digibum

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Wish you much luck on your afflictions.

Actually, it’s because Thailand, the US, and most other countries are parties to UN anti-drug treaties. Even in the US, they won’t legalize at the federal level because they would have to ignore those treaties and the second they do that, any country that is an exporter of drugs calls them out for being a hypocrite and just starts shipping heroin, meth, cocaine, etc and tells the US to pound sand if they complain. BTW, if you’re asking how the US gets away with it, the individual states didn’t sign those agreements. The federal government did. So, if California quits enforcing cannabis laws, and the federal government keeps it illegal but looks the other way, they’re still, technically, in compliance. Back when Thailand first said they were legalizing cannabis in 2018, they explicitly said they will not violate those agreements. They don’t want meth from Myanmar flooding the local market because they’re seen as violating these agreements. So they say they’re legalizing “medicinal use” but they let everyone self-diagnose. That technically complies with those agreements while effectively legalizing recreational use. It should also be noted that when Thailand first announced legalizing cannabis, they also declared that they refuse to recognize patents on strains of cannabis for 5 years. That’s because Thailand feels slighted that they did what the US pressured them to do under Nixon and now the US is making huge advancements in growing and medical research while Thailand is treating cannabis as a Category 5 narcotic. Thailand feels like it should be the leader because cannabis has been a part of Thai culture for several hundred years until Nixon’s war on drugs forced Thailand to crack down on drugs. Yes, there are ultra-conservative elements in Thailand that would like to see everything from tobacco to cannabis made illegal but they’re an insignificant minority. if you look at everything Thailand has said and done, it’s 100% clear that they are trying to adhere to their international agreements while also making it clear that they won’t be cheated out of becoming a major player in this huge market.

Maybe they’re hoping that people have a basic reading comprehension level. The law itself is very clear. All parts of the cannabis plant are no longer considered a Category 5 narcotic. The only thing that was left as a Category 5 narcotic is cannabis extracts with a THC content of greater than 0.2%. Everyone is looking for a gotcha and there is none.

I thought the law was that the IDP is valid in Thailand for the normal length of stay that you were permitted when you entered the country. If you enter on a ME non-O, that’s 90-days. If you enter on a ME tourist visa, that’s 60-days. If you arrive visa exempt, that’s 30-days. So, the IDP may be valid for a year, but it’s only valid in Thailand for the duration of your stay based on what they originally stamped in your passport. Visa extensions don’t extend how long the IDP remains valid for driving in Thailand. That was always my understanding.

Why wouldn’t she just inform the airline she’s flying with?

Unfortunately, almost every crypto project is either a complete scam or in order to replicate what banks do in a way that would make them competitive with existing banks, they basically create a centralized service which just means an unregulated bank. And crypto doesn’t solve fractional reserve banking. Even most crypto enthusiasts shrug their shoulders when you ask if they really believe Tether is backed 1:1 with USD deposits.

I also don’t understand OP’s logic. If someone is staying in Patong or Rawai, why would you rent near the airport? If he has any problems with the bike, the rental place will be over an hour drive away. Rent in Rawai or Patong near where you’re staying and if anything happens the rental place is nearby. Also, unless OP is an experienced rider, there are a few spots that I would consider above beginner. Especially the road coming out of Patong to the East or the stretch between Kata and Rawai if you’re taking the road on the West coast through the mountains.

I love this follow up article by Phuket News where they confront the taxi driver and he claims the passengers insulted him and that 600 baht is a normal fare. https://www.thephuketnews.com/i-am-not-a-cheat-says-phuket-taxi-driver-82918.php Especially the part where Phuket News basically calls the guy a liar. Mr Jesada continued his defence, deflecting the key issue by focussing on the claim that he had raised his middle finger at Mr Phol’s girlfriend. Mr Jesada claimed he never did this. he said that he only pointed his finger in mr Phol’s face. “You can see the evidence from the clip,” he said. “I didn’t even turn to look at the woman because I assumed that she is her mother’s gender," he said. What can be plainly seen in the video clips posted on TikTok is Mr Jetsada scolding Mr Phol’s girlfriend at close range shouting loudly and waving and pointing his finger close to her face while she recorded the incident on her phone.

