onni4me

...because Twitter has become a "stagnant pool" littered with scum and other hazards.

Couldn't agree more.

Same applies to much of the other social media as well.

I wonder do they have direct access to the countries of origin..? I mean, nice to know that our governments are willing to let Thais into their systems all information open access...

Or how is this going to play?

he now has eight days to sing the bill into law.

Poor bugger if he sings like me...

As a teacher in Thailand for 5 years and still involved in education, there is a lot I could say.

AS a Thai teacher, you should be ashamed of yourself.

If you want to say that you are a poor teacher, who doesn't care about your students; and you are a sheep, who just follows the bad teachering programs ? Then I have said it for you.

LOL...anyone ever teaching in Thai schools or institutions quickly learn not to question or try to change the status quo. If one tries, one finds himself without a job quicker than one says: This is Thailand!

Best way to deal with the nonsense is to teach the students as good as one can. There is no other way. Trying to interfere with the system is guaranteed way to get big problems.

I have been teaching at some point as a volunteer. They asked me to become permanent teacher which I refused. I have been working in a Thai consulting agency, half government and half private and my experiences are that the problems and ridiculous practices go through the whole society. When working in well-paid job add the backstabbing...and making problems look like the Farang did it.

If you haven't tried, why don't you give it a go? Holier-than-thou...

What's the point in this thread? People screw up their lives all over the world .

It's the Farang bashing thread of the week...

One thing that we might learn traveling through life is that there are no guarantees. I clicked of the title speaking about poor foreigners in Isaan...I've yet to meet one but I suppose they exist.

If you think they are poor because they have small pension like 25000 - 40000 Baht, I like to point out that this would be what they would be living on in their country of origin...some really struggle and I am not sure it is only in Isaan. With that money here one should be able to live okay. Perhaps not taking care of everyone else and the buffalo too...

Getting old and sick in Thailand is not in my plans. The climate is far too hot when one is nearing the old age...well, to me at least. I prefer somewhere in Spain where I lived couple of years or Tenerife.

In Thailand there exists no nanny state to take care of you when you fall in bad times so make plans well before something needs to be done.

Legal age in Cambodia is 18 + years, yes ? same as all

countries.

Not true. Some countries allow much lower age of consent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent

Yeah, I would wait to know more before having a go at him. As sad it is, targeting foreigners is very common in these countries.

That said, it happens/happened here in LOS too. I once saw something similar in Pattaya on a small Soi where young boys, seemed like age somewhere between 8 to 12, were on offer. They were high on drugs and sniffing glue. This was years ago and I don't know the situation nowadays.

It is very difficult to do anything since the mafia and BIB run the whole scam. They catch the perps and then you have the chance to pay up or go to jail. Many choose the first option.

This will continue as long as the real criminals are allowed to do it. I have no sympathy for anyone involved.

to apply brakes immediately after poll

So vote to stay in EU and we will do something about it LATER...yep yep...if there is no emergencies or some other kind of needs to accommodate a million refugees or so...

Buyer be aware.

Shouldn't really answer anything this vague of a question but since I have little time while drinking coffee and looking out of the window to my garden I'll try.

1. Where are you going to have the business? What type?

I would not care to gamble on just tourists or expats as customers. I would be looking something that Thais would like. Food probably being the easiest option. I know a lady that prepares 3 different soups in big cooking pots and sells them at the local market put in bags. Carry away. She averages 3000 Baht a day from that and it only takes morning to prepare them and she goes to market and sells them in short time, few hours, so she doesn't have to be there all day.

You can rent a place from shopping center/food center which will make money if you are popular and rent/cut is reasonable. The downsize is that it is very regulated.

Recently there has been new evening markets that seem to attract customers. Downsize is that rents are high. Few make much profit.

I am looking the town I know most and I only know 3 street side "restaurants" that are popular and make good money. They also employ quite a few people, a dozen or so, serving the customers. They sell 'kau man gai' and sort of pork noodles cooked from bones and meat. Good taste, affordable with 40 Baht prize tag and lots of customers - and dishes...

Your own restaurant would be the last thing I would recommend. High rent/dependency on the owner (= unpredictability) and the fact that Thais generally don't like foreign places/owners if it is not some food chain when it is not an issue.

