Balance

5 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

So many of the negative comments come from infrequent flyers, and some who do not fly on Thai.  Yes, the issue with the seat is unacceptable if a seat  maintenance issue, but it is not specific to Thai Airways.  Every airline has its infamous issues. One of the UK/Europe's largest had an issue with claims of bedbugs and deplorable catering, Air France still had 3 abreast seating on some of its business class  flights to BKK and KLM has the dreaded 2 abreast seating and lack of air flow control at each seat, Air Canada had the infamous "deflategate" where its air sack seat cushions deflate and left pax sitting on a metal plank. 

 

The aircraft on the Beijing route is the relatively new AB350. (So much for the comments that  TG uses old decrepit aircraft.) The seats are Soltys II from Airbus subsidiary Stelia Aerospace. The seat controls are distinguished by their difficulty of use. Control of the seat is awful. On my last flight to Tokyo, I couldn't get the seat to recline. I had the exact same problem as this passenger. The seat wasn't broken, I just couldn't figure out how to use the seat controls in large part because I mostly fly on B777 or 787 who have simpler seat controls.  I am not alone. Many passengers have the same problem. My mistake was that i didn't ask for help, not that the FAs were  attentive. They were no worse than on an EU or North American airline.   I expect this passenger had the same issue.  Why then would the airline pay compensation for something that wasn't a malfunction.  The problem is with Airbus and its poor seat design.  I just got off an AB 330  and its seat controls were just as bad.  I sympathize, but the problem was most likely not a broken seat.

Your post points directly to part of the problem at TA; there is no training. Assuming that the seats were not broken and that the controls were confusing, there should have been one or more people among the cabin crew who knew how the controls worked and were able to walk over and show the passengers how to work them.  

The last sentence gets to what should be creating the real prospect that there will not be a Thai National Carrier in a couple of years and that the reputation of Thailand will continue to decline.

I stopped flying with Thai Airlines when the U.S. banned the carrier from landing at any U.S. Airport. The reason: nonexistent or incomplete maintenance records combined with a demonstrated lack of training and inability to perform the work.  

The issue has been around for at least 15 years, but it seems that has been done about it and/or nothing can be done about it due to a lack of will to make individual people responsible for doing their jobs correctly and firing them.  

3 hours ago, petermik said:

13,000 baht for a 59 night stay....that should have raised a red flag from the start

My takeaway: I'll never do business with Booking.com again

On 4/6/2024 at 1:17 PM, Nickcage49 said:

Thailand going to space. There's so much comedy there. They need a space program like they need subs and warplanes.

How about declaring a medical emergency in the North and getting rid of the smoke?  Then, it's off to the moon, or Uranus.

Of course, there can be no declaration of a health emergency because it could hurt tourism.  So, let them come,  then wander about for a few days,  deal with burning eyes and coughing.  A few photos will go viral worldwide,  and tourism will take a steep and long-lived decline; think of COVID.   

Someone recently posted that the Canadians design and manufacture planes to put out forest fires. These planes can be leased when needed, delivered, and then picked up. It would be nice to see them here next year.

It depends on what kind of visa you want/need. Marriage (and, I believe, retirement) visas are not issued anywhere in the United States.  

It seems that as rules and regulations change in Thailand, this is not communicated to the consulates or is misinterpreted.  

If you are a U.S. citizen,  come into the country without a visa.  You will be issued a 30-stay visia.  If you want another kind of visa, begin the process immediately. 

When I first came to Thailand in 2011,  I was going to apply for a retirement visa in the U.S., before I left.  After lots of calls to the embassy in Washington D.C., no one could answer any questions. Finally, I saw and ad for Siam Legal and sent them an email.  They confirmed that you can't do a retirement visa in a foreign country.  They secured a 90 business visa for me, and helped me with the retirement visa once I got to Chiang Mai.  I believe their bill was just under $5,000.  Help with visas has gone up, but the process at immigration has improved considerably.

Good luck

On 2/21/2024 at 1:58 PM, brianthainess said:

Depends if your IO do home visits or not, if so I'd stay put.

When we applied for a Marriage extension a few months ago, my wife was told that there would be no home visits for ongoing marriage extensions in Chiang Mai.  For us, this turned out to be true; we were never contacted to do a home visit. 

On 2/6/2024 at 3:09 AM, flyingtlger said:

With so many accidents occurring every day in Thailand, unfortunately its become all too common.

I'm getting desensitized to it all...... 

