Annoyances

[ambassador]

I often visit my local 7-Eleven after work and buy a bottle of water or fruit juice or maybe a Heiniken if it's a Friday and when I go to the counter I want to pay for it and leave so I can start to drink it but instead I end up with a couple of straws, a plastic bag and an annoying and pointless little square reciept which I have to seperate from my change before I can put it back in my pocket.

If I am buying a variety of items, I end up with a variety of straws, minature white straws, orange or green ones with the end flattened into a spade, as well as the usual ones.

It's usually too late by the time I've said I don't want any extras with my shopping and it's a waste... The bin outside is spilling over with screwed up bags, reciepts and bloody straws, what's this obsession with straws for Fanny's sake?

I wouldn't be surprised if they started drinking their soup from a straw.

They should have a recycling bin.

Now are lots of newbies going to start flaming me about 'what am I doing here if I don't like it', I'm not sure, but for the record I love it here but some things do irk the smeg out of me.

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full.

[rainman]

I guess the straws are so you don't need to put your mouth on the bottle. I never use them either but always get them, too. Maybe we should stick together and sell the straws..? Nevermind.

[Savage]

It is a fair point (without being a moaning git) to point out that Thais have some way to go before they can be labelled environmentally friendly. The plastic bag wastage is seriously worrying.

I regularly see at the supermarket shopping placed into 4 times the amount of plastic bags it needs to be. Its a bit sad really if each person used 1 less bag a day there would be 60,000,000 a day less for rubbish.

I think as an expat that is a fair moan.

[2long]

Why do you take the straws and bags and other wastful plastic? One of my pet hates is wasted plastic and we all know know how good Thais are at doing it. Not only is it a waste when you throw it away, it causes waste making it in the first place. I'm still looked at as a weirdo for not wanting 15 carrier bags and nine million straws with a bottle of milk to put in my fridge, but I take it on the chin and politley refuse to accept them. I buy my beer at a local shophouse run by a Chinese Thai lady who always, always tries to overdo the bags saying that they'll break and I'll be sorry. We have the same joking argument every time and I just hope that she'll learn one day. After five years I'm able to refuse the straws and extra bags in the local lingo, but I've yet to try and explain that (I'm not a tree hugging lesbian) I care about the environment. There was a huge clampdown in Taiwan last year and Thailand should follow suit.

Good luck and be prepared with "mai aow lord, khrap" and/or "mai aow tung, khrap" (no apologies, I'm neither a Thai teacher nor script translator/scriptologist/linguist nor a person who knows which word I want to wite here!)

[Wolfie]

I would like to advise taking Deeeeeeeeeeep breaths...

Count to ten whilst concentrating on your breathing...

1... Deep breath

2... Deep breath

3... Deep breath

4... Deep breath

5... Deep breath

6... Deep breath

7... Deep breath

8... Deep breath

9... Deep breath

10... Deep breath

Feeling better now? I thought so... just gotta try to relax man!

[fatter than harry]

I'd imagine all the milling about would be due to the fact that they've never seen a snow plough before

[Harry Palmer]

I could attach a megaphone on top of it so I could politely ask...

GET

This is the kind of language that I would expect to see in an Ajarn thread ...

I thought this place was for the 'Oi Polloi' of the ex-pat community; sadly miss-informed. I had hoped to engage the more intelligent members of this board in discussions concerning the current politician situation & impending humanitarian disaster in the Sudan. Ah well.. The embarrassment of buying condoms from a pretty girl in 7-11 is probably a more interesting topic anyway.

I agree. If he repeats it, Ajarn will welcome him coz we wont. /Admin

Edited July 3, 2004 by dr_Pat_Pong

[Dutchy2]

They should have a recycling bin.

Now are lots of newbies going to start flaming me about 'what am I doing here if I don't like it', I'm not sure, but for the record I love it here but some things do irk the smeg out of me.

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full.

I understand your feelings but I do not think that you can make the people think here, they simply don't give a *** about the environment.

I remember America blocking shrimp import from Thailand because of lack of action from the Thai side against the pollution which damaged the sea turtles population. Thailand's reaction was " we don't export that much to the US anyway." Not one word about the reasons of America's reaction. They just don't care because it asks for effort...

