dangman

I am guessing they asked the Thai's what they saw...? I can just see it now

just not funny at all.

are thai people just circus animals to you?

Isn't it amazing that so many comments already criticise Thai standards.

If you don't like it, here's an idea: go home.

Have some sense and compassion.

I am "farang" - but one thing I really hate about many other foreigners is the fact that they stay here and are waiting for the next chance to complain about anything in Thailand. You are right: Let them go home - nobody will miss them.

i have a feeling most of the thai haters are the ones who live in areas like phuket and pattaya.. places that aren't really thailand and filled with dodgy stuff.

as for you, i and plenty of other long-termer farang, we should probably increase the positive messages of why it is good here and how good real thai people are.

of course there are exceptions but not the rule.

and yes, as mentioned, thailand is a developing country. in 20 years the infrastructure has improved dramatically and each year the development accelerates. in some areas this can actually remove the charm of the place, homogenizing it into any other country. i really prefer a wet, open, ramshackle market to a shopping center that is exactly the same as any other country.

every day something reminds me why i love this country. it seems for others every day makes them hate the country more. i think they should look inside themself and ask why.

i'd say once he found out he was hiv positive he just didn't care about life anymore.

or anyone else's.

i really doubt he used condoms.

how did he get the hiv in the first place?

i'd say it was cheap street hookers.. without using condoms.

dam_n thats 2 minutes down the road from my home. I was wondering why there was no traffic while on my way home, now i know why.

No idea why, but this soi in sukumvit is a muslim area with many mosques. Possibly related.

Could it be a jealous boyfriend on valentines day????

So it's unlikely that Muslims would attack a Muslim area. Could it be an Israeli False Flag like those in India and Georgia??

probably.. they usually are

I'm still having difficulty understanding what you mean. You say "their respresentatives." What exactly do you mean by that? If they are wiring money (Western Union?), that takes only a matter of minutes.

If I were the hotel management I would be concerned about receiving payment for services rendered. I can easily see the hotel's point of view that it will be more than happy to release the "loot" when payment is received.

For what reason would a Thai even consider attending school in Switzerland?

(Why would you ever put a wedding ring in a safe?)

I find all your questions simple-minded.

1. The guests of the hotel already paid their money to the tour company, and have now been ripped off just as much as the hotel. If the tour company collapses, a customer-oriented hotel would do their best to show some sympathy, and not hold the personal possessions of their fellow victims hostage to try to make sure the bill gets paid. Some of their guest may not be able to come up with the money for airfare to get home, much less pay a second time for their hotel room.

The hotel is surely going to suffer some losses, but if word gets around (which it does faster and wider than ever these days) they will lose far more long-term by showing themselves to be rapacious <deleted>.

2. Many Thais aiming for careers in the hospitality industry do in fact attend the world-leading educational institutions overseas, by far the most respected in the world are Swiss. I have also seen local "branch/franchises" set up here affiliated with these Swiss schools, but suspect they wouldn't have the same level of quality.

Thais learning their philosophy of customer service from other Thais, especially those with a Chinese business mindset will never provide the level of customer care (see that word - genuine **caring** is required!) that the higher reaches of international traveller has come to expect from having their needs met by western-trained professionals.

Losing a bit of money in the short term in order to provide outstanding customer satisfaction is a formula followed by the world leaders in this industry, and a growing number of others as well. Thais need to start adopting the same long-term philosophy in order to effectively compete as the world continues to open up.

3 Why would you ever put a wedding ring in a safe?

Now you're really being thick aren't you 8-)

Thanks for your kind words.

It always amazes me how people use the internet's anonymity to insult people they don't know. What could you possibly gain by doing that?

We are here to exchange views and pass the time of day. Why would anyone attempt to make it unpleasant?

I'll respond as politely as I can to your comments.

1) You used the phrase " a customer-oriented hotel would do their [sic!] best to show some sympathy." I believe that you might have forgotten that this is a Thai hotel, and as I wrote in a previous message, Thais are often only concerned about today and not concerned with the long-term.

2) Perhaps many Thais do attend Swiss schools. I would hazard a guess however, that the majority does not.

And, sure enough, you provide support to my point when you indicate that you feel that even Swiss branches in Thailand wouldn't be up to the standards expected in the western world.

I so agree with you that "customer care" is often lacking in Thailand. And, the very sad fact is that Thais do not care about providing "customer care."

As a result, Thailand is not considered a world leader in the hospitality industry.

However, Thailand does have many endearing qualities which attract a vast number of tourists.

3) My wedding ring has never left my finger.

