Jools

Semantics.....officially, Vietnam was not a war but rather a "police action". So much for words.

Thailand.....always shooting itself in the foot. Now retirees can enrich neighboring Myanmar and Cambodia. Vietnam is probably the best option in Asia right now.

Final war???? Is Suthep expecting an aneurysm that day??? The self-delusion is beyond belief.

As usual, Thai police taking dead aim at those nasty tourists who spend money and support their corrupt economy. Such a joy to watch morons sink their own boat.

This is certainly not news. Terrorists have been active here for quite some time. I wouldn't want to be around for the backlash if they push too far. If they ever make the mistake of offending certain institutions, Thailand could become a world leader in dealing with these people.

Thais may be racist but there is a much different basis for it than you would find in many other countries. They discriminate against their own people on the basis of light or dark skin. I've always been a bit embarrassed when I would get compliments on my SKIN. They think farangs are nuts because they pay to use tanning beds.

WHY.....would a Kiwi steal a Thai cell phone. Just amazingly stupid, in addition to having bad taste in phones.

I have seldom encountered a Thai who is NOT as exactly as you describe your GF. The never-colonized "Master Race" of Asia.

While I don't appreciate the obvious unfairness of this reasoning by Thai immigration, anything that discourages a man from marrying another farang should be applauded.

I never wear shorts OR jeans. These days, I cover up as best I can. Short are for the young and physically attractive. Being neither, I feel that a pair of nice khakis will get me by just fine.

This reminds me of something I read about shortly after the old Soviet Union opened up to travel. Apparently, some teenagers had some "Pop Secret" brand microwave popcorn in their luggage. It was confiscated. Ignorance is not limited to the United States and other political punching bags.

"PAYBACK DAY" will come eventually.......and it won't be pretty.

If he had not been in Thailand, he would never have been stabbed.

It's hardly practical to WALK everywhere. Taking a jet is just getting from one place to another. I would not describe it as "ostentatious". What about car rides??? Very difficult to understand the reasoning here. If they want to see "ostentatious" they need look no farther than the Catholic Church.

Brunei....yet another retrograde, Muslim backwater.

Absolutely appalling. Words fail.

The more I read stories like this, the more I wonder why we even bother at all. Then I remember success stories such as my friend who lives with his Thai wife in the US. She is very careful with his money and usually has her own money since she works for a Thai doctor who is well known in the community. The local Thais are very supportive of my friend and are unusually helpful in many situations. Plus it gives his wife a place to go and speak Thai with friends and thus alleviate loneliness. The number of tragic stories seem about equal to the success stories when bargirls are not a factor. Anyone who thinks that a Thai woman is free of duplicity and conivance simply because she is not a bargirl, is missing the plot.

How sad. RIP to the Austrian.

I know many people of different nationalities who have divorced their Thai wives. In every instance it was because large sums of money were spent, overtime, without the husband understanding where it went. Their wives could not explain it adequately and usually the discussion ended in a row with the wives screeching "you farang, no understand" etc etc. These wives were not all ex bar girls. Some were well educated and had businesses or professional careers before marriage.

Money seems to lead to huge issues here and these Thai wives all reacted very quickly and badly when challenged. It seems from the OP that this lady was prone to use violence.

Er, sorry if I offended anyone I'm sure you guys don't resemble those fat, ugly guys that have that completely depraved look about them.

Carry on!

Fat?? Ugly??? Depraved look??? ######.....sure as hel_l SOUNDS like me.

Maybe life ought to be like "Logan's Run", then you won't be bothered by all those ghastly "old" people. Heaven forbid that anyone have a 31st birthday.