chrissables

If you do some research, you will find that there is a 30,000 shortfall of nurses and many other specialist. The nurses work long hours, and are paid crap salary. The result is alot more problems for patients. I would be very careful of anything i read about Thai hospitals!

I spent 10 days in Ram Hospital in Chiang mai there were no problems with the nurseing service or my care. The problem is with the government hospitals having low staff numbers as the staff optout to private hospitals. The nurses in private hospitals tend to make more money than in public hospitals. The nurses at Ram where I stayed made around 20,000baht a month the aids made 10,000 a month. These are very good salaries for Thailand.

Having experienced some big problems with more than one hospital here, iwould say check what they do if something goes wrong!!!

There are so many retired expats who could do this for a few hours a week for years not months.

Oh, I forgot the work permit issues

Yes, but rightly or wrongly they don't seem to want unqualified retirees. There is nothing to stop retirees doing the TEFL qualification that is available in Thailand and applying for part time jobs as teachers, assuming they already have bachelor degrees.

I have never understood the need to have a university degree to be able to teach here. I believe Mr Bill gates does not have a degree, does that mean he would not be able to teach computer studies!

As has already been posted, there must be many people here (me included) who would have the time to help month in, month out. Having said that, it should be paid work!

300 or 400 baht. They state from where to where....... does anyone know what the distance was and how much the fare should normally be????

However far it was with TEN people in the tuk tuk it was only 30 or 40 baht each, even for a short distance reasonable price.

But if you rent the tuk tuk for a price, to get you from A-B it should not matter how many people. I had a similar thing here in Pattaya years ago. I stopped a baht bus and asked the fare to my house, then when he saw me putting luggage in he wanted more! There are too many who are both greedy and stupid enought to think people don't remember these scams! 300 baht for 1km! Bus Pattaya to Bangkok 130 baht? you have to wonder!

So really we are just talking about ENFORCEMENT of existing laws.

WE ALL know that it's illegal to purchase land through nominees, be that the standard dodgy companies the Pattaya crowd love so much, or the equally illegal act of giving money to your girlfriend, boyfreind or wife to buy it on your behalf.

The Alien Bussiness Act has already made it a blanket offence to circumvent land ownership laws, that's been in effect since 2003, so NOBODY has any right to start moaning now just because the law is in some danger of being enforced.

With the exception of real condos (ie ones that fall within the remit of the condominium act, not fake condos like when a couple of town houses are modifed into so-called condos) are the only safe way for most of us to get involved in property, anything else is illegal.

It's about time the phoney lawyers and consultants were punished, they hang a "law office" sign outside a shop and do business by encouraging forigners to break the law, the vast majority are not lawyers at all and many are common criminals.

And why shouldn't they deport offenders, most other countries deport offenders so why not Thailand !

They should not deprot them because, they are allowing the buying to happen, so by default they are condoning it. If it was a real sam against the country, it would be understandable. But the government, the building companies, their staff, the solicitors, the land office all knw and encourage it. So it would be a bit much to be deported because they encouraged the situation.

It appears Thailand is no longer a peaceful land of smiles but knifes and tourists stubbings / deaths.

I was initially thinking about moving there for some time but the more such news come through the less I like the idea...

it is still the land of smiles...

yes there are horrible things that happen there, but horrible things happen in every country, it is the way the authorities deal with these crimes that is the problem. i would still recomend going to thailand to anyone, i'd just say that there are do's and dont's. but they are common sense and generally the same in thailand as anywhere e.g. someone tries to rob you, you give them your stuff (if you were getting mugged in London your not going to fight back over a few quid when you know if this guy is low enough to mug you he's probably capable of worse).

please understand that this is not me trying to in anyway justify some of the terrible things that happen there; they are tradgic. i just want people to remember that every country has low lifes. for the huge majority thailand is an amazing experience...

don't not go because of a couple of horror stories

That's fine . . . but do you realize just how many tourists are actually injured or killed in the LoS every year (it's a lot)? And how many are killed or injured in other tourist destinations (it's not a lot to none)? You'll be surprised if you Google the results.

If you Google "Tourists killed" there are killings/deaths in virtually every country in the world relating to tourists. This ranges from coach crashes (yes, not just Thai drivers fall asleep at the wheel) to killings for initiation to gangs.

Thailand is like every other country, it's just that people on forums appear to be Daily Mail readers and revert to their angered from Basingstoke personna.

I've lived in Thailand on and off for the last four years, have stumbled about drunk in Bangkok, Pattaya and Patong in the early hours of the morning and have never fallen foul of the nasties many on here and other forum make out exist on every street corner. Never been stopped by the police in their insatiable hunger for tea money, have left laptop bag, phone etc on tables in bars and come back and they're still there.

