Interesting Exposee On Older Foreign Tourists In Bangkok!

[bkkgriz]

"She wouldn't be with me if it weren't for my relative wealth"

is not even close to

"the only reason she is with me is money".

But according to your own statement, you have no money and will soon be on the run:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/632473-enforcement-of-thai-debts-on-my-way-out/

Have I got this wrong? Or are you contradicting yourself?

I think the article is sending out the wrong messages and gives false hopes to those over 50s considering retiring in Thailand.

Firstly, although it mentions that Thailand will issue long term visas for Western pensioners, long term being one year, and these visas can be easily extended year by year, it fails to mention all the strict requirements and regulations attached with these visas.

Also, it gives the impression that there are beautiful young Thai girls literally queuing up to be the girlfriends of expats who would be considered well over the hill in they’re own countries. Sounds like a paradise where dreams and fantasies come true, but the days of the sweet, loyal, subservient little Thai princesses are long gone, although this is the general perceptions of them put out in the West. Perhaps this was the case some years ago, but in reality most of the liaisons between young Thai women and much older western guys is strictly business, a tied wife, rather than a Thai wife and fidelity to one partner is not guaranteed.

The article fails to make clear that money is needed here and lots of it to be able to live these fairy tale lifestyles. Probably the same in all the other South East Asian countries mentioned in the article.

The problem is that there are Westerners plonking themselves here ill prepared financially and without a full understanding of what is required from them under the imposed Immigration regulations, believing that the streets of Thailand are paved with gold and getting themselves into all sorts of problems. Those of little or no wealth are simply not wanted here and those who fit into that category should not be hoodwinked into believing that Thailand is a final grazing ground for old has beens, but rather it`s a case of, what can they do to benefit Thailand, other than vice versa.

I liked this but I had to comment. 100% spot on.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Some old western men definitely do take advantage of poor uneducated Thai women. Every one that pay for it, joins that group too

It's quite often hard to say who is taking advantage of whom.

[Goong Chae Nam Pla]

I'd have been happy to give the writer (a Canadian expat living in Bangkok and working as a blogger) the benefit of the doubt but then I got to the part explaining why women flock to Bangkok to work in the sex industry. That reason being that such a huge percentage of MUSLIM women are subjected to domestic violence. At that stage I closed the page and came back here where the old men actually have a clue.

-

She probably recycled a piece she'd just written about Jakarta or Bali, forgot to check after doing a search and replace.

Bali is Hindu,not Muslim!

[Goong Chae Nam Pla]

Some old western men definitely do take advantage of poor uneducated Thai women. Every one that pay for it, joins that group too

It's quite often hard to say who is taking advantage of whom.

I'd say both but with the whole bar girl scene mostly the poor old farang!

As far as marriages,why shouldn't each party bring something to the table?The Thai girl brings the looks and body,the older farang bring financial clout,I see nothing wrong with that,very balanced if anything!

I have heard that the problems start when so called 'friends' start trying to tell the mia farang how to fleece her partner!

[StreetCowboy]

I'd have been happy to give the writer (a Canadian expat living in Bangkok and working as a blogger) the benefit of the doubt but then I got to the part explaining why women flock to Bangkok to work in the sex industry. That reason being that such a huge percentage of MUSLIM women are subjected to domestic violence. At that stage I closed the page and came back here where the old men actually have a clue.

There's nowhere that the religion of the victims is mentioned. The study was carried out in Thailand by a muslim organisation, but in this piece, and int he referenced article, I couldn't see anywhere that they suggested the Leadership Academy of Muslim Women carried out a study only of Muslim women in Thailand.

SC

[theblether]

I just stuck a reply up on that article, if you click through you can see it's quite clearly me Here it is..............

............and in next weeks article we'll be reading stories of fantastically successful marriages between Thais and foreigners which have lasted decades.

We'll be reading stories about Thai women nursing their ill husbands hand and foot while their wealth is drained away by medical bills.

We'll be reading stories about the children of these marriages being given far better educational opportunities than could ever be afforded to them otherwise.

We'll be reading stories about families working together to build successful businesses.

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

In short we'll be reading an article that actually tells the truth about Thai women. I challenge the editor to demand that article to be written. If this lazy journalist is incapable of writing it, contact me and I'll do it gratis.

This vilification of Thai women has to stop.

Please post a link to those stories once they are published, because I rarely read them on the Thai expat forum called Thaivisa.

Try paying attention

[jocko]

INTERESTING Esposee.

Ye right.

