Recent Events How Has The Farrang Community Been Effected

[ray23]

I know we have members that were got up in the Airport mess and I acknowledge those created problems for them. I also assume some members have been effected by the traffic in Bangkok. Also anyone who owns a business I can see how they can be directy effected. But, being a truly retired person livning in Udon things are really very different for me thus far.

I want to ask this question of the those of us who live here full time. How has this effected our lives beyond what is self impossed.

I will answer for myself, not one bit. I still do what I want to. But maybe I'm different I wouldn't go to anything like these ralley's anywhere.

I fell a bit of being threatened but in reality that is me not Thailand. Truth is I have never been threatened in anyway.

How about the rest of the farrang community. This is not a political discussion I want to know how we are really effected. Because I don't think we are as a community. I can feel for the problem, but we have no say.

[GuestHouse]

Well I have both a yellow and a red polo shirt, I don't wear either of them these days.

In fact, now I've thought about that, I'm going to move them into separate drawers.... can't be too careful.

[idrankwhat]

Business as usual, it hasn't had any effect on work, play or home life. As far as the wearing of red, yellow and perhaps now blue, but I guess I'm more of a black and white kind of guy anyway.

[sanook2me]

Its a good question

Not affected at all, I live in Pinklao and watching the stuff on TV still makes me think that its all happening in another country.

Its quite exciting on emails to folks back home - they imagine i live in a wooden shack surrounded by marauding mobs of angry protestors

[skipvice]

I am also Not affected at all. Most of the The Thais is this area of Thailand don't seem to be bothered, Business as usual.

[Beardog]

It might not have an immediate affect now, but this will definitely affect decisions of future expats thinking of retiring in Thailand.

I just talked to a friend who spent 4 months in Vietnam & he says he is sorry he wasted monies on building a house here. Vietnam is much more friendly to farang(according to him) & their immigration reporting is fair. No wonder why companies are moving their bases to a more stable country. I live in the country Not in the city so the crazyness does not have a direct affect on me but I do feel sorry for anyone that has a business or is close to the losers that are within the realm of the govn. here.

To bad they don't take a cue from the U.S. & grow some Nads & start severely punishing the people disrupting Thailand for what ever reason.

The chances of any shirt even getting close to the summit or an airport in the U.S. Or any govn. that is strong is nill to void.

Too bad the rest of the world watches & gets to see what an immature country this is with an entirely lawless base.

[Changian]

Deciding what to wear is becoming harder and harder now that blue t-shirts are out too.

[CelticBhoy]

Deciding what to wear is becoming harder and harder now that blue t-shirts are out too.

I'm looking forward to a 'green' group to get going.

Most of my wardrobe comprises of Celtic colours!

To answer the OP - this nonsense only bothers me when my wife

says she'd rather stay indoors instead of going out for the day. I feel

she is both frightened and embarassed by the whole charade.

That I find quite sad.

[ray23]

Future expats coming here. Now that one doesn't bother me at all. we got plenty in Udon anyway, may be different for others.

I finally came up wioh one thing that did effect me the change in ATM fees. But I don't think the recent events caused that.

If you have a business here and it tourist orientated I think that this will cause you additional problems. On the exort side I dont think anymore then already existed.

Shirts hey I wear what I want go one yellow one to honor the King on Mondays, don't own a red one. Blues but the wrong shade.

Seriously guys living in Issan I just don't see any effect yet. It may happen down line at some point they may decide we caused all this. But righ now they are to busy with eachother. We are not even a part of the thought procees.

This is what I see for us no change. an adverse change or a postive one. Out the three possibilites I t lean towards no change.

[Shotime]

I had been wondering the same thing. At the moment, the political situation has only been advantageous as there are fewer tourists, therefore prices have fallen for most everything. Rooms, food, etc.

I would much rather see the people happy. One reason I left Bangkok was cause I felt resentment on the increase. As economics get worse, I worry about how we will be treated. I realize places like Bangkok and Pattaya are different than more rural areas, but once the dam breaks, I doubt it will make any difference where you are or what color shirt you're wearing.

