Richard Barrow receives the British Empire Medal (BEM)

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Lay off the soy.

British Imperialism is probably one of the best things that could've happened to the world.

IIRC, the British invented concentration camps before the Germans, and did their level best to exterminate Australian Aborigines.

As another Brit poster has said, they did not get to rule the world by being nice.

[Ohyesuare]

39 minutes ago, Grecian said:

How an obviously sincere, well meaning nice guy like Richard can get such a torrent of abuse thrown at him here baffles me!

You must not visit this forum much. You can expect any post about him to go this way. Seems like a combination of jealousy, bitterness, ignorance (the anti-vaxxers, covid just a flu types) because he publishes the daily numbers etc.. If hotels and companies want to offer him free stuff in exchange for publicity, you can't really blame him for taking them up on the offer, that's what the majority of people on social media with large followings are doing these days.

 

I've followed him on twitter and then his other account ThaiNewsReports, which I find much more useful, for the past few years and his information about immigration issues and vaccines were very helpful so I have nothing bad to say about the guy.

 

Since I'm now triple vaxxed, the number of COVID cases not really mattering anymore in terms of restrictions and in the process of getting my Elite Visa, I don't feel a need to check his twitter accounts anymore but happy he is getting some recognition for the helpful things he has done.

[Burma Bill]

To be honest, during all the 20 years I lived in Lanna and Isaan, Northern Thailand, I never heard of the man. His name only came to my notice during my last 2 years of retirement here in Cambodia regarding Covid-19. Is he a member of the ex-pat establishment in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket??

[Misterwhisper]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

he received the British Empire Medal (BEM) from British Ambassador, Mark Gooding

Could've been worse. He could've been awarded a parachuting badge from Uncle Too -- you know, of the kind that every single one of Thailand's felt 5 gazillion police and army generals so proudly sport. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 minute ago, Burma Bill said:

To be honest, during all the 20 years I lived in Lanna and Isaan, Northern Thailand, I never heard of the man. His name only came to my notice during my last 2 years of retirement here in Cambodia regarding Covid-19. Is he a member of the ex-pat establishment in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket??

He is not a member of the Lodge as far as I am aware. 

[GrandPapillon]

6 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

Is he a teacher or journalist?

both, TELFLEr and part-time journalist ????

 

[Burma Bill]

15 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

He is not a member of the Lodge as far as I am aware. 

Interesting, a Masonic or "Buffs" Lodge?? I thought there were no such Lodges in Thailand, however I have just discovered this on Google:- (pre-Covid-19??)

 

"Consecrated in 1995, Morakot Lodge is a Regular Masonic Lodge under the Irish Constitution with a Charter signed by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in Dublin. The Lodge meets at the British Club on Silom Soi 18 in Bangkok, Thailand"

 

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, Orinoco said:

Good luck to him.

We need people like him. 

like him or not.  

"We need people like him".

Huh?  What do "we" need him for?  I've never had the need for him in nearly thirty years of being here. 

 

I don't begrudge him a gong if someone thinks he's deserved it but what has he done that is so remarkable and "needed"?    That is a serious question.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IN his case, WHY? What has he ever done that made the life of the average farang living in LOS better? Given I never heard of him other than on this forum, I doubt he did much that made a real difference.

Did he make immigration easier/ better for us, make us qualified to be treated in a Thai pubic hospital at Thai prices, stop the cons against farangs, etc?

Do tell.

Hear, hear!

[SunnyinBangrak]

I would rather see awards being given to those that spend their lives helping street animals. These people are true angels. Compared to people that bludge freebies while parroting and putting +ve spin on official govt narratives and promoting private enterprises. I believe his reward has already been given - normally with copious amounts of free large Changs if memory serves.

[toston]

11 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

I would rather see awards being given to those that spend their lives helping street animals. These people are true angels. Compared to people that bludge freebies while parroting and putting +ve spin on official govt narratives and promoting private enterprises. I believe his reward has already been given - normally with copious amounts of free large Changs if memory serves.

free trips abroad...

 

[zzaa09]

45 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

To be honest, during all the 20 years I lived in Lanna and Isaan, Northern Thailand, I never heard of the man. His name only came to my notice during my last 2 years of retirement here in Cambodia regarding Covid-19. Is he a member of the ex-pat establishment in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket??

Expat Establishment. 

Says it all. 

Not missing much.

[toston]

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

This thread is going to be interesting after midday once the ‘barstoolers’ wake up and see that an alternative information stream has been valued more than their ‘if you don’t like it go home’ rhetoric …
 

Congratulations RB… a good source a factual info. 
 

This legitimisation will make it more difficult for immigration and other authorities trying & stiff him when he takes on anti-dual-pricing issues and other issues which negatively impact foreigners living in Thailand. 
 

 

 

so ridiculous to think he has ever been threatened ! you seem to understand things very well...

what is crazy is that he doesn't even feel ridiculous every year when he is talking about the possibility that his visa is not extended....

he knows exactly whose balls he has been messing and he exactly knows that he will get his visa ANYWAY !

 

 

[toston]

12 hours ago, salsajapan said:

Maybe he got it for being a good propaganda agent... he has been telling for 2 years to people what governments told him to repeat...

he must have the best bonner of his life ! After being paid by "the regime" to travel to UK, he now get a medal...

