BeauKarl

how can you say the Thai Bht is strong I measure the THB against the UK pound. I put a deposit on a house in Hua Hin in June 2008 at 65bht to the pound now its 47.84 that means my payments in uk pounds has gone up from £2000 a month to £2800. that is another £800. extra that I have to find each month.

Have you actually read your post?

Can't see how people can take the piss out of her family for being poor if they got a tuktuk and a ricefarm

Some people are honoust and some dishonoust, no matter where, but unless you got the money to take her with you or come and live here, you better not fall in love, Long distance relationships suck

it is not really Brown's fault. He is just following orders from his masters. The ones who also control the Central bank. If you look for someone to blame look in that direction. Derivatives, fractional banking, gold sales, interest rate control, currency manipulation etc...

They are just grabbing your assets with money they loaned you before. Money that was created out of thin air on a computer.

Free money loaned to you with interest and when you can't pay the bill, taking your assets, all for free.

Of course this system of banking has to come done, it is already incredible that it took so long.

And who's been in power to make it carry on that long

Brown wants to join the Euro, always had. However never will happen because most British do not want it.

BTW Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain are on verge of collapse with the EURO.

Spain have had their credit rating dropped from triple A, which is a huge hole to drop into as it makes borrowing money on the international markets 4 times as expensive and you do not want that when you are in a recession as well.

I have my business in Spain and 70 % of my customers are British holidaymakers, so yes I'm doomed.

Thank Whoever I have a paid roof over my head and my wife knows how to grow rice

Bangers, there's no other way in reading threads like this without having to read your rants.

So for the last time.

We all agree that the 'big guys' get away with it most of the time. They make the laws or pay the ones who make or should enforce them. So unless we all come to the streets to get them out of thier golden towers, there's not a lot that we can do about it. Unfortunatly. But who will fill the towers after they're gone?

We all agree that the laws should be for everybody, so even the 'small' dealers should be punished aswell.

I read in an earlier post of yours that you never said that drugs are not harmful, so we all agree that they are harmfull.

We all agree that we can make mistakes in our lives, but unfortunatly many of those won't learn from it after the first time being caught.

We all agree that we know people who use or used drugs. Some use it 'responsible' (whatever that may mean) some get addicted.

We all agree that addictions are a bad habbit and results in far worse things. Crime, death, being homeless, kids following your path, ....

Then there's some things that most agree on.

The use of drugs does inflict problems in behaving 'normal' and having a 'normal' live. Meaning it puts you in a different mindset and has an impact on your behaviour towards other people.

So I don't know where you keep getting the ideas from that we insult you (as you wrote many times)

I guess one thing that frustrates me is that as a westerner living in Bangkok the ease in which Bangkok can be beautified(improved) is so minimal.

From a western and Thai point of view (I would think) foot paths or sidewalks need minimal repair at times though unfortunately due to the lack of resources ( or care or priority not sure which one) slowly disintegrate into a major job that never get fixed.

Further more would love to figure out (though I dont speak a lot of Thai) how to get these things done properly the first time instead of having to revisit them 12 months later to do the same thing.

Dont want to fix the country just the footpaths

Cheers

Kev

I doubt the people living in those 'wooden houses' would consider Bangkok 'so exciting'.

Thailand is a monied up developing nation that's going backwards compared to neighbours like Malaysia and Vietnam. Its capital city could be so much better, easy changes; good management, planning, investment. Sewage, smog, crippling pavements (if any), building regulations, policing, transportation, etc, really need addressing.

Bangkok is entertaining, relatively safe, interesting and perhaps event vibrant. It's a far better place than your Manilla's and Phnom Phen's of the world. But, it's still a sh*thole, that's getting worse day by day. I can stand it, just, but I'd never raise a family in Bangkok, yuk, too many bloody Hengs around touting their tuk tuk with shouts of 'wan na girr'...

