tmd5855

I appreciate the reality check, especially how the place is perceived from the outside (and how Bali is looking better and better). It is strange to see posters state "it is low season.....what do you expect?" It is like they have never lived in Pattaya before.

The reality is that it is perhaps the lowest low season of all time. The reason for that is far more complicated than a "global economic downturn."

Personally, I think the posters w/ Rose colored glasses are spending too much time on bar stools. The same can be said for the restaurant and hotel owners who have refused to lower prices, thinking that they will make up for the loss during the high season.

There will be a high season, but it will not be as high as they believe, especially if Thailand continues to refuse to alter its visa rules to make them tourism/expat friendly (like some of its neighbors have already done), address rising xenophobia in the country, and deal with social unrest.

Hi JR

Your right about the rosy spec people. I can go to a bar which is emptier than it was 2 months ago. The owner still swears he is doing okay/busy. Must have failing eyesight

Lot's of the guys onboard (Brits) tell the office how they want to fly back to the UK.

I put mine as Oz, Sing, Bkk, London. Stay in the UK for 5 nights to see my children 20 + 22yrs then head back BKK where i stay before going back to work.

Some of my colleagues fly via KL and go to Miri or Lang Kawi. Others KL to Ho Chi Mhin (sic) et al.

People are now avoiding Thailand owing to political problems (airport), Red and Yellow clashes and a poor exchange rate.

At the end of the day most guys (Not All) come for sun, sea, sex and beer.

The girls are still attractive but little else is attractive. Corruption of shops at airport, taxi drivers, police and social unrest have been broadcast around the globe.

Like a lot of others, I am settled here with a long term partner, still see the positives outweigh the negatives. But I am already here do not need convincing to come.

High season I fear will be like a busy low season, friends have little bookings for accomodation at their hotels compared to last year.

This can/will have a knock-on effect among the poorer Thais that depend on the sex tourists. There is no getting away from it. They are the monetary welfare for them.

I expect more strife amongst the Thai's, on Pattay News TV, they are reporting Thai on Thai shootings nearly every night along 3rd road.

It is quiet.

Been living Thailand 6+years, Pattaya last 5. With working offshore doing 4 weeks on/off. like a snapshot, notice how Pattaya is doing. You only need speak to the mototaxi guys and the girls. They notice the downturn. Any truthfull bar owner will say its dire.

Places that are busy do not fill up till late and are like a morgue all day. If times were good, no one would sell their bar. Now the amount for sale is disturbing??

Have my house at Central Park. The number of houses with "For Sale or Rent" posters on their gates have tripled.

Would say 15-17% of the properties where I am are now empty, maybe even a higher %.

Coming through immigration is another eye opener.......................time waiting now is minimal compared to low season last year.

The Ozzies on the rig are now returning to Bali, some of their mates were caught in the airport closures/shutdown/occupation. Being with agencies they lost their slot on the rig, replaced and now out of work.

Ask them and their friends if they are coming to Thailand this December. F### off, F### Thailand is their comment.

I want to by a house under my wife's name.

The problem is her family have a bad habit of using her (our) assets to borrow money from the bank.

Is there some way I can arrange the ownership so they can't pressure her into mortgaging the house.

Have you considered the unpalatable?

What if she dies in an unfortunate accident. Her family inherit all her goods......................what will you do then.

Can you be sure they will not sell it, tell you to leave since they want to move in?

Get legal advise, your appear (To me) to be sailing in uncharted waters, at night without a lookout over coral reefs.

Holed below the waterline, if you are not careful?

Those that get the majority votes in the LEGISLATURE form the cabinet and take office.

The MP's are elected for their full terms and can do as they choose dureing that time, including change alliances.

MP's decided PM Chalerm was a bad idea. and switched sides. The voters got the decisions of their PM.s

and have no legal reasons to gripe.[/b] THAT is Thai political history.

You say he doesn't know Thai political history, but your statement shows you don't understand that.

Thaksi was NOT elected Prime Minister of Thailand at the time of the coup,

he was lame duck, Interim or Acting PM with no legislature and only a dwindling cabinet.

A place holder in case of emergency, not leaving the country completely rudderless.

His TRT broke existing election laws from the top down, so egregiously there was no choice,

but to ban them based on clear thai laws, on the books well before that.

They lost from their own arrogance.

THAT is Thai political history.

