mfd101

Much the same everywhere in The West ... eg Oz

During the first Gulf War I remember on a visit to Riyadh how the various Saudi escort officers were only too happy to join us for drinks at the Oz Embassy. Knocking back the scotch.

Good to see a Brit taking care of his health.

Yes, I saw this taking off from Riyadh during the first Gulf War. As we're trundling down the runway men are still standing around in the aisle smoking and burka-clad women are throwing off the burka to reveal heavy jewels and Western clothes underneath. But immediately in front of me was a burka-clad woman sitting with a small child in her arms. She remained sitting as she manoeuvred some food that she chewed first underneath her veil to then extract it and give it to the small child. Quite an operation ... Fascinating all the way to Hong Kong.

Can't help noticing that the countries with greater English proficiency and surging ahead of Thailand in their productivity, economic modernization and governmental efficiency are all countries that WERE occupied by the heathen Europeans ...

Thanks for that advice. Noted for use in the near future. Cheers

I met my b/f at Classic Boys (long defunct) in BKK. My first visit to Thailand in Nov/Dec 2011. And there on stage were 6 or 8 young guys looking bored to tears as they vaguely moved in time to the music. But at the back was one guy - no. 33 - who was grinning from ear to ear and dancing vigorously ... Took me 20 minutes to get up courage to put up my hand and say: "Number 33". And here we are 14 years later, wedded in a non-government-recognized Buddhist ceremony in his home village in 2013, 4 months later civil partnered in Canberra (pre-gay marriage in Oz) and now thinking of getting our civil partnership certified/recognized in Thailand (but our first visit to the local bureaucracy here in Prasat Surin a few days ago was not hopeful - no understanding of 'civil partnership' - so might have to go the whole hog I guess).

Countries with written alphabets derived from the Latin alphabet will generally have an English-proficiency advantage over all the others.

My BKK Bank balance varies between 1000฿ and 150000฿ depending on when I last moved funds from Oz (minimum 65K฿ per month) and how much my b/f has managed to burn through in the last 2 weeks ...

Chop 'n change. Chop 'n change. Never a dull moment.

Sadly for Thaksin, his 'prison record' from a year or so ago has made even open-minded people like me rather cynical. I think this time round is going to be a bit tougher than last time.

I guess at least 'Phi Phi' is the right place to be intoxicated ...

I wonder how much of the 'audit' involved 'real world' and 'real time' inspections, as opposed to sitting in an office with a pile of 'reports' from 101 agencies supposedly being 'audited' ...

It's good to have a PM with a sense of humour.

And NZ number 6! How the world has changed since I was a child in the 50s & 60s!

Well that's one way of putting it.

2035 delivery? Wow, Putin will be trembling at the thought.

The problem is more that they don't do their homework before making a decision.

Trump is of course a vile and disgusting creature. It says nothing good about Usofans that they elected him President. But disruptors have their value. They force everyone to focus on what's really important and what's marginal or temporary ...

So where's the wunnerful Oz guvamint when it's needed?

But not (I think) eproducts (eg ebooks) sold online.

Thais - mostly in BKK - adopting Usofan diet: processed foods + sugar overload.

And any month now Thailand will solve the 3I/Atlas problem.

That's not my reading of the 1st para. in the OP.

But not often in Thailand.