[LennyW]

Little or no effect here, other than having to "clarify" the situation to friends and relatives overseas, the media in the west with it's piss poor reporting blew the whole thing out of proportion, their emphasis on reporting that the "delegates had to be airlifted out" was diabolical, the reason the Exhibtion centre has a Helipad is for easy shuttle to and from the airports.!

Life is good in Jomtien!!

[thaimate]

the traffic here in Pattaya was diabolical and we were caught up in it,but apart from lots of police and soldiers sitting around looking bored we saw nothing in Banglamung.

however i cannot for the life of me see how the baht stays so strong when the rest of the world knows that Thailand is tearing itself apart.

[PeaceBlondie]

Yellow shirt on Monday, even up north. One of mine says in Thai, "I Love the King." Nothing wrong with that. I wore red one day this week; nothing wrong with that in Chiang Mai.

We discussed yesterday: will there be civil war? I really doubt it. How would civil war affect farang? I have no idea. When one unspeakable event transpires, I can see the airport closed for a day. But reopened if all goes well.

[Huey]

Not affected at all. the only thing I am a lil worried about is that I will soon be going through a custody battle to get my son from his mother for the summer and some holidays. I don't know if how Thailand looks now on the world stage will weigh against me with the judge.

[BigSnake]

I know we have members that were got up in the Airport mess and I acknowledge those created problems for them. I also assume some members have been effected by the traffic in Bangkok. Also anyone who owns a business I can see how they can be directy effected. But, being a truly retired person livning in Udon things are really very different for me thus far.

I want to ask this question of the those of us who live here full time. How has this effected our lives beyond what is self impossed.

I will answer for myself, not one bit. I still do what I want to. But maybe I'm different I wouldn't go to anything like these ralley's anywhere.

I fell a bit of being threatened but in reality that is me not Thailand. Truth is I have never been threatened in anyway.

How about the rest of the farrang community. This is not a political discussion I want to know how we are really effected. Because I don't think we are as a community. I can feel for the problem, but we have no say.

Ray, It's the traffic jam for me, when those old red shirts are doing their thing the traffic is redirected to small sois in my area, which can barely handle two lane of traffic on a normal day.

[Travel2003]

Has not affected me at all.

Seem to affect my family, relatives, friends and colleagues back home, since they keep asking me how it is to live in a chaotic 3rd world country.

I tell them the same, it doesnt affect me that much actually.

At least, not yet.

[Scott]

I am deeply affected by this. I now have a reason for watching television and checking ThaiVisa!!

[Penangkaki]

Well I have both a yellow and a red polo shirt, I don't wear either of them these days.

In fact, now I've thought about that, I'm going to move them into separate drawers.... can't be too careful.

Blue Polo shirt too, if you have one.

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Same same here in Lampang as well. Even during the coup of '06, life just carried on its lovely, meandering way despite the tanks 'down south'.

On a selfish note, I am quite pleased that there are fewer tourists in 'my town' as I can remain the local pop star in my TGF's village a little while longer

[thithi]

I am a bit affected. I am a uni student. So i don't have any problem with dressing in a week.

But Some classes, The teachers hate the PPP and the others hate PAD. So sometimes I have to listen to all them talking about politics on their minds for more 30 mins that annoys me a lot. I just wish they do talk about the lessons or something els. They event skipped teaching to join the mobs. One of them I had never seen before but I had to read a book [which are all covered with yellow] and took the exam.

this was so unfair. Hopng the next year in the uni will be better.

[davejonesbkk]

I am a bit affected. I am a uni student. So i don't have any problem with dressing in a week.

But Some classes, The teachers hate the PPP and the others hate PAD. So sometimes I have to listen to all them talking about politics on their minds for more 30 mins that annoys me a lot. I just wish they do talk about the lessons or something els. They event skipped teaching to join the mobs. One of them I had never seen before but I had to read a book [which are all covered with yellow] and took the exam.

this was so unfair. Hopng the next year in the uni will be better.

