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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/06/2019 in all areas

  1. Gf's room mate sent her message this morning.... Holiday Inn Express on soi buckhou caught fire last night. It's not been open long. Friend was woken by the hotel fire alarms at about 4am... but fortunately did not message us until 8am There are pics of the blaze on PA. A wander around the back of the hotel, away from the obviously damaged rooms, showed that maids were in the undamaged rooms changing bedding,, so presumably some of the hotel is still operating "as normal". There were taken about 9.45am, and have been posted elsewhere on the forum.
    4 points
  2. Hardly broke out in a sweat on my morning stroll. Very pleasant. Mind you, the gf went to work looking like the Michelin man...
    4 points
  3. I think the problem is Evil that most expats who have been around in Thailand for a good while understand the necessary approach to a dispute its TOURISTS that bring their own countries approach and of course it does'nt work here TIT.
    4 points
  4. Through the years, I've witnessed a number of everyday disputes between farang and Thais in Pattaya. Most of them ended badly for the farang because he or she chose the wrong approach in handling the situation. I try to give some tips that may help inexperienced visitors to Thailand find the right way. I know some members don't like reading long posts, so I'll begin with the summary: Any time you are faced with a potential conflict, don't get angry, keep calm instead. Smile or at least have a neutral facial expression. Never make threatening gestures or start to yell. If you're not getting anywhere in resolving the situation with words, apologize and pay some small money if you must. Rack up minor losses to experience. I know it is irritating to pay for something for which you feel you're being unfairly charged, but a few hundred baht for a lady drink you don't recall ordering is still a better option than a trip to the Soi 9 cop shop, the hospital or the morgue. I'm not sure a tough stance and angry words are an effective way of resolving a dispute anywhere in the world, but it's the worst approach in Thailand. Adapt your strategy to your circumstances and you sure as hell aren't in Kansas anymore, ToTo. This isn't new or original advice. A lot of it has been passed on to tourists since the days of the Vietnam War. It seems, though, that a lot of visitors nowadays haven't heard, or at least taken stock, of this advice. By everyday disputes, I mean complaints and conflicts which arise in bars, restaurants, hotels, shops, on the baht bus, etc. over price or service. They involve casual encounters between Thais and tourists. I'm excluding disputes between business partners or couples in a committed relationship as well as arguments among foreigners in Thailand. Those aren't everyday disputes. Here's a perfect example of what not to do, taken from a thread on another board. Four farang passengers get very angry because the buzzer didn't work on a baht bus and it went 60 or 70 meters more than they wanted before stopping. Presumably, the outraged baht-bus riders acted that way because they thought they were right. You know, the whole, "It's not the money; it's the principle," spiel. That's absurd. Matters of principle center on freedom of expression, conscience or thought. Testifying for the prosecution at the trial of Mexican drug lord who's holding your only child hostage is a matter of principle; refusing to give a songthaew driver 10 baht, isn't. Far too often the justification for treating Thais with contempt is murkier and stems from ethnic discrimination or even raw racism. Quite simply, some tourists are convinced that not only are Thais their inferior but are also out to cheat non-Thais whenever they can. They believe they are standing up to Thais by acting in a rude or abusive manner. Nothing could be further from the truth, but there aren't any words which will dissuade visitors or long-term farang residents with that mindset. "Never try to teach a pig to sing" Robert Heinlein once wrote. "It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig." However, visitors who don't have such a swinish attitude but lack experience in Pattaya can find the standard advice on conflict resolution in Thailand to be very useful. The main points to keep in mind if you feel you're being charged too much or getting poor service: 1) Don't lose your temper. Whatever happens, don't start shouting or make aggressive gestures. It's not a matter of giving in to your Thai opponent; it's just a matter of using the most effective tactics to resolve the situation in the best possible way. 2) Be aware that many disputes are the result of poor communication caused by language and cultural differences rather than a deliberate attempt to cheat you. Keep your cool, even when your frustration mounts. Yelling won't help anything. Just keep saying, "I'm sorry, I don't understand," and try to explain your side of the matter in simple language. 3) Don't sweat the small stuff. Ten or 20 twenty baht isn't worth wasting time and energy over, much less raising your blood pressure. 4) Don't cause a Thai to lose face in any situation. It's futile to demand a solution that will result in a Thai opponent losing face. The best approach will be one that involves no loss of face for either party. Don't insist on an apology as this always involves a loss of face for a Thai. A Thai will apologize if he or she truly feels sorry. However, demanding an apology as a public act of contrition is a Western concept and it doesn't work in Asia. 5) Whenever possible, avoid arguments with Thai men. The risk of escalation due to a loss of face is too high. If you notice a Thai man is getting agitated, start thinking of an immediate exit strategy. Drop whatever demands you had and walk away ASAP. Farang virtually never win physical confrontations because Thai men can almost always count on help from other Thais. A U.S. Army vet who had served in Thailand in the late 1960s told me the following 45 years ago: Never fight a Thai male because "if one can't take you, two will; if two can't take you, five will; if five can't take you, they'll get guns and shoot you." 6) If you run into a dispute in a bar in Pattaya, ask immediately to speak with the farang manager if there is one. Thai service staff seldom have the authority to resolve a dispute to the customer's satisfaction. Should no manager be on site, either forget the whole thing or come back to the bar when the manager is there. However, never try to leave a bar without settling the bill or reaching agreement on how the bill will be settled. 7) As much as is humanly possible, avoid involving the Thai police in an everyday dispute. If you are the victim of a serious crime, that's a different thing. But it can become far more trouble than you expected if you try to summon the BiB for a dispute over a few hundred baht. Evil
    3 points
  5. This site, just inside soi 15 off buckhou will be new hotel, according to cute lady with no bra who owns coffee shed nearby. It will be needed as the newly opened holiday in went up in flames last night...
