h5kaf

I am one of, I suspect many thousands, who have found the wife/girlfriend cheating in this way. I walked away purely because I see no reason to impose a severe penalty (certainly not capital punishment) for what is a "normal cultural practice"

From his picture he does not come across as the kind, loving, gentle type. Executive Relief Operatives should beware that fleecing phsycopaths is a very dangerous business. Far better to go for silly old sods like me.

I also have a whinge. Firstly though I have to say that the inflight service, food and attention is good in business class. The new business class lounge at Heathrow is the best I have ever been in, almost good enough to miss the flight for.

Now for the whinge. I sent my daughter (8 years old) unaccompanied from Heathrow to Phuket. All the necessary forms filled in at both ends. The first trip with Eva Air last year went perfectly. She was accompanied at all times and handed over to the designated person at both ends. So this year as I fly Qatar I decided she could as well. Horrendous cockup from beginning to end. At Heathrow she almost missed the flight because the staff were "too busy" to take her through security to the boarding gate. But she arrived in Phuket OK and all was well. On the return flight all went smoothly at Phuket only for the notorious Heathrow/Doha staff to lose the paperwork - apparently.

So at Heathrow immigration with no paperwork and useless Qatar staff my daughter was grilled by immigration for over an hour on the suspicion that she was being 'trafficked'. She was obviously distraught, and her Auntie waiting to sign for her was frantic. Eventually she came out accompanied by 2 immigration officers who demanded ID etc from her Auntie. This proved OK and all was well.

CONCLUSION: Qatar in the air with shiny new planes is good. Administratively and managerially Qatar is useless - in fact in this case totally incompetent. I am also a FF (silver) and fly 3 or 4 times each year lhr-bkk/hkt in business but from now on I will try Oman Air or Etihad - have heard good things about both these airlines.

I thought formula 1 racing already has been going on on the country's roads and highways for several decades. Have I missed something?

Ha! Ha! Just what I was thinking. The cheap option would be to sell tickets for seats along the Chaofa Road East (and West) in Phuket. We have F1 racing every day and crashes too. Loads of excitement for all, no set up costs and the Thai organisers take all the cash.

Really - who buys fresh veg at Villa ??

exactly, unless its stuff like avocados or jalapeno peppers which you can't get anywhere else

You can buy these at TOPs in Central and at Robinsons in Phuket Town. Some of the produce sold at Villa Mart cannot be found elsewhere, but not much. In the early days the food - both meat and veg etc - was fresh well marked and served by staff who seemed to want to be of service. Now all one gets is a shrug, and a look that tells me 'I'm stupid'.

With many open air markets about and TOPS just down the road I wonder that Villa has any customers at all. You've guessed it, I am not a happy Villa customer.

Oh, please. Who hasn't had sex on a beach?

Exactly Jingthing. A very nice, refreshing cocktail, available at many bars and restaurants here!

h5kaf, are you an Aussie? A ladyfriend of mine once told me the Aussie idea of foreplay is, "You Awake Sheila?"

No I am a Pom. Been here a long time. But it is hard to judge how well one performs if the recipient of my 'love'/'lust' won't pay proper attention - at least wake up or put the comic, she is reading, down. I have come to the conclusion that it is me I am tying to please not her. I am sure that Aussies and others have the same problem. This is why an 'active surf princess' such as portrayed in this post is so attractive.

On a recent trip into BKK I was, along with others, directed to the VIP check in desks as the main hall was completely full. It took us 10 minutes. But next to these immigration desks was another desk for 'crew' manned by a lady who made no attempt to help out. She just sat there and slept with her eyes open.

As other posters have pointed out, the officers are very slow and seem to take every opportunity to talk to another colleague close by. What could be a clearer message that we are not wanted nor liked, but hey if only we would dump our wallets and leave.

I have read through this thread with great interest. I have a question: am I employable?

I am in my late 60s. (suspect big no!no!) I am a registered teacher in the UK (Ministry of Education). Am ex Adviser/Principal with B.Ed(Hons), M.A. (Ed)., Ph.D. Am a qualified Accountant. Subjects: education, economics, accounting, finance, statistics (quantitative methods).

Have taught in school, college, university. Have taught teachers to teach, and held senior admin/management positions.

Suspect I am too old and over qualified, but would be grateful for views. (Am still in possession of ALL my faculties (mental and physical).

This is a very misleading headline.

