it is what it is

some people are corrupt in most countries, in some countries checks and balances are more effective then in others. thailand isn't the worst for corruption, but corruption is certainly entwined in the fabric of society.

i can't believe this is still an issue. i understood the air pollution problem was going to solved years ago with the much heralded introduction of clean air machines. surely the solution is more of these amazing contraptions.

yes. and the fact you don;t know this means you are missing out on some amazing experiences. you really should get out there and experience the real thailand.

I haven't been for years, went today, school dinner atmosphere, dirty falang new arrivals everywhere, food was like slop, glad i moved on years ago and your point is? how smart you are to not eat in a place where you don;t like the food...?

nonsense. i have many thai friends who are educated to master degree level abroad, in their second language (could you?) and have very good, and well paid jobs. they work very hard and have extremely successful careers and businesses. i think your narrow minded comment says more about you than about thai people.

if you're able to travel to bangkok there's an excellent, long standing, second hand book shop on soi rambutri, next to chansongkram temple. helpful, friendly owner, huge selection of reasonably priced books, he'll buy your books for an ok price and will pay half price for any returned books bought his shop. closed mondays.

sorry, but, you just need to get organised, and easily avoid frustration and disappointment.

same as any other day, an increase in road accidents and road deaths/injuries during songkran is not not statistically proven.

The incident serves as a sombre reminder of the importance of road safety and adherence to traffic signals. no sh*t sherlock

not really, i don't hang out where the tourist masses go. life will be as pleasantly the same as ever

anyway, in this modern world, only a fool would judge nationality by name.

coming from a farming community back home where butchers use locally produced meat i wouldn't go near a burger in bangkok.

i initially thought it was for people, like me, heading in the other direction.

you're just driving along, minding your own business, then suddenly there's carnage. very scary.

is this a joke? from what i see most foreign men marry thai women from the lower, uneducated class, and within this many are from a sex industry background. so, no, most thais coundn't care less. remember, thailand has a population similar to the uk, the number of thai women marrying foreigners as a percentage is insignificant. most thai men or women, frankly, have more important things to worry about. do you think about, or care about, women in your home country who marry foreigners?

currently selling a property back home, asking price 550K GBP, estate agent wanted 1.25% fees, got her down to 1%

i've lived and worked in many countries, as well as amazing experiences there are cultural challenges everywhere, if you want everything to work as it does back home, then stay back home. don;t try to compare other countries to your country, understand and accept the differences, manage your expectations, chill out, enjoy the differences, enjoy life.

absolutely, as happened in the uk recently, suddenly anyone without cash was unable to purchase anyhting in certain retail outlets. cash will always have a place in an economy

🤣

according to my thai friends with children, it's the practice in bangkok too... not every school, but certainly happens.

that's the ex-pat/traveler life sometimes, i got the real run around applying for a visa to iran in the 1990s, worth the effort though, a great place to visit. and getting a work visa in china was very complex until a rich friend of a friend greased the appropriate wheels.

don't know if this is relevant in this situation but i live in bangkok and often see riders of large motorcycles driving way too fast for the road conditions and often think; should something unexpected happen there is no way you can react in time.

veiled xenophobic/racist comment, is this acceptable under forum rules?

depends, if you mean english language skills and work ethic then the philipines is way ahead

i only date educated, professional women, usually they have their own apartments/houses and car or cars. i've dated many businesswomen who travel first class when flying, one hospital director, even one who had several cars but couldn't drive so employed a full time driver. imho foreigners who date lower class, lower educated women and/or sex workers are missing a side of thailand that is awesomely amazing. but, everyone to their own.