luk AJ

I admit, I have a strange way to compare countries but I compare the metro. I once took the dirty full of graffiti metro in Paris, dominated by gangs scaring and ripping off other passengers. Same in London, less in Moskou ( probably the most beautiful one in the world). In Bangkok the metro is clean, the people friendly, never felt a threat whatsoever. Sure things are not perfect and yes there are many things to criticize but for me the Thai scale still tips to the positive side.

15y with Isaan girl, lazy? Yes but not agressive, no shouting, nothing. Of course we fight but this is a 10' thing followed by a few days complete radio silence. I promised myself from the beginning I would not try to change her because my expectations would always be higher compared to what I would get. I agree with many fellow TV comments that your situation is very difficult and stressful. I admire your patience but I also have the feeling this situation will not improve. Good luck.

Thai law prohibits people from smoking in common areas in condo buildings, just as it does in shops and cinemas and what-have-you. Some condo buildings consider the balconies of units to be common areas also. So whether you can smoke on "your" balcony or not rather depends on the individual interpretation that the building has of the status of that balcony.

Also most if not all buildings will have rules and regulations that prevent co-owners from annoying other co-owners, and there can be little doubt that smelly smoke (or smelly cooking) can be an annoyance.

Before the coup there was talk of a project of law that would prohibit all smoking anywhere in condo buildings including inside individual units, but I have no idea of how far it progressed towards being enacted.

Where I live, balconies are considered to be part of the common area (daft, I know). I'm a non-smoker but personally have never been bothered by other people smoking on their balconies. What I do object to is those inconsiderate individuals who then throw their cigarette ends over the balcony.

Alan

I dont believe this, can you send some proof

Thai law prohibits people from smoking in common areas in condo buildings, just as it does in shops and cinemas and what-have-you. Some condo buildings consider the balconies of units to be common areas also. So whether you can smoke on "your" balcony or not rather depends on the individual interpretation that the building has of the status of that balcony.

Also most if not all buildings will have rules and regulations that prevent co-owners from annoying other co-owners, and there can be little doubt that smelly smoke (or smelly cooking) can be an annoyance.

Before the coup there was talk of a project of law that would prohibit all smoking anywhere in condo buildings including inside individual units, but I have no idea of how far it progressed towards being enacted.

Balcony can never be common area because it's included into the PAID surface of your condo.

My business is in aquaculture. In Asia there are opportunities. Shrimp/fish farming. Learning is not necessarily going back to school. Through internet you can become a specialist in many fields. It doesn't really matter what you choose, go for something you really like and make sure you become the best. Every "best" makes money anywhere..

My bargirl and I are together for 15 years and still enjoying every moment. After all these years, whatever property I buy or money I spend for her or her family is done with pleasure. No regrets and if I would loose it all tomorrow, the only thing I would miss is her smile. I can't help all the people in need, but I can support one girl and her family and why would I need guarantees for this?

Can be puffer fish..

I'd recommend you all check out Bkk Post's Sunday update. It wasn't just the landlord who tipped -off RTP, they searched all mobile phone calls, found 3 with roaming SIMs from Turkey (which shows how questionable the SIM registration requirement is until all countries enforce it).

I also read this article and IMO this put a big question mark behind the whole operation. Why would these Turks use Turkish sim cards?? This doesn't make sense. I think the investigators don't want to expose the info source.

Maybe to avoid the mandatory SIM registration that was supposed to go in effect in July(?), now it has been postponed.

They can get explosives, fake passports but would have a problem getting unidentifiable thai SIM cards? So they use their Turkish SIM cards?

I'd recommend you all check out Bkk Post's Sunday update. It wasn't just the landlord who tipped -off RTP, they searched all mobile phone calls, found 3 with roaming SIMs from Turkey (which shows how questionable the SIM registration requirement is until all countries enforce it).

I also read this article and IMO this put a big question mark behind the whole operation. Why would these Turks use Turkish sim cards?? This doesn't make sense. I think the investigators don't want to expose the info source.

