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We have 100% fewer prosecutions for witchcraft or sodomy, so there's that, I suppose. I often think that something akin to the Bumiputra policies would be like the worst case end-result here if populism gets whipped up out of control, but I really think that's stretching it. It's mostly just one of those things I muse about when a brown-skinned, Red Shirt Thai person bitches about the Thai-Chinese and then tells me Thaksin Shinawatra isn't Thai-Chinese, heh. That's when I'm like, "Oh no. I know where that line of thought ends up."
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Jan 7, 2014 07:49
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 09:45 |
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Stuck in the Beijing airport for 6 hours and will miss my connection flight home, I retract what I said about China!
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Jan 7, 2014 08:57
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Have you taken a poo poo on the floor yet?
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Jan 7, 2014 11:30
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I'm juuust about to! 4 hours to go!
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Jan 7, 2014 11:56
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pics or it didnt happen Please title the photo Revenge Of The Laowai in Star Wars font.
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Jan 7, 2014 13:03
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No pics cos I've lost my camera but someone has just let off the biggest fireworks displays ever. It's literally artillery fire. There are people screaming in the houses around me and based on where it's coming from it's over the river which is a pretty built up area. Wouldn't be remotely surprised if somebody has hosed it up and there are a few dead people over there. Obviously I'm going to go have a look! edit: Had a shower and ready to go and I honestly don't think this is a good idea. Good lord. duckmaster fucked around with this message at 14:08 on Jan 7, 2014 |
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Jan 7, 2014 13:58
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Where are you now? Siem Reap or Phnom Penh? I forget where the santa hat trade has taken you.
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Jan 7, 2014 14:11
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Hah, guess I missed you at Beijing today Senso. Holy gently caress that place was cold.
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Jan 7, 2014 14:17
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Goons should start leaving a poop in a sock at Chinese venues as a sign they've been there.
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Jan 7, 2014 14:19
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Siem Reap, for now. The fireworks weren't quite as mental as they sounded from the house but would still be unquestionably illegal in the UK. They were, of course, abso-loving-lutly brilliant. But let's not forget that five miles away from a fireworks display which presumably cost many tens of thousands of dollars (if not hundreds) there are people literally scraping about in dirt to make a few bucks to feed their families  Like me, with my santa hats.
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Jan 7, 2014 18:16
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Apparently there have been three tourist deaths in Phnom Penh in the last 3 days: http://www.khmer440.com/chat_forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=35315 http://www.khmer440.com/chat_forum/viewtopic.php?t=35298 In the first topic they seem to speculate that the cause of death is related to drugs. Does anyone here know more about this. I am especially interested about the case of that Finnish guy. Thanks in advance.
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Jan 7, 2014 20:25
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The drug thing happens regionally from time to time, who knows? I wish I had more info and could help. Cambodia is sort of famous around these parts for being a boneyard for foreigners. Every drat bar that's been there for more than a couple of years has photos of dead patrons on the walls and someone's always dying. EDIT: To be clear, I don't mean normally dangerous - these potential drug deaths would be an exception. More like a lot of people either A) go there to die because they're terminally ill or something or B) go there to engage in highly unhealthy lifestyles without anyone to stop them and then die.
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Jan 7, 2014 20:49
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You can get virtually any semi-legal drug you want in a pharmacy just by knowing the name of it and being able to pay. As for illegal drugs, they exist but they're going to be at least cut with prescription stuff so you have absolutely no idea what you're taking. Yabba (meth) is pretty rife and easy to get by standing on the pavement and waiting for someone to offer it to you. In the first topic someone speculates this is heroin being sold as cocaine; that has happened but all the "cocaine" nowadays is just prescription drugs cut up to make something that sort of resembles speed. Um, or so I'm told. We're coming into high season now which does seem to be attracting a lot of prize idiots. People come from Europe, the US, Australia or whatever, see how cheap the booze is, get offered god only knows what and go a bit crazy. I would speculate that this is what's happened here - if I was a gambling man I'd put money on drugs being involved. Of course, the police are being a bit secretive about it, but that's probably not because the deceased were CIA agents caught in bed with the Kings wife (unlikely, as the King is a French homosexual professional ballet dancer - only in Cambodia!) but probably because these deaths are drug related and they have to be seen to Be Doing Something About It. This is Cambodia though, so that something will be less "find out where they got the drugs and attack the source" and more "think of a plausible cause of death which doesn't involve drugs, say it was that, let's go home".
