mark45y

Ah you have a poor understanding of what being 'Thai' means. Thai language is the official language of Thailand being from Bangkok and spoken by people from Bangkok and sort of slight North of Bangkok. The truth is most Thais come from country areas to city areas, to, well work. People in the country all have their own languages. I can speak Sukhothai language, which is where I learned my Thai; unfortunatly no one understands me in Bangkok but I am fluent in Sukhothai! They call this 'pasa baan': home language, or specifically a country dialect. There will be alot of Thai words in the local dialect, but there will also be a local style of speaking with local words. She comes from Lom Sak, and since she is talking to someone from there, she will drop back to using the local language rather than 'official' Thai. All Thais learn official Thai, and need it to understand telly/news/get jobs in Bangkok, etc. Think of it like Cornish or Welsh or Scottish; all these peoples speak English but with a local dialect, accent, words and expressions.

I can read Thai(ish) and we recently went to Laos. They have a slightly different script there, but after studying a few food menus, I could read Lao! Thus all these languages share common words, phonetics, etc. Probably because they derived from Pali and Sanskrit (Singapore: Singh means lion in Sanskrit/Pali; can't remember which one; as Singh means Lion in beer Singh, as the ex wifes surname was Singhsathorn; magnificent Lion). These are northern Indian languages that had influence right down the Malay peninsular into Indonesia!

Next time you have a chat with a Thai, remind them that Buddha was an Indian. They will probably look at you shocked! Alot of Thais don't realise where their cultural influences come from

I appreciate that information. If you read my OP you would have discovered I understand both Thai and Lao and wanted a Lom Sak on line dictionary. PS Most Thais I have asked do know that Buddha is Indian but no one has any idea what Victory Monument was for.

I suspect that the 7% refers only to short-time tourists entering on tourist visas and does not include anyone entering on any sort of longer visa or waiver. Nor, I suspect, does it include money spent on houses/condos, remittances to Thai dependents, salaries originating outside Thailand and paid to farangs resident here, salaries paid to those with WPs, small business investments etc etc

I wouldnt be all surprised if the total amount for all those far exceeded one third of GDP.

I think you have what is called Messiah complex.

The entire Thai economy has a GDP of $584 Billion per annum or thereabouts

You are suggesting that these things you mention above account for around $200 Billion? Given most of these are based on external remittances ie exports technically, how does that account for the fact that Thai exports are circa $195 billion. So remittances, money given to households are larger than say the car export industry in Thailand which is one of the largest in the region - you know the 'Detroit of Asia'?

To use another comparison, the Thai government has a annual budget of around $75 Billion. Are you saying, that all these things you identify are bigger than the Thai government? You know, the government which builds roads, buildings and other infrastructure, pays millions of civil servants salaries, looks after 4 or 5 dozen state owned enterprises and a couple of dozen essential services.

I mean, there are some delusional posts here on TV. But your one about takes the cake.

Due to the multiplier effect of tourist dollars and ex pat dollars flowing into the country the actual economic impact is somewhere around 30% of GDP. Or $175 billion.

And DiabloBob, Ian is incorrect. Its every guy you have to worry about

Like my dad said "I am a man and I know what those b@st@rds are thinking about my daughters".

I am really glad my daughters are grown. Teen years for a father are a scary experience.

I tutored a little girl with beautiful long hair here in Thailand. Sometimes it was braided and other times it was combed out. She had one of the most beautiful heads of hair I had ever seen, everyone commented on it.

She changed schools and the new school made her cut her hair. When I first saw the hair cut I was speechless. I had known her for a couple of years.

After the hair cut she gained 30 pounds and began hanging around with the wrong crowd and dropped out of school.

Who knows if there were other reasons besides the hair cut. Who knows what goes on in a young girls mind.

My third daughter was a handful. I suggested to my wife that we move to Alaska and school her by short wave radio. My wife thought I was kidding. There could be worse things than raising a young lady in the Alaskan wilderness and only having to worry about bears instead of boys.

The general ignorance of how to contract HIV/AIDS is very alarming!

Facts:

1. HIV/AIDS can be contracted though any type of fluid exchange; i.e. sex, blood splattering into the eyes, needle prick, etc.

