On 9/14/2025 at 11:23 AM, HappyExpat57 said:

Married to a Thai or not, this country does not welcome non-Thai's meddling in their politics. I think back to that Ozzie way back in the red vs yellow shirts protesting at Victory Monument getting arrested and kicked the hell out of LOS. This German guy should know better (as should his wife).

He was an idiot that guy. I met him previously in sihanoukville scambodia. He was all nice to me at the bar and then walked me home and started begging for money. I gave him a grotty cambodian note worth about 15c. Run forest run from that guy

7 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

I remember that Indian guy getting into big trouble. Was it the 'Reset' campaign?

Hes talking about the australian guy from brisbane that was arrested and deported

13 minutes ago, advancebooking said:

Hes talking about the australian guy from brisbane that was arrested and deported

Yes, but I was just mentioning the Indian guy who I think came close to being deported I think around 2012. He was stood on the back of a lorry during some protests in Bangkok and got in very big trouble over it. I was expecting him to be deported.

Foolish. He may have good intentions but should keep his nose out of Thai affairs.  He may now get the attention for all the wrong reasons because inevitably somebody will find objections for him being present at the event.

On 9/14/2025 at 12:15 PM, ravip said:

Does not look particularly intelligent either.

 

How did you decide on that?

Just askin'

He's noting the number of tattoos.

7 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

In essence, unless we have Thai citizenship then we are all have the same rights as a tourist.

 

Can't vote, most of us have to extend our temporary one year visa each year.

 

Do 90 day reporting online.

 

If we visit another area and stay in a hotel and then go back into our own area/house we have to report online with a TM30

 

Can not own the land a house sits on.

 

Can have our annual extension turned down at any time.

 

Rules and regulations can be changed at any time relating to our visa extensions, to me that means I am a glorified long term tourist.

 

The only 'farang' I know who has Thai citizenship is my son who was born in England, his mum is Thai and he now has a Thai passport, birth certificate from the embassy in London and a Thai ID, hence I could buy a house in his name without it being stolen by a dodgy Thai bird as I have heard has happened to so many stupid farangs. 😄

 

He lives and has a business in New Zealand but can live in Thailand in the future if he chooses for any amount of time.

 

Plus as mentioned by others we farangs should not be engaged in any sort of politics or have public opinions on such things.

 

If you think you live in Thailand permanently then you are deluded, always keep a few thousand quid in cash in reserve so you can do a quick runner if needed to the airport in the future if things turn sour. 

 

But to make things clear, I love being in Thailand, there are so many positive things to be had by being here, but I do know the reality. 

 

 

 

Foreign non residents receive a different treatment under the law depending on their visa. This is the same all over the world. For example, tourist visa holders in Thailand cannot legally obtain driver permits, nor Thai id cards, nor can they open bank accounts, nor can they work in Thailand. Specified visa holders are allowed to do so. They can even access the national healthcare system. In what country, are non nationals allowed to vote in national elections? How can you even  justify a demand for voting rights when you are not a citizen? If you want to vote, become a citizen. there is a forum section that profiles the people who have done so. It requires a knowledge of the language and  culture that almost all foreigners do not possess. Do you speak Thai to your  family? If you work, are you  doing so with the Thai language?

 

Thailand's home ownership exclusions  are intended to stop land speculation as  has been seen in parts of Australia, Canada, UK,  and USA. In some foreign jurisdictions, foreign non residents are subject to special taxes on their home ownership. For example, Canada has a non resident real estate tax. Foreign students are subject to  significantly higher tuition fees. Australia and Canada make a small fortune from this  inflated pricing.

 

The reality that you do not want to recognize is that you Thailand allows you to have a higher standard of living than if you were in your homeland. It Thailand's cost of living including housing costs mirrored those of other countries, then the likelihood of  foreign land speculators inflating housing costs would be lessened and home ownership rules could be changed.

 

In respect to the people with their hardluck tales of losing homes in domestic disputes, the responsibility rests with the foreigner who lost the asset. These people never listen and always know better than legal counsel. They are warned not to do certain things, but still do. They often take up with sex trade workers or low socio economic tier people, and then are surprised when they lose out. One can't fix stupid. There are ways to lock up assets, but these self proclaimed legal experts always know better or do not want to pay the cost of doing so.

