HAPPYNUFF

Dont know your age, but I guess, like most of us,    being 50 is just a memory now.      As we age its  fairly normal  to  get a "beer belly"  for want of a better expression.  Putting on weight in the wrong place is very easy, taking it   off   brick you age  is damn near impossible.   Im  the perfect example of that.  At least a glass or two of (red)  wine is   good for your   digestive system, thought it is full of calories.  I have two sons, both fitness freaks, built like the proverbial brick sh.t house, both approaching middle age and developing nice little pots...      Just learn to live with it and enjoy.  .

Im not sure wether its the inate stupidity   of the average Thai, or their  blind arrogance  that is the cause of so much road carnage.

I would have more respect for myself  if I was just a low life politician, rather than a bar owning pimp.

A  "Red Notice"  issued by Interpol, does not necessarily  relate  to  a wanted fugitive.  It may be for instance, an alert, or advise  of a serious   crime committed or suspected,  a   scam, or a "ponzi"   type fraud  that is  current in some country, with the  prospect of spreading  world wide.  It is merely  a system to alert participating police forces of  current matters, of International  concern.  As  the  title  RED NOTICE  suggests, it is an alert notification., which is the reason a majority of such notices are not for public viewing.

 As for  those countries that may not have an extradition   treaty in formal effect with  some other country, that does not  negate the  country seeking a fugitive, requesting   the country where such fugitive is located,  for the courts there  granting the fugitives release to   officials of the first country.  Such  legal  actions  have been  granted on several occasions .

Some countries, Russia, China for instance,  simply refuse to release  citizens of their own country  to  courts in another  country, no matter what crime they are alleged to  have committed.

I  once met a guy  in Pattaya, who told me he was a lion tamer...  I told him he was a lion  sod.

Yes I am also  surprised  at the lack of input here from all those CIA, Green Beret,  Special Forces,  SAS, MI5  guys we  meet   while perched on a bar stool here,   though I always did find them shy, retiring types.????

PS,  my  remark, in my original  story, that I did as little  as possible for as much as possible was more than a little tongue in cheek, I was in fact not just a  hard worker, I demanded all those in my team   be likewise,  we worked in  a public safety area, which I was  committed to.

I have no objection if female lawyers refuse to wear dresses in court,  but I insist they  take the pants off as well.  Oh happy  days.

My son in laws  father       was committed to  the local   asylum some months ago      The doctors   said  his mental condition  was caused by years of drinking that famous brew, Lao Khao.    The poor devil was too scared to  go to sleep, as  "demons"    came to  "get him"  he said.  He was in a very bad  way.  Could hardly walk, had the  shakes, dribbled, wet himself  continuously.          Home   now, on     medication,       stopped  the grog,  but still not the full quid, can do a bit of light work but thats all...It worried me that much I even put an extra  ice cube in my beer, to dilute it.  

Every Thai knows that  indicator lights are to be used, a lot,   at New Year, Songkran  and Kings Birthdays,  to celebrate the happy events , and show their fellow man   how happy they are. and same are to be left on  all the time one is   on the road,  , just like  rear view mirrors are   placed in   vehicles and motor bikes for the express purpose  of picking pimples,  applying makeup or combing ones hair.

Same bank, few years ago, wife noticed  significant sums of money drawn out of her savings account, held with bank in Nakhon Nowhere.   Checked with her bank,   yes money being  drawn out  via ATM  machine in Pattaya.  Wife doesnt have ATM card, doesnt trust them.

Asked the bank  how  could this happen, and reimburse her.  She was told   she would have to go to the bank in Pattaya  to  see about it, not their problem.

We    travelled  there,  no joy, bank refused to  look at the matter, insisted wife must have  taken money out herself.  They couldnt/wouldnt explain how that was possible as she  has never   had or used an ATM,  just doesnt trust them,, with  good reason... Back to Nakhon Nowhere, she closed her account, I   withdrew  my  Visa  holding money, plus my own savings account.  Bank Manager  cried, wept, gnashed his teeth.  Too bloody bad.

Thais, of course, are exempt  from the need to  wear face masks,  as they need to explore their nostrils  with their digit   stuck to the second knuckle  inside same.

I  can  guess the only safe haven  for savers and investors in the   medium term is to buy and invest in gold/silver and other precious metals.  Unfortunately     all are presently  incredibly expensive.  Gold  selling in the region of 29,000 baht per baht,  when I can recall  back in  the 1980s  it was around the 13000 baht per baht range..       Cash, money in the bank,  stocks and bonds    face the possibility of being near worthless    should  a  major conflict erupt,  and  the  inevitable   inflation follows.

Thai teachers  most definitely get angry if a student, with a better grasp of the English language ,should dare to correct their ThInglish

Once upon a time, in the wifes village, I paid for a local turkey.  Years ago now, paid 500 baht.  Locals   killed, gutted, plucked it.

To cook,,  they  drove a bamboo stake in the ground, impaled the turkey carcase on it, placed one of those large earthenware garden pots over it, to the ground, heaped  straw all around it  and lit it.        Kept putting more straw for a while...          I got a VERY small  slice for my troubles.  Tasted  great though.

If you follow the advice given by CharlieH, Seedy and Gim12    youve done right.        Most importantly, for the tyres, jack it up off the ground, even use  wooden blocks if no  jack stands.  You could even have the motor started  in that case if you left the battery in. and put it in gear  to    left  everything rotate occasionally.   Starting it for 15 minutes each month isnt going to do much, the motor wont warm up  and the  sump oil wont be circulating much in that time.

Have had an LG  15 kg  load   twin tub for  12 years.    Just had     gears replaced, cost 1200 baht.      Only     fault is water discharge  is  slow, otherwise excellent.

Top loaders, and tumble washers  take, on the average  1 hour per cycle.       As  we  do   up to 4  loads at a time,  4 hours washing clothes  is not an option.

A mate has an automatic top loader,   to save time his missus justs loads all the wash in, for one lot.    Has  every a nice shade of grey in the  clothing department now.

Only 5 hotels, plus  a shopping mall and others,,,   oh good, just pump all that effluent  into that  pristine water  out the front, because the sewerage system  isnt working, that will please all those tourists.

Thai time is usually expressed in the one word  style....."later"

World wide, most , not all, large corporations  are  owned or at least controlled  by outside  agencies   located in another country, with the majority of shareholders being foreign institutions or  global  superannuation funds and similar.

It not just our money they  want,  they do love us farangs too,,,honest.