RikDao

Do I love Thailand? Yes. Like that crazy girl that would constantly do the wrong thing, but you still love her.

I am reminded of a quote from William Faulkner. He was a writer from the American South (for those non Americans) who was asked if he loved the South, and how he could still love the South after the history of slavery and segregation. The response was

"You don't love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults."

You don't love a place or a person because of any particular attribute; you love the whole despite the flaws.

Hey, thanks for reminding non-Americans that Faulkner's from the American South. In so doing, you also reminded many Americans!

All kidding aside, that's a nice quote, but it's just wrong. You love both because and despite.

Now, I'm from the South, but was lucky enough to be raised in L.A. (Thanks Dad!)

Like it a lot, and love may describe my feelings sometime in the future.

LOS? They smile with each other a lot, and most of them'll give you a genuine smile if your demeanor allows such. Still contend that they're very intuitive, but some of 'em are just sad sacks. Like the older guy who owns a store and hotel down the lane: meanest guy around, never lifts a finger, just sits around and yells at his petrified wife and employees. He spits a lot, too, and what's up with that? Dang! Feel a little sorry for him, but find myself sometimes wanting to f*** with what's left of his mind. No, not nice of me, I admit, so my new tack is to avoid him. Love all his employees.

I talk about the people because they are what make any country for me. Not the food or scenery, though those and other things are important.

I first came here in 1977, and yes Thailand has changed.

Of course that is to be expected ..... what country or person doesn't change with time?.

Thailand is much more of a hectic lifestyle now. The "locals" are not as friendly as they used to be due to the stress of today's lifestyle.

For many working class Thais, what they see on television as the expected Thai lifestyle is beyond their financial reach realistically .... they know it and resent that fact.

The reality of their life and the unrealistic assumptions they are told they can easily obtain causes anger and stress in their daily lives.

Whether you care to admit or not, that economic reality is at the heart of the "Red Shirts" political movement.

Even if it was hijacked by Thaksin and his cohorts for their own self enrichment.

But bottom line, Yes life in Thailand is far less simple now than in 1977, and far more stressful now.

That comment, "We can no longer be those people in the "Land of Smiles" we once were", is one of the most intelligent comments I have heard a Thai or foreigner make in a long time.

How unfortunately true. And it will not get better until that economic problem is resolved somehow.

Wow. These are interesting comments, and will set me thinking, which I much appreciate.

Ironically, in the very few instances when a Thai person has been impolite to me, I think they were not Red Shirt types.

Been coming to Thailand for just a couple of years now so I dunno about the good old days, but, umm, the Gestapo? Reeeeaaaaalllllllly? Reminds me of one of the first posts I ever read here on TV, where the guy said being called a farang was similar to being a black in the USA in the 50s. Puh-leeze! I know, I know, OP's engaging in hyperbole, right? But I'm pretty sure the whole world's changing, not just Thailand.

Also, let's face it, there are a LOT of dull, low-rent farangs here. Some of them drink too much and act accordingly, causing many Thais to distrust all farangs, Can you blame them? I've sat around with some of these blokes in my neighborhood here in Chiang Mai, and they're very nice, but I don't drink, so they're just as bored with me as I am with them.

I'm not a religious freak, but the Do unto others advice seems to work pretty well here in Thailand. Down the street there are some guys working on a construction site, and now and then I'll stop to watch them. When they look at me I smile and wave, and they wave back. Today they were having lunch when I happened by, and a couple of them waved at me to come join them for a bite. Of course, I declined and kept walking, but then I changed my mind and went back. I sat on the floor with them and they gave me some sticky rice and fish and veggies, patted me on the back and we all laughed. It was fun. I'm studying Thai at the YMCA and I even talked with them a little bit.

What I'm getting at is Thailand is pretty nice for me and to me, and while it's not perfect (nor am I), I intend to keep my mind open and enjoy it. To me, how a country seems depends on the people, and I like Thais. I even like a few farangs.

A friend of mine said he got some size 12 US shoes at Robinson's. I've seen that place, but don't remember which mall(s).

Talking of which - I really kinda, well, you know, like this video. Shame about the song, though. I have watched the video a few hundred times on mute.

Well thanks for that. I'm ashamed to say that I could not take my eyes off the green shorts.

Ashamed? Queen Victoria, your influence remains vigorous!

Anyway, I think you missed out on the best one, the one in the red shorts.

