General Reports

[PedroMorales]

When you apply for a second passport, officials are concerned you are not a straight shooter. A second passport is best if you have controversial stamps eg Israel, Iran, were deported from somewhere. As pointed out, you retain the same number and, if naughty, that will show up when you pass passport control on your new passport.

Place of birth can also be a reason to get pulled.

As regards religious ramblings, that is off topic and ill informed as you are not exactly role models to be emulated.

[Beijing4987]

Americans can get a second passport with a two year validity in addition to the typical 10 year passport. Many use the second passport when entering a sensitive area like Gaza and the other passport to enter Israel. Some dual passport owners use this ploy to avoid hassles. A friend has a Canadian passport from birth and a French one obtained from a marriage.The scooter scam problem could prohibit further travel to Thailand, though.

[Travv]

" . . . The Thailand story is sad–and typical. I'll tell it here as a warning to anyone reading. This stuff happens and, in retrospect, you should not handle the situation in the way I did. Linh, you can chop this if you don't think it's relevant.

I was in one of those seedy beach resort towns filled with decaying, SPAM-tinted Anglo men and their 21-year-old Asian wives, talking to as many of the men as I could, as they figure fairly prominently in a book I am working on.

A few of the blokes had warned me of a scam going on in that particular town. The locals would wait until you rented a scooter and had a few beers at some local bar, then, when you scooted off home, they'the put three teenagers on a shittier scooter than yours and drive full speed into you. The cops would conveniently be nearby to handle the proceedings.

I ignored this warning as typical 'falang' fearmongering, but sure enough, a week into my stay this happened to me. I'd had a big Chang and puttered off home. Three kids on a crappy Vespa hit me out of nowhere. Cops come out. From behind a nearby building: 'You drunk Mister! You come to station and make right!' They sounded like some Hollywood-stereotype from the 80's. But they were real and extremely angry.

I was terrified. I had had a beer and driven my scooter (like everyone else in that town) but I had no idea what my 'rights' were. Ha! We went to the station and the officer demanded 40,000 baht to make it go away, plus some money for each of the three teenagers that were on the scooter. In the meantime, they had already gone to the hospital after the accident and returned, bandaged up, with hospital bills ready to go. They'the done this under an hour. All three presented the hospital bills to me meekly. I think they were another 60,000 baht.

Conveniently, 100,000 baht is the maximum you can withdraw from a Thai bank branch in one day. Around $3 k.

I told them this was absurd. I 'knew my rights'. Typical American arrogance. After two hours of yelling at each other via Google Translate in their sweaty little station, they made me go back to my apartment and give them my passport, told me they'd be in touch and that I was not to leave Thailand.

Americans that travel a lot can legally have two passports. Not a lot of people know this. It's the same passport number but you can usually bank on the fact that if you get into trouble somewhere, it will take time for the various government departments to communicate with each other, and you have a window to clear the country.

I'd talked with a nice local lawyer girl after this happened and her advice was to get the hell out of Thailand. So that's what I did. I was gone within 48 hours, this time via a land border, which I assumed was insecure. I crossed into Cambodia, made my way to Phnom Penh, and then flew to Bali for a few weeks.

Stupidly, I returned to Thailand a month later. I thought somehow the problem would have 'gone away', as it was all a scam. Ha!

Thai Prison survival hacks. . .

Full article: https://www.unz.com/ldinh/escape-fro...-and-counting/.

[TConor]

Yes, that recent story about the mass graves of children in British Colombia reminded me of a similar story about the discovery of mass graves in a town called Tuam, Ireland, near Galway. They uncovered many children and infant unmarked graves at a home that was supposedly a Catholic orphanage and a place for unwed mothers. Many of the deaths occurred in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, I know the town well as both my great grandparents hailed from there, though they immigrated to the US in the 1880's.

There is a street in Montrose (Houston) named after the town a one time Mayor's mother came from. Tuam.

[Tomasb]

Yes, that recent story about the mass graves of children in British Colombia reminded me of a similar story about the discovery of mass graves in a town called Tuam, Ireland, near Galway. They uncovered many children and infant unmarked graves at a home that was supposedly a Catholic orphanage and a place for unwed mothers. Many of the deaths occurred in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, I know the town well as both my great grandparents hailed from there, though they immigrated to the US in the 1880's.

It has nothing to do with Thais and more to do with human beings. Judge people by their individual character and not by the supposed tenets of a group they belong to. I was just reading this morning about a former Indigenous indoctrination school in Canada where the bodies of 215 kids were found buried. "The report documented horrific physical abuse, rape, malnutrition and other atrocities suffered by many of the 150,000 children who attended the schools, typically run by Christian churches on behalf of Ottawa from the 1840s to the 1990s." Religion has no impact on peoples' values. It is only an attempt to control the masses. Most say do not do this or you will face consequences from an invisible entity. So they more so scare people away from doing whatever. People are doing this in order to reap the good fortunes or avoid the bad fortunes of the teachings, not because that is what is within them. There are less atheists in the world's prisons than there are people that belong to the world's religions. Thai prisons are filled with Buddhists that have never come into contact with a foreigner.

I am a Black dude that was raised in the USA south and was made to go to church several days each week while growing up. When I left my mom's house at 18 I could no longer be forced to be Christian. I was a Philosphy major when I first started at the university. I have always studied the religions and spiritualities of the world in my thirst for knowledge, so no explanation needed.

[Mr Enternational]

Does overexposure to tourists derail Thais from the path of Buddha? Or are they just naturally hypocritical? Or is it me hanging out in all the wrong places? I find it startling to come across a Buddhist living by the teachings.

