joekicker

We all noticed. Didn't you know? Members drink for free, if they mention it to the barkeep at the time they order. Participants pay.

Oh, I'm sorry if you think I took issue. I didn't. When it was written it was actually quite good. It holds up. I'd give props to Stanley. But it's 9 months old,and a lot has happened in the past three months. I think less of your second one, but only because I find a lot more of "the fortune teller" in it. In economics these days, if you say "it has to happen again because it happened last time", you lose me. For example: There *is* a bubble growing again in Asia, but it is *not* 1997, and things will not happen the way they happened then. I say this with even more confidence if poss

It was interesting in September. Yesterday, the baht and the stock exchange both hit 10 year highs. Growth will indeed be around 4, maybe 4.5 per cent but that's only because it had a very slow start. I bet Mr Morganstanley has changed a lot of things for this month's report. Like most economies, the Thai one profits or loses from the mood and confidence. Right now, confidence is up, foreigners are tossing billions into the stock market and short-term investments. The problem with a military junta is that it can reverse on a dime, so to speak, heh. But it's pedal to the metal right now.

I don't find this post offensive like the one above, but same criticism, really: You're just talking for yourself without any facts and little if any experience. The one thing that is definitely wrong in your post is when you say "in general". In fact, people who live in Thailand "in general" do not go back to the US or Yurp when they reach 65. They have insurance, or they have income or they plan medical care on the Thai economy because it is generally (heh) affordable. In *my* experience which is very limited but I'm sure more general than yours, I know one Yurpean who went back for a fr

No kidding. Yet in another thread here we have the opinion of one guy who informs everyone that: 2) The more you get to know the thai people the less you will like them. I told him, what do you mean by "you"? I suppose it's a cliche but the Thai people are exactly why I stay here. I try to imagine Bangkok or Pattaya filled with other nationalities and I couldn't stomach that. Bangkok without the Thais would be unspeakable. There's no perfect country but this is among the tops.

Shouldn't the ladies put the fish on the grill instead?

Why is Europe old and dying? That's why.

Good work. Easy on the eyes.

Fruit of my own sperm puts KETCHUP on her hot dogs. Jeez. What next? Mayo on the french fries? Oh, wait, sorry. But totally weird exceptions can be ignored. Vegemite sandwich. Got a real ring to it, like sheep's eyeballs. Yucko. And a Thai, too! She ought to lose her passport.

I suggest you have no experience at all, and should make it crystal clear you are speaking for yourself and not for any other person. Frankly, although I have finite sympathy and time, I'm spending a brief moment and a soupcon of pity for you. one ... two ... thr... okay, finished. I know there are others like you, but believe me that there are many who are UNlike you. And thank goodness, too. How? Surely the only advice you could usefully give would be directions to the airport? To quote Tina Turner, sort of: What's luck got to do with it? Funny how m

Oh my, no. What you describe sounds quite good. Poi is processed taro, sort of a lump of starch that looks like a lump of your mom's laundry lard, but not nearly that appetising. The thing is, though, that while it looks absolutely horrible, it is gaggingly bad to eat. Oh here's a good description: "a thick, purple-colored paste made by pounding taro" It's what they eat instead of bread, rice or potatoes in the South Pacific and other suffering places.

Jeez. I just realised there is not one thing on that list that I consider unusual. That's a bit of a test of an Old Asia Hand, I believe. damn!

You can see intestines at lots of the soup carts in Pattaya. The "kway teow" soup is a steal from China. They turn them inside out and scrub them. They're good that way. Sea slugs are on the menu at every seafood restaurant. Thais eat frog legs AND entire frogs, lots of restaurant menus have them. No salmon here, but all kinds of fish eggs - crab roe is the most lusted after I think. Beef tongue stew is on the menu of any decent Thai restaurant, and it's quite good with rice - totally unspicy. Bugs as you know are just another form of popcorn, and kim chee is regular at Korean and Japa

Since both involve blood analysis, I'd be shocked if they were different.

Pretty international, this one, but a really good example of what Thais do when they steal a dish. This started off as something that goes by various names - steamboat and hot pot, for example. It's quite Chinese, and has variations among the southern China provinces, including Hong Kong. The Thais added the little bowl of hot-and-sour dip. They also strengthened the broth, widened the stuff that goes into the pot. Now it's Thai suki - presumably shortened from sukiyaki, although the two dishes are not all that close at all.

You put on a tourniquet, they draw blood, they put the blood in a computer analyser. If you've just got dengue, it will probably show up as a non-specific infection. Later, it will confirm dengue. This is one disease Thai doctors have little trouble diagnosing, because of the frequency, and treatment will normally start immediately, i.e. an IV and anti-pain. But of course testing is always indicated, and always done.

"Delicacy" is overdoing it. But I shot squirrels and my mom cooked them up. I don't exactly hanker for it, but it helped me have a healthy upbringing. Most of this stuff is just cultural. You like squirrels, think they're kind of cute, right? I consider them rats. People love to eat crabs, but do you know where they live and what they eat? People play with bunny wunny wabbits, but not me -- yum-yum! Normal everday dishes can be weird. A lot of people scarf up liver, but wouldn't touch intestines. Not logical, just the way you're raised. Ducks and geese and even chickens eat absolutely foul

If you think you have dengue and go to a doctor and he doesn't test, go to another doctor, who certainly will. Everyone I know who thought they might have dengue got tested. Why wouldn't they be tested?

Well, the difference is the diet. "City rats" eat garbage, pretty much, and that means they eat meat among other things. Country rats are vegetarians and fatted up. City rats are pretty filthy, most of them, while country rats are pretty sleek. Ayutthaya province used to have an annual rat festival which was also useful at getting a few tens of thousands of the animals out of the rice fields. For all I know they still have it. They paid the kids a baht a tail to bring them in, and they had barbecues and other rat dishes. They do that in southern Vietnam occasionally. I don't know anyone in

You never say "never" in paradise, but this is not high on your list of worries. Any seller selling rat can't do it secretly for long, and if she's lucky she'll just be put out of business and not harmed physically. Lots of rumours - dog, rat, various other animals, but it's not economically viable in the ways above, and in the way of staying in business. People actually care what they eat, not just you.

Normally, a Thai company producing stuff knows how to get the stuff to other countries. By all means ask the sellers and the makers of the items you're selling. USUALLY this gets you the best rates, too.

You get very sick, but the main point about dengue is that you ache, almost from the onset you actually ache inside your bones. The boneache is the huge tipoff that it is probably dengue.

Well, since there are no clinics in Thailand except Thai clinics, that kind of narrows their options a bit. But tell me. What care is indicated for dengue that you think a badly staffed clinic couldn't provide? There IS no cure, there IS no treatment beyond hydration. The idiot brother of an incompetent nurse who barely scraped through at the bottom of his graduating class can treat dengue. Most people die from the combination of being weak to start with and not seeking any help anywhere. When you are really ill - and dengue makes you VERY ill - your own reaction is not to eat OR D

I'm unclear here. Is this bragging or complaining?

All of this is for free?