panadolsandwich

When a dog was run over in front of my girlfriend's house in Isaan, I grabbed a shovel and started rolling up my sleeves.  She's like - what are you doing?  I'm going to bury the poor <deleted> before he starts to stink up the place.  And she's like no, no, no, just wait.  It's a big dog and she's squeezing my bicep for emphasis, it's a big dog - you'll see.  And sure enough 10 minutes later a ute comes by, these young guys pick up the dog and drive off. 

A similar thing happened with a cow.  An impromptu party was launched and I even partook of the raw 'beef salad', which wasn't bad really - certainly fresh. 

Yep, lots of wealthy landowning doctors send their daughters up to Bangkok to work as waitresses masquerading as rural poor girls in order to catch visiting farang. Crafty dads they are. . .

Can't help yourself can you? That was my first impression of her - based on ignorant opinions, which I happened to garner from well, - much like yours in fact; on websites such as this. Well - it was crafty - and so what? He wanted his attractive daughter to marry well - and that was hardly going to happen in Isaan. Everyone is happy with the deal - well everyone that matters. Her Dad was a very clever guy, he set it all up - I don't have to do much, but I am ruthless when I need to be. I still call the shots and everybody knows it. I don't spend much time here, just enough to deal with business. My wife is a something of a soft touch, and I love her for it even more.

What probably gets you is that I can wade through a drunken rioting mob here and remain inviolate. It doesn't cost me much - in fact my business is even growing. And I can manage it remotely too - through cronies. Whilst I practise.

Can I offer you a watercress and egg sandwich laced with panadol per chance?

Do you also enjoy egg sandwiches?

Thanks - with watercress and a touch of mayo - and a sprinkling of panadol of course.

Sounds like a alcoholic English teacher - unable to get a job in Bangkok so pushed out to the sticks. Lacking in self-esteem, dreaming up stories of grandeur.

Very sad.

Completely speculative and untrue. What isn't is your post count - 8000 + !!!! That is a fact. Seems like you're lacking in something worthwhile to do. I could also post some of your most trite posts if I felt like it - 'cept 5 seconds is the time limit I give myself to reply to such posts. Too long it seems . . .

What a pity you didn't qualify for dentistry. You'd have been a whizz at bridge work.

I suppose the irony *does* escape you. Repeatedly, inferring I'm not genuine seems to be your sole preoccupation. I detect not a slight whiff of jeolousy and bitterness in the air. I like the power of the pen much more than might. If what you say is true - can I ask you why you seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on this poor thread? Mr Rob please? Are you the light of truth and justice? Or simply some pathetic creep that negates the positive things other people have to say?

Jealous? And of what do you think I am jealous, pray tell? As for your assertion of "an inordinate amount of time" you are wrong for (at least) the second time. merely skimming through threads in a spare moment or two is hardly an inordinate amount of time. You are more full of it than the average byre, and have had more persona in TV than one would care to consider. So the amount of time is actually quite the reverse of what you suggest: it is you who spends "an inordinate amout of time" with your trolling posts. It is beyond me why anyone would wish to keep popping up in this manner. I will not suggest that perhaps you are a socially inadequate individual in need of help On second thoughts, the jury is out on that.

On one thing, however, we do agree. It is indeed, a very poor thread, and no longer worthy of my time.

Trip-trap, trip-trap, over the rickety bridge....... Bye!

"Trip-trap, trip-trap, over the rickety bridge....... Bye!"

You haven't added anything, except to reinforce my assessment of you. Now that I've touched a nerve - perhaps it is you that knows all about rickety bridges and ugly people to tell. I don't shrink before people like you. I stand up and do what is right. Your contemptable attacks on me won't be missed, but something tells me your false goodbye won't be the last.

Let's keep it in perspective, folks. We have had many threads about how much money is enough to live in Thailand. Some have income of 10k a month and are happy and still save some, while other wouldn't know how to make ends meet if they had less than 500k a month. Thai Baht, that is.

The beauty of ThaiVisa is that all these people meet here, even in the same threads.

Sent from my LG-P698f using Thaivisa Connect App

Nice sentiment - and I entirely agree - with the sentiment. However I wouldn't call it a beauty, not even the grossest optimist would call it that. Nice spin - but what you really should have written is it is an ugly depiction - which is closer to the truth as far as I can tell. I criticise because I would like to help TV - but not with rose-blinkered glasses.