On 9/14/2025 at 12:23 AM, HappyExpat57 said:

Married to a Thai or not, this country does not welcome non-Thai's meddling in their politics. I think back to that Ozzie way back in the red vs yellow shirts protesting at Victory Monument getting arrested and kicked the hell out of LOS. This German guy should know better (as should his wife).

I remember that time well.  I was sure to not wear any yellow or red shirt outside . 

On 9/14/2025 at 10:56 AM, Georgealbert said:

She said both felt sorrow over the deaths of Thai soldiers and civilians,

A typical Thai short or very selective memory...

It was a Thai soldier that shot a Cambodian soldier that kicked all this off.

Wow !!! glad to see all the  righteous virtue signalers are out in force judging the book by the cover.

Tattoos ....  shirt... German    does that matter as oppossed to what is in his heart  ?

Maybe ...  he's a well liked and appreciated person in his village..  maybe they asked him to come and join in ?

Do you think for a moment there was not a police / military presence observing ?

Come on people,    get down off the bar stool, remove the stick from your a*s  and join the world !

 

 

2 hours ago, CLUBBER said:

I remember that time well.  I was sure to not wear any yellow or red shirt outside . 

I was working at a school in Bangbon at the time and they forbade us to wear either colored shirts.

23 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Is his wife wearing a Mjolnir (Thor's hammer) necklace?

 

No 2 Bht for her 

23 hours ago, BerndD said:

If all foreigners in Thailand would go back to their home country to solve the problems there, there would be almost no foreigners to be found here. Americans not at all!

To my special friend: I forgot to highlite this: Americans not at all!

This baht and paid *person* a full on 1000% crisis actor.  💯0

 

No foreigner would ever join any so called protest of any kind.

 

@Woke to Sounds

 

Offensive comment edited.

 

 

 

8. You will not post vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

On 9/14/2025 at 11:55 PM, Patong2021 said:

 

He is not intelligent because he ignores the social norms that say that foreigners should not inject themselves into political or national security issues in Thailand by participating in domestic political protests. He is not Thai.  He is attending a public event. 40+ years old, wearing an Iron Maiden muscle shirt, sans muscles, covered in ink, and wearing accessories common to 12 year olds. And to top it off, he offers a vacant stare.He is dressed for cleaning out the garden shed or washing the dog. The logical conclusion is that he occupies a lower socio economic tier. Yes, that is a judgemental statement, but Thailand is image conscious and how one is dressed in public speaks volumes.

 

 

The other protestors aren't exactly high class people themselves. They're villagers from nearby areas. He fits right in.

5 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

Wow !!! glad to see all the  righteous virtue signalers are out in force judging the book by the cover.

Tattoos ....  shirt... German    does that matter as oppossed to what is in his heart  ?

Maybe ...  he's a well liked and appreciated person in his village..  maybe they asked him to come and join in ?

Do you think for a moment there was not a police / military presence observing ?

Come on people,    get down off the bar stool, remove the stick from your a*s  and join the world !

 

 

 

Good point.

 

I respect him for speaking his mind. 

 

However, he'll be marked by Cambodia as a persona non-grata, which is why I would never interject myself into this dispute in any way, favoring one country over the other.

 

I realize that this is all about politics and trying to win leverage over the other side, but as someone who lives in and visits both countries and who has business interests in the other, I can't do anything that would jeopardize my ability to travel freely between the two countries.

 

Of course, at the moment, overland travel is banned (except via Laos or Vietnam) and very likely Cambodian customs won't grant entry to a Thai vehicle coming in overland (I have the contact of both the Lao and Cambodian customs officials at the Lao-Cambodian border).

 

However, I can still fly, I can still come overland without my vehicle and should the border ever reopen, I'll be able to drive to Cambodia again from Thailand as I've been doing up until recently.

 

I say the same to all the pro Thai YouTubers and personalities such as David William. Your online protests and war of words could come back to haunt you. Don't expect to ever be allowed entry into Cambodia now or in the future.

 

Personally, that's not a position I'd like to be in while living in the region. 

