jaywalker

"The fact is considering the circumstances, the comments were in bad taste and insensitive and has nothing to do with with "crap western idea's" and this is borne out by the fact the General has come out and apologized for the remarks he made.

but seeing as we are talking about thinking its fine to to "parade" around can you please tell me when Thai ladies stopped walking around Thailand topless in their normal daily life ?.....the 1940's ? and why did the move to become more conservative actually happen in Thailand, it was a push by the rulers at the time to force the Thai nation to become more "western" so in fact the Thai cultural norms you are talking about were a Thai construct around "western norms"

one assumes you believe your a great white saviour to Thailand's morals, so may I humbly suggest you get on your white horse, bible in hand and put the rosey tinted shades on and ride off into the Sunset dear boy, because your talking absolute rubbish."

I agree, however in 1940, Western swimwear was rather conservative. I think that Thai's are still living in 1940.

This is turning into the usual Thai circus. They claim to have mixed semen samples and from there they could determine DNA and subsequently ethnicity of the culprit, yet, no mention of this or forensics on the suspected weapon (Hoe), blood type,fingerprints, DNA and still they beat about the big bush with only one eye open.

I understand that a forensic team from the UK is en route and the sooner the better before this get truly out of hand .

That was my original thought (to bring in a UK forensics team) the day I heard about this tragedy. Just wish they'd gotten to LOS sooner.....

I hope it's true and doesn't turn out to be a rumor.

Why do they not involve the UK police to help them. They should send a sample of the hair to UK they will test it to see if it was Asian or European.

Am sure UK have more sophisticated means of checking a lot, CTV footage they could enhance a lot.

Probably a good idea, but HEAVEN FORBID!!! The BIB would lose face then. Can't have THAT now can we?

Does every Thai male over the age of 6 have a gun?

It sure seems like it! Either a gun or at least a machete.

Or a hoe.

For good sake, he's 93 years old, stop talking about all this ww2. Hunting old people. He's properly already on the way to the die.

Following that logic, if someone were to murder a 93 year old person, they shouldn't face charges, as the "Old Codger was on his way out anyhow"

"Bonded Warehouse"?????

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a bond posted by the warehouse owner that is posted as surety that this won't happen? If it does happen they forfeit the bond?

Maybe I misunderstood that term?

A .38 caliber is .38 hundredths of an inch. not .38 millimeters. It's pretty close to 9.5 mm.

.38 mm is like, say, the diameter of a needle at 0.0149606 inches.

My most favorite picture of my 9 year old daughter is when she was 3 months old.

Vigilante justice here is fully authorized in my opinion.

If I KNEW who it was, I'd stick a .44 Magnum between his eyes and pull the trigger if he'd hurt my daughter. Consequences be damned.

Black Pearl/White Oyster Bar in Pattaya with my buddy Bob.

Toss 200 baht of 10 baht coins in the pool & the gals strip naked to go dive for them.......You are welcome to join them as long as you're naked as well. I partook of the festivities.

Trying to leave, I fell down, in the gravel parking lot......Full-on face plant into the gravel rocks. I gave myself a black eye and skint up my face right nicely.

Bob and 3 girls spilled me into my truck. Bob couldn't drive...I couldn't drive.

Bob got 2 moto-dop's to take us home to Soi Khaotalo........1 to drive the truck & one to haul the driver back on his moto. They were cool guys.

Bob was my neighbor & you just GOTTA LOVE above ground Thai-style plumbing.

Parked my truck in front of Bob's place & I got tangled up in the pipes....I cut off his main water supply and was wallering around in the street.

Bob (bless his heart) came and picked me up and marched me to my front porch. My wife was NOT happy.

"What happened to your face!!!???"

I said "Bob hit me"

She hates Bob. Bob is great guy.

HAHAHA

This has to be the best thread/topic ever.

Yeah my wife had a kid before I met her. Poor baby was 3 years old, living w/ Grandma & Grandpa in Isaan.

First time she saw me she cried, and cried, and cried, and cried.....Poor baby. She'd never seen a Caucasian! Poor baby thought I was sure enough a BOOGEY Man!

I married her mother & legally adopted her a couple years later. She calls me Daddy now. She's a sweet kid.

She's 17 now.........uuuhhh? Momma YOU are in charge of this....I just pay the rent.

