Election Year or Fear!

[Andy_Faber]

What is truth?? It's generally fair to say that when it comes to opinion there is rarely absolute truth but more a perception of one's own belief and thus skewed thereby.

Eg it's a matter of fact that Derby are in a relegation place and so it's truth. On the other hand the opinion that eg Starmer is a good PM can be shared by others but cannot be "truth"

The slight deviation between the sporting and the political is that no one here has been called a racist, bigot or g***on for stating that Derby are in a relegation place, political facts have resulted in this

[MadAmster]

Most Thais do as they are told, it would seem, depending on whose posts you read. Is that fact, fiction or opinion?

If it is fact, that poses the question of whether they are simply among the most well behaved people of their own volition or is it because they know what the military and/or police will do to them if they don't?

If it's the former then it's unsurprising that people would want to live there, if it's the latter, then why would anyone want to go there?

[swaledale]

For the sake of accuracy, I should note that "officially" Thailand isn't a military dictatorship today, though in line with other authoritarian states, it is far from democratic and the military hold the balance of power, through being able to dictate the make up of the Senate which effectively controls what happens in the country.

Following five years of direct military rule, Thailand transitioned to a military-dominated, semi elected government in 2019. The combination of democratic deterioration and frustrations over the role of the monarchy in Thailand’s governance triggered massive demonstrations in 2020 and 2021. In response, the authorities used repressive tactics including arbitrary arrests, intimidation, l?se-majest? charges, and harassment of activists. While the 2023 elections were comparatively open and competitive, the leading opposition party, Move Forward, was blocked from forming a government by the military-appointed Senate; another opposition group, the Pheu Thai Party (PTP), entered government in coalition with several military-aligned parties. Press freedom remains constrained, due process is not guaranteed, and there is impunity for crimes committed against activists.

Source Freedom House

The nature of Thai people can be explained by their Buddhist Faith - basically if you believe everything is driven by fate, then one accepts it, especially if in day to day life there is little impact. But then I've been in many countries where the people were living in poverty, had few of the freedoms or services which we take for granted who seemed to be happy and accepting of life. Partly this due to not having any experience of any other life conditions and not having any comparison with their life. If one doesn't know any different, then one accepts the life one has.

Mind you if they are all so bleeding content with their life, how come there is a thriving trade in Thai brides, willing to marry older white men in order to escape their life? Especially as generally the type of man on offer is one which is unable to find a female companion within his own society!

[Trickytreesreds]

Most Thais do as they are told, it would seem, depending on whose posts you read. Is that fact, fiction or opinion?

If it is fact, that poses the question of whether they are simply among the most well behaved people of their own volition or is it because they know what the military and/or police will do to them if they don't?

If it's the former then it's unsurprising that people would want to live there, if it's the latter, then why would anyone want to go there?

you have no idea. Thais are honourable and that honour and image means everything.
Respect for family/culture/traditions/manners/mutual respect means everything to them. Add in Budhism and the quality of all life is sacred and you begin to get the jist.
Every thai you will meet, will treat you like family, until you give them a reason not to. They are proud of their culture and it is to protected.It is why foreigners are not allowed to buy up everything, or flood into the country diluting that mix.
Some thais are very poor, but would give you their last bowl of rice, if you was starving. It is very humbling.

[ramAnag]

Andy. Genuinely sorry you felt the need to close MA’s ‘The Last of the Few. RIP’ thread earlier tonight.
I had actually already apologised for replying to Tricky on a thread which I originally suggested shouldn’t be politicised however my later conversation with Sith wasn’t at all inappropriate imo and was neither political nor disrespectful.
I recognise your desire to have a go at me whenever you feel you can and frankly it’s just water off the proverbial duck’s back these days, however leave Sith out of it. His contribution was entirely appropriate and considering whether the world has actually deteriorated to the extent that MA - and others - have intimated since so many made the ultimate sacrifice in WWII is, again imo, a perfectly valid question.

[Trickytreesreds]

[QUOTE=swaledale;40680002


Mind you if they are all so bleeding content with their life, how come there is a thriving trade in Thai brides, willing to marry older white men in order to escape their life? Especially as generally the type of man on offer is one which is unable to find a female companion within his own society![/QUOTE]

Oh give over. Again you out reach your knowledge of facts.
No one and I mean no one can control who they fall in love with.

Let me tell you a fact about thai women.
As well as their natural beauty, they desire respect/ loyalty/good treatment/ and an honourable man. Fail to meet those requirements and you not only have to suffer her wrath, but the families as well.

They see through you very quickly. Trouble with you Swale, is that you read/watch too many thai bar girl stories, whilst disrespecting the 99% of Thais you know **** all about.
If Thai bar girls is all you know, then every scam they throw at you is deserved.

Personally, I went to thailand, never intending to meet no one. I met my fiancees sister by chance in the restaurant on a rooftop hotel.
She introduced us. Very shy girl, with great morals. You had to pass family inquisition before being allowed to court.
Now if you want to piss on that with your bull, then I pity you.
In fact its something the duck faced western girls have lost here. Funny, how we can excuse grooming gangs , by blaming western white girls behaviour, yet insinuate thai women as money grabbers.

