it is what it is

come on, who in their right mind would take a family to pattaya for a holiday? what does pattaya offer for families; dirty beaches and polluted seas? even without the sex industry there are far better places, for anyone with even the smallest amount of imagination, to holiday in thailand.

it's a little more nuanced than that, basic christian values still hold good, and are not dis-similar to the basic values in most religions. what the catholic and c of e churches have failed to do is adapt to a changing culture; churches can be dour places and services dated, not accepting gay marriage, lack of understanding of, and failing to appeal to, the younger generations, etc.

I have yet to smell cannabis in public, and I live nearly on top of an entertainment zone in Bangkok, with at least a dozen dispensaries within a 2 Km radius. i live near banglampu and am often round about that (tourist/backpacker) area, while there are many shops and street vendors selling marijuana i have yet to see or smell anyone smoking on the street. i thought it would be rampant.

it's, i believe, connected to a word referring to the colonial french in neighboring countries

better disconnect your comprehension if you're intending working here...

they can access a vpn, it's not difficult, and one subscription can support multiple users, so not expensive

I know. I know all the arguments against these great old beasts, but similar to the routemaster in london, i've ridden these iconic buses for years, they're part of my history and, for me, part of bangkok. i'll miss the wooden floored, fume spouting old girls...

not sure that you're lucky, more like others are unlucky or behave in a way that screams; i don't know what i'm doing, rip me off... e.g. go with drivers that approach them, or drivers that are hanging around tourist spots. always use a flagged down a taxi. i've been here years and can say i've never had an issue with a taxi driver, i know where i'm going and they have always taken the most direct route, or if not, are clearly avoiding traffic jams. i've never been hassled for a tip. never been over charged. the worst problem is occasionally a driver won;t accept my fare, but this happens to my thai friends too, and the next taxi along usually takes me. oh yea, and, bangkok taxis are really cheap

dried durian fruit... good idea, what could possibly go wrong...?

ETA mid 2024, so don't get too excited

consumers paying to make a digital payment? i don't think so, digital payment would end up dead in the water

i think you'll find that, alongside examples of bad parenting, there are just as many examples of good parenting, my thai friends, all educated professionals i'll admit, are excellent parents who take great care in the upbringing and education of their children. in terms of parenting i think you'll find thailand, alongside pretty much any other country in the world, has examples of good parents and bad parents. this is not a 'thai' problem.

in major conurbations, sure, in the countryside? no. even european/western countries will not go completely cashless, there will always be sections of the economy that necessitate the use of cash.

the hub of world cup tv coverage

TIA (this is america)

arrived here so many times and maybe once had to wait about 20 minutes, that's the longest. arrived a couple of weeks ago, on a sunday, and waited less than two minutes. sure, there is excessive congestion at times, as there can be in any airport, but it is not the norm.

why single out buddhism? with a little perspective, and awareness of the world around you, you would realise many of the worlds problems derive from religious intolerance, despite many religions preaching, er..., tolerance.

i started to have some stomach pains earlier this year, no clear cause so decided to change my diet starting with reducing the amount of dairy (cheese mainly) and coffee, stomach got better. cutting down to non or one coffee a day produced an unexpected benefit; i used to get the occasional nasty headache, since reducing my coffee intake i haven't had one. i also found i appreciate coffee more, and that a cup of tea isn't a bad way to start the day.

i've also trekked the annupurna circuit, some years ago now, am experienced so didn't need a guide or porter. i went high, but knowing my limitations and the adverse effect the altitude was having - i was there to enjoy myself not challenge myself - i changed my route. as long as you use common sense the trails are not difficult to follow, however, you always have to be prepared to turn back if a situation dictates.

think; the great escape

the preamble has been muted and focused on the negative basically because there is no football to report on yet. but, once the games get going positive interest will increase, football, while not my cup of tea, is an massively popular sport.

20 years ago there was a disco, maybe something to do with satan or hell, free to get in and was pretty good for picking up girls who didn't want paying, at least i was never asked to pay. similar to the nana disco which was awesome for picking up girls who just wanted to hangout/sleep with a foreigner, not for money, those were great times.

surely, it's not the crossing that's dangerous but drivers' behavior at the crossing

thankfully, i only date educated, professional thai women, many of whom have traveled extensively, and so have never had to deal with such parochial views on life.

come on, the OP is just virtue signaling, there's nothing wrong with not following the herd, being independent of thought and action, as long as your not harming anyone. on a separate note, what puzzles me is the pretty much 100% mask compliance, yet almost zero % sanitising and social distancing, doesn't make logical sense.