[12call]

I often visit my local 7-Eleven after work and buy a bottle of water or fruit juice or maybe a Heiniken if it's a Friday and when I go to the counter I want to pay for it and leave so I can start to drink it but instead I end up with a couple of straws, a plastic bag and an annoying and pointless little square reciept which I have to seperate from my change before I can put it back in my pocket.

If I am buying a variety of items, I end up with a variety of straws, minature white straws, orange or green ones with the end flattened into a spade, as well as the usual ones.

It's usually too late by the time I've said I don't want any extras with my shopping and it's a waste...  The bin outside is spilling over with screwed up bags, reciepts and bloody straws, what's this obsession with straws for Fanny's sake? 

I wouldn't be surprised if they started drinking their soup from a straw.

They should have a recycling bin.

Now are lots of newbies going to start flaming me about 'what am I doing here if I don't like it', I'm not sure, but for the record I love it here but some things do irk the smeg out of me.

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full.

I like the colour combination of the straw's though!!!

[namklong]

what's this obsession with straws for Fanny's sake?

I thought the same until a Thai mate pointed out that many drinks are stored out the back of shops where rats have free reign to piss all over them. Fair point. Weils disease anyone?

[stroll]

Somebody should pm GS the translation for his poster in Thai script, before he falls victim to more mishaps.

It often is the details of daily life that one can't change, which remind that we are not at home.

I bought a very sharp small penknife for the sole purpose of cutting through these annoying red rubber bands and various layers of packaging. As for plastic bags, we 'recycle' them for our rubbish (i.e. stuffing all the other packaging in them).

For bottles and cans there are traders ploughing the streets, who will gladly take these of you.

PS: Has ajarnforum reopened yet or is it safe to assume we will be blessed with their frustrated remains for good?

[splitlid]

im with you savage..

i normally take the drinks out of the bag and the straws in front of the check out chick (after a few visits they get the message,but 7-11 seems to have a high turn over in my town)i then carry the bottle myself,the reciept i just leave on the counter with the wet empty bag and straws....and faces of total bewilderment.

drivers in the wrong lane doing 40km are my main annoyance.

but, not enough to want me to do anything drastic..like ...run the mutha f#$kers off the road.

[davethailand]

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full

Agreed always when i've just picked up 2 drinks, walk along in the club and someones wai's me, do they do it on purpose?

[wolf5370]

Fatter-Than_Harry:

I'd imagine all the milling about would be due to the fact that they've never seen a snow plough before 

They think I'm mad here now, I pratically fell of my chair in laughter!!!

Most annoying thing in LOS: Trying to get out of a lift in Central whilst seven fat Thai 'ladies' push there way in instead of waiting for us to get out!

Most satisfying: "Accidentally" treading (and small twist of course) on the toe of a fat Thai 'lady' who is pushing her way in to the lift instead of waiting for us to get out.

[Dutchy2]

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full

Agreed always when i've just picked up 2 drinks, walk along in the club and someones wai's me, do they do it on purpose?

I used to drive a 1200cc bike into town and sometimes it was so **** hot that I had to take my jacket off, I always did this when the traffic lights were red. The trafiic police changed the lights many times just to see how I managed to get out of this situation with one arm still in the jacket. It's my honest believe that they did it on purpose. It was surely no coincedence as I drove that route every day, I knew exactly how the lights changed...

[Stocky]

Most satisfying: "Accidentally"    treading (and small twist of course) on the toe of a fat Thai 'lady' who is pushing her way in to the lift instead of waiting for us to get out.  

For shame on you Wolf

I remember America blocking shrimp import from Thailand because of lack of action from the Thai side against the pollution which damaged the sea turtles population. Thailand's reaction was " we don't export that much to the US anyway." Not one word about the reasons of America's reaction. They just don't care because it asks for effort...

I doubt if it had anything to do with the environment, protecting US shrimp farmers maybe

My own pet dislike is trying to cross the road and having Tuk-Tuk and Taxi drivers thinK I want a cab... 'get out my bloody way I'm just trying to cross the road'

Needless to say when you really do want a taxi you can't find one

[hkthai]

They should have a recycling bin.