10 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Foreign non residents receive a different treatment under the law depending on their visa. This is the same all over the world. For example, tourist visa holders in Thailand cannot legally obtain driver permits, nor Thai id cards, nor can they open bank accounts, nor can they work in Thailand. Specified visa holders are allowed to do so. They can even access the national healthcare system. In what country, are non nationals allowed to vote in national elections? How can you even  justify a demand for voting rights when you are not a citizen? If you want to vote, become a citizen. there is a forum section that profiles the people who have done so. It requires a knowledge of the language and  culture that almost all foreigners do not possess. Do you speak Thai to your  family? If you work, are you  doing so with the Thai language?

 

Thailand's home ownership exclusions  are intended to stop land speculation as  has been seen in parts of Australia, Canada, UK,  and USA. In some foreign jurisdictions, foreign non residents are subject to special taxes on their home ownership. For example, Canada has a non resident real estate tax. Foreign students are subject to  significantly higher tuition fees. Australia and Canada make a small fortune from this  inflated pricing.

 

The reality that you do not want to recognize is that you Thailand allows you to have a higher standard of living than if you were in your homeland. It Thailand's cost of living including housing costs mirrored those of other countries, then the likelihood of  foreign land speculators inflating housing costs would be lessened and home ownership rules could be changed.

 

In respect to the people with their hardluck tales of losing homes in domestic disputes, the responsibility rests with the foreigner who lost the asset. These people never listen and always know better than legal counsel. They are warned not to do certain things, but still do. They often take up with sex trade workers or low socio economic tier people, and then are surprised when they lose out. One can't fix stupid. There are ways to lock up assets, but these self proclaimed legal experts always know better or do not want to pay the cost of doing so.

 

You've got your facts mixed up.

 

Tourists CAN obtain a 2 year driver's license.

 

No foreigner can obtain a Thai ID card. That's for Thai citizens only.

 

Thai citizenship doesn't require fluency in the Thai language strangely enough. 

 

Many of us do speak fluent Thai. We're not all as lazy and incapable as you are. It's not that hard. Spend an hour a day reading and watching YouTube videos about how to learn Thai and you'll become fluent in no time.

 

🤣 😂  higher standard of living than at home? Another bunch of nonsense. Americans have the largest homes in the world...definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand..Thailand has a better climate than most of the west but it doesn't have the same creature comforts. It's cheaper though, hence why so many expats live here.

16 hours ago, advancebooking said:

He was an idiot that guy. I met him previously in sihanoukville scambodia. He was all nice to me at the bar and then walked me home and started begging for money. I gave him a grotty cambodian note worth about 15c. Run forest run from that guy

 I very much doubt someone protesting against Cambodia has been to that country, unless he was kicked out of there and now holds a grudge.

21 hours ago, thecyclist said:

Yes you should stay out of Thai politics, but how "political" is this really. It's not liking taking side in the yellow/red shirt, or pro/anti Thaksin dispute, that would be full blown Thai politics. 

If there is one thing the vast majority of Thais can agree on, it is their dislike of Cambodia and Cambodians. 

If I were the tattooed German, I wouldn't show my face on the other side of the border, after my pic was plastered all over the press waving a Thai flag in a anti Khmer rally. The take their anti Thai sentiments very serious over there. 

 Fully agree.

 

Chances are, he won't be allowed to enter Cambodia and has been put on a blacklist.

21 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 

He gets my support here in Cambodia. With all Thai produce and products banned, we are very much enjoying a better selection from other International friendly nations. For example, out went all Thai milk products such as Foremost, Dutch Mill and Thai-Denmark to be replaced with Australian, New Zealand and French brands. Just recently, full cream and low fat milk cartons have been stocked up in our local supermarket from Poland (EU) at 1.80 US$ (57 baht) per litre! Most of our cooked and processed meats (and sausages) are now supplied by Dan Meats in Australia. Out have gone CP, Eurola and Thai German meats and sausages. The UK CO-OP and Morrisons Supermarket products also dominate our shelves - GREAT! Keep the ban on Thai products. 

 

Angkor Supermarket always had a wide selection of produce from various European countries, Australia, Vietnam and elsewhere. Even long before the current border debacle.

 

I would always make it a point to purchase these imports whenever I make a trip to Siem Reap (or Phnom Penh, when I would go to Smile convenience stores, Big C Mini, AEON or other places). Big C Mini in Phnom Penh sells a lot of French products. I would go there for those.

