spidermike007

There does seem to be disproportionate number of bad actors in the military here. Likely including the senior officers, but we know they are untouchable. So, the real question is this. We know what you guys take from society. So, what do you give back? What do the people get, in exchange for those hundreds of billions of baht you guys vacuum from the people?

Any sort of lies, PR campaigns, promises or rhetoric by the toxic leaders, who are desperate to maintain control, has to be dismissed completely. Cha Cha, you had 8 years to do something. If anything, corruption has gotten worse under your watch. You are a failed leader and a very small man, who is roundly despised, by nearly all. Most of us look forward to your political exile, and quite possibly your physical exile, once the many crimes of your administration have been unearthed.

Personally, I have never felt threatened. I have seen a shooting here, and seen a number of fights, while on Samui. It is nearly always Thai on Thai, which is not my concern. I keep my nose clean, tend to show respect to the locals, and know how to avoid confrontations. The few times I have been faced with a very angry local, I have offered a sincere apology, a deep wai, and they backed down. Never had my house robbed, or a car or motorbike stolen. Never been robbed on the street here, in well over a decade. I have been threatened by a few hotheads on Samui, but after showing them some respect for the perceived slight, they always backed down. Attitude and a show of respect, are 95% of the trick here, when it comes to dealing with the locals.

I can think of another circus huckster who became a billionaire.

Perhaps we should band together and form a good Samaritans club. To counter all this bad news from retrograde foreigners wreaking their brand of mischief here. They do not exactly give us foreigners a good name. Can't they help themsleves? Is it simply impossible for these hooligans to behave, no matter where they are? Where is the respect and courtesy? The fact is, most of us behave responsibly, and have goodwill toward our Thai hosts and friends. I have no idea to what extent this kind of news is amplified in the Thai press here. Hopefully, they realize most of us are very decent souls. One can only hope a goon like this clown gets punished severely, and also banned for life. People could have died.

No. 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. 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.

My experience too. Though, like you we do not live in a major tourist town. I think people there get jaded, and the attitude of some Thais tends to be alot worse. I find most Thais to be warm and kind and best of all, lighthearted. Beats the hell out of America, the land of the heavy heart. And I disagree about the accusations of gang violence against foreigners being common here. I think that is major nonsense and a huge misinterpretation of reality.

Definitely a fascinating phenomenon. In Mexico, after living there 10 years, you are treated as an honorary Mexican, and the path to a long term visa, or residency, is quite simple. Certainly not the case here. I think it is largely due to the reality that the government really does not want us here. They tolerate us. That is the extent of it. Not so with most Thai people, from my observations. But, most government workers are highly indoctrinated, by their very toxic employer.

Way, way too many. 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. Children are growing up now in a world where they expect immediate response, gratification and notification. Their brains no longer have time to evolve; they must adapt to change in an instant, and the results are distressing. The difficulties of growing up have never been so public. Social technology provides a platform where things can run wild. Imagine the stress of high school – the competition for popularity, the pressure to fit in, the judgmental nature of social activities – at an accelerated pace. We try to protect our children from wandering off into the darkness on their own, and it turns out they are doing exactly that – online. When they get older and “ready,” we send them off to college, where they face more pressures. But social media has an infamous dark side and the more people share, the more serious this side becomes. As it turns out, living your life online has serious consequences for your self-esteem, your relationships, and your career prospects. And regardless of who committed the crime, it is a real indictment of contemporary Thai culture, that so many men are murdering women who have spurned them. Where is the self esteem? Any man with sufficient self worth, is able to just walk away from a woman, when things are not working out, or she is no longer interested in him. Where is the dignity? Man up. Show some class. Show some humanity. Show us something.

And that is likely not much of an indication of her intelligence, but rather her understanding of how to manipulate a social media platform, and the silly number of people who use them.

These brave activists are the only hope this nation has for a promising future. The laws should be changed, and the army should not be able to use them to muzzle protests. That is tantamount to fascism or the kind of authority a superfreak like Xi weilds. If you say this is a democracy, behave like it! It is no wonder the goons are disrespected by nearly everyone.

Awkward for them, maybe. Not for me. They don't want to face truth and reality, it is entirely on them. I will ask away, until I get an answer. Where I come from, truth is not considered something to avoid, or hide from.