Which Uni?

[eldar1]

Except for the traffic jams cause by the red shirts, i've not really had any problems so far. I don't really think there will be much problems for farang in the near future. This might change if thaksin becomes PM again though, but until then i don't foresee anything that could affect the expat community

[thithi]

I am a bit affected. I am a uni student. So i don't have any problem with dressing in a week.

But Some classes, The teachers hate the PPP and the others hate PAD. So sometimes I have to listen to all them talking about politics on their minds for more 30 mins that annoys me a lot. I just wish they do talk about the lessons or something els. They event skipped teaching to join the mobs. One of them I had never seen before but I had to read a book [which are all covered with yellow] and took the exam.

this was so unfair. Hopng the next year in the uni will be better.

Which Uni?

Kasetsart Uni. to be clear, I did take 2 classes of History-eatern and western Civilization and some others which have nothing to do wwith the mobs.

[timekeeper]

I know we have members that were got up in the Airport mess and I acknowledge those created problems for them. I also assume some members have been effected by the traffic in Bangkok. Also anyone who owns a business I can see how they can be directy effected. But, being a truly retired person livning in Udon things are really very different for me thus far.

I want to ask this question of the those of us who live here full time. How has this effected our lives beyond what is self impossed.

I will answer for myself, not one bit. I still do what I want to. But maybe I'm different I wouldn't go to anything like these ralley's anywhere.

I fell a bit of being threatened but in reality that is me not Thailand. Truth is I have never been threatened in anyway.

How about the rest of the farrang community. This is not a political discussion I want to know how we are really effected. Because I don't think we are as a community. I can feel for the problem, but we have no say.

yesterday in Pattaya, i had occasion to want to enter the Soi near to Jamesons that leads to the back of Big C North Pattaya.

i had my wife and my 75 year old mother in the car.

as we approached to turn, a number of men surrounded the car and i was told in no uncertain terms that i could not enter what is a a public road and the point was emphasised by a number of men with their faces covered with bandanas waving fence posts and big sticks at me.

one of them drew his hand across his neck in a slicing motion.

another made motions like he was reaching for a gun inside his jacket

these men were dressed in RED

there was no provacation on my part and the show of strength/intimidation was totally unneccesary.

it did not help their case in my view and any sympathies i had for their cause were gone in that moment.

in my view mob mentality is endemic in Thais, whatever colour they wear.

the only place you will get a relatively fair fight in Thailand is in the boxing ring.

even then........

[GuestHouse]

in my view mob mentality is endemic in Thais, whatever colour they wear.

Actually its endemic in all people - as History attests.

[ray23]

Traffic around these things I'm sure was nightmare. Being threatned that tells me clearly these are things to stay away from. Thats not hard in Udon any activity here will be centered around the Government center most of our shopping is avialble on the rimg road. The last time the two groups went at eachother the only way I knew about it was the news. Just a normal day to me.

Plaese don't misudertand what I am saying stay away from these activites they can go bad in a second. What I'm saying is they will not seek us out. We don't matter. From the way events are flowing today this is far from over. But I will leave that to the other threads.

Sorry about your studies.

[theoldgit]

Well I have both a yellow and a red polo shirt, I don't wear either of them these days.

In fact, now I've thought about that, I'm going to move them into separate drawers.... can't be too careful.

What about your blue one?

[sassienie]

Because Thailand has for some time been politically unstable, no one knows what`s going to happen next.

It is a concern for all ex-pats living in Thailand, or if you`re not concerned, you should be.

[ray23]

Truht is I'm concerned for Thailand but I don't beleive for a second we will be harmed unless we get in the way. I have no intention of doing that.

[skipvice]

Truht is I'm concerned for Thailand but I don't beleive for a second we will be harmed unless we get in the way. I have no intention of doing that.

Same here