spidermike007

If you look at the service records of democrats vs. republicans over the past 50 years, there are far, far more republicans who have received multiple deferments from serving, than democrats. Far more. So, there is no room for criticism when it comes to serving one's country. The GOP is the largest concentration of cowards in the land, yet the most hawkish when it comes to war. They love to start wars, but hate either fighting in them, or allowing their families to fight in those wars. But, as long as it is some other kid getting killed or maimed, no problem. Not a moment of sleep lost over that.

At this stage I am neither a democrat, nor a republican, as I feel both parties stink worse than a backed up rural outhouse. But, I am just pointing out the facts. Creeps like to criticize guys like McCain, Kerry, and Duckworth, when they themselves have not only never served, but would crap in their pants if they spent one hour on the battle front. These people are half men. They are tiny, tiny people, with hearts of stone, that barely possess a soul, and certainly do not possess an ounce of dignity, integrity, grace, or the ability to serve their nation with honor.

This two bit punk worm needs to receive the most severe punishment possible. The issue is going to be the father. Somehow, they have to bypass him to get the son prosecuted. And if the father gets in the way, he needs to be stripped of his position, and jailed also. Someone needs to send a message to young Thai men, some of whom are very obviously out of control. Are they going to be able to find a judge with the courage needed to sentence him?

This guy tortured a young girl because he could not control his temper? I have lost my temper before. Did I ever burn the tongue of a helpless young girl? That is beyond inexcusable. He should spend the next 30 years of his life in a high security prison, where his inmates can show him how they feel about twerps who hurt youngsters. I am sure he will make many new friends in there, and they can reciprocate some of the kindness he has dispensed over the years. Of course, we know this was not his first time, hurting someone. Just the first time he was caught. Shame on the cop father for raising such a super freak sluggard.

It seems the average Thai is not comfortable with nudity. It is a sense of prudishness. Not sure these guys deserve the attention they are getting for this silly act, that they probably committed after downing a bottle of sake each, or several tall Asahi beers. But, there is such an intense desire for all nations to convey a proper and correct face these days. Of course most of it is false, and fake. But, it is simply meant for public consumption.

Perhaps the government should insist that the company replace the boats, with ones that are less than 50 years old! Employ more recent safety technology. Move into the 21st century. And if this company cannot afford to do so, invite open bidding.

There are so many issues to be considered here. But first and foremost, is the fact that there are so few competent people within the administration, to tackle this massive problem. At least the finance minister has some experience within the financial sector. Highly unusual for a Thai administration. But, how many others do? How much real talent do they have?

And what are they doing to promote trade? Are they offering any special incentives (like Malaysia and Vietnam have been doing for some time) for foreign firms to re-locate here? 10 year visas for the executives, tax deferments, ability to purchase land outright, etc.

We know how little they are doing to promote tourism. With the exception of China, it almost seems as if they are actively discouraging Western tourism. There are so many things that allow one to make a conclusion like that.

So, what are they doing? What proactive and visionary actions are they taking?

This is a fascinating topic. I have always thought, that if you begin to speak about your faith, and as a candidate, start to represent yourself as a man of faith, that there has to be some demonstration of that, in daily life. Trump will do anything, or say anything to achieve a goal. He has demonstrated that over and over again in his career. Now that he is running for the position of top dog, he is claiming to be religious, and is appealing to the evangelical voters.

Well, does it mean anything if a man claims to be religious, but has never demonstrated that one iota, in his life?

1. He is the least generous of the candidates. Some who have examined the extent of his charity (a reasonable thing to do with a billionaire candidate, right?) have come to the conclusion that he is an absolute grinch, and has given a fabulously low amount of money away, in his entire life. For a man who is a self described "ardent philanthropist", it is shocking how little he actually donates to worthy causes. When you compare him to many other billionaires, such as Zuckerberg, Buffet, Turner, Gates, Ellison, and some others, he is the stingiest of them all, by such a huge margin, it is remarkable, especially for someone who professes he is a Christian.

