spidermike007

Very lame. Nearly every time I see someone complaining, or observing a shortfall within Thailand, some lame guy, who has not taken the time to think things through, nor to devote any focus or effort to a reasonable reply, says something like "Perhaps Thailand is not for you", or maybe you should leave, or the top prize, "if you do not like it here, go back to your own country", or "you are still here for some reason". Hard to even respond to such statements. Why? Because I have some issues with the place? Sorry to inform you, but the nature of a discerning mind, is to have issues. Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful state of mind, it is not something most of us are blessed with, in case you have not noticed. The fact that I complain, does not mean I do not love Thailand, nor most of it's people. I do. It is the leaders that I have an issue with, and the toxic government. I love my life here. I have a very good life here. But, I do have some complaints, and there are some things I would love to see improved. I should leave because of that? Please. Next time you make a post, try to devote at least two moments of thought to it.

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. Most of us are honest, we do not beat our wives, we are not killers or criminals, and we bring alot to the table. To say we are insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit from us. 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 GDP of the nation is around $570, that means about 18,000 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. I think ex-pats should be treated with the kind of respect and acknowledgement we deserve. So, how about some positive changes? "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. Sound ok to you guys? Are we adapting to an ever changing world?" Princely treatment. Now that we are utterly broke and on our knees as a nation, we want to 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.

Never gonna happen. Not in a hundred years. They keep droning on and on and on about wanting rich tourists. What sacrifices are the ministers willing to make, to get them? Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% or more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. Some regressive nimwits do not understand basic economics. By reducing taxes you stimulate the economy. In addition, if Thailand reduces its punitive wine and luxury taxes, they might be able to attract more of those rich tourists they keep talking about. The rich are smart with their money. And not only do they enjoy a nice bottle of wine with dinner, their wives also love to spend alot of money on luxury goods while they vacation. Impossible here. Who would buy a Prada handbag for $12,000 here, when you can get it for $4,800 in most world capitals? Same goes for wine. Who would spend $700 for a bottle of wine they could get for $125 at home. How many people do you see in the luxury boutiques in Bangkok? No doubt they are flagship stores, that lose money. And what about world class sommelier service that rich people expect? Deep cellars, with outstanding vintages? Helicopter service for easy access, as well as high speed rail options? Thailand is truly a third world nation, once you leave the major parts of Bangkok, and a few other towns. Lacking most of the conveniences rich people expect. They talk about luring super rich Chinese. China has over 30,000 km. of high speed rail. Thailand does not have one km. Zero! It is referred to as self sabotage, or idiotic policy. An extreme lack of creativity forces retrograde politicians to become overly dependent on import taxes. Dumb and dumber. And, are they addressing critical issues, like the air and water quality, traffic safety, public transportation on the southern islands, rapid rail transport, and the lack of law enforcement? They have had 18 months to focus on improving the nation, yet what has been done? Nothing, and I mean less than zero is being done. Prayuth and his clowns. Never willing to make a sacrifice for the benefit of the nation. The less than zero, do nothing men. Moving Thailand backwards at a pace that could not be imagined 20 years ago.

A nuclear bomb of change is required to blast through the debris of this government. Massive changes are needed, to prevent Thailand from losing it's place and slipping into a relative stone age. The economy here is decimated. Great minds are needed to bring the country back from the abyss. There are no great minds currently, in any leadership positions. Only very small, failed men.

Pure nonsensical drivel. What is needed are highway patrol, who actually patrol the highways. And pull over people for spectacularly reckless driving. I cannot go out on the highway for an hour, without a nitwit committing a driving atrocity. Yet, they are immune, since the highway patrol refuses to work.

And it appears that elimination of the bars and nightlife is exactly what the fake puritans are attempting to do. Let us hope they fail miserably, as they have with virtually everything else they have tried to do during their sorry lives, except amass fortunes.

Definitely the latter. They have been moving in reverse for many years now. The tiger of SE Asia has become a feeble, sickly alley cat, pining for a decent meal, of scraps.

It is an exception mall, no doubt about that. There is some very good food up on the higher level, on a huge terrace overlooking the river. In general, I find Thai malls quite entertaining, as the crowds of stunning women top anything you would ever see in the US. There the malls are dull, dead, most are devoid of expression, and good food, and have nothing to offer. Many are really depressing. Here, they are nice, especially on a really hot day. Having said all that, IconSiam is remote for most, and does not get alot of traffic, so the "bird watching" element is not really a factor like you have at Siam Paragon.

