herfiehandbag

M2 "Science in English" - it is covered in the first semester, I have just taught it. I presume that it is in the Thai language syllabus as well.

Perhaps, in précis: I am a randy sod, with a thing for Asian women. I will <deleted> anything which stands still for more than 5 minutes, like to splash my money around, and don't really have much success in forming relationships.

Perhaps because virtually all the other parties which could be considered an opposition, because their electoral base emphatically rejected Prayut and his gang, have been banned or otherwise emasculated ( in the name of democracy !) And yes, I know you will opine that is how these things are always managed, but that does not make it right, nor does it satisfy a growing demand, especially amongst the younger generations, to change the way things are done.

That coolbox in the foreground of the OP photograph is a matter of great concern; who can say what manner of Covid spreading libations could be concealed within, ready for a wicked and flagrant disregard of the regulations to protect us from the ravages of this foreigners disease. I do hope that a suitably hazmat suited detachment of our public guardians swooped to examine it, together with several doughty warriors in tight brown shirts, to extract the appropriate serious fines (sorry, cannot give you a receipt)!

The yards at Bang Su are used to store broken locomotives and rolling stock, much of which is "cannibalised" to provide spare parts for serviceable stock. State Railways of Thailand (SRT) is hugely handicapped by a shortage of money to maintain its rolling stock, to the extent that even if they wished they could not increase the number of trains they operate as they don't have enough rolling stock The current metre gauge SRT system is fundamentally robust, safe and fit for purpose. Signalling systems are safe ( mainly British supplied Westinghouse systems) and the locomotives and stock ( many Daewoo from Korea) adequate for the speeds at which they operate. If a fraction of the money being spent or proposed for glitzy high speed trains were to be spent on the existing network and stock they would have a sound system for years to come. Don't get me started on closing the main terminus in the centre of Bangkok ( Hualampong) and moving services to a station in the suburbs. That is a bit like closing Paddington (in London) and concentrating all long distance services on Slough! Daft - unless you are a property developer masquerading as a railway manager...

Displaying luxury goods, which everyone knows you pay through the nose for, establishes you as a person with money, and therefore is good for "face". Rather different motives to being "stingy" over things which do not obviously bolster your status!

Well that is who the government is beholden to...

In other areas they don't want to restructure the town and it's economy to create a "Casino zone" a la Sihanoukville.

A Diesel Multiple Unit is a set of carriages with built in (usually underfloor) diesel engines to power the train. The carriages are equipped with driving cabs. As many vehicles as are required are coupled together in sets to form a train ( hence multiple units). They don't need a separate locomotive, and you don't have to "run round" to reverse the train, the driver just changes ends. You could, possibly, tow them (very slowly) with a "Ute" but as they would be unpowered and have no brakes it would be awfully messy when you tried to stop them!

I may be going out on a limb here, but I rather suspect the Director of the Public Debt Management Office, Patricia Mongkhonvanit, doesn't really believe it either!

There is no doubt that cronyism and nepotism play a very large part in putting these people into positions of authority. The point I am trying to make is that once in a position of authority, they cannot resist using there position to dictate what people can and cannot do - boss people around in other words. The enforcement agencies ( principally the police) seem to assess their role and support that authority simply on the basis of how much money they can raise from enforcing it. So you have the bizarre situation whereby there is no apparent check or review on the instructions, however contradictory or obviously pointless, issued to satisfy the desires of those in authority. If enforcement is lucrative then they are then used as licence to demand money. If it is not lucrative or is difficult then the instructions are simply ignored. It is a quite bizarre way to run a country, and completely inhibits any coherent policy!

The ones I've seen up here (and the ones I made a couple of times) were folded up from banana leaves. Mind you, mine sank!

Electric chainsaws?

I am not sure what sort of "ism" label can be applied. It is just layer after layer of self important busybodies bossing people around because they are important, and because once they have acquired (paid for) their position in authority their is no effective mechanism or protocols which define or limit what they can or cannot order. The only restriction is the degree to which they can influence the enforcement bodies, and their only criteria is how much cash they can make from it. I don't know what sort of "ism" that is, but it is how it works.

Surely not, I mean, that would mean that our fine upstanding custodians of the peace, with their oh so tight uniforms, impressive medals and regalia and sometimes rusty pistols ( look closely next time you are standing next to one - he may have the latest Gucci velcro strap-on quick-draw holster but the external condition of the weapon would make a "Metal Mickey" - skill at arms instructor - go all shouty!) were perhaps susceptible to an ex Gratia payment? Shame on you for the very suggestion!

No comment!

There are significant " logistical and manning problems so it is just as well the numbers are lower than predicted; for example, with the demands on the police resources made by the Bangkok protests, and the reopening restaurants needing large numbers of officers to strut around collecting bungs ( I'm sorry I meant monitor preventative measures) where are they going to find the resources to shake down large numbers of tourists?

It is quite simply disgraceful. Not shameful, because the self important, self entitled, corrupt, mendacious oxygen thieves behind this have no concept of shame. Simply disgraceful!

No doubt the distribution will follow a uniform pattern...

One of the simple pleasures of living here in Northern Thailand was the excitement felt by my daughter when she was a child at festivals like (in particular,) Loi Kratong. She is a teenager now, and perhaps past such things, but for the last few years I have still enjoyed going to my local "venue", sipping a cold beer and watching; enjoying the excitement and the oohs and ahs at the fireworks, and the looks of solemn enchantment on the children's (and sometimes adults) faces as they floated their kratongs and launched their lanterns. This bunch of swaggering comic-opera buffoons, with their small handed addiction to grandiose uniforms, and their mendacious announcements clearly intended to reduce the population to feudal servility, to a degree of medieval misery that even a Monty Python satire would struggle to capture, seem hell bent on destroying the freewheeling gentle lifestyle which was so much part of the attractions, to me and I suspect many others, tourists and expatriates alike. The only saving grace, I suppose, is that quite probably, as has already been suggested, most people will just ignore their instructions.

Go the extra mile and keep him. It sounds as if at least one of the other dogs you have is not long for this world. You have taken him and cared for him, he will love and trust you know. If you reject him he will never understand. It will be very cruel to dump him now having given him a life.

Well I never! Paper lanterns, and fireworks are a major agent in spreading the Covid virus! For crying out loud, the man makes Oliver Cromwell look like a free love hippy!

Facebook, Line, Lazada, Shoppee, Chillindo...

No. Those small brains were mortgaged to pay for their promotions to General rank.

Over the last (almost) twenty years I have devoted a deal of time (and I shudder to think how much money!) to drinking in bars in this country, both dens of iniquity (I wondered into in all innocence) and "ordinary bars". I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of "innebriated corousing barflies furiously 'socializing' with everyone they come into contact with" that I have encountered!