How in the hell do you run into the back of a 22-wheel tractor-trailer rig?  Oh, I forgot, TIT; answer:

1. Fell asleep;

2. Watching something else on the opposite side of the road;

3. Texting on cell phone;

4. Having a fight with wife on the phone;

5. On drugs.

I remember also reading an article years ago about another similar pile-up.  The driver lived and later told police that he was told by the company owner that he would be fired if he did not take the run, and this was after he had just finished a several-hour trip.

The bottom line is that there are no regulations, no REAL investigations, and no punishment for violations.  What is not understood is that social media will finish the demise of the Thai economy.

2 hours ago, edwardflory said:

"""HOW much time did the grandmother spend videoing the alleged rape """

This says it all!! The grandmother did NOTHING to protect the CHILD in her care, too too busy videoing!!

Setting aside the details for a moment, it is true that there can never be any justice if there is no film and the abbot keeps doing it.

4 hours ago, The Theory said:

😮😮😮 This happens when a contractor look at "anchor bolts" as solution for anything.

🤔🤨

If there were 40 people on the balcony (the dimensions were not included in the article), it certainly needed structural support timbers extending to the ground and anchored in concrete. Then, the bolt anchors would have held. 

10 hours ago, Crossy said:

Saw this on the TV last evening, they had circled images of the (lack of) re-bar tie-in between the balcony slab and the main building.

 

The video showed the whole lot, with people on board, just dropping like a lift!!

 

Luckily it wasn't higher up ...

 

EDIT Re-bar? We don't need no silly re-bar!!

 

It looks like it was stapled to the facia board.  I hope the resort and the contracting company have good insurance.

On 12/11/2023 at 7:43 PM, Tbone999 said:

Not at all, I'm looking for best insulation, and from what I've been reading, the AAC blocks are pretty much the same construct, but prices vary between the manufacturers and their comes with the complication of local builders not understanding how to deal with these particular blocks. I have zero expertise in this type of construction and looking for advise that's all. All I know is, if I go ahead and build something like this, has got to be better than using the usually useless local bricks which just makes a house so uncomfortable, it's a dread to live there. All these local designs / building materials seem to be just a look fancy, living hell, so looking into other possibilities really...

 

The Japanese have a unique DIY building block that you might want to look at.  I looked for the URL in my saved bookmarks but could not find it.  They are expanded polystyrene and about 12" thick and go together in a dome configuration.  The walls are the insulation.  Good data on the homes built in Japan and elsewhere.      https://images.app.goo.gl/iwFMrLz2V9924Jhc6    

Good luck

It seems to me that TAT could prepare a one-page notice to arriving Tourists about how to take care of their money; what to do, and what not to do.  One thing NOT to do is carry a lot of money a lot of money with you in the first place.  A Foreign Debit Card would be much safer, in their wallet and ON THEIR PERSON, not in the overhead bin. 

Thailand is betting that the hoped-for Tourists will come back, and spend some money.  Russia and China don't have any money, and they are losing jobs among those who could afford a vacation.  Phuket is busy creating a crime-free detention arena.  But what happens when they want to explore the rest of Phuket? Lots more bad press?

What happened to rice exports and the car industry?  Did the government rescind the decision a few years ago that the private data of foreign companies would be subject to government review?  One or more of the large American companies went public, saying they were moving to another country.  Immigration continues to say that they will make it easier for ex-pats and retirees to negotiate the bureaucracy, but until the rules are the same throughout Thailand it is still bad press.  

There are many foreigners who work throughout Asia and beyond but live in Thailand, many supporting Thai families.  If the Government goes ahead with taxing foreign earnings after they have already been taxed in their home countries, you will see a large-scale permanent exit to other countries in SE Asia and many more if extended to retirement pensions.    

Foreigners living in Thailand and contributing to the Thai economy, often where it is needed the most with small businesses and in rural areas, want to feel secure here and not have to guess about the new schemes that pop up on a weekly basis.  90-day visas is the latest that has been put forward, but several countries around Thailand have already matched it.  Thailand lacks comprehensive long-term economic policies that don't change when a new Minister is installed.     

19 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

3rd world education systems do not produce many successful people or a bright future for its people.  

The educational system will not be improved until the country returns to a democratic path. Educated people have more sources of information. They can google, USING ENGLISH, what is happening in other countries, and they quickly learn that knowledge is power.  

I have spoken to several students in private schools who are headed for a university.  When I ask them what they want to do after finishing, they often tell me they will move to another country to work.  When I ask why, they respond that there are no opportunities in Thailand, adding that it depends on what family you come from. 

