ianf

Shoot first, ask questions afterwards (or not). Great to see we have a democratic judicial process in Thailand.

4 hours ago, idman said:

Good on her, teach the adulterer a lesson he wont soon forget. If they stay together he had better sleep in a separate bedroom or risk the old snip snip in the middle of the night. A scorned Thai woman is a frightful thing.

Sent from my SM-T805 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

"The adulterer" sounds very over-the-top moralistic. Perhaps you know more than your post reveals.

This is a cultural problem. Yes, most Thai people know how to think but thinking for yourself is discouraged by the very nature of the culture here. It starts off in the family: The father is the undisputed head of the family, what he says goes, what he tells you to do, you do. He may be an oaf and his reasoning skills may be deficient, but he is your father, so obey and don't answer back. School: This hierarchical attitude is continued in schools: learn by rote, don't question, don't think. There is no creative thinking or any encouragement to do independent research. There is no failure and therefore no success. Teachers are not allowed to fail the kids and this in itself discourages creative thinking and leaping out of the box! Work: The same attitude is carried forward to the work culture and in any case by the time you are at work then you've been pretty much brainwashed. So your manager/director comes up with stupid ill-thought schemes and you can't question, improve and so on. You simply carry out the instruction. Ask any counter staff, for example, a question that demands a decision or decisive thinking and you'll see what happens! And this attitude is carried right up the hierarchy so anyone who is in a higher position than you, or has more money than you has the power and cannot be questioned. So if you ever ask yourself why some road design is so stupid, or a government decision beggars belief, then look no further than this explanation. Until this attitude changes then nothing will change for the better in Thailand.

The biggest injustices? Let's start with Koh Tao and the 2 Burmese boys. This is such a bloody disgrace .................. Not to mention the other end of the scale - the Red Bull heir ......and on it goes ...........

28 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Your last sentence coukd be an urban myth,but we will never know.That's why the missus name goes on it,no probs so far.

Actually you may be correct. When we ordered in the wife's maiden name we did not face such punative charges.

In my experience DHL in Thailand stinks. I've had many problems: Shipment from Taiwan of cycle clothing for my Thai wife where the DHL shipping charges, handling charges, extra charges, VAT, inmport duty ended up being more than the value of the items. I refused the shipment and it eventually got back to Taiwan and I had a refund. Condor Cycles sent me a new frame from London as a replacement for an old frame that had been damaged. I have been with Condor for years so I get a good discount. DHL added the discount back on, added the British VAT back on, charged me for handling the item, 7% VAT on all the charges including the British VAT and shipping etc, plus customs duty at 33% on the whole lot all meant in the end that I was supposed to pay them far more than I had paid Condor for the frame. Eventually they relented (I think pressure from the London DHL office) but I still ended up paying 5000 baht more than if they had applied the correct charges. This has happened a few times. In eight years it has never happened with shipments sent via EMS/Post Office.Each time I have to pay EMS charges they are fair, reasonable and acceptable. It makes me ask the question: What exactly is the relationship and deal between DHL and it's embedded customs officers. Their bat does not seem to be straight! So my advice: Avoid DHL like the plague - easier said than done because some suppliers only use DHL.

56 minutes ago, Shoeless Joe said:

Likely a troll post.

 

But 2400+ posts by you would indicate that you've been here for at least a couple of Songkrans and should by now know the answer. But just in case....No, the celebrations probably won't be finished until Tuesday when the Govenrment Offices re-open  (oh and why do you have to call the those enjoying and celebrating the Songkran Festival in their (now) traditional way, idiots)? Don't be so selfish, you have 361 other days when you can be a nuisance on the roads.

 

Regards,

 

Joe

I like to communicate with people who have some intelligence and the social ability to respond to posts in a polite manner.

Will they all be finished today, Saturday. Or are we expecting the idiots to be out on the roads on Sunday? I want to go cycling without being subject to their dangerous games.

14 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

He's hardly what could be called a dynamic leader....great education and not a fool.......

He's never won or been close to winning an election for the DP.

His time as PM was as a stooge of the elite, and during his tenure, was almost pretty much useless in getting any issues passed through the house.....he was impotent almost in his role...then came an election and he faded once again into insignificance remaining the DP leader....but granted, they had no other candidate suitable....and likely still don't.

