spidermike007

I am in Bangkok now, and was on the BTS today. I would estimate about 85 to 90% of Thais are still masked up on the BTS, and at least 80% on the streets. Only 10% or so, of the foreigners are wearing masks. I let covid go a long time ago. 62 cases a day nationwide is not a health emergency, and the numbers continue to drop. Don't believe this alarmist nonsense. Covid is basically gone.

It is a shame that people have to be more careful wearing gold, jewelry and expensive watches these days. But, I think we have to accept the reality that 8 years of the PED (Prayuth economic decimation) has caused more desperation, more poverty, and more crime. At least we know who to blame for this recent trend.

Seatran is a competing company and seems to keep their ferries clean and well maintained. The same cannot be said about Raja. Many of their ferries are older. I used to take those ferries alot, and I never trusted Raja.

Seems that the most shocking part of this, is that blazing idiots, like Phuket governor Narong Woonciew are actually in positions of power, and don't have PR people who vet the ignorant and uneducated things they say. Woe is Thailand. It would appear that selecting leaders from the bottom of the barrel, without qualifications, is a sport here. Very good article on biomass and other forms of pollution Thailand cannot seem to control. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023014688

Nothing wrong with being armed. I am not against guns. I am very against one person possessing 10-100 of them.

You forget one very salient aspect of that. Moral authority. That was then. This is now. Big difference.

The next time an American politician says time for prayers, he should be taken down. Something needs to be done. American politicians are very weak and in constant fear of fighting a constitutional amendment that was written at a time when militias were needed and guns were manual and fairly primitive. Everything has changed, and the amendment does not have the same meaning, nor should it. Violence is out of control, yet they do next to nothing about it. America seems to adore it's violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks shootings in the US, there have been 214 mass shootings in 2022 alone. And nearly that amount so far in 2023. That is a cry for help. That is a spectacularly sad statement about cultural and moral decline. The United States has far more lax firearm laws and policies compared to other countries — the federal right to own a firearm is even baked into the United States' constitution via the Second Amendment. https://www.insider.com/number-of-mass-shootingsin-america-this-year-2022-5

I hope the missing fishermen are found. They lead hard lives. That is not a job I would want to have to endure.

But, with more limitations this time. The moral authority that allowed past coups is out the window. Gone. That could make a big difference. Plus, I think the army showed us very little the past 8 years, and especially during covid, with the vaccination failures, shutdowns, etc. If anyone thought they were being represented before, that illusion is likely gone now. Alot has changed.

Fear mongering numskulls doing all they know how to do. Instill fear as a mean to maintain power. Cha Cha your days are over. Retire now. You are despised. See ya!

I doubt that. He would have to steal the election. And I don't think the masses would be passive, at that point. I will make a most optimistic prediction. If they lose, then will never be another military coup here. Think about it. The moral authority that backed the coups in the past, is long gone. And the army does not have the guts to wage war against their people, Burma style. Nah. Won't happen. The Thai army does not have the guts for it, and the Thai soldiers, and the families of the soldiers would never tolerate their sons murdering innocent Thais. And the Thai soldiers are not facing the level of desperation the young Burmese are. The poverty here is not as grinding as it is in Burma. I do not think it could be sustained, if the fools started it. Thailand is a very different culture than Burma, on a dozen significant levels. And the youth now, are very different people than they were during past coups, which were violent. The army is in a difficult position now. If voted out, they would have to accept it. The generals would have to be content with their massive, ill gotten fortunes.

An extremely cavalier attitude, not being able to comprehend the consequences of serious accident, no safety education, and absolutely no deterrence combine to create a very dangerous mix.

Utterly regressive, primordial, anti-social, self absorbed, pre-historic behavior.

Not often. But, that means little to me. If anyone wants to call me out, for something stupid I am doing or saying, they are welcome. If they don't it is on them. And if that is the funniest thing you heard in years, I recommend seeing some excellent stand up comedy.

