trainman34014

They build awesome footpaths.

And fill them up with Telephone boxes, Electricity poles, Trees, Junction boxes, Traffic lights....indeed anything but people !

Kick off is at 8:30 pm in Bangkok as it kicks off at 13:30 in Manchester. But yeah get to the pub at 8

Correct. Wondered when someone would note that we are now 7 hours ahead and the game is on locally at 8.30pm.

All around the Hang Dong area they started burning the stubble as soon as they had cut the rice a week or so ago. Most of the smoke is moving toward the mountains and away from the villages and this morning on my bike ride I observed 8 paddy's burning. They do what their families have been doing for hundreds of years before them and no Politician on billboards will convince them to do otherwise. I pass the Yingluck poster every day in one village and right next door there is a family that burns their rubbish in the garden every evening, the smoke billowing all over Yinglucks poster !

18c in Hang Dong at 7am this morning. That's the coolest I've recorded since January.

I put a lot of the problems down to piss poor management, starting at the highest level in the company and on down to local store management. Empty shelves in a lot of Supermarkets, staff wandering around aimlessly, no Bakers working during the night to make sure shelves are full in the mornings, indeed, no shelf stackers working during the night in any part of the store either so if you go in early there are many things you can't buy. Don't need a lot of people working till's if there are a lot of empty shelves ! Enquiries to staff are met with a lack of interest and if you ask for a manager they tell you that they won't be in until 'later'.

It happens more in Thailand then anywhere else because some guys are just not responsible enough. They cannot face the facts and reality after having blown all their money to bits. They cannot cope with the shame so they jump! Most of these reported farang deaths involve alcohol, drugs, or the other sin.... What was it again?

Aaaah Hookers.

Life in paradise is tough.

'Cannot cope with the shame'? Have they caught some terrible bug from the Thai's called 'Face'.

NB...Life in Paradise is as good or as tough as you make it....it's all down to the individual.

i think 1600 baht for a great xmas buffet is nothing it is only once a year right!!!

I wondered how long it would be before the rest of us became Cheap Charlie's !

No complaints here. Started with the usual problems of MSG, too much oil, sugar etc but after explanation and showing various articles on eating healthily all that has gone and she's become a healthy eating freak. First Non-stick pan I bought got completely destroyed by metal utensils so after buying several new frying pans and saucepans I also bought a range of wooden and plastic utensils and explained why I had thrown the metal ones in the recycle bin. When you first move them in it's like starting with a kids education all over !

Whoopie doo, a new watch. IMO no big deal, I've had mine for the last 16 years and guess what? it still tells me the time !

They should concentrate on spinning less crap about Bangkok and try promoting the real highlights of Thailand which IMO are far away from the Capital. Where I came from Bangkok only ever means one thing to anyone you talk to. Normally if you mention the word you will get a reply like 'Ah, sin city of the world' or 'the place to shag yourself stupid for two weeks'. I've never known anyone to mention the cultural side of things or identify the place in a more positive tone.

The Airport Central Chiang Mai store has become a disaster. In the past I didn't enjoy going there as usually had to park a long distance away. Now there's virtually no parking. And a few weeks ago they took a good portion of that remaining space with playland-like rides causing traffic to back up for a kilometer on city streets and highways. I have quit going there and use Kad Suan Kaeu or other stores. Wonder if other retailers at Airport yet realize how much business they have lost?

Er....Tried parking inside at the Robinsons end of the Mall? I was there yesterday and it took me less than two minutes to walk inside the store on the second floor. That was at 2.30pm and there were loads of empty parking spots. From the inside parking it never takes more than a few minutes to reach Robinsons or Tops.

'They wont even allow us to install a condom vending machine out of embarrassment '. Says it all really; Face, Mai pen rai, heads stuck firmly and deeply in the sand, worry about it after it's happened etc, etc, etc.

People like this shouldn't be allowed to posses anything more dangerous than a spoon.

You havn't noticed they only give you a fork and spoon in thai resteraunts ?......now you know why !

Yes; because Chopsticks can be dangerous !

Anyway; we didn't have Mc d's in Britain then, or Burger King, of Kentucky Fried Chicken...as it was then known.

I'm pretty sure that deep fried fish and chips, sausage and mash and meat pies are not any better for the waistline.

You're right of course but we didn't eat these items on a daily basis, more of a treat really. Today people eat junk multiple times daily !

Trainman34014 , there was a Burger King in Piccadilly Circus and Kentucky Fried Chicken in Soho in 1979 , Mate.

Can't be precise about the dates Honkie but I was over there a lot in the 70's and I don't think Burger King were in London before 78ish? Anyway; they and the others weren't around the provincial towns and that's for sure.

Real Monks should not expect money. This is why they walk around early morning to receive food related gifts. For some reason you also se them hanging around Panthip and checking out the latest laptops, iPhones etc.

Yes; my Wife has a Cousin with a 14 year old Son who has been a Monk since he was 12. We were in Cousins house two weeks ago and in walks Monk Son and hands Mum 3,000 Baht. 'What's that for? ' says Mum. Monk Son says 'I've got too much money Mum so I want you to have some of it'. After more questioning it seems that people are constantly giving the young Monks money just for 'being there'. They tell them 'not for temple but your pocket money'. Boss Monk apparently lets them keep it to do with what they will.