2. HIV/AIDS can be contracted from having sex with someone only once.

3. Condoms DO NOT 100% prevent contracting HIV/AIDS from someone who is infected, they do help reduce the risks.

4. Not only SEX WORKERS have HIV/AIDS; "Nice Girls" have it too and many do not know they have it.

JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE HAVING SEX WITH EVERYONE THAT YOUR CHOSEN LADY OF THE EVENING HAS HAD PRIOR TO YOU!

ALSO, JUST BECAUSE A SEX WORKER HAS A CERTIFICATE OF CLEAN HEALTH (MOST ARE FORGED) AND/OR TELLS YOU SHE IS DISEASE FREE THE CHANCES THAT EVEN IF SHE IS INFECTED SHE IS NOT GOING TO GIVE UP HER NIGHT JOB JUST FOR A MORAL OBLIGATION.

Big Johnson you may be a Medic but you don't have much experience with Thai bar girls. No, most health certificates are not forged. You may have gotten that from an NGO site dealing with some part of the world where health certificates are mandatory as I imagine you did. Thailand does not require health certificates to work in a bar. A few bars and go go's require the ladies are tested before employment and monthly after that. Normally they test for HIV and Syphilis before employment and then every 6 months. Some bars test for other STD's weekly or monthly. Some bars bring in a doctor to the bar others require the ladies go to a clinic where they have a discount rate set up. Almost always the ladies are required to pay for the test themselves but since they get a group discount it is not much.

I would suggest before you begin posting as an expert on sex and STD's in Thailand that you have some actual experience in the country. You can get this experience working at a Thai hospital in a night life area such as Pattaya or Bangkok or in the business by being a bar owner or manager.

My experience suggests that out of 200 bars in Pattaya 10 require tests.

Normally I would not justify a comment, but this is an issue I am passionate about.....so, to clear up any misgivings:

1. I DO work with the medical community in Bangkok teaching UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS (+6 YEARS IN BANGKOK!)

2. I did not say that the bars required health certificates; I said that many girls tend to produce one to show their "clients"

3. I didn't claim to be an "EXPERT" (BTW does medical school count as some kind of expertise?) but I think I have a little more experience than a bar owner/manager AND I am not just a "medic".

4. I volunteer to educate sex workers on STD's and find them sponsors (ones without sexual intentions) to help them get out of the sex trade.

There is a post in the news section about 1.1 million HIV/AIDS cases in Thailand and it is not just confined to sex workers....it is up to everyone to educate themselves on this pandemic and a morally right for those who have "EXPERTISE" on the subject to try to help as many people as we can...YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

I justify my comments all the time so it doesn't bother me.

I only took issue with your statement about sex workers and health certificates being forged. I have never had nor have I heard of a sex worker showing someone a forged health certificate.

Perhaps that exists but it is certainly so small a number as to be negligible.

I completely agree with education of everyone about STD's and that includes both parties involved.

I also agree with your statement about not being able to change the world as prostitution is the oldest profession and people have been trying to help get people out of it since human time began.

There have been a number of posts on this thread about self treatment and self diagnosis. Since it so easy to get tested in Thailand I wonder why everyone would not do it even in the short term.

It doesn't hurt. The last time I was treated for chlamydia the doctor put a little individually packaged IV in my vein in my arm and injected a medication into the little IV thing. I didn't even feel it. He also gave me a choice of one week of pills or two. He was treating for chlamydia and Trichomoniasis.

Since I have more experience with Pattaya I will discuss that area. It is easy, quick and simple to go to Pattaya Memorial to be checked out. No one stares at you or laughs at you. The doctors are business like and the lab is quick and efficient and painless owing to good needle techniques and little Q tips instead of big ones. Also the clinics I have been to on Soi BuaKhow are well equipped and have volumes of knowledge about STD's. Both of the above options treat hundreds of STD's on a daily basis and I would imagine that leads to some expertise.

I think we both have the same end goal in mind of reducing STD's. The majority of Thais have little knowledge of infection prevention and also superstition coupled with that small base of knowledge of sanitation and sterile conditions.

