Jonathan Swift

5 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

NOBODY here is talking about LOCAL Climate change.

Where have you been during the past 40 or 50 years?

 

We are destabilizing what has, for over 10,000 years, been a stable climate system.

 

Instabilities such as this can easily lead to famine when crops lose productivity at temperatures only slightly warmer than they are now.

 

We are already losing productivity due to rising mean temperatures....

 

 

You can't have educated conversations with clueless uneducated people who don't want to learn anything.

2 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

Just watched this video and save for a few profanities, he is simply making many of the same complaints you read everyday on this forum. He even says he loves in living in Thailand....it's simply the frustrations of it all coming out. It's a bit silly to post to YouTube with your face there for the world to see, but if you just take the issue of what he is saying, it really is no worse than all the stuff many of us have complained about many times!

yeah, well, a lot of us are just as sick of you people's whining and complaining, only we're not the police, so we just shake our heads wondering why you came here, and why you don't just leave. 

1 hour ago, freeworld said:

Thailand is what she is.

 

All the foreign visitors coming here and criticising Thailand. Wonder what they are even doing here if it is not to their liking.

 

Mr Thomas is reported to have violated Thai law  and now has apologised on youtube, he is allegedly only sorry because he has been caught.

 

Yesterday in centre Bangkok observed some foreigner muscleman with his tight shorts, no shirt, trainers and sweating profusely strutting into a lotus's. This kind of attire is suitable for the beach but not the city centre. Of course we mind our own business but it does not present a good impression to the locals.

No! Ya think? You mean that the locals are not in awe of Mr. Muscleman's physique, as he surely expects? These guys have egos bigger than their muscles. If they only knew what people really thought.

Just now, OneMoreFarang said:

And then there is that land of the free, where politicians from the left and the right want to censor what all those bad people, the others, say... 

The call it cancel culture. 

Yeah, sure, anything you say. Must be true, because you said it. The reality is actually much more complex and nuanced, therefore over your head. 

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Very few realize thailand is a demecratic dictatorship, and this is what comes with a dictatorship, no free speach, but they are kind enough to give you a gentle warning with a smile, and tell you the consequences you are facing if you continue. 

 

Soft ditatorship

You need to read up. I have. And spoken to activists from groups like Human Rights Watch, whose vise president is a friend of mine. It's a constitutional monarchy, not a democracy, but its constitution does not provide the same rights as other countries. The police have a freer rein to enforce laws that are subject to interpretation, yes bribes figure in.  There's no thing as a "soft" dictatorship. Just because the government exerts more control and enforcement regarding certain issues does not in and of itself define it as a dictatorship, unlike, say, its communist neighbors to the North and West. 

51 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

all he ever did was state the problems he had hiring Thai staff. He upset the Pai community is the real reason for the witch hunt.

Witch hunt. Where have I heard that before? Oh, that guy? The guy who is on trial for multiple felonies, and who was sued for defamation countless times, now owes more than a half billion dollars in penalties? Twice impeached? You're clueless.

9 hours ago, rocketboy2 said:

The action of the authorities over this, will be the thing that may damage Thailand's reputation

not his video's. 

 

Hardly. These headlines have been going on for the entire ten years I've been here, and long before. Thailand's reputation is untouched. Look before you speak. 

21 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

Same here, I read books, watched a ton of YT vids, talked to Military vets and Thais to get to low down on the culture and people.  After all my analysis and critical thinking skills, I choose to move here, because, even though it is not perfect, it is much safer, cheaper and life is much better than retirement in the west.  Finally, no one forced me to retire here.  Some Western folks were just raised spoiled and entitled and think the world revolves around them.  Hey UK, your empire died after WW2.  Deal with it.  Same for you Americans, we are not that important to the world anymore.  Appreciate what TH has to offer or take the Train, bus, Bolt, Car or Grab to Swampi and LEAVE!

Good for you, live long and prosper friend

42 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

Look at all the top comments on the PPTV video. Thai people know this is BS too.

 

The actual problem seems to be the Pai police. What's more likely is Tom pissed off the wrong people in Pai and now they've got the corrupt Pai to go after him. TIT

 

So comments are offered as proof? Good thing you're not a lawyer, you'd be disbarred.

2 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

I do hope they send him back and maybe, just maybe he will learn a lesson on how to manage his Arrogance.

MAYBE. Most people like this don't learn and don't change, sadly. If he was a learning kind he would have come here with a better attitude

6 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

I am from San Francisco, and you should know that nothing will happen if you tell them that they destroyed a once beautiful city.  What is going on in America is the reason I am here and appreciate so much the safety, food, beauty and cost of living here.  So, I follow the rules, and guess what, no cop bothers me, no officials visit me, no one beats me up.  I am enjoying my retirement.  I am not a spoiled, entitled, crybaby on Youtube.

I'm American, and amen brother! You will never hear me complain about this life. If there is a problem I address it directly, ask for help resolving it, or let it go. All with the most courtesy and respect, and I receive the same in return

18 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

So a Thai man drive both vehicles but as the Ford was owned/rented by a German tourist, the German gets the fine. 

