Tokay

I've been physically attacked by my building foreman (and his tiny crew), as well as a baht bus driver in Pattaya. I was able to get away from the driver OK, but it didn't end well for the Thai foreman and his tiny crew, by luck I may add, I'm no bad ***, I just got the upper hand by accident.

Thais are rough, that's all there is to it. For many of them, behind those kind smiles is hate, jealousy, and rage, just waiting for a trigger to set them off.

Nothing new, it just comes with the territory. You may be at the wrong place at the wrong time, or you may deserve it. But they don't fear prison or any repercussions whatsoever for killing someone.

Just tax sugar, that's the problem.

Or, you could spend some money and get the good general, I mean PM, to spend a few minutes per week to educate the people on health and diet. At least that would be productive instead of his endless drivel.

OK, so that really means an attack is imminent.

I was in Pattaya several years ago at Anzac Bar, when I noticed a couple of signs

in Arabic at the doorway. The owner said that he used to get a few people come in

and get sh*t face drunk, so he got the signs done. They read.

If you come into this bar and drink alcohol, I will report you to your embassy

with your picture. The owner said that he did not have anyone who could read these signs

in his bar for 5 years.

Reminds me of the old days of Pattaya where it wasn't uncommon to see signs that said, "NO ARABS TO SIT HERE."

How times have changed.

Let me guess, fined, released, and can drive again after a 2 week suspension?

Please, just give us RFID chips under our skin and track us pesky foreigners day and night. It's the only way.

So.... here we go again?

Just because a person of Syrian nationality has overstayed does not make him a suspected terrorist. However, the Thai police have to target people who generally fit the profile of where terrorists are coming from. It is being done everywhere now and unfortunately innocent people will be come a casualty of this hunt

I hate to say it, but there are times when certain groups need to be profiled and looked into, like the Africans who hang out on Soi 3 in BKK. Not one of them is up to any good. The ISIS clan probably hangs out in open sight in front of everyone smoking hookas and eating kabobs.

The sad fact is, you can walk through almost any metal detector in Thailand, into any mall or public transport, set it off, and security will wave you through as a foreigner.

The average security guy has no clue what they are looking for. Most people don't. Neither do I. That's why it is going to be total destruction when one of these guys really bring something big into the MRT or crowded area.

The only thing we can count on is the incompetence of the terrorists being higher than the incompetence of the local police and security guards.

For the life of me, I can't find a shop that can do custom photo framing. Does anyone here know of such a place in CM?

I dont think the 700 yr stadium has much of a selection of guns for tourists.

If you head out of the city on the 107 to mae rim theres a couple of Army run places on the left that are set up for the tourist trade.

You'll see them advertised on the back of Tuk Tuks & Songtaews all over town.

Hi,

Thanks. Is this the "Chiang Mai Shooting Club" I've seen stickers for? I tried to visit their website, and of course, it was offline.

I have some friends coming into town and they want to go to a shooting range (real guns, not airsoft). I've never been in CM and haven't a clue where to take them.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. PMs are fine. Thank you.

They are also closing the road that goes up to Doi Suthep from 8pm - 5am. For the first time in almost 4 years I was denied entry last night, even though we were just going to the first overlook to take photos of the city. It was 8:30pm. The a-hole guarding the road was barking at us like we were in the army and under his command. Never, ever, has anyone in Thailand be as rude as that imbred looking <deleted>. I wanted to choke him out and drag his limp body into the darkness.

Don't worry, another bus, van or train cash will happen any time now and THAT will be the new focus, and this will all be forgotten about until a few more are killed. Then it repeats all over again.

500b fine and released?

Thanks for the heads up, drugs well hidden now.

I was a Captain for a Thai airline. The standards for training were very low. The maintenance of the aircraft was very very bad. The "technicians" signed off defects as having been fixed when they weren't. Co-pilots were promoted to Captain because they were Thai even though they were inexperienced and not up to the job. The company also regularly underpaid the staff with total disregard to their contracts

They didn't even arrange work permits. Needless to say I soon left along with most other expats. The airline is now staffed by the guys who can't work anywhere else as nobody will employ them.

It is of no surprise to me that other countries are starting see the light about Thai aviation.

That's reassuring.

So thailand is not that special or different.

Maybe, but they seem to have managed to convince the Japanese to allow the flights according to this report.

Japan is temporarily allowing them to fly in. It's not a done deal. I think it's more of the Japanese seeing if the Thais can walk the walk, or if they only talk the talk.

I would suggest anyone who has been able to save millions of US dollars while only making $43,000 per year, and claims he is not a businessman, should be on that list. Perhaps at the very top.

Of course, you would have to search high and low to find someone who fits that profile. I personally wouldn't know where to start.

>>When he was alive, he rarely left the house for fear of leaving his belongings unguarded, she said. In dead, he might become the guardian spirit.<< Quote

Sounds like a total waste of life. You collect "stuff" and then spend all of your time hording and protecting it. He was probably "Buddhist" as well.

Oh well, his life to waste. I hope his wife spends it well.

Comparing this with the wealth the Vatican and other churches possess in Europe and America, it's not such a big deal.

Also comparing the life style and habits of the clergy in other religions again there is no much difference here.

Yes, it is a big deal. This is supposedly Buddhism. Christianity isn't built upon the same principles.

To have such attachments and do what the Thais do, has nothing to do with what the Buddha taught. Monks (Bhikkhus) are only supposed to have the necessities, and iPhones, TVs, drugs, smokes, booze, designer items, jets, and so on, do not fall into that category. To me, Thai temples look like more of a place for ex-cons to get free meals and a roof over their head, or places to hide, while big business goes on around them and the cash and gold pile up.

Wonder how much it is going to cost France to replace the entire plane.

I keep trying to think of something to say about this but find myself speechless and livid that something like that could go on for so long much less happen at all.

Tywais, as you know I live in the sticks in Issan and my wife is a nurse.

I hear stories like that every day from her.

At the beginning I was appalled and disgusted.

After so many years I've become immune and only pray that things will change one day and some decency will come upon these vermin.

A female friend of mine here is also a nurse. She told me a story not too long ago about a little boy who came into the ER with a mangled coat hanger stuck in his bleeding rectum. Turns out, the father would get drunk and shove random things up the boys butt to punish the boy. She said the kid was a mental cripple after years of abuse. Yet, it didn't even make a blip on the news. Makes you wonder how much is really happening around us at any given time.

Any chance of giving them any better pensions than the 500Baht a month?

Or this is unthinkable in Thailand?

A few decades into the future. How about forcing those in their 20s and 30s to start saving for old age rather than expecting the next young generation to pay taxes to support them?

Don't be stupid. How do you expect everyone to have iPhones and other shiny, useless objects if they are trying to save money for the future?