spidermike007

No idea about here, but on a recent visit to the US, I noticed they were $9 a pack. Plus tax! That is insanity.

This is what many Americans have to look forward to, if they do not own a home, have not been smart with their finances, and very fortunate.

This 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. How and why was this disaster inflicted upon the economy? I would go one step further, and include the Prayuth Decimation as one of the causes of the economic stagnation we are seeing now. This was not entirely circumstantial, and the revisionist history is already beginning, it would appear. So many things could have been done, to ensure a softer landing, when covid was not a factor anymore. The highly selective economic shutdowns which favored cronies, at the expense of the average Thai were punitive and extremely damaging, resulting in higher suicides, homelessness, crushed lives, countless lost businesses, and a further spread of the disease. The destruction of the tourism industry (which some might argue was a purification campaign in disguise, meant to get rid of nightlife and the sex industry) went on far longer that it should have, leading to far fewer tourists returning here, as the nation has largely been forgotten. The restriction were way too much, for far too long. I know taking responsibility for one's actions is not exactly a strong suit here. But, Prayuth, Phiphat, Prawit, and Anutin are directly responsibility for much of the economic woes we are seeing now, and should be held responsible, and called out on this. The numbers do not even begin to reflect the amount of damage done to the cash economy, which is never counted in unemployment numbers, lost GDP, lost businesses, etc. Covid was one small factor. Irresponsible actions, an extraordinary lack of leadership, choosing a vaccine with the lowest efficacy available, refusing help from the international community with the vaccines, until it was too late, and showing extreme cowardice by keeping the door to tourism closed for far too long, and then opening with draconian restrictions, were huge mistakes, and someone needs to be held responsible.

I think it's difficult getting old anywhere without having enough financial security, there's no question about that. But I do think that a lot of Thais have a bit of a safety net when it comes to their families, they're never going to go hungry. It's a very very small percentage that's will not have enough to eat. In the West, it's miserable back there for people that are without homes, and it is also miserable for people who rent and don't own a home. Tried to upload images from my most recent trip to LA, but the miserable new server failed.

Glad someone agrees. Seems like a step backwards. Slower, laggier and difficult.

You have got to be kidding. 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. This 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. How and why was this disaster inflicted upon the economy? I would go one step further, and include the Prayuth decimation as one of the causes of the economic stagnation we are seeing now. This was not entirely circumstantial, and the revisionist history is already beginning, it would appear. So many things could have been done, to ensure a softer landing, when covid was not a factor anymore. The highly selective economic shutdowns which favored cronies, at the expense of the average Thai were punitive and extremely damaging, resulting in higher suicides, homelessness, crushed lives, countless lost businesses, and a further spread of the disease. The destruction of the tourism industry (which some might argue was a purification campaign in disguise, meant to get rid of nightlife and the sex industry) went on far longer that it should have, leading to far fewer tourists returning here, as the nation has largely been forgotten. The restriction were way too much, for far too long. I know taking responsibility for one's actions is not exactly a strong suit here. But, Prayuth, Phiphat, Prawit, and Anutin are directly responsibility for much of the economic woes we are seeing now, and should be held responsible, and called out on this. The numbers do not even begin to reflect the amount of damage done to the cash economy, which is never counted in unemployment numbers, lost GDP, lost businesses, etc. Covid was one small factor. Irresponsible actions, an extraordinary lack of leadership, choosing a vaccine with the lowest efficacy available, refusing help from the international community with the vaccines, until it was too late, and showing extreme cowardice by keeping the door to tourism closed for far too long, and then opening with draconian restrictions, were huge mistakes, and someone needs to be held responsible.

Total nonsense. We just do not know the true extent of the enrichment these goons engaged in, while holding the nation hostage for 9 long years. It is likely well into the tens of billions. Of course, it is well hidden overseas, and there is no investigative journalism allowed here, and the toxic army is a law unto themselves. We all know where that power comes from.

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, and a great deal of skill and awareness, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. I have been riding bikes for 49 years. Without any serious accidents. A few minor ones over the years. Riding a bike here is very dangerous. If not the highest, one of the highest fatality rates in the world. And an accident here can be very costly, to your person. Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have three friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last several years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. The third one is a close friend, who was hit by a sidecar, and nearly lost his leg. 11 operations later, he can walk, but with a limp, and the leg caused him constant problems, many years later. It always astonishes me here how the average person behaves, once you put them behind the wheel of a car or truck, here in Thailand. Most seem quite kind and considerate. Until they get into their cars. Then, all bets are off. When I was growing up and learning to drive, I remember so much of what my lovely mother taught me. She had so much wisdom, and was a very kind and respectful woman. She was constantly emphasizing the need to be courteous to other drivers, and pedestrians. She imparted alot of wisdom. I wonder how many Thais get that kind of coaching and inspiration from their folks.

