Smithson

Not mine, these are growing on the side of the road. Nice height, but I think the pots are stopping them getting wider.

Thailand now appears to have the world's most liberal cannabis laws or maybe no laws at all and very little has happened. The society runs as it did before. It's mainly been positive - fewer inmates, but really the impact is minimal. So why do so many countries still ban it?

What about building? Labor costs have gone up considerably in the last 10 years. Builders can make good money, but it takes planning and discipline. Money made needs to go back into the business.

No such thing as a free lunch

How much are the boats each?

Difficult to say. For those who smoke daily how many tropical beach destinations are there were it's legal? I think Jamaica could be one

Like many terms these day the bar been lowered, hence we now talk of gambling and porn addiction.

It's not rocket science, bus drivers just need to check, but when "I forgot" is an acceptable excuse for even the worst mistake little will change here.

From memory 2011 was similar to this year, it just rained almost every day for months. Towards the end of the rains the dams were full, they were forced to release water despite tropical storms, with still more water coming from the North. I've been thinking about this the past few weeks. I'm not surprised to read this prediction, if the rains don't ease up we are in trouble.

Does anyone have rainfall figures for this year? I remember back in 2011 they national and Bkk governments were arguing about which figures were correct. How can they plan when they can't even get their stats in order?

I didn't see anything that ominous in the story, a restriction to 15 plants and extracts less than 0.2% thc

Space Lasers? Missed that. As I stated, I was referring to the OP. You don't seem to want to discuss the OP.

It started out as a question or whether a comment could be racist. Now it seems ppl who don't know him have decided he's a bigot. Th OP suggested a warning, but if he's really a bigot then maybe just sack him and give the Lynch mob what they want.

You're correct, however there's no clear bigot in this case. The OP should have discussed it with his colleagues, his peers. It affects them, not us posters on expat forum.

Good ppl should support those who need help, they shouldn't decide for themselves. I'm not sure there's bigots or racists in the OPs story and neither is he. Not considering the locals, their attitudes and culture has become common among many here. My guess is these ppl are white and come from former colonial powers, which explains their attitude.

If most people are racist, then racism is normal. What level and type of education is required not be racist? It concerns me that young people learn about racism in university, this is far too late, for me it was taught by my parents, that was the norm back then.

If it's normal then most ppl in the world would have these views on race and gender. I've seen nothing to back this. From what I've seen ppl around the world have a very diverse range of views. I think it's most common among wealthy white well educated ppl, who are now abusing their privilege by imposing it on others. Does anyone in the OPs post identify as a victim or is this also imposed on them?

So when is the victim? The guy the comment was directed at doesn't seem to be complaining, neither are the women in the office. Although I haven't read the whole thread.

For who? Wealthy, well educated white people?

Anyone can complain about anything, it's very common. Just not aware of a victim in this case.

I remember reading the definition of PC was being offended on others behalf, it's now normal. Having worked in many offices, my opinion is Thai women are quick to complain about harassment, especially if it's from farang. The OP should be interested in the opinions of his colleagues, not seeking support from farang on the net. Sad and ironic to see people trying to colonize Thailand with Western ideals. I wonder if the OP has any qualms about working for the Thai military?

Regarding ceiling fans, I think some will draw air up, rather than pushing it down. In the past I haven't liked them, but I've seen a few one really high in a few shopping centers and they seem to do a good job.

Looks like a good shutter, gives security also.

Darwin in Australia used to be famous for it's practical architecture, not since air con... I think Pattaya is the worst, as they are building to appeal to farang. The problem with air con rooms is they're designed to trap the air inside, rather than ventilate. Traditionally all tropical countries had outside kitchens and across Southeast Asia were houses on stilts. When I lived in Chiang Mai I'd notice how cool it was riding at night when passing vacant block, the temperature would jump up as soon as there were buildings around. Really shows the heat island effect.

An alternative to interior curtains is external roll up blinds or fixed wooden shutters. You can see these on pre air con buildings. Unfortunately the advent of air con has led to poor design in warm climates worldwide. To see what's effective take a look at houses build before air con was common. There's an architect designed expensive place across from me. It has a huge balcony and windows to take advantage of the mountain views. There are no eaves and no roof over the balcony. The blinds are always drawn and I have never seen anyone on the balcony. What do architects learn? Not functional design it seems.