richard_smith237

Nope... thats not what 'I' have to offer... Its what the Foreign Minister of the UAE has to offer..... someone who's infinitely more qualified than both you or I to evaluate the evolving landscape of fundamentalist religious influences across Europe. In Summary, he's suggesting the West are simply too 'woke' to deal with this 'issue' effectively - you may disagree along with many others.... .... However, having worked throughout the Middle East, having recently just returned from one of the 'most dangerous' countries within the Middle East - I can see how very true and realistic his [UAE Foreign Minister] words area. Many liberal folk are very slow accomodate news and information that conflicts with their ideology until a gun is pushed into their faces - the very strengths that control fundamentalist views of all types and offer a layer of protection to society are often the 'strengths' and polices those best protected from them end up fighting against - the naivety and innocent ignorance is astounding.... .... Like a blond haired blue eyed back-packer wondering up the SWAT Valley to spread the word of world piece only to be taken in as a hostage or beheaded.... I've been invited to such area's as a friend, I'm in very little doubt as to what could really happen up there....

No, it's the racists, the Nazis, and anti-democrats, also the lowest level in society who struggle to compete with 2025, which are called leftovers in the rust belt, mostly uneducated. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE on the failure of the West to control fundamentalism which will result in Islamic fundamentalism and Terrorism developing within the West.

I believe that its possible for overseas forces to operate in Thailand, under advisory roles, without jurisdiction or policing powers under the supervision and guidance of Interpol Thailand, who may also liaise with local police forces. So.. No, overseas Police forces cannot make arrests here in Thailand - but under an advisory roll, then can guide Thai Police to wanted individuals and oversee their arrest.

Yup... the braces trend has been around for a while now. Perversely, it’s a 'status symbol'... much like wearing gold jewellery, etc. About 15 years ago or so, dental treatments like this were considered expensive, and only those who could afford them had braces. Typically, this was the preserve of the wealthier in society - those from the middle classes and upwards who could afford such treatment. ...then came the 'fake braces', and these dental adornments became popular as a cosmetic fashion item rather than for any purpose of dental improvement. https://aseannow.com/topic/431836-why-do-thai-girls-wear-fake-dental-brackets/ https://aseannow.com/topic/1019700-health-warning-over-online-‘fashion-themed’-dental-services/

Exactly this... its as simple as going to the DLT with Greenbook and ID.... thats it.

Our country (the UK) was invaded, overruled etc... just look at the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Viking Invasions and Danelaw, Norman Conquest, Scottish and Irish Invasions of England and vice versa, French Invasions and Influence.... Our own countries have been carved up and invaded through millennia... The US itself was carved up.... ... But, if any of that is not enough and you want something more 'similar'.... Look no further than India... So, why do we not have 'Indian fundamentalists' attacking Western cities in the Name of Lord Shiva' ????? On to you comment about the Southport murders... Axel Rudakubana is reported to have exhibited a disturbing obsession with violence, as evidenced by his possession of extremist materials, including the Al Qaeda Training Manual, and his research into self-driving car bombs and historical massacres - no religious motivation you say ??? During the investigation into Axel Rudakubana, authorities discovered a PDF file titled "Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual" on his electronic devices. This document is known to contain information useful for committing or preparing Jihadi acts of terrorism. But... with this information it was also stated... no additional Islamic paraphernalia was reported to have been found in his possession or residence, there was no established clear ideological or political motivation for his actions, and the attack has not been classified as a terrorist incident - thats clearly whitewashing the truth. I guess the "Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual" - is no different from J.D. Salingers catcher in the Rye then !!! These attacks are being 'whitewashed' and their religious motivation played down...

