kmart

It sounds like she's writing that load of <deleted> without ever leaving NZ....?

In this respect, I think Thailand is cocking a snook

Well done on being the first person to use that phrase on the forum

Am I?

You're welcome. Thanks.

What about a system to grade the programs?

You could start at bearly watchable and go up to truly diabolical!

Agreed. If you understand the Thai language its immeasurably worse.

Although I have found most tuk-tuk drivers duplicitous in applying budhism philosophy, most accidents of this sort do occur because of the rampant scale of alcoholism brought upon by unbearable living conditions of Thai males and Western males (slaves of women [sic]), corporations, materialistic brainwashing, and greed AND tuk-tuk drivers --at the end of the day-- having ALSO to pay for having sex with Thai girls!

As long as woman will continue to charge men for having sex with them and men be stupid enough to pay, this and other events of the sort will occur. I think it is important to dig a bit deeper to find the real causes of these and other issues. However, I do think also that a fair system for all for charging for fares would be to the benefit of all, except the tukl-tuk drivers who scam new tourists, of course. If one is happy for the service (no scamming), then it would be a good idea to reward the tuk-tuk driver with a bit of a tip.

PS: I have had as good and positive experiences with Thai people as I have with other people of other cultures as I have had bad experiences. People are people. Let's remember that +/- 10% of the population of any country does own +/- 50% of the wealth of a country. Most of them are men. And most are men because most women tell all men that sex has a cost and most women have outrageous and dysfunctional needs. (Of course, things are more complex than this, but I am not going to write a book here.)

Are you real? "tuk-tuk drivers duplicitous in applying budhism philosophy". <deleted> are you talking about?

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HK22Ae03.html

... on a side note ... regarding the farangphobia here: why is it that even the formerly english language radio station FM 107 has become another blabber station?

in other countries radio services for minorities don't just disappear like that!

yes, I do speak Thai, it's not that.

Mmm,.... Even my local cinema in Rayong now doesn't show films with the original soundtrack.

Wouldn't be so bad, but the idiots who do the Thai soundtracks with the inane "siang lor" (handsome voice) male part, or the breathless chattering female voice usually change the whole meaning of the film.

In this respect, I think Thailand is cocking a snook at Globalisation, the English language; and the modern world in general.

I quite admire the heroic stupidity of it, really.

Your statistics about the US do not really support your comment that the death penalty is not a deterrent. China is responsible for 70%-80% of worldwide state sanctioned death and purports a lower crime rate than the US. Singapore has more executions per capita than any other country in the world and is one of the safest places in the world. This issue is not so black and white.

The only reason America has 11,000 (or more?) gun killings per year is ..

1. Irresponsible and plain stupid gun laws

2. An over supply of Rednecks, Trailer Trash and Ghetto Scum.

China and Singapore simply don't have Number 1 .. and very little of Number 2

The Death Penalty has nothing to do with it.

China has a lot of #2 thanks. They just call that class of people something else over there.

And can anyone really believe any "official figures" that come from China, regarding crime; etc?

Amazed to see how many people here won't give the stabbed guy the benefit of the doubt.

We don't know if he was drunk or abusive, but we know the taxi driver stabbed him.... Phuket tuktuk drivers are a disgrace to the whole tourist industry on Phuket; yet no-one will tackle this problem.

Doesn't look like the situation will improve anytime soon, but it might be nice to see a bit of unity amongst expat or tourists here. When someone you know gets stabbed; assaulted; injured or worse, then you will realise just how far away from home you really are.

Marine terrorism?

Guesthouse is correct about the class issue in British society. The British tabloid press is an example of this; our brightest stars and celebrities knocked down and humiliated for us over a fried brekky and a p*ss-weak cuppa tea.

The same p#ssheads you might see staggering around drunk; smashing up foreign shopping centres; or getting knifed by taxi drivers, are the same lovely boys that blagged an Empire a couple of centuries ago. We sent them to the ends of the Earth to steal; smash; and grab anything worth stealing at the time. Its sorta hard-wired into a lot of us.

Not anything surprising here. The government seems to be using abstinence campaigns as it's sole response to more liberal attitudes towards teen sex, and putting the responsibility for maintaining "good Thai culture" on women alone.

A more practical solution that uses education over pious pronouncements is what's needed.

Well said. It all starts with education. Some of my supposedly educated staff at work have absolutely deplorable attitudes to women and casual sex. They think "taking precautions" means giving the girl a false name and address....

That guy in Thaksin's government; "Purachai" reversed a lot of progress towards HIV and sex education. He once ordered a nightclub shut down because he found a condom on the floor!

