Samui Bodoh

This is simply a case of Animism combining with Buddhism, and nothing really to worry about; it occurs all over the world on a regular basis with many religions.

I lived for years in rural Indonesia and saw this kind of thing all the time. Once, I rented a house and had my friends/colleagues, the Catholic Monks (in full, long, white robes), sacrifice a chicken for me and smear its blood in the four corners of my house to 'protect' me. No one blinked an eye.

I would also remind you that Western religions aren't exactly... er... normal either. Christians ceremoniously eat the body of Christ (cannibalism) and ceremoniously drink his blood (perhaps cannibalism again, but at least a bit creepy) every Sunday to show their devotion. Is that any less weird?

Ignore it or learn about it, but don't worry about it.

An interesting read as always...

... and I very much share the delight of things easing a bit. This is a small, first step in a very long journey, but it is good that it occurred. That said, it'll be a very, very, very long journey indeed.

Now that a beginning has (hopefully) started, there are two areas that I think Thailand needs to look at; I think that there will be an attempt to go back to the way things were, but I desperately hope that they don't.

The boxing match at Lumpini Stadium in March, occurring AFTER events like that were banned, needs a reckoning. That event was directly responsible for thousands of cases and several deaths (I do not know the precise numbers) and responsibility must be placed on the Army's doorstep and repercussions must be exacted; I think a minimum is the immediate removal of the stadium from the army's control. Why the hell does an Army own a boxing stadium anyway? If Thailand is ever going to break free from the awful corrupting influence of the military, coups, grants of immunity, etc, this is a very good place to start. I would love to see names named, people photographed and publicized, and the responsible parties (NOT one poor scapegoat) tossed into the street like a dog. I know, I am not holding my breath, but...

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

A tragic 19 year old Thai lady drew a sketch of Thai PM Prayut going online to blame him for having no money to buy milk for her child. She then hanged herself. Thailand's obscenely wealthy tycoons continued to be AWOL.

Where were the multi-billionaires? Yes, I am sure that some of the Hi-Sos made contributions, and yes many, many, many Thais who had some money helped, but there has been a deafening silence from those who really have/had the means to help. Where are/were the super-rich? I hope that Thais do not forget to both ask the question(s) and demand answers.

Yes, I know... I have lived in Thailand long enough that I do not expect anything near a reasonable reckoning, but I desperately hope that Thai voices emerge asking the questions; if it all goes back to the same nonsense as before, then what hope Thailand?

PS Happy Birthday Captain Tom. I am at a loss for comment; Wow! Just Wow!

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I would look to Malaysia instead,been to Koh Samui and did not like it at all,

check out Penang or Langkawi, been American you get a 3 month visa on arrival,

regards  Worgeordie

The OP (opening poster) asked for recommendations regarding where to live on Koh Samui.

The OP did not ask if a grammatically-challenged troll could recommend cities in other countries.

Weapons-grade idiocy.

An interesting read as always; cheers, mate.

"... On an average week I translate about 60 stories. In recent weeks 50 plus either started with Covid-19 or contained coronavirus... But still the Covid-19 stories came, still us noble translators struggled to stay awake as yet another angle of the same narrative was explored..."

I could not agree more. I do not blame TVF or other news organizations, but the tedium and repetitiveness of the content has gotten to me. That said, today had a story of a projected NASA rocket launch! Whoo-Hoo! One of my favourite subjects; as the saying goes, thank you three times.

I don't pay as much attention to the news as I used to as I am unable to 'sink my teeth' into news stories about the virus anymore. The simple fact is that, despite all the informed/educated speculation, there is no way to know with any accuracy when countries will end the social/medical measures, or to what degree they will be eased/dropped, what the interaction(s) will look like on a global scale (this virus is NOT a local phenomenon) and how things will look if/when it finally occurs. In light of that, I am unable to speculate/project/make educated guesses/etc about what will come next, so I don't really try. I just hope that those in authority, in Thailand and beyond, make the best possible decisions and that we all get out from this sooner rather than later and in one piece.

To sum up; it blows.

