spidermike007

Do not, under any circumstances, let anyone ever try to convince you this is NOT a 3rd world country. Developing, schmeloping. 3rd!

Absolutely. Need to get out of here in a major way. Same same. Way too much craziness and Zombie Apocalypse nonsense. Gonna take a break. Need to take a break. Change is healthy, and without frequent trips overseas, I never would have made it this long here.

Not essential, but important for a number of reasons. We are going to risk it and go. I seriously need to get out of this place for awhile. Stir crazy does not even begin to describe it. I am afraid I might commit some major crimes and do some very foolish stuff, if I don't. LOL. I love Thailand, but I realize I cannot deal with this place for more than 6 months or so, without needing to get out of Dodge for awhile. That seems to keep me sane.

End the sabotage of the economy. End the shutdown. Stop sabotaging lives. Let the people go back to work. Let my people go!

This is a good thing for the entire nation. End the suffering. Let my people go! Prior to this announcement I used my tarot cards, my 250 year old Romanian crystal ball, and tea leaves last night. I asked about the future of the Thai economy. I did not even try to take into account the near total closure of the tourism industry, which likely employs 5 million people or so, and used to account for 20% of the economy, or 3 trillion baht. I also did not consider the near shutdown of the entire airline industry and the airports. Same applies for taxis, bus services, mini vans companies, ferry operators, etc. And I also disregarded the slowdown in exports, and the massive withdrawal of foreign capital from Thailand. In addition, I did not consider the real estate sector. The developers, and the lack of buyers and renters, both commercial and residential. What did I come up with? The tea leaves indicated that foreigners have lost confidence in this administration, the finance ministry, the justice system, the fight against corruption, the ability for the nation to move forward, and the currency. The crystal ball said it would be a four to seven year recovery, with real unemployment remaining between 26 and 42% for the next three years, and potentially going down to 19% within five to six years. It also said the actual support base for the leaders had fallen to between 1 and 2%. Mostly army members. And the tarot cards. My oh my, those tarot cards. They said the economy would contract by 11% in 2021, and that was over 2020, which as already a disaster. They said the same for 2022. Might improve to a contraction of only 8%, vs. 2019. My tarot cards not read year on year, as they know how useless that info is, during a pandemic. They also said condo prices would drop by an average of 44% nationwide, over the next five years, and it would take at least that long for the economy to recover. When I asked how long the recovery would take, the five of pentacles came up. The Five of Pentacles is a card of financial loss and poverty. You have hit hard times, especially when it comes to your work, career, finances, and material possessions. You may have recently lost your job, your home, or your financial security. You no longer feel safe because it has all been stripped away from you in one blow. Your ego may also be bruised, especially since success often correlates to financial wealth; losing either can be a humbling blow to your self-esteem and sense of self-worth. The upside is that this is a Minor Arcana card with temporary effects (rather than a Major Arcana card which has a longer-term impact). This, too, shall pass.Keeping stores like Home Pro, Global House, etc. closed in the dark red zones is proof of the insanity that has swept this nation. Those are huge stores, with social distancing being easy, and transactions are one on one. Little to no risk, compared to Tesco or Makro. It is selective asylum behavior. Sheer fear mongering. And the same applies to the small mom and pop kiosk shops, the electronics shops and the small vendors in front of some of the malls. Let the people make a living, or dig into the army treasury and help the people. Since the Thai army is a completely and utterly useless organization, that serves no obvious function for society, use their treasure to help the people.Say it aint so! Huh? Us, help them? Are you kidding me? Why would we help them?

And the defamation laws here are an astonishing admission of cowardice, malice, bad intentions, fear, and loathing. The fact that the courts actually enforce them, and the fact that the judiciary even takes them seriously, says all you need to know about personal, official, and corporate malfeasance here.

Thanks. I did not know that. It is a handy metaphor for weak men, who do not know how to behave around women. And it is a good sort of yardstick for them to use, to avoid getting in over their heads. I agree about keeping the compliments within reason, being a bit standoffish, and not giving up too much, too soon. From my point of view, a man with self esteem has to do some qualifying, to determine the worthiness of a woman he chooses to spend time with. That takes time. All the secrets are well hidden, but they typically reveal themselves over time. Also, a private detective is not a bad idea either, for a guy who is getting serious, and wants to know some "real facts". I hear there are some good ones in Bangkok, for hire. They are able to dig very deep.

