Joules

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

In a way I presume it's better to cultural starve than die from Covid - luckily today we have the Internet to catch up with a bit of the lost culture.

And you've got to be kidding, too.  You have to have a brain before you can enjoy a cultural event.   Good thing you have a basement in which to shelter with your Internet.

You've got to be kidding me!  Thailand has always been culturally starved.   

555!  Thailand's Faustian deal blowing up.  Neutral, huh.  Now you Thai's can take care of all your stranded rubleless Russian friends.  No sympathy from me.  And to all you apologists that say that Putin is not the fault of THESE Russians, I say that every citizen is responsible for its leaders.  

Good heavens.  With all the blatant corruption in this country, from top to bottom and back up again, the National Anti-Corruption Commission has to go after Yingluck?  If there is one clear message in all this it is that there is NO INTEREST in actually doing anything about corruption in Thailand.  There is no hope.

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Has nothing to do with living in Asia, it's all to do with whether the country has a reciprical social security arrangement with the UK or not & Thailand doesn't (whereas as already been mentioned The Philippines does).

 

It seems that approximately 1/2 of all pensioners who live overseas have frozen pensions but this has little to do with living in Thailand as 90% of those live in Commonwealth countries (e.g. Australia, Canada India, Pakistan, New Zealand etc... where you.d expect there to be an agreement in place) 

 

Countries where the UK pension is frozen... 

 

 

 

http://frozenbritishpensions.org/the-problem/

 

Well, I knew Brit expats got screwed on this, but did not know the reason.  What Mike points out makes perfect sense.  The reciprocity thing thing should be extended to EVERYTHING:  Property ownership, permanent residency, 90 reports, etc.!

I advocate a full on nuclear response by the US against Russia in response to the Ukraine invasion.  I do so from here in Thailand.  ????

15 hours ago, Elkski said:

That's great you think you have cash like this to burn.  I'm sure you felt like a boss.   But consider how you ruin things for the average guy. I've said it before.  Guys who don't make taxis put the meter on and just pay whatever are the reason it's still a problem today. 

And ditto for all the schmucks who pay bribes and "tips" to corrupt immigration officers.  

I suspect the phenomenon is connected to farangs who have had a conflict with the police.  Then a visit by said police, and . . .

12 hours ago, Encore said:

Many place names around the world that were Anglicised and used internationally have changed to be known by their previously known local names, such as Beijing (Peking), Kolcota (Calcutta), Yangon (Rangoon). 

 

I have always used either, depending who I am talking with and the context.  If travelling, I always ensure I can recognise the local version in the local language.  

 

In this case, I suspect that the locals with still refer to 'Bangkok' as 'Krung Thep' rather than 'Krung Thep Maha Nakhon', which is probably only for formal government use rather than using the full name. 

 

It would, however, be surprising if the 'Maha Nakhon' is added to road signs

The problem with YOUR analysis is that "Bangkok" is NOT "Anglicised."  It is a 100% "Thai" name.  On the other hand, "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" comes from a foreign Indian language that is mostly a dead one:  Pali.  

There would be some irony there if the people who make these decisions were actually educated.  But given their ignorance and probable belief that "Bangkok" is "Anglicised" and "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" is actually Thai, the irony is probably not there.  This sort of thing is the reason why Thailand so often ends up as the laughing stock of the world, while the Thais, themselves, don't even know . . .  What can possibly be more blissful than ignorance?

NOTE:  

Before the capital was moved to Bangkok, locals had been living there for ages and referred to the pre-capital area as ‘Bahng Gawk’ (บางกอก).

‘Bahng’ (บาง), means ‘a place’ in Thai.  ‘Gawk’ (กอก), comes from มะ-กอก which means ‘olives’.  You bet that the name Bangkok came from the fact that ‘Bahng Gawk’ was a place with lots of olive trees.

4 hours ago, Black Angus said:

Love yo see the expression on there face if you went into a travel agent and said you want a return ticket to the above. Bet even the immigration Officer would look at you and wonder what you were saying or even where it was,

The problem with your analysis is that you speculate about what would happen if somebody "says" the name.  And for that you are correct.  But a Thai would "sing" the name.  And, with that, every other Thai would understand immediately.

16 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Call it what you like, it's just a big dirty city, just like all the other big dirty city's around the world.

Okay, then, "The Big Dirty Mango."

3 hours ago, Robert Tyrrell said:

Hello ,

Here we go !! Some of that bizarre Thai thinking ????

plane or train there crowded and in closed !! Solution assuring that there both properly cleaned and sanitized , Secondly masking , Frequent hand washing and sanitizing your hands is the solution PERIOD !!

So should I question the Thai thinking or Aseannow.com News !!?? ???? Or both !!?? ???? 

The only real solution is for everybody to stop being pussies.  That would be Yankee thinking.

I'll still call it "The Big Mango."

I am gratified that at least it wasn't a dirty farang this time!

I used Southeast Insurance Company to insure our two cars, paid in full.  Now I see they have filed for insolvency based on the covid claims they [didn't?] pay.  So I haven't had a claim denied by them, but am apparently out the thousands I paid in premium.  I wonder how much the tycoons that own the company got off with?  Why is it that I have the feeling that they are trying to get out with their pockets filled with cash without paying the claims they already owe?  Could it be because this is Thailand where the rich make a job of skinning the poor?

17 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Good advice. 

 

The Thai company I insured with never sent my documents through and then went bust about 3 months after I took cover out with them. I won't mention the expat forum I found this insurance company on but it used to rhyme with Vie Teaser????. 

Vie Teaser change its name.  Now it rhymes with Peon Bow.   

<deleted>???

Okay WT and then another letter (6th letter in English alphabet) got blocked, so let me try again:  What the <deleted>???

What about dirty farangs?