The Most Shocking Thing You Saw Recently

[Gazza]

The most shocking thing I saw was the notice board full of graphic pictures of Road Traffic Accidents, limbs and stuff all over the place, very gory. 

This was while I was waiting at the bus station for a bus to Bangkok.. 

totster 

They have the same type of pictures on Rama IV near Silom. Believe it is an accident victum help center or similar.

I remember getting off the bus for a smoke at the Kalasin bus station and seeing pics of accidents. They were all of buses with their sides peeled open like sardine cans, front ends mangled or the back end smashed in.

Thereafter, when booking a seat on a bus and asked where I wanted to sit, "THERE!" I'd say, pointing my finger on a seating chart. I always pointed to an aisle seat in the middle of the bus.

Tywais, is that the rescue center on the temple grounds on the corner of Rama 4 and Si Phraya?

The pics there used to give me nightmares.

Still, it's made me ride a lot more cautiously ever since seeing them.

[chownah]

If I want to kiss my wife...even just an affectionate non passion sort of kiss....we have to first be sure that no one can see us...I think the most shocking thing to be seen in Thailand is a husband kissing his wife!!!!!

[OlRedEyes]

Good question!!

My husband remembers way back when he was a very small child they had saltwater crocs on koh phangan but they are all gone now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm... handbags ?

totster

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...or dinner....

[Abandon]

If I want to kiss my wife...even just an affectionate non passion sort of kiss....we have to first be sure that no one can see us...I think the most shocking thing to be seen in Thailand is a husband kissing his wife!!!!!

Handy when it's not your own wife you are kissing.

[lampard10]

The most shocking thing I've seen in Thailand, I see reguarly every day. People putting ice in their beer. In England we complain about watered down beer.

[Neeranam]

If I want to kiss my wife...even just an affectionate non passion sort of kiss....we have to first be sure that no one can see us...I think the most shocking thing to be seen in Thailand is a husband kissing his wife!!!!!

Same here, disgusting ain't it

[sriracha john]

your spider looks a bit like:

Aplopelma minex

Did you trap it/keep it? An online store is selling them for US$167 for a mounted one.

http://www.route5.com/HomeDecor/thembugs.html

[Soph]

I could have sold the giant scorpion on there

[BambinA]

I could have sold the giant scorpion on there 

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good idea babe ...

[sriracha john]

This freaked me out a week or so ago when I nearly trod on it in my kitchen.

I have tried identifying it but cant find out much about this spider on the net, I cant see it on any sites that cover Thailands creepy crawlies. The Thais say that they have never seen a spider like that.

Any help identifying the spider would be great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Upon further review, a female Cinammon tarantula (Crassicrus Lamanai) seems to be a match. The smooth, black upper legs with hairy, brown lower legs is rather distinctive.

http://markmlucas.com/images/invertabrates/cinnamon%203.JPG

Perhaps the local Thais didn't recognize it and you couldn't find it on Thai-related sites is because it's not native to Thailand, but instead is from Belize and Central America. It might have hitched a ride on something imported or come in as an imported pet and escaped at some point. Given the same climate and topography, this immigrant-without-a-visa could have been on Koh Phayam for quite some time and would have adapted well.

[lordsux]

your spider looks a bit like:

Aplopelma minex

Did you trap it/keep it? An online store is selling them for US$167 for a mounted one.

http://www.route5.com/HomeDecor/thembugs.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Much to my dismay my GF sussed I was up to something (I grabbed the camera, went very quiet, and and while looking through the lens I saw the snake stick splatter the poor thing. One shot, one kill!! I was not happy about that at all.

GF's not happy now seeing that a dead specimen can fetch a fair amount of cash, what would a live specimen fetch?

Thais say its bad luck to kill a spider, killing it certainly didnt bring good luck!

Funilly enough there was a one hour program on MCOT about the worlds big spiders, if the GF had seen the program before then she said that she would not have killed it, and has promised never to kill anything again before consulting me first.

Indian crocodiless, Central American spiders....wonder whats next??

A TV nature forum would be good, must be loads of good pictures and stories about the Thai nature to be shown and told.

Edited September 27, 2005 by lordsux

[sriracha john]

From Bangkok Herald Examiner:

Stunned residents of Koh Phayam were shocked today to find a huge pair of Alaskan Polar Bears with a fresh kill on the beaches of Ao Khao Fai this morning. Apparently the polar bears, who brought their own ice flows to the otherwise balmy beach, were attracted to the idyllic island as news spread of several other foreign animals finding it a nice place to take refuge. Their meal was a seal that had also made the journey, but was attacked at the last moment by the bear duo who had befriended him and convinced him to swim with them from Alaska.

[Soph]

[Gazza]

SJohn, you had me fooled with that spoof report until I saw it was from the 'Bangkok Herald Examiner'. There is no such paper by that name.

You'll have to get up early in the morning to get one over on Ol' Gazza.

[LindsayBKK]

For those farang who go to Poipet for a visa will know the ugly sites of the young and old with missing limbs or worse just the kids there begging for money. If you think you live in a s..t hole visit this place.

But I remember the first time when I came to Thailand I stayed in a Bungalow at Cha-Am somewhere. I went to the fridge to get a drink and before I closed the door looked down and saw a scorpion at my toe. Yes I jumped about 6 feet backwards. It made me open my eyes more thats for sure.

[sriracha john]

SJohn, you had me fooled with that spoof report until I saw it was from the 'Bangkok Herald Examiner'. There is no such paper by that name.

You'll have to get up early in the morning to get one over on Ol' Gazza. 

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hahahaha... that's PRECISELY why I HAD to use the fictitious paper's name...

Just imagine if I HAD said Bangkok Post...far too many concrete thinkers here who wouldn't be able to spot the absurdity of the report's contents... and would go ape-crazy booking passages to Koh Phayam to view the bears...

