ChiangMaiFun

Whenever I see something like this, whether ot be a sign, or a street preacher, or Karen nuns, I always think to myeslf what a lovely and tolerant society this is that I live in. When I read these kinds of comments and think about the kinds of people that must be making them, that view is reinforced with respect to Thai tolerance.

you're missing the point.... they take advantage of that tolerance in a way Buddhists do not - it's disrespectful

Well, lots of people take advantage of circumstances. You like to post about all the young women you can have here. You think that's got nothing to do with the tolerance of Thais? You think it's not disrespectful or taking advantage?

I refuse to veer totally off topic and am happy to discuss that under a different thread if you so wish

It is unrelated to putting up signs on poles that are intended to 'convert' and frighten Thais with eternal damnation if they remain Buddhists - that's the bottom line - be 'saved' or suffer in Hell

Whenever I see something like this, whether ot be a sign, or a street preacher, or Karen nuns, I always think to myeslf what a lovely and tolerant society this is that I live in. When I read these kinds of comments and think about the kinds of people that must be making them, that view is reinforced with respect to Thai tolerance.

you're missing the point.... they take advantage of that tolerance in a way Buddhists do not - it's disrespectful

These signs, all on metal boards and mounted about 3-5 meters off the road on poles and trees, are EVERYWHERE on side roads in Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phrae, Phayou.... It is my suspicion that they are installed by PSP satelight company because their own signs are ofen mounted too, under the Christian signs.

My feeling is no big deal, there are many Thai and hilltribe Christians that live here, and it gets there ideas some attention.

No harm is done to anyone or anything

I'd like to see Buddhist signs go up in NY or London or Berlin - on public poles! it's absurd and totally arrogant

I want to transfer out of Bank of Ayudhya which has gone downhill insisting sending requests for letters about money from overseas to buy property to BKK - they never used to do it and I've had enough. never the same at Thapae Road now the guy who I dealt with has moved branches - they are rude and uninterested.

I already have a Bangkok Bank account and a TMB - so which is the very best branch (of ANY bank) in Chiang Mai for service to Farang?

Since the local religion called Buddhism -which is actually 100% animism but they don't know- is just after money to build more and more gold plated temples, get more and more power and exclusive cars but not helping people with their sorrows or help the country to develop, I think it's good Christians step in, even if they might be a bit fanatic sometimes but they are OK and want to help the people from their heart. My best Thai friends are Christians they are just more serious and conscious have more dignity and self esteem. The rest is not sincere just greedy. People who love Christian or Jehova's witness bashing are not normal themselves.

True Buddhists understand the difference between Animism so you are not correct. Christians should keep their 'zeal' in their own countries - Jehovah's are the worst. I agree that Buddhism here needs a thorough overhaul but what is doesn't need is Christians!

As far as I can tell, the coast is clear.

'coast' that's an unfortunate metaphor when discussing 'water'

Well, if you get a dose of the clap or some other nasty STD, the owner of Smith Residence is also the owner of the little Skin and VD clinic on the corner of Ratchamanka and Moonmuang Roads. Being a resident at the Smith Residence may entitle you to a discount for treatment. Best ask when checking in.

I dare not ask how you know that... but I didn't know there were ANY STD clinics in CM

how much is it?

We pay 15,000 month for a city facing suite (no afternoon sun), one month free if you pay a year up front including very good stable wifi and poor cable TV (although we are told it's going to change in the next few days/weeks and we're getting a lot more channels). I think the rooms are between 5,000 and 6,000 a month long term, but the nightly rate is pretty expensive. 5th floor upwards gets free access to gym and small pool, 7th & 8th free wifi too.

thanks - not so cheap to be honest.

Not much else to add to that, though perhaps I should also mention once more that the notion that it used to be 'a gentle and respectful celebration' in the 'good old days' is a complete fallacy. The pictures have been posted on this forum, old black-and-whites from the 1950's and 1960's that show a huge water fight, same same today. (Well, there were less people in town, but other than that I would have thoroughly enjoyed Songkran in 1960!).

Some Thai people even seem to believe this. Their memories may be one-sided because while they were kids they weren't allowed into town, so all they saw was their granparents house and the temple.

I'm making sure my children get a proper Songkran education so they won't claim in 2055 that it was a gentle and meek celebration in 2011!

