George FmplesdaCosteedback

16 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

Personally i've never understood why the UK government should be giving out handouts to people not living in the UK anymore. 

Because we have paid for them all our working life.

This statement really is as clear as mud:

"A key upshot of this agreement is that active talks will now focus on granting visa-free access to Thai passport holders in the United Kingdom."

These are tourist and business visas for short stays (for how long it doesn't say). I do not see how this is an advantage for Thais already living in the UK.

Cameron is an idiot so I would guess this is another meaningless excuse for diplomats (civil servants) to spend time flying back and forth for a chat.

I can only hope it leads to getting rid of 90 day reports for UK expats in Thailand.

At least 5 out of every 6 days, some home made but mostly from the market or food stalls. My favourite is Larb Moo with Chinese lettuce and sticky rice but I like many of the soups (moo deng for one), various rice dishes like Massaman or Penang (with sauces) and barbecue etc. I am allergic to shell fish and don't like smelly fish but enjoy Tom Yam Gai. I love veg but not "veggie" specific food. Thai Fried Chicken with sticky rice I usually eat when watching football games. On the odd day I'll have pizza, burger or stew.

Do I miss western food?: English bangers, soft bacon, beans and black pudding with breakfast (not cocktail sausages, rock hard crispy bacon and cake). Campbell's Minestrone and Pea and Ham soup, good mashed potato with gravy and "English blend" teabags like Waitrose own brand.

For those who haven't been here very long, prices in the shops will remain the same until the new stocks (distributed from 1st March) hit the shelves.

Noise pollution in Thailand? Cannot be, surely this is just a normal entertainment area.

I lived in Patong during the early 90s and the bar streets were just the same as you describe Khaosan now.

Amazing Thailand, nothing changes, well maybe the "music" isn't very musicale any more.

On 2/26/2024 at 8:15 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems many foreigners try to live in a perfect world. Until one day they discover that the real world is far away from perfect.

 

Most Thai people wouldn't cross a street only because the light for pedestrians is green. They would pay attention even if there is a zebra crossing. Basically, no Thais use bicycles - the exception is the Lycra crowd. 

Many foreigners do all that. And then accidents happen. And then questions come up like: How could that happen?

 

My personal advice: Don't play the hero and have the sentence "he was right" on your gravestone.

 

Nonsense, most Thai families have push bikes. The fancy "cycles" these days seem to encourage reckless riding with riders in black clothing and black bikes, and some without working lights. Thai roads are dangerous at any time of day or night.

So it's a little cheaper but you still can't (officially) get a drink in the afternoon. Stock price manipulation is all part of the game with long shelf life items.

It is how the rich get richer.

On 2/29/2024 at 8:33 AM, jacko45k said:

I have noticed my Magnum Bars are getting both smaller and more expensive.... I live for one of those every now and again!

Tivoli chocolate wafer biscuits have shrunk by 40-50%. There is some hidden profiteering going on at the moment. Some imports have gone up with the exchange rate but other locally produced items have also gone up when gas prices have gone back to early 2022 levels. Vote with your wallet, don't buy things that have gone up without reason. 

On 2/26/2024 at 1:42 PM, Guderian said:

I've been surprised this last year or so to find the local 7-eleven selling certain beers cheaper than any other shop in Pattaya, including Makro. I've no idea how they do that as you're supposed to pay a premium for the convenience of buying stuff locally, but I'm quite happy to just go 200 yards down the road rather than all the way to Makro or Friendship.

Beer fluctuates due to the change in tax that doesn't come into effect until the new stock arrives. Stock change affects other items just the same in these days of high inflation. That means some cheap but "unfashionable" or less advertised brands have stock long after tax or other increased prices changes come into force. This happens between branches too and not just in the "convenient" stores. Bread went up 20% not long ago and sugar has just done the same. Many of these increases might be delayed from previous rises but some I suspect are just testing the market for better profits.

11 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Where will you place that bet, how will your theory be proven and what does your general, xenophobic rant about Thais have to do with this incident with the road raging Australian?

