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Thaiing up my life

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The Land Of Smiles


sawasdee

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Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles. And yes, everyone smiles - a lot. As you walk along the street, strangers smile at you  - it's a lovely day - why not smile?

But the Thai smile has many different meanings; I've lived here for over 15 years and still have things to learn.

It can be:

1.I really like you, and we are going to be friends.

2.Not sure about you, but it's rude to be unfriendly.

3. I don't understand any thing you are saying, but I will smile and nod to be polite.

4. You are a very strange foreigner, and I don't know quite how I should react - so smile is the default position.

5. God, you're an idiot, and I can make some money here!

I've met all of those - and I am sure there are more. I speak some Thai (not enough - the tones defeat me!) and on the whole, it's numbers 1 - 4 I have met most. But when I first came here, I met a lot of number 5!

And unfortunately number 5 is the one most likely to be encountered by tourists - especially in Bangkok. Royal Palace 'closed to visitors' because of Buddhist holiday - but I can take you to this marvellous place having a jewellery sale/handbag sale/watch sale....

No 5 aren't the real Thailand. 1 - 4 are. It breaks my heart that so many visitors who only visit Bangkok only meet No 5.

Most Thais are the most hospitable, friendly people you will ever meet. They will go enormously out of their way to help a stranger. But, like any country, there are those who wish to take advantage of the naive.

I hate that so many blogs etc on Thailand list only the scams - of which there are many, especially in Bangkok, and at the airport there -and don't acknowledge/know the many, many people who will go out of their way to help a stranger. I have seen drunken foreigners driven back to their accommodation - free -sick visitors taken to the hospital, and those that live here all have stories of Thais just being there when needed.

I was very sick a while ago, and my (once a week) maid came daily to check on me. My regular taxi driver rang daily to see if I needed anything. I live alone, and my (twice a week) gardener always checks I am up and about....

So - yes, there are the scam artists, and they make the travel blogs etc - but the Thais I know have been much more concerned about me than I would have found in the UK.

For me, the smiles have been real.

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Karma

Posted

I've never been to Thailamd - I'll get there one day I hope. :) 

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sawasdee

Posted

@Karma - if you are ever able to plan to come here - pm me!  I know and love this country , and can give you places off the tourist trail that I think you would love - and then maybe end up on a beach here for a cocktail or two together!

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  • Posts

    • 47of74

      Posted

      On 3/7/2024 at 1:30 PM, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

      I was curious about the fellow inmate Creech was convicted of murdering in 1981, the murder for which he received this death sentence. (His previous death sentence for 2 murders in 1974 was reduced to life in prison, because of a 1979 supreme court ruling about the unconstitutional nature of the Idaho law of the time.)

      I found an article from 2019 on East Idaho News. Apparently the sheriff and county prosecutor at the time believed that Creech was a danger to fellow inmates.

      Reportedly the other inmate, David Jensen, attacked Creech first. 

        Reveal hidden contents

      Court documents say David Dale Jensen attacked Thomas Creech with a sock filled with batteries.

      Creech was able to take the weapon away from Jensen, and it was that same weapon Creech would later use to beat Jensen to death.

      (clipped)

      Creech went on to claim self-defense in the incident, but the prosecution argued he went above and beyond self-defense.

      There are a lot more colorful details in that article than the more recent ones have had. Including Creech admitting to at least 26 murders, including some for "satanic cult worship rituals". It gave me the impression that Creech was really unstable, at least back in the 1980s. That isn't how his wife and prison friends describe him now, but I can't imagine trusting him, personally. 

      I was watching some YouTube videos of the Darrell Brooks trial today.  Both the judge and prosecutor described that fornicate stick Brooks as pure evil and a danger to the community - part of the reason he should die in prison or be subjected to the death penalty.  (Unfortunately Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty).  As I said before an adult having to spend the rest of his or her life in prison is far worse than the early release they'd get if the state ended their lives, but I do believe there are a handful of crimes when the death penalty is warranted.  Both in the Brooks case and in the Creech case.

    • CaptainFunderpants

      Posted

      10 hours ago, postscript said:

      I get the impression the Bontrager marriages are semi-arranged. Marlin and the other patriarch decide two of their kids would be a good match, tell the kids to pray about each other as potential mates, and start planning the wedding. I don’t think Marlin would force his kids to marry anyone they didn’t get along with, but he sees parental approval as more important than romantic love. 

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      Taylor and Susanna also seem like gray area. Semi-arranged because of two sets of sibs already being married, but at the same time Taylor has Bible Bee money and Susanna is really pretty, and their wedding pics on Chelsy's blog show far more chemistry than Allison and Jeremiah, but less chemistry than Denver and Praise.

      I'll be curious to see their final three. The odds seem high that there'll be at least one more Bowers and one more Helferich match -there are just too many similar ages.

    • JermajestyDuggar

      Posted

      First Candice Cameron and now Mel Gibson. It’s like they are trying to pose with actors I don’t like. Maybe next will be Gwyneth Paltrow. 

      7AE50B83-897E-4B8D-8016-009953ED6D79.jpeg

      • Upvote 1
      • WTF 1
    • Howl

      Posted

      6 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

      And an endorsement from America's favorite fake historian:

      BillPOtterFakeHistorian.thumb.png.e61bafff049a3083b22f1dc635dadd6b.png

      He's a self styled historian,  "Bill has earned a well-deserved reputation as a man gifted in communicating the story of God’s providential hand in American history."

      His godly interpretations of the events at East Coast historic sites are more accurate than interpretive park rangers and actual trained  historians. His company is called Landmark Events.  I think he was big with Doug Phillips back in the day. 

      • Upvote 1
    • Antipatriarch

      Posted

      On 4/16/2024 at 1:34 PM, clueliss said:

      Bickle will be closing the organization's doors and opening a new, smaller organization.  (Because a name change will obscure the toxic, slimy ick no doubt)

      Another motivation was apparently to limit legal liability, but Julie Roys quotes Boz Tchividjian from GRACE:

      Quote

      Boz Tchividjian, an attorney who represents multiple Jane Does who’ve accused Bickle of clergy sexual abuse, told TRR that IHOPKC is in “fantasyland” if it thinks closing down and starting a new organization protects its assets from lawsuit. To try to do so would be “fraudulent,” Tchividjian said.

      In their latest communication they're telling their donors: We're not closing! We're just reorganizing. OK then. https://julieroys.com/embattled-ihopkc-still-asking-donations-denies-plans-close/

      • Thank You 2


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