hotsoup

"Clearly, United States citizenship is a privilege, Clinton said . It is not a right.

US is now going to charge a lot more for renouncing citizenship!

Is Thai citizenship a privilege, not a right?

What about you and your 'country'?

The Hog Badger is still alive in Thailand, and elsewhere in SE Asia; though on the Red List of 'Endangered' Species. It lives on small animals.I have encountered them, rather large even gross specimens, preying on defenceless young animals in various Thai watering holes. A Canadian thinks this is a ridiculous thread. No advice is ridiculous unless you heed it.

Have I said this, already?

And...In 20 years when the grand children come calling. It will not be ' What did you do in the war, Grandpa?' It will be 'How did you vote in 2014?' And if you voted NO, they will look at you and say: " You had a chance to give us our independence, our freedom and our future, but you took the english queen's shilling" Can you live with that?

Is it possible to play Scrabble in Thai?

Some Canadian says this is an absurd thread

What is absurd about it? Given the total lack of information available to the wet behind the ears idiots who come to Thailand in search of LERVE, any advice however facetious is better than none.

Anyway Hog Badgers (Arctonyx collaris to you) live in Thailand. Live on small animals. So given that I have seen quite a few, possibly with a

few extra pounds devouring small defenceless animals, by daylight heaven help me, at various watering holes in

Thailand, I should not wonder if they were not on the 'Endangered Animals' Red Lists

Anyone got children at this school? Any up to date information? Have grown slight suspicious of veracity of School websites!!

Who would have thought there were so many Scottish People in Thailand?!. Perhaps that explains all those little tartan

school girl skirts? What has England to lose? Fish, Grouse, an education system with thousands of well educated professionals, healthcare and social services that works, hectares of sea and land, and islands. Oh, oil, I think Salmond has possibly a limited vision. A union of Scotland, Wales, Ireland let alone NI and all those other islands from Jersey to the Isle of Man might put a shiver up England let alone the EU. I really hope that the Londoners have overplayed their hand. Independence? London as Singapore and the rest go hang?

What's the reason Scottish notes are different from English notes, in the first place? Lots of countries use multiple currencies. Close to home Laos uses Kip, Baht, Dong and $ and probably Yuan

Let me presume to say what I miss/resent, How about you?

In no particular order!

Having to pay 5000B a month UK council tax for a house I dont live in

Having to pay 1250B a month just to keep the UK phone connected because of the outrageous disconnection/ re-connection charges

Raspberries/Figs/Black Currants Fresh Cream

Having to drive 80 kilos in the UK to Tesco and the Hospital

Petrol at 70B a litre

If I decide to go to London, at the last minute ,discovering that a 600 kilometre train ticket is the same price as an LHR-BKK plane ticket

Lobsters at 200B and Crabs at 25B, Pheasants and Partridges. Wine

Garbage collection once every fortnight

That even with GPS and a Postcode no delivery company can find the house

That an enquiry in UK as to whether the fridge/cooker/roof could be mended is answered by, usually:. In 2 or 3 weeks, at least, mate!

That I cannot open a small business/market stall without several dozen planning applications

That I cannot transfer money from one account to another at a UK ATM+ there are no banks open in a Mall at w/end. Actually the nearest Mall is 160 kilometres away

That it costs 9500B for 6 months to keep the car on the road in the UK in case someone needs to use it.

That it costs 7500B a year to have a TV which I dont watch

Honeysuckle, bluebells and primroses, autumn, snow. Wood burning stoves! A bath.

I cannot get on a London Bus without an Oyster Card

A taxi to the nearest town 18 kilometres is 1300B one way!

That no-one I know can afford to buy a house

Probably goes some way to explain why we live here...I cannot vouch for other countries..How about you?

What would new currency be called?

Personally I think it would be a bad move for Scotland, but if they want to go for it all the best. At least the Bank of England could make some money on loans to the new government when it realises it can't make ends meet.

Scotland has a lot of oil revenue which is now taken by England. I think England will have to ask Scotland for a loan.

, another English hater who has nooooooooooooooooooo understanding about a long time union between England, Wales, N.Ireland, and yes Scotland.......

Why should i hate England? Just because i (being Dutch and no party in this) do understand the domination of the union by the English doesn't make me a English hater.

It is not that England is hated. It is just the use by the English of their looted money, arrogance , language and culture to subjugate other peoples. My dad used to say: "The English say they are God's gift to the World. I would like to hear someone who is not English affirm that"

Thanks for all these, experienced many of them...

A friend told me something very nice the other day. He said in England (where he's from), people listen to what you say and evaluate it intellectually. In Thailand, he felt it's more important how you say something, and people evaluate you emotionally.

That's what they know how to do! Analysis by epistemological methodology is largely unknown to the greater majority of Thais, therefore when confronted with an unknown, they go by feeling, limited past experiences, superstition, or just plain denial based on a

loss of face for not knowing.

Largely unknown to most human beings!

PoorSucker has asked the obvious question? How did he get on a plane?

This a how to annoy the English Post!

I wrote to Alex Salmond!

