JimsKnight

Whether it's a farang or not, the deal is that as the money in the west get's tighter, currencies get weaker (in the west) and farang want to stay in Thailand will do increasingly more bolder things to extend their stay. This includes criminal acts.

I was living in Thailand when British PM John Major devalued the pound. Having all my savings and investments in the UK I suffered a terrible loss of 35%. The UK pound and the US$ are the most unreliable currencies. Fortunately I put my saving into A$ some years back.

The best investment to-day is A$ bonds and A$ gold shares

the culprit was George Soros not John Major.

"When George Soros placed a $10 billion speculative bet against the U.K. pound and won, he became universally known as "the man who broke the Bank of England." Whether you love him or hate him, Soros led the charge in one of the most fascinating events in currency trading history."

http://olesiafx.com/...Of-England.html

and he probably also saved the UK from the even worse recession that it would certainly have endured had it stayed in the ERM at that time. He also helped ensure that the UK stayed out of the Euro project , for which we all ( Brits and the Euro members) should be eternaly grateful. The guy should have got a knighthood!

Yeah right, he should of been put on trial for sedition after enacting knee-jerk gun control and disarmed all legal pistol owners because of a scottish paedophile.

He couldn't even do that right as the tory's still lost the 1997 election anyhow.

Have spent a lot of time around Israelis, even working for them. They had all done their military training in/under various guises.

TV posters should rememeber it is only colour and religion that seems to seperate people. But some posters are ant-semitic I feel and that is raciscim?

The Israelis I worked for were not amongst the friendliest or warmest people I have ever met?

But, they had a couple of "never again" attitudes, that I could understand.

One, was that there would never be another exodus or Holacaust?? (Masada again??)

Two, if we were being overun, all Muslim places of worship would be fields of glass beads. (Nuclear strikes??)

Point two is maybe why the Saudis wanted Irans nuclear facilities "Taken care of"...... (Willeaks, internet cables)?

Hmm, if you do some checking you'll find it's impossible to be anti-semitic towards Israel if you consider that, as a race, Israelis' are almost all Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jews.

That means they originate from either the Khazar region of Europe or Spain. Anti-semitic technically covers the Palestinians and other peoples of the area.

But don't take it from me, just google 'The Thirteenth Tribe' which was written by a Jewish man.

Yes I agree the Israeli's certainly have learnt the lessons of history well.

Pdaz has said all that really needs saying.

Getting a start 'on the tools' from a base in Thailand is a formidable challenge.

I've worked the North Sea (as I was based there) and that wasn't great these past few years with the credit crunch. A lot less work at the moment until the next boom.

Back in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s it was good if you were a new-start to get work

Not now though, especially in Asia you've got a lot of competition from India, S. Africa and elsewhere that are churning out divers, ROV pilots and the like. Don't pay for any courses yourself. A buddy of mine was raving about going ROV until I told him how much of a scam those courses are (he was sold on taking a course out in the Philipines that now has set up a training gig)

I did my offshore courses about eight years ago when there was still work for newbies. Now though the waiting list for getting a trip offshore is insane and the agencies aren't throwing out the work like they used to.

DSV work is possible out here but you need to know people and have connections. Without those it's almost impossible. Nepotism is a big problem in the offshore industry, not just the North Sea but most places in the offshore world.

The latest 'scam' course is the MIST course (supposed safety course).

It used to be that the company's would train up people for a rig offshore, now though they want you to pay for ANOTHER course just to be eligible to even work offshore.

Oh and in the North Sea we've now got the Poles, Slavics and numerous other ex-soviet block country's trying to get on the rigs

NDT courses sponsored by a company are your best bet, they cost a fortune otherwise AND you have to renew them every few years.

Who said anything about it being Thai's?

Farangs are often the ones causing trouble and I for one believe that it's better to 'have and not need', than 'need and not have.'

Dogs are a serious problem, as is rabies. I've had unprovoked attacks on me prevented BECAUSE I chose to carry a non-lethal weapon. So you might as well drop the defeatist idealism GH.

It really tickles me how the mentality of:

"I'm morally superior despite being bitten, beat-up, raped etc when carrying a weapon could of prevented that" seems to of brainwashed people on TV

Thankfully some of us have a brain between our ears and trust in self-preservation over blind faith.

The Thai's carry weapons for self-defence and in the home, that should tell you something...

Looking back on over 12 years of living and working in Thailand I can't think of a single occasion when I have ever thought that I needed a weapon, or when I have felt physically threatened by a Thai or a Farang.

I can tell you for sure there are places I don't go and situations I avoid - but don't kid yourself this is down to any sense of moral superiority - I've not, as you so colourfully put it, been bitten, beat-up, raped, I do have a brain between my ears and I rely on that rather than on blind faith in my ability to use a weapon in a situation where it might be needed.

I take the view that the best weapons we all have is our instincts and our brains.

