Gonsalviz

Does this include everyone's favorite Mom & Pop store? We all know how easy it is to get beer and the Thai liquor from these reliable and obliging outlets.

Of course not. They are always obliging. This is why I never go to Tesco or 7/11 to buy alcohol.

Perhaps Anterian doesn't remember the man being dragged from his car, beaten and killed by the reds in Chiang Mai? The repeated grenade attacks all over the country. Arisaman's Jatuporn's and Nattuwut's speeches calling for violence and arson -- that then happened? Why would anyone be afraid of the reds? Because street violence is part of their overall campaign. Simple and direct. They, as a group, are terrorists because their leaders told them to be. Not every redshirt is violent but their leadership openly called for carnage and threatened war ... if the sheep mixed with the wolves are all thought of as wolves .... well, you can hardly blame someone for thinking that way.

Like Al Qaida and the local populations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the Vietnamese people during the war there. They do because they are brainwashed into thinking they need to.

I don't have any problem in particular with Pattaya. I just don't want to be anywhere the tourist are en masse.

Thailand is unique and I do not need the tourist and damned tourists (the ones that don't go back) to change it to their liking. It is not my liking.

I am not singling out the bar scene.

"Yingluck has been dismissed as a dumb uneducated stooge"

She has a Masters degree in Business Admin. I doubt anyone considers her uneducated. Lacking experience yes, but unecucated, no way

Though ti's easy to wonder how she got that, even at a marginal USA Uni, with the marginal english language skills she has shown during the Reuters interview.... just saying, US unis expect solid language skills.

Sadly, the nature of people is to attack the person rather than the political policies. The comment in respect to language skills indicates a profound ignorance and belies a condescending position.

It is indeed true that Mme. Yngluck has an accent when she speaks in English and does not demonstrate the same fluency as PM Abhisit. This does not demonstrate incompetence nor ignorance. On the contrary, it highlights the discipline and tenacity that the non-english language speaker had as a student. Universities, particularly those that admit foreign students, do test for language skill proficiency. Hence the requirement of passing a TOEFL type of exam (e..g. CAEL, MELB, IELTS etc.) as a condition of admission.

How many of those ridiculing Mme. Yingluck's education would be capable of gaining enterance to an MBA program and of doing it in a very foreign language?

U.S. universities may indeed expect solid english language skills, but the typical student today is often incapable of writing a comprehensible paper. Some of my classes were chock full of asians that had a hard time speaking english, yet they managed to achieve excellent grades. One should not denigrate a person because his or her english language speaking skills are poor.

It is what one does with an education that counts. For every person that graduates at the top of the class, there is someone that graduates at the bottom. The bottom ranked person can achieve greatness if he or she is possessed of a work ethic, determination and drive.

A.S., B.S., M.S., PhD. All <deleted>, Bull <deleted>, More <deleted>, Piled higher an Deeper. A degree is not much in my book. Look at all the Thai women running around with degrees. Secretaries and clerks.

C'mon now, give credit where it is due. Mme. Yingluck has run a solid campaign so far. No major gaffes, no panic, no running off at the mouth, no remarks in desparation. She's been able to hold it together and get her message out.

The Democrats have run a lacklustre campaign. The Abhisit adminstration has introduced some interesting ideas and it has tried to implement some policies to benefit the people. Yet, one wouldn't know about this aspect of the Abhisit administration because the Democrats have gone off message and been distracted by Mr. Thaksin. If Abhisit wants to keep some of the voters he needs to get back on message and stick with that message.

Personally I think her brother and other advisors have run a solid campaign so far, perfectly orchestrated, must have cost some solid money

Common sense, and a calm demeanor are a character trait. It is not a quality that can be purchased.

It's rather facile to dismiss the discipline Mme. Yingluck has shown as being the product of campaign donations. PM Abhisit benefits from the support of some very wealthy people that include some of the largest land owners and corporate bosses in Thailand. He too has had the benefit of money. Yet, he has not managed to stay on message and to focus. Mr. Abhisit is described as a man of intellect and superior education, while Mme. Yingluck has been dismissed as a dumb uneducated stooge. He should have been able to knock her off message and put her on the defensive. Instead she stayed cool while PM Abhisit is providing the public a display of worried despair.

