Speedhump

This is at heart a simple matter. Many Thais worship at small temples where monks are honest and not looking for material wealth. Larger temples which gather much larger donations attract the avarice of senior monks who then even become prey to other vices. This is so well know to Thais as to hardly be worthy of comment. I'm not surprised that many/most Thai people, despite hating any criticism of their faith. want these criminals prosecuted to defend the purity of Buddhism. I wish the Catholic faith had the same fervour .... I am averse to religion in all its forms. Buddhism even professes not to be a religion. Nevertheless people should be free to PRIVATELY AND PEACEABLY follow their own faith, even Muslims. (Edited for speeling and grammer)

Yes this applies also to roundabouts where many Thais just stop on the roundabout when they see a car approaching from the next entrance. My Thai lady says they just don't understand how roundabouts work, partly true maybe and could cause them to be rear-ended elsewhere in the world but its cause is being wary of the unexpected from other drivers (drivers like your friend). You need to remain aware that Thais drive this way (in fact any and every way!) and you shouldn't have a lot of collisions. 🙏🏽

From what me Thai friends say very few drivers will be carrying a gun but too many have one at home which they will retrieve if they have the chance.

This is a normal experience here.Yes I feel angry, my Thai partner gets more angry than me even. But I won't seek a confrontation, maybe her righteous anger helps me diffuse mine! I also drove for 13 years in the UAE and found that useless Indian drivers were actually more dangerous than the crazy locals. Anticipation is the key. Try not to get involved in deep conversations with your passengers too, keep most of your brain on the road ahead. 😊 My father was a British School of Motoring driving instructor 60 years ago and he instilled road awareness in my before I even a teenager. I don't find myself being in close shaves very often but its impossible to avoid 100pct IMO.

I'm happy that I can avoid excess weight by using my Android phone. 🙏🏽

"Thai food has always included plenty of sugar and deep-fried options, so that’s not new. Is it more dairy, cakes, and sweet drinks creeping into the average diet? " This is 90 pct of the problem. It starts with the sweet stands outside the school gates and goes from there. Plus fast food everywhere. Yes Thais have always had a sweet tooth, that's not the underlying cause, they love to eat regularly all day, that's always been the way, but its mainly food choices that are making a fat nation.

Phuket beaches are actually dangerous close to shore when breakers are very strong (red flag conditions,which so many people just ignore). Very uneven bottom and people trying to walk to shore are being pummeled off their feet by big breakers from behind whilst in quite shallow water. Sea and sand create a soup meaning you don't know which way is up until the following wave is already coming in, meantime the strong ebb of the last wave is sucking you away from shore and the sand bottom is like quicksand as it's all in motion. Finding your feet on almost liquid sand can be very difficult, and body strength is the important thing, not swimming ability. RIP to the several swimmers who have already died in the sea at Phuket this year.

Some people are both blind and stupid.

Ludicrous idea. Plus the worst abusers of alcohol are Thai themselves. How many drunken farang kill their neighbours, wives, friends etc. with guns, axes, and knives while boozed up? Traditional values indeed....

Why don't you strongly request that they do? Krungsri in Hua Hin do it without being asked.

I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. As the song goes.

I've met Thais who believe this restriction is for cars only. Go figure! 😁

Ask any bar girl; your Western farang is usually bigger (yours in particular). The regular women I've dated say the same though. Poor lad.

Bottom advertising for top 🤢

Happened to me. My wife was walking our dog on green space opposite our house. Two very gentle Soi dogs had died mysteriously over the last previous two days, she saw another one that day and walked our dog away quickly, but our dog obviously ate something without my wife seeing it. Our dog was frothing and shaking within 10 minutes. Died even before we got to the vet. I wouldn't be able to control myself if I knew who it was. People who poison are themselves lower than animals.