I've relied on these of years of peaceful existence in and out of Thailand.

Simply not carrying around the self image of being Rambo seems to be reward enough for employing intellect over base fear.

But you live your life the way you wish - I'm very happy and safe in the life I live and wouldn't want to take your own life style from you - I'd have no need of it.

I hear what you say man, but there is a saying, ignorance is bliss. What works for you does not necessarily work for the xxx,xxx farang out there. Some folk like to play the karma card but fail to realise that's not a guarentee.

In fact just because you've been 'safe' doesn't mean the others out there will be.

One of the primary reasons for carrying in Thailand is the wild animals, namely soi dogs that seem to consider anyone walking through 'their' patch of alley, road and soi treading on hallowed ground.

Being prepared is not rambo, in fact the brainwashed majority who consider a weapon the domain of rambo are perhaps some of the most ignorant when they look at the facts.

You could be safe and sound for 12 years then get attacked or threatened out of nowhere by someone.

Another reason is the growth in, lets face it, low-life, substance-damaged farang, some of whom are out of control and on a path to self-destruction. Do you really want to have to face that with nothing to hand?

To those who say - They only hang out in x y z tourist spots I've a wake up call for you.

They are almost everywhere compared to ten years ago. Normally harmless but like a rabid animal, can fly off the handle for no-reason.

Except for Army and Police, it is illegal to carry a gun in LOS. A gun lisence is for protection within private property only

A read up un LOS gun rules can be read in another thread here in General topics

If it's illegal to carry a gun in LOS then transporting a gun in a bike or car is therefore a fallacy, yet legal gun owners are entirely within there legal rights to have one on them to and fro the range

I will leave this argument with the following crucial areas that are key to understanding the why's and wherefores:

Marriage is an institution. Who in their right mind wants to live in an institution?

It's not only that mate.

I've seen happy-go-lucky, free-living guys turn into slaves inside the golden cage after marrying Thai women.

Especially when it's out in the villages, indeed it can turn into a virtual prison sentence from what one expat was telling me.

He had sunk money, car and the rest into the house. The entire Thai family moved in and he pretty much had to drive off into the night and leave it all behind.

I'm not saying all marriages are that way but the whole 'we are all together' get's a bit too 'communalistic' shall we say for my liking

This is news to me, I thought tigers were confined to zoo's and were no longer seen out in the sticks of Thailand...

This dude was lucky the tiger was only having some fun, or he might of ended up with no legs and no life...

Took this hasty footage from an apartment building, totally spontaneous and, well see for yourself :

)

Why all this "Thai bashing again"? it is just an accident and it can happen anywhere!

I know, by the sounds of it some of the posters here wish they had more clout to actually enforce the over-bearing and insane levels of enforcement we see in Europe. Sometimes I'm glad the Thais restrict foreigners to interfering with the Thai Way

Guys, this happens all over the world and is not going to stop by us all arguing on an internet forum.

Thailand is Thailand, leave it as it is.

If it became more like Euroland or a place where there's a camera on every street corner (CCTV nation) would a lot of us actually want to live here when it becomes akin to Big Brother?

Who said anything about it being Thai's?

Farangs are often the ones causing trouble and I for one believe that it's better to 'have and not need', than 'need and not have.'

Dogs are a serious problem, as is rabies. I've had unprovoked attacks on me prevented BECAUSE I chose to carry a non-lethal weapon. So you might as well drop the defeatist idealism GH.

It really tickles me how the mentality of:

"I'm morally superior despite being bitten, beat-up, raped etc when carrying a weapon could of prevented that" seems to of brainwashed people on TV

Thankfully some of us have a brain between our ears and trust in self-preservation over blind faith.

The Thai's carry weapons for self-defence and in the home, that should tell you something...

Looking back on over 12 years of living and working in Thailand I can't think of a single occasion when I have ever thought that I needed a weapon, or when I have felt physically threatened by a Thai or a Farang.

I can tell you for sure there are places I don't go and situations I avoid - but don't kid yourself this is down to any sense of moral superiority - I've not, as you so colourfully put it, been bitten, beat-up, raped, I do have a brain between my ears and I rely on that rather than on blind faith in my ability to use a weapon in a situation where it might be needed.

I take the view that the best weapons we all have is our instincts and our brains.

I've relied on these of years of peaceful existence in and out of Thailand.

Simply not carrying around the self image of being Rambo seems to be reward enough for employing intellect over base fear.

But you live your life the way you wish - I'm very happy and safe in the life I live and wouldn't want to take your own life style from you - I'd have no need of it.

I hear what you say man, but there is a saying, ignorance is bliss. What works for you does not necessarily work for the xxx,xxx farang out there. Some folk like to play the karma card but fail to realise that's not a guarentee.

In fact just because you've been 'safe' doesn't mean the others out there will be.

