Iquot70

Not worried at all, although I work in the hospitality business, I do have a different market to cater for. Street food won't be banned, no matter how big titles on first pages are, it won't be banned. I just feel that once again, rules are made, then are not enforced, people keeps doing whatever they want and who pay the price is always the right guys...

Competition should be fair. Right now it's not fair that some restaurant have to pay all taxes, be right with hygiene and safety, pay minimum wages, have licenses and restrooms and all those (costly) things, while other so called restaurants, often encroaching on public land, sell cheaper product just because they don't pay anything... This is not competition, is deregulation and is making life impossible for who play by the rules, while delinquents of any sort are free to cash whatever they want.

Same things with taxis, believe me, I'm not a big fan of them, but they are required proper licenses, even a proper attire. They have to pay for proper license plates and all the rest, the come into the market Grab or Uber and everybody is taxi driver with no obligation whatsoever. So the rules apply for everyone or not???

5 minutes ago, shows said:

Who is Sam Khoury? What are his qualifications? And why would The Nation print such nonsense?

It doesn't matter, actually. Instead looking at the article's author qualifications, it would be a more scientific approach to verify his sources such as “The Mysterious Receding Seas” by Richard Guy. The author also cites other pieces of informations which are easily to check and verify, just Google any of the ancient ports in the article and check by yourself, it's that easy....

I would feel safer in Falluja or Aleppo....

I don't mind sharing my personal info to the Thai Government, actually they already have most of it, although they seem to be unable to put all that stuff together in a database. For instance, they surely know my bank account or my mobile number, passport, work permit, address, visas and so on, but all this data is fragmented and dispersed in their prehistoric bureaucracy...

Perhaps, with this new form (which I didn't see yet, despite I've been updating my papers regularly), their trying to get all this data in the same place. I'm not worried about tracking SIM cards neither, I don't really envy the guy who has to follow my steps or conversations, it's gonna be an extremely boring job... There is also some advantages, all this data would be (conditional, of course) handy if I need to prove my innocence in case of false accusations, no need to remind you farangs, how easy is to get trapped with some local greedy cop...

My concern is more on the tenure of the safety measures taken in storing this data. I don't wanna think what would happen if the wrong guy puts the hands on it...

Last but not least, it's plain simply annoying to be forced to write again and again all the same things, and that applies to 90 days stamp, work permit and so on, it's just a huge waste of time for me, waste of money for the Thai government and an even greater waste of trees. How many frigging trees has been cut down for all the papers we have to fill? It's everything in three or four copies!!!

My suggestion, which I know is just for the wind, would be to implement a database, nothing more, nothing less than what most of modern countries already have since decades, where to collect all this information to have them ready for the government agencies who need them. From our side, would suffice to keep this info updated regularly, on a schedule basis or simply when something change (i.e. if I change address or mobile number).

Honestly I think the concept of "Privacy" is overrated and too often confused with "Anonymity". The government needs to know where people is and what they're doing, it's the most obvious thing to keep a minimum of legal control. Privacy means that the government cannot share this information, otherwise is anonymity, the most fertile ground for any kind of felony.

I have been at Patong Immigration only one time to apply for the 90 days staying in the Kingdom since this form is in effect and the form was not handed to me. I didn't ask for it, as I think it's the duty of the officer to ask me to compile it if necessary. Apparently they don't care much, so do I...

Taken with DJI Phantom 3 Advanced at Layan beach

Both pictures were taken with a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced, black and white in Kamala Beach, color in Layam

Though I'm technically not married (no papers, I mean), I live with the same young woman since now 11 years and we have three daughters.

I agree that is simpler to be a father than an husband, but only to a certain extent. All depends on the strength of your relationship and the degree of maturity of both of you. My partner is 10 years younger than me, nevertheless she's a responsible adult and we definitely share the same vision on many subjects, from child education to the very meaning of life!

But... Same problem... When it comes about money we do experience those rare moments of fight. She's stubborn, I'm stubborn, she has her priorities on money spending, so do I.

Although as a foreigner my income is much higher than hers, she also contribute in the family finance and not in a small part.

After all this years I reached the conclusion that, at least in my relationship, the best way to avoid this sort of confrontation is to set common priorities, to simplify:

1) Set a budget for all the expenses which are in common, such as schooling for the children, food and other commodities for the whole family, rent, car, etc...