So, once more, behold, and smell the moat water:

Winnie, I too am wondering about the tradition of Songkran. Surely it goes far further back than the 20th century; living memory is not the only way to discover religious beginnings. Could it be not be that Siam, an agricultural country before WWII (and after it for a while), washed figures of Buddha and then used the water as a kind of benediction? For many centuries?

Well, I stuck to living memory only because some people claim that it was more respectful before.

But if we want to explore beginnings then what you're seeing is clearly an animist fertility rite. As such it predates Buddhism. (Like Christianity put a religious meaning on the much older celebrations around Christmas/New Year. ) There are major festivals in India at the time of Songkran as well.

(Maybe that's why so many old grumpy Farang dont like it; they fail to connect with the fertility aspect of if all. That's all the ppl talking about staying home with books and yelling at the world and life in general that's passing them by. )

it's not that Winnie - it's the ice in the face and deliberate knocking people off bikes etc. that some don't like. And the road deaths? how many deaths so far? I'd like to see the Stats for years ago... not many died back then I'm sure so there has to have been a change. It's not a killjoy thing but, as the Old Belle guy reported it's got more thuggish in some parts of town (a small area I grant you)

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<br />Exellent source of information, this thread <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <br /><br />Wink: Fire. Cut down electricity too.<br />

<br /><br />True - water throw from swimming pool to street level caused electricity lines to catch fire. Electric out for a couple of hours, internet an phones out for more than 24 hours but all back to normal now. BTW - it's long and short term residence and hotel, 2 floors of suites with separate bedrooms and 5 floors of hotel/studio type rooms. About a quarter of us are long termers, same old faces return same times each year for up to 6 months.<br />

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Thanks for your clarification at the end (prayerfully!) of one of the longest and most off topic meanderings I've ever suffered here.

Also, you win the major prize for turning a minor incident into a dam_n good promo! Thanks. Really!

Not a promo, just good value for money as far as I'm concerned. I'm suffering from ex-pat syndrome - if I never see Thai food again I wouldn't care so I appreciate the mini kitchen supplemented by my small portable oven/stove and slow cooker and every day I cook English, French, Italian, Indian, Greek - anything but Thai. An added bonus is that the owner, Dr Smith, is a REAL doctor (a dermatologist) and has saved both mine and my husband's arse more than once over the years. His wife is a pharmacist, which also comes in handy. Another bonus is if we don't see someone for a few days, we knock on the door to make sure they're OK. Nobody sees it as being intrusive, and appreciate that people have noticed that they're hibernating for whatever reason, which is usually the case. It really is a nice place to be. I'd love a bigger kitchen and have looked at condo's, but none can beat the price and location and people. I think we'll be here forever.

how much is it?

update!

no sign of Hissing Sid! but I am getting a dead fish a day floating in the pond so... is he there...?

had a young lady round last night who was conspicuously nervous of my snake (but that could be taken two ways I guess...)

If you've got dead fish floating it's not the snake. He/she would have eaten them.

hmm that's true I guess it would

Well all the Thai's I know say please fly out and don't come back.

all the Thais I know hate drunken farangs ruining their festival

I agree but also all the Thais don't want falang telling them what to do.

nobody is telling them what to do or saying Songkran is 'bad' - I enjoy it largely and have played for years - but I'd prefer (like many Thai and Farang) to get away next year. It IS the drunken farang down at Thaepe area who try to knock people off bikes and use ice etc. who get out of hand - the other 99% are fine!

We should all appreciate Chayasit announcing PTP's platform early so no one has to wait until April 23 to see what their plans are.

yes - and I am banning myself from political comment before the election and let the elections and Thai people speak for themselves - I hope there is a fair and peaceful outcome

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

me too but I couldn't get a flight this year enjoyment is one thing but it's just an orgy without the sex - a million miles from the respectful mild splashing of water

Well all the Thai's I know say please fly out and don't come back.

all the Thais I know hate drunken farangs ruining their festival

I'm so sorry if I offended anyone by calling Songkran "nonsense". Of course it isn't. I love Thailand. It's the continuation of water throwing after the "official" holiday that I was questioning.