Trump’s foundation began in 1987 and exists to donate money to other charities. It has no staff, and its annual IRS filings have regularly listed Trump’s average time spent on it as “minimal” or zero hours a week. The foundation has given out $3.6 million between 2011 and 2013, the most recent year in which its finances are available. The overwhelming majority of its recent gifts have been made with other people’s money. NBC Universal, World Wrestling Entertainment and high-end, sporting and entertainment event ticket-reseller Richard Ebers are among the largest donors; Trump made his last significant donation, of $30,000, in 2008.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/review-finds-trumps-charity-donations-modest/

2. Lawsuits. Some would argue that any billionaire is going to have some enemies. I would argue, that as a true Christian, it is possible to conduct business with an attitude of "Win, win". You can make money, without raping your counterpart. Not the Trump philosophy. He absolutely refuses to leave even $1 on the table, during his negotiations. Many talk about how violated they felt, at the conclusion of a deal with this man. Is this a Christian spirit? And there are hundreds who have been defrauded by this man over the years. Many of those people are actively pursuing lawsuits against him. Is this the way a real, practicing Christian, conducts his business?

3. Bankruptcies. He has declared bankruptcy four times, erasing a total of $4,700,000,000 in debt. Though alot of this money was borrowed from banks, those banks were publicly traded companies, therefore it can be argued that he stole (or at the very least, lost) money from the public trust. Would a true Christian have felt OK about doing this?

I will go out of my way to argue he is not Christian. He may be by birth. But, he is NOT a practicing Christian. He does nothing to demonstrate that he is. It is only babble. No action. No acts of generosity, no charity, no kindness toward his community nor toward his business associated. He is legendary for being ruthless, and vengeful. He is racist, xenophobic, hateful, nasty, venomous, caustic, and lack compassion on any level. None of these are Christian characteristics or qualities.

I am not a religious man. Spiritual maybe, but not religious. But, I believe if you are going to talk about your religious or spiritual beliefs in public you simply have to be held to a higher standard, and when your life is examined, there simply have to be some signs of that which you profess to be true. In the case of Trump, there are NONE. ZIP. NADA. He is an empty vessel of a man. A soul which is bereft of noble qualities. In the rather bright light of day, he is the polar opposite of a practicing Christian.

How does stealing three coconuts compare with a foreigner overstaying a few months?

Surely three coconuts wouldn't be missed, probably windfall anyway, so a victimless crime?

And the overstay is NOT a victimless crime? Who is the victim? He will get penalized on his way out. Now, the penalties are much more severe than before, and that penalty will be paid by him. So, why arrest him, and put him in jail, where he was either beaten to a pulp by the other inmates, or the sadistic cops? Why? What is the point? I know all you fanatical law and order types will argue he broke the law. But, is it a reasonable law that locks this guy up for overstay?

The owner of the coconut farm, Ms Aree Wongtakul, contacted police after CCTV footage captured Mr Naruebet stealing the coconuts on Thursday afternoon.

Ms Aree allegedly told police she would drop the charges if Mr Naruebet paid her 50,000 baht compensation.

So, the real question is why didn't the cops just tell Wongtakul to mind her own business, and spend her days counting her fortune, rather than persecuting poor people? Why doesn't someone just slap the crap out of her, and tell her to accept 100 baht and let this go away? 3 coconuts? And they arrested this guy? Sure he was foolish. But poverty can drive people to do desperate things. And one would not expect this kind of hooliganism on the part of a wealthy woman like Wongtakul. What a goon she is. Does she have any idea how foolish she looks? This is her 15 minutes of fame, and the entire nation is laughing at her, and ridiculing her. She will forever be remembered as the kee know mak mak lady. She will suffer for the rest of her life, from the intense humiliation she has brought upon herself. And she is probably too simple minded to get any of this. She is just being petulant, ugly, vengeful, and over protective of her land. In her tiny mind, she probably thinks she is sending a message. Don't steal my coconuts, or you will pay a heavy price for it! I am an upper class woman. I own all this land. You cannot touch me, you cannot walk onto my land, and you certainly cannot take my precious coconuts. If you will, I will come after you with everything I have. And you know why I will do that? Because I do not have a life. I am an empty shell of a woman. I am of no value to my community. I have never devoted a single moment to doing anything positive, or creative, or charitable, or kind, for my community, or my people. That is who I am. I am a scrooge. I am a freak. I am a no good woman, who have no value to anyone. I am a monster. What a goombah she is. What a local goliath. What a waste of oxygen. Someone needs to give this woman a very, very swift kick in the ass, and slap her around, and lecture her on how vastly she has failed her mission in life.

