KhaoYai

I understand far more than I ever admit to and I'll keep it that way as long as I can - the things you hear when they don't think you understand can be very revealing.

Yes, but don't you find they are more likely to take notice of another Thai.

No, no, no. The army promised never to stage any more coups when they held (read imposed) a successful vote on the new constitution. The army always keeps its promises ????.

In other words, a conspiracy is taking place. Nothing new in Thailand. I don't think there's ever been a genuine election result but when a result is so overwhelming, its hard to fix or deny. So the only way for the 'elite' to react is to create stories and doubt in the mind of the people. This time though, I think its very unwise and potentially very dangerous. Its time for the 'elite' to count their chickens and accept that things are changing - time to pack up, count their baht and retire peacefully. Are they likely to do that? Not a hope in hell and the potential for serious conflict has never been higher. The mood amongst the Thai's that I know is pure anger.

I tend to agree and I think it goes further than that. An ex who was not from Bangkok but lived and worked there, knew how to get to work and back, where to buy food and very little else in relation to the geography of the city she'd chosen to live in. Regionally, she argued with me about Burma, denying it had any coastline. I had to show her a map to prove it.

Terrible to no existent during the daytime. I, like most in my area, use a tank that fills up overnight when there's a reasonable supply. My pressure is therefore dependent on a pump. The tank has only ever run out when some clown thought it was funny to turn off the stop tap outside but I'm wise to that now. When that has happened I've literally had no water because I suspect, my place is somewhere near the end of the line and as I say, daytimes there is no supply at all most days. Thankfully my tank holds around 5 to 7 days needs.

2018 That door requires safety glass - minimum 6mm.

Firstly, can I say that this is not intended to be a Thailand Bashing thread. Over the years I've become aware of the lack of education in Thailand - especially in rural government schools. I believe things are improving but when it comes to history, there seems to be a total lack of anything 'Western or European'. It would be fair to say that kids in the UK are not taught much Asian history too but given that the Industrial Revolution, that changed the world faster in 250 years than it had previously changed in millennia, affected all countries. I would have thought that even a basic understanding of what brought humans to where they are now would be at the core of history teaching in any country. The same could be said about WW2 but I believe there are reasons for the lack of teaching on that. Although I've been aware of it for a long time, what really kick started my interest in this matter came in a discussion with an ex wife who believed cars were invented in Japan. From that stemmed a lot of questions (from me) such as where do you think steel comes from? Etc. etc. etc. My then wife either didn't know the answers to most of my questions or her answers were rooted in Asia. We have of course, moved on from the Industrial Revolution and countries large or small, Asian, Western or otherwise are all responsible for technological inventions and general progress. However, it all began in England around 1750 and I do not say that with the slightest arrogance, its just a fact. Why this is of interest to me is that I believe it helps to explain something I have often experienced. Many times I've given advice to (Thai) family or friends and been totally ignored. That advice has not come from any desire to appear smarter than the recipients, it comes from experience. For example, I spent a large part of my working life in the motor trade, I'm a little behind the times now but I still have a broad knowledge of cars, bikes and most things mechanical. Likewise with domestic construction - where I moved to after the motor trade. Sometimes its more than being ignored, its a total dismissal but carried out (mostly) politely. The feeling that comes from it is 'you are a stupid farang, how could you know'? For example, many years ago when I had no tools in Thailand, I took my car to a local garage for repair. I won't bore you with the details but I knew exactly what was wrong with it and how to fix it - I just didn't have any tools. The garage seemd to be struggling to carry out the repair so I offered my assistance, telling them of my previous career. This was dismissed and I was told that they knew what they were doing, it was just proving more difficult than usual. The struggling continued until after several hours I decided enough was enough, walked into the workshop, picked up their tools and showed them how to do it. Prior to that, the overall feeling that I was getting was that I was a farang, how could I know? When I left the garage I didn't get the feeling that I'd gone up in their estimation, it just felt like they thought I'd been lucky. I've had many similar experiences since. The ex that thought cars were invented in Japan also seems to believe that the much of what we have in the modern world began in Japan or Asia. She thought that Toyotas, for example, are a Thai car, totally built in Thailand - although she accepted that the parent company is Japanese. So, have others had similar experiences and can our teaching community shed any light on this? I suspect it comes from the basic lack of any Western and thus 'World' history in Thai education. I'm not engaging in any form of one-upmanship here, I'm just stating facts. Whilst its a fact that the roots of industry began with the Industrial Revolution, nobody can deny that those roots have been refined over the years and utilised/improved all over the world. Some of the finest products now come from Asia and technology has no borders, but the attitude in Thailand still seems to be that of 'you are a farang, you know nothing'. Can it be explained by a lack of education, is it arrogance - or both?

In sand dunes? Tried it - that damned sand causes all sorts of problems.

1000 wouldn't even buy the glass.

