CoreanoOzzie

i love Thailand the way it is.

no enforcement of traffics law is one of the reasons I came here.

I hope the Thai people continue to resist these outside calls for change to the last breath.

take your nanny state radar guns, traffic cameras and police helicopters and SWAT teams and go back to the UK or USA or whatever total police state you come from.

Agreed, there is something pleasing about the free-for-all "organised chaos" at Cross-Intersections for example. It actually works.

i love Thailand the way it is.

no enforcement of traffics law is one of the reasons I came here.

I hope the Thai people continue to resist these outside calls for change to the last breath.

take your nanny state radar guns, traffic cameras and police helicopters and SWAT teams and go back to the UK or USA or whatever total police state you come from.

The ridiculousness of your post lies in how profoundly "nanny state" Thailand has become with the government policing not only what people can do and say but also what they can think!

Thailand, much like North Korea, is the ULTIMATE nanny state!

LOL

What would you know about North Korea except for what the manipulative Western media throw at gullible fools like yourself?

Things definitely need changing here with regards to road fatalities, starting from the grassroots level. Not helping the cause are you lot with your snide, cynical comments. Do you not realise that you might become a statistic by travelling on the roads here? I bet your family would not be laughing about it then.........

Good, get rid of.

The FACT is that many people here do not know about the real songkran tradition. The stupid water playing is for sure no tradition.

give water to the fools for celebrate their moron festival. in the roman empire this was called panem and circenses.

"Their moron festival" well that is not a very nice thing to say.

The FACT is that traditionally the Thais have been playing with water during songkran since at least the 1930's. Every year now the Thais traditionally play with water. I don't know how far you have to go back for this to be considered a tradition for you.

The beautiful thing about Thai culture is that it constantly evolving. In 100 years from now people will look back at these times as a tradition.

Fun people these Thais.

Traditionally the now world famous water festival has never been cancelled because of drought or to save westerners from getting a little wet which coincides with the hottest part of the year and when most of the population has holidays.

It is also now a tradition on thaivisa for some grumpy farangs to complain about songkran every year.

Songkran will go on despite the drought, It is unstoppable.

Can you imagine what Thais would think of farangs in general if they knew what a lot of moronic farangs were saying on these type of forums?

Thai graduates only want top paying, executive jobs, so no job, then they refuse to work, ever. Way too spoilt and pampered.

And the dropouts are happy to do drugs, and play video games.

This is why Thailand needs so many migrant workers. Without these migrant workers Thailand would come to a stop.

And you would know this how? Are you some expert on the Thai employment sector? Please...

Just a thought but would someone from the West, in this case France, really be able to identify an Asian? It is well known that to Westerners Chinese all look the same so how can they be sure of these guys? I not saying they are wrong and if they are they should be put behind bars for life

you know what is really weird? i can tell the difference between all the Thais I know.

they all look completely different.

That's not weird at all,it's normal.It's funny though,Thais rekon we all look the same.Their eyesight must be worse than eyes.

You kind of do all look the same though. Just some are fatter than others.

Shocking, hope they recover. However, it's funny how news like this always brings out the Thai-bashers. These moronic farangs skew every news article into a Thai-bashing exercise. What pathetic lives they must live out here in Thailand.

Jsixpack,

Er, have I done the powder test on myself yet ? Not sure what you mean but I have copped plenty of powder in the eyes. No biggie, just wash it out with all the readily available water flying around.

Most people are not trying to injure others, it is a water fight.

Bubba nearly had an accident, but didn't !

I didn't realize that water play was against the law. I find that a bit surprising actually as I have seen police get sprayed (severely)

I doubt the girl in the photo actually came off and went to hospital. The Thais are very skillful riders. I NEVER spray people on motorbikes. Nor do I spray people after 5pm nor do I spray people that ask me not to. I have been sprayed at night after changing into dry clothes, I could have cried, but chose to laugh instead.

Repeat this 10 times. Pattaya has very affordable waterproof taxis. I use them when I am drinking alcohol. I get scared on taxi motorbikes.

There are farangs wanting to call off the water play and there are farangs who hate it even in small villages. Read some of the posts.

A lot of ordinary Thais make plenty out off selling food, drinks etc to the masses. Have you ever really been to songkran in Pattaya? The streets are line with all sorts of sellers. They are not the elites that you claim. All along sukhumvit, theprasit, tai, klang and nua and everywhere in between. Hundreds or thousands of them.

