nidieunimaitre

Just when I thought that the story of the 72 virgins was the most rediculoso idea that religious fundamentalists could dream up.

Now this.

I met her many years ago, on a trip to Calcutta. I asked to see her, for spiritual guidance, and she took the time to see me. She gave me a very wise answer to my dilemma at that time. She exhibited nothing but humility, kindness and sincerity. Some say she was a grandstander. If that was what was required to promote her orphanage, and her organization, in order to attract donations, what the hell? Who cares? I considered her a great woman, and I think she is more worthy of sainthood than most of the others that were considered. She did a lot of great work. She did make a big difference. How many true saints are out there these days?

And for the detractors, I have two questions.

1. Who else can you name, that has made the kind of impact that this women made, on so many lives of desperation, in our lifetime?

2. What great acts have you devoted yourself to, that allows you to question the lifetime of achievement, of this great woman?

QUOTE:

Who else can you name, that has made the kind of impact that this women made, on so many lives of desperation, in our lifetime?

NELSON MANDELA

But no, I do not want him to be called a saint by some religious sect.

After 3 months in BKK (On Nut, not even the sex district) I realized that I could never live in that concrete jungle.

Next I gave Bang Saen a try for 2 months, but thought it was not much different from BKK - yet friends from Pataya kept telling us how wonderful Bang Saen was, it's beach and relaxed atmosphere.

I was ready to go back home.

Then my wife talked me into going to her home village in Chanthaburi.

Jungle, fruit trees, poor internet, no Farangs, actually few Thais too, mountain view, 20 km to the next restaurant, market at 7 km.

And I lived happily ever after!

It beats me why you have to tell everybody??

Softly, quietly, please.

You are right.

Sorry.

After 3 months in BKK (On Nut, not even the sex district) I realized that I could never live in that concrete jungle.

Next I gave Bang Saen a try for 2 months, but thought it was not much different from BKK - yet friends from Pataya kept telling us how wonderful Bang Saen was, it's beach and relaxed atmosphere.

I was ready to go back home.

Then my wife talked me into going to her home village in Chanthaburi.

Jungle, fruit trees, poor internet, no Farangs, actually few Thais too, mountain view, 20 km to the next restaurant, market at 7 km.

And I lived happily ever after!

I went to Thailand when I was 57 - got a nice small house and swimming pool for 1.000.000 baht, eat all the seafood I can possibly want, and have a huge garden.

That's cheap! I could not dream of that in Farangland.

....you definitely can't get this any more for 1 million Baht ! You pay 1 million for only the swimming pool nowadays! How long ago was that?

Reading that the thread starter has money, he could however afford renting for 35,000 Baht a month a nice house, garden and swimming pool, anywhere in a Bangkok mooban, on one of the islands, along the gulf or at the andaman sea shores.

Being a hard working Yorkshireman, he will probably be clever enough not to waste his hard earned money on a villa which he never will be able to sell.

6 years ago!

Free land (of my wife) - 6 rai of fruit trees and flowers.

I did not say mansion and Olympic pool.

Small house in European style, with bath and simple kitchen & big windows: 48 m2 living space.

Big enough for me & wife.

Swimming pool and water pipe 1km for free abundant mountain water: 5 X 2,5 X 2 m

Pool is built with the same concrete & air bricks as the house, and tiles - no major repairs in 5 years.

Of course all that is not built to last for generations, but we are 60 / 65, the house will outlast us.

In Farangland you build a house for children & grandchildren, here you are free to build it just for yourself, making it a lot cheaper.

I don't understand the OP.

We are all here because Thailand is cheap.

Cheap comes at a price though.

Of course many are in denial, or have experienced nothing but their home town and Thailand.

If money is not a problem, why would anyone want to live in Thailand? Why would anyone put up with Thai culture and lifestyle , Thai laws, the humid season?

Er, there are those who go for the women including but not limited to those found in bars.

I agree. I can't live in Thailand full time when I have a nice home in a nice town in a first world country. I enjoy my visits and then I'm ready to go home.

Cheers.

The women are no exception to my opinion:

Some people go to Thailand for the cheap women, after all, if you can afford it, there are women all over the world.

I went to Thailand when I was 57 - got a nice small house and swimming pool for 1.000.000 baht, eat all the seafood I can possibly want, and have a huge garden.

That's cheap! I could not dream of that in Farangland.

And to top it off... when Thainess gets too much for me to handle, we are off to Europe for half the year.

With that amount available, I would not be in LOS, but living in a traditional stone house on a hill above the small town of Demenate in the mid-atlas about 150kliks N.E. of Marrakech.

...with a great view of Daesh coming closer every day.

I don't understand the OP.

We are all here because Thailand is cheap.

Cheap comes at a price though.

