“Connect Four” latest bar game to be axed as military voices gambling concerns

[scatters]

being a Australian as the guy in article seems to be by the comment he made, it was lost in translation from Australia slang to normal English, the comment " can i get a tinnie" means "beer please", and the comment "you bet" means "YES"

[tropo]

14 hours ago, HHTel said:

They were deliberate mistakes as was 'Thai Rat'.  It was an 

 

APRIL FOOL PRANK

and people are still believing it!

"Austrian" and "Australian" are often confused, so that's no evidence of a deliberate spelling mistake.

 

I too pegged this thread as an April Fool's Prank, but considering how many stupid things we hear these days (eg Bridge outlawed), it's hard to tell. I also thought that April Fools threads are deleted the next day.

[Mac98]

11 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Orgies are fine, as long as they don't involve gambling. 

Is not wearing a condom considered gambling?

[Justcruising54]

what's a tinnie? I am from Germany and I am curious as a mouse in springtime

It’s Australian (not Austrian) for a beer, beer in a can, a tinnie, it can also refer to a small dinghy, as a tinnie, and a beer in a small bottle is a stubbie, most uncouth Australians overseas use the terms to demonstrate that they come from the land down under

[tropo]

4 minutes ago, Justcruising54 said:

It’s Australian (not Austrian) for a beer, beer in a can, a tinnie, it can also refer to a small dinghy, as a tinnie, and a beer in a small bottle is a stubbie, most uncouth Australians overseas use the terms to demonstrate that they come from the land down under

I disagree. You would not need to be an "uncouth" Australian to use a very common Australian expression while overseas. Especially if you were only overseas for a short holiday. All other nationalities do the same, so there's really no need to label Australians doing what everyone does as "uncouth". 

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, Mac98 said:

Is not wearing a condom considered gambling?

I don't know much about gambling, but I'd have thought so. Proceeding fast and strong into a high risk pot is known as a bad poker strategy. 

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, tropo said:

 

 

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, tropo said:

I too pegged this thread as an April Fool's Prank, but considering how many stupid things we hear these days (eg Bridge outlawed), it's hard to tell.

 

This was a great prank, due to the wording of the headline, and the opening paragraphs (as you read further the clues came in thick and fast but might not be so obvious to those who don't live here). There's a few reasons why the story is so plausible, and was so widely taken as gospel:

1. The authorities here are completely anti-gambling, and are well known for cracking down on any activities they believe involves it. Darts isn't really associated with gambling at all in other countries, any more than snooker or table tennis, so it's no less likely that gambling might happen over a Connect 4 board than in those activities, though in practice it's usually a one way affair with the customer having to stump up for a drink when they lose. But in a country that has a lot more Connect 4 boards than it does dartboards, the brown envelope potential from demanding to see licences for this game would be enormous. The authorities here would crack down on rock paper scissors if they could figure out how.

2. Unlike darts, which is most likely to be found in a proper licensed establishment that operates within the laws here, Connect 4 is often associated with less than salubrious venues, such as illegal after hours pop up bars on the street, as well as low rent beer and hostess bars renowned for prostitution. It'd be an easy target for extortion.

3. The real life story from a couple of years ago concerning the bridge club raid was far more absurd and unlikely than this April fool joke could ever be. The news went global, and people looked on in complete amazement that such a thing could happen. To recap, a 50 strong SWAT team was sent in along with photographers and film crew, and after searching unsuccessfully for evidence of gambling, they carted off 31 baffled pensioners to the monkey house. The bridge players were as unlikely a collection of reprobates as anyone's ever likely to find in Pattaya - wealthy elderly retirees, including an ex honorary British consul and an 84 year old Dutch lady who they held in the cells all night as she refused to sign any paperwork. The president of the National Contract Bridge Club of Thailand, a Khunying no less, had to drive down from Bangkok to reason with the authorities, but they still insisted they weren't going to lose face, and that they intended to prosecute. The amount of embarrassment caused to the country by this incident was monumental, and the cause of the madness? Apparently the tip off came from the psychotic ex-girlfriend of a guy who worked in the restaurant downstairs!

4. Many posters who responded to the April fool presumably just skimmed it and read the headline and the opening paragraphs. As the clues didn't really show up until a few paragraphs in, it'd be easy to take in the gist of the article and jump in at the end of the thread to express their indignation without reading the earlier replies. 

[Aj Mick]

On 4/1/2018 at 6:09 AM, YetAnother said:

wow; my faith in the judgment of our law enforcers just went up; what idiots

Wow..... was 1st April when this "news" was published.

[notamember]

This was an April Fools joke and it fooled many of you

you looked foolish if you believed it

that was what was supposed to happen

27 pages .......jeez

[TMNH]

On 3/31/2018 at 9:18 PM, pedro01 said:

 

People have been saying that on this forum since it started.

 

Yet Thailand has more tourists every year.

 

Grumpy expats might not like it - but Thailand is booming. The tourism trade is booming. 

 

Whatever the authorities are doing - might make it less fun for aging sexpats but it's still working to bring in more tourists.

And those tourists most likely will go elsewhere after discovering the "real" Thailand.

[TMNH]

The "real" Thailand...dual pricing, mafia taxis, deadly roads, etc., etc. And a junta that is just as corrupt as local police. No thanks.

