YimSiam

Yeah, but... oh, nevermind. YS

My sense on China's morality is that they basically eradicated to the extent possible every traditional form of ethical restraint during the famines and the Cultural Revolution, substituting for as long as possible the myth of a Communist paradise that would arise in the absence of feudal practices (like religion, community, honor, etc.) The one traditional form they couldn't quite eliminate (and perhaps strengthened with the One Child Policy, which focused family attention on a single individual) was the family, so family survived as an identifying and restraining factor. Otherwise, once the Cultural Revolution had eliminated everything else, and the Communism failed as a long term vision, they just let loose the hounds of individualistic capitalism, unbridled by any of the usual factors the temper its excesses. So it's just every man for himself (and to a degree, for his family), and fuck off to everything else - to get rich is glorious, and that's all there is to guide the national community (except for get-rich-and-be-powerful Chinese nationalism, which is hardly helpful in forming humanitarian bonds or meaning for life other than enrichment and empowerment). Anyway, good on them for getting so damn rich so quick. Too bad it's a shitty place to live a richer human life for the moment, but perhaps they will find their way eventually - after the next Warring States period, I suppose. YimSiam

Holy shit - there's water-skiing buffaloes?! That's awesome. The Faculty of Education - kind of redundant title, no? Aren't *all* faculties educational? YimSiam

Those eyes - and the overall Japanization theme - is appalling. Terrible, terrible.

Sounds like they are writing about Cambodia, in which case I fully agree...

"There's only two things I hate in the world: those who are intolerant of other cultures, and the Saudis." (to borrow from Austin Powers...)

Thanks bust - great to see that article posted under the profile pic you've got, the perfect juxtaposition. And interesting to hear the views of someone who has been amongst the believers. For the moment, I share the guy's view on the relative minimal current threat of ISIS returnees - it's not currently ISIS mode to carry out attacks on the west, even if their rhetoric is threatening, attacks on the west are currently much more of a Qaeda thing. But their MO in the country is far beyond Qaeda/al Nusra currently - it's common for ISIS to run checkpoints where they just check religious affiliation and execute anyone who falls outside their Sunni vision, not something we see with al Nusra (who released the Fijian peacekeepers a couple months ago, and just released the two Italian girls - I don't think ISIS currently has a word for 'release' in their vocabulary...). In my view, the real danger to the broader world community is when and if ISIS adjusts its modalities. When the western bombings started, ISIS was quick to adjust, decentralizing their command locations, moving into hard-to-spot places and blending into larger civilian populations. I was worried at that point that we might see their tactics change, with more focus on terrorist attacks away from the areas under their outright control - including in Damascus, where I live and work. It's amazing, but thus far ISIS has had virtually no impact on Damascus, and only minor reports of recruitment in the suburbs are heard to date. And Nusra and FSA are fairly well contained on the edges of the city - their influence in the heart of the city is limited to arbitrary and ill-targeted mortar attacks now and then, a few each week maybe falling into the equivalent of the 'green zone' at the center of the city, the occasional rocket attack. If they change their style, though, and decide to go for high-profile attacks on civilians outside of their own territory, the tenor of this city - and cities abroad - would change rapidly... My sense is that there is something of a tacit agreement with Syrian regime that the Syrian army will not mess with ISIS, and ISIS will leave Damascus alone for now - that's a conspiratorial view, but it's born out by the stats relating to army operations, which overwhelmingly target FSA and Nusra affiliated organizations, while leaving ISIS untouched. That understanding breaks down, and it's a world of hurt. Anyway, fuck 'em. Backwards, childish, depraved bastards. Bring on the Sunni Awakening, the Sons of Iraq and the Sons of Syria, the tribal leaders who are going to lose their local power and economies to these foreign-supported fuckers. YimSiam

Funny, I also am known to a little clique of Thais as JaoPaw, or more commonly, in English 'Big Mafia'. Of course, it must be ironic, since I am of around average size, and not associated with organized crime! YimSiam

I find it amazing - shocking, really - that there is even a possibility that more 50% of Chinese plants actually meet requirements... Requirements must be low indeed... YimSiam

