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The topic being , Thailand-believes-condemnation-will-reduce-chances-of-resolving-conflict-in-Ukraine , Resolution ? no chance because as long as Putin remains in Power , Ukraine's Zelenskyy will not enter talks . No intervention will happen as there are no formidable neutrals . 100% revenge is what Ukraine is looking for . The countless Russian war crimes are unforgivable and there is no hiding place for Putin , unless exiled within China . Had Thailand condemned the Russian action , there may have been a rethink by Russia ? Day by day and week by week Russia is becoming an isolated country because of multiple sanctions with its people trying to escape from the doom & gloom . Will Russia soon run out of missiles or will they be nullified by the new NATO supplies of air defence missiles ? Biggest danger at the moment seems to be coming from North Korea .

Actually , mostly Thailand is an insular country with little knowledge of world affairs among the majority of its non-wealthy population . Indeed there is only sparse media coverage on the Russian / Ukraine war . I have not heard of any Russian propaganda within Thailand , why would there be and to what ends ?

Also , let us not forget that the voice of Thailand is by way of a military government and the vote to abstain was made by the Thailand foreign minister who is also the deputy P.M. So the country of Thailand is not a democracy and political decisions are not necessarily the wish of the Thai people . But that opens another can of worms .

That could happen . However what I see as Thailand's stance is neutrality , because at the moment Thailand is being courted by America & China . Thailand does not want to fall out with any potential trader . So the Americans bring the NATO countries and Russia with China not only manufacturing trade but most of the general tourism and investment to Thailand . So with an open house mentality , Thailand is milking it to the extreme but will eventually have to take a side because military wise it is weak . My bet is it will side with China & co .

Apologies if this topic has been discussed recently but I did a search on here and nothing relative came up . The question being , do you tip the waitress / waiter in a restaurant and if so how much , (Even if a service charge is levied ) Also in a bar , after a few drinks and say a bill for 400 baht , do you give a tip and if so how much ? In general it seems that Thai folk seldom tip but it is almost a forgone conclusion that a foreigner will tip ( the exception being , some other well known Asian tourists ) . Do you , or have you ever rang the bell for drinks on you ? That is mostly seen by the 2 week millionaires . Apart from the bars etc ,what about taxis , golf caddies , hair dressers or other services in general ? When returning to a bar that I have used recently and tipped , I seem to get served well with special attention . I have noticed some foreigners , who when presented with the change in the bill folder , grab the lot and off they go without even leaving the small coins . Most of the aforementioned are on low wages and rely on tips to boost their income . A service charge say 10 or 15 % is to pay for the staff who come to serve you , supposedly .

I agree with you but just to add that most Thais do not think about tomorrow , let alone the future . This means they will happily get into debt to buy say a new car whilst living in a shabby house . They also borrow money from loan sharks at a very high interest rate . Earning 300 baht a day = a low base living style . Imagine working as a labourer on a construction site in all weathers for 300 baht a day . Ladies of the night can earn 2000 baht in a couple of hours . No wonder there are so many lady boys around .

What we do know is that the killer was compus mentis as the slaughter was premeditated . He went armed with a gun and a knife , shot the lady who was in control of the entrance to the school and then murdered sleeping infants and teachers . Made his escape and drove his pickup to his home to murder his wife , child and himself .We have see similar atrocities in the western world . Schools are soft targets . More stringent entry security may be the answer . I cannot begin to imagine the degree of suffering the parents and families , of those who were murdered , must feel right now .

Sorry , I think the attached link will help . https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/organised-immigration-crime

You forgot to mention, the so called over sweetened false orange juice and farmhouse bread , plus the awful Lipton's tea .

The English breakfast is a steadfast traditional E. B. that has been eaten by the Brits , going back to the 13th century in some form or other . It was and still is a hearty meal that will set you up for the day . Often a lunch is not needed , as you mentioned . It is certainly a meal that I would not eat every day , especially if it is a fry up . However it still is a popular meal to many Brits and other nationalities . Forgot to mention that , thick home made bread is preferred to the thin , sweet Farmhouse bread that is the one that is mainly served in Thailand

The bread looks good .

Spot on Barry , I live with my lady who has a large restaurant ( 90% Thai food ) in the north east of Thailand . Good bacon , sausages and black pudding are not easy to find up here . So on the odd occasion that I may be in Bangkok or Pattaya , I often wondered if there were any hotels that served English breakfast as opposed to that so called American breakfast with awful recon; ham and frankfurter sausages , served with cold fried egg and a lettuce leaf . I have eaten some very good English breakfasts in Pattaya and at a very reasonable price . But the question points at hotels that serve the E B . To others who said " if you want to eat English food go to Spain or stay home " , I eat Thai food 7 days a week and have done for 11 years . As Aussieroaming said earlier , " I miss an English Breakfast " . it sets you up for the day and is also a cure for a hangover .