2. Customer base

I have had several businesses in Thailand last 15 years. Some failed, some succeeded. My mistake was also concentrating on the tourist/expat business first. There are, after all, 67 million Thais or so. Nowadays my customers are 90% Thai and some tourists. It means the income is slightly lower but I have customers every day.

One of the regular mistakes is to come here as a tourist, spend money in a bar or restaurant and think that one can do that himself. If you have no previous experience, it will take a lot of time and money to get things right. Expect to fail at least couple of times. Knowing your market is something you really need to know very well.

Also, knowing how much everything costs is vital. Many also make the mistake that they belittle the costs and compare them to wherever they come from. This is Thailand so look at the local prices. As a rule of thumb, from the sale price 50% is profit from which you need to pay rent, and salaries and other costs.

3. Finances

Prepare to take loss for the first year or two if you are making anything bigger. Shop or permanent business. There are no sudden success stories without a lot of work and thinking.

In my opinion you cab expect average 7-12 % return on your investment. So, a million brings back 70000 - 120000 Baht a year. 10 million 0.7 - 1.2 million. Most guys don't have that kind of money. If anything, now knowing how things work here, I would put a real investment in. I was too cautious in the early years but that time I really didn't know enough about running a business here so maybe it was wise in a sense. I would say that 10 million investment - wisely used - you can make enough money to live here. I bet there will be guys saying that one can success with much less but I have very strong doubts about it.

Good luck. You are going to need it.

So he tries to blackmail government or send a message?

I see him as just another leftist person that thinks that there should be no borders and no rule of law. I've been a bit suspicious of him earlier and now he seems to show his true colors.

As a message to him (which he never will read, I'm sure) I'd like to tell him that Europe will seize to exist if the level of immigration today is allowed to be continued. But I am sure he couldn't care less. What matters is his own fame and glory and <deleted> the rest.

Most small business,s here would appear to be just a means of feeding the family, and any possible earnings are committed to rental properties ( both business and personal ), outstanding loans ( mainstream, and black ) and there is very little profit ( if any ) to be made.

Coupled along with an extremely poor ethos of business know-how, and there is a recipe for disaster for these business,s, and all the people involved.

As a someone who's family has or has had several businesses, I can agree to all what you say.

If you don't have your own property in a good location, it is almost impossible to make significant profit. The capital needed to accomplish this is out of the reach for most Thai families.

For good locations the rents are sky-high and that's where all the profit goes. The greed plays a part in this also. Couple good years and the owner of the property hikes the rent so much that one must leave. Happened to us also and not to mention the unwillingness to actually renovate the place or so...

Recently walking through Central and TukCom in Khon Kaen, I noticed at least 20 empty shops just in Central. Tukcom has several also. Central has very high rents and I just wondered years ago when it opened does Isaan have enough people with money to buy for those prices? Seems that not enough and we are just in the beginning of the doom and gloom of downward economy.

Thai are copycats. The recent fab seems to be fitness and gym popping up everywhere. One place that had quite a few customers now has 4 other places as competition. Wonder how long this is a profitable business?

I also see that Thailand would need significant and big chances in the way they do many things but as long as the junta keeps power, I see nothing in the horizon.

No assets, no guarantees, no deposits equals to...no loans.

Perhaps government and PM could be guarantors for all willing SME's?

No? That's what I thought...

Where to start..?

Perhaps as a customer, how you see Thai company serving its customers? Everything on time? Quality exceeding expectations? Accountability? Good communication skills? Best after-services and help phone line? Guarantee on product in case of malfunction or brake down?

Hah!

No responsibility whatsoever! Last time I complained that my rather expensive stainless steel water filter system was leaking and not working as it should after less tahn one year of use and I took it with a pickup to the shop i bought it...imagine what they said? Did they say they would fix it immediately and were sorry for the inconvenience? Did they offer me free service?

In you dreams!

They simply said that I didn't win the lottery regarding this particular water filter machine! Think awhile the gullibility of this answer before you go on. They have a customer that can afford an expensive machine and how do they treat him when something goes wrong? Mai pen rai! They really couldn't care less! We got your money so go an screw yourself!

