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Isn't that exactly the point? They don't. So, why not put a cap on it and if someone somehow gets control of their account, the ne'er-do-weller won't be able to fleece them in one fell swoop. (although, I think it should be an offered option, rather than mandated to be automatic)

Seems like a great idea to me, especially since the extreme majority of users in those age groups virtually never withdraw over that amount. But, I think it should be voluntary, regardless of age group, not automatically applied. Each account holder should be informed of the optional protection service.

Seems like a perfect opportunity for an entrepreneurial minded person to start a membership organization whose members submit to stricter regulations, which would in turn provide the kind of improvement in safety and customer confidence you mentioned. The company could provide membership perks beyond that too, like collectively bargained insurance rates, collectively bargained gas discounts, help with registration and licensing, emergency roadside assistance services, etc.... Maybe there is already a company like this? There is more than one company like this in America. I would think there'd be at least one company like this in Thailand... but I've never come across it if there is.

I've had good experience with Nakhonchai Air (maybe 4 rides?). It's been a few years since I took a bus, but I recall that they gave their drivers a breathalyzer test before setting out. In the end, the roads are a lousy deal. There are way too many hazards. And driving a big vehicle like that on those roads is sure not something I'd want to do.

I hope this isn't actually a "news" show. How can anyone take this "reporting" seriously with the getup those women have on? I feel like I need sunglasses to look at them! Bizarre....

They were charged for "public solicitation for prostitution in a manner deemed open, shameful, or disturbing to the public" and "handed over to the Chonburi Social Development and Human Security Office..." I suppose for their social development to learn how to solicit more discreetly and less shamefully?

And that commenter was probably seriously infuriated🤣

That's about as shallow of an understanding as I can imagine one to maintain, not to mention impossible to defend with any intellectual honesty. I suppose that would mean that I believe your understanding is about as ignorant as can be.

I have no idea what the statistics might show... but another dimension that I haven't seen mentioned (although it may have been), is one that a Thai friend brought up to me one time ago. He said that he felt bad because the police almost only pull over people in cheap cars or trucks (yeah, different context than motorcycles, but hear me out). He felt bad because those are the people who can least afford the ticket. He told me to pay attention in the future when seeing cars pulled over and see if you ever see an expensive car pulled over. He said it's rare. My experience since then shows the same. His idea (probably right) was that it was because people in nice cars might have connections, so the police are fearful of getting some kind of trouble from them. I had an experience that corroborated that when I was with a higher level government worker who just blew past police telling her to pull over. They didn't even chase her down. I was amazed! She even blew through toll booths that were physically being monitored by police, who also waved her to stop. No consequences. She said, just let them try and they'll regret it!😲 Another aspect that my friend mentioned re farang - the police believe that farang, or any other tourist, is rich enough to pay the fine without even being bothered, so they see it as a good opportunity to get their station's coffers filled (and maybe/probably even some personal benefit). They figure it shouldn't even upset the farang/tourist since it's such a small amount of money to them. And they were breaking the law anyway... so, no big deal. Just doing business.

They definitely have a variety of vocabulary to refer to people "of color", "with colored skin", or "black" people. But yeah, I agree with you in doubting that they meant "chocolate man" in any sort of racist way. It actually sounds complimentary, to me.

Wow! I pity you, not being able to relish the smell of bacon cooking in the morning!😟🥺😭

Well, looks are so subjective... That is something extremely difficult to ascertain anything by.... One of those subjective things would be one's experience or ideas about men of his age with full sleeve tattoos on both arms. The only men I've known like that of his age definitely led VERY questionable or outright immoral or violent lives at the typical age men might get full sleeve tattoos like that. I don't think you'll find many men over the age of 60 getting tattooed up like that. But, who knows... it could mean nothing more than he loves the art. And as you mentioned about him walking around for a couple of days - Since they found him "walking along Jomtien Beach, in a confused and incoherent state", it begs the question of his mental state, for sure. He just as well may have killed her and not even realized it as much as it could be that his story is totally true. Not like anyone on this forum can figure it out from a vague news article. But interesting to hypothesize anyway.... And amazing to see how some people come up with some pretty incredible hypotheses!🤯 It would be interesting to hear the final outcome of the investigation, but it seems that the news so extremely rarely ever follows through like that. I guess it isn't sensational enough.