Yes a very sorry thread indeed. I will be unfollowing now. I thought TV had put this kind of bitter, frustrated and irrational bickering behind it at least to a certain extent.

I won't be far behind you. I entirely agree with you. If you have followed so far - you would have read my repeated pleas for the personal attacks to stop. I'm sorry I did stoop to their level at one point - but it took the death of a friend to push me there. Still, I'm going to sling my hook. I don't hold a grudge.

I don't blame TV as such, my well-quoted phrases about it still stand. In fact I hope they reach a wider audience - the 'den of squalid personalities' phrase won't be renounced. Possibly enhanced and written into something far more coherent.

Poor. I earn 100k an hour. Sterling. On a bad day.

I wasn't addressing you - but still if you are earning that - I congratulate you. I don't do so bad myself - it would after all be bad taste to post it here.

P.s. Thank you in anticipation of your generosity

No problem - glad I could teach you something.

What a pity you didn't qualify for dentistry. You'd have been a whizz at bridge work.

I suppose the irony *does* escape you. Repeatedly, inferring I'm not genuine seems to be your sole preoccupation. I detect not a slight whiff of jeolousy and bitterness in the air. I like the power of the pen much more than might. If what you say is true - can I ask you why you seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on this poor thread? Mr Rob please? Are you the light of truth and justice? Or simply some pathetic creep that negates the positive things other people have to say?

I'm asking this because I am moving to Thailand and while I am very well off, in Canada I am just treated as any other person by my freinds and so on. I want to know if posters on ThaiVisa are representative of average farang in Thailand

Does that mean we gonna have to put up with numerous threads about how much money you really have ?

Perhaps you like socialism? Or more likely perhaps because you're skint you don't like anybody else mentioning they've got some coin to spend. Good luck to him I say.

First of all - put on your flak jacket.

Second - if you are adamant to persevere like I have, then you should ignore all of the posts you receive here. This is a forum of jackals and wild dogs.

Don't worry man - I've got sympathy.

"Where Is The Love?"

What's wrong with the world, mama

People livin' like they ain't got no mamas

I think the whole world addicted to the drama

Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma

Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here livin'

In the USA, the big CIA

The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

Madness is what you demonstrate

And that's exactly how anger works and operates

Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight

Take control of your mind and meditate

Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'

Children hurt and you hear them cryin'

Can you practice what you preach

And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)

Where is the love (The love)

Where is the love, the love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged

New days are strange, is the world insane

If love and peace are so strong

Why are there pieces of love that don't belong

Nations droppin' bombs

Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones

With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young

So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone

So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong

In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in

Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends

Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother

A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover

The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug

If you never know truth then you never know love

Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)

Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)

Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'

Children hurt and you hear them cryin'

Can you practice what you preach

And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)?

Where is the love (The love)?

Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder

As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder

Most of us only care about money makin'

Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media

Negative images is the main criteria

Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria

Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema

Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity

Whatever happened to the fairness in equality

Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity

Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down

There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under

Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found

Now ask yourself

Where is the love?

Where is the love?

Where is the love?

Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father, help us

Send some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love?

Sing with me y'all:

One world, one world (We only got)

One world, one world (That's all we got)

One world, one world

And something's wrong with it (Yeah)

Something's wrong with it (Yeah)

Something's wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah

We only got

(One world, one world)

That's all we got

(One world, one world)

No - just reasonably intelligent, entrepreneurial and hard working - and so I used the benefit of rounding to my I advantage - I'm closer to 30. Still a young and corrigable one lol!

Also, I don't post here as some may think, like I was writing for a medical journal - most posts take much less then 30 seconds to type - typically 10 - completely off the cuff - the OP only took about 10 minutes to write, using auto-completion software that regrettably hasn't been trained in most medical terms yet. I often turn it off. My grammar and diction are merely incidental - I would write more poorly if it was possible, but that would be more work - and I never ever criticise people for their own misgivings and poor use of language (it's bad form don't you know?)- yet most people generally comment that what I have written is - well, well-written.