On 11/13/2023 at 8:25 PM, 3STTW said:

Having owned a couple of recording studios, I can give you plenty of advice but you will need to provide more info. First of all, "soundproofing" a condo will be next to impossible, so...

 

1. Is the treatment required for containment of exclusion?

2. Acoustic treatments are frequency dependent - so is it the neighbor's sub-woofer banging away, general TV noise/loud chatter, or high-pitched noise?

 

If it is the neighbors making a racket, remember that you can file a police complaint. In my experience, the RTP tend to take these issues seriously if you're in an urban/suburban location. As mentioned above, it helps if you can provide some evidence along with a journal of events but there's no need for an SPL meter because most cops aren't going to know the difference between a dBu, dBm or a dog barking.

 

 Sorry, the SPL meter suggestion was intended to let you know how much you will have to spend on foam to get to where you want to go. 

On 11/14/2023 at 4:25 AM, ezzra said:

Exactly my sentiment from yesterday, what can the Chinese police do that the Thai police can't? to me, Chinese police equal to Chinese spies and a slap in the face of Thai sovereignty and capabilities to police their own country... 

There was a report in the NYT several months ago that this has been proposed by Chia for other countries.  The consensus was that the Chinese wanted to do this to spy on Chinese expats.

Invest in a decibel meter to know how much you need to reduce the noise.

Google foam soundproofing and spend some time learning about it.

If you can use sheets of it and are willing to cover up a wall, you can probably do the job yourselves.

The key is knowing what you require to get what you want and gaining the knowledge needed to make good purchases.   

Good luck

8 hours ago, JoePai said:

So this gentleman came on holiday to Thailand and was walking around at night with 60k cash..........

It is my understanding that Tourists can't open bank accounts in Thailand.  If that is true, the only option is to leave it in the hotel safe where he is staying. I am not sure that hotels will accept the risk, but it probably depends on the class of the hotel.  

4 hours ago, seajae said:

really shows how pathetic the current govt is, associating with china and russia just allows the world to see that Thailand is run by idiots,

Is the PM aware that he has a legal obligation to arrest and turn over anyone charged by the World Court of Crimes Against Humanity?  This includes Putin.

3 hours ago, nausea said:

I checked - Thailand is a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

In 2003, the U.S. forced Thailand to sign a separate "impunity" agreement that exempts American citizens from Thai obligations to return anyone to the world court charged with crimes against humanity.   

11 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Speaking from experience, as I'm not loaded, there are very many nice ladies. The only problem is that they almost always want total commitment (marriage).

 

Some Thai women in their 40's have professional jobs or viable businesses, speak English,  make an upper-middle-class living of TB80,000/month or more, and don't need or want your money. They also can't find an unmarried Thai man they want to be with. 

On 10/14/2023 at 4:17 PM, bkk6060 said:

Slim and none to take Thai gf to U.S.

They rarely give Visas for Thai females in your situation. You can fill the application online and they will give her an appointment date at the U.S. embassy.  I have been here more then 10 years and I do not know of one Thai female gf who has gotten a Visa to the U.S.  They throw a piece of rejection paper in their face, don't let them ask any questions and tell them to leave.  Rude and impersonal. But, give it a try and let us know how it works out.

.

 

I moved here in 2011.  I wanted to have her as my designated survivor with respect to my Social Security benefits.  In 2014, we began the process to get her a greencard (work permit) for the trip to the U.S.  From start to finish, it took 6 months. We were required by USCIS that we prove we had lived TOGETHER for 5 years.    

Tourist visas are a bit easier, but not by much.  The reason  is that there are 100's of thousands of Asians living on the westcoast with no visa. 

To have even a small chance of getting a straight visa, I would first marry her here in Thailand and register the marriage at the Chiang Mai consulate or the embassy. Second,  She should have a house in her name that is paid for.  The asset provides the incentive for her to come back.

Good luck.

1. Very large bugs( the name comes from the 1950s when UNIVAC released its first commercial "mainframe" computer.  Bugs (probably cockroaches) would eat the exterior of the wiring.) came with the new release.

2. There are new websites for both the TM47 and the TM30.  However, the problem seems to be the lack of communication that they exist. 

3. I spent several days sorting things out and submitted my TM47.  Three days later, I was notified that the submission had been rejected because the new applications DO NOT support NEW passports.  

So, I will drive the reports to the immigration office for the next year and hope they have the act ready for prime time.

The truth is that any software that is just released needs a few months for users to go nuts tryng to get it sorted out.

It took me two months of waiting for the last one to get some of the bugs worked out.   I will do the same thing with this one.  A trip through the 90 day window is better for my mental health.