Thaksin did this HIMSELF by disolving the legislature and trying to another election to white wash

or validate his Temasek sale, which enraged most every one for selling national assets ,

Thailands ONLY communications satellite to Singapore's control.

THAT is Thai political history.

Thaksin was not told to stay out of Thailand, and came back and was not arrested.

But later WAS convicted with HIS PPP PARTY in control of the government.

He was convicted with HIS cronies in power.

THAT is Thai political history.

If you must call others ill informed be well informed youself.

What I put down in print was copied from Wilkpedia.

Not my opinion, but freely available facts.

What is my opinion is that people should be voted in and out not deposed by coup de tat.

That brings anarchy................................which we seem to have.

Look at my previous posts on this subject. I bang the drum for one man one vote. Believe that the reda nad yellow shiorts have their own agenda and it will not benefit the Thais, certainly not ex-pats like me who live here.

Abandon the democracy you have mobs......................just said that

Don't recall hearing Chuan lecturing the PAD and yellows about adhering to the law over the illegal airport occupation.

Yes, its all so terribly unfair and so totally hypocritical!

Back to reality, it is time to grow up and accept that there really is no consensus for Thaksin to return as dictator of Thailand and the majority of Thais don't believe the red mobs are pro democracy, not to mention they aren't all that passionate about democracy to begin with.

Old Mr. T rolled the dice during Black Songkran, there was going to be a winner, and there was going to be a loser, check the press, he said that himself. Guess what? HE LOST. Get over it. It is now the POST THAKSIN ERA.

When you say "it's all so unfair and so totally hypocritical"

Are you referring to the removal of a democraticaly elected goverment and prime minister in a coup de tat?

Are you refering to how the goverment voted in by the people was dissolved by the courts, not once but twice?

I do not care what views people have on a foreign country and its election process or lack of.

But, it makes me smile when same people object to certain groups, do not wish them to have a voice or representation.

No matter what way they dress it up, they are against democracy.

If there was an election here in Thailand say, tomorrow who would win. Obviously the troublemakers you refer to, yes, possible?

You may not like those people, but hey, are you in favour of dictatorship or democracy.

Does the will of the people not count??

It's not about dress, the color of it, or otherwise, nor about "freedom of expression"!

It's about agenda, the agenda of the red shirt's core turned out to be pro-Thaksin and

their "pro-Democracy" slogans aren't worth the paper and banners they're printed on!

They have way too many times shown their real intentions - many people distrust them

Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Udon, especially after Songkran day in Bangkok!

Never to mention that the PAD's gatherings and demonstrations widely remained peaceful.

There might be some rural grass root people easily convinced through their usual betrayal,

empty promises and the like - but the majority is keeping distance and till now quiet.

Stop trying to convince people with lies - you hurt yourself and the movement's goals

you and all it's supporters claim to stand for!

The "will of the people", the elections have been widely rigged, that's why the results have been

questioned again and again - nothing to do with "democracy" Thaksin's TRT absolut majority was

going to be a dictatorship - stop talking the ever ongoing repetitive nonsense!

And "the man" wasn't "good", he was and still is a thread to safety, welfare and freedom of the people here!

He is proving it day by day, "phone-in" by "phone-in" while in self imposed exile - fleeing justice!

Sorry he couldn't have the same panel of judges who let him off the hook years ago in his assets case-

where he admitted to have made "honest mistakes" in signing his shares to his driver, gardener, housekeeper,

secretary and his kids.... exceptionally "honest" man - not to mention the other pending lawsuits against him

do you really wish someone like this as prime Minister as the "show case" and representative of Thailand - after all?

Not to mention Bak Tai, Krue Sea the extra judicial killings of thousands of people.... people do have right's -

all of them not just a few who believe they can take the law into their hands...!

It has come way too obvious that there are people with bad intentions and hidden agendas -

May Thailand and it's people remain protected from this mob through legal means and move on with

more important business!

So do you believe in one man one vote and the party that gets the most wins??

Or certain people should not have the vote and those that have the apparatus of the state at their disposal wins.

It is not about Thaksin.......................... It is about protecting democracy and voting out of power those we do not want/like/trust.

At the end of the day an unelected group of people, deposed an elected group of people.

That is morally wrong and does not augur well for the future

Stick with Jerry Sienfield, it'll be a vast improvement over your current one.

Nah get back the original avatar unless the majority want change?

I am a firm believer in giving a test to all who want to come to Thailand before they get on the plane, weed out the fools and misfits. This is no place to be without a brain.

Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes the tests are applied to everyone?? :-)

... removal of a democraticaly elected goverment and prime minister in a coup de tat?

The guy was an interim PM for over half a year, not democractically elected. He couldn't get elected in April, remember? And the stuff he tried to pull off to win should have permanently disqaulify him from talking anything about "elections" and "democratic", but he got five year ban instead.

Obviously, you are not aware, or just do not know Thai political history.

Thaksin was first elected in 2001, first PM to serve a full term.

Re-elected with the largest recorded vote in 2005.

Deposed in 2006 in military coup. TRT banned.

Post coup elections successor to TRT party win but are slowly removed from power by the constutional court.

To say the red shirts are the baddies make me wonder on the democratic views some TV members hold.

My view is the yellow and red power brokers have no interest in Thailand or its people. They are pushing their own agenda.

Yellows do not want to see their "Place" in Thailand threatened. The red shirts would like to taste power again.

But hey, do we have democracy, one man one vote and the party who gets the most/majority votes takes office.

Or ignore the democraticly elected individuals, grab power and exclude others by fair or foul means.

I support democracy, does not always give the goverment I want, but my vote is no better than Jimmy up the road, or down the valley.

Take away democratic rule you have unruly mobs and gangs (Being controlled) wanting justice............................aka red shirts.

Don't recall hearing Chuan lecturing the PAD and yellows about adhering to the law over the illegal airport occupation.

Yes, its all so terribly unfair and so totally hypocritical!

Back to reality, it is time to grow up and accept that there really is no consensus for Thaksin to return as dictator of Thailand and the majority of Thais don't believe the red mobs are pro democracy, not to mention they aren't all that passionate about democracy to begin with.

Old Mr. T rolled the dice during Black Songkran, there was going to be a winner, and there was going to be a loser, check the press, he said that himself. Guess what? HE LOST. Get over it. It is now the POST THAKSIN ERA.

When you say "it's all so unfair and so totally hypocritical"

Are you referring to the removal of a democraticaly elected goverment and prime minister in a coup de tat?

Are you refering to how the goverment voted in by the people was dissolved by the courts, not once but twice?

I do not care what views people have on a foreign country and its election process or lack of.

But, it makes me smile when same people object to certain groups, do not wish them to have a voice or representation.

No matter what way they dress it up, they are against democracy.

If there was an election here in Thailand say, tomorrow who would win. Obviously the troublemakers you refer to, yes, possible?

You may not like those people, but hey, are you in favour of dictatorship or democracy.

Does the will of the people not count??

Work offshore Western Australia, been in the offshore/marine industry thirty two years.

Working for the same exploration company for fourteen years .

Client at the moment is a native red Indian tribe? When oil went down to $40. Major exploration work was cancellec. $60 is the break even for these people.

Now oil is back up to/around $70, explorations plans are getting dusted off again.

Rumours abound from their contacts dept on getting longer term contracts for rigs in place sooner rather than later. Internal projections have oil at $100+ by the end of next year.

Bonuses if you stay with the company are being dangled again for September 2010 payment.

Talk of oil shortages is s#i#e.

Lots of oil are out there, its the cost of extraction. When oil stops flowing from a field? there can be 60-70% of the oil remaining.

There is just no longer any pressure to force it up/out.

Recovering those reserves get expensive with water or chemical injection, is what puts the costs up big style.

Bring on the "I can't believe it - I'm moving to another country" crowd again.

So what if it goes up to 6,000 baht, that's still only around £100.00. Is a £50.00 (3000.00) a year rise for the right to live and work legally in a country really enough to make you leave Thailand? I spend twice that on a good night out - if it bothers you that much then your in the wrong country to start with, get yourselves off to Somalia, it's cheaper than Thailand apparently...

Bring on the "look how much money I've got" crowd.

Oh, here he is! Didn't take long.

If you're spending 12k on a good night out in Thailand you've seriously lost your mind....and are being taken for a ride....

12K on a good night....................Naw. 12K is a quiet night.

20K+ I will have had a bluidy brilliant time.

Roll on tomorrow?

Hey, where is the obligatory picture of the victim pointing an accusatory finger at the perpetrator?

TheWalkingMan

No chance on TV.

5+ pages of Brit bashing not a peep.

Thread starts on West Africans, post a reply on personal experiences in Nigeria, thread closed?

You think its bad dealing with Nigerians here?? Just wait until your in their country.