Who cares what the price of his steaks are ??? - there are lot of restaurants in Bangkok with Steaks that expensive, from many Japanese restaurants to high end steak / grill restaurants.... those steaks listed in the menu's (posted on this thread) are by no means excessive..... unless you want to compare to the cost of a local chewey buffalo. As far as Phat Thai is concerned - its an incredibly famous dish in Thailand and one of many on offer. Just because 'some posters' have evolved on to dishes they consider more for Thai's and longterm foreigners who've become more deeply ingrained in Thai culture when eating their chicken feet soup and Som-Tam-PlaRah.... It does not mean that Pad Thai is not a great dish.... There is also another facet to this: A while ago, Gordon Ramsay filmed an episode with a Thai Chef and tried to cook Pad Thai, the result was ridiculed by the Thai Chef - this seems to be Gordon Ramsay owning his failure and coming here to learn how to master such a dish... We recently had guests (Gap Year kids from the UK)... the tried anything and everything, mostly influenced by TikTok and youtube... They ordered Paad Thai (one recommended on TikTok)... My Wife had it and said it was the best Paad Thai she had !!!!.... she loved it.... Thus - when 'poopoo-ing' dishes like Paad Thai for their simplicity, it might be because you may have not had a really good one....

If the perpetrator had been from England, do you think it would be relevant to mention the medication? Yes... I think its pertinent to mention any information to the story... Medication was mentioned, but it was not mentioned that this man had a Bible or a Quran, a prayer mat etc... Also... it never mentioned what 'medication consistent with psychiatric treatment' was present - it could have been Melatonin to help with sleeping etc... My point is - I get the impression that Western Media deliberately attempts to steer to the rhetoric away from certain possibilities and in doing to clumsily opens up the very void speculation it attempts to control. In this case the information provided leans to wards the suspicion that this attacker was mentally disturbed... as feeds the layman with the idea this was the 'blame' for the attach.... When in reality, when someone is mentally disturbed, there is a trigger - the mental disturbance is just the symptom.

The fact that they felt the need to announce this conclusion so swiftly, while simultaneously locating a "medication consistent with psychiatric treatment," raises questions. All that is needed is to find one or two 'Valium' pills to provide wings and allow a politically convenient narrative to take flight. This allows the media rhetoric to be carefully shaped, steering attention away from other, perhaps less comfortable, possibilities; i.e. religion - fundamentalism - Islam. There is also the point that evidence of a psychiatric condition does not automatically exclude the potential for religious motivation. The readiness with which any religious aspect is dismissed on the basis of such information fails to address the larger picture, in fact it seems so quickly and conveniently side stepped that instead of closing the void of speculation, this approach deepens it....

It’s a valid point that, in these racially and religiously charged times, the omission of certain details from discussions or reports creates a void. This void often becomes a breeding ground for suspicion, bias, and rhetoric, particularly from those quick to level accusations against Islam. It is also thought provoking that such accusations, more often than not, seem to hold weight. When attacks are committed by white, Western men - such as German nationals, religion is rarely brought into the conversation. Instead, the discourse tends to focus on alternative explanations, such as substance abuse or mental health issues. However, the complete omission of race or nationality often stirs speculation and mistrust, inadvertently fuelling divisive narratives - at least in this story the void was partially filled with the facts 'National Asylum seeker'. People frequently ask... “Why is it always Muslims who commit such acts?” The truthful answer is that it isn’t. Yet..... the disproportionate media amplification of such events, combined with the failure of governments to effectively manage immigration, perpetuates a skewed perception. Incidents involving male-only immigrant populations do appear disproportionately high, which exacerbates existing tensions. Another point worth considering is the distinction between immigrants who integrate successfully into their host countries and those who do not. In my experience, individuals in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Kurdistan regions, despite the hardships in their homelands, are often polite, overwhelmingly welcoming, and respectful.... ...... Yet, something seems to change when they settle in Western nations like the UK or much of Europe. Many form insular groups and, in some cases, become prone to violence and religious extremism. This stark transformation raises questions about the underlying causes, such as social ostracism, lack of integration, or systemic issues within host nations. As for Pakistan, I’ve observed a different dynamic. Beyond superficial manners, I often sense an underlying discomfort or even dislike towards non-Muslims. Unlike the genuine respect and consideration I’ve experienced with other nationalities, my interactions with individuals from Pakistan have felt strained and disconnected, revealing a subtle yet pervasive tension. So was this a religious attack?... The media have been very quick to dispel any 'religious reason' and concentrate on the possibility of mental illness - It is the speed with which authorities go to any lengths to avoid the possibility or mention of 'religious reasons' that opens up void of distrust and though it speculation... ... We have a Afghani Asylum Seeker who stabbed children... Mental Health ??? - of course, anyone who commits such an act has mental health issues !!!... But that could also be driven by other reasons, specifically religious reasons - why this is being so quickly ignored is beyond me... ... If someone doesn't scream “Allahu-Akbar” before pressing a red detonation button it seems any other possible reason will be investigated before that of an attack motivated by religion....

