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The week that was in Thailand news: The moaner on the bar stool is at home on the internet!


rooster59

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For the poster don't tell me when to complain and not too. Don't tell me I don't have the right to complain after having a taxi driver run a red light then nearly hit and kill me while crossing the street and within 40 seconds motorbike taking off from the light in a drag race nearly hitting and killing me too. And then after one has a wreck laws on the ground and blames me for having a wreck after they were all illegal street racing. Don't you dare tell me I don't have a right to complain after paying the 2000 baht fine for not reporting a forieneger lining in your place to immigration or refused visa extension. Don't you dare tell me I don't have the rigtt to complain after being in public transportation and afterwards having back pain do to their driving or praying and thanking God or whatever that I'm still alive and not dead. Don't you dare tell me I don't have a right to complain about being on a fixed income and losing 3000 baht a month or more do to exchange rates and then after all if that having to spend even more money to make immigration happy. On those points Thailand for many is becoming unliveabke because of the changes. And their are rightful and justifiable reason to complain. But all the time no. Make your complaint then leave it. Don't keep bringing it up then your complaint has no real value or meaning anymore to anyone. My first time here was in 2554 and everything I loved about Thailand has been destroyed and replaced with things I don't like with 1 exception on rd trips stopping at a 7-eleven to get a snickers and a drinkable yogurt Dutch mill brand. I'll be honest 80% of why I'll be leaving is all the changes in immigration. I'm not OK with the always watching my back type thing always getting online or going to an office to make a tm30 and so on. Then what's next after that to add to the difficulties. For some like myself immigration is becoming more of an inconvenience and hassle and not making Thailand a good place to stay as it takes away most of one's ability to relax and enjoy life. My current place the owner said reported my living here to immigration but when I went there to do my extension they said they never came and reported it as it is not in their system and no proof of doing so. And if I didn't pay her 200p baht fine for her I would have to leave Thailand that day. Tell me just 1 justifiable reason to not complain about that. Thai breaking the law and forieneger paying their crimes for them. 

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Come to the country(side) where there are no bars, let alone stools to sit on. When we farangs meet up, either accidently or with purpose, we never criticise our host country. We may bemoan our reduced income, but are more likely to blame the country from whence we hail for not doing something to strengthen its own currency.

 

What's a taxi? What crime? Ok, the local men, almost without exception, like their lao kao and are apt to hop on their motorcycles when they've had too many. Thankfully, because of the paucity of traffic, when they fall off (as they often do) the damage is rarely more than skin deep. 

 

As I've said before on here, I get all the news I need each week from Rooster's Rants - actually I get far more than I actually need, but I do feel as if I ought to know what's happening in Bangkok and QUOTES even if they could be places on the other side of the world as far as relevance to the activities there go. 

 

Thanks once again, Rooster. When are you coming back to Buudah's country to visit the in-laws? I do love to hear Loei get a mention from somewhere now and again

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For the poster don't tell me when to complain and not too. Don't tell me I don't have the right to complain after having a taxi driver run a red light then nearly hit and kill me while crossing the street and within 40 seconds motorbike taking off from the light in a drag race nearly hitting and killing me too. And then after one has a wreck laws on the ground and blames me for having a wreck after they were all illegal street racing. Don't you dare tell me I don't have a right to complain after paying the 2000 baht fine for not reporting a forieneger lining in your place to immigration or refused visa extension. Don't you dare tell me I don't have the rigtt to complain after being in public transportation and afterwards having back pain do to their driving or praying and thanking God or whatever that I'm still alive and not dead. Don't you dare tell me I don't have a right to complain about being on a fixed income and losing 3000 baht a month or more do to exchange rates and then after all if that having to spend even more money to make immigration happy. On those points Thailand for many is becoming unliveabke because of the changes. And their are rightful and justifiable reason to complain. But all the time no. Make your complaint then leave it. Don't keep bringing it up then your complaint has no real value or meaning anymore to anyone. My first time here was in 2554 and everything I loved about Thailand has been destroyed and replaced with things I don't like with 1 exception on rd trips stopping at a 7-eleven to get a snickers and a drinkable yogurt Dutch mill brand. I'll be honest 80% of why I'll be leaving is all the changes in immigration. I'm not OK with the always watching my back type thing always getting online or going to an office to make a tm30 and so on. Then what's next after that to add to the difficulties. For some like myself immigration is becoming more of an inconvenience and hassle and not making Thailand a good place to stay as it takes away most of one's ability to relax and enjoy life. My current place the owner said reported my living here to immigration but when I went there to do my extension they said they never came and reported it as it is not in their system and no proof of doing so. And if I didn't pay her 200p baht fine for her I would have to leave Thailand that day. Tell me just 1 justifiable reason to not complain about that. Thai breaking the law and forieneger paying their crimes for them. 
Pack your kit, you're posted.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

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On 8/10/2019 at 10:17 AM, Samui Bodoh said:

 

"...the trick is to see the good stuff while ignoring the bad."

