NoshowJones

I witnessed a 'well up' Thai guy place his stuff on the counter in front of a Russian woman down Wongamat (Narklua, Pattaya) a while back. She responded by looking at the Thai guy, looking at his stuff, picking his stuff up, looking the Thai guy right in the face as she dropped his stuff on the floor right in front of him, then turned again to the cashier as if nothing had happened.

The Thai guy looked mortified as he skulked out the shop.

The Thais might know how to Jump Queue, but it seems the Russians know how to deal with it.

Yes, well done to the Russian woman.

'Pushit'

Try Nigeria

Haha,, been working there for the last 2 odd years,,

The difference with Thailand is most Thais or a high % (where we stay anyway) are respectful and do follow the queuing system,, where as in Nigeria at least you know what to do as its a free for all stampede to get to the front

Jonny

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Hi Jonny, I learned when I first came to Thailand, if I am at a bus stop, never bother about a queue because no one else does, just make sure you are one of the fastest and fittest when the bus comes. Other than that, in a PO or 7-11 etc, I always stop anyone who tries to get in front of me. Every queue I join, I take note who is in front of me so I can take the appropriate action if need be.

Kick out all the Muslims. Problem solved.

Hard to evict 90% of the area's population from their own lands.

How is it their own lands? Is the deep south not part of Thailand? Thailand is Buddist, not Muslim. Kick them out.

I hope you're trolling because if you aren't your post is shameless bigotry.

If I don't want to live in a country that has Muslims murdering people and that makes me a Bigot, then that's what I am. Before you ask, I don't want to live anywhere else, as I find Thailand a safe country to live in and there is only a very small percentage of Muslims here,and I have no intention of ever going to the south.

Kick out all the Muslims. Problem solved.

Hard to evict 90% of the area's population from their own lands.

How is it their own lands? Is the deep south not part of Thailand? Thailand is Buddist, not Muslim. Kick them out.

Only a matter of time before the Islamists export this little feud further afield. When that happens the government will have to act. More paper dove drops perhaps?

Is it going to take something like the Twin Towers or the London bombings for Thailand to do something? Maybe even starting with shutting down their Mosques.

A 20 second video politely asking people not to take advantage of Tourists is hardly worthy of the title " Tackling tourist scams " ! Nice touch showing happy holidaymakers having a great time on their rented jet-skis on Pattaya beach though !

Well done Mark ...about as useful as making a video wishing everyone a Merry Christmas !

or putting ashtrays on their motorbikes.

While the decision to close the Pattaya consulate was probably made before Mark arrived it certainly wont help the victims of crime.

Then again as Britain slides towards 3rd world status maybe their tourists they will feel right at home in Pattaya.

Britain will never be 3rd world

Will it not? The way things are going in Britain, the population will soon be outnumbered by emigrants from third world countries, so that will make Britain a third world country. Thank goodness I now live in Thailand.

It's difficult, of course. But well worth it. It doesn't affect your ability to use your own language, or do anything negative other than make you tired, so I don't see the problem.

I think maybe it depends on what language you are learning. I have been in Thailand for 7 years, and I believe that if Thai was similar to French or Spanish, I would be fluent by now. When you are learning Thai, apart from the tones, if you know the Thai words for individual English words, you will find it very hard to make them into a sentence in Thai, where in French or Spanish sentences, you will make them OK, but will have to memorize them.

So did this occur on a road or pavement?

Good question Pedro.

The Immigration Bureau could be paying people on TVF 5% for the convenience make electronic payments, and they would still be whinging.

For god's sake, if you can't afford the 1%, keep paying by cash - or even better, reconsider whether you really should be living in a foreign country.

Your'e wrong Jack, it's nothing to do with not being able to afford the 1%, it's the principle, and just because you live in a foreign country, any country, it doesn't give them the right to wrongfully charge you for anything.

Maybe I am wrong on this, but when you sign up to have payments processed by Visa and Mastercard don't they have in the contract that merchants are not allowed to assess additional fees to process the cards. Essentially for the customer it has to be the same as paying cash. The merchant has to eat the processing charge. Every time I see a hotel or restaurant try to take on that 3% for using Credit or Debit cards, I thought that it is against Visa and Mastercards policy. Am I wrong?

YES but don't forget this is Thailand.

Where anything goes.

Yes, anything will go if you allow it to. I did not know this, but from now on I will make sure no one charges any extra on my mastercard. Hotels and travel agents were doing that to me up until now.

For all the Thai apologists out there, it is a common trick for 7/11 clerks to short change falangs in tourist areas. This has happened to me more times than I can count in the 8 years I have been here. Last month in Bangkok on suk 12 I got short changed at 7 and when I stood there and requested the balance of my change she became indignant. Threatened to review the purchase on the CCTV, so I called her bluff and also requested it, she made a big deal about it, after a few minutes of fumbling. She finally got the video and there I was, mr smiley clearly handing over a 1000 note, she threw my correct change at me and stormed off, no apology. Another time I walked out of 7 counting my change, wife looked at me, said what's wrong, I said shit, got short changed a 100 baht, she headed back in, I said no, it's my fault for not paying attention, she came back out with my 100 baht, she commented on how the clerk never asked how much I was short changed, just gave her the 100. If it hasn't happened to you, it's because you didn't notice it, you were not born under a lucky star, happens daily at most 7's. Get a clue.

How could you possible know for a fact that it "happens daily at most 7s"? You can't ... you just assume the worst.

