impulse

Keep in mind that the article is pretty much just a copy and paste of the actual GoFundMe blurb, which appears to have been launched by a 3rd party guy that may have never been to Thailand.

According to the linked article, one of the reasons they couldn't afford to stay in business is because they had to import all their ingredients from the USA. I enjoyed Carl's because they served fresh brewed iced tea on a free refill basis, with lemon wedges available. They also had genuine napkins on the tables instead of having to ask for them. And their burgers were generally good, with one inedible one at their Silom store, but just one time out of a few dozen that I ate at the 3 Carl's I knew in BKK. I had to wonder why they opened one up right next to Burger King around Nana... But I ate there often.

But the key there is that they were on the departure side. Years ago, when stories hit of tourists being denied entry for lack of 20K in funds, there was a lot of discussion about the wisdom (or folly) of carrying cash in the days of ATMs and online banking. Personally, I carry some emergency USD whenever I travel internationally. I've been glad to have it on several occasions when ATMs were down. I'll bet there's a lot of Russkies around the world today that wish they had carried more cash. Bottom line is that there were no ATMs upstream of immigration at Swampy, so if they asked for proof of funds, you needed your ducks in a row before you took off on your way in. Whether it's to withdraw cash (recommended) or to update your balance for proof of funds (may not be adequate- I don't know) My last trip to Thailand was just before Covid hit, so things may be different today. But I doubt it. (Edit: I'd also add that I was never asked to show any cash. Rumor had it that it was soap dodgers and Nigerian princes that were being denied entry for lack of funds... But better safe than deported.)

Half a dozen dive resorts I've visited, they sank an old aircraft in shallow water for people to dive on. That's a lot more likely than a part from any specific crash.

There's a lot of that goes on in this forum! Speaking of joining dots, the second half of the question that the OP didn't ask is whether there are ATM's on the upstream side of Immigration in case you need to pull out some cash to flash if the IO asks you for proof of adequate funds. Before Covid, the answer was "no". I'm assuming it's still a no? In years past there have been stories of arriving tourists declined entry for not having enough cash on them.

Why would that matter? They can find witnesses to how many drinks he had, over what period, and whether he exhibited drunk behavior. The establishment can be held liable if they served an already drunk patron. They may have been serving alcohol during banned hours. Lots of good reasons for tracking his movements if they're planning to prosecute.

Tempting as it is to blame the current bunch, they're just carrying on a decades (centuries?) long tradition.

Maybe waiting for their yachts to arrive.

One of my pet peeves about Thailand... We usually heard of these events only after they were finished.

Covid is forcing some whole areas into lockdown and quarantine. My GF in China said yesterday a whole vegetable market was closed because there was a Covid case and all the vendors were bussed off. I can see where that my happen in one port of entry and not another. Weird times we're living through.

One of my least favorite places to drive in BKK was Rama 4 near the Klong Toey market. That's because there were always idiots doing the dash across the busy road right there, and I could never predict which innocent looking old lady was the next to jump out in front of moving traffic. Statistics, the odds, and good brakes were on my side. But I couldn't tell you 100% that I was never going to run anyone over, no matter how careful I was.

I'd be willing to bet that the ban on serving alcohol saved more lives than the 0.2% decrease the Johns Hopkins study attributes to the lockdowns. Be careful what you wish for... The fear mongers may decide to ban alcohol next. Makes more sense than continuing the lockdowns.

Good info. I confess I didn't read it. Hence, my question. The quality of crime reporting in Thailand is usually so bad... This one was an anomaly. I still wonder how most of the guys here would feel if their loved one got banged up for 20 years for an accident, as some have demanded for this guy. That kind of time should be reserved for crimes with malicious intent.

Have you looked into the Google Maps offline cache feature? Pick your area and you can download maps to use when you have no cell signal. It won't give you the traffic, but neither will anything that requires cell service.