Now are lots of newbies going to start flaming me about 'what am I doing here if I don't like it', I'm not sure, but for the record I love it here but some things do irk the smeg out of me.

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full.

I understand your feelings but I do not think that you can make the people think here, they simply don't give a *** about the environment.

I remember America blocking shrimp import from Thailand because of lack of action from the Thai side against the pollution which damaged the sea turtles population. Thailand's reaction was " we don't export that much to the US anyway." Not one word about the reasons of America's reaction. They just don't care because it asks for effort...

Yes and America with 4% of the world's population but causes 25% of the greenhouse gas emission.

Yea, it not greenpeace paradise here...but look at some of the backyard of the 1st world countries and you will find many similarities.

BTW, it doesn't take a lot of effort to say no to straws and plastic bags. Smile and use your hands to wave no to the straws...less than 5 seconds and it works rather well.

[hkthai]

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full

Agreed always when i've just picked up 2 drinks, walk along in the club and someones wai's me, do they do it on purpose?

Yes we Thais get together all the time to plan out ways to make the farang life miserable.

Just get a big laugh out of seeing the farang wai back and dropping both drinks.

[stroll]

Another one my Thai friends like to do is drive their car on the white line between two lanes, when they notice a farang driver behind them, then slow down to 25-30 km, and watch the farang's face turn from chalky white to the colour of a peeled pommegranate...

[lungbing]

My pet hate is queuing at the Post Office ( I am English !) and the same fat Thai lady has now come out of the lift and walks into the PO straight to front of the queue in front of me and gets served!

Derek

Khon Kaen

[wolf5370]

My pet hate is queuing at the Post Office ( I am English !) and the same fat Thai lady has now come out of the lift and walks into the PO straight to front of the queue in front of me and gets served!

Get her foot on the way out!!!

[medicinebox]

Gotta be Sophon Cable TV. (Pattaya)

Like when they change discs halfway through the movie, and either it starts at the begining again, or you get the blue "Aconatic" screen for 10 minutes. I always imagine some underpaid guy in a hot cramped little room full of monitors and cables, asleep on his chair, full of whiskey.

Or sat on the floor eating Laos food and playing cards with his mates, completely oblivious that its time to change the disc over. Then frantically washing the laos food off hands, to change the disc, while his mates are pissing themselves laughing, and shouting "lao lao!!"

The movie finishes, and you are just dozing off, then Tony's Discoteque advert blasts out in Thai 10 times louder than than it had been on the movie, you cant find the remote, but you will not go over and turn the tv volume down manually, because it means the tv has won you.

Oh yeah, while im on about it, ever got up at 5-6 am and flicked the tv on, and noticed all the decent movies are played in the dead air time hours. Then the crap ones all day.

[NedKelly]

A good idea for those who buy street food to take home and eat .........an thus accumulater loads of plastic bags and have trouble with undoing rubber bands..........go to a supermarket........probably a local type........and buy yourself a pinto or two......those stainless steel types are best.........if yo udont know what I mean a Pinto is one of those layered food carriers that have the locking device that folds down on top to lock each level together. They come in one level up to about 6 levels.

Anyway, get yourself the desired size and when you want to go and get some food, just take the pinto along. You canput rice in one and curry or whatever inthe other. If you regularly have freinds or family over for dinner , then buy a couple of different ones. You can eveneat out of them if you want so you wont have extra washing up !! The locasl love it whenyou turn up at the street stall or small restaurant with your pinto......gets a smil every time.

[davethailand]

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full

Agreed always when i've just picked up 2 drinks, walk along in the club and someones wai's me, do they do it on purpose?

Yes we Thais get together all the time to plan out ways to make the farang life miserable.

Just get a big laugh out of seeing the farang wai back and dropping both drinks.

I thought so,

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I could attach a megaphone on top of it so I could politely ask...

GET

This is the kind of language that I would expect to see in an Ajarn thread ...

