Older and Wiser

10 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Health officials in Thailand have forecast that at least 400,000 people may be diagnosed with the coronavirus, COVID-19, by the end of next year.

The first scenario, which health officials believe is most likely, is that up to 400,000 people will become infected with the virus by the end of 2020.

Sorry, I'll read that again.

16 hours ago, Logosone said:

I've travelled the world and the seven seas. I thought I'd seen it all. I have never seen such idiotic driving as in Thailand. 

 

How is it possible that an ostensibly well mannered people drives in such an inconsiderate, reckless and dangerous way? I've never seen anything like it.

 

No indicating! When you change lane the car behind you actually speeds up to prevent you from doing so. Scooters driving into you. Cars driving into you at speed. Nobody giving way when you change lanes. Lanes appearing out of nowhere. Lanes disappearing out of the blue.

 

Why is nobody doing anthing? They knew I was coming!

 

You missed the Philippines obviously.

He got caught, so it obviously doesn't work on your brain.

Isn't charity one of the pillars of Budhism? Not only to monks but also to the needy?

On 12/5/2019 at 3:10 PM, HeyHeyHey said:

Philippines worse?

 

Everyone including the low level workers - ie gardener, house-keeper, or security guard speaks good English. I also never see the 80 year old gramma in middle of nowhere tiny shop using calculator to count 20+10

 

Thailand is as they want it to be. Hard to keep feudal system with educated public.

Sorry, but having lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years and 2 kids in school, I would venture to contradict your opinion.

Some of the low level workers may speak some English in Manila, but this is not the case in many of the provinces. Even those who can speak English, often cannot understand English, especially when pronounced correctly. For example, ask someone for scissors with normal English pronunciation, they won't understand, but try "seesaws" with long vowel sounds and bingo.

School education, excluding international or the best private schools, is poor and too much time wasted, public holidays, fiestas, teachers conferences (though kids exams are often on Saturday), 3 month summer holiday, 3/4 weeks at Xmas, parades for any conceivable excuse, all of which require many hours of practice dancing/performing. Poor quality teachers, even worse text books, riddled with mistakes. Cheap private schools get teachers straight from college, they're cheaper. As soon as they have a couple of years under their belt they go to public schools were the salaries are higher (or so I'm told).

They also have to use calculators for the simplest of calculations, that you can work out in your head in a second or two. I often do this and give them the correct amount before they have finished calculating, then they look at you like "how did you do that?"

Scams aside, first timers want to visit all the attractions, many of which are expensive/overpriced, when they come back they have already done this and are more likely to kick back relax, eat and drink.

No-one asked if he was married?

4 hours ago, legend49 said:

What has this got to do with improving education?? Until the uesless bits of paper they pay for improve then graduation is still attendance time only. But a short skirt is headlines?????

I've read through about 30 comments and no-one has addressed the issue of violence, too obsessed with the short skirts.

10 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

As many as 15% of Brazilians may have Italian ancestry:

 

Italian Brazilians - Wikipedia

"A 1999 survey..............indicated that 10.5% of Brazilian respondents claimed to have Italian ancestry; hence they would make up around 20 million descendants in a national population of 200 million"

 

"According to the Italian government, there are 31 million Brazilians of Italian descent"

 

So possibly he describes himself as "Italian-Brazilian", in a similar fashion to people in the USA who describe themselves as Italian-Americans.

 

(Or Irish/German/Swedish/Japanese/Chinese/African/Mexican........-Americans)

 

 

 

 

Badly written but I think he's Italian studying a Brazilian form of Jiu Jitsu.

11 minutes ago, maprao said:

I asked my friend for your friend who is asking. He said Google "block M" in Jakarta. He said he only went there to try the food. His friend told him about it. Lol

What still going strong until now? Yes, a friend of a friend who worked in Japan visited Jakarta about 30 years ago and the place to go then was Block M.

5 hours ago, jesimps said:

I think the only thing you'll hear from Brexiteers on here is the desire for parliament to do the democratic thing and carry out the wishes of the people ie the ones who won the referendum. You see, that's why democracy was installed in most countries in the world in the first place. You'll never get all the people to agree all the time, therefore a system called democracy was instituted, where everyone had a vote and whoever got the most votes was the winner. Of course, for this system to work, the losers must accept that they lost, which has been the case until recent times. Now, here and in the US, the remainers and the left no longer seem to want to accept this. This is a very dangerous situation because democracy only works providing the losing sides are willing to concede defeat. When they don't, like at present, it could lead to a complete breakdown of democracy. One thing I think is certain, if Brexit doesn't happen, I for one and I'm sure many others will lose complete faith in the British system of voting. A system, which until recently, has been a template for the rest of the world.

