Burma Bill

I appreciate this post is about the Pattaya TP Volunteers however us Volunteers up north with Chiang Rai and Khon Kaen TP offered our services for free. In 2018 Khon Kaen TP started paying us 100 baht per call out/rostered duty pre-covid. In all my time with the TP I never witnessed any "brown envelope" scams - and that is true whatever you may think! No further comment.

If there is anything pathetic, it is you with your sour and outrageos comments. I know you will not accept this, but up north where I was a TP Volunteer for 9 years, our presence in uniform and whatever our age and build, we were always accepted and appreciated by everyone, including the Thai communities. Fortunately, Pattaya was "a million miles away" for us so we did not have to contend with "nasties" like yourself. May I suggest you go to your favourite bar stool, have a good moan about the TP and get "hissed"! No further comment from me.

To clarify the situation when I was a TP Volunteer. When I joined the Chiang Rai TP in 2011, I was issued with 2 uniform shirts free of charge. I had to pay for my TP baseball type cap. We were not allowed personal embellishments or firearms. However, on one occasion we had to attend firearms training in Chiang Rai but I did not participate in firing weapons. The instructor asked about UK police officers carrying firearms and I replied they do not, only in special circumstances (terrorism, royalty and diplomatic protection, nuclear establishments and armed response for example). So, I have never been disappointed with not wearing a gun. When I moved across to Khon Kaen, I did have to purchase 2 extra shirts. No baseball cap was supplied in Khon Kaen, but I was allowed to wear my Chiang Rai one. No such firearms training here. The only embellishment that was allowed were adhesive TP stickers for our vehicles to assist passage through massed crowds and vehicle jams at festivals, also police check points (very useful). When I resigned in 2020, Khon Kaen TP allowed me to keep my shirts and baseball cap as I had paid for them. Now they are with me in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I just completed this quiz. My Score 80/100 My Time 224 seconds  

With respect, British Airways will still be flying to Hong Kong and Shanghai. Only Beijing flights will be cancelled.

Thank you and yes indeed, especially in more modern times, but back in Cromwell's days it was very different.

In the United Kingdom (UK) IMO, nothing would happen as there is a true parliamentary democracy. Whatever political party wins a General Election "takes control". This goes back to the two Civil Wars in the 17th Century when Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarians beat the Royalists and executed the Monarch. He sowed the seeds of today's democratic UK Parliament system having dissolved the Rump Parliament which, at that time, had appointed MPs, not voted for by the people. In 1651 Cromwell became Lord Protector until his death in 1658. Monarchy was restored but with no parliamentary influence. The Parliament of the United Kingdom is one of the oldest legislatures in the world, and is characterised by the stability of its governing institutions and its capacity to absorb change.[12] The Westminster system shaped the political systems of the nations once ruled by the British Empire, and thus has been called the "mother of parliaments".[13][g] (wikipedia) Thai Parliament with its "establishment" dinosaurs, please note "its capacity to absorb change"

I just completed this quiz. My Score 60/100 My Time 177 seconds  

Meanwhile: British Airways is to axe its direct flights between London Heathrow and Beijing. The UK national carrier announced that the service to the Chinese capital would end on 26 October. (2024) BA will suspend flights until at least November 2025, although it will keep the schedule under review. A British Airways spokesperson said: “We will be pausing our route to Beijing from 26 October, and we’re contacting any affected customers with rebooking options or to offer them a full refund. “We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/08/ba-to-axe-direct-flights-from-london-heathrow-to-beijing

Will there be marksmen to shoot any wild animals, such as leopards, that may encroach on the new runway??

With the greatest respect, this is why you experience problems with your State Pension. For each of the 35 qualifying years, you must pay full National Insurance (NI) contributions to get your full State Pension. I have 40 qualifying years of full NI payments "in the bag". I started paying NI when aged 16 and then throughout my continuous working career until I retired at the age of 56. Unfortunately for me, when I reached the age of 65 whilst living in Thailand, my full State Pension for a single person at that time was 102 GBP per week. 15 years later I still get just 102 GBP per week!! Fortunately I have two additional index linked pensions. I never returned to live back in the UK. For reference for those that may qualify for a lower State Pension having made part NI payments: You will need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. A qualifying year is one in which you were: working and paid National Insurance contributions. (Google)

Referring to the photo, I can see 2 benches for seating and one table with food on it so your comment "Not even a table" is incorrect.

As an ex- Tourist Police Volunteer based first in Chiang Rai and then Khon Kaen, with 34 years UK Police Service behind me, I had no legal status (such as power of arrest). My job was to assist Thai Officers when out on patrol dealing with language problems, crowd control (at festivals), special operations and tourist attractions. When based in Chiang Rai, we visited temples and schools in the mountains to assist the ethnic minority Hill Tribes. In Khon Kaen, I often manned the TP Enquiry Desk at the airport KKC assisting arriving visitors . Along with other local volunteers, I often had to parade for, and meet, visiting dignitaries. I did not need a work permit (special permission from the Employment Ministry) and later on in my 9 years service, a fee of 100 baht per call out was paid. (no idea about this these days). Of course, where I worked was vastly different from Pattaya and I rarely encountered drunk or drugged tourists/ ex-pats. Whatever you "anti" brigade say in your BS comments, I certainly enjoyed my 9 years up North learning much about Thai tourism.

Now the action begins - like student riots of the past?

Yes indeed. The photo below shows the common mode of transport for carrying kids daily to and from school in Northern Thailand where I used to live.

Shame on all of you "high establisment" creeps still living in the Dark Ages! How much was stuffed into brown envelopes for each of you to get rid of the most popular Thai political party as voted for by THE PEOPLE!! If there is any civil unrest, you will be totally responsible. As for the Monarchy, I better keep my gob shut with the exception of remembering Oliver Cromwell (UK History)

Yes indeed. There are several parasitic worms that live in the gut, most hatching from eggs ingested from "host" animals such as pigs, dogs, cats, etc.etc. Eating raw meat and fish is a common source of infection, along with unwashed salad and vegetable products. Very common in the tropics and not just Thailand. In fact, worms can infest guts throughout the world. Countries where human and animal faeces are used as fertiliser, eggs are re-deposited on the growing crops ready to be ingested again - full circle!! . Dibothriocephalus latus, and related species (belonging to the family Diphyllobothriidae, also called fish or broad tapeworms), are the largest tapeworms to infect people. They can grow to up to 30 feet long. Most people infected with fish tapeworms have no symptoms. (google)

Those found unfit for military service, pack them off to Pattaya for employment as "bouncers"!

There is already a Pattaya 2 on Ubolrot Lake near Khon Kaen in Isaan. In complete contrast to Pattaya, this IS a friendly family resort and very popular with Thais and northern ex-pats. None of the "trash" of southern Pattaya and far less expensive. Maybe this is the resort being referred to?

What a laugh to start my day! Cops stop brawl between Kuwaiti tourists and Thai bikers Group of Teenagers Assaulted with Knives on Pattaya Beach, Two Teens Injured

I just completed this quiz. My Score 40/100 My Time 216 seconds  

As a member of the UK Police Service for 34 years, and a Thai Tourist Police Volunteer for 9 years, I can assure you my colleagues and I were never "ass lickers" for the UK and Thai Governments. What ever political party was in power, we got on and did the job we were trained for.

Very much so. The values quoted refer to coins in mint condition and not those found amongst loose change.

No, just a shower loofah!