Gsxrnz

OP - are you fresh off the boat?

Asking the question as you did implies that you have absolutely no knowledge of Thailand. You need to inform yourself not only about the Royal Thai Police and their many little quirks, but also about Thailand in general.

Otherwise your next post will be about how you spent 10,000 baht on Ping-Pong balls and lady drinks in a gogo bar in 5 minutes, took an attractive girl from Beach Road that had unexpected appendages who stole your wallet, laptop and cellphone, which you then report to the police and find your picture on the front page of the local farang newspaper.

Start googling!

EDIT: I just read some of the OP's other posts and apparently he's been visiting Thailand for 10 years and has a couple of condos in BKK. Hard to believe that in 10 years he's never had cause to have some sort of interaction with the BIB.

did the Dr. tell you what the pills were for?

All the pills are in Thai, tried to ask the gf but she doesn't know, gf is taking daughter to clinic and I assume his injection!

Don't forget that a Thai will never question the opinions or treatment of a doctor directly - too much disrespect for the Khun Mor. Hell they won't even tell their hairdresser that they're cocking up the style, they'd rather go to another hairdresser to get it fixed.

I always go when our daughter is sick so I can be the ignorant farang and ask all the obvious questions or seek clarification.

Generally, Thais believe that there is a magical injection that can cure anything. I think they see it as being symbolic of western medicine, and is "superior" treatment. My missus always insists on an injection for everything - she firmly believes that if you don't get an injection, the symptoms won't improve. I'm sure that some of the injections are either simple antibiotics or even H2O and largely irrelevant to the medical condition.

Regardless, the placebo effect is miraculous and she is instantly cured. We all know this is pure BS but that's how many of them think. I had a viral infection a while ago and the doc wanted to give me an injection. I asked what it was and she says antibiotics. Of no use whatsoever against a virus. I told her this and she said ok, we give you anti viral pills as well.

Try taking your daughter to a clinic for a second opinion. I've found that the doctors at clinics are more inclined to spend time and understand the symptoms more so than some of the big hospitals. If she's given an injection then she and her mother will probably both feel better, irrespective of the need for an injection. Mind over matter.

Late afternoon is best, especially on a Monday or after a holiday. I did mine two weeks ago and as I got my numbered ticket at the front desk, my number got called. Not even one second waiting.

I see now that they're all linked up on computers and you get a printed copy of your receipt/acknowledgement of reporting. Complete with barcode. I tried to get a look at the computer screen to see what info they had but had the wrong viewing angle - anybody been able to get a look at what's on there?

And I was given all my documentation back (copies of passport/visas/entry card etc.) They told me I can use these next time.

Well my intelligent and knowledgeable feedback on this point is that passengers should hold on to something rigid and firm at all times whilst travelling on a baht bus, there is usually a long pole available for this purpose.

And that's particularly true in Patts - lots of long poles on many a bus heading towards Walking Street of an evening.

Now just what is it you learnt from your mistakes Jingthing?

Not much yet.

I was HOPING for some intelligent and knowledgeable feedback related to the idea that locals would have pressed the driver for compensation and that I should have as well.

JT - I thought that it was common knowledge that a local would have pressed for compensation. I asked the missus and she said anywhere from 2k to 10k depending on how much blood and how bad the injury was - unconscious, broken bones, trip to the hospital, police involved etc.

EDIT. Although she did qualify it by saying it depends which cops the bus driver knows, etc......TIT

about 120k is about right. Servants run at about 25k and liquor (good wine)10-15K Wifes allowance 30k entertaining 15k

medical and medicine 15k. two cars upkeap food, electric it all mounts up. If you have to pay rent add another 50k

25k for servants, can i have a job please? I have no rent and spend 20k a month, 120k, i would not know how to spend it!

How good do you look in a short skirt and a spaghetti top?

Few times i see the bahtbus coming along full, i said , No thanks, move on to next one that is half empty. No f***ing way to get on the full bathbus holding on to the rails at the rear end.

I don't blame you for that. I drive a pickup and if a baht bus laden with people at the back gets in front of me I slow right down and change lanes wherever possible, especially running down Thappraya towards Patts.

I'd rather rear end a vios or a even a merc than take out the limbs of the poor sods on the back of the bus.

Agree. Also, in the interests of context, the idea of a man identifying as gay as a recent thing in Thai culture (dating back to the early 60s - a western import really).

...

Careful, according to one our outspoken posters on the gay forum, gay as an identity group dates back to ANCIENT times in Thailand ...

But I agree with you. It's a recent WESTERN import.

Actually, back in the 60's the term "gay" meaning homosexual, wasn't being used very extensively, even though it did have roots back in earlier English history. It gained popular usage in it's current form in the early 1970's.