 

 

Bodoh and Rooster, I find a lot of reasonable common sense in what both of you are saying.

 

Since the real world is not a good/bad dichotomy, I would suggest this version:  "The trick is to see the

reasonable stuff while ignoring the ludicrous." TVF has a lot of both, hopefully a lot more of the former.

 

BradinAsia (now enjoying much cooler weather in Tagaytay, Philippines)

 

PS: Been visiting Thailand off and on since May 1962. Taught 2 years in university in Bangkok and later

5 years retired in Chiangmai. We much enjoyed Thailand and its ancient cultural heritage. We especially

miss the food. Now we're enjoying a much simpler, more peaceful life as a permanent resident here in

the Philippines -- total annual immigration fees: 310 PHP (about 185 THB). 

 

 

 

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I think that the small changes in Thai immigration rules everyone is complaining about are exacerbated  greatly by the poor exchange rates. Hopefully things will get better during and after the next recession hits -hopefully.

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First time I have ever posted here but well done Rooster! I am a guest in this country, and a very happy one too albeit I am only in my third year. I rarely read the comments posted because it normally is so negative and depressing frankly. If you don't like it, leave. Quite simple! I enjoy the simplicity of Thai life. I have no say in the structure of this country and that's the way it is. 

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I agree with the most but some.. eg: the westerners keep the economy afloat... what a hilarious statement to make ... u r not a novice to talk like that being here for such a long period.. there are several studies and surveys that statistically state that Asians mostly Koreans, Chinese and Indians spend almost 4 times the money spent by the cheap Charlies from the occident world ..it’s as simple as this.... ask your taxi driver, the attendants at the malls: jewelry, fashion and clothing, massage parlors and the bar and the bar girls and any one who ever is/are working with the public day in and day out you get the answer to who keep the economy afloat... 

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52 minutes ago, brian2f2f said:

Complaining about being on a fixed income and losing 3000 baht a month or more do to exchange rates.

 

Don't forget other such unforgivable things that the Thai authorities allow to happen, like --

    - Too much rain.

    - The weather is much too hot.

    - Too many earthquakes without advance warning.

    - Too many people who don't learn to speak English.

    - Too many Thais who are repulsed by uncouth, unwashed farangs with hairy armpits in bars and restaurants.

 

Isn't it reasonable to expect that Thais should appreciate that all us farangs decided to visit/live in their country,

and for God's sake, shouldn't the Thais make every effort to make their country more like the UK, the US or Oz?

 

 

 

 

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Something of a scatter shot from me but I'm really grateful to Rooster for calling out the knee-jerk immigrant whiners. Ok, TM 30, 90 day reports et al are a bit inconvenient but just let them try being immigrants in the UK where the Home Office will lose your papers and happily execute Theresa May's 'Hostile environment'. Roads - up here in the North the roads to Chiang Rai, Lampang and Mae Sot are real feats of civil engineering and take you comfortably through some of Asia's most beautiful landscapes. As for security coming from a country where razor wire and three-metre high walls were the norm, I feel unbelievably safe here. (The sole razor wire I have seen her in C-M is round the airport). Which country doesn't always foresee looming problems? But once again in CM we have a spanking new hospital just for geriatric cases. Finally our little expat group up here had a poll about leaving or staying and I was impressed by two remarks from a British visa agent saying that i) half of his customers enquiring about moving to Viet Nam, Phillipines or Malaysia - once they did their sums and looked at issues such as health - decided to stay. ii) secondly like it or not Thailand really is the land of Smiles!

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The longest post ever, trying to talk good the really bad events / developments that have taken place in the past years, they can not and don't have to be justified. Obviously it is always easy to find arguments and talk any foreigner, in any country, out of the conversation by saying they have no right to complain because the country doesn't owe them a thing.

But yes, sure, long not about everything has to be moaned but that is called the Internet in general, not limited to Thailand or ''Expats'' writing stories.
Also in terms of being stalked, you are the one visiting certain websites, joining certain social media groups, you can opt out any second.

P.S. Is it some religious act in 2019 to always make clear one doesn't like Donald Trump and has to refer / tag him in every Online post made?

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6 hours ago, ramr said:

 

Is anyone else here finding the irony of this too perfect? 

