fasteddie

Kinda confirms what most have been saying. Along with their recent actions on the border. Hardly a pull back:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/24/world/europe/ukraine-malaysia-airlines-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

All it confirms is, he is America's lackey.

I don't know who shot down the Malaysian flight, but I do know the Russians have provided satellite images and radar tracking data and the Americans have provided accusations based on social media.

As for recent happenings on the border, a Russian village in the Rostov region had to be evacuated when it came under a barrage of more than forty mortar shells. The Russian officer in charge said, "It's lucky the Ukrainian army are so useless, otherwise somebody might have got hurt".

Soon it will be pristine clean and boring like Singapore.

So are you saying that anywhere without drugs and ladies of the night loitering in foul dirty streets is boring?

Yes!

ah the junta, stepping on toes, one at a time.

lets just wait and see how readily they relinquish power.

they are just getting started.

Which is better, a benevolent junta or a malevolent democracy?

Pointless question as neither apply to Thailand.

A view of Russian irrationality from Moscow:

 

It’s not just about the Malaysian flight. Russians are living in an alternate reality.
...

MOSCOW—Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 has already shined a spotlight on the Russian public’s somewhat, um, unique views. Russian media are running with conspiracy theories: that MH17 was shot down by NATO to spark a conflict with Russia, that MH17 wasn’t full of innocent civilians but week-old corpses, or that MH17 was shot down because it was mistaken for Vladimir Putin’s personal jet (as if anti-aircraft missiles weren’t aimed with radar but with a really large pair of binoculars). The only theory missing is the right one: that Russian-backed separatists accidentally shot down the plane when they mistook it for a Ukrainian military transport.

This may seem like the entertaining sideshow to a tragedy, but actually it’s just a window into a hugely dangerous problem. I recently moved to Moscow, and it’s hard to miss the extent to which Russian society exists in an alternate universe. Even well-educated, sophisticated people who have traveled widely in Europe and North America will frequently voice opinions that, in an American context, would place them alongside people wearing tinfoil hats. Russia is not living in the reality-based community.

 

 

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/07/24/its-not-just-about-the-malaysian-flight-russians-are-living-in-an-alternate-reality/

What a ridiculous article, one American's opinion on Russians, summed up by the statement

"Like many Americans, I used to think that these differences would recede with time, and that, as they traveled the world, got jobs, and got rich, Russians would eventually start to think more and more like us."
 

They really just can't get over themselves can they? God help us all if the Russians, or any other peoples of the world, "start to think more and more like us.".

It's America that lives in an alternate reality!

Now all you adult Brits are joining in a good old Thai Visa American bash, Nothing to do with anti Americanism. You are trotting out all your bar history cliches. Two normally decent posters Southpeel and Mr Toad joining the illiterate hooligans. You should both be ashamed.

Look, most if us like Americans. I do, I have enjoyed my trips to the US, always been made welcome. World War 2 was awful for many countries , soldiers and of course families. I certainly think most if us had family members out fighting on various fronts. What many people don't. Like is tub thumping American nationalism and bragging, especially considering some if the awful foreign policy over the last few decades. Personally have no time for Brits of the same ilk. This thread has bought out a few of those.

Criticism of US foreign policy or idiotic individuals, which my country has as well, often then gets classed as anti - Americanism. It isn't.

The wrong passport statistics, the wrong Chinese debt information, the comments about bridges and bombing citizens were all cheap shots and all in error. That's anti Americanism.

As an example of a cheap shot that was a lie that you posted, "Comparing The "American Empire" to "the British Empire" is laughable, but somewhat expected from a country that only 20% of the population have a passport."

A lot of bar room balderdash has been exposed as lies in this thread and I can only hope some of the posters have learned some things. 1. America forgave the lend lease war debt and your government strapped you with a crippling loan to foolishly chase after dreams of empire. 2. America and the UK both lost a half a million men each fighting a war together. 3. America financed WWII for the Allies and deserves to be recognized for that accomplishment because we are still paying taxes for it. 4. I'm sorry about the bombing in Laos and Cambodia but no one in their right mind would have gone into those countries in the 1970's with the mass murders of the Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge going on to pick up unexploded bombs. 5. Among other things.......

