DGS1244

On Friday 11 th. November for Loy Kratong I took the family to a restaurant on Charoenrat Road, surprisingly parking was no problem but the service was. We eventually got a waitress to take our order, the drinks took about 15 minutes and starter 16 minutes, one main course arrived then a second some 10 minutes later, warm fish but cold chips. We were then informed that another main course we had ordered was not now available so we changed it to a Carbonara/Spaghetti, by the time that arrived, another 10 minutes, the first serving was finished and the fish less cold chips was almost consumed. The Carbonara turned out to be a tasteless lump of overcooked spaghetti and after a couple of mouthfuls was left for the rats to eat. Asking for the Check Bin and telling the waitress that the food was inedible became a daunting task, after agreat deal of discussion we were offered another 'meal' but by then everyone else had long finished anyway. I managed eventually to find the 'manager' to discuss the problem, by this time my partner. being Thai, just wanted to pay up and leave but after a lot of haggling I managed to get the bill discounted reasonably. I appreciate that it was a very busy night, but having run major restaurants in the past I know from experience that is no excuse for poor food and service. If they have complaints then they should be able to deal with them promptly. Guess where I will not be going again. Maybe there should be a forum where complaints regarding restaurants can be aired for all to read.

Can any one help?, can you do the 90 day reporting at any immigration office or does it have to be the one where you are resident. I ask as I live in Chiang Mai and will have to do my 90 just before New Year, last time it took forever. I will be traveling back from Bangkok week before New Year and could do it at Nakon Sawan where I used to do it when living there. It only takes a few minutes there even with a queue. Advice appreciated.

"Insurance claims to exceed Bt600 billion

Achara Pongvutitham

The Nation

A few comments known from long experience in the insurance market

"Damage claims from Thailand's flood crisis will exceed Bt600 billion, including actual damages and losses due to suspended business, greater than the impact of the tsunami in Japan, according to an initial assessment by the Office of the Insurance Commission (IOC).

The greatest damage is in seven industrial estates: Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate, Rojana Industrial Park, Hi-Tech Industrial Estate, Factory Land, Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate, Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate, and Bangkadi Industrial Park. Combined damage was assessed by the IOC recently at more than Bt600 billion, on a total insured amount of Bt456.79 billion. Insurance companies will have to pay Bt200 billion for claims, accounting for about 30 per cent of the total loss.

This figure is way too low, the consequential loss claims will be far higher and can easily treble each claim.

The Federation of Thai Industries said the losses from those seven industrial estates would be Bt300 billion to Bt400 billion, covering 891 factories and 460,000 workers.

About 90 per cent of the total flood losses are reinsured, with the remaining sum also reinsured for another time. As a result, Thai insurers will not be hit too badly. Anon Vangvasu, senior vice president of the non-motor claims department of Bangkok Insurance, said BKI would take on only 5 per cent of the total losses. Affected companies are mainly Japanese manufacturers, and they had purchased risk coverage from Japanese insurers in Bangkok.

Fine for Japanese insurers but most Thai Companies do not bother to re-insure on the international market and it is very doubtful if any of them have sufficient funds to meet their obligations.

Japanese insurance companies operating in Thailand include Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Tokio Marine Srimuang Insurance.

Anon said claims would cost Thai insurance companies Bt3 billion to Bt4 billion.

He said the losses of companies in the seven flood-affected industrial estates would be classified into three groups: buildings and construction, stockpiles, and machinery. The initial assessment by insurers indicates that buildings will account for 10-15 per cent of the losses, stockpiles 40-50 per cent and machinery about 50 per cent.

Again no mention of consequential loss which is the highest figure.

After the flood has receded, insurance companies will send assessors to the factories to determine the damage to machinery, then technicians will be allowed entry for maintenance before repairs, for instance applying moisture protection. The final process will be handled by technicians who restore the machines.

Insurance companies will apoint independent LOSS ADJUSTERS not Assessors, there is a major difference between the two. Loss Assessors are private companies who offer the insured help in preparing their claim, often inflating figures.

The biggest problem facing insurance companies is low numbers of staff and assessors. The OIC is considering easing some regulations to allow technicians to enter factories and make some repairs before insurance assessment starts in order to minimise losses.

The insurance policy conditions require the occupier to minimise the claim as soon as practical, you don't have to wait for the 'assessment'.

"Those technicians will help reduce damage to heavy machinery and prepare plans for maintenance and repairs in advance. Moreover, they can report to parts suppliers whether any parts have to be imported," Anon said.

They are not Technicians they are Chartered LOSS ADJUSTERS

Nobody knows yet how many machines have been damaged by the floods but at least 100 engineers will be needed to manage the assessment. Insurers will compensate policyholders only after their damage claims have been validated."

Try a thousand plus engineers, 100 won't go far.

