JensenZ

A lot of people are suffering in their head, or at least suffering more than they should. I wasn't aware of this air quality problem until I signed in here for first time in weeks, and hadn't noticed a problem with the air quality. I mainly avoid outdoors in the day when it's hot and do most of my travels at night. Now that I know about it, my breathing is laboured as I am now aware of the problem and focus on it LOL. I would say the main problem is the Gulf of Thailand has currently become the equivalent of the infamous Doldrums at sea. There's no wind to blow it away.

Currently I see a 177 on the Dark Side, and 167 in Banglamung. That would put the Dark Side in the #2 rank of major cities in the world.

I wonder how you would have gone if you killed the intruder. Most intruders would just run away if they are seen, and you don't have to risk killing someone... also, it's a bit arrogant to think you can best your young intruders if they decide to fight back with deadly force. Maybe you're a formidable street fighter, but most elderly expats, myself included, would not do well in a fight against 2 young guys.

Surely you understand that a lot of people like to wear jewelry. Gold has been used as jewelry for at least 6000 years. The Thai gold jewelry industry revolves around people who like to wear their gold instead of keeping it locked up in a safe. That's the whole point of gold shops stocked full of finely crafted 96.5% gold jewelry. The problem is that it is so easy to convert to cash, making it a great target for thieves. It's the next best thing to cash. There are still plenty of safe places to wear it. Pattaya Beach at night time is not one.

Yes, it might not be a good idea to try to bribe a cop, but don't all beat cops in the US carry body cams these days? Everything they do is recorded?

No, in our case our Thai neighbour living downstairs accompanied us to the police station.

Sure, you might be upset, but it's also stupid to confront Thai people over trivial matters. As ex-pats, we normally learn how to behave, but tourists are clueless. The Swedes shouldn't be doing this in any country they visit.

My reply was specifically addressing the comment you made about Thailand being "inept", but you're obviously trying to backtrack from it. Perhaps you should understand the meaning of the words you are using so there is no confusion about what you really mean. "Inept": Having or showing no skill, Clumsy. You're suggesting that due to incompetence, Thailand cannot defend itself from China (if that would be necessary).

From a practical point of view... Most thieves are well aware of cameras and would disguise their faces. Ok, so you were robbed and have some video footage showing the burglars stealing your stuff. What are you going to do? Even in the unlikely event, the police found the burglars, anything they stole will be long gone. You'll never get your stuff or money back. We had a security guy at our condo (a new one) climb into our apartment and steal cash and a wedding ring. We knew who it was... there was no doubt. He was seen leaving the building just after (on camera). We never got our stuff back and wasted hours at the police station.

I ride motorcycles in Thailand. if I have an accident and need a symphony, I can find a good one on YouTube.

There's plenty of corruption in the US, it's just a lot more expensive.

It's a bit late in the day to refortify the Philippines now, after, on Obama's watch, the Chinese have built fortified military bases on 7 islands right on the Philippines' doorstep. Now it's a huge problem.

Thailand-bashing alert... Why would Thailand specifically need protection from China? The whole world needs protection from China, hence the benefits of strong military alliances. Your comment is absurd. It takes more than military expertise to fight a war. It cost mountains of money and huge production capacity. NATO is already running low on stocks of just about everything, just helping Ukraine. Also, which countries, besides the US are not "inept" and able to sustain a war with China on their own?

Yes, good point. If you buy Thai gold (96.5%) jewelry and wear it around your neck or wrist, it's like having cash on open display, and even easier to steal. Your point brings up an interesting question. If the OP is so afraid to take cash to a gold shop, what does he intend to do with the gold? Surely he or his partner don't intend to wear it... and if you're buying it as an investment, you should be buying the gold bars all gold shops sell. Same 96.5%, but no jewelry manufacture cost and lower commission.

Yes, the risk of losing it is about equal.

I don't think any gold shops will allow payment by plastic. it's a cash business. You hand over cash, they hand you gold, which is equal to cash and both are anonymous, unrecorded transactions. If you go to sell your gold, they pay you with cash. No ID is required to buy or sell gold. If you're very concerned about carrying wads of cash, then choose a gold shop in a major shopping mall. Make your withdrawal at the ATM or over the counter at a mall bank, and minutes later, buy your gold. All malls have gold shops and banks. The price of gold is fixed at all shops and updated frequently so you'll get the same deal.

Of course Thailand wants tourists. The problem is that the immigration offices and the tourism promotional offices work against each other. Bureaucrats don't normally know or care how to promote business, as they get their salaries no matter what.

Really? Do you think traffic is moving at a reasonable pace if you're not stuck for hours? That's a low bar. I'd hate to drive a car down 2nd Road most of the day or night. It's like a parking lot for many hours a day. It's even a challenge moving fast on a motorcycle. It really amazes me how many people will drive a car down these roads. I suppose they have a lot of spare time to waste.

None of the major brands taste like powdered milk. Where is your evidence? I hear people saying this, but I don't believe it. There is plenty of real milk available in Thailand. I used to buy 5 litres of raw milk a week.

It's not an old American saying, and the standard English is: "A fool and his money are soon parted". It originates from the Book of Proverbs, 700 BC, so it is a bit older than modern America.

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Having consumed Thai milk since 2005, I've forgotten what Aussie milk tastes like. I find the Thai milk pleasant enough and if you add Milo, you won't notice any difference. There is a difference between the different brands.

Banks don't do anything for free. If they don't charge you a fee, they make their money on the exchange rate. The banks always give you a lower exchange rate than most money changers, and probably lower than the MC or VISA rate.

Just a quick update. At some point over the last month Friendship dropped their milk prices back down to recommended retail prices. (112 baht back down to 95 baht for the standard 2 litre size). Someone must have complained - it wasn't me as I bought my milk elsewhere.

I don't know why this is being called a new rule. I already had a problem registering my vehicle due to an unpaid ticket, about 3 years ago. I had to go down the local police station to pay it before they released my new tax sticker.