thaibeachlovers

To be honest not so bad,

Made a agreement with my GF, we still live together.

When i am home i take care the children for 4 days, send 1 of them to school and get him after school every day (Other 2 going with school bus).

Told her that she can do whatever she want to do the 4 days only requirment is being home before Midnight, same for me.

No sex anymore, no new boyfriend (her) or girlfriend (me)at out condo or home.

No talking with children about other new partners.

No contact between new partner and children.

When i am working she stay home before children go to school and when coming home.

Cheers,

NFS

I know it is to long so here some details: The condo is on my name (Bangkok) and the house on her name (province), we borrowed a few Million on her house (few weeks ago), this money is with me, i have a good job as wel. So nothing to loose financial wise for me.

Till now it is going quit well, calling home every day and no issues with her at all.

I take care the kids for 4 days a week when i am home.

That days she can do whatever she wants, but most off the times she stay home as well (if not working).

I need to give it all some more time and see what is happening, and i realy loved her and still do.

Thanks

That's good to hear.

Just remember "real" love is unconditional, and we all make mistakes. The last "perfect" man was killed over 2000 years ago.

You have my best wishes to sort it, and I believe anything can be overcome if you both want to.

I almost slapped a stupid German woman last Songkran for for throwing water at me, at night, on my way out to dinner after telling her not to do it.

I love Songkran but some people are just really, really stupid.

I remember once on the last day, when everyone comes to town and it's really all on, a tourist woman came onto Second Rd all dressed up and walked along the road, Five minutes later she came back looking as though she'd been for a swim fully dressed!

I also remember a group of elderly expats came by the group of water "louts" that I'd joined in the evening, who proceeded to douse the old boys. Most took it in good heart, but one attacked me with his walking stick, despite the fact that I was the only one who had NOT wet them! ( I was able to fend off his attack with my tube gun. )

Another time I gave a light sprinkling to a tourist lady on Beach Rd, and she complained to a group of policemen nearby. I don't know what they said to her, but would imagine it went along the lines of "are you blind?". Needless to say she got no joy, and they got a laugh.

For example, can anyone think of one good reason to throw a bucket of water at a motorcyclist moving along at say 40 - 60km? Could anyone not consider this example an attack? What about a high pressure water gun sprayed directing into the face of a moving motorcyclist? We could go on and on with further examples of sheer stupidity or sadism.

It's definitely a sadistic attack. The purpose is to cause the motorcyclist to have an accident if at all possible, which could even lead to death. And do so with no fear of any legal prosecution!

At night this is the only purpose, but also during the day as well by the water hooligans: in general, to enjoy a legal license here in this Third World country to do as much damage and degradation as possible with water, powder, ice, urine, whatever. It gives them a great sense of pride and accomplishment, which I suppose they lack in real life.

It's been this way forever in Pattaya and the only thing you can do about it is to leave for the duration, my usual answer.

What you say may well be true... but, hopefully, only applies to a small minority of Thais at Songkran. I believe that the vast majority of Thais are out there to "play Songkran," not to hurt (foreigners or) anybody.

You can't have been in LOS very long, or for many Songkrans!!!

However, I disagree it's done with deliberate intent to cause injury. I think they just don't realise what the possible consequences might be.

the bars here have the water containers out and two or three farang outside throwing buckets of water into the faces of all the motorcyclists that go past, weird thing is I dont see anyone going into the bars or any drinks being sold and all the tourists I meet that spend money left to get away from it

The farangs throwing water all have bought drinks in the bar of which they are standing outside. In case you hadn't noticed, most of the bars in Pattaya, other than a fortunate few, have few patrons most of the year anyway, due to a massive overbuilding of bars in fun city for the past 10 years or more.

Also, if you were to hang around long enough, throwing water into motorcyclists faces is by no means an exclusive farang sport.

Considering that the same thing has happened for the past 14 years at least, does the fact that Thais still ride motorcycles along Beach Rd during Songkran tell us something about the Thai psych? If I get hit in the head with a bucket of water, I wouldn't go back, unless I wanted to get hit again. If I stay in Pattaya during Songkran ( I'm avoiding it this year- had enough ), the only person to blame for me getting wet is myself.

