Trichiliocosm

It's so funny how many people on here are blaming the poor tourists for all this, just because they didn't know they shouldn't have booked on Khao San Road, which, by the way is complete and utter bullshit. I lived in Thailand for 4 years, just moved to NYC recently, and I took well over a dozen trips through companies there because of the low price...I also took govt buses, but I didn't care for how big of dicks they often were to farangs for no reason, so I stopped after a few runs. I like how people are so in the KNOW as if this could never happen to them...well, good luck with that...

Yes, and women who wear skirts deserve to be raped.

Apparently someone is lacking some brain cells (if having any at all). What a moronic thing to say.....

Wow, perhaps you should have read the comment he was quoting, but I suppose you did and that's why you left it out, so people would think that was all he said without any sort of justification...what a spin job you did. He was being entirely and blatantly sarcastic because some guy was saying that the people got what they deserved due to the fact that they didn't take every single possible precaution beforehand.

150,000 baht from 7 bags? 3400 Euro, $4400. Not much of a theft. Sure it sucks, but hardly a catastrophe. Probably took all of 10 minutes. Doesn't seem worth it.

Good job on converting the currency, but that's hardly what it's all about. The fact is, their shit was stolen and they no longer have it, many of the things necessary for a good vacation, I'm sure, and whether or not it's compensated in full doesn't take back the fact that their belongings are gone forever. They can buy stuff with cash, later, but as for now, they're screwed and will forever know Thailand as an awful country full of swindlers...sad this is, as we all know that's exactly what it is normally not. And how is it not worth it for the thieves? I'm sure these guys got away with some cool stuff and it's highly unlikely they'll be prosecuted...

Also, for anyone wondering how the people were fleeced without awakening, I'm pretty sure the stuff stolen was from whatever luggage they put on the roof, for we know that's how most of the mini-buses and sang taew's like to do things...rain or shine.

Dunno why i was thinking of a mini bus...the fact that it was a regular tour bus makes it even easier...you never hear anything goign on down below/outside when you're up there trying to sleep with that cold air and often awful music/video.

150,000 baht from 7 bags? 3400 Euro, $4400. Not much of a theft. Sure it sucks, but hardly a catastrophe. Probably took all of 10 minutes. Doesn't seem worth it.

Good job on converting the currency, but that's hardly what it's all about. The fact is, their shit was stolen and they no longer have it, many of the things necessary for a good vacation, I'm sure, and whether or not it's compensated in full doesn't take back the fact that their belongings are gone forever. They can buy stuff with cash, later, but as for now, they're screwed and will forever know Thailand as an awful country full of swindlers...sad this is, as we all know that's exactly what it is normally not. And how is it not worth it for the thieves? I'm sure these guys got away with some cool stuff and it's highly unlikely they'll be prosecuted...

Also, for anyone wondering how the people were fleeced without awakening, I'm pretty sure the stuff stolen was from whatever luggage they put on the roof, for we know that's how most of the mini-buses and sang taew's like to do things...rain or shine.

"I think 1997 made us very aware of the role that risk management has to play," said Kosit Panpiemras, executive chairman of Bangkok Bank, speaking of Thai banks in general. "I think we have also been very careful about liquidity, particularly here at Bangkok Bank. Our loan-to-deposit ratio is something like 90 percent -- only 90 percent of our deposits have been lent out."

Only 90 percent? Since when is 90 percent not much? Perhaps he meant to say "only 10 percent..."

hmmm..

The purpose of this is to accomodate farang?

I don't recall spending a lot of time at Thai Immigrations...

This doesn't make sense to me... I think missing some imformation.

It normally takes me about 1 - 2 Hours to get through immigration! I would be really interested in this card! but would like alot more info about it.

1 to 2 hours? Wow, that's an absurd amount of time...do they take you to a seperate room for interrogation? I have gone through those borders from several different points about 100 or so times and never waited that long. I'd estimate the average time to be around 20 minutes (and most of that waiting in line), with the longest I've ever waited being about 45 minutes.

None of this means squat to the average Thai person. in fact, if the powers that be cared about farang coming wouldnt they care more about the farang already here? We spend fortunes here on food... travel...rent...shopping...business...etc.. lf they really cared about us or our money they would cut us some slack with all the silly rules and changes in the rules at immigration. They would work with us on being here legal instead of playing mind games every visit to their offices. They will never have visitors or travelers if all the long stay people here are writing home about all the hoops we must jump through so often. They need to come into modern times of world wide news stations and the internet and see what their BAD NEWS does to their weak economy. PEACE TO ALL FELLOW FARANGS.

This post should speak for all of us over here.

It is a tragedy, but as most of us are farang and hold no voting power, we should also hold our breath. It's a learning process, isn't it? And on their way to a truly fair society Thailand might find a better solution than that advocated by the Western world for so long. Comunism never worked, dit it? Capitalism neither. So lets hope for some good, new ideas. Cookism? No, seriously farangs lost their vote a long time ago, bringing only bloodshed and hatred to this worl, maybe a new and true belief can emerge from this minor unrest.

