BusyB

Fair enough comment in general. Agreed. But this young woman probably wasn't 'playing with fire'. At least not knowingly. She was a bright eyed student newbie over from Taiwan for a few days. She saw a pamphlet and thought what a great way to be kind and get close to these wonderful animals and support a good cause. She probably had no idea of the business or what it takes to tame elephants who regularly kill their mahouts.

I agree with the general sentiment. However I can't understand what Kissinger's being a Jew has to do with his perpetration of mass murder. Recalling specifically his Christmas present of bombing Hanoi. His Nobel Peace Price was worthless. However, he was the United States of America Secretary of State as I recall. Representing and acting on behalf of the US, not Jewry.

Quite apart from the ridiculousness of this superstition, (does this elephant's behavior portend that the unfortunate child will now be dogged by bad luck in life?) what the hell is an elephant doing at the side of a road like that anyway? It can only have been extremely nervous. This is no better than the now banned practice of getting KS Road backpackers to feed abused elephants bread rolls and bananas.

Maybe he never tried a long tail in LOS ...

Seriously - how many people run away to avoid paying their fare under these circumstances? It's simple - they can squeeze more out of cowed non-swimmer passengers on the open water at night. The fare should be agreed before and paid on completion of service. LOS 2 main business rules: 1/ Always agree the price be it transport, construction, whatever beforehand. 2/ Don't pay till the service has been satisfactorily completed.

On all transport I've had in LOS the fare is agreed beforehand and paid afterwards. If service and fare are fair there's usually 10% on top from me. Amazing how much happiness that can unleash.

My thought exactly. It would also keep fares to a sensible level. Returning from Cambodia via Koh Kong (back in Snooky speedboat days - those were the days 555) and the Friendship Bridge on a pick up, half way across the bridge the truck stopped and the guy in the back insisted on raising the fare although it had already been agreed. OK, we weren't on the ocean at night, but he didn't reckon with the anger and resistance I immediately stirred up with the other backpackers, and we began to exit the truck. He was quite startled and backed down and the ride continued. All agreed no tips for him either. I'd probably have faced off on the water at night as well - not so sure I'd get the backing there however. Very scary situation for many, especially if they can't swim. Fact is though, if they'd refused to pay and he'd returned them to the beach, he'd have been in trouble not them once it got out on social media - like now. Sometimes you've got to sacrifice what you want for higher issues. I didn't want to walk the rest of Friendship Bridge either, but I wasn't gonna let a cheap creep like that blackmail me and I'd have hopped off on my own if need be.

I've seen quite a few farangs in AN News that should be hit with a lifetime travel ban as well.

I wonder how he measures multi-millions of people's 'unregretted' and 'regretted' user seconds. Will he be putting out categorized statistics? Weird.

I like Maher precisely because he's not afraid to target the crazies on the left. However they are far less dangerous or toxic than the crazies on the right. Of whom there are far more and are better camouflaged having been carefully instilled in government structures across the country.

Unfortunately the Americans seem to have installed a trollocracy. 4 more years. Of this? Jesus wept.

It's all quite tasteless and a national declaration of political bankruptcy. But it's also a distraction from the real show. I'm quite certain that after a 'decency' period Trump will retire or be 'retired' on mental health grounds or the such like. He's already mental aside from his moral failings. I'm convinced he'll be replaced by Vance and that that was the game all along. The empty vessel Vance and the boyman Musk are puppets of the most malignant and dark forces the US has seen since McCarthy. And then some. The incompetents and favorites Trump wants to install will be no constitutional bulwark against them. Quite the opposite - they fawn over those types. In a while I'm pretty sure the magaloons'll all be whinging (like their cousin Brexitoons across the pond) 'This isn't what we voted for!'. Yes it is. Enjoy.

Fuji quality has disappointed greatly while prices went the other way since I returned to LOS post-lockdown. Used to eat there far more pre-pandemic. My former favourite. I wondered if they'd sold off/changed management/called in the bean counters. Now I know thanks. Sad. I usually tip on top anywhere if it's an agreeable experience because I know waiting wages are abysmal and I also want to say thanks directly. It usually requires legislation like in the UK or Europe to ensure the outlet/restaurant doesn't claim the service charge for itself. That kind of legislation is unlikely in Thailand with its feudal structures. I know one mid-sized Thai hotel where the 2 owners take 66% of the service charge for themselves, and the remaining 33% goes between the ten staff. Those staff have NEVER had a bad trip report, and almost all glowing. And for those who don't care, don't be surprised if you find the staff mood you encounter is not as warm as you'd like - if you don't care about them, why should they care about you? There's your grub. Eat it and clear off.

As Broom Broom Cupboard Boris Becker found out to his cost 🤣

Yeah, just forget it all.

To give people like you a chance to learn something. I'm not holding my breath.

I find the bile fueled hatred that gets spattered all over these pages quite disturbing. Almost always against people the needy and fearful keyboard warriors have never even come close to never mind met. That is especially true when it's about women and migrants. Meghan is a self-made, famous woman of color with influence. That terrifies and revolts them. (This was the second part of my post above but I pulled it. However I think it's right to come out in support here even if I don't always agree with you.)

I suspect her followers are much nicer than Trump's followers. And probably more intelligent too. Though probably not as numerous. I only knew one person (former colleague) who knows the couple personally though, and he was a) a very nice guy and b) spoke well of them. He was credible on all counts.

Simply another lie - whether out of ignorance or intent, who knows. Neither Musk nor Vance are exactly intellectual heavyweights. The Nazi's were first ever elected as regional government back in the early 30s in Thuringia. Exactly where they are doing so well now in eastern Germany. It is important to know that historically this is also a culturally different part of Germany, which was never even in history very close to 'western Germany', and exceptionally conservative. It was closer to eastern and Central Europe like the Balkans. But I can't be bothered to go any further into history for those who don't even understand the current basics. The Thuringia AfD is led by someone who constantly spouts brownshirt and racist filth to stir up division and hatred, and is a deeply sinister character who tries to rewrite history (as the Trumpists do regarding the tour group to the Capitol on J6). Yeah, go on. Tell me about free speech. You lot have no concept. If it quacks like a brownshirt and waddles like a brownshirt, it most probably is a brownshirt. Nowadays they don't wear brown shirts because they've gone out of fashion for one reason or another. So in the US they wear red caps. The black uniforms don't go down so well today either but the same types lurk behind Trump and Vance. It won't be long before the magaloons will be squealing 'It wasn't meant to be like this!'. Listen to the vocabulary, the rhetoric and watch the strategy. At least the Germans managed to jail Hitler for his failed insurrection. Fortunately the Germans are more intelligent than the Americans and also have a more genuinely democratic and less corruptible electoral system. The AfD doesn't have the slightest chance of providing the chancellor or President or any other national minister. They will never get a majority. Unlike in the US. Musk hates the EU because it is the only entity currently big enough and willing to stand up to his irresponsible and immature behavior and business plan. The same applies to the others in the US like Trump and the other US oligarchs. Whom the publis flock to and worship there. Most Germans don't. Deal with it.

Let's see what excuses they come up with for that travesty of the 'road safety' they've been 'pledging' ... it's tedious even responding to these multiple pile ups and deaths and mutilations of usually innocent victims every goddam day. They literally couldn't give a damn. Or they'd change it.

Bit like Galtieri.

Trump is set to retire or be retired if he doesn't play ball. Then Vance steps in which was the tech bros plan all along and Project 2025 can finally get going. Enjoy.

Sound familiar?

Who else?

So basically you can. But if s/he's drunk and waving their gun around discretion is advisable.