Same pillock who had the wonderful idea of closing all the bars and discos at 1.00am.

I wonder which world these people live in?

I am puzzled.

Sure a prisoner could use a mobile to order drugs, BUT

how are the drugs delivered, if the prisons are secure??

Do we have porous prisons, like the national borders??

Yep. If you have money; life in the Kingdom's notorious jails isn't as hard as all that.

A lot of the inmates are connected to "influential" drug barons, and warders better facilitate some comm's and drugs for their charges, unless they or their families may get paid a visit on the "outside."

Have not much sympathy to be quite frank

Here's hoping more of these "fishing boats" blow up

.

and Khun Balingyar, aged 18, sustained a severed right arm, but was not killed.

spare a thought for khun balingyar if you would.

probably a poorly educated deck hand , could even be a burmese or cambodian worker.

18 years old , lost an arm through no fault of his own , no compensation or comeback.

what about his future , struggle to find a job , a wife , any kind of life. may have to go back to his own country if he is foriegn , it doesnt sound like a thai name.

he is doomed to a life of poverty.

he certainly has my sympathy.

Suppose so, tax exile. I quite feel sorry for the guy too; but maybe its just natural selection?

The Gulf is now seemingly just as "fished-out" as the North Sea of Britain, where rampant greed and lack of sustainable planning allied to political cowardice has messed it up for everyone.

All fish will come from farms soon.

As an expat working in LOS, you should be careful of career stagnation here. A lot of local companies do not have any sort of "on the job" training given to staff, and with the laid-back social life here; its easy to take your foot off the pedal and get left behind, career-wise.

Thailand is a fine holiday / retirement destination really, but working here is a different story.

Excuse me, but why are Western people posting in this thread referring to each other as "farangs?"

If we were in Mexico, would we talk about ourselves as "gringos?"

Depending on your take on "superiority" over the local people, well.... Moot point.

You always have to watch what you wish for in Thailand; change the things that you hate here, and the things you love about the place will disappear too.

The good thing about living overseas, especially in such an exotic place as LOS, is that it gives you a unique perspective about your own culture, and historical / geographical factors that determine "culture."

Be wary of these types of figures; they usually come from some organisation with an agenda, or something to sell.

The average Thai family still seems a closer, more "tight-knit" unit than Western counterparts.

Most of the breakdowns and dysfunctionality in the family seems to stem from cheap whisky and drugs.

Some info regarding Mussharef and relations with the US;-

weapons r us

Nice to know that Thailand will be buying US weapons after all.

Just slightly "shop-soiled" used goods is all.....

On my first visit to Koh Chang, we stayed in Salakphet Bay. How exotic! Until I had a look under the small cottages on stilts , all the waste water from toilet and showers was dumped just under your room where the water is quite still, sewage mixed with garbage. The sea water there had become similar to klong water, black and smelly.

Then the snorkelling tour boats would gather up around the same islands. You had better be careful when swimming and approaching boats to avoid the clouds of broken up feces coming from the boats' toilets. That day was particularly bad as most people present had been suffering from slight food poisoning.

I had just been planning a romantic weekend there with my better half until this post, Tony.

Thanks!

Sounds like the Philippines. They use explosives to catch everything; fish; birds; whatever.

Other wonderful fishing methods include; arsenic poured into the water; electrocution using car batteries; etc.

It used to be lovely to wake up in the morning there, and not hear birds calling; dogs barking; they eat everything there.

Here's hoping more of these "fishing boats" blow up.

Apologise for earlier sarcasm. Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends!

Could just eat a nice turkey breast...Hmmm...

Yes give thanks to Squanto the Indian.

Yep. Put a smidge of smallpox in his blanket for me, would ya?

"Better country" my arse. Take a trip there yourself, [expletive deleted by moderator]

They never stopped the war with India. Hello? Kashmir? Nukes? Islamic Militant Training?

Hellooooo?

**********

anybody expected rational arguments from somebody who chose the handle "kmart"?

Awaiting your first response to this thread topic, pal? *taps watch* Feel free. In your own time. No pressure....

Agreed. Lao khao is the "crack cocaine" of alcohol, and the source of most alcoholism here.

Yes, Henry; I did suspect that English wasn't your first language. The doctors are a lot better in England, arn't they? Rather like everything else....

I don't dislike Muslims at all. Just morons. Hope this helps you....

I learned this morning that the average American at a Thanksgiving feast consumes 8,000 calories!!!

Tackling obesity in the West seems a Thankless task.