wadman

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

 

I saw only one video but it was heavily edited.

Did you see the full version?

Most complete video I have seen is this one, if only the Thai presenter would stop yapping so we can hear the audio of the CCTV video better.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E72S9DR_Vgw

14 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

I saw only one video but it was heavily edited.

Did you see the full version?

There is another video on YouTube. In that video, the Brit is running on the sidewalk, the 2 Thai guys on their scooter catch up to the Brit, and pass him.

The scooter then stops a few meters in front of the Brit. Initially, the Thai guys never got off their scooter, they were still sitting on it. At this point, the Thais had their backs to the Brit (although their heads were turned around obviously). The Brit walks towards the Thais on their scooter.

The Brit then attempts to sit on the back on the scooter (as if he was getting a ride from the Thai guys). At this point, the Thai guys got off the scooter (in a non aggressive manner).

There appears to some video missing, because next we see the Thai guys standing in front of their scooter, and the Brit charging them at full speed. He must have started his run from about 10 meters back. And that's when the physical altercation happens. 

As has already been pointed out, the whole series of events is rather puzzling. Why would the Thai guys chase the Brit, if he never even made it into their bar, and was leaving already.  

It doesn't seem like it started off as a confrontational situation.  The Thai guys testified to police that they ask the Brit how they could help him. Yes, I know... it's not like they wouldn't lie, but there does seem to be some truth to it, although it may not be the whole truth.

Is it possibly that the Brit was running because he wanted to get to some other destination? And then he tried to hitch a ride on the back of the scooter, thinking the Thai guys would give him a ride? And when that fell through, he tried to make off with the scooter to get to his destination.

On 3/7/2025 at 4:46 PM, leola74 said:

i'm going to china next month for the first time, and after a friend's horror stories about all his (foreign) c/c being blocked in china, i'm trying to get ahead of the game.  I installed wechat pay and alipay, and went through the id verification process on both.

 

now i linked a (German) credit card to both apps and tried to pay at 7-11 in Thailand, and it didn't work.  My c/c company confirms that on their side there is no issue with using my c/c through those apps.  So the problem is with the apps themselves.

 

A chinese friend has also sent me cash into my wechat wallet, i received that and was able to transfer it back to him with no problem.  but trying to use this "cash" to pay at 7-11 again didn't work.

 

so my question is: is this not working because i'm in thailand?  can i expect this to work when i'm in china?

 

from the OP, it sounds like it just doesn't work outside of china, but it WILL work in china.  can someone confirm this is true?

Foreign Wechat pay account = Wechat pay account registered with a foreign passport.

Local Wechat pay account = Wechat pay account registered with a China ID.

The issue with Wechat pay (now officially renamed to: Weixin pay) is currency control.  Meaning that China doesn't allow you to take unlimited amounts of money out of China.

Local Wechat pay accounts can be used for payment outside of China, up to a certain amount per year.  I think it's something like the 500k or 1 million RMB per citizen per year.  This amount is applied to all money sent or spent outside of China.  So if someone makes a bank transfer from a China bank account to a US account (for example), that amount counts towards that limit.

It's too complicated to track foreign spending on a foreign wechat pay account so they don't allow you spend any money outside of China.

Short version: For foreign Wechat pay accounts, you cannot use it outside of China.  You can use it in China, as that isn't taking any money out of China.

Long version: Strictly speaking, you can use a foreign wechat pay account to pay a vendor outside of China, IF that vendor is registered as a Chinese company.  Example: you are in Thailand, you book a flight with a Chinese airline, you can pay with your foreign wechat account.

I have a wechat pay account registered with a foreign passport.  It works like a charm inside China, it does not work in Thailand (I have tried).

10 hours ago, ChicagoExpat said:

You've already claimed these specific Uighurs were criminals and terrorists, and offered no proof of such, and now are claiming simply that any Uighur is a dangerous separatist, any without proof or logic. 

There is lots of evidence that Uyghurs want their own homeland (East Turkestan) i.e. separate, the Uyghurs themselves don't deny it either.

