Are You Prepared For The Abyss?

[dudemeister]

Escape plan? For what? A load of <deleted> from someone not here to see how life is.

I live here and am happy amongst Red / Yellow / Sky blue pink with red and yellow dots on. I get along with the great majority of Thai people I meet from the worker on the building site upwards. All it generally takes is a little effort to get along with people. Yes, some are never going to like us, no problem there.

And the British Embassy? What a load of tosspots they tend to be in a crisis. If I had to get out I would drive to the airport or the border, give the wife the keys to the car and tell her I'll be back when I can. Cannot see any reason for that to happen.

Cant blame the Brit Embassy, after all thats what all those juicy overseas postings are about.

UK bank holidays, Thai bank holidays, Staff training days, Civil unrest - Lock-up shop, and hit the beach!

[p_brownstone]

Can you understand this icon ?

Can you understand why I object to this:

"p_brownnosestone"

Uncalled for and crude.

Patrick

[473geo]

Uk govt should prepare to evacuate and save the female uni students to be sure Thailand will in the future have an educated base to return and carry the country forward

British expats should be buried where they fall to save unecessary expense....

[Penefattore]

Have you got your funds securely out somehow?

I have brought further funds in and put them all into the stock market

[elkangorito]

Can you understand this icon ?

Can you understand why I object to this:

"p_brownnosestone"

Uncalled for and crude.

Patrick

My apologees

I didn't realise that you decided to be offended.

[bprinceuk]

It will never ever happen that thais turn on farangs.

But if it did,we would have to rely on the Embassy to get us out quick or book a flight to anywhere.Would be horrible to leave my gf,but if i had too i would.The only sensible thing i can come up with is make certain your name/address is at the British Embassy unless you have something to hide

Somtampet, are you drunk already.....

1. It will never happen that Thais turn on farangs....really..... .....what do we base this on ??

2. British Embassy in Bangkok helping its Citizens/subjects..... .....

if the poo poo really hit the fan...Quinton Quayle and his band of merry civil servants will be sitting at Raffles in Singapore sipping champagne cocktails watching proceedings on the BBC....point being they dont give a sh*t about the British plebs who might be in trouble in Thailand...and would be out of Thailand like there ar*e's where on fire.... if it really kicked off here

You got that one right, very well put

[PhilHarries]

British expats should be buried where they fall to save unecessary expense....

Buried in the bars? Those headstones will be a tripping hazard for all the future imbibers.

Amazing, yet again, all the people whinging about the British Embasst closing. The self same people who bleat on about the encroachment of the nanny state.

There you go boys, nanny has gone, what are you gonna do now? Cry?

[Rinrada]

I dare the Red Shirts to come after me. I will take on the entire mob myself, with these two guns I call biceps.

Would worry about the red shirts commng to get ....its the other lot....

[bprinceuk]

it's not your conflict.

Pity someone didnt tell that <deleted> of a cockney gobbing off on the BCC or the Skippy SAS man who was wounded by a "dirty bullet"...

Hope the immigration managed to get the cockney's photograph for future reference when it comes time to renew his visa. He needs to remember that he is a guest in Thailand and should respect the cultures and laws. If he is not happy with the laws of the Country he can always leave.

[dudemeister]

British expats should be buried where they fall to save unecessary expense....

Buried in the bars? Those headstones will be a tripping hazard for all the future imbibers.

Amazing, yet again, all the people whinging about the British Embasst closing. The self same people who bleat on about the encroachment of the nanny state.

There you go boys, nanny has gone, what are you gonna do now? Cry?

Go down to the beach and look for nanny I suppose.

[milograves]

save the drama.

[Spee]

I have now been here for almost 40 unbroken years,

............

Keep out of known problem areas – if you can – and just wait for the Thais to sort it out in their own way, it’s not your conflict.

A voice of reason and experience is always welcome in difficult times. Great post, Patrick.

[thaibeachlovers]

It will never ever happen that thais turn on farangs.