In lieu of speculating about the future, I often share stories with a few old mates at the beach while swimming (on Koh Samui, the beaches are open); we all have stories which begin "One night in Bangkok...". I suspect that the entire roster of TVF members have at least several similar stories, and a few members have hundreds. Yes, "One night in Bangkok..." stories, especially from back in the day, might contain references to copious amounts of whiskey and beer, three-eyed sloths, run-in(s) with police, haggling with street vendors, tales of groping with a surprise or two, dancing bears or elephants, meetings with... er... ex-CIA/ex-Special Forces guys at the bar, nudity in all the wrong places, Connect Four, seedy hotels/apartments, further haggling with whoever, truck loads of alcohol, tales of wild taxi/tuk-tuk rides, roof top/riverside sunrises, wild and groovy sex, even more haggling about something, etc; given what we all know of Bangkok, the list of possible elements in a story is frankly endless. However, ALL the stories will, at some point, include two things; the song "One night in Bangkok..." and hot dancing girls.

So, in order to prompt the memories and allow you to share a story or two with your mates, I give you an up-dated remix version of "One night in Bangkok..." with some hot dancing girls. 

It is medicine for mental health and comfort against cabin-fever.

Enjoy!

An interesting read as always...

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

51 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

It was a week without much letup in the bad news with stories from around the world and here in Thailand following quite predictable paths of doom and gloom. Coronavirus cases in Thailand hurtled towards 2,000 mirroring the doubling of cases worldwide that saw a million infected globally by Friday. On Friday the effect on visitors who remain in Thailand started to be even more keenly felt.

An interesting read as always...

Again this week, I decided that I didn't want to follow the news in minute detail as it is depressing, so I just skimmed the papers and TVF for news and information. And, of course, read Rooster's summation of The Week That Was.

I think the people who disbelieve the government numbers on cases have a point. I think the people who doubt the doubters regarding the death toll numbers have a point. I think the people who favour the curfew have a point. I think the people who doubt the efficacy of the curfew also have a point. It seems like those that have argued that masks are a vital tool in fighting the virus have a point. I think those that previously heeded the WHO guidance regarding masks also had a point. I think those that advocate for a massive 'lock-down' have a point. I also think that those that argue that a massive lock-down will do terrible damage to Thai people, especially the poor, also have a point. I think that those who are worried about mass exodus from Bangkok and beyond to Issan/NE/N have a point. I also think that those who state that those poor Isaan-ers/Northern-ers must go home because they can't support themselves in Bangkok/elsewhere have a point. I think those that advocate shutting the borders have a point. I think those who advocated shutting the borders long ago also had a point. I think those who no longer see the need for shutting the borders as it is too late have a point. I think those who want to see some sort of 'Immigration Amnesty' have an excellent point. I think those who believe that Immigration wants to suck the funds out of people trapped here in a vampire-like fashion also have a point. I agree with everyone who states that making foreigners show up at Immigration offices around the country with stacks of photocopied documents is both stupid and needlessly cruel has a point. I think that those who advocate simply letting the virus run amok in order to attain 'herd immunity' quickly have a point, even if it isn't too humane. I think those who advocate a policy of 'Flattening the Curve' have a point. I also think those who state that 'Flattening the Curve' only works when you have sufficient medical equipment for large-scale treatments have a point. I think those who foresee a rise in petty (and other) crime have a point. I think those that fear the Thais attacking them because of the colour of their skin do not have much of a point. I think those who smile and make an effort to get along with their neighbours enjoy life in the kingdom and understand the point of being here. I think those that have been speculating as to the cause, severity, origins, numbers, and outcome, etc of the virus have a point. Hmm... Many points. I also think that those who say speculation without adequate data is pointless have a point.

To sum up, there are so many good points I agree with that I have become a human pin-cushion (and, a very very funny man! )

Normally on TVF, I yell (figuratively-speaking) at the government for their incompetence, criminality, nepotism, corrupt behaviour(s) and all around, general (pun intended) badness.

I will continue this week to try to hold my tongue. There is so much information that I do not know, so many details that I am unaware of, so many consequences and implications to decisions that I don't understand, and so much riding on the outcome that I can't bring myself to simply lash out because it'd make me feel better.

