soalbundy

Just when things were getting boring. Ahhh Thailand, there is life in the old dog yet.

No different from any other nation, the Thais have their own version of 'Gods own country' or the British 'by jingoism'

The same reason a product costs $1.99 and not $2.......it sounds like a bargain.

Which shows that the whole system is rotten. There aren't many jobs that pay well at an entrance level even with a university degree. People aren't inherently bad if given a chance to do a worthwhile job at reasonable pay but even the most naive, enthusiastic person can be turned corrupt by bad pay, including farang. I met a female captain in the tourist police who had a university degree and started as a lieutenant, she was honest and enthusiastic until the day she passed all her exams to become a captain and still had to pay 100k under the table to get the position, all naivety about serving the community and pride at being a police offer flew out the window, she became a cynic trying to pay off her 100k debt. The average cop here doesn't have a good education, the alternatives aren't attractive, as a cop from a lowly background he has increased his status and with a bit of corruption money he can pay off his debt for gun, uniform and motorbike (which over time becomes just part of his wages). I in no way condone corruption but I can see where it is coming from.

I think it is too easy to point the finger at underpaid policemen when in reality the whole system is rotten. The average policeman can't live from his wage alone and so has to make a few thousand on the side while his superiors makes a hundred thousand from corruption and their top dogs make millions. Those figures change to billions for top politicians. There are very few checks and balances and any honest cop, judge, or politician will suffer persecution from his corrupt seniors for upsetting the apple cart. In the USA corruption in the police force was brought under control after the prohibition by raising the police wages, in the UK the amount of wrong doing by the metropolitan police is just being uncovered so this isn't a just a Thai/Asian problem, it is a world wide systemic affordability problem, poor training, low IQ, poor moral in the police as a reflection of societies that value money above all. Corruption will never be stopped completely unless the root causes are put right and we get a few enlightened leaders in all segments of society who can serve as good examples but I can't name one country where this is happening.

In my old age I've learnt not have one, nobody gives a flying fart what I think and tomorrow I will have changed my mind anyway.

That's just your opinion.

In reality a good time was had by all.

''Maybe I'll come back", he's testing the political waters and giving Prayut and co. a panic attack.

I've only had one major visit in 17 years (ret. visa) photos, neighbours questioned, documents checked etc. 4 days after having received my yearly extension. 5 IO's in a van with laptop and printer, the full 9 yards. They even refused an offer of coffee and were most apologetic for the disturbance, a shrug of the shoulders and "Big boss wants everybody checked, it's not our fault".

Probably a case of 'not qualified', no doctor, just a nurse and transport staff, they couldn't have helped anyway with such horrific injuries. I was told by a hospital doctor that most ambulances don't even have a paramedic on board, just 'first aid knowledge' transport staff.

When it breaks or snaps.

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.