MrJohnson

Oskars on Sukhumvit Soi 11 have some great bartenders - they really know their stuff. They make all the classics very well and also some pretty interesting 'fusion' cocktails

You know you've been in Thailand too long when..........you cease to be bothered by cleaning lady mopping around your shoes while you take a leak.......you find it quite acceptable to put ice in your beer..........you put chilli on virtually everything, even toast......... you don't blink as you are overtaken on the sidewalk by a motorbike........... and you start whistling yourself into your own carspace!

 Rightly or wrongly, the rules are the rules, whether you agree with them or not. So if you are knowingly breaking the law, which it appears you are, then you will suffer the consequences accordingly. The other dimension to this is that it also makes it harder for those of us here who are abiding by the rules, again - whether you like them or not.  As to the argument that you are helping people/developing the country/providing a much needed service etc. etc. It means nothing I'm afraid.

So, what to do? Get legal or cease and desist. And, as others have said, contact a lawyer. It sounds like you might need one.

On 11/18/2016 at 9:14 PM, kannot said:

nope  u  just hear a  load of old  crap

That is definitely one of the downsides, i agree, However if the OP is getting annoyed at not knowing what is going on then that is a solution. Can't have it both ways. Or learn the language and carry a pair of earplugs in your back pocket at all times.

1 hour ago, Bassosa said:

Their love affair with reverse parking. My girlfriend will reverse park, even if its easier to just go nose-in, for instance when it's angled parking.

 

Why my extended family will never ask questions or try to make conversation.

 

Or this scenario: 

 

Me to girlfriend: Can you ask her/him this question? I'd like to know

Girlfriend proceeds to ask him/her the question and a lengthy discussion ensues.

Me to girlfriend: So? What's the answer?

Gf to me: He/she doesn't know.

Learn the language. Problem solved.

Plenty of places selling dried flowers at Chatuchuck market - on the weekend. Can't remember the section but it is on the map that is free at the information booth. Likewise you could go to the Flower Market on Chaopraya River - nearby to Wat Po. Huge ad they do have some dried flowers. I've always bought at Chatuchuck market and they have a huge selection there. Worth a trip from Pattaya. Door to door early on a Sunday morning no longer than 2 hours. Good Luck.

Don't lose too much sleep over it. She calls, do the right thing and all will be well. I've had similar thing occur and it was sorted amicably. Contrary to what you might read on TV, not all Thais are out to make your life a misery. Good luck.

Also check your insurance policy. It may not cover damage  by AIRBNB guests - likewise if they damage property in common areas you may be held responsible.We banned it in our condo, thankfully. Groups of 10or 12 guys on a stag weekend wrecking havoc on the facilities, making a lot of noise and bringing in even more 'guests'. No thanks.

Any Villa Store in BKK - get their address from this thing called Google. Pahurat - adjacent to Yowarat/Seamphang Market has huge numbers of shops selling all kinds of lentils and other pulses, Indian spices, fresh Indian food cooked and uncooked. Dhal mixes, Indian curry pastes and on and on. Pahurat Rd. is off Chakpett Rd. You can take a boat to Rajawong Pier and it is a 10 minute walk. Traffic may be an issue given current circumstances. Good Luck.

Plenty of fashion faux pas around - why stop at elephant pants - Beer Lao wife beater singlets - in fact any beer singlet, Vietnamese rice farmer hats, isaan pakomah, ....... and on it goes. One man's versace is another man's walmart - or something like that.

Set up a business here in 1998. Never been approached, visited or asked for money by any police of government official. I'm sure it happens sometimes but not as systematically as some might  think and certainly not just to farang so we can all put that conspiracy theory to bed. . Best advice I ever got - keep your head down below the parapets - it has worked  so far. '......but its the principle of the thing...' I hear you say. Not here it isn't!

My glass is very much half full. Thanks to the OP - I like the positivity.

Thailand is evolving. Like the rest of the world. I see a lot of young expats moving here, starting businesses, doing online work and really getting involved in local activities. BTW - many of these young expats are from ASEAN countries, not just westerners.  I think this is great. It is what the country needs. Yes, is has become more expensive. Name a place that hasn't. Live in Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam. None of these places has the infrastructure or opportunities that Thailand has and are unlikely to have in the near future.Scams?  Hell, the whole region has scams and many other parts of the world as well. As an expat of even a short period you learn to sort those out. They are generally aimed at tourists. To be successful as an expat here you have to learn the language, find a niche, keep your wits about you and be prepared to accept that things are different here. It works for some and not for others. If you are in the latter category, feel alienated or unwanted here, then it is probably time to move on. But to say that the sky is falling and there is no future for expats here is stretching things a little. In my humble opinion, of course.

The simplest of Google searches would have given you all the information you needed to visit the ship.

