ministry also,why am I not surprised?

Rice exports are 12.37% of GDP. According to Wikipedia the 1997 crisis cause was as follows: "The crisis started in [/size]Thailand with the financial collapse of the [/size]Thai baht after the Thai government was forced to [/size]float the baht (due to lack of foreign currency to support its fixed exchange rate), cutting its [/size]peg to the [/size]U.S. dollar, after exhaustive efforts to support it in the face of a severe financial overextension that was in part real estate driven. At the time, Thailand had acquired a burden of [/size]foreign debt that made the country effectively bankrupt even before the collapse of its currency. [/size]^[1] As the crisis spread, most of [/size]Southeast Asia and [/size]Japan saw slumping currencies,[/size]^[2] devalued stock markets and other asset prices, and a precipitous rise in [/size]private debt.[/size]^{[3]."In other words, government control of exchange rates caused the crisis. If the Baht had been free floating at that time it would have adjusted to market conditions. You are proposing that the government again control the Baht. I believe people would be frightened by the prospect of Peu Thai government attempting to control currency.} It's not going to happen. The speculators will flock to Thai Baht betting against the government.

As I said,rice is one of Thailand's biggest exports,over 12% of GDP!Also,unpegging the Baht from the USD was an effective devaluation,again,as I said!

Using interest rates to control currencies is an effective and completely natural way to weaken the Thai Baht,market forces will decide how much by,once again,as I said!

Speculators will short the Baht once interest rates ate cut,knowing it will fall and hey presto,you have a self-fulfilling prophecy!No speculators are going to buy the Baht and attempt to prop it up on the back of a cut in rates by 50 or 100 basis points,they would lose their money.

You really are very good at missing the point,aren't you?

Assuming the THB Vs. US$ stay constant, then the Pound will be 42.6 baht by August.<br /><br />http://www.forecasts.org/pound.htm

It's been asked before, but how low can it go till expats living on imported money can no longer afford to stay? I wonder if anyone in the government has calculated the social cost if thousands of husbands have to leave their wives and children behind in LOS? Perhaps it's time to make it easier to stay, by reducing visa costs etc. They increased the costs when the ex rate was higher, so perhaps it's time to face reality and change them back.

Your hope is forlorn. The THB is on an upward trajectory at this time and over the weekend rating agencies increased Thailands rating which will portend an increase in the THB.

The Thai government does not have much control over THB other than causing adverse effects in the economy which is undesirable.

Thai government does not care about expat survival in Thailand. Nor does the UK government or the currency speculator community care about expats in Thailand..

You seem to be spectacularly missing the point here,if Thailand is one of the world's biggest exporters of rice,how much must the overbought Baht be hurting what I'm sure is one of their biggest exports and a large percentage of Thailand's GDP?

In fact,anything that Thailand exports,motorbikes,cars will be adversely affected by the strength of the Thai Baht.Thailand's account deficit as of January 2013 is USD -$2337 million,a record all time low,meaning they are exporting far more than they are importing right now

Banks trade currencies overnight,I'm sure you've heard of Overnight Interest Rates?Central Banks also use these same overnight interest rates to control currencies that are over or under bought.The benchmark interest rate in Thailand was last recorded at 2.75 percent.The Overnight Interest Rate in Thailand is reported by the Bank of Thailand,they could cut this to weaken their currency but seem unwilling to do so,following their catastrophic devaluation of the Baht that started the Asian Financial Crisis back in 1997!

It seems it's not just bar girls that are either 0% or 100% and nothing in between but the Finance Ministry also,why am I not surprised?

I CAN'T believe anyone falls for this, especially Brits. We had endless stories, articles & TV reports regarding this same thing in the 80's from Spain. Here we are 20 yrs, or so, later the same scam, probably the same people (I know for a fact 2 of them ARE from the Cosat del ripoff) and they are still collecting people!

The funny part is that these idiots telling people it's timeshare etc.don't realise that all these resorts,just like on the Costa del Crime,Tenerife and other places all have security teams working for them!

Big,steroided-up monsters who will at some point rip off their faces quite happily for blowing out there prospective clients and dinner tickets!They won't be so smug boasting about it on here once that happens!

So people giving their honest opinions need to be busted up?

Why don't you go and stand next to the jet-ski scammers and tell all their customers the truth,see what happens then?

Because they don't harras innocent people walking in the street, some of them may scam people, but only those interested in the activity offered. The timeshare touts on the other hand are lying, cheating, harrasing nearly everybody, rude, etc. etc. And don't misunderstand me, I am not warning anybody in a negative way, only informing the tourists this is timeshare sales. Up to them what they do with it.

Well,don't say I didn't warn you when the inevitable happens,I've seen it happen many,many times back in Europe.If you can't mind your own business you are asking for it!

MOST, I readily admit that I have only spent two weeks in Jakarta and a similar amount of time in Bali, but I'm curious re your experience in Indonesia, esp your experience of their visa system.

Indonesia is probably not such a good example as the visa laws are probably more restrictive even than Thailand!You need to have an Indonesian employer or connections to get working visas otherwise I think you have to leave every 60 days.

A great shame as Indonesia really is one of the last great unexplored wilderness left on this planet,with places like Sumatra,Java,Lombok,Bali,Komodo,Flores,Sulawesi,Irian Jaya.With a diversity of animal and plant species found nowhere else on the planet!

To drive a motocy 100cc age is 15yrs , to drive a 125cc its 18 yrs , so she was illegal and driving with no licence and insurance no sympathy.

