fasteddie

...marijuana doesn't make you aggressive or stupid like that

That would depend on a number of things. Smoking a joing obviously doesn't make anyone agressive but prolonged consumption has been linked to increased risk of psychosis. Psychosis may well make you erratic and agressvive.

The Dutch, who know a thing or two about marijuana consumption, have done studies to that effect.

http://aje.oxfordjou.../156/4/319.full

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12616543

http://www.ukcia.org...ndPsychosis.pdf

Actually, THC is a psychosis enhancing substance in marijuana, while CBD, which is also in all marijuana plants, is a psychosis suppressing substance. That's why all pharmaceutical companies are trying to make synthetic CBD for that exact purpose. The reason why some young people in Europe are developing psychosis from smoking marijuana is because the stuff they smoke has been altered/cloned to have a very high THC and a low CBD content. Thai marijuana is a natural, so it contains both substances in a relative equal amount, and the chances for developing a psychosis is respectively low.

Anyways, it't totally insane to blame smoking pot for his actions, I guarantee they found other substances in his blood, fi they bothered to test for it. IMHO they just like to have something to blame on marijuana, because they need to justify their ban on marijuana.

You're dead right there, no way Thai weed has got him into that state, you can guarantee he had been having something else, ya baa or even the evil booze, it's only when you mix things with ganja that things go awry.

And the reason behind it all: Chinese idiots, as always.

Why cant the chinese learn to respect animals?

Seems they'll do anything to get their "tiger penis medicine" and their shark fin soup.

Blatant negative and unsupported generalizations are not helpful to an educated exchange of ideas.

*

My comment was directed at your unkind generalization of the Chinese as "idiots."

And just what exactly do you call people who are having tigers hunted to extinction? and all for a supposed aphrodisiac when they live in a country full of Chinese girls!

Welcome to Thailand!

I assume you're running a Blackbird, Honda recommend 42psi front and rear (cold).

I don't know if the roads are getting slippier (in England at the mo), but I seriously hope not as I've always found the roads in Thailand slippy. I remember dropping a 'ped on a roundabout in Krabi a few years back (very embarrassing), I was in shorts and t-shirt and didn't even get any road-rash the tarmac was so slippy. The only grip I ever found in Thailand was at the Pattaya International Circuit back in the late eighties, pitty the gixer I was on at the time didn't even have enough grunt to spin the tyre, anyway I digress, Happy New Year and safe riding.

I vote VLC too. plays everything and no problems.

Happy New Year!

Nearly twenty years inside for smuggling weed? what a bunch of savages! you'd get less for raping a minor!

when in doubt blame the tourists for visiting the beach, bloody ridiculous, i remember about 10 years ago they were going to ban jet skis what a joke that was, mafia rules forever in LOS

Don't know how we've survived so long here in Ao Nang & Koh Lanta, but we have. no jet skis, parasails and generally no gangs of drunk Europeans, Bliss!

Forgive me for saying this and for those who lost love ones in the last tsunami, but I really think that Phuket needs another massive tsunami and hopefully this time, all the local and foreign scum there perish like the jet-ski operators an their families, the taxi and tuk -tul drivers and their families and the unruly local shopkeepers and also the trash farangs there running bars and ag0-go bars, and the various foreign gansgters there.

you're right, place is fast turning into another s*ithole like Pattaya!

According to TVF's resident experts, tourism had collapsed around the country and tourism was dead.

The swollen numbers in Phuket and the surrounding areas of Krabi, Koh Samui etc., have been so large, that the small national decrease due to the recent flooding has in large part been offset.

Its not just the Australians, but this year, the Russians (typically younger, better groomed and wealthier than their western counterparts) and the Hong Kong Chinese are here in greater numbers. Of more value has been the rebound of Swedish tourists. I haven't seen Swedes in this density for at least a few years. The money that is being churned at some of the bars and restaurants is crazy. The Swedish table next to me dropped about 10,000 baht on food and wine a couple nights ago, while our 2000 baht dinner for 2 looked tame in comparison. Even in a MCD where we stopped for reconstituted chicken bits at 120 baht, the English family of 4 had managed a bill of 1200 baht+

don.t know where you get your info from, Krabi is deserted even the Chinese have left Ao Nang.

