[(Wife) Need to buy a gun (registered)]

@macfarang

You're right.

The aren't too many sois and (for that matter) cops, registration situations or LAW WAY out East (there) in the jungle "near Cambodia" where you figure most of us wouldn't want to spend so much as a night.

If you're not just making all this up for shits and giggles here's some stuff to REALLY think about.

So do what the Khmer Rouge used to do. Rent a weapon from a Thai soldier (nights) or buy one from a person in a position to part with one.

You'll just need a revolver, BTW because you're probably just going to use it once before you hightail it out of the area NEVER to return.

Before you use the rental or buy the piece, get him to show you and your wife how it works, take it apart and assemble it.

It'll give you a chance to decide if you can trust this guy.

Just bring enough cash to pay for that session ...., (say) about 2000 THB.

Think hard about the seller, your wife and NOT taking on a bunch of armed drunks one night in that jungle you waited until now to talk about.

After this session IF you buy the revolver the seller is poised to blackmail you.

Think about that too. Think hard.

Two more things:

1) Thai women get stuff like this into their heads for one reason ..... to impress the neighbors.

2) If you or your wife ever use that weapon odds are that you'll both face severe consequences.

Move (Gawdammit)

MOVE

[(Wife) Need to buy a gun (registered)]

I was raised with firearms.

My first gun was a pump action 12.

Over the years I acquired the usual rifles and two more shotguns.

I bought several pistols at another point in my life.

In the Old Country, the first thing you learn about pistols (after you discover just how inexpensive the regular service pieces are) is how much training it takes to hit anything at medium range.

It took me about 2500 cheap target rounds to become confident about hitting center mass.

Some thoughts here . . . . .

Most armed law enforcement officers practice a couple of times a month . . . . . . at first. Then they get complacent.

You have to practice and keep on practicing or you get sloppy with your sequencing and you get lazy with your aim.

Cops know that Western criminals rarely have the time, inclination, funds or training to become competant with their handguns.

If you have the kind of money and the drag it takes to be a gun owner in Thailand you should use that money to leave the circumstances that are prompting you to arm yourself.

Purchasing a handgun either for your wife or through your wife in Pattaya is not a wise plan.

Move.

[Racist Bangkok taxi driver doesn't accept Japanese passengers]

Only white people can be derided as racists. Everyone else gets a free pass, they can't help themselves due the sorry state of their emotions, and it's all the fault of the white people's racism.

Sarcasm? Where?

I got the very same lecture from a taxi driver in Addis Ababa back in the day.

No way he'd budge on it.

[The "Problems" Of Getting A Taxi In Lower Sukhumvit...]

Thai women. So famously 'feminine' that you can stick some makeup and a pair of fake tits on a Thai man and people can't tell the difference...

You have a point about the taxis, though.

Regarding that whole sector of the Bkk evening crowd who, if they'd thought anything through at all might have opted for welding courses instead of joining body-mod covens . . . . . . sapeak for yourself SoiBker.

(Usually, fifty meters in the dark is close enough for me to figure out what's a feministo and whats a Thai tart.

[The "Problems" Of Getting A Taxi In Lower Sukhumvit...]

Who gives a sheeeeet what cabs in merry ole london do. I've had good experiences as well as less than desirable one with taxis in Thailand. But I always make to my destination and that's what's important.

I think that was my point here Helmesman.

Next time somebody's whingeing away about something here just check it out.

Way more than half the complaints here on TV involve aspects of Thai life that the OP expects will conform to what he's used to at home.

This weird "missionary attitude" can extend to pretty well ANY aspect of expat life . . . . . . from taxis to food to women.

But they never mention that the taxis are the world's cheapest or the women are some of the world's most feminine.

Both are decidedly beyond the TV complainer's appreciation of their Old Country counterparts.

Think about it.

If most of the guys who post here ever tried back home to get a hometown girl who looked to like one of these "lower Sukhumvit" tarts into a hometown cab and eventually tried ride both for the same fare, it'd be his first step on the way to jail. ;-))

Just sayin'

[The "Problems" Of Getting A Taxi In Lower Sukhumvit...]

Assuming you don't have the time, the skills or the APP to go with UBER or Grab Taxi, here is a more efficient way to get a taxi in lower Sukhumvit.

