spidermike007

In order for this to happen, the nation would have to come up with a trillion baht. To pay each officer, of which there are about 250,000 nationally, a living wage, invest in proper and state of the art vehicles, forensic equipment, helicopters, additional highway patrol officers and vehicles, etc. Amazing that I have never, ever seen one on the highway. See them parked all the time, and see them AFTER an accident takes place, but never seen them patrolling the highways, looking for reckless drivers. Only when the police are paid a living wage, will there even be a chance of reform. Big talk, by small men. 

From all of the stories I have heard, no fareng should EVER go to any Karaoke bar in Thailand, unless they are accompanied by a Thai, who is a trusted friend. Never. Ever. These stories are rampant. These are clip joints. Often, when you refuse to pay the stated amount it can get very ugly. Not worth it. Even when the cops get involved, you still get clipped. Do not patronize these filthy scum joints. Unless you know the place, and/or know the owner, best to avoid. Going to a random joint like this, at 2am, on the advice of a taxi driver? A recipe for disaster, and naivety at it's zenith. 

There is nothing wrong with Chiang Mai. It is a great town. But never pick random spots like that.

Wow. What is the moral of this story? Never accept a beverage from a bar girl once in your hotel room? Never leave unopened bottles around? If someone is determined to drug you, there is only so much you can do to prevent it, I guess.

I do hope the surviving tourist recovers. As far as the dead man goes, one hopes they can find this woman and one hopes she is prosecuted and jailed for decades. She deserves that. Sounds like she is in deep doo doo. She really messed up. Some of these barbiturates and opioids these days are so strong, I can see how this could happen. She probably erred on the side of giving him way too much of the drug. Fatal mistake. I assume I am not the only one on this forum who questions the talent, ability and motivation of the average local police detective.

Great post. Thanks. Some of my friends are wondering where to meet Burmese women outside of Burma? Is it possible? Many seem very kind hearted. How do they compare with Thai women?

This is an enormous problem with the youth today. Even the millennials are owned by their devices. Some do not even know how to hold a conversation. Some have no social skills whatsoever. It is very scary, to think these people will be the leaders at some point. What will the world look like?

Even guys like Sean Parker are coming out and talking about the destructive elements of facebook and social media. You tube is included in that, but at least there is a potential educational component there. He no longer allows his kids to use FB. Sounds like he might be a real man. That is what real men do. They establish boundaries. Even baboons will not let their kids run wild without any supervision or boundaries. 

Tim Cook was asked recently in an interview about this. He offered some sound advice. He said just put your phone away. Check it every hour or so. But, do not allow the device to own you. Own your device. It is called self discipline. Something many are not familiar with. 

17 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

If anyone wants your valuables in that case, they will just take the whole suitcase away and cut the lock off somewhere else 

 

This thief must have known their was cctv outside the rooms and she still did it anyway.... 

True. That could easily happen. But it does not. Most of these crimes are crimes of opportunity. They see it, and they take it. Out of sight, out of mind. If it is well hidden, nobody is going to steal a suitcase. The would have to know there are valuables or alot of cash inside. In the decades of travel, I have used the luggage lock system, and never once has a bag been broken into, nor a bag stolen. It works. 

14 hours ago, cooked said:

Your evidence for that, apart from the MSM?

This is the anniversary of an armed rebellion in the Rakhine, planned, coordinated and ordered by foreign powers that want to get their hands on Rakhine oil and gas, at the same time declaring that they want an independent Islamic state. The same thing is happening in Assam and the CHT but you won't have read about that in the MSM, will you?

It is also the exact anniversary of Kofi Anan's peace plan for the Rakhine being announced.

Neither ASSK nor Myanmar asked for her to be adulated by naive idealists. She has the full support of the Myanmar people.

How would you feel if 30 police posts were attacked overnight in your province?

 

No point in trying to defend any particular position here. Anytime someone uses the term MSM, they give themselves away. Bought and paid for by Trump, Fox News, and the supposed "non swamp tribe". Always remember, "truth is not truth".

