fredwiggy

Expats, no problem, as we can afford it ,but I meant the locals. I stayed at my ex's mom's house while the house was being built, a few months. I didn't like it but it was okay, just as staying at my girlfriend's house is now. Just a fan. When it gets cool here, she says it's cold. I'm from New Jersey, and I told her this country never gets cold, only cooler.

It's been in hell since time began , and where is it not still there, although western influence is helping the younger generation fight for more freedom? Remember in Buddhism, women are still looked at as inferior. This means millions of women, as in all male dominated societies, which is still caveman thinking. Thai culture values serenity and no displays of public anger, but daily we see this isn't so. It's a good way to think but actually practicing it is a losing battle. If they stood by their Buddhist beliefs as far as serenity, it would be fine, but people still are people, all with anger inside, and keeping it under wraps? When I see people daily chasing one another down the road armed with whatever, it doesn't appear to be serenity in practice, and when they hit others and pay them off, it opens the door to more violence, because if all we get is a small fine if we say we're sorry with a wai, we know we can do it again and again and get the same result.

I'm afraid of very little besides the fact some here would shoot you for absolutely nothing but a harsh look, something I never experienced in 62 years back home. They will gang up on you 5 against 1, armed with sticks and machetes, also something that only happens in gang against gang back home. There are ultra violent people all over this country, and many have no thoughts about what comes next, as life doesn't mean as much here as it does outside. In all my life, I have never seen so much in daily news about the cowardly attacks that go on here daily. Of course America has a lot of crime, but it's usually gang related or mass shootings, which will increase here, as it seems to be a competition for insanity.

I wouldn't say a million. Maybe 3 or 4, but the negatives far outweigh the positives. Leave out girls that will go with an older man, albeit for his money, the cheaper living conditions and travel expenses (public), and fresh mango, and there isn't many more.

This is okay in general, but a lot let others get away with a lot of damage and use that saying. It doesn't work for a lot of things even though it's the go to phrase of most. It's why it's still behind the times here.

True for us foreigners and well off locals, but there are millions here that can't afford the bills from A/C use, let alone the units themselves. In my village I actually can't recall seeing any AC units in the 6 years I've lived here, and in my travels, most of the homes I see don't have any, although many do. My GF and her family do not have any, and when I told her I would get her one, she said the bill would be too high, even after I said I would give her more to cover it. they're used to living with fans all of their lives. My ex's house (mom's) is the same. Just fans since I met them.

Pad Krapow Gai is very tasty.

Explains what? Didn't you read after those words?

What is irrational to you makes perfect sense to us. Thinking the universe just came to be from no creation makes no sense. It still shows in our thinking of the miracles that we see everyday here, which to us come from a creator. Our "proof" makes more sense than yours and others that think as you do. Buddhists don't believe in God, or actually most don't, so that keeps them away from Gods paradise. No false gods is one of the commandments which makes sense also.

I don't see anyone taking months off but see them there almost daily doing something. Of course there are the rice farmers who plant, wait then harvest, but they do have to weed, fertilize, among other plantings, and around the house work involving farming. Whatever they do, it's outside where it's uncomfortable most of the year, besides rainy season, where it's still uncomfortable besides being a tad cooler but more humid. Many foreigners stay inside most of the day, either at home or in a bar, with air conditioning, so they don't see it. My ex mother in law is here at this part of the farm, where my house is, at least 5 days a week doing something. It does come with times spent doing nothing, but when they work, it's pretty hard.

The most important thing a child can learn is who to trust, and who not to. This is learned from 0-5, and enforced from then on. There are many child molesters and most aren't believers in God, because they know it's against his laws. That Catholic priests do this is an abomination, and of course againt what God says. There are also many millions who believe in the one God. many have been killed by extremists that use religion as a crutch, and they're of course wrong, because all religions are against killing. That there is life after death comes from faith in God's teachings. You can choose to believe otherwise and you will see when you die. Trying to convince others that there is no God is a total waste of your time. If you are wrong and you succeed you are helping them enter hell. If you are right it doesn't matter, so it' s still a waste of your time. You don't lose anything believing in God. In fact, you are more likely to follow his rules, which , besides the ones regarding him, make complete sense.

If there is an entity that can make a universe from his mind, I'm sure he's capable of most anything. Some don't realize just what goes into the creation of just the human brain, let alone how all life has what it needs here, as far as air, water and food, all the different species that exist here, how the earth is just the right distance from the sun to sustain life, how the moon works for the earth, and many other things that are miracles themselves. They believe all this happened by chance, a universe created when nothing existed, meaning any type of matter. That's plain ridiculous and impossible, but they have people they follow they trust, which sways them from the real story of God.

