Trevor Collins

When you build a house of cards, any vibration will make it collapse.

Without wanting to diminish the tragedy of the situation, can anyone spot steel girders in the rubble of the collapsed office building in Bangkok? Skyscraper building has used steel beams for over 100 years, but all I see is rebar-reinforced concrete, fine for low level housing but not muilt-storey office blocks in a major city.

As everybody has commented, it's one rule for Thais and another for farangs. Illegal exhausts are one thing, defective/illegal brakes on Thai pick-ups, trucks, buses and cars are lethal weapons in the hands of drivers with no sense of road craft or consideration for others. Stop a few of them, impound their vehicles (with no back-handers to get off the offence) and I'll start to take the RTP seriously.

Thais have problems operating a submarine (and buses, come to that) so how will they cope with a nuclear power plant.

My in-laws also live in Issan, not far from Nong Bua Lamphu, but we've never had the problems you describe, very quiet village, hard to believe it's the same province.

Nasty, vicious creatures fighting over who gets the "food", gives monkeys a bad name.

Dead or alive?

Nasty vicious creatures with no sense of decorum. The monkeys were misbehaving as well.

TITT; This is typical Thailand. When a piece of ambiguous legislation is passed or even mooted, IO officers are sometimes as much in the dark as those who apply for it. There will be, however, plenty of chancers/scam artistes who will take Joe Public for a ride and demand exorbitant fees for doing next to nothing.

Now, if only we could the local Thais to tidy up in front of their shops and businesses they might actually attract tourists to the area.

If Thai citizens are worried about losing jobs to the Chinese, here's a thought.... Pay attention in school, take extra lessons in your own time if your local school is no good, get a decent qualification and you'll get a decent job with good money and prospects. Parents, it is your responsibility to raise your children to a higher standard than you got when you were their age. Have strong words with educators who aren't pulling their weight, pay teachers a living wage.

I brought my own with me, 3 x Sainsbury's own brand small tins, delicious!

My Thai wife has land in Issan and we have built a house together, and hope to live out my golden years in peace and serenity. I don't want to own her land or have my name on the deeds, that is her family land which will be inherited by her nieces and nephews. I just want residency status based on the fact I am married to a Thai, contribute to the economy and don't drive too badly, compared to most Thais. Is too much to ask for a renewable 5 year visa (and leave my pension alone)? No harm, no foul.

My Thai wife and I have had a house built in Issan in the last two years. It was her inherited land and we got a recommended builder. Two beds, bathroom, Lounge and European style kitchen, outside Thai kitchen and leisure area, air con throughout. Possibly 1M Thb.

Does anyone think this peasant present government is going to last forever? Sooner or later the ordinary Thais are going to rise up against these dinosaurs and sweep them away. Then they will have a government that can do joined-up thinking and realise ex-pats make a significant contribution to the Thai economy through passive taxation and support of their wives and children. Don't bite the hand that feeds them and supports businesses in the LOS. BTW all my income will be derived from a state pension and a small occupational pension; no work permit, no tax, not currently based in Thailand.