Many micro organisms will survive brief boiling, you should boil for 5 minutes. If you use the type of kettle with auto shut off, leave the top open, then it will keep boiling. Boiling will not remove inorganic pollutants. For pure water collect the output from your aircon and melt the ice buildup in your fridge.

Be very careful if you start to drink ultra pure water such as distilled or dionised it does not contain any bacteria, which you need to digest, and technically you can 'drown' with it. There are many documented cases of people dying from drinking pure water for too long.

"Surely the Australian insurance company can take them to court in Australia."

Only if they actually sign a claim form, oherwise all the company can do is to black list them and prevent them from getting any future insurance.

"Foreign insurers have stopped taking in flood reinsurance, as they lack confidence in Thailand's water-management system," Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala said yesterday. "This is crucial. No matter how much the government is doing in rehabilitating industrial estates, investors need all-risks insurance or they could relocate their investment."

It is the foreign Re-insurers who are getting jumpy, I doubt if there is a single Thai Insurer who has sufficient funds to meet their obligations and very very few of them re-insure on the international market. Only the large multinationals will have adequate cover and eventually the losses will be come from the Likes of Swiss re, Zurich Re, Munich Re, Allianze Re unless you are an Japanese Owned company and their cover will come from almost certain a 'Captive' back in Japan. If the local Thai thinks he will get paid, if he is insured that is, by his 'local' provider he is in for a big shock. It will have to come from the government and we all know what will happen to the monies then.

Question is who imported illegal snakes into Thailand in the first place. Who ever it was should have brought in anti-venom at the same time. Someone needs to be held accountable for this one.

" No Chemical Leakage" Who is kidding who. Chemical storage drums are seen frequently in video reports floating away from factories, you telling me none are leaking. I doubt even if the empty ones have been purged so who's to say what is in the water.

Flooding Bangkok is not going to help anyone. Over 60% of Thailand's financial income is created in Bangkok. Flood Bangkok and you will have several million more poor people and no tourist income for a long time to come. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions, that's life. Protect your wealth then you will have monies to help those poor souls who have suffered and yes I have already been flooded but I still say protect your capital.

For many years I reckoned that about 5% of 'bar' girls were OK for long term relationship then a friend corrected me and said about 1% of the 5% would be a more accurate figure. After a few more years I agreed he was right, having learn't the hard way. Now my long time partner was not a 'bar girl' and even pays her own way, a miracle but it can happen just takes time finding the right one and not in bars. Also having lived and worked in Sweden I can understand Thai ladies having problems with the men there, mind you the Swedish ladies can leave a lot to desire, must be something to do with the long nights and short days, too much time on their hands.

For what it is worth I have had both my Knees replaced at the Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok under Dr. Panya. Excellent work with no real problems and a lot less than 350,000 TBaht. Just make sure that you get the joint you want, there are different types and the Asian joint has more flexibility than the European one, I have one of each, the Asian one was not available when I had the first one done, and the Euro one does not allow so much bending making it more difficult to do simple things like cutting toe nails. All saying that I have no regrets and recommend it to anyone who needs it.

I agree with "drdoom6996" back in August when we were flooded in Chiang Mai they said that there was so much water Bangkok will flood in a month or so, did anyone listen?. Of course not that would have required someone to do some PLANNING and we all know that word does not exist in Thailand.

Quote

FROC also announced that the Royal Thai Army would handle the water management in five provinces

Hope they can control water better than helicopters.

The previous statement from ResX is so true, he also mentions another previous comment.

“I have tried to inform them many times, but they tell me I am a crazy man,” said Smith Dharmasaroja, former director general of the". I have worked with K. Smith after the Tsunami when he was incharge of the post Tsunami disaster center. A man who has my greatest respect yet is just about always ignored by those in power. A few more people like him and this country might actually get something done.

It seems our friend 'w11guy' is getting a little mixed up with Hazards and Risks, yes there are always hazards which are unassessed loss potentials, risks are hazards that have been assessed against a probability/severity rating and a course of action decided to mitigate it. Insurance is just one way to do this, there are many other ways that may be done long before the insurance kicks in. The large multinational companies insured in the international market are well aware of this and have taken precautions accordingly. Unfortunately many Japanese companies are insured through their own home market using captive companies and have shown that they prefer to choose to ignore advice and spend money only to make profit not protection to the work force. Now they have to pay the penalty.

Surely if he is staying at a 5-Star Hotel then the hotel would normally accept US Dollars anyway, maybe at not too good exchange rate. Seems there is more to this than we know.

"Officials were rushing to deliver essential assistance to affected people. Food and water were handed out, while the elderly and children were evacuated."

Love it, as a CM resident we were first flooded back at the end of August, no one then offered any assistance and no one now gives out any news about potential flooding. Maybe one day someone will get their act together.