Rather, I am going to hope (perhaps foolishly) that the authorities make the correct decisions, both in Thailand and abroad, in order to get us all through this virus and its complications with the least amount of harm.

I sincerely hope that all reading are safe, happy, and virus free.

Take care everyone

My main concern would be how to get @NCC1701A into the city in order to single-handedly revive the working girl trade.

I told you guys to buy him a condo weeks ago!

"...Yes. It's already looking like it was pre 2000..."

Whooohooo!

I recall the pre-2000 years with great fondness.

I was 25 kilos lighter, had abs + pecs + whatever the other muscles were, was able to both go to sleep and wake at dawn, eat as I liked, swim, jog, drink and chase women with reckless abandon and success.

If we are going back to that time, then I say...

Close the airport and bring on the isolation!

An interesting read as always... 

I found it all a bit too much this week, and decided to stop watching the news for a while; might I suggest to my fellow TVF members a MHD/MHW (Mental Health Day/Mental Health Week) if and when needed?

Everyday this week I went for a long, pre-dawn cycle and saw the regulars out each day so I knew it was still permitted. Next, I got into the habit of going to my (currently) private, 2-3 kilometer long, gorgeous, pristine, white sandy beach and had a long ocean swim before the forced 'social-distancing kicked in. Finally, I made the effort on-line to track down old friends that I hadn't seen for a while and say 'Hello'. Yes, they were also under a lock-down of one kind or another and welcomed the missive; it was nice.

A news-junkie like me will always want to know what is occurring in the world, but one small piece of wisdom that I have picked up over the years is this; sometimes you have to stop, take a deep breath, put it all out of your mind for a time and smell the proverbial roses. These are momentous, difficult times and now more than ever we all need to find some serenity and goodness to dilute the horrors.

Have a good week, everyone

51 minutes ago, steven100 said:

how do you work out a stimulus for 1000 hookers

Easy.

Unleash @NCC1701A

(Er... Sorry)

26 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

They will be lucky to get anywhere near that even if the best case scenarios come about. Prayut wondered whether to go from Stage 2 to 3 as the economy in all sectors - not just tourism - crumbled around him. Mixed messages about borders being open and conflicting flight regulations vied with confusing visa notices that left everyone even more flummoxed. I'd love to state here some facts for you but I can't. Those of us in the media are as perplexed as anyone trying to make sense of it all.

An enjoyable read as always, even if the subject matter isn't too cheerful.

Few people loathe and despise Prayut, Prawit, and the rest of the cretins more than I; they are the epitome of two-faced scum and represent the true odiousness of humanity. That said, I can't bring myself to criticize them for these decisions and dithering. This is a case where it is as much an art as it is a science and they have greater information than I, you or anyone else. And, a gradual, slow, incremental approach is likely the best response even if I desperately want someone TO DO SOMETHING!

If Thailand decides to go 'full on' and close everything, then there are several potential problems which arise. 

First, the 'close everything' decision can only be sustained for so long; Thai people, normal Thai people that is, don't have a lot of savings and simply can't sit on the sidelines economically for too long. Any decision to close everything has to take that into account.

Secondly, Thai people aren't very good at following rules, orders, laws etc. Normally, that is a characteristic of the Thai people that I enjoy, especially compared with the rule-following hordes in Western cultures. However, a decision to close stuff down too soon will only be obeyed for a relatively short time without clear, unarguable proof of necessity, and that proof is not likely to be seen until a few more people die. Forgive my bluntness, but if you want the Thai people to follow the government's orders, more than mere words and good intentions will be required as the government blew their credibility a long time ago.

Third, if you close everything down and then Thailand finds itself back in the same situation a few weeks later, it is unlikely that you would be able to close everything again. So, once things are closed, there must be the resources, knowledge and will to do whatever needs to be done. If I may paraphrase; when you strike at Covid-19, you'd better kill it!

