Postie

Points taken ROFL.

Thailand is in a state of flux. It can be violent as f@@k...and I LOVE IT!

Why? Cos you know when you've overstepped the line. You knew where it was going and didn't have the common sense to shut your f@@king mouth.

The British and French were desperate to build Rama V a railway. From Krung Thep Through Khorat and up to Laos. Pretty bloody handy to ship a colonising army (see A Hitler/autobahns)

Luckily for Chulalongkorn. It did not happen. (Shit, that is.)

Thailand joined the United Nations after WW2.

Allowed the USA to base/fly it's bombers from Khorat in the Vietnam conflict.

Ceded Laos to the ever aggressive French. Gave land to the British on the Malay border.

All this in the last century.

In the 1700s, the Ayuthaya Royal bodyguard was Japanese. Gave trading rights to the Dutch and Portugese...

...Chronologically a bit disjointed, but just some examples of how Siam has courted foreign Powers.

Thailand, like a Venice or a Rome has sat astride the interface of two diametrically opposed cultures.

The Orient and the West. Trade and knowledge was gleaned from cultures eager to establish GREED

NETWORKS.

We now have another GREED NETWORK interface.

The long haul seeker of "consolation".

Company, girlfriends. Beers in the sun. A hangout for the lads. A pad/palace to retire to.

Lo So or Hi So.

All welcomed, beguiled and parted with their cash.

It has copious amounts of water except the Khorat plateau. Three subtropical growing seasons a year. The fifth highest exporter of foodstuffs in the World, I have read somewhere...

Loads of food. Absolutely bouncing with vitality.

A philosophy that champions the individual. Doesn't spin you "Go to Heaven" religion.

It says "See the joke. See how fragile it ALL IS.

You can try ALL the sweets in the sweetshop.

Smiles as you are allowed to chase your dreams.

Chasing your ego like Peter Pan chasing his shadow.

This doesn't answer a specific...

"Why does Thailand lag behind it's neighbours?"

It puts foward a specific...

"Is there anywhere quite like Thailand?"

IT'S NOT YOUR COUNTRY. IT DOESN'T OWE YOU A LIVING.

IT DOESN'T OWE YOU AN EXPLANATION.

FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN.

(That means you've been dumped for acting like a <deleted>))

Khatort.

Cheers Madsere.

I think I've visited that site.

It's the localised, Thai, knowledge of the breed.

If I speak to the locals (near Khao Yai) You get "You want a cat? There's a Cat!

If it is deemed a Hi So subject, they steer away from it.

My house is a three winged, traditional Thai style.

It is dead pretty and absolutely functional. But some locals say "Why build like that?"

Someone must have stumbled across breeders in Thailand!

Does anyone have any threads of information on this breed?

Specifically in the Khorat area.

Their temperament etc...

They were given as wedding presents, so I'm told.

Have they survived the mongrel cats' amorous advances and

survive as a legit thai pussycat?

As with many unique Thai elements.

They appear elusive.

Understand.

Observe.

Hurrah!

We're back on track.

DHAMMABUM...Ancient philosophy of harmonious living.

ANUAARON...

All pushing the same thread.

The peoples' corporate philosophy underpins a TRANSIENT STABILITY.

Child cries. The father (""West"") Shouts at child. When drunk..hits child, walks away.

The Mother)""Thailand"") comforts child.

Why. Because she has carried it for so long, experienced their birth struggles. Understands they are part of the same existance.

A Thai general brokerred a peace deal in the madness of East Timor some years back.

Why?

Because Thailand has never adopted the ""Western"" trait of killing one's neighbour.

May we forever be on the OUTSIDE of this culture...

Cos sure as hel_l. Few Farang understand the subtleties of it's fabric.

If any place welcomed a "SHIP OF FOOLS". This forum included...It's Somtomland!

Thailand. I salute your cool heart .

Sit beneath your Bodhi tree and smile your quiet smile.

Observe the monkies that dare to pull your hair.

One day, they may calm themselves and share your shade.

Greetings Seab,

I think "Ban Chiang civilisation" and "Celtic Peasant' have got you hyperventalating.