My wife is Thai. I met her when I was attending an international conference at one of the five star hotels in Bangkok. She was a waitress. I fell in love with her - even though she was from a poor rural background, her Dad was also a Doctor, and we got along very well. Perhaps this belongs in a completely new thread. When her Dad died I took over management of the land and assets which encompassed much more than I ever expected. I hired a competent legal team and discovered to my shock that In reality they were rich. I wouldn't have to work again if that was what I desired. A lot of the respect I was getting in the tambon wasn't because I was a young personable farang - but because I was their landlord through my wife and the well-chosen cronies my father-in-law had chosen. Yet they knew I was calling the shots. A patina or sheen I'd never thought I'd ever acquire, one of protection - perhaps you'll know me after you read this. I can and do grant favours - the old divide and conquer technique to keep them in line, and the police know me - as I mentioned before. So yes I did feel inviolate on the night. I may not have status here - I wish people would read between the lines, well technically I don't, but my wife certainly does - and it would be extremely bad news to anybody who touched us - and incidentally any attempt to defend my family would be treated with all due process.

I married my wife for love - not money. I pity you if you think about marriage in terms of money - or even with a missed opportunity to marry an American girl half my age - which would make her 14 and reveals your insipid thoughts more then you probably realise - perhaps if you had more money you could be with a young American girl - what a sordid habitat you must mentally live in! I feel very sorry for people like you. You will probably never be happy.

How old is your daughter?

Was she in the car whilst you were drinking and could she see all this violence?

Did see see you go back to the war zone with two scalpels?

I think you are perhaps the first person to finally ask a pertinent quesiton. I drank beer, but no more than one per hour, as indicated in my original narrative. I was fine to drive. Normally I'd advocate not drinking at all if you plan to drive mainly oweing to epidermological reasons, but I know my limit. You're condemnation is admirable though however misguided it is.

I'm not going to talk about my daughter any further because especially in the light of the personal attacks I've received, I don't think it's appropriate, and if you are any sort of a decent person, neither would you. Also, it's repugnant that you should even bring it up.

So all you drink and drive folk ''know their limit'' ? That is an incredibly daft comment.

Well, this doesn't even dignify a response - did you read my post? If you did, either you didn't comprehend it or you chose to completely ignore it. Either way you chose to insult me. Nice one.

Since what I posted was to the letter true - what does what you called me make you? Worse than scum? I cremated a friend today - and scum like you are the least of my troubles. You might as well be a breadcrumb on my high table.

I am sorry for your loss.

Typically a body lies for at least three days prior to cremation, sometimes longer. As your friend passed such a short time ago - certainly less than 48 hours ago, if I understand your time-line correctly - was there a reason the cremation ceremony was held so quickly?

He died Saturday - he was cremated Monday. That's how they do things around here. If your experience varies, I'd be interested to know.

How old is your daughter?

Was she in the car whilst you were drinking and could she see all this violence?

Did see see you go back to the war zone with two scalpels?

I think you are perhaps the first person to finally ask a pertinent quesiton. I drank beer, but no more than one per hour, as indicated in my original narrative. I was fine to drive. Normally I'd advocate not drinking at all if you plan to drive mainly oweing to epidermological reasons, but I know my limit. You're condemnation is admirable though however misguided it is.

I'm not going to talk about my daughter any further because especially in the light of the personal attacks I've received, I don't think it's appropriate, and if you are any sort of a decent person, neither would you. Also, it's repugnant that you should even bring it up.

I cremated a friend today

Very sorry for your troubles if this is true.

I was under the impression it was someone you'd barely exchanged words with a few times.

Thanks. Your kind words are appreciated. He was in the same year at school as my wife, so he wasn't technically a firiend - what I mean is that if my wife hadn't of known him then I wouldn't have either. Still we did like each other and talk occasionally over a beer;. I helped out at his farm once or twice, and he did likewise. A really nice guy. I call that a friend. I'm not saying that because he died, he genuinely was.

""Your entire original narrative denigrated, dehumanized and presented every Thai person, save your wife and child, as sub-human. The crowd was transformed from an adoring crowd who cheered your very presence, "Hail, Caesar", into a group of primeval, savage, half-creeping zombies who were ugly, ugly, ugly like flocking birds.""

Let me see, I have a grand total of six posts (well counting this one seven), and what do you have - something northwards of 7000? You appear to assume that you are 1000 times (insert word here) than me. Who am I to quarrel with you and vice-versa? You could conclude my words are condensed and only used in moderation or I could conclude you've wasted a lot of time here.

People like you scare the shit out of me. To use a metaphor - what came first the scoopy or the fino? There are five possible answers this question, just to give you a clue.

