https://aseannow.com/rss/44-thailand-news.xml/National and regional news from all around ThailandenThe guy picks up an empty plastic container cup..... Same size as the yellow cup. What 'looks like' a dark object I think is the table number marker - other tables have it too. Its just been moved to the outside of the table as they put their belongings on the inside (I guess). Thats why I think something doesn't add up with the story. One cup remains full (yellow), one is empty (clear). The empty one 'could' have been a strawberry milkshake that was consumed - and the cook has the story backwards. Or another strawberry milkshake was ordered and the staff delivered a pineapple one which they refused to pay for - the story from the cook doesn't appear match the imagery. Also - its the cook who dominant in telling the story to the reporter - but its the waiter or waitress who would have taken the order in the first place. I'm guessing the staff or the cook might have made a mistake with the order and they've doubled down on their excuse of "bad foreigner" so their boss didn't subtract the 80 baht from their wages - then the story grew arms and legs and somehow media got involved.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:29:20 +0000The link is broken, can you post the one to the article you had in mind?Tue, 26 May 2026 19:21:12 +0000I don't have any sources, just my personal exerience: 90% of people I know/have known agree with the statement that there are too many people on the planet. I disagree (I think the issue is qualitative, not quantitative), but I also know from experience that this ranks at the second position of my Top 3 Controversial Stances (no. 1 being the shape of the Earth, no. 3 being my continued support of Trump). It isn't gradual, it is brutal and worldwide. Just type "[country] birth rate decrease" for an illustration of this. Of course, media outlets will typically produce graphs from the 90s until now, to give the impression that it has been a gradual and steady trend… but look specifically for figures since 2022 and you will see it is a massive and sudden drop. People simply aren't having babies anymore (are you seeing many pregnant women these days, if any? I am not…) and the result that this will produce is quite straightforward. The globalists believe and state that the perfect number is 1 billion… and they have convinced the plebs to actively participate in this endeavour.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:14:27 +0000Yep, the wash has been hung out to dry. I was right.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:11:53 +0000No. Not just one island, but many. And designated naturist areas on many public beaches.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:10:48 +0000How did AN become the most anti-semitic site probably on the internet bar Stromfront. It's quite bizarre. That said 425k Israleis visited Thailand last year per capita that's probably the most visitors of any country.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:08:13 +0000The artificial intelligence boom is driving a massive new energy crunch, with data centres forecast to consume a tenth of the world’s electricity by 2050 as governments scramble to avoid grid overloads and climate backsliding. New forecasts from Bloomberg NEF show global data centre electricity demand more than doubling from 500 terawatt-hours last year to 1,114TWh by mid-century. Behind the surge is the explosive growth of AI systems, cloud infrastructure and always-on digital services now reshaping economies at breakneck speed. AI Gold Rush Hits The Grid Data centres already consume nearly 2 per cent of global electricity demand after capacity surged 20 per cent year-on-year to 84GW in 2025. By 2050, that share is expected to climb sharply as AI workloads intensify. The warning lands as countries race to secure computing dominance without triggering energy shortages. Every new AI model, automated system and digital assistant increases pressure on already strained power networks. Bloomberg NEF expects total global electricity demand to jump 69 per cent by 2050, fuelled not only by AI, but electric vehicles, cooling systems and industrial electrification. Britain Faces A Hard Reality The UK is already colliding with the consequences. More than 100 British data centre projects have reportedly requested gas connections because they cannot access the National Grid quickly enough. Those requests amount to over 15 terawatt-hours of gas-powered electricity annually — enough to power London for more than four months. Officials increasingly accept that some AI infrastructure may rely on fossil fuels far longer than ministers publicly hoped. “There’s 100GW of datacentre projects in the queue,” said Ofgem cyber regulation director Stuart Okin. “Clearly that’s not all going to be able to connect.” Climate Targets Under Pressure The shift is exposing growing tension between Britain’s AI ambitions and its net-zero commitments. Energy planners warn that unchecked expansion risks locking in new fossil fuel dependence just as governments promise cleaner power systems. Industry figures insist renewable technology can still close the gap. Bloomberg NEF expects solar power to become the world’s largest electricity source by 2032 as battery storage rapidly expands. But experts warn the clock is ticking. Without major grid upgrades and tougher transparency rules, the AI revolution risks colliding head-on with energy security and climate policy at the same time. Data centres to consume tenth of global power by 2050Tue, 26 May 2026 19:07:04 +0000What I find much more disturbing than a woman not paying a 80 Baht drink is, that the camera footage of her small kid was also shared, with the face clearly visible. Even if this was a foreigner misbehaving (in a real minor way), public shaming is a brazen misbehaviour of the restaurant -- especially in a culture, where a foreigner publicly shaming a Thai could get in a really ugly situation.