10 hours ago, ChicagoExpat said:

Here's the irony -- you're claiming "Uighurs aren't being persecuted for being Uighurs" and yet what you're saying EXACTLY THAT -- that because they are Uighurs, these people are guilty of separatism, crime and violence. 

The Uyghurs as a whole generally do want to separate.  Not all resort to violence, but some do.  Not all illegally cross the border into Thailand to evade prosecution, but some do.

10 hours ago, ChicagoExpat said:

I'm saying other things, though -- that Thailand has a responsibility to investigate the claims of these people of persecution -- of which there IS evidence generally speaking.  Thailand didn't. 

Some of these Uyghurs recently sent back by Thailand had been in detention (for illegal immigration) for 10 (!) years!   Whatever investigation could be done, whatever arguments those Uyghurs could bring forth, surely had been done by then.

10 hours ago, ChicagoExpat said:

They sent them back at the CCP's demand, because they are an embarrassment to the CCP, who pushes the narrative that somehow they are simultaneously terrorists and privileged beyond Han Chinese.  And you somehow not only believe it, you're willing to shill for it to others.

 

Strange that people who have more rights than the dominant Han would rather live in IDC than China.  All just part of the conspiracy against poor, misunderstood China, right?

Uyghurs (and other minorities) had certain exemptions under the 1 child policy (which is moot now).  Minorities also enjoy preferential treatment for enrolment into universities, which is quite an advantage as getting into a university in China isn't nearly as easy as in the west.

Uyghurs want their own homeland for reasons including:

- it's what reasonable large groups of people want, in an area where they are the dominant group

- Linguistically and Culturally, they feel discriminated against by the Han Chinese.  Well, they are different.  But for such a small group (percentage-wise), don't expect the rest of the country to adjust to your language, food, customs.

@ChicagoExpat So, let me ask you then.  What, in your opinion, is the root of the issue between the Chinese government and the Uyghurs?

57 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

My youngest son could probably do with a laptop. It may or may not get broken. The highest drain would be video chatting with his friends while playing some games.

 

An entry level machine will do until he has shown he can take care of it well and not knock it off a table or stand on it when it's in it's bag on the floor etc.

 

16gb of ram is standard now by the looks of things. 

But the CPU. They're so much lower a PC.

3.7ghz base speed 4.4ghz turbo for an entry level PC, but the entry level laptop CPUs are only around 2ghz base.

 

https://www.powerbuy.co.th/en/product/ACER-Aspire-Lite-15-Notebook-15-6-AMD-Ryzen-7-RAM-16GB-512GB-AL15-41P-R47V-NX-J53ST-001-303852

 

The base frequency of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is 1.8 GHz. It has a boost frequency of up to 4.3 GHz. 

 

https://www.powerbuy.co.th/en/product/ACER-Aspire-3-Notebook-15-6-AMD-Ryzen-3-RAM-16GB-512GB-A315-24P-R70F-297785#

 

AMD Ryzen 3 7320U quad-core processor (2MB L2 cache, 4MB L3 cache, 2.4GHz up to 4.1GHz)

 

 

Or the other option is, a reputable used store with laptops that are a few years old, but with higher specs, and typically a graphic's card.

 

Notebook Asus Tuf Gaming F15 FX506LH-HN002T อัพเกรด Ram16GB รุ่นขายดีของร้านเลยค่ะ สภาพเครื่อง 95% รอยการใช้งานเล็กน้อย บอดี้ไม่แตกร้าว แบตดี

- Intel Core i5-10300H @ 2.5-4.5 GHz

- Ram 16 GB DDR4 2933 MHz

- 512 GB PCIe SSD M.2

- Display 15.6" Full HD IPS ANTI-GLARE 144Hz

- NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 4 GB GDDR6

- Window 10 HOME

14,990 บาท

 

Notebook Asus ROG Strix Gaming G531GD-AL003T Ram16GB สภาพเครื่อง 95% รอยการใช้งาน รอยคีย์บอร์ดเลือนนิดหน่อย บอดี้ไม่แตกร้าว แบตดีไม่เสื่อม