Nobody sprays the food carts because that would be disrespectful and cost people money. I am sure more money will get spent on Songkran Tuesday than a normal Tuesday when all these Thais are stuck at work.

As I said I have experienced both being in the thick of it getting saturated and powdered and using the car and staying completely dry, and also in the back of a pick up with Thais.

Traveling at 90kms an hour during songkran is dangerous and stupid! Bad boy Bubba. Lucky to go over 20kms, more like 5.

I agree with those high powered tubes being banned, and they were last year. Hardly saw any compared to previous years.

I am not claiming to be an educated, rational or reasonable farang.

What may seem idiotic to you may seem like fun to the locals.

Farangs complaining about songkran to me is like a gate crasher showing up to a party UNINVITED and then complaining about the food and the music being to loud and then turning it down.

At the end of the day, this is Thailand, the Thais can do what they want with their Thai water. If the Thais ban water play then I won't do it either.

You won't change you opinion, and neither will I. I agree to disagree with you.

Sawadee Bpee mai tai krap.

'The Thais are very skillful riders.' Seriously? You must know a rare breed.

' I NEVER spray people on motorbikes. Nor ... do I spray people that ask me not to.' You might not, but plenty do. I've had some moronic westerner, in the past, spray my then toddler with a high-powered gun, then seem surprised when I got annoyed.

'Nobody sprays the food carts because that would be disrespectful and cost people money.' The Thais (and numerous water-spraying westerners) concerned about being respectful during Songkran? You're joking, yet again.

Spraying a toddler with a high powered gun is moronic. Farangness, most Thais wouldn't do that.

And I do think the Thais are a lot more talented than the average farang in Thailand on a motorbike, probably because many of them grew up on them.

And are you telling me the Thais deliberately spray water on the food carts? It doesn't happen. Another songkran Thai visa myth.

I think Songkran really gets up the thaibashers because the Thais are having so much fun, in their country, with their water. There is nothing worse than seein someone you hate enjoying life.

Simple, the whining foreigners who hate Thai customs should be immediately deported.

Jsixpack,

Er, have I done the powder test on myself yet ? Not sure what you mean but I have copped plenty of powder in the eyes. No biggie, just wash it out with all the readily available water flying around.

Most people are not trying to injure others, it is a water fight.

Bubba nearly had an accident, but didn't !

I didn't realize that water play was against the law. I find that a bit surprising actually as I have seen police get sprayed (severely)

I doubt the girl in the photo actually came off and went to hospital. The Thais are very skillful riders. I NEVER spray people on motorbikes. Nor do I spray people after 5pm nor do I spray people that ask me not to. I have been sprayed at night after changing into dry clothes, I could have cried, but chose to laugh instead.

Repeat this 10 times. Pattaya has very affordable waterproof taxis. I use them when I am drinking alcohol. I get scared on taxi motorbikes.

There are farangs wanting to call off the water play and there are farangs who hate it even in small villages. Read some of the posts.

A lot of ordinary Thais make plenty out off selling food, drinks etc to the masses. Have you ever really been to songkran in Pattaya? The streets are line with all sorts of sellers. They are not the elites that you claim. All along sukhumvit, theprasit, tai, klang and nua and everywhere in between. Hundreds or thousands of them.

Nobody sprays the food carts because that would be disrespectful and cost people money. I am sure more money will get spent on Songkran Tuesday than a normal Tuesday when all these Thais are stuck at work.

As I said I have experienced both being in the thick of it getting saturated and powdered and using the car and staying completely dry, and also in the back of a pick up with Thais.

Traveling at 90kms an hour during songkran is dangerous and stupid! Bad boy Bubba. Lucky to go over 20kms, more like 5.

I agree with those high powered tubes being banned, and they were last year. Hardly saw any compared to previous years.

I am not claiming to be an educated, rational or reasonable farang.

What may seem idiotic to you may seem like fun to the locals.

Farangs complaining about songkran to me is like a gate crasher showing up to a party UNINVITED and then complaining about the food and the music being to loud and then turning it down.

At the end of the day, this is Thailand, the Thais can do what they want with their Thai water. If the Thais ban water play then I won't do it either.

You won't change you opinion, and neither will I. I agree to disagree with you.

Sawadee Bpee mai tai krap.