Took up a job offer with the Israelis, flew me from London to Lagos, with an onward connection to Port Harcourt.

Arrived in Lagos took aside by the "Health authorities" since my vaccination certificates where not in order. (They were 100%)

I would be kept in the airport until a seat could be found on a flight back to the UK. But, they could help me, if I "dashed" them, £50 gone.

Customs helped themselves to gear in my suitcase, advising me it was banned/not allowed etc.

Get into the arrivals area. Look for the agent from Nigerian National Corporation, who would assist me. No one there, now I had absolutely no idea where to go.

Got into a taxi to take me to the other terminal for the Port Harcourt flight that only had 1/2 a back seat, yes, half a back seat.

Would not put the meter on saying it was broken, just give him £50 since we were brothers, he black christian, me a white christian?? He had to stop the car at a road block and more of my clothes were taken.

At the other terminal the guy would not process my ticket for the flight. Noticed that all the tickets being handed over had money in them........... well all I had left were 4 x £1. Scottish notes. Put them in the ticket, palmed and bags through handed ticket. Going along a tunnel guy appeared screaming "What is this shit" (Scottish pound notes) hit me across the chest. By now I were a bigger racist than Terry Blanche (Afrikans zealot) started hitting him back.

Security turned up to arrest me, after a search found I had no money so liberated my watch?

I could go on about what happened at Port Harcourt and how after being bitten by a security dog, told there were no anti-rabies serum, they had some anti-snake serum which were just as good. At the end of the 6 months never returned. Spent time then in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

I keep a healthy distance from West Africans. They are a totally different character from the Kenyans and South Africans.

This is slightly different than the others. Why you ask? It was a lady who did the wind expulsion?

Were dozing in bed slowly coming to when a hot burst of pressurised air hit my upper thigh.

At the same time, the sound of ripping cardboard could be heard?

Convinced there had been a "Follow through"? Jumped out of bed to check??

Lady turned around and said "You no like Love Puff"

Heard flatulence called many things.......................... Never a "Love Puff" though?

Mind you never heard it called that again??

Lopburi99,

(Reason for edit: I just realized it is Saturday today, so I will be alone two days. Implication: No money => No more beers.)

That's quite interesting about the 13 smiles....thanks. I think we could all add some of our own and have some fun so I am going to start a new topic to do just that.

BTW, sorry to hear about no beer and no money for two days! Was your wife, erm, smiling when she left?

Smiling when she left? Cruel.... bet you pulled the legs of spiders when you were a lad.

Only joking

555 555 555

Different people (Ex-Pats) have their own reasons to learn Thai.

I have to admit, I cannot read Thai, can speak it fairly well and be understood. Since I live here, work offshore 4weeks on/off, have lots of spare time, enjoy spending that time up the village/farm. No one can speak English so it was sensible to learn Thai.

Have heard many rude comments made by Thai's on Farangs. But the Farangs were twice as rude with their behaviour and language.

Local taxi drivers I use have always been well mannered, yet they thought I could not speak Thai, let the cat out of the bag when one said I were a certain nationality. Told him in Thai were I came from, received laughs and smiles

My GF speaks English in the house to me, I correct her on grammar or suggest another noun/verb that would be a better fit in what she said. I speak Thai to her, she then reciprocates with the corrections.

Intend to spend the rest of my life here in Thailand, not to learn and speak Thai would be foolish.

Your demenour, body language and the projection of oneself has a bigger role to play on how the Thais treat you than your ability to converse in Thai.

Pom song satangs

I assume they were bringing it in as they were not privy to the ingredients and expertise that is available on Thailands borders

makes you wonder how much is actually passing through the airport every day

Seems to me the number of arabs and africans in bangkok has exploded in the last handful of years............................

Call an Iranian an Arab and watch him react.

Iranians are Persian stock, they look down on Arabs as desert nomads and livestock farmers, while they are the produce of Noble Empires and Kings.

Sailed with a few who would always let you know they had mapped the heavens while Europe was full of Visgoth, Huns, Franks and Celts. Quite different from now I would say or not?

Hot dog with oinions in Pattaya 25 bht

American Breakfast buffet in Pattaya 120 bht

Room with service and TV and Air con in Pattaya 450 bht

People only go to Pattaya for one reason, and its not the American Breakfast!

Why would anyone want the American breakfast, yuk.

Thai is better for breakfast, especially when kept at 98.8' degrees for the whole meal

The reds want to overthrow the current goverment??