She is representative of nearly everything that is wrong with contemporary culture. I am not going to limit this to Thailand. It is a worldwide phenomenon. This episode encapsulates the lack of charity, that the masses engage in daily. How many of us really give back to society? In a meaningful way? This woman owns land that is probably quite valuable. And yet, she refuses, with every ounce of energy, and every molecule of her being, to help anyone. She certainly refused to help this guy. Rather than identify him, search him out, and ask him if he needs some help feeding his pregnant wife, she goes ballistic over three coconuts. Obviously, her reaction was completely out of proportion to the crime committed against her. But, that is the nature of the story, and it reveals alot about mankind, in this present day and age. Perhaps we all have to work a little harder, to avoid becoming the ugly Grinch that Wongtakul has allowed herself to become, disgracing herself and shaming her family and community, in the process.

I truly hope that a coconut will soon fall on the witches head and squeeze her brain out.

Do you honestly thing there is a brain in there? Based on her actions, she has demonstrated that if there is a brain at all, it is extremely small, and possessing an IQ that is probably considerably less than her air conditioned palace.

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Don't forget that most luggage locks now are TSA approved - meaning that with the right tool they pop open in seconds!

I am not saying they are foolproof. I am not saying they cannot be opened. Any small lock can be easily opened. But, how many petty thieves carry around a TSA tool with them? What is the percentage? Think about it, please. And is a piece of luggage safer with a small lock, than without one?Does hotel employee want to leave a trace? Just common sense, street smart travel advice, is all it is.

Once again the ugly head of religion rears its smug face to tell you what's right and wrong!

Yes, the world would be so much better with more bars and fewer temples.

I am not a religious guy. More of a spiritual sort. So, I am ambivalent about the temples. Here is what Matthew McConaughey's character had to say about organized religion in the brilliant first season of true detective:

"Transference of fear and self loathing to an authoritarian vessel is catharsis. He absorbs their dread with his narrative. Because of this, he is effective in proportion on the amount of certainty he can project. Certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus, that rewrites pathways in the brain, and dulls critical thinking".

Brilliant stuff. So, one can make an argument either way. Bars can be very healthy for society, as it allows us to blow off some steam. And who wants to be told what to do by the government? You can't enjoy your favorite bar anymore, because we have an agenda. Nonsense. Leave us alone!

I believe they do have an agenda. I believe they are trying to re-mold the country, in the image of the Chinese. That is their fastest growing tourist sector. They travel mostly as couples or families. The Chinese do not frequent the bars, and very rarely do they bar fine. So, I think the powers that be are looking around and saying, over time we should discourage the bars. It has been happening in Samui, for at least the past five years. Also Phuket. Both are a pale shadow of their former selves, when it comes to the bar scene, and the nightlife in general. Now, it is happening in Chiang Mai. Next Bangkok? Let us hope not. A religious agenda is rarely ever a positive thing for a society and a government. Historically, it has rarely ever led to a net benefit to society.

Isn't China secular?

That question has nothing to do with the topic at hand here. What we are discussing is the motivation behind the authorities wanting to shut down, or discourage the bar scene in Thailand. It is more than likely a moral agenda, being motivated by religion, the clergy, and the Chinese tourists, in my opinion. It is a bad idea. The bars are part of what gives Thailand at least part of it's character. The place simply would not be the same without it. And I say that as someone who does not drink much. Already Samui and Phuket, are seeing vastly reduced bar scenes. Even the famed Bangla Road (which I despise) is hurting big time. On Samui the bars are closing at an alarming pace. The remaining ones are complaining there are few customers, due to the new "lets get every Chinese person to visit Thailand, and let's discourage the Western tourist" policy. It is short sighted, ill willed, non visionary, stupid, and just an attempt to make the country more vanilla. Bad, bad, bad idea.

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Absolutely incorrect information. I have used good quality luggage locks all over the world, for the past 20 plus years. Never once, have I had an incident. I have had significant amounts of cash and valuables locked up in my luggage, either in my room, or in luggage storage at a hotel and never once have I had an issue. I realize it would be fairly easy to cut the lock. But, that is not the point. It is a deterrent. That is usually all you need. Nobody wants to make it look obvious that they stole from you in a hotel. A luggage lock is far safer than using a safe, in my opinion.

