Tofer

46 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

Yep, that's the crux of it. The EU are desperate not to let the other member states know that they would be better off out. They're acting like an abusive husband. 

 

What the EU could've / should've done was to say; the UK have contributed hugely to the EU over decades. For that reason we will allow them a fair deal. That deal would not be available to exiting member states who have not contributed the same. 

That would stop all the sponge states from leaving, and we all know France and Germany won't leave because they pull all the strings. It could've been made so much easier if the EU had taken that approach.  

Sorry, I take issue with the statement - "allow them a fair deal".  We're not stood in line with a begging bowl! It's a two way street my friend. We don't want any special deals from EU, a simple Canada style deal will do, not contingent on any good will, or preferential treatment of a previous member state. No cherries, no cake, just a simple straight forward, unencumbered, mutually beneficial deal will do.

But the EU are acting like a bunch of snubbed brats, and have thrown their dolly out of the pram, insisting on punishing the UK, to set an example to others considering the same action.

I'm no economic expert, nor am I vindictive, but I sincerely hope it backfires on the EU to teach them a lesson. Som nam nah.

1 hour ago, Hi from France said:

Back on topic : in his video address Johnson repeatedly demanded a Canada - style deal.

 

Actually, you know this type of deal we signed with Canada, it's called CETA

 

.. But it turns out the Johnson government choose not to negotiate a Ceta-type deal 

 

Poor deluded soul....

2 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

You’ve answered your own question. Your interests or feelings are not our concern anymore. Your “upcoming status as an independent country” is  not our business. 

 

Is that why you've spent almost 5 years trying to reverse or dilute the Brexit decision.

2 hours ago, Hi from France said:

 

Anyway this might be the last time big English scallopers boat have access the the Bay of Seine while samller french boats are barred from fishing on conservation grounds.

 

They are maybe trying to reap as much a they can before it's over?

Now there's an opinion that stems from the voice of experience... We're not all like the French.

1 hour ago, Hi from France said:

got anything serious on this rape thing?

 

from what we are seeing from France, the Great Scallop War, you have big industrial british boats coming in our waters and I do not think "raping" is antyhing but populist rhetoric, but indeed they are not respecting the resource.

 

Ironically the little "artisanal" french boat cannot fish themselves to preserve the scallops (les français ne pouvant pêcher les coquilles que du 1er octobre au 15 mai, tandis que les Britanniques ont l'autorisation de pêcher toute l'année).

And by the way, this is an international forum, and I believe the international language is English.

I stopped communicating in French after being humiliated in my attempts at making a reasonable effort by your wonderful countrymen.

1 hour ago, Hi from France said:

got anything serious on this rape thing?

 

from what we are seeing from France, the Great Scallop War, you have big industrial british boats coming in our waters and I do not think "raping" is antyhing but populist rhetoric, but indeed they are not respecting the resource.

 

Ironically the little "artisanal" french boat cannot fish themselves to preserve the scallops (les français ne pouvant pêcher les coquilles que du 1er octobre au 15 mai, tandis que les Britanniques ont l'autorisation de pêcher toute l'année).

What, don't like it when the shoes on the other foot. They didn't look like big industrial boats on the news report I saw, of 20 or so French fishing boats attacking 2 British trawlers.

1 hour ago, AndrewMciver said:

What always makes me laugh is 'expats' (they don't like being referred to as immigrants) in Thailand are really up for Brexit. Despite the pound have collapsed by 20% since the vote, and potential to collapse another 20-30% after we leave without a trade deal. 

 

They are all on pensions from the UK - yet even making them worst off, they are still prepared to go for it. That's some deep heavy stuff there. 

I love these financial experts. I had somebody telling me the pound would be worth half what it is today...

Still waiting.....

3 hours ago, nauseus said:

But the French will not buy their beef and butter will they?

It's not beef, it's horse meat...

9 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And I thought they are prepared since years.

Didn't those UK politicians think about what they want before they promoted Brexit?

And wasn't it their responsibility to plan and prepare for Brexit after the people voted for it 4 years ago.

The EU's position didn't change much in all that time.

Amazing UK.

We unfortunately had a lame PM over most of those years.

The EU's position has gone from, yes a Canada style deal is a realistic approach, to, you only get a deal if we maintain control of your laws, fish and governance. Hmm - not much change there then!!

7 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

I’m afraid you’re living in lala land; that’s not how business works. 
 

And had there been any goodwill to treat you like our child, you gambled it away with all your lies and abusive language about “Brussels dictators”, “unelected bureaucrats” and so on. You wanted to be treated as a third country, you are being treated as a third country. So stop the whining. 

If only that were the case, we wouldn't all be squabbling over a no deal scenario.

The EU have no respect for our upcoming status as an independent country, clearly evident by their totally unreasonable DEMANDS for 100% access to our territorial waters, the so called level playing and legal jurisdiction.

So how do you come to the conclusion that UK are being treated as " a third country"?

9 hours ago, dimitriv said:

 

This is exactly why it would be better for both sides to have a deal. Now the French fishermen will lose their jobs because they are not allowed to fish in UK waters, and the UK fishermen will lose their jobs because they cannot sell their fish to the EU anymore.

 

This could have been the deal, but it was refused by the UK.

 

 

I think you'll find there are other countries interested in our fish, but no others that will allow EU to rape their fishing grounds.