[overherebc]

21 hours ago, scatters said:

being a Australian as the guy in article seems to be by the comment he made, it was lost in translation from Australia slang to normal English, the comment " can i get a tinnie" means "beer please", and the comment "you bet" means "YES"

'Too easy' also means 'yes'

[tropo]

4 hours ago, notamember said:

This was an April Fools joke and it fooled many of you

you looked foolish if you believed it

that was what was supposed to happen

27 pages .......jeez

 

Not at all. With the rapid passing of time, it's easy to wake up and forget which day it is and not everyone is obsessed with April 1. In the traditional sense of April fool, anyone who tries to play a joke after midday is the fool, which technically makes Thaivisa the April fool. LOL

[Mac98]

12 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

 

This was a great prank, due to the wording of the headline, and the opening paragraphs (as you read further the clues came in thick and fast but might not be so obvious to those who don't live here). There's a few reasons why the story is so plausible, and was so widely taken as gospel:

1. The authorities here are completely anti-gambling, and are well known for cracking down on any activities they believe involves it. Darts isn't really associated with gambling at all in other countries, any more than snooker or table tennis, so it's no less likely that gambling might happen over a Connect 4 board than in those activities, though in practice it's usually a one way affair with the customer having to stump up for a drink when they lose. But in a country that has a lot more Connect 4 boards than it does dartboards, the brown envelope potential from demanding to see licences for this game would be enormous. The authorities here would crack down on rock paper scissors if they could figure out how.

2. Unlike darts, which is most likely to be found in a proper licensed establishment that operates within the laws here, Connect 4 is often associated with less than salubrious venues, such as illegal after hours pop up bars on the street, as well as low rent beer and hostess bars renowned for prostitution. It'd be an easy target for extortion.

3. The real life story from a couple of years ago concerning the bridge club raid was far more absurd and unlikely than this April fool joke could ever be. The news went global, and people looked on in complete amazement that such a thing could happen. To recap, a 50 strong SWAT team was sent in along with photographers and film crew, and after searching unsuccessfully for evidence of gambling, they carted off 31 baffled pensioners to the monkey house. The bridge players were as unlikely a collection of reprobates as anyone's ever likely to find in Pattaya - wealthy elderly retirees, including an ex honorary British consul and an 84 year old Dutch lady who they held in the cells all night as she refused to sign any paperwork. The president of the National Contract Bridge Club of Thailand, a Khunying no less, had to drive down from Bangkok to reason with the authorities, but they still insisted they weren't going to lose face, and that they intended to prosecute. The amount of embarrassment caused to the country by this incident was monumental, and the cause of the madness? Apparently the tip off came from the psychotic ex-girlfriend of a guy who worked in the restaurant downstairs!

4. Many posters who responded to the April fool presumably just skimmed it and read the headline and the opening paragraphs. As the clues didn't really show up until a few paragraphs in, it'd be easy to take in the gist of the article and jump in at the end of the thread to express their indignation without reading the earlier replies. 

Easy for me to believe as that happened in Carson, California. Authorities busted up a game being played for pennies by retirees in a mobile home park. Nearby are race tracks, Indian casinos, city-sanctioned poker palaces, church bingo nights, and, of course, the state lottery. By the way, if a guy really wants to go "all in" with everything riding on a low pair, just get married.  Check out those divorce statistics!

[Crossy]

4 hours ago, tropo said:

Not at all. With the rapid passing of time, it's easy to wake up and forget which day it is and not everyone is obsessed with April 1. In the traditional sense of April fool, anyone who tries to play a joke after midday is the fool, which technically makes Thaivisa the April fool. LOL

Actually it was still well before mid-day in the US when we stopped deleting the spoilers, one of the "advantages" of a global forum.

[notamember]

22 hours ago, mgthom63 said:

And you're rather foolish to make this point after 27 pages, when so many have already pointed it out...starting many, many pages ago.

It was a joke...and some people got fooled...so what?...no need to gloat and act superior...jeez, get a life

 Deleted, ....

as was my previous answer to you

might as well do it myself

 

 

[seminomadic]

This government's hard at work.

[bobbymack]

sounds like april fools joke

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, bobbymack said:

sounds like april fools joke

It does, but like the best April fool jokes, it also sounds like it could quite easily happen. I've read several other news stories since April 1st that all could have passed as April fool pranks, but were straight up legitimate. I was also amused to see that the national civil servant's day in this country falls on the 1st April - they obviously missed the irony in that completely! 

[tropo]

36 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

It does, but like the best April fool jokes, it also sounds like it could quite easily happen. I've read several other news stories since April 1st that all could have passed as April fool pranks, but were straight up legitimate. I was also amused to see that the national civil servant's day in this country falls on the 1st April - they obviously missed the irony in that completely! 

So basically, especially under the current government, every day is like an April Fool's Day in Thailand. There's absolutely no need to make a special thread on April 1 LOL. Any current news would do.

[darksidedog]

A totally unnecessary Flaming post and some replies have been removed.

I would add that the subsequent dropping of sad emoticons on other users multiple posts on other topics, is considered a very serious breach of the rules, that can expect a lengthy posting holiday for stalking.

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[jenny2017]

 

 Is somebody up for a game of four?

[watcharacters]

On 4/4/2018 at 6:59 PM, Crossy said:

Actually it was still well before mid-day in the US when we stopped deleting the spoilers, one of the "advantages" of a global forum.

 

 

Shame,  shame on you.  

 

You'll cause the lad to run off in embarrassment.   

[Crossy]

On 4/5/2018 at 11:10 PM, tropo said:

So basically, especially under the current government, every day is like an April Fool's Day in Thailand. There's absolutely no need to make a special thread on April 1 LOL. Any current news would do.

Every year it gets harder with all the best ideas already taken by our illustrious leaders

[tropo]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Every year it gets harder with all the best ideas already taken by our illustrious leaders

Next April you'll need to find a different topic not related to Thailand.