Maybe I'm a bit off topic here, but beware of the clerks at the skytrain station booths, when they give you change, quite often you will be a10 Baht coin short, it has happened to me several times and I always made sure I got it back. Also, the clerks involved have always been male.

Not All 7-11 Employees are Honest...I have been had several times in 7-11....You gave me a 100 note instead of a 500...Just last week an employee wanted to charge me 100 Baht for a loaf of bread which clearly stated 49 baht on the outside.....Hi season so Expect Scams in many places of business..It is not only the Jet Ski operators or Taxi's..

I have used the

Not All 7-11 Employees are Honest...I have been had several times in 7-11....You gave me a 100 note instead of a 500...Just last week an employee wanted to charge me 100 Baht for a loaf of bread which clearly stated 49 baht on the outside.....Hi season so Expect Scams in many places of business..It is not only the Jet Ski operators or Taxi's..

I have used the 7-11 in my village where I have lived for the last 7 years and never been short changed, then about 6 months ago, a new Tesco Lotus Express opened and I have been shortchanged twice for the same item at the same till.

7-11 in the village where I have lived for the last 7 years and never been short changed. Then about 7 months ago a new Tesco Lotus express opened up, and in that time I have been overcharged twice when buying the same item at the same till.

I think you are right Boater, I always sat on the centre of the road on my motorbike when waiting to do a right hand turn, from now on I will do as you do, it would be much safer.

You would be very wise to do so.

I am not completely sure about this but if the thai highway code is ever adhered to, i believe that you should actually pull over to the left and wait prior to making a right turn? Mindyou, does it anywhere refer to "accident not happen if you not here!"

Is there really such a thing as a Thai highway code?

Yes there is . You can buy the book at most Thai bookshops. You have to know the answers when you take the Thai m/c test.

I took and passed my motorcycle test earlier this year and got 28 marks from 30 for the theory test, and I've never even seen a Thai highway code, only used common sense.

I think you are right Boater, I always sat on the centre of the road on my motorbike when waiting to do a right hand turn, from now on I will do as you do, it would be much safer.

You would be very wise to do so.

I am not completely sure about this but if the thai highway code is ever adhered to, i believe that you should actually pull over to the left and wait prior to making a right turn? Mindyou, does it anywhere refer to "accident not happen if you not here!"

Is there really such a thing as a Thai highway code?

No.

If half the thai population was as impatient as this guy, that would leave the other half dead.

In my experience, Thai people are not noted for being impatient, more the opposite, apart from some drivers, even on the road there are more Thai drivers driving too slow than too fast.

I think you are right Boater, I always sat on the centre of the road on my motorbike when waiting to do a right hand turn, from now on I will do as you do, it would be much safer.

""Statistics show 40 per cent of the respondents believe Loy Krathong offers the most opportunities for sex," Hataitip Chaiyarerk, an anti-drinking campaigner, said."

You gotta be kidding ... are people that stupid?

I'm afraid to say that many of them are.

TIT

Vendors going car to car hardly impede traffic. They need to develop rules for all the food stalls. There seems to be nothing keeping the food stall operators from blocking sidewalks and streets. Also, there needs to be some regulation of hand-cart vendors who block traffic when they move their hand-carts. I guess someone at that police station doesn't like fried bananas, but it's kind of pointless to blame these vendors for obstructing traffic.

I can take you to a place near where I live, where tables and chairs are set up for people buying food and sitting there eating it blocking the whole pavement, any pedestrian walking past has to walk on a very busy road to get by, including children from a nearby high school. Why won't the BIB move them? I think we all know the answer to that.

Throw the book at them

Yes, throw the book at them if found guilty. They are responsible for the deaths and injuries to so many people, and also caused many innocent Thais their livelihoods and all that damage to property, make an example of them so that no one will dare try that again.

Suriyan Polsrila, Charnnarong's widow, said the conclusion was not unexpected. She said she was consulting lawyers on filing a lawsuit against the previous government for compensation over the death.

Hasn't compensation already been paid?

not enough !

The red shirts should never have been allowed to set up camps in Bangkok, I know nothing about Thai politics, or whether or not the red shirts have a grievience, but what they have done in 2010 caused deaths, and loss of livelihoods to many ordinary Thai people. I just hope that no matter whether it is red shirts in Bangkok, or yellow shirts at Swampy. the Thai Government takes whatever action is needed to make sure this never happens again.

JFC............how is it that nowadays you have loads of people,not only in Thailand but also in the West that have the need to carry a knife ?!?!

Its the most mean and ugly weapon there is and people who carries it in the streets should be executed straight away IMHO ..................

When people carry a knife, the reason they always give is that it is for self defence, absolute bullshit, if someone attacks you and you try to defend yourself with a knife, you have to be very close to your'e attacker for it to be effective. If anyone is carrying a knife, they are doing so because they intend to use it, and it should be automatic jail if caught carrying one, and that applies to any country.

Only good news today. I hate those bikes!

Yes, I hate them too, now how about the police confiscating motorbikes ridden by children, I don't know if it's a problem in Phuket, but it certainly is where I live.

Those who do not tip for a good service are CC's

I think my mailman gives a very good service, should I give him a tip?

Before I went to America for a holiday, I was reading a magazine about holidaying in America, and there was an article saying "expect to give 20% of your spending money on tips" after reading that I went through my whole holiday using hotels, restaurants and taxis etc and never gave a tip, and if I go to America again, I'll do the same thing. I will never give a tip unless the person giving me the service does more than they are required to, or it's to my advantage in some way.