Another reaon to love Thailand

Post by **bumper** » May 16, 2013, 9:41 am

http://videos2view.net/smackdown.htm

Hope this opens. it speaks for itself.

Post by **parrot** » May 16, 2013, 6:30 pm

Rand Paul......first class goof ball. Makes folks like Plodprasop Suraswadi seem tame.

Post by **jackspratt** » May 16, 2013, 8:24 pm

parrot wrote:Rand Paul......first class goof ball. Makes folks like Plodprasop Suraswadi seem tame.

From watching the video, Mr Paul is obviously wasted on the small stage of the US Congress.

Such a self-indulgent "performance" was deserving of the Met, or La Scala, the Bolshoi, or even the Sydney Opera House.

Post by **Laan Yaa Mo** » May 16, 2013, 9:55 pm

However, they would have booed him off the stage in Buffalo.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » May 17, 2013, 3:38 am

oh puhleaze!! Comparing Rand Paul to Uncle "Prod"... not even close!! Uncloe "Prod" is the perennial Thai Pol and forever bureaucrat.... http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... i-vanijaka

Voranai's description is apt, humorous yet sad....

Post by **FrazeeDK** » May 17, 2013, 3:43 am

and is Rand Paul's "performance" any different from other members of Congress?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VFlDh01RK8 C-Span regularly shows a parade of Pols taking their speaking time in the well to get nothing but face time...

Post by **jackspratt** » May 17, 2013, 7:31 am

I am not an avid watcher of C-Span FDK - thus the link drew me to something "special".

Post by **trubrit** » May 17, 2013, 8:38 am

I am sorry I cannot for the life of me see the connection between the topic title and the video. There are many reasons why I love living here, which is not the same as loving the country, but as seems to be implied by the link, freedom of expression is certainly not one of them. :-"

Post by **randerson79** » May 17, 2013, 9:11 am

At least Rand Paul has a point. The toilets don't work.

My favorite drama of all times.

http://youtu.be/6T9N5VcZ82c

Post by **bumper** » May 17, 2013, 10:21 am

The point is you have a lot more freedom to make your own choices. That can come with benefits or costs. But at least you get to decide. There are two places in First Homes where people have converted their car port area to small stores.

Try that in a an American neighborhood today. For that try to sit up a mushroom farm and a fish farm. I would have lost all my money before I ever got through the permit phases. Here you take a little money assume the risk and have a chance to build something.

It was the same when I was kid growing up in the states. Not anymore.

I truly feel I have much more freedom here.

When people didn't have work they found other ways of existing making money. My parents raised six kids during the Great Depression. Now the government helps much more now then it did at times during that period.

My parents were migrant fruit workers, lived in a tent the first four years of my life. At one point under a bridge on Hwy 99 in Bakersfield California. but they found ways to get by. I doubt they would have a much success in today's world.

But you could pull it off here couldn't you. Forever thing the Government does to tell you how to live there is a cost. Many times that cost is your freedom of choice.

That is where I see the meat in that, not theatrics.

Post by **parrot** » May 17, 2013, 2:53 pm

[quote="trubrit"]I am sorry I cannot for the life of me see the connection between the topic title and the video. There are many reasons why I love living here, which is not the same as loving the country, but as seems to be implied by the link, freedom of expression is certainly not one of them. :-"[/quote]

I'll bite. When I read bump's post, I got the impression his reason "to love Thailand" was the lack of goofballs like Ron Paul.....thus my post comparing Paul to the more tame (IMO) Plodprasop. But now with bump's followup post, of which I agree with a lot, I have to add my 2 satang worth.

Ron Paul bemoans the government intrusion into his everyday affairs, including his toilet which doesn't work......he almost cries out 'leave us alone!'. All fine and dandy, whether in the US or here.......UNTIL, the neighbor in your subdivision opens up a karaoke bar (try that in a US subdivision), or a motorcycle repair shop, or allows junk to pile up the the roof line (see the house across from the old Carrefour!). Check out all those workers repaving the road near the old Lotus.....not a hard hat in sight, no steel toed boots, no warning signs or safety vests.....that's all fine as long as one of the workers isn't a relative who's run over by an oncoming car. If it happened here, the authorities would chalk it up to bad juju....back in the US, someone would pay.
Families of the 5 people who died when the suspension bridge collapsed in Ayutthaya will receive 30,000 Baht each.....but probably not a dime more, despite the fact that someone signed off on reducing the necessary cables from 24 to 12 (that's a nice dime in someone's pocket).

Yeah, everyone wants the government to butt out of their daily lives.....until the impact is on them. Living here has given me the opportunity to see how it works both ways.......little to no government interference (I built my house without ANY involvement by the city.....I added a bungalow, two outdoor bathrooms, and a host of other changes without getting a permit, I burn my leftover tree clippings in my back yard, I can give the garbage man a ton of garbage or just a single bag, he doesn't care (try that in the US).....if I want him to remove my sofa, he'll do so with a smile on his face and not tell me to wait for the once-a-year rubbish removal......I had a well drilled without getting an environmental impact statement (try that in San Antonio). It all makes for comfortable living....at least in my case.