 

I don't like Thai products much because they're full of additives, hormones etc and they're of poor quality.

 

Seeing 8-10 different flavors of Bundaberg drinks at Angkor Supermarket is exciting....you don't get this range in Thailand. Same with alcoholic beverages, yogurts and other non-alcoholic beverages. The range is much better than even at the best supermarkets in Thailand. However, Thailand is better for imported cereals and certain other products.

29 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

You've got your facts mixed up.

 

Tourists CAN obtain a 2 year driver's license.

 

No foreigner can obtain a Thai ID card. That's for Thai citizens only.

 

Thai citizenship doesn't require fluency in the Thai language strangely enough. 

 

Many of us do speak fluent Thai. We're not all as lazy and incapable as you are. It's not that hard. Spend an hour a day reading and watching YouTube videos about how to learn Thai and you'll become fluent in no time.

 

🤣 😂  higher standard of living than at home? Another bunch of nonsense. Americans have the largest homes in the world...definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand..Thailand has a better climate than most of the west but it doesn't have the same creature comforts. It's cheaper though, hence why so many expats live here.

Another bunch of nonsense. Americans have the largest homes in the world...  to impress who ? chasing that  dream that many can't afford

 

definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand.  can't agree with that  ..  life is much simpler here in Thailand and I find it aof a much higher   "Quality"  it's optimal for me

Thailand has a better climate than most of the west but it doesn't have the same creature comforts. It's cheaper though, hence why so many expats live here.  again ..    you live to  not above your means  Home is what you make it... !

1 hour ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Angkor Supermarket always had a wide selection of produce from various European countries, Australia, Vietnam and elsewhere. Even long before the current border debacle.

 

I would always make it a point to purchase these imports whenever I make a trip to Siem Reap (or Phnom Penh, when I would go to Smile convenience stores, Big C Mini, AEON or other places). Big C Mini in Phnom Penh sells a lot of French products. I would go there for those.

 

I don't like Thai products much because they're full of additives, hormones etc and they're of poor quality.

 

Seeing 8-10 different flavors of Bundaberg drinks at Angkor Supermarket is exciting....you don't get this range in Thailand. Same with alcoholic beverages, yogurts and other non-alcoholic beverages. The range is much better than even at the best supermarkets in Thailand. However, Thailand is better for imported cereals and certain other products.

 

Thank you for your interesting comments and the big Angkor Supermarket on Highway 1 (towards the old airport) is the one I regularly use. For top-ups, I use the smaller branch near Hard Rock Cafe in Wat Damnak, The one in the city centre has been relocated to nearby Lucky Mall, which closed during Covid, and there is another smart new branch on the road out towards Angkor Wat. 

 

I totally agree with your comments about the selection of products and the different non-Thai brands on offer. For me, the choice of English Ciders is exciting, and they change almost on a daily basis due to high demand (as is the case for many other non-Thai products).  As a diabetic, I have always avoided many Thai products due to their high sugar content - mayonnaise and salad cream being two examples - they are disgustingly sweet!

 

For reference, due to the Cambodian people's boycott of Thai products, businesses such as PTT, 7-11. Amazon Coffee, Big C Mini. CP, Betagro and Makro are shadows of their former selves.

Thailand must be losing out on exports, with the resulting loss of income. Yes, I know this is a drop in the ocean but it is still a loss for Thailand. Cambodia's gain is the wider selection of quality products without the scourge of Thai protectionism!

17 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Foreign non residents receive a different treatment under the law depending on their visa. This is the same all over the world. For example, tourist visa holders in Thailand cannot legally obtain driver permits, nor Thai id cards, nor can they open bank accounts, nor can they work in Thailand. Specified visa holders are allowed to do so. They can even access the national healthcare system. In what country, are non nationals allowed to vote in national elections? How can you even  justify a demand for voting rights when you are not a citizen? If you want to vote, become a citizen. there is a forum section that profiles the people who have done so. It requires a knowledge of the language and  culture that almost all foreigners do not possess. Do you speak Thai to your  family? If you work, are you  doing so with the Thai language?

 

Thailand's home ownership exclusions  are intended to stop land speculation as  has been seen in parts of Australia, Canada, UK,  and USA. In some foreign jurisdictions, foreign non residents are subject to special taxes on their home ownership. For example, Canada has a non resident real estate tax. Foreign students are subject to  significantly higher tuition fees. Australia and Canada make a small fortune from this  inflated pricing.