I took the machine in a stainless steel shop where they kindly fixed it for 300 Baht. Later I bought the malfunctioning parts for a thousand or so Baht and after that the machine has worked as it should. Someone less interested probably would have given up.

This type of attitude is prevalent in Thai business practices. Screw the customer! Low quality product, maximum profit. No service. No returns. No help. Take your pick.

What comes to workers they abuse them as well. Long hours, little pay. Need to have some sort of a degree to work for a job that really can be thought in a day or two. No use of ones own brain, ask the all-knowing boss. Jobs filled with relatives not based on merit or experience.

I know more than a few intelligent and clever Thais that just got bored working for their less-than-clever employers. They started their own little business and seem more happy that nobody is telling them to lick their behinds with 300 Baht a day.

I see this country failing due to the mentality. Not because normal Thais would be any less capable than any other Asians or people from any other country. I also despise everyone here saying that they should be grateful for a job opportunity of 10 K Baht a month producing excellent work and complaining that they can't this or that. Shame on you!

While Thailand is stable under the military regime...

The credibility of the article stopped here for me. Thailand is crippled with corruption, freedom is suppressed and foreign investment went down 78% from year-to-year (Nov 2014 - Nov 2015).

The so called leadership has told USA that if they talk about democracy, they won't do business with the yanks. Good luck with that. They were dictating the Chinese to build a railroad for them and loan the money to do it and wanted the Chinese to take old rubber storages as an exchange...just to see Chinese buy their rubber elsewhere...

Stupid is what stupid does and what comes to stability...er...it's at its most stable when all is dead and still.

I sometimes wonder what is the things people come for? Early closures of bars, low quality of service (most of the time), robberies, high priced tuk-tuks and "free" taxis, muggings and so on. Not to mention the heat that feels rather tiresome at the moments.

I personally am really not into discos or noisy bars but like to sit and watch things going on from a distance. I prefer the quiet bar or pub with a view to the madness. The thing is just there is less and less interesting things to do when one has been here so long. Only thing I go to bars is to have a nice chat or new perspectives and even that is sometimes difficult.

Been Samet couple of times (3?) and it's overpriced, bad quality. Last time I complained that I was been eaten alive by hordes of bedbugs and the hotel/resort manager just smiled! No talk about compensation or changing the room or apologising...just a freaking smile!

And what is there to do during the day anyway? Drive around dirty plastic filled roads? Burn your skin on the beach that looks like a damp? Drink yourself silly all day? Have sex?

I suppose only reason people are still coming is that they have not realized that Thailand is past its best before date.

I predict that in 10 years there is not much tourists in Thailand. Not the ones they would like to have anyway and the only ones they can blame for this is themselves.

BS, he made his choice and we can at least respect that.

The world is coming more and more difficult to put up with. I see no shame taking ones own life.

RIP

The reason why things don't get cheaper is the enormous amount of QE. That makes prices (inflation) go up since salaries can't cope up with the inflation speed. Things aren't different this time either.

A lengthy but good article about how things stand for now and on:

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2016-01-11/2016-oil-limits-and-the-end-of-the-debt-supercycle

Old Soviet joke went something like this:

Radio Jerevan here.

We are asked what is socialism?

Our answer is that it is continuously adding ongoing problems, that are very easily taken care of.

___

I personally wonder, why would any illegal migrant that has come to the country without any identification, care a toss about some laws?

I see this as the beginning of the end for Merkel. And that's the only good thing that can be said.

The Thai economy grew by 1.0 percent on a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis in the September quarter of 2015, accelerating from a downwardly revised 0.3 percent expansion in the previous quarter and beating market consensus. It is the fastest growth since the fourth quarter of 2014, as a rebound in exports offset a decline in government expenditure and investment and a slowdown in private consumption. GDP Growth Rate in Thailand averaged 0.94 percent from 1993 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 9.60 percent in the first quarter of 2012 and a record low of -6.30 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. GDP Growth Rate in Thailand is reported by the Nesdb, Thailand.

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/gdp-growth

Anyway, that's off-topic here. This thread is about straight girls in the gay scene.

And that scene here is full of straight guys selling "services". Druggies with HIV+ and other STDs. ANd you see no connection? I say that this so called article was superficial at best. It only touched the surface talking about cute and handsome so I say she don't have a clue (or the author whoever that is).