Education of sex workers should include training on putting on condoms and the fact that a different condom is needed for each woman. In other words if the condom does not go on the first time because it is backwards, don't turn it around, get a fresh condom. And a separate condom is needed for each partner involved, not one for the man shared among a number of women or other partners. I am trying not to get too graphic but if the man changes partners he should also change condoms. The ladies don't seem to realize this on a regular basis.

I don't know if Herpes can be protected against by taking anti virals prior to exposure. I would think not but would appreciate some factual information on the issue. I also don't know if oral herpes, a cold sore, can be transferred to the genitals and would appreciate some information on that.

Sex workers should also be educated about all strains of the herpes virus and I don't think this is done in any detail but again I could be wrong. I also don't know if sex workers are advised to get vaccinated against the types of hepatitis that one can vaccinate against. Are they?

Since we have a person who educates sex workers perhaps you could answer my questions. To re state, 1. Are sex workers educated about the various forms of herpes and how they are contracted and what to do about them?

2.Are sex workers educated about the varieties of hepatitis and what to do about them and the vaccinations available?

3.Are sex workers informed about correct procedures in using condoms and the necessity of not sharing condom usage?

4.Are sex workers offered free testing for herpes and hepatitis and vaccinations?

Thanks for your above post.

Anyone seen Morton's Tenderquick salt or a Thai version of same? I feel like making some salami and have never made it without Morton's.

yes, i am native to America. I was born here and so were my parents...i just write a little different from other Americans. I think my writing/speaking skills have changed since i have been trying to learn thai and spanish since the rules are different. I deal with foreigners on a daily basis and i try to pick up the language while i spend time with them. My girlfriend is from thaland though, she is with me in America now and she works with these exchange students, which is how i meet them every year.

The main point of my original post is for you all to help explain to these students that most of them will not have the experience that they believe that they will have. They are not spoiled brats, they are just filled with false ideas about what the role of a successful individual is in America. I am hoping that if any of you hear that a student is coming with the work and travel program that you ask them to research the city/job that they will be involved with in America. Also mention to them that they may not work with their friends that they came to America with as i have witnessed the supervisors breaking the news to them minutes after they arrive in the airport that they will in fact not work together.

For those of you that do not care about these students, please do not comment.

what i have concluded the problem is..is that they do not research about the place they are originally supposed to live in while they work here...they usually believe that america is a place of magic and there are plenty of things to do..that is only true some of the times...i know a thai girl in south carolina who has a lot to do around her but has to ride a bike 3 miles to work...i knew 4 students who signed a contract to work together in Louisiana..but when they arrived all of them were separated to work in 4 different cities instead of in new orleans like the contract they signed in thailand said they were to work...a different group of three thai guys that came were separated as well last year as soon as they arrived

You don't write like a US native or native English speaker. What country do you come from and is it legal for you to work in the US? It might make a difference in what you can do for those you are posting about and your general knowledge of US contract law.

Try the Thai embassy, legal aid or the cops or hire a lawyer to take the case on a contingency basis.

Even if they aren't doing anything illegal a letter from an attorney can do wonders.

Posting on TV is doing it backwards. Concentrate on the agencies that are doing something wrong and not all student exchange or work groups.

Reply to SchonSteve,

British youth, American youth not much difference. Messed up values, misdirected priorities. Brits are a bit more likely to get drunk and in fights Americans more likely to have auto accidents and get shot.

Who are the happier kids? Brits, American or Thais? Thais by a long shot.

Especially Thai boys. What's not to like? Cheap booze, beautiful women and lots of rock and roll and you can bribe the college instructors. I would have killed for that when I was 19.

Don't get me wrong I don't think Thailand is a place for Western young men. It destroys work ethic, discipline and accumulation of wealth.

Besides if you live here when you are young there will be nothing to look forward to when you get old. They are supposed to be the golden years after a hard life of working. I think working and marrying and having a family in the West is necessary to really appreciate the benefits of Thailand and enables one to put up with it's minor flaws.

what i have concluded the problem is..is that they do not research about the place they are originally supposed to live in while they work here...they usually believe that america is a place of magic and there are plenty of things to do..that is only true some of the times...i know a thai girl in south carolina who has a lot to do around her but has to ride a bike 3 miles to work...i knew 4 students who signed a contract to work together in Louisiana..but when they arrived all of them were separated to work in 4 different cities instead of in new orleans like the contract they signed in thailand said they were to work...a different group of three thai guys that came were separated as well last year as soon as they arrived

You don't write like a US native or native English speaker. What country do you come from and is it legal for you to work in the US? It might make a difference in what you can do for those you are posting about and your general knowledge of US contract law.

