RikDao

Lol. Speaking of the English, they abandoned British-occupied Burma to the Japanese, who in turn slaughtered thousands of unarmed Burmese on their way to the coast. England heroically fought the Germans, yeah, but the Thais would've been slaughtered by the Japanese. Better to make a deal with them in order to survive the war and avoid unnecessary suffering for the population. Speaking of which strategy, isn't that kind of what the French government did in WW II?

(Not putting down the French here; they had a very courageous and effective unofficial armed resistance, as we all know).

Given Thailand's collusion with Japan during WW2 it is probably no surprise that the subject is not spoken about in Thai schools.

Umm, you sure? There's a small museum in Phrae dedicated to the memory of the Thai underground anti-Japanese resistance in WW II. They taught British and American intel agents how to survive in SE Asian jungles, engaged in anti-Japanese sabotage, and radioed information on Japanese military activities and troop strength in Thailand to the Allies in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

The Thai government was given an offer they couldn't refuse* by the Japanese, who were headed to Burma from China, but I wouldn't say Thailand 'colluded" with the Japanese.

* Basically, declare war on the Allies, or else!

That "offer they couldn't refuse" was the same one given to Belgium, Holland, Denmark etc. wasn't it? Somehow those nations did refuse.

And no, Thailand did not collude with the Japanese: they joined them and became full allies and declared war on the western nations, even to the surprise of the Japanese!

That underground anti-Japanaese resistance was the Seri Thai, the best equipped, best communicating, best organized, best supported, and least effective of all anti-Axis resistance forces in all of World War II. They did radio information about bomb targets and damage reports, and rescued a few downed airmen, but caused no damage to the Japanese forces whatsoever.

Oh, I wasn't aware that the Japanese had occupied Belgium, Holland, Denmark etc in WW II. Thanks for schooling me on that one.

The Thai Ambassador to the UK delivered a declaration of war to London, but a declaration was not forwarded to Washington by the equivalent Thai Ambassador. And yeah, maybe the Thai government (not necessarily the same as the Thai people, perhaps even you would agree) did help the Japanese; what would you have done? Fought against them?

And one of the reasons for helping the Japanese was to try to regain some Thai territory that had previously been annexed by Burma. Apparently, by the end of the war the Thai people at large were firmly anti-Japanese.

Given Thailand's collusion with Japan during WW2 it is probably no surprise that the subject is not spoken about in Thai schools.

Umm, you sure? There's a small museum in Phrae dedicated to the memory of the Thai underground anti-Japanese resistance in WW II. They taught British and American intel agents how to survive in SE Asian jungles, engaged in anti-Japanese sabotage, and radioed information on Japanese military activities and troop strength in Thailand to the Allies in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

The Thai government was given an offer they couldn't refuse* by the Japanese, who were headed to Burma from China, but I wouldn't say Thailand 'colluded" with the Japanese.

* Basically, declare war on the Allies, or else!

Cool, thanks. I'll check some of that stuff out, wrote it down.

Melbourne, huh? Then you must be familiar with the Melbourne Shuffle? I stumbled onto that about five years ago on youtube. Man, I love those videos. I might just possibly have been able to do that when I was a teen, 50 years ago, rockin out and dancin to the beat! Not like the really top level guys, but I could have done a version.

Hey, fair enough. I'm aware that they haven't done anything new in eons. However, they're giving the people what they want. Apparently, your taste is more sophisticated than average (whatever that means). Playing in Cuba for free? That's gonna make millions of people VERY happy. Cuban music? Maybe it will get out and about, now that Cuba is more "free."

Avant grade is what your trying to say and yes i push the boundaries, i like my music as fresh as possible, as for Cuban music getting out there, your a bit slow there my man, Cuban music and dance took the world by storm in the 90's, every major capital city and any other city worthy of being called a city has Cuban style dance clubs....why even there in BKK, friend took me to a low key one in Chinag Mai, music is to Cubans what air is to the rest of us, they will love the event even if they don't like the music because Cubans are party people.

I replied to this a few days ago, but I don't know what happened to the reply. Whatever. Maybe it went to you in an email. Below is a new reply.

Now, you said you hope the Stones absorb some Cuban rhythms when they go there,and then you said Cuban music got big in the 90's. So they are probably aware already? I'd say yeah.

On the other hand, like you I hope (even though you don't really) they're gonna catch some shows when they're there, esp Charlie.

