jesimps

9 hours ago, sprq said:

"Who do you think you are - Stirling Moss?"

 

What we all said in the 50s to somebody who was driving rather fast or rather fancily.

 

It seems a pretty good epitaph.

I was just about to post something similar, but you've said it for me. RIP the great Stirling Moss.

9 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

R. I. P. True legend, 

From a Liverpool fan. 

Agreed. Born and bred Liverpudlian and lifetime fan of the Redmen.

1 hour ago, Yme said:

It defies belief and the laws of common sense that with this virus getting increasingly worse since January that someone who **needs** a valid passport would wait until the last couple of months before expiry to do something about it. And as for whether this will be over by June? Bwahahaha. 

I think the OP has more than a year to run on his passport, but like me, he needs to be renewing his within the next couple of months to ensure that when he applies for his 12 month visa extension, he will get the full year, because they only grant it to the expiry date of your passport. A few of us will be panicking if this consular rule lasts for more than six months.

Well said Liverpoolfan. I also read that the disgusting "wet markets" are still going strong in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus. The Chinese will eat anything if they think it'll put lead in their pencil. You only have to observe their tourists to realise what sort of people they are.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Absolutely correct. With regard to Australia, it was also a bit discouraging seeing the media making much of the public and even fire-department workers openly dissing their PM during the recent bush fires. They blamed the government and ranted about the PM being on vacation in Hawaii at the start of the outbreak. All this while ignoring the fact that the person in charge of NSW's emergency services was similarly indisposed at the height of their tragedy. The states raise money through taxes and fees for services and allocate what they see is adequate funding. When needed or requested, federal government gives money to the individual states but these states are still responsible for their own preparedness or otherwise.

 

Back on topic back here in Thailand regarding the booze ban. If the PM had exercised his SoE powers and mandated a nationwide booze ban, the same noisome malcontents bleating about Thailand's rather scattergun approach to this issue would be gurning about 'dictatorship' and 'police state' and other stuff of nonsense.

 

Please get a grip.

How did that get through? I thought I blocked this WUM years ago.

I'm all for them wanting to curtail the Songkran activities, after spending a holiday there last year and lasted at least the three days that I spent there. The place was even noisier than Pattaya if that's possible. What really annoyed me and is why I'll never return there, is that one of the main water throwing areas was right along the back of the war cemetary. Whilst looking around the war museum my wife and I couldn't hear ourselves speak for the loud bass-heavy music. As an aside, as a farang, I had to pay a larger entrance fee than her.

Wouldn't surprise me to see the booze ban extended by this govt, who don't miss a trick in keeping the masses miserable, but managable.

6 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

I have always found Thai people to be exceedingly helpful and kind, and fail to understand why you even question if it was "genuine"

You must have experienced some very unkind actions during your life. 

Probably each time he/she goes to the local immigration office.

7 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Can't bash people for showing love and compassion for humans in need...

 

Kudos to Thais stepping up to help!

????

Immigration stormtroopers take note.

3 hours ago, J Town said:

I ride my pushbike on that motorway. There is a major section NOT finished. Not large, could be completed in a few days, but there is a reason it's not finished us minions aren't allowed to know. Some stupid politics I'm sure.

Every road they build has an unfinished section, usually no more than a hundred metres or so. There was one on the new Second Road in Jomtien for over 12 months I reckon.

On 4/10/2020 at 8:26 AM, fforest1 said:

Songkran is only the excuse for the ban.....Banning alcohol is very much in fashion worldwide these days.... 

Especially amongst generals in suits who're notoriously anti fun. It also makes people brave and encourages the masses to question their authority. I do think they had Songkran in mind though, the people have a mindset that they can do what they want during this festival and the police have never been able to manage it. In fact, they all disappear. It'll make their task a bit easier if there's less alcohol about. If I didn't know about the Thai law against brewing your own, I'd be buying up red grape juice and sugar like mad ????

23 hours ago, Chrysaora said:

Is it possible, that it may be racist to not know that it is racist?

Or that it may be racist to accuse the great show of being racist. I think it goes overboard in trying not to be.

The way the world's going, it won't be long before sex with minors is legal. In fact, it'll be encouraged and people will go "Ahhh, bless them" as adults marry children of school age. Anyone speaking out against it will be charged with hate speech.

Renew my British pisspot, hopefully before my one year extension in September.