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:06:22 +0000I knew it all along, it was not what Salo said... hospital staff later told him that several patients arrived with similar slash wounds on the same evening and overnight.Tue, 26 May 2026 19:04:10 +0000I promise that if I ever throw tomatoes at you, they will not be the sh*tty orange Makro types, but the ones we have in my neck of the woods. 😄Tue, 26 May 2026 18:57:17 +0000Any reason why you didn't submit the original? Did VfS see the original?...(you can see where I am going with this...) Its not HMPO who verify the address - its VFS who verify on their behalf. I don't reacal that a copy of my driving licence was taken, or that one was sent to HMPO by VFS - as I recall, VFS simply verified the Thai address I'd written on my passport renewal application against my physical driving license. Another poster has also highlighted they are having to post their original driving license down to VFS as they applied through an agent. I'm guessing Brit also used an agent who sent a copy to VFS. But it’s hardly unusual for him to deliberately withhold tiny details that completely change the context - he likes to deliberately cause confusion.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:49:44 +0000Burnam's odds on to win and the bookies get it right more often than not. Personally I don't live there so don't have a vote in it.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:48:18 +0000TITTue, 26 May 2026 18:41:39 +0000But what is the guy on the left picking up and taking away, then? It looks like a glass of dark liquid (strawberry smoothie? What else could it be?).Tue, 26 May 2026 18:39:50 +0000Ironically - the last time I renewed my passport I complained about the financial security of having to write down my my credit-card details and 3 digit security code on a piece of paper that was going to be posted to the UK (UK Credit Card). I asked why in 2025 that there wasn't an online secure portal through which to make payment. About 3 weeks later I received an e-mail from HMPO stating they could not process my payment and directed me to an online portal to make a secure payment !!! Also - I find it much easier to fill out forms etc on PDF editors than handwriting them. Nope - VFS would not accept my 'typed' version (handwritten signature) - it had to be handwritten so I had to re-write the renewal application there and then.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:34:07 +0000Reminds me of those who will justify offensive (or criminal) behaviour in France because there also are offences (or crimes) committed by the native population. The fact that offences and/or crimes are committed by natives does not change anything to the fact that those committed by immigrants would not have occurred if the immigration policies were not implemented. IMO, In a healthy society, being an expat is a favour granted by the host country, a favour which can be revoked anytime and which is conditioned to behavioural (and financial) constraints. We are not (and I appreciate this is a controversial statement in 2026) 'citizens of the world who are at home everywhere'. I have a duty to respect my host country, and have strived to do so for the past 17 years. Of course an offence is more serious if committed by myself rather than by a Thai (if you see things through a nationalist and protectionist lens, as I do). No contradiction there, quite the contrary: Thailand is such a pleasant country because Thai culture is wonderful overall. If it opens the door to/tolerates nefarious exterior behaviour, it is setting itself on a downwards spiral.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:28:11 +0000au contraire , monsieur .......... the top of the crap are enjoying financial gains like never before !! They indeed..... are BUILDING BACK BETTER . You and many others who even still attempt to keep up (paste foto of the elites laughing at the cocktail lounge) ......... are hanging onto the sliver of hope that lives eternal and is promoted daily in Car and Beer commercials : "don't vorry, be hoppy ?" hey, i'm just a comedian . throw tomatoes if you like , but please.... not those hard colorless ones that are put on the shelves where the serfs shop.😀Tue, 26 May 2026 18:21:21 +000055555 ... See what I mean? Unhappy and angry wherever you are. It doesn't have to be like that Jonny. Reality is really not all that bad. Try it some time.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:17:42 +0000In what now feels like a lifetime ago, when I was in my mid-20s, I seriously considered moving to Patong. A group of friends and I spent about a month there before we all independently came to the same conclusion: it would be almost impossible to build a remotely normal or grounded life in that environment long term. The problem wasn’t Thailand itself, but the nature of high-density tourist zones. Almost every interaction felt transactional. There was a noticeable shift in the social dynamic compared to most other parts of Thailand - less organic warmth, more commercial expectation. It creates a kind of double-edged stigma. Many foreigners are automatically viewed as temporary tourists with money, while many Thais in those areas are assumed to be primarily motivated by extracting money from foreigners. Neither stereotype is universally true, but both become deeply ingrained over time. That makes genuine friendships harder to form because both sides are constantly second-guessing motives. Relationships become even more complicated for similar reasons. Foreign men are often assumed to be bar-hopping players, while Thai women are often unfairly assumed to be financially motivated. Breaking through those layers of mutual suspicion can be difficult. Bangkok ultimately became the obvious choice for me. It was far easier to meet similarly minded people - both Thai and Western - who were professionals, building careers, families and ordinary lives. The social interactions felt far more natural, balanced and authentic - and still do.