mancub

"Nevertheless, Sukhum said, some clarification was still needed when using pra cha rat efficiently as the word is relatively new to people"

Hardly new, since generations of Thais have been singing and listening to it in the National Anthem religiously ever day !

35 baht = .97 US Dollar, 97 cents, think I can afford it. The Thai economy is struggling, I'm happy to pay. My airfare round trip from the US is $630, my apartment for 2 months at Ratchaprarop 1 block from Victory Monument is $185 USD per month for 2 months. The Thais are welcome to the 35 baht

That's the spirit ! But why not make it voluntary and you can also donate as much as your happiness determines ?

If they had a jar for donations I would do it. What they should do is write on the jar "bonuses for hard working airport employees" haha. Or be honest "donate to the struggling Thai economy". Seriously, a lot of travelers/tourists are pretty well off, I don't see why they wouldn't contribute. In times where airlines are charging for checked baggage this is a very tiny fee.

If it's included in the ticket price no one will even notice. Just say they are increasing the departure tax from 700 to 735 baht. Make it 750 baht to take into account the next little increase.

35 baht = .97 US Dollar, 97 cents, think I can afford it. The Thai economy is struggling, I'm happy to pay. My airfare round trip from the US is $630, my apartment for 2 months at Ratchaprarop 1 block from Victory Monument is $185 USD per month for 2 months. The Thais are welcome to the 35 baht

Am i missing something? How did the restaurant know their full names etc, or were that at a hotel restaurant they were staying in?

I was wondering that also !

It is not like you have to hand over your pasport to eat in a place, if they knew where they were staying why were they not arrested before they checked out or got on the plane at the airport??

CCTV and it takes time to get all the details and such, its not like an investigation is instant and the cops can pick them up right away. So quite possible they flew out long before the restaurant owner got all their details for the police report.

Of course Thais never urinate at the side of the road in broad daylight.

Oh actually it's a national pastime.

Side of the road in the bushes ect is a bit different then on a street in full view of everyone. Here I seen Thais too pee against a tree or bushes but they made sure they were not in full view of everyone.

I have done the same back home but never in a street.

Something with apples and oranges.

Not. of course, saying that such behaviour is commonplace, but, then again, I would hope that this disgraceful display by two "guests" is also an isolated incident. Apples and....er, apples ?

What a "bugger's muddle" eh ?

Totally disgraceful, inexcusable and socially unacceptable behaviour . For some reason the sign that says "You are now entering Pattaya City." seems to encourage some people to lose the plot .

- It should be reminded that between 70 to 80% of road fatalities in Thailand involve motorcycle.

Don't bring that fact into it Johnny, it waters down the Thai Bashing frenzy that accompanies these threads, and they seem to appear quite often, ( wonder why ? ).

So all those tragic motorcycle accidents, often involving young children, are meaningless in your book !

Pray enlighten us as to what percentage of motorcycle fatalities involve another vehicle?

4 Flights weekly from KL also.....so that'll be another "million"

Can of worms. Human trafficking, drug trade or. suspicious murder cases

Like other investigations, once it reaches the stage where involvement and/or complicity of people of a certain standing is brought into question, then a cul-de -sac is the result. Efforts are made to back-track, evidence/witnesses suddenly become "unreliable" and confusion reigns.

600-700 already had their ranks revoked - due to wrong-doing, or having been given a prison sentence, or similar reasons? Doesn't inspire much confidence in the integrity of the RTP.

Just another regular Pattaya visitor looking for a kebab on the way home.

Seems to have perfected that "selfie" look that many of the local girls spend hours trying to achieve.

Could have some Chinese in him...Great grandma was a panda perhaps ?

Lastly, couldn't possibly be a Yank as he's not wearing a baseball cap the wrong way round !

For the record, I've been driving here for over 15 years and despite being questioned numerous times at the standard road checkpoints (mostly in Isaarn and South Thailand), and have previously not been shaken down nor felt intimidated as on the recent occasion at the BKK tollway.

Ever since a very early episode when I was new here and was taken for 500bt for an incorrect document relating to the hire car....as it turned out ..a routine service sheet belonging to another vehicle in the fleet !, I have been wary and aware of the "etiquette".

I am a sensible driver, speak the language well and am polite and essentially calm and rational.

I have Krabi plates on the car and I agree with a previous poster that this may contribute to being singled out. However, I do not have very dark tinted windows and on both occasions being stopped directly after the paying at the booth and the barrier lifting, although not necessarily the case ,also lends to making you feel that you are the"chosen one" perhaps because you are a foreigner .

In any event, why single out a vehicle because it has out of town plates ? Is it illegal ? Or are you being considered "fair game"??

Nb....in my opinion a dash cam is a definitely a worthwhile investment when it comes to these matters.

For the record, I've been driving here for over 15 years and despite being questioned numerous times at the standard road checkpoints (mostly in Isaarn and South Thailand), and have previously not been shaken down nor felt intimidated as on the recent occasion at the BKK tollway.

