way2muchcoffee

I've been driving here for 3 years. I've been popped 5 times. Twice for 500 bt, and 3 times for 200 bt. Only one was legitimate.

As you already know very well from my post in another thread, no - I don't mean "did they catch anyone in the act" let alone "a court ruling".

As for the rest - however strongly worded, still circumstantial at best.

SteveUK - obviously there is no physical evidence linking the reds to the bombings or there would now be widespread knowledge of it. There were various kinds of circumstantial evidence however:

1) Motive

2) Opportunity and Means

3) Stated intentions of Sae Daeng before and between the bombings

4) A repeated history of extreme violence against yellow shirts

Juries have convicted with much less than this. They have also acquitted with much more than this. The only alternative suggestion I've heard or read is that the yellow's themselves perpetrated the bombings. You yourself have already weighed in as believing that not to be the case. So I really don't see the point of your repeatedly bringing up the point. Do you have an alternate theory that is more plausible than that the bombings were perpetrated by elements associated with the reds?

80 sqm is a decent size. The electricity bill will be heavily dependent on your use of a/c. Also 6 bt/unit is a bit high, but not unexpected for a serviced apartment. If you don't use a/c at all the bill should be around 500 bt/month. If you use it all the time or your a/c unit is old or you run more than one unit at a time then the electricity bill could easily reach 6,000-8,000/month.

The water will be relatively inexpensive. Should be no more than 500 bt/month.

If you don't trust your partner then simply keep your financial details private. It's your money. Feel free to open as many accounts as you like.

Here are some salaries of people I am acquainted with:

Brother in Law 1 - Air Condition Company: 200/day = 4,800/mo in BKK

Brother in Law 2 - Construction (transient): 250/day = 6,000/mo in BKK

Cousin 1 - Construction: 180/day = 4,320/mo in Surin

Cousin 2 - Concrete Patio Furniture Company: 5,000/mo in Surin

Uncle - Construction Contractor:10-15,000/mo anywhere

Sister in Law - Hotel Night Manager: 19,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Executive Assistant at Language School: 17,000/mo in BKK

Friend - CFO for Travel Company: 100,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Secretary: 9,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Secretary for Foreign Company: 18,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Graphics Designer (for company and private): 30,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Convenience Store Clerk: 6,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Motorcycle Taxi Driver: 7,000/mo in BKK

Friend - Security Guard: 6,500/mo in BKK

I just believe in the freedom to do with my own body what i want and if that is to take drugs yes. As long as i don't harm others why would it be illigal. Its not the using of drugs that harms others its stealing or robbing for it. But not every drug user does that. There are enough who use a lil bit for fun and never do more then that.

You are entitled to your opinion. The majority of people in the world, however, disagree. Laws are in place. This doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon. Be careful.

Using drugs does in fact harm others. Ask the families and friends of drug addicts. Ask a drug addict himself or herself. Ask the non-addict who engages in drug used with addicts. There can be no doubt that drug use can and does cause serious harm to individuals and communities. Many people can't use drugs responsibly if such a thing exists in this day and age. They then cause harm to themselves and others. So it has been decided by the majority in society that they should be criminalized, in most places anyway.

Alcohol is in essence a hard drug too if you check the criteria but its still allowed.

Indeed. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

But we were speaking about gambling ? could you please explain to me who is the victim of gambling ? Don't come with a story of people loosing their wages, they are just plain stupid to gamble with money they cant loose. There are enough people who enjoy a lil bit of gambling and don't overstep the boundaries why should they be punished because there are a few who cant control themselves ?

Again. Ask the wives, children, parents, extended families, colleagues, and friends of compulsive gamblers who is harmed and how much. I think you will find that a great deal of suffering revolves around legal gambling. It is also true that there are many people who enjoy gambling and never have a problem. On the other hand many do have major problems. Innocents are hurt. Society as a whole is damaged.

Civilized society is about common ideals and ethics codified into law. This necessitates individual sacrifice for the health and welfare of the greater community. There is no way around this basic trade-off.

Many people have lost homes/farms/families and entire fortunes through gambling that they learned at an early age , it can and is as addictive as drugs/alcohol and cigarettes etc . Demi-gods should teach by example , gambling is an evil .

Gambling is fun, people should just know when to stop and that is the main problem. Lack of self control weak minds ect. There are so many things forbidden in the world that people could enjoy because some weak minds can't handle them.

I have gambled a bit in Holland once a year and of course gambled while playing cards for fun. But those arent huge amounts at all. Its all about self control the trend is now that goverments forbid and forbid and dont let people think for themselves.

The logical next steps to your argument will be to legalize all drugs, deregulate all business, and ultimately eliminate police forces. After all, if people could just control themselves there would be no need for any laws whatsoever.

Lighten up Dave. Try to recognize a little sarcasm when you read it.

On a more serious note. Simply because a person is 'loved' does not make him above criticism. Gambling can be highly addictive and destructive. We see this in all countries. It is not unlike the use of illicit substances insofar as many people can handle them, and some cannot. Those who cannot are in for a rough ride and will hurt many others along the way. In this vein I don't think introducing kids to gambling, no matter the intent, is a good idea. Given that most forms of gambling are illegal in this country it makes these actions from a 'beloved hero' all the more questionable.

Maybe he should get 2 years in jail for corrupting a minor, bookmaking, organized crime, and gambling.