Unless the timid ones gain some courage, and open the nation to tourism, with no restrictions, no quarantine and no sandbox, they will only get 10-30,000 tourists, for the remainder of 2021. Require double vaccination, with a top quality vax, unlike the Sinovax 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. And remember, with the daily count rising here, 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. Lastly, 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. It 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 <deleted>, 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, and the locals here are the real zombies now, and the real threat to the health of an incoming tourist. 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.

There is one aspect of this, that always has to be taken into account. I think most Thais get it. But most foreigners do not. The police here own franchises. They are franchisees. They are not law enforcement officials. They rarely engage in law enforcement, traffic safety, or public safety. They are not here for the benefit of the people, and they are not here to keep us safe. They are here to collect. That is all they do. If you need to give them an official title, it would be that of a revenue collection agent. Only it is their own account, that they represent. Nobody will ever touch them. They are protected at the highest levels. They do as they please, and Thailand remains a relatively lawless state. The extraordinary aspect of all of this, is how much of a tribute this is, to the Thai people. Despite the lack of law and order, and the extraordinary lack of a deterrent, Thailand remains a relatively safe place to live, and to travel, and crime is far lower than it would be in almost any other country, without law and order. I consider this to be a great example of how good most Thai people really are, and how honorable they are, as a people. I never feel threatened here. I can walk the streets of most cities late at night, and never feel afraid of my security, like in many other nations. The most dangerous place in this country is on the roads.

Huh? What on earth are you talking about? Your question has no relevance to my post. Am I missing something here?

According to single friends of mine, meeting in person is infinitely better, than online. First of all you know what you are getting! Second, the women you meet on the street, in a store, or a restaurant, at a party, are not hunting for men. They are not scavenging for a salary. Many have professions, and many are higher functioning gals, than alot of the online gals, and they are not as needy as many of the online gals. Many of the gals online seem to do it full time. That is their life, they know every trick in the book, they hop from one to the other, until they find a guy who is willing to spill, bit time. And with the neediness of many Western men, you will have alot of competition for the pretty, younger ones. So, that would be the first step. Be aggressive, and assertive. And use humor. That women love to laugh and love a playful guy, who does not take himself too seriously. Thai women are generally friendly, especially if you speak some Thai. You will not get shut down like in the West. They may not be interested, but they will be polite about it. And it is a numbers game. A good friend of mine, who lived in the world's greatest gold mine for women, Bangkok, told me he methodically approached at least ten women a day, and got at least three of their phone numbers, or line contacts. He kept busy, and usually had a big smile on his face. Bangkok is unique. There are a ridiculous number of gorgeous women there. Lastly, do not get hung up on them, emotionally. Have some fun. Get to know them. Take your time. Always remember, if it is good, it is only going to get better. If there are problems, they will reveal themselves over time. Time is your ally. It is rarely their ally. They are usually trying to step up the timetable. We need to push back. We need to assert control. We need to be honest, and let them know we are not interested in an immediate relationship. Something might develop, but if you are in a hurry, I am NOT YOUR GUY. An environment like this allows us to set boundaries, and take our time. Take advantage of that. Be a man. Step up. Pay tribute to the gender. Refuse to lay down anymore. Refuse to be a doormat. Refuse to check your cajones at the door. I have so many friends, who come here, and from the very start, make the same mistakes they made back in the West. Except here, they do not need to make those mistakes. The environment does not dictate that they behave like lambs. Many do not know, or realize that, or they succumb to "force of habit". Every ship needs a captain. If the man is not willing to be the captain of the ship, the woman will take over, here in Thailand. Most women here seem to want a strong man. But, if they end up with a wimp, they will take over. They have to. Someone needs to be the captain! Time allows clarity. Never, ever move too quickly. That is the undoing of most of these guys. Be like Bond. be a real man. Man up. Do yourself proud.

