Retiredandhappyhere

1 hour ago, oilinki said:

We don't live in the 1940's anymore. People and societies evolve. It's well known that cooperation works better than fighting wars for 'pride of some leaders'. Hence we have, for example, EU, which allows us all to work together in peace. 

Historically, these unions of nations were either held together by force (e.g. the Soviet Union and China) or they eventually fall apart as some form of real democracy takes effect.  This will happen to the EU too, as soon as people become weary (as the UK did) of being led into a deeper and deeper political union which was originally designed to be merely a 'Common Market".

It is clear that the EU is dominated first by Germany and now by a weakened Germany and France, who together are trying to lead the other 25 nations into a United States of Europe, with a common currency, budget and army.  Already there is a rise in the populist movement in most countries and this movement will increase and eventually lead to more countries following the UK's example, even though it might be economically painful at first for a few. 

4 hours ago, LazySlipper said:

 

Somehow I doubt that. Would I like to see the Thai bht crash??? Yes prolly the same who have pensions from abroad and have been losing big for the last 6 years. However, I really fail to believe that the tourist industry in Thailand will ever suffer, no matter how much many would like it to.

The tourist industry in Thailand is already beginning to suffer.  You only have to listen to the reports from people (including some posters on here) who are actually involved in restaurants, hotels , massage shops etc. to learn the truth, rather than much of the nonsense that TAT disgorges on a regular basis.  Filthy beaches, smelly drains, unsafe pavements. low-hanging cables, horrific road deaths, and general lack of any safety standards, plus corruption, scams. dual pricing, incompetent police and government officials all play a part in ensuring that potential tourists are staying away and/or choosing more attractive destinations.

No country can continue for so many years of taking Tourists money while hardly ever investing at least part of it back into improved infrastructure without eventually paying the price of their folly.  For example, you cannot build more and more hotels, houses and condos without first improving the water supply and, in particular, the systems for sewage disposal.  Failure to do that will inevitably result in the loss of tourist numbers eventually and that is what is now beginning to happen.  The fact that TAT has announced that it will abandon its long-held practice of concentrating on and publishing tourist numbers and revenue therefrom indicates to me not so much that it intends merely to concentrate on "quality tourists" instead, but more that it realises that numbers alone may not provide such a rosy picture in future.  

34 minutes ago, OttoPollmann said:

your statement is not matching with the statistic. Statistically seen 15 out of 100 people have a gun. Furthermore, the gun violence is twice as much like in the US. Every day 14 people die from gun violence, this are alarming numbers.

And it is not just the fact that there are so many guns around, but the reasons given for killing someone seem so lame, reinforcing the notion that life is so cheap here.  The criminals seem to have no fear at all of the consequences of their actions.  Is that a case of perceived inadequate enforcement of laws, inadequate sentences, or pure stupidity? 

Will this vendor, on reflection, consider that she over-reacted in killing the customer?   I doubt it, as she will probably believe that she did what was necessary to avoid losing face.  All over a few oranges.

14 hours ago, jerojero said:

16 hours ago, markaoffy said:

So vendors have handguns ! Crazy country


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Maybe one out of hundred thousand vendors has a gun. Let's not generalize sensationally or stupidly.

It is said that there are about 10 million guns in Thailand, which works out at around one gun for every seven people.  As there must be millions of vendors of one sort or another in Thailand, it does therefore seem likely that quite a few of them would be toting guns.  Failing that, possibly swords or large knives.   

16 hours ago, Just Weird said:

No, this one vendor had a gun, that's all.  Crazy Thaivisa posters.

Thailand is so lucky to have such a faithful defender in all things Thai. 

5 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Yet another reason to never fly economy again. 

As long as money is no object!

4 hours ago, siambluesky said:

Like for each and every topic, almost all comments are negative and pointing Thailand as wrongly doing. Look around you while you are living here, bkk is an amazing capital city so why bitching all the time about the way things are done here.  This is so boring to read haters hiden behind their keyboard expressing their frustation for this and that.. its not about Thailand but about you that cant appreciate a damn thing. As for the people who will take selphy from this rooftop glass floor at least they use social media positively... and thats much better than critizing freely everything you read or see. This nicely done and im happy Thailand did that .. must be terrifying to look down stepping on the glass floor. Love that feeling!