 

Moral of the story? Don't help any dumb arse that gets his car stuck in the sand. 

 

Actually not very good reporting in this story 

Well you're right when it comes to illegally driving on the beach. The real moral is don't do illegal stuff like drive on the beach for any reason. Probably attracted police attention with the towing spectacle. And yes, writing at about high school level is the status quo here. 

9 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The problem is obviously the lazy and corrupt police. If they would do their job, then this, and many other problems, wouldn't exist.

Maybe someone should explain this to the governor. Or maybe he knows that already... 

Oh come on - he and everyone else knows the score. We do, right? They announce one of these"crackdowns" about once a year. 500 baht fine for overcharging IF they are prosecuted, so much for that.

6 hours ago, kevozman1 said:

 

If you consider this "wreaking havoc" then you probably spend a lot of time in your condo coffin and don;t see what the locals get up to. I wonder what Mrs save the frogs is getting up to while you wonder your box in the sky all day.

Let me translate your gibberish for those not fluent in that unintelligible language: says kevozman1 - "Your 'wreaking havoc' statement is over my head, beyond my comprehension,  and my being cIueIess it makes me feel stυpid, so I'm compelled to hurl kneejerk juvenile personal attacks and insults as ego defenses for my petulant ill tempered inner child." There, done. Carry on, but make no mistake, everything you say makes you look like a bIoody wɑnker and a blithering ƒooI. Keep it coming, everyone loves a clown - we're highly amused. 

20 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

What year did the frozen pension policy come into effect ?

 

During the ice age no doubt

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Why did you want the airfare refunded ?

I was entitled because they had changed the flight schedule. Also other issues of crookedness, misleading baggage policy etc. The airline and the booking agencies gave me a runaround for 2 days and then I said, not gonna play this, we'll do it the hard way. Wasn't my first rodeo, I'm 67 and have collected from a lot of bad guys over the years, I can do it in my sleep. Same thing happened during Covid, the airline promised the refund but wouldn't deliver, I sent a letter and notice of intent to their Bangkok office and the money was in my bank the next day. I told them I had spoken to Siam Legal who would represent me (that was a bluff) You have to know how to play the game, which is basically let them know that it will cost them a lot more money to try to cheat me than to just pay me. It's poker and chess. The advantage is always mine because I do it all myself and it costs me nothing.

They do this all the time. Booking, Priceline, agoda are all under the same company, Booking Holdings Inc in Norwalk CT USA. Expedia and Hotels dot com also did it to me. They HAVE to refund your money. If they don't you can have your credit card or whomever you used report it as fraud and claw back your money. If you're in the US you can sue them in small claims court, slam dunk win. They will call you and negotiate a settlement, don't take any less than $1,000.00 US, I've done it twice. 

Booking dot com is owned by Booking Holdings Inc in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, not far from the house I own and stay in the summer. I have sued them twice for refusing to refund airfare. The airfare was $165.00 US. To settle the lawsuit it cost them $1000.00 US. It was easy, I got a phone call from their negotiator whom I told I would be happy to drag all of them in front of a judge to explain themselves. Nah they didn't want to do that and spend $5,000.00 US on attorneys plus pay me. So, $1,000.00 it was. They also own priceline and agoda. back to court this year because agoda refused a refund after the airline (Thai) tried to cheat me on baggage and a guitar. I'll probably talk to the same guy as last year, whom I will tell to clean up his act or he will likely hear from me on a regular basis. 

4 hours ago, petermik said:

13,000 baht for a 59 night stay....that should have raised a red flag from the start

Booking dot com is owned by Booking Holdings Inc in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, not far from the house I own and stay in the summer. I have sued them twice for refusing to refund airfare. The airfare was $165.00 US. To settle the lawsuit it cost them $1000.00 US. It was easy, I got a phone call from their negotiator whom I told I would be happy to drag all of them in front of a judge to explain themselves. Nah they didn't want to do that and spend $5,000.00 US on attorneys plus pay me. So, $1,000.00 it was. They also own priceline and agoda. back to court this year because agoda refused a refund after the airline (Thai) tried to cheat me on baggage and a guitar. I'll probably talk to the same guy as last year, whom I will tell to clean up his act or he will likely hear from me on a regular basis. 

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The policeman seems to be enjoying watching the guy trying to dig himself out.

Bit mean to be laughing then handing out a fine.

You were there? You know what he was smiling about? You were in on the joke? You're psychic and know what he was thinking? My experiences with Thai police, even on rare occasions when I was guilty of something, is that they are quite good natured, and I sure would prefer a jovial cop to a mean one. And I think if you or I were there the sight of the guy digging would likely have been pretty funny. The guy was a fool and deserving of being laughed at, if that's what it was. But how do you know the photo wasn't staged? It doesn't look like he was digging near the wheels. It looks like the car was already out of the rut, likely pushed out by whoever was gathered around.