Ever since a very early episode when I was new here and was taken for 500bt for an incorrect document relating to the hire car....as it turned out ..a routine service sheet belonging to another vehicle in the fleet !, I have been wary and aware of the "etiquette".

I am a sensible driver, speak the language well and am polite and essentially calm and rational.

I have Krabi plates on the car and I agree with a previous poster that this may contribute to being singled out. However, I do not have very dark tinted windows and on both occasions being stopped directly after the paying at the booth and the barrier lifting, although not necessarily the case ,also lends to making you feel that you are the"chosen one" perhaps because you are a foreigner .

In any event, why single out a vehicle because it has out of town plates ? Is it illegal ? Or are you being considered "fair game"??

Nb....in my opinion a dash cam is a definitely a worthwhile investment when it comes to these matters.

For the record, I've been driving here for over 15 years and despite being questioned numerous times at the standard road checkpoints (mostly in Isaarn and South Thailand), and have previously not been shaken down nor felt intimidated as on the recent occasion at the BKK tollway.

Ever since a very early episode when I was new here and was taken for 500bt for an incorrect document relating to the hire car....as it turned out ..a routine service sheet belonging to another vehicle in the fleet !, I have been wary and aware of the "etiquette".

I am a sensible driver, speak the language well and am polite and essentially calm and rational.

I have Krabi plates on the car and I agree with a previous poster that this may contribute to being singled out. However, I do not have very dark tinted windows and on both occasions being stopped directly after the paying at the booth and the barrier lifting, although not necessarily the case ,also lends to making you feel that you are the"chosen one" perhaps because you are a foreigner .

In any event, why single out a vehicle because it has out of town plates ? Is it illegal ? Or are you being considered "fair game"??

Nb....in my opinion a dash cam is a definitely a worthwhile investment when it comes to these matters.

This particular incident...16 yr olds knowing what they were doing and likely acting as part of the blackmail arrangement is not what bothers me so much as what other un-disclosed activities this old man may or may not be guilty of indulging in.

This particular incident...16 yr olds knowing what they were doing and likely acting as part of the blackmail arrangement is not what bothers me so much as what other un-disclosed activities this old man may or not be guilty of indulging in.

and his sudden realisation that my Thai missus was with me.

where was she hiding ?

btw Do police accept passport copies

She's only little and was in the reclined position!

Btw why would you think my passport was a copy ?

Almost time to "find" a yellow T-shirt in his laundry bag......and declare a water-tight case.

Both times in 3 months when driving North from Krabi I have been stopped after paying for and entering a tollway in Bangkok.

First time I was informed I needed to pay 2000bt, as a colleague had supposedly called in with my reg no, accusing me of speeding.

Where ? He couldn't tell me !

To cut it short , after his disappointment that I had all docs in order, Thai licence, passport, and knew the speed limits, he got angry and kept repeating "you pay 2000 bt". At my refusal and suggestion that, OK we go to the station in Klong Toie, he ranted "THIS IS Thailand, I THAI POLICE..YOU PAY ME" Never before had I encountered such an aggressive/disturbing manner.

Given that he had my passport and I really wanted out of there, I reluctantly opted to ask the question "OK how much do you want?" Reply "how much you give me ?", offered 200bt, he wanted 500bt. Settled on 300bt through gritted teeth.

2nd time, bugger me if the same didn't happen, only a different tollway. Queued up ,through the barrier and again was singled out for the "treatment". This time it was claimed that a colleague had reported me crossing a yellow hash line somewhere. He conveniently had a laminated sheet showing a picture of such road markings....

He also tried to tell me that my tax was out of date, which it wasn't...but this time he backed down totally when I offered him to look at the recording on my camera...and his sudden realisation that my Thai missus was with me.

So my conclusion that this is definitely a well-practised scam, where you are singled out whilst queuing at the booth and your number is hastily written on their pad so they can pretend your details were radioed in.

Wonder if they ever considered that the are on an ISLAND.

And??? Do you think it's impossible to escape from an island?

Yea----so you never heard of Alcatraz?

Not many holidaymakers on Alcatraz and there was'nt two ferry companies and hundreds of small boats.

But they were chained together, and Thailand is not famed for it's synchronised swimming, especially the men !

Come on chaps: These latest figures only relate to DOMESTIC TOURISM....and are essentially meaningless !

More evidence if any was needed that the bomber is Thai, and has now been dropped off so he can get the train home. Can hardly believe he was still wearing yellow t-shirt though and if he was that no one remembered seeing him.

He must be an expert chameleon!

Confusing isn't it ? Only, the taxi driver (recovering from amnesia under duress), remembered him still having the backpack . Perhaps he also remembered all the other details as they were suggested to him also. Otherwise why did he not volunteer this info freely before being "summoned" for interrogation ?

If there's effectively no real deterrent or penalty for fleeing the scene, then walking into the police station a sufficiently appropriate time later, has obvious benefits.

No possibility of being breathalysed and no direct witness accusations to face.