Many years ago in Kansas City, Missouri, the internal balcony or walkway on the third floor overlooking the foyer of a new hotel, collapsed when about 300 people stood on it at the opening party. I seem to recall that about 80 people died, when they fell to the ground floor.  The designers and engineers had never anticipated that as many as 300 people would be occupying the balcony at any one time.

Let us hope that hordes of Chinese tourists (or any other Nationality) do not decide to try out this new glass platform over 300 metres high in the sky all at the same time.  Designers and engineers would need to assume that the platform could be absolutely packed and yet still be safe, unless there is a well-controlled limit on numbers allowed to enter at any one time.

20 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

So many issues here...

 

Have you ever been to Asia before, Thailand is not that much different from other Asian countries?

 

Have you ever been to Thailand, Pattaya is a tourist destination with a reputation that is slowly changing, did you expect something different, if so, you didn't do your homework.

 

Have you ever been to China, Pattaya is a step up when compared to many places in China!

 

"Rife with crime, corruption and antisocial behaviour"...are you sure you went to Pattaya and not to Bridlington or Blackpool and became confused!

 

The rest of your post is nothing more than a rant about all the negatives in Thailand hence no responses necessary because everyone sees it for what it is.

 

Well, he did list many negatives about Thailand, it is true, mostly fully justifiable and many members did indeed respond, most of whom seemed to be in agreement.

7 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

All those blokes there at the beach know exactly who was the child molester.

Yes and it should not be too difficult to catch him with "facial tattoos".

11 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...The trick will be for Theresa May, can she satisfy everyone?"

 

The answer is NO! Not a chance in hell. Zip. Zero. Nada. Nil. No.

 

The problem here is that the proper groundwork/prep work for Brexit was never done. Cameron the Idiot thought that it would simply quiet the Right of his party. Other leaders thought that the remain side would just win. After the vote, no one really prepared the British public for the true consequences. And, to this day no one really understood what precisely were the terms (hmm and still don't, but it'll be published soon).

 

This is, as the US military so aptly puts it, a clusterf**K. A giant clusterf**k. A huge, giant, enormous clusterf**k.

 

And, since the proper groundwork was never done, since internal agreements were never reached, since parts of the nation support Brexit and others don't, no unified agreement is possible.

 

So, in the end, no agreement will be made, the UK will crash out of Europe, and it'll pay the price for all this stupidity for generations.

 

Well done!

 

 

Many people have been calling for "clarification" on the agreement while negotiations were continuing. It has been said many times that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed".  In that case how could any clarification possibly be given ?

An agreement between the EU and the UK government has now been announced and yet you say that :"no agreement will be made"  If you mean that the agreement now announced is still subject to approval by the 27 EU members and by the Cabinet and parliament, then of course you are correct.  However, the negotiations are over and the only alternative to accepting the agreement on offer is a "NO DEAL" scenario, which most sensible people would like to avoid, even if the deal is not exactly to their taste.  Given the alternatives available, i.e. the deal on offer or no deal, I believe that, despite all the hot air we will be subjected to over the next few weeks, the deal will eventually be approved. 

 With a virtual 50/50 split in the Brexit referendum, clearly about half of the voters are understandably not going to be happy, but, given that we ARE LEAVING in March next year, common sense in the circumstances will surely prevail and we will be leaving with the deal and all the doom and gloom merchants will be sadly disappointed.

Are they sure that it is not just one of the girls working in Pattaya's Walking Street on a quiet day?

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

it is like jumping off a high cliff, then halfway down debating whether or not you should have done it.

 

Sorry, UK; It'll be an ugly "SPLAT!".

 

 

Am I allowed to disagree?

6 hours ago, anterian said:

If the business is in his wife's name his participation will probably be overlooked by the law unless some Thai makes a formal complaint. Even working for free is against the law on a retirement visa. 