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Humorous - Actually NOT story, some 19 year old punk tried to get after her when she was about 13. She was supposed to baby-sit her 4 year old sister that night. Here's the humor. She got home an hour late, and all 4' 11" (1.5 meters) anf 99 lbs. (45 kg) wifey took a wooden flute to her......Didn't hurt her, but scared her to death.

The kid was and still is a couple inches taller than Mommy, but she's been a model citizen ever since the "Flute" incident.

I just sat on the front porch with the little one & kept my mouth shut.

Walking down Ramkamhaeng Road one hot Sunday from my apartment to Villa Supermarket. Much quicker to walk than drive. Stopped for 2 minutes in the shade at a bus stop (it was HOT!).

A nice lady sitting a few seats away, and here comes a cement truck doing about 120 kph, with the front bumper torn half off, rubbing the front left tire, smoke billowing everywhere...........

I speak basic Thai & asked her what that was? She shrugged her shoulders and replied, in perfect English, This is Thailand.

Sounds scary what most have posted with regards to repairs at the shop, on the other items being destroyed instead of just the bodywork. So what do you guys think could have happened? Since your car is in their area for a long time, they took it for a rough drive? Have you checked the odometers? etc.?

That's one of the reasons I like to maintain my own cars, we could never really see what those "trusty" mechanics done to our cars. Making it worse or better? You be the judge.

Took my Toyota truck to Car Buddy near the Ocean Marina once to get the oil & filter changed.

Next day I had an oil puddle in my driveway......They had, ummm..forgotten to actually tighten the oil plug.

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Working as a contractor last year on some Air Farce trucks. I had SHOWED THEM 10 times how to torque the head bolts........They ignored me........Fair enough, but they had hired me to make sure they did it right. Luckily they had a new piston rod in stock......a week later they were where they should have been a week before.

It was supposed to be a 6 month contract......it turned into 10 months,

I was met with opposition every step of the way.......Why they hired me, to just say "We think it's better to do it this way" can only be attributed to the fact that I'm a factory trained rep Token Farang.

I showed the boss a PICTURE of an engine stand, straight out of the FACTORY tech manual...........He had not one, but 3 engine stands built that were absolutely nothing like what I needed.

Luckily there was a Thai guy around there that had lived in California for 27 years and he had one we could borrow......DUH!!!!! They FINALLY saw what was going on & copied the shit out of it.

They had a forklift with ZERO brakes on it.....Boss was renting space in a junk yard & forklift came with it. Had a pavilion roof that leaked & zero drainage = a 4 inch deep lake almost every day.

Little squat hole to go blow yer butt, IF you could get by the junkyard dog that guarded said hole...He'd try to eat you alive. I think the owner must've fed him gunpowder.

Two other cool dogs there.....They jumped on a 3 foot long monitor lizard right behind my desk once. I though that was cool.

I could/ probably should write a book, I could go on and on about stuff Westerners would never believe.

I will NEVER try to work with Thai's again though.

Don't get me wrong. Any of the guys I worked with would jump out and stop a bullet for me, they just do things the way they want to do things.

I'm 48, married to a Thai for 14 years, 9 year old daughter........I'll be doing marriage - retirement visas from now on.

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EDIT: I took that contract as I thought it would make me drink less...Errr...WOW!

I was wrong.

Anyone who believes they are avoiding living in a police state by living in Thailand are dreadfully ill informed....how much more of a police state can you get then getting arrested for reading in public, I mean isn't that the quinessential "Police State"???...not sure if those are the rules anymore, but anyone yapping about how much a police state the UK or US has become, just remember, no one ever has been arrested or prosecuted in either of these countries for freely speaking about government officials or reading books in public!

In many ways, European countries and America enjoy A WHOLE LOT greater freedom than Thailand, and I never really understand exactly what people are getting at when they claim encroachment of civil liberties by the government, after all we haved faced and continue to face a serious threat from Islamic fundamentalism and if listening to phone calls is going to play some effort in preventing another tragedy from happening, I say go for...it.

As I said, at least at the end of the day, I can walk down the street in London or Washington DC, saying whatever I feel like about Her Majesty or Mr Obama, without worrying about any sort of criminal consequences.....