 

Mr. Rooster, a bit annoying to have your intentions misunderstood and be written off as "just a moaner," isn't it?  Your OP did the same disservice to some with real concerns here on TVF by caricaturing their concerns and lumping them in with the braying morons.  It was generally good, but it did overreach and go a bit "rose-tinted brigade."

 

Neither a moaner nor rose-tinted-glasses-wearer be.  richardsmith_237 had it right.

 

I sorry. Your English difficult for me. Not sure what you say.

 

but, here is the link Thaivisa “translate”. Ask your thai friend to read it.

 

It NOT say we want to throw out the farang backpacker. SURE!

Only say we want to help the new Chinese tourist also. Make it better for everyone.

 

The “throw out farang backpacker” “no more banana pancake” was only the Thaivisa team say that.

Thaivisa say thai government say that, but not true! Is lie.

Make all the farang believe that. Then anger.

 

https://mgronline.com/smes/detail/9620000074196

 

Mr Rooster, is what I say true? Or not?

Why not answer me?

Please say the truth Mr Rooster. 

 

Winnie say the truth many day ago. But you don’t change it.

Now very popular thred.

12 pages of all anti thai “idiotic” etc and anti Chinese because Thaivisa lie, not because true.

 

Winnie tell true, Thaivisa lie, or not?

why?

 

 

On 8/6/2019 at 11:22 AM,  WinnieTheKhwai said:

This is complete ThaiVisa hyperbole.  The linked article makes no mention of 'out with the backpackers'.  It merely reports on the need for Chinese language skills, as more and more independently travelling Chinese tourists visit the area. 

 

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23 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Oh God you just unleashed all the Thai bar stool bashers. RUN!

The article is a bit too comprehensive for many of the bashers to conjure up a suitable response ( or to manage to read unaided). The rose tinted spectacles accusation will probably be their best effort. 

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1 hour ago, tabarin said:

Also in terms of being stalked, you are the one visiting certain websites, joining certain social media groups, you can opt out any second.

And the  chronic Thai bashers are free to leave Thailand if they find life here so intolerable.

 

If, as they allege , so many farang are leaving, one can only hope they find new places to bitch and moan about.

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26 minutes ago, Yinn said:

I sorry. Your English difficult for me. Not sure what you say.

 

but, here is the link Thaivisa “translate”. Ask your thai friend to read it.

 

It NOT say we want to throw out the farang backpacker. SURE!

Only say we want to help the new Chinese tourist also. Make it better for everyone.

 

The “throw out farang backpacker” “no more banana pancake” was only the Thaivisa team say that.

Thaivisa say thai government say that, but not true! Is lie.

Make all the farang believe that. Then anger.

 

https://mgronline.com/smes/detail/9620000074196

 

Mr Rooster, is what I say true? Or not?

Why not answer me?

Please say the truth Mr Rooster. 

 

Winnie say the truth many day ago. But you don’t change it.

Now very popular thred.

12 pages of all anti thai “idiotic” etc and anti Chinese because Thaivisa lie, not because true.

 

Winnie tell true, Thaivisa lie, or not?

why?

 

 

On 8/6/2019 at 11:22 AM,  WinnieTheKhwai said:

This is complete ThaiVisa hyperbole.  The linked article makes no mention of 'out with the backpackers'.  It merely reports on the need for Chinese language skills, as more and more independently travelling Chinese tourists visit the area. 

 

By your own admission English presents difficulties for you. I'll try and help as it is Sunday and Spurs won last night so I am in a great mood. 

 

The headline was "Out with the backpackers in with the Chinese - Khao San makeover continues".

 

That does not mean that the backpackers (farang or otherwise) are being thrown out. It just means, to me at least, that they are leaving (or might be leaving) and going elsewhere like backpackers always do when there are other places to discover. They are often the discoverers. It is a fact that the Chinese especially are visiting places that were previously the domain of western tourists. Pattaya is another example. The other poster is entitled to his own interpretation of the headline (and view that it is hyperbole) but quoting them does not make it true. Khao San has been having a makeover for much of the 40 years I have known it. The article was also faithful to the Manager article in concentrating on the fact that the Thais are sensibly teaching the vendors English to help the Chinese visitors particularly in understanding about their products. It also helps the vendors in boosting their trade. Nowhere in the article does it attribute the term "banana pancake" to having been spoken by a Thai. It was not in the Manager story but the term is one used by people, albeit facetiously, to sum up backpackers who congregate in places together and never really see the true local culture. They still eat "banana pancakes" which is perhaps a dish that many people never ate in their homelands but which vendors on the hippy trail thought they wanted and could make a buck from. In the story it adds atmosphere to the translation as did the idea that vendors would be saying "Ni Hao Maa" (another thing that was not in the Manager story but reasonably inferred as something the vendors might say once they had undergone the training).