- Intel Core i7-9750H @ 2.6 - 4.5 GHz

- NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 (4GB GDDR5)

- Ram 16 GB DDR4

- 512 GB SSD PCle M.2

- Display 15.6 inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS 120Hz

- Window 10 Home

14,990 บาท

 

Notebook Acer Aspire3 A315-24P-R6SK Ram16GB ทำงานไว เครื่องสภาพ 95% มีรอยการใช้งาน ประกันศูนย์ยาว 08/2025

- AMD Ryzen5-7520U @ 2.8-4.3 GHz

- AMD Radeon 610M

- Ram 16 GB LPDDR5 4800 MHz

- 512 GB SSD PCle M.2 Gen3

- Display 15.6 inch Full HD

- Window11 Home

10,990 บาท

 

Physical condition (scratches etc don't matter) neither does the battery condition, as long as it works in a powercut. 

 

 

Which is more advisable for performance and lack of lagging when video calling and light gaming. A new less powered CPU and device, or a slightly used by higher powered CPU etc?

You can use nanoreview.net to do a "versus" between 2 CPUs.

I have done it for your 2 CPUs. Take a look here

https://nanoreview.net/en/cpu-compare/amd-ryzen-7-5700u-vs-amd-ryzen-3-7320u

The Ryzen 7 5700u is faster in every facet compared to the Ryzen 3 7320u. The only advantage of the Ryzen 3 7320u is in power efficiency, it's about 10% more power efficient.

15 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

So the Chinese victim criminal knowingly purchased a forged Thai id card, with the intention of obtaining a Thai passport illegally.

Not sure what the penalty is for have a forged id card.

"The investigation began in late 2023 when a Chinese victim reported to the police that he had been extorted for 5 million baht by immigration officers after he was found in possession of a forged Thai ID card.

The fake ID was used to facilitate the victim’s application for a passport, where officers from the Thai immigration police allegedly demanded a further 2 million baht to avoid arrest.

The investigation also uncovered that several government officials were involved in facilitating the illegal activities"

So Thai immigration officers were found to committed extortion, twice. And it seems that they were complicit in producing these fake documents in the first place.

I wonder what the penalty is for those offences. Relocation to a different office?

1 hour ago, ChicagoExpat said:

Again, you appear to be unaware of key facts concerning what you're confidently asserting, including the nature of the CCP, and the history of the Uighurs there and the history of the Uighurs who leave China..

 

Maybe read up a bit (non-CCP sources, this time) and come back later.

The root of the problem is that the Uyghurs want their independence, and take XianJiang province away with them in doing so.  They have resorted to bombings and other acts of violence. The latest rounds of that was before covid, when the Uyghurs went on a rampage in XianJiang, and indiscriminately killed around 200 Han Chinese in the streets. That's what set off the latest round of violence and crackdown by China.

Naturally China isn't so keen on losing territory. They don't give a hoot if all the Uyghurs emigrate away permanently, in fact they welcome it, it just means fewer trouble makers. The Uyghurs that aren't allowed to leave China are the ones who have committed violent crimes (or suspected of doing so). You can't set off a bomb, and then skip the country to avoid prosecution, is that so difficult to understand?

This narrative that western MSM (and you) is pushing that China is persecuting Uyghurs just for being Uyghurs doesn't even pass the smell test.  What exactly is the logic in that? China is persecuting Uyghurs from being different? There are lots of minorities in China, those who don't seek to carve out a chunk of the country have nothing to fear. In fact they have more rights than the Han Chinese.

On 2/26/2025 at 5:54 AM, hotchilli said:

Not rushing this time then?

If the fire department respond just as quickly, then there really is no point in calling them in case of a fire.

11 minutes ago, grumpyoldman said:

Bunch of wai s all around, money to the daughter, whisk, whisk, under the rug. Lets move on everybody TIT.

Hopefully not. Does Thailand have the death penalty? That's what's needed here.

