Traveling Sailor

So, in typical Thai fashion, nothing really changes. The transferred people now get to take bribes from people in a different part of town. If anything has been learned, it is to look around for cameras before taking a bribe. LOL

I guess dumb people come to Thailand from many countries.

And they have the b***s to call this a democracy. Not even close!

Interesting! She may also find that she looses weight due to the food quality. Too bad she felt so desperate.

So in one yeal the BMA has managed to complete less than:

38% of the Pipe dredging

30% of the pipe drainage

58% of the canal dredging

59% of the water hyacinth removal

Another wonderful, on-time completion of work by a government agency. Congratulations BMA on another success story!

I live in a small town in Southern Thailand. Two years now. I am retired, on a fixed income, and will be leaving, partly due to the strengthning of the baht. I get less Baht every month for my $, and the cost of living keeps going up. If things continue going the way they are now, I will be better off in the US than I am here.

"Both speedboat drivers are still on-the-run as detailed examinations of both speedboats are taking place to determine what really happened."

Obviously, the police/government cannot believe that a Thai national is stupid enough to drive into an anchored speedboat. LOL!

I will never get on a boat in Thailand. Ever. Taxis are bad enough, but trusting your life to one of these clods in a boat??

There is no difference between the clod driving the boat, the clod driving the taxi, the clod driving the bus and the clod driving his truck at 100+ km/hour on a country road. No matter what type of vehicle you choose to ride in, you are puting your life into the hands of a Thai driver. Best wishes and good luck!

They wait for several reasons, securing the tip is probably not actually top of the list. Firstly they wait to allow you to verify that the change you have been given is correct - I've seen a few disputes where the customer doesn't check the change immediately they receive the folder from the waiter/waitress (in their presence) and then 10 minutes later tries to argue that they're 100 baht short, it invariably lapses into a messy face losing dispute for the customer. Conversely I've actually been both short changed and been given too much change on a number of occasions, the staff have been at my shoulder and I've never had a problem getting it corrected. My wife tells me that also in regard to this point, the waiter is responsible to the cashier for any discrepancy in the change, thus their desire to ensure no dispute or possibility of a dispute arises.

Thank you Gsxrnz, for the clear, concise and amusing reply to the original question. It is amazing to me how many replies had difficulty understanding the question.

Secondly, they want to clear your bin (along with any tip) and not have to come back to your table again as presumably if you've check-binned, you no longer require their services. Until the change has been verified as being correct and the folder returned to the cashier, your bin is still technically open.

Personally, I always show the waiter the note/s I am paying with and state the amount of the note. eg. if paying a 450 baht bin with a 1,000 note, I always make sure the waiter knows that I know that I gave him a 1,000 baht note. That way they know they can't give you change for a 500 note and expect to get away with it. This is particularly good advice if you've got a few beers under your belt and look a bit gullible - and/or you're in a gogo or other similar venue. Also, be reasonably (but not overly) generous tipping. 20-50 baht at a restaurant is OK for a couple. And if you go as a foursome or sixsome and combine the bin, don't be a cheap-Charlie and leave one 20 baht tip. Leaving no tip is better than leaving an offensive tip.

My wife had great pleasure once in leaving 70 baht as a tip in the folder but then told the waitress that she asked for no pepper in one dish but got pepper, (removed 20 baht), told her that she asked for another dish to be sour but it was sweet, (removed another 20 baht), and that there were too many mosquitos and why didn't the restaurant have more low fans to keep them away (removes another 20 baht). Just as the waitresses mouth drops, wife puts the 60 baht back in the folder and says she doesn't really care about the mosquitos, but next time she would like the dishes as she ordered them. Been back several times and we're instantly recognised, get good service, dishes as they're ordered......downside is I'm now committed to a 70 baht tip every time, and I just have to hope they aren't spitting in the food!!

Great reply! Concise and amusing. I am amazed by the number of replys that did not address the question.