If only 10% of the foreigners remained, it would mean Thailand had instituted a very strict policy, and only those who are absolutely essential to the economy could remain. This would mean a few expats in extremely well paying positions at Thai companies.

If you are in the following groups, you would be in the 90% that were evicted:

1. All retirees

2. Most English Teachers

3. All students

4. Those supporting families but without jobs

5. Tourists

Even with that, a sizeable percentage of the foreigners with families but with low paying jobs would also have to go. I think that is the only way to get down to 10%.

So, I would be willing to place a bet that most people on TV would not at all enjoy the reality of a 90% evacuation of foreigners in LOS. For the few that are of working age, desirable, well paid and lucky enough to stay, they would probably see their status increase.

You are making an assumption that Thais are rational. You would be more accurate IMHO if you assumed the reverse or at least threw in those with the most money to give. Not necessarily the most money in the bank but the most money to be spent in certain areas. Also if you think any Thai politician can stand up against the women and families in Thailand who gain their support from Farangs I think you are being naive. I think what kind of job you may or may not have may determine status in Singapore but certainly not Thailand.

\

I'm taking the distinctly unusual step of quoting MYSELF here.

"as surely they know where their own country appears on the map!!! Don't they!!!!" .

I've just seen Jazzbo's posting on Miss South Carolina's classic speech and the fact that apparently 20% of Americans cannot locate where the USA lies on the world map (you know, where they preside)!!! incredible and disturbing!!!. I must apologise for talking their intelligence up so much as they don't merit it, clearly. I would have thought that the saying "beauty without brains" could qualify her distnct absense of 'grey matter' but it looks like she is representative of a sizeable proportion of "teen America" - I'm totally dumbfounded!!!

UNICEF claimed earlier this year that British children were among the unhappiest and unhealthiest in Europe. They are more likely to binge-drink, take drugs, have sex at a young age and start fights.

The IPPR report adds to recent disturbing evidence that Britain is among the worst places to grow up in the developed world.

BBC and Daily Mail report, "Out-of-control' British teens the worst behaved in Europe"

Its study found that 44 per cent of British youngsters had been involved in a physical fight in the previous year - against just 28 per cent in Germany, 36 per cent in France and 38 per cent in Italy.

Some 38 per cent confessed to under-age sex, almost double the French figure. The same percentage had tried cannabis, more than five times the rate in Sweden.

http://www.dailymail...ved-Europe.html

Perhaps Thai education is not that bad after all.

I'm sorry, but what on earth have all these statistics got to do with the American youth's abyssmal knowledge of geography (in relation to where the location of different countries lie on a world map).

As your data shows that Britain tops all of the lists you have painstakingly compiled, does this not show that we (a small nation such as ours) are "world leaders"!!!! I see that you haven't included America in these tables or related the gun crime statistics comparing the US of A to Britain, or obesity levels, suicide levels etc: - I wonder why not??

If, as I think, you may just be trying to portray, by trashing (you should understand this American word) GREAT Britain - to give it it's full name, you are insinuating that Britain is not a healthy and happy place to live in with loose morals and bad behaviour amongst our peoples, then all that tells me is that I'm a clever so-and-so for uprooting and moving to Thailand!!! so thanks for that indirect (unintended I'm sure) compliment!!!

Since this thread is about Farangs and Thais I assumed you were not talking about Americans specifically and you meant that you were astounded by the lack of education, common knowledge and sorry state of Farang youth in general. I agree and added that British youth in the opinion of many as reported by BBC and the Guardian are the worst in Europe. I mentioned British youth because there are more of them in Thailand than any other Farang group that I know of.

I don't know if Britain is a healthy or happy place to live or not. UNICEF claimed earlier this year that British children were among the unhappiest and unhealthiest in Europe. They are more likely to binge-drink, take drugs, have sex at a young age and start fights.