'The Thais are very skillful riders.' Seriously? You must know a rare breed.

' I NEVER spray people on motorbikes. Nor ... do I spray people that ask me not to.' You might not, but plenty do. I've had some moronic westerner, in the past, spray my then toddler with a high-powered gun, then seem surprised when I got annoyed.

'Nobody sprays the food carts because that would be disrespectful and cost people money.' The Thais (and numerous water-spraying westerners) concerned about being respectful during Songkran? You're joking, yet again.

Spraying a toddler with a high powered gun is moronic. Farangness, most Thais wouldn't do that.

And I do think the Thais are a lot more talented than the average farang in Thailand on a motorbike, probably because many of them grew up on them.

And are you telling me the Thais deliberately spray water on the food carts? It doesn't happen. Another songkran Thai visa myth.

I think Songkran really gets up the thaibashers because the Thais are having so much fun, in their country, with their water. There is nothing worse than seein someone you hate enjoying life.

Simple, the whining foreigners who hate Thai customs should be immediately deported.

Not enough info. I run a rock climbing park in northern Thailand. 97% of clients are non-Asian. With few exceptions, Thais and Asians are spooked by any activities which have a danger element. It becomes 10X more evident if at night or in a place with low light (like a cave). Among the very few exceptions: A Thai man visited from Chiang Kong, and claimed he was the first (and only?) Thai to summit Everest. Several times, some hi-so Thais from Bkk will show up and indulge, and have a fine time at the park. Hill Tribers are different than Asians in general, as they're more tuned into nature and more apt to be drawn to adventure sports. Chinese? fogedabowdit.

The first Thai to climb Everest was Vitidnan Rojanapanich in 2008 ( and no, he is not the only one ), but the Chinese succeeded back in 1960, your generalizations are absurd and no doubt only based on your limited experience of Chinese package tourists, a recent survey by Mintel showed that 16% of Chinese tourists were interested in partaking in adrenaline sports whilst on holiday.

White guys generalising about Asians...when have I heard that one before??

LOS = Land of Stupidity.

LOS= Land of Smarts ( foreigners)

Thais are starting to hate foreigners and rightly so. Just look at the clowns on TV.

nothing to see or do in Hua Hin. Boring. Terrible beach. Don't come here. Check Point Charlie. You are now entering the Allied zone. Turn around. Go back.

Da sveedaneeya.

Boring for you maybe but not for Thais. Last time I was there in Jan, I noticed it becoming more Westernised which was a major pity. Too many bloody Europeans as well.

Great, more invasions.....poor Thailand is doomed. The Ruskis, much like most other Westerners, have no respect for Thai culture or its people

This is Thailand where Songkran is one of the yearly highlights. If you do not like Thai customs, then why are you wasting space by even being here?

What's the bet he was some broke foreigner like that Aussie idiot from Nana last year...

Up to 60 people a month die on the roads of Samui, on motorbikes!

Do you have any facts backing up that statement?

Two killed every day, do you know that the morgue in Nathon not have space for that.

60 per year is more realistic and then we are not counting deaths from old age etc.

60 per month on motorbike... Get a grip on your self,..

Visit a temple and you will find out that there is not a que the for the cremation.

Yes. A friend of mine used to work for Samui Rescue for 6 years. He told me this number. He told me the official number was 3 per month. That the officials were doing everything in their power to doctor the number, cover up the deaths, not count the deaths if the person died while in transit, or while in the hospital, or a month later from the injuries. The death toll on Samui is astonishing. I know several who have died. When I used to live on Samui, I would hear about deaths every other day, from friends who had witnessed the accidents, or seen the dead person being driven away. I have no idea about the morgue in Nathon, nor it's capacity. But, I do know about the numbers, and it is staggering.

My friend told me they were averaging two fatalities per day, for quite a long time. Samui is known in some places as death island. The roads on Samui, are the most dangerous place you can be, within Thailand.

The real question is, why don't the authorities do anything about it? There has never been a real helmet campaign on Samui, that has lasted more than a day. No traffic safety, no reckless driving enforcement, no speeding tickets, no sanctions against the maniac mini van drivers, nor the maniac safari jeep drivers, who on their own take out 5-10 people a month. It speaks to the level of apathy, indifference, and gross incompetence of the local and state authorities.