I came to say the same thing. I literally just got done reading the news story and this was the very next thing I read. So some Thai guy gets into an argument with a Phuket taxi driver, it’s all over social media, including a video of the argument, as well as being all over Thai English language media and some dude shows up here, not to post links to the actual story but to give some vague description of something that happened to his buddy that exactly matches the case that’s all over the news?

Why are you posting this again?

The author of the linked article obviously has no idea that TAT’s only purpose is to propose spectacularly stupid objectives and issue outlandish predictions. They have nothing to do with taxes, crypto, or anything else other than marketing slogans.

The correct price is whatever they say it is ????

The nightclub is undergoing renovations. Was at Ding’s last night.

I don’t think most people are denying that. Personally though, I think some people are using descriptions that could give other people a completely distorted view of reality. Realistically, the only way the phrase “pretty busy” should be used to describe Bangla Road right now is if that phrase is followed by “compared to how dead it was before.”

I didn’t say I expect them to be the same. I’m saying that there’s usually some sort of correlation between how busy Patong is during the day and how lively it is at night. This is how busy Patong is during the day. People can make up their own minds about how busy it gets at night. Even from the supposedly “pretty busy” nightlife photos that have been posted, there used to be more staff working in the bars than I’ve seen tourists on Bangla Road. Bangla Road used to measure tourists in the thousands per evening. Based on the nighttime photos, it’s more like hundreds nowadays. Is that better than almost zero people when everything was locked down? Yes!! But it’s not “pretty busy” to anyone that’s been there pre-Covid.

However, again, we’re talking subjective classifications. I would not call that “pretty busy” compared to what it once was. I would be more prone to label it, “Not exactly dead anymore.” I remember nights on Bangla where it was hard to even walk down the road because there were so many people packed in there. That doesn’t mean that I’m right or that you’re wrong. But I do think this explains why some people are claiming it’s dead and some people are claiming it’s busy. It depends on perspective.

I just posted photos from 1pm today around Bangla Road. Am I a keyboard warrior for agreeing that the numbers don’t seem anywhere near as positive as some people claim?

I live in Rawai and it is busier here than it’s been in a while. That said, that trend started during the sandbox once people figured out that Patong, Kata, and Karon were nearly deserted and Rawai was still semi-open. But I took a drive down Soi Ta-iad in Chalong today and I saw a whopping total of 5 foreigners.

I think the big problem is people are using subjective terms like “doing great” and “ghost town”. From a numbers perspective, even Bangla Road is only doing a small percentage of business compared to Nov 2019. Of course, Thailand has only been “open” for four days so that’s to be expected. But anybody trying to tell you things are busy is delusional. Maybe compared to Nov 2020. LOL. I was down in Patong two weeks ago before things reopened and maybe (and I’m being really, really generous) 30% of the bars/businesses on Bangla were open. I was with a buddy who was returning via the sandbox and he used to live in Patong 10 years ago and he just shook his head and commented that there used to be more foot traffic on Bangla at noon on a Tuesday than there was at 9pm on a Saturday. So, yes, it’s a ghost town compared to anytime pre-Covid. 7-11s are still closed, most businesses are still closed, etc. But it’s a hell of a lot better than it’s been in the last year and a half. Some bars are open, there are some girls (definitely not the A-Team), island tours are being offered, and you can get a massage. Actual photos of Bangla Road / Patong Beach area from around 1pm today.