The owner of the coconut farm, Ms Aree Wongtakul, contacted police after CCTV footage captured Mr Naruebet stealing the coconuts on Thursday afternoon.

Ms Aree allegedly told police she would drop the charges if Mr Naruebet paid her 50,000 baht compensation.

So, the real question is why didn't the cops just tell Wongtakul to mind her own business, and spend her days counting her fortune, rather than persecuting poor people? Why doesn't someone just slap the crap out of her, and tell her to accept 100 baht and let this go away? 3 coconuts? And they arrested this guy? Sure he was foolish. But poverty can drive people to do desperate things. And one would not expect this kind of hooliganism on the part of a wealthy woman like Wongtakul. What a goon she is. Does she have any idea how foolish she looks? This is her 15 minutes of fame, and the entire nation is laughing at her, and ridiculing her. She will forever be remembered as the kee know mak mak lady. She will suffer for the rest of her life, from the intense humiliation she has brought upon herself. And she is probably too simple minded to get any of this. She is just being petulant, ugly, vengeful, and over protective of her land. In her tiny mind, she probably thinks she is sending a message. Don't steal my coconuts, or you will pay a heavy price for it! I am an upper class woman. I own all this land. You cannot touch me, you cannot walk onto my land, and you certainly cannot take my precious coconuts. If you will, I will come after you with everything I have. And you know why I will do that? Because I do not have a life. I am an empty shell of a woman. I am of no value to my community. I have never devoted a single moment to doing anything positive, or creative, or charitable, or kind, for my community, or my people. That is who I am. I am a scrooge. I am a freak. I am a no good woman, who have no value to anyone. I am a monster. What a goombah she is. What a local goliath. What a waste of oxygen. Someone needs to give this woman a very, very swift kick in the ass, and slap her around, and lecture her on how vastly she has failed her mission in life.

Fat Kim deserves all the hardship and flack he is getting. He is a hooligan, a fool, a nincompoop, a freak of nature, a despot, an ultra wealthy dictator who cares not one iota for his people, an insecure man, a bad decision maker, and a man who is imposing the least effective political system on his people, communism. It has failed everywhere, and it is proven to be terrible for an economy. The only exception to that is China, and they basically have a communist government with a capitalist economy, having realized that pure communism would leave their economy as destitute as Cuba.

There is no place for nuclear testing in the 21st century. Isolate this worm. Make him suffer.

Sounds like he had a fairly bad attorney that negotiated that deal. $660,000 a year in child support? My guess is that $3,000 per month goes to the children, and $52,000 a month is spent by the ex. If you are a wealthy man in the US, father children at your own peril.

Must cost alot to raise children these days.

Meanwhile, in today's Guardian:

"Slavery, trafficking, murder and corruption at all levels of government still pervade in Thailand's billion dollar fishing industry, activists claim"

“Our investigations at sea and across the Thai seafood sector continue to find extensive violence, corruption and abuse,”

said Steve Trent, director of the Environmental Justice Foundation, an NGO that has been working with the Thai government on the issue."

“Slaves are still on the boats; nationals of neighbouring states are still trafficked in to provide cheap or free labour, and Thai fishing vessels continue to fish illegally and unsustainably,

thereby reinforcing the economic incentives to use bonded, forced and slave labour to keep the costs down.”

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/feb/25/slavery-trafficking-thai-fishing-industry-environmental-justice-foundation

Strange how these NGO's can find all this evidence while Thailand's current government (shown in a recent poll to be significantly transparent) cannot.

I am certain this report is true. The government is not really looking for it. They are inspecting boats, and asking the captains to show their boat license, and then walking away. How about looking at the paperwork and interviewing random fisherman? Does that ever happen? My guess, is that they would find alot who were slaves.

And in the rare instance of them actually finding slaves, what happens to the boat captains, the boat owners, and the companies they are working for? When is the last time a CEO of a major seafood company here has been arrested and convicted? When is the last time a boat captain has been put into prison?

All talk, and no action makes Johhny a very dull boy.

First of all, the numbers are NOT up! Everyone I speak to, in the tourist industry, nationwide, says the same thing about that. Restaurants, bars, clubs, and hotels are all suffering. So are travel operators and travel agents, who do not have a large Chinese clientele. So, please stop drinking the TAT Kool Aid.