 

The reality that you do not want to recognize is that you Thailand allows you to have a higher standard of living than if you were in your homeland. It Thailand's cost of living including housing costs mirrored those of other countries, then the likelihood of  foreign land speculators inflating housing costs would be lessened and home ownership rules could be changed.

 

In respect to the people with their hardluck tales of losing homes in domestic disputes, the responsibility rests with the foreigner who lost the asset. These people never listen and always know better than legal counsel. They are warned not to do certain things, but still do. They often take up with sex trade workers or low socio economic tier people, and then are surprised when they lose out. One can't fix stupid. There are ways to lock up assets, but these self proclaimed legal experts always know better or do not want to pay the cost of doing so.

 

I opened a bank account using a 30 day tourist visa.

 

"How can you even  justify a demand for voting rights when you are not a citizen"

 

I am not demanding anything, I am stating it is virtually impossible for farangs to become citizens even after being here 20+ years.

 

"If you work, are you  doing so with the Thai language?"

 

I am retired, I would not have worked here for the peanuts they pay. Comparison, the minimum wage here is 400 baht a day, my pay was £400 for half a day at the time I worked.

 

I do 'talk' to my computer though in a number of programming languages I wonder if it will give me citizenship. 😃

 

"The reality that you do not want to recognize is that you Thailand allows you to have a higher standard of living than if you were in your homeland."

 

Well I have a car in the UK, a car here, a nice place to stay in the UK and here, I have all the food I need, clothes and all the rest in both countries with money to spare so no my standard of living in not higher here than in the UK, especially when it comes to medical treatment.

 

"In respect to the people with their hardluck tales of losing homes in domestic disputes, the responsibility rests with the foreigner who lost the asset. These people never listen and always know better than legal counsel. They are warned not to do certain things, but still do. They often take up with sex trade workers or low socio economic tier people, and then are surprised when they lose out. One can't fix stupid. There are ways to lock up assets, but these self proclaimed legal experts always know better or do not want to pay the cost of doing so."

 

We fully agree on that one, I have always stayed well away from the bar girl type of woman and the stores some farangs tell me of being ripped off make me laugh.

 

My assets and money are in the UK, my Thai partner has her own properties and money in Thailand so we are both content with that set up.

 

My comments were not complaints, I was just pointing to the many farangs I come across who think they are part of Thailand and speak of it in a condescending way as they have been here for decades that they are second class and then will never be part of Thailand. 

 

I don't mind being a farang here as the UK is just a plane ride away if things turn negative towards farangs in the future as Thailand becomes entwined with the China and the rest of the Easter economic group which is being formed to counter the threats from the current economic actions by the USA.

6 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

Another bunch of nonsense. Americans have the largest homes in the world...  to impress who ? chasing that  dream that many can't afford

 

definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand.  can't agree with that  ..  life is much simpler here in Thailand and I find it aof a much higher   "Quality"  it's optimal for me

Thailand has a better climate than most of the west but it doesn't have the same creature comforts. It's cheaper though, hence why so many expats live here.  again ..    you live to  not above your means  Home is what you make it... !

 

I explained it well enough. If you're OK living with fewer creature comforts...smaller homes, likely fewer friends, not being to communicate easily due to not knowing the local lingo...dealing with immigration woes and so forth...then perhaps the better climate and more relaxed lifestyle make up for it.

 

Anyway, why are we going off topic here? The topic is about a German man standing in solidarity with local villagers. Nothing to do with which country or society has better living standards.

4 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Thank you for your interesting comments and the big Angkor Supermarket on Highway 1 (towards the old airport) is the one I regularly use. For top-ups, I use the smaller branch near Hard Rock Cafe in Wat Damnak, The one in the city centre has been relocated to nearby Lucky Mall, which closed during Covid, and there is another smart new branch on the road out towards Angkor Wat. 

 

I totally agree with your comments about the selection of products and the different non-Thai brands on offer. For me, the choice of English Ciders is exciting, and they change almost on a daily basis due to high demand (as is the case for many other non-Thai products).  As a diabetic, I have always avoided many Thai products due to their high sugar content - mayonnaise and salad cream being two examples - they are disgustingly sweet!

