simon43

Who remembers the thread yonks ago about the guy who always insisted on sitting in the same seat in the cafe? Some posters had great fun in sitting in that seat some 5 minutes before he arrived 🙂

Since Bangkok is quite far from active earthquake faultlines, these sensors will warn of seismic shocks which should not be an issue for buildings that have been constructed to international safety/strength rules, but will be useful to those located within Chinese slop/rubbish buildings in the capital......

I am also law abiding and conscientious. Unfortunately, the police are ignorant of the law.

Farage has not been allowing criminals unchecked into the UK has he? Stop trying to defend the indefensible by 'whatery'

I wouldn't say he was weird. Entertaining more like 🙂

Jeez! Water is rather hard when falling into it from 25 floors up. If she survives, perhaps a Guiness Book of records entry. Good luck to her!

Who says Brits don't like Trump. For many Brits, sick of the lack of 'balls' by successive British governments to tackle the many problems that beset the country, Trump is their hero, not afraid to step on toes to get the job done.

I am likely to arrest, (and have been twice now), for the offence of having a (legal) ham radio antenna in public, something for which the local big wig police guy has a severe allergy to.... Others not displaying their antenna should be fine 🙂

My mad ex #2 had committed the majority of those conditions 🙂 Certified as insane, violent, adultery, druggie, harming me physically and mentally blah blah blah... Apart from that, she was ok.... 🙂

GG, staying with me (in Laos) is a bit difficult just now, since I was arrested by the Lao police on Christmas Day, (and luckily released after a 'Mexican Standoff'). But I can ask if there is space in the cells for your friend...

Yes, I understand their caution in not coming to the police station. I guess they also know how corrupt some police are!

Things going south could be an immediate issue (eg lost phone with banking apps etc), or slowly going south, (eg running out of money and needing to return to your home country). I'll give you a Christmad Day example that happened to me yesterday. Out of the blue, 5 Lao police officers turned up at my rented house in Luang Prabang, arrested me and confiscated my passport and computer. This caused me some problems (!), and with my mobile phone I messaged several people in the town whom I considered friends. While they all sympathised, not one jumped on a motorbike to come to the police station to help or to understand the police viewpoint etc. In the end, the problem was partially solved by myself, refusing to leave the police station until they returned my computer or stated the charges. (This was a good test of my Lao language skills, since the police spoke almost no English!) My mexican standoff worked after 5 hours. The police admitted that I was 100% innocent of any crime - they returned the computer and kept the passport so that they can claim some visa issue early next week and demand bribe payment from me in return for my passport. (This is the second time in 5 years that the police have pulled this trick on me - perhaps no-one gave them any $ for Christmas...) But now I see those 'friends' in a new light. They are not IMHO, such good friends as I thought.

Sounds good! I had a Mexican stand-off for 5 hours this morning at the police station. They told me to go home - I refused to leave the police station without my computer. What could they do? Physcially manhandle a rather disabled UK pensioner out of the station...? Finally, they admitted that there was nothing wrong at all with my radio antennas and equipment. I had a licence for everything. There was nothing 'bad' on my computer. They gave it back to me. But they kept my passport because they said my Lao stay permit was wrong and I will probably have to pay a fine early next wek. This is police-speak for "We fcuked up big time and lost face, so we need to recoup some $". In this exact same scenario about 3 years ago, the fine for some ficticious stay permit error was $200. Complete morons they are, but I had forgotten the Lao words for <deleted> morons, so settled for kop jai deeeerrrrrrr!! PS - To be completely honest, I have had more problems in Laos with my radio gear than I ever had in Myanmar. In Laos, the police assume I'm a spy. In Myanmar, the military guys wanted to see my antennas and transceiver and how everything works - just technical interest 🙂

I need a lawyer...

Mostly use 10m ham band, as per my license. 11m is cb, not allowed. But these police are idiots because I don't even have a radio transmitter in Laos...

It's not even in Laos! It's in Bangkok...

Annoying, and maybe as last time this happened, it will cost me $200 in bribes to get my passport back...

Hmm, not a happy Christmas for me..5 Lao police officers came to my house, arrested me and confiscated my computer. It is the same problem as a few years ago - they think I'm a spy or something because of my (legal) radio antenna. I have to go back to the police station tomorrow to try to get my computer and passport back...

Ms Prichard is a very Thai name 🙂 Last year, I was walking along the shop side of beach road during the day time. It was quite busy. A 'farang' guy was walking along and deliberately bumping his shoulder into other foreigners, trying to start a fight perhaps. He didn't seem drunk, just a knobhead...

So what?! Is it affecting you mentally or something? Live and let live...

I stayed at Jomtien Beach. It wasn't a waste of time. I had a seaview studio for 7,000 baht/month, on the top floor of the building, so that I could install my weather satellite antennas on the roof 🙂 But the building was full of pot-smokers, and the smoke drifted up to my studio, and I do not like to breath that in all day! (Others might...). I left Thailand because my 'retirement' visa was due to expire and I needed to relocate to the PI to ensure that my UK state pension maintains the index-link, (it's frozen in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia etc etc).

Once I sought out my lifetime visa in The Philippines, I will try to visit Myanmar again, but this time on 28-day tourist e-visas, since I can no longer get a business visa, (because I'm no longer teaching in the country). I have a long list of orphanages/monastery schools to visit near Inle Lake/Taunggyi. A small hotel that I know has offered to put me up at $7 a night (important to keep things cheap, since it's my own money!). Looking forward to this....

Spent an hour sending out my Christmas card to my many online students 🙂

No, just cancel his visa and deport him. Why should people have to put up with his sh*te (not once but again and again)?

Out of curiousity, why have you changed your name 2 times? Apart from maiden name/married women tradition, I thought only wanted criminals change their name 🙂