NoshowJones

On 2/22/2025 at 1:51 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Simple absentmindedness.

Simple carelessness.

Alcohol

On the phone

No training

Stupidity

Poor road signage

Poor road engineering

 

At any 'cross roads' on a 'smaller road' always stop regardless of right of way, there is nearly always another vehicle driven by someone who's outstandingly stupid and will just blow across without slowing... its astonishing.

 

------

 

Driving yesterday... Dusk, so visibility was low... that kind of awkward witching hour where some of their lights on, some don't some have their full beam on etc...  

Two lanes in each direction, traffic flowing at about 60km...  lane markers non-existent or very unclear...  road works in places so we're switching from one side to another (no central devide)

I'm following a lorry figuring he's my safety barrier if another idiot wants a head on....

 

A small Vios following decides the line of traffic is too slow...  Goes to overtake, nearly has a head on 'cos the oncoming car is outside of his lane...  Swerves inside, goes to undertake, nearly hits a parked car... swerves back to the outside and overtakes into oncoming traffic which manages to move out of their way.... 

Less than 5 mins later, this idiot in a Vios is turning left onto a smaller road (clearly close to his destination)....  

...  The mentality of these drivers - IMO - its just simple emptiness, there's nothing there, no thinking, just do, and when they do the measure of stupidity that comes with the lack of any concept of consequence is clear to see.

 

 

They just do not realise they should drive on the inside lane unless overtaking.

On a 3 lane carriageway the vast majority of Thai drivers are so stupid that they hog the

middle and outsides lanes all the time.

1 minute ago, MikeandDow said:

No amout of justification or apology can bring those people back, What Thaskin and Prawit did are the same as the death camps in WW2, At least some of the perpetrators in WW2 where brought to justice, here NON !!! Thailand should be ashamed !!

I have decided to come out of my cave "which you wanted me to go into" and agree with you entirely. 100% correct.

20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Absolute brutalization of those arrested. When an arrested individual dies of suffocation on your watch, during transport, you have an awful lot to answer for. That blood will always be on your hands Thaksin. And the RTP. An apology is simply an attempt to whitewash your own history, so sorry we're not buying it.

 

You are a plague on your nation. You stole an election from the people and you will not be forgiven for any of it, ever. 

I do take your point about Thaksin and I agree with almost all of your posts, but let me point out that when I first came to Thailand to stay Thaksin was the PM in 2005.

As an expat I compare Thailand then and now, Thailand is much worse now, but compared to the UK the good still outweighs the bad.

On 2/20/2025 at 10:10 PM, scottiejohn said:

Why don't you download them from Torrent sites?

Which is the best one?

On 2/23/2025 at 6:43 AM, Harrisfan said:

I trust nature but not people. Look at how stupid the average person is. 

 

George Carlin summed up humans well.

"Look at how stupid the average person is." That's a load of nonsense, in the 20 years of living in Thailand and meeting people of all nationalities, although I have came across the odd idiot, it would be very wrong to say the average person is stupid. 

On 2/23/2025 at 5:41 AM, Georgealbert said:

 

Pictures courtesy of Matichon.

 

A Turkish traveller has vowed to share the generosity of the Thai people with the world after spending six hours attempting to hitchhike to Chiang Mai, only to be met with an outpouring of support from locals.

 

The story went viral after a Facebook user, Louis De La Maison, posted about a foreign backpacker attempting to hitch a ride from Phahonyothin Road in Rangsit. The post, which included a photograph of the traveller, read: “I found this adventurous YouTuber from Turkey trying to hitchhike to Chiang Mai. He has been standing here since morning. If anyone is heading north, perhaps they could give him a lift, even if just part of the way.”

 

Many online commentators expressed concerns over the feasibility of hitchhiking in modern Thailand, with some reminiscing that such a journey might have been possible 50 years ago. Others suggested alternative transport options, including finding a ride with vegetable trucks departing from Si Mum Mueang Market or Talaad Thai. Some users noted that they had seen the traveller waiting for hours under the scorching sun.

 

On 22 February, reporters visited the location in question, Phahonyothin Road, opposite Future Park Rangsit in Pathum Thani’s Thanyaburi district.

 

Ronnarong Phetcharoen, 46, who originally shared the post, recounted that he had first spotted the foreigner with a large backpack around 10. The man was making hitchhiking gestures, and by 13:00, he was still in the same spot with no luck. “My colleagues and I started wondering what he was doing there. We realised he was probably in need of help,” Ronnarong said.