I say that it is far from cool to hang out with them. And I know the scene pretty well. I would never try to introduce a bar encounter to any of my Thai friends or people I work with. Not to mention my family. It would be seen as introducing the plague.

So you come to Thailand and expect the Thais to speak fluent English?

When I came, I expected nothing. All that is in your mind. Not mine.

Whatever rocks your boat. I could not imagine a relationship with someone starting with little or no language skills. As I said, no communication, no relationship. And I am too slow to learn Thai becoming fluent in it. And I wonder how many there are that actually qualify as 'fluent'? I guess not many. And in Thailand I have encountered at least 5 different dialects so it is not just one language as such.

I had the chance to meet a guy that was perfect what I was looking for. You can keep the rest.

If you complain about relationships where one partner can barely understand the other, I believe the one who doesn't speak the local language is the one who needs to adjust.

Why? Could you enlighten me on two things: How you can have a relationship without being able to communicate? I call that infatuation or romantic encounter, not a proper relationship since it is about sharing, not taking or giving. And why you think that it should only be one way road me having to do all the adjusting? Actually that is very Thai attitude you try to impose here...

Jeez...is everything now racism?

I've been with every color imaginable so what does that make me? Racist against animals?

To be more serious, I don't have a such strong preference. A nice guy is a nice guy. What puts me off is too fat, too old, bad manners, smelly, very hairy...so that makes me a racist against particularly fat, old, badly behaving, smelly and hairy guys..?

I find this talk about racism boring. If you want to experience some of it, just ask Asians what they think of other Asians/foreigners or races.

When someone dreams of a black big ...er...something...that doesn't make him a racist. He has a preference or just daydreaming...LOL

The biggest difficulty finding a good guy is the language. Most of them don't speak a word of English or it is very basic and most good guys have a day job so you don't find them in bars.

I agree with what you say (even though it is off-topic in this thread).

Except, I don't agree about the language: All Thais that I know speak Thai, and we are in Thailand.

What comes to this so called article, I find it superficial and not really going to any depth. Under the surface, at least what I have witnessed and seen, the (commercial) gay scene here is not necessarily a very happy one. A lot of drugs, HIV and STDs, gambling, debts and early deaths by own hand. I've seen it all. I had many Thais that were engaged in the industry. Very few of them came through without some form of damage. Use of amphetamine was common. One ended up dead with AIDS, one lost his mind and is now going around Pattaya collecting bottles from garbage bins. One I know that quit and is now selling orange juice and makes okay money. Mostly if and when they had a foreign boyfriend they gambled or lost everything. Some more than twice, repeating the pattern. The "industry" benefits mostly the mafia behind it. Loan sharks, drug pushers and so on. When one realizes this, is there any point in engaging oneself pretending it to be "fun"?

When it comes to language, I find it extremely difficult to have relationship with someone who barely understands me. I mean, it's all about sharing. Right? So when it is based on pigeon English it is like being with a servant or something. I prefer equal relationship. Very hard to find but that's just me and communication is very important in that regard. I can't talk about feelings and problems with someone with very limited vocabulary.

I actually don't get where you are coming from? I speak some Thai. English is not my first language. I speak three languages somewhat fluently, two pretty basic and some Thai. I understand better than I speak. My partner speaks very good English. I find it as a very far fetch idea that when I arrived 15+ years ago I should have spoken fluent Thai on top of everything else. In my estimate it takes about a decade to come anywhere close speaking it on understandable level. Not to mention writing it and when getting older it just gets more and more difficult to remember. I get by with my daily activities speaking Thai. With my partner we speak English. It is a great asset also since he can join me to move to Europe at a later moment in time. Why, BTW, it is just foreigners should be able to learn Thai? I expect someone living with me also be able to learn to communicate. Thais aren't stupid. Some of them are lazy which I find to be especially the treat of people working in the "industry".

When I looked someone to live with, I had a sort of a list. He should be like:

- not working in a tourist area or for tourism (we all know that perception changes)

- no naked images on internet (tells volumes about someone)

- working (do I need to explain why?)