Second, they should do it, because it it the right thing to do. Not because there is profit in it. Do it out of the decency of your hearts. Do it to protect your future earnings. Do it to demonstrate kindness and character. Do it because real men act, and do not always just talk.

And by instituting traffic safety, improving the feeble, anemic, and impotent police force, and the like, they are not just protecting tourists. They are protecting their own people, who they profess to love so much, yet rarely ever demonstrate that affection with proactive and intelligent policy. Action speaks infinitely louder than words. Stop talking about it, and just do it.

Once again the ugly head of religion rears its smug face to tell you what's right and wrong!

Yes, the world would be so much better with more bars and fewer temples.

I am not a religious guy. More of a spiritual sort. So, I am ambivalent about the temples. Here is what Matthew McConaughey's character had to say about organized religion in the brilliant first season of true detective:

"Transference of fear and self loathing to an authoritarian vessel is catharsis. He absorbs their dread with his narrative. Because of this, he is effective in proportion on the amount of certainty he can project. Certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus, that rewrites pathways in the brain, and dulls critical thinking".

Brilliant stuff. So, one can make an argument either way. Bars can be very healthy for society, as it allows us to blow off some steam. And who wants to be told what to do by the government? You can't enjoy your favorite bar anymore, because we have an agenda. Nonsense. Leave us alone!

I believe they do have an agenda. I believe they are trying to re-mold the country, in the image of the Chinese. That is their fastest growing tourist sector. They travel mostly as couples or families. The Chinese do not frequent the bars, and very rarely do they bar fine. So, I think the powers that be are looking around and saying, over time we should discourage the bars. It has been happening in Samui, for at least the past five years. Also Phuket. Both are a pale shadow of their former selves, when it comes to the bar scene, and the nightlife in general. Now, it is happening in Chiang Mai. Next Bangkok? Let us hope not. A religious agenda is rarely ever a positive thing for a society and a government. Historically, it has rarely ever led to a net benefit to society.

Less exotic. Probably harder to meet women, if you are single? Good food, if you like Chinese food. Quite a bit more expensive. More civilized. They actually have law and order, competent police, traffic safety, and real governance. Far less corruption. Much more of a first world, developed nation feel to the place. Far less dangerous for driving around.

So, depends on what you are looking for. If I were you I would try living outside of Bangkok first. From my point of view, the only way I would find living in Bangkok to be enjoyable, for any stretch of time, would be if I had a spacious 38th floor condo, in a luxury building.

I was with some friends a few years ago in Pattaya. We are wondering around, and decided to check out a hotel, to see what the rooms were like. We wander in, and at the reception is a really stunning woman. As we start to ask her about the rooms, we notice that her name badge says Kittiporn. We all just look at each other, and try to hard not to crack up laughing. What can you say to something like that?

This is tragic, this poor guys only offence is not leaving the country, he didn't harm anybody. Whatt happened to this guy must be dream come true for people who vilify fellow foreigners who over stay. Visa sub forum here is full of posters calling for harsh punishment for foreigners who have over stayd, a very minor, victimless offence.

Lets put your allegation to the test, shall we ?

Who on this form feels that over stayers deserve to have violence inflicted upon them ?

Whitemouse says that this forum is full of people who dream about this kind of thing .

Is he correct or is he just being abusive about forum posters without reason ?

He could not possibly be more incorrect. Who would wish harm on someone for overstaying? I am not a big law and order guy, and I think it is a victimless crime. For him to be locked up for this very minor crime is in itself a crime. There are already stiff penalties in place, that prevent anyone from returning anytime soon, once they leave. And for him to have been abused the way he was? I suppose it could have been inflicted by other inmates. But, there is at least a chance it was inflicted by the cops. And for them to say he injured himself, on nearly his entire body, from convulsions? Who do they think they are addressing? Do they really consider the entire nation, and every ex-pat (including everyone on this forum), and tourist here to be that dumb and ignorant? That in itself says more about the mentality of these RCD (revenue collection department) officials, than anything else. Are they beyond reform? Who is the party to this interaction in most need of reform? I say it is the cops.

