JimsKnight

<deleted> is Howard Miller?

What were his firearm offenses? Possession? Loosing off shots?

Cheers lads

When I next get into Pattaya I'll be looking at getting my bike re-taxed. It was originally registered in Bangkok but I'm planning on getting it re-taxed locally in Pattaya. Any expats here know where that is?

Cheers.

when i do go, i have about 5-6 regular places i go where i get looked after without the fear of being scammed.

Do you care to share the name(s) of these '5-6 regular places'?

Roxy, Casanovy, X-zone, Windmill, NLD1 are usually visited and i will occassionally go into Beach club, Shark club and Heavens above.

Good tip. Are these all in Walking Street?

Walking street seems more of a quaint and tired spectacle these days than an actual 'reaper bahn' for picking women up. There are better places, you just have to look.

Up to you, once you hit the ground it's what's happening around you that matters.

Over the last few days it has been well documented on Channel 3 news that the police are going to stop Karaoke and Bar girl female workers from touting and showing off their wares outside of the premises.

It was stated that some establishments are permitting their girls to sit outside on the street only dressed in skimpy underwear and that this is causing offence to some tourists and locals.

The big clamp down will begin at Bangkok in the foreseeable future than probably be imposed nationwide.

So is the end of, Hello Welcome? And could this be the beginning for the restricting of practises for beer bars and similar establishments that Thailand is famous for and could possibly cut the tourist trade down by another xxx%?

Well with the steady decline in the night scene from about 2000 onwards It probably may happen alas.

Controlling the 'spicy' behaviour like this is the way you establish 'control' over a population. The Thai ptb are just doing it in baby-steps...

Thankfully it's all done in a half-hearted manner.

Hello,

been living with my Thai gf here in bangkok for a few months although we have dated for over a year. Today went to her parents house because her mother wanted to speak to us. Should point out that she is from a poor family.

They told us today they want 100,000 or 200,000 bhat plus gold because we are now "something".....this was all in Thai..but gf explained it as "kind of engaged".

I quietly thought ...<deleted>?.... we are not engaged and are still at early stages of living together in a full on relationship.

I have read that dowrys still exist here for marriage but has anyone heard of a custom of giving alot of money to the parents just to date the daughter. my gf could not explain it well. Also a little bit flustered because her family has not been especially friendly so far but today were all smiles. hmmm.

Thanks.

Looks like they have a mentality that your gf has a price tag mate.

Time to lay down the law, move on, or become a doormat man.

Very interesting topic. On my various excursions to Thailand I have seen more odd farangs than Thais and particularly in the Pattaya area.

However, I'd have to say the oddest thing I'd seen was in Chiang Mai. 2 a.m. in the morning and an elderly, overweight Caucasian woman on a wildly decorated Harley adorned in neon lights with a small dog on the handlebars cruising up and down bar the lined strip. Who is this woman?

Is this her in the vid.....are you sure it's not HIM!

Geez.."monstrosity"??? Shes enjoying herself and personally I think she must bring a smile to many peoples faces. Why the need to be so damning? I also personally cant understand why just because she is a bit unusual she deserved to have such a pathetic comment shouted like that at her (as well as the lady just talking to her). Pretty immature really. If your mate went around shouting comments at every oddball westerner there is in Thailand, he would be hoarse. Maybe next time his childish comment will fall on the wrong person (or maybe he is cowardly and likes to only be a smart alec to soft targets).

Don't be such a wuss man.

When you're out with 4 other bikers in Chiang Mai and the beers are flowing this sht gets thrown around. Don't take it personally, we certainly didn't

Oh and I never said he was my mate, just a biker who happened to be riding with us.

He posts on Thai Visa btw so maybe will be interested in your comments

She should visit the soi behind my house sometime. It looks like a dustcart ran over a landmine on some days. Or in rainy season see the poor buggers in fire brigade frantically clearing dropped rubbish out of the drains trying to stop the road from flooding. Unsuccessfully I might add.

She has a point and although the towns and cities are often cleaner I've seen utter trash litter the countryside where locals just dump it whilly nilly.

I recieved a PM yesterday from someone with a female name, just saying "HI". A newbie.

I said "Hi" in return....then I got the reply, "Are you single?"

Of course, this newbie may be socially inept and was sincerely being friendly only....but realistically, come on!

I don't care two hoots for myself about this, but I was curious....is this common? Is TV the venue for an underground singles meet market?

God forbid someone tries dating another TV member!

I sometimes wonder how high people live in their ivory towers

$3000 a month to spend is only Bt100,000 (approx) which is not that much and certainly not a luxurious living. Double that and you begin to have a nice lifestyle.

$100k a year is not a lot of money really. Sure isn't after taxes.

You've lost contact with reality buddy.

Defo!

Earning that sort of money and s*unking it all away takes some doing in Thailand!

