It might be just you .....

 

I believe in the laws of attraction and I do not focus on negative things and as a result, positive things happen to me. Ridicule all you like but it sure does work for me!

On 1/14/2020 at 1:42 AM, Formaleins said:

A couple of instances - The first being a bit minor really but it is the supposed banning of plastic bags. The people I know around my village are just laughing at it, where are you going to put the curry or Laab you buy from the local stall, in your pocket? They are well miffed at this and are totally defiant. (I agree the plastic has to stop but what is the alternative around the villages - take soup bowls to buy food? What about the flies?

While I disagree that banning plastic bags is a good idea while everything we put in them was wrapped in the stuff, in LOS far too many plastic bags were given out. I had to insist strongly to stop the checkout girl in Big C putting my stuff in new plastic bags ( I took old ones to use ).

Of course there are alternatives to plastic bags but people are too lazy to try them. What did they do before plastic bags? I remember when there were no plastic bags.

Plastic is bad and is polluting the planet. Time to wise up and stop being a polluter.

On 1/14/2020 at 1:42 AM, Formaleins said:

I have to say I have never ever felt that the Thais are as unhappy as they are now.  They really seem to be getting rather angry the way things are going.

The whole world is getting angry- perhaps you haven't noticed. Why should Thais be different? I don't want to get political, but we are being screwed by the rich and it's going to end badly, IMO.

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The whole world is getting angry- perhaps you haven't noticed. Why should Thais be different? I don't want to get political, but we are being screwed by the rich and it's going to end badly, IMO.

This planet is run by the rich who own the world bank and the federal reserve and yes, it will end badly ... for the vast majority

Just now, geronimo said:

This planet is run by the righ who own the world bank and the federal reserve and yes, it will end badly ... for the vast majority

I agree. Notice how the police are being militarised?

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I agree. Notice how the police are being militarised?

They have an agenda to reduce the population down to about 500 million, who knows? This new virus might have something to do with that.

On 1/14/2020 at 2:55 AM, Formaleins said:

Not the Happy Smiling welcoming place it was a few years ago,

Hasn't been that way since the smile vanished and that was more than a few years ago.

The national happiness has diminished in proportion to the increase in wealth in LOS, IMO. The beaches used to have primitive huts on them and were wonderful, but the greedy rich destroyed them this century to the point they had to close Maya Bay. Every once beautiful Thai beach was destroyed early this century by greedies and their <deleted> concrete. Even Bottle Beach had a horrid concrete hotel slap bang in the middle of it. Hua Hin was ruined when a certain hotel chain constructed an abomination right in the middle of the old town and every <deleted> condo illegally encroached below high tide line. Made me really angry and I'm not a Thai.

 

6 minutes ago, geronimo said:

They have an agenda to reduce the population down to about 500 million, who knows? This new virus might have something to do with that.

Have to be careful what I say on here, but this virus may be the big one that Gaia is launching. If not this one, sooner or later humanity will be reduced in numbers. That's what happens when parasites kill the host. Humans have been a terrible caretaker of planet earth, and IMO global warming is the least of what is coming to punish us. History informs us of what will happen- a meteorite destroyed the dinosaurs, the black death eliminated a great deal of the world's population, WW1 and 2 killed many, many millions of people, the Spanish flu killed lots, Ebola, SARS, etc are just curtain raisers to what is going to befall a species unwilling to live in a symbiotic relationship with the host.

 

Meanwhile back in LOS, the idea that Thais are a peaceful loving race that are happy and smile a lot has been a myth for a very long time. The catalyst for change was, IMO Thaksin and his excessive corruption.

We have indeed been terrible caretakers of this planet!

 

On 1/13/2020 at 3:24 PM, SteveK said:

I recently did my 90-day report in person. The IO was about the rudest official I have ever met in my life. Wouldn't look at me. Wouldn't talk at me. Then when he was done, chucked my passport at me and ignored my khop khun maak khap and wai. Sometimes I don't know why I even bother. Thailand does not want us here at all.

I would not wai an immigration official unless they were to initiate (highly unlikely) or unless I knew them. The wai should not be undertaken lightly lest one miscues and reduces oneself to the level of a gerbil.