Whilst Krabi town is nice, it's really not that amazing and very small. I think its most striking features are its cleanliness and for a small Thai town it's maintained relatively well.

The pier area is nice when the night market is out and yes I do like the lamposts and the statue. The river, caves and fishfarms are also really scenic, along with the Krabi's version of the Pillars of Hercules up near the Marina hotel.

Like pomchop said it really caters for Thais and a nice aspect of it is that is isn't infected with the shirtless oiks that tend to invade Ao Nang now.

I always chuckle to myself when I think about the countless number of people that must have tried to book a holiday in Krabi and land in Krabi town thinking "Where's the bloody beach then?" only to find out that what they've seen in brochures is actually 10kms away in Ao Nang.

I disagree with the comments about Lotus, if you mean the Lotus on the Thanon Sri Trang with Big C and all the furniture stores. It's always got foreigners in it. Lots of them.

I lived in Ao Nang for 6 months after living in Surat for 6 years, personal family matters brought me back to Surat, I don't miss Ao Nang at all.

Ao Nang has really really gone down in my estimation in recent years. In fact, I went over the weekend preceding HM's birthday and the thing I enjoyed about it most was the drive in from Krabi through the limestone karsts along that lovely twisting road. I still say that's the best drive you can do in the whole of Thailand. (Even bette on a bike!)

Ao Nang itself is a dive and it's getting worse. The Nepalese seem to be infesting the main drag and my Mum & Dad were told to "<deleted> off" and "yet mae" by one of the vendors there last year and my parents are really polite people. They made the cardinal sin of picking something up and deciding not to buy it as its Chinese/Indian crap. Fortunately my wife was there at the time and the guy nearly got a kicking from the Thais I had with me for being so disrespectful. I can't stand the Nepalese and the Indians in Krabi and wished they really weren't there. They ruin the place. I feel like punching all the suit vendors in the face whenever they call me "Boss." and even when they don't.

It's getting more aggressive and more Americanized. As GOM said, McDonalds, Sevensens, Pizza Co., Burger King, Mexican Restaurants on Walking Street, The Irish Rover, all within spitting distance of each other. I'd even go as far as to say they over shadow the Thai restaurants and if you spent your holiday without finding the nice seafood restaurants at the opposite end of Ao Nang beach, you'd have seriously missed out.

Luna Bar really used to be a great great nightspot and somewhere you could actually dance on the beach in the moonlight with other peopl. The ownership have totally arsed that place up. It has all the atmosphere of a morgue now and there's never anyone in the place.

The 4 Island tours run by the Thais are, very sadly, total garbage designed to give you as little for your money as possible in the shortest amount of time possible.

Another recommendation would be Captain Yum Yum's 7 island tour. That is possibly the last highlight left in the Ao Nang area. He's a big dreadlocked Saffer who really knows the area well and his tour is very very very good and runs totally out of synch with the Thai tours so you miss all the crowds.

If you're looking for somewhere that's much more down-tempo and relaxing, if a little isolated from society, head to Khlong Muang.

It appears to me you have to travel further and further south now to find the more idyllic places. Trang & Satun are really really nice. It won't be long though until these places are turned into mirror images of Phuket & Pattaya.

Sorry this turned into an epic, it appears I had a lot to get off my chest about Ao Nang. Feel much better now.

