paulian

Does any one know of a Pattaya Company that will refinish my bathroom Cabinates ?

Does anyone jnow the status of NIKS Nikon the authorized Nikon store on silom road. Like, if they have closed. As their web sight is greyed out and the support Emailed address I have been using for 5 years was returned. I need my Nikon repaired and can't seem to contact them anyway.

Seen this a hundred times in the Kingdom, Thai's being verbally abused by a Westerner. We all know it sucks and is wrong, however, from experience turn the other way and don't even think of getting involved which just normally escalates the situation and draws you in to it. As is the case, from many westerners even on this sight, they think they are somewhat superior to the Thais and many superior to everybody else also. Confronting these low brain count people will cause you nothing from trouble. Although this is a great sight, it is overwhelmed with jerks just like you mention. Know it all's that demand first world service in a third world country.

Not just Coke Zero, but many places and eatery's have no Pepsi or Pepsi Max.

I guess related to this post. Do most of you receive payments directly to Thai bank or have them deposited to a US bank like me (Chase) and withdraw money using my ATM card, which is a total pain and expensive. and .... if so how did you set that up ?

Mine came on time the 3rd of the month. FYI from a reliable source within Social Security about a comment made here about disability payments if you are on them. The Government is overwhelmed in that area with claims and the three year "review" has been suspended for 2-3 years now in most cases. It does not matter if your check is due on a Saturday or Sunday either. People are not involved in issuing the check, it is all electronic. Issued at 12 midnight the day it's due to your account or where you have arrangements to have it sent. Mine has never been late one time in three years. It is always credited at 12 midnight US Time which is normally 3pm Bkk time. So ... if yours did not come you should probably call immediately and see what happened. After all is said and done about the Government the SS checks are very reliable.

Any connection between your reality and most others, I assure you, is purely coincidental. I've never heard your idea before anywhere. However, Thank You, I'm all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view !

:sleepy:

Try instore. Just by the dumb looks and smiles you get, you will know that it was worth it. TIT

jb1

Yea, that's the best answer ! ask for the manager or who's the big boss in charge. Once you've lived here a while you'll learn it's always better to lodge complaints against a store or business in your toilet, while looking in the mirror. It gets you the best results.

and the Oscar ........ for the most perplexing, bewildering, boring, redundant post of the week goes to .........

I never heard of anyone fined about being late for a 90 day for any reason, at least in Pattaya. and I know many, many, many who have been from 1 day to 2 weeks late without paying a baht. Like everything else in the Kingdom guess it depends on the place, time and people involved. All that I have known that have been late have had legitimate excuses, whether they be medical, family crisis or something of that nature. I certainly would be shocked if someone were fined for being late on a 90 day check in because of flood related problems. That would be illogical, even for here ! Anyways, they have telephones at most immigration offices now in Thailand. Do you think maybe a good idea would be to call them ?

This is such a massive disaster whatever we discuss on this forum pales into insignificance when one begins to realize just how many people are suffering from loss of income. loss of loved ones, loss of homes and it goes on. I hope the authorities take decisive action in the coming year to help avert another flood.

I agree, It's a terrible disaster for all Thai people in the Kingdom. I have donated my time, money and a load of drinking water to the effort. However, since history shows they were digging canals in the old Capital of Ayutthaya 4000 years ago to divert flood water to the sea, why would you ever think they could control another flood next year or in any year any time soon ?

Much of the infastructure is controlled and operated by many "engineers" who haven't even finished high school. As in Pattaya, where I live, doesn't take an Einstein to know to clean the storm drain covers before the rainy season, does it ?

As far as the 140,000 fine goes, that's also a joke. Considering, it's estimated many of the Jet Ski guys here in Pattaya are bringing in 100,000 a day, the boaters will be trying to match them. and the "advanced member" or whatever who mentioned it's a free market. Duh .... Thailand has specific laws on the books about raising prices during or following a disaster. As in the Los Angeles Earthquake in the 90's, I personally arrested and closed over 18 stores in the week following the disaster because of price gouging (over 15% increase in LA) 7-11 pulled the franchises from over 21 stores in the months following the earthquake. So, that was a stupid comment in my opinion, as if you even understand what a free market is or represents !