23 hours ago, yellowboat said:

For years, this woman gave the whole world hope.   Now that she has shown what she really is, we can only feel despair.   She is just a shameless power grabber. 

Correct. She has shown her true colors. She is so hungry for power, and the trappings that come with that power, she is perfectly fine condoning mass genocide, rape, and crimes against humanity. I only wish there were a way to revoke a Nobel. She does not deserve any honors. She is showing her racism, as is the rest of that horrendous, heinous, murderous regime, posing as a democracy. 

If you are referring to the mongering scene, the only other place in the world that comes close, is Angeles City, in the PI. It is not an attractive town, you do have to be somewhat careful, and the country as a whole is like one huge Tijuana, but with horrendous food. However, the action is amazing, the gals can be really lovely, short time is considered three hours, and the talent and enjoyment level is generally way, way beyond Thailand. And that is true to this day, from what I am told by friends who live there. In general it is a great party town. Now, if sex is not a consideration, there are countless spots already mentioned in this post. All depends on what a man is looking for, and how much cash he has to spend.

Phnom Penh used to be amazing back in the days, before the massive clean up. Samui used to be great too, but is a pale shadow of it's former self. The puritanical clean up has affected the place in a big way, and the same can be said for Phuket, which used to be incredible, decades ago. Costa Rica is crazy overrated in my opinion. Very expensive in general, and although there is some action to be had in San Jose, it is not what it used to be, and is way over priced. Also, the place is very vanilla. But quite beautiful, and fairly pristine. Kind of like Hawaii in that regard. Havana used to be amazing. Now, it is also way, way overpriced. And not nearly as funky as it used to be. 15 years ago it was great fun. Now? 

On 5/14/2018 at 9:06 AM, KittenKong said:

You misunderstand me. I dont want to "mingle" with anyone at random, regardless of who or what they are, and regardless of which country they are from. I'm just not interested at all.

I also think that there is a big difference between people who are working abroad and those who are on a fortnight's holiday in Jomtien.

Exactly the difference between Los Angeles and New York. In LA, it is nearly impossible to mingle with people randomly. The fear level amongst the locals is so high, that they are just not prepared or willing to talk to a stranger, for more than a moment. It is astonishing, and one of the aspects of LA that I find least appealing. In New York you can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, find out they are a fascinating and very accomplished person, and develop a relationship on that basis, be they man or woman. There is a very low fear factor, as people there have a great deal of self esteem, sense of self, grounding, and courage. It is one of the aspects I love most about New York.

As far as Pattaya goes, unless one is into carting, golf or babes, I just do not see the allure as a tourist destination. Beyond me. 

I am always amazed at what people leave in hotel rooms. I always put my valuables in my luggage and lock it up. Granted, if someone really wanted to, cutting a luggage lock is not a hard thing to do. But, it is a deterrent. And in the many years of travel, I have never once had it happen. Never lost anything. Just a simple precaution. I trust my locked luggage over a room safe. 

Why would anyone put someone earning $10 a day in the position of having to wrestle with that kind of temptation? Why take that kind of risk? Is it possible this is an insurance scam of some sort?

Lastly, why do these Pattaya officials keep mentioning the good reputation of Pattaya? What planet are they living on? Are they truly that delusional, or is that just something they have to say? 

1 hour ago, Rhys said:

Small  medium  large

 

Medium. And absolutely lovely. What can one say? Is there something they put in the water here? Why does Thailand have such a disproportionate number of beautiful women? What is up with that?

1 hour ago, Puccini said:

 

What makes you think that the lawyer being talked about here is part of "the authorities here" or a 'leader"?

 

I googled his Thai name and came up with zilch. He is an unknown quantity.

I was not necessarily referring to the lawyer. But, the authorities are trying hard to make Thailand into a "pure" nation, whatever that means. And the guys who are doing it are the least pure, and the most corrupt of them all. It is just for appearances. There is a vast effort being made to make Thailand more "family friendly". It has been going on for a number of years now, but has accelerated of late. 