Got to agree with you there, Ao Nang has definitely got pricier since the Indians invaded, the prices have rocketed, an English breakfast is more expensive than England. Back in the early nineties I used to stay at Pine Bungalow and just dirt bike it to Ao Nang for a night out. Used to spend the days on my dirt bikes riding the dirt tracks through the jungle up past the Andaman resort to Tub Kaek beach which was just jungle and beach, for a swim, and up as far as I could get in the national park and behind the quarries exploring every little track I could find. Nowadays all the beach side jungle has gone to be replaced by a concrete one, you can't even see the beach from the road now. Can't really agree with you about Khlong Muang anymore though, just overpriced restaurants and resorts though I still take a ride up there on occasions to see old friends.

Krabi town on the other hand, though it has definitely grown a lot, still retains it's old charm and has reasonably priced accommodation and food and is still my favourite place to stay in Thailand.

OMG! what will they think of next?

That's why they call it junk food, tried the Mcd's in Ao Nang cos they got free wi-fi, never again, what slop!

Try an additional online scan called SuperantiSpyware.

Totally agree, superantispyware

Maybe they didn't use lethal force to evict the yellow shirts out of the airport because they were peacefully protesting without machine guns and grenade launchers.

And they were not invading hospitals and using there children as shields.

Correct! they were not, and they were not equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers, you people crack me up. Even when the international community find the army culpable, you cling on to your fantasies. The army has a long and shameful history of slaughtering it's own people, especially those with the guts to stand up for freedom and democracy.

For all those that complain about the exchange rate: When I first came here, 1984, US$ was around 22 baht, UK pound in the 30s. Some of us will remember the good time of 1997 when we got over 100 for our UK pound. But today it is still better for the tourist than back in 84....I'm not an economist and really don't know whether Thailand should devalue or not. I just wanted to point out some history and show that as far as exchanging your pensions/savings are concerned it is not the worst it has been.

True enough, but what you forget to mention, is that you could get a hut on the beach for 30baht and live well on a fiver a day!

True also, but do you expect prices to remain the same over a period of 27 years....inflation is something that every country has, Thailand is not an exception to this. I'd reckon about 3x the price, on average, over that period.

And I didn't forget to mention anything...I may not have included something that you'd have like to seen written.Please don't accuse me of forgetting to mention something you wanted to say....

Oh dear Oh dear, calm down, it's just a figure of speech.

For all those that complain about the exchange rate: When I first came here, 1984, US$ was around 22 baht, UK pound in the 30s. Some of us will remember the good time of 1997 when we got over 100 for our UK pound. But today it is still better for the tourist than back in 84....I'm not an economist and really don't know whether Thailand should devalue or not. I just wanted to point out some history and show that as far as exchanging your pensions/savings are concerned it is not the worst it has been.

True enough, but what you forget to mention, is that you could get a hut on the beach for 30baht and live well on a fiver a day!

The inevitable exodus of capital, jobs and productivity is on schedule.

There seems an inexhaustible ability to shoot their own foot here.

"or remain uncertain about a flood crisis recurring in the future".

Don't worry!!!! Yingluck will absolutely guarantee that "Thailand will never have floods again" as she doesn't like them as they ruin her mascara and slow down Thaksin's passage back to Thailand. Oh yes!!! they have killed 600 people and made life hell for millions of her fellow citizens (almost forgot that bit).

She will form 3 or 4 committees to work towards preventing excess rain from landing on Thailand including an "anti-rain dance committee" , FROC2, FROC3 and FROC4 working independently of each other just in case her absolute guarantee becomes a 50% guarantee and then a 'worthless' guarantee when the next rainy season starts.

Not bad really - Yingluck has "f****d up the country in about 3 months - what took her so long, I hesitate to ask????:jap:.

Please try not to be so childish, we are looking for mature informed debate on here not petulant gibberish!

OK!!!! Lets see your defence of the government in their handling of the flood disaster and their 3 months of governance then!!!!

I could see exactly what was going to happen when this lot were given control of the nations coffers with Yingluck intent on one thing and one thing only and that is to provide passage for that evil tyrant back into the country. Lies, lies and lies (plus unaffordable bribes) were dished up and those gullible morons up North fell for it "hook, line and sinker and hence the mess we are in now"!!!!:jap:.