"Overlooked by the law"?    My word, you are an optimist.  If  the work permit situation is overlooked, as you suggest might happen, someone in uniform will soon be round for their cut.  Also, after hearing of the alleged revenue, a copy-cat Thai will be opening an identical business nearby within the next day or so.  

When my ex-wife opened a coffee shop, against my advice, in a small village and initially seemed to be doing quite well, a neighbour opened up another one in competition just across the road, thereby making sure that neither could possibly be profitable.  She lasted about four months, having spent a lot of investment cash in her business, whereas my ex-wife's business survived but still does little more than get by.

4 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...French President Emmanuel Macron used an address to world leaders gathered in Paris for Armistice commemorations on Sunday to send a stern message about the dangers of nationalism, calling it a betrayal of moral values..."

 

I have to say that I haven't liked Macron too much; there was something too 'French' about him (apologies to my French friends!).

 

That said, I am warming up to him.

 

"...By pursuing our own interests first, with no regard to others', we erase the very thing that a nation holds most precious, that which gives it life and makes it great: its moral values..."

 

Hear Hear!

 

Sadly, I sincerely doubt Trump even understands the message.

 

I have said it before and (sadly) need to say it again;

 

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

God help us all.

 

 

And you believe that Macron is not putting himself first?   He will not be re-elected and is showing signs of real concern about the opposition.  He promotes the EU because he believes that he will (or is) the new "Merkel" and would like to be the head man in a United States of Europe. 

58 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

A year ago, the last time I was in Ban chang, the highway looked pretty close to completion already. What is taking them so long? Collection of backhanders? 

The contract to buy the paint for the white and yellow lines is proving difficult, I expect.  Or perhaps someone has suggested, belatedly,  that road drains might be useful.  

5 hours ago, PatOngo said:

There seems to be an endless supply of guns in this country! 

And also a seemingly endless supply of Thai men with guns who feel it necessary to murder their girlfriend or wife over an argument or jealousy, rather than acting like a man and walking away.

Old Croc said":

Next time, rather than planning exposé films to let the world know about the evils of Phuket, just tell your friend to complain about scams and corruption through the proper channels

And, out of interest,  exactly what do you think that would achieve?

6 hours ago, moe666 said:

What rock are you sleeping under, high season has started and Chiang Mai has been flooded by young farangs from America, europe, and GB. There are a lot of Spanish tourist this year

I think that the fact that TAT has decided NOT to publish tourist arrivals or tourist spending in future does not simply mean that they have finally accepted the real meaning of "quality tourist", but is more likely an indication of non-increasing  or even falling numbers, after years of "luring" anybody here, including the more recent Chinese.  After all, no Government official dare report bad numbers on anything, as it might possibly put the ruling Junta in a bad light, with a possible election looming whenever.

There are of course legitimate arguments on Brexit on both sides, leave or remain, but some of the doom and gloom predictions about the proposed deal, (and there will be one) are so ludicrous as to warrant dismissal.  Clearly, there will be some initial disruption, particularly to the exchange rate, but the UK managed before the EU and will do so again.  The doomsters would have us believe that all trade with the EU will virtually stop and the UK will collapse if there is no deal, which is nonsense.

Meanwhile, among all the uncertainty of the prolonged Brexit negotiations, the UK economy in the last quarter performed at its best sine the end of 2016.  So far, the only real casualty of all the uncertainty, so hated by businesses, is the exchange rate.  Once that uncertainty is removed, business and the exchange rate will be able to flourish.

People constantly criticising Theresa May for the "uncertainty" might want to explain exactly how she can possibly give certainty while negotiations are continuing.  When big business is in the middle of takeover negotiations, of course there is uncertainty, which can only be resolved when negotiation are completed and not before.  Once a deal is agreed with the EU, all the pessimistic doom and gloom predictions will be shown to be purely alarmist and a few "over the top" alarmists like Boris Johnson's younger brother, who has just resigned, will look a bit silly, as well as jobless.