billythehat

A bit more on Marky boy:

Biography

Mr Mark Gooding OBE is Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. He started his role in Thailand in July 2021.

Mark joined the FCO in 1999 and has spent his career working mostly on Europe and Asia. His previous FCO roles include Director Covid (Repatriations), Director EU (Future Partnership), Deputy Director Europe, Minister Counsellor (Political) at the British Embassy in Beijing, British Ambassador to Cambodia, British Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary.

Mark holds a Master’s Degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University. He speaks Thai, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, and Spanish. In his spare time, he enjoys running, music and travelling. Mark is married to Dr Christopher McCormick, an education specialist.

British Ambassador to Thailand

The Ambassador represents Her Majesty The Queen and the UK government in the country to which they are appointed. They are responsible for the direction and work of the Embassy and its Consulates, including political work, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Previous roles in government

As the British embassy there will have a team of Flunkies to deal/not deal with issues concerning problems with its own citizens in Lalaland, it's unlikely Uncle Mark will be answering one to one queries. His previous role in Cambodia would have given him good experience in the ways of the machinations of 3rd world countries.

25 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Let's just hope that Mr Genereally-good-natured-and-soon-to-be-released-from-prison-for-crimes-of-violence doesn't think we are talking about him.

 

EDIT: I shouldn't have said that, should I?

Sir, should it come to defending your honour and position, I suggest you refresh yourself to the rules to such. I draw your attention to Rule 11. 

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

The guy should be given a medal

 

Sir, surely a large brown envelope would be the order of the day. He may need the cash soon…

On 7/24/2021 at 11:23 AM, KarenBravo said:

If people don't think that their heads aren't worth more than the cost of a helmet, then, they are setting themselves up to be removed from the gene-pool and gain a Darwin prize.

Sir, whilst the tenet of your comment holds true, it should be noted the Darwin award is not given posthumously.

meanwhile...

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/26/asian-currencies-thailand-covid-lack-of-tourism-hit-thai-baht.html

9 minutes ago, ChC1 said:

 

It is an absurd story. But here we go:

Father-of-three quoted £71k for week's stay in Cornwall holiday home | Daily Mail Online

 

Sorry had to cite from the Daily XXXX. From this article:

[QUOTE]A father-of-three was quoted £71,000 for a week's stay in a Cornwall holiday home and has slammed firms for 'exploiting' families on staycations. 

Conservative councillor Paul Nickerson said a three-bedroom contemporary home in St Ives he was interested in came to a whopping £10,232-per-night when he enquired about a week's stay.[/QUOTE]

 

and

 

[QUOTE]Nurse Donna Brunton from Consett, County Durham, looked into UK holidays after she became concerned that her £2,500 all-inclusive Malta trip might be a no-go.

She said: 'A holiday park in north Cornwall was quoting £3,699 for the four of us to stay seven nights, self-catering in what looks like an upmarket caravan. [/QUOTE]

 

Of course it does not represent the actual market and some of the quotation are selective to reflect the absurdity of the market. But the reality is it does happen, rarely, but exist. 

Crivvens, and I bet there was no Unicorn offered in those pricy quotes.

There’s me thinking Thailand had become dear…

12 hours ago, ChC1 said:

 

Your honourable gentleman, of course you are right. But if you follow the British news, you may notice a week in Cornwall at this time of year, we are looking at anywhere between £2,500 (TH100,000B) to £71,000 (TH2,980,000B) depends on the accommodation availability. Then factor in food, drinks and activities, it is cheaper to go to the Maldives. Except Maldives is in red list currently.

 

Plus, have been quarantined in UK for almost 470 days, an overseas trip is on the top agenda for many British residence like me. 

Sir, if indeed these were the figures you were supplied with, could you please confirm they were for a location in Cornwall, England and not Cornwall, Narnia.

My aunty runs a guest house in Penzance, Cornwall, and informed me that for £71k, she will not only provide a sea view suite but also provide a genuine Unicorn for your exclusive use during your stay.
 

“or heaven forbid, even Welsh.”

Sir, I really must protest in the strongest possible terms at the reference to the Welsh. In defense of that fine nation, I would just like to say…erm, er, um, er…I’ll get back to you on that one.

My sources amongst the medicated here, inform that as you sit on the ‘High Somtam Table’ you will have to report yourself to yourself for such egregious behaviour. 
 

On 6/29/2021 at 9:03 AM, connda said:

I think it will be like sharks when there is blood in the water. 
Anything that smells like blood is food.
In this case, anything that looks like a tourist will need to be monitored and harassed.  Like I mentioned above.  The cue to harrass will be something as innocuous as not having a GPS wrist-band. 
"Where wrist track device?  Show passport!  Show phone. Why no phone track app? Why no passport?  Where you go?  You bad person for sure! Why no wrist track device???" What you do?" 

