Scouse123

6 hours ago, ChasingTheSun said:

“Thailand has changed beyond recognition and I would now refer to the late 80s and the 90s as the good old days. It is well known among many people the place has deteriorated in terms of friendliness, cleanliness, value for moneuy and overall enjoyment.“
....The same could be said of almost anywhere on the planet.
 

Tell us about a place that you think is now better than how it was during the 80s or 90s?

 

No place is perfect. If running away to Issaan makes you feel you are somehow living better, then good luck and buh bye. 

You are making a silly post when you do not know my circumstances.

I did not  run away to ' Isaarn ' . It was a planned move over many years, building and preparing the site and building the properties on my partners land.

Ill health and a major operation sped this decision along the way. There was no running away.

Some of us do not want to spend our days in an outside beer bar in Pattaya or wherever. Those that do OK, but not for me these days.

Name a place that is now better than in the eighties, you say?

Well, Cambodia for sure as the Khmer rouge have gone and it is no longer occupied by the Vietnamese. The country of Vietnam has improved as it is now much more accessible for tourism and more developed. Myanmar for similar reasons.

We could then talk about many former USSR states that are now independent and have opened up for tourism, or newly formed or re-established previous states that now enjoy freedoms and independence from the former Yugoslavia.

Angola, Namibia and countless others, no longer war torn and prospering and developing.

37 minutes ago, ChasingTheSun said:

Buh bye.

If you wish to speak with me or quote me, could you please use English that I can understand.

Next, I have been coming and going to Thailand over 30 years. I have lived here for around 25 years now. I have been in business and also lived here on both business visas and now retirement extensions for a considerable time. I have lived in coastal areas, traveled extensively within the country, and now live in Isaarn.

Thailand has changed beyond recognition and I would now refer to the late 80s and the 90s as the good old days. It is well known among many people the place has deteriorated in terms of friendliness, cleanliness, value for money and overall enjoyment. 

I and many others have lived through military coups, Tsunamis, blood on the streets of Bangkok, airport shutdowns, increased xenophobia displayed towards us, a tightening of rules and regulations of which many are duplicated and others serve no purpose except to make us feel unwanted.

The beaches have become terrible, filthy and polluted, the massive income from tourism has not been reinvested but diverted elsewhere. Prices have rocketed and plenty of it has nothing to do with inflation.

Meanwhile, countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan, Malaysia are now providing alternative and better choices for long staying tourists and expats. Whilst offering and opening up their countries we are witnessing easy visa processes and relaxation of rules governing purchase of properties and more access to stay and work in some Asian countries except of course, Thailand.

Thailand feels it is ' better ' than its neighbors, doesn't need Western tourists as much as it used to and is focusing on the Asian market, yet dislikes other countries in the region reaching out to those very same markets.

Two of my close friends are in Phu Quoc as I speak and on my recommendation. They were big fans of Phuket and this couple do not skimp on good hotels and pampering wherever they go. They said their last trip to Phuket they felt cheated and unwanted, even by vendors they have met from previous years and people they thought were at least, holiday friends.

I have seen their posts and photos on Facebook, they also contacted me on messenger saying thank you and stating Vietnam is wonderful, they are having a great time, and it now is their first choice for future holidays. Sure, this may change as Vietnam gets busier and opens up, but you are just in denial regards Thailand.

6 hours ago, mike787 said:

Post from jaiyen . "....Japan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and more. Even going to Europe is only about $500 more than Thailand and much better places to visit in many countries..."  speaks for many of us in the community.  There are way better options, take your rose colored glasses off.

+1

12 hours ago, tgw said:

this is an interesting piece of news.

something stinks to the high heavens.

 

one question is, why was this warning given in public ?

why allow everyone to witness the sacking of the deputy police chief and then to know about this warning?

who else than Big Joke should heed the advice?

 

if something happens to BJ, is this to mean "I told you so" ?