[Andy_Faber]

Andy. Genuinely sorry you felt the need to close MA?s ?The Last of the Few. RIP? thread earlier tonight.
I had actually already apologised for replying to Tricky on a thread which I originally suggested shouldn?t be politicised however my later conversation with Sith wasn?t at all inappropriate imo and was neither political nor disrespectful.
I recognise your desire to have a go at me whenever you feel you can and frankly it?s just water off the proverbial duck?s back these days, however leave Sith out of it. His contribution was entirely appropriate and considering whether the world has actually deteriorated to the extent that MA - and others - have intimated since so many made the ultimate sacrifice in WWII is, again imo, a perfectly valid question.

No having a go intended, but you did make the point yourself that the post, which IMO should just have been brief tributes, had become political, and even Sith and your own reminiscences would have allowed/fuelled less innocent content from our two extremists. Therefore I decided to let the thread, like Paddy, to rest in peace. If you want me to I'll start a new thread along the lines of 'Was Paddy's sacrifice in vain?' or move your comments to the EYOF thread.

[Andy_Faber]

Mind you if they are all so bleeding content with their life, how come there is a thriving trade in Thai brides, willing to marry older white men in order to escape their life? Especially as generally the type of man on offer is one which is unable to find a female companion within his own society!

Sounds like you are uncomfortable with the act of inter-racial/inter-ethnic marriage, or at least some combinations of same. Wasn't that a Nazi trait?

[SithHappens]

I think places like Thailand are perceived in a certain way, people think of Thai brides, Bangkok lady boys and happy endings. All of which are probably far from the truth, I'm sure it happens but it's not the norm.

The few people I know who have visited say it's a stunning and friendly country. It's on my to do list.

I get tricky defending so passionately, he's chosen to settle down with someone from Thailand and likely feels it's a bit insulting to his partner and family, I would probably be the same.

But it's the same when we look here, despite what the media will try and tell us we don't have legions of immigrants invading from all angles. Yes I know some areas have more than others and it is a good photo opportunity to support their narrative.

And tricky we shouldn't use terms like duck faced western girls, most younger females i know in my family and friends circle aren't duck faced, and they are perfectly nice, pleasant people.

Let's not love island et al paint a distorted picture of western society either.

[Andy_Faber]

And tricky we shouldn't use terms like duck faced western girls, most younger females i know in my family and friends circle aren't duck faced, and they are perfectly nice, pleasant people.

.

We’ve had a similar discussion before around the stigmatisation of elderly gents with ruddy faces, I think before your time here or maybe you just didn’t get involved, you’re capable of objective thought, is one insult ok and one not?

[ramAnag]

No having a go intended, but you did make the point yourself that the post, which IMO should just have been brief tributes, had become political, and even Sith and your own reminiscences would have allowed/fuelled less innocent content from our two extremists. Therefore I decided to let the thread, like Paddy, to rest in peace. If you want me to I'll start a new thread along the lines of 'Was Paddy's sacrifice in vain?' or move your comments to the EYOF thread.

‘No having a go intended’. Really? I think most will think differently. It’s just become what you do, particularly where Swale and I are concerned and now possibly Sith too who, although always more respectful, may hold a more generous minded political outlook than yourself.

As regards MA’s thread. I wasn’t going to contribute at all but then Tricky politicised it by introducing his pet topic - immigration - just for a change. I replied and then, as you say, recognised and observed that it wasn’t necessarily fitting to further politicise such a thread and apologised.

Having said that…if you look a little closer, implicit in MA’s original post are the questions, was it all in vain and how would those who made such sacrifice feel about the world today?

With that in mind Sith’s contribution was entirely valid and undeserving of your virtue signalling slap down.

So, I suggest that, for those who are interested, we continue here with Sith’s question of whether the world really is a much worse place than was the case approaching a century ago and to what extent the bombardment of 24/7 televised news is responsible for forming our, possibly false, perceptions.

[SithHappens]

We’ve had a similar discussion before around the stigmatisation of elderly gents with ruddy faces, I think before your time here or maybe you just didn’t get involved, you’re capable of objective thought, is one insult ok and one not?

No and I don't think I've suggested it is. In fact in a rare moment I've actually defended trickys view.

[Andy_Faber]

No and I don't think I've suggested it is. In fact in a rare moment I've actually defended trickys view.

No, you haven?t, that?s why I was asking. And yes your response to Tricky made a few points I?d have made

[SithHappens]

No, you haven?t, that?s why I was asking. And yes your response to Tricky made a few points I?d have made

Ah ok.

[swaledale]

We’ve had a similar discussion before around the stigmatisation of elderly gents with ruddy faces, I think before your time here or maybe you just didn’t get involved, you’re capable of objective thought, is one insult ok and one not?

Gammon doesn't stigmatise all elderly gentlemen with ruddy faces as you well know, it describes a particular type of person and is both descriptive and accurate.