Forget ALL ABOUT what taxis are "supposed" to do "back 'ome" in London or Sydney. They're NOT going to do that here in Bangkok.

Never bother with the "spider taxis" that hang out at major intersections or at hotels. They're not there for your convenience, they're there for theirs.

Straighten yourself out so that you don't look like you've just stumbled off Had Rin beach in the light of the Full Moon.

Decide on a landmark or BTS or MRT station before you hail the cab. Practice saying it because if you don't speak THAI that's ALL you're going to have to tell him.

Cross Sukhumvit if you need to and hail a red-lit cab with your hand pointed down to the road.

If he lowers his passenger window for you to tell him where to go, don't even bother talking to him. There's a huge correlation between these curb crawlers and drivers who refuse to use meters.

Open the rear door.

Get in and give him your destination. "Bpai BTS Ari, krap"

If he quizzes you as to what route you'd prefer he's just testing you to see if you have a clue. If he hesitates, just ask him "rujak mai krap ?

DONT get into any discussions and don't give him any maps (he can't read them)

If he takes you where you want to go and drops you off with NO HASSLE give the guy a nice tip.

He's one of the good ones.

Women alone ?? Been drinking ?? Just had a fight with the Kao San Rd bf ??

Think very hard about this first if it's dark.

[Racist Bangkok taxi driver doesn't accept Japanese passengers]

Chernobyl is 75 km away from Kiev and it's not close to the coast... Is radioactivity a big part of Ukrainian's lives? no.

So in Japan, it's pretty much the same. And there is no abnormal radioactivity rate in Tokyo.

Just remind them that Radioactivity is now a big part of their lives now with those Fukushima reactors in full meltdown still bubbling away about 150 km from Tokyo.

Radioactive.

False, false and your fabulous dipsodoodling, while it may (you know;-) be part of some footwear-moistening nuclear industry folk-dance exercise is contrary to ALL the facts and science.

Your just celebrating ignorance. There's always a majority consensus when you want to congratulate a pack of ignoramuses.

Just Google TEPCO's response.

Best to Homer Simpson.

[Racist Bangkok taxi driver doesn't accept Japanese passengers]

Have you ever been to Japan? I wondered what kind of behaviour you may have showed to the most polite people that ever walked the surface of Earth....

Go to Japan and you will see real racism. I have never seen such a racist rude nation. They won't let you into bars, won't talk to you. Won't even give you directions.

Just remind them that Radioactivity is now a big part of their lives now with those Fukushima reactors in full meltdown still bubbling away about 150 km from Tokyo.

Radioactive.

[Racist Bangkok taxi driver doesn't accept Japanese passengers]

This particular discussion between you two is just SOOO funny, so ironic and uber-narcissistic that I just had to comment.

Are we to take from your criticism of this taxi guy that either of you two wouldn't ever be guilty of the exact same brand of discrimination ?

I guess you'll trial balloon that one to see what you can get us.

I just know that all of you who are interested in a cabbie denying rides to Japanese just go into melt down at such a thing, But where can you find a fine looking Thai lady like the one that showed in this post. I have scanned through hundreds of online sites that fine ladies, but I never have seen one that looks as good as that one???????? !!!!!!!!!!!! WOW

Anywhere.

But what are you intending to bring to the table there, Keith7777 ;-?)

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

you got to be kidding right?

why don't we just invite the North Koreans while we are at it.

i wonder if the Thais cleared this with the US military before inviting the commies and their "disaster relief and peoples support exercises" bulls*it?

China is gaining power, money and military strength....While USA is struggling to keep hold on their vassals, specially these in the neighborhood of other powers.

It will get worse in future. I don't know if it is for the better or the worse.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the most prestigious international financial institution in the world, has rated China's ranking to number one economic superpower in the world -- surpassing those of the United States based upon the purchasing power parity of GDP indicator (gross domestic product). IMF has asserted that China produced 17% of the world gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 exceeding U.SA's GDP of world's 16% (1). China's economic growth performance over the last 30 years has impressed development economists who took the position that China will remain in the low/middle income group of nations permanently due to its very large population -- approximately 1.2+ billion in 2015.

