richard_smith237

You lament the presence of fools while unknowingly performing the full Dunning-Kruger ballet... arms flailing, ego inflated, and brain nowhere in sight. The words you type are a masterclass in self-sabotage. You haven’t just cut your own throat - you’ve done it with a spoon, slowly, proudly, and in public (at least the publicity of this forum and not for the first time). You dress up incoherence as depth, Poe as your puppet, and delusion as insight. But all we see is a man mistaking his own intellectual droppings for pearls of wisdom. “Pearls before swine”? Gamma, sadly, you are the swine, snorting your own pretentious drivel while wallowing in the mud of your misunderstanding. You’re not tired of idiots - you’re just tired of not being recognised as their king. Evermore? No..... Just less of you, please... Be normal, make normal posts, and you’ll earn far more respect for genuine effort than for these glaring attempts to flaunt an intellect you so desperately want to shout from the rooftops... Its a bit sad, and sorry to say it, I don't dislike you, but much of your content is just outright drivel. There's an idea... but sadly... no you don't.... By all means contribute - but do so with intellectual honesty.

Agreed... So sad for the parents, but also so careless of them.... The logic is somewhat dumbfounding... I get the 'peer-pressure' part of kids wanting motorcycles because all their friends have one, but the law is still 15 years old - the police don't care, so the parents don't care... But then they allow the 9 year old and 5 year old siblings on the motorcycle.... They've possibly being riding in the same manner, 3 up, without helmets for the past year or so and passed countless policemen while doing so... and the parents have been completely complicit in any incident that develops. So many tragic incidents, but these are not just tragic 'incidents' - its complete parental and policing negligence.

https://www.tatnews.org/2025/07/flying-a-drone-in-thailand-updated-guide-for-tourists/ Visitor Information Flying a Drone in Thailand – Updated Guide for Tourists Note: Flying is temporarily prohibited nationwide from 30 July to 15 August 2025, or until further notice. https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5b0fa8daec09d6b0a510e435fcde6c5c059019a2d5bb7b0654ee9537efb24bf4?s=140&d=blank&r=g TAT Newsroom Send an email5 days ago 18,660 4 minutes read https://www.tatnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Flying-a-Drone-in-Thailand-30July2025-1.jpg 🔴 Urgent Notice: Nationwide Drone Ban in Effect (30 July – 15 August 2025) Yup - Clearly I'm in the wrong here... I'm not questioning the law or that it exists. I'm simply highlighting that as someone who lives here full time, this information has somehow bypassed me. Thus: I can understand how a tourist on a beach in Thailand may also not be aware of the regulation, particularly the blanket ban.

Foreign IDP unnecessary if your home country licenses is in English.

Son fly's his in the Moobann... just up and down the road, not over peoples houses etc... He prefers the RC car. I can't see the police being bothered by it, there aren't enough Karen boomers in the moo-baan here to take affront to it... But I never thought / realised it was illegal.

Not really. I live here and, to be honest, I've been unaware of any official drone ban currently in effect - I wouldn't expect tourists to know, My son received a DJI drone for Christmas - not a large one, but apparently even that falls under the category of what’s now prohibited. I had absolutely no idea. So yes, people are quick to criticise tourists for flying drones - but how are they supposed to know there's a blanket ban if that information isn’t clearly communicated or publicly accessible? This is the first I’ve heard of any such restriction. What I have just found out: my Son needs to register his 135gm DNI neo Drone (with NBTC & CAAT) because it has a camera even though its less than 2 kg. I never knew this - for some reason I thought it was only drones over 2kg that required registration.

Did you and KhaoHom brainstorm that during your weekly idiot council meeting back in the village?

They say every village has its idiot - and sometimes, that idiot goes missing. Naturally, you'd expect to find him in the village of missing idiots. But even that village is missing its idiot…. You are that guy !!!!

Well, at least there’s one positive comment in here. But honestly, this thread more than most really showcases the depths of grumpy, miserable-boomer energy that occasionally bubbles up on this forum. How bleak do some people need to be? I’m only surprised we haven’t had the inevitable “I didn’t come to Thailand to eat Western food” comment yet - or some tired remark about her looks. Give it time, though... Western food and British Food in Thailand - there's plenty around and a lot of it is excellent - Thailand really is a foodies paradise for all types of cuisine.