Good observations Dave. Enjoy the good sides, which are here, and get out before you start a family - Fukuoka with a sweet Japanese girl, go get her before your looks fade... goodluck.

I think those post sum up the main things why BKK is actually a dump.

You don't have to be a genious to know that if you do something right the first time, it won't need fixing for a long time. You don't have to be a genious to know that putting garbage in a bin is easier and quicker to clean, you don't have to be a genious to know that driving on the correct side of the road, will improve and speed up traffic,....

The more I read things like that, the more I keep thinking I wanna pack my bags and move.

How does Thailand actually get away with all that? Where is the morality? Are foreign press so closely monitored here that there's no way to open this publicly untill the bottom? I'm just stunned sometimes ...

I'm not at all interested in trying such a stupid stunt. I just wonder with the thousands of people passing through immigration how they are able to catch the guilty ones. I imagine for every one they catch 100 get through but it's still pretty impressive when they make a catch. Since there had to be something that made them suspicious enough to x ray his shoes. I agree with those who said it was probably the body language, I also wonder how often they are tipped off.

In Australia there are so many layers to customs and immigrations procedures it is daunting. Often much of it is unseen and unheard, this is why it is so effective.

Profiling. A 19 year old teenager returning alone from a country where drugs are easily available would be an indicator for a closer look.

Behavior. People are closely watched all the way through the process from disembarking to leaving the Customs area. Anyone looking nervous, confused or acting in any manner which may be perceived to be unusual would be another indicator.

Passport Control. The officer at passport control makes several decisions at that time, he decided whether you deserve some extra attentions from customs officers at this point. Again behavior is one indicator as is length of travel, countries visited, frequency of travel, etc. From experience I already know at this point whether I am going to have to join the often lengthy queue for a customs inspection or whether I can simply walk out. There have been times where my entry card has been marked and I just know that Im going to join a queue.

Customs Hall. Dogs patrol the customs hall sniffing, customs officers watch for suspicious behavior, observations are made about how much luggage you have, how it looks packed, what you are wearing and so on.

Customs Inspection: If you have nothing to declare but still need to join the customs inspection queue then you are again watched in the queue, cameras are everywhere. Officers on the ground make observations about your demeanor. When reaching inspection your bags may be x-rayed. Your bags may be searched. Your behavior is continually monitored. All sorts of decisions are made at different levels without you even realising it.

The levels of checking and monitoring are deep and numerous. Australian Customs are very good at what they do and despite this I am sure much passes through undetected but it really is Russian Roulette if you want to break the law and try importing something illegal.

I remember getting off the plane from Bangkok and being redirected right out of the gate by Customs Officers who made every passenger form a single file queue and walk 1 foot from the other person as two sniffer dogs went up and down the queue. I watched a couple of the officers and there was as much attention being paid to peoples behavior as there was from the dog having a bit of a sniff.

However as a law abiding citizen I have nothing to fear from Australian Customs , however I am paranoid about my bags and use locks and plastic wrap to minimize the chance that something is put into my bag without my knowledge. I will say though, even being law abiding and taking measures to minimize outside interference with my luggage I often feel very much under scrutiny so any experienced traveller would know that Australia would be the last place on earth you would want to try getting something past customs.

many of my friend play a sort of game- we do everything possible to look like smuggler..bad girl, gal...etc

we wear tee-shiirts with pro-dope statements( do you know I saw someone wearing one in thai airport who looked like staff), we refuse to give any occupation,or answer some question's, we always pay for tickets in cash

we are polite, but firm.... we do not give proper address( only YMCA),

we have high times magizine in our bag's, no credit card's, I also have dual nationality's, several legal passport's which I openly show, and this sometimes look's suspect to some place's

because I ahte flying so much I often have something t ease me through, which akes me look like a real stoner

do you know how many times I have been to Oz? and everywhere else... and how many times I have been properly checked...?

the answer is never- not once, not any where....south america, SE asia, no visable source of income

please be under no illusion- ' this is why they are so efffective..." are you kidding.... ? they are not, can not.... the vast majorty sail past...

a kiwi custom person even admited this to me, and nowadays they are some of the best trained

they tell you how many they catch, do they tell you how many they do not? maybe the fact drugs are on the rise is some sign

in all these years the only serious check I had was in sweden, and even that would have still not caught a dedicated

dog's means nothing- so easy to fool, fingerprint machine- nothing.... face recognition...nothing

there are places, service's, book's companyy which instruct how to defeat,,, and its easy

Maybe customs are so good that they know you're playing a game.

