Scouse123

Then you woke up and fell out of bed. Dream on!!! Make sure you take your meds today.

You are right, it was actually a SCAM, to obtain donations under the guise of charity, but in actual fact, it was to fund his lifestyle.

You don't remand a guy for such a trivial offence when he can post bail, and they have his passport. What next in your world? ..............Flogging for not wearing crash helmets?

I can agree with that, instead of backing down and wanting to be seen as politically correct as they are doing in the UK and allowing illegals to walk all over us.

I think it has had way too much publicity to disappear. I think they will make an example of him. Too many high level government ministers got involved. Incidentally, there has been fallout over this, even for me in the sticks. I had my first home visit in 28 years. The Immigration officers were pleasant and polite, but insisted on meeting my neighbours, to ensure I had been a good ' foreigner ' and not disturbed the peace of the village. Fortunately, as I have said previously, we have a compound and the only neighbours are my partner's elder sister on one side and mother on the other. However, this home visit was a direct result of negative press in the news regarding foreigners and a clampdown ordered by the government. Was it over the top, of course it was, but we can't argue. Parting words were, Everything OK, I'll see you in six months, or maybe not!

Great, Go have a beer, thirsty work is all that typing.

Now you really are talking nonsense. Early start today, was it? One thing I do know after living and working with them for 30 years, employing a great deal of them, speaking the language.....is Thais and the way they go about things. I have worked and been involved with Thais from all levels and walks of life. And your rig culture doesn't trump Thai culture, mannerisms and behavioural patterns.

28 days off, 28 days on. The 28 days off isn't a short break. Yes, he can do as he wishes, it's his life, his liver and his money, but he shouldn't try to normalise drinking at 7am in the morning, nor should he say silly things like University educated guys are doubling up as Bolt drivers as it simply isn't true.

I left Pattaya after selling the hotel a long time ago. I now live a long way away from there, and I am happy that I do. Likewise, I live now in what could be considered Real Thailand. A much quieter more peaceful life. Pattaya is full of sex pats, ex-SAS members, Secret Service, drunks, conmen, crooks and dreamers. There are also the losers and the jealous and those whose brains have become addled with alcohol. That is not the style I wish to be associated with. You see, you can reinvent yourself and pretend to be anything you want to be in Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok etc My life now may be considered boring by the likes of some Pattaya expats, but it suits me.

I am not having, accepting or believing this. You obviously know nothing about Thais. A university educated Thai would find working, even part-time as a Bolt driver, demeaning. They would consider it low class and a severe loss of face. These jobs are reserved for those with no education, usually older, that can't get a job doing anything else.

You see, I don't find the Vietnamese rude once you get to know them. They can be great fun and have a hell of a sense of humour. Also, their English, even on translate apps, uses far more complex and detailed English wording than the Thais in Google Translate apps. I've met some wonderful Vietnamese. They can be very direct/straightforward. I have just been with four Malaysians in Siem Reap, all Muslim guys, they drank, they partied, great sense of humour and nice, clean, polite guys. Yes, they didn't eat pork. They just weren't hung up on religion, unlike the Pakistanis, where there are far too many fanatics. I like the Indonesian guys as well, and that is the most populous Muslim country in the World. Sure, there are certain cities to avoid, where they take Sharia Law to a bad level. Aceh, for instance, would not be on my to go list. Cambodians, as a rule, are extremely genuine and friendly. Thailand has been spoiled with tourism and had its own way too long, this has made them greedy, and complacent in tourist areas. Outside tourist areas, I find them a lot nicer.

Speaking of your uneducated Somchais I see your point, and the Bolt drivers you drink with, and get drunk with, very early in the morning are well-educated then? I'd love to know which universities they attended. You only drink on your 28 days off because you can't drink on offshore rigs, can you?

Meaning? I was a hotelier and up early in the mornings and had ample opportunity to see the people returning to the hotel and nearby hotels at 7am, we also had a taxi rank, two actually, at either end of the Soi. I saw plenty of foreigners, who having a skinful and don't know when to call it a day, chose to drink with taxi drivers early morning. I've seen it go bad as well, on more than one occasion.

They probably would, but then he would be in cuckoo land same as the OP

Too much of a generalisation. Plenty of them are selfish, mean, callous, and cheats, especially in Isaarn, just like other countries, but the Thai can add an extra layer of viciousness to it. Many are very shallow. Even in the sticks, the worst for cheating, lying and stealing are other family members. It's very rare to get close to them, it takes years and years, They want to know everything about you, whilst telling you nothing about themselves. Of course there are some wonderful Thais, but let's not get carried away saying that all is fine and dandy in LOS, because long stayers know it isn't. And for the OP, all is well with drinking with taxi drivers early morning thinking they are your friends, until you make an error or one of them is drunk and decides you have been rude or misunderstands you, then you'll see how friendly they are. Seen it plenty of times from my days in Pattaya.

If he can afford to fly back and forth, surely, he can get a DTV visa? Sorry, I forgot, you must have 500K. Education visa, Muay Thai learning visa, etc OP needs to research and get a bit more resourceful.

Same as Brunei, Russia, Uganda, Belarus, Cambodia, North Korea, Philippines of old, Then we had previously, Libya, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Taiwan, Gabon, Albania, Haiti, and the lists just go on and on. They never quit, the leopard just pretends it's changed its spots.

I remember it well, and he was, I think, the poorest MP and PM they ever had. A real PM who cared for the nation.

Power corrupts And absolute power corrupts, absolutely.

Definitely agree with you on that one. I bet his barber in Dubai rated higher than the Thai people.

He has been warned to keep his nose out of politics, but he can't. He was supposed to have come back to spend time with his grandchildren and due to ill health. Furthermore, he certainly doesn't look ill at all to me. He's walking fine, and the neck brace has gone, I see. There could well be trouble ahead, the military are not going to take this laying down, and if it's a toss up between the Military or Thaksin, my money is on the military. I am sure in my own mind, it would have been him pushing the former PM to employ the corrupt lawyer involved in Thaksin's 'chocolates for the Judges 'case, and then behind the scenes, reporting him, through a puppet, for 'breach of ethics codes '

There is tax on every product we buy here including cars, food, hotels, beer, etc we pay road tax, most of us have first class insurance. We pay for Thai members of family to go to university, well, I have. We pay when the mother is sick to go to hospital;, We certainly pay the Police on a regular basis, if you can call them a Police force, they like their money upfront, I pay for hospitals through private insurance, the odd occasion I visit a public hospital, I pay. If foreigners like me hadn't paid plenty, Isaarn wouldn't exist, because the bloody government hardly paid anything and it was neglected forever, So what are you talking about?

Absolutely spot on there Bob.

Stupid idea on the part of the woman, pay the excess baggage fees and that's the end of it. Running around asking people on social media and offering 2,000 baht. You are embarrassing yourself. Stop being so cheap. Who, in this day and age of bombs, drugs, contraband would take that kind of risk?

Borrow in Thailand has a different meaning than it does in the rest of the world. \ Borrow = give without any chance of repayment.