It is incorrect to say that he "is a stooge of the elite". Shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the political situation here. But if you make statements like this, please produce your reasoning.

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Is this wet blanket wannabe, Abhisit, still relevant....it's him and these types of people that need to step aside, and it's really no wonder that without desperately needed new and intelligent blood, (a decidedly rare commodity), coming into politics, Thailand will remain a pretty hopeless pit of ineptness.

I don't agree. Abhisit was/is one of the few politicians to think outside of the Thai 'box' - which is a strait-jacket imposed by the Thais' cultural norms. I have often argued that what we see in Thailand is a nation of free spirits: whatever laws are enacted, are ignored; corruption is endemic and unlikely to change; education does not educate but reinforces the cultural norms (especially the hierarchical nature of the teacher/pupil relationship). One of the reasons that I like Abhisit is that he knows the world and he has experienced democracy at work in the UK. He fully understands that his hands are tied - he opposed corruption within his own ranks but was left unable to do much about it. For those who continue their sloganeering "Bring back Democracy" they miss one essential point: There has never been democracy in Thailand. Democracy can only exist within the context of the rule of law and we all know how sadly lacking that is here. The education system, where kids are taught not to question, means that this attitude is carried on throughout the average working life. You don't question your boss however ridiculous his suggestions and this applies throughout society which is why you get these strange and unworkable directives here. The constitution does emphasize ending corruption and establishing the rule of law, but I can't see that happening. So Thailand will stumble from one crisis to the next - whoever the leader and whatever the party. It won't change until the education system and the system of family hierarchy changes. And I can't see that happening in a long while.

There is nothing more stupid than riding in the back of a pick up. But because it has been custom and practice in many areas (taking workers to building sites, kids to school and so on) it would be difficult to change behaviours. Easy solution? A little bit of lateral thinking may help here. How about speed restricting picks ups with flat bed passengers to 40km per hour. This would resolve the social issues and introduce a measure of care/safety. Logical thinking really but logic never seems to apply in Thailand.

Is Songkran limited to just the Thursday-Saturday? Perhaps the City may not be so but how about the countryside?

9 hours ago, maewang99 said:

everyday something more nutty.... the linked article says....

"with Thailand you [British] pay 15,000 US dollars (£12,033) and you can stay there for five years"

 

but I will only pay about 260 US dollars (1900 Thai Baht a year, I think it is).... for 5 years..... why Brits have to pay so much?

I was also (still am) trying to find out how a Brit might lose a state pension by being here.... that sure doesn't happen with USA's Soc Sec program.... what's the idea there too? is that why they say it's a ****state**** pension... it ain't your pension... it's a state pension? say what??? in the UK???



  
 

All Brits living overseas have their pensions frozen and do not have the cost of living increases applied to them. However, we still pay UK taxes on our pensions. This is off course a gross injustice. Typical British legal scamming.

The worst accident I have ever seen: 6pm one evening on the Canal Road, Chiang Mai. After the121 junction (about 14km), there used to be a sharp left turn. The canal turned with the road and was probably 20 metres below the road height.

Scenario: ick up with 8 workers in the back. Fails to negotiate the left turn and carries straight on at about 80/90 kph. Hits the barrier, goes flying over it and ends up 20 metres below in the canal.

What happened to the workers? Well, as the pick up turned over these poor working folk went flying all over the place. None survived.

On another occasion I saw a pick-up turn on to it's side in a ditch. This was on the main Lampang-Bangkok highway. They had overtaken me earlier and the family were having a picnic in the back of their truck whilst the driver was on the outside lane doing about 100kph. One of the children was killed. I saw her lying on the road, obviously dead.

This happens with alarming regularity.

But, hey, Thais are free spirits. "We don't need no education" as Pink Floyd sang. "We don't need no regulation". Land of free spirits or of kwais?