The idiots throwing water in and around Soi's 7 and 8 are a bunch of drunken yobs from my observations.

It's about time they isolated the water throwers and give them an area they can play their silly game.

Thank fck Thailand has places that only allow it to go on for three days so I can get the hel_l away from it all.

they must be sober when they start the water fight so how can they be drunken yobs>

Even though i think they are nuts,soi 7/8 can easily be avoided and i believe its the barowners starting early to get customers in..Will anyone admit to being a crazy farang on soi 7/8

???? easily avoided????

Have you forgotten that the only way to get from north to south Pattaya on a baht bus is along Beach Rd, which makes pretty much everyone victim to the Soi 8 water throwers.

I used to enjoy Songkran, till the *&%#^&*& discovered ice water.

Do you work in s/pattaya or do you realise there are other routes

It may not occur to you, as you obviously don't need to go there, but those of us that are tourists ( don't have a car ) usually stay somewhere along Beach and Second Rds, and use the Baht buses to get around. I'm sure you aren't suggesting that if I'm in Naklua and want to get to Soi 10 that I should go via Third Rd or some other way, especially as once I get to Second Rd I'm going to get wet anyway.

Not all of us are just passing through that area, some of us actually live there.

8pm they still do <deleted>?

Obviously you have a problem. Get into the spirit.

You have obviously never had a bucket of ice cold water thrown in your face when riding a motorbike. Extremely dangerous.

Nor have you had a camera of mobile phone ruined because some idiot didn't respect you saying that you didn't want a drenching.

...

Exactly. And sadly it seems to be the dumb*ss falangs that are the worst offenders.

I disagree. In all the years I've been in LOS at Songkran there have been just as many Thais being "worst offenders" as farangs. In fact, go out into the country and it's just Thais.

Maybe farangs are more obvious in Pattaya. Try Khao San Rd if you want to see the Thais in action, where young Thai men go to smear powder over farang women ( perhaps not this year ).

It was a fun day so wft people are complaining????

Absolutely correct, it's my right to soak people even if they don't want to take part in my interpretation of Songkran, if they are trying to get to work then that's their problem not mine. Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of managing to hit a passing motorcyclist in the eyes, if they actually fall off then that's a bonus, it's not my fault they cannot afford a car.

It's Songkran, lets have fun, lets hurt and p*ss off as many people as we can, that's what Songkran is all about - isn't it?

And don't forget that if you are rich, you can hire a tanker full of ice water, and really do some damage with the power pump. I saw that myself.

8pm they still do <deleted>?

Obviously you have a problem. Get into the spirit.

No I don't agree. The idea was that after playing water all day you could clean up, dry off and go out for a meal or whatever. Nothing to do with having a problem or not nor anything to do with getting into the spirit.

It is a great fun day but like all good things it has to end sometime and sundown was always taken to be that time.

How many years ago was that?

My first Pattaya Songkran was in '96 and it went on 24/7.

I'm surprised this hasn't been moved to the bikes in Thailand sub forum.

I asked the same thing, and some of the answers were relevant if you want to look for it there.

Any update needforspeed? How are you coping?

To be honest not so bad,

Made a agreement with my GF, we still live together.

When i am home i take care the children for 4 days, send 1 of them to school and get him after school every day (Other 2 going with school bus).

Told her that she can do whatever she want to do the 4 days only requirment is being home before Midnight, same for me.

No sex anymore, no new boyfriend (her) or girlfriend (me)at out condo or home.

No talking with children about other new partners.

No contact between new partner and children.

When i am working she stay home before children go to school and when coming home.

Cheers,

NFS

Must say that I sympathise with your situation, but as I see it making "rules" just isn't going to work. After all, she's not a child, and she doesn't "work" for you.

I presume that the property is in her name, so if you leave her, or she chooses to leave the relationship, you will lose out, not her ( sorry if that's been covered, but way too many pages to read now ).

I have been there myself ( in my own country ), and I chose to leave and lose everything, but in the past 25 years not a day goes by I don't regret leaving, for many reasons, which time does not allow me going into now.

I know it would be hard for you, but I sincerely believe that the best long term solution would be to try and forgive, and resume the relationship, but not commit any more of your money into assets that she could take from you, if it still failed.