I guess that's possible from flying glass but the norm is serious cuts when a person falls into a door. Whatever, normal plate glass is dangerous and should only be fitted according to regulations. My installers insisted on safety glass for my French doors so the dangers are known. I'm pretty sure there will be regulations in Thailand - just not enforced. Just as there are rules on electrical wiring that are never followed.

My double UPVC doors were damaged during a break in. They could be repaired but the repair would always show and the supplier would not guarantee a colour match if only the damaged door was replaced so I rejected repairs. The cost of replacing the doors was 60,000 baht. A typical sized double glazed sealed unit can cost 5000 baht + depending on the quality and type of glass used. The photo in this case is not 100% clear. This woman could well be trying it on as hers seems to be a single glazed aluminium door but don't think that all glazing in Thailand is cheap - quality glazing is actually more expensive than it is in the UK/EU. As an aside - again the photo is not 100% clear but the panel appears to be normal glass rather than safety glass. Fitting normal glass in a ground floor entrance door at that level is crazy and could kill in the event of an accident - it would be illegal in many countries. I'm thankful for what can sometimes seem like over-regulation in the UK.

If you encourage Russians, expect more of this.

Again you imply that people who drink are dependent - where do you get that from? What people don't want, and from the election results, I'd say this includes most Thai's, is to have ridiculous, pointless laws, imposed on them. And again, you retain the viewpoint that people should check before they travel - they don't because this, if you are not aware, is the 21st century and although in many ways its not, Thailand is perceived as being a liberal country. If I was travelling to Thailand for the first time, and travelling for a holiday, I might search for what injections I need and what the entry requirements are - not whether alcohol is banned on some of my travel dates. I'd suggest most people do the same. Word of mouth is a strong seller - and most people who have visited Thailand report having a great time - which is what most of us want when on holiday. Freedom without ridiculous, pointless restriction.

I believe in freedom of choice - for both Thai's and tourists. I wonder how many governement officials will refrain from having a beer or a glass of wine with their evening meal on holy days? You have a right to your views but I think you'd have to admit that like the Thai government, your views are in the minority. Another reason why Thailand is not a true democracy. Can you come up with one legitimate reason why banning alcohol for 5 or so days per year will be of benefit to Thai people?

The question of whether anything that people choose to consume is dangerous or not is irrelevant to this discussion - other than to say, if it is dangerous - I don't see how banning it for a few days each year is going to help. Further, your underlying assertion appears to be that everyone who drinks, does so to excess and can't do without it. The vast majority of people don't get drunk but do enjoy a drink. When people are on holiday they don't want to be restricted by stupid, pointless laws. Again you rattle on about people doing some form or research before they travel - I doubt many would be searching for what days alcohol is banned in Thailand. Its a little known point - unlike those middle eastern countries where alcohol is totally banned. Think about this - the Thai government bans achohol on a few days each year, presumably because they think its good for the people. Why then, do they not pay attention to the real effects of drinking too much alcohol - drink driving for example? Hundreds, if not thousands of people are killed or seriously injured every year in Thailand by drunk drivers yet there is little enforcement. Apart from Songkran and New Year, you will rarely see the police after 5pm in many areas. Even the new points system allows drunk drivers to be caught 3 times before they are banned. Contrast that with the enforcement of alcohol bans on holy days - whilst it is different from area to area, the alcohol bans are the most widely enforced rules I've ever seen in the country. In Bangkok the police tour around visiting alcohol selling establishments to check them out - many venues close altogether. Banning alcohol on holy days is not done for the good of the people, its simply a matter of control, reminding the people that they are not actually free - despite the meaning of the name Thai - land.

An excellent point.

Whether you call it weak or not - I'd suggest your views are very much in the minority. Thai people are of course, entitled to do as they wish but how many of them would actually refrain from drinking if it was not banned on so called Holy Days? Why should that apply to visitors? There is no reason why those who wish to have a drink should not be able to - those who see not drinking as a religious obligation can simply not drink. How, for example, would me having a bottle of Chang cause any problem at all for a native? Abstention from drinking should be a choice, not something that is imposed. If its so important to Thai's, they would do it voluntarily, not have to be told to by a heavily authoritarian, patriarchal government. Disney park? Of course that's how tourists treat it - they are on holiday and spending their money in Thailand. That is what Thailand wants is it not?