And when you see an army general breaking broadcasts on friday to give an "update" to the country, I don't know how you can get anymore BIG BROTHER than that

Thing is.........They haven't yet created a SYSTEM for BIG BROTHER.

The cops in LOS are too busy bumping into each other, trying to find their shirts & hats to be able to systematize anything.

I've worked with the RTA, RTAF and RTMC (army, air farce, marines).......They hired me to "help" them with ground equipment.

I told them we need systems, processes etc... We need a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).....They, up to the general officer level agreed with me.

Boots on the ground trying to implement it......HA!

They are, EVERY one of them just like my teenage nephew......I yammer away at him, and he tells me "I know, I know".

Won't listen to a word I say. The Thai's hired me & paid me for consulting services, and then ignore everything I say......Just like my 16 year old nephew.

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The RTMC in Sattahip is BAD-ASS though. Command Sgt Major K. Chai is as sharp as they get. His trucks regularly go to Pattani, & I love working with that guy and his troops.

Therefore, I'd have to say, it's a leadership issue, not really a "Thainess" issue, though I do love that term.

"Italian" restaurant in Pattaya once. I ordered pizza with bell peppers, pepperoni & onions. I came out with 1/3rd bell peppers, 1/3rd onions, & 1/3rd pepperoni......My pizza had sections.....<deleted>??????

As for the women/sex side of things, have a look at this http://bit.ly/1qwRJSw It's about Chile.

I'm thinking about a week down there before I head back across the Pacific.

Yeah, S. America, but Spanish is a damned sight easier to learn than Thai (I speak both somewhat decently). I'm no (extreme) monger, but I do enjoy my eye candy.

Hookerdom is legal in Chile as well and Latina chicas are just as exotic as Thai girls. I had a very nice time in Honduras a few decades ago with a gorgeous local gal that had some Asian eyes......I was HOOKED. I guess that's why they call them hookers?

Looks like it might be a decent alternative to LOS & round trip flights from Miami are about $1,000. I just checked Priceline.com & flights from NYC are about the same.

I guess my biggest gripes about Thailand are, well:

1 - The traffic - need I say more?

2 - Trying to work with Thai's - MADDENING!!!!!

3 - You'll ALWAYS be a Farang, or if you're a black American, an African-Farang, and will never blend in.

4 - Building houses so close together I could spit in my neighbor's window.

5 - Stray mongrel dogs everywhere you look, a few of which can be quite aggressive.

6 - Trying find something to eat that doesn't have 14,000 chile peppers in it.

I think Thailand is a FANTASTIC place to go for a vacation, or even a place to live as long as you fly out a lot for business, as I did 2001-2004......WAAAAAY nicer than Taiwan, Japan, S. Korea or the Middle East. Japan was kinda cool to visit though if you're there on an expense report that the company pays.

Kuala Lumpur is nice, just not my cup of tea for various reasons, not least of which is the prevalence of a certain nationality that only bathes every 6 months or so.

I've been to 45 countries, with Thailand, Mexico and Argentina being the nicest (for me).

I do want to check out Chile though!

4. Almost year round perfect weather. Here in Thailand the weather is much better then America for beach fun or riding motorcycles.

Agree with most of the O/P and as someone who left Chicago over 40 years ago and have seen snow only a few times first-hand since.

I grew up in Central Florida, about 30 minutes north of Orlando. I lived in either the UAE, Kuwait, or Thailand from 1998 to December 2013, with only a few brief visits back to FL every few years.

I went back Central FL (Umatilla) and almost FROZE SLAP TO DEATH last winter. In south Georgia now & definitely need to vacate this place before winter hits.

I've been back for 9 months, in Florida & Georgia after 4 years in Thailand. I have eaten rice a grand total of 2 times in 9 months.

On my last contract I had a rice cooker promptly turned on about 2 feet behind my desk every day. I truly got sick of smelling the stuff!

First thing I did was was hit a Waffle House. I was looking for a Denny's but alas... I also bought a big box of frozen burritos .

Next I actually enjoyed watching the commercials on TV. Call me a sadist I guess, but I'm sick of them now.

Here in Georgia a few weeks ago, it was 11:00 PM on a Saturday, I was busy helping my 17 year old nephew decide what classes to take at college, when I realized, damn! tomorrow's Sunday & I'm almost out of beer (no beer sales in Mt. Vernon GA on Sundays).