If I was someone who had never been to Thailand and read this forum, I'd never visit it after the scare stories and conspiracy theorists who spout garbage on here. Yes there's been some sad news regarding tragic events, but it's no worse than anywhere else. As regards the police and their response, when they do something right it appears that they've fitted someone up who is innocent/gullible/feeble minded and only pleading guilty so his family receive money.

You have never in four years been made to pay tea money! How did you mangae that? Almost impossible regarding using your transport i would think. But sure not all the police are bad, i remember a time i was taken on a police bike to the ATM, so i could pay my tea money instead of visiting prison. I was very wrong getting run over by an irate Thai person, who then wanted me to pay for the damage. The police got half by the way!

its time to stop the corny remarks about the police force .... its no longer a joke .....i cannot understand why a country such as australia does not slap a travel ban on this place immediately ...the phuket police are nothing but tea money collectors , they see tourists purely as a source of income .... until corruption is dealt with we will live in a lawless society ... so time to bail , tell your friends , colleagues , business associates stay away ....go to Myanamar ....

Can a country ban you from visiting another? Sounds a bit daft. The governments job is to give advise based on accurate information, surely? For sure issue warning etc, but a ban?

Prostitution will never go away until they pass a dead beat dad law. Here men can have children and not support or even have a relationship with them. They just through them away for a new younger girl without children.

Men should be held responsible for their children like the western countries. The girls have to pay to support their children while the men just keep having fun.

Many western men now know this and are also abandoning their girl friends when they get pregnant.

The law must be put in place to have these dead beat dads support their children or go to jail.

Ladies if you need to sell your body to take care of your children because of a selfish man I understand.

I do not go with bar girls as I have a wonderful well educated Thai wife and family and take care of them as any good man should.

This guy is the pits making money from ladies in a sad position. Let the lady work in the bar for drinks and if she likes him have the client pay the bar fine and forget it not rent a room etc.

Cheers,

Randy

What about the girls, who come to make money from farangs who have no children? At least they get a good salary, and they are not forced into it.

For those that continually slag the Thai's , you should not be here '''''' you all obviously have nothing nice to say about any one.

When you speak , you only voice an opinion and we all know an opinion is like your rear end , we all have one.

I'm an Ozy living here like many other's I respect the police and all those that try to make this country a better place for all. Stop being so negative in your posts 'bad news can travel half round the world before we can get our pants on , your negativity will do nothing but give some people a misguided opinion of this wonderful county and make you look like an uneducated dick.

Are you on drugs! How long have you lived here? Have you never had to pay a fine for something you did not do? Have you never seen the real Thailand. Uneducated! Pot, kettl, black i think.

try looking up "supersize me" or "sugar, sweet poison"

As with most governments it appears they are motivated to act when its costing them money or want to make more money, its probably a money grabbing exercise, i have seen it many times before, grog and cigarettes going thru the roof, maybe they should impose higher taxes on fast food chains, excuses excuses excuses, bullshit bullshit bullshit

Excuse me but the percent of Thai's that eat at fast food chains is very small.

The percent of Thais who have never heard of them is huge.

Thai's who have not heard of McDonnalds? Really!

I've been riding the ferry boats in Bangkok recently, and on every trip saw at least three or four Thais reading, in some cases actual thick books, not just newspapers and magazines.

Sure lower levels than other countries, but let's stop saying "Thais don't read".

3 or 4 - THAT many? Wow! Could you express that as a percentage?

Sent from my Cray XT5-HE laptop computer

Actually the problem is the reading material that is available. My ex ended up buying translated copies of of Western books, due to the lack of choice.

Having said that, comics seem to be the thing for a lot of them!

simple : arrest and put in jail to rot any individual wearing the jacket... people are warned...

people who are not member, will not dare to wear those jackets anyway, because they would be playing with their life

What the <deleted>@# arrested someone for wearing a jacket. The most moranic statement ever!

A real man should never raise his hand against a woman, for any reason or to any extent.

But while i agree, have you seen how many "Thai ladies" kick, bite, punch the farang men they are with? I have many times. I always throughout my like think if someone does to you have full right to do back. They don't do to a Thai man, because they understand what he will do!

I personally believe there are good and bad men & women, in every country on Earth. Its not a Thai problem. I grew up in the north UK and have seen drunken women fighting almost to the death in the street, its really ugly. But again that is when I was out on Saturday in rough drinking areas. If you want to avoid bad people you have to stay clear of bad areas and the same is true in every country IMO. My Thai freinds in Bangkok certainly don't bite or kick people, maybe I just mix in the right circles.