[theblether]

it fails to mention all the strict requirements and regulations attached with these visas.

You're kidding yourself on if you think that Thailand has strict visa regulations. Look around you man.

[jbrain]

I just stuck a reply up on that article, if you click through you can see it's quite clearly me Here it is..............

............and in next weeks article we'll be reading stories of fantastically successful marriages between Thais and foreigners which have lasted decades.

We'll be reading stories about Thai women nursing their ill husbands hand and foot while their wealth is drained away by medical bills.

We'll be reading stories about the children of these marriages being given far better educational opportunities than could ever be afforded to them otherwise.

We'll be reading stories about families working together to build successful businesses.

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

In short we'll be reading an article that actually tells the truth about Thai women. I challenge the editor to demand that article to be written. If this lazy journalist is incapable of writing it, contact me and I'll do it gratis.

This vilification of Thai women has to stop.

Please post a link to those stories once they are published, because I rarely read them on the Thai expat forum called Thaivisa.

Try paying attention

Oh I do pay attention, and I'm doing that for the past 2 decades here.

I was only confused with one of your last lines,

It should have read :

In short we'll be reading an article that actually tells the truth Theblethers view about Thai women

Edited April 15, 2013 by jbrain

[Johnniey]

it fails to mention all the strict requirements and regulations attached with these visas.

You're kidding yourself on if you think that Thailand has strict visa regulations. Look around you man.

Yes.

Everytime I go to Pattaya I see uneducated drunken guys who look like benefit fraudsters. Would your country offer their Thai counterparts visas? Not a hope in hell.

But countries like mine are civilised lol

Edited April 15, 2013 by Johnniey

[theblether]

I just stuck a reply up on that article, if you click through you can see it's quite clearly me Here it is..............

............and in next weeks article we'll be reading stories of fantastically successful marriages between Thais and foreigners which have lasted decades.

We'll be reading stories about Thai women nursing their ill husbands hand and foot while their wealth is drained away by medical bills.

We'll be reading stories about the children of these marriages being given far better educational opportunities than could ever be afforded to them otherwise.

We'll be reading stories about families working together to build successful businesses.

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

In short we'll be reading an article that actually tells the truth about Thai women. I challenge the editor to demand that article to be written. If this lazy journalist is incapable of writing it, contact me and I'll do it gratis.

This vilification of Thai women has to stop.

Please post a link to those stories once they are published, because I rarely read them on the Thai expat forum called Thaivisa.

Try paying attention

Oh I do pay attention, and I'm doing that for the past 2 decades here.

I was only confusewd with one of your last lines,

It should have read :

In short we'll be reading an article that actually tells the truth Theblethers view about Thai women

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

[jbrain]

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

Have I been stalking you ? You must consider yourself a real important individual, if you think I would even waste any time one a plonker.

Go get a life, and throw away those rose colored glasses.

If you think that these are the true stories

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

[Rob8891]

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

Have I been stalking you ? You must consider yourself a real important individual, if you think I would even waste any time one a plonker.

Go get a life, and throw away those rose colored glasses.

If you think that these are the true stories

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

I am surprised that you reject the points you've quoted above. Beyond "reading hundreds of stories on this very forum" can you provide hard evidence, or links thereto to suggest that you are correct? It seems to me that your opinion is based on the rantings of some deprived / depraved anonymous posters and you have confused this with fact. Nevertheless, even links to the aforementioned posts could be entertaining, even if not educational.

[theblether]

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

Have I been stalking you ? You must consider yourself a real important individual, if you think I would even waste any time one a plonker.

Go get a life, and throw away those rose colored glasses.

If you think that these are the true stories

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

Seriously you are now making an ass of yourself..........it's up to the other members who are in possession of usufructs to step forward and identify themselves.

On the second point, if you are seriously trying to tell me that you cannot see single parents in Thailand working their fingers to the bone in mundane jobs then that tells me you are blind to what's going on around you.

I'll walk in to the Thai cafe tomorrow morning which is staffed predominantly by single parents, who start work at 4.00am preparing the food for the breakfast customers. A couple of these girls could wander round the corner to Loih Kroh any day in the week and get snapped up.

There's no chance of them doing that, they have too much self pride.

Incidentally I don't regard myself as a real important individual, but you obviously think I'm important enough for you to play the man and not the subject. Try thinking about what you post, you won't come across as absurd.

[FunFon]

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

-

Because the vast vast majority - like 99% of Thai women that have never had anything to do with farang aren't represented here are they.

