peter48

True Brexit horror was voted through by a small majority 52% to 48%. Cameron should have gone for a higher majority in his plans. That was 8yrs ago and most ppl now with exception of non college older males would vote to Remain especially under 45s. but 1) Johnson, Farage lied about the Brexit effects especially the obvious economic ones that has reduced UK living Standards since. 2) The press owners were pro-Brexit and led their newspapers as such especially Murdoch's Sun and Rothermere's Daily Mail. 3) Take Johnson's dad lives in France , his brother, his sister and his ex-Wife were against Brexit. 4) Many countries have high standards of living and then that included all Scandanavia, France, Germany etc with high immigrastion. It was a right wing distraction to kid the low income groups their problems were due to migration. They know that now & are not voting Tory again.

Yes for some living in parts of London or wealthy commuter towns close by, owner occupiers, good high job pensions, good transport/roads into well governed London led by Labour Mayor. ( thanks Sadiq for Elizabeth Line to airport,for free transport pass & cleaner air) Yes some seniors are lucky but now affected by rising crime, social care cuts, longest healthcare waits in western EU etc) ( Covid deaths twice were highest in Europe) But the rest of the population is suffering and inequality is one of highest in Europe bar Bulgaria and child poverty one of worst too. Our kids face highest university fees in Europe, highest rents especiallky in cities, many staying home and quite frankly compared to Finland, Norway,Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belguim, France, Austria and Switzerland our well being and happiness has seriously dropped. Thats why UK Tories scoring lowest polling in modern age.

Do not forget clown Boris Johnson took UK out of the 500M Single Market not just affecting trade, costs of imports, costs of exports, companies not coming to UK, shares down relative to EU/US so smaller pension pots, pound down after Johnson came in,lower economic growth but we lost ,freedom of movement' to live, love,retire,study etc in the 30 mainly better off countries of most of Europe. Spain and Portugal are options but you need to sort a lot more out now than before Brexit. Brexit was the greatest economic self harm ever done by any modern economy.

20% of Pensioners are not millionnaires, UK state pension below £1000 per mth is one of lowest in Europe ( Spain is 3 times higher) the NHS has longest waits in Europe especially a) Cancer diagnosis b) then wait more for Cancer treatment, massive shortages of nurses,GPs & Specialists because of underfunding/low pay, medics leaving in droves to Aus/NZ & Canada & Middle East, one of worst housing shortages, homelessness in Europe, massive rents and high mortages in London/SE/big cities, each medicine is nearly £10, energy costs/transport one of most expensive in Europe, high child poverty especially in N/NE, food banks...Brexit effect on food prices etc There's a reason the Conservatives have had their lowest polling ever this Spring. Britain is broken after the last 14yrs of hitting the average people

Well you would if he was one of your own family or close friend. Unlikey you would miss costly flight back or fail at that age to re-assure his nearest and dearest. God speed & I do hope police etc can find out quickly what has happened to this tourist. He's not some gap year twenty something finding himself. He's a UK citizen missing and the UK authorities too need to up the ante and do what all countries do when one of their own goes missing.

Japan did far, far better than Johnson's high Covid deaths UK during Covid Pandemic. Japan is more densely populated, has far more elderly people than UK. Clown Johnson delayed and delayed masks in 2020 despite Far East superior performance. UK got highest global Covid deaths in Spring 2020. Wear a mask especially in very crowded subways/buses/planes like Bangkok or London especially in mid winter, flu times or whenever things are worse in Thailand. This goes especially for those with a poor health record or likely over 75s. Its difficult but you have to make that judgement sometimes. The Chinese medics established in 2020 that Covid began to spread from longer coach journeys.

I think the thing is once you get into mid 70s for example and you get a prolonged chest infection which gets serious and you 've never had that before in your life, you do think twice. In UK if you get even a little bit of blood in your plegm thats a red flag and you get blood tests, x-ray and hospital Scan within days. Mostly its not serious (if as is the case your scan shows nothing serious) but I wonder in Thailand what's the costs of those quick triple tests would be? PS You will always be asked: Do you/have you Smoked

We said it before especially those guys who knew Thailand in the earlier 2000s when the pound went further, we bought property, Thais were happier & more western tourists came to a more open better LOS. But there were the nay sayers, old conservative types denying that, saying the arrival of the Thaksin and the present government was same old. Well we said no, it was similar to the popular Blair years where UK was open, progressive, booming and more equal. So here we are now with Thai PM on the cover of Time, a world wide publication.. Lift your glasses guys & girls welcome back to a more open and likely more prosperous Thailand. When the economy grows with with more exports, more inward foreign companies and investments and more tourism things tend to get better for all.

Interestingly, America in many progressive cities are handling it. Compared to many other serious drugs its a lot better I guess. Compared to the pub culture in rough less prosperous areas like UK of heavy weekend drinking & need for much security & extra policing it seems this soft drug presents far less problems if any.

The thing is even if many people have mild or moderate covid or flu for several days there will be some with more serious issues that when they get hit with heavy respiratory infection of the lungs will end up seriously ill and need to go to hospital. And that's still happening with now more serious admissions recently reported across Europe. Take care especially the older old.