+1 but imagine going to the police in Thailand and making an official complaint and inviting them to investigate. They are more likely to demand money from you for bothering them. The Police as always have been useless during the flood disaster. I was told by a Thai friend they went home and dealt with their own personal problems with flooding

Yea, I've heard that a few times. Unless it's a capital crime or one that will generate great publicity for the BIB, they want to be paid for many investigations. For instance motorbike theft. Lose a bike they won't even come out, you go in and fill out the forms and leave and usually never see the bike again. However, start waving around 1000bt bills and there's a good chance the bike will show up in a few days. I've seen it. Domestic violence reports and there are hundreds of them here. The abused women fill out a form and the case is usually forgot about. Start waving around 1000bt bills and an officer is out there in an hour. No dought they are sadly underpaid, however, they were the ones who worked so hard to get the position. It's just a never ending, perplexing, frustrating situation. When we had the Hurricane in New Orleans a few years ago, many officers also deserted and tended to their families even though they were assured there families would get priorities in every way. The difference being they were all fired and blackballed from the profession for life. Many times that is the big difference between a 3rd world country and a 1st, accountability. There's not always a whole lot of accountability here in Law enforcement, but I can assure you from personal experience there are many more hard working, honest Police officers in the country than foreigners give credit for. and ... I also believe there are many more honest one's than there are the other type.

That seems to be the norm here. Officials don't do a thing unless they get maximum recognition for it in most circumstances.

A Thai friend of mine is into amateur photography and I went with him when he bought a new camera and some lenses. Total came to about 70000 baht as I recall. When we got home the lenses wouldn't "seat" properly on the camera so we went back to the shop about 2 hours after the purchase. The shop owner, instead of offering to change the faulty stuff, insisted that they'd have to go to Bangkok for repair.

I then witnessed the complete opposite of the supposed " Thais don't raise their voices to avoid someone losing face" as my friend went off at the shop owner like an ICBM.

Seemed to work.

Normally, going off on the shop owner does not work 95% of the time, as you probably already know. Anyone who has lived or spent any type of time in this country knows 2 things. You buy it, you own it and 98% of the time all the paperwork or talking in the world will not get you a warranty on anything. I also bought a Camera and Lens in Bangkok last year from the most reputable Nikon dealer in Bangkok for about 5 times what your friend paid for his set up. and .... I did what I always do when making a major purchase, don't leave the store until you see it work or don't buy it.

Are you talking about Home Pro ?

No, I think he's referring to Home Works, Big C, all the vendors in Tucom, Central Mall (all stores) , Mike's, Tops, Major, Diary Queen, Outlet Mall (all stores), International Gems, Family Mart and a few others I can't recall. Home Pro seems to be ok.

Sure this one will get wiped out ....

I live in Pattaya in a 15th floor Condo. I'm definitely leaving !

The booze and all the Thai girls say I'm handsome !

I DON'T GET IT ! What then is all the talk about a minimum wage of 300 Bht per day ????

Cheers.

That was just campaign talk, it doesn't really count !

Spend enough time in traffic, breathing that mix of auto exhaust and misc. dust and just about anyone will have a taxi driver mindset (barely functioning).

Can never really remember taking a taxi ride without some kind of problem, either money, speeding the smell of alcohol on the drivers breath ...... Fortunately, now have a motorbike and a car. However, as you state, many of them started with no sense and most are now working on only a few brain cells these days and couldn't care about anything or anybody except their money.

That's one good example of why the English language is so badly used nowadays. Using "U" instead of "you" on a kids tea shirt does not give them a good start.

Using "u" instead of "you" is a normal practice now all over the world. It's internet language. In case you want to learn it: http://www.internetslang.com/all.asp

After reading your post, it appears you just picked up and left your country and retired here without even a visit first. Hardly anything has changed here in over 25 years, except prices. It's still the third world country it was, the infastructure has not kept up with the population expansion, the government changes every couple of years whether it likes it or not and so on and so on ...... My point being, why didn't you know this before you moved here and are just asking it now ? Most people who retire here know what their getting in to. Sure ..... things change, people change, times change, however, Thailand has had these same issues for decades.

I am really curious about this anti-American attitude that so many Thai have. Especially in this forum. The excuses that they use are all completely false but continue to use them nevertheless. It's must be much more than the excuses that they use. I would ask what is the big issue with the US? They don't seem to bash the Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, or Euros.

Most of the Thais I know like Americans over most other farang the people they seem to hate the most are Cambodians, Burmese,Israelis(Especially in the south),Indians,Pakistani and Africans followed by the British for some reason. They also seem to like Japanese and Scandinavians(big spenders). This is not the whole society of course but it seems that their hatred is more class based than Nationality except for the Brits because they get a little loud and drunk sometimes(Like every other nationality). The bashing on these boards are mostly Europeans with American penis envy(Ungrateful for all the American blood spilled and resources wasted during two world wars plus the Marshall plan). They hate that we don't have socialism and the fact that the Euro zone is turning into a feel good social experiment failure. Most people are just that "people" the idiots that carry around a nationalistic chip on their shoulders in other countries just give everyone a bad name. A dick is a dick in any country I give everyone a fair shake no matter what their nationality(Except for those stinking Irish!!!!Jk Irish heritage).