And even then I know I've seen many many positive stories even here.

You're just letting your lizard brain filter out your reality to match your preconceptions.

[theblether]

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

Have I been stalking you ? You must consider yourself a real important individual, if you think I would even waste any time one a plonker.

Go get a life, and throw away those rose colored glasses.

If you think that these are the true stories

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

I am surprised that you reject the points you've quoted above. Beyond "reading hundreds of stories on this very forum" can you provide hard evidence, or links thereto to suggest that you are correct? It seems to me that your opinion is based on the rantings of some deprived / depraved anonymous posters and you have confused this with fact. Nevertheless, even links to the aforementioned posts could be entertaining, even if not educational.

I would say that there's no need for links to the stories in regards to the single parents in particular.........each and every one of us with any experience in Thailand will know women in that position who as I said, work in mundane jobs to support their families after being abandoned by their husbands.

Of all the things that jbrain could have lifted out of that post I made, that one is humiliating to him.

Clueless.

[theblether]

By the way jbrain, here's a link that took me 3 seconds to find........9 pages of topics about the use of usufruct here on Thaivisa.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

Sorry, link isn't working, just go to the main bar page and search the word usufruct......9 pages turn up.

Edited April 15, 2013 by theblether

[Rob8891]

I was giving the guy a chance to show from where he acquired the great knowledge...... but it is a no-brainer really.

[theblether]

I was giving the guy a chance to show from where he acquired the great knowledge...... but it is a no-brainer really.

Maybe he's kicking himself for not having a usufruct.

[jbrain]

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

Have I been stalking you ? You must consider yourself a real important individual, if you think I would even waste any time one a plonker.

Go get a life, and throw away those rose colored glasses.

If you think that these are the true stories

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

Seriously you are now making an ass of yourself..........it's up to the other members who are in possession of usufructs to step forward and identify themselves.

On the second point, if you are seriously trying to tell me that you cannot see single parents in Thailand working their fingers to the bone in mundane jobs then that tells me you are blind to what's going on around you.

I'll walk in to the Thai cafe tomorrow morning which is staffed predominantly by single parents, who start work at 4.00am preparing the food for the breakfast customers. A couple of these girls could wander round the corner to Loih Kroh any day in the week and get snapped up.

There's no chance of them doing that, they have too much self pride.

Incidentally I don't regard myself as a real important individual, but you obviously think I'm important enough for you to play the man and not the subject. Try thinking about what you post, you won't come across as absurd.

Try this one for a change, there are many more but I'm sure you're able to use the search function yourself.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/396496-four-ways-to-lose-your-property-in-thailand/

You think there is only prostitution in the tourist centers ? Well it might account for 20% of the prostitution in Thailand.

Never seen the parents of the go go girls sitting in the bar supporting there clad dressed daughters?

Not long ago there was a story about a taxi driver who returned a big amount of money left in his taxi. Does that mean EVERY Thai taxi driver would do the same ?

[theblether]

What is the point of you? is this what's meant to pass as a sensible contribution?

You're on the slippery slope to Trolldom and you're pathetic attempts at trying to draw me out will fail. How empty you're life must be that you're reduced to stalking across threads.

Have I been stalking you ? You must consider yourself a real important individual, if you think I would even waste any time one a plonker.

Go get a life, and throw away those rose colored glasses.

If you think that these are the true stories

We'll be reading stories about Thai women insisting that they obtain Usufructs on the family homes so that their husband cannot be denied the use of them after their death due to arcane Thai property laws.

We'll be reading stories about Thai single parents working their finger to the bone to support their families, with no thought of entering the sex industry as they abhor it with the same venom as women in the West.

Then why am I reading hundreds of stories on this very forum that just proof the opposite ?

Seriously you are now making an ass of yourself..........it's up to the other members who are in possession of usufructs to step forward and identify themselves.

On the second point, if you are seriously trying to tell me that you cannot see single parents in Thailand working their fingers to the bone in mundane jobs then that tells me you are blind to what's going on around you.

I'll walk in to the Thai cafe tomorrow morning which is staffed predominantly by single parents, who start work at 4.00am preparing the food for the breakfast customers. A couple of these girls could wander round the corner to Loih Kroh any day in the week and get snapped up.

There's no chance of them doing that, they have too much self pride.

Incidentally I don't regard myself as a real important individual, but you obviously think I'm important enough for you to play the man and not the subject. Try thinking about what you post, you won't come across as absurd.