Cuban music is respected, especially Cuban Jazz, and thats going back to even before the revolution, there are of course many styles that the Cubans play, the 90's explosion was in salsa music and dancing just one style of many though a very important one and has been a big money earner for the island since the Americans have had an embargo on it.

Don't know about mr Richards, he is pretty much a blues man through and through but as you say charlie and even mick would be up with the Rhythms to some degree....Clapton and the Stones helped introduced the west to reggae from Jamaica and there just a hop skip and jump from Cuba.

Most people wouldn't know that for some musicians playing in Havana is like others going to Nashville, there is a history there for music, an Australian band played and recored there about 7 ys back, Simply Red has also played there, an Italian artist went there and recored an Album...

Bit more info for you, once Fidel came to power being an educated man he made all schooling free and encouraged everyone to study, Cuban musicians by and large are university trained, they have degrees, Cuba is only a backwater place economically they excel in medicine, education and even possibly music to some degree...depends on your tastes.

Hey man, thanks a million (baht, that is) for the info. I love learning about stuff like that, stuff that isn't common knowledge, maybe, but very interesting. Believe it or not, my favorite jazz player, Kenny Dorham, played trumpet and came up around the same time as Miles and a little after Dizzy, maybe. Anyway, he played a lot of what I think they called Afro-Cuban back in the 50's and 60's. Kenny hated the avant-garde movement and wanted to keep playing be-bop, so he slid into irrelevance, I think, and died from heroin at age 42 or so. Sad. My favorite jazz track ever is El Matador by Kenny. It has the smokingest trumpet solo ever, as far as what I've heard, anyway.

As for the Stones, certainly Charlie and Mick would be aware of Cuban music. As far as Keith, yeah, he's a bluesman, but he also plays brilliant acoustic country, American folk, old English folk, etc. Don't sell that guy short, cuz. So, little doubt he's into Cuban as well.

As far as salsa, likely I haven't heard the right stuff maybe, because to me it just seems to go on and on and on, and I lose interest after the first 8 minutes of what turns out to be a freaking 45 minute song! I remember going to a free concert in Chicago in the mid-80's, called Rock Against Racism. It was a crummy, muggy, overcast summer day, and there were blacks, whites, and Latinos in the crowd. A salsa band started out and played a 25 minute song. When it was over, most of the crowd cheered loudly, mainly being glad it was over. Then they launched into another one, 20 guys on stage pounding away, just going on and on, and after 20 minutes of that the crowd started screaming for them to stop. Naturally, they DIDN'T stop, just played louder, and eventually people started throwing stuff at the stage and screaming louder still, and the Latinos in the audience tried to stop the throwing, and so on. My friend, who was black, looked at me and said: "This is about to be a race riot! Let's get the hell out of here!" Which we did! Never heard any of the bands we'd come to see. LOL. (Yo, we weren't football 'ooligans, mate! We were suburbanites. We went to a lot of shows, and anytime it seemed like guys wanted to start fighting, we cleared out fast! Hahahahah!)

Lol. Good point. And still kickin'!

Hey, fair enough. I'm aware that they haven't done anything new in eons. However, they're giving the people what they want. Apparently, your taste is more sophisticated than average (whatever that means). Playing in Cuba for free? That's gonna make millions of people VERY happy. Cuban music? Maybe it will get out and about, now that Cuba is more "free."

Avant grade is what your trying to say and yes i push the boundaries, i like my music as fresh as possible, as for Cuban music getting out there, your a bit slow there my man, Cuban music and dance took the world by storm in the 90's, every major capital city and any other city worthy of being called a city has Cuban style dance clubs....why even there in BKK, friend took me to a low key one in Chinag Mai, music is to Cubans what air is to the rest of us, they will love the event even if they don't like the music because Cubans are party people.

I replied to this a few days ago, but I don't know what happened to the reply. Whatever. Maybe it went to you in an email. Below is a new reply.

Now, you said you hope the Stones absorb some Cuban rhythms when they go there,and then you said Cuban music got big in the 90's. So they are probably aware already? I'd say yeah.

On the other hand, like you I hope (even though you don't really) they're gonna catch some shows when they're there, esp Charlie.

Hey, fair enough. I'm aware that they haven't done anything new in eons. However, they're giving the people what they want. Apparently, your taste is more sophisticated than average (whatever that means). Playing in Cuba for free? That's gonna make millions of people VERY happy. Cuban music? Maybe it will get out and about, now that Cuba is more "free."