If you don't want have sex with her anymore, that shouldn't be a problem in Thailand, provided you don't take the temporary GFs home.

I really believe that if you truly loved her before, and she you, and you both wanted to make it work, it could.

While I don't know why she needed to "see" another man, there are worse things than living in a relationship that includes other people. Try living alone for 25 years if you don't believe me.

If it makes it any easier, just remember that is the situation that many Thai women put up with, while their husbands are away with their Mia Nois, just reversed in your situation.

What a joke

Someone using some dubious photos to scam the Red shirts ???

We can see for the first man in the black carry a M16 or Carbine with a Silencer Attached ! That means he's firing Blanks !

If you want to scam someone pls do your homework first

You reds always seem to get your facts wrong ! lack of education i presume?

The "M16" in the photo does not carry a silencer... the bit on the end of the barrel is the anti recoil vent, it is standard on all M16's

There would be no way of telling if there were blanks or live ammo loaded until he kills someone.

In actual fact it is called a flash eliminator and it is for that purpose only. To eliminate the flash.

Correct, though we called it a flash suppressor.

The M16 is deffro an A1 instead of an A2. I slept, bathed and train with it for a few years. I can recognise it from a mile away. Cheers

And it is still a pice of junk compared with the Heckler & Coch G3

(tongue in cheek)

But has to be better than the Steyr which was ( ? is ) issued to Australian and NZ forces. That has my vote for the "most useless piece of junk masquerading as a military weapon" award.

What a joke

Someone using some dubious photos to scam the Red shirts ???

We can see for the first man in the black carry a M16 or Carbine with a Silencer Attached ! That means he's firing Blanks !

If you want to scam someone pls do your homework first

Me thinks you've got no idea what you are talking about.

1) What silencer?

2) How does a silencer "mean he's firing Blanks"?

I agree.

I do not see a blank firing attachment on the rifle, and a silencer is not for firing blanks anyway.

Here 'ya go:

Happy New Year!

Covered in powder, and still gorgeous! I luv LOS.

The idiots throwing water in and around Soi's 7 and 8 are a bunch of drunken yobs from my observations.

It's about time they isolated the water throwers and give them an area they can play their silly game.

Thank fck Thailand has places that only allow it to go on for three days so I can get the hel_l away from it all.

they must be sober when they start the water fight so how can they be drunken yobs>

Even though i think they are nuts,soi 7/8 can easily be avoided and i believe its the barowners starting early to get customers in..Will anyone admit to being a crazy farang on soi 7/8

???? easily avoided????

Have you forgotten that the only way to get from north to south Pattaya on a baht bus is along Beach Rd, which makes pretty much everyone victim to the Soi 8 water throwers.

I used to enjoy Songkran, till the *&%#^&*& discovered ice water.

I just looked up Mood's for a definition, looks like Thailand is on the slippery slide unfortunately. "Moody's judges obligations rated BBB+ as speculative and "subject to high credit risk", and have "generally poor credit quality."

I see a bunch of people saying Thailand tourism only accounts for 6% or 8% of the economy, who am I to disagree, but how much of your tourist dollar is cash dollar, Yes you may get a scribble 'check bin' so they can log how many beers you have had, do you really think it gets declared? That Pad Thai you had for lunch? Think your tuk tuk driver is declaring how much he ripped you off? I think the average tourist would dispose more money each day in cash than many rice farmers put together gross wage. Also, foreign investment is running, I know of 3 companies that have directly effected family members or close friends, that have shut down Thailand operations and opened up in near by countries, leaving hundreds of non tourism related jobs behind and leaving a lot of corrupt tea money collectors looking for their next victim. 'mai pen rai'

I feel that pulling tourism in Thailand, would make more than a 8% impact on the country, it's an experiment I think they are trying by the looks of it unfortunately.

The 6-8% figure is bogus like most official figures. Why? Too many reasons to talk about here and who cares anyway...the figure is way too low and does not reflect reality on the ground and the network of businesses impacted by tourism.

On another note:

TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni is optimistic that despite the disappearance of Asian tourists during the water festival, long-haul tourists, particularly from Europe, would continue to come to Thailand.