I must say, it is a bit of a Monty Pythonesque image!

Anthropology.

I think we all grasp the "Ladybird, Everyone came out of Africa and migrated around the globe...

..blah, blah..."

Civilisation.

Where a collection of people, and yes, it can be different peoples, assimilate into a unique, identifiable culture. I'm not saying Ban Chiang is the Big Bang (that's Pattaya)...But it startled the

academics that. 1. There were no Celtic Peasants remains, and 2. It is the only prehistory culture skilled in bronze and iron working Not awash with weaponry.

The thread I am highlighting is...

Thais appear to have always been content to get on with LIVING.

They somehow avoided being colonised, and haven't invaded any others.

They tolerate half the World turning up to unload their <deleted>/wallets/bank accounts and are pretty laid back about the whole affair.

Intriguing that their symbolic animal is an elephant. An elephant does pretty much as it pleases.

The people and the land do the same.

GREED you say. Find me a place where people aren't "greedy"

SHORT TERM, you say...The Future (nothing/aether)....The Goal...NOW.

Politically a bit turbulent. Buddhism, the philosophy of the INDIVIDUAL.

They tolerate YOU!

Come on. They can't be all that bad! Chok dee

I've always found Carlos Santana's body of work disappointing.

A bit like a bike/car, where the gearing and grunt just don't quite Propel you into that adrenalin buzz.

I liked Abba's production. Eye/Ear candy.Michael Jackson gets on my t@ts. But Templman and Quincy Jones really created some guts to it.

I listen to Beau and Parn. I like the sound of "puss" when they're taking deep breaths

Alot of people sure have hung on and raked it in!

I can see the Beatles aggravation.

Things work on loads of different levels.

I'm with GaryA , Plus, Octaviousbp and Siripen on this one...

Contentment, happiness, Jai yen.

If it ain't broke...Do you need to fix it?

The oldest known civilisation on Earth (Ban Chiang)

When the other metal working civilisations were making weapons and slaughtering each other

(read war, expansionism, instability)

Ban Chiang culture has only yielded tools, advanced water irrigation and copious amounts if rice strains.

Beautiful, balanced designed artifacts created for carrying, cooking their yield.

13th century "Thailand" adopted Buddhism as a philosophy/religion.

I still see ALL of this lineage in EVERYTHING i look at...

Whether it be a Wat, a cut bamboo support. Someones' face when presented with a significant problem.

I love the SYNERGY of Thailand.

I got out of advertising.

Why? Because it takes so many people where they don't want to go.

Television, the same.

WHY IS THAILAND LAGGING BEHIND?

Why are you running for the bus...Betty swallocks

...when Thailand waits for the one coming down the road.

etc, etc...

Ditto Ratcatcher (love the name) on this one.

I am glad that Somtomland is generally not mercury rich streams running off a slag heap.

Stinking Taiwan, reeking China, as two examples.

Under Rama 5, they managed to (just) hang onto their independence.

Rama 5, like his dad, a shrewd bod...

...Died a broken man due to the "West" wanting to shaft his country."

Why are "westerners so obsessed by industrialisation?"

Don't like it there?

Don't go!

Update on Mark's little boy.

His little boy is very strong, happy and healthy.

He is being cared for by a loving and considerate grandfather.

Mum has gone to Pattaya to "make a living".

We know through the Thai and British Police "who is/was up to what"

A tad dull for the hysterical amongst you.

Chok dee...

In memory of Mark.

Every time I saw him he had a smile on his face.

Both his wife and himself would offer me a seat outside the family house. (Not Mark's - He was lodging there) I, being a farang was about the only person to walk anywhere. We would talk about nothing specific. Just sink the odd beer.

Everything appeared very relaxed and jai yen (yen).

His wife had already tried to tap my mother in law for money. To no avail.

The family Mark married into had a bit of form, as they say. Remember in a village environment extended family can be 100+. I think Mark liked that. We both like(d) to sail near the edge.

Money was borrowed in a very noticeable way. Local places 3000bht for beer alone...(These debts could well have been paid off very fast, but the bush telegraph said just the opposite)

In Thailand most people go to someone who will lend spare cash for interest. It is not a secret, who is on the ponce.

