Toknarok

There is an illegal reptile trade in tookaes, they are killed dried and shipped off to the Philipines where thay are medicinally. said (wrongly) to be a cure/prevention for AIDS.

I did read somewhere that there was a reward of 100K Baht for anyone who could produce one that weighed over a kilo. Although they grow to a fair size (they are the Worlds second largest gekko) I never seen one nearly that big.

As for their calls the maximum number of 'eff' you's' that I have heard is 12, usually they number 6 or 7. I think my wife counts the amount of calls to get the lottery numbers.

I don't think there is an entry for religion in the yellow book. It was in the questionaire that had to be answered at the amphur prior to the issue of the book. The bloke asking the questions even had a list of religions that could be put down as an answer.

I remember this well as for a moment I was tempted to answer Jedi.

Bit off topic but when I went to get my yellow book about 12 years ago they wanted to know what my religion was. Being an atheist I replied that I didn't have any religion. The amphur would not accept this stating that 'everybody must have a religion'. It seemed pointless to argue the case so I said 'put down Christian'. Things may have changed since.

Just Google 'skinks Thailand' there are dozens and dozens of different types. The ones around my house are quite tame, they don't worry me as they rarely come inside.

I don't particularly like the taste of coffee and it's years since I've had a cup. I much prefer tea. Is there something wrong with me?

Yes Australia is a 'nanny' state especially with regard to the "Elf & Safety" rules. I just couldn't see the point of every morning before work having a so called safety awareness meeting and having to state (usually made up) what safety measure you had taken the day before, and then you had to all sing a silly little song about being 'safe' True,I was reminded of this when I saw my daughter at her primary school reciting Prayuth's 12 principles and the anthem.

Yes there are regulations for just about everything in Oz (nay for EVERYTHING), nevertheless look at the advantages of living there compared to Thailand. Wonderful free health system, terrific educational facilities, a reasonably generous welfare system for the underpriviliged, safe and efficient transport systems, the list goes on and on.

Why do I choose to live in Thailand, mainly because my family is here, I llike the Thai people with a few exceptions, and it is MUCH cheaper to live here than it is in Oz which now has one of the highest cost of living in the World.

I don't much like living under a Junta but it doesn't affect me much, or hasn't so far, and I can't vote anyway. As for the present Aussie government, don't get me started!

That so called zoo is an absolute disgrace. Looking at the pictures of the audience watching the so called 'shows' I note that there doesn't appear to be a farang amongst them. I'll bet quids that they are all Chinese. We in the West seem to be realising that animal welfare is important and that animals suffer and should be treated compassionately. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case in China, not only are there reports of Chinese zoos with appalling conditions, but their appetite for such things as bear bile and rhino horn remedies does not endure them to an animal lover.

HM the King's eldest daughter marrieed a farang and went to live with him in America. They were married for 26 years before they divorced and the Princess returned to Thailand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubolratana_Rajakany

The only place you can eat a mango properly is in the bath!

I wish them luck with this, but until te Countries to our West and South East introduce similar measures I fear it wii be in vain. There have been several people admitted to our local hospital over the past year with malaria.

How many expats, especially those living in cities, have maids. I've no idea but I'll bet it's a good percentage. Where in the US could you employ a full time maid for 10K baht a month? Emply legally, not some paperless illegal immigrant.

I wonder if this accident happened between Nang Rong and Prachonchai? That stretch of 30km road must be one of the most dangerous in Southern Issan.

Just what is it with these people and their contradictory statements. Only yesterday they were crowing that there had been improvements over the last 6 months http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/818908-thai-finance-min-boasts-visible-economic-improvement-over-the. It's quite obviousl that they haven't got a clue and the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

WOW .399 now that is heavily pissed. He should have been unconcious, I'm surprised he was coherent enough to hail a rickshaw and actually climb into it.

5.2 kilos, that's a hellavalot of coke. Don't know the purity but after it's been cut it's not surprising they valued it at over 15 million baht.

I have stated before the majority of these tigers are Bengal tigers and are not indigenous to this region. They come from Northern India and Nepal. Thai tigers are of the sub species Indochina tigers. No way could any of the temple tigers be released into the wild in Thailand, they don't belong here. Most would probably die, they have no hunting skills.

I don't know for sure but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that these tigers are grossly interbred with a very limited gene pool. As such they would likely be most unsiotable for sending to zoos for breeding puropses.

Maybe the best thing would be to euthanise them all as somene has suggested. They are really no use for breeding if the genes are not right. Remember the giraffe that was put down recently in a Danish zoo.No use for breeding.

I once lost my wallet on a Thai Airways flight. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I got up to disembark at Swampy. I only realised I had lost it when I had got off the bus from the plane to the arrivals area. I went immediately to a Thai Airways desk and asked if they could help. They were great. They asked me what was my seat number on the plane and then radioed that information to ground staff in a vehicle on the apron.

Half an hour later I was re-united with the wallet. Boy was I relieved. I was just about to start my holiday and would have been up the creek if I had lost my credit card. Well done Thai Airways staff.

This sort of thing has been going on for centuries. Just by coincidence the following arrived in my E mail this morning. Some might find it interesting http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-business-of-bones-relic-trafficking-in-the-middle-ages?utm_source=Atl

Nowadays, many people do not get their news by directly accessing a media organisation's website. Rather, it comes via their social media timeline, with news shared among "friends".

Of course they do, how else are they to get to know what is going on in the World. Thai media have always been mediocre at best and are now subject to Junta suppression. Throw in Lese Majeste, defamation laws and Article 44 you are bound to get curious people turning to the net and their 'friends' to find out what is going on in their own heavily censored Country.

This evening my wife and daugter presented me with a bowlfull of fried silk worm bugs, the ones that are left after the silk cocoon has been removed. Cost 50baht. I'm not a great fan of eating insects but over the years have tried many varieties, but never cockroaches.

The silkworm larvae taste is difficult to describe, sweet with a destintively woody flavour. Not unpleasant at all. I would imagine that if they were sold covered in chocolate or something they could well be an acquired taste.

About 15 years ago the wat closest to my village was raided by thieves who were stealing the ashes remains interred in the 'chedi' type tombstones found around the perimiter of all wats in this Country. They broke into the tomb and stole the ashes of my wife's father. Also there were the ashes of my wifes younger sister who had died of cancer. They somehow missed her ashes.

My wifes family decided to inter the -remaining ashes in a chedi in our village wat together with the remains of two other brothers who had died. A new chedi was purchased (guess who paid for it?) and with ceremony was concecrated if that is the correct word. That chedi is where my remains will be interred after my demise.

The Police eventually caught up with the 'tomb robbers'. They didn't steal the remains for local consumption in amulets, the ashes were destined for China. Why, I don't know, you work it out.

I know of two cases where Thai Buddhists were buried. They both had commited suicide. After 7 years what was left of the corpse was exhumed and then cremated with ceremony, monks and all. I attended one of these, quite bizzare.

When my village got the 1m baht a few years ago, they decided to invest it in buying a large canvas canopy and many tables, chairs and coking utensils etc. These were to be used for weddings, funerals and the like. Residents of the village got to use them for free, but any other people who wanted to rent them have to pay. This has proven to be very popular in the district and these items are in constant use. The rentals obtained pay back the loan and interest.