disgruntled

Okay, I've been around a bit but I still haven't any real words of wisdom to give a person living in Thailand. 2007 wasn't the best year for me, so I'm looking for your thoughts on how to live happily in Thailand in 2008 and on. I'd bet this has been done in the past but right now it's the new year and this is the time of the year many people are thinking about changing the way they live. Give your golden rule for 2008.

They definitely are giving out the blankets but the local elected adminstrative official seems to be using the opportunity to give them out to put on a show. He has to run for office again in a couple months I guess. There are few real good deeds done in this country which aren't exploited. They do things and use the opportunity to help people as a part of their campaigning. Rather than set up speakers with music blaring as they've been doing, they should just give them out if the people really need them. Most people here in Northern Surin think they blankets are coming from the local AuBaDaw's (elected gov't guy for the area) own money.

As the local elections for the smaller posts come up, I've heard a lot of talk of the new candidates giving pork or beef to win the hearts of the voters.

I give the floor/building cleaning ladies 1000 or so baht each and the guards 500 - 1000 baht each. I live in an apartment building though.

Sounds like another 'I've got an educated successful wife and you don't thread to me.'

Well, here goes anyways. Personally, not accounting for the 2 maids and 3 gardeners at our 13 rai estate along the ChaoPhya River on the outskirts of the metropolis, there's no one working in my household. After my wife got her second PhD she took early retirement from work at the Carlyle Group. She's much more financially secure than I am. I have funds which I recieved from a family trust which I plan to use later on in life so that's my retirement money. I guess I am lucky to have come from a good family. Right now though I am living well with the money I recieved from stock options I recieved while working at Microsoft back in the early eighties. So, yes I have worked. Our home is paid off. It ain't much but it's home. The cars are paid off too. We don't have any real debt to speak of. He only have one other property in Thailand. We have a nice four bedroom place down in Phuket but right now our daughter,Nessy 'the neuro surgeon', is using it. I'm not bragging but my life is pretty good right now. Both my wife and myself have done our share for society despite coming from respectable backgrounds. We've worked as hard as anyone and we deserve the lives we have. I believe anyone can climb the ladder of wealth and prosperity but it seems most people are just too lazy to do it.

Big number that. We have more than that in Doncaster UK

Well, for expats on the run Thailand sure seems to be a popular place to head to. As for Doncaster, is there anyone in Doncaster that isn't a criminal?

Thats funny. Ever lived in London, Manchester, Philly or NJ?

Good point. Those places do have crime for sure but I consider them to be more a paradise for a*holes.

I just KNEW Pattaya would come into it.

It's possible that coming from a place like Doncaster, you might not notice the crime here. It can't compare as you noted. But to people who don't live in Pattaya or those of us who don't come from high crime neighborhoods see the difference between Pattaya and other places in Thailand. If you split you timein Thailand between Pattaya and Bangkok's nightlife areas you mioght not notice that the rest of Thailand is a bit different from them.

20-50? Thats GIANT ! hahahahahaa

20 - 50 foreigners would be a lot for Thailand. I know its common to break up groups in England like this but not out here in Asia. You may know something I don't as it would seem you know about Pattaya pretty well. How many do you think they would be able to arrest not including yourself?

TV should create a link to wanted criminals. I'd bet there are a hundred or more living in Thailand right this minute. Thailand is a gangsters paradise in my opinion. I bet they even have a Gangster Social Club in Pattaya where they all get together. There's all kinds of crime routed through this country from all continents. Someday you are going to see a giant sting here in which 20 to 50 of them get pulled in at one time by a joint effort from Interpol, FBI and all the other criminal investigation agencies around the globe. Actually I'd make a good movie; one man would have to go undercover into the seedy underworld in Thailand and break the whole thing open from the inside.

If Samak could get the position he's always wanted, why would he give it over to Thaksin. He's just like Thaksin and so many others; he's a megalomaniac.

Intelligence has nothing to do with caring or morality in my view. I see it as the people who have here really don't give a hoot about the poor people. The poor people here get my sympathy and at the same time my scorn. They do need educating. The old-money hiso haves will never give it to them. As you can see from the political situationt hey are easily manipulated. Someday the wrong person will come along and a flashback to Cambodia's horrible past will come about. If you kick a do long enough, eventually it will atttack you. People act the same way.

I think the Farang People's Party or the Farang Rak Thai party are probably the most friendly to us foreigners. You might ask someone like Bill Heinecke the owner of Pizza Hut who he supports; he looks like a foreigner. I think there's a small party out of Khao San Road too. Falung Bong Party is the name if I remember correctly.

The Goji and all these health miracle-ish stuff are and have been from day one pyramid scams. There are a lot of money hunger souls here who just can't seem to get it. Call 'em suckers. I don't have much respect for the people who push this stuff but that's just me. There are plenty of things sold as beneficial in this world which come and go. I guess people just have no place to put their money.