Require double vaccination, with a top quality vax, unlike the one being used here. And require a covid negative test. And restrict only the nations that are at the top of the covid list. That is all. International tourists are taking a far greater risk by being here, and being exposed to the Thais, than the Thai people are taking by being exposed to them. Thais are now the real zombies in this equation. Thailand needs the world right now, 20X more than the world needs Thailand. This is not the COTKU (Center of the known universe). The locals are in a world of hurt, economically. And it may last a very, very long time. I predict five years, and the fallout will be worse than 1997. And most of it appears to be sabotage. Willful or not. If they do a re-opening many ex-pats will return. Only a small number of tourists. My guess would be if they re-opened with NO restrictions at all next year, they might see a million tourists. Maybe. Two million by 2023-2025. Possibly as many as 5 million, five years from now. Getting the tourists to come back here is going to be infinitely harder than they think. First and foremost, the lower to middle income crowd from China, India and Malaysia have been hard hit by all of this Covid stuff, and it will take a long time before most of them are ready to spend alot of money on vacations. Second, the longer Thailand waits, the harder it is going to be. Thailand is already being forgotten, and is the laughing stock of the planet at this time, for the ridiculous number of restrictions imposed on anyone who wants to come here, even though it is them taking the risk, NOT the Thais. Third, they never even considered addressing any of the issues plaguing the industry, long before Covid. And they continue to use Covid as a cover story, for any and all issues pertaining to tourism. The industry is basically finished here. Five years from now it will be a pale shadow of it's former self. Tourism here is essentially finished. Fourth, what are international tourists coming to see? If a tourist wanted to venture to an island destination, they are all devastated by this shutdown. Was recently in Samui. 85% of the hotels were closed. Most restaurants, alot of bars, shops and other businesses were closed, many permanently. Granted, there are some great hotel bargains right now. But, that environment is fairly depressing, seeing so much hardship. So, the lame authorities here need to wrap their minds around that. Tourists would be coming to a hugely diminished destination. Make some sacrifices, you incompetents. These issues and problems were becoming apparent long before Covid. And none were being addressed. Tourism had been declining for years already. The numbers were up. But the quality of tourist was way down. And according to everyone I spoke to in 2019, the year before, and the year before that, income was way, way down. So, "this blame it all on Covid scenario" is somewhat disengenuous. Sure, Covid is huge. And the drop now is stunning. But, my point is there were plenty of issues prior to Covid. And are any of them being addressed? Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all.

From Pulp Fiction. One of the truly classic snippets about pork, on film. Vincent: Want some bacon? Jules: No man, I don't eat pork. Vincent: Are you Jewish? Jules: Nah, I ain't Jewish, I just don't dig on swine, that's all. Vincent: Why not? Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals. Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood. Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy motherf***er. Pigs sleep and root in sh*t. That's a filthy animal. I ain't eat nothin' that ain't got enough sense enough to disregard its own faeces. Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces. Jules: I don't eat dog either. Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? Jules: I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way. Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true? Jules: Well we'd have to be talkin' about one charmin' motherf***in' pig. I mean he'd have to be ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I'm sayin'?

Good point. Obesity, diet, lifestyle, etc. Nobody is discussing any of that. And God forbid you tie diet and obesity into race. You are then considered a monster. The fact is, as much as I love my Mexican friends in the US, they eat a horrific diet. You can find healthy Mexican food, if you look for it, but most do not, and the diet has got to be a factor. Same goes for the diet of the average black person in the US. It is substandard food. But, that cannot be discussed, even though some who are dying are 400lbs. Nobody can convince me that is not a factor. Yet, I would be labeled a racist, even though that is totally false, fake, and disingenuous at best. What it is, is very weak PC nonsense.

Gomorrah is quite astonishing. So is Romanza Criminale. The series is set around Don Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino), whose bored but pampered wife Imma (Maria Pia Calzone) and spoiled and soft 20-year-old son Gennaro (aka “Genny“) aren’t ready to uphold the Savastanoname. Genny’s too busy being coddled by the otherwise ruthless Don Pietro, a very similar theme to the woes of Tony Soprano when it came to being both loving father and feared enforcer. But, how Genny evolves!