Thais themselves have been discussing the various terms for a long time and are divided on what they think is the most polite/proper or what sounds discriminatory. I've heard a number of discussions with no clear winning idea on what term to use. And it isn't only in terms of foreigners' skin tones, but often regarding themselves with virtually no thought about foreigners. It isn't particularly an issue of international concern, but of local concern. They call each other different terms for the various tones their skin may have. Some think that saying ผิวสี is more polite, being more indirect, while others think being more explicit about the color or tone is more proper. Re the darker end of the spectrum, one of my friends prefers simply to say ไอ้มืด 😅

How did race somehow make it into your equation? Playing the race card has gotten soooooooooooo OLD. Please leave it where it belongs and quit dragging it out of the trash heap.

Yet, somehow they know that he's a tourist? I guess I'm a bit behind the times of Airbnbs Vrbos and all that sort of thing, but whenever I've been a tourist, I stayed in hotels. I wonder how they determined that he was a tourist. Personally, I usually assume that people who have a room in a condo are longer term sorts. I guess maybe that wouldn't be the case in places like Pattaya so packed full of tourists...? Anyway, still strange how they somehow know he's a tourist without even knowing his nationality.

I wonder when that "idyllic" time was.... Must have been pre-1990! Because I remember talk of the polluted beaches regularly since then. Before that, I have no idea. But reading this article, I'd guess that they were "idyllic" until just recently, not in the distant past....

You ought to apply for a job with The Onion or The Babylon Bee.

There are proper therapeutic Traditional Thai masseuses out there. You just need to know what certification you are looking for and how to look. Not likely to find on Patpong, Soi Cowboy, etc... It might be possible, with some luck to find one in a tourist area, but better to check with a hospital or with the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, under the Ministry of Public Health.

I suppose the same could be said from this end. I'm not quite sure where you are coming from. I believe it is far from obvious that we are now more enlightened than previous generations. You mentioned that in specific regards to science and in one way I can agree and in another, not so much. This is also much about social science, which I don't think we have necessarily come so far ahead on - although, again, this is specific to this topic. I don't intend that to be an overarching generalisation. And there was a lot more study done on homosexuality that it appears you know of in antiquity. Of course, there are fewer documents available to read, but it is very evident in the literature. It was not at all like it was some sort of thing that was not discussed and thought about extensively among intellectuals - doctors, philosophers, etc. Whether influenced by the religion of humanism, Islam, or Christianity, some influences wane and some gain in their influences over time. We are clearly in a time of humanism having gained ground worldwide, which coincides with the current view. Also, the typical trope that the media and academia like to create with it being only victimisation and ostracising led by the intolerance of religion is also not true. Depending on which century and country one may be referring to, there are many instances of humanist leaders who were opposed to homosexuality just as much as other religious leaders. Cicero (Roman, but before Christ's time), Kant, and closer to our time - Nietzsche, all expressed criticism of homosexuality. Plato called it "contrary to nature". Confucian thought also criticised it as being harmful to family and society. Of course, there are also humanists that didn't take that stand, as there were also religious figures who didn't take such a strident stand as they are generalised to have done. It isn't such a simple thing to create into a black and white, us against them dialogue, try as hard as academia and media does these days. But by and large, historically, through the ages and across the world's cultures, homosexuality has largely been criticised and is still to this day, more than it is looked upon as a normative and healthy (for the individual as well as the society) way to live one's life. This being the case, it definitionally is perverted. Just thought I'd throw that in there, since you brought it up. Whether something can be seen throughout the animal kingdom is not particularly relevant. Yes, as you mention, "it's there", it happens", "it just is." There are many things that are "there", that "happen" and just "are". That doesn't make them good, productive, healthy, or positive. As you also brought up the idea of it being "natural"... Even the claimed naturalness of homosexuality has been debated more than a millennium. Just because something exists or is practiced by a small minority, doesn't mean it is natural. That would make many things that we wouldn't want to think of as natural, just so. About the same percentage of the adult population of the U.S. commit misdemeanors (including all crime would make it higher, of course) every year as the percentage of the population that practice homosexuality. Should we call committing crime "natural"? I suppose we could, but then how do we determine which "natural" things are acceptable and to be encouraged and even celebrated and which are not. Depending on one's definition of "natural", it may or may not be natural at all. We have gotten far from where we started. I think this is far enough, for me. It is a complex topic that is far beyond the typical black and white, blanket-pro and blanket-con ideations. I don't expect anyone holding fast to their "side" or opinion in the matter is going to change from anything here. I just wish people would do a little more critical reading and thinking on complex topics before climbing up hills to die on. I don't mean that directly toward you. That's a general statement regarding so much of the strident comments often seen on the forum. To the contrary, you've held a decent dialogue. Thank you.