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa was also adamant that the impact was not as severe as claimed by private operators. He was upbeat because tourist arrivals through 30 immigration offices totalled 4.5 million in the first quarter, compared to 3.6 million in the same period last year. In the quarter, tourism spending rose 29 per cent on year to Bt178 billion.

Despite the political chaos, the number of international tourists during April 1-8 also rose 5 per cent on year to 200,231 from 190,812 visitors in the corresponding period last year.

"The overall tourism business is still growing despite the unrest," said Chumpol. He flatly denied reports of massive cancellations during the Songkran Festival.

How do they come up with this nonsense? Does any person really believe this? I think they are smoking something over there.

Agree official figures are usually far off mark, so lets do the maths

There are 16-18 million tourist every year.

Each one on average spends $1000 on food, shopping, taxi's clubs, girls etc

Each one on average spends $1000 on accomodation

At least half use Thai Airways and average ticket price $1000

So now we have approx $40 000 000 000 per year from tourism

PS. All figures are approx and assumptions just to give an idea.

According to my approx estimation its 15.3% of the GDP

Source of GDP http://www.gfmag.com/gdp-data-country-repo...try-report.html

I think the reason for baht strength is still the resevers which are still at $138 000 000 000

While I don't have the figures, how many of those 16- 18 million are just tourists doing visa runs being counted for every border crossing, Malaysians coming up to hat Yai for a bit of weekend nookie, Asians on package tours that contribute nothing of real value to LOS etc etc?

Not to deny that farangs contribute a lot more than officially counted, but I'd like to see the real figures for tourism.

It is very QUIET at the moment.

Friend of mine has a bar in soi 8 and is going broke fast.

She can't afford to pay her staff and no one wants to buy the bar.

There must be a lot of bars in the same situation.

A week or two revelry in Songrak isn't going to change things for her.

The writing is on the wall for lots of the beer bars in Pattaya.

Too many bars doing the same theme and not enough customers, it's a miracle that so many are still open for business!

They must be funded from elsewhere.

There have been too many bars for the number of customers for at least 10 years now. It needs to get back to the number that there were in the early 90s, and then perhaps most bars will make a profit.

I agree that they are funded from elsewhere- probably naive westerners!

You must have heard the old saying "how to make a small fortune in Pattaya- start with a large one".

Right on. Keep out that evil Thaksin and his insistence on trying to clean up Bangkok's nightlife. Vote Democrat - and the bars stay open all night. Woo hoo.

But cant see it being a vote winner amongst the Bangkokian middle classes.

Perhaps not, though their children are the ones frequenting the Thai night life establishments.

As I remember it, toxin did not try to "clean up" Bangkok's night life, but he did try to destroy the farang catering establishments. Businesses catering to Thais were free to carry on as usual. I don't recall any raids on Chao Phrya 2 et al, but feel free to correct me if there were indeed such.

Please be factual- the western catering bars don't stay open all night any more.

As for the nightlife itself, what do you think brings more money into Thailand- temples and night markets or GoGos etc?

OP, sounds like we are related.

Me too.

I now live my life by thinking what will go wrong with whatever I am doing, and taking appropriate precautions. If I don't, it does always go wrong.

Seriously, if there is a 50 50 chance that any particular thing will go right, why does it seem that it more often goes wrong? Perhaps we all have things go right a lot, but just don't remember them as much. For everyone in the slow queue, there are as many or more in the fast one.

Now you'v got me thinking, and that doesn't happen often.

The Airport, Why do l ALWAYS pick the wrong queue to check in, after carefully scanning what's going on l carefully pick a queue only to be nearly last seen too, and at immigration the same, always pick the wrong queue cos someone up front hasn't filled in an entry card.

Or in a supermarket there is a problem with their credit card

Just stay out of my queue and you'll be OK

I was in a super market last year in Auckland New Zealand in the 10 or less items and the woman in front of me had only 6.

Thats great I thought until she used five (yes 5) credit cards until there was one with enough credit.

The worst thing was that it was less than 400 baht or 25 NZD at that time.

My lips and tongue hurt for an hour after that as I bit them to stop screaming at her.

That small an amount and 5 credit cards?

Is there a smiley with steam coming out of its ears?

and the women who never get their card/ money ready before the cashier tells them how much, and spend 5 minutes trying to find their card/ money in their huge hand bag.