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally. The Minister had earlier said that locals and expats with a valid work permit would be exempt from the tax. OK, then how are they arriving at the tourist numbers at all? Are they pulled out of a hat? And with Chiang Mai recently being declared as have having the worst air on the planet, in international news, and the rest of the country suffering from the worst airpocalypse in memory, could it be that word is getting around that there are healthier tourism destinations? Is this a case of "we have done absolutely nothing to address this problem, and now it is coming back to haunt us"? Lethargy, malfeasance, and incompetence and extreme corruption, all have it's price.

If you don't like the Thai people, why do you live here? Personally, I find most Thais to be delightful, and I consider the smiles to be warm and sincere.

Quoted from the original article. True, false, who knows? But, it was a holiday and he is a Finn. LOL. She claimed that Aoy and Jarae wanted to join the party but she did not welcome them because Jarae had a history of getting out of control when he was drunk. She then turned off the music at the party to encourage them to go home. Jarae later came back to her shop and asked to buy a bottle of alcohol, but he only wanted to pay 60 baht instead of the 70 baht it cost. When she asked him to pay the full amount, he allegedly insulted her by saying… “<deleted> you!” Oh said he shouted the same word back to Jarae in anger and chased him away from the shop. However, Jarae did not stop and shouted in front of her shop… “Thailand buffalo! Thailand <deleted> you!”

And that explains the Thai mentality. They are very reactive. Often, what you get back is a reflection of what you put out, here. Most Thais are quite pleasant. But, not necessarily so if they are met with obnoxiousness.

We just don't know. It would appear he was drunk. And it was likely he was not on his best behavior. I just don't see or hear of many random attacks on foreigners, by groups of Thais. Something about this smells fishy.

You contradict yourself. Inhibitions disappear when drunk. It is that simple. Nice people become more jovial. Idiots, like the ugly Finn become more reptilian and obnoxious.

Your assumptions are infantile at best. Big difference between an ugly Finn getting back some of what he has likely been dishing out for years, and a gang rape. I run into guys like him, from time to time. They are like human dispensers of bad energy, and when they are drunk, they are at their worst. Very little sympathy, from this peanut gallery.

I think on a certain level, we all have some responsibility to be decent human beings and do our best to contribute to our community, in whatever way it is possible. If, on the other hand, you put out nothing but garbage and ugly energy, from time to time you are going to get a load of garbage on your face. Hence, the story of the ugly Finn.

His management of the vaccination campaign was a disaster. Their decision to stall on the vaccines and refusal of the offer of assistance from the international community was an arrogant abomination. Then their decision to go with Sino, the lowest efficacy vaccine available, was unfathomable. In addition, the highly selective nature of the economic shutdowns, favoring crony manufactures, the inability to use the army to stem the tide of Burmese crossing the border, the Samut seafood outbreak, and the refusal to shut down that area. I could go on for days, citing his failures. He is and was a failed leader. He is not qualified to do anything other than work related to cement.

Climate change is real, and we caused it. We are currently behaving as if we have multiple alternative planets to move it. The degree of recklessness mankind is showing towards this precious and remarkable planet is an abomination. Dumping raw sewage in the open seas, tankers dispersing massive amounts of waste into the sea, obsessive consumption of plastic, the use of old, poorly maintained diesel vehicles, coal fired plants, the list goes on. We are not responsible stewards of this planet.

Drinking tends to bring out your true nature. Inhibitions drop off, and kind people get sweeter, and obnoxious people get nastier. The Finn would appear to fit into the latter category, and in addition it sounds like he was constipated, and having a bad day. He likely said some very nasty stuff, and likely said it to someone who had heard it before, and was not in the mood for his disgraceful nonsense. He got what he needed. Only the wife, who has the bad fortune to be stuck with this louse, cannot accept reality. Thais are very reactive. If you put out kindness and good energy, you get it back in spades. But, if you are an ugly person with hatred and venom in your heart, woe is you.

There is plenty of ignorance, intolerance, racism and unjustified nationalism all over the world. It is not exclusive to Thailand. It is a difficult burden to bear, living such an insular and ignorant life. But, that does not really address what happened to the Finn. Something more was happening there. It was not a random attack.

Not really. I read it. It does not explain much. There is some background here that is not being touched upon. That is for sure. Groups of Thais just don't attack random people.