One of the primary reasons for carrying in Thailand is the wild animals, namely soi dogs that seem to consider anyone walking through 'their' patch of alley, road and soi treading on hallowed ground.

Being prepared is not rambo, in fact the brainwashed majority who consider a weapon the domain of rambo are perhaps some of the most ignorant when they look at the facts.

You could be safe and sound for 12 years then get attacked or threatened out of nowhere by someone.

Another reason is the growth in, lets face it, low-life, substance-damaged farang, some of whom are out of control and on a path to self-destruction. Do you really want to have to face that with nothing to hand?

To those who say - They only hang out in x y z tourist spots I've a wake up call for you.

They are almost everywhere compared to ten years ago. Normally harmless but like a rabid animal, can fly off the handle for no-reason.

Only complete class a wa***** walk around tooled up.

Define 'tooled up' if you could please?

I guess people going to the range on foot, motorbike or in cars are wanke_rs then?

Get a grip man, too many of you have been brainwashed with the bs mentality of 'only bad guys can own guns.'

It's usually something Europeans have I hear the loudest cry of 'ban it!' or ' He's a nutter, he owns a gun'

Take a chill pill gun grabbers, you aren't going to change Thailands liberal gun rights.

Bad people carry guns. Right?

Good people need guns to defend themselves against bad people. Right?

Bad people will next carry bigger guns - and use them , because they know good people carry guns for self defence. Right?

Good people need to carry even bigger guns......................... and so on.

Do you think Amerika is a safe place?

Just a thought from a european wanke_r.

Yeah that sounds about right from one as well.

That's the argument all blinkered and brainwashed anti-gun types say.

Criminals (Bad people) DON'T go out of their way to get into a gunfight, they avoid them where-ever possible.

Criminals are there for PROFIT and to get away clean. You think a bad guy is after injury or confrontation with another weapon-carrier?

When Criminals do strike, it's against the poor defenceless mugs who look like they are unarmed (they often seem to conform to the 'only people looking for trouble carry guns.')

It's a well known fact that spree killings would of been prevented in several instances where someone in the US or elsewhere had been carrying a gun. In fact why do you think spree killers choose schools as targets? Because no-one is allowed to carry a weapon for defence there.

Also by your argument it means that criminals should be carrying heavy machine guns to use against concealed-pistol carriers in the US, as it's been over a hundred years or so since conceal-carrying was allowed in the US.

So by that argument it's the same in any country where citizens carry weapons concealed

Wake up and quit using the same old tired argments that don't hold weight anymore.

About time this scam was addressed.

I've heard of too many Brits living like wretches and claiming benefits in Thailand.

Only complete class a wa***** walk around tooled up.

Define 'tooled up' if you could please?

I guess people going to the range on foot, motorbike or in cars are wanke_rs then?

Get a grip man, too many of you have been brainwashed with the bs mentality of 'only bad guys can own guns.'

It's usually something Europeans have I hear the loudest cry of 'ban it!' or ' He's a nutter, he owns a gun'

Take a chill pill gun grabbers, you aren't going to change Thailands liberal gun rights.

The point I was making is that you might think you were dealing with just one person, but some onlookers (and possibly his friends) might not view the developing situation the same way you do. Shoot one of those things at a local Thai and you are more likely to inflame the situation than get yourself out of trouble. People get shot (by real bullets) for a lot less. Back down, say sorry, even wai if you have to. Any of those actions would give you substantially more chance of diffusing a conflict, walking away with nothing more than your ego slightly bruised.

Very sound advice.

Who said anything about it being Thai's?

Farangs are often the ones causing trouble and I for one believe that it's better to 'have and not need', than 'need and not have.'

Dogs are a serious problem, as is rabies. I've had unprovoked attacks on me prevented BECAUSE I chose to carry a non-lethal weapon. So you might as well drop the defeatist idealism GH.

It really tickles me how the mentality of:

"I'm morally superior despite being bitten, beat-up, raped etc when carrying a weapon could of prevented that" seems to of brainwashed people on TV

Thankfully some of us have a brain between our ears and trust in self-preservation over blind faith.

The Thai's carry weapons for self-defence and in the home, that should tell you something...

tasers legal ,doubt it.

i never go out without mine, especially in patty .

out of sight , out of mind . :jap:

p.s. they are great for scaring off nuisance dogs .

I just make do with pepper spray, the hand-held tasers I don't rate that much. They are not infallible and in some cases are not effective against an attacker.

Having said that I am interested in whether the pistol-varient of tasers are sourceable here, or whether Thailand classes them as 'police and military' only?

Another one that is a gray area is the 'trauma' pistols that fire a .22 steel bb from a pistol using a Co2 cartridge. These are legal in Russia but the airsoft guys don't sell them in BKK that I've enquired with.