American logistical and military help most certainly played a part in defeating Nazism. But do not even attempt to assume the Nazis would have won without it. The British and Russians are fierce independent people, you come to our countries to make war and we will seriously <deleted> you up! BE WARNED!

And incidentally, why is America now supporting the rebirth of Nazism in Ukraine? Why do you hate Russia so much, you support those that fought alongside Hitler?

Sent from my XT1033 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The other part that he forgets is that many Brits were bombed regularly every day during the war. Not something that The US endured.

You would have been bombed out of existence without the financing to continue the war after 1940 as you bit off more than you could chew.

I am, as you know, half American by blood, and the story of my association with that mighty and benevolent nation goes back nearly ninety years to the day of my Father's marriage. In this century of storm and tragedy I contemplate with high satisfaction the constant factor of the interwoven and upward progress of our peoples. Our comradeship and our brotherhood in war were unexampled. We stood together, and because of that fact the free world now stands.

Winston Churchill.

Spitfires and Hurricanes and the brave (many foreign) pilots who flew them stopped the Luftwaffe in their tracks. They bit off more than they could chew!

Sent from my XT1033 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Thanks for the heads up, updating mine now, though to be honest, every time I've updated android before I've lost something I liked. Incidentally, that's a great price, is it unlocked? I bought the 1033 dual sim from china for £150, unlocked. I have to say, for the price, this is the most awesome phone ever.

Charity begins at home, my home.

there is a lot of Norse in the English langage as well

.............. With the huge British empire leaving a legacy of British English especially in India's huge population and almost every African country speaking British English.......

What is " British English" ?

Britain is made up up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland , Wales, the Channel Islands and a few other islands of the coast of Scotland. The versions of each are about as different as comparing what they speak in Canada to Austrialia.

There is no such thing as British English ! A more accurate term would be English English, or really just plain old simple English since it is the mother and original tongue that has been distorted by the so called English speaking countries into something else. We speak the original version, often called the Queen's English, or in the past the King's English. What ho.

SDM

I say old chap, that told the blighter!

Don't the origins of the English language come from northern Germany, mixed up with a bit of French & few others along the way ? So are we speaking German English ?

The poor guy married to the Hi-So multi-millionaire nymphomaniac

Based on Latin with lots of other influences.

He's not dead! he's resting after a long squawk!

He's pinning for the lucky7, miss.

I'm sorry! I have a cold.

The thread is full of nastyisms not reasons. It's full of mocking jibes not reasons.

For example, "MILITARY POWER The United States equals the power of ...Russia, China, Japan, Israel, Great Briton, France, Germany, And the next 6 most powerful nations combined.

I can hear an old Vietnamese gentleman laughing somewhere..." Post # 315

Dr no wrote the above and did not want to state a reason for anti Americanism he only wanted to mock America.

If he would have said people don't like America because of the Vietnam war I'd agree and point out that American youth stopped the war by demonstrations in the street and it was one of the last examples of young people actually influencing policy in the West instead of sitting on their butt playing computer games or looting retail stores.

The majority of the American people did not want the war in Vietnam, that's why it stopped without being won. We knew it was wrong and wanted to get out. I know, I was there. I fought and I protested and the war stopped.

If we hadn't gone to Vietnam, Thailand would be communist now and the Russians would feel more at home than they already do but what the heck. Do you appreciate the sacrifice America made to keep Thailand free?

You just don't get it do you!

"American youth stopped the Vietnam war" you say.

There you go again, bl@#dy yanks

Your congress and virtually the entire American population didn't even know that your government and the CIA were also bombing the <deleted> out of Laos and some of Cambodia, killing tens of thousands of civilians indiscriminately with unconventional weapons. Again, you think you were the only ones fighting in Vietnam don't you? The only ones protesting to stop the war? The only ones doing something to stop the senseless killing of both sides? The whole World had had enough of Vietnam, everyone was protesting about that war. At the least it was every country that was again dragged into another pointless war declared by America using the same untruths that they still use today which still result in the same outcomes. Your government stopped the Vietnam war because America couldn't win that war, do you understand that? Furthermore, staying in that war was far more damaging and costly for the American global image and your economy as well as the brutal divisive impact on your society.

As for your statement about saving Thailand from Communism, well I just can't find words to respond to that, other than, you wonder why you see anti-American sentiments in these posts.....OMG!