I like what you wrote above - it shows you kind of got the gist of what I wrote in a trembling fashion off-the-cuff at about 3:30am in the morning immediately after it happened. . In fact I'm quite offended by it. So congratulations I suppose.

Since what I posted was to the letter true - what does what you called me make you? Worse than scum? I cremated a friend today - and scum like you are the least of my troubles. You might as well be a breadcrumb on my high table.

Please re-read the above post. Everybody here - including me - that is in my village is incredibly sad about what happened. I'll be attending one of the funerals tomorrow - to pour water on his face.

Why don't you save your trite recriminations for another time? Or do you want to put another kick in my ribs? I'm not perfect - I posted here because I wanted help to understand and cope with the shock - I've laid everything all out before you with no self-censorship - and that is all you have to say? Shame on you.

What I posted was obviously my own version of events. I don't care about any personal attacks on me. I'm not going to respond to any of those. In fact this might be my last post here.

I've been reliably informed three people died last night. The first one whom I assumed had been knifed had really been shot - he died on the operating table. One more was shot and another was knifed in the riot that I describe.

My wife and daughter are safe an sound. And I will protect them come hell or high water.

I'm not sure what the dynamic is here, I am curious of course - but it is a deeply negative one, and well, not a very nice one. Most of the people who responded to this thread made wild leaps of judgement and prejudice, without any attempt to ask any valid questions that might have pacified them. I'm not sure how that makes them feel better about themselves. Very judgemental, I suppose they live perfect ikea lives.

However I did read some very good replies near the beginning before the trolls and retards took over.

Three people died. I wanted to reiterate that before anyone else posts something that is frivolous or clearly just a personal attack on me.

My why? Well I witnessed it - and I don't know why.

What???

It was festival day in Si-Sa-ket (my apologies not the actual town). I'd spent the daylight hours in some periphery village about 15km away. I'd guiltily quaffed 3 large bottles of Chang classic since about midday, but by seven o'clock I felt fine after a light meal of deep fried sour fish sausage and some sticks of BBQ chicken and a light but fiery salad of som tam; and then three red bulls in rapid succession for good measure. I never did understand why they put them in such small bottles – good for profit margins I suppose and noone but me seems to question it. I felt raring to go. I wanted to see the lights, watch the coyote dancers, dance to the music and wish all my cares away. What I saw wasn't quite like that; in fact quite contradictory and a little disturbing.

I arrived in good time with daughter and wife in tow in the UN-inimitable CRV, and a few relatives joined us. I wanted to drink so we went to a local restaurant buffet. It was good fare really - just chomping on small BBQ items while quaffing my beer. Everyone else seemed chuffed too - my daughter and her little cousin each ate about five ice cream cones each, then set about demolishing the squid. I love watching kids eat in a buffet situation - it can tell you all kind of things you never would have guessed otherwise. For instance - there is no need to be overbearing in situations like this - they are perfectly aware that they want to eat more savoury items like BBQ squid, and when my nephew proposed another ice cream it was promptly censured by my daughter - what about the BBQ squid? Also my little nephew was so polite, like a little service attendant really. Always putting ice in my beer, and even pouring more in when necessary. I don't know what they're teaching them in school, but I was enormously impressed by these good manners.

Incidentally, since I've come to Thailand I've become inordinately fond of both squid and mangoes. Prod me with both a squid and a mango and I could become your friend for life.

The real fun started when we left and the relatives followed in their pick-up. By luck and a fair bit of skill, I cajoled the CRV into a prime position facing the entrance from about 80m away.

We proceeded into the entrance with pre-bought snacks and rattan mat under arm. The show was brilliant - live band, beautiful girls skimpily clad dancing very suggestively; light humour by a comedian pair - which I could appreciate - I was even singled out as the lone farang - but it seemed the thousand people were cheering me. I stood up and obliged and waved my hand - well fame never came more easier than that did it?

As the evening grew longer a weird thing started to happen. The light hearted genteel atmosphere seemed to evaporate into thin air. Until now, the crowd had been peaceful with a good-hearted let's all have fun here together attitude. People would hear a favourite song and run to the front to dance and let their worries disappear.

At this point I have to confess I wasn't there when it first kicked off - they didn't sell beer at the venue, so I'd gone off to buy some and smuggle it in.

