mfd101

But are we sure it won't actually CAUSE Covid 19?

"Netizens enraged"? I should have thought that anyone worthy of the name 'netizen' would be unenrageable.

"stipend"? Interesting usage.

True, but the young people - those with anything at all between their ears - are leaving for the cities.

Modernity creeping up on Thailand and they haven't a clue. Early signs of cultural change but no understanding of the causes or consequences. Result: suffer the pains without the gains.

Yes. The effect of modern technology & media is to divide and individualize people, everywhere in the world. That, combined with the gigantism of our worldwide modernity, has pretty negative effects on everyone's behaviours. And not just the young people. My b/f was commenting - and I have noticed it too just in my 15 years of visiting then living here - how life in his village is no longer pleasant. When I first arrived there were daily examples of mutual assistance between the villagers. Now many of the young people have left for the slave markets of the cities, and the people left behind are left behind in more ways than one, wracked with jealousy and backbiting.

Mostly only VUVs for VUPs.

Yes, but what follows as the current Senate departs? Noone ever talks about that. I'm unclear on what the process is ... already all sown up by the dinosaurs?

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Social democracy in Thailand is at least quarter of a century away, quite likely more.

Um, how did you reach that conclusion? UK? Sweden? Denmark? Norway? Holland? Belgium? ...

Constitutional monarchies don't have Presidents. They have Prime Ministers as Head of Government. Presidents are Heads of State, like Kings. Or, in the confused US of A, they combine the roles of Head of State and Head of Government. Either way there is no room for both a President and a King.

But in Thailand - by the usual authoritarian logic - to do the one is to do the other.

Courage? Yes. Wisdom? Mmmm. If you want to do certain things - like modernize Thailand - you have to get in to power democratically, have longterm handle on power, appoint - over time - new people to assorted statutory functions, then and only then strike hard & fast. In other words, act like the army but democratically. Not exactly easy to achieve.

You're probably right. Too many nutters on all sides of every equation ... But my basic point remains: that the conspiracy theorists here on AN presented the image of a slick corrupt all-powerful all-knowing Thaksin with every deal a done deal in advance, all sown up. But, apparently, not so.

Well, this development does rather call in to question the conspiracy theorists' hoohaa about everything having been organised and paid for in advance of his return to Thailand. People with a brain might want to reflect on that.

70 baht here in south Surin. Same as for locals. [My b/f always says never do 'Western' tipping, whether for the barber or brunch at PTT. It just drives up the price for the locals, which the locals can't afford.]

Not too many 'soft landings' available in the C21st for an obsolescent economy based on low education, low wages, low trust, low productivity and low or no technology.

Yes. I am reminded of Poland in 1945-46, when there were only a few thousand Jews left where there had been over 3 million before 1939. So the Poles (under new Communist leadership) held antisemitic riots and pogroms over 2 years, proving that - so to speak - you don't need Jews to be antisemitic.

Mmmm. No sense of caution.

From an historical point of view your sensitivity is anachronistic. The matter-of-fact disposal of the body is and always has been the norm everywhere in the world where families are large. They used to be 100 years ago in The West too. My father was the eldest of 9 children, my mother one of the youngest of 7. Babies were born and died easily. The great change in life expectancy throughout The West over the last hundred years is mostly the product of the virtual elimination of childhood mortality. That change has produced changes in how we process death. But not amongst the poor people of Thailand or anywhere else.

Warm-to-hot here in south Surin. Getting steadily hotter. No wind you'ld notice.

It felt extremely tangible the day many years ago I was walking up Sukhumvit soi 13 to the Trendy when a stupid woman from one of the shops came up behind me, grabbed my belt and poured a bucket full of water down my pants.

I'm always puzzled by these events (accident or suicide?). I realize that the Thais carefully design their buildings with very low 'guard rails' but anyone who goes out on their verandah can see that for themselves ...

T Thanks. Phew.

Could someone remind me what plane it is we take 2 or 3 times a year with Air Asia from Buriram to Don Muaeng and back? Should we be reverting to the 9-hour bus trek from Surin which we used to take years ago and loved so much?