 

To my mind Yinn, you are reacting to the bias of others in comments as if it were truth. 

 

Regarding Thaivisa translations in general. They would often be terribly boring if they were just verbatim accounts from the Thai press. (Every Naew Na article, for example starts with the name of 5-10 immigration officers before it gets to the point).  Thaivisa attempts to bring them to life by focusing on what might be of more interest to the English speaker, foreign language speaker, foreign person living in Thailand or people interested about Thailand who live abroad. Sometimes they are toned down because of gruesome details in Thai press reports of road accidents and crime, western sensibilities being different. Is it really necessary to say how the severed head rolled along the road and the precise location of the brain matter on the tarmac?

 

Often the angle of a story is different because the clientele of Thaivisa is different. (Stories about Thai celebrities are very boring for most non-Thais, for example as they just don't know who they are despite translators making an effort to explain). A case in point about differing angles was last year's fuss about possibly putting tourists in prison for smoking on the beach. The Thai press - perhaps mindful that such a thing would never ever actually happen - buried the fact that this sanction was possible. Thaivisa didn't because they understood that while it was never likely, such a threat might be used to extort people caught smoking to pay larger fines. When Thaivisa reported about the possible jail terms in large headlines the Thai press....realizing they had missed a trick - started doing the same. Thus the story snowballed (got bigger). Yes, it made some Thais in authority look silly. Did they not deserve that by focusing on a relatively minor issue rather than the millions of tons of plastic waste deposited in the environment by so many in Thailand every single week?

 

Thaivisa translations are not verbatim (word for word) but package the news in a readable and enjoyable format suitable for the site. They are faithful to the original source and where additional information (or views) are added the terms "Thaivisa understands" or "Thaivisa notes" are added. 

 

No attempt is made to ridicule or mock Thailand or the Thai people as you somehow claim in another post on this thread.

 

Frankly, many senior officials in the country are more than capable of doing that on their own.

 

Rooster

 

 

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22 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

One can normally rely on Rooster's TWTWIT for a few sarcastic bashes at the Thai authorities, some trips down Memory Lane, a bit of education regarding Thai customs, and quite a few smiles.

 

Not this week - just a rant.

 

For me it was disappointing. I agree that there is far too much moaning on TV, but devoting almost the whole article to it  - too much (IMHO).

 

 

 

 

Fair enough. But I write from the heart and the rant was a result - as I saw it - of so much over the top reaction and complaining to items in the news this week. I agree that devoting a whole article to such a rant is too much and I rarely do it. As others have noted, the irony of doing exactly the same as those who criticized me is not missed on this writer!

 

Thank you for reading and rest assured that normal service will be resumed in subsequent weeks. Expect bashing where bashing is due, rose specs where their wearing is warranted and sarcasm slathered on like Vegemite as thick as I can afford at Big C prices. 

 

Regards,

 

Rooster

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16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

An interesting and entertaining read... Thanks Rooster.

 

....and for what it’s worth, I too believe there are many overwhelmingly unbalanced and unwarranted Thai’s bashers on this forum. Equally so there are many overwhelmingly unbalanced ‘rose tinted’ Thai supporters who berate any criticism no matter how valid and no matter how comprehensively the same criticisms are mirrored by Thai’s in the Thai forums.

 

A healthy balance, its all about that, but its clear there are so many unhinged people around us.

 

If this forum does one thing it outlines our differences and allows us to appreciate or be made aware of the different and often radically unbalanced views of others, in some cases it simply shows us the bigotry and bias, and in other cases the outright misogyny we’d otherwise be unaware of when peddling through life with the misguided belief that most other people aren’t ‘bat-sh!t-crazy’ !!!!

 

 

 

I agree with what you say. There is much good among the whiners on the internet forums and Thaivisa is no different. I have met some great people through my involvement in the site and it would be no exaggeration to say my life has changed because of it. 

 

But it is almost like how some sane and calm people go crazy when they are put behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. The internet inspires "Keyboard Warriors" who react unwholesomely because, despite moderators and to a degree the law, there are not enough checks and balances. Nonsensical ideas and non-truths are shared as fact and the gullible start to believe them. And it is not just the gullible - as I said in my article it can be a bit like North Korean brainwashing - when you hear something enough ANYONE can start to believe it. 