The Kent State shootings (also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre) occurred at Kent State University in the US city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the Cambodian Campaign, There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million students. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings

I was at the protests in the 1970's. My future wife went to Kent State, Before that I was in the Army in Vietnam and Thailand and Laos.

I can answer any questions you may have about those things from a first hand perspective. No rumors. No media bias. I was there.

In 1962 Thailand, a member of the South East Asia Treaty Organization requested the SEATO nations for military assistance to help defend Thailand in case of any attack from North Vietnam troop movements along its northern borders.

In 1960 Thailand and Laos and Vietnam and Cambodia were not under the communist sphere of influence. In the 1970's Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia were under the communist sphere of influence. Thailand was the domino that did not fall because of the US military presence in Thailand from 1965 to 1975.

You don't get an opportunity very often to speak to one of the people who were involved in the history you have only learned about from books. Myself and many others posting on Thai Visa could give you a unique and accurate perspective on that time period if you only would ask.

"Thailand was the domino that did not fall because of the US military presence in Thailand from 1965 to 1975"

So despite the fact they had already whupped you, you still insist they were scared of you so they didn't attack Thailand?

You really do take the biscuit!

.............. With the huge British empire leaving a legacy of British English especially in India's huge population and almost every African country speaking British English.......

What is " British English" ?

Britain is made up up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland , Wales, the Channel Islands and a few other islands of the coast of Scotland. The versions of each are about as different as comparing what they speak in Canada to Austrialia.

There is no such thing as British English ! A more accurate term would be English English, or really just plain old simple English since it is the mother and original tongue that has been distorted by the so called English speaking countries into something else. We speak the original version, often called the Queen's English, or in the past the King's English. What ho.

SDM

Sorry about my misuse of British English. There is an English dictionary different for each country specifically and I should have said English English. I was trying to distance it from American English. If you just say just English, people ask which one?

I know it probably bothers you that people less familiar with the UK lump all the separate countries together.

Actually it doesn't bother me at all, I was just being facetious. I find it really annoys our American, Australian cousins to say something like, using Samual L Jacksons words after pretending not to understand them, " English, do you speak it ?!" But I'm only kidding, one thing as Brits we have that does tend to separate us from everyone else is our sense of humour. So what, the parrots dead, why is that even funny.

I'm pleased to say that I am fairly well travelled and believe that every country has good and bad. I've travelled all over the States and although I do believe that countries such as the UK are dragged I to things that we would rather not be by the US, this is nothing to do with Americans in general or America which is a wonderful country, but most developed countries are.

SDM

He's not dead! he's resting after a long squawk!

.............. With the huge British empire leaving a legacy of British English especially in India's huge population and almost every African country speaking British English.......

What is " British English" ?

Britain is made up up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland , Wales, the Channel Islands and a few other islands of the coast of Scotland. The versions of each are about as different as comparing what they speak in Canada to Austrialia.

There is no such thing as British English ! A more accurate term would be English English, or really just plain old simple English since it is the mother and original tongue that has been distorted by the so called English speaking countries into something else. We speak the original version, often called the Queen's English, or in the past the King's English. What ho.

SDM

I say old chap, that told the blighter!

You don't know do you? Communists were in Thailand big time. All of Thailand's neighbors were overthrown, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma. The Thais asked SEATO for help and America, Australia, and even UK responded with troops and equipment. America had many thousands of men serve in Thailand between 1965 and 1975. I can't remember the name of the Brit operation here but there are some posters who were involved I'm sure.

OK what are the reasons? 1. Americans are loud. Is that a fact? I'm quiet. 2. Americans don't know anything about the world. Is that a fact? Far more Americans have passports than Brits. That's a fact. there are over 109 million valid U.S. passports in circulation according to the State Department.

America's most popular overseas countries are: England (9% of all trips), France (7%), Italy (7%), Germany (5%), Dominican Republic (5%), Jamaica (5%), Japan (4%), China (4%), India (4%) and Spain (4%). Other significant countries visited include: Bahamas (3%) and Costa Rica (3%). With just six percent of Americans trips going to the Middle East, and even fewer, just three percent, visiting the whole continent of Africa, and two percent going to Australia/New Zealand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-d-chalmers/the-great-american-passpo_b_1920287.html

this thread is full of reasons. whether you agree with them or not is immaterial., they reflect how folks feel about americans and that was what the OP asked.

