opebo

Sweet photo, dubious charges..

I wonder how long this current government can get away with a ban on political gatherings. Isn't this supposed to be a democratic society?

An October coup - which will put paid - finally - to this insidious threat to the existing order - is looking more likely as each day passes.

You mean an October coup would finally get rid of the Reds? How?

I can't stand it there, for the obvious reason.

Not sure what is wrong with this government to act on the evidences they have to put stop on this terrorism acts. I am sure they can get help from US anytime they need and want

One might think so.. after all the side which is ruling now has been one of america's most loyal friends for 60 years.. but the US doesn't seem to be doing anything to help them. Perhaps they felt comfortable with Thaksin (probably a mistake as he's the sort who would favor Chinese influence), or perhaps their analysts feel the writing is on the wall for the old regime. Hard to say.

If Thailand would implement The Joseph Solution; it would be a G30 Nation within a decade.

What is the 'Joseph Solution'?

Truth

You Thais want the TRUTH?

You Can't handal the TRUTH.

20 coups under this clown government.

14th century laws to protect the regime just like is done in North Korea.

Huge press and media censorship like Hitler would be proud of.

Well, I would suggest you do exaggerate, but I would also like to point out it is precisely this Ancien Régime which creates the conditions which attract we expatriates to this country. The great majority of us have fled democracies for this place. I prefer it; however I was certainly beginning not to under Thaksin, and I'm certain I would hate it under the Reds.

Thailand has an abundance of killers for hire, so why look elsewhere?

Presumably they wanted competence.

I believe the heartless farangs in this forum that condone the killing of thais do not understand thais. These particular farangs are here to hump the thai women and be about their way. I don't disagree with their approach but it leaves them with a rather distant perspective. Those of us that have built a relationship with a thai woman have developed an attachment with these people or an understanding that thai woman bangers don['t understand. Those of us has built an insight of how these people think, and speaking for myself I feel a bit protection as a result. I don't feel very good about thai people being killed for whatever reason. I think the thai people have an innocence that is difficult to describe but if you understand you know it is worth saving. I believe it is what keeps us here. So if it sounds like I take it personal that thai people are being killed you would be correct. I bitch louder than anyone about how they fleece us BUT....they are worth saving. Please do not preach the slaughter of the people you deem appropriate to kill. They are worth saving.

expat9, there is something unique here, and perhaps an aspect of it might be described as an innocence of the commoners, but the real difference is the survival of an ancient form of government long since passed away in the west.

It is precisely that Ancien Régime which is worth saving, not a few individual serfs.

I'll relate an old Thai proverb as translated by a colleague of mine: 'The poor people spring up out of the ground like mushrooms'. The point being that they are a natural phenomenon, and harvest-time doesn't mean there will never be another stalk of rice.

Perhaps I am heartless, and perhaps I do bang, and, admittedly, as Wendell Philips said "Aristocracy is always cruel". But that doesn't change the fact that the precious artifact here is not the few simple pawns lost in the battle of Bangkok.

Of course I prefer Abhisit and the Ancien Régime quite profoundly compared to the alternative. After all, it is the survival in this unusual country of a form of government from a better time which makes it such an appealing place in which to live. Most of us come from democracies - much ballyhooed, but in practice just places of a million little dictators instead of one remote, disinterested potentate. I'll take the latter, if I can get it. Its why I'm here. Or rather, it allows for why I am here - the little dictators wouldn't.

I fear, alas, that the dear old regime may not be durable under the tide of these modern fascists. Like all good things, it is old and passing away. We can only hope we might have a few more troubled years before returning to our sad lands - after all the Tsar fell in 1917, not in 1905, however much the writing was on the wall.

I think some of us may have had comments deleted because they expressed some doubt as to the veracity of the woman's claim.

Perhaps a more diplomatic way of stating this would be to ask why is the news story "British Woman Raped in Thailand After Two Men Dragged Her Off the Street" rather than " British Woman Claims she was Raped in Thailand"?

The point being that one is questioning the presumption that the story is true.

I don't think this is an idea that need be 'beyond the pale' for this forum, but I'd appreciate being corrected if I'm wrong. If even this slight form of expression is forbade, then I suppose the only type of comment allowed here is:

String 'Em UP By There Balls!

I'd appreciate it if the editors would, rather than deleting my post entire, at least allow me to join in the Baying of the Jackals For Blood. I'll repeat for ease of editing:

String 'Em Up By There Balls!

I consider my roughly 40K/month to be equivalent to a 'Western Salary', simply because I couldn't make any more back home. Heck I think it is extremely unlikely I'd have any job or income back in the Bad Place.

And one of mine is they are paid because no one in their right minds is willing to pay them for doing practically anything else--including thinking. I would no more drive what motorbike taxi drivers drive than I would want to emulate their deplorable driving habits.

Hmm.. that's some pretty harsh elitism there, jc. Pretty unrealistic too, from what I've seen - Thai motorbike taxi drivers obviously know their stuff when it comes to motorbikes. And they drive rather well from what I've seen.

As for bikes, I've rented practically everything, and owned a Wave (hated it - just terribly boring and extremely cold natured), a Tena/Nova (love it in spite of its being worn out - two strokes are just wonderful), a Suzuki Hayate (hated it, horrible thing due to being a big fat droning gas guzzling automatic).

