fredwiggy

Pollution actually traps greenhouse gases increasing temperatures.

The same way to handle crime anywhere. Try not to make yourself a victim by being in places by yourself or late at night in large cities, flashing cash, wearing expensive jewelry, provoking others if they misunderstand what you're saying, treating everyone as a friend you haven't met yet, walking away from bad interactions if at all possible. Not mistreating any women you meet here. Being a cautious driver. Handling humidity is staying indoors as much as possible or moving away to a climate with four seasons. Swimming during the day to keep cooler.

Last few were Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, Lightfoot by Nicholas Jennings and The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill.

How do you know a man is gay by looking at him? Why would you be reluctant to smile at a man if you don't know if he's gay or not? They'll only take it a certain way if you flirt with them. They aren't as pushy as you might believe. Truthfully, drinking is a national pastime here, so it's a little true that you will make friends easier if you go to bars and drink, but out in the streets you can also make friends if you notice they are doing something you also enjoy, or you overhear them say something you're interested in.

You don't seem to realize that you are being fooled by some, just like you saying that others are being fooled by propaganda. Scientists are some of those that are seeing this global warming for what it is, and anyone who doesn't see it by now is blind. I remember back when I was in high school and I saw them cutting down trees in the Amazon, and knew this was the beginning of something that's going to affect the world. Little did I or most anyone know this has come to be. There are those that will see the effects in years to come, just as some blind will eventually see trump for what he really is, as I did long before he became president. It's called being in denial, and it's what hurts a lot of people. It's again, very easy to research on why cold spells can be caused by the earth's warming. Look at the polar ice caps and you'll see them and icebergs disappearing for the first time in history. I couldn't care less about others opinions without evidence.

Usually that's true, but if you're an outdoor person who likes the hobbies I do, and you can't do some of them here and others are quite hard to replicate or different, you get bored. Living around negative people and or narcissists tends to wear some down, where it's very hard to be yourself. Again, living in a place where you feel comfortable is a lot easier.

Again I disagree because I was quite content living in the US. I moved here because my wife at the time didn't want to move to the US, for reasons that weren't valid but had me move to a place I really didn't want to live, but our daughter was born here and I'm not one to shirk a dad's responsibility. Soon as possible, I will be leaving here with that daughter.

Labeling doesn't fly here, as there are millions that are educated on the subject. Most just don't get on TV. I just said it was you that seemed to dispute that global warming causes cold when you said Global warming eh?

Unlike the west, some here will kill you for no other reason than he's been embarrassed, and it happens every week. You take another's woman here, and some might not care, but others will shoot you dead. Human nature knows no borders.

There's always a little truth when people complain about things. People here complain about what they actually see and live. There's the saying, one man's loss is another man's gain, one man's pleasure is another man's pain. Some can tolerate most anything and get by, while some things will make it unlivable for others. Then there's the rest of us, who hate some things but tolerate them, and need to move to find true nirvana, or at least as close as it can get within reason. It's always best to live in a place you feel comfortable. All countries have things people can enjoy, even Antarctica, although some places like much of this country, are very boring. Some can live bored and it's okay with them, and others need constant excitement. Again, live where you belong, and get there as soon as possible.

Your words..........."Just had an email from a mate in the UK Its 12 deg C and pissing down Global warming eh?" Like you are disputing that global warming is to blame for the 12C temps. It's easy to research on how getting colder temps is an indication of a warming earth. Changing the jet stream is part of it.

You might disagree with anyone spouting facts about living here, but what he's said is true. I've not only seen this since I've lived here, but knew about it decades ago, both from research and word of mouth, not only from those that visited here, but from many Thais I met, and knew, back home. There are of course people here with integrity, and not all lie. My own girlfriend has proven to be as honest as anyone I've ever known, and my ex wife lies all the time, as does many I've known here. Losing face makes one prone to lying, and it's a big facet of living here to not lose face at any cost. I've done a lot for people, especially former relatives, and they rarely if ever say thank you, and expect more with little reciprocity. Since I have more, I should give more, is the thinking. As far as shunning responsibility, this has been proven for many decades, with absent fathers being much the norm, even if they are in the same house as the children. Again, this doesn't mean ll, as I've seen some nurturing here also.

Freezing and cold temps, especially in areas where they shouldn't be happening at certain times, are an indication of global warming.

I lived in the US for the first 62 years of my life, and have relatives all over it. I'm fully aware what goes on there and what to expect. Never had a problem after dark in all those years, living around major cities all that time, and I feel much safer there than here, where random violence is a lot higher and short fuses seem to be the norm. And always more freedom with democracy , as can be seen with all the protests that went on and will continue.

No, just one who understands what it takes to have a population have more freedom. I fully understand Thailand is different than all other countries besides those bordering it. I knew how it was years before I moved here. I didn't see all of this come to life until I spent years here, verifying what I heard before. Thailand has many nice things, but like all other places, it has those that keep the population down, and that's not freedom. I'm moving back to America for many reasons, some of which have nothing to do with Thailand but that it doesn't have what I need, and it's also a better place for girls, and women, to live.

