1 minute ago, mushroomdave said:

The "workers" have spoiled it in Taiwan.  The Taiwanese gave Thais unlimited 30 day visa-exempt entries 2 yrs ago but now they are onto them.  They are down to maximum 6 entries/year now and the government's new proposed bill is for only 2 entries/year. 

It wad the same in Bahrain but a new Prince became influential and the Thais were replaced by Chinese,  Sadly.  Before the Thais it was the Eastern Europeans and The Tylos  hotel was kicking! So was Diggers Bar.

7 minutes ago, mushroomdave said:

The "workers" have spoiled it in Taiwan.  The Taiwanese gave Thais unlimited 30 day visa-exempt entries 2 yrs ago but now they are onto them.  They are down to maximum 6 entries/year now and the government's new proposed bill is for only 2 entries/year. 

that'll be the same as thailand gives westerners on VE (by land anyway) because some westerners spoiled it. sounds fair enough

*think the crackdown was the uighurs here rather than westerners but unfortunately it's easier to crackdown on everyone than try to identify those likely to break the law

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by Happy enough

10 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Rice is largely mechanised these days, once planted there is next to nothing to do, they never toiled in rice fields every day

 

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by Odysseus123

15 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Rice is largely mechanised these days, once planted there is next to nothing to do, they never toiled in rice fields every day

You should tell the farmers near me, twice a year there are 20 ladies planting the fields behind my house.

Every day I see the farmers out working in the fields, lots of small crops like chillies and pumpkins.

Then there were bigger fields of tobacco, out with the sprayer every day.

 

 

You don't seem to know much about rural Thailand.

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by BritManToo

25 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Rice is largely mechanised these days, once planted there is next to nothing to do, they never toiled in rice fields every day

Rubbish. Only on very big paddies.  Most are not large enough to operate big plant. Anyway there is work worse but any continuous labour from dusk to dawn inn the heat is ardous. Here is an example of mechanised rice production

 

Ask anywhere in the world, and if people have any concept at all of the country it is often of prostitutes and ladyboys. A great image, hmm? And that is why Thai women travelling alone are often treated with suspicion, and often with good cause. Thai prostitutes can be found the world over and are one of the country's export success stories.

6 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Each to their own then. Not something I would ever imagine doing when arriving at an airport in another country. 

I would have a hotel booking and No local cash, but at least two different credit cards...

4 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

You cant know many Thais, most are pretty good at reading and some even writing, they are hopeless when it comes to speaking it. I do know 6 year old Thais that write better than the example shown, most Thais are not as stupid as this women.

Seems I know a good few more than you do, and some teachers as well.?
From one report:
"Thai university applicants scored an average 28.34 percent in English in recent university entrance exams. Thailand produces a "workforce with some of the world's weakest English-language skills." In a recent IMD World Competitiveness YearbookThailand was ranked 54th out of 56 countries globally for English proficiency. Singapore was third, Malaysia 28th and Korea 46th."
My better half does not actually write much better than the example given, and she is a business college graduate and has paid to take additional English courses. She is also a senior level employee of one of the largest foreign owned retail establishments in Thailand.
I suggest that your estimate of general Thai English language proficiency is at best inaccurate.

Me with a secondary level English class, interviewing English speakers at Chatuchak. 

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by Bill Miller
Trying to insert photo

4 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Seems I know a good few more than you do, and some teachers as well.?
From one report:
"Thai university applicants scored an average 28.34 percent in English in recent university entrance exams. Thailand produces a "workforce with some of the world's weakest English-language skills." In a recent IMD World Competitiveness YearbookThailand was ranked 54th out of 56 countries globally for English proficiency. Singapore was third, Malaysia 28th and Korea 46th."
My better half does not actually write much better than the example given, and she is a business college graduate and has paid to take additional English courses. She is also a senior level employee of one of the largest foreign owned retail establishments in Thailand.
I suggest that your estimate of general Thai English language proficiency is at best inaccurate.

do you get discounts at tescos?

3 minutes ago, Happy enough said:

do you get discounts at tescos?

5555 Good guess!
If I want something I tell her, and she can often find it at a lower rate.?

4 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

5555 Good guess!
If I want something I tell her, and she can often find it at a lower rate.?

lucky bugger ?

i'm not short of money but sometimes i stand looking at some tesco finest stuff and try to justify the price to myself and i can't . . . **until she goes to the next aisle and i slip it in the basket.

get to check out, shhh don't make a scene 555

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by Happy enough
**

I'm thinking she might have been Thai muslim?

Just now, tifino said:

I'm thinking she might have been Thai muslim?

yeah, i reckon that's why she was up at 4am. call to prayer 555

2 hours ago, Borpender said:

Try getting local currency for Laos before you go. It's not available anywhere. To be fair though dollars talk here ?

Just returned from Laos and indeed,  Thai baht is also universally accepted. Shopkeepers even asked first if they could give change in kip. That is the only way I got any, and made sure to donate it all in tips, at temples, etc. before leaving as I recalled having trouble reconverting on previous occasions.

8 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Arriving in a foreign country with no currency or any proof of accommodation is pretty damn stupid. What did she really expect? 

 

7 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Each to their own then. Not something I would ever imagine doing when arriving at an airport in another country. 

pfft,...Lot's of people travel without booking. I never book a hotel, I take a taxi to a place where they have many hotels and I look around check the prices and chose one....Always have cash Euro or $ with me.