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Jan 7, 2014 22:37
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ReindeerF posted:EDIT: To be clear, I don't mean normally dangerous - these potential drug deaths would be an exception. More like a lot of people either A) go there to die because they're terminally ill or something or B) go there to engage in highly unhealthy lifestyles without anyone to stop them and then die. Cambodia felt like a safe place to be unsafe, if that makes sense. You're unlikely to get hurt by anyone else, but no one is going to notice or stop you from being self-destructive when everything is dead-cheap. A couple times, I noticed guys in Siem Reap wandering around looking completely loving wrecked. (Resisted temptation to yell DUCKMASTER?! after them.)
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Jan 7, 2014 22:39
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ReindeerF posted:So, I think the answer is that there is no plan. This is the last gasp of a crumbling feudal state as it transitions into a democracy. What happens between point A and point B, though, isn't clear for a variety of reasons involving an inevitable succession as well as Thaksin Shinawatra. And lets be frank, if the king dies during all of this shenanigans there will be hell to pay in Bangkok. From my understanding the monarchy still aligns many of the powerful groups (the military specifically). If the current king dies, the crown prince may not have the same alegences.
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Jan 8, 2014 03:19
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From what I've read the Crown Prince has Thaksin's support (and all of Thanksin's Of course the problem is there isn't really any good alternative if the king dies in the very near future. The queen had something of a powerbase and could have pulled of a regency/helping the popular princess take over but she's out of commission now. Princess Siri could be an alternative but I've not read much suggesting she's angling for the throne or has much beyond general popularity. The king has also been relatively clear he wants the Crown Prince to follow him not her. So really it would be a big mess, the elites can't just get rid of the monarchy because as much as there may be cognitive dissonance that would be a couple of dozen steps too far for people to take. Best I could see is the old elites seeking to minimise the role of the king post succession as much as possible while the new elites push to seize power. I could see a royal pardon for Thaksin and night of the long knives type poo poo. There's been too much time and education in deifying the monarchy in Thailand for the old elites to effectively block and sideline a new monarch that could find support although it would ultimately do a lot to damage the monarchy in the eyes of Thai middle class since I'd guess you'd see a lot of tacit approval from the palace for Thaksin and his policies.
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Jan 8, 2014 03:33
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Pixelante posted:Cambodia felt like a safe place to be unsafe, if that makes sense. You're unlikely to get hurt by anyone else, but no one is going to notice or stop you from being self-destructive when everything is dead-cheap. A couple times, I noticed guys in Siem Reap wandering around looking completely loving wrecked. (Resisted temptation to yell DUCKMASTER?! after them.) It's scarily easy here to fall into the lifestyle of being constantly wrecked if you don't have something else to keep you occupied (i.e. a job). ReindeerF posted:Every drat bar that's been there for more than a couple of years has photos of dead patrons on the walls and someone's always dying. Oh god please don't let me end up on the wall of Howies...
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Jan 8, 2014 04:00
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I'm going to start putting your photo on the wall at Howie's now and telling people, "Tytan was a really good guy, we're gonna miss him."
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Jan 8, 2014 04:34
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I might start doing the same and just see if any of the drunks in there notice.
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Jan 8, 2014 05:17
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I'm stuck at the Detroit airport for the next 37 hours.  Currently squatting the Westin lobby, there are people crashed everywhere. Using their power and wifi without shame.
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Jan 8, 2014 07:33
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Any Hanoi goons have recommendations for a food tour covering Old Quarter? Failing which name 2 restaurants in Old Quarter which I shouldn't miss. The tripadvisor etc rankings don't seem that convincing.
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Jan 8, 2014 08:54
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Any recommendations on cool places to go in Bangkok? I have ideas for the night, but the day seems like it's just be endless wandering around markets and buying counterfeit La Coste shirts. That's not to say I don't want to, but I'd like something interesting to do while I'm waiting for the debauchery to begin at night.
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Jan 8, 2014 12:34
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usernamen_01 posted:Any recommendations on cool places to go in Bangkok? I'm a nerd, but I loving love the Siam Ocean World Aquarium. Also easy to lose a few hours in massage, or if you've been travelling a bunch it's kind of nice to see a movie in a real movie theatre. You can go skating at Central World if you're into that.
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Jan 8, 2014 17:21
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You know, I've never even thought to go to Siam Ocean World. Is it really pretty cool? I haven't been to an aquarium forever. Also, obligatory Thai expat question, is there a bar in the aquarium? Because that could be kinda cool.
