spidermike007

Do these numbers add up to you? And besides, compared to last year? When the economy was post covid? These numbers are dismal. The overall market saw sales of 645,833 units sold, down 7.5% compared to the same period last year. In October, 58,963 units were sold, representing an 8.8% decrease year on year. The top 10 auto brands in Thailand based on sales (Jan-Oct 2023): Toyota: 220,144 units Isuzu: 131,256 units Honda: 77,188 units Ford: 31,329 units Mitsubishi: 28,280 units MG: 22,293 units BYD: 21,865 units Mazda: 14,709 units Nissan: 13,886 units Neta: 10,565 units

I hope you're right and I hope something like that happens. I do know a lot of Persian people and they certainly despise the Mullahs, who are quite a bunch of ignorant goons. In fact, they nearly redefine the concept of ignorance all by themselves.

A friend of mine said he was there inquiring about a new Ford Ranger and he said they were offering absolutely nothing in the way of discounts, which is quite shocking considering the fact that new car sales are at a near standstill at the moment here in Thailand.

The standards for the terms tech guru, love matchmaker, and historian have sure dropped. Yikes.

Well sometimes the results of the war are easy to read, and sometimes the results of a war take decades to understand. Iraq and Afghanistan are both great examples of that. Trillions of dollars spent, hundreds of thousands of lives lost, and what was the net gain? Where is Iraq now? And Afghanistan? The same thing applies to Iran. Let's just say we got rid of the Ayatollah and the extremists within the government, where would Iran be then? Would it become a magic democracy overnight, or would there be decades of blowback?

How do you know Thailand is not having serious economic issues? GDP is down. Exports are down. New car sales are down. Condo sales are down. Hotel occupancy rates are down. A busy bar in Nana does not convey the whole of the nation. Does it for you?

Thailand was an enemy of the allies during World War II and they were treated fairly afterwards just like Germany was. The extremist within the Senate were the ones who forced the hand of the moderates and by late 44 when Japan was getting its butt kicked all over the Pacific and in Burma, the moderates in the Senate kicked Japan out of Thailand completely.

The homeless numbers are far higher than they state. Thailand's days as a tourist mecca are behind it now. They will have to live on scraps. None of the myriad of issues that existed long before Covid have been addressed, and the quality of tourist Thailand attracts has been declining for years. Nearly anyone in the industry will attest to that. Few tourists will be interested in visiting a Quaker state, built on a foundation of fake purity, stripped of its character, by fools who know nothing about anything. The recession that is likely coming next year will not help. But, a lot of Thailand's current economic woes are largely self inflicted. The last guys were an exceedingly reckless administration engaged in multiple, highly selective economic shutdowns, that favored their cronies, and punished the masses. They also kept the nation closed off for far too long, and decimated tourism. Then they partially re-opened, with draconian restrictions. So, if you want to put the blame in the place it belongs, blame Prayuth and Prawit. They are the architects of the downfall of Thailand, the increased suicides, homelessness, crime, unemployment, and unhappiness of the people. Let us call it The Prayuth Decimation.

We utterly refuse to take a moral stand. We would prefer to remain friendly with the toxic giant to the north, and not piss them off on any level.

Many people do not realize Thailand was declared an enemy of the allies, and the US bombed Bangkok several times. Thailand was occupied by Japan for three long years, until the Thais finally kicked them out, when they were getting their butts kicked in Burma and throughout the Pacific.

I think synthetic oil is good if you're not planning on changing it more than every 10,000 km. In my opinion normal high quality oil like a Castrol, changed every 5,000 km is probably the better way to go. For motorbikes, every 3,000 km. Keep your oil as clean as possible. It does make a big difference and costs little.

If the facts as she related them are true this is indeed a very sad story, heartbreaking actually. One would think that she could have done a better job of hiding her gold, keeping it locked up perhaps? But I guess she thought her environment was secure.

It is very obvious that you've never had a low paying job position, and had a scrape by to save 2,000 baht per month. Your lack of compassion knows no bounds.

You've been annoying me for a very long time, you kept on doing the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, and I just haven't had much affection for you for a very long time. You raised your voice to me one last time, and I just had to blow you away. Hey, I did warn you.

The defamation laws were written by sold out cowards, to protect rotten players from reprisals, due to bad service, faulty products and bad business. They have no place in today's world. They represent a heinous over reach of toxic power. Thailand deserves whatever comes its way as a result of this. Those insane and cowardly defamation laws have been around way too long. They were written and passed by sold out politicians, for men who sell inferior products, offer inferior services, and steal alot of money. And do not intend to be answerable to anyone. Perhaps some of that will change. For those of us who have been here a awhile, we know that positive change only happens here through utter embarrassment, humiliation, and a loss of face. It never happens because it is the right thing to do, or due to fairness or equity. So, it must be thrust upon them, such as in this incident. The lack of vision prevents them from seeing it coming. Egg on the face can be a cure for many diseases and weaknesses.