    3 points
  6. Time for an update. As the earlier posts in this thread note, the Robin Hood Tavern went through a major crisis in 2019 but seems to have gotten back on track under new management. I don't know who owns it now, but a young Belgian chef named Max is involved on the food side and he has totally revamped the menu and food service. According to a lot of reports, the dishes there are consistently good now. I haven't tried it yet and the info below comes from RH's Facebook page. For those who favor traditional UK pub fare, the Ploughman's Lunch looks good at 199 baht: There's also a larger "Big Boy" version at 325 baht: The all-you-can-eat Sunday carvery is popular: There's also Max's Menu, which goes beyond pub food: It seems like the Robin Hood Tavern is worth another visit. Evil
    3 points
  7. My guess is we're into the burn off season. FIRMS - Fire Map shows the current fire sites. With strong winds from the NE blowing the smoke our way. source: https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-263.20,11.75,2091
    3 points
  8. Loei has the dubious reputation for being the coldest province in Thailand, It may be true. This morning it was 7 C here. I'm freezing my ass off. For the first time in about ten years I'm looking for a house or at least a room heater. Where the hell is this global warming?
    3 points
  9. Yup, temperatures have plummeted here in pattaya.... Ironically I turned the aircon off a couple of nights ago, and couldn't sleep. Turned it back on but on fan mode and slept like a log. Spose I need the background noise...!!
    3 points
  10. I thought it could be an good idea to post my "new arrivals" in a specific thread ? I have put it in the Indo section as it will be easier for me to find it when I want to add something. Today's arrival is a Citroen Dyane 6 (1978) scale 1:24 Most of my (modest) collection is 1:43, with Dinky Toys copies ranging from 1:43 to 1:55 depending on era and origin. But 1:24 allows for a bit more details. Even better is 1:18 but price wise we're not in the same range, and they take up a lot of space as well. On today's model I like the color, the interior scheme and the engine details. And it found its place on the 1:24 shelve....
    2 points
  11. This morning it was 19C outside at 7am and its 23.7C in me mancave at 12 noon, for the first time since i can remember i got a T shirt and jacket on, wifey's wearing jeans and a jumper to clean the house lol Last night she had a couple of friends round for a feeding frenzy and look how they are all dressed lol How is it for you other boardies currently in Thailand ?
    2 points
  12. The days here in Pattaya are lovely, sunny and around 28° or 29° C. The nights, though, are either too cool or else not cold enough. It's too cool for the air con to run efficiently, but it's not cold enough that I'm happy with just a fan blowing on me. And all those people back home who think we're just swinging in hammocks all day drinking ice cold beer, they don't realise the hardships we have to endure!
    2 points
  13. The cute lady with no bra in the coffee shed? Sounds like a Two Ronnies sketch to me.
    2 points
  14. 19c is like a mild summers day here. Hopefully the thai weather service dosn't run out of blue faced freezing smileys to put on their charts and maps 🥶
    2 points
  15. Canon 6D Mk 2. Most shots taken with Canon EF 24-70 mm f/4L IS USM lens. I did try the wide angle Canon EF 16-35 mm f/4L III USM Lens for some of the motor cycle shots. Fill in flash with a diffuser for most of the photographs. I did try some of the motor cycles using the wide angle lens without a flash. Whilst some are OK a few lack that impact.
    2 points
  16. Pretty much the same theme, however if the road works on Beach Road are not completed or more effectively managed and their is an increase in traffic volume, as is likely with the approach of the Christmas and New Year Season, there will be significant delay and congestion.
    2 points
  17. 2 points
  18. Took me 10 Mins to get Married and 2 years later the same amount of time to get divorced Gotta love Thailand
    2 points
  19. Yea you do talk sometimes like you have a mouthful of shit !
    2 points
  20. Maybe he wanted to swap his black pudding for extra bacon.
    2 points
  21. That’s funny. The coldest I’ve seen was maybe 13C in December a decade ago in Chiang Mai. The fat Canuck I am, I’d still take a midnight walk to 7-11 in my shorts and wife beater, while all the hostesses were doing the “Hello, welcome” in pants and jackets, thinking falang must be crazy
    2 points
  22. Yes, that's true. It would say it's a pretty good approach to solving conflicts anywhere in the world, although there is a higher tolerance for gestures, angry facial expressions, loud voices, etc. in some countries than others. However, I don't think "the angry act" is particularly effective anywhere when it comes to trivial disputes. The above advice may not be specific to Thailand. but this board is about Thailand and a person who has never visited LOS may not have heard it. From what I've observed, many farang in Pattaya haven't. Evil
    2 points
  23. Tourists have no concept of how fast things can get out of control in Thailand. One second it's a shouting match, the next it's a physical confrontation. They don't have a sense of cooling the situation down because they don't realize it has gotten "hot." Evil
