Toolong

I wonder if those AN members in TH and familiar with recent political gangsterism here have, like me, wondered sadly at how the (very) apparent collapse of democracy in the west only serves the interests of those utterly opposed to it here. Those whose will have tragically prevailed. 

The so-called 'models of democracy' in the west were models only in the alternative sense of being dressed-up mannequins. 

I enjoyed reading this post, GG. It's lavishly nostalgic, on your part and mine too, for times to which I can - though a tad younger than yourself I think - relate quite a bit. ????

Of distinction for me is the (unexpected & humorously & strangely challenging!) notion of one recollecting INsignificant experiences in old Asia, rather than significant ones. 

Well, I've got plenty of those. But none I could tell as well as you do. 

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

It is ironic.

Wissanu was one of the "legal scholars" who helped lay the juristic foundations for authoritarian rule in Thailand, exponent of a "legal-military alliance for illiberal constitutionism" and proponent of theories that legalized coups d'etat "by reference the continuity of the Thai state as embodied by the king.  (ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wissanu_Krea-ngam  )

 

Now the former legal advisor and spokesman to the NCPO coup leadership and subsequent legal advisor/ spokesman throughout the Prayut regime adjudicates legal demands for a convicted political leader while Wissanu got royal amensty along with the entire NCPO coup leadership for essentially treason under the 2007 Constitution. 

 

Thank you PTP for the very hypocrisy you allegedly fought against.

 

 

Beautifully laid out...????.....in more words than I would have had the stamina to type!

Seriously.......you've nailed it, re Wissanu. The guy is certainly high up there in my ranking of most descipable junta hustlers.

Good call. I thank you. ????????

The final sentence of this Daily News piece is curious.....and amongst other things......bristles with a kind of menacing vibe (imo). ????????????

Something 'lost in translation' here? Author's own views ambiguously expressed?

Dark days in the LOS, by golly. To be more specific about why I think so would be too unwise. 

10 hours ago, RayWright said:

Tops in Central Festival had it about 3 months ago, so bought 4 to keep me going, it's all they had at the time. 1000THB, or £22:50 in old money, not to bad as use to pay £17 pre Covid.

Have commented to Lotus in that they have no vermouth of any sort. Met with the traditional "no have".

Have searched when last in BKK for Nolly Prat, but no such luck. Off to HK in Oct, so will bring back a couple. The old colonial outposts are always a source for good booze.

Perfect mix is with T10 and Smirnoff Blue, Ian Fleming's original recipe used Gordon's Yellow. 

Off to mix a third round, and try and remember in the morning what happened in Monza.

Sustainable, top-end cocktail supply lines being, of course, the imperative, by whatever means! Chok dee & bottoms up!

8 minutes ago, RayWright said:

Friday is Martini time. 60ml Gin, 20ml vodka & 15ml Lillet Blanc. Prepped in the shaker and stored in the freezer for a "shaken, not stirred", topped with 2 pitted olives on a stick and a twist of lemming.

On the way back from Lotus, so 10 minutes and counting.

Lotus had Lillet Blanc? My local Lotus (large, not mini-Lotus, by any means) has no such exotic delicacy. Nor does it have pitted olives. Or vermouth (my preference). Not exactly martini-friendly. (Plenty of pesticide-riven cabbages though.)

Martini's aren't an easy call around here. Requires creativity.....at the expense, perhaps, of authenticity. Oh well.

But anyway....enjoy. ????????

49 minutes ago, bannork said:

Take it Pita, you automatically get a place on many parliamentary committees, and you're going to lose the Deputy Speaker's position because Padipat posed with a beer on social media.

With respect, bannork, I reckon Mr Pita & party have weighed up long-term, substantive values of each option and figured the possible outcome for Padipat that you mention won't actually happen, in which case the dep' speaker's role is worth more to them. 

But I personally don't honestly know much about the benefits inherent in having places on parliamentary committees. (Maybe you do know.) Just assuming that Pita does know, anyway. 