Discontent likely down to army control, loss of Bhumiphol, and zombification through phones. Worst treatment by immigration I ever received was into US in 1990s.   

21 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Have to be careful what I say on here, but this virus may be the big one that Gaia is launching. If not this one, sooner or later humanity will be reduced in numbers. That's what happens when parasites kill the host. Humans have been a terrible caretaker of planet earth, and IMO global warming is the least of what is coming to punish us. History informs us of what will happen- a meteorite destroyed the dinosaurs, the black death eliminated a great deal of the world's population, WW1 and 2 killed many, many millions of people, the Spanish flu killed lots, Ebola, SARS, etc are just curtain raisers to what is going to befall a species unwilling to live in a symbiotic relationship with the host.

 

Meanwhile back in LOS, the idea that Thais are a peaceful loving race that are happy and smile a lot has been a myth for a very long time. The catalyst for change was, IMO Thaksin and his excessive corruption.

Comet did the dinos.

Although looks like mother nature, or earth here, is reacting (and I too fancy that analogy), much of the above is us doing us in and carelessness. Any animal would rip the earth off given the chance. At the end of the day, it's all random and the universe will do what it does regardless of Hitlers and ice-burners -- it giveth and it taketh away.

On 1/14/2020 at 2:30 PM, BritManToo said:

Never wai anyone, makes you look weak and submissive, so of course they'll treat you badly.

 

I do not agree ;
in fact, we farang, don't generally know how high to do it;
in this case following your advice may be the right thing to do rather than making a mistake.

 

I never do it with children or even adolescents;
very rarely with my neighbors who are mostly younger than me and therefore owe me respect due to my august age  ;
I am lucky to live in a village where everyone knows each other; I have been the only farang there for 14 years;
only a few kids call me farang, all the others call me by my first name.

 

And it's the same thing when I go to immigration to Sakon Nakhon, the officers call me by my first name and I have never had a slight change of mood from them.
it always goes very well in a good mood;
the fact that I understand their questions in Thai and can answer them in the same language certainly plays a lot in the positive sense.
And then they know that I'm part of the Sawang cycling club; some have already cycle with me; there is a kind of complicity between us;

 

an anecdote ,
one day, I arrive in Song Dao while going to Phangkhon with my pickup.
There is a police "peage"; I open my window, I hold out my Thai driver's license and the policeman who sees me says:

"Michel, you don't need to show me your license, I know you, we cycle together"

(I don't hadn't recognized him with his helmet and black glasses )

it's nice, right?

On 1/29/2020 at 8:39 AM, geronimo said:

We have indeed been terrible caretakers of this planet!

Can't say I've done anything to harm the planet, please don't include me in your offenses.

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Can't say I've done anything to harm the planet, please don't include me in your offenses.

Unless you browse naked on fruit and berries and live in a cave, you have been responsible for some harm to the planet, no matter how slight.

I'm not saying that we should all live in a cave and hunt wild animals with a stick, but it pains me to see once beautiful Thai beaches destroyed for greed. There is a middle ground between outright destruction as we have at present, and no destruction at all. Had the population of the world stayed at 1950s level there would be no such massive destruction and pollution as threatens us now.

Every Thai I know is very unhappy with the junta.  They say their lives are much more difficult than before, that their money buys less and less.  Even since, as recent as 2014, I have really noticed a negative change in both Thailand and with the Thais...  Every Thai I know wants Yinluck back...

 

Thailand needs to change back to how it was, or it will really have serious issues in another 5 years or so.  Who will the junta blame then...

On 1/14/2020 at 8:30 AM, BritManToo said:

Never wai anyone

Good advice!

Waiing farang usually just look ridiculous.

 

On 1/13/2020 at 10:12 PM, BritManToo said:

Certainly as a holiday destination, Vietnam is unbeatable.

Better beaches and sea, better sights to see, friendlier people, cheaper beer, cannabis $10/bag everywhere.

I really can't see why any tourists would choose Thailand over Vietnam as a destination.

I can quite see why, the ugly, fat, tattooed guys would probably find it much easier to get laid here in Thailand than in Vietnam, even allowing for their thick wallets. ????