Than Sintawalai, Chief of the Department of Rural Roads Krabi office is a very small man. He was abusing his office. He is a self entitled little worm. If this government took itself seriously, he would be fired in a nanosecond. Chief of the department of rural roads? Imagine how important someone with a real position considers themselves here?

1 hour ago, Naam said:

12,500 Dollars Florida property taxes plus 8,800 Dollars home insurance including hurricane cover equals to 58,000 Baht a month, i.e. an amount many expats don't have as disposable income.

Thank you. You have to be making stupid money, to be comfortable in the US these days. 

13 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

I share your opinions except I like the Bangkok symphony and some of the guests that play here. The Chinese musicians are pretty cheap and excellent musicians.  I also take a trip to Europe for a month in the summer to see lots of art, theater, and eat cheese and drink wine. There is a good jazz club in BKK near Victory Monument.  

But the best live jazz has to be New Orleans and the best blues Chicago or Memphis and the best music for all types Austin Texas and never miss a show at Carnegie Hall In NYC or Royal Albert Hall in London. Cheers. 

Yes, all of that! I think the club you are referring to is called Saxophone. One of the only jazz clubs in Bangkok, much less Thailand. I heard the symphony was good. Thanks for the tip. Check out MOCA Bangkok. Up near Don Muang. Truly a world class museum. Put together by Boonchai Bencharongkul, the guy who founded DTAC. He tried to get the money from the Thai government, to house his extensive, world class art collection. When they would not come up with the funds, due to an astonishing lack of vision, he bought the land, and built the museum out of his own pocket. A spectacular building, with the best contemporary art I have ever seen in Thailand. Never even knew art on this level existed here. 

Read more at: http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/moca.htm?cid=ch:OTH:001

EVA Air is very good. If you can get a good deal, go for it. Their service is good, their planes are very well maintained, they have one of the best safety records in the business, and if you are fortunate enough to be flying business class, the newer 777's have pod seating that is fantastic. Also, the lounges are excellent. The lounge at Swampy is wonderful. 

Even their economy seating is not terrible. And premium economy is quite comfortable, though a big step up in terms of price. Lastly, if you get silver or gold status with them, you are entitled to use most of their lounges, regardless of class of flight, and can check three large bags. Highly recommended. 

Before you engage in surgery, at least try saw palmetto or stinging nettle leaf extract. I have found it to be immensely helpful for keeping my prostate healthy, and regulating the flow of urine. I always consider surgery as a last resort. 

This has been the worst week of his presidency thus far. Even the usually blusterous Trump, is rather subdued, in the face of all of this bad news, betrayal, potential charges, and potentially devastating revelations to come. He knows about all of the skeletons in his closet, and he is running very, very scared. For the first time in his life, he may be held accountable for his serial criminal nature and acts. Combine that with his relative lack of accomplishments to date, and there is a chance many members of the GOP could change allegiances after the mid-terms, and abandon the sinking ship, the SS. Tiny Donald. 

“No day during President Trump’s 19 months in office could prove as dangerous or debilitating as Tuesday,” wrote Dan Balz in the Washington Post. “Everything that happened in a pair of courtrooms hundreds of miles apart strengthened the hand of special counsel Robert S Mueller III and weakened that of the president of the United States.”

Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, tweeted: “i understand the focus on politics here at home, but 

1) NK is not denuclearizing; 

2) Venezuela is on the precipice;

3) a crisis with/over Iran is brewing; 

4) climate change is worse sooner than predicted; 

5) US relations w China and Russia are at post-Cold War nadir. just sayin’”.

Not to mention the apartheid conditions in Israel, that he is supporting and the issues with Canada, Mexico and the entire EU, that he has single handedly created. 

A great summary of Tiny Don's current nightmare:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/25/trumps-terrible-week-stunning-news-and-whispers-of-impeachment?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

Them "draconian security measures" wouldn't have anything to do with terrorist attacks and such, would they?

Terrorist attacks by whom, the Israelis or the Palestinians? Oh I forgot. The Israelis always get a free pass, when they bomb civilian areas.