I think what people are failing to see is most Americans are not condoning the actions of a bunch of greedy boat owners just making fact that in a predatory environment like a flood you have to expect resources like boats and transportation to be at a premium. If you own a boat are you going to go out every day and do it from free week after week? Maybe in gumdrop candyland with chocolate rivers Europe but the rest of the world has to survive in a natural disaster key word being "Disaster". You ever think that some of these people might have lost everything and are trying to recover by providing a service that is in demand? Are these people any different then the political situations going on here American and Europe? Stealing a couple 100baht for boat money pails in comparison to the money Europe is asking the US(ZERO DOLLARS that is what I as an American thing European banks should get) to bail out Greece.

You lost me around the second line, however as an American, I can assure you if Greece or any Financial Institutions need bailing out the US Congress would love to help. Even if half of the US is out of a job and we're staring at another recession ! It's what the US does best, build bombs and bail out Institutions and States who have foolishly squandered their money away with mis-management and greed.

This is such a massive disaster whatever we discuss on this forum pales into insignificance when one begins to realize just how many people are suffering from loss of income. loss of loved ones, loss of homes and it goes on. I hope the authorities take decisive action in the coming year to help avert another flood.

I agree, It's a terrible disaster for all Thai people in the Kingdom. I have donated my time, money and a load of drinking water to the effort. However, since history shows they were digging canals in the old Capital of Ayutthaya 4000 years ago to divert flood water to the sea, why would you ever think they could control another flood next year or in any year any time soon ?

Much of the infastructure is controlled and operated by many "engineers" who haven't even finished high school. As in Pattaya, where I live, doesn't take an Einstein to know to clean the storm drain covers before the rainy season, does it ?

As far as the 140,000 fine goes, that's also a joke. Considering, it's estimated many of the Jet Ski guys here in Pattaya are bringing in 100,000 a day, the boaters will be trying to match them. and the "advanced member" or whatever who mentioned it's a free market. Duh .... Thailand has specific laws on the books about raising prices during or following a disaster. As in the Los Angeles Earthquake in the 90's, I personally arrested and closed over 18 stores in the week following the disaster because of price gouging (over 15% increase in LA) 7-11 pulled the franchises from over 21 stores in the months following the earthquake. So, that was a stupid comment in my opinion, as if you even understand what a free market is or represents !

Wouldn't it be nice if the almighty "moderators" left a link to where they decide to move topics ? or ...... did I miss something and their just not really as lazy as they seem ..

I know nothing about the legal system in NZ, but if the police thought he had photographs of him with his arm around underage boys it may have been prudent to first establish if the boys are actually underage. I would imagine it's easy enough to find out where he stayed and it should not be too difficult to track down the boys in question and establish if they are underage and if so then if he committed an offense with those boys. (as it's certainly not illegal to have your arm around a boy of any age).

I have no time for pedophiles, however I am concerned at how the police are prepared to entrap someone for a minor offense (ie offereing services from NZ via a website ) compared to the much more serious offense of sexual contact with underage boys if that happened, and in all probability they spent a great deal of time and effort trying (and presumably failing) to establish a substantive offense and are now trying to justify that expense by following up this offense which surely cannot result in the same penalty as is he was proven to have actually had illegal sexual contact.

I would have thought that anyone with something to hide would know better than to carry incriminating evidence through customs there days, perhaps he had nothing to hide and the photos were innocent.

Also, I agree that this is a criminal news story and not a "gay" story. I'm not gay, but I cringe then I hear people suggest that gay men are more likely to be pedophiles, I'm sure that's not true.

It's not entrapment and you do not have to find the boy half way around the world to convict the perp for pedophilia or pornography . The photo is enough to convict, believe it or not ! If the victim is found there is a greater chance more charges will be filed, however, the photo is all that's needed as I stated.

That's Entrapment and I hope the guy gets off! The cops probably offered the dude a bunch of money and he couldn't resist it even at the guys website doesn't promote anything child sex *commercial link edited out*

I feel sorry for him and his family, the police must have nothing better to do.

No, It's not entrapment in any terms of any law in any first world country on the planet. Don't make statements on subjects you know nothing about, Thank You.