Now when I was a young'un. No ,seriously, as a Brit working in America during the late 70's/early 80's I always used to think thank the lord we don't have all these horribly obese people in Britain like they have here. I used to see huge men that took up two seats in restaurants selling 'All you can eat for $9.99' and they would eat two 32oz steaks with fries...that is after they had raided the salad bar first just to make sure they ate something slimming and healthy...shame about the bucket loads of blue cheese dressing et al. Anyway; we didn't have Mc d's in Britain then, or Burger King, of Kentucky Fried Chicken...as it was then known. Sadly we did have 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' but we were several weeks behind with the episodes so the girls in the office in London would ask me to watch it Stateside and return to tell them what was going on ! Still those programs didn't do much for expanding the waistline unless of course folks were stuffing large suppers whilst they were watching.

Fast forward to present day and there are just as many obese people living in Britain today as there were 30 odd years ago Stateside. I have to say I have a Daughter-in-law and a Sister-in-law who are both grossly overweight and no matter how hard they try they 'yo yo' back to where they were every time they diet. They both love 'fast food' and pre-prepared junk from the Supermarkets, again food that just wasn't there 30 years ago.

What is happening in Thailand is just an extension of a growing problem that has been creeping across nation after nation as the years roll by. Only today I was out in CM and saw more fat people in one day than I would have seen in several months just five years ago, the worst example being a woman so heavy that she almost toppled off the escalator in Central Plaza simple because she was just top heavy and couldn't balance easily. With the explosion of fast foods, snack foods and all these sugar filled bottles and cans of drinks rammed into peoples faces at every turn, is there any likelyhood of this trend slowing down or stopping in the years ahead? I fear not.

Bunkups in the Bunker, Hmmm; reminds me of the beach in the 60's with the girl from the Fish&Chip shop.

The minute you send just 1 Baht you are co-dependant to her gambling habit. Before you go back just tell her that you've had enough of being a co-dependant already and you're not prepared to prop up her disgusting habit from now on. Oh; and when I said 'before', I meant literally moments before as you may find that you don't survive to leave any later ! Habitual gamblers can be very dangerous people when riled.

I'm in stage 4 and wondering if there is a stage 5. I'm happy and pretty relaxed after 5 years of living here and I think it does help a lot if you have visited numerous times before you come to live here. That gives you the chance to evaluate things, open your mind to a completely different culture, plan properly and hopefully select the right kind of partner, if that's what you want.

I suppose there is still a small part of me that is still in stage 3 though. I have both Farang and Thai pals but I still find it difficult to understand why some Farang are so bloody miserable. I've come to the conclusion that they were most probably miserable gits in their own country as well ! Anyway; their business and I hope they enjoy their misery.

I know two people who own restaurants in the CM area and they already pay their staff more than 300 Baht per day. Furthermore; they need more staff but cannot recruit easily even though they are paying over the odds. As one put it to me ' A lot of Thai's just don't want to work so it's very frustrating'.

The answer to where it all goes is down the toilet. They seem to crap almost as often as they eat !

Ordered a new Mitsubishi Mirage 27th June and told owing to high demand for the new concept car it would be 2-3 months delivery. Letter came in 2nd month saying sorry but delivery could be October but freebies will be available. Finally delivered 29th October with free window film, full tank of petrol, one year fully comp' insurance, one year road tax, car blanket (<deleted> in a tropical country ! ), 2 water glasses , 2 very nice whiskey glasses and a decanter. Paid cash and they would not negotiate on ticket price. They've told me that I can have a good discount on any 'extra's' that I would like to buy.

I only paid 1,000 Baht deposit and the rest paid on delivery.

You come all the way to Thailand to mock the way they celebrate life. Go in your bed room shut the door pull the curtains and get your Thai wife to bring you in some food.

Just ignore the kids if they say Daddy how come we can not celebrate like all are friends do.

Heck my youngest is coming 12,000 miles just to be a part of a real celebration. They din't have any of them in the civilized countries.

note

civilized = nanny

Take it you've never been to Britain around November 5th then HD? 'Guy Fawkes' night, and normally the nearest weekend to it is firework time= loads get drunk and act stupid time. Many fires are caused by acts of dumbness and a few people die from firework injuries each year. I don't think Loy Kratong is any worse here especially in the villages where it is all rather pretty with people putting a lot of candles around their house walls etc and folks taking the kids to float home made Kratong's in the local River. Easy to stay away from the City and all the mayhem if that's what people want. Each to their own; I hope your youngest enjoys the occasion. Have fun.

I've heard reports, too, of CM Immigration now asking for a copy of your original visa and every extension. This means you should hold onto your old passport if you get a new one. A surprising number of people dispose of their old passports, without realizing they may be needed for future extension approvals.

Nancy; I've had a good look at the rules and I can't see a requirement for copies of everything right back to your original 'O' and every extension. I'm sure our pals on the Visa threads will correct me if wrong. However; it's always a case of the officers/different immigration offices having their own set of rules depending on where you go. I must say that I always find CM immigration quite friendly and helpful. If there is something amiss they will normally ask you to drop it in the next day.

I think most people think that keeping old passport's is not a good idea what with the amount of identity theft that goes on etc but I will take up on the idea of scanning all the pages and keeping them on computer that 'On the dark side ' suggests. Doh ! why didn't I think of that myself? Something to do with the older brain turning to scrambled egg I suppose !