It's always sad to hear of people getting into this sort of trouble. I think it's human nature to help in whatever way you can. HOWEVER

About 15 years ago when in Thailand I recieved a desperate call from a Kiwi farang who was incarcerated in the Immigration Detention Centre.He had been arrested for overstay, or rather he hadn't done his 90 day report on his one year visa. He had no money either for the airfare back to NZ or his overstay fine. The fine wasn't 20K as it is nowadays but was calculated on the number of days overstayed. I hardly knew the guy, I'd only met him two or three times in a pub in Perth W.A.

I thought long and hard about it, 'there but for the grace go I' In the end I sent 22K baht to the New Zealand Consulate to spring him. I got a 'phone call thanking me profusely and saying he would repay me ten times over, I said that wasn't necesssary but don't let me down. 22K was a lot of money then and severely restricted my activities for my stay in Thailand.

Needless to say I never heard from him again, not a phone call or a thank you note.

They say that farangs are more likelyto be ripped off by other farangs than Thais in Thailand. This was surely a prime example of this.

NEVER AGAIN

So you helped they guy in a desperate situation (verified by paying the embassy), he thanked you profusely and your bitter because he did not stick around to kiss arse?

or, are you bitter because you did not get paid 10 times over, or repaid?

I share the same experience, a loan just doesn't work. In such cases don't expect any repayment and don't expect any gratitude. Just do it because at that moment it seems the right thing to do. All further positive outcomes, I consider as a bonus. Like in this case, a lot of people offered help but the OP left the thread. Well so be it, I don't feel any anger nor disappointment.

I speed sometimes on the motorway to Pataya. When I speed, I am very concentrated, much more than driving at 90 or 120. I see drivers cruising at 90 eating, texting, phoning etc...they will never get a speed ticket. When there is a lot of traffick I stay in one lane and take it easy. The guy who called people like me idiots is in my opinion quite agressive and possibly far more dangerous on the road.

I don't know who called you an idiot, and for what.... but...

You're saying that it is safer for you when you are driving above 90 or 120? How fast? 130, 150? If you think it is safer for you to drive faster than 120 on Thailand roads, then perhaps the description was warranted. There's no logic here.

How does an observation that some slower drivers are texting, phoning or eating demonstrate that faster driving is safer. Can't people text and eat at 120km/h or higher? I'm sure they do but you don't notice because they are driving too fast. Making a phone call at 140km/h should not present any problems for the average driver. Neither should eating. Texting could be problematic though...

You're doing what a lot of people here are doing - coming up with all kinds of reasons to justify speeding. If you want to speed, no one here is stopping you, and ignore anyone who is suggesting you are an idiot, but don't come on here suggesting that it is safer.

Where did I say that speeding is safer? I said I am more concentrated when I speed. However, it is clear that your wisdom is overclassing mine with at least 100 terabytes, I bow with respect!

I speed sometimes on the motorway to Pataya. When I speed, I am very concentrated, much more than driving at 90 or 120. I see drivers cruising at 90 eating, texting, phoning etc...they will never get a speed ticket. When there is a lot of traffick I stay in one lane and take it easy. The guy who called people like me idiots is in my opinion quite agressive and possibly far more dangerous on the road.

Thailand has many farang chancers , with limited finances , living here on false hope.

They rely on the kindness / stupidity of other farangs ,such as borrowing money , whist playing their sad, bad luck song.

If you do not have the financial back up , needed for health issues etc ,

you should stay in your home country .

The chances you are right and I am wrong are probably 9 to 1. But if he really is in need we can't just discuss this as an entertainment topic on TV. Once and a while this TV forum was able to help expats in urgent need, we have to stay alert for such possible cases with prudence of course.

I don' get it, I offered him help but no reply at all.

Do you have family or friends "back home" that can bail you out short time to at least get you "legal" again here and able to look for work ? or assist you in returning to your home country where you can obtain work perhaps more easily and sort yourself out.

No, I don't have any family left (although I'm only 38) and, since I came to Thailand 8 years ago, no friends left back home either.

I just find this to be incredibly odd. No family or friends. Back home or in Thailand. How is this possible? There are expats who've been in Thailand 20 years plus, never returning home, yet still have family and friends. Sorry, but I don't buy it.