I was willing to go to 102,000 baht all in without even seeing her.

Ah well, your loss.

i have a girlfriend you can have ,il even deliver her for free

Wana you are a piece of work. I thought I was bad when I put mine on the transfer list - but you are really into 'marketing'.

Couldn't stop laughing when I readyour post.

Sad really, because often it is not about the girls but the poor kids who have no chance in life.

So, from what we read, a bloke who shouldn't drink, drinks a lot of booze then unfortunately dies. Misadventure eh?

But wait: he was an expat and it happened in Thailand - and he was with a Thai woman! So the TV members of the Sherlock Holmes Society decide that he must have been killed by the evil Thais, because that's what Thais do to innocent farangs. Case solved - arrest the witch!

It is the existence of the "TV members of the Sherlock Holmes Society" that makes this forum the constant source of amusement, and hilarious irrelevance, that it is. Without the morning chuckle that this forum gives me my day would be less enjoyable. Some of the most hilarious comments are from those who are posting in earnest fuelled by 'righteous indignation' at the Thai culture they have been living with, sometimes for years.

It is not a judgement call of the visa compnay, but of a doctor. Immigration can have their own doctor exmine you and make a decision based on that.

As to no crime, if you apply for reason of being sick or too sick to travel while you are perfectly fit to travel, you file a false application while you sign the documents and state the information you give is true.

I think that the original poster is bored with nothing to do but wind up readers on this forum. He has received accurate and timely advice with clear indications for action, yet he persists in carrying on investigating illegal activities etc. Am surprised that anyone else will bother to reply.

Condolences to the husband and the whole family of the poor woman. RIP.

As with every such post, I can only note with disgust the various comments... Thai bashing in 90% of all posts... "Thai to be blamed for accident".... "would be treated differently if it would be a Thai"... "would be treated differently in Europe"... "no money to be made, case closed"....

I'd like to ask a question to the Admins: Why do you allow comments on such "news" items? You know what will be coming... you could as well add the standard blaming comments yourself and close the item for comments.... did not see a single comment that add value to the post... probably mine included...

If the Admins did as you suggest there would be no discussion at all on this site. Many of us are constantly amazed and amused at the lengths posters will go to in order to rubbish some aspect of Thai society. To take away the ability to moan and groan is akin to taking away the 'life blood' of many who post here. Feel sorry for them. Thailand is corrupt, we all know that, but we still live here and enjoy life - deal with it. Tourists know this as well, for its not like Thai culture is a massive secret on the internet etc.

My condolences to the family of this poor lady who seems to have been the subject of a tragic accident. R.I.P.

Abhisit and his No 2, Suthep Thaugsuban, the party's secretary-general and the most visible "kingmaker" of the previous government, were never a happy pair to begin with. Their contrast in character was undeniable: Abhisit the rule-of-law, calm, considerate guy; Suthep the end-justifies-the-means fighter. But they were operating together on the public understanding that the prime minister somehow must be able to keep his deputy in check. Somewhere during the crisis of April-May, 2010, Suthep, together with the top brass, obviously took charge, with or without the prime minister's full consent, and certain aspects of the operations to prevent the red-shirt protest getting violent got badly out of control.

This paragraph underlines an important consideration. It seems to me that if the PM (whoever it may be) is well educated and internationally respected, an advocate of the rule-of-law, calm and considerate, then that person will inevitably be viewed with suspicion by the vast majority of the rural population. Care and consideration is not part of the make-up of many Thais, whilst corruption is woven into the very fabric of Thai society. So many of the so called 'Bangkok elite' were educated in the Western cultures and thus are aware of the importance of the many maxims that govern democratic civilised societies. The vast majority without the benefit of this exposure are unaware and thus understandably suspicious.

I see no solution in sight. Education may be the key, but this is an expensive very long term solution if one considers the logistics of teaching, schools, colleges in rural Thailand. Corruption must undoubtedly come under the spotlight - eventually. But to start with the police will mean paying them a decent wage commensurate with their responsibility in society. There will need to be decent pay and benefits so that tea money becomes irrelevant; also decent training so they can be trusted in society. These are but two of many problems facing any government.

I have tried to be constructive in my comments but the sheer complexity and impossibility of the task in the near future, probably paints my comments with a a dark depressive hue. I wish the new PM all the luck in the world.