- speaks understandable level of English (communication is everything)

- is +/- 10 years older or younger than me (I don't know what to say to a young guy and too old just doesn't interest me, he is 7 years younger)

- doesn't drink, smoke or use drugs (I don't like alcoholics or the smell of cigarettes, not to mention drugs, I have a problem with drinking so prefer sober guys)

- no previous relationship with a foreigner (just my own reasons)

When I got serious about looking something more permanent I had been here around five years. There were many guys that I started chatting and finally I ended up with two. After chatted with him about 4 months and finally met. Been together ever since. Not always been an easy ride but both have learned and respect is mutual. Relationship is a working process, never finished and in my estimate even more demanding when the two are from different cultural backgrounds.

The article is so typical of this time. It merely scratches the surface.

As a gay man I visited those gay places in Pattaya quite regularly in the past. Not to forget Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket...that was when I still was single. Some fun was had but all in all the gay bar scene bores me after you realize what it is. It is about service.

I don't blame some ladies attending since in my guesstimate most guys, perhaps 90% of them, are straight or at least bisexual. I had many talks with them and most had a female partner someone in the background and even children. When I asked so what does the other person do, most of the time she was part of the industry as well...go and reckon...

In my humble opinion, finding a true gay partner from the scene is as rare as the famous needle in the haystack. I found mine from chat when we both were still working separate jobs. I wasn't looking the gorgeous guy or the best performance under the blanket but rather for the partner for life. And I found a gorgeous guy who has his own job and doesn't drink and couldn't care less attending something like gay scene here. Been together 10+ years.

The biggest difficulty finding a good guy is the language. Most of them don't speak a word of English or it is very basic and most good guys have a day job so you don't find them in bars.

Just my five cents.

Yes. I was more trying to pint out that it all starts from the will to change ones habits and some sort of a support is often needed. Not necessarily supernatural. I got support from my family.

The days before I made any decision - I wanted to but was scared - I was really questioning myself whether or not I was ready and had the power to do the lifestyle change. I mean, I was overweight, verging to become a drunk, and so on. So I was AFRAID to jump to the unknown. Some here seem to have their drinking under control and may say that it is just willpower that we need to decide but I say that depending the person it can be a tricky road.

If someone gets strength from his or hers belief, I see that as just as good as any other way. What I am not happy with is someone suggesting I need God or something else to replace my addiction. I have no experience about AA so I can't comment on their practices. I have things I believe in but the thing that carried me over the difficulties was that I didn't want to let down my family. I did it as much to them as myself.

What comes to DuncanKK's comment that a reformed alcoholic (whatever that means) is someone spoiling other people's fun, I have not encountered such or acted that way myself. I had a nice trip to Bangkok to meet and greet Thai friends and we had a river cruise with food and drink available. I did not drink and most Thais didn't either. Those who did I gladly let them enjoy themselves. It is not something I miss and not something I want to deny from others. I don't expect the rest of the world suddenly change their ways. And since I don't drink there is very little chance you meet me in a bar.

I quit drinking about a year ago and it was the most boring day of my life

Quitting drinking, losing weight, ending smoking...all pretty boring? Right?

Same could be said about trying to achieve goals in professional life or educating ones family or weeding the garden. As boring and time taking and costly it can be the reality is that without effort there are no rewards.

I am a good example of a lazy guy that leaves thing until 'later'. That later mind be when I am at doctor's office having high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney and liver damage and nothing can be done at that stage. Too many people take steps too late. No pill will give you back your health when it is gone.

After quitting drinking - or strongly limiting it - my finances, health, personal life and many other aspects have been improved greatly. That is enough rewards for me and I believe that I haven't seen everything yet. Day by day my decision to improve the quality of my life seems to bring new interesting horizons.

Only thing that I do not condone in the OP's writing is this 'God aspect'. Many place the need for alcohol with another dependency. It can be overly religious beliefs or holier-than-thou preaching to others. It sometimes is replacing one thing with another. My own approach is more of a holistic one. I push myself trying new things that I once commented saying something like: "Couldn't care less!". The reason was that I was either too drunk or hangover to have any power to engage myself.

I have found out that when one starts to live his life, the rewards follow. Listen to yourselves. You are the best person to know what you want and fancy.