Theoretically - with UK Nationality - the Op and his Wife (if also UK passport holder) can use the NHS without issue. Officially, then need to be in the UK for two years - but thats never checked. However, IF caught unwell at a layover destination, then insurance cover would be useful.... But, does your regular Health Cover, not cover you everywhere (unless specific exclusions apply) - i.e. I'm looking at cover now and most have a 30 day emergency cover in any country (outside of USA mostly) - obviously small print* determines the specific on this. (*and before LL gets overexcited and knocks one out all over this thread - by small print I mean the colloquialism referring to terms and conditions, not the size of text). I'm not sure if our 'Health Cover' (insrunace) covers us for Private Treatment in our countries of Nationality - as generally, health cover us for elective treatment in our country of residence and emergency cover elsewhere - countries such as the UK have emergency treatment only at public hospitals, I'm not sure how recovery once stabilised would be handled. Someone may have experience of this and it would be very good to know.

Bo!!ox... (with caveats)... When I have taken travelle insurance in the past its to cover a number of options... 1) Trip cancellation insurance 2) Loss of Baggage 3) Delay insurance 4) Injury (illness) cover while away 5) Theft of equipment The cover is somewhat variable with regards to timing... i.e. with specific trip insurance - cover starts on the 'day of cover stating' when 'at the destination' stated in the cover. i.e. IF you take out travel insurance for Japan from 10th to 20th February... then your cover starts from your time of arrval in Japan on the 10th..... ... But, if your trip is cancelled before then (i.e. through bereavement or injury / illness) the obviously you are covered and will be reimbursed for all costs. Last year I was covered - had a sports injury - all my hospital fees were covered while overseas, when I returned to Bangkok my cover ended and my main health insurance picked up where the Travel Insurance left off. World Nomads Paid out for Medical Treatment in Japan....

No…. In this example because while ApplePay does work in the same ‘tap & go’ manner with overseas cards, it doesn’t work with Thai cards…. This is is just one example of where some things are less developed, there are other examples where things are more developed.

This is an overstay… … the hang’em high crowd are peeing their knickers !!! The guy was silly - locking people up in those conditions is inhumane & should only be reserved for the inhumane crimes…

Is this why MaclomB has been quiet on the forum recently??? 🫣

?? how so... ?? Error on boarding Pass ? - Screens not working ? --------- I nearly missed a flight from KL to BKK... International flights (nearly) always depart from C gates at the satellite terminal. My Boarding Pass showed C 12 (or something similar for the gate).. so I travelled across to the satellite terminal, chilled had a couple of beers, went to the gate and it was empty... I checked the screens.. my Gate was G12 and I had to rush to get back across to the main terminal - the printing on the boarding pass was sketchy and it wasn't easy to make out the gate letter was G and not a C...

You're playing this very lightly... What would you do if a stranger slapped your Wife's backside like that in a 7-11 ??? It's easy to pass judgement that this is harmless and just a bit of fun when its done to a stranger, but if it were closer to home and someone you cared about ? ... I think many guys would end up getting physical and resort to a violent reaction with someone behaving like this.... and that in itself highlights how wrong the Polish guys behavior was. But... if someone is the type of person not to be bothered about a stranger treating their wife or girlfriend like this and giving them a slap on the backside, then that might suggest more about the 'type' of partner they have in the first place. All of that said - the BiB reaction is rather excessive, as would be a 200,000 baht fine... nevertheless, the guy did something wrong and should be held accountable (to a reasonable extent).

Why get so upset and twisted ?? take a pill... this is just a discussion. Originally my thoughts were exactly as yours, that this is a shoulder and not a driving lane. After looking at more information (and google maps) its clear that I was mistaken and the motorcycle is in fact riding down a 'driving lane'... that is marked with solid while lines (likely an attempt by road planners to prevent traffic darting in and out of it). Thus, drop whatever prejudice you may have, untwist your knickers and take a fresh look...