 

For reference, due to the Cambodian people's boycott of Thai products, businesses such as PTT, 7-11. Amazon Coffee, Big C Mini. CP, Betagro and Makro are shadows of their former selves.

Thailand must be losing out on exports, with the resulting loss of income. Yes, I know this is a drop in the ocean but it is still a loss for Thailand. Cambodia's gain is the wider selection of quality products without the scourge of Thai protectionism!

 

Yes apparently around 3% of the revenue of some of these companies is affected, which is actually significant. 

 

Love the English ciders. They're the best quality. I always bring back a few whenever I'm in Siem Reap.

 

The new Angkor Supermarket on the way to Angkor Wat is the one I usually go to now. Better range than the one on highway 6.

 

Thai mayonnaise,  ewww! Can't stand it.

7 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

You've got your facts mixed up.

 

Tourists CAN obtain a 2 year driver's license.

 

No foreigner can obtain a Thai ID card. That's for Thai citizens only.

 

Thai citizenship doesn't require fluency in the Thai language strangely enough. 

 

Many of us do speak fluent Thai. We're not all as lazy and incapable as you are. It's not that hard. Spend an hour a day reading and watching YouTube videos about how to learn Thai and you'll become fluent in no time.

 

🤣 😂  higher standard of living than at home? Another bunch of nonsense. Americans have the largest homes in the world...definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand..Thailand has a better climate than most of the west but it doesn't have the same creature comforts. It's cheaper though, hence why so many expats live here.

 

You said "Americans have the largest homes in the world...definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand...."

 

I worked near Arlington Texas for six months and as far as I could see a lot of the house were like garden sheds, small wooden houses made of flimsy wood.

 

What about the people who live in tent cities as they are homeless, is that a better standard than in Thailand.

 

I also worked for a year in New Jersey, it was a year contract for AT&T as a software engineer so I rented.

 

It was a purpose built block, I was on the ground floor and a man and wife lived above (separate entrances).

 

The place was so flimsy, chip board and the like and so I could hear them talking to each other upstairs, very low quality.

 

The cooker and kitchen appliances looked to me like they were from the 1960's.

 

Even the larger houses are made from flimsy wood and as we see on an annual basis many of them are blown over by a bit of wind due to their flimsiness, the only thing remaining are the brick chimneys. 

 

All of the houses I have seen in Thailand are made from steel reenforced concrete frames, the walls are brick including the internal ones, the roof cross sections are made of thick steel and finished off with heavy concrete tiles and will still be there long after the American wood chip house have blown away.

 

I think most American roofs are made of felt or some sort of low quality wood?

 

 

11 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

You said "Americans have the largest homes in the world...definitely there's a better quality of life there than in Thailand...."

 

I worked near Arlington Texas for six months and as far as I could see a lot of the house were like garden sheds, small wooden houses made of flimsy wood.

 

What about the people who live in tent cities as they are homeless, is that a better standard than in Thailand.

 

I also worked for a year in New Jersey, it was a year contract for AT&T as a software engineer so I rented.

 

It was a purpose built block, I was on the ground floor and a man and wife lived above (separate entrances).

 

The place was so flimsy, chip board and the like and so I could hear them talking to each other upstairs, very low quality.

 

The cooker and kitchen appliances looked to me like they were from the 1960's.

 

Even the larger houses are made from flimsy wood and as we see on an annual basis many of them are blown over by a bit of wind due to their flimsiness, the only thing remaining are the brick chimneys. 

 

All of the houses I have seen in Thailand are made from steel reenforced concrete frames, the walls are brick including the internal ones, the roof cross sections are made of thick steel and finished off with heavy concrete tiles and will still be there long after the American wood chip house have blown away.

 

I think most American roofs are made of felt or some sort of low quality wood?

 

 

 

Yawn.

 

Many Thai homes are poorly built, particularly in Central Thailand, where subsidence is an issue, the columns are often not placed down in the ground deeply enough. This means homes often start sagging and/or floors may start becoming uneven. Workmanship overall is not great either. Defects are common even in well known condos.

 

Regarding home sizes, American homes are HUGE and so is the size of the land they sit on. A few anecdotes about small homes that you saw doesn't change that.