No doubt he is going for the easy bucks. Worth $250 million already. You would think at a given point a man would want to make his mark on the world and not just collect a check. He was the creator of Goliath, which was great, but what does creator mean, anyway? Big Little lies was hugely popular. I did not get it. Liked The Undoing. That was fun. Has been since Boston Legal, that he has done anything good. Some seem to like Mr. Mercedes. He has done alot of cornball stuff, that is popular, like Doogie Howser, LA Law, etc.

This is a great movie. Some may be turned off by the gay theme, but if you can get past that, it is a great story, both Douglas (won the SAG award, as well as many others) and Damon (nominated for the SAG award and many others) are outstanding, and the film rocks! Recently downloaded it to watch again. Done by Soderbergh, has a good supporting cast, and a sizable budget of $23 million, all of which is up there on the screen. It is a really fun watch, and does not take itself too seriously.

True. And it is not a great film. But, it is decent. And Damon is always a treat to watch. He is very selective about the projects he takes on, and is rarely ever disappointing. And he is one of the great actors of this generation, in my opinion. Who else is on his level? Besides DiCaprio, Bale, Downey Jr. (when he is not doing the amusement park trash), Ali, Brolin, Bardem, Denzel, DaFoe, Cumberbatch, Oldman, Gosling, B. Cooper, Phoenix, Pitt, and a few others?

Wayne looks really good. Just started it. After the death of his father, a good-hearted 16-year-old vigilante sets out with his new friend to get back his dad's stolen '79 Trans Am. He is 16 years old, and does not take <deleted> from anyone. Nice to see a strong kid portrayed, who does not suffer fools. Very entertaining.

Anyone seen Lucky (2017)? A small film, which happened to be the last film, for the great Harry Dean Stanton. He died just a few months after shooting wrapped, at 91. And there is a sense of foreboding in the film, almost a goodbye to the world. Charming, funny, sweet, good natured, and uplifting. And shot just north of Phoenix, for any who appreciates those wonderful desert vistas. And a good supporting cast. Nice banter. Well shot, nice pacing, and a stellar performance from Harry. A small film, and may be slow paced for some, but once you get into it, it really grabs you. Lovely little film. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5859238/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6

Bet there is no mention of any potential "alternative agendas, nor why they did not even try to take down the 3rd and 4th plane.

Thanks, but a little too close to reality for me at the moment. As someone who really wanted to dump Trump, and a supporter of Biden, the way he handled the withdrawal, the rush to do so, the apparent lack of planning, is a bit hard to take, and a huge amount of egg on the face of the dems. At the suggestion of several guys on this forum, after I asked my "Anyone finding Thailand annoying, and thinking about leaving?" post, I am avoiding the news, as much as I can right now!

Yeah, I tried it, and really wanted to like it. In general, I love Native, independent films. Fascinating stuff. The focus on the kids gave this a very juvenile feeling, and that was a bit hard to take. Maybe easier to comprehend and appreciate, if you have kids?

It looks great, but I cannot find the downloads anywhere. Any suggestions?

And what was up with that double removal job, anyway? Was there ever a reasonable explanation for that? She seems quite insane.

She was great earlier in her career. He is still amazing. Nearly everything he does is great.

I have always wondered, why Monica? He was president. He could have had Elle MacPherson types, all day long. Was he simply attracted to homely women?

Harry Brown is a classic. An amazing film. Apparently it was filmed in Caine's old neighborhood where he grew up. I also loved Youth. A Caine classic. Not for everyone, but directed by the brilliant Paul Sorrentino, to pitch perfection. A real masterpiece. Harvey Keitel, Paul Dano and Rachel Weisz were really good in it. It is a quiet and very subtle film, but funny, magical and gorgeous. I cannot even guess how many times I have seen it. One of Sorrentino's other classics is The Great Beauty. A magnificent film. Did not get the Mule, and I am a big Eastwood fan. As both an actor and a director, he is a talent for the ages. Watched Pale Rider again recently. A masterpiece. Same goes for the Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter, the Changeling, Mystic River, Million Dollar baby, Gran Torino, American Sniper, Invictus, Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Heartbreak Ridge, A Perfect World, and to a lesser extent Hereafter, Jersey Boys, Sully, J. Edgar, Midnight in the Garden of good and evil, Trouble with the Curve, and Absolute power. All worth a re-visit. I watch his top films, at least once every few years.