and this is surprising how ?

Organised religions have been responsible for more deaths and wars over the history of mankind than all the other reasons put together...

"my imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend"  

I live among what could best be called a Buddist community, it is surrounded by other Buddhist communities I also visit.

I have never experienced any fear or alarm, I have never heard mention of it amongst the locals.
What I see everyday is normal people getting on with their life.
I see Muslims drinking with non Muslims, I see Muslim women mixing with non Muslims.

One of my friends I didnt even know was Muslim, only found out when I bought some pork luk chin and offered them to her, she told me she couldnt eat because she was Muslim, she had no problem knocking back the beer though.
One of the guys up the soi has one of the best whisky collections I have seen.

The ones that seem to have the problems are the farangs that bring their western mindset to Thailand, the same farangs that move to Muslim areas and then complain about mosque speakers being too loud.

I have mentioned before, they are one of the few groups of people here I will do business with.
When a Muslim tells me he will be at the house at 9 in the morning, 9 in the morning is when he shows up.
They dont appear to have a DGAF attitude some others do, they have never once tried to borrow money from me, they have never once offered to sell me land, never once have I been asked to find a husband for their daughters, etc etc etc.

The mrs and I use their food shops, because, they make the best beef mattsaman, kua kling and pat satow, they also dont have dogs on the premises, so no hygenie issues.

Not kidded by a Bkk centric point of view, I travel around Thailand on a regular basis.

Maybe those Muslims are pouring into the north because they to are sickend by whats taking place in the south.

Why should Thai women wearing burquas bother you?

The history of the south is well known and documented, and I wont be drawn into commenting on it on here.

Born again drinker me so no problems.

However I feel that blether is making a snap judgement on a matter that he has little knowledge of apart from the press on a situation he has little contact with.

Like rgs2001 I have over the years had a good many Muslim friends and they were and still are true friends.I worked for two years in a private international Muslim school as a departmental head. No bias no hate we had staff from all religions including Jews and assorted Semite nations.

Strange how those delightful anti abortion Christian groups in the U.S.A who have murdered, maimed and generally harassed abortion clinic staff and their clients as well as perpetrated arson and explosive attacks are in the main ignored.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tak_Bai_incident

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Thailand_insurgency

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63714-2004Oct26.html

I detest burqhas, no matter in which country they are worn. As far as I'm concerned they are a symbol of female oppression. Strange how so many Arabian women in particular will dress in a Western fashion when in the West, and change back to burqhas before their flight arrives back into their home countries - for fear of the beatings or worse they will get if seen "immodest."

Disappointed that this has turned into a "I've got more Muslim pals than you contest." If you believe that, you are deluded - my wealth has been derived from the Muslim community. Among the many weddings and other celebrations, I've also had the privilege of burying Muslim friends by hand, as is tradition.

Anyone that's traveled extensively in the south knows that the community has fractured into ghettos a la Northern Ireland. Nan is only one visible example of the type of resentment that has erupted in many smaller Thai communities in regards to the influx of Muslims. Whether or not they are fleeing the southern troubles - they are not welcome and treated with suspicion.

Not so bad in the bigger cities, resented in the smaller communities.

Take note of how people in villages in the U.K. treat outsiders there is still deep division and suspicion.My family have lived in the same area now  for some 500 years and in the same old manor house for 300 years and farmed the same land plus a bit more since their arrival some 500 years ago yet our neighbors whose ancestral grandfather arrived some 80 years since as our estate manager are still regarded as ''outsiders.''

To compound the fact that they are still''aliens the poor buggers are prominent practicing Roman Catholics too and even the more establish accepted local R.C.families view them with caution

In truth not so different from here in Thailand

Loving this,

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/get-pakis-out-party-snp-7328646#GtkqQEefj60MT3WT.97


Nan is only one visible example of the type of resentment that has erupted in many smaller Thai communities in regards to the influx of Muslims.

Would appear the Free State of Nth Lanarkshire (sometimes referred to as the Buckie Capital of the world) has the same problems.