Agree with these points, all well made. But there is one major exclusion - the 'tablets'. Apparently everyone was promised a tablet and many may have voted for this particular promise. Interesting to see how this issue is put on 'the back burner'.

If all the promises are kept, I can't see them losing another election.

I was on duty in the Totteham Riots in the 80s In SPG (if any of oldens its remember them)..... We didnt take priosners then BUT now its all on camera, I WILL GUARUANTEE YOU THAT SEVERAL OFFICERS IN ENGLAND WILL BE PROSECTED FOR GOING OVER THE TOP and "unfairly treating the poor youth" what the ********** is going on here.

Its pathetic to watch and listen to whats going on There will be a big public enquiry, how many more of these totally crap committees/ enquiries do we need to "establish" what went on. Normal people will just have had enough of these scum, I HOPE THE SITUATION WILL REVERSE FOR THE GOOD GUYS and not just a fightback but a 5 year sentence passed immediately for ANY body convicted of any criminal offense, (don't think that will happen not British way) Well it must happen to get back our way of life,,,, Watch the court sentenses this will be a laugh......

Anybody remember, Notting Hill Riots, Brixton riots, lewisham riots, Southall Riots etc That's just London not to mentioned Toxeth, bristol etc anything in common work it out for yourselves mmmmmmm?

It ain't rocket science is it ? Little S***** WHO WILL NICK ANYTHING AND KNOW THERE'S NO DETERRENT IF NICKED.

Ain't you glad your here is a largely peaceful and firm country, I KNOW I AM. and retired !!!!!

Cheers all

What a great post. The tree huggers are in charge and anyone who denies these thugs their 'human rights' will be in serious trouble. I would force those over 18, who are found to be guilty, to be conscripted into the army. Once fully trained send them to Afganistan where they can be as thuggish as they like. They can't be "exported" as they are all British. What a national disgrace.

Like you Devatsar I am glad to be a guest in peaceful and controlled Thailand.

Most excellent!

There ought to be a sweepstake about how long until this satire becomes (officially) reality.

Firstly, well done George a brilliant original post.

Secondly, though this is brilliant satire I worry that there must be some officials somewhere who can both read English and have no original ideas themselves who might think this is a good set of ideas.

How "old" is old and how high the balconies?

must be a joke right...

I did just scroll back up to see if the article had SATIRE written at the top.

I still think this is a TROLL. Not even a head in the sand US academic is unaware of the 'awarding status' of the Kao San Road Campus. Thailand an "Education Hub" really!!!!! :lol:

It's very easy for Thais to get visas to the USA. Just show up and watch as 90% get accepted when they go up to the booth.

That is such a crock of sh++. You are misinformed. I personally know of at least 10 Thais that have been turned down. The level of your ignorance is phenomenal. You are one of the great fools of the land, to utter such falsehoods, with absolutely nothing to back it up. Not only was my girlfriend turned down, but she met a woman who was married to an American, and she had been turned down 5 times! The state department told me that a Thai national applying for a tourist visa would be turned down flat, unless they had a minimum of 20 million baht cash in the bank, property assets, etc. Somebody who knows as little as you do will be doing all of mankind a favor by keeping his mouth shut, and not offering any advice.

Spidermike, such venom, you really should control yourself. None of the forum rules, that I have read, say that a poster has to be sensible, have a brain, if in possession of same put it into gear, or refrain from writing complete rubbish. That is half the fun of reading the posts on this forum. Just to make your day, I have a mate (an American) who has recently had approval for his GF to visit the US with him. She has little or no money and no land, but comes from a good Isan family.

The USA (my home country) is becoming more and more a police state. You get a cavity search to enter the public library

Sounds like an exciting way to start your daily studies. Lets hope the UK follows suit, as I know some very 'fit' librarians who can search my cavities any day, I may even read a book if I can get over the excitement of entering the place..

"Another red-shirt leader, Kwanchai Prai-pana, said Nuttawut should stay away from the Cabinet and instead serve as government spokesman to "protect" Yingluck."

Government Spokes-liar, more like!

I think its absolutely hilarious that having done Thaksin's dirty work for him that the 'red shirt' leaders, with all the sacrifices they have made (including the regrettable and unneccesary lost lives of the naive 'red' foot soldiers) have been discarded so humiliatingly - apparently now, deemed as being liabilities to the cause, having secured Thaksin's (sorry Yingluck's victory).