Most expats with a head on their shoulders and thinking straight would be laughing all the way to the bank on $100k a year.

Has Churchill been sacked and replaced?

The biggest question in my mind about AV's speech, is why would he want to open Thai borders to all ASEAN nations?

That would mean any Lao or Cambodian can just wander in to BKK and stay as long as he/she wants.

Why would he want a Single ASEAN visa for outsiders? Would that mean visitor visas would have to be longer than 3 months (to accomodate the visitor wishing to visit 4 countries on one trip)? It would certainly stop visa runs.

What's the advantage to Thailand?

I don't see how this visa issue strengthens Thailand's security or any other ASEAN nation's, for that matter. I don't see why they are mentioned in the same speech.

AFAISI this will benefit the poorer countries than thailand to easily come in and work there.

A male Thai friend of my g/f has been on the phone a lot today seeking some solace and also venting his spleen.

He went out to a club in Nakhonsawan, got a bit worse for wear on the whiskey and got himself tapped up by a female. He took her home to his place after he club closed and they had sex.

In the morning she demanded 10,000 Baht. When he laughed and said 'No.', she then told him she would go to the police and have him arrested if he did not pay up. He refused, seeing no reason to pay her anything for consensual sex.

That was when she dropped the bombshell. Telling him she is only 16 years old. Proving it by showing him her ID card.

He did not have more than 2,000 Baht and offered her that.

She refused it and duly went to the police. The police arrested him and took him to the police station for having sex with an under-age girl.

After a lot of haggling the girl settled for a payment of 8,000 Baht.

I have seen a photo of this female and have a copy of her picture on my computer. She looks at least 20 years old to me and also to my g/f.

If I had been in the same situation and a night of passion had been on offer, I doubt I would have turned her away or asked for her ID.

She was in a club where the minimum age limit is 20 years to enter. And as I have said she looks a lot older than she really is.

This could have happened to many of us, never mind a Thai man. The consequences for a 'Farang' would, I believe, be a lot worse than an 8,000 Baht fine.

So it maybe a good idea to take care and check the ages of some of these younger ladies. You never know who might have their eye on a few thousand Baht or a lot more.

She will get her deserts, karma always does.

How she can sleep at night is beyond me.

Not much you can do about it though, us guys out there can't just flick the switch and turn it off, especially if we've got the groove up and the drink in us.

We can make smart-ass comments about checking IDs and using ST hotels but girls can get fake IDs and ST hotels aren't always feasible, depending on where you are and what you are up to...

A duel between a farang and an asian (thai?) man.

name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350">

Not much in the long term. Good for a short spurt for letting off steam and that's about it.

Basically keep it real and not negative.

Neutral and positive is the key here.

You'll get bitter, end up a mental wreck if you let sht get you down.

Thailand is a fine country for living, but only if you give it respect.

The moment you loose your cool and start gobbing off like that all fairplay ends in Thailand. Expect the unexpected, in this case a sucker hit from the side.

The dumb idiot was drunk and deserved to go down like a sack of sht. The only thing missing was them dragging his sorry behind out into the gutter outside.

He was seemingly saying at the start of the clip how he'd come down tomorrow and possibly 'do the place over'? An argument about money is probaby what started it...

Pensions are screwed, which is going to screw the retired so they claim social security which in turn goes to screw that system. The fundamental haven't added up for years and the writing was on the wall well before this crisis.

The fact is that you cannot have people spending so long in education and so long in retirement which leaves only a limited time in the productive working environment. People are not going to start dying younger nor are they going to start going to work younger, so the only two options are either to tax them more or make them work longer, in terms of raising the retirement age. The answer is simple, higher taxes and a higher retirement age.

Indeed.

LaoPo

Yep, a lot of folk who've sneaked out to Thailand while raking in the dole / medical / disability benefits (under the precedent of being a UK resident) may be in for a rude awakening if spending gets cut and clampdowns occur....

Belize is one I'd consider if I make big money.

But it lost it's cheap and frugal nature a long time ago when big bucks won over.

In Thailand the country is large enough to absorb this and not be messed up as much IMO.

Very interesting topic. On my various excursions to Thailand I have seen more odd farangs than Thais and particularly in the Pattaya area.

However, I'd have to say the oddest thing I'd seen was in Chiang Mai. 2 a.m. in the morning and an elderly, overweight Caucasian woman on a wildly decorated Harley adorned in neon lights with a small dog on the handlebars cruising up and down bar the lined strip. Who is this woman?

LOL! I know who you mean, I saw her roll past the No1 bar a few years back; the entire bar was stunned as this florescent monstrosity grooved past, then parked up and she came in for a beer!

I was with the SSR boys in CM again more recently and she rolls up.

This time a nearby bar pulled out a table and little stool for her and some farang bird started chatting to her.

As we discussed this she started becoming exited and agitated, saying somesuch about a relative p.ssing her off or something.