'' I could see exactly what was going to happen when this lot were given control of the nations coffers''

and so they arranged the worst floods in over half a century? just what do you think the Englishman and his army bosses could of done any better? they can't assassinate rain!

The inevitable exodus of capital, jobs and productivity is on schedule.

There seems an inexhaustible ability to shoot their own foot here.

"or remain uncertain about a flood crisis recurring in the future".

Don't worry!!!! Yingluck will absolutely guarantee that "Thailand will never have floods again" as she doesn't like them as they ruin her mascara and slow down Thaksin's passage back to Thailand. Oh yes!!! they have killed 600 people and made life hell for millions of her fellow citizens (almost forgot that bit).

She will form 3 or 4 committees to work towards preventing excess rain from landing on Thailand including an "anti-rain dance committee" , FROC2, FROC3 and FROC4 working independently of each other just in case her absolute guarantee becomes a 50% guarantee and then a 'worthless' guarantee when the next rainy season starts.

Not bad really - Yingluck has "f****d up the country in about 3 months - what took her so long, I hesitate to ask????:jap:.

Please try not to be so childish, we are looking for mature informed debate on here not petulant gibberish!

Ahhhhhhhhwwww....will they not be making 10 Gazillion Dollars profit next year but only 9,5 due to the massive raise in wages?

It's really time to relocate!

Is there a place, where minimum wages are below 150 THB?

Where we can trample on the environment a little more, for less bribe money, so the "inspectors" look the other way?

Are there swampy wetlands elsewhere, where a flood normally runs out and just vanishes into the ground, that we could build a massive concrete structure on...and complain, if we get flooded again...although we bought the place for a handful of cash, got taxes lowered and...and...and...

If there is a parallel universe, these greedy b@stards would be hanging from a tree by their b@lls.

Long live those Greedy Bastards...... who would you rather have as neighbours, those greedy bastards or a gang of Red Shirts.... ?

Reds! any day, capitalism is a dead duck, growth is unsustainable and the sooner the world realises it the better for this beautiful planet!

Eat the rich!

I'm convinced that even if he did return the army would assassinate him sooner or later.

If you go up the Chao Fah rd past the grand tower and keep to the left, about half and three quarters way before you get to the corner by the joy bar, you will see two large concrete buildings which I believe both do serviced apartments which you should be able to get for 5000baht'ish considering the lack of custom about. Also the area behind the scandinavian restaurant has two or three possibly even cheaper. Good luck and enjoy, been going to Krabi since '94 and still love it.

I nearly smashed my laptop when I read that! glad I scrolled down, Brilliant!

No sorry, nowhere near here for the worlds most boring and destructive pastime.

I lived in Vietnam for over 10 years, and while it is no secret that the Communist authorities in VN are soulless, brutal thugs, they would never have permitted a flood situation to descend into such an absurd public farce as we are seeing here.

First, they would have mobilised the entire armed forces.

Second, they would have declared martial law, so that, for example, any hobbledehoy who started messing around with flood defences could be shot on the spot for endangering national security

Third, if necessary, they would have blasted huge deep channels to divert water away from industrial areas, airports, urban areas and so on, and into agricultural areas occupied by peasants, blowing up a Catholic church or two if they happened to be in the way.

Fourth, they would have called loudly for, and instantly accepted any foreign help going -- cash preferred, but helicopters and boats would do.

Fifth, they would only screen nightly programs showing solidarity, unity, victory in the national struggle and the mutual love between people and Party. No bickering between officials whatsoever, and no interviewing whinging locals.

Bottom line -- what kind of country do you want to live in?

Not one like that, that's for sure.

I hope this is translated to Thai for everyone in Thailand to see what the outsider think about this government, instead of all rosy way that the government present themselves

Problem is, Thais couldn't care less what anybody else thinks of them! and if you seriously think the very un-democratic democrats could of done any better, you're living in cloud cuckoo land.