Hoping so, anyway. ????

bignok, 

I can't tell how serious you are about this. There's at least a little element of tongue-in-cheek, casual playfulness about your post, I reckon ????. I could be wrong. Forgive me if I am.

But anyway, I kind of like it all the same. ????

As for any suggestions from me, I won't get too seriously into it....but neither am I kidding entirely.....

So...what's your 'thing'? Travelling, by the sound of it. Fine, but if you can't for any reason do that, or find enough friends whose company is sufficiently satisfying, how about dedicating some effort into becoming just amazingly bl***y good at something? Something that already interests you. 

For example...I like a drink. Being a working-class fella, I likes me beer. But I like the occasional treat, like martinis. So I figured I'd become a master of the martini. 

Not only am I now the best maker of martinis this side of the Rio Grande, I rather cockily will take every opportunity to say so......like now.

But point is.....I get a kick out of thinking myself so uniquely good at it! It fulfills me to a (very limited!) point that makes life a little more interesting. 

Which is what you seek right? 

Ok....I'm being a bit tongue-in-cheek playful myself.....but beyond that, come on, bignok!....only YOU know the answer to your posted query.....and you know it. ????

PS: I will btw reveal no trade secrets re my martinis. You got your classic martinis.....and then you got mine. 

Chok dee.

4 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

I was looking to buy some physical gold earlier this year (as a safety mechanism in case the SHTF). Ideally wanted 99.99% as easily tradeable worldwide. Could only find 1kg bars in Thailand (Yaowarat area). In the end decided to go for 96.5% as smaller bars and are more easily tradeable in Thailand. Issues with global trading are carrying physical out of Thailand and into another country (questions/confiscation/taxation by customs). So, was quite happy with 96.5% in the end to keep in Thailand. Since purchase, price increased at one point by 400 Baht, now down 200 Baht. Didn't buy to make money but simply as a safety option in case of banking collapse. Very happy to have done this. No regrets. Could still fall or rise. Simply don't care as easily sold.

 

Very interesting comments, soi3eddie, thank you. ????

Yes, I also feared there might be the issue of problems arising if one wanted to take 99.99% bars out of Thailand. (But then, there are also probs taking the 96.5% bars out too, aren't there? I dunno for sure.....I need to familiarize myself with the laws about that.)

And like you, my motivation for buying the gold was as a safety option in case the SHTF & banks went under, not so much as a way to make money. And as you say, it's easily sold.

Thanks for your reply. Helpful. ????

What rubbish! Either intentional media hustle or blinkered, ignorant waffle.

There IS NO 'democratic' principle for which the MFP might be accused of ignoring for their own self-interested gain, at any expense of 'democracy'

This whole sh*tfest exemplifies the truest opposition to that which the term democracy ever stood for.

I pray MFP stay prepared to - momentarily - die on the hill of principle on which they currently stand, because before them, in turn, lies political resurrection and great reward.... for them and for the nation.

On 9/24/2022 at 12:04 AM, Deserted said:

Hi guys, just a quick question. I can't help but notice around Bangkok that gold and money are easily found in temples. I thought Buddhism was about abstinence and the removal of desire, so why is both money and gold of such importance in the temples I see in Bangkok. Do temples like to show their wealth? I would have thought your average temple would look more austere than the ones I see. 

It ain't Buddhism, not really......it's become just a local cultural way of life.....(hence the impression showy wealth at temples seems to have on Thai 'worsippers', especially those temples supported by rich Chinese/Thai local 'devotees'...but if sometimes some real charity or benefit is going around, FWIW, then hey, that's cool. (Maybe.)

But the whole 'institution' here has as many bad apples just in it for the hustle, as it does those of purer virtue & intention (& credit to the latter!), which means that there are still some temples run on more sound buddhist principles (as it pertains to honesty, virtuous commitment to its precepts, etc) around.  

Ps...meant to add it's not just 'around Bangkok'. It's spread everywhere.

Ironically, Thailand is no longer (if it ever was) an ideal place for the foreign seeker of experience & understanding of authentic buddhist principles. 