The thread is full of nastyisms not reasons. It's full of mocking jibes not reasons.

For example, "MILITARY POWER The United States equals the power of ...Russia, China, Japan, Israel, Great Briton, France, Germany, And the next 6 most powerful nations combined.

I can hear an old Vietnamese gentleman laughing somewhere..." Post # 315

Dr no wrote the above and did not want to state a reason for anti Americanism he only wanted to mock America.

If he would have said people don't like America because of the Vietnam war I'd agree and point out that American youth stopped the war by demonstrations in the street and it was one of the last examples of young people actually influencing policy in the West instead of sitting on their butt playing computer games or looting retail stores.

The majority of the American people did not want the war in Vietnam, that's why it stopped without being won. We knew it was wrong and wanted to get out. I know, I was there. I fought and I protested and the war stopped.

If we hadn't gone to Vietnam, Thailand would be communist now and the Russians would feel more at home than they already do but what the heck. Do you appreciate the sacrifice America made to keep Thailand free?

JEESUS CHRIST!! ARE YOU SERIOUS!??

So don't yell. Be quiet and ask some of the Americans who built the airports and deep water ports and roads and communications capability and schools that brought Thailand out of the middle ages and made it the Tiger of Asia (economically).

Burma.??????????????????????????????????/

OK what are the reasons? 1. Americans are loud. Is that a fact? I'm quiet. 2. Americans don't know anything about the world. Is that a fact? Far more Americans have passports than Brits. That's a fact. there are over 109 million valid U.S. passports in circulation according to the State Department.

America's most popular overseas countries are: England (9% of all trips), France (7%), Italy (7%), Germany (5%), Dominican Republic (5%), Jamaica (5%), Japan (4%), China (4%), India (4%) and Spain (4%). Other significant countries visited include: Bahamas (3%) and Costa Rica (3%). With just six percent of Americans trips going to the Middle East, and even fewer, just three percent, visiting the whole continent of Africa, and two percent going to Australia/New Zealand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-d-chalmers/the-great-american-passpo_b_1920287.html

this thread is full of reasons. whether you agree with them or not is immaterial., they reflect how folks feel about americans and that was what the OP asked.

The thread is full of nastyisms not reasons. It's full of mocking jibes not reasons.

For example, "MILITARY POWER The United States equals the power of ...Russia, China, Japan, Israel, Great Briton, France, Germany, And the next 6 most powerful nations combined.

I can hear an old Vietnamese gentleman laughing somewhere..." Post # 315

Dr no wrote the above and did not want to state a reason for anti Americanism he only wanted to mock America.

If he would have said people don't like America because of the Vietnam war I'd agree and point out that American youth stopped the war by demonstrations in the street and it was one of the last examples of young people actually influencing policy in the West instead of sitting on their butt playing computer games or looting retail stores.

The majority of the American people did not want the war in Vietnam, that's why it stopped without being won. We knew it was wrong and wanted to get out. I know, I was there. I fought and I protested and the war stopped.

If we hadn't gone to Vietnam, Thailand would be communist now and the Russians would feel more at home than they already do but what the heck. Do you appreciate the sacrifice America made to keep Thailand free?

JEESUS CHRIST!! ARE YOU SERIOUS!??

LOL

OK what are the reasons? 1. Americans are loud. Is that a fact? I'm quiet. 2. Americans don't know anything about the world. Is that a fact? Far more Americans have passports than Brits. That's a fact. there are over 109 million valid U.S. passports in circulation according to the State Department.

America's most popular overseas countries are: England (9% of all trips), France (7%), Italy (7%), Germany (5%), Dominican Republic (5%), Jamaica (5%), Japan (4%), China (4%), India (4%) and Spain (4%). Other significant countries visited include: Bahamas (3%) and Costa Rica (3%). With just six percent of Americans trips going to the Middle East, and even fewer, just three percent, visiting the whole continent of Africa, and two percent going to Australia/New Zealand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-d-chalmers/the-great-american-passpo_b_1920287.html

this thread is full of reasons. whether you agree with them or not is immaterial., they reflect how folks feel about americans and that was what the OP asked.

