soalbundy

Farang isn't meant to be derogatory, once they know your name they will use it, nobody in my village refers to me as the farang, if I have a foreign visitor that person will be referred to as the farang that lives at Davids house until they have been introduced and know the name of that person. Isaan people are open and friendly and farang are generally highly regarded if they aren't fully paid up butt holes.

I wouldn't say garbage, exaggerated certainly. I've had holidays in Phuket and have lived in Isaan for 17 years, I like both. Isaan is nice because there is still a certain innocence and inclusiveness about the place. This morning for instance the pu yai proclaimed on the loudspeaker that the eagerly awaited football match with the next village would take place at 11 0'clock and asked that all the villagers turn up dressed nicely, preferably with black shoes, no flip flops so that we would make a good impression on the visitors and keep the dogs on a leash, we don't want them running after the ball like last year. Like something from an English village in the 1930's.

I bow to superior knowledge, I haven't been in the UK for well over 50 years. My point was that when confronting entities such as banks or government one is dealing with real people, not the entity per se. One instance I can remember was a British acquaintance telling me that he had given UK authorities his brothers address in the UK but lived with his Thai wife in Isaan so he was getting his pension increases each year. All went well until he applied for heating allowance (greedy). He got the allowance for about 3 months and then an official turned up at his Brothers house to check on him. His brother told the man the truth who gave him a phone number for the delinquent to contact him. Naturally he was worried that he would be fined and have to pay back the heating allowance and pension increases. He contacted the official and concocted a heart wrenching story as to why he had done this. When the official asked how long exactly had he been living in Thailand (10 years) he hummed and hared until the official said, "probably about a month I would say so you should now withdraw your request for heating allowance and write to us informing us of your new address and that will be an end of the matter". Employees want the easy way out, nobody needs agro and extra work.

Although some parts were a little boring.

I wouldn't say that, I'm always walking about carrying my 2 year old step granddaughter, in the middle of the village that isn't problem because the people know me but if we go to the outskirts I've often been stopped by people wanting to know what a falang is doing carrying a Thai child. She is shy of strangers so when they approach me she cuddles my neck and buries her head in my shoulder, that usually puts an end to the questions. People do watch out for children.

Regulations, has to, must be, it's all BS. The bank is a soulless entity, real people work there 9 to 5, they want to pay their rent, buy groceries, get their tea break, give them an excuse to tick the right box and they will do so, 'theirs is not to reason why'. "She gave that address sir", end of story. I lived and worked in Germany as a Brit for 35 years, when I got early retirement BMW payed me my salary for another two years no matter where I was and since I was going to Thailand I went to my local tax office to register that fact. The official was most confused. "You are still liable to pay taxes so you must have a German address" " You can't force me to stay in Germany, I'm a free man now, I don't have to work so I don't have to live here" "There's nothing in the rule book about early retirement, it's still all new, I don't know what to do about this.......couldn't you just register with a friend it would be easier for both of us" "Well yes but my bank and BMW know my address in Thailand, that could cause problems" "I'm your tax case clerk, I don't have to look at everything, just your tax contributions, just give me a registered German address" " Would tomorrow be alright" " Yes, just telephone me, I'll fill in the address myself" That was a GERMAN TAX OFFICE, a very exact, law abiding entity, a bank is a piece of cake, when you give them a new address in the UK it probably wont even be the same person you spoke to, don't take things so seriously, they wont, give them a box to tick, make them happy.

Stop complaining or you will be charged for a new cord, you broke it, it's never happened before.

And a new pair of underwear from the Safari park.

When you say 'bank' you mean a bored employee who wants the correct boxes ticked, it isn't Scotland Yard. I've had enough dealings with my German bank to realize that the employee wants a clean sheet and the least bother with no trouble to themselves. An address with a relative will do fine.

I don't watch television and if I did it wouldn't be Fox. These days it is impossible to get unbiased reporting on anything so I am skeptical of everything. I read 4 English online newspapers and 2 German magazines and form my own opinions that aren't necessarily correct. I rely on my own common sense for subjective feelings of what is correct. It might say something that I hold Ricky Gervais in high regard as a sensible comedian and film maker (not PC)

You shouldn't have posted this, now everybody wants one.

Only woke, boring, squeaky crean opinions are arrowed

Pragmatic, not their problem.

He's fit, he can still walk, I presume the girls will charge him by the kilo.

A service person? is this the woke speech for waiter. I've heard that there are no manhole covers in the roads now, just person hole covers, when will this BS stop.

Millions are expected to fly in for the event.

So the private Club for old men is electing a new boss

Like an old man taking out his false teeth......no bite.

Offer a reward of 100,000 Baht for the return of the cylinder, no questions asked

No need to be quite so aggressive (the need to be right is strong in this noodle). I have just read the Thai version and it seems that this charming young lady has done the unthinkable for a Thai Buddhist woman but why the immigration should be involved is beyond me, perhaps, like me, they thought that only a foreigner could do such a thing.

Yes

No passport, so how did he get to China? After 15 years he probably spoke better Chinese than Thai and he must have been working and living somewhere.

Well, she has let herself in for a world of pain, no Thai court is going to let her off with a hand slap for this insult, I don't know what country this self indulgent Karen comes from but she may not recognize it again after a lengthy stay in a Thai prison full of angry warders and inmates.

He's wearing some cool sunglasses.

Perhaps a reason for Thailand to be worried about onerous demands from the EU....like abiding by the law and court decisions.