spidermike007

Spot on. Only when much egg ends up in the face of the RTP, do they spring into action. And most cases just "go away", if the culprit has cash or influence. Even if it gets to the courts, that is another level of safety for the criminals, if they have enough cash. Multiple layers of protection. And as you say, the so called crackdowns are mostly PR, especially when the biggest joke is involved. And the crackdowns last two weeks. Then poof.

As usual, the biggest joke is avoiding real crime fighting. Why doesn't he target the real culprits? High ranking police, immigration and army officials, who are raking in billions? Want to guess? Easier to target the "evil foreigners". His lack of sincerity is annoying.

Very low quality American Mexican food. And over priced. Last time the food was ridiculous for the price. Missing ingredients on the tacos and not much of anything else inside, other than lettuce. Soggy cold chips, (would hate to see the small portion because the large was pathetic) and a quesadilla with only a quarter of it filled. Overcooked tiny churro’s with a half centimetre of dipping sauce in the container. No thanks.

Aiding people who cross the border does not qualify as human trafficking. As usual, Trump is misled and confused. Now, if he was referring to the real traffickers, who smuggle young girls and women as sex slaves, then I agree. However, that might contradict his close, former relationship with Epstein, before they had him "suicided".

I don't trust Thai tire brands. Tires are too important. Would rather spend a little more for a better ride, grip and safety. Been using Michelin and Yokohama for years. Both are excellent. Continental are also very good. I avoid Dunlop especially, and usually avoid Bridgestone too. I use Pirelli on my bike, and love how soft and grippy they are.

The majority of generals appointed in the "deplorable Prayuth promotion campaign" were army generals. This guy is a police general. Could there be a difference in his point of view, due to that? Who will be on the front line, if the people decide they are fed up with the lowlifes feeding from the trough, "break ranks" and shut down Thailand? Certainly not the cowardly army.

It is quite possible we simply do not understand Russians, due to their outward appearance of rudeness, unhappiness, grumpiness and a cold, stoic nature. Granted, they were subject to alot of brutality in their past. But, the cultural differences are vast. This misconstrued bluntness causes resentment if a person is not used to it. What ought to be kept in mind, however, is that in most cases direct Russians don’t mean to hurt, they are merely satisfying their curiosity. Even if an inappropriate question lands your way, play it cool and remember an observation made by a savvy Irishman living in Moscow: “Russians are more accepting of bad moods. You're allowed to be grumpy in public here, and I've learned not to always take it personally if someone is rude to you. They're just not used to pretending they're in a good mood.” https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/328835-why-russians-so-rude A cultural stereotype that has developed in Russia: People who for no reason smile at strangers may turn out to be insincere (the smile is perceived as ingratiating) or stupid. There is even a saying in Russia, which many foreigners find hard to understand: "Laughter without reason (laughter and a smile are close in Russian culture) is a sign of stupidity." Ponomaryov attributes this caution to "the events that took place in the history of our country." According to him, since Russians often had to deal with external aggression (either from other nations or from each other), they have developed a habit of not wearing one's heart on one's sleeve and of being wary of strangers. https://www.rbth.com/politics_and_society/2017/05/03/why-do-russians-look-so-grim_755704

Change? Reform? Progress? Looking after the masses? Populist policies? Never. The old guard appears to be doing everything within their power, and flexing their muscles in a very toxic fashion, to prevent anything good or positive from happening. Don't they have enough money? When is enough, enough? How many billions of baht do you goons need? Pita is right. Out with the dinosaurs. Power to the youth!

General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves of the Seri Ruam Thai Party or Thai Liberal Party told reporters that he was simply speaking the truth ‘with love’ on Friday as he explained the position to them. Total BS. First you are a general. You are a former national police chief. We all know what that makes you. You don't have any love, nor any credibility. You have sacrificed your soul for the sake of power and money. You don't know what truth, or integrity looks like, much less love or sacrifice. What you are saying is "he stood for change, reform and progress, and we can't allow that to happen". You want truth? Then speak it and stop disguising your intentions. You are an imposter.

I do not think it is a sense of entitlement. I think it is a reflection of the current culture. It was destroyed over a century of callous and murderous leadership. Stalin, Lenin, Khruschev, now Putin. They have become somewhat savage and crude. No grace, no finesse, no courtesy. Rather uncivilized.

Just one of a hundred examples of a failed administration.

These numbers are highly fudged. Likely they include all expats going back and forth, all business trips, and all migrant workers. Also, all border runs, etc. Everyone in the tourism industry says it is alot quieter than 2019. Everyone. So, the economy here still struggles, after the Prayuth Decimation.