Live by the pen, die by the courts... I was on occasion entertained by Mr. Drummond's reports, and they have in some ways contributed to my overall understanding of how the systems dominant in Thailand work, so thanks to him for that. Thailand is a great place to go and have fun, within specific bounds it is a place of really enjoyable freedoms, but those freedoms are within limits, and Thailand is no place to go about crusading against the Thai systems and those who benefit most from them. It can hardly come as a surprise let alone shock to those who are familiar with the place that their views will eventually require them to shut up, or pack up. Maybe in the beginning the various crusaders were naive enough to believe that Thailand was a place of real freedom and open expression, but it does not take long (about as long as it takes to read You-Know-Who Never Smiles) to come to a different understanding. Whether it's Thaksin's world or the elites, or whoever comes next (if there is change some day), it's hard for me to imagine that there will be room for real critics of those with money and power. Not to say that I don't love and respect the place, you just have to be aware of the delineation of what is okay to say and do, and what is not. YimSiam YimSiam

There's 300,000 Burmese in Mecca long-term, on long-term visas now - virtually all Rohingya, mostly cleaning toilets, scrubbing floors, and taking out the trash - and being framed for vicious sexual abuse committed by Saudis, apparently. Saudis... may they drown in their own oil... YimSiam

I just close my eyes, listen for the girls fake-moaning in the Nana rooms, aim in that general direction, and let loose - I can't really say what the outcome is in terms of hitting the target near the dining room, but it just feels right...

The "Presidents" are a good option - I personally like the President Solitaire apartments.

I'm a repeat customer of Fraser Suites, S31, Marriott Exec Apts (22/24?). I have no need for pools - my rooms always have toilets en suite, and so I piss there instead.

I am a little saddened to hear the service is rated so poorly, in stark contrast to the many positives noted! Maybe the desk clerks only really perk up and provide service to the hotel's true target clientele - the old men with their girls - and try to scare off the straights with the cold shoulder approach? Anyway, it remains an institution - not one I would stay in these days, but I do sometimes use the rest room in the dining area when I'm outside on the sidewalk at 5 am... Long may Nana Hotel remain standing! YimSiam

Bummer, I saw the page "Thai nuns..." loading and got all excited. But it's not like I thought it would be (and I don't mean 'cause they're Catholics...). Who's scavenging the Lopburi landfill - Burmese or Khmer?! It's just about equidistant from the two borders... I'll bet that nun is thinking right about now "Goddamn, but I should NOT have worn WHITE to the Landfill!" We now return to your regular scheduled programming: the (allegedly) firm breasts of Ms. Number Something-or-Other, and how she found out Nasiadai had gone down to the seashore and betrayed them both... YimSiam

In Syria this past week, snowmen all over Damascus -- folks didn't seem to get the memo. Some checkpoints even had snowmen manning them. Of course, Damascus is government-controlled, not ISIS types who oppose the creation of snowmen...

Ah, so arrivals went down by 6.6%, but revenue only by 5.8%? That must mean that the focus on "quality tourists" is finally paying off - higher per capita revenue! TAT Victory! Last time I exited Thailand, the Immigration Officer flipped through my passport and asked me: "Why do you come to Thailand so many times? One, two, three times... What are you doing here?" My visits are short holiday visits - five days, ten days - because I work overseas and have frequent RnR breaks - there's nothing to indicate residence or work or whatever, just a lot of long weekends and so on. Strange - I've never had them be anything but relieved to have me go, was a surprise to have a guy overtly unfriendly (and, in the Premium lane, too!) It's like they are TRYING to end their tourism dominance... Good luck, TAT, with the way things are going it's going to be a long year or so to come. YimSiam

Ah, you also decorate your rooms with empty condoms! And I thought I was the only one... Good to have a fresh report from the front lines - not many fighters still in the trenches, it seems. YimSiam

You betcha!

And then they went to Patpong?

I figured the "giant clam" in question, with its revelations of unwanted truths of bygone eras, was almost certainly some pussy from Patpong. YimSiam

Not to take a position either way, but considering that there is no legal or agreed definition of "climate refugee" in place, it would be difficult to validate the results in any event... YimSiam

I think the implication may be that he was too drunk to tie his hands... it's just that much more difficult when you're hanging and drunk! Though I've done all kinds of amazing feats while completely inebriated, and think the hands-tied-hanging would hardly rank in my top ten!

God is great, God is great... be he sure has a weird way of showing it.