I've seen this abbreviation used here and in many other places. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders what it means or where it comes from?

Can any one help???!

Thanks.

Land of Smiles.

Land of Smiles.

He he, I just knew it would be something obvious like that.... no I feel stoopid.

Thanks!!

The classic misnomer.

I don't know about classic misnomerer. The police man who just tried to get 400 baht from me for turning right (on a right turn light) was smiling as he asked. Less cheery when I insisted on a ticket. Silly me, I have to go to RamaIV police place to collect said licence. Hey ho. TIT!

I don't know about classic misnomerer. The police man who just tried to get 400 baht from me for turning right (on a right turn light) was smiling as he asked. Less cheery when I insisted on a ticket. Silly me, I have to go to RamaIV police place to collect said licence. Hey ho. TIT!

i bet he is smiling now

I don't know about classic misnomerer. The police man who just tried to get 400 baht from me for turning right (on a right turn light) was smiling as he asked. Less cheery when I insisted on a ticket. Silly me, I have to go to RamaIV police place to collect said licence. Hey ho. TIT!

i bet he is smiling now

Clearly I have to take my statement back . . .

I used to think the S on LOS was a different word when I first joined, It was because of another phuket forum and they used to throw that LOS around and also talk about all these girls allday long.

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

new one for the OP to ponder

pay the MIB 55555555555555555

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

Why fight it. If you paid 4,000 baht a year in "fines" that would be an expense of less than 10 USD a month. Petty cash and much simpler than the potential problems of not paying.

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

Why fight it. If you paid 4,000 baht a year in "fines" that would be an expense of less than 10 USD a month. Petty cash and much simpler than the potential problems of not paying.

There is something so inherently wrong with this attitude of condoning and supporting graft and bribery - so very wrong.

Its better if you just pay it, you will probaly be better off

LOS has a different meaning nowdays. It means Land Of Shiniwatra.

I've seen this abbreviation used here and in many other places. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders what it means or where it comes from?

Can any one help???!

Thanks.

There was a whole thread about abbreviations some time ago - cant find it though right now but I'm sure a bit of seach will enlighten your TV experience.

Cheers

KY

Land of Smile or Land of Smiles, the second obviously sounding more correct. As to its origin, while the term has probably been kicking around for a good while, I remember what seemed to really popularize and enter it into usage was sometime in the late 90's when a wooden archway style sign was put over one of the airside passage entrances in Bangkok International Airport. As I recall (I haven't seen it for a few years now -- don't know it's still there) it said in capital letters in a stylized script "WELCOME TO THAILAND THE LAND OF SMILE" with no 'S' at the end of SMILE. Hence the first choice for what LOS stands for!

Land of the verticle smile.

REALLY???

I had come to believe it stood for LAND OF SHOWERS.

Or maybe Land of Saving.......face

Land of Schism

Land of Sexism

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

Why fight it. If you paid 4,000 baht a year in "fines" that would be an expense of less than 10 USD a month. Petty cash and much simpler than the potential problems of not paying.

There is something so inherently wrong with this attitude of condoning and supporting graft and bribery - so very wrong.

Right!!

Its better if you just pay it, you will probaly be better off

Wrong!!

I've seen this abbreviation used here and in many other places. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders what it means or where it comes from?

Can any one help???!

Thanks.

Depends who screwed who today.

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

Why fight it. If you paid 4,000 baht a year in "fines" that would be an expense of less than 10 USD a month. Petty cash and much simpler than the potential problems of not paying.

I gotta agree with this. Pay the bribe & be happy, else be prepared to enter the Land Of Rules & Regulations. Why? Let's look at the possibilities;

Complain about this simple form of corruption with the hope that tighter controls will 'stamp out' bribery (& unfairness). The outcome will be simple - Thailand will be one step closer to being like the Western 'control freak' Culture. Feel free to then add this worry to the tiny list of worries that currently exist in Thailand.

I hope & pray that Thailand NEVER becomes as controlled & regulated as any other Western country. After all, didn't most of us come to Thailand to be 'free' of the constricting & 'overworking' Western lifestyle?

Thailand may not be prefect but it is the LOS...until some Westerners convert it into an image of their former Western homelands.

Legions of Scammers

Regards,

Kevin

The definition “Land of Smiles” for LOS even made it into the acronym dictionary:

---------------

Maestro

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

Why? What is wrong about it? (see further below for a good way out of it)

I'm not laughing, it is at least two hours out of my busy day(!) but I refuse now to pay the BIB a satang for something that is wrong. I will not get on my high horse about it but it is wrong

Why fight it. If you paid 4,000 baht a year in "fines" that would be an expense of less than 10 USD a month. Petty cash and much simpler than the potential problems of not paying.

There is something so inherently wrong with this attitude of condoning and supporting graft and bribery - so very wrong.

Again, what is wrong? I lived in Los for the exact reason that this sort of thing is possible.

Having said that, I was taught, and I here pass it on, a succesful way to beat it.

Technically, a few years ago, in order to fight corruption, the copper has to send you and your fine to the local constabulary to pay at a special "fines" desk.

Aforementioned "fines desk" usually only runs business hours. So if your timing of getting caught is aprozimately correct. Fight for your receipt (to the coppers Chagrin) but before he writes it, tell him you are flying out before the next business day begins. The copper can then no backtrack to a "paperless fine" for risk of losing face, and will undoubtebly let you go. (with a sigh and perhaps a minor veral warning).

What I would then love to do is slip the bastard a hundred bt in closed hand to thank him for HIS cooperation.

LOS= Land Of Sex tourists

It should be changed to LODDOM= Land Of Disgusting Dirty Old Men

LOS= Land Of Sex tourists

It should be changed to LODDOM= Land Of Disgusting Dirty Old Men

Speaking for yourself, I presume.

---------------

Maestro

Land Of Smiles it is by common agreement and