Of the cheap bikes I've rented I liked the Kawasake Kazes and Suzuki Smash/Bests the most. I dislike automatics but the least bad of those I've rented seemed to be the Suzuki Steps.

Now I'd love to find an old two-stroke 'family' bike - like a Suzuki Swing, Honda Smile, or Yamaha Alfa. Very very hard to find though.. will probably just end up getting another Tena.

I'd just like to add one observation - while we all know that Thai guy/farang girl relationships are quite rare, compared to Farang male/Thai girl relationships, has anyone else noticed that when you DO see Thai guys with farang girls, it is almost invariably a Southern Thai dude?

My only comment is - does anyone really believe that most visa runners are in Thailand for 'work'? That seems absurd to me, given that salaries here are only in the 30-40 thousand bhat per month range.

No, it is far, far more common for farangs to 'work' as teachers simply for the visa, not the petty salary.

I know very little about the world of work, but I do know you are not allowed to do any job other than teaching in Thailand. Probably the best bet with an accounting background is to work in the Middle East and fly to Thailand and/or other Southeast Asian hedonistic destinations two to four times per years.. its not that far.

I guess this redistribution of wealth is going to take a while to

catch on.

Redistribution, as normally proposed, is about reducing the privilege of unearned income recieved by owners (the rentier class, etc.). Your focus upon the 'earned' or 'unearned' aspect of the issue is ironic.

You consider 50 very old..... .......so what about some one who is 60 or 70 - geriatric ??

In most countries in the world 55-60 is the retirement age...

And nice to see the generalisation....if you are under 50....living in Pattaya... you are a sexpat...What about people living in BKK, CM or a host of other places in Thailand...they are not sexpats ??

I certainly did not mean to discriminate against Pattaya residents by calling them sexpats (after all I consider Pattaya the best place in the world, and am a sexpat myself).

I think it is safe to assume that all male farangs in Thailand are sexpats, regardless of locality. (I know that is a generalization, but when it is 98% true, why not go for it?)

Why would they have a difficulty in obtaining visas ? Retired people only need 800k in the bank or 400k if married (if grandfathered). Sure some who were on the monthly border run now need visas but the annual cost is not that dissimilar (if done on the cheap).

Retirement visas are only available to very old persons, torrenova. Many sexpats who resided in Pattaya on stipends from home were not old enough to receive a retirement visa, and of course very few expats of any age or type have 800,000 baht to their name at any one time!

...A lot of what has dropped off is the Pattaya long stay crowd who have moved elsewhere. I don't know where but the long-termers are just turning their backs on Central Pattaya.

I think a significant percentage of the long-termers are no longer in Thailand, due to difficulties obtaining visas compared to years ago. If I had to guess I'd say the majority went home, and a few to Cambodia or the Philippines.

you'd expect things to be quiet now as its the low/rainy season.The telling time will be dec/jan.and you would expect numbers to be down then too cos of financial/recession problems around the world.I think all of this will affect thailand next year when you see lots of thais losing their jobs in the tourist/retail and manufacturing jobs.If that happens expect more robberies/house breakins and possibly more angst against farangs living here,pattaya included.

Well more Thai citizens losing their jobs will mean more working for us in Pattaya, certainly, ala 1997-2000, unless the government closes it down. But I do fear the 'angst' to which you refer - and by that I mean violent attacks.

Pattaya is sadly very dead, and will be for the forseeable future. Of course there is an easy solution to this, but the Thais seem determined to go in the opposite direction (enforcing offensive closing times, eliminating freelance streetwalkers, etc.). 24 hour nightlife and easily obtained 'entertainment' visas and work permits for women from anywhere - particularly other ASEAN countries - would kick Pattaya into high gear again. Its only reason for past success was that it was absolutely unique in all the world. Now they want to turn it into Florida. I could cry!

I was offered a pack of 4 kamagra by the taxi driver in foodland for 150 baht, seems cheap,

Perhaps it would be better to buy them in the pharmacy - there the standard price for just buying the packets one at a time is 100 baht.. if you buy a larger number they'll usually sell them for about 70. However the 30 baht savings may not be worth having them on your person when you are attacked by the police.

For those of you that are not aware KAMAGRA is certainly ILLEGAL and could land you a hefty fine if the BIB finds it in your possesion.

It is the copy version of the original Phizer Viagra, but with so many variations and colours that are now on the market you would be poping a potent drug that is made on the black market at your peril.

I don't believe Kamagra is illegal if you have a prescriptoin, sotsira. And it is a brand name drug manufactured in India.. just because it does not meet with the unaffordably stringent US patent laws does not make it a 'black market' or somehow dubious product.

If sachets, how many?

...can't really belive that one gets busted for a 'few sachets'!

My understanding from the post in question was that it was just a few sachets, like maybe three. The purpose obviously is not to 'bust' the hated farang but to shake him down for whatever they can get.

Expect a rapid and frightening escalation of this sort of thing. Firstly, there is truly massive hatred of farangs seething just under the surface here, and add to that the economic collapse and the political crisis (both sides of which are extremely xenophobic), and the next year or two could be a very dangerous time to be farang in Thailand. Please take care brothers.

I have to say I would be very strongly rooting for the underdog simply because the ones we know best are so ridiculously full of themselves.