3 hours ago, ChicagoExpat said:

Really?  China waited years to try and have terrorists -- who have been in custody for more than a decade -- returned to them?  You really believe these were criminals and terrorists?  No, you know they weren't.  What made them "criminals" was embarrassing the CCP.

 

If they were criminals, why was Chinese state TV showing them arrived home, unarrested, in reunions with family members?

 

Come on.

Think of this logically: why would China give a hoot if perfectly innocent Uyghurs want to leave China permanently and go to Thailand (or whatever country)?  It would a case of good riddance!

And if they are completely innocent, what reason would they even give to Thailand for seeking asylum?

You come on.

13 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

You're not in Kansas now Dorothy 

12 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

And the Brit had a choice at that moment. Go off and enjoy the rest of the night, or charge in like Rambo for a fight.  

 

Hopefully this was a lesson learned (finally, at 60+ years old!) and he won't end up getting killed another night as a result of his bad temper. 

 

He's probably been ruining people's nights with his temper tantrums for over 4 decades. 

I look at it this way. 

I have never even remotely had a problem with a Thai security guy. Of course, I don't go punching/slapping/kicking them in the face, or otherwise provoke them. All these beatdowns by Thai security have 1 thing in common: they were physically provoked first (including getting slapped in the face, in the case outside of Matador bar on soi buakhao a while back).

I have come into contact with idiot tourists who were physically abusive and think that everybody should back down from them. They need to be taught a lesson, the harder the better. If they are handled with kid's gloves like they are in England, they will soon all behave like they are in England, no thanks!

16 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

agree 100% Total lies from the begining  Thailand has shot its self in the foot big time !! shame on you

Keep licking your Chinese masters backsides Thailand. Shows your true colours to the world. A third world cesspool beholden to China. As for the Deputy PM he lies like a cheap carpet.

 

The reason why China wanted these Uyghurs deported back to China isn't because they are Uyghurs. It's because they are wanted for criminal charges in China. Like for setting off bombs in public places and the like.  They have pulled the same stunts in Thailand if they didn't get their way. 

As a Canadian I use Fongo World.

You get a local Canadian number. Pay as you go, with very reasonable rates for outgoing calls. Make a call every 30 days, to prevent the account from going dormant, and they ding you 5 dollars (I think that's the amount).

Incoming SMS are not free (except from spammers, lol), but you can sign up for that at 4 dollars a month. Works for 2FA SMS.

Although I don't use my account often at all (maybe 10 times a year), it's still a necessity for my banking. This provides a very low cost solution for me.

1 hour ago, NoshowJones said:

That really answers my question, now suppose your carry on case does not fit and is just a few Mts bigger. If you look at Lazada, they say that any case you buy could could be a little over or under the size you ask for.

If your case was just that little over their sizing and did not fit. What would they do?

Depends on if they airline staff even bother to check. If they do, and your bag is oversize, they'll force you to check it in. 

15 hours ago, sillypoint said:

I am flying from suvarnabhumi to Taipei on Thai airways next week, economy. Normally I travel light. I can't remember the last time I have checked in more than one bag for the hold. However this time, It would be convenient to check-in 2 bags (total weight around 15-20kgs). On the flight info. it has 25kg limit for my ticket. It says bag (singular). I am wondering if Thai airways strictly enforce 1 checked  bag (free) for economy, or just take into consideration weight. I would prefer to use 2 smallish bags to manage the weight while carrying them around. I'll still be taking a small carry-on bag to the plane with notebook, etc.

This flight comes under zone 1 on their website, and extra baggage can be bought in advance for just $12 / kilo. Are charges a lot higher at the time of check-in? I realise there are ways around this by redistributing things in the bags once at the airport. Just wondering how lenient Thai tend to be re. multiple bags. Thanks, in advance. 

A lot of airlines allow you carry on 2 pieces of luggage onto the cabin: 1 piece that fits into the overhead bin + 1 personal item (which can be a laptop bag, as long as it is small enough to be stored underneath the seat).

See if this works for you. Check with Thai airways to see what their cabin allowance is for your ticket. 

34 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Scabies represent, at least for me, a huge pain in the neck...and...