Thais smile a lot, although not as much as many will think. I've been here over 6 years, out and about daily, was married to a Thai, mixed with her family, still do as they live close by and the house is part of their 2 farms. Have a Thai girlfriend that speaks good English. The locals around my house going on the daily routes past my house always smile at me, because they all know (small village, everyone knows everyone), that I treated my ex wife very well, including her mom, who's here almost daily. I help some out if I can, not with money but little things, as I still do my ex mother in law. Besides this village, I see smiles by many, and frowns by some. No one can tell whats behind anyone's facial expressions unless you talk to them right then and there, and they trust you enough to fill you in. Some smiles here hide jealousy, some anger and some acceptance. They say there are many different Thai smiles but this is plain BS. No one can tell what another person is thinking and labeling different smiles, even though they all look the same, is ludicrous. A smile can hide hatred, indifference, curiosity, acceptance or want of getting to know you. The only way to know what they are thinking is to get to know them over time. Then you might understand why they smiled at you earlier. I got smiles living in America all the time for the same reasons, besides the ones of jealousy. This is a poor country and many think we're all rich, and want what we have. Some might smile at you and be jealous of what you have, and think sinister thoughts, while others accept you for who you are, especially if you live here and have been fitting in amicably. As far as trusting them, you basically cannot trust most anyone, at least until you get to know them. There are many fine people who would never do you harm, but the ones that will and do, look the same as the rest. That's how they make people their victims. The country is still very backward, and will remain that way indefinitely until certain people are removed from power, and replaced by those that want to help. same as in America, as we have politicians that are narcissistic power hungry people who's only agenda is remaining in power and doing as little as they need to. Thais accept their fates and use Mai Pen Rai as their go to for most anything. It's a real reason things won't change. Complaining is how things that are wrong are changed. Allowing them to remain keeps you down.

Like penis size, how hot your girlfriend is, how much you can bench, it all means nothing unless you can prove it. Bragging about it to expats is like teenage locker room banter. It means nothing and anyone who believes it shouldn't be here posting.

I've always flown on airlines from the US to here and back. United, Eastern, Japan, etc. and the best food was always the Japan Airlines flights by far. China flights always the worse. Flown domestically Thai Air, Thai Smile and Thai Lion didn't have food besides what you could buy and the flights were too short anyway.

There are people that have been here for many, many years and still don't understand Thailand and it's ways. Some people are out and about, mingling with locals, and over time , and observation, get to know what goes on here. Some never leave their homes or bars and only go by what others tell them, who likely know very little themselves. Some read up on another country many years before finally visiting, and then see things for themselves after spending some time here. Being here three weeks, probably in only one location, lets you see only a fraction of what goes on here daily. You need to travel the countrywide, seeing locals in many different situations, seeing all the culture and how people act and react to each other. You will never be a local here, no matter how long you stay. You might fit in after years of mingling, years of eating all of the different cuisine, maybe learning the language before you can fully understand what people are saying to each other, actually lining amongst a family or two to see a more informal way of living than in public. I have been here over 6 years, and studied about Thailand for decades before I ever came here, and am out and about every day. I lived with two families, married into one, and have an English speaking girlfriend now that explains things to me I miss, and I still only know a small part of all of Thailand. People are people everywhere, all doing much the same things, and you have to take a lot of time among them to know about them.Three weeks doesn't tell you much at all. The rest is guesswork and opinions based on very little experience. Half the men don't dress as ladyboys. That's a tiny fraction of all the local men. Many men are submissive here because many never had a father to teach them how to be a leader, a strength, a supporter of his family, but rather are raised by mothers or grandmothers, who cannot teach a boy how to be a man. They're out in the streets at an early age, looking at how their peers treat girls, and others, and this is how gangs are made. This is how many end up in prison, not just here but all over the world, especially in poverty stricken areas that have corruption. If you can't look up to your leaders, who can you look up to? Westerners aren't stealing all the prime women. Mostly they are getting the bar girls, who are definitely hot, but there's a price on their heads. Finding a hot local woman who hasn't been around is a challenge here. It takes luck, money, a desire to have a good wife and a desire to stay in a country you might not fit it, unless you take her back to your country. There are thousands of scammers here that ply their trade daily, taking westerners for their money. It's what gives Thailand a bad rep. Thai women are submissive if you treat them with respect, as respect isn't given to a woman that's brought up in a culture that looks at them as inferior. You treat a Thai woman badly and she'll become a screaming banshee like nothing you have ever heard. Making assumptions based on a few weeks of living in an area, maybe just one area of a country, keeps a person closed minded and you'll never see the forest for the trees.

A coward doesn't need fortitude, large muscles, speed or fighting skills. Most here kill using weapons. Most here fight 5 against 1. The percentage of Muay Thai fighters is tiny. Many didn't grow up with a father figure, which means they learned how to treat others watching their clueless peers. There are men here who treat their family well, and there are many who look at family as a burden, much the same as in western countries. How a country's population grows up is how it's descendants act, until something's changed.

Spend one month looking at local news daily about crime, monks going wild, groups of 5 chasing 1 down the street armed with sticks and other things, and you'll see practice is exactly what should be happening here but is lost by the wayside because of poverty, corruption and officials breaking the laws regularly. Most come here hoping they will live in a peaceful country and some get that, but what goes on daily here that you don't see would amaze even the locals. There are indeed people who visit Thailand and trash areas and hurt others and they don't belong anywhere, let alone here.

I always heard most people die at home.

I was thinking Dengue because fevers are sometimes recurring, but follow Sheryl's advice and go to a doctor, and don't take medicine without knowing as some are dangerous with Dengue, including Ibuprofen.

The US has anything you want in the world. Hardly boring. Thailand's beaches are nice, but the country areas are among the most boring worldwide.

Thailand has always been in the top 5 and sometimes as high as second place behind Libya. It will never escape the top ten............https://flexed.co.uk/blog/new-data-reveals-dangerous-places-drive-world/