Now you'v got me thinking, and that doesn't happen often.

The Airport, Why do l ALWAYS pick the wrong queue to check in, after carefully scanning what's going on l carefully pick a queue only to be nearly last seen too, and at immigration the same, always pick the wrong queue cos someone up front hasn't filled in an entry card.

That seems to be a universal complaint!

What's really annoying is changing lanes to one with less people, then seeing all the people that were behind you in the original queue finishing ahead of you.

Most dictator's aren't benevolent. So then you are stuck with them. Thaksin comes to mind. He was clearly setting the stage before to be dictator and now chomping at the bit to come back.

I'd have to agree with you. Probably why he was removed.

The "unseen" powers could probably have tolerated him, so long as he allowed the usual suspects to feed at the trough, and didn't start shooting people ( other than supposed drug dealers ), but the thought of him as a dictator was probably anathema.

Pity there has only been one Lee Kwan Yu. Thailand under him in the 70s would probably be a fantastic place now.

I loved Singapore then, and had it not got so bl**dy expensive, would probably still be holidaying there rather than LOS.

What the reds need to eventually realize is that Thaksin is no longer (maybe he never was) capable of bringing about controlled reform. The return of Thaksin to a seat of power will only guarantee a more violent era. There is far too much opposition in the establishment for Thaksin to return to power peacefully, and the only predictable result would be complete destabilization of the nation.

A Thai revolution is possible; the red shirts have all the necessary ingredients. My hope is that Mr. Abhisit will have enough time and foresight to make some publicized shifts in the favor of the poor before the upcoming election, coup, or ousting by any other means. My fear is that the door is open for the hammer and sickle to find a place on those nice red shirts and flags.

You are quite right, the reds need to find themselves a new leader, but who and from where?

One big problem with holding an election now or in 9 months time is, how can it be made free and fair. I don't image the Thai authorities allowing a UN style observer. Vote buying is endemic, from Or Bor Tor through to the highest level.

The other big problem is, are Thailands institutions ready for democracy? Can the elitists except an election where a socialist party wins, I tend to think not.

Can the military separate itself entirely from politics and except the peoples choice? Probably not.

Can the judiciary be apolitical?

Then there's the whole question of the un-mentionable.

So the cycle continues, coup, military installed government, attempt at democracy, coup.

Finally, as Farangs who live, lived in or visit Thailand, who are at best, guests of the Kingdom staying on 12 month renewable non-immigration visas, why do we even care? Thailand has been this way for many years. Too many Farangs look at Thailand through a western prospective. Maybe democracy isn't the best thing for Thailand.

It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.

Sir Winston Churchill

British politician (1874 - 1965)

You ask why we care.

Personally, I care because the things I enjoyed about LOS before toxin were to a large extent "damaged" by him and his sidekick puritanical, and should he return, I would expect more of the same.

To mention just two of the things to which I refer, the beaches, which have been largely ruined by Koh Chang type greed, and the night life, which was just brilliant in the mid 90s, and has yet to recover to its former glory.

OK, I may be sticking my neck wayyyy out , but does democracy really work anywhere? 51% of a popular vote telling the other 49% how it's going to be? Maybe what Thailand needs (as well as the rest of the world) is a republic, but then again my father always told me to never argue about religion or politics, because it is a no win situation, so enough said.

America is supposed to be a republic but, now it's all about social welfare and wealth redistibution.Hope it works out better here than it did there.

Yeah since Ronald Reagan did the biggest tax INCREASE in American history, know what you mean, shame isn't it?

There are other models these days other than western style democracy. A lot of countries are looking at the success of China, with its one party system, and wondering if that is actually a better model (also Singapore).

I lived in Singapore in the 70s, and consider it to have been a "model" country. Just doesn't work for the person who wants to be "different" though.

There were unfortunately some bad side effects, eg the students comitting suicide because they failed their exams.

On the whole though, I'd rather live in a country which is in reality a "benevolent dictatorship" ( which Singapore was then- don't know about the present ), than a mess like Britain, which is a political and social shambles.

Gotta love it!

However, must be nice to not have to shop to the cheapest price, as I do.

All the same though, when the airline loses everything, and he's in SB with whatever he has in his "day bag" to survive on.