Most folks would have chuckled, some might have rolled their eyes and muttered, "Alright, genius..." ...and then we have the boomer-Karens.... They’ve leapt straight to DEFCON 1, utterly scandalised. And what’s got their knickers in a twist this time? The fact that someone, somewhere, dared to reveal a sliver of their posterior to the public eye. This is 'boomer-Karen gold - prime outrage fuel. I can only imagine them clutching their pearls as they furiously type their righteous rants about the moral decay of society.

I've used a CTEK trick trickle-charger for a good number of years now... I have 'bike-dash-cams' hard wired in and there is mild battery drain which isn't an issue when using the bike regularly, but when I'm away for more than a month it can drain the batter - the CTEK trickle charger takes care of this and ensures the bike remains in 'hassle free ready to use condition' any time I want. https://www.lazada.co.th/tag/battery-charger-ctek/

This (photo below) is the same road, same direction, a couple of KM's earlier up the the road... Its clear that there are 3 driving lanes, and a 'shoulder'... the inside (left most) driving lane, is marked by a solid white line on both sides... Its not a 'shoulder'... The 'shoulder' is also marked to the left of this. Further on down the same road, the 'shoulder' disappears and makes way for sidewalk / pavement - the the inside (left most) driving lane remains the same with marked by a solid white line to the left and right. To me this is fairly clear information that the motorcyclist was not riding down the shoulder as initially suspected, but is infact riding down a dedicated driving lane (as stevenl pointed out earlier in the thread and which I incorrectly contradicted).

You don't see the brake lights? Never heard of antilock brakes? The grey car was 'forced' to take evasive action and brake to avoid an accident... 'slamming on the brakes' may not accurately describe the braking action in this case, but that becomes a discussion of semantics... Its clear that IF the grey car did not take evasive action and brake he would not have avoided a collision.

No, he would not. My point on this is that none of us know the 'letter of the law' - as the regulations regardign riding on what we are calling the 'shoulder' lane is quite a grey area, as in places there are signs that specifically highlight that Motorcycles can ride in the 'shoulder lane'. This seems to be a 'sticking point' in the discussion... as this photo below, posted by gomangosteen on page one of this thread - the legality of motorcycle use on the 'shoulder lane' appears to vary from area to area and road to road - thus, your statement is not entirely factual. Thus: None of us know for certain if Motorcycles can legally use this lane or not. But - think the point is somewhat moot, as it was the 'reckless driving' of the Hyundai driver that caused the accident even if the motorcyclist is complicit for riding recklessly, that does not absolve the Hyundai driver of fault. Its not an either or sitation - The Hyundai driver is at fault for the accident due to reckless driving, the motorcyclist 'might' also be at fault for riding illegally down the 'shoulder lane' if in fact it is deemed illegal (which we don't yet know).

You seem to approach this from the perspective that one illegal road act wipes the slate clean for the other driver committing an illegal road act - it doesn't. And... as of now, we have no idea if riding or driving on what looks to be shoulder lane in that specific area is legal or not. What has been proven is that both cars and motorcycles drive / ride down this lane as they would any other (effectively making this a 3 lane road).

Yes... The facts.... 1) It is unclear at the moment IF the shoulder lane is a legal riding lane or not. 2) The Hyundai driver swerved / turned across the inside lane and the shoulder lane - a clear illegal and dangerous manoeuvre. 3) Its not 'undertaking' (overtaking on the left) and not illegal to pass traffic on the left in towns in flowing queues of traffic. The points I have made are not 'conflating' the issue - they are examples to 'help' you understand the 'grey area' as you seem to apply an extremely black-and-white outlook to what essentially is a 'grey area' from a legal perspective until the 'facts' actually are known. Just because the 'motorcyclist' might have been doing something illegal - it does not mean the fault of the accident is not with the Hyundai dealer... ... the motorcyclist could have been in the driving lane doing a wheelie (riding illegally) when the Hyundai cut him up and crashed into him... that doesn't not mean the Hyundai drivers manoeuvre is any less dangerous or any less illegal (again - thats not conflation, thats highlighting an example to help you understand the binary approach to discussion fault in this issue may be more complex than you imply).