On 3/24/2018 at 2:00 AM, joeyg said:

 Buddhism is actually atheism and not a religion.

 

I'm no expert, but I believe that Buddha said he was not God, but I don't think he said that there isn't one at all.

15 hours ago, markaoffy said:

Makes everything ok then! All honest metered taxis! Fantasy world!
 

There are plenty in Bangkok, so not impossible.

7 hours ago, bermondburi said:

When people complain about the driving in Thailand, I always think they haven't actually travelled that much. 

 

Been in the middle east for six years, and inshallah another six more, but I'm always pleasantly surprised by how nice it is to drive in Thailand. The lack of horns, people let you in, slower speeds, greater politeness, I could go on....

 

Anyways, if you can't handle dining driving in Thailand, stay away from Egypt or Saudi, LOL.

It is WAY worse in Vietnam too - at least it was 20 years ago when I lived there.

I don't think it violates any rules for monks to smoke, but I could be wrong. Is the problem because it was in a temple?

On 3/20/2018 at 9:31 AM, EVENKEEL said:

If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.

There are plenty of duplicitous women that are unattractive and plenty of guys that will screw anything.

17 hours ago, uffe123 said:

Been here for over 20 years, when i 1st got here immigration was never a hassle, fees were low, didn't have to do 90 day reporting, and many things have changed for the worse. Paid 35 baht for a kilo of moo etc. The price of food is now basically comparable to the U.S. so no saving there.

 

Immigration was a hassle long before that and - if one eats in Thai restaurants - food is MUCH cheaper in Thailand.

Way back when, Songkran in Pattaya started later than everywhere else and the people who hated it would go there during that time and return home when it was over where they came from . However, eventually, it started earlier and earlier in Pattaya, until it was 10 days instead of three. That is how it became the monstrosity it is today.

This IS a discussion forum and the topic is best borchst.

Jingthing knows a LOT about restaurants and food. I would be inclined to take his opinion seriously.

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I attended a number of Songkrans in Pattaya in the mid to late 90s and I never saw ice being used till the last one I was in, after which I avoided them. I don't remember the exact year though as the memory is not what it used to be.

Chiang Mai was much bigger back then and they were using ice in the 1980s. The ice man would deliver it to people with big buckets all along Thapae and Moon Muang Roads.

14 hours ago, sanemax said:

How many is "alot" ?

 

10, 20... I did not count. There is a somewhat famous Thai movie with that info in the plot. I don't know the name, but saw it long ago with a hooker who voiced her own experiences as commentary.

You have a twisted mind.

On 3/15/2018 at 1:33 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I get the idea what could happen but I am interested why you write he should never put himself into such a position. What do you think might happen?

1) the guy misbehaves

2) the girl misbehaves

3) independent of what may have happened: the mother will complain

4) independent of what may have happened: the daughter will use it against him

I would have though as long as the guy and his step daughter behave like they should there shouldn't be any problem. Or not?

A lot of Thai women have told me that some Thai men marry women with cute daughters and consider the girls part of the deal.

18 hours ago, sanuk711 said:

Annihilation...

Best way for me to describe---This is Odd,.... its written/Dir by Alex Garland

 

Same guy that wrote The Beach. I never thought it was more than mediocre, but it sold like crazy.

On 3/1/2018 at 6:10 PM, MaeJoMTB said:

Most of them stop being pretty after about 5 years.

Married Thai ladies have a short shelf life.

Most Thai women age very quickly in their mid to late 20s. I have known one or two that were still really beautiful in their mid 30s though, but very few.

On 3/16/2018 at 1:52 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

My first Songkran was in the 90s, and it's probably been going on long before that. Most of the Thais involved in it probably weren't even alive when it became as it is today. I don't think it could be worse now than it was in the 90s as it was full on then. 

The only difference, and the reason I don't participate now is the ice.

 

As for speakers, in the early 90s I was extremely annoyed by a van selling fruit with a very loud speaker that kept pace with me as I walked along Jomptien Beach Rd.

I'm more disturbed by unmuffled m'bikes and longtails, though.

 

There was ice being thrown in the 1980s. I can't say before that. This photo was taken in Chiang Mai in the 1950s. The water war has been around for a long time.

On 3/8/2018 at 9:20 PM, mikosan said:

Chanel Iman sure is a hottie, good girl or bad girl, who cares?

Good with everyone else and bad with me would be my choice.

On 3/15/2018 at 12:23 AM, Jingthing said:

That's true. It would be like a criminalized existence. But perhaps a step up from total homelessness. 

Definitely a step up from total homelessness, but one would have to be careful where one spent the night.

On 3/14/2018 at 10:17 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

I also don't remember prices dropping. What actually happened was the baht dropped in value and forex got a heap more baht.

 

A lot of expats from Chiang Mai to Pattaya because the prices were so low and things improved. I remember being really surprised at the difference from before, but I had a job, so didn't move. I did visit though and got some great deals - the APEX in particular.

Monks get lonely too.

39 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

I didn't say otherwise -- BTW we once stayed at another small hotel nearby. A UK friend of mine who often uses the lobby computer later asked me if I was still with then girl who I once brought over there. I said YES but I did not remember that you were there the time when we visited. He said NO that he wasn't but the hotel staff still talks about her.

I use to stay at a gay hotel near Patpong (the Suriwong), because it was cheap. The desk clerks were all straight and they kept thanking me for bringing home beautiful girls. The King's Castle bars had lots of stunners back then.

I only had this happen once and luckily I realized we were very close to the office of the tourist police. I told the cop that he could search me there with other policemen looking on, not out on the street. He lost interest and let me go on my way.

21 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

When the authorities first decided to deport her......................Mint, was obviously, not flavour of the month !  

Good luck in her quest to stay with her mum there.

I'm pretty sure her name is actually pronounced "Min". I had a Thai darling with that name a few years back and could never figure out where the "T" came from.

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Another "housing" option becoming more common in high cost areas. But if you can't afford lower cost areas, it theoretically could be tried in many places. To me, it sounds like a nightmare. But people are doing it --

 

https://www.sfgate.com/expensive-san-francisco/article/Vanlife-Bay-Area-residents-living-rv-mobile-home-12732484.php

 

True, but it is illegal almost everywhere. There is a constant threat of being discovered by the police.