pokerspiv

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

What did you write? 

"Pom bai rian passaa Thai tee Bophut song bee leaw"

and something else, I can't really remember

Hi guys, just thought I would post this for information's sake.

I live in Samui and have been studying on an Ed Visa for almost 2 years. I went to get my extension a week or so ago and for the first time I was questioned by the lady at the Samui immigration office. At first she asked me some questions in Thai, which I couldn't understand because she spoke way too fast. I asked her to speak more slowly and she told me to just write down some sentences in Thai (in roman characters). I did so and my extension was approved. Just thought others on Ed Visas might like to be aware.

 

My only concern is if some immigration officers believe an ED visa can only be used for studying Thai or perhaps university studies. That's perhaps another reason they picked up this guy for scrutiny. Genuine students studying Thai, who actually attend classes or have managed to learn Thai some other way should have no problems answering questions in Thai.

I've been learning Thai for over a year and I couldn't respond to questions if they talked too fast. It takes 10-15 years to learn to speak a language fluently for most adults.

Although the selling tactics are the main concern,this surely is bad news for the island. These companies have brought thousands of repeat visitors to the island over the past 10 years or so not something to be celebrated.

I can't imagine visitors who have come to Samui have then booked another holiday just because of the pleasure they got from the timeshare people on the street.

Or are you saying that thousands of Samui timeshares have been sold? This I doubt.

Can you explain how you justify your assertion above?

R

A couple who are good friends of mine from back in Australia own a timeshare in Choeng Mon and are extremely happy with it. They come every year, and can also use timeshare villas located elsewhere in Asia if they feel like going somewhere different.

Don't like time shares? Don't buy one. Pretty simple, I would have thought.

personally i think we should ban cars and have more bikes/scooters

most people all over the world use a car for personal use [1 car 1 driver , maybe 2 ]

well, we all know how many we can get on a scooter and still go shopping [minimum 2 plus the dog ]

smaller engines , less pollution

much more parking then for all as well

no taxis needed either

this would surely drop the accident/death rate down dramatically

Only motorbikes and no cars on Samui would reduce accidents?

What planet have you come from?

R

His post didn't mention accidents at all. Just standard environmentalist claptrap about cars are ruining the world. These are the sort of guys who protest against oil rigs while riding the ferry/catching a plane to Samui and not seeing the irony.

Or maybe police could just enforce existing road rules and then we wouldn't have to ban anything?

When you have 2 kids, a car is the first thing you would buy. Or would you rather they ferried them around on a scooter with 3-4 people on it?

Get real, You wouldn't put your own kids on a scooter on Samui's roads, but then you criticise Thais who buy a car for that reason. Completely ridiculous. Rest of your post is standard socialist claptrap and shows a complete ignorance of how important cars and trucks are to the working of an economy.

Take a chill pill mate... you must be a bundle of fun to know... are you always so aggressively rude? or is it only when in front of a keyboard? Jeeeez!

This guy is seriously suggesting that Thais should be banned from owning cars and I'm the one being rude? I'm just calling his "suggestion" for what it is. Socialist totalitarianism with a healthy dose of racist "noble savage" fallacy. Anyone who sympathises with that point of view needs to have a good hard look at themselves.

Perhaps you could ask some of our Eastern European board members what they think of your idea of thinking you have a right to dictate who can and can not own private vehicles.

Sorry Rob (loved the post though) but using your example, it still does not come to 90% owning cars. 22 people in your soi - 4 cars. 6 houses in your soi - 4 cars.

In my (very local) example, that was 11 families - 1 car. (OK - so Mrs Tropo also has a car, but she does not work in the business.). If I count the number of adults - it is 22 adults and 2 cars.

Yes - the 'cash back scheme for Thais' and the low interest rates has meant that there are a lot more cars on the roads, but as you have observed - a lot of those cars are now 'disappearing'. When Mrs Tropo bought her car, our friend stood as guarantor. The finance rep told her not to worry. If anything happened and we could not pay the monthly finance charges, the finance company would happily buy the car back and pay off the loan.

My entire point of posting here was to champion the restriction of privately owned cars (not commercial vehicles, just in case you think I am a socialist ).

So imagining a monorail solution is akin to satanism. What was I thinking...

You really don't understand how restricting private ownership of vehicles is socialist?

And yes, it is an evil thing to wish for.

I know plenty of girls who work as hotel receptionists/restaurant managers who have cars. With the finance deal that was going last year the repayments are only about 8,000 baht per month, which is affordable for most Thai people who have a degree.

I have a photo of the identity page of my passport on my smartphone, in case anyone wants to see it.

They never have.

It doesn't mean that it is your right to have one - because you want it - for your own selfish reasons...

Actually it does mean that. Fortunately for most people, socialists are not taken seriously any more.