Try this one for a change, there are many more but I'm sure you're able to use the search function yourself.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/396496-four-ways-to-lose-your-property-in-thailand/

You think there is only prostitution in the tourist centers ? Well it might account for 20% of the prostitution in Thailand.

Never seen the parents of the go go girls sitting in the bar supporting there clad dressed daughters?

Not long ago there was a story about a taxi driver who returned a big amount of money left in his taxi. Does that mean EVERY Thai taxi driver would do the same ?

Did you search for the 9 pages on usufruct?

Do you think I'm that thick that I don't know prostitution exists throughout Thailand?

Just give it a by jbrain, you're on a loser here, you're contributions have been laughably absurd.

[bigbamboo]

For the Thai education system, I second that;

- Thai universities are nowhere near the top 10 or even 50 of best in the world (I think Chula is 101th), hence you need to leave the country to get decent higher education.

- As for International Schools Patana & ISB; yes they have a very high level students, and get better exams results than average Europe/ US, but it's easy to understand when you realize that 99% of their kids come from well-off expats privileged families who can offer high standard extra curriculum activities (great holidays, fantastic surrounding, selected friends) and if a kid is from the 1% and is a low achiever, the school does not make much effort to help him and just boot him out, so they keep their grade level high.

" Chula is 101th " ........!

Which Thai university did you go to then?

[jbrain]

Try this one for a change, there are many more but I'm sure you're able to use the search function yourself.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/396496-four-ways-to-lose-your-property-in-thailand/

You think there is only prostitution in the tourist centers ? Well it might account for 20% of the prostitution in Thailand.

Never seen the parents of the go go girls sitting in the bar supporting there clad dressed daughters?

Not long ago there was a story about a taxi driver who returned a big amount of money left in his taxi. Does that mean EVERY Thai taxi driver would do the same ?

Did you search for the 9 pages on usufruct?

Do you think I'm that thick that I don't know prostitution exists throughout Thailand?

Just give it a by jbrain, you're on a loser here, you're contributions have been laughably absurd.

Why I need to read the Usufruct page? I know what's an usufruct and that it exists, so what ?

Does that mean that ALL thai wifes, as you said in your post, insist that their foreign spouses take one ?

My point is that you say that the article is ALL lies, and I say that it isn't.

I don't say that it isn't written in a way to make it an interesting read to the jounalists readers, after all she's also making a living and who would want to pay her for boring articles, but there are some truth's in what she write.

[elektrified]

I think the article is fairly accurate. Certainly the bit about the old buffalo is true. If you disagree, then you are in denial. The thing about the education system is true. It was discussed just recently. Thailand came in at the bottom. No surprise there. The survey by the condom manufacturer was in the news last year. No surprise there either. Where I would disagree is where the article talks about the lack of empowerment of women in Thailand. Some of the most powerful (and wealthiest) people in Thailand are women. Most of the top professionals I know here (doctors, lawyers, etc.) are women.

I'm surprised at how many of you disagree with the article.

[Goong Chae Nam Pla]

I think the article is fairly accurate. Certainly the bit about the old buffalo is true. If you disagree, then you are in denial. The thing about the education system is true. It was discussed just recently. Thailand came in at the bottom. No surprise there. The survey by the condom manufacturer was in the news last year. No surprise there either. Where I would disagree is where the article talks about the lack of empowerment of women in Thailand. Some of the most powerful (and wealthiest) people in Thailand are women. Most of the top professionals I know here (doctors, lawyers, etc.) are women.

I'm surprised at how many of you disagree with the article.

Thailand is a Matriarchal society,like many countries in South and South East Asia where the women look after the money,China being a good example.Strange that the journalist claims to know this part of the world but doesn't realise that!

[theblether]

I think the article is fairly accurate. Certainly the bit about the old buffalo is true. If you disagree, then you are in denial. The thing about the education system is true. It was discussed just recently. Thailand came in at the bottom. No surprise there. The survey by the condom manufacturer was in the news last year. No surprise there either. Where I would disagree is where the article talks about the lack of empowerment of women in Thailand. Some of the most powerful (and wealthiest) people in Thailand are women. Most of the top professionals I know here (doctors, lawyers, etc.) are women.

I'm surprised at how many of you disagree with the article.

It's a lazy assassination, once again painting Thai women as mendacious money grabbing whores when the truth of the matter is the vast majority have nothing to do with the sex trade, they detest the sex trade and the image it brings to Thailand, and they are just as dedicated to family life as any woman in the World, in fact even more so than many as we know that womenfolk here will routinely put themselves second to their families.

