GinBoy2

In point of fact, as previous posters have said most Thai's have no idea if you are American, or even where the US is, let alone sat at home discussing the ramifications of US tariffs and what retaliation to take. For the average Thai, you are a farang, probably speaking English and they just assume you are from mystical magical farangland, a land far far away. So No, don't expect American expats homes to get firebombed anytime soon

You are right I mistyped there, it was 6.6

Those images always send chills down my spine. 30 minutes later and I could have been crushed under that upper deck. Sometimes the universe cuts you a lucky break, and that was mine!

I obviously missed the point of this thread, I thought it was serious

I have to say I just watched the reboot of Twisters. Loved the original and this, while I was skeptical because I always worry about reboots because they often disappoint..Ghostbusters anyone? This was great Fun watch https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12584954/

Don't even need google every school kid knows its Rhode Island

This a big one. Being a Californian I've lived through my fair share of quakes. Loma Prieta was a 6.9, but lasted a long time, I was at the time living the in North Bay, and actually was driving on the lower deck of I880 literally 30 minutes before the bridge collapsed, that was a bullet dodged Northridge 6.8 i was on I5 driving to a meeting in Long Beach. I got half way there before I heard on the radio the bridge had collapsed My scariest was when I was in Tokyo for the grand opening of my company's new office. I was on the 25th floor when the Fukushima quake hit when all Hell broke loose, it was 9.0. Tables, chairs started rolling around the office seemed to on for ever. Tribute to Japanese engineering nothing collapsed, and all through it I was messaging my boss in San Diego, power, internet nothing went down A 7+ earthquake anywhere in SE Asia (exclude Singapore they don't count), given we all are pretty savvy about construction methods and adherence to any building codes is always going to be deadly

I've always called them pigtails. But I would have to say no female over the age of twelve should have them Cute on little girls, both my daughters had them, on women, hmm questionable!

So, I think to tidy up this thread, I would suggest everybody read this book. It's a fascinating read, great background to the English language and it's evolution https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Madman-Insanity-English-Dictionary/dp/0060836261

This is kinda the reality of today. When I was a kid during the summer vacation my Mom told me after breakfast to go out and 'play' and come back for dinner. She had no idea where I was yet somehow I managed a fun childhood and that freedom taught me a whole lot about how to be a grown up man Now on the flip side of this, back in the day of course there was abuse that went unsaid. Uncle xxxx with wandering hands was to be avoided, but unfortunately he was 'tolerated' Thankfully those days are gone. But maybe the pendulum swung a bit too far? An older man swimming in a pool alongside kids is in general no threat to anyone. Although you can sorta see the Scottish lady's mindset given the reputation for Thailand, and SE Asia in general for child abuse. Western media hasn't been shy about exposing the likes of Gary Glitter

Thats not exactly true Dr Murray who created the Oxford English Dictionary through an act of brilliance employing thousands of people to provide definitions and spellings, including huge amounts from William Minor, the American madman I forget the exact quote, but it was the spelling of a dental tool, and Murray deferred to the American spelling saying, " I'll use the spelling from someone who actually uses the tool"

Not exactly true. Until the standardization of British English spelling was all over the map. Shakespeare routinely switched between Honor and Honour, with some of his plays using a mish mash of both https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2014/12/shakespeares-honor/

Neither is right or wrong, or for that matter the myriad of versions of English. The beauty of the language is that it seems to evolved across the world with variants, which we all seem be to be able to understand. I speak American Spanish, it's different than my family in Mexico, and it's a far cry from Spanish Spanish. I ain't got the snooty lisp! But again we all can understand each other. English, and Spanish in all their quirks and regional variations have created great literature and art. So one is never better or worse, all just part of the family ....and it keeps evolving!

So the 'average' Thai is a question. My wife is smarter than me, she has a Masters, from a US University, I don't. I think I have more common sense than she does, she thinks, as she often says I'm an "Idiot Man' Am I smarter that the village residents, Oh Yeah, but that is just a function of the fact I had a real education rather than whatever it is they call education in Thai schools

I'm with you on the shirtless thing. You're not at the beach, just put on a damn shirt. You're right it's not just farangs, but nobody in a Western city thinks it's OK to walk around shirtless, often displaying a less than adonis like body. Yet they land in BKK and off comes the shirt, flab and all!