No place else in SE Asia I would rather live. For me, the PI feels like one giant Tijuana, with bad food. Malaysia is boring, and the people too conservative, and not much fun. However, it is a beautiful country. Would never even consider Vietnam, as I do not really care for most of the people. Where else? Cambodia and Laos? Have a dozen good reasons why neither of those would work. So, here I am, happy to say. Life is good. Every day here is a good day, as far as I am concerned.

Thais have very little in the way of linguistic skills. I have traveled all over Latin America, including Cuba many times, and can converse easily with the locals. Frankly, there is nothing about the Thai language I like. Nothing. Spanish sounds like music or poetry to me in comparison. And using the same alphabet is immensely easier, in addition to not having to deal with the ridiculous tones. And the people of Latin America are linguistically creative and can dance around a poorly pronounced or spoken sentence and figure it out. Nobody in Thailand can! They don't even try.

I do. I love 30. No problem at all. 35? Hot. 40? Ridiculous. I have really good inverter AC units, and they get alot of use! I don't care about the electric bill. It is so worth it.

And despite all the rhetoric to the contrary, the army turned out to be less capable and more corrupt.

Lock him up or send him home to Russia. I have friends who know younger Russians. And they say they are kind, friendly and progressive. I have no idea what percentage of the population these younger people represent, nor how representative they are of the Russian population. Personally, I have met very few friendly Russians, anywhere in the world. I can only speak from my experience. Having run into alot of Russians both in the US, and on Phuket and Samui, 98% of them seem to be grumpy, unfriendly and gruff. Some of them are downright hostile. Likely a reflection of a very, very rough culture and environment. So, perhaps it is not a coincidence that the world is not standing up to support them and show them kindness? Just an observation.

1. Blaring music. 2. Ridiculously reckless drivers on the highway. 3. The highway patrol utterly refusing to patrol the highways. 4. Everything about the Thai army. 5. Every politician. Next four: 6. The complete inability of the Thai people to guess what I am saying, when I do not pronounce the words perfectly. 7. The heat. 8. The foul air 4 or 5 months of the year. 9. The completely nonsensical import wine tax. That is about it. I love most everything else about the place and the people.

Well, I have noticed that most don't ask many questions with any real depth.

And you would consider having chocolate shipped this time of year?

You are going to use some protection, or you are not gaining entrance. Am I making myself clear? The last thing in the world I need is a baby, that you won't take care of. How about that for a start?

1. Nothing you do or say means anything. You have zero credibility. 2. You said you would honor the results of the election. You lied, yet again. 3. The ridiculous senate you installed, has voted against the will of the people and deliberately abstained in a most cowardly and dastardly fashion. All bets are off. You cannot attempt to steal an election, and then ask for calm. What kind of kool-aid have you been drinking? 4. The nation cannot wait for you to depart. It cannot happen soon enough. The damage you have caused with your leadership is immeasurable. 5. History classes down the road will teach about your administration. The title of the course might be "12 reasons the army should never run the country".

True. And that is where a foreign husband can be a positive influence. Having respect for ones folks is good. Bowing down to their every wish and command is not healthy. My gal is very respectful, and her folks deserve that. They are fine people. But, she does toe the line. There are definite limits.

Standing up to your folks, and learning how to refuse to be pressured, guilted, or shamed by them is a very healthy bit of personal development. Learning to say no to your folks, and letting them know when they are doing something very wrong is a beautiful thing. Some Thais will never be able to do that. Some can. It takes alot of maturity and self esteem. If my in laws were that far off base, and my wife would not stand up to them, I would. Fortunately, mine are very decent and respectful souls. Your wife sounds like she has some rather undeveloped and highly ignorant parents.

The recent events are worthy of a mass funeral. Thailand might have been the tiger of SE Asia a decade or so ago, having been the 22nd largest economy in the world, but those days are long gone. So, I would say it would be safe to refer to Thailand as an up and coming 3rd world (developing) country, post Covid. I would not be surprised to see Thailand in 75th place in terms of GDP, 20 years from now. There is absolutely no doubt the nation is moving backwards, on at least a dozen levels. And unless a dynamic leader like Thanathorn or Pita comes along, as is allowed to lead, the great tiger will continue to devolve into a whiny little street cat. With pre-historic creatures like Prawit or Anutin leading the way, and the horrific Thai army continuing to block anything that resembles change, the nation is destined to lag far behind. Go ahead and stick with regressive conservative policies, resist change and progress at all costs, and run your nation into the ground. When you have antiquated creeps like this choosing the PM, inferiority is what you get. True, bottom of the barrel leadership.