I couldn't understand why I was the only person naked there. I thought it was going to be one of those big photo shoots of 1,000 people lying around in the nud_e. The next time I will stay away. I was completely embarrassed by the event!

Thanks for the info but I have to say few people really seem to have much info about Samak. Where was he born? He was just on the BBC in a clip speaking English. The BBC labelled him rightwing. I can also say he has a pig-like nose smaller but very similar to Chaowalit.

Thanks for the article. More sleep will do us all good I bet.

The air quality our here in Thailand can be terrible. One day the air seems to be filled with particles and the next day its totally different. There's no telling what is drifting through the air here.

If you are in the US your probably using the heat now which has been off for some time. That might set some particles into the air of your sealed home.

Just wanted to add some thoughts. I don't know much about this.

I've met a few students with it. Some really seem beat by it. It does seem to last.

From what I've seen Santa isn't depicted as fat in every country. He doesn't wear the same style clothes either. He's not white either. What if Santa were a 500 pound guy who basically had to lay down all day? There are a lot of people who are 300 pounds up nowadays. Why should Santa be so small? Why can't he be an obese tired huffing and puffing red-faced guy? Just a thought.

I was just talking to a Thai coworker about how Americans eat from Thanksgiving to Xmas to beyond New Year. The leftovers, office parties, and snacks brought in to the offices between holidays fill the gaps. It's holiday time. Time for chocolates, cakes, cookies, pies, eggnog, and loads of other sweets filled with white death. But fear not you have a chance to make a New Years Resolution to get fit once again. There's always hope.

All the best with it. Someone should really offer a rental/lease option for those things. A heck of a lot of people buy them and don't end up using them.

I'd say that the girls are working there because of our economic system and the fact that people are so stingy worldwide. If people would spread the wealth more workers would probably be happier in their work. How many people in this world are unhappy with their pay? How many people are struggling just to get by? A lot of people can't see or don't want to see how much pain some of the world's poor have in their lives. I guess you can understand if you have EVER changed your job seeking better pay/easier work.

Isn't it easy for the person who has financial freedom and opportunity to paint the world the way they like. They say 'The girls are slaves or obviously lowlives.' 'Their customers are certainly lowlives.' 'It's sick. etc etc.' At the same time they live comfortably while saying the poor should stay that way and be happy.

Well, I did a quick check on the Net for info about the PPP's guy, Samak. I was amazed to read that he was born in 1935! That means he's 72 years old! 72 years old! The guy sure has a lot of energy! Besides this there wasn't much else I could find online about him. What do you know about him for sure? Any info would be appreciated. He could be the next PM (Yikes!) Also if you have any links please post them. I couldn't find one good detailed biography. I'm also wondering if he is Chinese or not. One of my students told me that he wasn't and in fact he hates Chinese people. I can't say if this is true or not. He looks more Chinese than Thai to me and his buddy Thaksin is Chinese. He really is a mystery man despite being around all the time.

Thanks for any responses.

There must be loads of US to Thai payoffs going on. Why pick on this couple and this lady and why now? There was a story just out the other day that some big Hollywood producer is setting up shop over here. Jutamas is also connected to Thaksin's admin. I don't know if the US can do anything to Jutamas but they could block her entry into the US I would guess. With the change in gov't here I wonder if anyone will take any interest in her doings. If Thailand has any morality left in it, the new government whoever they are should ban Jutamas from all government offices and ban her from benefiting from any future government contracts. She sold the country to a foreigner in my view. Shouldn't this be considered treason? Off to the gallows!

Maybe it was a group of people married by that South Korean Church. You know, they have those giant stadium weddings where the people don't know each other prior to getting married.

Well, did you win money in the pool comp. maybe the guys were angry and wanted revenge.

Do you really have to go to lumpini police station for events on Sukumvit?

Late at night that area can be dangerous. As for foreigners attacking you, well its seems to be happening more. The Pattaya News is always catching some foreigner desperate for money doing some act.

I know 'Internet' is spelled with a capital 'I' so from now on use it. Why don't we get rid of these ridiculous names and use traditional names like John, Michael, Stanley, Alan, Mary, Ellen, Patricia, etc. Please put some clothes on while you are typing your posts.

Thank you in advance.

Alfred Frances Jones

Someone is always making money somewhere. Two days ago the voices I heard were more positive then they turned negative.

Are we sinking, Captain?

I'm not the captain.

Then where is he?

One more thing. Call me what you like but I have always been more attracted to the indigenous people of SE Asia than the Chinese. I know they all came from the same place but at different times in the same way as we all probably came from Africa. But I feel more for the Thai Thais. I feel they have had it the worst and like indigenous people in many places around the world have lost control of their land. I guess you could say I'm not color-blind when it comes to the people of Thailand. I have always cheered for the underdogs. I know in many ways they are victims of their own ignorance or the rulers they let come to power. I have picked a side in my view. We all have our reasons for why we choose as we do. I'd rather be with the people of this land. If I were in the US I might want to be with an American Indian.