wilsongbrown

I voted 'no - for another reason'.

Simple fact is, if it were not for Sondhi and ASTV (and whatever you think of him and his ASTV station) rallying people to gather and oppose the return of Taksin, this odious bloodsucker would be back in the country by now and Thailand would take even longer to get it's long long awaited act together.

FACT OF LIFE. Grow up.

A Thai friend of mine sent her housemaid to the market to buy a red bell pepper. The stall holder asked her if the bell pepper was for a farang or Thai, Thais not being big on bell peppers, to which the housemaid replied 'Thai'. 'That's okay then, I give Thai price'. Jeezuz ...

I was at the local talad nat on Rawai Road. The fishmonger from whom I'd bought my fish for five years noticed the 'gaeng som' in my plastic bag, 'khun gin aharn thai dai mai'? 'dai' 'okay, hai khun ka thai.

One of the fruit stalls. How much for the pineapple '30 baht', this right next to a peeled pineapple same size at 25 baht?! Thai woman showed up behind me and asked how much for the pineapple, unpeeled same as mine, er, '30 baht'

It's not the price. It's the fcking racism.

Is anyone else experiencing a lot of problems with TOT today? Not just the usual cut off and having to reboot a couple of times, (by the way, uninstalled AVG and computer starts in a fraction of the time without it), but hardrive blinking a lot - then cut off for no apparent reason - multiple rebootings, usually have to eventually pull the plug and wait half an hour.

I called 1100 (i know ...) just to ascertain whether there were any problems on Phuket specifically or whether it was the very bad weather, (if not - have to schlep hard drive up to the local shop), and the guy said 'no problems on Phuket'. 'Okay, might by my hard drive then. Just sometimes if the weather's bad the connection's no good'. Call Centre Guy: ' Yes, the weather no good on Phuket, might be the connection'. Jeezuz.

Anyone else having 'sporadic, wildly fluctuating connection today'?

I get really bitter and twisted when an, I assume, poster over the age of 5 uses the diminutive 'cos'.

I am certainly over the age of 5 years, but my mental age is 4 years.

By the way, if you get bitter and twisted over a few words on an internet forum that don't happen to agree with you cos it's spelt cos, instead of because, then you have some serious issues, I only say that cos you seem so pedantic.

I'm quite happy cos I'm not .

No, just the one. Misspellings don't irritate me nearly so much as infantile vocabulary from, I assume, someone who is at least old enough to sit in a Big Chair to reach the keyboard.

And Cos' (sic) well, if you're so very happy here, why do you constantly feel the need to have a bash at, reprimand, in post after post, others that aren't, happy here that is. Why don't you just mind your own business and get on with it?

I'd use the words 'too much' and 'protesteth', but I'm as adverse to cliche as I am to pedantry.

Not counting Thai Visa Forum, where many seem to be really bitter and twisted about the desicions they have made in their lives, how many normal Farangs do you know that are relatively happy ?

This site has so many threads that seem somewhat strange, there are too many posters here that are so angry, so pissed off, so bitter and twisted about seemingly all things Thai. I can only put this down to bravado and just winding people up on an anonymous internet forum.

Cos surely, if it was that bad, they wouldn't be here. So, I have to come to the conclusion that most of the constant whiners are trolls or idiots that stay in a place they dislike, then blame the place they choose to stay in.

Did they think everything would change overnight cos they decided to move here ?

I hear constantly the whinges of how Farangs cannot own land and house in Thailand, yet this has been the case for as long as I can remember, everyone knows it, yet still Farangs come here, buy land and build a house knowing full well they cannot own it, yet they still do it, then spend the rest of their lives <deleted>' moaning on internet forums about something they knew right from the start !!!!

OK, to the original question, I know quite a few that are happy, I would say that all seem to be financially secure and have choices.

I also know some who are very bitter, I would say the vast majority are struggling financially and should have planned their lives better, and basically, have very little choice.

They blame Thailand and Thai people for their own failings.

Nobody likes to admit to being a failure, and that comes across so well in Thailand where every Farang who fails seems to blame Thailand and Thai people.

It's never their own fault !!

I get really bitter and twisted when an, I assume, poster over the age of 5 uses the diminutive 'cos'.

Are you saying that white people blame Thailand and Thai people for their own failings? Bit racist.

As to the overall comment. Everywhere gets boring after a while. Depends on an individual's boredom threshold. Which, judging by most of the posts on ThaiVisa, I would've thought quite high

A lot of the agents in Pattaya are asking 5%, I have only found a couple of farang agents who still only charge 3%. There are a few local Thai agents who are still happy to accept 3% though.