It really is amazing. So many westerners earning 100,000 bt/month plus in committed relationships with Thai women working low end jobs earning less than 8,000 bt/month. Why? I really don't see the point of it. Is it some kind of lingering sense of propriety from Western culture?

In this situation any man worth his salt would have his partner quit the job, spend her time taking care of the baby properly, and live in a modest, but comfortable, apartment or condo. It should not be immediate, and absolutely not in the 'dating' phase. That would be ridiculous. The timing would be when the relationship has evolved to the serious and committed stage. To me it is just plain decency.

Would a man earning $150,000+ per year back home really want his committed partner working a dead end $15,000 per year job with long hours and a 6-day work week, living in a hovel, all while trying to raise a young child?

The Thai version goes something like this:

'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to simply smile and do nothing, and the wisdom to know my place.'

Don't worry about things you cannot change(or words to that effect). Very popular in the western word.

Applied to other cultures, it becomes unacceptable. mai pen rai, 'innit

Incomplete. The popular western 'serenity prayer' goes:

'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'

Not quite the same thing.

Given that boys/men become inundated with a virtual overdose of testosterone at around 12-13, and a bit earlier women begin menstruation, one can't help but contemplate when precisely it is that nature intends humans to begin having sexual intercourse.

Take away cultural prohibitions, religious proscriptions, parental apprehensions, societal restrictions, and psychological misinterpretations, and it becomes clear that at about this age boys and girls are infused with a healthy, normal, and natural desire for sexual intercourse.

In this case, however, there is clear abuse of the teacher-student professional relationship. The age differential is also questionable.

The figure you mentioned is in line with costs of a low-end health and life insurance package commonly subscribed to by middle class Thais. Whether you pay it or not is up to you, but the figure sounds about right.

not funny BK. your comment is highly offensive, unwarranted, and lacks any class whatsoever.

If you succeed, you may one day wake up feeling great and wonder why it took so long before you finally broke up.

That is definitely one possibility.

Another possibility is that you may form a pattern of behavior that makes you incapable of truly committing to another person, leading to a series of successively shorter and shallower relationships, an inability to love, and ultimately ending in loneliness, loss, and regret.

I wonder what a 'professional protester' is. Can I get that job? Is medical included?

Fair points neverdie. I'm certainly not saying that all parents are responsible. Certainly there are plenty that raise their kids in ways I don't approve of, and that I think are irresponsible bordering on negligence.

I also think that there are not always simple answers to this issue. Even a poorly behaved child might, through necessity, have to be in an unsafe work environment.

It's interesting the human reaction about child sex crimes. The rage is most certainly understandable given the heinous nature of such crimes. What is not so understandable is the lynch mob mentality, or the 'eye for an eye', view. How can one be outraged by a crime and then advocate a punishment that is state supported, or condoned, repetition of that same crime? It beggars belief.

A couple of comments.

Take the most dangerous workplaces, like construction sites. The construction industry is populated by itinerant laborers. Certainly there will be children around. These guys make at most 8,000 bt/month. There is often nowhere for Somchai Jr. or young Tittiporn to go. Not every family has a healthy grandmother back home to take care of the little ones. They certainly can't afford daycare, not on that salary. What should they do? Work in a restaurant for 5,000 bt and pay 1000 bt rent? I think not. If the salary scale were different things could be implemented. Sadly, this is not the case, and it isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Offices are certainly not dangerous. What's the problem?

Beauty shops and the like. These are typically located in shophouses. The family lives directly over, or behind the front business. Certainly there will be times that kids need to be looked after in the shop, while mom, dad, or both parents are working.

It is very easy to point fingers from ivory towers, with our lives of relative luxury. If there are children around workplaces it is out of necessity. Those are the facts on the ground and in the every day life of the majority of the population.

Any points that might have been made in this blog are completely obscured by the highly inflammatory language the author chose to use. This is unfortunate as it renders the entire piece unconvincing and almost unreadable.

Anybody know breakfast in BKK that has BISCUITS N GRAVY???????? I cant find anywhere in Thailand

What a horrible thought - can't imaging anywhere in Bangkok (or anywhere else for that matter) would serve up such a rank menu item for breakfast.

Biscuits and gravy are delicious. If you want something really vile you should try lovely fried eggs, good bacon, and sausage, accompanied with: baked beans, tinned mushrooms, soda bread, and fried tomatoes. Vile indeed! Good way to ruin some decent bacon, eggs, and sausages.

Yep, they saw you coming. I was bitten by a dog a couple of years ago and it was a fairly deep puncture wound. Rabies shots and daily cleaning/change of dressing for a week at the clinic ran me about 4k in total.

I spent about 140k.

Held in the village. Hired music and a DJ for 2 days, dancers on the wedding day, rented tables-chairs-silver-plates-glasses, had 2 pigs slaughtered, loads of vegies, noodles, rice, paid the cooks, servers and cleaners, hair stylist and makeup artist for the day, flowers, the monk, a 3-day supply of beer and whiskey that never ran out, had the wedding outfit made for the wife. It was a 3-day gala event. I figure about 100-200 people wandered in and out over the 3 day period.

I paid about 50k sin sod and 40k was returned. The envelopes only netted us about 20k, so I gave about half of it to grandmother. No big deal, not a wealthy village.

Total Cost for everything: 150k

We forgot two very important items though: Photos and a Video Cameraman to record the ceremony.

I'm still waiting for subtitles for Naresuan I and II. Naresuan III will be out soon I heard. Considering the money spent making these films one would think subtitles would be considered.