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

My old man once said to me when he saw that I was down early in my life; son, you know life is not a straight line, there are going to be big mountains you are going to have to climb, and you will be mentally exhausted, but when you finally reach the peak, you will rest and, then see the downhill journey will be less challenging for you, you will also turn and go the wrong way and have will to turn back after a long journey on the wrong road, that won't be easy, but you have to look at life as a journey, we will all get to the same place at the end of our journey, so when challengers are put in front of you, and they will throughout your life, look at each one as a new journey, duck and weave as if someone is throwing punches at you, and eventually you will tire them, now here drink this, and just remember, I have been where you are coming from, smiled and drank his drink.

 

My take in answering your questions.

 

1) Don't over borrow. 

 

2) Never chain yourself down to a job that you "need" to depend on to survive, e.g. have different skill sets, if it's a business, make sure it's a portable one so that you don't have to pay for a lease/mortgage etc etc.

 

If relationships are based on finances, it is destined to fall apart.

 

Blood in the streets is always possible when people overextend and or banks increase rates or governments make changes.

 

The above said, my freedom is all that has been affected with this Covid-19 situation at the moment, as for the 50% drop in my share portfolio, well, that is what stock markets do, they go up and down, but things will change in time, for the better, that said, I can't take it with me, so I will eat from my fruits of labor as the dividends keep coming in.

 

Naturally we would have been better off without the pandemic, but one would hope the "leaders" of the world will take note of this pandemic, and spend less on military and more on finding cures for future outbreaks, however I wouldn't be putting any money on it, because it is less profitable and they need to keep culling.

Referring to your last para. It would be nice, but it only needs one demented leader to keep increasing his country's nuclear strength and the rest have to follow. Not to would be madness, as these crazy beggars would just <deleted> on us and rub it in.

On 4/6/2020 at 12:37 PM, sanuk711 said:

 

 

I wonder how many people will have to put their lives in the hands of the money lenders--never to see the debt paid off/ I wonder how many small businesses will go belly up /  I wonder how many relationships will brake down because of the financial strain/ I wonder if there is going to be blood in the streets if this continues/  I wonder if we would have been better off without Covid-19 & stick with the motor bike madness

 

.

Seems to me like you're trying to justify the awful fatality statistics on Thai roads.

On 4/6/2020 at 11:11 AM, spiekerjozef said:

I feel sorry for you. That horrible US accent...

It isn't the accent, it's the grammar that annoys me. I can't understand why they don't use English grammar to the letter or call their version "American", or even "Bastardised English". All those incorrect spellings and hard vowels when they should be soft and vice versa. Rant over.

I know this thread's about the Aussie embassy, but as an ex member of the British foreign service, I hope the good Lord grants that I never have an emergency situation that requires the help of the British Embassy. Sounds like your lot are as helpful as our lot.

9 minutes ago, Yme said:

I've had mine received there in the past well less than seven days and they still accepted it. I got the stapled warning with a highlighter marker and two penned underlines ???? ???? 

Not suggesting that anyone do that, but I think they're fairly accommodating and always found it a reliable way to do the 90-day. I have no idea why people who don't need to go to an immigration office. I visit once a year for visa renewal and wp renewal. 

 

I used to do my 90 day report by post all the time in the days when you had to fill out a TM47 and take various passport copies etc. Then once, I didn't get the slip returned and decided to report in person just in case. The Jomtien office isn't far from me and when I discovered how easy the computerised system of just producing your passport was, I decided to visit the office every time, until my recent report. Because of the virus, I didn't fancy queuing in a crowded office, so thought I'd give the postal system a go again. I was pleasantly surprised to get my slip back within two or three days. As long as you post your bumph within 7 - 15 days and you have the EMS slip to prove it, you should be ok. It isn't worth doing a special trip to your IO these days while there are hundreds of potential virus spreaders queuing, I'd rather risk the 2000 baht fine.

Did mine by mail to Jomtien a week or so back, received the slip with the new reporting date two or three days later. I had the EMS receipt anyway if anything went wrong. Didn't have to go anywhere near the festering place.

On 4/4/2020 at 2:33 PM, Brewster67 said:

Sweden, no lockdowns, pubs open, no fines or curfews, zero restrictions.

 

Average rate of new cases daily

Sweden = 9%

UK =13%

USA = 15%

France = 20%

 

Never seen those percentages before. Interesting.