Expat1

Looking forward to see if all of the USG's much vaunted laws they have put in place to safeguard the poor Americans against evil terrorists by having access to the American's emails will actually function when chasing someone that may possibly have real power in the not too distant future.

Any bets on this?

This is not new. This happened decades ago in Singapore. It was a big medical mystery then and took a couple years of investigation before they got it. As to Israel, the Israelis are the same as every other Mid-East nation, they don't care about foreign workers one bit nor do they abide by the laws if they can profit more from not doing so. So no surprise there. In Singapore though the building construction workers were dying in similar ways. What they found was that the Thai workers had taken to cooking their meals in rigid PVC pipe. Yep, in PVC pipe. Well when one cooks in PVC toxic chemicals leach out into the food. It did not usually kill them immediately but over time and multiple ingestions it got some of them and made others sick. Anyway that was the medical mystery solved in Spore at the time for Nocturnal deaths syndrome.

You may know the old expression, "Israel will fight and die to the last...... American". Who cares what that blood thirsty murdering terrorist thinks. If the Americans are that foolish to listen to such as him then they will get what they deserve. More dead American service men and women. Personally I am sick and tired of self serving and greedy persons in power in the US kowtowing to these cretins and sending their countrymen's offspring into nonsensical conflicts endangering their servicemen for no reason. Unfortunately, there are good profits in this for those in power, that is a fact, and the Israeli's know the Americans with power will sell their people cheap.

Here is to hoping that the Americans will start taking a more critical view of Israel and it's motivations and use their own self thought and critical analysis as to whether they as Americans really need to act on this or that and if it is actually in their benefit to do so.

Anyone who says that this solution is not acceptable and reasonable in the given circumstances is obviously a FNG and has never been around Chinese manners and cleanliness and clearly has no point of reference other than their western media programmed judgements , so I believe I will keep my own counsel. We are with the Thais on this. I also concur with the gentleman regards building instead a latrine for the Chinese only, replete with parasol. Hopefully this shall be enforced on the Chinese with very big stick by a very big Thai.

Boy, always the whiners. Look boys and girls they only escape if you let them. It is always up to you in the end. If you were here in the old days you would understand what I am talking about but, few here still do. It was not always like this. So I suppose one gets the justice they will accept.

The reasons why no one goes to Patpong any longer is the same reason it has been for the last 20 over years...the horrible, nasty Night Street Market that slithered it's way in so long back and refuses to leave or die. It has sucked the life out of the street. If one were to remove the night market it would rejuvenate the same or at least similar to Soi Cowboy. A fresh influx of cash would come for certain to build it up. For those younger of you that are not aware 25 plus years ago the positions were reversed, Patpong was the place to go and Cowboy the poor cousin. However, when the market moved in the clientele moved out, simple as that.

It would appear not many here have actually spent time living and working among the Chinese. That girl is more the norm than the anomaly. There are some Chinese which understand courtesy to the public in general and practice same but, not many regardless of their economic or social stature. In fact, the higher their social/economic standing usually the more entitled they consider themselves to disregard such courtesy. Want have some fun? Go to a Chinese dominated area, China, Taiwan, even HK in Kowloon and stay a few years and one comes away with a whole different perception of cultural politeness.

Good for the French. Self and independent thought, good. They don't have to act like the Euro drones and follow the Americans, yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir. That is a very bad idea, the Americans have no idea where they are going.

Please tell me where the US and UK troops are? When it is time to invade an already defeated Iraq and take the oil, no problem first in line to go. Now for the first time in decades there is a serious opponent of sizable manpower strength, well armed, trained and motivated then they have to go now. What is wrong with this picture?

I enjoy reading what the FNGs that come and say about being so amazed at the disparity with their concepts of law, morality and normalcy compared to their home laws, rules and beliefs. This type of concept mentioned in the article is prevalent throughout all of Asia, even Japan and Korea to a greater of lesser degree. However, having said that, would someone please advise why the USA is referred to as the "Assassination Nation" and it's Pres has a hit list including his own citizens with no oversight at all and has done so for almost 50 years that I know of. And before you get on your high horse I and close friends of mine were involved in such things for our govt years back and I know young men that are involved previously in "renditioning", for which Thailand is now dodging the accusations of maintaining a torture camp for the USA govt and more. I know a Predator driver and he is sick of it and tells some interesting stories about such things and is leaving his job.

Now I am not condoning what is happening nor abduction and torture itself but it should be kept in mind that this is a global and multicultural game that all seem to be playing.