But the Thai forums are full of people who have suffered from neighborhood bars cranking out music until late at night, trash in the streets, overflowing and clogged drainage systems, and a helter skelter adherence to traffic laws. A Brit I knew had a neighbor put up a small pig pen alongside the fence line....2 meters from his new-born baby's bedroom window. Another Brit had a neighbor raise up the level of his land that resulted in the Brit's cement wall collapsing. He went to court and won....after 6 months and only received a fraction of the repair costs.

Buy your pork or beef in the market here and be rest assured it's been properly refrigerated....and only displayed using proper hygiene. Or not. And if your tap water goes off a few times a week or day or for days at a time, don't fret.....it'll come back on soon enough. And you know the pipes will be flushed clean of sediment before the water reaches your tap again.......or not.

In a nutshell (a large nutshell in the case of this post), living here gives you the opportunity to free yourself from many of the government programs that protect the citizens back in the US. But, please, don't complain when the neighborhood dog packs invade your turf.

Post by **WBU ALUM** » May 17, 2013, 3:30 pm

parrot wrote:
trubrit wrote:I am sorry I cannot for the life of me see the connection between the topic title and the video. There are many reasons why I love living here, which is not the same as loving the country, but as seems to be implied by the link, freedom of expression is certainly not one of them. :-"
I'll bite. When I read bump's post, I got the impression his reason "to love Thailand" was the lack of goofballs like Ron Paul.....thus my post comparing Paul to the more tame (IMO) Plodprasop. But now with bump's followup post, of which I agree with a lot, I have to add my 2 satang worth...

The man in the video is not Ron Paul.

Senator Rand Paul, the man on the video is spot on. Progressives over-regulate and take away individual liberty. Rand Paul points out the hypocrisy of the Left -- who think choice is good only when deciding to kill a child in the womb.

Post by **bumper** » May 17, 2013, 4:03 pm

Haven't heard me complaining of any such things. I know I'm not the only one that has the freedom to do things my way.

I don't know Ron Paul from the man in the moon. I don't support, nor do I oppose his statement.

One way or another there are costs for everything. You know I could complain about dogs in the neighborhood, the other side of the coin is I can control mine and not worry about the other guys.

If you take it with out the politics involved. Where does ones reasonable freedoms exist. Whose business is it what kind of crapper I buy, here mine. There the governments from the looks of it.

So where does protection end and control beyond reason begin.

Personally I don't look nor I ever looked at the government to take care of all my problems.

In my case works well for me. I try to be reasonable and respectful of my neighbors. Doesn't mean everyone will. But, I can do my part. I remember a post years back on TV complaining about the price of shrimp in the states. Compared to Thai costs. There is no apple to apples in that. Cost of operating a shrimp business is more before they even get a boat.

I held seven different license to work as a Security Guard in a school in California. Granted I was well paid an held to a different standard. Should I be required by law to a CPR card to work a security. In the end it was just another useless government control that had nothing to do with my actual function.

I will grant you that some laws in the states with food, do have needed function. Here I decide where I buy my meat. I don't need a law to protect me from using substandard food. I go to Chern Chen and don't worry about it. That to me means my freedom of choice can protects me.

Oddly enough on rides I have eaten at hole in the wall places. Never once have I gotten sick. Although milk at Tesco put me in the hospital once.

Me I would rather go down and tell these guys where I live every 90 days. Then be subjected to the silliness of some of the laws in the states. I only speak of California since that is all I know. I want to put a patio cover on my back cement. Permits, enviornmental study and a city Counsel meeting in some area required.

Me I left for the freedom to be me and I'm happy here. I would the first to say if you can't adapt and learn to go with the flow. You may be better off where the law tells you which hand to blow your nose with.

Parrot I know your not that kind of person. I would say a little defensive about some aspects of the states. But, I'm American as well. It is good in may ways like those monthly checks that keep showing up. But other things have just went to far.

We enjoy freedom of speech. Yet we can't say a prayer at school. Just a small example of political correctness going to far. a person of a different color skin can say anything he wants to me. But, if I return the favor I'm a racist. I don't think that was the intent of the Civil Rights movement. Political correctness gone to far.

Packs of neighborhood dogs invading some how given time disappear.

One of the things I don't agree with here is so little value put on human life. I don't mean money.

Anyway in the end I don't think we are that different.

Post by **gudtymchuk** » May 17, 2013, 6:22 pm

The same people who would label Rand Paul a 'golf ball' worship and adore Harry Reid.... boggles the mind.