"

Yingluck has been dismissed as a dumb uneducated stooge"

She has a Masters degree in Business Admin. I doubt anyone considers her uneducated. Lacking experience yes, but unecucated, no way

unecucated?

yeah right hahaha ...who in their right minds would go to Langkawi or Nha Trang instead of Phuket??? Nobody! Believe me...I have been to both places. So basically its worth paying the exorbitant price to the taxi mafia...and they know it!

This I will not argue the point. I have been there too. But I changed hotels once in Karon. Moved all of 100 meters down the road. I had several bags so I wanted a tuk tuk. 200 baht or no go. Lovely place.

I first went to Phuket 37 years ago. I have returned many times since and at the present have no desire to return. Too big and too ugly. People in Phuket are pimps or customers of the pimps.

It's far easier to control the uneducated masses, after all one would not want the unwashed joining the rich in BKK would one, it's just not done.

I have told my TW that this is what is happening and she agrees. But for some reason no one seems to care.

Just let me clue you in Mr.Dan Waites.

This sort of stereo typing is ugly demeaning insulting and completely false.

Yes there are a handful like this but not as many as you would want us to believe in your stupid story.

Most of my friends are ex-military, or retired form a successful career in the petroleum business. And worked here for contractors servicing Union Oil Thailand.

We stayed for various reasons. For one our retirement pay would not go very far in our home countries. Second some of us are sic of the politics, over regulation and ignorant liberalism that allow black men to call a white man honky, a Muslim to call us filthy infidels, a mexican to call us white trash. But let one of us call one a negro, a terrorist or a wetback and we go to JAIL and get fined for discrimination. They can burn our flags but we cant burn theirs, they can burn a bible but we can not burn a koran. Just like the spell check in Microsoft bible can be in lower case but koran must be upper case. Stupid liberal crap

Regulation yea the Department of Energy demands and will fine and jail you if you do not install a toilet that saves water and the dang thing does NOT WORK. And this is in more than one country. You must have a % of mexican negro or others in your business if you employ more that 25 people. And if you run a business of call center help, answering service or the like YOU MUST HAVE SPANISH, or they shutdown your business and fine you.

Taxes nuff said on that

Teachers the ones that are good stay at it. The rest are known as backpacker teachers. They came here wanted to stay longer were not qualified but most teach or act like teachers in government schools, and when the student graduates he or she could NEVER pass any entrance exam to any university.

Bar owners, there are a larger percent that are retirees, entrapenuars and just plainly bored of the country life. Only two examples George Pipus, 40 years in the bar business, retired CIA operative now deceased. Bob, retired from IBM, owns upscale bar on soi 31, owns a five star bar & private club on Ekamai.

Thaivisa.com 80% did not take the survey. Some of us have never been to Patpong, Soi Cowboy or Nana. Some have not been there in 5,10 or 15 years. Some only go on payday to unwind. Some dont even drink.

Thaksin, I too do not want him to return, because if he does the army loses face and will certainly kill him as they did the general known as Suea Dang. I support the red shirt movement as they are the poor rural people of Thailand, proud, and have the dignified job of growing the food YOU ate for lunch. Defiant because of the class segregation they are tired of.

You gave one example Bob Sexer I give the second Dan Waites the sexpat writer so he can have a long term visa and money to support his honey's in Hua Hin beach bars.

I think what you did in your slimy story is describe your own pitiful existence

And might I add that in general my own country, the great, USA, is a burden that I nor the world needs. Politicians are the same worldwide. They all lie for the almighty vote. Thaksin and his ilk have no intention of buying a tablet PC for every student. They need an education first.

Abhisit and his ilk could not possibly raise the wages of workers 25% in 2 years without some massive financial problems. 3 or 4 % is more workable.

You'll find that french opinion is not taken seriously on thaivisa...

I would applaud with four hands if I could ! Although I do not like Taksin, he is more a greedy businessman than a humanist, I have to admit that he gave a new start to what should be "modern Thailand". All these sexpats that react with hatred to your article would be supporters of Sarah Palin in the US, their tiny little life is made of hatred and selfishness... the point is that, wherever they would live, they would criticize and exploit other. Their life is nothing but their miserable feeling of power when they treat others with arrogance.