On 7/18/2020 at 7:32 AM, Yinn said:

Why you live in the cave?

Good one. I enjoyed the humour.

17 hours ago, WhatupThailand said:

Here in Phrae, I experience many short second cuts, just enough to crash the PC.

So I got a good battery backup which solved that problem. 

But every Month there is a Hours long black out, due to BBQ Squirrel,

or any other handy excuse, which is impossible to verify.

My opinion is that they use sub standard equipment, made in China.

Thais seem to always go for the Cheapest Item, never mind the Quality,

or the fact that after several replacements, they would have saved both

money, time, and effort, if they had just gotten a better Quality to start with.

 

Ah, but they have to have some built in redundancy to enable regular new supply contracts, so that the powers that be (pun intended) can  ensure another pay day!

On 7/17/2020 at 2:26 PM, johng said:

Maybe you should have spent that money on a solar power system and backup generator instead.

You could be right. I thought we couldn't get away with domestic connections for the individual units, but when the time came PEA insisted we install a transformer.

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Also outer Chiang Mai,

Used to lose power whenever there was a sudden thunderstorm for an hour or two.

Since I bought a battery and inverter (3 months back), no power outrages at all.

But I can now last 2-3 hours if it happens again, cost under 10kbht.

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into that. I had thought about a generator, but your solution would deal with a lot of them.

My frustrations have almost reached boiling point, since we achieved a new record of 3 power cuts within one afternoon. More often than not we experience power cuts on a daily basis, which I find perplexing in this day and age of modern systems and technology. It doesn't help when I see PEA installing, re-erecting / repairing the cable posts without using their simple hanging bar levelling device into a mud hole up an incline. It doesn't need Einstein to predict it isn't going to stay put very long in the heavy rains, and guess what, we've had more fallen posts than a stack of cards in a gale force wind.

To be fair, some of this disruption is caused by a new road surface being installed over the approx. 30km East coast road in Koh Lanta, but they don't have any desire to take advantage of this and make a proper job of it, least of all I would have thought they might consider putting the cables underground in a trunking / accessible trough alongside the extensive drainage works.

The bill arrives like clockwork every month, but try asking them for compensation when half your electrical appliances / equipment are up the spout as a result of the cuts / power surges....

We spent 250,000 baht on a transformer that has needed the main fuse replacing twice in 18 months. At least they haven't had the brass neck to send us a bill. They claim it is a bird, a branch or a monkey, or maybe a flying pig, but never consider installing a protective cage around it.

I am convinced we are living in a modern Neolithic age in Lanta....

Is your region any better?

On 3/19/2020 at 12:41 PM, HaoleBoy said:

I believe there are many many Thai's walking around with "mild" cases of the virus (all over the world too).  Testing is still not free and even 1000 thb per test kit is too much for a lot of Thai's.

Gov says 0 cases in the north (CR, CM, Nan, KK and other areas) and I believe only 1 case down south (south of Surat Thani).  Without massive testing it is anyone's guess as to what is happening.

In Thailand the flu season is coming up too ....

Well I hope you don't really believe that.

I personally know of 1 person in Koh Lanta that was shipped to Krabi hospital with it, and one other suspected case on his way to Trang hospital today for a check. My wife informs me 2 people in Krabi are confirmed infected.

I would be hard pressed to believe there are no recorded cases in CM, Samui, Phuket or Hat Yai, considering the density of population and the number of tourists still running around with abandon.

We get temp. checks at the ferry crossing, but carried out with no logical consistency. Over the last month during 3 trips to Krabi, we were tested the first and second but not the third time. No Thais were tested the first or third time.

As you say, it's anybody's guess...

Good luck and stay safe.

3 hours ago, MagnumForce said:

Mercifully, we have an Immigration officer who is a very fair man. Slap on the wrists, don't do it again. No fine this time, but there will be next time????

Likewise.

It just goes to show, they're not all ogres out to "get us".....

I have a perfectly good relationship with our immigration officers, who I find to be very pleasant and helpful in general. They never even bothered to visit our house for my very first Marriage extension last year.

I would also retract my minor whinge about the inane 90 day reporting requirement, I now simply look upon it as an excuse for an enjoyable trip out to Krabi for a day or two. That is since I finished our frustrating building project, and now I have more time on my hands than I know what to do with....

On 2/3/2020 at 1:45 PM, Assurancetourix said:

 

and what do I do next, I lend it to the three hundred Thai people who eat next to me without having washed their hands?

I forgot, those who prepare the food that is served do it with dirty hands ... Maybe we should suggest that they buy a small bottle of ...antiseptic hand wash ?

 

and have you ever been interested in where the dishes are washed?
That just makes you want to run away as quickly as possible

 

 

What, you intend being fed by hand from those 300 Thai people?

As for the rest of it, choose a more respectable eatery with better hygiene standards, or stay home and cook yourself..... Simple!

On 1/29/2020 at 12:14 PM, Assurancetourix said:

 

Can you explain to me how we wash our hands in the thousands of places in Thailand where there is a market and street meals .....
Never seen a tap connected to the city water system in these places; no soap or anything to wipe his hands ...
no more than in the hundreds of thousands of road embroidery boui-boui where we eat a pad thai or another dish at 40 baht ...

Simple - carry a bottle of antiseptic hand wash, and / or antiseptic wash wipes.