Can't be compared with a first world country I'm afraid. Op, you need to take into consideration it takes like three foot-shufflers to do a one-man job here. Also, are monks considered as unemployed in those dubious figures! Not much tax revenue there.

Monks ? How about the thousands of people operating completely under the radar in cash economies from CM to Phuket ? I admire their entrepreneurial spirit, but it cant do a whole lot for the tax base in this country.

The tax base is probably made up by dumb farangs paying over the odds for their farang imported goods with 300% tax rates.

I was in a major mall the other day, The Mall Bang Kapi, on the second floor is a car showroom selling Citreon cars, 1.6 million baht, about double the price of a similair Mazda/Ford/Honda, insert whatever car you want.

Who the heck in their right mind would buy one, why the heck would Citreon even try and sell cars here with that sort of mark up.

I was stuck at a red light the other day, infront of me was a Farmhouse delivery truck, written on the back door, drivers wanted, monthly salary from 18-25k per month, I was walking by a lampost the other day, adverts for cleaners in Bkk, 500 baht per day.

An accquaintance has had an advert out looking for a/c technicians, 500 baht per day, no takers.

Another friend building houses cant get proper tradesmen to work for less than 750 baht per day, for some trades the going daily rate is 1,000 baht per day.

As far as Thai workers go, reminds me of an old Soviet joke:

They pretend to pay us, we pretend to work.

Same same here maybe?

OK, I think everyone's been waiting for me to lay down the law, so here goes:

1. French

2. Chinese

3. Thai

4. Indian

5. Mexican

6. Cheeseburgers

OK? Discussion may as well wind up now. Mod, please close this thread. Famous last words have been uttered.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Bluddy 'ell ven, mite! Bleedin <deleted>'s gone roun va ben, me finks. Blimey! I kin see I need to sort you lot out!

If we Americans had our own section, the British would likely find us and invade it, so I vote no, too.

PS - I love England. All Americans do. Don't tell anybody.

Huh? Is w***er a bad word? I don't even know what it means.

It means Jerk Off.

Duuuuude??? OMG!

(Sorry)

You know, my favorite movies on Netflix were the cockney ones. I needed to have English subtitles, so much fun. For a while, some of my friends and I got into talking like cockneys: 'Ello Guvna! & Flyin' into 'Eaf-row, mite! & It's a blinkin' shyme, innit?

Seriously though, England is just getting SO FAR off the radar these days. I mean, I know who the PM is, just barely. Whatever happened to Churchill and Harold Wilson and Clement Whatsisname?

Bluddy 'ell ven, mite! Bleedin <deleted>'s gone roun va ben, me finks. Blimey! I kin see I need to sort you lot out!

If we Americans had our own section, the British would likely find us and invade it, so I vote no, too.

PS - I love England. All Americans do. Don't tell anybody.

Huh? Is w***er a bad word? I don't even know what it means.

Bluddy 'ell ven, mite! Bleedin &lt;deleted&gt;'s gone roun va ben, me finks. Blimey! I kin see I need to sort you lot out!

If we Americans had our own section, the British would likely find us and invade it, so I vote no, too.

PS - I love England. All Americans do. Don't tell anybody.

Sometimes I can't stand reading TV threads because of all the petty negativity, which is probably a reflection on me. That is, I tend to be sarcastic myself, but my Thai wife is attempting to slowly wean me from this tendancy, for which I thank her. I bring this up because after reading the first few posts, I realize I want to throw in a comment but I don't want to read all the negative back and forth stuff, so I skip to the end of the thread and try to bring up a point that's perhaps already been made. So, here goes...

My wife has a few female friends in this unfortunate situation, with the dad being gone and not paying for the kids, etc. In most cases, the guy was cheating on the woman, so she's glad to see him gone anyway. And the guy? He doesn't pay child support because he doesn't have any blinking money, and he's lost face with the family as well. Therefore, right or wrong, he's gone. Of course, not all of the guys are like this.

I know this situation brings a lot of anger and sadness to the women, I can feel it and I can see it in their faces, but I've never heard a woman admit it out loud, not to me, that is.

Thai women tend to be, you know, smallish, which is why they might prefer... I'd better not say, since it's just something I've heard. Anyway, I got sent to the principal's, errr, headmaster's office once for making fun of that hapless lot here on TV, and had to sign off on something. Don't want to go back. Being alone in a room with a male from that country is something I definitely want to avoid.

