Toknarok

      Vale Colin.

      I remember well the fun we had when we were DJ's on the local radio on weekends.

        Many kids do stupid things. How many of you can honestly say that when you were young you didn't shoplift some petty article. I did once and got caught, taught me a lesson that's for sure. Never did it again  

       Seems to me this kid is ashamed of what he did. One petty theft is not an indicator that he will be a serial thief all his life.

39 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

For those who think all Chinese are represented by the Patong tourists, here's the other end of the scale:

http://www.watoday.com.au/good-weekend/this-is-different-richits-crazy-the-chinese-riding-the-spending-boom-20171222-h09g75.html

 

It would be nice if some of this class could be wooed to spend their money in Phuket. Housing prices would skyrocket and shops would have to sell genuine Gucci, etc. 

 

         Indeed yes Oldcroc. The more monied Chinese choose Aussie over Thailand every time. Only New Zealanders number more than the Chinese and that is expected to change.

        Not for them the 'package' 'zero dollar' trips with flag waving tour guides, crowded diesel spewing buses touring filthy beaches etc. They require first class infrastructure and service.

        Sorry this is somewhat off topic about Patong, but I think it reflects what is going on. No shortage of purchasers of FREEHOLD property in Oz (apart from newly completed homes).

                https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/more-

On 11/27/2017 at 8:23 PM, thequietman said:

Couple of older guys in my area bought used golf carts and use them to get around. Police don't seem to care. 

Just an option maybe. Good luck.

           Trouble with golf carts is they are just that. Vehicles for slowly trundling around the course. They don't have any lights and no horn. In addition their tyres are not designed to be driven on metallic roads, they are for driving on grass, and quickly wear out on road surfaces.

        There is a shop in Buriram that sells these machines. Several types ranging in price from 35K to 55K. PM me if you want to know more.

         As for the regulations concerning these machines on the roads I don't think there are any. The local police don't know of any but I admit I haven't enquired of the traffic Highway Police. One friend stated that the Thai legislature had not addressed the matter of electric vehicles on Thai roads and that there were no laws or regulations pertaining thereto.

        I ride around here quite happily, no insurance, no helmet, no licence etc. The police see me all the time and apart from the occasional wave and smile they do nothing. It may be different in the cities.

       Colinneil from Khon Kaen I know you ride one of these machines, have you had any problems?

        You're lucky. I too am wheelchair bound and use a mobility scooter. I live in rural Issan and the local town is sadly lacking in facilities for the disabled. It's OK travelling on the roads, I use the lane on the far left for motor cycles with few problems, it's another matter when I get to town.

       For example of the dozen or so ATM machines in town there is only one that I can access with my scooter. Last year the local Agriculture Bank was closed for several months whilst they completely renovated the front of the building. It must have cost millions of bahtwith brand new ATM machines---and yes you've guessed it, to get to them you have to climb bloody steps! When I complained I was met with a 'Sorry' and a shrug.

     Same applies to cafes and shops, hardly any have wheelchair access, but I will admit that a couple of pubs that I used to frequent before my accident have put in a ramp to accommodate me - bless 'em.

     If you own property in Australia, are resident abroad and you rent out that property, the Aussie tax-man will slug you for 48% of your rental income.

           About 3 months ago there was a problem with young bikers racing from our village to the next. The local ppuyaiban called the police. They attended with 3 pick ups, stopped the racers and impounded their motor cycles. Unfortunately they impounded my son's bike too, he wasn't racing but fishing in the local river but had parked it where the racers were assembled.

          The following day my wife and son had to go to the police station together with the vehicle registration boo, proof of insurance etc. The bike racing has since ceased.

           It would appear the the police in the OP's case were to bone idle to make no more than a 'don't do it again' gesture whereas if they has caused the racers inconvenience then  a positive result might have occurred.

        Elephants are banned from the streets of Bangkok. But like most  laws in this Country people still ignore them on occasion. See......http://www.richardbarrow.com/2013/08/elephants-on-the-streets-of-bangkok-2/

        It may not be illegal to discriminate against foreigners in the manner described but it really isn't sensible business practice.

        The Pizza Company is the biggest company of this type in Thailand. I was unable to ascertain the number of outlets it has in the Country, but let's take a guess and say 200. Now just how many foreigners eat in one of their outlets every day, probably not all that many. These foreigners would tend to be tourists and foreign workers and retirees living here. Foreigners such as Burmese and Cambodian workers don't eat pizza, they can't afford it.

      Just how many of the foreign customers on December 5th would have their birthday on that particular day. I doubt very much whether more than one or two, and I'll bet many outlets wouldn't have even one.

      Therefore for the sake of not discounting (not giving free) the price of a maximum of 200 pizzas the Pizza Company  potentially loses the custom of foreigners who read about this  discriminatory practice on forums such as this. Not very sound business sense IMO but there again I'm sure they don't care.

           You're in luck. The rubber price has risen lately to 24 baht kilo (up from a low of 15) in this area (N.E.). You will be able to tap until about March when you should stop until the onset of the monsoon season.

          Plenty of info about rubber in the ThaiVisa farming section.