Yes they do and they are VIOLENT. Not OK. This has got to stop.

Interesting move you just did there.............

Abridge my post to help your argument, whereas you have misquoted me??

"Methinks you doth protest too much"

The public stated goal of the red shirts in this rally is the overthrow of the current government to be replaced by a proven dictatorial personality in the name of THAKSIN. In many countries, they would be in jail for treason just saying that. What do you expect the government to do? Bend over? Nobody is justifying the yellow shirt actions before the coup. However, that is the past. We are now living in the present.

The reds want to overthrow the current goverment?? Well what a suprise?

The elected goverment that Thaskin led was overthrown, pots and kettles anyone?

The elected goverment after the military left power were disbarred?

Will and wishes of the majority, ignored, anyone see the irony??

You either believe in democracy where the majority of the people elect who they want. Or you disregard the wishes of the people. Now that is a dictatorship.

We should all be careful what we wish for.........................

hi there

does anyone know about GPS navigation systems for getting about thailand, how much they are, are they accurate, how they work re. language?

any input would be appreciated

cheers

dm

Buy one in the Uk 3800 baht 200 series bring it to Thai and get it altered for Thai keyboard and language it will do both English and Thai and get the Thai maps on. I have a friend who does this for me

Hi

Have a Navman 200? GPS which has worldwide software, except for Thailand. Can Thailand be added, any help/info much appreciated.

Tom

Er, slight correction to your correction.

Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain. It is part of the UK. See link below-

Er, slight correction to your correction.

Do not wish to inflame any fans or fan any flames?

Northern Ireland is NOT part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom comprises Scotland and England only.

In 1603 King James VI of Scotland took over the throne of England, therefore Uniting two Kingdoms under one crown.

Wales was a Principality of the English crown and had been since the Plantagenets.

When Scotland and England merged Parliments in 1707 you had the Union. This produced the Union flag comprising the Saltire of St Andrew and the cross of St George. When Ireland was brought into the union the saltire of St Patrick (Red on a white background) was added. So the Union flag is England, Ireland and Scotland. No Welsh flag

Northern Ireland was a political creation resulting from the Irish home rule bill of 1922.

That is why a british passport say "The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"

No offensive intent is made or implied by the above. Its just the facts. Google if you do not believe

the short-term all-expenses-paid contract workers (we've got lots of them) flashing their big wallets and thinking they can buy any Thai girl.

You must be inferring myself and colleagues.

We work offshore, live in Thailand. I have been here 6+ years. Never had a fight or stopped on a bike by the BIB.

Company takes care of me very well with a good package of benefits, pension, sickness cover and flights.

Do not have a wallet, let alone a big one (?), need cash, go ATM.

Have a Thai GF these past 3 years.

Can speak reasonable Thai and have many thai male and female friends.

Do I detect a little bit of green.................envy even??

British boys - don't be so quick to shit on your country, while it is going down hill rapidly (mainly cos of the open gate policy with the EU) the U.S have slums and gettos that make our council estates look like holiday camps. We had Hungerford in my life time, they get Hungerford once a week.

Apologies for abridging your post, but, felt I had to comment.

Maintain a property in Newbury (Market town beside Hungerford) for the ex and lived there up till 2003. It was Michael Ryan who went crazy with his AK47 and the 9mm browning, that he then took his own life with, my ex lost an eldery aunt in the carnage.

This was a madman, target shooting in the woods who attacked (Sexually) a young mother, then went on a killing spree throughout the high street.

That sort of unplanned, slaughter does not really happen in the US of A, what does happen is school massacres, same as what happened at Dunblane primary school in 1996. When all the school children were slaughtered, prompting the hand gun ban in the UK.

Anyone thinking of leaving Thailand if Thaksin comes back to power? I am planning to give back my Thai ID and return to Germany should Thaksin ever comes back to power in Thailand.

don't be such a cry baby.

as long as fair elections are held .... without military, political, and particularly 'elite' meddling (this was the fate of previous and current governments), then the results should be respected no matter who comes to power.

if thaksin or one of his family members comes to power than part of democracy is respecting the outcome. if you can't do that, well ..... bye bye

Agree.

Who are we as visitors/guest's, ex-pats etc. To say who should or should not run the country if elected by the majority of the people.

Smacks a bit of colonialism, "I say, dam_n natives don't know what's best for them Carruthers, what"??

I believe in democracy, one man = one vote (Woman included also)