Through out human history empires have grown and empires have collapsed, the next big boy on the block is China, the US "empire" is in its twilight years and will like so many empires in history it will collapse eventually

Hahah not even in a million years would that happen. Hahahahah that a very laughable statement

^^^^^^^^^

Where would this forum be without posters like this pounding out baseless, groundless, unsubstantiated OPINION such as this

thrown up against the empirically demonstrable FACTS and the quantifiable, matriculated TRENDS by people who can't handle TRUTH that stares them in the face ???

[Taking Thai GF Skiing in the Alps - Good or Bad Idea?]

Yes indeed.

Leave yer Thai girlfriend with Deiter the Austrian ski instructor for a few days.

Fireside raclette, anyone ?

Chocolate fondue ?

(Sorry OP. It's in my nature)

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

you got to be kidding right?

why don't we just invite the North Koreans while we are at it.

i wonder if the Thais cleared this with the US military before inviting the commies and their "disaster relief and people’s support exercises" bulls*it?

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

Why do you suppose the Thais determine who participates in Cobra Gold?

And, for the U.S. it is an important thing to see the Chinese Army in action, and how they perform .... logistics, co-ordination. and overall efficency.

Believe me. Cobra Gold is not just about displaying the U.S. military, it's also about observing how the foriegn partners perform thier part in the exercise.

And I'm quite sure the U.S. will be quite interested in seeing how efficiently the Chinese army does or does not perform.

So, if I understand your "understanding" of why the US would invite China it's partly for observation and intelligence-gathering purposes.

I see.

Why don't you appreciate the hubris of this remark ?

The Chinese can then send a pack of Chinese Gomers with Lee Enfield 303's and U.S. Observers would come away from the exercise believing that the Chinese military skills they saw was the state of play in the Chinese Army ????

Are you serious ;-?

Not the first time like things have been done.

I, um, think that was my point ;-?

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

you got to be kidding right?

why don't we just invite the North Koreans while we are at it.

i wonder if the Thais cleared this with the US military before inviting the commies and their "disaster relief and people’s support exercises" bulls*it?

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

Why do you suppose the Thais determine who participates in Cobra Gold?

And, for the U.S. it is an important thing to see the Chinese Army in action, and how they perform .... logistics, co-ordination. and overall efficency.

Believe me. Cobra Gold is not just about displaying the U.S. military, it's also about observing how the foriegn partners perform thier part in the exercise.

And I'm quite sure the U.S. will be quite interested in seeing how efficiently the Chinese army does or does not perform.

So, if I understand your "understanding" of why the US would invite China it's partly for observation and intelligence-gathering purposes.

I see.

Why don't you appreciate the hubris of this remark ?

The Chinese can then send a pack of Chinese Gomers with Lee Enfield 303's and U.S. Observers would come away from the exercise believing that the Chinese military skills they saw was the state of play in the Chinese Army ????

Are you serious ;-?

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

Whoa folks, please take a chill pill. This is not a surprise and NOT new. There is no conspiracy and was expected.

The Chinese had observer status last year. In 2014, the USA invited China to participate in the humanitarian and civil assistance (HCA) portion of the exercise, where 17 members of the PLA assisted in the building of a school in northern Thailand and participated in the exercises civic health engagement events.

Why this is a surprise is beyond me. The Chinese participated in the far more extensive and longer RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii last year.
Cobra Gold's 2015 focus will be on humanitarian relief preparation and to a lesser extent anti piracy training. It is to be expected that the Chinese would participate as the recent events involving the loss of the Air Asia and Malaysian airline airplanes underlined the need to co-ordinate search and rescue resources.

By the way, the US navy and Chinese navy have had a few joint anti piracy training exercises in the Gulf of Aden over the past few years.
Why is it such a shock when navies undertake peaceful training exercises? How else do people expect them to work together when a crisis arises?

Fair enough, but the timing is obviously political, the abrupt cancellation (above post), and Thailand and China already have separate training programs.

It's clearly a crude move to signal to the US that China is a suitor too, so they better shape up. Not a good move, and also the Japanese won't like it. The Africans also were happy to see the Chinese at first instead of having those European hypocrits lecture them. If you want business as usual where the rich get bribed to sell out their own countrymen, the Chinese will be great for that.