Sorry for my poor english, I am french and not a supporter of DSK !

In this case I'll make an exception.

I'm going to differ from the crying and teeth gnashing by saying he hit the nail right on the head. His observations about the Thailand expat "community" and the general views of Thaksin have been mentioned a lot already. I still think the over the top expat grudge has more to do with beer curfew hours and bar hours. I remember when that was first proposed expats went berserk on here threatening everything from leaving (which none did) to hilarious plans for protest and boycotts (which also never happened.)

There's no reason to hate Thaksin that much. He's no worse than the current crop of chuckleheads in government and probably a great deal better in many aspects especially concerning business competency.

I don't hate him (Thaksin) and it is correct to lump him in with all the other pols in the world. There is not an honest one among them. I could care less if the bars close early. I am generally in bed by 21:00. Not because I am an old retiree but because I like an early start.

I think I am soon to disregard TV because of the banality of the uneducated or drunken entries to worthless articles as this.

An incompetent article by an incompetent writer. All expats are sex deviates and here for only one thing.....insipid beyond belief. Go back to where you left Dan and dig a hole.....and do your research rather than putting all your apples in one barrel.

If you've actually bothered to read the article and not just become apoplectic with rage at the headline, you'd know that your second observation of Dan is blatently untrue. The article is well written, articulate and amusing - three things so many people are incapable of doing.

He also quite clearly states that there are many expats living and working in Thailand that don't fit the stereotype...

And then attaches them to Thai Visa. I really doubt that the bar crawlers give a rat's patootie about Thai Visa. As I said before, read it as you will. If you think this guy is right then you are probably part of the problem in Thailand. You want everything like your own country.

I am here to enjoy this country. I don't need modern shopping centers, hospitals or anything else. I also hope I live far away from the falang that want these things. I also hope I am burnt to a crisp and interred the way the Thai people do it.

P.S. I have enough money to do anything the way I want or need.

This guy, and the inestimable Jessica Olien deserve each other.

Both have self-inflated, otherwise undistinguished, self-proclaimed careers in 'journalism' (blogging).

The raising of the unfortunately clever 'sexpat' word is just so evocative among their intended audience that they seemingly cannot resist its use. The climate of puritanical hypocrisy has risen to such great pitch mainly because of the rightward drift of Western society, which is led, but only in part, by my home country, the United States of America. There is unbounded enthusiasm for prurient details, and moral outrage alike in the public psyche, and the need to point the finger at 'them', is not unlike the need for Thai society to point the finger at 'them (us)': it allows face to be saved.

Note that there is no such outrage in Buriram's small sois, nor in those of Ban Dung, where Thai men do what they have always done. There is only outrage where there is a ready-made market for it: Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, etc. Focus the eye there, while the other hand is conducting business as usual...

And what baggage we posters bring! A microcosm of all that's wrong with our respective societies, laid bare on ThaiVisa...

The only 'universal truth' I can find in all of this is the apparent schizophrenia in those who, indeed, came here to get laid, and then somehow manage to remove themselves from the category, and turn on everyone else. Those who protest too much, and those who are 'pure' have the same tragic flaw: they seem compelled, at their own peril, to bring with them the very problems they seek to escape...intolerance, and the inability to 'live and let live'.

I think Mr. Waites' photo does, indeed, reveal the glint of rudimentary intelligence in those eyes. The problem is what he chooses to do with it.

Wow, I am impressed.

Last April when I left the country it took me almost 30 minuets to go through immigration. I don't know anything about 25 seconds. It was not that short of a time with the immigration officer either. There has got to be a better system other than looking for 500 bhat overstay.

??????????

I'm amazed that a country with some of the lowest salaries in the world is bothered to spend that kind of money on a computer system that probably won't work in the foreseeable future anyway.

How much do you think 76,000,000 Baht is?

I haven't been to the new airport yet, so please excuse this question: Will this be 'installation' or 'replacement' ?

Replacing some of the Immigration Officers with machines.