Had a good friend and next door neighbor that was a long time Idaho state trooper. He stated that based on his experience, more than 50% of the folks driving after 10 PM are going to be legally intoxicated. Percentages are likely higher at 1:40 AM leaving a Karoke bar in Thailand.

And when is the last time you have heard of a driver having his car taken away, due to the fact that he was too drunk to drive? Or even given a large fine for DOI?

The lack of regard for the safety of the general public here, on the part of the officials is astonishing. Combine that with their indifference, an extreme lack of policing, with regard to traffic safety, and a daredevil attitude on the part of many Thai male drivers, and you have a potent cocktail that results in alot of unnecessary injuries and deaths.

What blows my mind is, when I see a father driving with the entire family on board, and he is behaving in as careless a manner as possible, making moves that any sane person would not consider, at speeds in excess of 100 KPH. Why take those kinds of chances?

And would you drive in the back of a pickup truck at very high speeds, for any distance? Especially when the driver is not driving carefully and cautiously?

The extreme apathy, indifference, and lack of concern on the part of the government continues unabated. Will anything ever change? Will the grown children in charge ever take traffic safety seriously, and actually stop talking and take some form of action? One can only hope. It is horrific to see people killed in this manner. The families no doubt are devastated, and mourning their losses at this moment. Their families will never be the same after this tragedy.

Until traffic safety is taught, and traffic law enforcement is taken seriously, enforced, and maintained, nothing will ever change. Thailand appears headed toward the number one spot. Not a distinction one would pursue willingly. And yet? Eventually the police will have to be trained, and properly equipped to enforce the law, and take public safety seriously. Will it happen in our lifetimes? One can only guess. I hope it does.

On the many road trips I have taken around Thailand, the only time I have EVER seen a highway patrol car was AFTER a serious accident. The rest of the time they are no where to be seen. Where are they? Why are they not citing people for reckless driving, drunk driving, driving without seat belts, illegal lane changes, and other dangerous moves one sees every day on the roads here? Wy is the government not investing in traffic safety, and beefing up the highway patrol?

I have never carried a gun, nor have I ever owned a gun in my life. I ask myself, if I was a in situation, would I be prepared to shoot to kill? There is no point is shooting to injure, unless you are law enforcement. The guy is just going to hunt you down later. So, you pretty much have to shoot to kill. What are the ramifications of that, here in Thailand? Do I really want to kill a local guy? And deal with the aftermath?

A Wise decision if you are not prepared to follow thru after you have drawn your weapon. Many times people have had theirs taken away from them when the perpetrator realised that they are unwilling or incapable of going that final inch. Here in LOS - as a foreigner - you will be in a lot of trouble if you shoot someone - provided you get caught. Remember - it is not a secret if 2 people know.

Well, that goes to the very heart of the issue. Drawing your weapon. Obviously, if you do not have a gun, there is no possibility of drawing it, and executing another man. Maybe the other guy was going to back down? Maybe it was a situation that could have been defused? Maybe he did not have a weapon and you over reacted and shot him. A lot of maybes. A lot that I have decided I am not prepared to deal with. What if you do shoot him, and it was his fault, as he provoked or threatened you, and he was killed, and there were Thai witnesses? What do you think the odds are that they will testify on your behalf? And even if they do, what are the odds of you sitting before a fair and impartial judge? A lot of ifs. A lot of variables. For me, it is a situation I am working hard to avoid.

I realize there may come a day when I wish I had a gun to protect myself or my people. But, until that day comes, I am fine living without a gun, and remaining a non gun advocate.

Doubt the average Thai has much to look forward to. Don't know many happy Thais personally. Most are struggling. Those who lean towards violence would be more easily provoked in bad times.

The only Thais I know well, other than the beloved, are the inlaws, and they rarely smile, other than the socially required one.

I live in a small city that rarely sees a farang and has never been a farang tourist destination, and they don't smile much, so nothing to do with the evil farang tourist.

Even if the smiles are fake in tourist areas I'd rather that than no smiles at all.

It is true though, that over 20 years ago The Thai smile was real- it just got lost along the way.

It sounds to me like you found an unpleasant village. There are still alot here that have pleasant people, who are enjoying their lives and smile alot. I see it all the time. I would leave a village as somber as the one you live in, and find another. Wife's family or not. Life is too short to live in a place you are not loving. And it sounds like you will not be missing much, by being farther away from her somber family.