nkg

So Forbes can't produce BS? Their travel guide used to be Mobil Travel Guide. Would you really use a US gas station to rank hotels in Asia?

Apparently a French tyre manufacturer is travelling around doing restaurant reviews.

Who cares what Michelin thinks about restaurants?

He said he wanted to get rid of all the scum trying to stay for more than 30 days, who didn't have a need or a reason to be in Thailand.

Presumably this includes people on 3 month tourist visas.

Ah.... I did not pick up on that sentiment, now your post makes a little more sense.... I figured the meaning was for illegal overstays.... Thanks for replying. ?

I didn't make myself very clear the first time around.

Whenever there is a crackdown on tourist visas and VOAs, there will be a huge thread in the visa forum. A large percentage of the posts are of the "good riddance" variety, and not coincidentally they are usually made by people on marriage or retirement visas who aren't affected.

The lack of camraderie between fellow expats on this forum is something I can't explain.

The boys used the word "scum" once, during their discussion about possible ways of dealing with these types of thieves..... I hope he does time here, in Thailand, were he was caught stealing money from others.

Also, if they are in overstay, that means they are here illegally, whilst they steal money from others.

You used the word "scum"' twice the amount that they used it... So why the comment about hating young people, or middle aged... I simply cannot see how the real issue is as you describe.

The real issue IMHO, is that these people are committing crimes, and as everyone has a bank account, most of us are vulnerable to these thieves... And shortening our exposure time to these thieves, is one way of dealing with them..

Personally, I would prefer to see them gone, sooner than later, to protect my hard life's work in making the money to enable me to stay here..... Verses stealing the money from others

He said he wanted to get rid of all the scum trying to stay for more than 30 days, who didn't have a need or a reason to be in Thailand.

Presumably this includes people on 3 month tourist visas.

This is where getting tough or completely stopping visa runs has my vote. 30 days then thats it unless you NEED or HAVE A REASON to be here. These skimmers stay here simply by skimming cards from everyday people as a means of survival here. In most cases no job, no real reason to be here other than its better than the shit they left and they don't care who the victims are. My card was skimmed last year, I contacted the bank and money was back in my account along with a new card within 48 hours. Never found out if they ever caught the person/people responsible.

"30 days then thats it unless you NEED or HAVE A REASON to be here." - how does that stop skimmers from skimming here, during their 30 day stay?

Skimmers could come here, use the ATM's with skimmed cards. have a holiday, and fly home with the money, or move on to the next country.

I totally agree with you. It wouldn't stop the skimming, but it would sure as hell would get rid of all the scum trying to stay here.

Would the "scum" you are talking about be people under 50 who can't get a retirement visa yet? That kind of "scum"?

Why don't you just make a post about how you hate young and middle-aged people, since this appears to be the real issue here.

deleted

RIP, Mr Putnam.

Samaritans Thailand phone number:

I have travels to most countries in the world. And I can sy without a doubt. Phuket has to be the number one crime rate against foreigners in the world. Serious crimes murder rape robbery. Every single day. What has changed in the last ten years? It's gotten worse. What are police doing. Nothing so shut the island off to visitors. It's just too dangerous. Really it's the only answer.

Fascinating. And have you ever visited Phuket? Or just visiting the Phuket forum to post nonsense?

your and you're are not spelling mistakes... EVER.

You'd fit better on pattaya addicts forum, filled with people who no self-respect and terrible thai

think I will clearly not good enough for this place, sorry

I enjoyed your jokes, pay no attention to some of the miserable sods on here who probably haven't cracked a smile in years.

quoted from the article:

"The Thai government has vowed to reduce the number of annual road deaths to no more than 10 per 100,000 by 2020."

* this translates to continued carnage is expected for the next 4 years

It's the usual cheap talk. Thailand are currently at 40 deaths per 100,000. Do the government truly believe that they can reduce road deaths by 75% in 4 years? Has any country in the history of motor vehicles ever managed such a feat? Of course not.

What an insultingly stupid promise. Whoever made it knows that they will never be held to account. It's a childish, absurd piece of fiction that makes a mockery of a very serious problem.

I got taken for about 12% from the exchange booths when I needed to change a largish sum from Baht to Ringgit. Every bank counter (several different ones) had identical exchange rates.

Still, if it's only for buying food and drink, I guess the rates aren't that bad.

Don't know about politics. But unemployed gets better benefits than employed in Finland? Are the government encouraging their citizens to do nothing?

Could be, but where does the handout cash come from...?

Finland currently spend 30% of their GDP on welfare. That is 30% of 250B Euros, about 75B Euros per year.