 

Agree with you,

If Surachate is assigned to the office of the PM, why not just a meeting or an internal memo?

Why all the high drama and a public announcement other than to let everybody know what you have done for the benefit of those on ' both sides of the fence '

Cloak and dagger, opaque and steamy windows!

10 minutes ago, kensisaket said:

 

A Lt Col is the deputy national police chief? Really????

Typo,

You can see by the uniform he is wearing he is a Lt. General three star.

19 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

He might as well have turned himself in. They will definitely find him now.

He might also be in Africa or South America!

2 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

The "things" you refer to is often done on Military bases.

 

When the US were redacting terrorists to 3rd party locations in order to do "things" to them, several were redacted to Utapo air base and had "things" done to them.

Ah I see,

So you actively promote this type of policing ?

I suppose you are a supporter of the extra judicial killings that take place as well without due process!

And to mention US forces, well how many times has it been proven that they have carried out unnecessary and completely wrong actions against captives and suspects including civilians.

There is law and without it there is anarchy.

1 minute ago, Peterw42 said:

I think its primarily to avoid the media circus, and somewhat for the protection of the guy, correct procedure can be followed. As you can see, when they did finally take the guy to the police station, its under an armed escort, bullet proof vests, the station is locked down. The safe house could be just buying time to get all that in place. Make sure they dont miss a legal step in the arrest process etc.

You have FAR MORE trust in the local police than I will ever have.

Regards the media frenzy, by and large it's the police who call them and tell them what time to be at the station!

The BIB and the media are all in step with each other and certainly don't need time to get things in place. They sing off the same hymn sheet.

2 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

I saw a Thai News clip on a friend's phone yesterday and they had pictures of this guy and compared the manner of stance, which appeared to be similar. Apparently, according to the clip this teacher/director had broken a leg some while back which left him with slightly abnormal walk. Anyone here confirm this?

Just wait five minutes, somebody will confirm.

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

Apparently, the "safe house" was the local army barracks.

Well OK whatever,

I would like to see or know the reasoning behind it to take him there and then AFTER transfer him to a regular police station.

They have these places up and down Bangkok and Pattaya and they are nothing more than old condos and run down houses away from prying eyes where they can do things to the accused which are highly illegal.

15 hours ago, Nip said:

Yes, a police safe house is not safe for the victim it's safe for the police.

Setting aside the crime itself as that is being dealt with adequately by all the TV supersleuths that would put Sherlock to shame. I hate these safe houses and I do not believe them to be even legal.

There is not one possible reason to take somebody to a safe house other than to perform illegal activities against the person and the law. Not one. You cannot even say for the safety of the accused, because once they got their ' confession ' they move him to a regular police station or Army barracks whatever, where he could have be taken in the first place.

It is a known fact these places are used to extort victims, extract confessions under duress, use cruel and unusual punishment such as electric shocks, suffocation with plastic bags etc. There are also no witnesses or access to lawyers or medical staff if need be.

If this guy is guilty, do as you wish or should I say as the law decides, but neither he nor anybody else should be taken to these safe houses, which is just a  euphemism for torture chambers!

I know people close to me who have been taken to these places and terrorized into giving in to extortion.

I remember him well. I watched him daily.

He had very much a style and arrogant attitude not dissimilar to the UK's Piers Morgan.

He could be right on many things he said but it was usually over shadowed with the need for the limelight and making it all about himself.

Anyway, he paid the money back only after he was bang to rights and then tried denying he was trying to embezzle it.

Maybe he can do a prison radio station whilst reflecting the error of his ways, greedy <deleted>.

10 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

Every one of the charges you lay at the door of the institutions you listed could quite easily be cast at our own government in shovelfuls. We are in no position to feel superior, with our faux democracy and our laughable claim to the 'mother of parliaments'.

Yep,

Very much an imperfect system I agree but the best we have at the moment and until a better system is put in place, it's the only one we have.