Wouldn't that require intelligent minds? This place is seriously lacking in any sort of governing capabilities and you expect/hope for a new way of life to come out of this? If that ever does happen, which it someday must in order to move beyond the mess this world has been mired in (increasingly) since humans figured out how to turn rocks into weapons, Thailand surely won't be the epicenter of any such movement. I like people with hope, but that's beyond even a dream.

Of all the islands I've been to in Thailand, which numbers about 25, Koh Samui is by far the dirtiest, ugliest and overall most similar to Bangkok...it's like a microcosm of Bangkok located on an island, which is bad news for the sea. Fortunately there are still some nice nearby islands you can leave Koh Samui for, such as Ko Tao, and in the end it redeems that scuz of an island you started on.

I'm leaving at a good time...arrived a few weeks after the coup and am leaving just before the next...or during it, depending on when these bastards who have been stalling my traffic to and from work for what seems like 6 months now decide to finally do whatever it is they've been planning. The percentage of successful democratic transitions in Asia is incredibly low...nothing can function democratically when corruption is so deeply ingrained in the whole of society.

well, regardless of all this mess which just continues to simmer toward...something, for better or worse, I am all for this latest turn of events as it means I have the day off from school tomorrow. Extend the mess the rest of the week I say, and I can have a nice long weekend. Thanks.

Who cares, I don't have any gold...I'd probably not be living here if i did.

SamsSauce1949 Posted Today, 2008-07-10 22:58:11 From what I have seen of Bangkok, my travelling along the southern coastline, (Hua Hin and 200 Km beyond) trips up to Khon Kean, Kalasin and over to the north-east border, give me Thailand any time in comparison to NY and beyond. America is too commercalised, the extremes between those with wealth and the areas which the have-nots inhabit, are more marked than in Thailand. Whilst crime pervades both enviroments, the levels of it are far greater in the US.

Some people I am sure, take their holidays and retire in Thailand because it is a lot cheaper than elsewhere, but then moan and groan that it isn't as sophisticated, they can't buy the range of things they can 'back home'. However, if they were 'back home', they would then moan even more, that living there is far too expensive and riddled with high levels of crime. Life is about making compromises and not expecting that you are entitled to access all the facilities that a 1st world country delivers, in one that hasn't the same levels of economic power and development. Both have their failings, it just depends which you are willing to put up with, and not moan about!

This isn't the point at all, Samsauce, it's about BANGKOK, not Thailand. I love Thailand. I can't speak for retirees as I'm 27 years old and teach English over here, but I can definitely say I love this country and will really miss it, but I'll never for a second miss Bangkok...just a few of the restaurants. I am from the States and I don't feel like living back there at all, but I would take the fresh air any day from any city other than Los Angeles and replace it with the sickness I live amongst here. You get a common cold in Bangkok and it's not over in a few days...sometimes it's not over until you actually leave the city.

yes, they're on the list for Asia, not the world, which is what I was referencing.

sure mickybangkok, we're all yanks watching tv in our condos and you're one of these disgusting bald headed slobbering farangs hanging out in nana every single night. Get over it...try a new city on for size, this one is the epitomy of dirtiness. It isn't just that either, it's funny because Bangkok isn't even the best city in Thailand let alone the world. Chiang Mai is much nicer, less polluted (though it's getting worse), full of more interesting shops and restaurants and in general just a refreshing breath of decently fresh air...I wouldn't rank Bangkok in the top 50 in the world...this #1 thing is a sham. I love Thailand, but anyone who says they love Bangkok is either lying to themselves or would enjoy living in a landfill if not for its lack of nightlife.

HE is actually a SHE...

This one is from the klongs in BKK.

I think this python is about 4-5m long.

Scared the shit out of us....

Yes, that certainly is a Monitor Lizard...we have them all over here in our complex, they love the dirty klongs...you can see them right next to busy interesections and just about anywhere in Bangkok or any other city in Thailand...and there's no way it was 4-5 meters long, for the biggest of them are a little over 2 meters...

Also, thanks for defining my tree snake for me, the couple people who did...i assumed it was a tree snake and was just wondering if it was poisonous...either way it was a cool looking snake.

I'm guessing not a water snake...I should have mentioned that it came down a wall of rock from the thick jungle to snag this lizard then slithered back up the wall/roots of trees to the canopy above. I have a video of said happenings, but i guess that'd be a pain in the ass to post...I think you're right though, about it being a scary blue snake.

Anyone have any idea what kind of snake this is? I know it's not a great pic, but it was taken on the beach of an island in Koh Taruatao National Park, not far from Koh Lipe (extreme Southern Thailand) ...I've searched several websites but to no avail...