But if it did,we would have to rely on the Embassy to get us out quick or book a flight to anywhere.Would be horrible to leave my gf,but if i had too i would.The only sensible thing i can come up with is make certain your name/address is at the British Embassy unless you have something to hide

Somtampet, are you drunk already.....

1. It will never happen that Thais turn on farangs....really..... .....what do we base this on ??

2. British Embassy in Bangkok helping its Citizens/subjects..... .....

if the poo poo really hit the fan...Quinton Quayle and his band of merry civil servants will be sitting at Raffles in Singapore sipping champagne cocktails watching proceedings on the BBC....point being they dont give a sh*t about the British plebs who might be in trouble in Thailand...and would be out of Thailand like there ar*e's where on fire.... if it really kicked off here

Along with all the rest of them. All a pack of *^&^%$^&&. Probably regard Thailand as a place to have lots of body massages nudge nudge; not to be actually saving their citizens in the event of trouble ( who's servants they are ).

[thaibeachlovers]

OP, I'm assuming you're in Bangkok. In Pattaya you wouldn't even know it's happening. Life goes on.........

Edited May 15, 2010 by thaibeachlovers

[NALAK]

if your in the safety of Europe dont worry about us on the ground so to speak, avoid greece at all costs and france, prone to riots as are parts of the USA. quite capable of thinking for myself thanks.

Embassey help, in my dreams, asked a consular the other day where is the office in Pattaya, what do you need to know that for was the reply ( i did help pay for it and its running cost), , just said i would like to know, reply up there and its hardly ever open. thanks Mr Consular for the reassuring words during the crisis. only thing Embassey wants is extortion amounts of money for stamping bits of paper. My misses has visa so if i do need to leave she comes with me, saves leaving her behind.

[somtamlover]

I can't wait to get back to Thailand! I've been stuck in the UK for a year.

[thaibeachlovers]

I can't wait to get back to Thailand! I've been stuck in the UK for a year.

You have my sympathy. The best thing about the last 7 months for me, has been not being there!

[hawthorne]

I have my re-entry plan. It is still two months away.

[Slip]

Ignore me. seems links to photobucket no longer allowed.

Edited May 15, 2010 by Slip

[elkangorito]

I have my re-entry plan. It is still two months away.

Are you on the latest space shuttle mission?

[hammered]

Escape plan? For what? A load of <deleted> from someone not here to see how life is.

I live here and am happy amongst Red / Yellow / Sky blue pink with red and yellow dots on. I get along with the great majority of Thai people I meet from the worker on the building site upwards. All it generally takes is a little effort to get along with people. Yes, some are never going to like us, no problem there.

And the British Embassy? What a load of tosspots they tend to be in a crisis. If I had to get out I would drive to the airport or the border, give the wife the keys to the car and tell her I'll be back when I can. Cannot see any reason for that to happen.

Agreed

[Soutpeel]

Escape plan? For what? A load of <deleted> from someone not here to see how life is.

I live here and am happy amongst Red / Yellow / Sky blue pink with red and yellow dots on. I get along with the great majority of Thai people I meet from the worker on the building site upwards. All it generally takes is a little effort to get along with people. Yes, some are never going to like us, no problem there.

And the British Embassy? What a load of tosspots they tend to be in a crisis. If I had to get out I would drive to the airport or the border, give the wife the keys to the car and tell her I'll be back when I can. Cannot see any reason for that to happen.

Agreed

Quite shocked that some members would be prepared to bail on their wives/families if things went poo poo in Thailand..

[jackr]

Op, farangs are not considered 'elite'. In fact, we're not considered anything here and would not become a target even if there were a civil war, which there wouldn't be. Most Thais just want a peaceful life and haven't the energy to war with one another. Don't forget, all of this is happening because of a bunch of folks have been paid to show up on the street; a minority amid 60-odd million.

