Meh, dogs have been selectively bred for millennia to bring things to people. They’re also completely dependent on humans not only for nutrition, but also probably in this case behavioural guidance.

It’s not so much “here human I trust you so much I’ll let you hold my baby” as it is “here human this smells important”.

Yeah I think you’re dead right there.

The rental scooters do seem to bring out the worst in people, or maybe they just tend to hilight people’s general disrespect for “things” particularly those which do not belong to them.

People will always take care of their own stuff better than someone else’s.

Edit: I’ve also noticed that people aren’t using them that much where I live. They were all over the place for a minute, but now don’t see them very much.

Privately owned scooters will never reach the same height of scooter littering.

Perhaps not scooter “littering” but surely just numbers of personal transport devices.

That is to say, if no other form of transport existed, then the presence of rental scooters would surely mean that there were fewer scooters in total and thereby fewer scooters parked on the sidewalk.

Interesting. I’ve seen this where I live, rental scooters just littering the sidewalk.

I wonder, whether personally-owned scooters will become more prevalent if rentals aren’t available.

I guess personally-owned scooters are going to be parked more responsibly rather than just left wherever.

Well… yes ?

I mean there will always be people that break the rules but in my experience once something becomes a law, like smoking in certain areas or whatever, people tend to follow the rules.

Wouldn’t this apply to both rented and personally-owned scooters though?

Getting rid of the rentals might reduce the number temporarily, but doesn’t really seem to solve the problem.

Anyone who’s interested in reading an article about PNG talking to China certainly does.

Wait, they banned electric scooter rentals?

Is the main argument that they’re unsightly?

It’s only important if you didn’t realise China is trying to exert influence in the area.

I think we can safely assume that China has their foot in the door of every nation in the area.

The easiest way for PNG to increase support from their allies (Aus & US) is to demonstrate that they have other options.

Pretty nothing news really.

PNG would be mad not to flirt with China occasionally just to demonstrate the importance of all the free money flowing in from Aus & US.

I agree with everything you’ve said.

I’m also embarrassed by our stance on gaza.

… and yet, the US is our only chance at staying on the right side of China both politically and militarily. We don’t have a lot of credit to squander on doing what’s “right”.

Australian here. We’re just gonna do whatever the US does thanks. We know where our MREs are buttered.

In the coming decades shits gonna get tense in asia / pacific (where we live). The US just gave us nuclear subs. What are the Palestinians offering?

Yes I’m white.

Skin color is a very strong indicator of class or social status in Thailand. People who work outside or in the fields will have darker skin. People who sit around all day in-doors will have lighter skin.

While logically people can acknowledge that this isn’t true in 2024, there’s plenty of wealthy people with a dark complexion, it’s so deeply embedded in Thai culture that beautiful, desirable people have light skin.

I don’t claim to be an authority. This is my opinion.

I’ve actually spent a great deal of time in each of the countries you mentioned with the exception of Singapore. I’m entitled to have an opinion, with which you may disagree if you wish.

I didn’t disclaim my opinion with mealy mouthed qualifications as in “well in my opinion people I’ve met in South East Asia often tend to be more pretentious than the average person in, say, Australia” because I just don’t care what you think.

I have in fact spent a great deal of time talking with Thais both in Thailand and abroad about this exact issue. I suspect you might be surprised at how many of them would just outright tell you “yeah I don’t like how everyone thinks Thailand is some kind of drug country now”.

Sure mate.

You probably mean to say I’m prejudiced or even racist or something rather than pretentious, and that would be true in this case.

Pretentious is a loaded term. One might say “heavily motivated by perceptions of class”.

I haven’t grouped culture’s together as monolithic. Merely that the many and varied cultures I’ve encountered in SEA are very concerned with the perceptions of others.

I’ve spoken to many Thais about this very issue, at length, including my partner. You don’t care whether you believe me, but it absolutely is because they worry about being perceived as a country of drug users.

Yeah I agree, it’s sad.

When I heard they had legalised weed I thought it was a really clever move.

There were some other changes to visas around the same time which made Thailand a really great destination for young remote workers. I remember thinking how unusual it was for a south east asian country to be so progressive.

Now they’re going to shoot themselves in the foot just because they’re worried about what people might think.

Thai people just didn’t want to be thought of as drug users. That’s it.

It was part of their election campaign I presume. Vote for us and we will walk back the law.

I’ve spent a lot of time in South East Asia and I’ve found most south east asian cultures to be deeply pretentious. It’s fine to live in a shoe box provided that you’re carrying an iPhone, et cetera.

A lot of Thais felt that legalisation had meant that the world suddenly identified Thailand as some kind of “drug country”, which is absolutely unacceptable to many Thais.

It’s not a question of whether weed ought to be legal, it’s a question of whether Thai people wish to be thought of as some kind of junkie nation.

Amazing.

Hmm… if there’s 200 or so countries and terms are usually 3 years then… 50 elections is a slow year?!