connda

Never let a good crisis go to waste. 

Pesky foreigners.  All are criminals waiting for a place to strike. 

I wonder how long this farce can be drawn out. 

So far so good!  17.4 traffic deaths / 100,000 vs 36.2 traffic deaths / 100,000, i.e., less than half*.

Guess which one is Cambodia and which one is Thailand? 
[hint: Thailand = second most dangerous roads in the world].

Think I'll schedule a road trip in Cambodia.  Maybe I can relax and enjoy my bpai tiaow for a change. 

*Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, Road Traffic Deaths by Country, 2013.

Correction: she is wooing RINOs.  Progressive, leftist, neo-con, war-hawks who hung their hats on the 'republican' side of the aisle to make the two-party tyranny look legitimate.  Now they are simply having a 'coming out' party.    Hoh-hum.  It's all pageantry anyway.

But, did she get Pokemon? 

Sounds good.  It works until it doesn't.

18 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

I used them for the down payment on my yacht

Absolutely!  I'm half-way home to getting enough stickers for my Porsche 911 Turbo S! 

19 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

What`s worrying is that the immigrants may try to claim that a tourist touched a child inappropriately and could make a load of problems.

 

I have had experiences with these beggars in Chiang Mai during the past and they can be very irritating and persistent, not taking no for an answer.

 

 

They are also run by the local mafia who drop them off and pick them up.  Well know scam that is acknowledged by the locals.  Giving isn't an act of 'mercy' or compassion, but an act that supports human trafficking. 

Nothing new under the sun here.  The tourists need to grow a backbone and learn how to say "No" in no uncertain terms.  Land of Scams (LOS). 

Knives, scissors, and other sharp objects should be banned for the safety of the general public.   

For those if you how fly in and out often, I'd just suggest obtaining a copy of the form to take home, my copies, and take a filled-out copy with you on your next trip.  Easy breezy.  Or even better, make an electronic copy and post it here so we can all download it for our next trip out and back in. 

You would think that teaching agencies would appreciate an experienced NES teacher.

They appreciate the money!  The money you make for them and the money they can take you for. You're like a little fish dinner to them.  Once they strip off as much flesh as possible, they toss the bones and find another tasty little fishy who raises for the NES bait.

Suggestion: Japan or Korea. 

That's the pot calling the kettle black. 

8 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Clean is correct,how about water temp.?I was in june in Monterrey and Redondo,the water had maybe 12-13c or 55-57f,I only dipped my toes inside and felt like a russian ice swimmer.Hawaii and Golfcoast also nice clean,but how about the shark problem?You probably never went to Spain,did you ever hear of Fuerteventura?Matalascans?Menorca,etc?

I've spent a lot of time on the West Coast beaches.  You get use to wearing wet suits, except perhaps from late July through August in SoCal (I still would wear a top).  If you wanted warm, then North Carolina to Florida is the place to go, but they seldom get the type of waves that we got in Cali.  For those not into water sports?  Well, the beaches are nice even if the water is cold.  Guess it's a trade off.  Lol

1 hour ago, Fookhaht said:

Agreed.  What American would give up some of the great, clean beaches of California, the Gulf Coast, or Hawaii for the trashed/pimped beaches of Thailand, Spain, etc.?   All of the beauty, exercise, sunbathing, good food, nice resorts, without the 3rd world hassle?  

I didn't come here for the beach (thank goodness).  However, if I didn't want a surfing vacation, Australia isn't that far away.  If would be my first choice over any beaches here in the LOS (Land of Scams, especially at the beaches).

I did some shopping around Thapae area while visiting the city yesterday.  The place was deserted: no farangs, Chinese, or tourists to speak of.  One, two or three here and there, but nothing to speak of.  Barren.  Some of the shop owners I know look and sound worried.  Most depend on their regular expat customers. 

Thailand, in it's xenophobic fervor, seems dead-set on driving a stake through all industries held up by tourist and expats.  What do you expect from a nation that considers all non-Thais to be troublemakers and potential criminals, and all Thais to be the 'salt of the earth' and above reproach?

Lol.  They would be doing me a favor. 

Immigration:  "Farang, you must use this SIM card in your phone from now on so we can track you!!!"

Me:  Really?  I don't think my home phone uses a SIM card???"

The only reason I carry a cell phone is at my wife's insistence.  I'd be more then happy to ditch it and go back to a land line w/ answering machine. 

Excellent idea Thailand! 

Ya'll crack me up.  Obviously ya'll aren't from Texas.  

Extraordinary claim? Really?  Anyone with half a brain knows the entire US election system is broken.  We hear about rampant fraud time and time again, but nothing is done. 

Post deleted.

There is one rule that I've applied consistently throughout my life that has kept me out of trouble.  That one rule is:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Famous last words:  "We're upgrading our system to make it better for you!"  Ah huh. Sure.   Well, thank goodness I could find my 'cynical' emoticon.  Not all is lost.

1. Still not common.

2. Doesn't matter. People will still think it.

3. I was kinda joking about that last one (all three of em really).

1. No prob, I like bucking the trend and being unique.

2. No, I guess some folks think it might actually be the other way around. She says that some Thais might think she wants to "kin dek" (eat young guys).

One friend teased us warm-heartedly that I'm so close to her because we're like mother and son (luukchai gap mae).

We don't look like this, which probably characterizes around half of all ThaiVisa forum members.

We look more like the following.

We don't get stares and nothing looks strange unless people take a really close look. Same with the couple above if they were to walk down a street holding hands in any Western country.

How would anyone think that younger guy met the older lady in the pic because she was a hooker? That's only for pic #1 that.

Well since you put it that way.... If you look Thai, speak Thai and don't look out of place like 50% of Thaivisa, why the hell are you asking us? Why don't you take your exceptional Thai skills and ability to fit in.... to ask Thais what they think?

why the hell are you asking us?

Because he's 25 years old and this is one way that he gains knowledge that those of us 30 or 40 years his senior have gleaned though trial-and-error. He's a smart kid; he using his brain and asking for advice instead of stumbling though it alone. Personally, I can't fault that approach at all.