Tragic as it is, it was an accident. That doesn't rate a 20 year sentence. I can't count the number of times I've had to jam on the brakes for a pedestrian who decided at the last second to jump out into the zebra crossing when I was turning on a green light. They only see me out of the corner of their eye (if at all), and vice versa. There's a reason your Mom taught you to stop and look both ways before crossing, even at a zebra crossing and even on a green light. I do, every time. And if there's a car, truck or a bus that looks in a hurry to turn through the green, I let them. It may be their fault, but it's my life.

Gotta be honest, I don't put a lot of faith in a noob to realize what happened, or why it happened. Especially given his declaration of "detained by immigration" (what does that mean?) and that your onward ticket has to be to your own country (it can be anywhere outside of Thailand on the off chance that the IO even asks for one). Then there's the proof of a place to stay and the 20K baht requirement, which are optional depending on the mood of IO you get. That's not a slam on SebBkk. It takes some time to understand the difference between a visa and an extension, between visa on arrival and visa exempt, the difference between an O and an OA visa, the difference between answering lots of questions and being detained, etc. Throw in the inconsistency between Immigration at the various points of entry, what country you're from, and your travel history, and "your mileage may vary" from SebBkk's. Even if you think you're duplicating his experience. One seemingly tiny detail can put you in a completely different situation.

That's what everyone says until it's them or their loved one at fault in a wreck. 20 year sentences are for actions with intent to harm. Not for accidental deaths.

You're on the wrong thread. This one is about demonstrators wanting more investigation. There's another thread about the Mom wanting another autopsy. If she was my daughter, I'd want an autopsy by a trusted entity, even if that means one more. And I'd want all social media posts by people on the boat, along with all their texts and posts during and after the event. Plus any video and photos from their phones. Along with a record of all phone calls made by the participants to see if there was a nefarious plan...

Just curious how you know it wasn't the scooter driver's fault? Edit: Also wondering how you'd feel if you or a loved one were banged up in a Thai prison for decades because of an accident? A momentary lapse, without a bit of intent or malevolence...

The Treaty of Amity came about in 1966, when the USA had tens of thousands of horny servicemen with tons of Uncle Sam's money that had to go somewhere on R&R. I'll let you ponder the appeal of having them spend all that pent up money in Thailand. It would have been just as easy to send them somewhere else on Uncle Sam's dime. Foreign ownership of land in the USA is very well known, and often discussed ad nauseum.

I bought caffeine tablets on Lazada after trying for years to find them in local shops. Sometimes they were available on Lazada, sometimes not. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/allmax-nutrition-caffeine-200-mg-100-tablet-i3417371389-s12640051585.html Aspirin in the big boy size (not 82mg) was rare as hen's teeth in Thailand, too. When I could find it, it was about 20x as expensive as Walmart generic brand in the USA. (Word to the wise for anyone packing for their trip to Thailand)

If my daughter died under suspicious circumstances with rumors that she fought off being delivered to a high ranking military official for coerced sex, I'd say "thank you" for the 30 million on offer, then keep on pressing for the truth. (hush money anyone?) I don't have a clue what really happened. And I suspect she wants to know, too.

That's why they want the investigation. Rumors of a high ranking military official waiting for the boat to deliver her to his clutches... Theories about a fight on the boat as she found out what they had planned for her... Mysterious wounds not consistent with the stories told by the participants... Enquiring minds want to know. So do idiots like me.

That isn't it. If yaba caused accidents, there would be hundreds every day. In fact, I'd say yaba probably prevents accidents when drivers are forced by their companies and economics to exceed safe hour limits. Not that I advocate its use. Better to moderate the number of hours behind the wheel. But we all know that isn't going to happen.

Was that before or after the embassies quit notarizing the proof of income letters a couple of years back? Since then, I don't know how you'd be able to prove a monthly income other than actual deposits to your Thai bank account. That policy change was a game changer for a lot of US (and other) expats who counted on that proof of income letter every year. I'm not claiming that no Immigration Office anywhere would make you jump through those hoops. I'm also interested in the answer in case I decide to retire to Thailand in the future.