The thread is full of nastyisms not reasons. It's full of mocking jibes not reasons.

For example, "MILITARY POWER The United States equals the power of ...Russia, China, Japan, Israel, Great Briton, France, Germany, And the next 6 most powerful nations combined.

I can hear an old Vietnamese gentleman laughing somewhere..." Post # 315

Dr no wrote the above and did not want to state a reason for anti Americanism he only wanted to mock America.

If he would have said people don't like America because of the Vietnam war I'd agree and point out that American youth stopped the war by demonstrations in the street and it was one of the last examples of young people actually influencing policy in the West instead of sitting on their butt playing computer games or looting retail stores.

The majority of the American people did not want the war in Vietnam, that's why it stopped without being won. We knew it was wrong and wanted to get out. I know, I was there. I fought and I protested and the war stopped.

If we hadn't gone to Vietnam, Thailand would be communist now and the Russians would feel more at home than they already do but what the heck. Do you appreciate the sacrifice America made to keep Thailand free?

"Dr no wrote the above and did not want to state a reason for anti Americanism he only wanted to mock America"

Americans really do not understand sarcasm!

As for your last paragraph, how can you come to that conclusion? given you lost, they won, you know, the commies! how dare they want to run their own affairs, didn't they know uncle Sam's puppet dictator knew best? Just exactly what did the USA do to keep Thailand free?

You just can't help yourselves can you?

In 2013 Russia was ranked 148th out of 179 countries, six places below the previous year, mainly due to the return of Vladimir Putin. Freedom House compiles a similar ranking and placed Russia at number 176 out of 197 countries for press freedom for 2013, putting it level with Sudan and Ethiopia. The Committee to Protect Journalists states that Russia was the country with the 10th largest number of journalists killed since 1992, 26 of them since the beginning of 2000, including four from Novaya Gazeta. It also placed Russia at number 9 in the world for numbers of journalists killed with complete impunity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_of_Russia

Anyone who takes Russian media seriously has to have a screw loose or an agenda to push.

the censorship by the corporate owners of american media has done just as good a job. nobody takes the american media seriously.

Aw come on now. US #32 Russia #148 http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html

"Freedom House is a U.S.-based blah blah,

'nuff said!

I'm Scottish, i absolutely despise 99% of Scottish people and i hate Scotland as a country. We have a huge chip on our shoulder, we seem to think "everyone loves us" yet we are ignorant, unhealthy, violent vermin.

We like to tell everyone how nice we are before stabbing them, we tell everyone we invented everything when in fact we didn't, other did before us, we just lie.

Nah, Scottish are fine folks with good sense of humour (that if you can understand them, hahaha).

Violent??? Only when drunk... which is almost always.

Sent from one of my mobiles, whatever mobile it is.

I'm sorry we're off topic here mods but it has to be said. I spent 2yrs in the Navy based in Scotland and had my 2 week honeymoon there, and apart from a handful of Glaswegians, you couldn't meet nicer people. Love deep fried pies ya bass.

I have a question.

As I've said I've personally experienced explicit and irrational anti-American feelings expressed to my face from people who don't know me.

Some of the reasons have been expressed here.

Some of it is about foreign policy and also objections to internal things in the U.S. like gun mania.

Some of it is about behavior judged to be unpleasant.

So here's my question.

Right now there's a lot negative in the news about RUSSIAN foreign policy (and also internal policy).

Specifically their land grab in Crimea and propping up the airplane shooters in rebel areas of Ukraine.

Their dictator Putin enjoys 85 percent support so chances are if you meet a random Russian, they do like Putin and his hyper-nationalist policies.

Their disgustingly repressive anti-gay laws also enjoy overwhelming popularity so if you meet a random Russian, most likely they support these horrible laws.

Certainly many Russians also display unpleasant behavior while abroad that might be equally or more objectionable to the complaints about Americans.

Such as pushing, shoving, not smiling, not mixing with non-Russians, territorial piggishness at buffets transport and beaches, etc.

YET, I have never observed a Russian person being confronted with rude expressions of anti-Russian feeling as I have experienced as an American.

WHY IS THAT?

Are people afraid of Russians?

If it's OK to be so rude to Americans based on perceived negative stereotypes, why not to Russians?

I don't know so unless someone can explain it me, my theory is people are afraid of Russians in a way they just aren't afraid of Americans.

