Bangkok Barry

Not if you bothered to read the linked article.

The police haven't investigated if the police took bribes to allow the place to operate? Shocked I am, shocked.

What??? No words.

I think the Thai attitude is it's happened, nothing can change it, it's in the past. Actually studying and learning from the experience doesn't occur. And so the deaths continue. not only on the roads but in so many other ways.

Was there any mention of them enforcing the law? A novel idea I know, but a little more important than having the right haircut and enough to eat.

It is NOT an airline's job to collect taxes for the Thai government.

Solly sir. Thai writer not unnerstan Inglit good as you.

Now that is an original post. Never seen that before.

Villa Market sells it, at least in Bangkok. Don't know if the Pattaya branches do.

Not any Makro. My local one in Kalasin doesn't sell alcohol at all. None, as there's a university down the road and no-one in Thailand has yet worked out how to ask for a customer's ID to check their age.

It appears that you weren't able to continue reading the post before jumping onto your keyboard: The only thing I can’t do is buy from the stores during these times.

The fact that Thailand has not condemned Russia tells you all you need to know. Not that it matters a rat's fart what Thailand thinks as no-one actually cares. Even Russia.

To avoid potential friction it might be better to describe the goods as 'being shipped from our artisans in far Cathay.'..... I once asked a Chinese colleague in my diplomatic way why so many goods from his country were next to useless, poor quality etc. He was surprised and said that he found no such problems with goods bought at home. I'd guess that Thailand just imports the cheap bottom of the barrel stuff to match the normal standards in Thailand. Why spend money on quality when cheap rubbish will do - until it breaks, anyway.

Yet another electrical fault fire. At least the goods destroyed were useless as they came from China.

I agree. The most important thing to Thais, second only to saving face, is money. Once they have it they have it and you have a heck of a job to get money back for defective goods. Credit card slips (not sure if anyone signs one anymore) even said, in capital letters, NO REFUND. But if you stand your ground and argue without being abusive then you are likely to come out on top. They can give proper and professional service, but only if they want to and you make them feel extremely uncomfortable. On this subject, I once read on this site that a major store refused to replace or give a refund to someone who returned a pair of shoes he bought the day before and then the sole had fallen off. They refused a refund, he refused to leave and they called the police. Customer service, Thai-style.

It comes from the fact that people instinctively do not like people. It manifests itself in the school playground, or earlier, in the form of bullying for no real reason at all. And most people hate someone seating next to them on a bus or train etc. Then there are the holiday companies that promote a place of solitude away from their fellow humans. I doubt that there has ever been a day in many hundreds, maybe thousands, of years without there being a war somewhere. If it's not about land or culture then we invent one over imaginary gods. We're a weird species.

From the linked article: He gave no reason to staff, rescue workers, or law enforcement for why he refused to pay

Where did you read that? From the linked article: He gave no reason to staff, rescue workers, or law enforcement for why he refused to pay

Who said he was ripped off? You made that up.

Bullying doesn't usually involve attacking someone with a weapon and coming close to killing them. But maybe you went to a different kind of school where that was the norm, rather than having an exchange of words and maybe a few fists flying. And you have/had disgraceful parents if they would encourage violence. I guess some people are just not suited to being parents, but then, no qualifications are needed for that, are there. Any idiot can be one.

You knowingly broke the law as it stood then and were probably aware of the consequences if caught. You rolled the dice and lost. Maybe a good lawyer could get the blacklisting removed but it'll cost you. Tough, but there is only one person to blame.

No. It only works one-way. If a man, or man pretending or imagining to be a woman, grabs you it doesn't count. Only women can be offended. I see from the linked article that the Indian, just another low-class tourist that Thailand attracts like a bee to honey, is being charged not with assault but for causing chaos in public. Chaos? Really?

Thais often think differently to us. Wired differently, and not in a good way.

And this quickly follows on from someone shooting dead three kids who drove into his car. What an appalling land of smiles Thailand has become. What it comes down to is that no-one is safe anywhere, not even kids.

Thanks. I have no knowledge whatsoever about guns, except that their only purpose is to kill. I've never had the need of one and have never even seen one. A shotgun, looking at images, is what I would have called a rifle. Certainly useful for carrying around with you in case anyone hits your car, I suppose.