That's why I want to meet him first..

Dear Nikolas, i am Belgian to, I discussed your situation with another Belgian friend. We may be able to help you, but we want to meet you first. Send me a message.

I would never ask TV member's view on such matter.

these things don't change over night, in northern europe it took years to change the mind set of people, in australia it has only just started and is far from accomplished. and it will take an even longer time here.

particularly the food markets will not be able to exist without plastic. how would you buy som tam, gai jung or pra mutt unless you bring your own tupper ware container?

when we go shopping we try to 'lead by example', taking our own baskets and bags. still attracts plenty of smiles and questioning looks when we take the pineapples from the scales and put them 'as is' into our market basket. even at lotus it's a constant battle to prevent the checkout staff from packing plastic wraped stuff into another plastic bag instead of our shopping bags held open and ready for them.

i am confident change will happen, but perhaps not in my life time?

This is just half the story..indeed Europe bans plastic bags for shopping. Before most of these bags were re-used for garbage. Now you need to buy garbage bags from the government. Same plastic more tax. IMO, much more plastic is used in Europe than in Asia. In Europe nearly all food items are individually packed while in Asia there is still a lot more offered in bulk. Europe just pretends and IMO certainly not an example. The world needs plastic but a solution needs to be found to eliminate these plastics after use..some tests have been done with GMO bacteria but this creates other risks. I hope soon somebody will find a solution!

I use the plastic bags from the supermarket as garbage bags. If these are not abailable anymore, I will need to buy garbage bags. What's the difference?

Long time ago I went to visit my GF's family . I invited the whole family to dinner and at the end the half village was "invited" not a big deal money-wise but when I asked for the bill, I nostarted ordering take-away!ticed many of the "guests" This blew my fuse, I paid but left the same evening.

Yes, that is taking the manners bit just too far, in fact, it is taking the PI$$. I would have asked for and just paid the first bill, and left them to pay for the takeaway.

The "Takeaways" were properly only the rests in a plastic bag.....

Rests? You mean the leftovers to take home for the dogs? If that was the case, the waiters or whoever, would have handed out empty bags.

I have seen my wife doing this after a wedding meal. I can only assume "many of the guests", as the poster says, all had dogs.

The poster said "many of the guests started ordering takeaways", so I would think that is what he had actually seen.

Hey Possum1931, indeed they ordered extra take away and it also upset my GF parents. Some posters think that they know it better as if they were there and that they assume I am a newbe although I live here for 17 years. In another recent thread I posted in a sentence "I have the feeling that..." i got a reply that my feelings were incorrect !

I have the feeling I am not allowed to be against gay marriages.

I suggest your feeling is incorrect. You are free to dislike Gay marriage,

People misusing power or connections with power to make Gay life hellish is another thing and what is not allowed now in workplaces, along with attempting to bar their access to social entitlements and expression etc.

Especially when Gay marriage doesn't affect its critics in the slightest, these protections are a good development. (If) Gay marriage was profoundly affecting straight couples in some way, more active opposition would be understandable. As it doesn't (from what I can ascertain) then yes there are more important isssues to be objecting about. Let them have it, indeed. Infact, the wording of that implies they were 'granted' it by a benevolent straight elite, when in reality Gay folks fought 'long and hard' (wink) against a brick wall that was unwilling to understand things until now.

You suggest my "feeling" is incorrect ??

I have the feeling I am not allowed to be against gay marriages. Anyway there are more important things in life. Let them have it.

Expats!

They moan when there is no rain and complain when there is rain

I also complain when:

there is too much sun

it is low tide

the Muslims sing

my laundry changed color

there are scorpions in my house

the cleaning lady did not come

I am in a bad mood

a car cut me of

...............In all other situations I feel happy!!

I am living between Sarasin bridge and Khok kloi, never seen so much rain in such a short time. At this moment finally the rain stopped but it looks like there will be more soon.

Long time ago I went to visit my GF's family . I invited the whole family to dinner and at the end the half village was "invited" not a big deal money-wise but when I asked for the bill, I noticed many of the "guests" started ordering take-away! This blew my fuse, I paid but left the same evening.