Like I mentioned in another's post, a bad experience in formative years can turn a person away from God. If someone tries to force God down your throat, you might resist. If they tell you believing will protect you in Vietnam, that probably won't happen, because war is not a normal circumstance and with free will, people will kill each other for all kinds of ridiculous reasons, religion being one of them. God might save people here and there, as miracles do seem to still happen, but for the most part, he's left us to do what we want, and by not following his rules, look at what's happened to the world since Jesus left. There will always be "reports" saying Jesus and God aren't real, for all the same reasons. Hatred towards the people who taught them about God, which lead to "why should I if he acts that way"? I was raised in a Catholic family, with a very loving mom and a stern dad that provided. I eventually was born again into just a Christian attitude, seeing Catholicism as okay in a lot of ways but with money being too involved, and praying to people besides Jesus and God doesn't help. Again, how you were raised from birth to pre teen is everything as far as the life's learning process.

The reason children are "brainwashed" at an early age to believe in God, which is actually the most important thing they can learn, is because children are at an age where they will believe what their caretakers say, because they are feeding, holding, hugging and helping them. 0-5 are the most important years of a person's life, and those years afterward enforce whet they have learned before. This is also the reason so many turn away from God. It's also learned at a very young age, by parents who were abusive, spoliers and neglective. This force feeding by parents who were not acting like parents, and who their children trusted, made anything about God bad. If a child is never taught about God, in a loving setting, they will have to learn from the world,which is filled with disturbed people who are taught hate and if the child's peers are someone they trust, learning happens.The same with children turning to drugs and alcohol. If they see their parents abuse it, it's normal to them. If their parents are authoritarian or absent, they learn what to do from their peers, and again, those peers might have issues. Normal people don't grow out of honor to God, they engulf it, because in a world that's usually sad, where most of the time there are problems, all you have left is hope for a forever when you die, with God. Without this, you live and die with nothing to look forward to. If you don't believe in God, that's your deal. Just don't try and sway others to turn away because you might have had a bad experience growing up, with no parents to teach you the right way. Believers usually will always believe, because we know life is hard, and is supposed to be, so as not to get complacent with the nice things life offers you that never last.

Have you ever worked on a farm, like millions do here? I have helped for a few years, my ex's mom's farms, and I will never take away from a Thai how hard daily work here in the sweltering heat is. Did it for a few years, helping out, lifting rice bags onto the tractor trailer, cutting rice and cassava, stacking, digging holes, draining the ponds for fish, etc etc. I worked outside in Texas making decks with a relative before I moved here, and that was just as hard, as Texas heat actually is tougher than Thailand as far as average, but working here rivals that. The migrants that work here are usually from bordering countries, hired by Thais cheap. Thais will do the same work, so what they're doing is illegal. It's the same as rich hiring migrant Mexicans in a few states in America to pick fruit. Americans will pick fruit, but not as much as Mexicans, and the migrants work cheaper. They keep them on the farms, and they'll stay until someone rats them out. The employers are the ones who should be fined heavy, as I feel for the migrants who only want to feed themselves and their families.

Life here doesn't mean the same as life where many of us come from, no matter the western country. They pray for the dead, which does nothing, because it's how you live that determines where you go after you pass, and no one can help another's soul. The way animals are treated here, by and large, shows the lack of respect for life , which snowballs down to how humans are treated as well. Animals are part of your family, and still have meaning when they pass from puppy and kitten cute stage to older and more stable, less playful, and more loyal. A 2 year prison sentence for the paid murder of a cop is a death or life sentence back home in the US, with very little chance for parole. The people who sat there and did nothing are guilty of course, but them getting up to 2 years also is ludicrous and insulting, as is the original sentence to the life of the policeman. Every time this happens, it gets news worldwide, and more and more people look at Thailand as what it's been for many decades, a place to come and have sex with pretty women, eat some good food and leave, a lot never returning because of what happens here daily. It's amazing how much they depend on tourist dollars and they are shooting themselves in the foot all the time, allowing this kind of corruption to continue. A bad reputation for a lot of things here, deals trade, tourism and other business a bad hand and it will only get worse with each and every thing that happens here daily. This is a disgraceful sentence handed down and will happen again and again because once something happens that is despicable that is punished this softly, others will see it and not care about what little consequences might be given. This happens all over also, not just here, but seems to be a lot more here than other places. Some in the US get 20 years for marijuana crimes, while another kills and gets 5, all because of crooked judges, lawyers and prosecutors.

Or, in retaliation, a foreigner fighting back against those armed with sticks and putting them all down for being cowards and teaching them not to fool with westerners.And I don't mind a bit about being splashed with water because I saw this firsthand since the first time I visited here in 2015.