    The first time I went to India 35 plus years ago the first guy, apart from the taxi driver to speak to me said "I see that you have a lucky face!'

          Interesting post. I'm your age and quite frankly have no desire to return to my Country of birth. I agree with you about the political situation here but by keeping a low profile it doesn't really affect me at all.

        You have only been back in the UK a couple of months. Please post again in 6 or 7 months time when you have experienced an English winter. Let us know how big your heating bills are. Do you own a vehicle? wait till you see how much even basic insurance costs. I doubt you;ll be doing much walking like you did in Chiang Mai unless you like the cold, wind, rain, sleet and snow.

       Anyway good luck to you all. I hope your wife settles down and likes it there, some Thai women become very homesick after a time.

    This bloke is an adult, why are you continuing to let him sponge off and steal from you? Are you sure he's doing drugs? A quick visit to the local police station, a word in a 'friendly' coppers ear and one piss test later your problems will be solved (at least temporarily)

     Not only are major prizes pathetic compared to other Countries, should you win one you are taxed on top of that. Complete waste of time and money, much more chance of winning the (illegal) local lottery. Every village has one.

      Go into any market anywhere in Thailand and you're almost sure to find a stall selling glasses. They've usually got hundreds of pairs both sun and ordinary glass. The lenses are graded and you can usually see many customers trying on pairs with varying strength lenses until they find a pair that suits them.

    The cost? about 100 baht depending on how fancy the frames are. If they got a prescription pair from an optition the cost would be ten times that at least. They may well be doing their eyes no good by going for the cheap option but prohibitive prices charged for a 'proper' pair puts them out of the reach of many Thais.

      There is one Thai custom that I cannot get used to, and I've been in Thailand for many, many years, and that is the practice of ducking or bobbing their body slightly when they pass by you.I'm an older citizen and I know that it's their way of acknowledging your seniority but I wish they wouldn't do it. I certainly don't get offended and will always return the gesture with a smile, it is however IMO a subservient gesture.

     On the other hand is it any different to a salute, bow or curtsey? Not really I suppose.

         Whilst I agree that plaa raa (often pronounced plaa laa) - has a nauseating smell,  it's smell is not a continuous thing. Once plaa raa has been eaten although the awful smell lingers, by opening windows and operating fans the smell can be dispersed.

        Fermented fish eaters don't skoff it all day long. The same cannot be said for cigarette smokers. First thing in the morning one of these foul smelling things is ignited, followed by intervals of thirty minutes or so throughout the day until the smoker retires at night. One bloody fag after another. It's not a one off smell, it lingers all day - continuously fouling everything around it.

       Smoking must be the most selfish habit on the planet. If someone had body odour or bad breath and it was pointed out to them I'm sure that they would try and rectify the problem. Point out to a smoker that cigarettes are just as unpleasant and they don't care, they think its their right to act as they do. Selfish bastards.

25 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said:

i heard about this 'feet pointing' on other farang forums before.

but - if you sit cross - legged, like all my family does - you inevitably show your soles or point your feet at someone next to you.

try to keep them close to you or, if you can't do the cross legged under - tuck, point them to the outside of the mat you are sitting on. to me, a much more important issue is to not elevate yourself above others. if everyone sits on the mat, you HAVE to do, too. don't get a stool or a chair, no matter how uncomfortable you are or how much every one pressures you.

sitting 'above' is reserved for the unmentionable.

if it gets beyond your comfort level, pretend you a re 'ihm' and leave.

 

      Sorry can't agree with you on this. I'm tall 6'3" and have great difficulty sitting on the ground whether it be crossed legged or with my legs sideways. On numerous occasions my hosts have realised that I'm not comfortable in that position, and a chair or stool has been brought out for me to sit on. No big deal at all.

     That was 'Farmer Joe' who had a successful turkey farm near Hua Hin. He was so successful that he came to the attention of certain 'powers that be' in the poultry business who screwed him up through the Thai so called 'justice' system and put him out of business.

    You can read all about it at Andrew Drummond's blog...http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2011/08/farmer-joe-loses-water-tight-30-year.html

        Imports of turkeys were banned some time ago because of an outbreak of bird flu somewhere outside Thailand. That was over a year ago and I'm surprised that the restrictions haven't been lifted by now. There are many poultry farms that produce turkeys here in Thailand just do a goggle search to find one near to you.

      Alternatively, if you have the room, why don't you breed your own like I do.

As far as I am aware a foreigner has never been able to fully own a property in Thailand. The laws restricting purchasing property in Australia are a very recent phenomenon (ask Tony Abbot). The guidelines for foreigners to acquire Australian property are well set out and if the rules are followed then the property can be purchased and it is then theirs.

No matter what dodgy (or otherwise) deals are done in Thailand involving shonky companies or leases, the foreigner can never fully own that property. I feel that it was

somewhat disingenuous for the OP to state that Thailand and Australia were one and the same - they're not.

I believe that this topic should have been entitled "Country with similar PROPERTY Laws to Thailand. There are many ,many things that you can say and do in Australia (even if you are an alien) that you would dare not do here in Thailand especially under the present regime.