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Jan 8, 2014 18:38
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Anarkii posted:Any Hanoi goons have recommendations for a food tour covering Old Quarter? Failing which name 2 restaurants in Old Quarter which I shouldn't miss. The tripadvisor etc rankings don't seem that convincing. I did the food on foot tour (http://www.vietnamawesometravel.com/travel-9174/food-on-foot-tour-hanoi-25/). Don't expect anything super esoteric, especially if you've eaten a lot of Vietnamese food already. Most of the places we ate at were well-known spots specializing in the famous foods of Hanoi (bun cha, banh cuon, etc). That being said, all the food was really good, and if you haven't ate much in hanoi yet, it's a solid crash course. Edit: if you want to skip the food tour, there's great pho at 10 ly quoc su and 49 bat Dan, banh cuon at 14 pho hang ga, fried eel (surprisingly good, and this is coming from someone who doesn't usually like fish) at 87 hang dieu, bun bo Nam bo (simple but awesome) at 67 hang dieu, banh goi at 52 ly quoc su, bun cha aly 47c Mai hoc de (Outside the old quarter but worth the walk). Also make sure not to miss chicken street, which is probably my favorite food experience in SE Asia. It's at ly van phuc- maybe a half hour from the old quarter? A xe om would probably be 20 or 30k. Anyways, there's a bunch of stalls on the street, but I had a great meal at the stall at the very end of the very end of the street; make sure to try the grilled bread. Edit 2: forgot to mention that Che is very hanoi and is literally everywhere xcdude24 fucked around with this message at 20:28 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 19:59
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ReindeerF posted:You know, I've never even thought to go to Siam Ocean World. Is it really pretty cool? I haven't been to an aquarium forever. Also, obligatory Thai expat question, is there a bar in the aquarium? Because that could be kinda cool. It's one of the better ones I've been to, and I try to visit aquariums whenever I find one. I went in the last couple hours they were open on a weeknight, and had it mostly to myself, which was rad. The octopus was wide awake and either playful or trying to attack me through the glass. No bar, but it is on the bottom floor of Siam Paragon, so lots of stuff in the same building. Sadly, you can't get shitfaced next to a tank full of sharks. I'd suggest not going during the day on a weekend. They have a horrible, hateful show with mascots and it's crawling with brats. I made it down the escalator, saw the penguin hugging people, said "NOPE" out loud, and got back on the escalator. e: Oh, and they've got a lovely price scheme that charges Thai-looking people differently than non-Thai, but whatever it's their aquarium I guess.
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Jan 8, 2014 20:50
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It wouldn't be a high profile Thai venue if there weren't double-pricing, heh. I don't get too wound up. I show my work permit just to see if they'll drop it, but at the end of the day it's, what, an extra couple of bucks? I'll live. Sadly, sounds like I'll have to bring my own booze :P
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Jan 8, 2014 21:38
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Hahah Thai price is rampant throughout the entire country. Welcome to minority status, roundeye. You're a rich foreigner you can obs afford it.
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Jan 8, 2014 21:41
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The real key is to learn to read Thai numbers, which isn't too hard. As soon as you can do that you're basically superman, heh. OH poo poo HE KNOWS THE SQUIGGLIES. Won't help you at certain places, though, and, like you said (and I said), it's an extra couple of bucks - we'll live. That said, I'm much happier to pay an extra dollar or two to Somchai the working man than to a giant corporate enterprise who is just gouging.
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Jan 8, 2014 21:50
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I have been outright told 'Thai price Thai price' when it was pointed out they were price-gouging. I think they even have it in the official signs at like the big temple downtown on the river (Wat Arun?) that non-Thais pay more. Of course that didn't stop my father in law from smuggling everyone in except me, including his Filipino daughter in law and her American as hell kids, with a hissed 'shut up, don't talk, just walk' and they got waved through.
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Jan 8, 2014 21:55
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Yeah, some places you simply cannot pass. I have one white friend who has Thai citizenship, speaks fluent Thai and reads it (the trifecta) and he can get through with a smile and a flash of the Thai passport and the local knowledge, but the Muay Thai stadium, for example, there's no way I'm not paying whitey price. Asian-looking Westerners, on the other hand, or Pinoys and other Asians (as you mention) get charged locally quite often. It's pretty hilarious racism, because it's not like a Belarussian backpacker has a shitload of money just because they're whtie, but for me personally, yeah, I don't really care. I play around to get a local price because I'm married and pay taxes here and work here, but if they won't budge, fine. EDIT: Like you, for bonus fun, I send the special lady friend after them. Try telling your Thai-Chinese wife that you have to pay more money for anything and it's like lighting a fuse. WHAT?!
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Jan 8, 2014 22:10
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I usually got the Thai price when I lived there by showing my Thai ATM card with my little picture in the corner and being nice. The one place that didn't budge was Dream World.
