EODghost

Never been to Brisbane, but I've been to Bangkok. I'm betting you're right, Mate

My first bitter middle aged westerner posting thank you very much.

And Brisbane is much better as a city

Quite how the ordinary person with no power is as responsible as the power players after having their cake and eating it is as responsible for the mess is open to question.

The players are obviously manouvering around trying to find a large common ground so things can get back to normal with mosty of the old players back in the game. That is what "we are all responsible" means.

I'm totally with you there. I hate these "it's all our fault" opinion pieces that seem to pop up all the time. We all know the blame lies with the power players. Doing nothing ie. staying at home and not protesting is in fact the law. By speaking out people put themselves at risk and ordinary people, everywhere are loath to do that.

Agreed, simple cowardice. Instead of accepting responsibility for their actions, it is easier to simply say: "well it's everyone's fault" Then no one has to accept blame and the elite get off scott-free.

That notion of compromise instead of justice in Thailand will be this country's downfall.

I'd say they're completely in touch with reality as in they can do exactly as they like and nobody will do a thing about it.

Hmmm....Hammer, nail, head...yep, you hit it.

To be honest I am surprised that the banks are making such a massive profit from ATM fees, because a withdrawal in the local area from the same bank is free. So with a tiny but of planning it should be possible to pay very little in fees. I generally make withdrawals a month of 5,000 a shot, and pay hardly any fees.

However, if the typical customer is taking out small amounts in the hundreds of Baht range and can't be bothered to find his/hre own bank's ATM machine, then yep, can easily end up paying 5 to 10% fees.

Maybe the issue to be addressed is educating the Thais how to reduce the fee, plan in advance and not be too idle to walk 30 metres further to an "own bank" ATM.

My big gripe with the banks is the piss-poor interest they pay on deposits.

Yep, I have a Thai bank account and because the name on the account is not Thai, I get something like .05% interest.

What a racist crock of S@#t. Thanks for nothing Thailand, again.

same same but different

This happens too often and the police have a full time job arresting them.

More like the Police have a full time job collecting bribes. They've been operating for something like 10 years.

This teacher needs to be caned, publicly.

Would something like this happen to my son, I'd pay somebody to let him know what real pain is. He wouldn't be back at school. How can you call him a teacher?

Okay, let's face it. some teachers at elementary schools are using bamboo sticks to hit the little kids. But it's over at high school level.

I hope the students in this movie will find him in the middle of the night.

Good to have cell phones in the classroom.........

Except I wouldn't pay anyone, I would rather inflict the damage myself. It would be swift and severe and people in Comas always have difficulty in pressing charges.

I have the misfortune to live in Jomtien. I can leave? No, I can't. The condo I own represents most of my assets and until I sell it, which I'm trying to do, I'm stuck here.

Today 22 Aug. 2010, an average day in Pattaya:-

9.00am rang Fascino Pharmacy Central Pattaya to ask if they stocked a drug an ill friend required. They did stock it but were out of it and offered to order it. I asked if their N. Pattaya branch would have it and they said probably it did. I rang there and got a gentleman who interrupted me before I'd finished my question with "No have." I told him their Central P. branch did stock it. I spelt the name of the drug for him using the British A phonetic alphabet. This proved too much for him. Eventually he got the name of the drug (I think) and he told me to hold on. He turned on the music and left me holding. After 4/5 mins I hung up. That shop has 4 tel. numbers and I rang all four and got no reply with several attempts.

Fortunately I did get the drug in a Jomtien pharmacy. The man who needed it is a farang in his 80's and suffers from panic attacks.

At 10.00am I ventured out and took a baht bus to the Continental Bakery. When I got off I paid the driver on the driver's side. He threw a rage yelling that I had to pay him on the other side and then snatched the money out of my hand.

I ordered breakfast in the Continental Bakery stressing that I would like the bacon well done, dry (heng heng). It is usually a problem getting crispy bacon here. Sure enough it arrived done Thai style i.e. lightly cooked. I pointed this out and the staff started a loud conversation among themselves, punctuated with laughter. I was informed it was well done.

Next I went to Tesco S. Pattaya to do some shopping and afterwards stopped at the open market nearby. I then took a baht bus which stopped at the Thepprasit/Thappraya junction. The driver ordered me out. As I paid him I asked if he wasn't going to Jomtien. He snarled that I had to take another baht bus in Thappraya road. He then turned left into Thappraya road and headed towards Jomtien. (I have done this route before. If there are Thais on board you do not get dumped out at the junction.)

I am now at home and thankfully have no need to have to face the gratuitous nastiness that is the daily lot of farangs in Pattaya. I will however have to endure the screeching from the bars that have sprouted around the condo building since I bought the unit 20 years ago.

I am assured by a Thai business woman that the vast majority of Thais "hate" farangs.

