Andrew65

When we're in such countries we bear that in mind and act/behave accordingly. (I worked for 3 years in Saudi).

A case of their country - their rules Keith. We should also bear in mind that Thailand has a massive drugs problem, so if we're caught we're treated accordingly. (BTW, I'm not some anti drugs nut).????

Probably 15 years ago an old friend was crossing Asoke Rd (Sukhumvit X'ing) in BKK (not sure why he was crossing Asoke when there's an underpass!?????), when a motorbike taxi brushed past him quite roughly. My friend responded by slapping/hitting the guy's crash helmet. I explained to him that it's best to NEVER do that, no matter what the situation is. It could could have been that within 10 seconds he was surrounded by 8 other riders, one of whom may have even been carrying a knife. (He's quite an intelligent guy, who had spent many years in Thailand, and I was surprised that I needed to point this out to him!).

Yes, sometimes at Heathrow the Air Canada people, who checked in passengers for EVA Air did the same. Also in Australia. As I mentioned, I once edited and printed out a Bangkok Airways ticket for this reason, and it worked!. I was once made to buy an outward ticket (Bangkok - Penang) at Brisbane Airport before they would check me in. I then sent the ticket back to them and they refunded the money. (when it was still the old style paper 'voucher' tickets). This rtn/onward ticket has always been the rule in Thailand, but the Thais only talked about enforcing it in recent times. (Over the last almost 40 years I must have entered/departed Thailand about 70 times).

Many times over the years I entered Thailand with no outward ticket booked. Although one time I printed out and kept an 'edited' ticket/flight details, just in case.

The thing being, "idiots of this nature" have lots of money, which the Thais covet???? If the Thais were more choosy ('if the Devil casted his net'), very large numbers of tourists would not be able to visit Thailand. For instance, if they had a drugs conviction, which I'm pretty sure disbars one from getting a visa to the USA.

Good to see my compatriots still flying the flag for old Blighty!????

Just recently I was reading that in the UK younger people were not drinking as much as young people were years before. I wonder how much this is to do with it being cheaper to get high than to get drunk?

I doubt it, he was a Swedish farang. In my many years in Thailand I had some very wealthy farang friends.

My old (late) Swedish friend bought a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual some years ago, and it was around a million Baht. He had an amazing watch collection, including 3 or 4 (real) Rolexes.

I hope things work out for this guy, very sad. In my 20 years in Thailand I studiously avoided riding on motorbikes/taxi, due to the roads being so dangerous, and not wanting X million Baht medical bills.

Without exception, a Thai lady will ALWAYS insist that you shower before getting into bed (whatever time of night it is). That was my experience anyway.

A gold Rolex Oyster would be about a million Baht (ballpark).

It remains waterproof so long as it has been serviced and the gaskets have been changed. I failed to do this with a real Breitling, and water got into it in the shower. Cost about 30k Baht to have fixed. Haven't worn it in the shower since.

My old (wealthy) friends wore real Rolex's everywhere over the almost 20 years that I knew them, and never had a problem. The one had the most amazing watch collection. 3 or 4 Rolex's, a Hublot, a limited edition Patek Phillipe (worth around $60k).

In the years when I used to do that kind of thing, however drunk I was, I would always undress in the bathroom, on the basis that my money was in my shorts pocket (could be as much as 15,000 Baht). One night, probably down to alcohol, I left my shorts unattended with what's-er-name in the bedroom. I discovered later that a $100 bill had disappeared.????

RIP Joe. I found his advice/info to be spot-on some years ago when I was doing a visa application. He really knew his stuff.

Anything's expensive if you have no money. Addictive? Open to debate.????

Is that expensive compared to Europe/US?

600 ฿/g! You gotta be kiddin me! I'll stick with the booze!????

"Dont hang around smokers". That was a big thing for me, I wasn't going out at all socially, and I live on my own. Even though I didn't like it, I can see the logic in banning smoking in pubs etc. Many years ago I had given up twice, for 6 months or so, both times that I restarted were when I was in a bar and people were smoking.

I had an old American friend, Ned, in Thailand who was a heroin addict. He said that giving up cigarettes (tobacco) was harder for him than giving up heroin (now on Methadone).

If I look at my wages/outgoings are now, £400 would mean having NO other money for ANYTHING else. As you say though, an addict will always find a way.

I gave up smoking 2 years after I left Thailand to live in the UK. I had gone from paying 60 Baht (£1.50) a pack, to £12 a pack in the UK. That could be as much as £400 per month, simply unaffordable. I had been a smoker for 45 years.

There' a question of whether or not one is "stupid" enough to take heroin in the first place. Who could be aware of the damgers of it and still take it!? Bear in mind that many/most people who are given it medically are terminally ill, so addiction is a moot point. I agree in a way with what you say about booze. And another angle on drugs, I'm surprised that a product/drug, tobacco, can still be legally sold in the knowledge that it is so harmful/has fatal consequences for many.