I thought this place was for the 'Oi Polloi' of the ex-pat community; sadly miss-informed. I had hoped to engage the more intelligent members of this board in discussions concerning the current politician situation & impending humanitarian disaster in the Sudan. Ah well.. The embarrassment of buying condoms from a pretty girl in 7-11 is probably a more interesting topic anyway.

I agree. If he repeats it, Ajarn will welcome him coz we wont. /Admin

A little bit of gratuitous advice for Harry. The Hoi Polloi describes the common people, not the the upper class. It comes from Greek, and means ' the many ' Now you know

[Mr_Pedantic]

Gotta be Sophon Cable TV. (Pattaya)

Like when they change discs halfway through the movie, and either it starts at the begining again, or you get the blue "Aconatic" screen for 10 minutes. I always imagine some underpaid guy in a hot cramped little room full of monitors and cables, asleep on his chair, full of whiskey.

The movie finishes, and you are just dozing off, then Tony's Discoteque advert blasts out in Thai 10 times louder than than it had been on the movie, you cant find the remote, but you will not go over and turn the tv volume down manually, because it means the tv has won you.

Oh yeah, while im on about it, ever got up at 5-6 am and flicked the tv on, and noticed all the decent movies are played in the dead air time hours. Then the crap ones all day.

I thought I missed Sophon cable until you brought back a few memories.

When I moved a mile down the road and couldn't get Sophon Cable and had to put up with Banglamung cable because of location restrictions I was pretty miffed. But at least with Banglamung cable there are no Pattaya ads, no Pattaya Mail/Pattaya People news broadcasts which upset the schedules so often.

Just getting rid of those annoying 'Toe-neee' crap adverts every day is a Godsend.

Although Banglamung Cable only has one movie channel their selection is much better than the two Sophon Cable Movie channels. When I had Sophon I used to go to the movies once or twice a week since I've had Banglamung Cable the only time I go to see a movie is when I'm in Bangkok(Never anything to watch if I don't).

Banglamung always seem to use DVD's as there is very rarely a break to change a disc. They too show the best movies between 1am and 5am in the hope that someone is watching, it certainly isn't Thai people as Thai people don't read sub-titles unless they go to watch the latest movies at the cinema.

This year alone Banglamung cable have shown nearly 700 different movies.

My only complaint about the Movie channel is that they also show music concerts but if it wasn't for the occasional concert I'd never get anything done.

No I don't miss Sophon Cable one bit and when their limit restrictions were lifted on Jan 1st 2004 I never even thought about changing back. From time to time I look on the internet to see the latest Sophon Movie schedule and it has hardly changed since I left the 'Sophon area' 18 months ago.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

My pet hate is queuing at the Post Office ( I am English !) and the same fat Thai lady has now come out of the lift and walks into the PO straight to front of the queue in front of me and gets served!

Get her foot on the way out!!!

Or just lift her up and move her a bit to the left or right, and facing the way she came. Short one's try to get under my arms in bank queues. A dual elbow rearward movement slows 'em up.

[Up2U]

NEXT WEEK: People wai-ing me when I have my hands full

Agreed always when i've just picked up 2 drinks, walk along in the club and someones wai's me, do they do it on purpose?

I usually ask for the time

[Begs]

it certainly isn't Thai people as Thai people don't read sub-titles unless they go to watch the latest movies at the cinema.

Where did you get this little gem of Mis-information from?

[stroll]

Anyway, get yourself the desired size and when you want to go and get some food, just take the pinto along. You canput rice in one and curry or whatever inthe other. If you regularly have freinds or family over for dinner , then buy a couple of different ones. You can eveneat out of them if you want so you wont have extra washing up !! The locasl love it whenyou turn up at the street stall or small restaurant with your pinto......gets a smil every time.

When I eat ricesoup for breakfast, I let the lady in front of the local school ladle it into my bowl. The farang queueing for food with the school children, holding an empty bowl in front of him, I have the impression they like this sort of entertainment around here.

But carrying an empty family-size stack of pinto under my arm all day, until I ceremoniously undo the thing to have it filled at the end of the day -NO, I am not trying to win the 'Amazing Farang Award'.