 

There's just much more land, much more space in America than in Thailand.

 

Let's talk about the 10% of Thais who live in shantytowns and slums if we're flexing about poverty.

 

Let it go. We're getting way off topic already.

16 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Yawn.

 

Many Thai homes are poorly built, particularly in Central Thailand, where subsidence is an issue, the columns are often not placed down in the ground deeply enough. This means homes often start sagging and/or floors may start becoming uneven. Workmanship overall is not great either. Defects are common even in well known condos.

 

Regarding home sizes, American homes are HUGE and so is the size of the land they sit on. A few anecdotes about small homes that you saw doesn't change that.

 

There's just much more land, much more space in America than in Thailand.

 

Let's talk about the 10% of Thais who live in shantytowns and slums if we're flexing about poverty.

 

Let it go. We're getting way off topic already.

 

Yawn re Some Americans talking it big.

 

I suppose the thousands of homes I mentioned were mirages and no one lives in a tent or a garden shed over there.

 

Maybe they were actors playing a part in a film. 😃

 

I was talking to a Canadian who had just bought a house next to my sister's house in London a few months ago, the house was 145 years old and still solid.

 

He told me of the wooden sheds he had lived in Canada and America and the low quality of builds there.

 

Maybe it is trendy to pretend to be poor in the USA and live in a tent or a car or small wooden sheds. 

 

10% of Thais? That means 90% are living in decent houses I suppose. 

 

1 hour ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Yes apparently around 3% of the revenue of some of these companies is affected, which is actually significant. 

 

Love the English ciders. They're the best quality. I always bring back a few whenever I'm in Siem Reap.

 

The new Angkor Supermarket on the way to Angkor Wat is the one I usually go to now. Better range than the one on highway 6.

 

Thai mayonnaise,  ewww! Can't stand it.

 

Thanks, yes indeed, Highway 6 and not Highway 1 (apologies)

6 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

I opened a bank account using a 30 day tourist visa.

 

"How can you even  justify a demand for voting rights when you are not a citizen"

 

I am not demanding anything, I am stating it is virtually impossible for farangs to become citizens even after being here 20+ years.

 

"If you work, are you  doing so with the Thai language?"

 

I am retired, I would not have worked here for the peanuts they pay. Comparison, the minimum wage here is 400 baht a day, my pay was £400 for half a day at the time I worked.

 

I do 'talk' to my computer though in a number of programming languages I wonder if it will give me citizenship. 😃

 

"The reality that you do not want to recognize is that you Thailand allows you to have a higher standard of living than if you were in your homeland."

 

Well I have a car in the UK, a car here, a nice place to stay in the UK and here, I have all the food I need, clothes and all the rest in both countries with money to spare so no my standard of living in not higher here than in the UK, especially when it comes to medical treatment.

 

"In respect to the people with their hardluck tales of losing homes in domestic disputes, the responsibility rests with the foreigner who lost the asset. These people never listen and always know better than legal counsel. They are warned not to do certain things, but still do. They often take up with sex trade workers or low socio economic tier people, and then are surprised when they lose out. One can't fix stupid. There are ways to lock up assets, but these self proclaimed legal experts always know better or do not want to pay the cost of doing so."

 

We fully agree on that one, I have always stayed well away from the bar girl type of woman and the stores some farangs tell me of being ripped off make me laugh.

 

My assets and money are in the UK, my Thai partner has her own properties and money in Thailand so we are both content with that set up.

 

My comments were not complaints, I was just pointing to the many farangs I come across who think they are part of Thailand and speak of it in a condescending way as they have been here for decades that they are second class and then will never be part of Thailand. 

 

I don't mind being a farang here as the UK is just a plane ride away if things turn negative towards farangs in the future as Thailand becomes entwined with the China and the rest of the Easter economic group which is being formed to counter the threats from the current economic actions by the USA.

 

And the reality is that we most likely are in agreement on 99% of what you write and disagree on 1%. This being Asean Now, the emphasis is on the 1% in disagreement to the detriment of the 99% of the agreed upon items.

 

BTW, I do not believe it is possible to now open a bank account while on a 30 or 60 day tourist visa. Those were the good old days when Bangla road was one way, and Pattaya didn't have the negative vibe and when I could enjoy Chiang Mai in March without choking on smoke.