I'd already had about a six-pack, so decided to walk to the store, along a well lit sidewalk. I had to pass the county courthouse AND the sheriff's office. This IS the Bible Belt...I went to church yesterday myself. So instead of merrily walking 3 blocks, swinging a 12 pack around, I grabbed a small backpack for discretion.

On my way home an EXTREMELY OBESE cop pulls out of the sheriff's office & lights me up, blue lights & all.

He wanted to see some ID. I asked him why? Had I broken any laws? Did I do anything wrong?

He said I looked suspicious walking around with a book bag "in the middle of the night"...It was 11:15 PM, under a street lamp, next to the courthouse. All I could think of was some Nazi saying "show me your papers!"

Told him it wasn't a book bag, it was a beer bag & handed him my ID. He immediately called it in. I could hear the dispatcher say my name, followed by "No wants, No warrants".

Fat cop looked like a little kid when they first learned that Santa Claus was a myth. Pissed me off though.

I'm ready to head back. I think I'll wrap a few packs of frozen burritos in a towel & toss them in my suitcase though.

About 12 years ago, 2002 or so, they dug up Pattaya Klang to a depth of 1.5 meters or better. To give them credit, they did it in low season. Only took 4 months or so, which was quite decent I thought. It was a big "Whup-to-do" in all the newspapers.

The concrete had barely dried (Like, 2 weeks after they'd re-opened the road) before they were out there with jackhammers and tunneling machines, trying to install what looked like a 6 inch pipe under several hundred yards of road.

????????? Why does this current story not surprise me?

Homer Simpson comes to mind. DOH!

Thanks Jaywalker, we will try the shop next to Tesco Lotus, if you happen to know the name it would be appreciated. Otherwise we will go knocking, we tried along second road mostly without joy in the past. Great to know they can sell plus contacts.

Hi Dragonaus,

Tesco in S. Pattaya optician shop.....I can't recall the name of it....Walk in the South entrance door to Tesco. If you're facing the store from the parking lot, it'll be the one on the left.

Restrooms to the left. Swenson's in front of you. Turn right. Walk maybe 30 feet/10 meters or so. The shop will be on your right. It's the only optician shop in that area. They actually have a door that opens towards the parking area, so they're independent of Tesco.

There's a short, sweet rotund (fat) lady there that speaks great English. She's always been real good about calling me when my contacts arrive as well.

In 3 years of ordering from there, YES, they did let my order slip once, so I was stuck with glasses for a week or so. She was VERY apologetic, and got them for me in 3 days I think. Great customer service, as mistakes happen. She owned up to it & apologized & expedited my order.

Wal-Mart in the USA did the same thing, except they called me first.......They had ordered MINUS prescription. The lady there caught it & called me to say it'd be a while longer before they got what I needed.

That Tesco shop is the best I've found in Pattaya though, & in an emergency, go do the Central Pattaya Road trawl. I've never come back empty handed from checking the 20 or so shops along both sides of the road.

Hope that helps Brother!

This is in the "Land of the Free".

The US State of Georgia just passed a law for bank accounts with no activity for more than one year. They seize them.

I'd say try Singapore or Austria.

How is this relevant?

Well, if the (theoretically) most 1st world country on the planet can seize your assets at their whim, what's to stop a Banana Republic from doing so?

Under Martial Law every 5-10 years at that!!!!

The video explains the "Safety Deposit Box" issue. I just mentioned the new Georgia law as an afterthought.

Seems relevant to me.

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Oh yeah @JSixpack, no offense Brother.....NOT picking at you, but it's amazing how some folks stick their heads in the sand. Not saying you do.....I should have explained myself better.

Cyprus & Greece just confiscated retirement funds over the past few years.

Argentina has defaulted on its debt 2 times in 13 years. Thailand did the same in 1997.

When a government goes broke, they raid assets.

Singapore has a fairly decent debt to GDP ratio as compared to other countries = unlikely to raid private funds for "The Good of The State".

LOS has just emerged from a major debacle (err....might be emerging). I'd much rather pay the 180 baht ATM fee to grab some cash in LOS than keep anything of serious value in a Thai "Safety" deposit box.....OR a USA "Safety" deposit box.

Just sayin'.......

Not familiar with your UK rig/brand, but am pretty sure I've seen Coleman products widely available in Tesco & Big C in Pattaya.