I wanted to write to urge you to continue to have purpose and determination. Perfidious, mendacious, charming Albion will, increasingly, try to find ways to undermine you. It is funny, is it not that, in many cases disastrously, it gave independence to its colonies once it was thought that all resources had been extracted and repatriated, but draws back from just causes nearer home? Of course they bribed Northern Ireland and Wales and will no doubt attempt the same with you.

What did Burns write?

We're bought and sold for English Gold,

Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation.

I fear England thinks there are still resources to be extracted from Scotland!

I was reading Robert MacFarlanes book The Old Ways where he recounts, as is well known, that James Matheson, on the strength of his profits from Opium, bought the island of Lewis. I trust Jardine Matheson are supporting you handsomely!

If you read tomdispatch.com, and particularly Nick Turse, you will not need any further reasons to not live in the USA

Promenada? Kids want the ice rink. Does it function? At what price?

We need some help from 'the authorities'

The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal to blend more effectively into its environment visually by breaking up its outline. I am sure, from his experience of sidling in the gloaming, Mr Toad would agree with that?

Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family (not sure which family) which also includes the otters, polecats, weasels and wolverines. The Asiatic stink badgers are actually members of the skunk family. I have met some of those in my travels

Badgers lower jaws are articulated to the upper by means of transverse condyles firmly locked into long cavities of the skull, (cavities of the skull are common in Thailand) so dislocation of the jaw is all but impossible. This enables the badgers to maintain their hold with the utmost tenacity, but limits jaw movement to hinging open and shut, or sliding from side to side without the twisting movement possible for the jaws of most mammals. It also means they never stop talking,

Clearly a thorough physiognomic inspection of a Thai/Lao/Issan prospective partner would be required. Its the jaw movement worries me. Presumably evolved over millenia to eat Somtam?

Badgers have rather short, fat bodies, with short legs for digging. (Digging for what?) So they are basically Lao? They have elongated weasel-like, but big, heads with small ears. Usually with ear piercings. The stink badger has a very short tail, well of course, while the ferret badger's tail can be 4651 cm (1820 in) long, depending on age. Most ferret badgers consume unusual amounts of Cialis. The European badger is one of the largest (evidence required); the American badger, the hog badger and the honey badger are generally a little smaller and lighter. (Carry small amounts of cash?) The stink badgers are smaller still, and the ferret badgers are the smallest of all. Often to be found ferreting away trying to divine the truth?

Came back from Tesco Lotus this pm. Forgot to buy bin bags. Went up to 7. Neither shop hardly sells anything that looks like food. Tesco Lotus appears to sell nothing but washing powder and crisps. 7/11 too. Said to Madame, not like this in France/UK. Answer: we have markets. Me: Yes the ones where you are required to buy a kilo of flies before you can get your hands on some meat. France has markets, still! Next question: Why can you buy great fruit in the street but no vegetables? Same answer. As far as I can make out most Thai people have given up on cooking, live out of plastic bags + a visit to MisterDonut and Swensens

NO!

Fortunately there are other things in life that excite me!

We have had medical problems! Even if your child is not Thai....Start, again, with the Bangkok Childrens Hospital aka Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, 420/8, Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Thailand

Phone number

+66 (0) 1415 ext 2615

Email

[email protected]

Endless queues, but doctors trained outside Thailand and required to repay their debt to Thailand for their training.

If you have the $ I would go there and stay away from Private Hospitals and Provincial ones....we still had to go

back to the UK.!! Thai private hospital nearly killed our daughter!

Today there is a huge free concert in town: Pleng Luk Thung (***Thai language removed***; lit. "song of a child of the fields"
Thousands of people. Traffic jams, Food..what you expect?!

Amongst many things I like about Thai culture are the culturally specific individuality of the music, I like Long Plaeng Chewit and Morlam, the confidence of the people, the assertiveness of 'national culture'.

However as in other places the sheer weight of requirements for conformity are manifest. Me: 'Do you want to go the concert?' Children: 'No!' Me 'Why not?' Children: 'Daddy, do you think that mindless beat and a million decibels is music?
It all sounds like Black Sabbath on an off day!' Oh dear!
So back to listening! If they feel oppressed because they are not 100% Thai...is there any point in them being here? I know class and colour play at least a part in Europe depending on where you live; but they never encountered the superciliousness that seems endemic in being Thai!
Thanks everyone for the posts in the other thread!

Can it be confirmed that there is a tightening up on the submission of TM28/30? Where?

Someone should make a decent movie...not The Shining; but 'The Fattening' Now that would be a horror one. Could be shot in Dunkin D+Nuts or the Colonels joints. Starring Christopher Lee as Dr Aspartame..or is he dead? One never knows. Might even be better than La Grande Bouffe.

Thirty-five is a very attractive age. Thai society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years.

Apologies to Oscar!

Maybe they all went to school in a beautiful country?

Lamai was probably the nicest Samui beach. Far nicer than Chaweng. For many years they resisted 'developing' it...now shan't be going back. Far SW beaches and islands much better. At one stage they had a charming bar which was a functioningcarousel/merry-go-round with a nicely painted advert 'Welcome I make for you 500'