If I had an opinion I would have stated it. From the amount of Brits I speak to in Thailand they all tell me that their home country is going to heck and they are much happier in Thailand.

I do not know whether different ethnic groups have different IQs that are partially genetically determined. However I can't think of a good scientific reason why this may not be so. After all we all accept that different ethnic groups have different statures, and that this is determined at least in part, genetically. However much you fed a population of pygmies their average stature would not increase to that of a semi-starved group of Norwegians. In principle if there was a genetic variant of a gene that (this is a purely made up example) caused neurons in the brain to make on average 5% fewer connections, and this variant arose say in Iceland, 50,000 years ago, wouldn't it be possible for Icelanders to be less intelligent than , say Thais because more of them have this variant?

If you believe in evolution then it stands to reason that different races have evolved different intelligences because of their particular environment.

If you believe in God then you are more likely to assume all races are created equal.

Creationists are the good guys, Evolutionists are natural racists ......... ha ha!

And Thais are what?

I'm taking the distinctly unusual step of quoting MYSELF here.

"as surely they know where their own country appears on the map!!! Don't they!!!!" .

I've just seen Jazzbo's posting on Miss South Carolina's classic speech and the fact that apparently 20% of Americans cannot locate where the USA lies on the world map (you know, where they preside)!!! incredible and disturbing!!!. I must apologise for talking their intelligence up so much as they don't merit it, clearly. I would have thought that the saying "beauty without brains" could qualify her distnct absense of 'grey matter' but it looks like she is representative of a sizeable proportion of "teen America" - I'm totally dumbfounded!!!

UNICEF claimed earlier this year that British children were among the unhappiest and unhealthiest in Europe. They are more likely to binge-drink, take drugs, have sex at a young age and start fights.

The IPPR report adds to recent disturbing evidence that Britain is among the worst places to grow up in the developed world.

BBC and Daily Mail report, “Out-of-control' British teens the worst behaved in Europe”

Its study found that 44 per cent of British youngsters had been involved in a physical fight in the previous year - against just 28 per cent in Germany, 36 per cent in France and 38 per cent in Italy.

Some 38 per cent confessed to under-age sex, almost double the French figure. The same percentage had tried cannabis, more than five times the rate in Sweden.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-470919/Out-control-British-teens-worst-behaved-Europe.html

Perhaps Thai education is not that bad after all.

While I agree with the first part (the reasoning for this thread....) the last part is certainly arguable simply in the form of foreign direct investment etc ... Thailand is the producer of light pick-up trucks for the region, but when the car companies go etc ...

The consequences of trying to get rid of foreigners would be dire (locally and globally .... but more locally) and would carry over to the export market. Had Thailand lost tourism in 97 as well as just the Asian financial crisis it would have been much much worse.

Who said anything about the factories or other direct foreign investment leaving the country? The OP is asking what would happen if the foreigners left or didn't come. OK, so the foreign management of companies and factories would be replaced by Thai.

We aint all that, never have been, never will be.

Not true. It's not that the Thais want Western people doing the jobs but they don't have the Thais that can do them now. 20 years of training no problem but not now. Gradual and slow change with a view of future enterprises managed by local people and no problem. This is not rice farming, I'm talking about. How long does it take to train a helicopter pilot for a modern helicopter? How long does it take to train a petroleum chemist with knowledge of modern refinery techniques? Do the refineries taken over by Thai management in the past year meet international standards? You will see some interesting examples of this in the near future I am sure.

But I am not an expert. Ask some of the people here who really know something about it. I think they will confirm that Thai industry is not ready to stand alone right now.

Suppose tensions between China and America worsen to the point of war, who do you think Thailand would side with?

With most of the Thai polititians being of Chinese heritage doubt it would be the US.

Next comes the threat of interment camps and all of a sudden a mass exodus of 'foreign devils' is underway.

Possible?

I don't think you have to worry about internment camps. The war would be over in 20 minutes. Both sides would lose and the world as we know it would cease to exist. America can't fight the Chinese in a conventional war. Nukes would be the only option.