 

After seeing the traveller still waiting by mid-afternoon, Ronnarong approached him with a bottle of water. “He told me his name was Deniz, and he was from Turkey. He was trying to get to Chiang Mai but had been unsuccessful in getting a ride.”

 

Despite several more hours passing, Deniz remained in the same spot. Eventually, a well-wisher wrote a sign in Thai stating, ‘Looking for a ride to Chiang Mai,’ in the hope that drivers might respond better to a written request.

 

The story gained further attention when a local news page, ‘Rangsit Community News,’ shared the post online. As a result, several concerned residents began coordinating efforts to assist Deniz. Fearing for his safety in the heat, they sought alternative solutions.

 

Kanokpol Kaewwichit, 34, another good Samaritan, recalled seeing Deniz making hitchhiking gestures for over five hours. “When I found out he was a YouTuber documenting his travels, I decided to print out a sign in Thai to help him.” Kanokpol later posted about the situation, hoping that someone would come forward to offer assistance.

 

Eventually, a group of kind-hearted individuals, including an administrator from the news page known as ‘Rose,’ arranged transport for Deniz. Before his departure, locals treated him to a meal of traditional Thai noodles and gave him a brief tour of the area, including the Rangsit City Shrine.

The bus ticket to Chiang Mai was paid for by Rose, who dismissed concerns about whether Deniz could afford his journey. “No one should judge others based on their financial situation,” she said. “He’s here to learn about Thai culture, and we should extend our hospitality.”

 

Upon safely arriving in Chiang Mai, Deniz took to social media to express his heartfelt appreciation: “Hello everyone, first of all, I want to thank everyone who helped and supported me. I waited for about six hours to hitch a ride, and the people here were so kind to assist me. One man even brought me water, while another wrote my destination on a sign. In the end, someone picked me up, treated me to delicious Thai food, and bought me a bus ticket. I will never forget your kindness.”

 

Deniz, who has travelled to 25 countries, described himself as an adventurer rather than a conventional tourist. “I don’t come to places just for fun or partying. I want to learn about cultures and meet new people. My journey through Asia started in Sri Lanka, followed by India and Nepal. Now, I am discovering the richness of Thai culture.”

 

A content creator, Deniz also runs a YouTube channel documenting his travels. He promised to share his experience of Thai generosity with the world. “Thailand is a beautiful country, and the people are incredibly kind. I will tell everyone about the help I received here.”

 

-- 2025-02-23

 

Maybe if he took care of his appearance he would have got a lift without waiting for hours. I would not like someone looking like that sitting next to me.

5 minutes ago, actonion said:

And a lot of  Mentally disturbed Thai's  use weapons

and Brits, Aussies and other farangs don't?? 

On 2/22/2025 at 3:12 PM, MikeandDow said:

lots of Thai nut jobs out there

Nut jobs in any country, don't just blame Thailand. If you take away the road behaviour, I think you will find the average Thai's are pretty decent.

48 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Not quite. 

 

Whilst you will no doubt be able to satisfy the requirements for the 'new' extension based on marriage, your problem is not being able to evidence adherence to the terms of approval LAST year....ie 800k 2 month prior to approval, 800k for 3 months after approval and then not falling below 400k.

 

I think that it would do no harm to talk to your local IO as practices do vary from office to office.

I might just do that but I have nearly a year. Thanks for your output.

On 2/18/2025 at 9:39 PM, swissie said:

Recent Visitors/long term Expats may not know this. There was a time in Thailand where a "long-term" visa consisted of a monthly "border-run" to Cambodia. To be repeated endlessly, having fun on the monthly run, a change of pace. That was the "long-term-visa" for everybody.

 

The only persons that asked you "where you come from and how long you stay" where the bar-ladies. Immigration was not interested in such trivial things. One could have rented a car with a drivers licence of eastern Timbuktu. The word "feminism" was known, but interpreted as "a female must look as female as possible". Hotel clerks mostly unfamiliar with the western ABC.  Everyone welcome with some kind of stamp on some strange paper. That was a long time ago.

And today? A strict visa concept. Farangs having to pay taxes. Tel-Phone SIM Cards readable by "authorities". Hurdles to even open a bank account? While at the same time "property -rights" for Farangs have not been "liberalised". For example.

Boy, those were the days, when the only worrie a Farang had, was to miss the monthly mini-bus to the Cambodian border. Days gone by.

 

When I first came here about 20 years ago, it was a 90 day border run (In my case your nearest border) to get your passport stamped. Cost 500Bt. Not every month.

9 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

The issue is that only retirement extensions can be approved locally, at the discretion of the IO  -  marriage extensions are sent up the line for sign off. Coupled with fact that you first have to evidence adherence to the last terms of approval (you can't) it forces you back to the agent.