I think a lot of people live in a naive world where Thailand can be like a western democracy. Worse, they believe that’s what a majority of Thais want. There’s a reason why things are like they are. It’s not a mistake. It’s not an accident. For instance, the police are paid poorly for a reason. The people in power want crooked cops because that means there’s no such thing as an honest cop. You wont last long as a cop being honest. Nobody (ie other cops) wont trust you. Similarly, there’s no such thing as a politician that isn’t dirty. Is anybody actually naive enough to think that a politician of any real power is going to be allowed to rise up through the ranks without someone having dirt on them? IMHO, Chuwit was the only honest politician because everyone knew he ran half the prostitution in Bangkok, paid massive amounts in protection and bribes, and had dirt on some of the most powerful people in Thailand. He had so much dirt on everyone else, they couldn’t get rid of him because he threatened to turn it all over if he died under mysterious circumstances. Thailand is decades away from a western style democracy. It will take generations to slowly reform all of the levers of power.

Yes, the students should give up. They have less support today than they did a year ago. All they’ve done is escalate their violence as their popular support has declined. And no, I’m not a supporter of the military. Sometimes it’s just time to admit you backed the wrong horse. They screwed up when they attacked certain institutions that the majority don’t oppose. They were young and stupid and fell into PR traps that made them seem violent which turned many people off to them. Besides their list of demands, they have no plan. You can’t overthrow a government and not lead the aftermath. The reason the red shirts had 10x the number of people in the streets in 2010 was because if they won, Thaksin would take control. Thaksin has something to promise them. The students have nothing to offer. The students are like, “Prayut must resign”. And then what? Even a farmer with a 6th grade education realizes nothing will change unless the students have a viable leader to take over. It’ll just be another corrupt politician who steps in and maintains the status quo. Right now, the student movement has degraded to a bunch of people who know they’re blacklisted for life trying to postpone the inevitable slump back into obscurity and possibly years in jail. They a shot and failed. Time to do what every failed coup leader does and go into exile. Like I said, I’m not yellow or red or whatever. I was excited in the beginning. Now, it’s a lost cause. They’ve lost support over time, not gained it.

I wish Thailand (or the media) would quit embarrassing itself by making these outlandish claims. It’s not that Thais are dumb, it’s that other countries and companies have way, way, way more resources to throw at these problems. Like what happened to the vaccine Thai scientists were working on before Pfizer or any of the major drug companies had a workable product? Silence? Crickets? This isn’t like making up tourism numbers. Real scientists are going to check your work.

A lot of what you say has a little bit of truth but I think you leap to some conclusions. The reason rich people get away with more crime than poor people is mostly because a good lawyer is a formable opponent for the prosecution. They’ll take a lesser plea deal for a guaranteed win. But guess what? A good accountant will get you a better deal with the IRS than a bad one. A good doctor will get better medical outcomes than an average one. There’s a reason why they’re considered “good” at what they do and command a higher price for their services. Most poor people, often get a public defender who has 100 cases and enough time for 5. So, the prosecutor knows they don’t have to negotiate as hard to get a plea. The risk of losing in court is lower and the attorney wants a deal to clear the case off his workload. The other major reason poor people get convicted more often than rich people is that rich people know to <deleted>. If I got arrested in the US, the first, middle, and last words out of my mouth to the detective would be, “I want a lawyer.” Now, they 100% have to prove the case against me. And unless I’m under arrest, I already know they don’t have a slam dunk case against me. But poor people often go willingly into the interrogation room to “answer a few questions.” Like, if you’re a gun owner in the US, there’s an insurance you can buy where if you shoot someone they automatically provide you with legal defense. Say you shoot someone breaking into your house. First off, they tell you exactly what steps to follow before you call the police. They tell you exactly what to say to the 911 operator. And they instruct you on what to say to the police before their attorneys can get to you. He was on my property and I feared for my life and the lives of my family members. I would like to consult with my attorney before making any further statements. They recommend that you don’t make any statement, even with an attorney, until 72 hours after the incident and their lawyers will hold the investigators at bay until you formulate the exact wording of your statement that you intend to give to the police. Poor people willingly give a statement that is often used against them. I’m not saying that poor people don’t get railroaded. I’m just saying it isn’t alway nefarious. The vast majority of people wrongfully convicted, anywhere in the world, is usually the result of incompetent legal council and-or a defendant who willingly sits in interrogation for hours without asking for a lawyer.