I live on the industrial East coast of Thailand. This is where the auto manufacturing plants and oil refineries are. There are a very large number of Western supervisors working here. I don't in the short term the Thais could take over the roles currently provided by Westerners. It would even difficult to replace the Canadian chopper pilots of which there are quite a number.

Tourist and ex pat dollars are greater than local dollars because they are new money coming in and not recycled dollars. For example if a Thai buys something from a Thai the money is not new it was already in Thailand.

If all the Falang left the economy would collapse in about 6 months from lack of supervision and lack of new money entering the economy.

Thailand is certainly not alone in this predicament.

A lot of countries rely on Western supervision and or foreign workers.

Singapore had the same problem in the 1960's and addressed the problem. Their solution however includes foreign investment and employment.

Thailand's success is predicated on similar scenarios. More foreign investment, supervision, education. Thailand is one of the worlds major exporters of light trucks but none of those trucks was designed in Thailand. But that is the answer to long term prosperity.

Very common on these dating websites are Thai women that are escorts who describe themselves as tour guides or as a companion for the duration of a foreigner's visit to Thailand, for an agreed price of course or the visitor will be expected to pay for all expenses including himself, the girl and her services.

These are not always ladies of ill repute, but can be those that are seeking to earn additional income apart from working at they’re regular jobs. Could be described as a sort of higher market escort service. As a matter of fact, the servicing of businessmen and single tourist visitors to Thailand has proven to be a lucrative business for many educated Thai women.

There are no concerns regarding any sleeping arrangements as this is included in the service or with how kind and generous the girl is expecting the visitor to be for her company during the trip.

A dumbed down Prostitute that has a Map, sounds great..

A woman who can read a map is not dumb, that is a rare find. Marry her quick.

3. You could also have done this before you had sex with the lady.

.......:....yes I do that on the way to the short time hotel every time......

I, of course hear what you are saying but it is surprisingly easy and quick to test as there are clinics close to most bar areas and they are open at night. 10 minutes could save you a lot of trouble. A lot of guys do this, thinking punters as it were. I know I do. I also date a couple of the nurses at the clinics and require them to be tested also. Never seems to create a problem. One doctor smiled a bit when the nurse balked at the test and he told her in no uncertain terms that it was a good idea. HIV tests only take a couple of minutes but the others require a lab and that is usually a next day thing unless you go straight to Pattaya Memorial hospital which is close but you have to go in the daytime to get the results quickly. Pattaya Memorial also uses very small Q tips which don't hurt a man as opposed to the big Q tips used at most clinics. The big ones hurt as the nurse has a tendency to go a long way in. Men are far easier to check for any bacterial infections than women because the location for infection is smaller.

The general ignorance of how to contract HIV/AIDS is very alarming!

Facts:

1. HIV/AIDS can be contracted though any type of fluid exchange; i.e. sex, blood splattering into the eyes, needle prick, etc.

2. HIV/AIDS can be contracted from having sex with someone only once.

3. Condoms DO NOT 100% prevent contracting HIV/AIDS from someone who is infected, they do help reduce the risks.

4. Not only SEX WORKERS have HIV/AIDS; "Nice Girls" have it too and many do not know they have it.

JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE HAVING SEX WITH EVERYONE THAT YOUR CHOSEN LADY OF THE EVENING HAS HAD PRIOR TO YOU!

ALSO, JUST BECAUSE A SEX WORKER HAS A CERTIFICATE OF CLEAN HEALTH (MOST ARE FORGED) AND/OR TELLS YOU SHE IS DISEASE FREE THE CHANCES THAT EVEN IF SHE IS INFECTED SHE IS NOT GOING TO GIVE UP HER NIGHT JOB JUST FOR A MORAL OBLIGATION.

Big Johnson you may be a Medic but you don't have much experience with Thai bar girls. No, most health certificates are not forged. You may have gotten that from an NGO site dealing with some part of the world where health certificates are mandatory as I imagine you did. Thailand does not require health certificates to work in a bar. A few bars and go go's require the ladies are tested before employment and monthly after that. Normally they test for HIV and Syphilis before employment and then every 6 months. Some bars test for other STD's weekly or monthly. Some bars bring in a doctor to the bar others require the ladies go to a clinic where they have a discount rate set up. Almost always the ladies are required to pay for the test themselves but since they get a group discount it is not much.