This went on for up to twenty miles away. In a neighbourhood where people know when you last

farted!

We knew within the hour Exactly what happened. Even though we were in England.

It seemed very predictable. More a case of How? rather than when?

As I have said before...WE do OUR OWN thing.

This was something that was fairly personal to me.......

Us, the two Englishmen in the road where my house is. Mark's (Father in law"s ) house within shouting distance from mine!....

....Now has become a ThaiVisa HOBBY BLEEDIN HORSE!

Some knobhead from his "family" got my snooker tables closed down as the gambling/assaults was causing so much trouble.

The card playing "Club" (illegal) Loved the Police roaring into the road!

What was behind Mark's demise will always be conjecture.

It's a shame it all F@@ked up.

He died on the razzle, in the balmy (barmy) evening.

He didn't appear to be in pain when walking up the road drinking a bottle of beer.

He'll be in Millwall FC Heaven...

Kicking the <deleted> out an angel!

Rock On

Dear Jai Yen Yen,

Afraid youve got it wrong. His gaff was a concrete downstairs, wooden upstairs. In the style of a Bavarian or Alpine house. Right on the road and midway between the only two shops on the road.

The school down the road has it's exterior wall painted a turquoisey colour with paintings of different animals. Their name is in English. Note the spelling of PEGIUN (sic) Penguin is wrong. Wat opposite school is a church hall type, not elaborate. With raised wooden monks quarters to it's left. Pond.

The numbers of Thai village houses do not run 1 3 5 7 etc...So I can't guess the number.

If you want to have the number...I could find out.

But as I said MAI PEN RAI.

I know what he said when he had been stabbed.

He didnt die for quite a while. He went off and carried on drinking.

Whilst sitting down went ERG and slumped over.

I liked the bloke. We had alot in common. But I can't bring him back.

You see, I don't believe in a God. So you'll have to pray. (I signed off amen in respect)

Mark went over there/here and worked as a teacher for a while. No one wanted to learn a thing.

So he had a thankless task.

I know a great deal about where he settled.

It's not looney land. I was married where my house is 9 years ago.

I can tell you where every hole is in the roads for five miles around.

I understand your doubts bud...But I only hit the story by typing Pakchong in the site search engine!

Chok dee

My house is only just up the road from Mark's.

I knew the man. Not well but we had a drink together a couple of times.

Mark chose to live in the village. He had spent time doing up the house

and was in the common predicament...Where does the money come from?

I know this from Mark himself. His wife used to find her meals from picking

plants in the fields out the back of the house. (Not Mark's idea of fun)

He got by from money sent by his mother. (Waiting for inheretance)

They had hit the point where they had borrowed money from far and wide.

Mark liked to drink, every day and was a fixture at any "knees up" going.

I was with him last Songkran and we were washing the elders feet outside our

respective houses. We sat dinking my Leo beer whilst the teenagers busked

along with their "rock band" to cds.

We pissed ourselves laughing when I gave them a Pogues cd to busk to!

But...Mark was bored sh..less by rice with everything...and...The lack of money!

He was a self confessed football thug and proud of it. Which is alright if you're

pitched against geezers of the same persuasion.

Mark had already beaten up his brother in law to the point he dare not sleep

in the house. The neighbours were getting increasingly concerned at his behaviour.

But being a Farang, they simply didn't have the understanding to take it on board.

But they WERE civil towards him. He did set about his wife (half his size) often.

Her brother (often)...If I was not in the UK I might have sussed it was coming off the rails

BUT We all follow Our Own dream of living in the sun. If we are not awash with cash

it can be hard work. That's why I'm back in the UK (money)

It's a pain when it all ends like this.

I know more but am loathe to go on as I can't prove facts and to be perfectly honest

don't care.

We create Our OWN Dreams/Shitcreeks

We've got nice new Remington pump actions. But we know whose toes not to step on.

They are sanctioned by the police to kill aggressors on Our Land.

Self Control. Respect.

WE are the visitors. In one of the best countries on Earth.

MAI PEN RAI

Amen