Having been involved with the Cobra Gold and Cope Tiger exercises for a number of years I know this not to be the case. Do you think a country has a quick get together and invites neighbors to a bbq or something? The exercise and participants have been scheduled since last year. At least a year prior to that the governments had to talk about the participation.

The US has held numerous exercise over the years with China and for that matter many other countries.

Not everything is a conspiracy theory guys.

But this is news to some of the Fox watching red neck members of TV, who wear their bias' so obviously on their sleeves

Let's face it its not the worse that has been done, inviting the Taliban to a Texas BBQ must rank far worse than involving commie Chinese in some military exercises

It would be more likely that American diplomats would invite them to a nice Southern US barbecue with slow bbq pork.

And wonder (sincerely, mind you) why nobody was going near the main course.
Big problem.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

The government is the entertainment department of the military-industrial complex.

Frank Zappa

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

this is a strong indication of Thailand swinging over to China and abandoning USA.

Yes, of course it is.

The Thais have ALWAYS played both end against the middle.

But now the supply lines are gonna be the killer here.

And this is the endgame.

This is going to be sold in the US as a provocation by China of an old ally Thailand.

Thaksin was on the board of several think tanks including the American Enterprise Institute and had good standing at the Council on Foreign Relations. So THERE is the US standard-bearer.

Sompin' lak dat anyways

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

ERRATA

OOPS . . . . . I made a serious mistake in my previous post # 54 . . . . . while back in this thread.

Here is the correction:

>>>>I will OPINE here that this whole jingoist, 'markin schtick emanates from an equally INTENDED confusion of the political system "Communism" (an ECONOMIC system) with "Democracy" (a POLITICAL system)

The intent here was to create confusion between political terms and economic terms.

Western journalists especially in the USA began to use "Communism" wherever they had formerly used "totalitarianism" or "authoritarianism". They knew full well that it was entirely possible to have DEMOCRATIC Socialism and to have authoritarian Capitalism but they muddied the waters anyway.

The resultant confusion was further consecrated by econo-psychoths and Assbergers autistics like Milton Friedman.

The resultant Confusion was intended to polarize the geopolitical landscape.

For people incapable of independent thought it did just that. <<<<<<<<

Sorry for the confusion. I blame it all on Milton Friedman and his gang of market-worshipping, human-component ignoring idiot savants.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

I think the Chinese read the story about the Trojan horse.......

We in the West always want to be friends with our enemies , they just put out their hands and say "Thank You" as it makes it that much easier to steal our secrets......

I wonder what will "go missing" in this exercise ?

Oh we needn't worry about the Chinese stealing any military secrets during Cobra Gold.

"Other" (cough) countries, one in particular seems to be in the news as regular" borrowers" of American technology. Well, actually they have been known to use their special relationship status to "buy" certain hardware with express purpose of flipping it over to China.

http://defensetech.org/2013/12/24/report-israel-passes-u-s-military-technology-to-china/

So it must be (like) ok.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

you got to be kidding right?

why don't we just invite the North Koreans while we are at it.

i wonder if the Thais cleared this with the US military before inviting the commies and their "disaster relief and people’s support exercises" bulls*it?

Commies?? Wow, someone grew up in the 50s, didn't they. If you knew anything about Marxism you'd know that the Chinese are communists in name only. In fact, they 'out-capitalist' the Americans in some ways. The US and China are not competing on ideological grounds: it's all about trade pacts, currency pegs, market subsidies, and other such less interesting stuff...

Yeah. Don't you just love it ?

Another one I really like is Chicom (sounds like chai-calm)

The use of THIS term somehow implies intimate connections with US intelligence ;-)

Like some kind of insider term

Buddy of mine loves trying to squeeze this and other nut-bar agitprop shorthand into conversations as if they were household words.

They're NOT.

I will OPINE here that this whole jingoist, 'markin schtick emanates from an equally INTENDED confusion of the political system "Communism" (an ECONOMIC system) with "Capitalism" (a POLITICAL system)

The resultant confusion was further consecrated by econo-psychoths and Assbergers autistics like Milton Friedman.

The resultant Confusion was intended to polarize the geopolitical landscape.