Exactly, just as it's illegal to burn anything during a drought in America, fires bringing devastation, loss of life, homes and businesses, along with wildlife, trees and native plants. You burn, you pay, unlike here where they don't care and let millions breathe in toxic fumes.

Have you actually been to the US? Granted, a lot of women, and men, are fat there, but that doesn't stop people from having sex. You say it's about control. Here, the control is money. There, if you treat a woman right, you won't have any trouble regarding sex. I, and every man I knew had absolutely no trouble. You might want to look at the population there and see they're having sex.

His first 14 million were given to him by his dad. It doesn't take a very smart man to make more money when he can invest in things other people told him were good. Buying up land and property is about the best way to make money, especially if you have money to burn,and 14 million plus is money to burn, especially seeing most land and property investments pay off, some significantly. Making money doesn't make you less disturbed, only a rich narcissist. I said to others, and some in my family, before he was voted in, that this would be a mistake, voting for a successful businessman doesn't mean president material. I told my family, half of which voted for and half against him, that this was a classic narcissist, with a limited vocabulary, a misogynist and maybe a racist to boot. It looks to me that he made a few bad decisions during Covid that cost many lives. The most powerful man in the world (before) is a very disturbed individual that is very easy to spot, and it amazes me that some of my family and friends, who are all very intelligent people, voted for him and still think he's worthy of another session at the top. Out of all the people in America, why can't they find one more qualified, with a good past history in politics? Biden, picking up the pieces, hasn't done too bad, but what can you expect when he has to fix mistakes made before him, and decide on other issues at the same time?

Khun La is right. Thailand's weather isn't the norm because of all of the sun and heat. Best to leave paint as it comes for as much sun protection as possible. I tried decent paint, just below the TOA Supershield, and it faded very fast. Two colors. No paint will last as long as it's advertised in this extreme condition. Best to buy the best you can afford and not dilute. Primer is always a good choice after you scrape and clean the surface.

You must be the most ignorant one on this forum. Again and again I said I wasn't denigrating Thai men by telling things how they actually are. You either are too blind to notice what's going on around you, or are a huge brown noser that doesn't care to see the real side of Thailand but only sees what he wants to. It isn't absurd to point out what's actually going on, and has been for generations. If you need to, you can google anything I've written to see what countless others have noticed for many years here, and telling things as they are isn't forming an opinion but stating what is. All Thai men aren't the same. many are good, especially the farmers who are usually always at or near home, but again, NO ONE knows what people do behind closed doors besides those that live there. The only ways anyone hears anything are by either word of mouth or by the written words of all the psyche doctors, who are the ones who are actually interviewing these people and writing down what they see. And people lie and hide what they are experiencing because of face. I'm sorry you can't understand what is, but again, all anyone needs to do is look around and see what's going on in this world and has been for centuries ad they'll know.Humans are a combination of bad and good, with many having more bad then good, and some plain evil. I'm not writing book length anything. All I am doing is pointing out things that many others have seen and experienced. You said you don't know anyone who is a bad man, and I said that's impossible, because unless you know very few people, you definitely know some that aren't the best of fathers or husbands. They just hide it well. Try calling a person a loser in person so as not to be a coward hiding behind your keyboard. Makes you look weak. You don't know me nor would I want to be in your circles, if this is the way you act when others say things that are easy to see and understand, that many others have already said many times here, and that everyone who lives here has experienced. I'm just pointing out what's been obvious for a very long time, and that you fail to notice. In 25 years you don't personally know anyone who's been bad to their families. It is possible, though extremely unlikely, if you know very few people or don't get out much. Toxic people are everywhere, and again, for the last time, look at what this world has become and has been for a long time, and you'll see what it's made of. Not a paradise by any means. Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and all like them, plus child molesters, wife beaters, child abusers, and many other types of anti social people all have neighbors, and one might just live next to you, because those kinds get away with their behavior for a long time before they make a mistake. There are millions of good people in the world, those which don't intentionally harm others, but aren't the best of fathers and husbands because they weren't taught right when young. Doesn't mean they're evil, nor would I denigrate them, because we are all good and bad. Those that intentionally harm women and children are the ones I'm talking about, and there are a lot more around then you personally think.You were wrong when you say I'm denigrating Thai men because of the actions of some. You just can't admit this and get past it, but have to call someone a loser because you aren't bright enough to see past your own false beliefs. Your words---So, not all Thai men, but all men are generally no good, lowdown, filth (to varying degrees of course) That's you thinking I said anything about all men, besides that everyone has good and bad in them, human nature, which isn't anywhere near what you think I mean. Pontificating absurdities? Big words are usually used to show ego, something you actually think I'm doing. I'm not making an opinion but telling things how they are. You can't seem to understand what goes on around here,nor in the world, because everyone who watches the news understands. You ,if you aren't a big reader or watcher of psychologists, fail to understand also that you only hear a tiny fraction of what actually goes on in just your province. If they put all the news about human violence on TV, it would be 24/7 daily, every day of the year. What we see just here daily makes one sick, and that's the tip of the iceberg.

