DonJuanDemarco

I think Thailand will be passed in twenty years by Vietnam and dwarfed by the rest of the world in terms of economic growth. If Bangkok is in fact going to be underwater than the sky is the limit on how stagnant the country could be.

I don't see any immediate solutions to this "civil war" or the lack of responsibility of politicians or their governing attitudes, not to mention the military's role in politics. it does not look rosey.

Excuse me while i step out and buy a snorkel, mask and flippers!

well, only a meter under a meter they say. but still, you have to imagine it won't help things much.

i do not believe it will happen either. but i do believe that we will see these long periods of economic stagnation at the hands of failing/delayed governments. there seems to be no realistic outlook for cooperation or advancement.

I think Thailand will be passed in twenty years by Vietnam and dwarfed by the rest of the world in terms of economic growth. If Bangkok is in fact going to be underwater than the sky is the limit on how stagnant the country could be.

I don't see any immediate solutions to this "civil war" or the lack of responsibility of politicians or their governing attitudes, not to mention the military's role in politics. it does not look rosey.

You clearly don't know what you are talking about, it's ONLY Thai I've EVER seen give money to children begging in the street. Couldn't tell you the last time I saw a foreigner do it.

I thought you just did?

You seem like a really really smart guy, Rio.

I just did what?

But thanks for the compliment anyway, I appreciate that. Keep up the positive contributions.

I have never been to Brazil. I can't remember the last time I have been to Brazil.

Get it, now?

JJ managed to get himself splashed all over Ch7 (Thai) news last night. There was a good 10 minute piece on him. From what I could gather he had been "set" up by the sneaky farang tv crews !!! Looks like the wheels are well and truly in motion to "pass the buck"

Don't know if anyone saw it and could shed any more light on it but they were certainly dedicating a fair bit of air time to it.

He is a smooth operator. He probably gets tons of female farang backpackers in the sack.

I just skimmed the OP's other post and he is obviously very frustrated. he is either very new and naive to Thailand, or he is an old timer whose time has come to head back to the fatherland.

No, not really frustrated, more so curious. I would say that I am much less naive/delusional than the majority of people/apologists in this thread.

I am sure if we flipped the terms around and a fresh off the boat Isaan Thai was in Heathrow airport and the British cabbie was going to charge him 50 pounds for a cab-fare and the Isaan Thai not knowing any better agreed to it many in this thread would consider the cabby a scum bag and would intervene if necessary.

Anything negative or unethical in Thailand is excused as Thai Culture. When the shoe is on the other foot... well, that is a different story, correct?

You clearly don't know what you are talking about, it's ONLY Thai I've EVER seen give money to children begging in the street. Couldn't tell you the last time I saw a foreigner do it.

I thought you just did?

You seem like a really really smart guy, Rio.

Are these the USMC non-pussies?

Thats the first 150 kg US Marine I have ever seen. Irregardless, not much correlation as these guys have been conned into believing they actually did damage the jet ski. Everything is out in the public, not back roomed. There is a Thai cop there, and oh yeah, they do not have a gun being pointed in their face.

So you complain about Royal Marines being pussies when they have a gun pointed in their face but it's ok for US Marines to be pussies even without the gun?

Um, no, they are pussies because they paid knowing that they were getting ripped off.

my wife is pregnant. this is my first child so i never even thought to think about asking to see the patient rooms from the start. since its a private hospital and the price is not exactly cheap, i think 60k or something, i just assumed the rooms were nice. boy was i wrong. we checked the rooms out today and they would not pass as a one star hotel on khao sarn road. we are talking about the most depressing, ugly, drab, disgusting surroundings imaginable. apparently, you can upgrade for 10k a night to the same terrible room only larger. no extra charge for the 13 inch television from 1982 or the stained couch covered in scratch marks. i have never been inside of a 'meth hotel' but this is how i pictured it.

Those who actually love their husbands will not be happy about them sleeping around.

Upwards of 30% in the poll are allowed some sort of extra-marital sex... I suppose it's possible that 1/3 of thai-farang relationships on thaivisa don't have any love, but it seems improbable. The ones without love or affection are usually only the weird relationships where there's like a 30+ year age difference and the guy has some serious social problems. Most thaivisa posters seem to be intelligent enough to access a computer and record thoughts, something I don't think the latter would be inclined to do. Just my opinion.

30% sounds about right to me...

