eumenades

"In the Soviet era, all enterprises belonged to the state and were supposed to be equally owned among all citizens. Privatization transferred much of this wealth into the hands of a few, making them immensely rich. Stocks of the state-owned enterprises were issued, and these new publicly traded companies were quickly handed to the members of Nomenklatura or known criminal bosses. During the same period, violent criminal groups often took over state enterprises, clearing the way by assassinations or extortion. Corruption of government officials became an everyday rule of life. Under the government's cover, outrageous financial manipulations were performed that enriched the narrow group of individuals at key positions of the business and government mafia." (Source : Wikipedia) So , our Thai klepto-capitalist Russians were born around that time, growing up in an atmosphere of free-for-all trading and an incompetent police force. Putin's deal became 'support me and I'll leave you alone'. Time for our Thai police force to get acquainted with basic Russian history?

Basically, they just have to sign a recognised form saying that you live there. You then get a slip to clip into your passport for subsequent years. Easy-peasy.

I use an agent every year. Pricey, but I get to sleep at night. You might do it with an agent first time (piles of paperwork) but it is guaranteed and you get to learn a lot. Try GAM.

They learnt it during the Yeltsin period and continued with Putin's blessing. By now, 'a social norm'.

Okay.

Rants to continue and punchups to follow. Then 'the conversation' will get really interesting.

The ""Go back to your own country!" stuff is a right of passage for anyone getting on the wrong side of a Thai person. Take it on the chin and get used to it!

Yup.

Once again, i have to point out that not all Russians are the same and we get some of the worst kleptos escaping from Putin. Try this video to see how difficult it is to make a firm conclusion.

For once, I agree with a conservative. Get tough and have Thailand stand for no nonsense.

Not me!

There must have been people like this during 20s America. Equating sobriety with conservative middle-class values. Prohibition as the answer to all that Cheech and Chong nonsense, not to mention Freewheelin' Franklin. Marijuana as the root cause of all society's ills. Do you reckon opinions like this are genetic? Has he ever tried a puff? History repeats. (The photo below has obviously not finished its fermentation!)

Great stuff. And probably the best commentary here on Russians, so far. But, as I keep saying, Russian writers from the past make great company and are among the finest humanitarian thinkers going, in print. In the UK, we have murderous Glaswegian football hooligans but they are a minority. So, ultimately, "Hoogivesafugh?"

But what about the 9am fecal smells in apartment building corridors? I'd prefer Northern Lights any day!

I reckon there is a big difference between using it whilst young and when you are older. The brain gets 'weedproofed' and one is stoned but no longer high. I have mostly stopped - due to boredom. (Surely a sign I am gravitating to other things! Whargh!)

A massive difference between well-healed Russians who made money in post-Soviet times, with Yeltsin's blessing, and the current young dissidents forced to escape Putin in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Thailand may be unfortunate in that respect but it helps everyone to note the difference. However, churlish Russians deserve the bad press they get, and they will sure get to hear about it - as time will tell

Right. And the entrance to my soi smells like a Bombay cheap hotel. Thank heavens it rains now and then!

Someone read that there are about 100 Thai farmers bitten every year (and mostly killed) by cobras in the grass. On Samui, I threw buckets of water on the cobras and they shot off back to the undergrowth pretty fast. Crocs avoid humans mostly, along with pythons and tigers. The forest spiders with yellow knees will give you a sore arm for three months. Personally, I regard the monitor lizards as pleasant little chappies. (Not to be touched, of course.)

Yep. Something of a media festival.

Pedophiles love Thailand and the Philippines. Paul Theroux was approached in India. But in Pakistan, when caught, they end up with a bleeding back.

See the stuff on Russian writers. Not to mention 1.8 million dissidents now living on the outskirts.

Yep.

Yes, they do. Must be political but I don't know how. Any ideas?

Wow. Someone on this site has studied history. (Or was it a Robin Hood movie?)

The Russians have produced some of the world's best writers and it gets around. They have a dreadful history of persecution and recriminations. You don't have to be an intellectual to get that point. But it helps to have a nodding acquaintance with Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Pasternak, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn and Chekhov. These writers have little to do with politicians like Putin (who would put many of them in jail.) (Please don't reply like a Pattaya piss-artist.)