(Ok, full disclosure.......I admit I'm a bit biased.....my Thai stepson donated 10k to a local temple at xmas. 2 months later that temple was national headline news for corrupt, outright abuse of donations for personal gain ( many, many millions of baht!)......gold jewelry & bullion buried underground! I kid you not.)

I'm no Rockefeller, but just bought some gold bars on advice from very reputable place in Yaowarat, at the 96 point something purity. 10 baht, weighs approx 2 kgs (?).

So someone on this thread mentioned that 99.9 purity gold bar was good to sell worldwide, but sold here only by the kilo in bars. ????

Anybody with thoughts on that? 

Politics as pure, distilled moonshine. 'High crimes & misdemeanors' is the name of the game and it's the only game in town.

Interesting word, 'misdemeanor'. It's actual definition is 'minor wrong-doing' (according to the Websters Dictionary site I just accessed to check the spelling), and am therefore wondering who might be thought to have commited the high crimes and who are responsible for those apparently less serious misdemeanors. But I see no distinctions, when all of this horrid sham is squashed together in one vile-smelling pile of s*yte that it is........to make that call.

From the apex of TH power....to all the morally sick, equally responsible, unprincipled SOB's doing the apex's bidding, seeking self-gain at ALL cost, I now sadly bear witness to the the most truly tragic turn of events I've seen in my 3 decades+ here. ????????????????

On 8/13/2023 at 2:51 PM, cliveshep said:

While I'm in no hurry to depart this realm, at almost 78 it can only be a matter of time, and maybe not much of that. As I am a pensioner on a miserable UK pension living here with my Thai wife of 12 years who is 38 years younger and has no job, I am naturally concerned as to how she will manage after I'm gone. She insists she'll find factory work but it is my funeral costs that bother me. Like all foreigners married to Thais we got the 400,000 baht in the bank, and she has access to my bank account, passwords etc and her name is on the account but not visible in the passbook except under UV light so in theory she is legally able to withdraw money.

 

In fact for the past 9 years since Theresa May forced us to leave the UK she often handles Transferwise transfers from my UK bank to my Thai bank account as well as paying bills via transfers from my Bangkok Bank to her own bank for that purpose. I have found I can trust her implicitly. I have told her to get a grip when I pass and transfer the money from my account to her own account immediately and before anything else. This is so  that she has something to live on. She says if a farang dies the police have to be informed and they collect the body for a forensic examination etc. and also take away computers, phones etc always suspicious of foul play by the wife?  That is what she says, is she right? Presumably being RTP they'll want to extort money too?

 

Can any informed person advise me on likely procedures please?

 

When I'm dead I won't be caring what happens to my body, she might as she is loving, but I've told her to deal with it the cheapest way possible. My experiences in the UK with my own parents show death is a big money-maker for some in that business, I don't want her in that trap so please can you folk offer information and advice I can pass on?

 

A fire or hole in the garden is probably not a viable or legal option. So no suggestions of that ilk please. Is it temple or church or some cheaper alternative and what role if any to the venal RTP or other grasping civil servants have?

 

BTW - I have made a will, it is written in both Thai and English, and I had it witnessed and signed on every page by a Government Employee and one other person - there are two copies which she keeps safe. In it I make quite clear my two adult kids want nothing and everything of mine is hers. Both cars, motorbike and house have always been in her sole name to keep away RTP and other vultures.

You sound like a fine fellow, cliveshep. 

But the compliment provides no help re the advice you seek. 

I'm in a very similar situation, though one significant difference is that I've lazily put off sorting out an 'official' will, unlike yourself. 

And perhaps that is due to having stepchildren (my Thai wife's kids) who would help enormously in the event of me kickin' it.

And that's one of the points of the matter I'd like to get to, re your own situation: if your wife has people that both she & yourself really trust, and who can be relied upon to help her out, with organizing stuff and just moral support, things will be much easier to deal with, re your own 'pre-death' fears. 

But as to the actual means by which your corporeal remains are disposed of, that's a toughie.

