6 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

You only have to Google it. But there's a nice summary here.

https://www.thecut.com/2025/06/heres-what-j-k-rowling-has-really-said-about-trans-people.html

I looked at this.Nothing in there to suggest  she draws a clear line between women and those that pretend to be.It's written from an extreme ideological perception (the comments are worth reading) but yet fails to pin down one convincing example of JKR's alleged transphobia.

On 6/28/2025 at 5:04 PM, Baht Simpson said:

I agree. Just put her books in the transphobic section. 🙂 

Can you point to just one example of JK Rowling's transphobia.It doesn't count to say she believes biological sex is immutable.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

And the young and pretty ones are asking stupid money

What do you mean by "stupid money"? I would have thought the price was market determined and one can not blame working girls for charging what they can get.The truth is of course that pretty charming girls do appear in the bars from time to time but they very rapidly disappear to pastures new, once they become aware of their worth.In every country and age pretty charming girls from poor backgrounds (and boys for that matter though trickier for them)  rise in the social scale.Though it's a universal trait, Thai girls seem particularly adept at it.To be honest this phenomenon is more apparent in the middle class Thai bars than Pattaya with its predominantly loser client base. If we have to label a group 'stupid', I would opt for the gormless farang punters - the majority of which to use your expression are old,fat and ugly.

https://www.fairplanet.org/dossier/beyond-slavery/forgotten-slavery-the-arab-muslim-slave-trade-sex-trafficking/

I expect this pack of grifters will get round to Muslim slavers in due course.

29 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

There are "top 5" lists type topics on this in the Bangkok forum....

 

 

.

Many thanks, a useful advertorial article.

It's impossible for me and I suspect for others to rate the very large number of Bangkok tailors, mostly run by people of Indian descent.It's many years since I have needed their services.

The reason I ask is that an English friend visiting Bangkok next month has asked me to recommend a tailor that could produce a suit that was as close as possible to a traditional Savile Row model.I think that means high quality material, attention to detail and multiple fittings.My friend is late 60's and former army officer so don't think he is looking for other than a traditional cut.I've had one recommendation (Dinos near that Korean complex by Soi 12 Sukhumvit) but I'm uncertain if still in business.Any suggestions gratefully received.I dont think price is a major issue if product is good.

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

Yeah, he was a complete plonker.

His nickname around Pattaya was Brownfinger.

Every thing he touched turned to sหเt.

I wouldn't be so harsh.Actually I quite admire his Energizer bunny enthusiasm,The trouble is he is a prime example of the The Dunning-Kruger effect, ie a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific area. This tends to occur because a lack of self-awareness prevents them from accurately assessing their own skills.I also confess to sometimes watching his D- About T- vids which quite unintentionally are often screamingly funny.Also I'm no snob but he needs to do something about that accent.

15 hours ago, billd766 said:

MHO it has been going downhill since George sold it, and it has got worse with every change of owner.

I'm not going to use words like "worse" but some facts need to be pointed out.

Firstly, there are still some brilliant members with superlative knowledge.Sheryl and Arkady come to mind but there are others.

Secondly, Thai Visa also had a rather mixed reputation (fairly or unfairly) based on its allegedly old grouchy demographic. So there's nothing new there.The standard of discussion however has in my view deteriorated.For example the sophisticated and spirited level of political debate has disappeared almost entirely.The forum remains an excellent source for practical information on all sorts of subjects, maybe less so in immigration matters in the past.

Thirdly, any owner who is commercially driven is going quite understandably to want to monetize the forum as best he can.There is nothing wrong with this provided the worst elements of commercialization are avoided - ie giving a platform to shady advertisers.I didn't know George but I got the impression he loved the forum for its own sake and wasn't really driven entirely by profit.His successor in contrast was driven almost entirely by profit (though failing to achieve it) and didn't really value the community side of the forum .Unfortunately he didn't know how to monetize the forum either and generally seemed adrift.Under Thaiger a reasonable balance seems to have been achieved, but still early days.

After a series of less than satisfactory experiences, I am looking for a first class optician in Bangkok with decent English skills who can test sight but also has experience with contact lens requirements as well as glasses..Any suggestions?

1 hour ago, madone said:

Thank you, Chat JayPT

No it's Grok actually.A quick way to demolish the more stupid conspiracy theories.These seem to be over represented on the is forum.Not surprising perhaps given its predominant demographic - blue collar, retired, indifferently educated, often right wing.

6 minutes ago, CatCage said:

The latest scandle involving her two children her pregnancy and lack of documentation during the births is gathering momentum so we will see where that one goes.