Agree with most of what you said. But, few police departments have murder squads, or could be considered to be organized crime, like here. Some are out of control, like LAPD, which has always been one of the worst police departments in the US. They used to have murder squads, back in the 1920's and 1930's, until the fired the heinous police chief at that time. The US has become an insane nation, that is for sure. The division and hatred is worse than it has been in many decades. And the cops rarely are prosecuted for murder, though they are often prosecuted for lesser crimes, unlike here. Violence statistically is very comparable to Thailand, the major difference being it is mostly Thai on Thai here, so it is far safer for most of us to be here, than in the many big cities in the US. I do agree law enforcement is out of control in the US. There is institutional racism, no doubt. And there is a dramatic need to reform the police, re-train them, and make some major changes in the initial training. And what you said about the police unions is absolutely correct. THEY are the reason so many police who kill unarmed men, walk free. For most of us, I would prefer the cops here, unless there is a real need for one. Then, it is roll of the dice. At least the cops here stay out of my face, and when they do hassle me, I push back alot. I mouth off to them, I raise my voice, and I make a real stink, if they are engaging in "petty mordida". Usually they back down, and if not I give them 200 baht. Rarely more than that. Impossible to do in the US. And if you need law enforcement, outstanding forensics, or a good detective, you can get it back there. Not here. Not likely. I have law enforcement in the family, and I respect the job they are doing. Does not mean I like them all. In the US, I treat them with respect and regard them kindly. It is up to them whether or not they choose to be butt heads or not. A cop friend told me once, that if you get pulled over, always try to get the cop to laugh. He said it was a tough job, and if someone got him to laugh, he would nearly always let them slide with a warning, even if they were speeding. So, I usually say "Officer I am so sorry I am late. I did everything in my power to get here just as fast as I could!". It often gets a chuckle out of them, and that is a good start. As an older white man, driving a decent car, I do not fit any police profile. Yet, some choose to be absolutely ugly people. It is their choice. I did not provoke them on any level. Some are just idiots, with a lot of power and guns, and terrible personalities. And I would highly and aggressively dispute your figure of 99.9%. Maybe for you. Not for most of us. Closer to 90% maybe. Reform of the police in the US is an absolute necessity. None of the inane defunding. Just reform, and a very close look at the fabulously toxic police unions.

Two remarkable things about this. One, the fact that the onetime "Tiger of SE Asia" has descended to the level, where they are now a desperate and needy recipient of charity. Blame Prayuth. Two, that China is actually doing some charity. PR no doubt, and fairly easy to buy the favor of this administration. Blame Prayuth.

No. No opportunities for change. None. Change only comes from within, and it comes when it is wanted by the leadership. The opposite of change, is what they desperately want. Hey Prayuth, I doubt if you remember back this far, but when you and your clowns launched a coup, it was ostensibly to restore law and order, which you accomplished with draconian measures, and to get rid of the rot, and corruption in immigration, the police, customs, the government, and at the highest levels, which you never even made the slightest attempt to do. You substituted 10 foot alligators, with 14 foot crocodiles. And you have spent your entire rotten 7 years protecting the elite, those in office, the army, the police, those who are connected, and the super wealthy. For God's sake, you could not even bring the Dark Tao killer to justice, nor the Red Bull creep. Again, busy protecting the wealthy with all of your power.

In the grand scheme of things, it likely does not matter too much what the default rate is, as they tend to issue loads that are highly collateralized. In the case of the gangsters, well we know how they handle default.

Thailand is descending rapidly, and I think Malaysia and Vietnam will surpass Thailand alot sooner than that. Maybe even by 2030. If things do not change dramatically here, Thailand is heading toward the lower stratas of failed economies like Burundi, Sierra Leone, the South Sudan, and a few others. They could drop to 100 in the world in GDP, within a generation. Tourism is lost forever. No chance of a significant recovery, for a dozen good reasons.

Good post. Thanks to the mods and the news team. Refreshing to hear them call out these clowns. To call this a failed administration, would be to state the obvious. They have never addressed human trafficking, sex slavery, and abuse in the fishing industry. They have never addressed corruption, on any level. They have never addressed police reform. The mafia continues to work their franchises, with impunity. They have never addressed the multitude of air, water and other environmental issues. They have never addressed public or traffic safety. They appoint based solely on cronyism, and never consider merit, talent, or experience. And this has led to the current catastrophic state of the economy, the Covid response, and the sabotage and destruction of the once vital tourism industry. Prayuth and this administration are the do nothing people. Their sole purpose is to protect the elite, the super rich, corporations, the police, immigration, customs, and those currently in power. Nothing else matters to these dinosaurs. And Thailand will pay the price for this failed regime for years to come. Woe are the people of Thailand. They justly deserve all the criticism, humiliation and shame that can be heaped upon them. Out with the dinosaurs. In with the youth!