Why not put some heroin in your bags next time you fly and if you do get caught, tell them it's for the doctor who said there's no harm in it.

Bangers, your posts are so boring and repetitive.

Why are those doctors not comming out in public? If it's true and justified what they say, no one could punish them for doing so.

You keep saying you know people who use,...blablabla, so do many of us, but with different experiences on how they turn out. (altough you only have a few freinds who live 'normally' on it and the rest are in jail)

You keep saying that there needs to be prevention, altough there's loads of it and every school in the West has them. (speakers, posters...) How much more prevention do we need. The truth is, some people listen, some don't. Nomatter how many times you tell them.

What does me is people like you who use open forums to say that it's not harmfull, don't you think that maybe one day some young kid will say, hey she knows it, she has friends who live a normal live on heroin and she sais that doctors say that it's not harmfull,.... so I need to try that.

That could be one more kid that you might have to help in the future.

You keep telling us that we need to have an open mind, but maybe, very maybe it's you who's so focused on it, that you're the one who's not open anymore.

I think you better prepair for a bumpy ride. You won't get your deposit back after the contract but should pay another 3 months

bangers,

I think the death penality has worked in some way but agree that its obviously not a 100% deterrant. Lets face it, people that jam needles into their arms on a daily basis & shoot a substance with an unknown quality of drug into their veins must not give a dam_n about death anyway.

Perhaps the death penalty would be a greater deterrant if they got the public involved, hold the executions in public like they do in the middle east. In some of those places you can actually throw your own rocks at people when they are burried in the sand neck deep....if this was televised throughout the world & it was compulsory for school age children to watch, then I am sure we would have less takers that are willing to act as drug mules.

I mean, if we are going to have a death penalty, theres no point going half way with it.....bring it on i say!

Meanwhile you can keep going down the track of softly softly, please dont do this and please dont do that & lets see whose society is under the most control.

I once saw a woman stoned to death and a man have his head chopped of, he backed back a little and it caught his throat....could you do that to someone for what they had done?

I know you must be joking- this is not the way

this can never be allowed to be the way

we cannot become evil to fight evil.

We must show these elements that we are somehow better than then- set an example.

the whole problem with capital punishement is beside the fact it simple does not work statistically an innocent person will one day die

look how many poor blacks were sentenced to the chamber- how many political people silenced.... I will not make a comment about this place that will get me banned

( one man doing life said if he got the death sentence he would just kill as many as he could and be far more violent- nothing too lose. I have heard this many times.

So long as man exist's there will always be these elements- a percentage of " gone wrong" this is nature

thats why we need new ways to deal with things

If someone tried to harm my mam, wife or daughter, I would do far more then that !!!

You're trying to say that everybody is a sheep and nobody can do wrong, give me a break, there's loads out there who will never change, nomatter how much love, money, affection, understanding,.... you give them. This is reality, this is real life, somthing that druggies don't understand, because most of the times

they're in their own world.

And you keep asking us about solutions, while we actually already gave the solutions, but obviously not the same like yours.

You keep telling us how good Holland is, how safe it is, how low the crime there is, give me a break.

People are scared to go out after dark, Amsterdam, Rotterdam,... have bars on every window against burglars, police can't get into some areas, firebrigade and emergency needs backup to go in some areas,...Holiganism is one of the worse in Europe, because most of them are high...and the main cities do whatever it takes to bring their figures down by relocating the troublemakers to the outskirts and onto the borders with belgium, just the same like Belgium gets all the s*hit over from the French borders.