800 Euros times 12 months is 9600, times the population of Finland 5.4 Million equals 52B Euros per year.

The sums work out.

Vietnam is the best place to blow your dong.

But will they be able to "simulate" traffic making way for the ambulance?

Usually I accept the Thai way of doing things, but seeing vehicles ignoring ambulances makes me angry.

Adding to Suradit's contribution:

I could be wrong but when I ran it there was a price for those living in Thailand and a higher one for overseas runners. I thought the living in Thailand price was the same for all nationalities, but as I say I could be wrong.

Well, since you've run the race you would know. How you define "living in Thailand" is probably what makes the difference.

Sounds like they were dual pricing too. Quote from Newsweek:

Another commenter said that she “nearly did my knee in having upped the pace for what was supposed to be the last 1.5 km. This race was an absolute joke. On top of this, I had to pay four times the amount for race registration than a Thai national.” According to Asian Correspondent, Sunday’s race is not the first time Amazing Field has been criticized for charging foreign runners multiple times the price it charges Thai nationals.

I think it's great that one of the benefits you offer is a salary.

I'm sure there are plenty of talented ballet teachers out there who would move from their homeland to do the job for free, so to be offering a salary .... that's very noble of you.

why has such a winner like yourself you settled for a loser job TEACHING in THAILAND?

Did it occur to you that they were being sarcastic?

In the individual contest, the Philippines won eight gold, 12 silver and 22 bronze medals, followed by Vietnam with one gold, four silver and three bronze; Thailand with one gold, three silver and four bronze; Malaysia with one gold, three silver and two bronze; and Indonesia with one gold and nine bronze medals.

It was more like 50% coverage last year at Nai Harn, and seeing as how all of the vendors are still at the same stations, it will probably be 50% again this year.

I suppose much depends on the length of the actual beach. Here at Kata beach there never was a problem with encroachment of the vendors, always was plenty of free space. These days there are few vendors inside the 10% zone, and just as many in the 90% zone. All seems nonsense to me, just let the money making tourists bring their own brollies and chairs anywhere on the beach. Limit the vendors to their 10%. I favour official concessions, fully documented, fairly alloted, money goes to the public coffers, and vendors pay their taxes on revenues .... but this is Thailand ... I dream on ...

I agree completely, and I am baffled.

Why doesn't the local government set up official concessions? Don't they like money or something?

Seriously, can anybody explain this to me - I can't work it out.

Why can't Thailand pass a law requiring ID to be shown when purchasing alcohol?

No more "300m from school" nonsense, and shops could start selling alcohol between 2PM and 5PM again. It isn't rocket science.

Maybe because a fake ID is easier to obtain than a fake Rolex at MBK.

There will always be a way to buy alcohol for determined "lawbreakers". It doesn't mean that ID checks are a waste of time, if your aim is just to reduce underage drinking.

Why can't Thailand pass a law requiring ID to be shown when purchasing alcohol?

No more "300m from school" nonsense, and shops could start selling alcohol between 2PM and 5PM again. It isn't rocket science.

The laws are there, people under 20 are not allowed to buy alcohol.

It's the enforement that is not there and won't be there for whatever law they make......unless there is money to be made.

Yes, a new law requiring ID checks is needed. I have never seen anyone ID checked in Thailand when buying alcohol.

The current law only says:

No person may sell an alcoholic beverage to the following:

(1) A person under twenty years of age;

(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Alcoholic_Beverage_Control_Act,_BE_2551_%282008%29)

It should actually say:

It is forbidden to sell alcoholic beverages to a person unless they show identification proving that they are at least 20 years old.

This identification must take the form of a Thai National ID card for Thai Nationals, or a passport for foreigners.

Why can't Thailand pass a law requiring ID to be shown when purchasing alcohol?

No more "300m from school" nonsense, and shops could start selling alcohol between 2PM and 5PM again. It isn't rocket science.

Why don't you hire people with degrees for proper money?

Illuminating the obvious.

Perhaps they are trying to avoid hiring people like you.

'I wouldn't go so far as calling him a "hero"'

Yes, that's the important thing to take away from the story ... whether or not the semantics meet your approval,

" ...people like him who still give me hope for this country. "

How patronizing and egocentric.

And here comes Suradit69 yet again, to add his usual brand of negativity to this feel-good news story.

May I ask you why you choose to post on this forum, Suradit? You seem to have nothing but contempt for the people who post here.

Perhaps that's because so many of the comments warrant contempt?

You may not have meant to, but you support my point perfectly. If Suradit dislikes the comments here so much, why has he spent so much of his own time making thousands of posts on this forum?