My advice to anyone who isn't stuck here, as I am, is to leave, and to those thinking of coming here, don't.

I feel your pain, been here three years and lately I am ready to leave and never look back.

I have about four restaurants that I go to regularly. All are foreign owned and the owners are there all the time; otherwise the staff will screw off, give customers a hard time so there's no business and the staff can sleep all day. (typical)

Went to North Face in Central Festival Mall. I bought a bag that when I got home was too small for my work gear. I returned it the same day with the original tags still on it and the staff told me 'No refund, can exchange for the the bigger bag (which was cheaper) but no money back.

I told her I wanted to speak to the boss, Snottily she snapped, "boss not here!". I replied, loudly, "Then get off your Monkey ass and call him!!!" she called the boss and I got my refund.

I go to the Market to buy X, the salesman (and I use that term loosely) says "50 baht" my girlfriend cuts in "Why you charge him 50 baht when I know it's only 30 baht?" "Oh sorry farrang, 30 baht" I go back the next day by myself..."50 bath farrang" <deleted> off!

Unlike you I work off in Malaysia and Vietnam. I am so glad I'm here only 50% of the time otherwise I'd be crazy or in jail for cutting some Thai Key-Gong's throat.

I tell my friends in the states not to come here and I'm on my way to greener pastures as soon as a better deal comes up.

Cheap beer and cheap pussy is not worth getting stabbed for no reason or being fleeced by the Police on some trumped up, make0believe charge.

To Thailand, som nam na, you are getting what you deserve.

How about getting rid of Songkran? Water waste leads to water shortage.

This seems to be a weekly thing farang pedophiles arrested, and the farangs for such things. Close Down ptaya and stop these people coming to Thailad.

Genius Comment, what would the Thai Police do for money then, eh?

BKK in my opinion is a shit hole unless your going for a fun dirty but expensive weekend. Everyone will try and rip you off, tuk tuk's espically, it's expensive, it's dirty, it's hot and wet with no sun. List can go on, if I had to stay there for my time in Thailand I wouldn't be coming back.

100% agree with your post.I would rather live in the jungle than that sess pit.Racism,polution,nastiness,wannabe hi-so farangs,proper hi-so thais,who are beyond the law,traffic congestion,major flooding,rat infested,a bad edge about the place in general,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

...and would rather be kicked repeatedly in the testicles with steel toed boots.

This is a serious crime and one Thailand continues to ignore. It is now the 21st century so why is it we still have this situation? Equality is in the eye of the beholder - these guys should be incarcerated for life with no chance of parole. Send the message, this could be your daughter - your sister, your niece. But as the police and high ranking individuals are all on the take - it is too often ignored. Organisations such as SISHA help but in real terms, they lack funding and investigative skills. I would welcome any suggestions to assist and would be active in participation. Please advise as I have access to some well trained people who are totally against this type of abuse and will willingly take the risks (for a pay day of course) but well is their intent to put these people down. Open to suggestions.

It's a nice thought, really, but Money talks first in Thailand. As long as the Police accept bribes, they will continue to look the other way and even participate to pay for their Rolex watches and Mercedes Benz. It's pure greed, and selfishness in the land of smiles and unfortunately Thailand is a country with no morale compass, thus it will continue

Just a couple of points

1) Why haven't the the hotels with contamination been shut down.

2) Have recent guest and hotel staff been told of the contamination so they have the option of getting a check up?

3) If the elderly and smokers need to wear masks entering a contaminated site. How do they know the site is contaminated?? Did the hotel put up a sign in reception advising of Legionnaires??

Easy answer to easy questions:

1) Contaminated hotel stay open because they could care less about you. You spent your money, now your problem, not their problem.

2) NO, see answer number 1

3). Thais take car of their own and give f-all about you. Again, see answer number 1

As far as wingers talking about "you live in a 3rd world country and you want everything perfect" <deleted> mate? I simply want a reasonable degree of common sense. If something is blatantly hazardous, It should be fixed.

But in Thailand that is like expecting Monkeys to fly. Time to move to Singapore.

Self-censor won already...look

Thai Visa is the worst:cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

You got that right.!

Thailand needs to learn a lot of different things from a lot of different places.

Well said. I am so sick of hearing about 3G. The rest of the world will have 8G by the time the greedy Thai govt gets its a** in gear.

I wonder if they will identify the 150b international transaction ATM fee as being unfair?!...somehow I think not!

or the charge they make you pay for changing small change into notes, and the fee i was once charged for paying in 3000 baht in small change into my account, apparently to pay for the time and energy taken to count the money that was already counted and bagged ready for the teller to put it on their money scales.

International fee is beyond Bank of Thailand jurisdiction.

Anyway, you people can afford it.

i abhor that sentiment. clearly you are misinformed (or uneducated)

You were right the second time. Sa-Mong Ling