That they (red shirt warriors) have spent time behind bars (not the type of bars they were used to in living it up in their 5 star hotel) and the coward Thaksin ran away in search of exile because he didn't fancy the idea of being put behind bars only serves to increase the beautiful irony of it all!!!!

Their naivity and gullibility has been exposed for what it was. "Where's our cabinet posts" they yell from the rooftops!!! "Can't have any is the reply" as your work is finished and I must concentrate on getting my brother back to Thailand without any distraction from the likes of you, go back to your farms and toil the fields where you belong, complaining peasants that you are - "a bloody nuisance if you want the truth be known" and you are starting to get on my nerves now.

Oh dear, what are the gladiators to think about how events have turned out where their rewards for distinctive service in aid of the many fellow duped kindred poor has turned into nowt with the only prizes preserved for the "cowboys" with nothing for the deserving "indians", still, thats life as they (didn't) know it!!! - maybe they should go to Bangkok and protest and create havoc again, this time against their masters. The only difference to before is that their generous sponsor's will be on the other side of the fence and they will have to pay their own way. Sorry lads and lasses, no matter your good intent - you blew it for Thailand - serves you right!!!!

Ultimate and classic own goal - team Shinawatra 1 "red" mugs zilch

Love it. Corruption from top to bottom and everywhere. Where corruption on this scale exists there is no such thing as loyalty, only self interest. Best we all keep a low profile and carry on as normal - i.e drinking, sunbathing, bitching and groaning.

If nothing else, he looked and sounded good when interviewed by international press. That chap with his own cooking show couldn't even grunt in English

What country do you think this is?Just to inform you, this country is called Thailand .Its National language is Thai. That means there is no demand that to hold political office in this country or any other country where English is not the national language ,, you must be fluent in English.

I don't see what the debate is about. Abhisit was brilliant to the international press and in that sense a great ambassador for Thailand. BUT the majority of the Thai people have spoken and there is to be a new government. However they perform and however they are seen on the world stage, it is the Thai people who need to approve and be satisfied. In most political situations where voting is concerned you tend to get what you deserve.

It also shows how fundamentally different Asian and Western cultures and values are. This is something that a lot of farang posters overlook. You may be married to a Thai. You may have been living here for 20 years. But still, you grew up in a completely different society, with different morals, values and ethics. What's right for the goose may not be right for the gander. You may treat this country as your home. The Thais may treat you as one of them. But, you are and will always be a foreigner and trying to force your values and ethics down the Thai people's throat will merely make them resent you more.

This is the most sensible summary I have seen in a long time. Totally agree. We live here as foreigners, for better or for worse, and if and when we can't stand it any longer we had better be prepared to move on - because Thailand culture ans values will not change in our lifetime (no matter how young some of you are!!).

[i think some people are jumping the gun on this one a bit; of course condolences to those directly affected, but to immediately assume the accident is a result of poor driving standards is unfair - for all we know it could have been caused by some other reason like brake failure or swerving to avoid a dog. The driving standards are not good in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that every accident is down to them. Accidents happen unfortunately, and they happen everywhere.

Clearly a post by someone who is either new to Thailand or who has never been here.

Regardless of the definitions, you have to admit this post is one of the funniest, most obvious trolls in a LONG time.

20 year old innocent virgin unexpectedly finds herself pregnant by a 70 year old man .

I totally agree. As a plea to all Moderators PLEASE allow trolls such as this, even if you ban the boring or inflammatory ones. This has provided a huge amount of amusement and is worthwhile if only for that reason. :D

When your wife and her ex husband, divorced I take it legal sole custody of your step daughter was granted to your wife, at the ampur office? is that the paper your wife has? if it names your wife as having sole custody, i think that is all she needs. I guess she would also need to prove sole responsibility as well, but should not be too hard to do.

my GF got sole custody of her daughter in March this year. when she and her ex divorced custody was given to him.

I am confused by this reply and hope the last word should be "her" and not "him". If "him" what was the reason and process for changing the decision made at the Amphur Office?

Hi, when my gf divorced in 2009, sole custody of her son was given to her and SC of her daughter, to her ex husband. But both children lived with my gf since divorce. Earlier this year, as we are applying for UK settlement, her ex agreed to give custody of the daughter to my gf.

Thanks for the response. That is clear and seems to me to be the right way for him to have behaved. I was just concerned that there could have been some loophole (unknown to me) that allowed SC to be changed at a later date, without agreement on both sides.