farangmick

tried to edit, but now have two posts. First post makes no sense. Substitute China for Thailand and it's a bit better. (Had a Christmas drink, or three).

Very wise of the people drawing up the ASEAN agreement not to include free movement of labour. Someone must have looked at the EU. Of course Thailand wouldn't get hordes of benefit scroungers, since there are no benefits to scrounge, but the B of E has just published a report concluding that the migration of semi and unskilled migrants from Eastern Europe has pushed down the wages of the British low paid workers.

Probably in a minority of one, but I have no problem with Thailand Post. Made five orders with companies in China in the last few weeks, EMS. As soon as they arrive in Thailand, I only have a max 3 day wait for delivery, usually 2. The problem can be with the choice of carrier. Singapore Post best, China and Netherlands good. Swedish post..still in a rowing boat somewhere out to sea, postal staff probably all delivering handouts to migrants.

Probably in a minority of one, but I have no problem with Thailand Post. Made five orders with companies in Thailand in the last few weeks, EMS. As soon as they arrive in Thailand, I only have a max 3 day wait for delivery, usually 2. The problem can be with the choice of carrier. Singapore Post best, China and Netherlands good. Swedish post..still in a rowing boat somewhere out to sea, postal staff probably all delivering handouts to migrants.

I'd never have been a successful money lender. Shortly after my marriage, before wife and children turned me into a poor farang, I lent a modest sum to my new in laws, who have money and land, but claimed everything was tied up in long term saving plans. The verbal agreement seems to have been 0% interest and 0% capital repayment over a period of eternity. Saved me money over time though. Wife was mortified, and made sure that the hordes of uncles and 3rd cousins who swarmed in from darkest Issan to meet the new ATM went away empty handed.

Of course, I help out family who I know are grafters, if they are sick or injured, but the rest of the extended family now know they will get sod all.

Mine's an Isuzu. Took it back to the dealer on Monday to have the repaired infotainment/sat nav put back, followed by a short trip up the road to a supermarket. 60 km, 3 hours max. Left the dealers, sat nav not working. Did the shopping, back to the dealers. More poking about, then, oops, forgot to put the sim card back, sorry. Set off for home and 5 km later, the wife noticed that the power socket her tablet was plugged into wasn't working. U turn, back to the dealers. Now on first name terms with half the staff. Oops, forgot to reconnect this wire. Sorted. By now lunch time. Tried a place recommended by several farang, and had an excellent meal. Things looking up. But then we got home. Wife checked the supermarket bill, which she thought was rather high, and found we'd been billed for 25 packs of sanitary towels rather than two. So another trip the next day to get a refund. But also another delicious lunch.

Mai bpen rai. Nothing more pressing to do, and we found a really good restaurant.

Oops. enough beer now. Post about police, sorry..

All he was doing was his job, at his desk, he didn't die a heroic death in battle leading his troops

confronting the enemy, there are many policemen who dies while doing their job, why the lowly police man who dies on

the job not being promoted to a rank of general? and beside, don't they have a rank between Lt. colonel

to a general they can promote him to? what about an honorary rank? if they don't have one, they should invent

one....

Look at the number of generals in the RTA, compared to a real army. Could probably form a regiment of nothing but generals, with the total combat experience of one British or US private with a single tour of Afghanistan under his belt.

Sentence seems about right.

What method of death does Thailand now use?

Unfortunately it doesn't use any, not even the soft option of being sat behind a sheet and machine gunned. I like the old ways for vermin. Sat tied to a stake whilst a chap with a sword dances in front and his mate sneaks up behind and chops your head off. Or the older, and more appropriate punishment in this case, stuffed inside a large takrow ball, and kicked about by elephants until one gets bored and stomps on you.

Much as I like living in Thailand, with that sort of capital, and income, I would never consider it. Great place for those of us with a modest income, the money goes a lot further. Personally, and this is only me, I'd love to be able to take the family to NZ. Good education for the kids, temperate climate to make the wife happy, Or California, outside of the cities. Most farang I know are happy here, but all would leave if they had serious money.

I realize there is a quite the focus on ped's and teaching, but what about ALL the other ped's here? Guess in Thailand the 'others' are ok? Anyone who sees a child as a sex object should be sent to Syria for some retraining.

except that the islamists feel the same way as this creature, but only about girls.