Of course many are in denial, or have experienced nothing but their home town and Thailand.

If money is not a problem, why would anyone want to live in Thailand? Why would anyone put up with Thai culture and lifestyle , Thai laws, the humid season?

My wife knows... she can stay at the temple, but every moment she spends there, i will be seeking and finding other female company...

Balanced relation since then...

Same here.

My wife once threatened me with going to a temple for some time.

I said OK you go, send me a message on facebook when you come back, I will be in Pattaya.

Just to avoid misunderstandings:

Pattaya would be the last place in the world where I would go to - but she being Thai did not understand that.

PS Threatening to go to a temple does say something about the state of buddhism in Thailand...

I love these threads too.

When I am in Farangland, people always ask me about the sex scene in Thailand.

Without these threads I would not know what to answer them.

Tune in to TV Forum for the next thread:

From whore monger to proper husband.

If anyone on this forum was introduced to a new acquaintance, and was told in private that he has been a serial theif all his previous life, how many would adapt the attitude 'that was in the past' ?

Answer: NONE.

You could never put his past behind him, and you would always be wary of him.

Is this topic any different ?

Same goes - as far as I am concerned - if she was a bankster, insurance brooker, City Trader, second hand car dealer, real estate agent or politician.

Yet, I am hesitantly willing to accept the theoretical possibility that there are some honest people in those trades.

It would seem most Nations have people like Suthep, it's not specific to Thailand. We Dutch have our 'Wilders', the French 'le Pen', the Americans Trump.

1 big difference though.

Wilders, LePen and Trump have never been in charge of a government.

I am referring to the government that had Suthep for leader, Abhisit for spokesman and Kasit for fun.

Just remembered this one: PAINTER MAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BhIwytZWbg

If the door is currently red this video is relevant (ish)

Now guess what I was going to reply to the OP.

OK, you win...

Everybody has a past, let anyone who has not sinned cast the first stone.

I say good on them for changing there life around and trying to lead a normal life.

Sin?

Casting stones?

Which culture are you talking about?

Surely not the Asian culture!

I wish everybody a happy lengthening of the days.

Beans on toast

With extra sugar?

After all, it is xmas.

How is Ello doing?

Most people are just trying to do their job the best way they know how.

QUOTE: "the best way they know how."

Maybe THAT is the problem?

Could be, but I don't seem to have any trouble with banking here.

Good for you, but that is just lucky.

I tried to open an account at the purple bank, Robinson branch Chanthaburi.

Not possible.

After talking with the manager, they let me open a joint account with my wife.

Later asked at same bank, Tesco branch, 2 km away.

No problem.

If I had tried there first, I would be posting like you: "I don't seem to have any trouble with banking here".

Incompetence combined with face and lack of professional pride.

We may have a new record here for Godwin's Law. 2nd sentence on the very first post.

The man in my screen pic never formulated a law.

On the contrary.

Godwin.

Most people are just trying to do their job the best way they know how.

QUOTE: "the best way they know how."

Maybe THAT is the problem?

Here is the 80 percent rule which I often quote.

This is the polite version, suitable for young children to hear.

The 80 percent rule.....80 percent of everything you read, see. or hear is Male Cow Fecal material anyhow, so believe nothing until you verify it yourself.

Also applies to all the stories told on Thai Visa. For some reason people seem ready to accept a tale of woe posted by some other farang no matter how confused, one-sided or fantastic it may be. The only requirement is that it pits a noble innocent farang against a sinister conspiratorial Thai, then of course it must be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Quite often this attitude is buttressed with some comment about supporting fellow farang or the farang community ... although if the same farang had an encounter back in farangville, they'd probably tell one another to bugger off.

Also applies to all the replies of Suradit.

20% of a typical reply makes sense.

Unfortunately, the replies are formulated in such an aggressive and humorless way that 80% of this 20% is lost.

No, I don't.

I see Christianity as a religion based on fear whereas Buddhism is based on knowledge & application of a life based on intelligence & research. No prayers seeking assistance - do it yourself.

That is the European view of buddhism.

That view is very appealing, and maybe close to the original philosophy.

Do you think this also is the view of Thai buddhism?

PS In my post I was really replying to shunter, but I like to hear the opinion of others too.

fang37

I am not a Thai basher. Also, I am farang.

I have lived in LOS for 13+ years. I am a practising Buddhist.

My observations are -

Thai people do not seek assistance from the monks in their spiritual pursuits.

The Abbot where I live seems to be interested in overseas travel & building a new wat.

The novice monks seem to do all the manual work whilst the ordained enjoy playing computer games & using their smartphones.

Much the a same as in all other religious beliefs isn't it.

Judge not others lest you be judged yourself

So you think buddhism is just another religion?

I agree!