And there came the speculative maybe. Which is most likely a 'likely'.... Two tonnes of watermelons, a driver travelling at speed, light steering input, and a moment’s inattention. A dangerous combination. At least, this time, he didn’t take out an innocent motorcyclist along with himself. It’s tragic how often these unnecessary deaths occur. But in single-vehicle incidents like this, there’s usually only one person responsible. Yes, terms like “likely” and “usually” reflect a lack of absolute certainty - but when you look at the scale of the damage, there’s one thing that is certain: excessive speed was involved. And that makes it, ultimately, a self-inflicted incident with no one else to blame.

I see that too - when a driver appears ready to pull out of a junction, many others instinctively turn up the aggression dial. Rather than easing off to allow a smooth merge, they do the opposite: accelerating to assert dominance, making it crystal clear they have no intention of giving way. Some even go as far as flashing their headlights in a distinctly hostile manner - not as a friendly signal, but more like a warning shot: “Don’t you dare pull out in front of me"...... As a result the car pulling out is 'stuck' somewhat pregnant, half in half out of a junction and only moves once the on-coming car realised they have to give way and finally comes to a halt... The result? The car pulling out of the junction does so hesitantly and far more slowly, somewhat unsure of the other driver's intent. Meanwhile, the oncoming vehicle - which could have simply eased off the accelerator and indicated a willingness to give way, ends up having to brake sharply or come to a complete stop. Ironically, their refusal to show a moment’s courtesy slows their own journey more than if they'd just allowed the other driver to merge in the first place. So much for making progress.... This behaviour, repeated thousands of times across the city, amplifies into a widespread inefficiency in overall traffic flow. The near-total absence of basic courtesy on the roads has a cumulative, city-wide impact - it’s not just isolated rudeness; it becomes a systemic issue. What’s surprising, though, is the lack of overt aggression. You’d expect this constant friction to erupt into full-blown road rage more often, but it rarely does. Instead, drivers seem to slip behind the wheel, flick some unconscious “eff-you” switch, and carry on with a simmering, low-level passive aggression. It’s not explosive - just a steady undercurrent of self-importance and indifference. And oddly, no one seems particularly bothered by it. After decades of driving here, it doesn’t bother me either. I’m simply used to it - it’s just how things are - but I do notice it.

While technically flashing your headlights to give way isn’t a lawful signal in the UK, it’s widely used as an informal gesture of courtesy. According to the Highway Code (Rule 110), headlights should only be flashed to warn other drivers of your presence - not to convey any other message. Despite this, the practice often reflects a 'greater good' mentality on British roads, where drivers acknowledge that cooperation benefits everyone. Admittedly, not every area is a model of road etiquette, and there’s no shortage of idiots out there. Still, recognising when someone else has priority and yielding accordingly helps maintain traffic flow and reduces congestion that would otherwise be far worse. In contrast, the 'me first' attitude often seen elsewhere such as Thailand tends to disrupt this balance, slowing both parties down and causing unnecessary delays and accidents.

Another very good option which I now use mostly. Split the trip in two... fly via Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi.... - Take a morning flight (or day time flight at least) - Have a layover (just less than 24 hours so your baggage still goes through to the final destination automatically) - Book a hotel near the airport, arrive, have a swim, chill out, have dinner, get a good night sleep, then breakfast - Then go the the airport an hour before your flight without any need to check-in as you already have your boarding pass. - You'll only need to go through security. Doing this breaks jet-lag more easily and eases the boredom of flying...

No... The DLT do not 'keep' your original home driving License when obtaining a Thai License. I can't speak specifically for Banglamung - however, with so many foreigners obtaining driving licences here - such an issue has never once been mentioned.

There ought to be a legal requirement for all ponds to have a rope stretched across them – a simple, low-cost safety measure that could allow anyone who ends up in the water to grab hold and pull themselves to safety. At the very least, this should be complemented by a ladder on one side, even if it’s nothing more than a makeshift wooden one. This kind of basic standard could prevent countless avoidable tragedies. It's a modest intervention with the potential to save lives.