Why can't I delete mistaken posts? Or can I and I haven't figured it out??

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That's hilarious! I didn't notice, at first, that he actually had his phone with him🤣

"...rightly "re-categorised" to more accurately reflect it's status." Yes, to its current cultural status. I agree. The "rightly" part is debatable on many levels and very subjective. I was not being disingenuous at all. I was being candid. My intention was not to draw exact parallels to each of the issues of the psyche that I mentioned, but to the general circumstance related to how was previously mentioned re people continuing in behavior even though it causes them to suffer. Certainly, you would find those comparisons not particularly agreeable with the outlook you are coming from. As you mentioned, "for many years" homosexuality was viewed as a problem of the psyche. As these sorts of things (thought on social or psychological issues) come and go through the centuries, I think "many years" might need emphasis on the "many" part. And for us to think that we are somehow more enlightened than some millennia of understanding/knowledge/thought, is quite arrogant. But that's typical of every generation, thinking they know more or better than the last one, or even than the last millennium for that matter. Just ask or observe your average teenager to see how much better they think they know than their parents lol, pretty much the same thing. Of course, every ensuing society thinks they have good reason for thinking they know better too. I'm not saying that you are being dogmatic at all. But many are, on both sides. I think there is a LOT of room to question and nothing about this new enlightened thinking is certain, by any stretch of science. And I believe any unbiased/uninterested scientist would happily agree with that. Science does not produce facts, but it does attempt discover facts and bring us closer to a better understanding. At this point, I don't see any reasonable rationale to be unequivocal in a position that has yet to have significant evidence to overturn millennia of understanding. I do see reason to continue studying and to gain a better understanding of the issue that could be of help, especially toward lessening the burden of suffering from people directly affected. But even as I say things like this, I am labelled a bigot by some. I find it mildly humorous, but sad that some can't see beyond their eyelashes, let alone their nose.

There are a number of regulated levels of Thai massage certifications, under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Health. The lowest level of certification doesn't require much. It's been 13+ years since I learned about all of that, in a Traditional Thai Medicine course at Thammasat Uni, so the requirements may have changed a bit since then. But, I know it is regulated and if a masseuse has a higher level certificate, they should be quite good and safe. That is, of course, assuming their certification is genuine.... I think it's worth asking about beyond just seeing the certificate and find out how their studies were and where they were, etc... if one is really looking for a good masseuse that one can visit more than one time. Or you can inquire at a hospital. Or you can really go deep and contact the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine! It's under the Ministry of Public Health. Trusting your hips, spine, and neck to some of these practitioners is crazy, as can be seen from this article....

A simple traffic accident, it was not. Not that you wouldn't agree that there was much more to it than just a traffic accident. But that sure sounds incomplete given the circumstances of what he did and how he evaded and even put up a family employee to take the fall for him, etc, etc, etc.... I agree, not murder. But not a traffic accident with no liability either. I don't know details about Thai laws, but in my mind, he would have many charges against him, including Involuntary Manslaughter.