A few of the farang agents, including some of the REBA agents, also asking for there sales commision/fees when the buyer pays the deposit & signs contracts.

Heard the Russian agents are charging 7%?

As of 27th Sept 2009, i have my house listed with 13 local agents, almost all have my house on there web site, although only 3 have even advertised my place in the local press etc

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/real-estat...sale-28866.html

A number of the local Pattaya developers are offering the agents higher commision to market there properties/developments, so goes without saying the agents are pushing those projects more.

The Russians are bloody useless and follow the Thai business model of - if no customers, just put the rates up.

As to agents in Pattaya only having put 3 in the local press, on Phuket none of them do (except for those selling complete developments) and when I enquired of one very high profile British agent here as to why they didn't, pointing out that this was standard practice for agents in the UK, (not everyone uses the web, after all) I was told in no uncertain terms that if I wanted it in the local press I could bloody well pay for it myself and would I like to be removed from their books?!

together with the economic meltdown kicking in after last year's figures ... Duh

Phuket having been infested with numerous carpetbaggers aka non-reality estate agents over the past few years, I put my gaff up for sale on every website there was and found that at least a good proportion of the farang contingent had embraced the concept of 'competitiveness' and most of them had actually brought their percent down to a half way reasonable 3% as opposed to the money grasping 5% implemented a year after the long lamented 'gold rush' (think about it, uk 1.6? tops?). If they don't succumb (and you can see the steely glint in their eyes and the tightenting of the jaw when it's pointed out that 3% now the norm), simply don't go with them. Hordes more.

They're all the same anyway. Referring to potential buyers as 'their customers'?! Believing we as sellers, should all be grateful for the chance to have some timewaster book to view at a minute's notice, and then change the time at will, just to kill a few minutes being dragged around some property by some non salesman before the bar/restuarant opens.

I find it interesting and laudable that these girls are treated with such generosity and relative kindness by the government, while the Rohingya men languish in jail with 2 teenagers dead.

You're not thinking like a Thai Scott. The Lao girls are basically the same as Thai girls: they speak almost the same language, they're Buddhists, they have almost Thai names, etc... The Rohingya, on the other hand, don't look Thai, they don't speak Thai, they are Muslim, etc... Of course they're not going to be treated the same way. The Western concept of non-discrimination just doesn't exist here.

'the money was wired to their parents in Vientienne..." ??? What on earth! Does that mean what I think it does, and if so, that is quite an open acknowledgement of what is often going on in these scenarios. Poor, poor girls.

IMHO, the parents are just as much to blame as the traffickers. They almost certainly knew what was going on. However, as long as the money came in, they weren't going to complain. The sad truth seems to be that many victims of Human Trafficking are initially sold by their parents.

And men, you forgot 'men' ...

And then shagged by their customers ...

Exploiting children or adults is unacceptable at any level. One would hope the victims are repatriated by Thai authorities to their homes.

So you okay with post-pubescent pre-'age of majority' teens then?

Why are you so defensive of that article? Did you write it or what?

It fails to provide sufficient details to really explain the latest clash, and it relies on their long held beliefs that PAD are nationalistic thugs and Kasit is a terrorist.

So, what exactly is so fascinating in that article? What exactly does it add to the discussion?

Defensive? I simply posted it as a good article.

It's an opinion piece for an educated world wide audience, most of whom don't have an anally retentive fixation with the issue.If there's anything in it which is unfair or in the inexplicable word of your fellow traveller "loutish", let's discuss it.

I accept that but, unfortunately, biased, blinkered PAD apologists also managed to read it and took umbridge.

Thanks for you posting it and sorry you had to suffer the PAD slating you did.

Mind you, you did well here as Plus actually typed about "yellow thugs and mobs, and a peaceful red rally" which must have really hurt.

There is little appetite for this Government outside its own cosy ranks and a few deluded oldies on here.

What are you talking about 'there is little appetite for this Government etc ...'!? Perhaps you believe there may have been a larger 'appetite' for yet another self-serving Taksin installed proxy?!