If you just need it for cooking, then take a stroll down Soi Khaotalo, just East of the Railroad tracks. On your right as you head East, there's a shop that probably sells the standard Thai version of burner-on-top-of-gas tank. They have a gazillion hatchets & machetes on display out front. Cooking stuff in the back.

I think I used to pay 250 THB (after tank deposit) for a good sized tank that would last my 4 burner stove for a couple months.

There's 2 places on Khaotalo that will swap you an empty tank for a full one. They're a bit further east on both sides of the road (same owner), near where they have the giant night market.

When I lived in Banglamung proper (N. Pattaya), I'd take my tank to where the taxi's get fuel & they'd re-fill my tank.

Makro sells a two burner version with a hose to attach to the tank. I bought one for my mother-in-law.......she still cooks on charcoal over a clay pot though .

GOOD LUCK getting an email reply from that other company.

Go out to Laem Chabang on the #7 motorway, at the Laem Chabang junction on the southbound carriageway of the #7 is a company called Container Construction, they have a number of 20 foot office modules with windows in etc. some have air-con, less than 100K, some around 50K.

Also on the #36 between Mapthaput turn off and the Map Kha junction on the northbound side there are a few places have the same.

Thanks Lenny!

A 20 ft container with windows would be the Cat's Meow.

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As for the work permit Nervous Nellies, all I plan to do is stand & point, inspect materials & blueprints etc.

Make sure that when they run out of 4 inch sewer pipe, they don't just reduce it to 2 inch (then quickly bury it just because that's what they have laying around), ya know, just ensuring they actually perform to specifications.

None of the below will be allowed.......Trust me....I've worked with Thai folks....I KNOW how they work.

http://youtu.be/FB2uHnztADU

This is in the "Land of the Free".

The US State of Georgia just passed a law for bank accounts with no activity for more than one year. They seize them.

I'd say try Singapore or Austria.

Easier to just build a temporary shack. Few poles and a roof would do.

You're certainly correct about that being an easier option, just would prefer to work out of something a little more professional. I don't want to look like a Burmese construction worker when I'm the boss.

It'll be a 10-11 mil THB project, so dropping 100 or 150K for an office is fine by me.

If I hire a management firm to do it they charge 25% of construction costs, so 100 or 150K would be a bargain.

Oh yeah, I'm a mechanical engineer. I can handle that end.

Any electrical engineer that might want to help, well, PM me. I have some specific requirements for the electricity, mostly making sure I have proper gauge wiring and making sure EVERYTHING is grounded (earthed). I even plan to install lightening rods on the roof.

Lightening popped a tree next to my parents' house when I was a kid in Florida. It FRIED everything in the house.......We went 2 months before Dad bought a new TV.

He installed lightening rods, and whilst scary as hell, lightening has popped them a few times. All the juice went straight into the ground & no harm to anything.

Construction probably starting early January. My wife will say

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EDIT: Just re-considering the shack idea Rhodie. Thanks. Plywood floor, plywood walls, BIG-ASS tinted windows (so they never know when I'm watching them & when I'm not). a window-shaker AC unit, desk & office chair....probably easier than trying to find a trailer.

Can't help you on where to purchase in Pattaya, because we are backwards and forwards between Oz and Pattaya, and can not purchase plus contacts in pattaya, every optometrist says minus only. So we are buying in Australia.

When we move to Pattaya full time, we may have a problem unless we can buy online overseas.

very interesting read from wheredoolive (DailyMail) on contacts lasting much longer.

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Not sure what's up w/ the quote function today, but yes, I agree. It seems most folks need a minus prescription. Us Plus folks seem to be the minority.

I bet every time (see my post above) I've done the Central Pattaya Road "hunt" for + contacts, most will say "no Hab".

It's a numbers game. Just keep trying shop after shop after shop........That shop next to S. Pattaya Lotus is the best I've found though.

ALWAYS write done your prescription.......I've gotten - (MINUS) 5.25's by accident once in Pattaya on Central Road due to the language barrier.

Also got MINUS 5.25's from the doctor's office in Florida as well due to stupidity.

I just get so excited after I've been out of contacts for a week or so, that I yank off my glasses & poke them in.......I can't see squat with the polar opposite of what I need though.

Make sure to write it down for the shops in Pattaya.