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Thais pretending to be Filipino foreign language teachers is widespread, Thai media
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14
IPhones to Hit $3.5K? Trump Tariffs Spark Apple Revolt
An iPhone costing $3,500nis just insanely stupid. It will never happen. -
1
Gaza Medic Killings: Israel's Shifting Stories Under Fire
Thank you for posting the reality of what is happening in Gaza. -
17
Phuket Locals Call for Police Action After Tourists' Brawl on Bangla Road - video
Given the choice, would these people prefer to have 100% sober customers, maybe who don't tip, count every penny and are more difficult to fleece, or what they have here... and are complaining about? -
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Tread Carefully, Mates
So I’m bombing round on this little rental bike, nothing special, just one of them standard 125s with more stickers than real horsepower. Thought I was being clever, zipping through traffic and all that. But somewhere between my soi and the main road, I must’ve clocked something sharp because I pull up to the 7-Eleven and hear that telltale hissssss, rear tire’s gone flatter than a pint at closing time, lads. Now, I ain’t about to roll it back to the rental shop and have them bang me with some 4,000 baht “damage” fee, so I figures I’ll just nip to a local tire place across the road, get a cheap brand slapped on, job done for a few hundred. Easy, right? Nah, mates. Roll the bike into this little open-front shop there. Blokes sitting about half-asleep in flip flops, one of ‘em watching Muay Thai on a cracked TV, the other one eating noodles straight out the pot. I says, “Just need a back tyre, mate. Cheap one’ll do.” He nods, says “Ok ok,” and wheels it round the back before I can even get a proper look at the setup. Thirty five minutes later, he wheels it back and goes, “Finish. New tyre. Very good. Michelin.” I blink. “Sorry, what?” He points proudly at the wheel. “Michelin. Import. Same same farang style. Good for high speed.” Mate, I’m not doing MotoGP, I’m just trying to get to 7-Eleven and back without skidding into a tranny. I says, “I asked for something local, cheap, you know?” He gives me that little sideways head tilt, the international symbol for “Well, bit late now, innit?” “Front also change. Same same. Now balance.” “What do you mean front also change?!” He shrugs. “Old tyre not safe. We change both. More safe now. Lucky for you.” Lucky? I’m two tyres deep in a stitch-up and he’s acting like I’ve won the bloody lottery. Then the bill comes. 3,600 baht. I nearly swallowed me own tongue. “You what? For tyres on a bike that ain’t even mine?” He starts pointing at the tires again, saying things like “import,” “long life,” and “very grip,” like I’m buying a high-end sports car and not patching up a rental that smells like five years of sweat and Chang beer. Then, to really take the piss, some tuk-tuk driver leans in from the street and goes, “Good tyres, my friend. Michelin number one!” as if I’m gonna high-five him and thank him for the consumer review. I go, “Look, mate, I didn’t ask for all this. You shoulda said the price first. You can’t just whack on luxury tyres without asking and expect me to foot the bill.” He shrugs again. “You ride now, yes? Very good tyre. You see.” I says, “Yeah, I see all right. I see I’m getting mugged off in broad daylight.” So I slap down 2,700 baht, it's all I had in my wallet, and tell ‘em that’s more than fair for a tire change I never bloody asked for, and if they want the rest they can go chase the Michelin Man round the soi. Jump on the bike, peel off, tyres squeaking like I just did a burnout in a Makro car park. Call me old-fashioned, but I liked it better when getting stitched up didn’t come with tyre shine and a loyalty card. -
48
BBC Faces Backlash Over Use of Term ‘Revert’ in Islam Coverage
Is this a reference to 7th October 2023, and if not, would you kindly explain what you mean by it; thanks. -
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