Anon999

I always feel ripped off when I visit a private hospital in Thailand. As I have insurance, I notice that the hospital always charges up to the maximum that the insurance will cover. I check the bills and they seem to just randomly bump up certain items to make the amount, like paracetamol for 490 baht and so on. No idea how they get away with it and why the insurance companies don't kick up a fuss.

Last month, I needed to get a medical check up called a PERF to get a visa for China. I went to Sikarin hospital and I was totally ripped off. The bill even read 'Payer Group: Foreigner'. Hope that makes the OP feel better

Paracetamol 20 Baht at the government I use and it's a big one so 490 baht worth must have been the supply for a year. Anyway you can always refuse them at the Pharmacy as you can everything else. Antibiotics are prescribed like smarties and are not good for you as you start to become immune to them. If you really need some then 5 days of the course is enough.

Posts 4 & 5. Thank you for your input.

Are you relating your personal experience or is it bartalk?

Personal experience of 10 yrs here (mid 20's to mid-30's) 2 years of which were in Isaan as a single-man.

what they get up to when ol' fella is at home you wouldn't believe.

Many take actual pride in it, bringing over bottles of Black Label boasting that the ATM paid for it, the new scooter, car, whatever.

Just speaking the truth.

Yes there are many like that about but don't generalise. It depends on the people you you mix with. Personally I've never had that problem with my Thai wives and g/f's, since 1987, either in the UK or here. The keys are to be careful, selective and avoid jumping in with both feet! There's no hurry unless you're going to 'kick the bucket' next week! Avoiding b/g's and farm girls is a good starting point.

I'm not always able to follow Thai law and not so much because it's complicated but rather it's oh so ' flexible ' in application.

However in the criminal jurisdictions I am familiar with the police action, or rather inaction, at the scene would, at the very least, be regarded as a very serious neglect of duty. However criminal charges, such as Perverting The Course Of Justice, would be likely if the police officers concerned had deliberately failed to breath test her and allowed her to go because of who she is or other ' considerations '.

Even if she is charged with Causing Death by Reckless Driving it's helpful to have any suggestion of driving whilst over the limit out of the way.

I understand from earlier posts that a big bike was involved in the crash, apparently swerving in front of the car and slowing down causing her lose control. Having left the scene of the crash why did she return?

I'm not always able to follow Thai law and not so much because it's complicated but rather it's oh so ' flexible ' in application.

However in the criminal jurisdictions I am familiar with the police action, or rather inaction, at the scene would, at the very least, be regarded as a very serious neglect of duty. However criminal charges, such as Perverting The Course Of Justice, would be likely if the police officers concerned had deliberately failed to breath test her and allowed her to go because of who she is or other ' considerations '.

Even if she is charged with Causing Death by Reckless Driving it's helpful to have any suggestion of driving whilst over the limit out of the way.

I understand from earlier posts that a big bike was involved in the crash, apparently swerving in front of the car.

If im a top police chef in any country i surely travel with my own private motorcade and stuff like that... with sirens and flashlights and rounded up people around my route... there is absolutely no way anyone would breathalyze me that way for sure!

On a private night out I'm sure you would not in the UK.

He's obviously a pillock.

I agree Phase out satang They service no purpose other than collecting dust

... and milk in Tesco!

The car dealers sell you the car and take your money, but they don't want to pay for the car until months or years later. They can use your money while you are waiting for the registration. They are mostly running behind financially and will use your money to pay for a car the sd to someone else 3 or 4 months ago so that they can get their registration. You will have to wait for someone else to by a car so that this money can be used to pay for your car. There is no other reaso, no matter what excuses you are given, that is the truth. The registration can be done snake day if you start early in the morning. The person that is screaming the loudest at the car dealer will be the next one you get his paperwork done. It is kind of like a Ponzi Scheme and in some cases it ends up like one as well.

Bought my car in BKK and registered it locally in Isaan, like many other people. Didn't use a dodgy dealer!

My wife reregistered to local area and got plates same day, why not pre issue numbers to large dealers.then book and tax could be given a few days later .

Standard practise in the UK, dealers have numbers allocated to them and it doesn't leave until registered and plated.

Engineers ??!

I'm looking after this word in my thai encyclopedic dictionary ( 32 volumes ) but cannot find it ;

Is it normal Dr Watson ?

Buy yourself a decent Oxford River Books, English - Thai Dictionary, only 1,078 pages.

Thailand does the same. Break the law and you are in prison until you can fund your own deportation. We all know this and understand the consequences of breaking the law.