'see that Thaksinism is becoming the New Vogue'. Well good for those who lived in Thailand at those times that is what Thai voters wanted and generally those parties tend to win the popular vote.. It was democracy. Most times since have been harder for the low income groups, for farmers, for healthcare, for being less outward looking, for inward bound tourists, less modern and less progressive. You will of course have noted what happened this year ...

Let's hope she returns to Thailand after she had to leave following the last Coup. The real message is there in bold: Supreme Court dismisses Yingluck in abuse of power case

" has been residing in self-exile abroad following the 2014 coup orchestrated by army chief-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha." She was respected by Thai people especially in the poorer North and was globally outward visiting UK etc and forward looking. BritScot is so correct and well supported on here. How anyone on here could not grasp that Thailand was better off, outward looking and with tourist fiendly approaches and bringing better standard of living to ordinary folk before the Coup of 2014 is beyond comprehension. Those were the days when Europeans flocked to Thailand bought property and the Baht was worth much more. Those were the days when it was the LOS.

We're they stood around with the purple urine? Not a drink I know. Also people would be there late cause you know from yrs ago you go anywhere when young & want drink. Also what's with the incredulity about sexuality? Younger & some olders too are progressive thinking about like diversity so why would you worry about that. All are welcome surely in Thailand.

The BBC article is very clear on this as mentioned above. It certainly puts Thailand in its place regarding accidents & likely consequences. With this incident what's important is not just the fact that driver may had sleep issues etc., its what the Thai government will do about it? What reforms can be made? With a new or more responsive government for ordinary people who travel like this - its to be hoped the politicians will pick it up.

In all Western Nations of Europe & America/Canada & Australia this would be a serious major news. A full enquiry into the circumstances of so much loss of life would be major judicial thing. Someone saying Thaland has 72 Million people & its likely things happen - well I doubt it. Germany, France, crumbling UK, USA, Canada, Japan - all have larger or similar populations & large fatalities are very rare. Many years ago I recall catching long distance overnight large bus from Pattaya to Chiang Mai and that had I beleve 2 drivers. Back then I would not put my kids on any Minibus. Although I have used in recent years the coach from BKK airport to Hau Hin which seems well run with safety belts etc., If I was travelling long distances I think I would use a hire car with pleny of stops and rest overs.

It's hard for Farang & Thai to have a complete relationship. But physically it's key. You need to be attracted. Then you need compatibility in other ways like sense of humour, some similar interests , Good friends will help. Good family will help. Walking, days out whatever. The big problem is money. So many Farang Thai relationships end because of money issues. The boundaries of what she wants needs to be clarified early on. Get out quick if money is going out your bank at a pace which is unstainable for year after year or you will end up broken and poor for your later years.

"And no... Thailand hasn't shot itself in the foot at all.... The heyday for Thai tourism was when there were no rules.. back in the late 90's early 00's". Richard_Smith Absolutely agree - too many here have forgotten the Pre 2008 days when farangs from Europe flocked here for holidays all yr round, bought more property, it was relatively cheaper with better tourist rates, happier, dynamic, business growth, Thais got hospital care cheaper etc., Of course cheaper flights from big airlines would be icing on the cake.

Disagree - this will be just one of many of the changes now Thailand is no longer run by just Militarity. LOS will start to look like early 2000s when Baht rates helped tourists, when visas were easier, when Thais began to have a bit more money in pockets, when Thailand under Thaksin was more inclusive, when more farang were buying property from UK,EU & Ausie and so on. These are early signs of a renewal & Tourism will be a big winner after previous yrs of isolated government & deep impact of Covid years. Think there's quite a few oldies here moaning. Come on this is Tourism like Ibiza, Canaries,New York, LA,Paris, Madrid ...bars open later for younger crowd. Thailand is not just for older ex-Pats who may no longer want to stay up late. Possibly Bars/NightClubs might want to give bar staff some option to have some earlier days. gone 4.00 is late for 7 days per week.

Great to see this party back in power again. Its like early Thaiksin or Tony Blair or Justin Trudeau. You start governing for all people not the rich elites, you reach out to the poor Northern areas too, to the low incomed and forgotten, the struggling groups barely making it through. You give people hope, you open up your country, you improve education and investment and encourage foreign investment too. As countries improve too you introduce a dynamism; you bring down drug taking, crime and unemployment. The cynics will say blah,blah but no younger fresh new ideas will help Thailand to what it was like before the coups. This was what the Thais voted for.

May we send our deepest heartfelt sympathies to the family. He was young & in Thailand & for many of us with younger sons or daughters of this age not long out of university it is a deeply sad loss. Both ordinary Thais & Brits & other farangs will deeply feel your loss at this time.

For those who knew Thailand back in the earlier 2000s this was a great leader who looked outwards to the world. He lifted Thailand higher & brought in the tourists and ex pats who like me bought into property. far more Brits came regularly as over 50bht to £ was typical. But for lower income Thais he was hightly popular with universal health care and other socio-economic reforms. Later we saw Thailand wellbeing fall & European tourism stall as like now quiet and lacking the dynamism of those happier Thaksin years. The LOS changed & there were less smiles.