It's seriously cold all over the country. The last few days I've been sat outside at 5.30am with a cup of tea, before getting the kids up for school, and I've had to wear a T-shirt.

They shiver every year up north. Then when it gets a bit warmer, they sell the freebie blankets, and all the warm clothing donated by soft touch idiots down south, me included once. Then they wait for next years supply.

This was no.1 headline in a lot of English online daily papers. If the truth doesn't come out, whatever's happened, it'll be another small nail in the tourism coffin.

I certainly haven't benefited financially. The wife got a cheap 10,000 baht bike locally for "Bike for Mom." She got into cycling, but didn't like the bike. So it was a trip to a proper cycle shop. She was steered straight to the Bianchis by the owner. I managed to put my foot down without having to show a bank book to prove that I am not a rich farang, but still spent shed loads more than any right minded person would pay for two wheels and no engine.

I got a 'last year's model' Giant pro bike that was normally about 65,000 for around 25,000. Beautiful bike and I was lucky to get it. Love it and ride 10-20 km a night on it.

To be fair to the wife, the money isn't wasted this time. She's up at 5.30 every morning to do 30-40 km. Same in the evening. If I had to face her in the Octagon now, I'd be down quicker than Aldo. Now if I could just find a way to make housework seem more fun than Google+ and Line.....

P.S. Wish I'd found a deal like yours.

I thought it was nice event. Despite farangs whinging, the King is a good man, and his mother spent her last years drilling wells for villages that had no water. He is an accomplished jazz musician, photographer and engineer.

I wish we had someone important who loved us that much in the US.

Agree with you about His Majesty. The rest is your fault. If your ancestors hadn't been a bit miffed with George Third, or if the British generals had been competent, you could still be a loyal subject of a caring monarch. Probably still a useless government though, same as us.

Cool looking flag.

I think they should add a sheep though.........JUST JOKING!!!

That's reserved for the Welsh, when the UK breaks up. Sheep "passant" with wellington boots "rampant" behind. Joking also.

I certainly haven't benefited financially. The wife got a cheap 10,000 baht bike locally for "Bike for Mom." She got into cycling, but didn't like the bike. So it was a trip to a proper cycle shop. She was steered straight to the Bianchis by the owner. I managed to put my foot down without having to show a bank book to prove that I am not a rich farang, but still spent shed loads more than any right minded person would pay for two wheels and no engine.

Give them both a lance and send them out to joust on jet skis to settle the arguement. Guns are getting so boring.

Not watched TV since I came here seven years ago. So I'm in the grumpy old git category. Can keep the wife and kids quiet for a time though.

And Western governments only deal with benevolent democracies? I'd take my family to see it, when the kids are a bit older.

Not the same as posting here but last Friday the BBC told their worldwide audience exactly what it was all about and it wasn't cycling, health or exercise !

Missed that, because I've stopped watching the BBC, and now can't find the report. But I can guess.

HOping the killer will spend 25 years in jail. How ever the law is what they decide it is today. Article 44 prevails.

How do you know it was the pick up driver's fault?

Could the bike not have driven in front of him.

Accidents do happen.

Certainly not a killer.

No such thing as an "accident" - I think we should wait for the evaluation...........except it won't happen

Yes there is. It is the opposite of a deliberate act. That's not to deny any culpability. The man who rode his motorbike into a tree at the bottom of our drive, and killed himself, almost certainly didn't mean to do it, even though he was drunk.

Making gambling illegal just gives it more frisson for the participants, whether they are students or a poor group of village women playing for a 100 baht pot, just waiting for the police to burst in, and seize all the money (no receipt). I equate it to underage drinking in England when I was young many years ago. When we hit 18, quite a few of my friends stopped. They only drank because of the thrill of being illegal. Surely it can't be hard to allow gambling up to a certain sum, beyond which debts are not enforceable, so no one can throw the chanote for the farm into the pot.

Khao Kho in Phetchabun. Not enough there for a holiday, but great for one or two nights if doing a road trip south to north, or vice versa. Or in my case, a pleasant day trip with some good restaurants. Just avoid the Thai holidays, when it appears that half of Bangkok goes there, judging by the traffic on the 21.

Kho kor itself is a great place for a few days but you can also use it as a decent base for daytripping neighbouring provinces.

Khao Kho is only about a two hour drive north for me. If you know anywhere not too far from there that kids would enjoy, please pm me.Always looking for things to fill the weekends and holidays. Cheers.