I would suggest before you begin posting as an expert on sex and STD's in Thailand that you have some actual experience in the country. You can get this experience working at a Thai hospital in a night life area such as Pattaya or Bangkok or in the business by being a bar owner or manager.

My experience suggests that out of 200 bars in Pattaya 10 require tests.

In government schools the barbers come every once in a while and cut everyones hair for free. There are also at least a couple of hundred bottles of hair lice medication in all Thai grade schools. I never saw any sterilizing of clippers or combs between hair cuts. After playing all day the children in the school also smell bad. For those of you that think teachers have an easy job. Children are hot, and smelly and have bugs in their hair. And my Thai friends ask me if I miss teaching, ya right.

Do you sit down when you pee?

I'm a bloke and I do cos I'm so old.

im not even old, but sometimes im lazy.

political threads on this forum often state the people get the government they deserve. i posit it might well occur to individuals and their chosen mate.

if you look to take the easy route you get burned in all things.

if she is too cute or too young for you and you try to run with it, its your fault not hers.

You are absolutely correct. However there are exceptions. I would tell you about them but no one would believe it. There is something odd about this country. I play the odds so I have an age appropriate and looks appropriate woman. But there are times I think I am nuts for not going for the gold. Not generalizing or stereotyping but my last couple encounters were so convincing. It is that deer in the headlights look that gets me.

he mental difference between a 19 year old Thai woman and a 38 year old Thai woman should be great. But it's not. We talk about the same things, we go the same places and enjoy the same activities. This does not make sense to my Western mind but it is true. The 19 year old woman should have some apprehension being seen in public with me but none exists. Thai people treat me the same, not that I really care. I keep work and social life separated and don't live in the same town where I work. But I have always done this as I don't think it is wise to mix business and pleasure.

WHATEVER YOU DO...DO NOT JUST GIVE HER MONEY OR BUY HER THINGS THAT IS TOO EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU MEET HER...she will just expect the gifts to keep on coming..and i hope she does not ask you to buy alcohol for the whole village if that is in fact where her hometown is...NEVER AGREE TO SEND HER MONTHLY ALLOWANCES...as this is a sign that she is using you for money..if she likes you she could truly accept all of this that i just mentioned, if not, run....run far away

There are exceptions. I have to pay my GF to go away. A couple of thousand baht and she goes home for a week. 4 thousand baht and she will stay for two weeks. No worries she always comes back.

It's an interesting thread. Did I miss it or did no one mention Herpes?

Isn't he basically out of action for 6 months before he'll be cleared on that score?

If you include oral herpes I would imagine 50% of the Thai population has one or the other. Perhaps I am wrong. Isn't there some new herpes medication that one can take if you get it the first time and catch it early that actually kills the virus?

I'm very interested in comments on this, because something is very confusing or simply incorrect about the published material online and what I've been told by docs.

I thought because it's a virus, you can't inoculate or treat...only alleviate symptoms right?

What's the deal with something like 80% of people being immune ? or they can't catch it ? but they're carriers still ? It's all very confusing and vague...

Herpes shows up 2-12 days after exposure. However after that outbreak is over it takes 3 months for the antibodies that they test for to show up.

You can control it with antivirals but not cure it. So if one takes Valtrex or acylovir before sex does that prevent one from catching it?

Most Thai drug stores have these medications right up front so I imagine they sell a lot of it. I read years ago that a large dose of one of the available prescription medications would stop it if taken quickly after the first exposure. I don't know if this is true.

Can you get genital herpes from oral herpes? You see a lot of cold sores here. Condoms don't protect against it.

Interesting topic. I asked a doctor to test a lady here for herpes and he told me to wait for an outbreak to show up. Well, that kind of defeats the purpose. I took another lady in for diagnosis and the doctor broke the blisters with a needle and put something like iodine on them and told me she didn't have herpes. I thought the doctor was in error.

Also it is my understand that the medical profession says you can pass on herpes without having symptoms. I don't believe this but that's what I have read. I think it is a case of the person with herpes not wanting to tell his partner that he had symptoms and ignored them because he wanted to have sex. So the doctors to keep everyone happy just say that you can infect people without having the symptoms.