I think Rubl was referring to the air conditioning system ...

Yes, maybe.

I don't believe he said all expats are sexpats. He said there are a lot of sexpats in Thailand .

If that is the way you choose to read it, ok.

What a moron. I am none of those.

I am competent in my own country. I do not come here for sex other than with my wife. Still not the reason I come here.

I have nothing to fear from Thaksin's reparation of "public order". I do not like him because he incited the people that have the least, to lose more for his personal gain. Everything he does is for his personal gain, that is why he is in the fix he is in.

I do not think he should be forgiven and allowed to return (probably an invalid question) because he broke the laws of the country and should be prosecuted and and serve his sentence(s) as required by law.

The bottom line is if you rent a property in Thailand then you are liable for any damage that happens e.g. rain comes through the roof and destroys the furniture, a fire etc etc. This is more so in a condo where you are liable for damage to (say) the unit below if your pipe has a leak,

Insurance for property is not expensive but to go without may be extremely expensive !

For all you insurance needs use Thai Visa Brokers and ask for an on-line quote HERE

so a tenant can insure the building he rents ? i was always under the impresion this could not be done as it belongs to someone else.

A tenant is only liable when damages arise from his negligence, through an act or absence of an act of the tenant. Eg. failure to close a window and rain water damages the floor and furnishing. Left a kettle on the stove and resulting in a fire...etc.

A tenant should not be liable when damages are not his doing. Eg. pipe burst or short circuit of internal wiring.

A wise tenant should insist on renting only premises that owners have covered by insurance, and to understand the excess amount should mishaps occur.

And by what great authority are we getting this information from?

2 KM cost me 300,000 baht for single phase. PEA is the answer. Better to have Thai to negotiate for you. Unless of course you are Thai. Then, this statement would be redundant

Just don't buy any DF on arrival in USA and they won't benefit.

Can't you even buy on the airline though while in flight?

The whole scheme is rather paradoxical.

Only if you don't want to buy duty free booze or perfume.

I

Just don't buy any DF on arrival in USA and they won't benefit.

Can't you even buy on the airline though while in flight?

The whole scheme is rather paradoxical.

It's not offered on the flight and you can bet I will never buy from a US duty free shop.

Besides all that mixing liquid to make an explosive was discounted as a hoax anyhow.

I've bought one from Globalhouse but they do have it at Homepro and probably the others also . It was just below the 6000 baht mark and has 10kw power . The brand name is Mazuma model , i do not remember . 10 kw is plenty for a hot tub and a shower at the same time ( or very cold water ) . Normal water heaters are 3500 watt , a bathtub heater is 6 to 8 kw ( elec models ) .

Homepro did have it on display while Globalhouse i did have to ask if they had it . Any big store like those 2 ( Homemart , Boonthavorn , Homeworks ...) will more then probably have it .

I was looking for a gas model but may have to opt for electric.

The 10kw model from Mazuma , which i have ,is a gas model . I only compared to the elec ones sold for bathtub and shower . 10 kw should be enough but i think they do have a stronger model of 15 kw also .

Well where would one purchase such a unit?

I was stopped and eating Gai Yang and Som Tam in Nong Bua Lamphu at a roadside 'restaurant' ............My Q is, Does this happen often?

Never to me - can't stand Som Tam!

Another that doesn't understand good food. I hope you live far away from me. You probably like KFC, Micky D and such ilk. But the Q was about being questioned by the revenue department not my choice of food, TWIT.

't

To Obama: Post a picture or it didn't happen

Al Queda is already admitting it did happen. That is good enough for me.

Fascinating, of all the organizations to trust, that is the one you go with?

I think if the US was inventing the death of OBL, who was already dead, it would have occurred to them to also fabricate an Al Qaeda announcement to back up their claims. Especially because fake OBL broadcasts have been the key to government fear mongering for many years already.

I think that the US got tired of the OBL bogeyman, and now that they have the Muslim brotherhood, they decided to put the OBL fairy tale into retirement.

The dog is wagging mightily in 2011.

It's also possible that I have more information than the average individual. Sorry I can't tell you, then, you'd have to be killed.