The only thing I agree on is that the main guys should be punished far more, but I've already written that in case you've not read it.

i am happy for you G54 and hope that you have finally met the right lady for you.

why is it that so many men allow themselves to be bitten so many times by thai ladies, yet one bite from a western lady will turn you against them all? i just dont understand why us thai girls are chased over and over again, by men who have been mixed up with the wrong ones. and they usually get mixed up with the same kind of girl.

why is that so? can anyone explain this to me as i am really confused.

Isn't that the same for ladies? That confuses me aswell.

If you're not carefull, fall in love easily or simply have bad luck you gonna get bit everywhere, no matter by who or where.

There's so much and so many to blame here - so I'll take my own first:

I should rant more often. Maybe it makes no difference - or maybe it does. But allowing the corrupt present system to get away with it? As much my fault as any. Why don't I (as a 'pushy' farang) walk into the safety inspector's office and make a big stink about some place? Becuase I'll be hated for it.. And the outcome will be superficial - I know it - so do others. But that doesn't let me off the hook.

In the best scenario you would be put out of the country, even on TV you can't say what you want, never mind in their office.

No entertainment establishments can operate in Bangkok without permission of police and all have to pay monthly under-the-counter stipends to police.

Moreover, Santika was actually located in an area which in 2003 was declared a ‘non entertainment zone’ under Bangkok city zoning laws.

The contradictions are indicative of what many people regard as a laissez-faire attitude in Thailand towards public safety.

source

Will Thailand be under pressure if foreign press jumps on it, or will they just not care?

I can't believe that some people here actually support the use of drugs or want to make it legal.

Have you actually seen what it does to people? Have you spoken to people high on crack, or children in their strange cannabis world. Should those be the future of our world?

I have seen/known so many people have a great time, no harm to themselves or other...fact

drug are not nearly as bad as the goverment wants to think

fact, some drugs have zero adverse effect, unlike smoking alchol

have you freewil or are well sheep

just do as we are told by those who have our wellbeing at heart, ha,ha,ha

another fact- it will NEVER stop and we need new policys

You really do need to get laid, so you wouldn't answer my post in 2 different ways in 2 days time

It's because of people like you that younger people start to believe there's nothing wrong with it. I know many people aswell who stuff their nose full nearly every day and while they're doing it they feel fine (as they say), but only the day after they need to take downers to be able to sleep and don't have a nose bone left from all the sniffing (no side effects hehe). When they're not on it, they chew their cheeks to pieces, are nervous, irritated (no side effetcs hehe)... and yes they all have businesses and jobs, but their prime importance is their drugs. I believe those are the responsible users as you name them, because they have been doing it for many many years. But still they admit that they wish they had never started it.

I have my business around the corner of the major discos back home and have seen heart attacks, fights, ... all because of drugs and alcohol and on young people.

Don't you think that at least you should admit that only a very small percentage are users, but most become abusers in a very short time after first using it.

Don't you have to admit that binch drinking amongst youngers is a main problem, even with all the ads going that it's bad. Alcohol is legal and for sale everywhere, imagine if others drugs would be legal????

I don't think it's a matter of being bad or not, it's a matter of being easily addicted or not. And I think it's bad enough already that we don't need anymore drugs freely available.