 

Rooster

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I remember the pre Meter Taxi days. It was very hard work getting a taxi in those days, negotiating, in Thai, the price for every trip, especially when it was shift change and they didn't want to go in the direction you wanted to go. Many without air-con, ripped seats, no seat belts. But it did hone your negotiating skills. Also, tuk tuks were very cheap then and you could smoke in the back. And after a while you knew the fare from say the old Thermae to Soi 22, because that is where a lot of the girls lived and you could jump in, no negotiating and jump out anywhere along Soi 22 and give him 15 baht - no questions asked and no problem.

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I normally enjoy reading your weekly TW2, and this week was ok until your paragraphs about driving and roads.  It just read like propaganda. Felt like I was being gaslighted by an insanely biased, ultra pro-Thai propagandist.  Driving skills and the extremely poor general attitudes to driving are just as much a part of the problem as is DUI and motorcyclists not wearing crash helmets.  Lack of law enforcement IS at the heart of the problem.  Please stop abusing your position as an editor and please stop trying to deliberately gaslight your readers.  We also have extensive knowledge and experience of Thailand and Thai people.

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40 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

By your own admission English presents difficulties for you. I'll try and help as it is Sunday and Spurs won last night so I am in a great mood. 

 

The headline was "Out with the backpackers in with the Chinese - Khao San makeover continues".

 

That does not mean that the backpackers (farang or otherwise) are being thrown out. It just means, to me at least, that they are leaving (or might be leaving) and going elsewhere like backpackers always do when there are other places to discover. They are often the discoverers. It is a fact that the Chinese especially are visiting places that were previously the domain of western tourists. Pattaya is another example. The other poster is entitled to his own interpretation of the headline (and view that it is hyperbole) but quoting them does not make it true. Khao San has been having a makeover for much of the 40 years I have known it. The article was also faithful to the Manager article in concentrating on the fact that the Thais are sensibly teaching the vendors English to help the Chinese visitors particularly in understanding about their products. It also helps the vendors in boosting their trade. Nowhere in the article does it attribute the term "banana pancake" to having been spoken by a Thai. It was not in the Manager story but the term is one used by people, albeit facetiously, to sum up backpackers who congregate in places together and never really see the true local culture. They still eat "banana pancakes" which is perhaps a dish that many people never ate in their homelands but which vendors on the hippy trail thought they wanted and could make a buck from. In the story it adds atmosphere to the translation as did the idea that vendors would be saying "Ni Hao Maa" (another thing that was not in the Manager story but reasonably inferred as something the vendors might say once they had undergone the training).

 

To my mind Yinn, you are reacting to the bias of others in comments as if it were truth. 

 

Regarding Thaivisa translations in general. They would often be terribly boring if they were just verbatim accounts from the Thai press. (Every Naew Na article, for example starts with the name of 5-10 immigration officers before it gets to the point).  Thaivisa attempts to bring them to life by focusing on what might be of more interest to the English speaker, foreign language speaker, foreign person living in Thailand or people interested about Thailand who live abroad. Sometimes they are toned down because of gruesome details in Thai press reports of road accidents and crime, western sensibilities being different. Is it really necessary to say how the severed head rolled along the road and the precise location of the brain matter on the tarmac?

 

Often the angle of a story is different because the clientele of Thaivisa is different. (Stories about Thai celebrities are very boring for most non-Thais, for example as they just don't know who they are despite translators making an effort to explain). A case in point about differing angles was last year's fuss about possibly putting tourists in prison for smoking on the beach. The Thai press - perhaps mindful that such a thing would never ever actually happen - buried the fact that this sanction was possible. Thaivisa didn't because they understood that while it was never likely, such a threat might be used to extort people caught smoking to pay larger fines. When Thaivisa reported about the possible jail terms in large headlines the Thai press....realizing they had missed a trick - started doing the same. Thus the story snowballed (got bigger). Yes, it made some Thais in authority look silly. Did they not deserve that by focusing on a relatively minor issue rather than the millions of tons of plastic waste deposited in the environment by so many in Thailand every single week?

 

Thaivisa translations are not verbatim (word for word) but package the news in a readable and enjoyable format suitable for the site. They are faithful to the original source and where additional information (or views) are added the terms "Thaivisa understands" or "Thaivisa notes" are added. 

 

No attempt is made to ridicule or mock Thailand or the Thai people as you somehow claim in another post on this thread.

 

Frankly, many senior officials in the country are more than capable of doing that on their own.

 

Rooster

 

 

Rooster, don’t get your knickers in a knot over the posts. We understand and appreciate your rant and humor. We are well informed enough to know when to unplug our computer or take a holiday. It is what it is. You can’t please everybody. If living in Thailand becomes unbearable, they can always look for options. They don’t owe thailand at all and neither does thailand. Live and let live .that is my motto. If there is too much ranting about the host country, perhaps the fault lies with the poster ?

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