kwilco

Brits have the majority - as they set up each other - there is a tradtion of scuba and gym people in UK that leads one to the other. And then English language speakers - e.g .Oz,S.A etc follow closely on. Many are young backpackers or army and they often move on quite quickly a year or so because they can't get another tourist visa.

like I'm going to be sealioned by you on this thread???? Why do you ask? Are you one of them? All you need is the immigration number and they will check it out. Unfortunately a lot of the officials checking it out are the ones complicit in the first place - it needs a "new broom sweeps clean" person in Surat or outside t sort it.

Bout time they rounded up all the Brits on Samui and other islands who are working in dive schools gyms etc with dodgy visas or work permits or ones they bought from the police.

Most countries water systems lose around 20 to 30% of a nation's supply. In Thailand, according to the Water Integrity Network, an estimated 25% of its water in the distribution system is lost (a very conservative estimate??) So, for every 100 litres of water that is pumped into the system, only 75 litres reach the end user. ...and that's pretty undrinkable too. This is due to a number of factors, leaking pipes, illegal tapping etc. This loss is a major problem for Thailand, as it leads to water scarcity pollution. Here are some of the reasons why ...... Leaks are the most common cause of water loss in Thailand. They account for an estimated 15% of water loss in the country. Pipes are often damaged by ground movement, tree roots, and other factors. Lack of detection and maintenance follows. Illegal tapping is another major cause of water loss in Thailand. People connect to the water supply without permission. Homeowners, businesses, or even government agencies. I=do this, and it deprives legitimate users of water. Metering inaccuracies also contribute to water loss. Meters that are not properly calibrated or maintained, this leads to people being overcharged for water, or to water being wasted. Unfortunately most of the governments responses are archaic and ineffective, simply resorting to dams etc. which help little and cause great ecological damage

It looks like your posts are like your drinking - you're unaware and you can't stop

Sadly you aren't understanding my point - you just come up with cliched responses - I"ll add "you think drink is evil" to my list

What an absurd thing to ask - I don't drink. You are so defensive and so much in denial, I'd seriously consider reviewing your relationship with alcohol....it clearly makes you very aggressive.

As said it's a matter of realisation and admitting to yourself that comes first. Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of tropes and clichés that drinkers will find familiar. - The types of excuses alcoholics or drinkers use to justify drinking is many and varied, it’s not possible to list all of them. But some will recognise these in themselves….. “I can take it or leave it and I don’t have cravings.” “I don’t drink every day.” “I go to work.” "I don't care" “I don’t drink spirits.” “it feels good”. “I’m a “functioning” alcoholic”. Because they are sad. Because they are happy. Reward: "I had a tough day, and I deserve a drink to unwind." “for courage” It is “fun”. feel “better”. Because they don’t care – “I drink, I fall over .. No problem” They think it will be different the next time. "I don’t drink in the morning.” “All my friends do it.” “Alcohol helps me relax” “I can’t sleep without it.” Socializing: "I need to drink to fit in or feel comfortable in social situations." Celebration: "I'm celebrating a special occasion, so it's okay to drink excessively." Peer pressure: "Everyone else is drinking, so I don't want to feel left out." Tradition: "It's a cultural or family tradition to drink, and I don't want to break it." Self-medication: "Alcohol helps me deal with my emotional pain or mental health issues." “It helps with my pain.” Work: "A little alcohol helps me be more creative or productive." Escape: "Drinking allows me to escape from my problems or reality temporarily." Not drinking is “boring” “addiction” or “alcoholic”? – instinctively most drinker deny they are addicts or alcoholics they do this by defining alcoholism or addiction in a way that excludes themselves.

Drinkers are a pretty predictable group as are most people dependant of drugs. One needs to understand that addiction or dependency on alcohol is a very complex issue, and quitting can be challenging for some individuals. So confronting it is often beyond the ken of many drinkers whilst others remain in denial as they fear facing or miscalculate the consequences of a life without the drug. "I can give up whenever I want" is a common phrase used by drinkers – but of course, they never do. It’s merely a form of self-assurance or a way to downplay their dependency on alcohol. The reasons for this piece of self-deception can include Denial, by stating that they can quit whenever they want, they may be trying to convince themselves or others that they have control over their drinking habits. Justification. It’s used as an attempt to justify current drinking behaviour. By asserting control, they feel justified in continuing to drink because they have convinced themselves and they think others, that they can stop at any time. Then there is social pressure. In many social circles or peer groups, excessive alcohol consumption is normalized or even encouraged. By claiming they can quit whenever they want, drinkers try to deflect concerns or judgments from others about their drinking habits, often by trying to claim the others drink too….they often don’t realise they are the only one intoxicated I the room. Other drinkers use this statement to downplay the negative consequences of their drinking. By asserting that they could quit easily, they feel that they have avoided facing the reality of the harm alcohol may be causing to their health, relationships, or other aspects of their life.