The fact is that only with a real crackdown on all dealers (big and small) and all countries producing it, will see a stop on the misery that the addictions can cause.

is there any reason to be rude to me? does that help things? does it improve matters? does it make you feel good? what have you done to help people?- I wonder if you do as much as me/my group

you still do not get it- I am NOT pro drugs, I a pro choice, pro truth, pro changing a policy to one that works- do you think what is happening ow is working?

surely not- now tell me why this is so.....

why is there so little violence related crime in holland?

why is holland the having the lowest amount of rapes?

why does holland have the least overdoese death in europe?

why the lest death due to dirty needles

etc, etc

I think that the lies that surround drugs are what in part lead to the abuse, and alot of the associated problems

well, in disco you would see this more no? I guess you are from the UK, well, thats really well balanced place to form an opion- like going to hel_l and saying" its pretty hot aroud here"

I seen very many people having a great a healthy life because they do things correctly- this is a fact, they are s lient majority because of obvious reasons

"its because of people like me....' I tell them facts, not lies,and when I give an opinion I state( as the established by Netherlands committed)- I tell them how to do in less damaging way, where to go for guidance, help, etc

there is nothing with what exactly- use or abuse? with free choice, or being a sheep?

it will never, ever stop, people will, as they always have done - take drugs- so, let recognize this and teach people a middle road, the perhaps the misery will stop

your crack down will never work- the mafia love it- we need to change strategy

I think if people choose to do they should be allowed-

they will anyway

by the way- I did get laid thank you very much- I also made a largish donation, stoped a burmese christian being sent back to burma to certain death and helped change a stupid thai prison law, paid for some childs operation-, etc,etc

I may be a moody,rich daddys little girl, -I do actively try to make some postive difference

who knows I may be all worng and totally mad

what have you done/ are planiing to do this year beside insult me?- are you involved, making a diffrence about something you feel strongly about?

come on guys, stop the insults- lets think of something new and that works

again

HAPPY NEW YEAR

NO, i'm not from the UK and even if I was , why should somebody from the UK not be able to post an opinion.

You seem to think that you're the only one with a solution and that only your solution should be accepted and that everything is an insult to you. (reread your own posts )

Lets just agree that we disagree about solutions, thoughts, opinions and experiences.

You can't help those who don't want to be helped.

Andy, you might wanna report that to international press agencies, to let them investigate it and keep the ball running.

BUT then we shouldn't complain anymore that all prices are going up and that tourism is going down.

I'm nearly out of ideas.

This is an open plea to anyone who might have seen these persons:

The missing people include the guy second from the left, the guy in blue in the center, and the girl on the far right. Would greatly appreciate if anyone has any information whatsoever on any of these people.

Please.

Doubt I'm of any help, hope you find them in a healthy condition.

Have you tried your embassy?

It's simple - don't get a girl from Pattaya, night entertainment areas or the internet. They are all looking for easy money.

Also, never go out with a teacher, especially the ones on the internet - they are the biggest scammers around.

Looks like you made your mind up on who's after money and who isn't.

Guess your wife is a high class girl with a rich family who fell in love with your looks

It took my (soon to be) wife 8 months before she said 'I love you' we've been together nearly 5 years now. When I asked her why it took so long, she said: How can I know if I love you when I first meet you. Love needs to grow.

When I ask her, do you need any money? She replies: ofcourse I'm a woman!

When I ask her why some Thai girls like farang, she sais for a better life.

What do you mean a better life? Thai man treat lady bad and farang can take care of lady financially.

Honousty pays, not alot in her case, but still enough to be with me.

I came to Thailand after a few long relationships, with only 1 thing in my mind. I was sick of loosing money on woman, so I gonna go somewhere, where I know they're after my money.

As long as you know where you're standing and realise it, then you can be nothing but happy.

I can't believe that some people here actually support the use of drugs or want to make it legal.

Have you actually seen what it does to people? Have you spoken to people high on crack, or children in their strange cannabis world. Should those be the future of our world?

I have seen/known so many people have a great time, no harm to themselves or other...fact

drug are not nearly as bad as the goverment wants to think

fact, some drugs have zero adverse effect, unlike smoking alchol

have you freewil or are well sheep

just do as we are told by those who have our wellbeing at heart, ha,ha,ha

another fact- it will NEVER stop and we need new policys

You really do need to get laid, so you wouldn't answer my post in 2 different ways in 2 days time

It's because of people like you that younger people start to believe there's nothing wrong with it. I know many people aswell who stuff their nose full nearly every day and while they're doing it they feel fine (as they say), but only the day after they need to take downers to be able to sleep and don't have a nose bone left from all the sniffing (no side effects hehe). When they're not on it, they chew their cheeks to pieces, are nervous, irritated (no side effetcs hehe)... and yes they all have businesses and jobs, but their prime importance is their drugs. I believe those are the responsible users as you name them, because they have been doing it for many many years. But still they admit that they wish they had never started it.