When I came back a lot of people were leaving, and a man had been chibbed in the stomach and was being stretchered into an ambulance. A lot of people were speculating he was already dead and crowded around like vultures to witness it – not unlike ghouls, but uneventfully he was taken away by ambulance. I'm yet to hear of his fate. I just happened to see him being put into the ambulance, and the wound appeared to be to his lower abdomen on the right side. I suppose it's not for me to speculate but it did seem rather superficial – I'm a surgeon and I was tempted to intervene and examine him, but it all seemed to be in hand so to speak. If it was more serious I would certainly would have taken charge.

Unperturbed, and snug in a cosy drunkenness I went back in - the entertainment was courageously going on. What I found though was that the crowd had turned into a powder keg. Within five minutes I saw a drunken man tripped by a baton wielding bouncer, then with heavy boot stamped repeatedly on his throat he was handcuffed, then savagely kicked by about six bullies in security garb; even more disturbingly when the people who witnessed this started to step forward and condemn this - he pulled out a silver revolver - and in that moment I knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. The band was surreal y playing the song - 'don't push me too hard'.

The violence - it seemed so casual. Another bloke was king hit by a policeman I knew, bizarrely as undercover (how could he pull this off?) - I'd bought him many a beer in our village. When the man hit didn't go down he was swarmed by security (I put my policemen friend down as a soft touch). Then something akin to a bomb went off front of stage (I suspect thrown by security) and everyone close by panicked and ran. It was just a particularly large firework though - thankfully no one was hurt. The band stopped for perhaps a minute, but then started playing a popular Thai song - sorry the name eludes me right now. People were drawn as if against their will back to the stage - and the dancing seemed primeval - no skill, zero skill, almost anti-skill - just happiness to feel the beat. Rural people and their hour of savage fun.

By now you may be thinking I should be worried about my own safety, of my wife and child - but it seemed like the security was in control, if not brutally so. Also, I'd come to see the show. Even so, I went back to the CRV and got two scalpels from my medical satchel and put them in my pockets. I was prepared to vivisect or disembowel anybody that threatened to harm me or my small family. But I longed for a semi-automatic.

The band finished the song, and people walked quickly away from the stage - no applause, nothing. They are a tough crowd in Isaan. Perhaps sensing this the band fired up perhaps the most crowd rousing song they had. It was, I genuinely don't know how to describe this, but I'll give it a go. It was disturbing. They came to the front of the stage creeping in half crouched positions, like vermin drawn unwillingly by a piper's pipe. They skipped, and kind of danced as if drawn like idiot zombies to a vampire feast. It was surreal, but it was real. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen if with my own eyes.

A bottle of water was strewn to the left side of our party so as it could douse the maximum amount of people it seemed. This caused a minor skirmish, some people like to exaggerate – yet it wasn't anything more than that – a few people got their heads kicked and there was some blood – well enough blood to form a pool, but people – even respectable people like the doctors and teachers I knew were standing up and I recognised that atavistic look in their eye - it was like everyone there was ready and willing to fight at a moments notice - I was fascinated and would have stayed if it was just me – if only to witness it from an anthropic principle, but I had to take my wife and daughter back to safety. I feared they'd be trampled if there was anymore panic to make it for the very narrow exit. Also the atmosphere was such that just being a farang would justify an attack, and any retaliation on my part would most likely be taken as an invitation to all and sundry to kick me, and stamp on my throat. I was thinking clearly though – I always seem to do, especially under such circumstances.

Moments later we sat in the CRV all doors locked, drinking cans of Chang Export and watched as the violence escalated. Scores of youths kept arriving on skinny wheeled motorbikes. An ugly gang that clearly outnumbered security waited patiently outside the entrance. Then it kicked off - an ugly cowardly thing where it appeared you would hit your opponent then run, then the guys supporting your opponent would chase you, then if enough of your friends were there - you would make a stand, then perhaps chase them. Such flocking behaviour is seen in birds. It sickened me. Such cowards. Nobody stood up and just fought. Perhaps standing up an fighting is a European thing? I wanted to time their vicious flock with our CRV leaving so I could run as many down as I could. Noone would question us leaving at such high velocity in the face of such a riot.

However, I'd seen enough, we drove home. I'll leave it to the reader to fathom their own conclusions. I've got my own ideas, but I'd rather hear your ideas first - why?