For people incapable of independent thought it did just that.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

But this is news to some of the Fox watching red neck members of TV, who wear their bias' so obviously on their sleeves

Let's face it its not the worse that has been done, inviting the Taliban to a Texas BBQ must rank far worse than involving commie Chinese in some military exercises

Congrats on the classy and intelligent forum behavior.

But it is a valid point.

There IS a point to that post? I mean in terms of actual substance? I honestly don't see it. He quotes me but doesn't address anything I said, it's just childish goading. As soon as you disagree with someone here, the baseless accusations and insults start flying.

Yes there IS a point to this post.
And that point IS that "we" HAVE in the past and still DO use what we have to to get what we want at specific points in the course of the great chess game called geopolitics.
He pointed out an inconvenient truth.
There ARE photos and there IS a written, recorded record of these facts.

He's not necessarily disagreeing with you.
His FACTS are.

You seem to have a problem with FACTS.

Probably a Huckabee supporter.

The only facts are those things we find in scripture.

BTW, those of you familiar with my posts won't be one bit surprised to learn that I run with "those who think that the Son of Gawd" may have been closer to 13th disciple Mary Magdalene than it would be comfortable for Rome to admit.

Makes sense.
Charismatic politicos get a lot of (well) action.
Some even marry their "activists".

Or, maybe I'm wrong (it happens;-) and our Lord and Saviour just liked hanging out with the guys.

Kinda like "changing water into wine."

[Thai interview: A passion for teaching]

In his view, pseudo-teachers are those preoccupied with their own interests, academic rank and pay level. Without any devotion to their students, these teachers do not care if most of their students fail to achieve learning objectives.

"I think there are too few good teachers these days," the 72-year-old man said during an exclusive inter?view with The Nation. "The rest are just pseudo-teachers".

In Vicharn's eyes, Thai educa?tional quality slipped over the past few decades because policies are flawed, while many government teachers have successfully bribed their way into their jobs and contin?ued to use dishonest means to claim promotion and rewards.

Pseudo teachers in white uniforms.Interesting what the "wise man" says......

More games in class.

Teacher too seeliatt.

Play game deequaa.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

I don't think it matters who is involved. The Chinese maybe flexing their muscles somewhat, but I think it will be constructing a school or something like that.

Take a chill pill folks!

Yeah, you know, like the Peace Corps does ;-)

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

But this is news to some of the Fox watching red neck members of TV, who wear their bias' so obviously on their sleeves

Let's face it its not the worse that has been done, inviting the Taliban to a Texas BBQ must rank far worse than involving commie Chinese in some military exercises

Congrats on the classy and intelligent forum behavior.

But it is a valid point.

There IS a point to that post? I mean in terms of actual substance? I honestly don't see it. He quotes me but doesn't address anything I said, it's just childish goading. As soon as you disagree with someone here, the baseless accusations and insults start flying.

Yes there IS a point to this post.

And that point IS that "we" HAVE in the past and still DO use what we have to to get what we want at specific points in the course of the great chess game called geopolitics.

He pointed out an inconvenient truth.

There ARE photos and there IS a written, recorded record of these facts.

He's not necessarily disagreeing with you.

His FACTS are.

You seem to have a problem with FACTS.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

Recently Three Chinese Warships, a helicopter carrier and two frigates visited the Royal Navy's base at Portsmouth.

. . . . and don't they have one of their diplomatic Panda shacked up somewhere in the London Zoo ;-?

"They work differently." would be an understatement.

The Dulles doctrine (just so, so . . . . I dunno so "Princeton 1955"?) and the USA's geopolitics still run on that plan.

Yes indeed. The Chinese DO work differently.

We might not like it but it's definitely time "we" got it:.

The Chinese DO work differently.

[Chinese army will join Cobra Gold exercise for the first time in February]

you got to be kidding right?

why don't we just invite the North Koreans while we are at it.

i wonder if the Thais cleared this with the US military before inviting the commies and their "disaster relief and peoples support exercises" bulls*it?

"we" ?

you hold Thai citizenship?

"We" in this case also refers to the United States, which is the major organizer behind Cobra Gold. So, yes, "we," meaning American citizens, certainly do have a right to question the appropriateness of Chinese participation--even if it was authorized by both the Thais and the US.

And this ^^^^^ in a nutshell lays out the tragic flaw inherent in American Exceptionalist geopolitical theory.

More to come, I expect.