I have my business around the corner of the major discos back home and have seen heart attacks, fights, ... all because of drugs and alcohol and on young people.

Don't you think that at least you should admit that only a very small percentage are users, but most become abusers in a very short time after first using it.

Don't you have to admit that binch drinking amongst youngers is a main problem, even with all the ads going that it's bad. Alcohol is legal and for sale everywhere, imagine if others drugs would be legal????

I don't think it's a matter of being bad or not, it's a matter of being easily addicted or not. And I think it's bad enough already that we don't need anymore drugs freely available.

The fact is that only with a real crackdown on all dealers (big and small) and all countries produscing it, will see a stop on the misery that the addictions can cause.

I saw a Thai today with a TP uniform and on the back it said, 'assistent'

Shouldn't that be more appropriate for the foreigners?

Weird isn't it. These people have worked the majority of their lives and have now found paradise, then they try to make it like it was back home. Now stop me if I am wrong however there is something fundamentally wrong with people like that.

Just an off topic note did anyone see the address of Pattaya by Nils over the festive period. Oh! Who does he think he is??

Anyway you can stick expat clubs where the sun don't shine.

Weird isn't it. These people have worked the majority of their lives and have now found paradise, then they try to make it like it was back home. Now stop me if I am wrong however there is something fundamentally wrong with people like that.

Just an off topic note did anyone see the address of Pattaya by Nils over the festive period. Oh! Who does he think he is??

Anyway you can stick expat clubs where the sun don't shine.

Gosh the replies here have made me feel good.......

Is he the one doing the address with his kids sitting in shitty suits at the table looking bored and embarrassed as hel_l while he does it.

Saw one in 2005 which was repeated ad nauseam but it kept the girls amused laughing at the farang and his kids.

And just about every pic in his newspaper.

Those who want to do good things because they believe it's the right thing to do, stay out of the spotlights.

Then there's the other ones, well you get the point

I am heavily tattooed ... tattodrob is heavily tattooed, we have different experiences. his seem to self-admittidly be brought on to himself by not wearing a helmet.

I'm heavily tattooed aswell but never been stopped just because of that. I even had nice compliments about he tattoos by cops, after they stopped me for not wearing a helmet.

My wife got stopped a few months ago and the same cops stopped a pickup with 3 farangs in the back of it. The police said it's illegal to carry passengers in the back. If they did that with every Thai, they would have to work 24/7

Not every shop is a member of the PTC and like I said before, their 'regulations' would NOT be sufficient to get a licence in the west

You mention " four " shops who are up to the job. They would be.....................?

Sorry I won't take the responsibility to post the shops. Having an autoclave doesn't mean they're up to the job.

If you go in the shop ask to see the autoclave. It's the same principle as a pressure cooker. If their oven or whatever they claim to be the sterilizer has not water in it, then it's not an autoclave.

If they say that all equipment is single use, check if the tips, grips and tubes (those are the parts that hold the needle in the machine)are in unopened sealable sterilization bags. and that the steam indicator at the back has changed it color. EO gas can also be used to sterilize, but those are to expensive for a tattooshop, so you won't see those being used.

Needles are mostly imported from China and blisterpacked with an co gas stamp on it, but it has been reported that some are in fact not sterilized, so they should also go through the autoclave to be sure.

Just looking at Thai tv at the 3rd attempt for Police to push back the redones, gates closed again

TiT

Not every shop is a member of the PTC and like I said before, their 'regulations' would NOT be sufficient to get a licence in the west