It's amazing what's in a word and how sensitive (PC?) we have become in the west over time. The theme music to The Flintstones cartoon, released over 50 years ago, had the closing words in the theme tune - "...you'll have a gay old time". Implying that it will be fun to watch the cartoon, and you'll be happy/gay.

In 2010, ABC were forced to remove these words from the lyrics. One of the complainants CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said on the air: “This sort of flip treatment of the homosexual lifestyle, and that it could possibly apply to a family in the stone age, is offensive and outrageous. What are they trying to say about the homosexual community? That it is for neanderthals? For cavemen? How can any reasonable person not be mortified when they hear this song?” Now in my opinion, a comment like that about a 50 year old cartoon is nothing short of imbecilic.

I wasn't mortified, I was a kid back then watching a great cartoon and having a gay old time!! I won't mention Noddy and Big Ears.

Agree. Also, in the interests of context, the idea of a man identifying as gay as a recent thing in Thai culture (dating back to the early 60s - a western import really).

...

Careful, according to one our outspoken posters on the gay forum, gay as an identity group dates back to ANCIENT times in Thailand ...

But I agree with you. It's a recent WESTERN import.

Actually, back in the 60's the term "gay" meaning homosexual, wasn't being used very extensively, even though it did have roots back in earlier English history. It gained popular usage in it's current form in the early 1970's.

It's amazing what's in a word and how sensitive (PC?) we have become in the west over time. The theme music to The Flintstones cartoon, released over 50 years ago, had the closing words in the theme tune - "...you'll have a gay old time". Implying that it will be fun to watch the cartoon, and you'll be happy/gay.

In 2010, ABC were forced to remove these words from the lyrics. One of the complainants CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said on the air: “This sort of flip treatment of the homosexual lifestyle, and that it could possibly apply to a family in the stone age, is offensive and outrageous. What are they trying to say about the homosexual community? That it is for neanderthals? For cavemen? How can any reasonable person not be mortified when they hear this song?” Now in my opinion, a comment like that about a 50 year old cartoon is nothing short of imbecilic.

I wasn't mortified, I was a kid back then watching a great cartoon and having a gay old time!! I won't mention Noddy and Big Ears.

A lot of people here seem to have more money than sense and waste their money because they can. They come out here and get a huge 5 bedroom house with pool and 2 cars and a Harley motorbike and maids whereas if they were still in their home country they would probably be in a 3 bed semi with a Ford Focus. You NEED a roof over your head, food and education. They don't have to run you these enormous sums each month. People spend the money because they can....For the record I am single and live in Bangkok and I can survive on 15,000 a month but I usually spend more ( also because I can )...

Can you define precisely how much money is "more money than sense"? The meaning of that phrase has always eluded me because surely having more money than sense can only be analysed in a very subjective manner.

And by definition, are there people that are diametrically opposed and have "more sense than money"?

Yeah I've done it once. The cash first/card second thing takes a bit of getting used to but I've adapted now.

I love it when I make a withdrawal and before the cash is out I get a beep on my phone to say I've made a withdrawal. I swear that once it nearly beeped before I'd pressed the YES button.

Rent 42,000

Housekeeper 12,000

Electric and water 8,000 (got a pool)

Car Finance 18,000

Fuel 5,000

Golf 15,000

Groceries 20,000

Eating out 20,000

School Fees 8,000

Entertainment 25,000

Clothing and general 25,000

Comes to 180k month. That's about $8k NZD. Have my freehold house rented in NZ for NZD350 week, so that's 38,000 baht. That reduces my costs here to a monthly cost of 142,000 Baht. That's about the same as I would spend in NZ so I'm living in Thailand for about the same overall cost. Still paying a host of NZ insurance policies outside of that, but they're discretionary expenses.

The difference is that the categories of expenses in NZ would be hugely different, and far less enjoyable.

JT - us Kiwis (who actually do know what lacerations are - it's them Aussies you're thinking of with the limited vocabulary ), have a state system whereby litigation for personal injury is unheard of. And that's irrespective of the nature or severity of the injury, and regardless of blame. Health care as the result of an accident is of course free to everybody, including tourists.

An individual cannot be held financially accountable for compensation. In a work accident the employer can be fined under Health and Safety laws. In criminal injury (road accident etc), the law can prosecute the guilty party. Irrespective, there is virtually no room for personal litigation or compensation.

So in a Kiwi's mind, the last thing we'd be thinking of is compensation in the situation you experienced. I guess that goes to show that attitudes to this sort of thing will be different depending on the social system of ones home country.