It would be nice if I could visit any of the Thai islands and not be innundated with so many non-Thai people. That is one of the greatest pities this country has ever faced.

The desire to bash all things Thai has yet again overridden all logic and common sense. The owner of the temple is an artist, he built it as an expression of art, his other works are to be seen in the nearby art museum. He wanted everyone to see his work so he opened it up to the public, pretty soon he became overwhelmed by the number of tourists and the cost of upkeep hence he's now charging a small admittance fee. He's overwhelmed by tourists, mostly Chinese, he's not overwhelmed by Thai nationals hence he's charging the people who are costing him most. If anybody can't see the logic and fairness of all that, feel free to bash away.

I'm not Chinese. I'm from European ancestry. It's the concept that no matter how much we contribute to Thai society, we are always nothing but Outsiders, and will always be nothing but Outsiders. Never accepted. That's simply sad, and for a professed Buddhist nation, it's counter-intuitive.

Same things happen in any other country in the world. Is an Asian or other non-white immigrant truly accepted in a Western country? Nopers.

Not all Indians annoy people with cooking odours or smell bad. This is a fact. I also remember how foul my friends parents' house stunk growing up. Reeking of lambshanks, cigar butt overflowing ashtrays, stinky cheese and rancid smelling butter left out unrefrigerated. Old furniture and draperies likely not cleaned in years. I remember being shocked that they would wear jumpers (sweaters) all winter without sending them to the cleaners. The entire clan pure blond hair blue eyed "White British"!

Still this malodorous family gets a pass and can rent any BKK condo without any addtional considerations whilst others are to be rejected offhand, solely based on nationality.

A perfect example of the "white privlege" it is so fashionable for bigots to deny, and even to turn around and say they are now the ones being discriminated against.

I agree and it's sad that chinese people get discriminated right? I have to specifically state Chinese or east asian because they aren't white but somehow get the "farang" treatment or instead the only group where westerners can openly call them racists and discriminate them and they are victims too.

The East Asians are more of a fit into Thailand as they are Asian and share fairly similar customs. They have more of a right to be here than white people. White people will always be outsiders because this is Asia and not the West. A lot of white people here seem to forget this fact.

The beginning of the end.

Being caught up in momentary rage appears to be a character flaw of many Thai men

White men never have this flaw. Hypocrite. All white men ever do is get drunk and racially abuse minorities.

White people is a minority in the world.

Not by land mass.

Being caught up in momentary rage appears to be a character flaw of many Thai men

farang no understand. thai man him work hard vely vely. him small salaly. him must give money to mia and mia noi and mae and police. him have pressure vely vely. him silliout.

(smiley added)

Wow, you actually spelt farang correctly in your jibberish.

The Chinese come with busses, overrun the place and don't behave at all. I can imagine it's not possible to charge only Chinese.

The inside of the prayer hall is well worth a visit because of the beautiful wall paintings. What many of you don't see is that Thai people donate a lot which farang don't do.

The restoration of the temple after the earthquake could only took place because of gifts from Thai people and benefit expositions from other artists.

@ Harry, although the name is wat Rong Khun, it's not a temple in the meaning of practicing Buddhism but a masterpiece of art.

Thais are one of the most generous races in the world when it comes to donating.

The desire to bash all things Thai has yet again overridden all logic and common sense. The owner of the temple is an artist, he built it as an expression of art, his other works are to be seen in the nearby art museum. He wanted everyone to see his work so he opened it up to the public, pretty soon he became overwhelmed by the number of tourists and the cost of upkeep hence he's now charging a small admittance fee. He's overwhelmed by tourists, mostly Chinese, he's not overwhelmed by Thai nationals hence he's charging the people who are costing him most. If anybody can't see the logic and fairness of all that, feel free to bash away.

Alas, logic and common sense are not too common traits amongst TV members....great post by the way, you obviously are very switched on.

People who have been coming here for 30 yrs chasing 25 year olds are largely responsible for thw deterioration of how Thailand is now perceived. What you really want is to have things the way they were on the 70s without the country changing and getting wise to those behavior. Change does not happen in a vacuum. Our existence here is the catalyst for change..if all thailand gets are sexpats and cheap living seekers that is what the system will adapt to. We all need to look in the mirrornow and then..maybe if we spent our years here bettering and contributing to society we wpuld not be so disallusioned about what it's become.

This is an excellent post.