tko

I tried "bars, pattaya, thailand" and got: A ) Centara B ) Billabong C ) FLB EDIT, because a B with a ) after it comes up with a smiley.

I was visiting an office in the US with one of our companies Thai managers. He had one of those long central Thai surnames. The receptionist asked him how he spelled his name and he said "in Thai, you can spell it how you want."

Considering the language you speak, you were probably a citizen of a nation in the same Alliance with the US that stood against the Warsaw Pact. So did you hate the Russian's during the cold war? Guess what. Neither did Americans, but we opposed Soviet policies, expansion, etc.

It's my understanding that the IDP is on top of your actual drivers license, and you're legally required to have both to drive in Thailand if you don't have a Thai license. Also having both allows you to avoid the test if you a apply for a Thai license, they just check your eyes.

Several years ago when I opened my Kasikorn account. I brought in $500 TCs so the 33 baht charge was less as it's per check. Even with the charge the exchange rate was better than for cash. I was on a multi-entry 'O' visa at the time. Now I just wire what I need directly to the account before I head to Thailand. One warning, Kasikorn's ATM cards don't have an expiration date shown on them, but they expire after 5 years. I got surprised one trip, landed after midnight and my card had expired. Fortunuately I had a couple hundred US on me and a bar I'm a regular at exchanged them for me at a good rate. I went to the branch the next morning and they sorted out a new card.

Boggles the mind.

I had a pretty good Hasenpfeffer at one of the German restaurants.

Chalk me up on the alternate universe side. I was BKK with some side trips for 20 years (since 1982). I went to Patts once in 1982 or 83, and was bored. I did have a BKK girl with me on the trip. I didn't go back until the late 1990s and found I really enjoyed the place. I haven't been back to BKK since 2005.

The owner of the establishment allows smoking. It's not your establishment. No point, there is no way to get through to a closed mind.

The way you responded doesn't allow me to easily respond to your post, and I'm getting bored with it anyway, so I'll leave it at this: Please feel free to consider me "weak willed" because I enjoy something you don't like. I'll feel free to consider you a fascist because you feel that business owners and customers should be forced to conform to what you want. We can both consider each other selfish for the reasons outlined above.

Thanks for the good wishes. We're looking forward to it. Definitions 2 and 3 for "Adopt" from an online dictionary: 2. choose and decide to use something: to take up something such as a plan, idea, cause, or practice and use or follow it 3. assume way of acting: to assume an attitude or way of behaving Unlike the western religions, Buddhism doesn't ban things for laymen, though it recommends against certain behaviours. Definately my cup of tea, don't you think For what it's worth, I don't smoke inside my own home or vehicles. If I join a group of guys in a bar I ask before I light up. If I'm in a bar where smoking is allowed, and I'm not with someone who objects, then up to me.

Apartheid and segragation were laws banning freedom based on race. They were over turned. So yes, your formulation was stupid. You got that one right. Laws banning freedom for slaves were banned. That brought about more freedom. Theft is also banned. That also brings about more freedom, such as freedom to keep and control your own property, unless that property happens to be a bar you want to go to that the owner wants to allow smoking in. By banning bar owners right to run their establishment as they see fit, and by banning some customers ability to do what the bar owners are happy to let them do. Not so much stupid as incredibly selfish. No, when you deny some their freedoms for your own convenience you are just on the slippery slope to when they deny freedoms you enjoy for their convenience. You always had the freedom to be in a smoke free environment. Don't go where there is smoking. I seriously dislike Songkran in Pattaya. I don't want it banned. I just don't go when it's on. At the moment, though, it's still my choice. Until more like you have their way at least. An environment that you are free to have, as it's yours.

Yes. That's sad. Free your mind, you'll be mentally healthier. You want to remove the freedom of others, including the owners of the bars without any consideration of how they want to run their bars. That is beyond selfishness. It's not your country. You are a guest, as I will be. In part, yes, though if I couldn't live in Thailand I would live in my area of my home country over all the places I've lived in (N.America, Europe, Mid East, Asia) or visited (most of the globe). I am also running to something, though. I've been coming to Thailand since 1982, I speak the language, I have adopted Buddhism, and I have a Thai family. I promised them when I felt I no longer needed to work money, we would return to Thailand. I'm almost there.