"HTMS Chakri Naruebet (เรือรบหลวงจักรีนฤเบศร) is an offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier anchored at the Chuk Samet Deep Seaport. The king named the ship “Chakri Naruebet” meaning "Sovereign of the Chakri Dynasty". It was constructed in Spain in 1994. It is an 11-storey ship measuring 182 m in length and 30.5 m in width. It is equipped with modern weapons, as well as long-range surveillance radar. The important missions during wartime are the flagship of the fleet, controlling and commanding the fleet in the sea, as well as the aircraft carrier and air defence mission. It is open daily from 08:00-16:00. It is closed only on Wednesdays from 08:00-12:00. Admission free. International visitors seeking admission must write a letter to the Commander of the Royal Thai Fleet, Sattahip, Chonburi, 20180. For more information, Tel. +66 38 438 547-62 ext. HTMS Chakri Naruebet."

I think it really is a case of inadequate prior planning and preparation.

Outrageous, information being hidden on the internet in that way!

Window Dressing - as usual.Policing,law enforcement (or lack thereof) is an endemic problem and needs a major overhaul. Small carrot, big stick for law enforcement, more police on the beat, better pay for police, completely new system of recruiting and training police, merit-based system of promotion, just to begin with. Generational change. Don't read too much into the propaganda that gets peddled out.

Having worked within the Thai Educational system, I'm none too optimistic and I have solid reasons to support my pessimism. But, best of luck with the propaganda campaign.

Quantum Education (Thai Style): If you don't seriously take the reins in hand and change the system, but instead, simply wish improvements into existence, improvements will spontaneously happen.

Interesting theory (Quantum Education Thai style) and probably correct. A very complex set of problems ranging from pedagogy, teacher skills, assessment, evaluation, resources and on and on. Complex problems require complex solutions, funding and time to solve. Successive governments come up with these quick fix, politically motivated ideas that are often nothing more than mere distractions. What is rarely discussed is the underlying problem and that is the fact that personal progress, in any form, is rarely merit-based. i.e. hard work and intelligence is rarely rewarded unless accompanied by some form of patronage/power, wealth or high-profile family name. Any reform of the education system must recognize this fundamental problem. Let's face it, those at the top have nothing to gain and everything to lose by reforming the education system, Consequently, the window dressing will continue.

Service is definitely hit and miss here. my main gripe is when asking for something that is not on display and you ask for it the immediate answer is 'no have' - whether in Thai or English. I have a standard response which is "do you not have it or you just don't know'. Otherwise I always find that there is one person who really knows their stuff - the challenge is to locate that person. Having said that I spent a very productive afternoon at Boonthavorn last weekend and came away with a stove top, two toilets, tiles and various other plumbing fittings. I always have my google translate open for those tricky bits of translation. Also make sure I have an extra supply of patience which can be called upon when needed.

Moved here almost twenty years ago. Sometimes friends visiting from abroad ask " how long did it take you to get used to the heat"? My reply. When I get used to it I'll let you know.

I've lived in about 8-9 different places. Always the same. Ranges from the benign (sleeping on the job etc) to running gambling den in the car park, breaking, entering and stealing, vandalism.......and on and on. We've been sacking the occasional guard and that can result in some success by giving a reality check to those left behind. Conversely, it fires up those left behind to vandalize committee emmer' scars and the like. Not sure there is much to be done.

The system is so broken it is hard to know where to start in fixing it. Class sizes too large, poor administration, corruption, poorly qualified teachers, poor assessment techniques, no merit system and on and on. But when it all comes down to it the education system is just part of a larger problem. What is the point of teaching kids to think for themselves when the powers that be want a compliant population that will not question authority. The current political situation is testament to that.

Upward economic mobility takes many forms. 'Marrying up' is just one if them and is a phenomena not confined to Thailand. The rest of the OP I am yet to decipher.

Unlike in my country where scouts teach about nature, camping, hiking,doing good deeds and patriotism, in Thailand it seems to bee more of a military training thing.

Mostly they practice marching.

Once or twice a year, they will camp out at the school.

This consists of pitching tents indoors in meeting halls and classrooms and spending the night!

A week ago at my daughters school, they canceled classes for two afternoons to practice marching in formation in preperation for a big scouting event where students from several schools met and marched together.

The day of the big event, they canceled classes again and held their marching event on the asphalt parking area of a government building.

The temperature was 106 f or 41c that morning.

Over 20 students passed out or fainted from the heat!

But, they kept marching!

I think the children would have been better off and safer staying in class without the military type marching last week.

Can you tell I am not a big fan of the Thai scouting program?

Just one of the many reasons I took my kids out of the Thai school system.

Been here almost twenty years. When I get used to the heat I'll let you know. As I get older I find it more difficult to handle.

I think many times i have NOT been stopped because I am a white farang. Somtimes I think the police think it is simply too much hassle to stop a farang. Been here since '97. Stopped twice for doing the wrong thing. On both occasions I suggested an on-the-spot fine, not the policeman. It was my choice, I didn't want to waste time going to a police station to pay the fine. Sometimes being a farang works in one's favor, sometimes not.

ASEAN is a toothless tiger. Always has been and always will be. It is about facilitating trade and business and very little else. The ASEAN Education Secretariat is a case in point. Lots of hot air (and money) for very little to show.

The launch of the Asean Economic Community at the end of December will like opening a bottle of flat champagne.