And, no! my fingers are not thick.

that "[sic!]" was neither polite nor appropriate.

and hotels should be customer-orientated.. whether thai, russian, swiss, whatever.

that was the point. this hotel didn't show sympathy when they should have.

could've been a lot worse.. i remember an israeli guy went for a swim over in koh phangan.. he lost everything.. his whole backpack with his money, passport, valuables, all his clothes.. everything.. and then the taxis didn't want to take him because he only had underwear on..

read properly..

he was partially suspended by the rope

so quick to jump on conspiracy theories

it is quite possible to hang oneself this way

smoke all you want.. just blow it up in the air, not toward my face.. thank you

if an onward ticket is good enough you could just buy some $20 air asia ticket from hat yai to KL or something

is a bus or train ticket out considered an onward ticket?

put yourself in a thai person's shoes..

you know there's lots of asian tourists in australia.. but until you meet an individual and talk to them, they are an asian tourist..

you may not know if they are japanese or korean, you don't know their name.. they are asian tourists.. and they probably hear much worse things from australians than that.. really racist things.. i embrace 'farang'.. once a thai person knows me and where i am from.. then i am not farang.. maybe i am then dang jing-jo (red kangaroo) or something .. 555

ah.. a break from the seriousness of the flooding is what i need..

take care out there.. and don't touch your face.. be careful about viruses and other contagions.

i just read 'farang' as 'foreign' .. which is what it means .. i think you're a bit too sensitive.

if there were people from overseas (ie. foreigners) staying in australia talking on the 'ozzievisa' forum or whatever about how the floods there were being handled badly by the australian government and an australian came on and said 'i don't think a foreign government would do any better'.. would you freak out about the using of the word foreign?

is it just being called a farang? you better get over that.. go to your nearest temple and meditate on it.. it isn't offensive.. it's just a word for the people from overseas, dude.

Quote . "Ms Kemporn explained to the police that the concoction used was a mix of five Alprazolam pills, seven Atarax pills and five Chlorphen-Y pills."

Just incase anyone else out there wants to spike someones drink and rob someone, the nice reporter has told them the EXACT combination, quantity and method used to administer the drug. Good work.

Dont be so stupid, anyone who wants to do this can easily find out what they need and get their hands on it. Glad these tramps are busted, they did a chap I know recently. However one of the chicks was photo'd by one of the polaroid snappers and her photo was taken to the polis. Good work BIB.

nah.. i didn't have a clue.. and now i know..

if someone wanted to know, now it's easier.. and perhaps someone who didn't think about it before.. is now thinking about it.

it's better not to say what the drugs are.

so much racism.. reverse-racism.. assumption..

not all parts of thailand are the same.. not all thais are the same.. not all 'farang' are the same..

in fact, they're all different.

this is so obvious.. <deleted>..

but the problem with common sense is, it doesn't seem to be too common.

i don't know what's wrong with a lot of the posters here..

but many seem to have some serious comprehension problems.

go to a temple and learn about buddha.. go for ten days.. go do that before posting again about thailand.

thanks guys.

i've always been happy with dtac.. but i've recently been tempted to go to true move due to their overseas call rate promotions.

but i won't bother now.. and dtac's still got a pretty good rate with their 'economy' overseas line.

i'll stay happy

i like this debate.. he has some points..

either way, it gets people thinking.

about time!

even if only two of them..

so quick to jump on rumour and speculation.

he was an old man.. an old monk.. he probably died of natural causes.. hopefully peacefully in his sleep.

there is a big 'come down' effect from red bull / m150 drinks.. a temporary rush from the caffeine and sugar.. but then a big crash.

on a 2 hour journey like this it would be fine.. but wouldn't recommend it early on, on a long journey.

"finding exact cause of deaths may be impossible"

Naturally! It's another TiT case.

It would not be impossible if the hotel was shut down (as it should be) pending the outcome of the investigation by Japan, the US and WHO.

Probably the hotel will have new paint and a different name soon. That will be the logical consequence. Anybody want to bet?

even if you gave 100-1 i wouldn't bet against that.

how does it compare to the price of a direct flight from bkk to samui airport?

how can people be so heartless..

thank you for sharing the story with those of us who were unaware.

beyond this, i have no words.. that is one of the cruelest things i've ever heard of.

The pub, Fullmoon Pub, has earlier been raided by police for servicing underage people

Forgive me for asking, but why do the underage people go to a pub to be "serviced" - what is wrong with an hourly hotel, the back of the car or even a rice field? (If that's a problem then come to me LMAO!)

For non-native English speakers, in UK a farmer will take his cows to be "serviced" by the bull!

maybe one day you'll be funny..

but not today.

farang don't tell thai what to do!

obvious propaganda..

it's all cambodia's fault.

and the only people who have died, been injured and are suffering are thai.

aw, look at that second photo.. what man among men.. how could he ever do wrong?

fantastic journalism there.. literally.

thailand - you have lost face..

now be a man, accept it and humble yourself.

be the bigger man and just give the temple grounds to cambodia.

you'll be respected for it.