My post regarding the current hooha nationalistic xenophobic non event instigated by the PAD was to draw attention to the fact that there are undeniably far more imporant things such as anti corrupution measures (yes,yes, I know they 'all-do-it') to enable road/transport/school/hospital etc building, not to mention human trafficking, violations of laws protecting the environment pertaining to deforestation, decimation of wildlife habitats (where it be on land or in the ocean) to be able to be carried out in a country which actually (yes,yes) holds those in breach of implemented laws to be held to account. The PAD via ASTV is continuing their much more important anti-corruption campaign via ASTV, but this is a diversion and extremely bad PR for their movement.

And the poster who said that the villagers, non of which most Thais or farang on this board will ever meet, were quite possibly living in harmony before all this nationalism was whipped up by some (for whatever reasons - perhaps they're more thick than I first took them for) that make up the PAD movement.

Shame on them.

Geriatrickid,

1. Being born somewhere doesn't give you the right to settle on any piece of land regardless of borders and ownership. Cambodian villagers in the disputed area are squatters.

2. People in this country are free to organize rallies anywhere they want, it's not illegal and they don't need to apply for "protest permits" and PAD wasn't trespassing on anything.

3. There was no "unlawful assembly" of any kind that needed to be stopped by force.

4. PAD does represent people, even if not all of them. The government should answer to people's concerns. If it doesn't want to talk to the public openly, it can explain the situation to PAD leaders first.

Your views on the right to assembly and govt relations with the people smack of totalitarianism and dictatorship.

Well it does here! Where do you expect those that were born on this little piece of land to go? Back to their ancestor's pile?! <deleted>!

And for the record, I was one of those who wholeheartedly supported the PAD when they were attempting to, and succeeded in blocking the return of the odious Toxin. But now they should just Shut the Fck Up.

If this is the Bangkok Art and Cultural Center your referring too then I've been there too, it is definitely free to get in for everybody. One piece I especially liked was at the raised BTS entrance coming from National Stadium titled something like 'If there was no corruption' and shows the Bangkok transport network should this of been the case, quite thought provoking.

Although it sounds like they have a lot more to see in there now following the official opening, will have to return again soon.

Martin

Wow! I'm impressed that a country as culturally repressed as Thailand would allow an exhibit bearing this title!

And that's exactly what 'art's' purpose is, to provoke thought, not merely decorate, they call that wallpaper.

Hoping for more promotion and national exposure of this gallery. Thanks.

Hi Lioness,i don't know if you are religious or not,but i would suggest you a visit to a local Temple.At least you might get some peace of mind.

I was having a bad month one year ago,everything was going wrong,so i paid a few visits to the local temple,and once to another one in BKK.

I just offered some flowers,burned some incense sticks,sat down and had a relaxed chat with a monk.

The last of four visits i met a powerful monk,who cleared my paranoia with few well adjusted words(I had my GF as a translator)and performed some little magic for me to feel more confident.

I think a positive attitude can do miracles,if you don't like to go to visit temples,try some other way to renew your energy,talking to a good friend might be helpful too.

Yes Lioness! Don't know if you're a pisshead or not, but would suggest you go out and get slaughtered.

As to your friend being dumped for another woman, I'd suggest a pm to F1Fanatic who I think would be glad to give some adivce

I've lived here for a few years now and whenever I see someone on some western tv show walking into a bar/pub/restaurant simply enjoying the conviviality and conversation going on without the 'how long have you been here?' questions and overall boring 'bar' scene, I'm envious and remember being able to walk into my local and strike up a conversation or meet friends for a good time without any 'ulterior motives'.

Here it's all bar girls/carpet baggers boasting about their latest deal (although they're in the minority now )

I agree with the poster who used words to the effect that 'you wouldn't give the time of day to those who made up most of the expat contingent here if you met them in your home country'.

Yes they were turned on for a day and it was chaos. Never used again.

My biggest problem with the roundabout is people don't know how to use it. I am always having idiots stopping in it to let me on, or to let on someone else on in front of us. If the vehicles in it already would just keep on going instead of yielding to traffic waiting to enter it, and those not entered yet wait until it is clear instead of cutting off the traffic already in the circle, then it would be fine, but that's not how it's done, either through ignorance or disragard for the law. The police standing there certainly don't care when someone cuts off and nearly kills a guy on his motorbike that knows how to use a roundabout (me). They really need to post some signs in English and Thai saying "Yeild to vehicles in the circle. Enter circle only when clear." And have a yield sign like every other cirlce in the world does. At least that would eliminate some of the ignorance.

There's nothing included in the Thai driving test, either the written part, or their little mockup for the practical even mentioning how to properly negotiate a traffic circle.