It is time that immigrants to "Western" countries with all the benefits they are awarded, said "thanks" and behaved.

You're comparing apples with pears, we do not have PLR. However, why he didn't apply for Citizenship many years ago is a mystery. Maybe he thought PLR meant what it implied but maybe you wouldn't?.

Forgot to include the link! https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/user-agent-switcher-for-c/djflhoibgkdhkhhcedjiklpkjnoahfmg

For a start as they do not have a security certificate it cannot be 'https'! You need to install an extension to Chrome: 'User-Agent Switcher for Chrome' then add it to Chrome and click on the icon on the top right corner of your screen then you can access the Immigration website. Have just done it.

Probably get a better deal in Bangkok.

No mention of the purpose of his trip.

Yes there was. he was in a group of 80 going to see an industrial waste plant.

I think it is best if you have an international licence. I have one and it is good in any country.

again, no such thing as an international license its an international permit and ONLY valid with a legal license

Try an rent a car with that permit rather than a country drivers license.

I did when I first moved here and replaced my IDP with a 1 year Thai license just before it expired. Also used it without any problem a couple of times at police checkpoints.

Only 200 members! do they think any decisions can be reached with that number? Not to mention what are their qualifications and do they know the Thai Highway Code?

Reinventing history are we again boys ? Have you forgotten it was the French that actually afforded your Liberty ? Hence the statue ? also while we are at it do you remember how the good old Canadians kicked your asses all over the show when you tried to invade the big northern empire ? I'm sure the self promoting (yes Americas biggest asset) didn't teach you that in your fuddled history class ?

Are you not forgetting recent twentieth century history? Without US involvement to save your sorry asses during WWII you would be speaking German and celebrating Hitler's birthday rather than the Queen's.

Suggest you check out WW2 history. The US only got involved because the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour after having been told it would happen by a British agent that Hoover detested and ignored. And what a great example to humanity he was! Furthermore had the Battle of Britain not already been won it would have all been over while the US was still sitting on its hands as usual.

" the poorest is Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap, having 14.8 million baht net assets."

Hard to believe. It's not a lot.

That's a lot less than many expats are worth, about £285k

Speed kills. And she must have been motoring. Hope they spend that poor copper's life for something.

Speed doesn't kill , lack of attention signals and awareness kills.

It does. "Lack of attention signals and awareness" without 100+kph and he lives.

You are using the same excuse as the Thais do. Just that awareness cannot be measured. Its just stupid.

Speed does not kill fact! It is collisions that cause death and injury. As there was apparently a big bike involved then this sounds like a tragic accident caused by a 3rd party.

Why leave something like this to the very last minute?

I get a multi-re-entry at the same time I do my annual renewal of my retirement visa.

At 3,800 baht for a multi re-entry you need to exit at least 4 times a year to make it cost effective as logically it expires with your extension. If not then a single is the answer.

At Suvarnabhumi you have to go up the stairs at the back and then down another set to access the desk and then back up again.

Try mixing your diet equally between Thai and western food (not burgers and the like) although you may have to cook the latter yourself. Potatoes, both ordinary and sweet and many vegetables are readily available from Makro, along with fresh meat. How about a mince omelette, you can make that whatever size you want!

Look at this way, if this happened to you in a country like the UK or Japan you would have been on your way back home. Sit back open a cold one and enjoy the corrupt life in Thailand, but please never complain about corruption again. You commited a crime today, its called a bribing a civil servant and you are now part of the corruption problem in the country.

What are you wittering on about? One way or the other he was obliged to pay a 2,000 B fine for late reporting. Just to clarify the matter in your tiny mind, "bribing a civil servant" he did not! Getting a stamp in his passport to prove he paid it is not a very clever thing to ask for. He should have thought of that before posting.

Speed kills. And she must have been motoring. Hope they spend that poor copper's life for something.

Speed doesn't kill , lack of attention signals and awareness kills.

Speed does kill if you are going too fast without taking into account the road conditions etc, and are unable to stop in time to avoid an accident.

Speed doesn't kill it's collisions that do.

There are some really disgusting posters on TVF who should be ashamed of themselves but never are. No thought about the dead policeman or his family and not considering that she may have thought the parked police car was moving (don't tell me it has never happened to you) and froze when realising it wasn't. Accusations flying left right and centre with no evidence to support them just about sums up their level of intelligence.

RIP to the dead man.

It's surprising or maybe not, how many TV posters are self righteous about speed limits. However, speed never injured or killed anyone only collisions. Accidents rarely occur.