kwilco

Actually that is a practice gleaned from American and French restaurants back in the day. THis is typical of a myth of service that comes from paying staff very little money - it really isn't genuine CS.

Hardly "A stark reminder of Thai "hospitality"- it is however a familiar example of someone's first experience of customer service in Thailand. Although it has undoubtedly improved over the last 3 decades, there is still a big gap between Thai CS and what we have come to expect in the West - especially in EU where there is comprehensive legislation that covers consumer rights. Thailand still clings to "caveat emptor". People, when they come to Thailand are at first beguiled by the cheap prices and apparent service that is the result of high numbers o staff, who are paid a pittance. But when it comes to fixing real problems or refunding money they are still in the dark ages. However this doesn't mean you can't get. result - whether we are talking big or small, if you have the right attitude, you can normally get a satisfactory result. The OP is a classic example of a foreigner who doesn't understand Thai culture and has tried to apply his own western preconceptions on a bemused Thai vendor who in the end became grossly offended by is gauche behaviour.

If there is a storm forecast, people will rush to get off the island in case the ferry service gets suspended.

Spend 2 days there - rent a caddy to drive round if the leg work gets too much. You can of course buy individual items. Prices are no longer "dirt cheap" - I'd say its good if you are a specialist buy (e,g, vintage Levis"/ jean copies etc.). It is a massive place - not sure how you get a pitch to sell stuff, but I"ve taken people who've shipped boxes back to the UK and EU to their shops and very happy with the results.

What I'd like to ee is a a serious investigation into of all the British ex-army people who live on Samui, allegedly with illegal work permits which they think gives them a licence to sell weed and other pills to their mates and other customers

not like you, eh?

I've always renewed at th Chonburi office except the last time on Samui. What docs will I need? Do I need some address / proof of address?

Most of the country is verging on water shortages now - thanks in part to El Nino effect. THere may be rain but it is quantity and storage that is important. If levels on the mainland are low then the amount available for the Samui pipelines will be low too.

every single premise you make is fallacious - and as for IQ - only someone whois seriously uniformed would use that as criteria for a whole electorate or measuring anything for that matter. ...and then throw in an appeal to authority fallacy for good measure. You need to understand a reference to be able to use it in an argument - you don't

Many of the uneducated rice farmers in Isan might support Thaksin, the educated middle class in Bangkok despises him. In this regard, the 2 Ts (the orange one in the US and the square-faced one in LOS) are the same:the higher your IQ and your education the less likely you are to support them. This is not to say that the working class in both countries do not have legit grievances, they certainly do, but they are betting on the wrong horse to genuinely and long-term address them .Hitler initially got the masses out of the misery of the Great Depression.Fascists everywhere do not really care about the people, but they know how to manipulate them. They are master manipulators. Listen to you – just a load of prejudices and clichés! You clearly no nothing about Chiang Mai and the North - completely overlook the fact that almost all universities DON’T support the yellow shirts. Anyone with an education dislikes the yellow-shirts and what they stand for – books about them have been banned – it’s pretty clear you haven’t read a thing on Thai history. The only people who support the yellow-shirts re the Thai establishment who want to keep hold of both power and wealth – of course suckers who think like to you just make it so much easier for them. BTW I used to work for a yellow-shirt leader and a less “educated” more ruthless person you’d be hard put to find. Sure Thaksin is a populist but so are most other politicians – he didn’t seize power with the brrel of a gun, he didn’t massacre students and he didn’t disenfranchise half the population

The "squabbles" have ended up with dozens of deaths and a non-democratic system im[posed by a military government. "move forward" is a cliche used by politicians who don't know what they are doing. The newly appointed PM and his goernment are going to have to "move forward" quickly to change th constitution and estableish a truly re[presentative form og government followed by elections.

which government are you thinking of?

doubt it - as most people supported thaksin and regarded the charges as largely politically motivated, it will be seen as a sign of reconciliation. those who fear Thaksin may be worried.

When I point out the pucity of your thinking you take it personally, I'm commenting on the evidence you present. It is unfortunate that climate deniers are unaware of how stupid they are, I hope you don't fit into that category.

Whichever way you look at it the vast majority of the country is anti-junta. However the military have put in place a constitution that makes democracy unworkable - the only way forward pragmatically speaking is to change the constitution and get rid of to noe degree or another the upper house. To do this any opposition is at first going to have to form some uncomfortable alliances - the reall change will take a few years and could end with a more democratic govenment or yet another coup.

My guess is that he will be "plagued by ill-health" and spend a lot of the next year in hospital. one wonders if he will be allowed to engage in political activities. THailand's ruling elite is very fractious, but one way or the other Thaksin is a fully paid up member.... just a bit o a bete noir. And an old friend of the old king's son.

THat has to get the ward for the most irrational false dichotomy on the entire thread - or even site.

you "know" really, what makes you such an authority?

So I should listen to you rather than th world scientific community? ...or just my Uncle?

It seems that most of the arguments in this thread are based on whether or not the poster is sinophobic or not.

To get an idea of MMCC as opposed to historical "natural" variations this graphic give a good overview of the RATE of exchange. You need to know what n "anomaly" is and the basic chemistry behind the atmospheric problems anything after that is just pure cognitive dissonance ...

THis cliche is rolled out over and over by climate deniers but all it shows is how little you understand bout the nature of man-made climate change -

comments like that are normally the precursors to a coup in Thailand

Nothing to do with shutting down a voice of opposition then?

So now you have decided MMCC is actually real? It looks like I'm making progress.