This will be entertaining!

Sir, whilst some of your predictions may indeed come to pass when the visitors return, the aged (like a fine cask whisky) expats will, I’m sure, have adaptations for such. The main problem will be those who endure the endless laughter of running any kind of business in Lalaland, mainly tourist related, that rely on the regularly generated biznit from them. I feel sorry for these business expats, as forming any type of future business plan in the current situation where stupidity and corruption is king, coupled with huge uncertainty compounded with polices written by those that couldn’t manage a round of toast, will be the root problem.

Before the issue of fleecing the tourists can be addressed, they first have to get them there. With travel restrictions already in place in the countries of origin, increased lack of affordability plus all the other negative news affecting Lalaland, there sure isn’t going to be a stampede from western countries.

My advice to any approached for a cash bonus by the BIB would be to ask for "Thai price". ????

Latest from the BBC.

Lalaland still in amber zone.

“You should not travel to amber list countries or territories.”

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england#amber-list

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

^ Ahem. Routemasters had either a fully or semi-automatic transmission. 

 

Ahem, my humble apology for not saying the crash sound was the sound made as the driver attempted the next gear via the quadrant. Thinking about it, it was more of a crunch sound and I accept my  onomatopoeia reference in this instance was wholly incorrect.

General sequence: 

The driver operates the gearchange by the selection of the gear required on a quadrant similar to an auto box selector but marked...... R (reverse) N (neutral) 1 2 3 4

The basic idea is FIRST you move the gear lever to the next desired gear, and THEN when you wish to change you operate the pedal.

To start off from stationary first (second in some cases) is selected and the change gear pedal depressed. As soon as the change gear pedal has been released the next gear can be selected.

With the engine speed increased -

The centrifugal clutch bites by means of bob weights which fly out and cause pressure plates to close on twin clutch plates.

A fluid flywheel achieves this by the transfer of fluid to the outside or periphery of the flywheel.
 

The Routemaster Bus.

We lived on the top of a hill and I remember the sound of the crash-gearbox as the bus crawled up the gradient at 5mph. During the summer, an open-top version would appear to transport tourists around the town to view the sites, the most popular being Brighton Olde Stiene to the Devil’s Dyke Hotel. The conductor was Captain of his ‘ship’…”All aboard…fares please…you kids get away from the entrance pole!...ding ding…”

22 minutes ago, xylophone said:

At the age of seven, along with my sister who was 11 at the time, we used to take a wooden two wheeled handcart from the house and push it into the town centre where there was a coke yard.

 

There it was filled to the brim, and sister and I used to push it back home, which was one hell of a struggle because it was almost all up hill, and it would have been about 3 km each way if not more. Looking back on it, it's a wonder we were able to manage it, being so young, and this was almost always in the winter, and often there was snow around.

 

But the fact that it kept our Aga stove going was reward enough, as well as the heat that it gave out which warmed the house.
 

Eeeeeee, lad, only 3km each way? You were lucky; our coal yard was in the next county and a 10-mile hike with nowt on our feet but old lino scraps tied on with (if grandma hadn’t eaten them) dead cat gut. We’d start out 2am in the morning to collect the coal which was packed in 56-pound plastic bags which were always split and wet and drag them back home in the dark and cold rain. No barrow for us – that was for the soft kids. We’d arrive back home looking like we’d just finished a 20-hour shift down t’pit. But we were happy – kids today don’t know they’re born, aye. ????

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

You could have the same rant about any western country with people complaining about migrant workers stealing jobs while many are unemployed. In the end it is simply a matter of economics.

Sir, it pains me to have to agree with you here as this does apply to seasonal jobs in the UK that require poorly paid slave labour; fruit pickers etc.

Referring to economics, say in the local construction industry, the valid rants I hear relate to the fact that non-UK builders can quote cheaper as they are not registered as companies here and pay no tax or VAT. Registered UK companies do not have that luxury and good luck should the job go belly-up and the cheap foreign builder has disappeared.
 

28 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Five different kinds, including foric acid whatever that is.

Folic acid?

Also referred to as vitamin B12. If you only require small doses, consider chomping a multi-vitamin tab which usually contains a cocktail of the usual suspects.

Although doses up to 5 mg daily have been safely used in some research, doses of folic acid greater than 1 mg daily might cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, rash, sleep disorders, irritability, confusion, nausea, stomach upset, behaviour changes, skin reactions, seizures, gas, excitability, and other side effects. Apart from that, you’re good to go…heh heh.