Here's one: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/65/3/337 This is an excerpt from another one: The sex of prostitution is physically harmful to women in prostitution. STDs (including HIV/AIDS, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, human papilloma virus, and syphilis) are alarmingly high among women in prostitution. Only 15 % of the women in the study had never contracted one of the STDs, not including AIDS, most injurious to health (chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrheal, herpes). General gynecological problems, but in particular chronic pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), plague women in prostitution.. The study reported that 31% of the women interviewed had experienced at least one episode of PID which accounts for most of the serious illness associated with STD infection. Among these women, there was also a high incidence of positive pap smears. More STD episodes can increase the risk of cervical cancer. Another physical effect of prostitution is unwanted pregnancy and miscarriage. Over two-thirds of the women in the study had an average of three pregnancies during their time in prostitution, which they attempted to bring to term. Other health effects include irritable bowel syndrome, as well as partial and permanent disability. The emotional health consequences of prostitution include severe trauma, stress, depression, anxiety, self-medication through alcohol and drug abuse; and eating disorders. A web search came up with over 6 million hits. You can find the rest of the references yourself, it's really not a secret. That's correct, that's your choice in Patts. You also have the choice to not go to Patts, but rather some other place that has nudity but restricts smoking. I have no complaint if the owner of a business restricts smoking or anything else in his own business, I can choose not to patronize the business if it doesn't suit my needs or tastes. In Pattaya the owners of the bars (they're theirs, not yours) looked at what made sense to them and chose to allow smoking in their businesses. In less free societies they aren't allowed to make the choice of what to do with their own business. I still can't understand how some people believe forcing others to conform to what they want through the armed power of the state creates more choice or freedom? Want non-smoking and nudity in Patts? Choose to open your own non-smoking nude bar.

Many disagree that it is not a danger to personal safety and health (mental and physical), especially for the girls. You ignore that because that freedom is one you wish to enjoy. I don't think the bans should be enforced because it is a free choice made by adults without the intent to attack others.

True, sorry. I stand by my endorsement of your post though. Tiger Woods does recognize his Thai heritage.

Of course not, don't be rediculous. Laws protecting people from intentional attacks are necessary. So you'd be happy if the Thais enforced the laws against nudity in bars and prostitution in the name of avoiding anarchy? See, I can be rediculously over the top as well.

Yet you want to bring that mindset to Thailand. Please don't. It will be my home as well, though not my home country, in a couple more years and I would like it to remain free.

You wouldn't have inferred anything if you hadn't added the question to my quote. But as I said, I don't expect you understand. Yes, you are sitting in your home. You are not in your home country.

But your home country (notice the word after home?) is the one you can't be deported from. I Agree that home (without the word country appended) is where ever you want to call it. No, banning gambling is not freedom. I also saw people gambling almost every day of my last trip. They chose to in spite of the ban. Choice = freedom. I have quit before, and I expect I'll quit again someday. Right now I enjoy it, so I choose to do it. That's freedom.

After quoting my post, suggesting that I inferred it. But you probably don't understand that, either. This from the idiot who thinks his home country is Thailand because they gave him a visa and maybe a visa extension. I'm not offended when a fool says I'm dumb.

My friend, if you are stupid enough to believe banning something is freedom, you are stupid enough to believe your home country is Thailand. You live in Thailand. Your home country (and your mindset) is western. Banning = restricting = NOT freedom.

BS. You are free to not go places you know allow smoking. Smokers are free to not go places that don't allow smoking. If you want a naked Thai spinner bouncing on your lap, well, most of those places also allow smoking. You are free to make the tradeoff. Keep your slippery slope to western nanny state fascism back in your home country.

I didn't say that.

Short version: The OP is wrong. Tiger Woods does recognize his Thai heritage.