We smile!

"the airplane shooters in rebel areas of Ukraine"

Once again Americans know it all! show us the proof American. The Russians have shown satellite images and radar plots, they've shown theirs now you show yours.

And incidentally, Ukraine had a democratically elected government, until the Americans in a fit of pique because Ukraine wouldn't kiss uncle Sam's butt, spent 5 billion dollars financing a violent fascist led coup to topple democracy then whined and stamped their feat when the vast majority of Crimeans freely and democratically voted to reject fascism and join the Russian federation.

Another example of American foreign policy that explains anti American sentiment.

So a lot! This line of argument began when I facetiously said that Americans believe that world history started in 1776 and that WWII started in 1942.

But I will move beyond that to also point out that many Americans feel that they are responsible for winning WWII, not considering the sacrifice that Russia made bleeding the Nazis dry on the Eastern Front (there's a reason that German soldiers were fearful of being posted east) or the fact the Britain and the commonwealth had to withstand twin pressures from Japan and Germany years before the US actively joined in. By the time the US joined the cause with its fresh soldiers and equipment, the other belligerents had been much ground down by years of heavy fighting. This is not to take away from the American contribution, but the Americans should not act as if they were the saviours of the west either.

I'm one of them that thinks the USA is responsible for winning the war.

The USA sold ammunition to the allies (I'm trying to keep it simple) under a policy of cash and carry in 1939 and 1940.

Britain and Russia ran out of money in 1940. So in the 3rd month of 1941 the Lend Lease Act was signed into law. The bullets were free but the guns and tanks, food and stuff that weren't blown up or used were to be returned or paid for at the end of the war. The terms of the agreement provided that the materiel was to be used until time for their return or destruction. Canada operated a similar program called Mutual Aid that sent a loan of $1 billion and $3.4 billion in supplies and services to Britain and other Allies.

So, you all would have run out of guns and ammunition and food in 1940 and lost the war if not for the Americans.

The Brits and the Russians were brave and all that but would have lost the war with no weapons or food in 1941 before America officially entered the war.

The Lend-Lease Act was passed by Congress on March 11, 1941. It provided that the president could ship weapons, food, or equipment to any country whose struggle against the Axis assisted U.S. defense.

By permitting the president to ship war equipment and supplies to a besieged Britain, without payback as stipulated by the 1939 Neutrality Act, Lend-Lease empowered the British to resist the German onslaught until Pearl Harbor spurred America into the conflict. In addition, it avoided the prickly issues of post-World War I war debts.

Lend-lease advanced the United States to the edge of war. Such Isolationists as Republican senator Robert Taft spoke against it. The bill would "...give the president power to carry on a kind of undeclared war all over the world, in which America would do everything except actually put soldiers in the frontline trenches where the fighting is," he correctly observed.

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1600.html

So that's the truth and unless you can tell me how the Brits and Russians would have fought a war without food and bullets then the Americans were responsible for winning WWII along with the other allies.

the battle of stalingrad demonstrates that the nazis never would have defeated the russians. they would have fought them tooth and nail all the way to kamchatka. and the point was that many americans claim they WON THE WAR! period.

Don't worry. You guys can take the credit for winning the next world war.

Well starting it at least.

Before you go rushing out to buy no-name Chinese phones, you may just wish to consider the article at the link below.

http://news.yahoo.com/report-chinese-phone-comes-preloaded-spyware-153543708--finance.html

I bought a couple of Chinese phones, neither lasted a year though one had a transmitter which was fun for a while broadcasting over peoples radios.

'Every single day we're lying': Russia Today reporter resigns over coverage of Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/russia-today-reporter-quits-malaysia-airlines-mh17-crash-coverage-article-1.1871924

Not sure how much you can get one for in Thailand but the Moto G XT1033 is an awesome phone with an awesome battery. 8 hours on bluetooth only uses 33% of battery.

Many people in the thread probably would also have suggested that awesome phone, but 6,999 ฿ from HatYai4G, and 6,580 ฿ from Lazada don't meet the criteria of the OP.

Got mine in the UK from China for £150, thought maybe might be a bargain somewhere in Thailand, shame though, it really is the dogs &lt;deleted&gt;, knocks my LG4x HD into a crocked hat.