When you have 2 kids, a car is the first thing you would buy. Or would you rather they ferried them around on a scooter with 3-4 people on it?

Get real, You wouldn't put your own kids on a scooter on Samui's roads, but then you criticise Thais who buy a car for that reason. Completely ridiculous. Rest of your post is standard socialist claptrap and shows a complete ignorance of how important cars and trucks are to the working of an economy.

do you not think it would be better to restrict "progress" as a means to protecting the wealth and appeal for future generations?

No, I don't, because I am not a socialist with a noble savage fantasy.

I did say specifically on Samui - you are being overly dramatic...

What is a tropical island paradise once it has been fully developed to cater for every family's dream Toyonda? If cars and industry are your thing then live on the mainland.

Looks like you're outvoted.

I agree though that the old cardboard box is worrying, but it seems to work! The first time, two years ago, I stood there for the full hour so that I could grab my passport as soon as it was put in the box. I noticed though everyone else seemed relaxed about it, so on my 5 subsequent visits I've left them to it and gone for a coffee.

I dumped my extension papers off on Friday and picked my passport up Monday. I know a bloke who leaves it there for a week sometimes. Saves waiting around for 4 hours.

do you not think it would be better to restrict "progress" as a means to protecting the wealth and appeal for future generations?

No, I don't, because I am not a socialist with a noble savage fantasy.

Cars = economic growth. I for one don't think Thais should have to remain poor just so we can look at a slightly nicer mountain. They have kids to feed and stuff.

Nowhere was I suggesting people should remain poor, but I see you share the misconception that a car somehow indicates (or proves) that you are wealthy.

No, I am saying cars create wealth, because they carry goods and consumers and thereby facilitate trade. Cars = economic growth.

You seemed obsessed with idea of cars as a status symbol and completely oblivious to the fact that they are also extremely useful.

The old system where the stamped up passports were left on the table in a cardboard box, which you could then look through unsupervised, has stopped. I always thought that system was a bit dangerous. Anyway, they now give you a numbered ticket, which you hand back to retrieve your passport. They have a loudspeaker to call out your number if you are waiting outside.

Not unless it's stopped in the last 6 days. I picked up my passport on Monday and it was sitting in the box with about 30 others. Anyone could have taken it.

60 baht for the songthaew.

Cars = economic growth. I for one don't think Thais should have to remain poor just so we can look at a slightly nicer mountain. They have kids to feed and stuff.

An attempt at a positive thrust on things - makes a refreshing change to the mindless 'wear-a-helmut-cos-its-the-law' brigade

Driving slowly is the key to it all and the new roads don't contribute to that. Hard to get people to drive more slowly especially the youngsters and those paid to get from A to B quickly ... and i dont have the answer to that. I hate speedbumps and i'm a slow driver. Maybe the roads need a downgrade to slow everyone down

Like the Hi-Viz thing - my bike raincoat is bright orange for that reason. It does make a difference

Agree fully on the traffic lights - some road markings around them would also make things clearer for those new to driving here

The solution to it is speed bumps. Everywhere they have them in Lamai they slow traffic. They work. That's why you hate them, because you have to slow down for them.

A speed bump on a road instantly stops it from being used as a racetrack.

A few speed humps would be a lot easier and would significantly reduce the number of accidents. They also don't require any enforcement. Feel free to ignore them if you want to break an axle.

Last month was the quietest I can ever remember but it seems to be getting back to normal now.

The issue wasn't the curfew, but rather the coup itself. Many governments upgraded their travel warnings to "do not fly". If that alone wasn't enough to put a lot of tourists off, the fact that it voids their travel insurance would have caused a lot of cancellations too.

I'm sure the advice varied from one provider to another, but mine decided that the only 'void' claims would be those which were as a direct result of the coup - I took that to mean that being hospitalised in Thailand would not be considered any differently from a claims perspective than it would have prior to the coup unless I was injured as part of some form of civil unrest or other conflict.

http://service.travelinsurancedirect.com.au/customer/portal/articles/1564314-military-coup-in-thailand-faqs

Military coups are a general exclusion – which means anything that happens to you because of the coup IS NOT COVERED, but everything else IS.

So, fall over and break a leg – you’re covered. Miss a flight because the public transport system is closed – sorry, not covered.

Your bag gets stolen from your hotel – covered. Your hotel is locked down by the military and you have to pay to move to a new one – again, not covered.

Most policies have a general clause that if your government has issued a red (do not travel) travel warning for the area you are visiting (in this case, all of Thailand), then your policy is void for that entire region, regardless of what happens.

Last month was the quietest I can ever remember but it seems to be getting back to normal now.

The issue wasn't the curfew, but rather the coup itself. Many governments upgraded their travel warnings to "do not fly". If that alone wasn't enough to put a lot of tourists off, the fact that it voids their travel insurance would have caused a lot of cancellations too.