You obviously don't have children or a heart to make such a disgraceful statement as that about a 14-year old girl,&lt;deleted&gt;!It really is better you keep your big mouth shut,rather than come out with statements like the above!

Yes modern Thai food is often very unhealthy.

BTW, standard muesli is definitely not a low fat food.

Study: Even ancient mummies had clogged arteries.

LONDON (AP) -- Even without modern-day

temptations like fast food or cigarettes, people had clogged arteries

some 4,000 years ago, according to the biggest-ever study of mummies

searching for the condition.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_MED_MUMMIES_HEART_DISEASE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-03-10-20-16-55

To the OP,try The Philippines if you want easier visa rules?Over there you don't even have to go to immigration,never mind leave the country,even on a tourist visa!

You just take it to the travel agents every two months,pay them and collect your passport and visa the next day.You can do this for 16 months before you have to leave the country for as long or as little time as you like,then do it again for another 16 months!

The cost of living and beer is much cheaper there,everyone speaks English and the beaches beat Thailand's beaches hands down and many times over.

Personally I just use the restrictive and convoluted visa laws in Thailand as a great opportunity to go and live in different parts of South-East Asia,to see what they are like.Next on my list will be Vietnam or Cambodia,or possibly back to the Phil's again.Then again there's always Indonesia!

Was making run to supermarket yesterday. Passed down corridor. MK restaurant, big glass window. Young woman 19 perhaps gave a wai thru the window to her young co workers as she left her shift change.

Really amusing to what lengths people go to NOT fit in.

If you want to make a political or cultural statement, go back home.You are a guest on at best a one year visa or visa extension.

This crappy attitude is the same one that the latin "gringo" resentment and akiebation derive from.

This is Thailand. If you do not want to.participate in its culture, why are you here? Really. Why? If not the people, culture, foid, religion why in the hell are you here?

Im here solely for my Wife something MANY including yourself fail to understand, a culture so vile ( my opinion) I want no part of it, is that so hard to understand?

Very easy to understand. You made very bad choices in life which means you have to live in a country that you hate and so have become bitter and twisted.

Must be very sad to be you.

Again someone else trying to read my mind, NOPE I like the country side.whats left of it, but you carry on making your assumptions.

The bad choices meant I retired in my 40's, the same bad choices let me marry someone who earns more than 250k baht a month who is 10 years younger than me.

Your right Im so f****ed up.

ps I never said I hated the country I hate the culture but dont let that get in the way of your assumptions

The amount of salt, sugar and msg added to Thai food is crazy. I now stick to meat, veggies and fruit. No processed foods and no starches. (That eliminates most foods in the supermarket). Keeps the weight down and don't get food comas.

It's just very difficult to strike a balance,that's the problem!

Yes modern Thai food is often very unhealthy.

BTW, standard muesli is definitely not a low fat food.

I CAN'T believe anyone falls for this, especially Brits. We had endless stories, articles & TV reports regarding this same thing in the 80's from Spain. Here we are 20 yrs, or so, later the same scam, probably the same people (I know for a fact 2 of them ARE from the Cosat del ripoff) and they are still collecting people!

The funny part is that these idiots telling people it's timeshare etc.don't realise that all these resorts,just like on the Costa del Crime,Tenerife and other places all have security teams working for them!

Big,steroided-up monsters who will at some point rip off their faces quite happily for blowing out there prospective clients and dinner tickets!They won't be so smug boasting about it on here once that happens!

So people giving their honest opinions need to be busted up?

Why don't you go and stand next to the jet-ski scammers and tell all their customers the truth,see what happens then?

"Honest business does not need thugs to enforce it, you seem to have killed your own argument and are backpeddeling."

Hardly,they don't all have thugs but I know the ones in Phuket do,maybe not all?Many resorts just work with fly-bys,the people get a free holiday to take a tour and it's all in-house.
As for the idiots on here saying that they get hassled and pitched,these resorts have massive lists of qualifications for a paid 'UP',like home owners so that finance can be secured and residents just don't qualify.If you're sick of being stopped just tell them you live here,simple!

I think the OP should declare his own financial status before asking for everyone else's.

Afterall the intention of this type of post is usually a wiener gauge.

Not my intention at all Canuckamuck.

I posted to...hopefully...prompt some of those out there...with their heads firmly stuck in the sand...into positive action...

With regard to my own situation, that is clearly recorded in my other posts and threads.

I am a self funded retiree who does not meet the criteria for the Thai retirement visa. It will be many years before I am 50.

And so...I am stuck on a ED visa...because there is no other long stay option available to me.

However, this week, some entirely ridiculous new requirements have been imposed by Phuket immigration for the ED visa.

It is manifestly obvious that these new requirements are aimed squarely at the Russians here in Phuket who are now openly working in restaurants as waiters and waitresses...working as prostitutes on Bangla...driving minibuses...and even busking for loose change at local markets.

So...if you must know...I too am now part of the detritus layer...not because I don't have money...but because I am a long way off 50...and my only long stay Thai visa option is being shut down because of it's abuse by Russians.

I am currently doing my due dilligence on a number of other countries including Cambodia and PI.

Before coming to Thailand to live full time, I only carried out my due dilligence upon issues of lifestyle and infrastructure. In hindsight, that was a significant mistake on my part. In the future, the first thing I will scrutinize prior to relocating to another country will be the simplicity of obtaining, and complying with, a long stay visa.

Lifestyle and infrastructure are entirely irrelevant if maintaining a long stay visa is impossible.

What,you mean like actually learning Thai?

Has there been any mention of buffalos?

Only a problem for potless TEFLers living in a dive,try cleaning your grubby little room once in a while!