Today is Sunday, so please conduct yourself accordingly. Sleep in, sip tea, lay around in your pajamas, listen to good music, watch good movies, read a good book, eat some wonderful food, and indulge yourself in an afternoon nap.

Thailand is very safe, for most foreigners. Most crime is Thai on Thai. As long as you have your wits about you, do not wander around drunk, do not insult the locals, and behave with some dignity and respect, you will be fine. Violent crime is far worse in the US, and elsewhere.

Of course they are unhappy. Nobody likes their monopoly taken away. They were making a fortune. Yet, monopolies are the worst possible scenario for everyone involved, except the monopolist. Back in 2019, King Power, which retains ownership of Leicester City club, offered 15.42 billion baht (£392.3 million) in yearly minimum guarantee of revenue without tax, topping the Lotte and Bangkok Airways consortium's 8.52 billion baht bid, AOT said.

The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis. The safety standards, the lack of uniform measures, poor inspections, if any, the shoddy craftsmanship, combined with an huge lack of pride in the work being done creates alot of hazards for the public. Overhanging awnings and signs, with razor sharp edges, hanging wires, crappy sidewalks. One need to exercise alot of attention, and be very conscious the moment you step outside here.

In regard to ex-pats I totally agree. Perhaps ex-pats should be given a bit more credit, in this formula? We do bring in alot of stable income. Even the rural folks benefit. Alot of the nicer houses in the poorer farming areas were built with money from expats. Alot of trucks, cars and income is from expats. Countless business employing many. To say it is insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit. By comparison, an average ex-pat spends how much per month? I would say alot of us spend 50,000 to upwards of 100,000 baht a month. I know I do. No value in that? I know some live on less. However, since the average income is around $600 or so, that means about 21,000 baht a month? I think xenophobia is utterly rampant, in all segments of the government here, from the feds right on down to the local amphur. However, I do not think most Thai people are that way. I think most either like us, or are indifferent to us. Which I can handle. To the contrary, I think ex-pats should be treated with the kind of respect and acknowledgement we deserve. We have decided to change our policies, and we now realize how much you guys bring to the table. An immigration officer will now come to your home to renew your visa, to show our appreciation, of your continued support. You will only be required to sign one form, and we will give you a five year, multiple entry visa. Free of charge. And we will include a 10,000 baht voucher, good for any hotel in the country, for one year. Princely treatment. Thank you so much for helping to rescue our economy and our people. We appreciate it, and aim to show it for a change! We are past the era of thugs like the big joke. And we apologize for all of his abuse. We realize we have been moving the country backwards. And Covid has given us all some time to reflect. We are going to start changing things, and attempt to move the nation forward, instead of backwards.

All seven former PDRC members were on trial on charges of insurrection, terrorism, creating public unrest and causing damage to state property. It seems that this charge of terrorism has been conveniently expanded, to include anything the government does not like. They sure are intolerant of any sort of criticism. Yet, they still insist they are a democracy, even with stolen elections. I do not think so.

I think there were 3 great music periods in our lifetimes. From around 1965 to the early 1970's. An explosion of amazing music, lyrics and social awareness. From the late 70s to the late 1980s. Incredible funk, old school hip hop, and great British music from bands ranging from Joy Division to Depeche Mode to the Cure (the ballads), Morrissey, Tears for Fears (the ballads), and so many more. Then Electronica from around 1996 to about 2003. Amazing creativity. DJ Shadow, Tosca, Faithless, Lamb, Red Snapper, DJ Krush, Coldcut, Zero 7, N.E.R.D., Boards of Canada, etc. Brilliant stuff. Since then? Not much. Dreadful hip hop, way too much lousy pop, boring and lifeless lyrics, and not much content. Reflective of Gen Z? Who knows. Just not much there.

With the highways is clogged as they are here, it's an absolute miracle this kind of thing does not happen more often. 70 years of neglect on the part of the government when it comes to the movement of cargo and the development of a railway cargo network, has resulted in some of the most clogged highways in the world.

It can be very, very effective, depends on how much effort you put into it, and it depends on how much ability you have to focus the mind. It does take a tremendous degree of concentration, but then again it also improves concentration. It's very beneficial, it does help you to achieve a level of objectivity, but only after practicing for many years, and it can provide a great deal of peace of mind. Even joy and bliss if you are able to go deep enough.

No sign of an overheated engine, smoke, a foul odor? Nothing?