tim armstrong

With the big race on tomorrow, does anyone know about Phar Lap's Thai connection ? Think about the meaning of the two words. Also does anyone have any hot tips ?

Just a small piece of trivia- inch for inch bamboo is stronger than steel.

ITs still way cheaper than OZ. So I'm staying here.

Its still debatable that everything started in Africa. I would love to go back and study Anthropology, but now too lazy. I think that there has not been nearly enough research on early migrations throughout Asia. I was reading the story of a chinese academic who traced the origins of Buddhism all through SE Asia , India and the MIddle East. Fascinating stuff, especially when you look at Hmong and other tribes today who still migrate extensively. For me Vietnam is a great place to observe the differences in ethnic types, but I've not travelled much into China yet.

OP suggest you read some of the other forums like farming or health. You may find more posts from people who have been here for many years. In my experience the longer you stay the better it gets. But I live in the country with a caring, faithful and intelligent wife. The in laws live a bit close (next door) but that's OK. My sons from Oz visit regularly. We are not well off but are OK financially. Apart from being old and fat, I'm reasonably healthy, and will probably live another 20 years. I've never done the bar scene, even while living in Pattaya for 2 years. I'm quite happy with my lot and only really go back to Oz when I have too.

My ex FIL once hit a young wild pig wit the motorbike. We roasted it on a spit in the back yard. That was some good roadkill.

Hi another Tim, I've hit a couple of pigs over the years en route to the shops. On the way home a short time later they were gone and like yours, probably barbequed. Nothing you can do about roadkill. I try to be a bit more cautious in the early evenings as that seems to be when the dogs and cats wake up. Also once collected a beautiful monitor lizard in Oz one day. I was quite grief stricken for some weeks.

Sorry, not convinced by the good advice. Still the only good snake is a ...... one! But the black headed one in the picture looks quite pretty, but no idea what it is.

You can leave right now. Its your not unreasonable paranoia taking over. Ignore that and drive. You are 99% likely to be quite safe. Come and stay with us if you want to, but leave .

Why don't bar girls want other jobs ? Yes its about the money, but ost don't know what jobs are available especially skilled jobs that need training. Educating women in this country is maybe the single most important way for Thailand to achieve a better distribution of wealth

You sound as if you don't know a lot about Thailand. Bar girls are not about money, its about living. How do you get a skilled job with out a good education,The Thai Education system is not that good, Unless you have money, and go private. Thailand don't want educated women, sadly their place in Thai Society is just above the street dog, and another sad fact is many sad men exploit them, and convince themselves they are helping these bar girls. But in reality they are sex Tourists in per suite of there own gratification, which many cannot do in there own Country.

Actually you sound as if you don't know a lot about Thailand. Roughly 150,000 Thai women graduate from college every year. Some of those get cell phones and motor scooters by working a bit on the side. 90% of Thai prostitution is not for sex tourists and Farang would not be allowed entry in most of the establishments in Thailand. Since unemployment is 1% or less in Thailand the conclusion must be the ladies do it for money or because they like the work.

Well actually having lived here, worked here, and travelled extensively around the country, I think i know quite a bit about Thailand after 13 years. I have also talked and socialised with Thais at all levels, and have some close Thai friends. While I agree with some of the comments above, there are many less skilled girls working in shops, admin jobs, and as sales assistants. Especially country girls - gravitate to factories in their late teens. But 300 baht a day is barely enough to live on.

Try going into any bar in Pattaya during the day when its not so busy and ask a young looking bar girl if she would rather be at home or living in Pattaya. The vast majority will tell you they want to be at home, but they need the money. They don't want to have sex with fat old farangs or young handsome ones, unless marriage is a real possibility. They are also woefully ignorant about the countries that most expats come from, and really do believe that everywhere outside Thailand is filthy rich and by going there they will make a lot of MONEY.

Why don't bar girls want other jobs ? Yes its about the money, but ost don't know what jobs are available especially skilled jobs that need training. Educating women in this country is maybe the single most important way for Thailand to achieve a better distribution of wealth

Alternatively if your already in Thailand, go to your nearest Driving Centre and get a Thai driving licence.