Some of you people are really f'ing cheap. LoL Makes me wonder how many of you drop 10 baht once a month in some little child's cup on the footbridge and think you just saved his life.

You do realize that someone else was already awarded the dinner coupon for worst post of the week already right? Why are you still trying?

To me, double pricing is just the unfettered free market at work. You are free to not pay. What more do you people want?

TH

So, if there was a line up of Thai office workers buying tea and when it got to the third person in line the shop keeper tells him, you pay 30 baht instead of 20 baht like everyone else. Then this person can either choose to pay more or walk away... While there might not be anything wrong with this in the sense that, as you say, he is not forced to shop at this stand, the state of mind of the shop keeper is hardly admirable. I am sure this person would feel that they were disrespected. I don't know about you, but I try to show the people around me in this world respect and I would like to receive it back.

The guys whose wives let them cheat do so because they are repulsed by them and do not want the responsibility to sleep with them. Those who actually love their husbands will not be happy about them sleeping around.

Sorry to burst the farang delusional balloon.

Then carry your tax slip and show them to proof that you reside here and not a tourist

oh really?

Its amazing how farang will go out of their way to try and rationalize why they should pay 10 times the amount Thais pay. Its quite strange really.

"We are just guests here". Absolutely 100% correct. To think in any other way will only give you a headache.

Don't be a fool. Guests do not pay. We are customers here, paying for our existence.

I think the poster above might be onto something about the cowardly nature of farang in Thailand. Have some self respect for yourselves. This reminds me of another point, those farang who pay three times the going rate for sin sod 'cause its Thai culture'... Jeez...

Some Thai's will over-charge foreigners, they will over charge Thais as well, if the opportunity presents itself to make a quick profit.

If I walk into a hundred different places of business and a Thai walks into the same one hundred places, I might get over charged in 50 of them and he might get overcharged in 3. I don't see the relevance of this defense.

It is quite clear to me that it is culturally acceptable in Thailand to cheat/over charge farang, but not acceptable to cheat/over charge Thais.

Let's not stereotype. The Thais that cheat foreigners also cheat other Thais.

That's not true. There are plenty of Thais who will only try to cheat farang.

Its avoidable, sure. But one does wish to feel like they are respected in the place where they live.

I am sure many of you were walking around waiing people on your second day in Thailand too. Its pretty clear that these guys believed they were in the wrong. Completely different from the British chaps who were back-roomed, held at gun point and knew they were being cheated and did not have the common sense to call the Thai police or try to do something than pull down their pants.

I visited a hospital and my Thai partner was very upset because the doctor overcharged me on the doctors fee and then they over charged me on the cost of medicine. Almost everywhere you go in Thailand, as a farang, you will be over charged. Even a doctor, someone you would expect to have some class, disappoints.

I don't think you can respect someone and cheat them at the same time. I am sure some of you will claim otherwise, but I think you are just deluding yourselves.

So the big question is why is it like that here?

Are these the USMC non-pussies?

Thats the first 150 kg US Marine I have ever seen. Irregardless, not much correlation as these guys have been conned into believing they actually did damage the jet ski. Everything is out in the public, not back roomed. There is a Thai cop there, and oh yeah, they do not have a gun being pointed in their face.

started having Diarrhea 40 hours ago and it seems to be getting worse now. if i drink a glass of water, it will come out quickly. about 30 hours after I developed diarrhea I started running a low grade fever (100.5). I also have mild chills if i am not in bed covered.

What should my plan of action be if things do not get better soon? I have never felt this way before. I do not have a runny nose or sore throat, but my stomach feels very tender. No vomiting.

If I go to the hospital, can they test my stools or blood to pinpoint what bacteria it is exactly that I am infected with? I do not want to go if all they are going to do so is tell me to sip warm water and take Tylenol.

Thanks

And is there anyway to determine if you are dehydrated or at risk of being dehydrated?

www.liveleak.com/view?i=154_1248394681

now imagine adults that are trained to kill.

I'm sure that the US government would approve of their military personnel committing violence against citizens of one of their major allies in SE Asia and probably provoking a major diplomatic incident rather than allowing the due process of law to take place.

Once someone brings a gun out, the gloves are off. If you think these guys are going to weight the diplomatic consqeunces to making JJ's face unrecognizable, you are wrong. And I doubt the Thai officials would feel a need to cause a big stir over Mr. JJ being beaten to a pulp of his life anyways.