There is no deterrent. The weak army comes in and cracks down. All is forgotten two weeks later. Same happens on Samui. It is a travesty. These clowns should be locked up. Nobody has the courage to stand up to them. They appear to be more powerful than the police, and the army. Quite a pathetic statement about Sretta, and the PT, and their extreme unwillingness to fight corruption, on any level, and in any form. Quite the contrary. They are now the protectors of the ultimate status quo. Let's get rid of the army once and for all.

And Sretta seems as apathetic as Prayuth was, about cleaning up the place. If China could clean up the air in Beijing, these goons can do it here. It the health of the people meant anything. The public urges government assistance in tackling air pollution. If you goons were not bought and paid for by big agra, the burning would stop. It is your compromised nature and your unwillingness to put up a good fight, that is the major cause of the air apocalypse we are facing. People are dying and suffering in hospitals on your watch, and their blood is on your hands. You are cowards. You are incompetents. You deserve to be voted out with a vengeance. Oh, I forgot, you were not elected, LOL. How Chiang Mai became the world’s most polluted city- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/12/how-chiang-mai-became-the-worlds-most-polluted-city At least one NGO is calling it what it is. Field burning, not forest fires is the main cause of bad air here.

Now that the forum is back, is anyone noticing how much slower it is now, compared to before? I most definitely do not see any improvement. Also harder to get onto the site, from various browsers.

I kind of like tattoos on some women. It can be very sexy. But, on guys it is just boring. Feels like a desperate sort of "paint by numbers pseudo hipness" thing. Some are amazing. Some are so dull and so lacking in originality.

If you sign up for the annual payment plan, it is as low as 1,590 baht for the year. Money well spent.

Alot of people just do not understand how corrosive, damaging, degrading and nasty social media can be. There are an infinite number of scammers, predators and fraudsters out there. Most of us have the good sense to avoid them, and not get taken in by their unwillingness to do actual work for a living. It boggles the mind, to consider the number of people who fall for these scams. Someone calls you, or contacts you online, and you send them money? Someone you have never met? Someone you have not researched? What gives? Where are the survival instincts? How is a youngster supposed to have the wisdom to know? Granted being asked to send naked pics to a stranger is a bit much. But, I am sure it happens all the time. There is little chance of these people getting apprehended. Very little. And it is a strong indication of just how bent, warped and misguided contemporary culture and society is, that someone can be considered an idol or celebrity just because they have alot of followers on Tik tok, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Personally, I consider social media to be the most corrosive and degenerate force in culture today, and they can be downright dangerous, on multiple levels. There is a whole subculture in this world, who absolutely refuse to work for a living, and instead like to prey on those who are vulnerable, naive, dumb, and easy victims. It is our responsibility to be careful, prudent, willing to do some vetting, some research, some due diligence, anytime we part with cash. Especially online. Dealing with Ebay, Lazada, Amazon is one thing. You have recourse. But, dealing with Facebook vendors, Instagram, Youtube, dating sites, or any other social media, the scammers outweigh the real deals. People get taken every day. I get junk emails offering me at least $100 million a month.

I agree 100%. I always tell people who are visiting Thailand for the 1st time, to keep in mind one very valuable concept. This place is NOT a foreign country. It is a distant planet! As long as you realize that, the zaniness of it all can be alot of fun. And for me one of my favorite parts is the NPF. The non predictability factor. Life in the US was rather boring. Very predictable. That can be stifling for some of us. Not here! I love that. And how about woke culture? Who wants to deal with that? The social justice movement is nothing less than a new species of religious fundamentalism and the fervor of its believers matches, if not outstrips, that of the religious right of the 1980s. With the uber PC movement that's going on right now, careers are ruined over one statement from a woman. Is there a possibility that she has an agenda? Of course there is. It is the utter embodiment of a nation that has lost it's footing, has really never found it's identity, and has a population of women, 90% of whom, have no ability, willingness, wherewithal, or desire to connect with, manifest, or embody their inner woman, or express femininity for anything other than personal gain.