Closer ties to China are not a good idea. They are up to no good. Their intentions are heinous. Their desire for power and dominnance knows no bounds. They cannot and should not be trusted. They are NOT a reliable ally, and are not a good or trustworthy world power. They are only one step above Russia, on the trust scale. Worldwide slavery, and organ harvesting? No thanks Xi. Xi I allow no personal freedom to my people. We harvest organs for profit and punishment. We oppress our minority populations. We barely allow any imports and make it difficult for companies to sell their products in China. We ignore territorial boundaries and claim ownership of the South China Sea. We were the only nation to subscribe to a zero covid policy, even if it meant putting millions out of work. I have just been appointed PM for life. Or, close to it. Impressive, huh? Want to be like us?

I believe it. The last thing in the world I would expect from Prayuth is honesty and integrity. He seems utterly desperate, to cling to power at any cost. And this is from the man who swore he would be a 2 year "caretaker PM". The power got to his head.

Such nonsense. Not as miserable as the existence we would be living if we were still in the US, Canada, Oz, NZ, or Europe. You can have it. We have opted out. Thankfully. Willfully. With glee.

Anyone, absolutely anyone would be an improvement over the dinosaurs. And I hope Prayuth not only gets beaten, but is utterly humiliated in the process. He deserves that. Let the people speak. It is also possibly Pheu Thai would be less beholden to big agra, and might be willing to do something about the air apocalypse we are witnessing. Something has to be done. Anything is better than Mr. Nothing, Cha Cha.

Total and complete BS. Covid is long gone. A friend of mine is a surgical nurse at a large, local hopsital. She told me she cannot even remember the last time she has seen a covid patient. Let it go. It is likely this desperado administration wants to maintain the panic, with this false narrative.

If the super lazy cops and highway patrol actually patrolled the highways and pulled people over for neglecting to wear seat belts, or not using child seats, it might act as a deterrent. Now, there is no such thing. It is a free for all. Blame a lack of seat belts, but never, ever examine the cause of an issue. Personally, we would never consider riding on a Thai highway, or any other highway without using a seat belt. This level of sloth and this cavalier attitude does increase fatalities and serious injuries. That is not questionable.

One of the reasons many of us love it here, is the security factor. In comparison to a rival spot like the PI, this is paradise. In the PI, the security situation is not very good. You always have to keep your eyes open, keep an eye on your back, and beware of robbery, home theft, and violence. It is rampant. I have many friends who live there, and they all say the same thing. If you do get into an altercation with a Philippine man, or are getting robbed or harassed, unless you are a 6th degree sensei, do not fight back. An astonishing number of locals are well trained in the fighting arts. Many are good with sticks, knives, blades or any sort, and their hands, fists and feet. I have a friend who is a world class security consultant. He is a black belt in a few different martial arts. He says he can usually fight his way out of a gang of men, nearly anywhere in the world. Except in the PI. That is the only country he will NOT take an assignment. The average guys there, can take down the average Westerner in five seconds. In Thailand few have those kinds of skills. Very few. And I am thankful for that!

What they will not discuss, is why Thailand refuses to go after their big agra bedfellows, and their extremely destructive farming methods and the havoc they cause with the air and water. 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.

You may be right. I see things very differently. Been blessed with some very good friends, some of whom I have known for decades. Great souls. People I love hanging out with. I have issues with some of them, and visa versa. But, not to the point where it is difficult or unpleasant to hang out with them. And sometimes, one finds that an old friendship just is not working anymore. So be it. And some friendships are deep enough, where these kinds of irritants can be discussed and worked through. Real adult conversations.

Friendship is a truly fascinating relationship. It is one of the only relationships we have, that is entirely voluntary. We engage, because we want to engage. Friendships tend to evolve and change over the years. Some get better, some get worse. Some people become better versions of themselves as they get older, most don't. I tend to be less tolerant of idiots, as I get older. And I would definitely call out a friend who was misbehaving, here, or anywhere. Your mistake was spending so much time with him. That was on you. At any point you simply could have told him that sitting around drinking all day is one of the most boring things in life, and you have no interest in doing that. Enjoy yourself and I will see you later in the evening, when you come back. You could have even gone a step further, and asked him to move to a hotel. Sounds like a guy you really don't have an interest in anymore. So? Friendships devolve sometimes. Some people you just let go of, after many years. Who makes these choices anyway?

Wrong. What I said is the laws are rarely enforced. Does regulation mean anything, if it is not complied with, or if there is not a body which makes sure the regulations and laws are followed?