Diesel subs? hahaha. Against any real military those would be laying on the bottom of the ocean as artificial reefs in no time flat. Even against a half-assed military I imagine modern destroyers/spotter craft can outmaneuver diesel subs and drop enough depth charges/sub killing torps to sink that investment real fast. I bet the general in charge of these latest appropriations will make a speech proclaiming Thailand's military superiority (with second handed tech) and go back to his corruption money purchased mansion somewhere.

The Swedish planes were already a big useless money sink but these subs are something else..

Wintermute go to the corner and put on your dunce cap.

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Greece. Indonesia, Sough Korea, Peru, South Africa, Turkey, Venezuela and Israel use the same type of German sub that Thailand is going to buy. Canada and the UK use Victoria class Diesel electric submarines among others.

Australia is building 12 new diesel electric submarines.

And I seriously doubt Thailand has military intensions with modern states. If there's a serious threat from ? then Thailand would just call Obama.

This is a gesture to keep the neighbors honest and it would absolutely own against pirates.

mark45y you strike me as a (former?)bubble-head, no?

No not I. Army Aviation. I only took one ride on a submarine and it was a very old submarine. We never submerged but it creaked and moaned it was a very old sub. Scary. Hats off to anyone who does that for a living.

Wintermute go to the corner and put on your dunce cap.

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Greece. Indonesia, Sough Korea, Peru, South Africa, Turkey, Venezuela and Israel use the same type of German sub that Thailand is going to buy. Canada and the UK use Victoria class Diesel electric submarines among others.

Australia is building 12 new diesel electric submarines.

Diesel subs alone are highly vulnerable unless they are in combined battle groups. Thailand has a few pissant leaky destroyers and some fancy planes they bought off the swedes but they don't have the proper logistical support in a real conflict. Right now all those subs are good for is decorating it with twinkly christmas lights and floating them around as party boats with dancing katoeys.

Many of the nations you mentioned are part of larger strategic alliances. Greece, Turkey, Canada, and the U.K. are NATO members..the U.K has its own carrier battle groups as well. Diesel subs are just a strategic component. S. Korea's defense depends highly on U.S. contingency plans, the subs are support but they have lots of logistical support and a highly competent fleet.

Those S. American countries are a terrible comparison because they are just as half-assed as Thailand is with the exception of Brazil.

Thailand's military is a mish mash that's neither heads nor tails. They have no strong strategic allies, they have alienated all their ASEAN neighbors. It's just whatever generals thought was good and what the big boys were playing with. Buying a few fancy toys is silly..it has no value as a force multiplier when your entire budget is sunk.

I am just an observer but I have watched the Cobra Gold exercises for the past 4 years. They seemed coordinated and they all could talk to each other. Looked like they could do some real short term damage if they wanted to. Just to repeat they really could talk to each other, which I had really not expected. Thailand; United States; Singapore; Indonesia; Japan; and South Korea. 10 Coalition Observer Liaison Team (COLT) nations:Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mongolia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

PS look in your back yard now. Do you see me?

Diesel subs? hahaha. Against any real military those would be laying on the bottom of the ocean as artificial reefs in no time flat. Even against a half-assed military I imagine modern destroyers/spotter craft can outmaneuver diesel subs and drop enough depth charges/sub killing torps to sink that investment real fast. I bet the general in charge of these latest appropriations will make a speech proclaiming Thailand's military superiority (with second handed tech) and go back to his corruption money purchased mansion somewhere.

The Swedish planes were already a big useless money sink but these subs are something else..

Wintermute go to the corner and put on your dunce cap.

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Greece. Indonesia, Sough Korea, Peru, South Africa, Turkey, Venezuela and Israel use the same type of German sub that Thailand is going to buy. Canada and the UK use Victoria class Diesel electric submarines among others.

Australia is building 12 new diesel electric submarines.

Yea, anyone with a brain knows diesels are the only way to go. The Thais were going for used nuclear subs but were afraid of possible meltdowns after earthquakes.

Cost of nuke sub, 390,000,000,000 baht