PaullyW

Where you go?

Where you come from?

Thai food. Like?

Thailand people. Good?

Mission accomplished.

Bum guns are great. It's one thing the French then Japanese got right. The Japanese improved the French design, the Thais did it more crudely and cheaply (like they do lots of stuff) but it's better than smearing feces around one's anatomy which is definitely disgusting (unless your diet is perfect and full of fiber).

IMO Most overrated things here are

Average local's pride (false pride). What are they so proud of, really? Existing?

The landscape which is meant to be a tropical oasis but which is not very nice or well kept in virtually every destination I've visited over the years living here.

Like the average locals, Thailand also attracts foreigners who seem to be, on average, overrated/problematic/dangerous. Hard as hell finding a reasonable foreigner to even talk to who's not chasing diseased whores or evading legal consequences somewhere or similar.

Thainess. No offense but I have yet for anyone to define for me in any reasonably intelligent terms what it actually is. What they are so proud of, nobody can explain. It's odd.

Of course, the annoying rich school kids that routinely beg on the BTS walking bridges and in stores and all over Thailand will be free to continue. Their begging is perfectly OK.

Of course, we all know it will not disappear, regardless of how misguided this current tourism minister is. She will be gone soon enough, and for some of us that cannot happen fast enough. Her background was completely, and utterly inappropriate for the portfolio position of tourism and sports minister. She could not possibly be more out of her element. As usual, with the little man, she was not picked for her talent in the tourism area. No merit in his administration is ever considered. Her studies and experience are as follows:

Fine Arts, Wellesley College, US; degree in Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design, US. Former Assistant to Project Manager, MahBoonKrong Center Co., for the interior design of the largest shopping complex in Bangkok. Joined Toshiba Thailand Co. as Advertising Manager; successive promotions leading up to post as Chairperson. These are not qualifications to lead the country into a new era of tourism, and certainly not the proper qualification to lead the sports ministry. Just the fact that the two departments are combined shows such a dramatic lack of wisdom, vision, and clarity of mission.

For her to even hint that they are looking at high quality tourists is beyond disingenuous. At a time when they have boosted the Chinese tourism up to 35% of the nation's total, when they are one of the lowest quality tourists to be found anywhere on the planet (in terms of spending per person) she has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate her complete incompetence, at her job. I believe this swing toward the Chinese tourists will go down in history, as one of the greatest blunders of the Thai tourism industry. They cannot be considered a substitute for western tourists, who spend far more per day, than these tours, who book hotels at perhaps 40% of the rack rate, require massive discounts in restaurants, and do not stimulate the overall economy. Her utter lack of vision when it comes to developing the market is becoming legendary.

As for her sports ministry position. What can one say? She does not have her hands full enough as it is? Or is this just a way of the government telling all the nation's athletes, you just do not matter. You are not significant for us to devote a department to you. We could not find someone with a background in sports. We found a fine arts graduate, who has a small amount of design experience. You just do not matter. Sorry. We had to combine the departments to save some money.

She went to RISD? The Rhode Island School of Design? Being a Rhode Island native I am surprised that she found her way to that little place. It is an interesting institution and I guess if one were in the North East USA and interested in architecture it is understandable.

9 out of 10 Thais who attend schools abroad (mostly fairly middle of the road schools) care not so much about the actual school itself but more so of the fact that it is a school not in Thailand. The goal of most of the kids is not education perse but rather status. They already know that their success is no way dependent upon their knowledge or skills...

If a mate regularly uses 'up to you', she probably with doesn't much care what hubby does and likewise may not enjoy his company all that much or she may be a traditional type of Thai woman who wants the man to make decisions. She may find it rather unattractive that the man is in effect asking permission

What careful observering, long-time expats come to realize is that the locals often have a certain psyche... For whatever reasons of culture, they often exist among each other in very superficial ways. 'Friends' even longtime ones often barely know each other. How could they? When relationships are built on shaky foundations face giving and saving and confrontation avoidance? These people have relationships where the lies they tell each other are as common as swindlers tell on lower Sukhumvit. And, as much as they don't know each other, likewise they often know little about themselves as they lack introspection which is all but avoided in Thai culture.

When lost face enters then it's an easy choice for most locals. Protection of face almost always supersedes relationships.

The key takeaway here is that you old blokes should keep this in mind when transacting with the natives.