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:17:09 +0000Jonny this is puerile piffle. The world is not like this, not even the UK. You really don't have to live in a state of permanent neurotic fear.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:12:05 +0000sources please ( concerning what "the vast majority" are "sold on" .) My source tells me it is strictly a case of sperm not being able to reach the target due to the obesity plague ..... also the middle classes (what's left of them) can not afford children due to the extreme inflation which has been thrust upon them. The only thrust occurring with any vigor (sexual that is) is done by the poor who benefit from having more kids . as for the "dramatic drop" in births .... well, i think you mean the gradual decrease in the birth RATE . the OVERALL number of people continues to go up, and is projected to reach 10plus Billion in the next ten years or so (from the present 8.3 billion.) BTW: this is the same "game" played" with inflation lies which are spread to make people believe that prices are not going up that much . Also... the rate of fertility definitely has moved in correlation with the declining mental acuity of the average homo sapien inhabiting today's world. Granted, the thumbs of humans have been advancing at a remarkable speed.... due to the vast amount of time punching tablets instead of using the outdated VOICE method of communication . Dumb looks and an apelike appearance (notice all males are encouraged to have facial hair ) are the wave of the future.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:09:55 +0000You respect the fact that being a foreigner here is an 'aggravating factor'.... quite the statement. IMO the argument falls apart quite quickly when thought through. Either an offence is an offence, or it isn’t. The seriousness of an act should be judged by the act itself, not by the passport of the person involved. Saying “being foreign is an aggravating factor” essentially means applying different moral or social standards to two people committing the exact same act. That stops being justice and starts becoming prejudice dressed up as nationalism. There’s also a contradiction in claiming to “respect” that principle while living abroad yourself. Most expats would be outraged if they were automatically judged more harshly simply because they were foreign. I think many of us are extremely fortunate that living in Thailand is generally a very positive experience socially. More often than not, I find foreigners are treated with warmth, patience and friendliness, often to a greater degree than the way ordinary Thais interact with each other day to day. And even in situations where there isn’t warmth, there is usually at least a neutral indifference, which honestly doesn’t bother me at all, because that’s quite often just the normal social dynamic between Thai people themselves. That’s precisely why I dislike seeing this growing tendency to frame trivial disputes through a “foreigner vs Thai” lens, because it risks damaging one of the very things that has historically made Thailand such a welcoming place to live and visit. I do wonder how much social media amplification is inflaming relatively minor incidents and gradually creating resentment that otherwise wouldn’t really exist. Is there actually a dramatic increase in badly behaved foreigners? Or is the impression being artificially exaggerated because social media algorithms and news outlets disproportionately focus on “foreigner stories” since they generate engagement? If millions of perfectly normal daily interactions between Thais and foreigners go unreported, but every minor dispute involving a foreigner is filmed, shared and amplified nationwide, it inevitably starts distorting public perception. People begin feeling a problem is everywhere, even if the underlying behaviour itself hasn’t materially changed.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:09:23 +0000Yeah, Trump was the one calling for concentration camps....oh wait never mind. LOL.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:07:12 +0000You must not have heard JD is finished , and Marco is too small to be US President. only 3 more years for folks to suffer and MAGA cult will be no more ,like the Tea Party. regards worgeordieTue, 26 May 2026 18:04:33 +0000@richard_smith237 "Because, in Bangkok, life is very normal - the interaction I witness first hand between Thai's and foreigners here is very normal - simply mutually respectful - nothing special, nothing gushing, just normal interactoin." You are probably correct sir, most of the bad behavior news here on AN is coming from Phuket and Patters. Having spent 11 years in Phuket fulltime, I was able to travel Thailand extensively and on my return will look to reside in other parts, where as you say there is normality.Tue, 26 May 2026 18:03:01 +0000