Stale Stones? Perhaps a reflection of yourself. And Mick's a great granddad these days.

Most obvious joke: Word has it that the Hell's Angels are providing security.

This is a racist article. A very SMALL percentage of Thai people believe in gooman thong. It is not a look into the THAI mind.

It is like me writing an article about the KKK saying a look into the American mind.

So you are also saying that almost no thai believe in ghosts, some kind of reincarnation, karma etc?

And you are the racist for believing this is a racist article.

Hardly worth a reply but....

I never said anything about ghosts, or reincarnation. Incidentally, both of which I firmly believe in as do most of the world's population.

Your second sentence is just weird.

Hey, you have my sympathy. That poor guy seemed to get a bit, well, can't and shouldn't really say it on here. I hope he's getting some rest. Still feel his fear.

Just one question for all you snooty, superior bashers:

How do you know the souls of children don't reside in these dolls?

Fact is, you don't.

You need to see something, apparently, to believe it's real.

What a constricted worldview.

God created everything in the universe one week ago, that is wednesday 27th of january 2016. All your memories aren't really your memories, God implanted them into you and all history you think you know was also implanted. Everything else either sopken, written, dream and so on are implanted into your and everyoen else head. All the light coming from far away stars are really illusions and not real and so on.

Now...

The fact is, you don't know if the things i wrote are true, don't you?

Such a constricted worldview you got RikDao.

Hmmm, a little nervous? I think you meant "do you?"

But as to your question, yeah, I do know. It's baloney. That's what "the fact is."

And son, if you wanna hang with the alpha pseudo-intellectuals, at least learn to write coherently. If you do, your credibility will go WAY up. Of course, most on here couldn't care less; in fact, correct writing is cause for suspicion, I'm sure.

Aww, how cute of you to be a grammar nazi. Well anyway english is my third language, i bet you are monolingual and we all know what monolinguals are right?

Anyhow, no you don't know. And the reason is clear from your earlier posts in this thread. Hint: lack of something somewhere.

So, grandpa, take your medication and head to bed.

Obviously, not much more I can say. The discussion has degenerated too far.

But thanks for that phrase, "lack of something somewhere." That's a keeper.

Just one question for all you snooty, superior bashers:

How do you know the souls of children don't reside in these dolls?

Fact is, you don't.

You need to see something, apparently, to believe it's real.

What a constricted worldview.

God created everything in the universe one week ago, that is wednesday 27th of january 2016. All your memories aren't really your memories, God implanted them into you and all history you think you know was also implanted. Everything else either sopken, written, dream and so on are implanted into your and everyoen else head. All the light coming from far away stars are really illusions and not real and so on.

Now...

The fact is, you don't know if the things i wrote are true, don't you?

Such a constricted worldview you got RikDao.

Hmmm, a little nervous? I think you meant "do you?"

But as to your question, yeah, I do know. It's baloney. That's what "the fact is."

And son, if you wanna hang with the alpha pseudo-intellectuals, at least learn to write coherently. If you do, your credibility will go WAY up. Of course, most on here couldn't care less; in fact, correct writing is cause for suspicion, I'm sure.

I will express my honest opinion, not that anyone particularly cares, as to what this thread is really about.

It's an IDEAL place to denigrate Thais.

A few Thais buy these dolls, and bingo! All Thais are child-like, superstitious, and vapid.

So please, do tell me, who are the real dummies here?

My sweet, complex, hilariously funny Thai wife is so highly intuitive as to be almost psychic. Once I wanted to get a pic of her in front of a large, foreboding looking banyan tree, but she refused to go near it. Said it was full of negative spirits. I gave it some thought and decided, who am I to say otherwise?

A Hello Kitty T- shirt would have done the trick.....

Says a lot about your wife, perhaps? And you?

10947472-Portrait-of-surprised-pretty-young-woman-covering-her-mouth-by-the-hand-and-smiling-over-white-backg-Stock-Photo.jpg

Hahahahah!

Hilarious reply! Made my day!

I will express my honest opinion, not that anyone particularly cares, as to what this thread is really about.

It's an IDEAL place to denigrate Thais.

A few Thais buy these dolls, and bingo! All Thais are child-like, superstitious, and vapid.

So please, do tell me, who are the real dummies here?