So whoop de whoo.......instead of getting a report that states all of those things we get a re-hash of old buffalo / young hooker.

As you quite rightly pointed out women in Thailand are empowered in Thailand, I think the first time I read an article in the Western about that I'll collapse.

@jbrain, you came on this thread ridiculing me in regards to discussion of usufruct on Thaivisa.........I referred you to 9 pages of content about the subject. Within those pages you will find examples of Thai wives insisting that their husbands get usufruct. I know specific examples of where members have posted exactly that but there is no way I'll be posting their names, it's their private business. When you ask for proof and you get it the best thing to do is put your hands up and say okay I didn't know that.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I'll walk in to the Thai cafe tomorrow morning which is staffed predominantly by single parents, who start work at 4.00am preparing the food for the breakfast customers. A couple of these girls could wander round the corner to Loih Kroh any day in the week and get snapped up.

There's no chance of them doing that, they have too much self pride.

I would dispute your "single parents" and replace that with "single mothers".

I would also suggest many are not looking after the children due to feelings of "motherly love", but are mainly doing it for a future pension.

Edited April 16, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[theblether]

I'll walk in to the Thai cafe tomorrow morning which is staffed predominantly by single parents, who start work at 4.00am preparing the food for the breakfast customers. A couple of these girls could wander round the corner to Loih Kroh any day in the week and get snapped up.

There's no chance of them doing that, they have too much self pride.

I would dispute your "single parents" and replace that with "single mothers".

I would also suggest they are looking after the children for "motherly love", but are mainly doing it for a future pension.

I'll go with that first phrase as being more accurate, although I do know more than one single father who has been left holding the baby.

I can't argue the second point, such is the way of family in the third world, and it used to be thus in Western countries too. I'm pretty sure though that a few Thai Mums actually love their kids a wee bit more than we Westerners love our pension plans.

So sad if it wasn't the case.

.

Edited April 16, 2013 by theblether

[BookMan]

As soon as I see one of these journalists quoting a condom company survey (no scientific controls at all) I cannot take it seriously.

Once the journalist uses such spurious research to back up the main thrust of their article you know it is rubbish.

A quote from the article

A Durex-sponsored study of faithfulness in intimate relationships among 29,000 respondents in 36 countries found that Thai men lead the world, with 54 per cent admitting to being unfaithful.

[FunFon]

Try this one for a change, there are many more but I'm sure you're able to use the search function yourself.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/396496-four-ways-to-lose-your-property-in-thailand/

You think there is only prostitution in the tourist centers ? Well it might account for 20% of the prostitution in Thailand.

Never seen the parents of the go go girls sitting in the bar supporting there clad dressed daughters?

Not long ago there was a story about a taxi driver who returned a big amount of money left in his taxi. Does that mean EVERY Thai taxi driver would do the same ?

-

Look fool, no one is saying there aren't terrible people and behaviours among the Thais, but obviously the negative is what "sells" in the media, and we farang are extraordinarily exposed to scammers here as well as the "bad news bears" being extraordinarily over-represented here on online forums.

Your perceptions is analagous to believing a large percentage of Americans are likely to randomly gun down school children, or all bankers are evil scumbags, or that this descriptions of the Brits here is generally accurate (lightly edited):

One group [here] have done more harm to expats in Thailand than any other group. This lot with their "wind ups" and "taking the piss" began polluting the expat population a few years after I arrived. Their gobble-swallow pronunciations (quite clearly evolved from their infamously serious dental issues are eclipsed only by their love of warm beer, offal "fry-ups"and and pies and their interminable arguments that one only need shower once a day. This same waffle-headed pack of ninnies are equally guilty of wasting hours and hours "watching the foughbough" "on telly" and complaining about Thai people on this forum. Must be getting enough showers when "they take the piss" (whatever the hell * that's* supposed to mean) They appear to hail from one jurisdiction. B'roke-Ass-on-D'ole. I systematically avoid them in the same vein I chose to avoid gaggles of Israeli backpackers. They know who they are.

-

My reaction on the other hand when seeing the taxi driver article was "really, again?" with even a litte bit of "is this news?"

Obviously Thai taxi drivers are amazingly honest nearly across the board, I've seen dozens of pieces like this in the time I've been here often involving many many millions worth of highly liquid goods if not cash, and personally experienced four times where a drivers' gone to a lot of trouble and expense to hunt me down after I've left stuff in his cab, and most of the time they've adamantly refused a tip for doing so.

-