After reading your post, in hindsight I think if it happened to me I would have requested the driver to take me to the Soi 4 hospital and have the repairs done at his expense. That way you wouldn't be demanding an undefined amount, but having him pay the specific medical expenses. That way, you don't profit, and he pays the true costs of his poor driving.

I wouldn't expect any compensation beyond the medical expenses.

p.s Sorry for taking the piss out of the Aussies in my opening line - we love each other really.

I think I'll postpone Friday night Texas Hold'em with the boys for a while, that's a bit close for comfort.

JT - I think the phrase you were looking for was "pitching or catching".

Not really. That's kind of corny dated slang.

Top/Bottom

Active/Passive

is standard terminology.

Curses!! I only heard pitching and catching said for the first time last week. I'm out of date already!!

Thais sometimes say Gay King / Gay Queen.

I've heard katoey-kwai used. Big ugly ladyboy. Never heard it said in the actual presence of a big ugly ladyboy though - probably not conducive to achieving old-age.

Driving anywhere else than the left lane when not overtraking is wrong and causes accidents and slowdowns.

Reading this thread, I understand most of you were not fined for simply driving in the right lane, but for doing so when the left lane was free of traffic. the fine is totally justified.

I am driving in BKK.. its never free of traffic always busy I am keeping up with the fast traffic on that lane and passing all traffic in the other lanes. Why stay if other lanes are free.

You're both correct and I agree in principal - keeping left or in the middle especially on the motorway or expressway for slow/non-overtaking traffic is OK. But driving a car on major roads with 2 lanes in each direction, it's a 50/50 call where is safest. Keep left and risk wiping out motorcyclists or cars/trucks/busses that are entering the traffic flow. Or keep right and risk getting hit or hitting a vehicle doing a u-turn in either direction.

My experience is that keeping right (at a fast enough speed not to be slowing traffic - and I don't go slow!) on a two laner is safest but keep your eyes well in front so you can change lanes early when congestion is evident. If there's 3 lanes, the middle is almost invariably the safest. And of course on a 3 laner the middle lane is legal for a car that is not passing traffic.

If I get flagged to stop while in the RH lane I follow my own advice and don't stop unless it's unavoidable. i.e BIB like a possum in the headlights and cannot safely change lanes.

JT - I think the phrase you were looking for was "pitching or catching".

Not really. That's kind of corny dated slang.

Top/Bottom

Active/Passive

is standard terminology.

Curses!! I only heard pitching and catching said for the first time last week. I'm out of date already!!

Just because there were laws against consensual sex between people of the same gender it doesn't mean there wasn't a scene. 46 years ago was the middle of the sixties, a time of political, social and sexual change. I don't know as wasn't there but I find it easy to believe that there were transsexual/transvestite models at the time.

46 years ago it was not possible to be a public figure such as ladyboy professional model, hence the Stonewall riots in 1969

Here's a link to transvestite photographs from the 1960's. The photo below is from this news item.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/les-amies-de-place-blanche-transvestites-of-1960s-paris/

I heard the joke calling a ladyboy "it" the first time from Thais. Not in the presence of the boy, though.

Thais also often call regular gays "ladyboys". When I try to correct them, "he is not a ladyboy, just gay", they say "same-same"

The lack of PC brainwash here is sometimes refreshing.

You are correct about that. I think the majority of the mainstream Thai public also thinks gay and ladyboy are the same thing. Of course to a more "objective" western POV, gender identity is one thing and sexual orientation is ANOTHER thing. Gay men to a western POV are gender identified with being MALES, no matter their taste in sexual positions.

I think there is even a tendency among Thai males involved in male to male sex to label gays into being bottom as ladyboys and tops not. Not saying this is very pervasive; not sure how much. This is kind of interesting when compared to super macho Mexico where it is very pervasive to consider tops in male to male sex as totally straight and ONLY the passive men as the gay ones. Different cultures, different labeling.

JT - I think the phrase you were looking for was "pitching or catching".

On a side note, play golf in Thailand and you'll soon learn that a "hybrid" club is called a katoey. It's neither an iron nor a wood.....it's a 50/50 hybrid.

And that for me sums up how Thais generally perceive a katoey - not as a 3rd gender, or gay/homosexual, transvestite, transsexual or any other English word you care to use, but 50% male and 50% female. A half and half (and even that's a bad comparative).

Katoey is a Thai word describing a phenomenon that while not isolated to Thailand, describes a cultural acceptance of a behaviour that is unique to Thailand. Perhaps the closest English word that should be used is in fact "hybrid".

Translation - they oversold on their promotion and are awaiting new stock but happily let you pay for a non-stock item. Always best to take your own vehicle and take it home yourself, or hire a song taow for a few hundred baht. Don't pay until you see "your" appliance on a dolly waiting to go out the door.

TIT