Eddy Ozark

17 hours ago, Deli said:

Another example for how much this Dictator is up the CCP's @rse

True.

 Better brace for some flooding. It was bad in 2011 but hopefully that won't repeat itself now. However, you never know. 

43 minutes ago, balo said:

Yes expat teachers on 30-40k salaries go golfing, very realistic minister!

I thought many of them had salaries beginning at 25K.

Watching landscape is hardly my cup of tea, and not tempting enough for me to want to travel for that reason. Having travelled a lot in this country over the years, I mostly return to places I know well. Even if given 20 flight tickets to different domestic destinations here for free, I would not use a single one of them. Watching movies and reading books is more entertaining. Not to mention more hassle free.

For years there have been illegal border crossings from Myanmar and Laos into Thailand. Many of the illegals have got lowly paid jobs in Thailand. The crossings take place at night across rivers and forests. I know this from a guy I once knew, he and his wife hired a nanny from Myanmar for years on end for some ridiculous pay. At the time, if caught by immigration, these illegals would pay a fine of 500 baht or something similar and would then be returned to their old country. From what they told me, this practice was widespread.

On 8/28/2020 at 6:59 AM, bluebluewater said:

You call that a flood?  That ain't no flood.  Go hunt up a picture of the flooding in Thailand in 2011.  Now that's a flood!

Totally agree. But the 2011 flood was unnecessarily extended by 2 months by damming it up here and there. Leave a flood alone and it will eventually reach the ocean. Dam it up and it will continue to be there for a long time. Same with Covid-19. 

Did they forget the mandatory health insurance promised to foreign travellers? 

When people think they have an answer to all the questions, they are usually wrong.

I am pretty sure the Covid-19 problem continues well into 2021. At least.

6 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

Wait till the shootings will start. Thailand had massacres commited by these ultra conservatives in 1973, 1976, 1992 and 2010. In average every 10 years during the last 47 years. Now it seems to be time for the 5th massacre, before the 50th year is reached, many fear. 

You could be right - but I hope not.

There is plenty of danger and power in 350cc bikes. Can easily reach speeds of more than 150 km/h. Even the old Hondas, SL 350 and XL 350 could do that - and those were basically enduro bikes with lights and a horn, not street bikes.

This administration is definitely the most unpopular one for decades. Does not surprise anyone they extend the decree. However, the present rulers are not as bad as Papa Doc was in Haiti. Yes, the social media provides support against extremism. And yet, many stories are never posted on social or other media. People disappear and etc.

Teaching is not a job that everybody can do well. People with an academic background would mostly be better suited to this job than artisans or mechanics, for example. But there would be exceptions. One problem with education here is cultural. It is the belief that if something looks good, then it is good. Surface appearance is more important than essence. As an example of this, a teacher who dresses well is viewed as a better teacher than one who doesn't.

Based on news during these last months. State employees, teachers, policemen, military have borrowed such amounts that the Teachers's pension fund is nearly exhausted. Then they started to borrow from the Teachers' Funeral fund. Until that was as good as on its last legs. Bad loans. And bad bank loans. When this ends in a banks crisis I will not be surprised. Right now, in terms of economy, could be the calm before the storm. 

I don't agree with all the gloom prophesies. Is Covid-19 then more serious to the world economy than WW1 and WW2? The world recovered quickly after both. Airlines may go bust but there will be people with enough money to fund new ones in the future. But the world is in dire straits now, that is quite true. And the frustration because of travel restrictions is easily understandable. It is going to get worse still. Nobody likes it.

There are at least two agogos open there. And quite a few bars and restaurants. Insomnia is open on the ground floor with drinks and music. Guests are long time expats. Not many but still a few dozen.

Talk alone is not likely to get any solutions. That the baht has not depreciated 5 to 6 percent by now shows the powers to be are clueless.

Will the discounts exceed the promotional prices already here? Guesthouses in Pattaya now offering fully furnished nice air con rooms for 200 to 300 baht a night seems to me as low as it can go.

I could believe most Thais have no real opinion about foreign tourists one way or the other. Because that issue is irrelevant to them, except for those working in the tourism and entertainment sectors.