Immerse themselves in the culture? We clearly live on different planets. Thailand is popular with Western males - for the same reason as it always has been. Its popular with young people and backpackers who come to party. If a few young girls buying and wearing 'Elephant pants' is immersing in the culture, then you could have a point. People coming because of the ability to smoke weed? Doubtful, the fact that weed is still illegal in many countries doesn't stop vast quantities of it being consumed every day. You might also note that the weed that most people smoke is actually still illegal in Thailand and anyone checking out the talk of it being legal will soon find that out. THC content of 0.2% might just about get a gnat high and anything above that remains illegal. Some may feel a little free-er to smoke weed in Thailand but I doubt that affected their decision to choose the country for their holiday. Thailand was becoming increasingly popular as a family holiday destination but with flight prices as they are currently, I suspect that market will have been sincerely curtailed. I doubt many UK families for example, will be prepared to pay £6000 for flights (family of 4). Overall, whilst people may look at a few websites and read some reviews, I doubt many come to immerse themselves in the culture and I very much doubt that they will be aware of any alcohol bans. What they are most likely to have checked out is the best beaches and general sighseeing attractions. I'm told that visits to the floating markets and places like the bridge in Kanchanaburi are still popular but I would hardly class that as ' culture immersion'. I'll be honest, I haven't spoken to many on the subject but as a regular traveller, I do get involved in conversations with other passengers on flights and on the occasions when I've made someone aware that they are flying in to an alcohol ban, their reaction has been disbelief and disappointment. People like a drink when they are away on holiday, whether that's getting ratted in a nightclub or a glass of wine with dinner. I would guess that for many, its when they drink the most.

Totally agree - did you see my posts on the coming 'cashless society'? All this stuff is supposed to save time but in my experience, when things go wrong you lose more time than you ever gained. A couple of years back I spent a whole afternoon trying to book a hotel and flight but nothing would work - minutes normally. Tech failures can cause massive problems and the interlinking of almost everything these days leaves lye to a potential catastrophe. There are also 'green issues'. Few people will appreciate the massive amount of power the internet consumes - cloud servers especially. I can't speak for Thailand but in the UK, if things continue as they are and the government does ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, its extremely unlikely that we will be able to generate enough electricity yet the cloud is unecessary. The hand scanners delivery guys use have to be charged and use the internet to communicate their activity to base. 'How Much Energy Does Cloud Data Storage Use? Data centers use between 10 and 50 times as much power per floor space as a typical office building over the same period of time.' https://www.dataversity.net/the-growing-energy-demands-of-data-storage/

You seem to forget that the biggest group of people who visit bars and clubs are tourists not ex pats or temporary residents. Nobody 'needs' to drink all the time but I'd suggest that most tourists go on holiday to enjoy themselves and for a lot of them, that includes evening entertainment. Try to think outside the expat box.

How would you like to arrive somewhere on holiday and find that alcohol was banned and the bars and clubs that still decided to open are dead? Quite a few years ago I arrived in December for just over 2 weeks with 3 weekends included. I can't remember the events but I think 1 was the king's birthday - the alcohol ban covered all 3 weekends. And don't start the.......tourists should check thing. How many tourists are going to check for an alcohol ban? Its ridiculous in tourist areas and I've never seen it anywhere else.

No its not, I used one of those scanners every day a few years back and they do malfuction a lot. Freezing and flat batteries are the main problems.

Given the election turnout and the fact that it looks like Move Forward won't be allowed to be in government, I'm hardly surpised that groups of any colour are starting to be seen. The people are not happy and they've every right to feel that way. Why bother having an election if you're not going to accept the result? All goes to prove what we all knew anyway, the current goverment is not a people's government - the army have been in charge since 2014. Oh, sorry Mr Prayuth, you changed jackets, of course you're a civillian now ????. Apparently there's a new lot, well new to me anyway.....Orange Shirts. There are whispers, not that quiet, that there is going to be big trouble if the election result is not upheld. I support their aims - Thailand deserves real democracy but unless they are well funded and armed, they will simply be put down. Lives will be lost. What a sad state of affairs.

How about privacy eh? Not being inundated with marketing simply because I bought something? Not being 'profiled' by Google and the like? If you don't mind that, that's up to you but anyone who does, has a right to privacy do they not? Personally, I'm sick and tired of emptying my junk mail and worse still, receiving marketing phone calls and texts. How do you think they get your details or know what you buy? Google's 'profiling' is already suspected of playing a part in AI systems that are starting to be used by recruitment companies and credit providers. Given the amount of mistakes they make generally, who knows what affect 'profiling' may have on people's employment and credit prospects? Yes, I'm branded as a dinosaur but I believe that tech has gone way too far in some fields. Companies hold vast amounts of information on people without them knowing and some of that information is wrong. Not knowing its held prevents it from being corrected. They also hold that information in locations where they are protected from revelation by the law. That also prevents people from knowing how all this information is being used. Some countries are now starting to form views that our information is private - let's hope that grows and that something is done about this current practice of information harvesting. A friend of mine recently applied for a job which he was ideal for. He applied via a recruitment agency online and was surprised when he didn't hear anything back. He contacted the employer directly and got the job. He has since learned that his details were never passed to the company when he applied via the agency. That illustrates just how good their profiling is and how information can be wrong. The agency probably never even read his application because it was most likely 'weeded out' by their system as he didn't tick all their boxes or may well have been rejected because of some other information held though 'profiling'. Mostly, my bank card is used to withdraw cash which I then spend without anyone knowing what I spend it on. That is becoming more and more difficult though.