You don't have to take the full test because you hold a UK licence, just a sight, co-ordinate test and colour blindness test, although at some centres you may also have to watch a video. Very cheap and easy to obtain.

Except that you may need a Drs letter saying that you are alive. about 100baht from any doctor. I was asleep when an agent got mine. He actually asked me if I was alive ?

Baby Cobra?

When you have the sort of money being declared here why the need to be corrupt and try and increase it in the short time they will be in office and run the risk of getting caught and having it confiscated. A look at how it was obtained in the first place might be in order. But I doubt they'll do that.

Given that 128mill. baht is wealthy by many standards, in dollar terms if it includes a couple of houses and some investment condos, its not outrageously so, and nowhere as much as some 'other' families have.

Sopporting homeless people to remain on the streets works short term but doesn't relieve the problem long term. It needs a more dedicated professional organisation to interview, house, find employment, and regain dignity for these people. Sometimes their alienation from their families is the first thing to change. But it needs a committed NGO to start the process.

Don't take up smoking, it will kill you. Mozzies can kill you, but it's unlikely.

I know thatthey have some really good singers, but I'm not interested in any religion that pushes its doctrine. As a 'religious' philosophy that's probably why I like Buddhism, but Zen Buddhism as its not so formal.

My father had polio and was a farmer, so he never served, but I think he always regretted it. My uncles all did and survived. I will probably just do my own thing at home, but Op thanks for the reminder.

There are all the usual repellants OTC, as well as 50/50 mixtures of dettol and olive oil, smells a bit but works well. around your house or in pots grow lemon grass, there are two types - make sure you get the mozzie resistant variety. Google the other herbal concoctions and plants - they all work for a short time. Still the only effective remedy and deterrant is DEET. Boots own brand is about 50% deet. Also, don't have tall plants near your house, make sure there is no standing water anywhere near where you live. We have two large earthenware water containers at the edge of our verandah. They're a great breading ground so my wife put some of father's small fighting fish in them. It works a treat, but we are also coming into the dry season so not so many anyway. Stay away from red meat and don't wear red. Apart from all that, keep on drinking, it eases the pain.

A product that contains a large dose of L-Arginine, can serve both to combat ED but also protect against strokes, heart attacks, high b-p and cholesterol levels

I use Coversyl - Aginine for BP but maybe the dose isn't high enough to affect ED ?

Too true, glad you're all ok. I don't think kraits are that deadly, but despite my having come to terms with my lifelong phobia about snakes, I still believe that the only good snake is a dead one.

I too have shorn sheep when i was young. Very hard on the back and legs . And it has been many years since i have been in a shearing shed but a google search for battery powered shears may turn up someting (if there are such a thing as battery powered sheep shears ) and a search of u-tube may give instructions . I have only seen hand shears used on very fine wool breeds and it needs a real expert to do that job , electric shears are much easier. When i was a kid we used a set up with the shears coming off a engine driven shaft. Too difficult to set up for just a few sheep.

Hand shears are fine to use, just needs good sharpening stone and careful practise. But I was brought up on a fine wool merino sheep stud near Yass, NSW.

Hi Paul,

I would do it for you if you can get some good hand shears and several interesting beers. PM me if you want.

I used 16-16-16 last year by hand casting the granules and it seemed to work ok but I still didn't get the green I was hoping for. This year I hand casted the urea granules and that resulted in a nice green lawn but be careful, it takes surprisingly little to create brown spots.

Klong is right. We ran out in the rain a couple of years back and spread urea like crazy all over the place. It didn't take long for the lawn to look like it was in terminal decline. Its ok now but lesson learnt - use the granules very sparingly.

Yes and the same farmers have just got older, but no more literate.

Sorry to hear about your depression. As one of those health professionals who deals with depression, I would say yes and no too. Its probably a good idea to at least talk to a health person to assess the severity and nature of your depression first. Severe depression is usually best treated with a combination of medication and psychological therapies. Situational depression related to life events can indeed be treated without meds using meditation, relaxation, exercise, dietary changes and buddhist philosophy. PM me if you would like more info. Regards, Tim