 

Something must have triggered his toxic behavior, but his reaction cannot be excused by shifting blame. Combined with the previous skateboard incident, the most likely bet would be this guy has issues dangerous for both him and others in this unique country.

 

 

I am not condoning what he did, that cannot be disputed, however if you had driven on Thai roads for as long as I have you would know the problems we see every day which would result in fines and points or lost licenses elsewhere. Maybe this guy drives like an Indonesian, somewhere I have not yet been.

On 2/28/2024 at 2:42 PM, worgeordie said:

In the beginning of he been PM ,Thaksin did a lot of good things for Thai people,

30 Baht health scheme ,at the time even Farangs were included ,he modernized

the civil service ,where things got done in a day , not a week ,with one visit ,those

things alone were major for Thailand  

 

Then as often happens with people in power ,the power went to his head , he 

realised one does not need to spend his  money to win elections  ,use populist

policies ,the Government's money , knowing if you won in Isan and the North

you always won the elections . good or bad .....he was both 

 

regards worgeordie

You forgot about all the dead and missing...

11 hours ago, zakalwe said:

Thai ladyboys seem to be physically bigger than Thai guys.

They look bigger than most Thai men due to the false tits and drugs they take, and taller due to the heels.

I would still bet the Thai woman was on the phone, but that is not shown by a windscreen camera. Thai motorcyclists do it too, often with one hand on the handlebars.  If people drove like most do in Thailand when visiting or living in Australia, US, EU or the UK they would very soon lose their licence. It is no coincidence that Thailand has the highest road fatality rate in the world.

On 3/11/2024 at 4:45 AM, Rampant Rabbit said:

 Ive  found this due to poor  drainage  pipes on them, I re  installed  2  of  mine with new drain pipes and they have never  dripped  since, the third  I didnt do as the drain was in the  floor and I suspect has a  dip in  it where water sits  and  pools. This  one  fills  up in the drain tray and pipe with a  clear  jelly which I wash out every 5  months I also stick a wet vac  on the pipe to suck the sludge  out then pour  bleach down it. I bought aircons all new with an easily removal drain tray as it was a  big problem before. If they made the drain trays with a  wider  drain hole  and a  wider  drain pipe it would help a  lot.

Many thanks for that. Just as I suspected, a bit of "dicky" Thai plumbing work that is the cause not the machine, although as you say they could be a bit better designed.

I'm not bothered about the cost but I am fed up with my AC dripping water. They are regularly serviced but after about 4-5 months the main bedroom one which is used by far the most drips. This has happened before in other places I have lived, some with new ACs and some with older models and in different rooms.

Should I run it colder than 24? I usually leave the Mode in auto.

Any suggestions?

On 3/8/2024 at 5:49 PM, proton said:

Look like most other Brit  here, most are bald

Speak for yourself....

And this guy was the tour guide, lucky he didn't have the whole squad with him on the crossing. It could have been worse than a sinking ferry.

39 minutes ago, vangrop said:

give us the facts supporting your hypothesis 

Do you have an answer service that says the same thing to everybody?

My original comment on the ranking was to remark, 'will the Thais sue as they do when people leave bad feedback on their hotel or restaurant'.

Oh dear, let's not loose face, we must defame the publisher of this terrible report.

Boot on the other foot? In UK supermarkets they have an excuse to do things like this called "Company Policy"...

Can we just get this straight, is this a problem of turf and the local Mafia are upset that the Russians are taking over, or a clamp down on Mafias in general.

As a rule the Mafia are easy to spot because they have uniforms, but the Russians don't wear one, sneaky blighters.

There are two great quotes by Thanet in this article:

"Pattaya is a hotspot for illegal foreign labour, housing unskilled workers from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, and the Philippines. Many of these workers, he noted, have a better command of the English language than the local Thai workers."

And

"regulations require operators to pay some nationalities, such as Filipinos, a wage that is two to three times higher than the local market rate. This rule, intended to ensure job availability for locals, should be revised, considering the ongoing labour shortage, to allow for the legal employment of foreign workers."

Is it time to admit, it legalize it and tax it?