Being a retired old bugger in this country I have spent the past few years catching up on my reading, I have been particularly interested  in the lives of famous people, politicians and so forth who have been leaders in their fields. These include Mao, Stalin, Amin, Saddam  and so on. In my own personal life I have been targeted by a relative who turned out to be a conman and I lost a lot of money to him. Academically it is interesting to reflect on how he held me in thrall and managed to get me to believe his lies.  In my sporting interests (cycle racing) I have watched over the years the events and behavior surrounding Lance Armstrong. All of these people have social behaviour patterns in common - some on a greater scale than others. Some more damaging than others. The personality disorder - we can call them either sociopaths or psychopaths or both - seem to be the common thread linking all of these people. And to my mind Thaksin fits into this mould exactly, fairly and squarely. That he is less than straight forward is a given. He manages to build and maintain a loyal following and he believes his own lies to such an extent that others believe them too. His protestations of innocence, how he has been unfairly treated, his denial of events over the years that everyone knows are centred around him and so points to a sociopathic disorder. Trump is another example of these types of people and I am watching carefully as he day-by-day reinforces my view of him. These people are dangerous. Mao is one of the best examples of how someone with this disorder can ruin the lives of millions of people. To this day he maintains a devoted following despite the fact that he was an absolute monster in every sense of the word. These people quite often reach a status that does not equal their ability so their behaviour and actions become more alarming as each day passes.

On 3/28/2017 at 2:47 PM, SkyNets said:

Careful, the last couple that came here to cycle through were ran over by a lorry.

There have been hundreds of other cyclists here from all over the world since then. None of them can be found under a lorry. Accidents hapen yes, but it doesn't mean it happens to ALL cyclists!!!!

4 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

I'll think you'll find it's dehydration/heat exposure causing heat stroke. Still this usually happens with sun/heat exposure coupled with lack of hydration. Your right alcohol and extreme heat is not the best but if you drink plenty of water you should be ok. Don't know the circumstances i.e. had he been out in the heat pissing on all day. 40's hot but shouldn't kill a 52 yr old.

Your right? You are right. You're right. Which is correct? The winner get a bottle of Chang!

All seems OK. I am still managing to ride 3 hours everyday on my bicycle and today just short of 100km. Not pushing too hard in this heat. Just drink a lot.

12 hours ago, sharecropper said:

A weapons cache after so long? Hmm.

 

But when you read about the absurd assassination "plot", you realise this is almost certainly a set-up.

My gut feeling is that NO this is not a set up. Unless you have the evidence to the contrary, off course.

After so long? Well there has been an increase of red-shirt meetings in the countryside around Chiang Mai. Very cleverly (not) they make a route for the reds to follow by hanging triangular flags in various combinations. Why the army hasn't spotted these and removed them or gone to the red meets I don't know. But the evidence of red activity is all around.

4 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Sorry I had to go with the following " I think they are being selective " key word think. My crystal ball is in for a silicon patch and so it is rather cloudy at the moment. I am going to butcher a chicken and read its entrails and after that I will get back to you. Please be patient as I am new at entrail reading. 

Your response highlights the stupidity and prejudice one finds in forums. Not funny at all.

28 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

I think they are being selective. Between now and the next election they will periodically trot more of these PTP illegal enrichment cases to subtly entrench their own ideas of who should govern which of course will be themselves in one guise or another. 

Could you elaborate? Evidence? Analysis? W.H.Y.?

19 hours ago, redwinecheese said:

Well I don't care if you disagree with me liking Thaksin but I bet you Thais will always remember him for introducing 30 baht health coverage program.

If you research this the original plan came from Chuan Leekpie  and Thaksin hijacked the plan as he could immediately see that it would further his own selfish interests. This is how sociopaths work. Queue Trump. Create the lie that it was HIS plan and HIS idea and people will love him forever. Get it?

On 3/13/2017 at 4:11 PM, sjaak327 said:

One band of thieves being replaced by yet another. One thing is certain Thaksin has shown more respect to laws than the current lot...

I do not think there is a grain of truth in your statement. Sounds like blind prejudice to me.

So The Burmese two have been sentenced to death for killings that they did not do. Meanwhile, people, in particular pretty young farang blondes, are still dying on Koh Tao. Is there someone in a position of authority in Thailand who is able to add 2 and 2 together and make 4? Because to me the appeal court was out of order to uphold the sentence on the Burmese 2, and if they needed any more evidence this death must be a pointer. But perhaps money is still talking?