I note no word on who else was competing...

Has anyone been to a US National park lately? better u should smile and gladly pay the 200 or 400 baht. it's quite a bargain.

Replies like yours are always the strangest. The parks in the US are on average vastly superior and better kept than those in Thailand. Parks in US cost the same for all customers and you have some comfort that the cash you pay as a customer is not primarily going toward lining someone's pocket as opposed to upkeep of the grounds and facilities

NCPO to focus on uniting the country

BANGKOK, 15 July 2016 (NNT) - The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will now focus primarily on maintaining peace in the country, ensuring national security, and reconciling political differences.

Representatives from security units across Thailand attended a recent video conference of the council, which was chaired by NCPO Secretary-General Gen Teerachai Nakwanich.

After the video conference, NCPO Spokesperson Col Piyapong Klinphan revealed that the council’s first priority is to keep the country united.

To achieve the goal, legal measures and steps will be taken by the NCPO to restore unity, help those in need, and prevent crime. The NCPO is also expected to work closely with local officials and provincial governors to put an end to recurring social problems.

In addition to promoting national unity, the council instructed those involved in border security to rigorously screen for pirated contraband. Thailand has come under renewed international scrutiny following reports of copyright infringement.

-- NNT 2016-07-15

Then I guess we can all expect much more anti Farang propaganda. Seems like that's one of only a few topics that can unite the lovely locals.

whats new, married with kids and screwing a druggie on the side, not happy enough with a well to do hubby, nice house, well financed, needed a bit of side action to keep her occupied while he was away working, nothing new at all for some thai women, they simply cant keep their legs closed, marriage means nothing but then many thai men are the same

Thai women's sense of morals and ethics are very different from what we have been brought up with. They don't see committing adultery as such a big deal, especially if they think they won't get found out. That's one of the reasons why PnP is so easily available here. I have seen this happen with uni students, office girls, hiso housewives etc.

I think you have been hanging around "bar girls" way too much. Get away from Nana Plaza, Cowboy, Pattaya etc and I think you will find that normal Thai's have a different sense of morals and ethics then the trash you find in those areas.

Heck no! What makes Thailand somewhat unique is that lack of morality is widespread, pervasive the rule rather than the exception. It spans socioeconomic boundaries as well. Get real. The truth is sadly that morality and ethics as such is just not very important to most people in Thailand. Morality and ethics are not held in high regard and people know that having them and using them does not particularly affect their lives in any positive way.

Thailand is a place where you get ahead by doing whatever you need to do for people more important than you.

Don't kid yourself into believing there are millions of middle class men/women out there who share a western sense of morality.

Here's the another view.

In March 2016 BMTA was going to buy 489 new NGV buses, repair and renovate existing 671 NGV buses, and lease 200 electric buses built by the partnership of Loxley of Thailand and BYD Auto Industry of China.

But in May 2016 BMTA included in the NGV bus procurement vehicle maintenance services, prompting the bidding price to increase from 1.7 billion baht to 4 billion baht.

In June 2016 BMTA unveiled the Japanese Diesel-electric hybrid for test service in Route 137 between Ramkhamhaeng and Ratchadapisek for a certain period of time after which it will be operated in the other routes until November 15 when the test runs will be completed. The consideration of the hybrid may have been the result of new NGV buses costing 200% more than the original procurement budget that would reduce the number of electric buses that could be obtained.

Prayut now recommends the Japanese hybrid bus. Certainly good news for the Japanese to increase their exports. But damaging to Thailand by losing the technology exchange and domestic production of the BYD electric bus.

Surely you jest. "Technology transfer?" LOL

These guys have yet to figure out how to join two pieces of pipe together without leaks. The Japanese have been here decades. Do you see any absorption of knowledge?

I suppose TV was made an offer they couldn't refuse to concoct the survey results... It happens

This country is funny. Most of you have it wrong. The biggest issues are the following:

A) Thais are, in the majority, exceptionally insular. Nearly nobody is interested in the world outside Thailand except for in the most superficial ways. In a country where they've built their economy on mass tourism (of mostly NES) over 40 years, somehow Thailand manages to be among the very worst in the world among ESL countries. Look at the rankings.