I am sure it could be that, but rich educated people still do fight, but maybe know to keep it out of the public eye. And yes, from all countries around the world too. But having seen on many occassions, Thai ladies here do it to farang men, knowing nothing will happen is just wrong. But that is when you decide to walk away!

A real man should never raise his hand against a woman, for any reason or to any extent.

But while i agree, have you seen how many "Thai ladies" kick, bite, punch the farang men they are with? I have many times. I always throughout my like think if someone does to you have full right to do back. They don't do to a Thai man, because they understand what he will do!

Let's not require any safety equipment. That would cost too much money and, anyway, workers are so cheap.

How many deaths will it take to make people understand that helmets, safety belts, decent shoes (boots), etc. can save lives. Does anybody care?

Decent shoes saves lifes ? Please explain.

You obviously do not realize it, but YOU just called YOURSELF ill-informed.

And you are correct there is no reason for anyone to read or answer what you write.

Where do i start! You did read and answer, so talking of stupid, high opinionated, ill informed people, you take the biscuit! I am assuming you are an America from the way you signed off. How many states in the past have not enforced or repealed the helmet law there, and why? No proof of them doing so in the case of a full contact accident. If you get side swiped at even low speeds, the likely hood is the helmet will not help. In the case of coming off on a slippery road and sliding down the road I would agree to the possible benefit.

Your pathetic example of wearing protective gear in you country and comparing it to here is just so stupid, I can but conclude you have never been here and seen thing close up! Try riding a bike across Bangkok at the moment in the full kit, you would probably die of dehydration.

Drove down to tak and back to Chiang mai no problems no wrecks just a lot of water, the loss of life is a shame but then again I am here for the mai bpen rai life style and if people where honest that is the reason many of you came here as well but now you want it to be like home. Get a grip no nanny state here unless you are rich and famous

I could not agree more!

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Of course it's your own choice if you want to wear a helmet or not although there is the small matter of the law requiring you to wear one here aswell. And if you should be knocked down by some drunkard and not killed outright I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy living life in a vegetive state.

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So wearing a hat is going to stop me being knocked off is it! The answer to stopping the carnage is not the wearing of a helmet.

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

So if i wear a helmet, i won't get run over by a drunken car driver! People don't die because of not wearing helmets, they die from getting run over and coming off the bike due to the state of the roads or bad riding!

If you go under the wheels of something yes you could die.

If you get knocked off your bike and are wearing a helmet it will likely save your life if your head hits the ground hard.

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I am impressed that you took the time to explain that to him.

Explain what! I should wear a helmet incase i get knocked of bike. Maybe if they gave automatic prison sentences and confiscated the cars, the knoking off would stop!

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

Absolute nonsense! Current scientific and political thinking considers this as old fashioned and incorrect and this is when discussing top quality helmets. The thin sheets of plastic used in Thailand and called crash helmets is a joke. Albeit a sad one as it gives people a false sense of invulnerability. If you crash and hit your head,your head stops, unfortunately your brain floating in its cerebrospinal fluid is pulped inside your cranium. You may look alright but you are either a vegetable or dead, helmet or no helmet! Many Countries and States that first introduced helmet laws are removing them from statute and many others are debating doing so. Some are giving the choice to adults who have the proper insurance to cover medical bills. And so on!

At last a person who agrees with me! And can put my thoughts in writing better than i can!

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

So if i wear a helmet, i won't get run over by a drunken car driver! People don't die because of not wearing helmets, they die from getting run over and coming off the bike due to the state of the roads or bad riding!

If you go under the wheels of something yes you could die.

If you get knocked off your bike and are wearing a helmet it will likely save your life if your head hits the ground hard.

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Interesting, i must wear a helmet in case a drunk driver knocks me off my bike. I don't wear a helmet i must pay 200bht? They drive off, nothing happens! Sine i was young i always found this concept wrong, and still do.

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

So if i wear a helmet, i won't get run over by a drunken car driver! People don't die because of not wearing helmets, they die from getting run over and coming off the bike due to the state of the roads or bad riding!

The other sorrowful statistic is the 1,668 injured, because in Thailand it is bikes with no helmets and it is cars with no seatbelts or airbags. My common sense guess would be that injuries from road accidents are much more severe in this country than in countries with safer cars and bike helms. In other countries 'injury' might just mean whiplash or bruises but over here I'm not so sure. F.ex. I still haven't seen a taxi with seatbelts in the back since visiting here.

My prayers are with the injured & the families of the dead, and for the travellers in the days ahead.

BUT not wearing a helmet or a seatbelt does not cause accidents!!! Surely the answer is to train the drivers to drive with care, and keep the roads roadworthy!

Breathalyser's and helmets may save lives?

If they stopped the drinking and bad driving, there would be no need to wear a helmet!