Bushcraft

Good review, thanks for that. I'll try the place out soon, nothing there that can't be rectified and it looks good.

Well, I take this to mean anybody who applies for or extends what we (incorrectly but for convenience) call a 'retirement visa'. There are plenty of people who can show adequate income from pensions etc., and it would be grossly unfair but not impossible for this rumour to be true. Don't believe it though, it would serve no purpose except to swell the money on deposit in banks - er, perhaps reason enough ...

Here's another one: Archaeologists in the Sinai desert have just discovered the first documented Jewish suicide. They found a buried male skeleton whose right hand was clutching a dagger inserted between the fourth and fifth ribs - clearly suicide. In the left hand they found a betting slip which, translated, read: 20,000 Shekels on Goliath.

Great report Evil, I'll try it soon, never noticed it.

A well-known rock musician, an ardent Catholic, had heard that every Wednesday at 2 pm the Pope emerges from his chambers and walks down a line of people who have turned up hoping to be graced with a few words from him. So he took a holiday in Rome and turned up at the Vatican dressed in his finest clothes, joined the line of people and waited. The Pope emerged on time, walked down the line and stopped to talk to a dirty old down-and-out further up the line. The Pope then continued straight past the pop musician and disappeared. Mighty upset, the musician thought that being the Pope, his holiness would naturally have more time for the poor and needy, so he collared the tramp and offered to exchange clothes with him one-for-one. The delighted tramp agreed at once. The Wednesday after, the musician once again stood in line, but dressed in the tramp's dirty rags. The Pope duly appeared, walked down the line and stopped opposite him. Wonder of wonders, what a thrill! The Pope then leaned forward and said to him: "I thought I told you to piss off last week!"

Frankly this play-acting for advantage (cheating - no other word for it) is ruining the beautiful game and needs stamping on, as so many others have pointed out. As a trained martial artist who has sustained broken bones, bloody lips, concussion and acres of bruises over the years, I find some of this stuff bloody ludicrous and demeaning to the sport. The old English school, e.g. Stanley Matthews, Danny Blanchflower, Bobby Moore must be spinning in their graves.

This has been a giant-killing World Cup, with so many players from "also-ran" countries playing at top level for major clubs. I thought France put on a lacklustre performance against Nigeria, who dominated ball possession with skill and pace, making French players look incompetent at times, and were greatly aided by a superbly athletic goalkeeper. I thought Nigeria deserved to win. France will need to play much better to beat Germany, who also failed to shine but have a reputation for upping their game when it counts. Should be a good game on Friday.

I think you must mean Myway, where I've never been disappointed. A lot less expensive than Beefeater or Bighorn too.

3-4 years back I was frequently very close to a primary school teacher in Udon Thani with 20 years experience. She was on a salary of 20k, and like very many teachers had very large bank debts.

You're right of course Idefix - just taking a straight average to arrive at an income figure is equally meaningless anywhere, it tells nobody anything useful.

Yep, taking a straight average in a country with such a huge disparity between rich and poor is pretty meaningless.

And Hebrew is a man's drink.

Not a buffet, but Nicky's on Soi Buakhow is hard to beat.

Thanks for the pics firth, brilliant one of the Belfast and Tower Bridge. I'm a Londoner and love the city. Wherever you go, you're surrounded by history.

Good pics of these splendid troops. People tend to forget that their role is not just ceremonial, they are Guards, have a very longstanding regimental tradition of bravery and resilience, and are proud, tough chaps.

Having lived in both for expended periods, I much prefer a house to a condo because I can walk directly out of the house and onto the street, or sit outside on the porch at ground level, interact with passing neighbours etc. whenever I choose. Small size may have a lot to do with it, but I found that after a few weeks, my studio condo felt more like a hotel room than a home, i.e. a box up in the sky, a pigeon-hole.

And watch it chaps, in the early hours the police are out in force pulling over all scooters to breathalyse people and cash in - as I know to my cost. Be bloody careful about drink-driving over Songkran.

Great set of pics, my old stamping ground when I lived in East Sheen and Twickenham. And Eel Pie Island, that brings back memories.

Bloody ludicrous, a laughable prohibition that is not even uniformly enforced. Yesterday afternoon Soi 6 was half-closed with drinks being served only inside, with shutters down, in some bars, while others remained fully open and only made a concession by having no music. The mamasan in the bar I was in had a police visit because her shutters were up, was threatened with a 20,000 Baht fine if they didn't come down at once. The bar opposite was busy with farang and girls sitting outside and drinking. Go figure. How the hell anybody thinks that curtailing the sales prospects of bars and agogos in a tourist town such as Patts, where tourist numbers are already seriously down this year, is a good idea, escapes me. It serves no purpose except that of power and control over people, and fortunately it is met with the circumvention and derision it deserves. How can the Thais possibly respect authorities that impose this kind of farce?

I've eaten there several times and can recommend the food, though I think prices are on the high side (why are pasta dishes generally so expensive in Thailand?). The owner (Frenchman named Marcel) cooks a lot of the food himself, he deserves to be busier than he is.

Agree with Jacko, Cabbages & Condoms is a great place to take a girl you particularly like.

Andrew Murray is famous in England for his retort that he would like anybody but England to win the (last?) World Cup. At a stroke that no doubt alienated hundreds of thousands of potential supporters in England (incl. yours truly, who lost all interest in him thereafter) who thought that a Briton was actually kith and kin to them. For all his prowess at knocking a ball over a net, that comment was one of a narrow-minded, callow provincial. It's divisive, and division is not what made the UK great in its day, or will in the future.

No Tom, I reckon that even if I wanted to visit Brazil, which I don't, and were willing to afford the cost, I reckon I can see the action best on TV from the comfort of Pattaya. As for why, well none of my family are from Scotland, but England and Scotland have been a political and social, not to mention military union for a long time, and when I were a lad there was unquestioned solidarity between the two, at least in English eyes. The fact that this perceived union has come increasingly into question north of the border is, to my mind, indeed a bit of a pity though understandable for dredged-up historical (nationalist) reasons. Personally I admire Scottish canniness, pride and fighting spirit, for which the English have much to be grateful, and football being just a game, and the WC an occasion for a non-fanatical bit of flag-waving, I would naturally support Scotland if England was not represented. That's the way I was raised, and I find it ok. When it's not reciprocated, and Andrew Murray comes to mind, I find it unfortunate and divisive, but ultimately I suppose - a matter of indifference as you say.

It's not that important, but a bit of a pity. For my own part, if England failed to qualify but Scotland did (as has happened), it would be unthinkable not to be rooting for Scotland. Or Wales or NI if it applied.

My UK state pension pension has just kicked in, and it's 536 pounds per month (frozen) transferred directly to my bank in Thailand. Could live or rather exist on that here if I absolutely had to, but in the UK? No chance without other sources of income.