[Gazza]

I went to the fridge to get a drink and before I closed the door looked down and saw a scorpion at my toe. Yes I jumped about 6 feet backwards. It made me open my eyes more thats for sure.

I've seen a few scorpions and loads of snakes up in Isaan and elsewhere in Thailand but the wildlife here has never really frightened me except on one occassion.

Now, I don't like cockroaches at the best of times but when I first saw one take flight for the first time and head straight towards me...well... let's just say that it scored a big 11 on the sphincter-pucker meter.

I thought Jeez, are these things mutants or something? I'd seen loads of cockies in England but just never knew they were able to fly 'till I came here.

Edited September 27, 2005 by Gazza

[sbk]

Afraid of cockroaches???

Nah, it's the cobras in the front garden that tend to freak me out. The one that came into the kitchen through the back door was a bit stressful too. And then the one that decided to make it's home behind the toilet was kinda freaky.

but cockroaches? Just disgusting, thats all.

[Chang_paarp]

Now, I don't like cockroaches at the best of times but when I first saw one take flight for the first time and head straight towards me...well... let's just say that it scored a big 11 on the sphincter-pucker meter.

I thought Jeez, are these things mutants or something? I'd seen loads of cockies in England but just never knew they were able to fly 'till I came here.

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Keep away from Oz if you don't like flying cockies. We have a goood range of species, a lot of them fly too,some growing to over 100mm long.

CP

[kat]

Nevermind Oz - I was held hostage by a couple of flying cockroaches one night as a teenager in The Bronx.

[Gazza]

100mm???

Note to Self:

On my list of 'Places to Visit', insert Australia somewhere in between Siberia and Antartica.

[LindsayBKK]

I went to the fridge to get a drink and before I closed the door looked down and saw a scorpion at my toe. Yes I jumped about 6 feet backwards. It made me open my eyes more thats for sure.

I've seen a few scorpions and loads of snakes up in Isaan and elsewhere in Thailand but the wildlife here has never really frightened me except on one occassion.

Now, I don't like cockroaches at the best of times but when I first saw one take flight for the first time and head straight towards me...well... let's just say that it scored a big 11 on the sphincter-pucker meter.

I thought Jeez, are these things mutants or something? I'd seen loads of cockies in England but just never knew they were able to fly 'till I came here.

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I had an ex eat one in Thayang (Phetchburi), but I was told it was a large beetle that the Thais eat & it's supposed to help with digestion! ?? I am not sure about that.

Bugs Bugs Bugs!

[Soph]

My Bf accidentally stood on a cockroach the other night. Uuurggh all black water came out (not the millions of babies that I have always heard the rumours about)

It was minging - they are gross. Get a cat

[Sarpedon]

Eating in Suk Soi 38 a while back i felt something crawling on the back of my neck...i reached up to brush it off and running down my shoulder was the biggest cockroach i have seen since i have been in Thailand.

I jumped up and started screaming like a girl waving my arms all over the place. I got several weird looks from the locals who were trying to enjoy their food. I eneded up eating the rest of the food standing up in the middle of the road! I t was kinda hard to eat after an episode like that though....and i have since been back to eat as the food is good there.

[Old Croc]

This is a Giant cockroach from Australia.

Very popular as pets for kids.

[Johpa]

Indian crocodiless, Central American spiders....wonder whats next??

White caucasian men setting up shop in Isaan towns and villages of course.

I am still shocked when I hear grizzled middle-aged Farangs of the species who speak little if any Thai verbalizing their beliefs that the young Thai lass standing next to them, whom they met in a bar, loves them in some imagined manner. My favorite was the French owner of a posh French restaurant in Chiang Mai trying to convince me, the only other Farang at the table, of his lady's love while she was telling us all in Thai what a fool this man was.

No doubt the endemic naivete of the local Farang population (a Farang geting involved in land deals ?!?) continues to shock me decade after decade.

Chaiyo!

[Sir Burr]

On the 9th September, waking up at two in the morning to hysterical screaming from my wife's niece, then finding three strange Thai men in the house, all with knives and one of them pressed to my throat.

[lampard10]

SJohn, you had me fooled with that spoof report until I saw it was from the 'Bangkok Herald Examiner'. There is no such paper by that name.

You'll have to get up early in the morning to get one over on Ol' Gazza. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hahahaha... that's PRECISELY why I HAD to use the fictitious paper's name...

Just imagine if I HAD said Bangkok Post...far too many concrete thinkers here who wouldn't be able to spot the absurdity of the report's contents... and would go ape-crazy booking passages to Koh Phayam to view the bears...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

BANGKOK POST Thursday 29th September.

Two Hump-back whales were seen this morning drinking beer in the Farang Connection in Surin. Martin, the handsome, slim owner commented, " Last week we had a couple of Llamas, and before that a Brontasaurus came wandering in"

People from all over the globe are flocking to this popular watering hole to get a glimpse of the visitors.

[kat]

On the 9th September, waking up at two in the morning to hysterical screaming from my wife's niece, then finding three strange Thai men in the house, all with knives and one of them pressed to my throat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is scary! I'm amazed you made it out of that situation. Why were they in your house? I hope you've sorted out the situation so that they don't return.

[Jai Dee]

BANGKOK POST Thursday 29th September.

Two Hump-back whales were seen this morning drinking beer in the Farang Connection in Surin. Martin,  the handsome, slim owner commented, " Last week we had a couple of Llamas, and before that a Brontasaurus came wandering in"

People from all over the globe are flocking to this popular watering hole to get a glimpse of the visitors.

:D

/Edit - You still can't get it happening on the television though...

Edited September 29, 2005 by Jai Dee