Finally, the cure can't be worse than the disease. I was in Indonesia during the H5N1(?) bird flu a few years back, and the 'proper' response to it was simply to slaughter the chicken population outright and immediately. Then, a serious nutritional study on Indonesian eating habits and general nutrition made the point that actually, on a macro-level, it was better and less-damaging to let the Bird Flu spread as mass culling would do more damage to the Indonesian populace. It got cleared up before that decision had to be made, but it is worth considering.

On the other hand, wait too long to close some things/everything and the virus spreads beyond the resources available to deal with it.

Every decision by a government has incredible repercussions and ripples, and those repercussions and ripples often reach third/fourth/fifth level effect(s). The decisions taken regarding Covid-19 are likely going to have tenth-level repercussions and ripples; we should all hope that for the sake of beloved Thailand they are generally correct.

Normally, and like all good TVF users, I think that I know better than the Thai Government (and I do, damn it!). This one occasion, I'll go along with the government on when, where, how and for how long to close stuff. 

With gritted teeth.

An excellent column; I think you have captured some of the apprehension that we all feel.

However, in the last few days I have been feeling some (perhaps misplaced!) optimism. In the last few weeks, I have had a sense that folks didn't really understand what is coming, didn't really understand what the effects on our lives was going to be, and didn't really take it seriously.

I think that has changed now.

There are all sorts of expressions that I could write; 'It is always darkest before the dawn', 'You have to hit bottom before you can begin to bounce back', but I prefer to remind my fellow TVF members of the Sci-Fi book/movie 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'. It is funny, but books and movies have been remarkable predictors of future events and the lesson(s) from it was that when a society (or planet, or species, etc) was faced with an incredible challenge, it often was capable to rising to the occasion and dealing with its ordeal. 

I think that we in Thailand, and our friends and families in our native countries and beyond, are going to rise to the challenge. 

How exactly? I do not know. It will likely be the little things; a health worker who puts in an extra hour here or there, a neighbour who helps the family next door, a stranger who makes time to assist someone in need, etc. I have faith in humanity, and I think we are going to come out on the other side better than before.

Call it a hunch.

I echo the call to everyone; stay safe.

56 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

While I accept that people should endeavor to comply with immigration rules I would much rather see an amnesty for long term over-stayers to enable them to get legal. These pathetic Naew Na stories only show immigration in a heartless and time wasting light. How much better would it be to show some compassion and get the illegals back in the system.

Respectfully, while you are displaying your compassion, logic, and common sense in calling for an amnesty of long-term, harmless over-stayers, you are missing the point of it all. Or, perhaps, you simply ran out of room in this week's column.

I think that the case can reasonably be made that the Thai Immigration system's 'reason for being' has changed from merely administering visitors to and from the kingdom to include both bureaucratic and political objectives.

Given the prominence of immigration stories in the Thai media, the endless drivel from Naew Na, the promotion of the 'cool' and 'expensive' 'super cars' (its a beer commercial!), the personalization of immigration 'Super Stars' like BJ and his fellow Bandits, etc., it is pretty clear that the Immigration Police are using public relations in pursuit of ever-increasing budgets and influence. And, fair play to them, in the Thai context they are doing it well and it is working; it is a given to me that any future chief(s) of police will have risen through the ranks of the Immigration System, at least part of the way, as a means of reaching the top.

The actions of the immigration police are tied, in my view, to an overall ideological push by the Junta government (the name changed, but...) to use foreigners as a political tool to insulate themselves from criticism and accountability. Yes, it is one of the oldest political tricks in the book, but it is almost always effective; if the 'foreigner' or those that 'don't look like us' or other 'different people' are to blame for stuff, then the local authorities get a pass. We see it in Thailand with the Health Minister handing out masks to Westerners. We see it in Europe and all the anti-Muslim propaganda. We see it in the USA with "Build A Wall!". The truly sad thing is that it tends to work, at least in the short-term; if Somchai working in the fields gets angry, then at least he can 'take comfort' in the fact that he is not a 'Farang'.

I shudder to think of what future historians will say about us and our era...

One final comment.

I fully agree that Naew Na is a vile, racist, propaganda-ridden pile of liquid scum. So, why does Thai Visa print their articles?