I agree with you . Problem here is that it is a sensitive subject and your words have to chosen carefully . We are open to accusations of being racists or non compliance with human rights treaties . Theses economic gate crashers mostly consist of young unskilled single men who are seeking an easy way of life in the UK whilst being supported by various benefits . They come often without passports or I.D. and cannot be vetted . Many have a criminal past and are breaking entry laws into the UK and therefore should be deported . They are also a burden to the already overstretched NHS and housing stock . The UK navy should pick them up in mid channel with an amphibious craft , return to the French beaches , lower the ramps and usher them off . I have no problem with real asylum seekers such as the Ukrainian people .

In my 11 years of visiting and staying in Thailand ( mostly Bangkok & Pattaya ) , I have never stayed in a hotel that has an English breakfast on the menu . It seems you have to go outside to find that . I am not talking about the Thai version which consists of reconstituted ham , frankfurter sausages . cold eggs ,a piece of lettuce & cucumber . I am talking about including decent toasted bread & black pudding , as seen in pic below . I look forward to any info .

My place is marooned by the floods . Local Thai gov; came and laid some sand bags , gave us a tray of eggs and some sticky rice . Was OK for them as they had a truck that could drive through the 2 feet of water that enabled them to get to shops . My place is raised by 50 cm but the water is running in from nearby fields . We have ditches but they go nowhere , are blocked off , 1 at 30 meters long and the other at 200 metres . They are both full of water . So we have to wait for the weather to evaporate the water . My neighbours house has 18 inches of water inside . I managed to pump out water to the other side of the sandbags . Bloody nightmare . This is more rain than there were 10 years ago because although our soi was flooded , the water did not come into the driveway of our house . In the UK the Fire Service and private contractors will come and pump out the water and take it away . Not here in another world . Also people forget that flood water contain not only vermin and snakes but also faeces . urine and harmful diseases as is being seen now in Pakistan .

My house is marooned by flood water and rising . Yesterday I decided to take a chance and use our spare car ( Daihatsu ) as we needed to buy a pump to halt the water coming into the house . I drove the car out into the flooded soi and then drove low gear ( automatic gearbox ) . Got out of the soi on to the main road and bought the pump . On return there was a tremendous cloudburst . Entered our soi and drove slowly . As I entered the driveway the engine started to misfire but we made it . Then as my lady opened her passenger door , water came out of the car . ( Old car so not too worried ) . So it is not only about battery protection but the ability of the car to withstand water ingression .

I would think that the no alcohol rules were made many years ago when there where not many tourists , if any , so why should the rules apply to non- Buddhists . Tourists should be allowed a drink in their hotel . Finally do the powers that be not realise that alcohol is drank at home ? so in reality it only a ban on selling alcohol not the consumption . There is no ban on your daily tipple , you may have to make different arrangements rather than visiting regular haunts . It is a law that needs reviewing and consideration given to tourists .

I thought that the Land Rover had problems when it stopped after coming out of the water .

Some stupid crazy car owners , not only did not make it through the water but probably have done some damage to the cars interior . BTW was that a BMW that made it through ( the last car ) , if so may be a diesel engine ? Thanks for the video .

What specific point ? nothing was false

Where I live our soi has nearly 2 feet ( 60 cm ) of flood water . Pickups seem to cope , especially the diesel motors . My car a Mitsubishi Attrage will not as the belts were squeaking 2 days ago when the water was lower and I was driving about 3 mph . This got me thinking how do electric vehicles perform in such conditions , especially with the large batteries fixed under the car .

You have mentioned a very delicate subject which , as far as I know , was not discussed in the media but was talked about with friends . Maybe a bridge too far at this time to have a coloured PM and this I believe was an effect on the Tory party members vote . Back to the topic . Last night I watched BBC Question time . There was a lively audience that was made up from a majority of previous Tory voters . When asked for a show of hands of who would vote for the Tories at the next election , there were no hands up . On the panel representing the Tories was Minister for London , Paul Scully . He took a beating from all . Truss is adamant that her policy will work , to a mark of stubbornness and it is only a matter of time before there is a vote of confidence ( heavy defeat ) , leading to a general election . There will be a "U" turn on her policy as she is under duress from within her party and today will have a meeting , together with her chancellor , with the head of Office of Budget Responsibility . She is in serious trouble and her actions are ruining the country . I bet Boris has a grin on his face and is it beyond belief that he could return ? He still has big support and I bet the Tory MPs wish they could turn the clock back and give him the confidence vote .

They are already on a decent wage , especially considering their skills . Some might say they are milking the temporary inflation rate in an act of greed . Rail Drivers earning double that of nurses and beat patrol police is a joke

Looks like a professional installation . Are you an electrician ? Also what appliances can your solar system run and do you have storage batteries for night time use ?

Do you have battery storage for the evenings ? Can you run an air-con from your system ? What was the total outlay for your solar system ? Did you install it yourself ? Solar energy make sense in a country like Thailand where there is plenty of sun . Sorry for all the questions but the concept makes dividends over time which is appealing .