Once I had a Thai friend in the car and when switching on the indicator to show which exit I was taking, he asked 'and where do you think you're going?' TIT. Again.

Thanks for the replies, and the link Laopao, I'd already done the 'ask' thing, but took so long loading gave up and sent a mail, which might take a while to be answered, so thought I'd ask here on tv, as it might just be that Paypal has this different address, their SE office being located in Singapore. It seems from the last post it's legit, but if you key in the address in your browser (mine's Firefox), a list of it being a 'scam' site comes up, Yahoo answers too (for what that's worth ...) Perhaps people are just being overly paranoid

Simply put, does anyone else here in Thailand who have a Paypal account registered with Be1st have

[email protected] as the sender of any and all email contact with Paypal. I have. There. Is that simple enough for you?

I opened an account with Paypal over a year ago. I've just logged in to add another email address. The email from Paypal is marked as being from [email protected]. Having not so far used the account, I copied and pasted this address into my Firefox browser and several sites came up saying it was a phishing email.

I tracked back to when I very first opened the Paypal account and it had the same [email protected] email. Is it phishing? I opened the account with B1st. Thanks.

If you want to take the chance that they do check to see if you are living there you could do it. There have been plenty of posts saying that they do but you might never know about it because they just check with your neighbors.

But I cannot understand why you would want to do it.

You would if you'd ever been there

Okay. Given that they never check on where you're living (seen a few rare examples on this forum, the words 'teeth' and 'hen's') come to mind, what if you and your wife were to be temporarily staying in another area of Thailand, let's say, Bangkok, would you have to return to your actual home address to apply for the extension? And how would they determine where your 'home' was, if they haven't followed you there. You could simply be renting. Transient.

Thankyou.

Quick question. Is it possible, when next applying for an extension of my O Visa (based on marriage) to be done at any Immigration Department in Thailand? And say, I lived in oh, Phuket for instance, where would be nearest Immigration Department other than Phuket for next time? And in the meantime, would I be able to do the 90 reporting by post?

Thankyou.

Typical expat. You're not talking about CHINA, you're talking about BEIJING. Not quite the same is it? Rather like comparing Bangkok with Mukdahan.

Do try to get out into CHINA and report back on your experiences in CHINA. (And people knock Phuket for not being 'in Thailand ...')

Did you actually READ EVERYTHING the OP wrote? He wrote exactly what you said. He compared Beijing to Thailand, not all of China... and he pointed that out. People take a few issues out of context and then bicker over those issues. Anybody with half a brain knows that Pattaya and Phuket are not the real Thailand; nor are Bangkok and Chiang Mai for that matter. Thailand is a mosaic of all of it, and so is China.

So, Thailand's been relegated to 'city' status rather than er, 'country' status?

It wouldn't surprise me if they started auctions for citizenship soon.

We have to admit the Thais are quite smart when it comes to these things. They know that the 'if you don't like it go home card' can be played at anytime. How long before the bluff is called? -The way I see it is that they have the expat situation well under control. Bless em.

Lol - couldn't agree more. This country is dirt cheap to live in compared to most other countries where the members of this forum used to live - yes things are going up here and to me that's not a bad thing as long as it doesn't hurt the local population.

I love this country and nearly all that sail with her, when I see double pricing it makes me laugh not angry, they know that in general we have more money than them and act appropiately. Just like in the UK if your on benefits you pay less for certain things like prescriptions, one price does not fit every person/situation.

Your ignorance is breathtaking. What on earth are you talking about 'things going up isn't bad as long as it doesn't hurt the local population'?! A kilo of rice doubling overnight will effect everyone, or do the Thais get to pay the same price as before? As to your 'laughing at double pricing', and that 'in general we have more money than them', you're obviously impervious to any notion of justice and have never been to Phuket.

And haha, oh, forgive me, 'Just like in the UK if your (sic) on benefits you pay less for certain things like prescriptions'. So it's okay if you're sick then, but not if you're hungry, cold, making do with threadbare clothing and your sole entertainment is a night in front of 'the telly' with a bottle of White Lightning.

Every Mexican restaurant I've visited here in Thailand has been sheer and utter crap. Awful. And the farang owners will tell you the Thais have not a wit of an idea on how to make it. Small wonder when it's really quite similar in some respects to Thai food insofar as it has chillies and lime. But that's as far as it goes.

The Italians have it a little easier - not so close to Thai food it can be 'confused'. Really. Save yourself the headache and don't bother.

Now real Belgian fries in a cone with real mayo on top ...