How many Thais have shown you guys genuine, non superficial interest in your language, culture, etc.? They don't care.

related to the first point, most Thais, it seems, dislike English speaking foreigners and 'farang' culture. And, this arms length dislike is reinforced everywhere, all the time. How can they mobilize the country to learn if they constantly reinforce their dislike of farangs?

C) the Thais who do speak English reasonably well seem to talk only among other Thais of the same class. Ever notice that? Again, they are NOT interested in communication with NES. They are most interested in showing their status TO OTHER THAIS by speaking in the same broken English their grandparents probably learned.

Hopeless country

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It would be nice if Thailand had a Western neighbourhood somewhere, something like Chinatown.

They have - it's called Pattaya

What i like about Pattaya is the foreign restaurants (even Indian, Lebanese or whatever) and that they speak better english than Bangkokians.

If Bangkok had a Western neighbourhood it would also attract many Thai to learn english,hygiene/butchering/medical/safety/efficiency/high quality and so on. But since Westerners are not allowed to work here it will never happen.

The Thai like to build small villages in Western Style (like in Khao Yai area) but they can't produce the same atmosphere/quality there, no matter how hard they try.

If there was a nice Western neighbourhood (not only nightlife like in Pattaya) it would even attract many extra tourists from neighbouring Asian country's.

Not only is there not a nice western neighborhood in Thailand, neither is there a single uniformly nice neighborhood OF ANY TYPE in Thailand.

There is a nice house here and there, but nothing uniformly nice. Khao Yai probably comes closest but even it isn't very nice.

Utter nonsense.

It is only nonsense if you have perhaps never lived in a beautiful city/neighborhood? Visit me in Santa Monica, California, USA. I'll show you what a real beautiful community looks like.

Looks like earlier on she did a Thai version of the famous car washing scene in the 1967 film, Cool Hand Luke.

No thanks on the fake breasts, but what a rear!

At my Honda-dealer they even can't pump a tire, also they don't have a manometre in the shop...They have 3-400 new Honda's though and loads of "engineers".

Also they even can't tighten a nut properly, it will come loose within a day.

When they repair or change a tire they use screwdrivers to put it on the wheel.

I can understand the Japanese get tired of that.

My woman bought herself a nice new E Sport Toyota and insists that the technical staff in the dealership (in Korat) told her to switch off the accessories, especially the aircon, before switching off the engine. So we have this weird routine happening each time we stop.

I'm given a sad face when I drive and switch off the engine without any of that nonsense.

It's a little bit like whan she cleans her teeth before breakfast . . . don't know where she got that from.

Well technical staff at Toyota know more than the all knowing farang then calling things nonsense...switching the aircon off before switching off the engine dries out the evaporator, preventing mould build up and possible smells

So on this "nonsesnse"

Thai Toyota staff - 1

All knowing farang - 0

Only for that to happen you should switch off the aircon at least 15 - 30 minutes prior to switching off the engine.

The Chruncher - 1

Bobotie - 0

That would require thinking about and understanding what is actually involved. Which goes back to the education process: rote learning or learning how to think for yourself.

Regarding education in Thailand: there is two systems: the rich, high quality system akin to Western education and state education system which has very low standards. Thus you could blame the establishment for fostering such a low quality system to keep the general population uneducated and under control.

You are correct with the exception that the rich system is akin to Western standards.

You would know if you hires dozens of kids from Chula and Thammasat and Mahidol. None of these kids can think and none are truly educated

Having to train Thais at work on machines they have never ever seen,

or probably heard about, it is a two way street you so called trainers,

have to identify skills in each individual worker, move them around the organisational

operations as needed,

I have trained people all over the world, and Thai workers i have are treated with respect,

constantly praised, constantly shown the right way ,

gentle pushing of the safety and the correct

re enforcing of methods,

I have faith in the Thai fellows here that by the end will have many feathers and skills they can wear in their hat.

Now being able to leave some of these fellows alone and watch them work to the standards set is a pleasure, and it will

all re start again as more equipment rolls into the project,

Failing to teach some one or lift skill set is a failure on the teacher / imparted skill set.

+1 So, so true...

They are capable of learning, just like everybody else, it's just finding the right way to communicate with them.

I've noticed over the last few years that some of them turn out to be very reliable, honest and professional and are really proud to do a good day's work.

Training and praise go a long way.