2) Set a minimum budget for your and her personal expenses, such as an evening out with your/her friends, your toys, her bags and shoes, etc...

3) Both of you must share, proportionally to your income to the expenses in point 1

4) Whatever remains, goes to the point 2, possibly in a way that both of you have a similar budget for your personal expenses.

I know that our toys (we're foreigners...) might be quite expensive, but in the end, peace at home is truly a priceless commodity. I gave up many of my habits to make our relationship work, but I'm not blind enough, to see that she also renounces to a great deal of things for the very same purpose. I trust that talking things out with her, talking freely about money is the key to fix all your troubles.

Sorry to mix with you guys, I'm not from USA, I'm from Italy. I live in Thailand since 2003, got a Thai wife and three children. Since the day I set my feet in this country I never went back, not one time, not even for holidays... There are many reasons, life is cheaper (than Italy), things work better, believe it or not. Getting a driving license, just to make a point, in Italy is amatter of six months and 2,000 euros, maybe more. Here 200 naht (when i did it) and half a day. Averything depends mostly on what are you doing here. I have a good job, working 5 days a week for a decent salary and good benefits. Not interested on rent a girlfriend or cheap booze, but here, in in Thailand, I was able to realize, so far, all my dreams in terms of job, family and more. I'm well aware that Thailand is not a perfect country, so no other country is perfect, I had my great deal of troubles and stress, but in the end, much less tham in my home country. Perhaps is my life style that just match with this place, I don't know, nut I'll definitely stay here for the foreseeable future.

Why don't you buy off the internet?

Thanks KarenBravo

That's why I'm here ;-)

Just kiddin', I really need to try three or four size before I find the right one, It's difficult for me.

Thanks anyway

Red Wing has a Thai distributor.

http://thailand.redwingsafety.com/

Thanks Shot

Of course, internet is the first place I looked into. Red wings has a distributor in Chomburi, no chance to go there and try the shoes, that's my problem. I need to try before I buy, as my feet are somewhat "difficult" to fit in shoes, nothing so serious to require orthotics. I normally find usable the half sizes, between 42,5 to 44 depending on construction and/or design.

For instance, the good old Clogs from Dr. Scholl's, at the time they were built on solid beechwood, they were the best shoes I had the chance to wear in a kitchen and although open and without toe protection, they had a perfect grip both on the floor and inside, and the material was robust enough to protect my toes from the fall of the most common things you might find in a kitchen, including heavy, forged knives (Back in Europe, I used forged knives, real monsters over 5 kg weight, imagine if you let it fall on your toe...). Ironically, there is a Thai company that builds specific Chef's shoes, called Pangolin, but their shoes are far to hot! A day in those traps and my feet look like huge Mortadellas, not to mention the vapors that escape from them... Perhaps, more than looking for safety shoes, I should look more into Chef's gear shops?

Look at this link under,maybe they can help you they make and selling shoes.

This is a Swedes Hospital inside Bangkok Hospital.

http://www.phukethospital.com/Health-Centre/Orthopaedic-Laboratory-Center.php

Bjorn R

Thanks a lot Bjorn

In the exhaustive list of service they have, does not appear any safety shoes, thanks God I don't need (yet) all the rest :-D

Good to know that actually there's something like that, you never know...

Thanks again

Thanks Shot

You remember well, they endeed have safety shoes, but really cheap stuff. I'm looking for something better than that, perhaps something more specific for the kitchen environmental.

Thanks again

I guess you're after birkenstocks that specializes in kitchen shoes. You can buy them at outlet on bypass.

Sent from my LG-D858

Thanks hansgruber

Birkenstock are well made, high quality shoes and although many chefs use them in the kitchen, they are not safety shoes.

Don't know the reason, perhaps it's because they are extremely comfortable, promote a healthy posture and correct skeletal-muscle pump, however they miss the elementary features I'm looking for: toe protection (no need to be for heavy falls), anti slippery sole, including on oil spills and the possibility to machine wash them. Another prerequisite is that they must be close shoes and possible with the fast emergency opening.

Thanks again

I am looking for high quality safety shoes to be used in the Hospitality business (Kitchen). I do not mind to spend money in it, I have to stand up and walk for ten hours a day, shoes are very important to me, however, as my feet have a non-standard shape, it of the utmost importance to try the shoes before I buy, I find rather difficult to get the right fit...

Is there any shop in Phuket that have in stock safety shoes?

Thanks in advance for any help