My sweet, complex, hilariously funny Thai wife is so highly intuitive as to be almost psychic. Once I wanted to get a pic of her in front of a large, foreboding looking banyan tree, but she refused to go near it. Said it was full of negative spirits. I gave it some thought and decided, who am I to say otherwise?

Just one question for all you snooty, superior bashers:

How do you know the souls of children don't reside in these dolls?

Fact is, you don't.

You need to see something, apparently, to believe it's real.

What a constricted worldview.

Because souls have better things to do than going to nails parlors or facespas.

Lol. Hey, you convinced me!

Geez.

I would be annoyed if I could not book a flight because of some seats were taken by dolls.

Thankfully, you'd probably never know.

Just one question for all you snooty, superior bashers:

How do you know the souls of children don't reside in these dolls?

Fact is, you don't.

You need to see something, apparently, to believe it's real.

What a constricted worldview.

The requirement is to report after being 90 days in the country.

If you are not here 90 days you do not report.

Simple really.

Thanks again for all the replies.

What was tricky for me is the "90 consecutive days" aspect.

I was thinking in terms of "90 days in Thailand since my last 90 day report," regardless of whether those days are consecutive or not.

Speaking of my trip out of Thailand, I was coming back from the States with my Thai wife thru Korea on a round trip to Chiang Mai. The Korean ticket lady asked me to prove I had a ticket back out of Thailand. Took 15 minutes (with a few "Please wait here, sirs") to explain my re-entry permit and how my retirement extension is good until July. Man, a lot of Korean women clicking around on high heels, that was. Meanwhile, we had to get to the gate!

OK! Many thanks to all three of you who replied!

I guess this rule makes sense, but I couldn't find it anywhere. However, it doesn't matter whether it makes sense or not, yeah?

Reading my reply, let me clarify:

I couldn't find the RULE anywhere, not I couldn't find the sense of it. LOL!

I mean, I guess the sense of it is... Oh, who cares, right?

OK! Many thanks to all three of you who replied!

I guess this rule makes sense, but I couldn't find it anywhere. However, it doesn't matter whether it makes sense or not, yeah?

Apologies if this has already been covered, but I couldn't find anything on here to answer my question.

Let's say you have a 1 year retirement extension, and during that year you do one of the usual 90 day reports. Then, 30 days after you do the report, you leave Thailand for, let's say, 60 days. My question is: do you have to do the next 90 day report 60 days after you get back, that is, adding the 30 days from before you left, plus 60 more, or do you just need to do the 90 day report 90 days after you returned?

Sounds a bit complicated, but I hope I've made the question clear enough.

Thanks in advance, and Happy New Year!

If my American mates boast once again how well their dollar is doing I am going to do something seriously nasty to them. Like put ice in their beer. Forget that, they already do it.

I know I'll shove koala poop down their throats.

You may have missed it, but when you get more Baht for your Dollar, it means Dollar is doing pretty well.

I didn't miss it but maybe I was being a bit subtle - I'm only interested in the Australian dollar.

I think it's time the yanks paid for a few beers for us poor Ausies!

Sure, why not?

As a side note: Me no drink no more, but back in the day, I considered Australian beer second best in the world after German. Cooper's, that was the supreme one I remember. I'm sure that now, just like similar in the States, some of the Australian micro-breweries are amazing.

(That's it. No more replies to this thread from me for awhile. LOL).

I hope and pray that this continues, and China collapses, leading to 44 THB to the USD and NO Chinese tourists, like the good old days 12 year ago!

I assume the above was said in jest. But where's the smiley face? Anyway, the Chinese tourist situation 12 years ago was likely driven by political, not so much economic forces.

China collapses? That would be somewhat nerve-wracking for the world. And I don't get the all the acrimony regarding Chinese tourists.The older ones, yeah, maybe they're kinda loud and boorish sometimes, but I think it's because they're slightly nervous and being a tourist outside of China is relatively new to them. Haven't been to China, but maybe you gotta yell over there in the big cities just to be heard. The younger ones? They have their own social media, they know the importance of being respectful in Thailand, they ain't dummies. All the ones I've come into contact with have been very polite and friendly. And the porcelain doll vibe of most of the women? Holy cow!

I'm sure this has been said already in this here thread, but a strong dollar attracts more American tourists. And all snarky comments from the huddled masses of impoverished expats aside, the Thais want more tourists.