Post by **trubrit** » May 17, 2013, 8:02 pm

Okay now I can see where my friend Bump- is coming from. However I would agree with Parrott, too much legislation is obviously restricting our freedom but , conversely not enough does as well .I prefer to be able to protect my own interests if a neighbour is behaving unsociable by means of the law or statute he is breaking .Now of course if I were the neighbour doing it, I would resent that. So its a two edged sword. It requires a society that has been raised on the principle of " Do unto others what you would have done to yourself", And we all know despite their "Greng Jai" expression, in practise that is not a noticeable trait amongst Thais. So in a way we are loosing our freedom to live peacefully because there is no law to protect us .It doesn't end there does it? Without being too specific, Whilst I can't comment on The US reaction, I can say, without fear of imprisonment, I don't like the wife of my Prince, or that my Queen is starting to look old .Now to me the freedom of expression is more important than petty planning regs any day .So getting back to the original point. I can see that things have gone too far in both US and UK but feel , more is needed here, or perhaps greater attention to there enforcement .

Post by **bumper** » May 18, 2013, 7:30 am

Good posts valid points. Maybe Puyai Bon doesn't work anymore and possibly never did for us.

Would be nice to see a bit of balance all around. Some things in Thailand I don't know about and make it an effort not to know. I would say that Politicians seem to be fair game here for the Thai's. Really don't think that is my business. I do enjoy following the show, especially this time of year.

so far things that are totally unreasonable, I have managed to withdraw from.

For the most part I still live a peaceful life here,. don't like the driving habits. But, I know they are going to happen. So I ride defensively. Most of the time that works pretty good.

We do have a certain protection here through the courts. I have won a case all the way through the Supreme Court and am currently waiting on a Court ordered land sale. It's a very slow process. But, then again to get all the way to the Supreme Court faster then California.

The smile culture a myth no doubt about it. Budhist, doesn't mean they really follow that path. Mans they show up with food fro the monks and get to the Wat from time it time for most.

So not perfect and most places are not. But, to me to be able to put a roof on the patio and just do it. It's worth it to me. Financially when I first got here I needed to be here. But, things change with time I could easily live in the states now. Now this is home and I'm not going anywhere.

Post by **jai yen yen** » May 19, 2013, 8:35 am

Good and bad everywhere, too many restrictions in the west and not enough in the east. Nowhere is perfect. Or at least i have not found it.

Post by **sfbandung** » May 21, 2013, 5:42 am

What a good thread. I read too much Thai Visa where every topic seems to turn into a Thai bashing competition.

I can see where some protection is handy but where does it stop? Personally I'd rather fend for myself than have the situation that has developed in Australia. 1% of people are fools so everybody gets treated as if they are a fool. We were having a discussion last night about a bloke who put a spa on his verandah and got a letter from council saying it was deemed a "swimming pool" and as such it was not adequately fenced so they were demanding he drain it. He said, "my bath is deeper than this". To which they responded that his bath is not subject to swimming pool regulations because it is inside. There is actually someone, somewhere who thinks this is fair and makes sense.

We have just finished building our house here and not one "inspection". Owner building in Australia is a complete nightmare. You fall foul of one power hungry, envious inspector and you're screwed. Here I made sure the structure is safe, I want to live there so I am careful. If I don't want a tree that's on my property I chop it down. Try that in Sydney. Every suburb has a "tree preservation" order.

The same with food. If I see "high risk" food (pork, chicken etc) at a market I won't buy it if it is warm or it's just obviously filthy. Or if it stinks. And then make sure it's cooked properly. It's not risk free, but I am the one deciding (to a large degree) how much risk I want to take.

It also applies to booze, and drugs and tobacco. If I want to drink myself to death that's my problem. And before someone pipes up, no, it does not give me the right to endanger other people. Drink driving and bashing people when you're smashed is against the law and should be. That's the point really. As a society we have to have laws that stop us causing harm to others. Having laws that supposedly stop us harming ourselves, so called "social engineering" is mad. Primarily because it can go on for ever. A someone pointed out earlier, to the extent that we are told what hand to blow our nose with. That's religion's job ...

Post by **Bandung_Dero** » May 21, 2013, 6:20 am

All in all I like this post accept for one comment!

"If I don't want a tree that's on my property I chop it down. Try that in Sydney. Every suburb has a "tree preservation" order."

Australian population centres are loosing their character fast. Back in the 50's 60's most had their modest 3 bedroom home on a 1/4 acre block, plenty of room for the kids to play cricket and proud home owner to establish some sort of a small garden. Now all these home sites are being redeveloped into 'high density' type housing. No room for a garden let alone a tree. I guess some sort of legislation needs to be put in place to protect whats left.

Post by **bumper** » May 21, 2013, 12:16 pm

After you have been here a while Thai bashing Aussie bashing U.S. bashing UK bashing all gets pretty old. If you should decide to make Thailand your home, it' up to you to adapt. Every place has it's positives and negatives. Thailand isn't perfect but, no law says you have to live here.

I have more freedom to live my life here then I did in the states. But, my expectations may be very different then the next guy. It's home.