3 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Just returned from Laos and indeed,  Thai baht is also universally accepted. Shopkeepers even asked first if they could give change in kip. That is the only way I got any, and made sure to donate it all in tips, at temples, etc. before leaving as I recalled having trouble reconverting on previous occasions.

exactly. try getting currency before you go? for what. use baht or dollars. trying to get rid of that crappy kip is the problem. no one wants it. monopoly money

20 odd years ago you needed a bag to carry lao money for a reasonable night out. no way it would fit in your pockets 

37 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Seems I know a good few more than you do, and some teachers as well.?
From one report:
"Thai university applicants scored an average 28.34 percent in English in recent university entrance exams. Thailand produces a "workforce with some of the world's weakest English-language skills." In a recent IMD World Competitiveness YearbookThailand was ranked 54th out of 56 countries globally for English proficiency. Singapore was third, Malaysia 28th and Korea 46th."
My better half does not actually write much better than the example given, and she is a business college graduate and has paid to take additional English courses. She is also a senior level employee of one of the largest foreign owned retail establishments in Thailand.
I suggest that your estimate of general Thai English language proficiency is at best inaccurate.

Me with a secondary level English class, interviewing English speakers at Chatuchak. 

Great photo.

 

It adds reality and substance to your opinions.

12 minutes ago, off road pat said:

 

pfft,...Lot's of people travel without booking. I never book a hotel, I take a taxi to a place where they have many hotels and I look around check the prices and chose one....Always have cash Euro or $ with me.

 

The difference is that you would not be suspected of trying to enter the country to work as a prostitute. Thai women are, because quite often that is exactly why they are there. The officials aren't stupid and have seen it all a thousand times.

7 minutes ago, Happy enough said:

exactly. try getting currency before you go? for what. use baht or dollars. trying to get rid of that crappy kip is the problem. no one wants it. monopoly money

20 odd years ago you needed a bag to carry lao money for a reasonable night out. no way it would fit in your pockets 

Another one is Vietnamese dong. The strange name aside, it is only worth like 0.0041 baht each.
I was in the airport looking to change my remaining currency for baht when my waan jai came bustling up from the duty free shops, asking for Viet money to buy chocolate for her daughter. "Sure darling, how much would you like?" "Oh. About one million."
I still joke with her about the time I reached into my wallet and handed her a million. ?

 

9 hours ago, chippendale said:

Infantile handwriting on that note. How old is she? Five?

If you were to read the story from the Thai press that is the Indonesian's writing.

 

How old are you? Three?

All I can say is don't do it.  Because you will be sorry.  Please believe me.  Imagine never being able to come back to Thailand again. 

5 minutes ago, 9KPhalak said:

All I can say is don't do it.  Because you will be sorry.  Please believe me.  Imagine never being able to come back to Thailand again. 

who will be sorry? i believe you, explain. this should be good

the thais have a good system(ish). imagine not being able come back to thailand again. believe you? why. they can regardless

1 minute ago, Happy enough said:

who will be sorry? i believe you, explain. this should be good

the thais have a good system(ish). imagine not being able come back to thailand again. believe you? why. they can regardless

The Thai girl or lady who travels abroad will be sorry because they will not be free and cannot return to Thailand.  They will be locked up in a room.  Her boss will not let her come back to Thailand.  Why?  Because the boss will make her have sex.  The boss will keep all the money.  The boss will only give the Thai lady/girl a little food.  Anytime someone asks a Thai lady to come to another country she should say no.  The Thai lady must be married to a good man before she can go.  The Thai authorities should do a background check on the man before they can get married.  Understand?  I'll be happy to explain if you want me to. 

20 hours ago, BobBKK said:

Who would go to another country without some local currency?   but apart from that stupidity it's totally monstrous not to let her contact her friend outside to confirm the circumstances. 

if she was going for sex work.. it is highly likely that any friend was actually her agent or boss or co sex worker. Contacting the friend would not be a reliable source of proof

The Philippines immigration at all points if exits are preventing their women from boarding flights even after checking in for exactly the same reason.My wife and I sent an invitation to our future domestic helper ,together with a return ticket etc etc but she was told bluntly "how would we know you are not going there for prostitution " Philippines Immigration v THEIR Philippines Women???

Mind you there is an ASIAN AGREEMENT which states free visa travel between all 10members

17 hours ago, hanuman2543 said:

I had 2 Thai step children

Im afraid  your sample is a tad  on the small side.

20 hours ago, Darcula said:

 

You'd think by now someone would've taught them to fish, or something.

They're fishers of men.. they learnt a long time ago it pays better than the real fish !!

9 hours ago, 9KPhalak said:

The Thai authorities should do a background check on the man before they can get married.

Should be the same for some women who get married to farangs here.

22 hours ago, Borpender said:

Try getting local currency for Laos before you go. It's not available anywhere. To be fair though dollars talk here ?

Yup I always carry dollars not THB and they work everywhere in SEA I can't imagine anyone going with THB to a foreign country.  

On 9/21/2018 at 11:04 AM, BobbyL said:

Each to their own then. Not something I would ever imagine doing when arriving at an airport in another country. 

In L.A. You would get 25 to the dollar and pay a fee above that for the exchange. Stupid to get local currency before arrival.

Edited September 22, 20187 yr by Mac98
Spelling error by autocorrect.