And if 70% would now prefer to remain is it democracy to follow through with the vote from the referendum no matter what?

6 hours ago, sotsira said:

If Boris becomes PM I think he will end up becoming the shortest

reigning PM in history with the way he conducts himself, it's just

a matter of time. 

I don't know, I think it will make things well balanced with a blond buffoon on both sides of the pond.

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The only country I've seen that done is the USA, and it's very good idea. On the other hand, how often do we hear of someone's suitcase being stolen from the carousel? A very risky thing to do, when the owner of the suitcase might be standing close to you when you try to steal it.

Used to do it in the Philippines, but they stopped.

11 hours ago, post said:

Is a British emergency passport considered as a new passport after you lose the full one?

I thought the emergency passport is only good for one trip. I recall that I had my passport stolen in 2012 while I was on leave in Philippines from working in Kenya. I got an emergency passport to return to Kenya and applied for a passport there, but it wasn't ready for me when I left Kenya and had to get another emergency one to return to Philippines. I also believe there is a limit to how many emergency passports you can have issued in a year, I think 3.

59 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Negotiations might be very close to completion:

• the 27th official Thai-Chinese high-speed railway meeting, which will be held during February 27-March 1 in China, will continue discussions on guarantee period, contract collaterals, fine for delay, compensation, as part of the project's so-called contract 2.3*.
• "Contract 2.3 has a lot of details for further discussion in contract conditions and each party's responsibility as this involves the project's railway, train signalling system and maintenance, which should be finalised in this round of negotiation,”
• The result will be likely be forwarded to the Thai Cabinet in March [2019] with contract signing expected in the same month.

In regard to the 25-year borrowings for contract 2.3, Thai Ministry of Finance confirmed that it could accept the lending rate, proposed by China, of no more than 3 per cent with a grace period of five years.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30364147

A huge concession by the Thai government on the interest rate. Until October 2015 the Chinese government had proposed a rate of 2.5% but Thai officials felt that that was too high and proposed a rate not exceeding 2%.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-hopes-to-reach-loan-terms-for-800-km-joint-venture-rail-project-with-china-this-month/

 

 

See also:

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-and-china-start-historic-railway-cooperation/

 

* The 252.5-kilometre-long phase from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima has been split into 14 separate contracts.

Why don't they borrow from the Japanese, their rate is usually less than 1%?

2 hours ago, Oztruckie said:

Same same Phillipines,you won't see anyone on bikes without helmets,including the pillion passenger

True in Manila only!

11 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Shouldn't that read "increasing the number of brown envelopes" ?

Monpoly = fat profits, big cut for the government, big backhanders, poor deal for the customer.

Multiple Concessions = lower profits, lower cut for government, smaller backhanders, competitive prices and good deal for the customers. 

Which of those two options do think most likely?

Never shopped in King Power DFS, ridiculously over-priced; 22 quid for a bag of Quality Street. On your bike!

I was at Venezia in Hua Hin a couple of days ago, not only was it almost deserted, all the shops except the one you are obliged to walk through at the entrance/exit were vacated and most of the restaurants too. Got to be closing soon. I don't understand their attitude, overpriced for foreigners, no promotions are any attempt to lure in customers, obviously given up.

There's a lack of foreigners around but Cha Am is always busy at weekends when the Thais come down. doesn't really help the businesses though as they bring their own food or eat and drink on the beach.

On 6/2/2018 at 3:10 PM, vogie said:

I bought 5 litres of Mont Clair for a tad over 1000 baht, there are nearly 7 bottles in a 5 litre box, which would work out at about 150 baht a bottle. When I look at it that way, I find it quite drinkable.

Wow, where did you get that? It's over B1,100 for 3 litres of Mont Clair in Makro.

Prices have doubled since I was here a few months ago, crazy. Are they really trying to encourage tourists to come here? 

19 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

What about baked potatoes, two eggs, sunnyside up and some cheese? 

 

Baked potatoes?

On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 11:55 AM, TheMac said:

Actually she should have declared at check-in any valuable. Without it, very limited liabilities of carrier / airport.

It says that Flight Attendants told that her bag should go in the hold, so it was obviously not at check in, but when she was about to board. Then, having taken her hand carry when she boarded, where would she put her 300 bank notes (assuming the were 10,000 notes)  and camera.

Also, how could close circuit footage of baggage handling at Hanada show anything, if the bag was put in the hold by the flight attendants at boarding?

It doesn't answer the question about the seal, but that seal seems questionable anyway, if the flight attendants took her bag, would they put a seal? Unlikely, more likely a string tag only.

8 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Well, no, they are not of International standard and are very often contributing factors in fatalities on the roads...

 

 

Boom... There's the issue, right there :)

Signs etc., are brilliant in Thailand compared with the Philippines.