I can't stop laughing when he was so proud to be on the tarmac with some officials...

all his life he has been chasing that...

So true !!!!

 

 

[toston]

10 hours ago, poohy said:

insufferable propagandist!

at least someone knows !

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

9 hours ago, cdemundo said:

figured that would get a response from the crowd that thinks Kipling was a radical leftist.

Regardless of your view of his leanings, he was a pretty radical baker.

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, jayboy said:

 ...Richard's total lack of interest in girlie bars, prostitution and night entertainment.

How would you ever know that?

Edited March 17, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[toston]

7 hours ago, RandiRona said:

He is political hack, ass kissing narcissist everyone should avoid. Not surprised UK embassy throwing some bones at him. If whining about dual pricing, this board members do a lot but no one able to do anything about it not him either. He could have used his connections to make UK expats covid concerns addressed but he was having fun with paid junkets...we dont need paid brokers like him.

really !

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Absolutely agree......  so many poisonous folk who are utterly useless to society simply can’t stand to see someone else making an effort to support the community in which they live. 

 

It baffles me that there are those who because they are unaware of the work he has carried out think he has not done anything - this mentality alone highlights how utterly stupid some people are, they have no idea they are both out of touch and dumb. 

Expand  

Thank you for having the wisdom and grace to respect others whose opinion differs from your own. 

Some opinions are simply not worthy of respect for they have no wisdom or grace - its not that the opinion of others differs from mine, its that the opinions of some are voiced from a pure void... people admit to knowing nothing of RB and yet criticise him..... such voices are hardly worthy of acknowledgement other than to shut down their utter stupidity. 

 

IF someone wishes to highlight RB’s work, identify flaws, issues, failures and misgivings then their criticism would at least highlight an understanding and be worthy of discussion.... 

 

So, I don respect others who voice bitterness and poison from a knowledge vacuum - their opinions are generally utterly moronic.

 

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

Is he a teacher or journalist?

No, he's not.

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, Hepbub said:

I was taught when younger, many, many years ago. "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything."

Why would anyone "teach" that?    

[toston]

8 hours ago, Resident Alien said:

But the yearly clickbait bs, about his extension of stay going to be denied, is very annoying.

In the end of course he always gets his extension, the same as most people with the correct paperwork and finance.

so I am not the only one with a brain ! thanks !

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Grecian said:

How an obviously sincere, well meaning nice guy like Richard can get such a torrent of abuse thrown at him here baffles me!

Sarcasm, yes?   About Barrow, I mean.

[toston]

7 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

Is he a teacher or journalist?

no he is not even a teacher, since many years he is only working on his own websites whe nat school...

 

[toston]

2 hours ago, Grecian said:

How an obviously sincere, well meaning nice guy like Richard can get such a torrent of abuse thrown at him here baffles me!

people more aware than you maybe ? not difficult it seems....

 

 

[cyril sneer]

7 hours ago, Hepbub said:

I was taught when younger, many, many years ago. "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything." So many folk on this forum must wake up in the morning and think (if they actually do think), what can I be annoyed about today? All the negative comments about someone receiving some medal! If that's what floats your boat carry on, but I bet there isn't much mirth or laughter in

your households. Bunch of miseries.

I don't think this place is for you...

[richard_smith237]

31 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"We need people like him".

Huh?  What do "we" need him for?  I've never had the need for him in nearly thirty years of being here. 

 

I don't begrudge him a gong if someone thinks he's deserved it but what has he done that is so remarkable and "needed"?    That is a serious question.

Thats the difficult part to answer because those who work in the background such as RB, Embassy Staffers, consulate staff, various Chambers of Commerce etc.  all work away to make life slightly better for the foreign community....  

 

.... Could we have greater rights ? of course. But, could things be worse? yes. Could issues such as dual pricing be significantly worse if people were not publicly standing up to it ?... perhaps...  

 

It wasn’t so long ago that Thai Wife’s of foreigners were not permitted to own land.... someone paved the way in the shadows applying pressure to make such issues tolerable for many of us.

 

A couple of years ago these pages were rife with TM30 and TM28 questions and issues...  where are all of those threads now ?... they are much fewer because regulations have softened and they softened because of pressure from the expat community. 

 

As a result of pressure from the expat community the police have become less corrupt in certain areas... At one point the Thonglor police were a potential concern for many foreigners in the area... where are the police now stopping random foreigners getting them to urinate in cups and emptying their pockets ???...  Did this stop because of negative publicity and pressure from media-active members of the expat community ???

 

How about carrying our passports ??...  such issues were publicised which forced announcements that we didn’t need to carry our passports, then of course we did have to, then once again we didn’t...

 

Why were such these issues ever addressed ????  the simple answer is because there were people working in the background to force these issues into to the attention of those in positions of decision making power. 

 

So.. what have people like RB ever done... its easy to sit there and say ’nothing, I don’t see how he’s improved my life’.....   but rethink that next time you are walking down a street and police ride past without stopping you, searching your pockets and asking you to pee in a cup... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sparktrader]

Rather well known. Some people dont read much.

[hotandsticky]

The jealousy on here is beyond belief……………or maybe it isn’t.

[KarenBravo]

If it makes him happy to stick three letters after his name, then what's the harm?