    1 point
  24. Lucky the barman didn't want a beer as he probably would have got a pint of Titbread Wankard.
    1 point
  25. What's weird was that when I transferred a grand with TW two weeks ago it arrived before I could log out of my UK online banking account, literally less than two minutes. Today, I got an e-mail money received by TW, thank you very much, we'll send your money in three days time, and since I did the transfer two hours ago and it still hasn't arrived here with the weekend approaching I suspect they really do mean "three days time". I wonder why the difference?
    1 point
  26. Flying into Swampy late yesterday afternoon, the pollution was very noticeable.
    1 point
  27. I read a customer's post on the RH Facebook page that said there was no problem taking home what he couldn't eat. Those guys must have one hell of an appetite and major stomach capacity. There's really a lot of food on the Big Boy plate. Of course, if the customer plans on taking half of it home with him, it would make sense. Evil
    1 point
  28. EP NDTV, did a blog on the chef a week ago and thev food looked great,the two blokes was all raves about it, Nick did say he got it for free don't know if the two other blokes was free also regards grayray
    1 point
  29. That explains all the sirens I heard in the wee hours of the morning. And this is about 1.5km from the Holiday Inn. Also looks like the cladding on the side of the building is what went up in flames. If true, when will builders and building inspectors learn the dangers of non-fire resistant building materials.
    1 point
  30. Ah yes the original Peppermint. Had many lovely ladies out of there.
    1 point
  31. The best thing that could happen to Tree Town IMO is it get bulldozed over. Bring back the great little Ma and Pa outdoor Thai restaurants and late night Thai karaoke bars that used to be there. All that place is to me now is a bunch of fu fu bars and eateries that cater to posers that's in the way. For the life of me I can't see how most of those places are still in business.
    1 point
  32. Now yer talking lol, thats much better. I can't understand these gals wearing these horrible tights, it reminds me of English whitey gals which do nothing for me at all when compared to lovely Thai brown beauties. Just sayin like lol
    1 point
  33. Don't take the piss out of my dogs. They sleep outside and they are getting old now and it was cold last night.
    1 point
  34. Waking up and doing what I want when I want no rules to follow. Deciding i want to take a little trip and can leave at a moments notice great position to be in,
    1 point
  35. My bike as I have just fixed it 😀 Had not used it for a week so went to start it Monday for work. Battery was flat so put it on charge overnight. Tried it next afternoon and still no power. No ignition lights or nothing. Thought it had to be the main fuse. Bought one on the way home from work. Took the old one out and it looked okay. Thought 'bollocks, it's maybe something else'. Put it in and it fired straight up. Relief all round. 😀
    1 point
  36. The coldest I experienced in Thailand was upon landing on December 28, 1999. I was wearing a short sleeved shirt while getting off the plane. I pulled my sweater and coat from my carry on and put them on. Later learned there was night frost in Bangkok over Christmas. When I came to Pattaya, the temperature had already risen to a nice, balmy 18 degrees (Celsius) and all Thai were bundled up in thick coats I would consider overkill at -5, looked funny.
    1 point
  37. Mate was thinking about going up to Chiang Mai but the night time temperatures look similar there:
    1 point
  38. Come to sunny Perth, it is 40C here. We will drop to a balmy 28 over the weekend but back to mid to high 30's for next week'
    1 point
  39. I believe the overriding phrase in these situations is "TiT" ! I know of Newbies that have been married, often in the village, by the Monks, and consider it to be a done deal, even though the new "wife" still has a Thai husband tucked away in another village, and possibly several other Farang husbands on different Continents. To protect yourself and your Thai assets in a divorce, the Thai marriage need be registered at the Amphur - if not, how do the Thai authorities know that it ever happened ? If your Country of origin offers financial support to your ( legitimate ) Thai wife at the time of, and/or after your death, then obviously they need be aware of your marriage before you die - hence the reporting of your ( registered at the Amphur ) marriage to your Embassy.
    1 point
  40. Lewis the koala put to sleep in hospital due to burns from bushfire Despite around-the-clock care at an animal hospital, a koala whose bushfire rescue went around the world succumbed to his injuries earlier today. Lewis the koala, who was captured on video being pulled from charred NSW bushland by a heroic grandmother after a bushfire, has died. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital shared the heartbreaking news this afternoon, saying staff had made the decision earlier today to put him to sleep. “We placed him under general anaesthesia this morning to assess his burns injuries and change the bandages,” the hospital said in a post at about 2.30pm. It stated Lewis’s burns got worse “and unfortunately would not have gotten better”. “The Koala Hospital’s number one goal is animal welfare, so it was on those grounds that this decision was made,” it read.
    1 point
  41. Ah, at last, somewhere to park my bicycle. 👍
    1 point
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