My Thai wife may want, for my sake, wish to comply with my wishes.......that I be placed in a casket and with last goodbyes said, burnt to ashes in a single day, without a big deal & the traditional week-long rituals that I find incompatible with my own understanding of things, etc......BUT, I know it would trouble her greatly if I insisted that it be so. Thais are so bound by their cultural norms. 

Unless I am mistaken.....in which case I hope you'll forgive me......your wife may deep down prefer a ceremony that accords with cultural norms here. 

As to the cost and local 'institutions' making capital out of your demise at your & your wife's expense.....there's not much - imo - you can do about it, but one thing I personally do plan on doing myself is arranging to see the head monk at my local temple to see to what extent my own wishes (which appear to be much like your own) might be carried out.

Quickly.

No week-long stuff needing to be paid for in crippling amounts, just for chants in the evenings!

Good luck. ????

6 minutes ago, Denim said:

Yup MPH. Designed to compete with the dominant RD250LC two stroke.  To achieve this the engine was very complex.

DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder. , Liquid cooled 6 speed gearbox.

 

Later models came with a nice fairing. I don't care for fairings much but this looked good.

 

 

Specifications[edit]

Engine	Two-cylinder 90° V Twin, Four-stroke
Displacement	248 cc
Bore & Stroke	60 mm x 44 mm
Valvetrain	DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Compression ratio	11:1
Maximum power	26.1 kW (35 hp) @ 11,000 rpm
Maximum torque	21.5 N⋅m (15.9 lb⋅ft) @ 10,000 rpm
Starter	Electric
Cooling system	Liquid-cooled
Transmission	Six speed
Drivetrain	Chain
Seat Height	780 mm (30.7 inch)
Fuel capacity	12 litres
Brakes	Front: single inboard disc Rear: drum
Dry weight	149 kg (328.5 lb)

 

 

Mph?! Impressive. And I imagine it might have been capable of those speeds for some distance, depending on how efficiently the cooling system was keeping things stable.

Know what you mean about fairings and have the same view, though indeed the fairing in the pic does seem to really enhance the looks ????. (Might have made things get a bit hot down there in Bkk traffic, I daresay, but.....)

A bit of light-hearted banter over breakfast......

Me: "Knock knock."

Sereepisuth: "Who's there?"

Me: "Go **** yourself!!"

(I do apologize. I couldn't help myself.)

10 hours ago, Denim said:

Talking of V twins. Best bike I ever owned buit to compete with the Yamaha RD 250 2 stroke.  A Honda VT250F

 Ton up possible, best handling bike I have ever ridden plus the previous owner had fitted upswept chrome silences . Looked great , sounded better than a Ducati whether opening or closing the throttle and capable of longer rides. Only serious flaw was it was an absolute pig to work on .

 

 

'Ton up'? Mph or kph? Not bad for a 250.

I'm no expert, but imo, in this pic, you can kind of see the evolutionary shift in bike design going on at the time. (The look of this bike reminds me of the 90's Suzuki Katana, which was, I believe, quite 'ground-breaking' in its way.....but like I said, I ain't no expert.)

17 minutes ago, hhtown said:

Hi All

I'm due my first Marriage Visa extension here in HH. 

I have visited immigration for their printed list of marriage instructions/notes.

I have the 400k seasoned in the bank.

Is anyone aware of any "other extra requirements " or surprises the immigration my spring upon us.

 

I prefer NOT to an Agent 

I'm just looking for a pain free experience 

 

Your input is gratefully received 

 

 

Don't forget 'kor lor song'....stamped doc from ampher office to confirm you're still married. Where I am, must be no older than 48 hours (or is it 24?) from issue to application for visa (extension). 

But maybe that's already on your list of instructions.

Tbh, imm offices differ in their requirements in little ways, though 'generally' the same. You'll just have to go through the experience to know exactly what they are.

(ie......at my IO all copies must be portrait A4, not landscape. Landscape is utterly unacceptable, for reasons only they know. ????)