It is beyond rational, that Thailand has not done this already. For the movement of cargo, if nothing else. The highways are clogged with trucks of all sizes, due to a lack of planning. And the trains here are quite an embarrassment. Even if you decide to travel by train here on the antique cars, you have to deal with consistent delays of 30 minutes to 3 hours. I gave up using them. Thailand desperately needs high speed rail, for people and cargo. The lack of planning is an abomination. The rail projects should be accelerated. Thailand is 40-50 years behind the curve, when it comes to public transportation, with the exception of Bangkok. The railway here is sickening. I recently tried public transportation, from Hua Hin to Samui. Took a 5 hour express train from HH to Surat. All good. Except the train was 3.5 hours late between a 2.5 hour delay in arriving, and an additional hour added, on the way. Unacceptable. Then I took a VIP bus back from Samui. Left the pier at 6:45pm. Arrived in HH at 4:00am. Even at 11pm, the traffic was a parking lot, due to the main north south artery for the nation, reduced to one lane, due to road construction. One hour spent going 5 kph. Unacceptable.

On a daily basis it is becoming more and more apparent that Sretta is not the leader that Thailand required at this time. He seems to lack the ability to communicate effectively, and his leadership does not inspire confidence.

Thailand is no longer attracting very many Western tourists for a dozen very good reasons. Right now it is predominantly Malaysian, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Russian. One could argue that these are relatively low quality tourists, in terms of the amounts of money that they spend. Sure you have a few wealthy Russians and some wealthy Chinese, but most are lower to middle income and don't spend alot. This process will not be reversed until the authorities wake up and make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways.

If you look at the curves birth rates are falling all over the world, except in Africa, the forlorn continent. Falling in China, Thailand, Japan, etc. Some are predicting China's population to fall to 650 million within 50 years, the crisis is that bad. I don't call it a crisis. I think it's a huge blessing for all of humanity. The last thing this world needs is an expanding population. Sure it's going to bring a lot of challenges, you're going to see shrinking gdp's, but that's not such a big deal. Overall the benefits to the planet are enormous. These days people have a choice, they don't have to have children like in centuries gone by, many people such as myself are asking why on earth would I want to bring a child into today's world? We report on China whose birth rate in the last year has fallen to the lowest level on record while American research shows more adults who do not already have children are saying they are unlikely to ever have them. Hooray!!! https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-51/20220121-global-decline-in-birth-rates-should-we-worry Japan's population is projected to fall from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century. Italy is expected to see an equally dramatic population crash from 61 million to 28 million over the same timeframe. They are two of 23 countries - which also include Spain, Portugal, Thailand and South Korea - expected to see their population more than halve. Hooray!!! https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521

Perhaps we need some sort of overhaul to the judicial system in a situation like this where there were likely multiple witnesses. Why should there even be a trial? The death penalty should be applied within 30 days, with no possibility of appeal. A three person judicial panel could pronounce the sentence, perhaps the word would get around, and people would think twice about behaving like such fools. The people who committed these crimes were not human, they were a variety of insect. The world needs less of these parasitical insects.

The thing about bullies, is that all it takes is one forceful act, perpetrated against one of them, and you are left alone for life. One pencil in the neck, one club with a baseball bat, one nasty hit upside the head or in a more delicate area. Once you are deemed to no longer be an easy mark, you are left alone, and all the nonsense goes away.

So, does this mean the gals are limited to 3 drinks? Not 20 shots per night, at 250 baht per shot? The bar owners would be very upset. How about the officials, and the elites? Fear not. The RTP will not be doing the job of law enforcement. Just another chapter in the "Fake Purity Campaign".

The advertisements here are completely out of control. I understand the need for sponsorship, but the manner with which they have gone about it makes the entire experience difficult, at best.

This is obviously a very serious school. In this year, Praboromarajchanok Institute received a certificate, a Bronze Award, a trophy from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (TSU) from the exhibition contest entitled “Effects of treating orange peel skin on thighs with Trikuk extract” by Dr. Wuttichai Wisuthiphot, a faculty member of the Sirindhorn College of Public Health, Phitsanulok ,Faculty of Public Health and Allied Health Sciences. In addition, 12 students' projects recieved the certificates and awards for research and innovation contest. Dr. Anutin. Recipient of a doctorate from the orange peel school.

Wow. They are listening to the public for a change. This is a very new policy. I suspect they simply came to their senses and realized what a potential disaster this could have been. China and the utterly heinous CCP are up to no good, and cannot be trusted on any level.