I did a massive grocery shopping on Monday just so I don't have to go out during the holiday, except when I want to play water games with the neighbors and dress accordingly. I don't have a car. Last year we tried to go to a movie during the "official" holiday and had no problem in getting to the mall in the morning. However, during the return the song thaew stopped at every water station in the old city, drenching us and the few things we'd bought at the mall. I guess we should have taken one of those metered taxis that hang around outside Central Airport Plaza.

I like to go to movies. I enjoy the experience of seeing a film in a Thai-owned movie theater. I'm so sorry if my movie-going hobby has offended anyone.

Just forget I asked.

you don't have to completely back-track you know - say what you believe and believe what you say

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

me too but I couldn't get a flight this year enjoyment is one thing but it's just an orgy without the sex - a million miles from the respectful mild splashing of water

Kill it for what? To eat?

Most snakes are not poisonous. Unless you need a dead snake for something, like you are making a snake skin belt, why kill it?

Thailand has 200+ snake species with over 60 of them - venomous.

While 75% are not venomous, that still leaves the 25% that are.

A baby Krait can kill an adult fairly easily.

I try not to get close enough to any to be able to kill them, some are very fast and have no hesitation in attacking.

Jeeze - I looked up the Krait online and it looks very, very similar - mine was dark grey with some dull yellow patterning - thin and whispy and VERY fast

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

This is the biggest Thai holiday of year. The day I stop enjoying Songkran and find myself bad mouthing the culture of the country I live in, is the day they can put me in the ground. If I find myself to be as miserable as some of you are, I will pay somebody to take me out to the pasture like damaged livestock and shoot me in the head to put me out of my misery.

Happy Songkran!

-Mestizo

could be arranged

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

i agree... and what a waste of a resource... can be fun of course but after a few years I'm bored with it - especially the drunk farangs

update!

no sign of Hissing Sid! but I am getting a dead fish a day floating in the pond so... is he there...?

had a young lady round last night who was conspicuously nervous of my snake (but that could be taken two ways I guess...)

Oh yes, the one eyed python variety, can be deadly at nights

She was less nervous this morning I am happy to report!

One snake down, one to go.

Hang on a minute. You are continually on here going on about how the people are fed up with the establishment, and their corrupt, nepotistic (if that's not a word then it should be) ways, and supporting the reds and voting PTP is the only way that can change, yet when the reds put a jailed leader's wife in charge, and the PTP look at putting a bail jumping criminal's sister in charge, with no input from the little people, then that's okay, because everyone does it here? Either the PTP/reds are the solution (in which case they wouldn't be doing it the same old way), or they are part of the problem (currently the largest part oif the problem in my opinion). Which is it to be? How can voting for the same tired old politicians (and their appointed proxies), with their same, tired old corrupt nepotistic ways be a "cultural shift"?

`and supporting the reds and voting PTP is the only way that can change' never said it - if you think I have please copy so we can all see it

No, you never directly said that. I was making a summary of many of your posts here over the years. Interesting that you pick out that one bit, rather than answer my question though. Why, if the people see the Democrats as "the party of the elite", and you tell us that you agree with this opinion (or are you going to deny that as well?) should they (and, more importantly, you) see the PTP in any other light, given their corrupt, nepotistic means of operation? And why, if, as you continually tell us, you are for the poor, and against anything that holds them down, or points to rotten politics, do you brush off the fact that one man is going to self appoint the leader of one of the big two political parties, seemingly making that decision simply on the basis of how malleable they will be to his orders, with the "everyone does it here" excuse?

Much to say but please read post 104 thanks

update!

no sign of Hissing Sid! but I am getting a dead fish a day floating in the pond so... is he there...?

had a young lady round last night who was conspicuously nervous of my snake (but that could be taken two ways I guess...)

Oh yes, the one eyed python variety, can be deadly at nights

She was less nervous this morning I am happy to report!

update!

no sign of Hissing Sid! but I am getting a dead fish a day floating in the pond so... is he there...?

had a young lady round last night who was conspicuously nervous of my snake (but that could be taken two ways I guess...)

and so the Army General who states 'we will stay out of politics' makes a political statement - Amazing Thailand!

edit: let's hope the 'let go of the hatred' spills over to TV political threads

In all the bickering, snipeing and juvenile petiness, did anyone answer the question asked by the OP ?

no but your description is standard for TV!