Yes, on this one there is a good mix of old hands and FNGs. Good to see. Yep, this has been going on for a while with the exception of the actual urine test in hand. Typically, BiB would pull one out of a taxi, off a bike or stop one walking and search, etc. then seek to extort. However, in the Thonglor area usually late at night though seldom daytime. Been happening a good number of years. Doubt much will be done about it other than they will stop giving cops the actual urine tests as they are expensive if enough are used and limited income results.

I did get charge out of the girls response though, "...that we believe to be racial profiling", racial profiling, are you serious? Ladies, the only color those guys see or care about is mean green. Western programming, jeeesh.

Actually it is no ones business but yours and hers. Tell em to take a hike.

Chances are though reality of the difference of the 70 to 20 years spread will eventually tell on her and she will take off at some point. Enjoy until then. In any case, I would not recommend marriage here unless she is somehow from similar culture type and language group ability as yourself regardless of age. Oil and water other wise.

We moved to Malaysia back when for my business. So she left. Best life improvement I could have ever hoped for. Opened up a whole world of possibilities that I have since taken advantage of. In fact, never heard of her again. Excellent gift. Quite happy now overall. May you have as good fortune.

Seems FNGs never learn until too late. It has been a maxim here for decades, one never keeps their funds in an English speaking country's bank or finance house. Ever. First, thing you do when you have decided you are staying in the region is to go to Hong Kong , Singapore or Malaysia and open up personal and company bank accounts and start moving your funds there and keeping a minimum back there at birth home if you wish. Then you declare your overseas address as domicile. Plenty of old hands around to help you with this stuff. As for the FACTA guys well you gotta look after yourselves but not many banks overseas want Americans as depositors anymore but for the rest of you try and plan ahead. It is going to get a lot worse.

Well, if they did steal from him I feel for him. Doubt he will recover anything. But from his actions it seems he has made himself a target sometimes it is best to go along quietly. Not overly wise to push too hard in the LOS. One hopes he has some understanding of Thais and their fears. His size will only intimidate for so long until they have had enough and for those of us who have lived through such things size is no match for small little fearful upset guys with large guns. Three in the head, you know their dead. Con cuidado, hombre.

Execution Dock was used for over 400 years in Great Britain to take care of such conditions. Bring it back. Dust it off. Talk about your tourist destination. It would be packed, wall to wall with paying customers and television rights. Blighty would make a bomb. And this little cretin could get to feel what that poor woman felt as she lay dying. If you ever have the unfortunate experience was watching the life drain from the eyes of someone up close and personal you would build that dock back up quick enough. If it makes you feel better, the prisoner had the right and was allowed to drink a quart of ale at a public house on the way to the gallows. That's fine.

A hub? Surely you jest.

I have had discussions with finance industry associates here and other ASEAN countries over the past 2 years regards to AEC and to a man they all concur Thailand is the least ready for this of any other included country.

Thailand has done virtually nothing in increasing English as a business language, no action on tariffs or labour laws, no laws or regulation studies to assist ASEAN firms to do business out of Thailand, in short... Mai penrai, Kup.

Now given that there was a coup and there are internal problems to address, which is a relatively recent event, Thailand has had years to try and ready themselves and take advantage of this and has done virtually nothing. The concenus is, by businessmen and finance types in the region of my acquaintance, that Thailand does not appear it plans to do anything much at all. That is a shame, the Thai people are capable and could certainly use the additional income this was instituted to bring about.

If you want your operation to run well and sleep at night I suggest you do what larger successful companies do in the rest of Asia. I have business associates that do precisely this. Go to China and recruit what you need and obtain work permits for them here. The chinese standard of English is higher and the coding skills are superior, due to the superior written English if for no other reason. This scenario is carried out in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and here as well. The Chinese engineers are very happy to have the job, especially overseas.

A very good question.

I have a financial interest in a farm in the south for a number of years I acquired through helping a friend. The crop grown there is Hemp (and for you FNGs that is NOT marijuana. Thailand is already an exporter of hemp and it's products.) The hemp grown there is amazing stuff. The seeds are used for feed, human food products, and can be used to make bidiesel (they do not do that as yet though we have tried to convince them of it) . The stalks make fibers, etc. They sell through a broker there and make good money. More than a rice farmer by a lot. One gets several crops a year as it grows fast and pretty much without a great deal of attention. It is basically a good weed. I do not have hands on with this farm but it is interesting to watch what they do and IMHO this should be grown a lot more in this country as it would solve a lot of problems. This type of farming could readily be fully self-sustaining as it is in Canada and other places in the world.

A country that was.