The referendum was and let's have it out in the open, the people were fed up with unchecked immigration, being constantly overruled and undermined by Brussels, and getting the worst and the criminal elements from the poorest nations in the EU, coming and living on benefits.We did not get the movement of people to find better jobs with in the skilled and unskilled sectors of the UK jobs industry, as we had thought it would have been. Sure, loopholes and weaknesses in the system were exploited.

There are certain countries over represented in people moving to the UK for a life of crime and living on government benefits, and when the UK tries to remove them, they hit obstacles under EU law that prevents them from doing so.

The Lords should have been abolished many years ago, it is antiquated, useless and not fit for purpose and if people wish to keep the checks and balances of parliament, the Lords needs to move into an elected body in a different format.

It is also a bit difficult and a culture clash, when the UK operates under a system where we live as we like to live unless we break the law compared with a European method of the people being told how to live by the law.

3 hours ago, puipuitom said:

 

 

The secretary general of the UN, NATO, WTO, WHO, FIFA, Olympic Committee, IMF, World Bank,  are also not elected by the voters of the world.

 

 

Yes,

And just look at the job these people in charge have done!

These organizations that are and have been scandal hit, rife with corruption, mismanagement, cronyism, nepotism and downright incompetence!

What poor examples you gave us as your beacons of light and paths to follow. I'll stick to the UK ballot box of choosing our leadership.

Never married but this year is 23 years together. Ups and downs but mostly ups!

I have no plans for that to change and neither does my other half.

My relationship with the UK wife lasted 6 years.

5 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

Johnson will reform the House of Lords.

 

He will flood the place with swivel eyed Brexit loons like Tim Martin.

Sooner the better!

4 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

Be sure to let us know! Out of interest are you planning to get another Elite visa?

I think if he was he would have done it already and not be stressing about getting another year.

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I'd say William and Kate are looking better by the day. I guess that's the one positive to come from all this, the debacle of Harry and Markle has really highlighted what a great job William and Kate are doing.

I used to be big on the Royal family but not so much these days. I find it outdated and a bit silly.

I have nothing to say about William and Kate and they are doing a decent job for those into that kind of stuff.

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

How very trendy of you, to use the trendy phrase "your imaginary God".

 

 

Used the phrase for as long as I have been an Atheist which is many years, nothing to do with being trendy.

2 hours ago, Liverpudlian said:

Harry for me is the only top geezer out of the entire useless mob, and perhaps a role model for the up yours with 2 fingers brigade. 

The only one worth a light to a candle is The Queen!

The rest I agree are useless.

2 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

So by that logic you always win your argument. If the the police don't find the murderer, you can put the Welli into the police for not doing the job. But they bring s suspect in for questioning - which I believe the report states as opposed to merely inviting the suspect for tea and scones when it suits because they have already taken the DNA sample according to the English translated Thai report - and suddenly the suspect must be a patsy.

 

Interesting! And I use that word very wrongly in this instance.

National police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, said today that the man, whose identity was not disclosed, matches the suspect’s profile, being of a similar height and seen carrying a red shoulder bag, similar to the one used by the robber.

I know the Thai police, how they work and operate, and have first hand experience of dealing with them on many levels.

They are not known for good policing and thorough investigation and when it comes to being under pressure to solve a crime........Well! things like the Burmese 2, Kirsty Jones murder in Chiang Mai, and many others come to mind.

I hope they have a lot more to go than the announcement from the police chief in Bangkok. They are not shy in press conferences when they have the slightest bit of evidence to go on. Similar height and a red shoulder bag, I would have a lot more than this before issuing statements.

22 hours ago, Templar Knight said:

My life was not difficult until this happened for i would go to Tesco every week for something and it was easy to pay. Going to the bank i hate long lines and paying on line i dont trust.  I will get someone to pay it for me.  Who thought of this idea of id for paying for bills what is the benefit from this? 

Your life is not difficult now, just pay it online.

2 hours ago, LennyW said:

Suspect or scapegoat????

My thoughts exactly!