JAG

Well they do say imitation is a form of flattery!

They call anyone who holds and/or expresses an opinion contrary to theirs "a liar". They have no concept of debate or discussion, have nothing but contempt for any view which does not follow their "truth"; at times their bigotry and hatred is almost hysterical. Maybe they take their lead from the man child in The Oval Office?

Volunteer interpreter? Possibly French to English - Police probably have English speakers but unlikely to have French speakers.

It's his (wet) dream of America! "Armed citizens", live ammunition and dead (brown) bodies.

Yes, that is absolutely what you want to see isn't it!

Oh gracious me, here we go again, the inevitable accusations of lying because I say or point out something you dont like! When my daughter was 6 she used to shout liar whenever she was told no; she grew out of it after a year or so. Some people obviously never do!

So who was the fat bloke in the black overcoat who stood outside the White House on January 6th 2021 and told the crowd to march on the Capitol and fight?

Pattaya: Huge Landfill (effectively) - check. Ramshackle hotels - check. Airstrip nearbye with charter flights from the Indian Subcontinent - check. We're in business!

I dont want to appear pedantic but I think the locals are hear to stay! Anyway there will always be tourists, one smile from a 7/11 girl and they (you?) will be rampaging around Pattaya, waving their trousers in the air and shouting " bring on the ladyboys!"

They have Taxis, and of course the Airport Limo's. As ever at all airports (something to do with the jet fuel in the air?) the meters are broken!

As far as I know it has stopped running. It stopped during Covid. They did try to resurrect it but it didnt last long.

I joined this forum 22 years ago (goodness me am I old and smelly!) The first post I read was to the effect that tourism was dead in Thailand. The second one was complaining that Pattaya was not a patch on what it used to be!

Thai Baht (not bad), Laotian Kip (dirt cheap), US$ (pricey) or UK£ (very pricey?

In my younger days it was so much simpler: in Europe "Reds under the bed", on posting to Hong Kong, "the yellow peril"!

I believe that the high spot of any visit will be the formal opening of a Taco Bell franchise in Tianaman Square!

Sending the Navy to Ubon? Golly!

God Bless them, dont they look young! Probably all gone now, including those that survived. Let us remember their sacrifice, always. 'Bless 'em all, bless 'em all, the long and the short and the tall"

Send me her line, I will contact her and arrange a rendezvous. Then when we are lying together in "the recovery phase" (sometimes known as the "sleep of the just after") I will recommend you to her as a good prospect!

Yes, it was Tennyson, although in this context Mr Bean would probably be more appropriate!

@Cornish Pasty, if, as you would have us believe, you are new to Thailand, then be aware that, yes the women smile a lot, yes they are flirtatious, but that does not translate into "gagging for it". If you are, as many have "sussed", just another incarnation of "Bob", then you are quite simply continuing your career as an oxygen thief! I called into 7/11 this evening and bought a small bar of chocolate and a small bottle of cold pressed coconut oil. I explained in my appalling Thai to the serving girl, with whom I regularly joke, that the chocolate was for my tummy and the oil was for shaving. She unleashed the typical 1000 megawat Thai smile, gently prodded my tummy and ran her hand across my chin. I didnt ride the 5km home lost in anticipation of congress with a girl some 40 odd years younger than me! Thai girls smile and flirt, it is in their nature. It is one of the things which make living here pleasant! It means nothing. But, you already knew that Bob!

Unlike the current occupant of the Oval Office, who, if his recent televised meeting with the Chancellor of Germany is anything to go by, is sharp, incisive, driven by pure logic, clear thinking, and proves himself the absolute master of any and all nuances when dealing with international affairs; and of course is absolutely charming to boot!

They probably imagine that they are lean mean steely eyed killers! And people accuse you and me and various others of being deranged! It is not just mind-boggling, it is also a sign of a very strange phenomenon! Apart from anything, even allowing for platitudes about "slinging some nice iron", they wouldnt last two minutes against any trained troops! The only risk they pose is to the floorboards!

I have to say that a lot of horns here, particularly on lorries, seem to emit an undignified squawk like a ruptured duck rather than a motor vehicle warning device. I have always rather put that down to them being worn out by overuse, they seem to use them at every opportunity!

Yes! Not so much a case of "targets will fall when hit" as "targets will wibble and will wobble but not fall down when hit"!

I would have thought that an upward trajectory would have indicated that the firer was in the prone position, which rather indicated to me that thete was a degree of premeditation. My training on small arms bullet performance is perforce limited (I was an Artilleryman and therefore accustomed to larger calibres and longer ranges) however some observation has indicated that a 5.56 mm round "tumbles" on entering the body, meaning a small entry wound and a convoluted path through the body, with a very large exit wound, often not in line with the point of entry; which would make the sort of forensic analysis you describe rather inconclusive.