A huge itch on my hands.

 

Speaking of  The Itch....

Don't know if you are doing this already. You can take Cetirizine to relieve much of the itch. Cetirizine is an anti-histamine commonly taken for allergies. It's an over the counter drug, no prescription needed. 

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Whether freezing bedding or putting bedding in a sealed bag at any temperature, the mites will die within two or three days.  So, I think that freezing is not a help.

Putting bedding in sealed bag for 2-3 days will almost certainly kill the mites, but not 100%. One scenario is if you have some tiny bits of skin on the bedding where the mites are. Which will provide food for the mites. 

I had scabies about 10 years ago. Got rid of it with permethrin treatments (repeated a few times). If you have to go through the treatment, and the itch of the scabies themselves, you want to eliminate reinfection as much as possible. 

14 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Concerning the sheets in my house...

I plan to remove all bedding.

Send to some cleaner that can wash and dry at over 50 degrees C, or discard, in fact.

Then buy new bedding.

 

The cost of bedding is NOTHING compared to the psychological hardship of being infested with a mite that is too small to see.

 

A true hassle, is the scabies mite.

 

The life cycle of the mite is such that one could move out of the house for a few days, a few weeks, and expect that all mites might be dead before one returns.

 

There is much good info on the internet about scabies.

 

If one has a partner, then both must be treated simultaneously.

Fortunately, I live a alone.

And, must just treat myself.

(Physician, heal thyself!)

 

 

A more foolproof way to get rid of scabies on clothing and bedding is to freeze them. Bag it up, put it in the freezer, leave it there for 3 full days, and they will be dead for sure. 

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

The issue of course is that it 'could be' an important call that you weren't expecting. 

 

Thus, I answer and work out if its a scammer, in most cases it is.. 

Yes, not answering calls from unknown numbers isn't the answer for me either. It could be a genuine call. 

Just remember that you cannot be scammed by simply answering a call. It's only if your are dumb enough to give out banking (or other personal) information, that's when the scams happen. 

2 hours ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

I had a call last week on my Canadian phone from an Indian who claimed there were suspicious charges to my credit card. It came from a Canadian 1-800 number, so I talked to the guy for a few minutes (out of curiosity) because I lock my cards via my account to avoid such fraud.  He asked for the first 4 numbers to my credit card and I laughed.  Who gives out that information to a stranger that calls them?   I told him the cards were locked and wished him well.  An old geezer could easily be tricked by the slick approach of the scammer. 

 

"The Beekepper" is a silly movie about telephone scammers. 

A few times I got the following call:

Caller claims they are the rcmp. They have seized a rental car that was used to transport drugs from Canada to San Antonio. The US police found the car abandoned in San Antonio, and traced it to me. Allegedly because the car was a rental, and it was my credit card used to rent the car. 

Caller says it's probably not me who rented the car, but it doesn't matter because it's my credit card used to rent it, so as far as the police is concerned, they are looking for me. Caller says he has an arrest warrant with my name on it, and unless I take care of it, I will get arrested at the next opportunity. And to take care of it... you guessed it!... he needs my bank information. 

So I asked him whose name is on the arrest warrant. He couldn't answer obviously, just kept repeating that he has an arrest warrant. And I kept asking him whose name is on it. Eventually he hung up. 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

The more professional call centers have already got that information 

Depends on how widely your phone number is known. I have a virtual Canadian phone number. The only ones I have shared that number with are some banks, a lawyer or 2, a few family members, 1 agent, and 1 management company. 

I have received scam calls on that number. Me asking the caller who they are looking for have always stopped them dead in their tracks. 

The only callers that know my name are callers from my banks trying to sell me a product, but those are spam (rather than scam) callers. 

Number 1 question to ask the caller is who they are looking for. If they don't know your name, it's just a random scam call. 

1 hour ago, petermik said:

This is all I am getting unfortunately deleted and downloaded qBittorrent again but still thhe same.

If you click "OK" on that popup window the torrent should be added and the download starts. I'm not sure what's the problem?