I used to use Bangkok Bank, had no problem using the debit card for 50,000 each time. I also have used the yellow bank, sorry cant remember the name, again 50k each time and no problems. Suggest the same as others that it would be better in the long run to open an account in Thailand, its easy and straight forward to do and then you can transfer larger sums or on a regular basis without paying the higher rate on fees/exchange etc.

It's 20k each time (from atm) with Bangkok Bank, up to a maximum of 50k a day.

The problem with health insurance is that anything related to a pre-existing condition is excluded. That means any and all care for the back and prostate are excluded. If the prostate is cancerous and you then develop cancer elsewhere the treatment will most likely be excluded since it will be argued that the prostate cancer spread. This means you cannot leave the UK health system if you ever want to be taken care of. If you become ill in Thailand, the UK will not pay to medivac you.

The UK pension system will not collapse. It will be there despite all the doomsayers. It will be there because it is backed by the government which is backed by the taxpayers of the UK. If the UK government fails, i.e. goes Bankrupt like Argentina or if the taxpayers won't pay tax, then you'll have bigger problems than just a pension. The UK funds available to you are insufficient to relocate to Thailand. Unless you can afford to lose your money, purchasing a condo in Thailand is a bad idea. This is a country due for a major market adjustment. Live in the UK and spend winters here.

Don't be so sure about the UK pensions being gold plated.

For the baby boomer lucksters it maybe collapse proof. No longer for the Generation Xs, Ys and Chavs.

With the UK economy on its last legs, an ageing population and very uncertain future for a paralytic manufacturing industry the UKs days as the queen of currency's is well and truly over.

Nothing new there mate.

A cradle to grave welfare state will be remembered for ruining many a European country...

I think it boils down to being part of the Thai psyche and laissez-faire doings in action.

Wouldn't change how they are for the world

It does beggar belief that this sicko can avoid any form of immigration or residence checkups in 12 years of living here - unreal!

Nasty, digusting events and too often, reported people like this seem to gravitate this way to LOS and SEAsia....go figure.

Brewsta

If it was Cambodia or Vietname he'd probably not even be caught...

A collection of motorbike images from around the Bangkok Capital.

Bikes, large and small...

Suzuki Hayabusa

Honda CBRs

Yamaha's

Enjoy what Thailand has to offer and don't be scared to get out there and try it out

If you've ever watched a Thai comedy TV show, a Mowlam concert, or any other Thai-hosted entertainment event., this sort of thing is quite common.

Two moderators or masters' of ceremony carry on a spirited conversation which does seem to take on an animated "dueling" sort of format. They feed off each other's wit and keep raising the public tete-a-tete stakes to make a unified point to the audience.

In this case, the "duel" was probably well-scripted beforehand since this was an advertising gimmick. The Thais are quite use to this public format. Once you've been here a few years, the common nature of this Thai-type approach, probably doesn't warrant a YouTube video upload and even less so--it's own thread on ThaiVisa.

That's why you're getting the responses such as the above.

Sure, but there's no harm in spreading it onto TV is there?

Afterall there's videos of allsorts of other things in this sub-forum already.

Perhaps the complainers and haters ought to put up some videos of there own if they can do better?

Or is the 'standard' for TV now at S. Spielburg levels of production values

Certainly, no harm.

Equally, no point.

By that same argument whistlepop, there's point to having a video section if lamers like yourself are gonna get all hufty. Maybe you should get off your lazy ass and make some videos so I can see if they have a (zero?) point

If you've ever watched a Thai comedy TV show, a Mowlam concert, or any other Thai-hosted entertainment event., this sort of thing is quite common.

Two moderators or masters' of ceremony carry on a spirited conversation which does seem to take on an animated "dueling" sort of format. They feed off each other's wit and keep raising the public tete-a-tete stakes to make a unified point to the audience.

In this case, the "duel" was probably well-scripted beforehand since this was an advertising gimmick. The Thais are quite use to this public format. Once you've been here a few years, the common nature of this Thai-type approach, probably doesn't warrant a YouTube video upload and even less so--it's own thread on ThaiVisa.

That's why you're getting the responses such as the above.

Sure, but there's no harm in spreading it onto TV is there?

Afterall there's videos of allsorts of other things in this sub-forum already.

Perhaps the complainers and haters ought to put up some videos of there own if they can do better?

Or is the 'standard' for TV now at S. Spielburg levels of production values

In Panthip Plaza, Bangkok I notice these two Thai ladies going at it.

Verbally sparring for supremacy as they try and garner attention from the buying public.

three quid for a litre of grapefruit juice. 600% over priced. piss poor value. one hour massage 2 quid. ninety percent saving.

Gazooks!

Where are you getting massage for 2 quid?! Sounds like you're getting bargain basement there!

Best values - Lifestyle for expats in general.

Value for money on local food and fruit, touring the country is cheap. Liberated night-life and women.

Worst values - Imports.