It has nothing to do with Thais and more to do with human beings. Judge people by their individual character and not by the supposed tenets of a group they belong to. I was just reading this morning about a former Indigenous indoctrination school in Canada where the bodies of 215 kids were found buried. "The report documented horrific physical abuse, rape, malnutrition and other atrocities suffered by many of the 150,000 children who attended the schools, typically run by Christian churches on behalf of Ottawa from the 1840s to the 1990s."

Mr. E you are refreshingly honest in making fun of your own country as being deeply spiritual based on Christian values. While I see religion as having a big impact on values in a segment of the population in the USA particularly in the south and specifically among the less well off whether white or African American I see little in the way of these people having a spiritual disposition. You need to know the difference between being religious and being spiritual and to be honest I'm neither inclined to or particularly interested in trying to explain it to you. LOL.

Religion has no impact on peoples' values. It is only an attempt to control the masses. Most say do not do this or you will face consequences from an invisible entity. So they more so scare people away from doing whatever. People are doing this in order to reap the good fortunes or avoid the bad fortunes of the teachings, not because that is what is within them. There are less atheists in the world's prisons than there are people that belong to the world's religions. Thai prisons are filled with Buddhists that have never come into contact with a foreigner.

I am a Black dude that was raised in the USA south and was made to go to church several days each week while growing up. When I left my mom's house at 18 I could no longer be forced to be Christian. I was a Philosphy major when I first started at the university. I have always studied the religions and spiritualities of the world in my thirst for knowledge, so no explanation needed.

[Member #4733]

America is still a deeply spiritual society based on Christian values.

So true! Trump benefits from this. Half of the country is his, thanks to these Christians. And in little more than four years he will get all of it back.

[Turgid]

Well Croc I guess it comes to how we experience living here. I am with you on the entrenched societal class differences based on birth and economic status but I don't see that as being judgmental which for me is having or displaying an overly critical point of view. Thailand for me is still a deeply spiritual society based on Buddhist values of acceptance and understanding which by definition is nonjudgmental. Your experience would appear to be different but this doesn't mean you are right and I am wrong or vice versa, in other words there is no judging going on.

Thailand is one of the very few countries I have mongered in in which I got a real girlfriend (not a hooker GF). She was a Buddhist. She introduced me to her parents and siblings and taught me a lot about Thai society. She took me inside the temple with the huge golden statue of Buddha near China town. They are indeed a spiritual people and I have great respect for them.

[Franciscass]

LOL. April Fools was last month. And America is still a deeply spiritual society based on Christian values.

Mr. E you are refreshingly honest in making fun of your own country as being deeply spiritual based on Christian values. While I see religion as having a big impact on values in a segment of the population in the USA particularly in the south and specifically among the less well off whether white or African American I see little in the way of these people having a spiritual disposition. You need to know the difference between being religious and being spiritual and to be honest I'm neither inclined to or particularly interested in trying to explain it to you. LOL.

[Crazy4Thai]

Does overexposure to tourists derail Thais from the path of Buddha? Or are they just naturally hypocritical? Or is it me hanging out in all the wrong places? I find it startling to come across a Buddhist living by the teachings.

[Mr Enternational]

Thailand for me is still a deeply spiritual society based on Buddhist values of acceptance and understanding which by definition is nonjudgmental.

LOL. April Fools was last month. And America is still a deeply spiritual society based on Christian values.

[Goatscrot]

Nothing could be further from the truth. Thais are extremely judgemental and try to place each other within a hierarchy all the time. They are non-confrontational, but that's an entirely different beast, it means won't call you out to your face, especially not if you might be their social equal or superior.

Farang are mostly outsiders to the Thai social hierarchy and generally wealthier so Thais usually did not care to confront us even if we did something out of line, although that is changing in recent years.

Sure, plenty of Thai men visit prostitutes (although the numbers seem to be declining), but unlike Farang, they keep it discreet and low-key.

Spot on assessment. The patronage system permeates all of Thai society.

[Franciscass]

Nothing could be further from the truth. Thais are extremely judgemental and try to place each other within a hierarchy

Well Croc I guess it comes to how we experience living here. I am with you on the entrenched societal class differences based on birth and economic status but I don't see that as being judgmental which for me is having or displaying an overly critical point of view. Thailand for me is still a deeply spiritual society based on Buddhist values of acceptance and understanding which by definition is nonjudgmental. Your experience would appear to be different but this doesn't mean you are right and I am wrong or vice versa, in other words there is no judging going on.

[MutantChicken]

Nothing could be further from the truth. Thais are extremely judgemental and try to place each other within a hierarchy all the time. They are non-confrontational, but that's an entirely different beast, it means won't call you out to your face, especially not if you might be their social equal or superior.

Farang are mostly outsiders to the Thai social hierarchy and generally wealthier so Thais usually did not care to confront us even if we did something out of line, although that is changing in recent years.

Sure, plenty of Thai men visit prostitutes (although the numbers seem to be declining), but unlike Farang, they keep it discreet and low-key.

I totally agree, plus with regards to Thai men visiting prostitutes, sure THEY do, but that doesn't mean they appreciate you doing so. It the usual not in my backyard mentality and what is good for the goose doesn't mean it good for the gander. The guys who say otherwise just show they don't know enough about Thailand.

[LittleBigMan]

Nothing could be further from the truth. Thais are extremely judgemental and try to place each other within a hierarchy all the time. They are non-confrontational, but that's an entirely different beast, it means won't call you out to your face, especially not if you might be their social equal or superior.

Farang are mostly outsiders to the Thai social hierarchy and generally wealthier so Thais usually did not care to confront us even if we did something out of line, although that is changing in recent years.

Sure, plenty of Thai men visit prostitutes (although the numbers seem to be declining), but unlike Farang, they keep it discreet and low-key.

This is very true very true! Many here will never experience and thank the lucky stars they won't!