Yes

The Japanese, those generally brilliant and super hard working folks, who have been in Thailand training Thais for hundreds of years, have got it all wrong. They just need to learn how to train the good Thais better.

I wonder if your anecdote is statistically significant against the Japanese industry in Thailand with hundreds of thousands of data points and millions even over the years... I wonder

It would be nice if Thailand had a Western neighbourhood somewhere, something like Chinatown.

They have - it's called Pattaya

What i like about Pattaya is the foreign restaurants (even Indian, Lebanese or whatever) and that they speak better english than Bangkokians.

If Bangkok had a Western neighbourhood it would also attract many Thai to learn english,hygiene/butchering/medical/safety/efficiency/high quality and so on. But since Westerners are not allowed to work here it will never happen.

The Thai like to build small villages in Western Style (like in Khao Yai area) but they can't produce the same atmosphere/quality there, no matter how hard they try.

If there was a nice Western neighbourhood (not only nightlife like in Pattaya) it would even attract many extra tourists from neighbouring Asian country's.

Not only is there not a nice western neighborhood in Thailand, neither is there a single uniformly nice neighborhood OF ANY TYPE in Thailand.

There is a nice house here and there, but nothing uniformly nice. Khao Yai probably comes closest but even it isn't very nice.

Thais. Just like the mainland Chinese. No shame at all. A 5 year old comes up with excuses like this.

I dont care who you are, where you come from, your age, gender, race, nationality...whatever

there is simply no excuse for behaviour like this

Quite what they were thinking going on an Asian holiday without first at least learning some basic Western European manners I do not know, I mean did they even learn how to use a knife and fork? Seriously though, I have seen more disgusting things in Thailand done by Thai people, spitting on their plate while I am still eating is one that I don't cope with well.

Yes, while the behavior in the video is atrocious, it does tickle me that Thais are seen by many in much the same way they view the mainland Chinese. Everyone looks down on someone! The Thais differ mostly in their sense of shame at being made to look bad (lose face). But, they, and especially the Thai-Chinese share a great deal of values with their cousins.

Again, see the pictures and just look at what that Mercedes did to that Fiesta...

Incredible, isn't it?

It almost makes me want to spend an obscene amount of money to buy one here.

More to do with the relative weight of the two vehicles more than any engineering.

R.I.P. and speedy recovery to the injured

I said it once and Ill say it again dont take the night busses, better yet dont take the bus any bus in Thailand.

I doubt if buses are actually more dangerous than other forms of road transport in Thailand, despite all the media attention - however ill-informed - they get.

In EU coach/bus transport is statistically TEN TIMES safer than travel by car.

And do you think the same determinants making coach class travel in EU safer are valid in Thailand? For example, are the drivers in both places normally professionally trained, conscientious drivers? Are the vehicles driven of the same quality and maintained Similarly?

I spoke to a minivan driver recently who speaks almost fluent English.

He told me he drives between Korat and Buriram 5 times a day. Each trip takes 2,5 hours PLUS a 30 minute break between arriving and departing. That's 15 hours a day. Then, at the end of his shift he has to clean and wash the minibus. Let's assume that takes an additional 30 minutes. That's now 15,5 hours per day working/at work. That leaves him 8,5 hours/day to sleep/rest/unwind. He works 28 days per month!!

I belive that that's the main reason for so many of these accidents. The drivers (bus, minivan, lorry, etc.) are simply exhausted. No human being can work these hours month after month without their concentration drifting.

Pay them more so that they DON'T HAVE to work those kinds of hours just to make a living.

You believe everything he told you?

I don't know if Thailand's police force has an internal affairs dept,

I suspect not,and if they do,they are not doing a good job,they

need honest (i know,difficult) investigators,along with the tax man,

to run a fine tooth comb over these suspect coppers,starting at

the top,as thats where most of the corrupt money ends up,and

clean house,don't know who has the balls to do this,but it needs doing.

regards Worgeordie

There are hardly any Thais in Thailand who value honesty as a character trait. They are by culture loose with the truth. There really is little hope for the society until there is something of a cultural revolution here. The entire societal fabric functions on lies and deceit.

What is new? Typical Thai culture. I have an overpriced luxury car, so I am more important than you. And I can drive like a wild idiot. I see the same type of road attitude from Thais of all ages. The more luxurious the car, the wilder they drive.

Digusting