 

I imagine that the only way you could do this is to let the current approval lapse and then start over again, on a marriage basis, with 400k in your bank.

I understand what  you are saying in your first paragraph. You mean when my present retirement extensions  finish, I should just go to my local IO, and they will just automatically send my marriage application up the line for sign off and it will make no difference that I was on retirement extensions for years with an agent, and then I go through all the formalities, bank account, house visits etc.

21 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I know many people who use agents that do qualify they just don't want to waste time at immigration. 

And, there are a lot of businesses here that employ legal foreigners who use the agents to process them.  

I opened a new account with another Thai bank about a year ago, (I was very unhappy with my present bank,) sending money from my UK bank because I wanted to go on the the marriage extensions.

I was told by two visa experts on this forum that because I was on retirement extensions with an agent it could be problematic.

It was mentioned that when I went to my local IO they would notice there was no 800,000 Bt in my Thai bankbook and that could cause problems. I am now left with dealing with my agent who is providing an excellent service, when I should be able to go to my local IO for marriage extensions.

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

You've clearly not been around very long. Prem Tinsulanonda was prime minister from 1980 to 1988, and a highly respected figure. The people united under his premiership. It was a good time to be in Thailand. He died in 2019, another event you appear to have missed.

I came here in 2005 when Thaksin was PM. Why should I be interested in any Thai PM before that?

18 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

The government under General Prem was the best I have experienced in Thailand in over 60 years.

Who is General Prem? If you mean the soldier (I forget his name) who led the 2014 illegal coup, then your post just nonsense. This "Premier" had an IQ probably similar to the Somchai in the street.

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

C'mon....  you're both popular posters in your own rights...

 

You both may post content which is controversial or disliked by some and considered popular by many, but neither of you could be considered trolls or the pathetic idiots to deliberately trigger argument in every post... 

 

Posters such as yourselves were the core and are the core of this forum and you are being diluted by the AI time wasting rubbish that as infiltrated the forum over the past year... 

 

... I think thats the point of the Op.... We are loosing real people genuine opinions (even if they are disagreeable) in lieu of 'meh' topics... 

Excellent post. I agree entirely.

On 2/20/2025 at 10:10 PM, scottiejohn said:

Why don't you download them from Torrent sites?

I would not even get on the torrent sites if it was not for this forum, one kind poster told me how to use the client thing and I would not even get on to PB if I did not have a link from another kind poster.

On 2/20/2025 at 7:26 PM, johng said:

 

Why would paying money keep out idiots ?    plenty of idiots with money to burn.

How do you thing the "big titties brigade" manage to get their rocks off? 

20 hours ago, blazes said:

Surely, the first mistake they made (apart from not having sufficient insurance) was spending time in  India, the filthiest place in the world.

I would have thought that was China. Is that not where the pandemic started? Or should I say the Chinese Virus?

21 hours ago, hotchilli said:

And affordable health care

Is there any affordable insurance for older people, some with previous health conditions who want to travel? The real problem is the greedy insurance companies.

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

That was not my question.

 

I was in a hospital bed in Chiang Rai within 90 minutes after being admitted to the ED, with what was diagnosed as bacterial pneumonia.

 

In Australia, the same process would have taken 5-6 hours.

If that was a private I bet that would have cost you a fortune. Out of curiosity, was it a private hospital?

3 hours ago, Lacessit said:

How long do you have to wait to be seen?

It still doesn't cost anything.

19 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I can't think of too many countries that play the national anthem every day at 8 am and 6 pm.

 

I can't think of too many countries that venerate their old people like Thais do.

 

I can't think of too many countries as socially cohesive as the Thais.

 

I can't think of too many countries where a hospital visit costs 30 baht.

 

I can't think of too many countries with the same percentage of beautiful women who age well.

 

IMO the Thais have plenty of things to be proud of.

"I can't think of too many countries where a hospital visit costs 30 Baht"

In the UK it doesn't cost anything.

23 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They seem to be really proud of the way they drive.

The Thai road behaviour is the one big No! No! If it wasn't for that, there would be very little to complain about.

23 hours ago, Robert_Smith said:

Some Thai's are the laziest workers I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with.

 

It's all about sabai sabai and mai pen ri..

 

That kind of attitude is a net negative on productivity when extrapolated annually.

 

regards,

Bob.

Any workman who has come to do any work on my house, electricians, plumbers, handymen of any sort etc, etc in the 20 years I have lived here, have all done good jobs and never overcharge for any work. I certainly can't complain.