On 1/14/2020 at 2:20 AM, mstevens said:

 

I think we were fooling ourselves thinking the weather in Thailand was great. I too used to think the weather was great because it never got cold. But actually, it's too hot for most of the year in Bangkok and the cool season reprieve may only last a week or two. So count me among those who now thinks the weather in Bangkok is not a positive at all.

I think the weather here is one of the positives when you compare it with wet, windy, cold Scotland and most of the rest of the UK.

On 1/14/2020 at 2:32 AM, White Christmas13 said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V009SUGaa8Y

 

This video said that we are treated like criminals here, IMO that's true, but it never mentioned the ridiculous 90 day reporting on retirement extensions that is not done anywhere else.

On 1/14/2020 at 5:13 PM, baansgr said:

Another thread, different title same subject....yes, I used to go out anytime of day or night, get drunk have sex with a lovely girl or two or three that would actually pay attention to me and ride home drunk on my moped, cost me 20 quid or so....now, I would need to spend 150 quid for a fat farm girl that looks at her phone all night and be home by 2am in a taxi.....yep, the fun has gone and ain't coming back

So you think it is OK to ride your "moped", I assume you mean motorbike, while you are drunk, putting innocent people in danger as well as yourself, I get the impression that you are actually boasting about it, what does that say about the type of person that you are?

 

On 1/29/2020 at 8:16 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

I agree. Notice how the police are being militarised?

Totalitarian Tiptoe

On 1/14/2020 at 6:20 PM, BritManToo said:

This is so true!

I always agreed with your posts BritManToo, but you have sure surprised me here, condoning being drunk while riding a motorbike.

On 1/14/2020 at 8:20 PM, moontang said:

agreed, many are in a bad mood.  All smiles at the new MRT, but they seem desperate for riders.  If it is good, enjoy it and visit regularly...because the good things seem to end more suddenly than they used to,  Being in debt is a bad feeling, and mentally unhealthy..guess who are in tons of debt?  James Madison was only five feet four, too...it actually worked..for him.  

Who??

18 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Who??

US President number 4.

On 1/25/2020 at 11:43 AM, BritManToo said:

As long as they move out of my way, why would I care what else they do?

Don't you just hate it when they just stand around blocking the sidewalk/stairs/doors?

Walking around with smartphones stuck in their faces. I have decided from now on to just walk through people who get in my way because of smartphones and if they drop them then good.

51 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I always agreed with your posts BritManToo, but you have sure surprised me here, condoning being drunk while riding a motorbike.

On a scooter, late at night, you're only risking your own life (and maybe the girl daft enough to get on the back).

I remember way back in the past, very early in the morning our motorcycles being chased all along Brighton seafront by a police car, me and my pals sped off and all split down different roads, the police car ended up behind me so I stopped, and my passenger got off and walked away. The policeman said, "what if a child had stepped out in front of you?", I replied, "a child in the main road at 1:30am?" 

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

On a scooter, late at night, you're only risking your own life (and maybe the girl daft enough to get on the back).

I remember way back in the past, very early in the morning our motorcycles being chased all along Brighton seafront by a police car, me and my pals sped off and all split down different roads, the police car ended up behind me so I stopped, and my passenger got off and walked away. The policeman said, "what if a child had stepped out in front of you?", I replied, "a child in the main road at 1:30am?" 

I'm sorry mate, for once I just cannot agree with you, drunk driving or riding is always taking chances with peoples lives no matter where you are, or what time of day or night it is.

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I'm sorry mate, for once I just cannot agree with you, drunk driving or riding is always taking chances with peoples lives no matter where you are, or what time of day or night it is.

One Hundred Percent Correct...

On 1/29/2020 at 8:16 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

I agree. Notice how the police are being militarised?

Yes, with all these stupid, paid for fancy ranks they have, I'm just waiting for some idiot to buy the rank of Field Marshal next.

On 1/13/2020 at 3:24 PM, SteveK said:

I recently did my 90-day report in person. The IO was about the rudest official I have ever met in my life. Wouldn't look at me. Wouldn't talk at me. Then when he was done, chucked my passport at me and ignored my khop khun maak khap and wai. Sometimes I don't know why I even bother. Thailand does not want us here at all.

He'd probably received his training at Suvarnabhumi Airport and just been promoted.