But I'm pretty sure they get along best with Lithuanians. Anyone else heard that?

Of course, these malls aren't necessarily for retail sales, right? They're actually laundering ops for... Umm, I'd best not go into it.

But they need to fill the spaces to convey an air of legitimacy, hence 50% off the rent, or whatever.

My wife's brother, while (thank God) not a bus driver, rides the brakes while going downhill too fast. Twice I've made him pull over and let the brakes cool off, then take my wife aside and whisper to her that he needs to put the truck in a lower gear and not use the brakes so much. She tells him, and things are fine for awhile, until the next time. There is resentment on his part, but the fact is he just really doesn't understand the concept, and for the life of me I don't understand why. So many times I've asked her to tell him something while he's driving, and most of the time the answer is: Brother know! But clearly, he doesn't.

Wow, this subject is almost as explosive as Thai women!

Anyway, if a dog were to bite someone close to me, I would make careful but definite plans to neutralize that dog, although not with poison. However, if the dog is just barking a lot and/or pooping on my property, I wouldn't take such drastic measures.

You know, if you can get yourself near enough to a bad dog in the daytime, where he can see you, just try picking up a rock and acting like you're gonna brain him with it. That might make him think twice about coming back.

Yeah, "The day the pervert monks told me I would gain merit by accepting a bribe to look the other way" etc. Has definite possibilities.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

after police received complaints from more than 20 women that they had been filmed without their knowledge in the bathrooms of their offices and universities.

How did they know they know they had been filmed if it was being done without their knowledge?

Did husbands and boyfriends pay money to visit the website and discovered them?

It does say in the op that they were blackmailing the women to pay to get their images removed,but what i find strange is,most toilets have a janitor,at least in shopping centre's how did they get access to the toilets,and to install camera's, it's say's hidden ,but i mean surely unless they were hi tech spy gear,they would be visible,i am no expert,maybe someone could shed some light on this.

Janitors aren't in there all the time, but they probably paid them to look the other way, anyway. People like janitors need the dough, and all they have to do is deny involvement.

Haven't read all these posts, but my take on the woman is that she likes the abuse, likes being a victim, etc, similar to how compulsive gamblers really enjoy losing more than winning. She gets attention for her troubles and is excited by this attention. Doesn't like herself too much, sadly. Maybe being a Thai makes this seem more normal? I don't know.

Because they still look like girls at 30 years old. How many western women do you know that still weigh 48 kilos at 30?

Then they age spectacularly in what seems to be an almost instantaneous transformation. Middle age in Thai women doesn't seem to exist. There are the younger years up to about 32 - 35 and then the morphing into an elderly lady. Minimal transition period.

Ummm, disagree. Think the place is literally crawling with attractive women in their late 30's, 40s, some into early 50s even. Again, thinking thin. Also, definitely call them women, only girl thing about them might be height. My experience is with Chiang Mai and Phrae, mainly.

Thailand can't keep from falling apart... There is no heart, honour, sincerity, goodwill, integrity in any of the institutions. (And there hasn't been for nearly 100 years, and before that it didn't matter anyway.) Thailand is in moral free fall and will only stop when it hits the rocks at the bottom. When the reality starts to hit, Thailand will be a broken nation, and then hopefully it can rebuild. </Rant>

Don't know much about the last 100 years, but this post has the ring of truth to it, for me. Kind of sad, too, but maybe there will be hope in the midst of the ruin.

"And they get away with it, time after time, without getting killed or maimed. I know there are lots of accidents here, but I've never actually seen one."

hahah....until they actually do get maimed and killed. You haven't seen it, but many of us have. I don't mean like wrecked cars. I am talking about bodies.

Good luck with your psychic stuff.

I didn't explain the traffic thing too well, and now that this post is winding down, it may be too late. My point is: considering how many dumb, dangerous traffic moves Thais make, they don't get killed and maimed at a particularly high rate at all.

Now, everyone loves to talk about the statistics regarding Thai roads, esp the fatality rate, which is astronomical, but let's face it, most of those fatalities are scooter riders not wearing helmets, not to mention all the 12yr olds scooting around.

Good day, friends. This post is close to being tapped out. Thanks for the comments.

Hope this thread will soon turn into a psychic war... just because it might eventually get us another great rock song!

Wow, cool, Blue Oyster Cult. Say, how do you post a youtube on here? I'll reply with another appropriate vid.

Just post the URL.

Oh, OK.