As long as they have been tested for Covid, this is a very positive trend for society. Same should happen immediately, for anything ganga related. Now, if only we can get America to follow this pattern. There are 2.2 million inmates, and a ridiculous number of them are locked up for petty drug offenses, and the majority are black and Hispanic, who could not afford a good lawyer. White men and women, without a criminal record rarely get jailed for petty drug offenses in the US.

Frankly, I barely care where the numbers are coming from, nor how accurate they are. They do indicate a positive trend, and this is extremely good news for everyone. And it will encourage the extremely timid authorities to open things up, which will put people back to work! Let us hope this downward trend continues, and let us hope the vaccinations keep rolling in. For the people, for the nation, for all of us! I despise Covid. Get out of our lives. Get out now!

It is easy to criticize these people for taking a loan from a gangster. But, the banks here are some of the stingiest, stringent, conservative, and most difficult banks, I have encountered anywhere I have been, when it comes to borrowing. So, I sort of understand resorting to extreme measures.

Who even cares? Such arrogance, for him to even think that his forgiveness, of someone reporting his extreme malfeasance, corruption, moral degradation, and crimes would mean anything, to anyone. Maybe it is code language. Maybe it means my mafia gang is not going to come after you, and seek retribution.

One wonders what his true objectives are. He has sabotaged the lives of millions. He has destroyed hundreds of thousands of businesses, permanently. He has caused hunger, misery, countless suicides, and alot of misery. He has wreaked such sabotage on the tourism industry, in my opinion it will never recover. Permanent destruction, of a $110 billion a year industry. Sure, there will be come tourists that will eventually show up. Five years from now, it will likely be a pale shadow of it's former self.

I am not sure I am qualified to say whether or not women in the workplace has undermined the family. I do believe in a woman's right to choose to have a career. In this day and age, many women have to work, with runaway inflation, and the ridiculously expensive cost of living in the West. I think the erosion to femininity came later. It is a threat to civilization, no doubt. It is me-too, and uber- feminism that has been the real nuclear bomb to relationships and a woman's ability to express herself, have sex freely, date normally, manifest the incredible dignity within femininity, and relate to men, in a healthy manner. It seems to contribute to an extremely unfulfilled female gender, and has resulted in making life very difficult for most men in the West. With Covid, things are even worse than before. A real life Zombieland. Thankfully, little of that toxic nonsense has reached the shores of Thailand. Women here seem to intuitively know how powerful their innate femininity is, and they use it to the fullest. I am very thankful for that. I think many have simply rejected alot of mind numbingly wrong headed Western notions, that women are saddled with.

I remember the good old days. My first visit to Thailand was in the mid 1970's. Bangkok was all low level buildings, and alot of swamps. Don Muang was the main airport, and it was about as funky as it got. Phuket had only a few bungalow resorts, at $3 a nite. I remember asking and beachfront land was selling for 1,000 baht a rai. They could not give it away. The families with alot of land were giving the beachfront land to the (less valuable) daughters, as it was too saline for good coconut farming, and the (more valuable) sons were getting the hillside land with a view. Who is the joke on now? Went to Samui in the mid 1980s. Even Chaweng Beach was sparsely developed. I hear ten years earlier there was barely anything there. The Ring Road was unpaved in some areas, electric was occasional, no airport yet, and very, very cheap.

Like many others, I am trying to plan a trip overseas. Hoping to head back to the US the end of the year, for over a month. One of my chief concerns is not only having to jump over the ridiculous hurdles required to get back in, but also the required quarantine. I would be fine with the sandbox. Three days in a hotel on an island, then a vacation on either Samui, or Phuket. That works, if need be. Any info on this? Any inside information about planned re-openings? What is the consensus about them continuing with the sandbox plan? The biggest nightmare would be a 14 day hotel quarantine in Bangkok. This is a difficult decision, as cases here appear to be stabilizing, but who knows? And cases seem to be rising in the US, which complicates things even more.