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Jan 8, 2014 22:54
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The only places I've ever gotten the absolute no are the Muay Thai joint and Samet. Samet I got the discounted "you work here" price, but it wasn't the Thai price. PRetty much, if you speak Thai and have some charm you can skate by, yeah. The ThaiVisa crowd go bonkers on this poo poo, though. In fairness, you can kind of understand the sense that if you live here, work here, are married here and pay taxes here it's lovely to be charged more. At the same time, though, if it's an extra 100 Baht, why go nuts? It's a heavily racist ethnic monoculture to the point where it doesn't even understand racism and discrimination - and best of all it's so pervasive no one understands it's wrong. People are so nice, at least superficially, that I can't possibly get mad, and I can't change anything, so why bother - right?
ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 23:00
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I got the local price at Samet  The monoculture in Thailand is pretty unique though. First of all it's probably the most xenoplilic monoculture the world has ever seen. Second is that the current monoculture is composed of disparate historical parts and while this isn't part of the cultural imagination it definitely comes through in the habits and practices of your every day non-aristocratic Thai. Every Thai person out there has a Burmese aunt or a Muslim branch of the family or a secret thick strain of Khmer blood in the not so distant past. As for the main point yeah. A few hundred baht isn't anything to get steamed over. I'm not about to swap places with a Thai person so why get bothered about perhaps the only real disadvantage that I have there (that isn't easily fixable). raton fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 23:23
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Gets a sigh from me, but that's it. I can sort of understand the logic of "this is our culture, for our people" when it comes to temples and cultural sites, but an aquarium is meant to attract tourism. Anyway, it's not a fight I'm going to pick with a kid working the counter. The price difference for Ocean Siam is like 500 baht, though. (Apparently expats can get the Thai price if they ask.) It's kind of amusing reading people lose their poo poo on Trip Advisor about it, however. You see the price, you make the choice if you want to buy the ticket or not. It's not like you get held at gunpoint halfway through the seahorse exhibit and one of the mermaid mascots jacks your wallet. It's also not exactly a "trick" when it's up on a big sign in the native language of the country you're in. We're lucky bastards so much stuff abroad is in English; it's kind of douchy to take it personally when we're not hand-held.
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Jan 8, 2014 23:29
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Jan 8, 2014 23:34
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It's why I didnt go though. I was pretty bored, found the aquarium, thought gently caress yeah, saw the crazy price and noped out of there. (Only to find a food festival right outside the mall that was pretty loving great)
Rojkir fucked around with this message at 23:41 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 23:36
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I might even go a step further and say that with an all for one admissions price at many places in Thailand many more locals would be unable to afford going and that situation is so loving vile that overcharging another group even purely based on race is vastly preferable. The only analogous situation I know of in the US is Central Park facing apartments in NYC. The majority of these are vacant more than eight months of the year. They're all owned by European and Arab aristocracy who just want a place to crash when they're on a white hooker and non-counterfeit goods shopping spree. The actual residents of the city desperately need that space and the could also do with foreign playboys not bloating the property values any further. No one that lives here who doesn't have their finger in the pie would outright not consider some scheme whereby those places became more affordable to locals / more expensive for foreigners. raton fucked around with this message at 23:52 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 23:42
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Maksamakkara posted:Apparently there have been three tourist deaths in Phnom Penh in the last 3 days: I've heard some more on the grapevine about this (it's amazing how it can take a month for the postal service to get a postcard from one side of the country to the other but news literally travels with the buses). A 23 year old guy was in Kampot/Sihanoukville in the south, was heavily abusing alcohol and valium (readily available over the counter), headed up to PP and died in his room. How he died exactly isn't completely clear, but it's almost certain that he overdosed (either by doing some more in PP, buying some dodgy gear or combining it with something else; alcohol or yabba being the most likely candidates). So that one was definitely drug related.
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Jan 8, 2014 23:49
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Alcohol plus valium is more than enough to kill someone in their sleep. This thread's confirmed death was likely from the same thing. Those two potentiate each other's negative effects and a little more of either can go from "what I always do" to "guess I don't need to breathe any more since I'm asleep." I personally wish all those boys in TCC the best but some of them really don't realize how closely they're flirting with death (despite the efforts of the forums, I assume). Any time there is a spate of foreign deaths in SE Asia it's safe to assume that something like this is the underlying cause until shown otherwise (like that weird thing in Chiang Mai where possibly overzealous pest control lead to the poisoning and death of a few tourists). raton fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Jan 9, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 23:54
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