Another lie. Taking just the first born since it was in the UK =

12 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

 

No DNA test has been publicly conducted to dispute King Charles III’s paternity. The royal family has never acknowledged the rumor.

So no proof against the 'rumour' and no denial.

 

in other words a lie.

Or the participants in an extra-marital affair were lying.

 

Difficult to take the rumor (or you) seriously given that Harry was born before Diana and Hewitt ever met.

We hear a lot about collapsing trust in politics. Now we're getting a case study in precisely why it collapses. For a year Ministers have been arguing against a national rape gang inquiry, and gaslighting and attacking anyone who calls for one. Then when they are finally forced to change tack they pretend they have been fighting for that inquiry all along, and expect everyone to conveniently ignore everything they were doing and saying for the past year. It's grotesque.

Many decades ago I acquired a jacket from a Bangkok tailor, now out of business. The jacket is great but I haven't worn it for at least 15 years and it needs some extensive work done to it, mainly restitching.I rather like the jacket and would like it to be repaired professionally.Any recommendations? Much more interested in a first class job than low pricing. Thanks in advance.

On 6/11/2025 at 8:13 AM, Muhendis said:

The point is that Krungsri are offering you the opportunity to have their app in several devices.

They don't allow that now.Where does it say they will in the future?

24 minutes ago, newnative said:

    Absolute rubbish.  You likely have not even encountered the vast majority of the expat population, most of whom are out of sight living in the non-tourist areas, which are both large and many.

If you say so.

On 6/11/2025 at 1:20 AM, DonniePeverley said:

However, of course you cannot get past the sex industry.

In terms of bringing up a young family, you have your own answer already.

Although I will not be popular for saying so the expatriate population there with a very few exceptions is very downmarket. 

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

I do not 'rely on the evidence of Steve Kirsch'. 

You invoke a discredited and intellectually threadbare source.By doing so you lose your own right to be taken seriously.

4 minutes ago, johng said:

 

He is presenting statistical analysis of data provided by health agencies and insurance companies no need for  "relevant expertise" with "vaccines"

He invented the optical mouse.

3 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

COVID time series graphs show clearly the COVID vaccine kill people. That's why they keep the plots hidden from view.

All you have to do is plot the time series graphs and you can see the safety signal clearly. It's not rocket science. So what do they do? They hide the time series data.

Source: https://kirschsubstack.com/p/covid-time-series-graphs-show-clearly

 

= = = 

Executive summary

The claim that the COVID vaccines are perfectly safe is easily falsified by looking at any time series plot.

A safe vaccine has a relatively flat time series (it may have bumps for seasonality if the vaccine is given over a narrow time window).

An unsafe vaccine has a time series where the deaths per day increase from baseline.

So it’s obvious from the time series data what is going on.

But did you know that none of the papers in the peer reviewed scientific literature will show you a time series plot for the COVID vaccine? I couldn’t find a single one!

And when Andrew Bridgen (along with 6 other MPs) sent a letter asking Professor Sir Ian Diamond the CEO of the UK ONS for the time series data, they told him to pound sand. Read this [ https://kirschsubstack.com/p/head-of-the-uk-office-of-national ] 

This is one of the main reasons why my substack exists: to publish the data that mainstream scientists will not publish.

In this article, I’ll explain:

1. what a time series is,

2. what a safe vaccine looks like, and

3. what the COVID vaccines look like.

Once you learn this, you’ll be shaking your head wondering, “This is SO obvious. How can the medical community ignore this evidence?”

I’d love to ask them that question, but none of them will talk to me.

And there is no chance that anyone in the mainstream media is going to ask people like Paul Offit that question. That’ll be the day!

You rely on the evidence of Steve Kirsch, a discredited authority.Steve Kirsch’s credibility on COVID-19 vaccinations is low within the scientific and medical communities due to his lack of relevant expertise, reliance on flawed data interpretations, and promotion of debunked claims. While he has a platform and following among vaccine skeptics, his assertions are consistently contradicted by robust evidence from clinical trials, global health data, and expert consensus, which demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe disease and death.

51 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I've met only 2 others:

- Retired lawyer from respected international law firm, applied for PR I guess 12 months before retirement. 

- The farang guy who worked with me for many years, he applied, got approved, six months later died of a massive heart attack.

I know several, all of whom applied and succeeded on the employment basis as opposed to the marriage basis (even though for those that were married, the fee would have been significantly lower.) I assume the thinking for those who had a choice was that the same criteria applied but there would be less bureaucracy involved. Also their PR status would be entirely personal.

52 minutes ago, Cat Boy said:

Be assured the insurer will promptly cancel coverage upon the insured attaining a pre-determined age which will not be disclosed at the initiation of coverage. 

A widely held view, but in fact incorrect.