It seems that you respond, like others, without thinking. Why would you think I am sick? I've told you I came from good ,responsible, loving parents. This made me an empath. Look it up, and not the opposite, narcissist, look it up. Narcissists are the bane of society, the root of all evils, and why women are controlled, abused, and then left. This is what they are, and they can't change. I love my girlfriend, and do more for her than anyone ever has, with no control or abuse in any way. I never hit any of my 6 children, preferring to teach them right from wrong instead. I love animals, and have them. I help elderly people any time I can. I don't intentionally hurt anyone nor the environment, something thousands of people do daily. I respect the rules of the road, and do not cut people off. I live here with respect, and follow their culture, even though to me it's way off base as far as a future is concerned and how women are treated. You are as blind as anyone I've come across in all my 67 years. Yes, this world is sick. Do you not know what's going on in so many countries as far as war, famine, trafficking,slavery,bondage, rapes, murders, theft, global warming, gangs and mass shootings? Do you look at the news daily like I have all my life, and see what's going on around you? Rose colored glasses doesn't help. You know nothing about what goes on in households, and the only way I do is reading about this daily for the last 35 years, from those professional doctors of psychology. If you think they are all wrong, look at what's going on in the world. Why is it happening? Because the problem, again, starts at home. Home, where fathers and mothers abuse, neglect or spoil their kids because they were never taught anything else. I never said all people are bad. Every person has good and bad in them, and most don't go overboard, even though they think evil at times. You do, I do, everyone who has ever lived has the potential for violence. God or restraint keeps people from acting out. Before you again respond in an ignorant manner, take a week and look at the world news. Ask yourself, why are there so many murders, many in the name of religion, which is sick itself. Why are women, girls and boys sold in all countries for profit, with officials sometimes helping out? Money and greed for it, narcissism, and other mental illnesses are everywhere. I'm nowhere near a sick person, as I've explained to you and a teenager would understand. I don't make anything up or go by opinions because it means nothing. What's my agenda? I'm not an attention whore like some here. I could care less what people think. Look at my postings and you'll see I'm trying to help others with the knowledge I have in psychology, health, music, diet and more. You very obviously do not know what's going on in this world, and very little to nothing about human psychology, so best you keep your comments to yourself, because you aren't helping and I'm telling it like it is.

Like I said, why are there so many thousands of counselors psychologists and psychiatrists the majority of men are good to their partners? Why are there so many problems worldwide? The answer is, it starts at home. People learn most about how the world operates from age 0 to 5. After this, what they've learned becomes facts to them. Almost every world leader has been a narcissist of some type. This is why there are wars, weapons of mass destruction, rapes, murders, basically evil. Control. Men, usually, and sometimes women, trying to control what's around them. This is why there are slaves, more now than ever before. Rapes, more than ever before, increasing violence. Government leaders that really only do their jobs to get elected, then get together with other twisted, like minded people to control others, as slaves in many countries. Sheep to follow and conform but not to ask why, just to obey. Democracy surely helps, if it's in place. Some places people can vote, but the person is not put in. Control by narcissistic predecessors that don't want to lose the money flow. These as history shows, have mostly been men. men who's fathers didn't teach them right from wrong but only control to get the job done. The real truth about couples is only leaked out through what these psychologists, et al say, or by word of mouth, something we can't always trust. They try to get people to relate better, but more often than not, people slip back to their own characters and change becomes hard. Many men want to be better husbands, but were never taught how. Ask yourself, what do women mostly complain about. More money, more time spent with them and not watching sports on TV, more time spent with the children, a vacation every year and other places to go on weekends, a man that puts them first and doesn't look to other women for sex, doesn't hit them when they get angry, call them names, downgrading them. Do you actually think most men are good to anything? If they were, the world wouldn't have this much turmoil, with wars just around the corner is a handful of countries all the time. Dictators killing their own people. People making migrants slaves and sex workers for profit. This is a sick world that needs people to get together and get rid of the violence in society. This means electing leaders with a proven rack record and not just because they are handsome or rich. Having a government that doesn't have infighting, and getting rid of the corruption by jailing those into it. Harsher punishment for human traffickers, rapists and those that hurt children. Better education about sex for children so they don't have kids with morons that won't contribute. A court system that makes fathers responsible for the children they make, like the US and most other countries has. Enforcement of laws already on the book instead of looking the other way for a bribe. Again, this all starts at home, with responsible parents, and fathers that do the job, which many don't. There is plenty of evidence that fathers, and also mothers, aren't doing their jobs. Look around at the world.