[Heng]

There are some 'elite' farangs around, but just like the local elite they are in the minority. If you push your own shopping cart around/have to do visa runs/are posting on TV/etc., chances are you're not in the club.

[quiksilva]

Why would I abandon my wife and family? For better or for worse, we'll go through this together.

Edited May 16, 2010 by quiksilva

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Op, farangs are not considered 'elite'. In fact, we're not considered anything here and would not become a target even if there were a civil war, which there wouldn't be. Most Thais just want a peaceful life and haven't the energy to war with one another. Don't forget, all of this is happening because of a bunch of folks have been paid to show up on the street; a minority amid 60-odd million.

Mighty strange, when I pay 500 baht to get anything done around the house I don't nearly get the same level of selfless commitment, to the point of the guy dodging live bullets to fix my water pump, all for 500 baht a day.

I wonder what I am doing wrong.

Edited May 16, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Changian]

My escape plan involves a tunnel. Can't say anymore that that at the moment never know who else might be reading this. But if you have a shovel, old gas lamp and some free time PM me.

[Chunky1]

People are holding on as desperately as they can to the 500 baht a day argument, along with "Thaksin is going to be broke any day now", as if the 40% of Parliament seats the Red MP's hold and the television and radio shows aren't generating enough income to support these protests. And heck, the UK pound is bound to make up its 5 year losses, probably by the end of next month.

[barky]

Uk govt should prepare to evacuate and save the female uni students to be sure Thailand will in the future have an educated base to return and carry the country forward

British expats should be buried where they fall to save unecessary expense....

Especially all the ones that wear extra tight fitting shirts and short tight fitting skirts.

Thailand just wouldn't be the same without them.

On a more serious note. If there were far more (say 40% to 50%) women in offices of (real) AUTHORITY here in Thailand, there wouldn't be half the problems this country has.

Thailand wouldn't be in the hands of all the lazy, brain-dead, breast-fed, arrogant mommy's boys. (I'm aware some women here have the very same characteristics), but it is my conviction that women are harder working, far more concilliatory, honest, dilligent, far less corruptable and far less agressive than their menfolk.

[toptuan]

I arrived in Thailand in November 1971 to take up employment with a British Company here.

My first day in the Office was 17 November, and being used to the somewhat staid atmosphere of a London Office I was surprised to see the Thai staff in lively but in no way anxious conversation. Once I got my bearings I asked a senior Thai staffer what was going on, is the Office always like this?

His answer – "no, we have just had a Coup in Thailand". (This was Thanom Kittikachorns' "Coup against himself")

As a young Expat my first reaction was "how soon can I get out of here!?"

I have now been here for almost 40 unbroken years, and have seen several "Coups", some were bloody, yes, some were farcical (Tanks from upcountry based Regiments told to come to Bangkok and take over the Defence Ministry – manned by upcountry Thais who had never been to Bangkok and had to ask Traffic Police the way to the Defence Ministry: The leader of one failed Coup being arrested because his "escape Jeep" was stuck in a Bangkok Traffic jam – seriously).

Today I have just returned from a pleasant family trip to Lotus Srinakarin, a good lunch at Fuji (OK, I know not everyone's favourite Japanese eatery but the kids love it), signed my son up for a Course of basic Computer Programming, shopping and then back home.

All classes of Thai – and I guess Farang – there, everyone totally relaxed, no tension whatsoever, an absolutely different world to what is happening in a few isolated places elsewhere.

This is not to play down the undoubted problems being caused by Thaksins' paid minions in parts of Thailand (nor the validity of some of their complaints), however anyone who thinks that a Civil War will suddenly break out, and Thai will be clawing at Thai throughout the Nation because of this situation, is way off the mark.

Keep out of known problem areas – if you can – and just wait for the Thais to sort it out in their own way, it's not your conflict.

Patrick

Truly a long-term view from someone with a sense of history here in LOS, and who's seen it all first-hand, many times over.

The best post I've read in weeks.

Thank you Patrick.