"The police alleged the teen was driving carelessly and driving while being drunk, causing injuries to other people and damaging their properties, so officers seized him to prosecute."

Is this going to be another case of a 2,000 baht fine and a sentance cut in half because he confesses? Will probably be another case of Thai justice at it's finest.

All very amusing.

"If convicted, both face up to 10 years in jail and a maximum fine of Bt20,000."

The key word here is FACE. Chances of these two, or anyone else associated with the school, actually serving time is remote.

OUTRAGOUS! I live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with two other adults and two children. There is one A/C unit in the master bedroom which is used when the evening, inside tempature stays above 29 degrees. I never run it all night, but my highest bill ever was just over 1000 baht. This includes the electricity used by the pump that supplies well water.

I have had an FCD account with BBL for about two years now. I do not actively use it now, but it was great for sending money on a monthly basis from my US pension fund to Thailand. The money would arrive in $, minus a small fee. I would have to go to the branch where I opened the account to transfer/convert from $ to Baht, from FCD account to savings account, again for a small fee. The exchange rate was quite good. The initial deposit was easy once the bank gave me a temporary account number which I provided to my pension folks. The reason I chose BBL is because they have a branch in NYC, so it is like transferring $ from one American bank to another. Smaller fees and quicker transfer. To keep the account active a minimum of $500 must be kept in the account to avoid penalty fee. I have no knowledge of the Pound-Aus $ aspect. Hope this helps.

I was in Phuket in March 2013 and had to get from the bus station to Kata beach. It cost me 600 baht. I was the only person in a fancy, 9 seat van. Of course, no working seat belts. On Kho Samui it costs 500 baht to get from the ferry terminal to Bo Phut beach. Both way too much in my opinion. I pay 140 baht to get from Thung Song, Nakhon si Thammarat to Suratthani. I pay 360 baht to get from Thung Song to Phuket bus station. Go figure.

When are Thais going to wake up and smell the roses? NO coal fired or atomic energy power plants should be built. With all the sunshine Thailand receives, solar is the only way to go.

Too bad the "targeting" does not last and expand forever. Expats who respect Thai requirements have nothing to worry about. Those that don't, well, who needs them?

The cheaper the solution the better! And, if the farmer was able to use someone elses 220V, so much the better,

If it is done correctly, there will be no army left by day three. The only thing left to be done will be to provide the survivors with aid so they can live.

I have been living in Thailand for just under two years and I am not surprised by this or any other accident. While I don't pretend to understand "Thainess", I have come to understant that "it is what it is". Thais love "Thainess", see nothing wrong with it and see no reason to change. Yes, life is cheap here. I often see mothers with small children and babies riding motor bikes with no helmit, no rear view mirrors and no working headlight. Thinking ahead, planning, worrying about concequences, accepting responsability for ones actions, does not seem to be part of Thai culture. When I have had enough, I will leave Thailand to the Thais and look for a different, happier experience. Trying to change Thais who aren't ready to change is no more productive than trying to get a drunk to stay on the wagon before he accepts the fact that he has a problem.

What a wonderful story. My heart goes out to these people and I wish there was some way I could help them in their struggle.Unfortunately, I cannot. Hopefully there are others who can and will. Wouldn't it be great if this idea of education spread to other communities? Just think of the possibilities.

Hey, this is Thailand! Land of all talk, no action. Oh yes - and a wonderful smile while they put the screws to you. :-)

Where I live there is only Tesco. No Big C, etc. The price I pay at checkout is always more than the sum of the items I pick off the shelf, as stated on the shelf. The same apple that sells for 10 baht at the local market sells for 26 baht at Tesco. The only reason I shop there is because some things I want are not available elsewhere unless I want to drive for 45 minutes.

Yah, Right. Another law that no one in this Provence will enforce or obey. Just like no passing when there is a solid double yellow stripe in the middle of the road.

I think the new bill is great. So it has flaws, just like people.

Would love to see a 5,000 baht bill. Hmmm--- Wonder what the chances of that are.