Whatever makes you feel batter - pity about no critical thinking thougjh.

You are the one who is dichotomising my argument which is that people don't question their relationship with alcohol which you obviously don't, hence expressions like "because they like it". - but you are nevertheless being ultra aggressively defensive - why would that be?

Methinks thou doth protest too much. It is amazing how vociferous people get in trying to defend their habit. All it does is confirm their blind dependance on the drug. it is also as I said earlier, sad that people really don't step back and think about their relationship with alcohol. The comment above is a classic example of this - what MADE you give up!! in fact I didn't even "give up" in the sense that I made a conscious decision to do so. But it is impossible for drinkers to see not drinking as anything else but in terms of "giving up" (a surrender or denial), such is the grip that drinking has on their lives. The answer to the question at the top is nothing, I just stopped and then gradually realised after that, so much more about the relationship between society and alcohol. E.g this thread and the heated comments by drinkers. I didn't "give up", I won

THe law is just an excuse for the drinkers to try and justify themselves - you need to read my post where. I refer to religion and alcohol.

"The ban on specific days doesn’t impact me at all, I have plenty of beer in the fridge, a decent selection of good whiskies and a wine fridge full of various wines.... I’ll go weeks without a drink." You are being incredibly predictable and clichéd in your responses - we hear the same thing over and over. In your haste to justify your "habit" you don't seem to have read my comments on alcohol restrictions either. When I stopped drinking I met so many people who told mw "I could give up any time" - I can go foe weeks without a drink" Firstly I wondered why they felt compelled to tell me and secondly they never did.

They say alcohol impairs thought - could this be the evidence?

As an outsider - neither religious or a drinker I find it saddening how obsessed people are with drinking. I used to drink and stopped a couple of decades ago - the most significant thing I realised was how even those "occasional" or "social" drinkers seldom realise how alcohol and the alcohol industry dominates every aspect of their lives. Phrases like "fancy a drink" belie an unquestioning submission to an entire industry and drug-taking life style. Yes alcohol laws can be absurd - in Thailand, USA, Australia they have hilariously stupid laws - basically the industry doesn't mind because it helps panic buying and the survival of liquor stores. As the dominant drug in most cultures these days, the industry is happy to rake in the profits and attempt to side-step the thousands of deaths every year that result from their product. If you look into those opposed to the legalisation of other drugs you often find that apart from being unwitting minions of the alcohol trade, they often have links or are financed by the alcohol industry. Sadly most people, rather than consider why they drink, instead obsess with the laws they believe interfere with their drinking - in fact they just promote alcohol sales at the convenience of the industry.

Difficult to know which is more dangerous, religion or alcohol...

Yes - according to the Office for National Statistics, there have been about 170,000 excess deaths in England and Wales during the period of Covid. I'm sure that Thailand will show similar figures.. These figures override the "excuses" given about underlying conditions as they wouldn't affect the general death rate.

Your argument is easy dispatched by looking at the excess death rates

I"ve driven almost eveywhee in Laos except Pakse.

I never used to queue much - I'd go well after they's opened and the queue would be down to half a dozen people.

I always used to drive into Savannakhet and stay for a few days - As I can't see the point of frantically running in and out of Laos. For a while I worked there and spent a fair bit of time running people into town to get photocopies of their bank books etc. or internet statements. But I just like to make a holiday of it. I think most people who go there don't actually have to do it in 2 days but they just got it in their head they must. Most of the time I was changing B visas but I did get a tourist visa there once. the region around Savannakhet is really quite beautiful

THat would be rather sad.I lived and worked in Savannakhet and there was a good atmosphere at the consulate thee. They helped me out with my B visa in Thailand above and beyond. I wonder if the chap in charge has changed.

THanks I like Savannakhet and next time I get a tourist visa, I would like to get it from there - I have only had one tourist visa, that was in 2018. Previously they were all B visas.

Is the Thai consulate at Savannakhet doing tourist visas" (single entry) Can someone give a clear concise answer? I last got one in 2018 - and everyone had to show proof on 20k baht but they were still being issued So - is it possible to get one there or have they stopped issuing them completely?