I think it was BBBK who made me laugh when he started shouting over to them 'Get a ROOM you two!' Funny it was.

We went over later after she'd calmed down and had a look at the monstrosity; It's not a harly though, but a dressed up Honda Phantom with enough saddlebags to horde an entire villages rich supply!

A few years ago I taught an Irish guy to dive. When I asked what he did for a living back home he replied " I rob banks " he had just robbed one and was here on the proceeds. He evidently did this often. He also travelled everywhere with a full leprechaun fancy dress outfit. He said everywhere he went some bar always had a fancy dress party and he always won. He was right. That week one of the bars had one and he indeed did win. I also got a good tip and a bottle of irish whisky

I've heard the 'I rob banks' one from a few farangs, but after prying the truth out they usually have gotten an inheritance from their granny or something

The strangest Farang I ever met is the one I see in the mirror every morning

Yeah! I hear that!

If the OP would of said the 'craziest farang' I'd have to write a book on that!

But for strangest there are about 2 who qualify:

The one that most interested me was the Israeli farang and his flying machine.

He came on a boat to Koh Tao back in 2003-4 with his very own flying machine, a paraglider with attached rotorfan. A bit like the one used by that guy who flew into the boxing ring in the states.

Anyway along came the first, a flying farang.

A little bit enigmatic, didn't chase the girls at all just came there to fly the sky over the island. He walked past me once at the dive shop I was working. Rotor-pack slung up on his back with the parachute-kit in his arms.

I asked him if the equipment was heavy. 'About 18 kilo's he said' Then with the aloof way of the Israeli's clumped away to check out landing areas nearby. He'd flown it in CM and he'd flown it in Israel but when he came to Koh Tao he had met his match.

The local policeman, a boar of a man called Mr Lurr (Police Sgt) used to always try and track him down for no other reason that him flying above annoyed him. Somehow seeing it as a farang who was 'out-of-reach' from his sphere of influence? Or perhaps he lost face by having him flying about while he could do nothing to stop it.

One day the flying farang made a misjudged landing and his parachute landed up on a bungalow, snagging the delicate silk. He got it off after ten minutes or so. Just eluding the pervasive Mr Lurrr.

After I left the island Mr Lurr finally caught up with him. The flying farang showed the bully cop his paperwork (from the Thai Airforce up in CM) saying he could fly about photographing the terrain. Mr Lurrr showed him his gun and tore up the paperwork.

Then the flying farang left the island, never to return.

The second guy was this guy who reminded me / looked like Jesus Christ from the 1970s film yet this a beer bar in Patong beach!

There he was sitting on his own, no girl, nor looking for one just observing the groove. I don't think he even had a drink either! His clothes were ordinary and low key

Very surreal and somehow 'above it all' I nodded in greeting and he nodded back. Never said a word but looked very unusual for such a place.

That is the new breed of tourist who will soon make up the majority of visitors to Pattaya now. They're easily recognisable, shaven heads, football shirts, tattoos, foul language, aggressive natures and bad manners. These people are not going to endear the Thai people to falangs. The Benidorm Fusiliers have discovered Pattaya and it will change forever. Don't buy a house, rent one because you will not be able to sell it. Look at what's happened to the property market in Spain.

Yawn.

Double yawn.

I regret that you found my contribution to the subject being discussed boring. I first came to Pattaya in 1984 for a holiday. I have been spending 6-7 months out of every year for the last 10 years in Pattaya and have seen many changes. One of the changes involves the behaviour of many of the falang visitors and as this is an open forum I thought I would type in what I have observed regarding the matter being discussed.

For you to avoid being sent to sleep or getting bored by any comment I may make in the future you can easily remedy the situation by scrolling past any threads that you see bearing my name and move on to the next entry.

Ignore em mate, they are either the 'sheep' or the 'cool' kids/people, I tried explaining expat differences, then and now, and you get phony responses like you're not 'cool' anymore.

Fck 'cool', I'll just stick with being a rough diamond

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

I'm not shocked in the slightest, the place is the worst embassy in Asia in terms of attitude and aid given.

All it's good for is the Ambassador and his cronies to do the cocktail circuit once a month and clink glasses at the tax-payers expense.

What do you expect from an embassy that employ's no British Workers and the consul there is next to useless.

I shopped in King Power very recently and would not of expected them to pull a low-scam like this.

Now I'm boycotting them and stocking up on molboro lights prior to my airport flights.

They inflate prices on everything and the airport itself is 10x more corrupt than DM ever was IMO.

Here's the link showing the comments:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6590584.ece

A fair few people are now shunning Thailand in protest...

To All you ArmChair Experts

From what i heard he was a major loyalist drug dealer back in belfast and had too leave ….

Word in Pattaya is he also had a lot of guns when the local cops busted him ….

This does not suprise me. He looks 'of that ilk' if you know what I mean...