new2here

For start, airlines should seriously consider keeping a proper restraining devices and not have to do with some bits and pieces of makeshift seatbelts as air rage nowadays becomes more frequent, and someone should take his doctor license away, this man is not fit to come near patients period...

Many airlines do in fact have them. They tend to use a plastic-cuff style — like a massive “zip-lock” cuff that can’t be undone, only cut with high pressure cutters. You see these on riot control teams commonly. But what each airline uses or has is somewhat dependent on the country they originate (and what laws, of any say on the matter) and individual airline policy (after internal discussion with departments like security, legal/risk management and operations)


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

There is one thing to be a whistleblower, and thats a good thing. The world would be  much sorrier place without them
 
However Manning and Assange released thousands of totally unredacted documents, putting at risk the lives of agents and civilian informants.
 
That's not a whistleblower or a journalist, that is a traitor  

This to me is where I have issues with his actions.. I agree.. I think the idea of a “whistle-blower” is a good thing.. I support laws that protect good-faith whistleblowers... but.. my supports isn’t unlimited. I think there can be cases where whistleblower actions can have real life risks to individuals.. and I think it’s fair to also acknowledge this is issue as well.

I do support Assange and his actions as a collective? I think the fact that it brought to light some government actions that I think are improper - is good... but I can’t also overlook the larger situation and that to me has clearly raised concerns for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Ok, 300% does seem ambitious, but private hospitals are businesses.
 

This to me is an issue... I do think that as a private, for-profit enterprise, they do and should price themselves to in order to produce a return on equity that fairly, adequately and appropriately compensates their shareholders who have put up (with possible investment loss risk) assets to form and run the business.

That said, I am not wholly against some form of price controls that insure reasonable access to said services.

I think it has to be a balance.. I don’t think you can run - from a cost or revenue perspective - a state/public hospital the same way you can (or should) a privately owned hospital.

To me the state really shouldn’t be in the marketplace to turn a net profit on their healthcare system — this doesn’t mean it should run at a loss, but I do think that as a state enterprise, it’s *primary* focus should be on delivery of services to the public...

At the end of the day, if you somehow regulate the market such that investors can’t earn a return that reasonably compensates them for taking the investment risk to run a health care facility, then I suspect you’ll see less investment in that sector - and that would mean the public sector would have to be equipped to handle the demand.

I think a key here is fair and full price disclosure... I would be a bigger fan if required up-front price disclosure was mandatory and implemented.. That way, one could make an informed consumer decision.




Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Another example of the GREEDY ARMY and police  in charge of thailand wanting more money in fines and also the harrassment of tourists , they are so stupid they harrass tourists the people who spend money here in thailand , its about time to go to a different country im seriously looking at it now 

Respectfully I have to disagree. It sounds like (only from what’s written and how I am interpreting it) the check point was already there... so I don’t know that I can agree with “harass” as the check point would be in place for everyone who passes. The other part is that (how the money is used or handled is a separate matter) the so long as what was cited/ticketed was in fact in violation of the law, then again, I can’t really call it harass either.

I’m not saying the RTP are wholly blameless or act with best intentions everyday- but for me to agree to a claim of “harass” I have to see the the citizen was largely not violating the law at the time and/or wasn’t suspected of doing so at that time.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

I would wonder why can’t they use a more low-tech method... I recall that in some places they use a toll ticket or similar instrument as the means to identify you and your “start time” .. and when you pass the next/exit toll booth, they now can calculate the time it took you to travel between the two points.. and if mathematically the only way you could have made it from point A to point B was by excess speed, then a fine is imposed right then and there.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

What if they still have to take you if you refuse to buy a ticket - which I understand to be the case.

 

I suspect what will happen (and is common for many carriers) and many carriers legal contract with you permits, is that the existing onward/return tickets value will be used as the principle means to “pay” for your repatriation...

 

Also remember that so long as the carrier that is tasked with repatriating you is the same carrier who issued your ticket (that means the first 3 numbers of your e-ticket) they can always make changes to it— even if your ticket had you flying out of Thailand on a different carrier (I.e. interline) that issuing carrier has a lot of control over it and, by association, the funds/value it represents.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

does anyone know best way to send money from bkk to usa bank....

Lots of ways... but I think you need to know some specifics of the money - what’s it’s origin, the total amount, the timeline that it must arrive in the US, your (as the sender) and the receivers risk tolerance to loss (in the case of carrying cash) and fees.

I’ve done lots of international transfers via BBL to my US account - but since I work, and have supplied my work credentials to BBL, the process is quite easy... I’ve also taken cash - in excess of $10,000... and so long as I’ve filed the required US FINCEN form upon arrival, the matter went smoothly.. I’ve done it a few times with a paper bank check (which if over $10,000 still requires FINCEN) and that too was incident-free.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

It's a very busy area between Sukhumvit Road and the railroad. I have witnessed several, presumed drug busts in the day time, a few years ago while living close by. The dealer always runs away and always gets caught in the end. Not all the cops are always in uniform but it seems those big boots are the best for kicking the dealers. I mostly agree with the police, the tough measures are required in that neighbourhood. All I was saying that when the cops want to stop me after illegal u-turn or such, they should wear something official and not look like highway bandits.
 

I agree in that fleeing by the suspect is a bad move and allows for the situation to escalate.. that said, I also think that how that situation is addressed by law enforcement also matters.

I don’t think that a fleeing suspect should simply be allowed to flee without any police attempts to stop or restrain the suspect.. but.. I think those efforts to stop/detain have to be measured and take the safety of EVERYONE - that’s the suspect(s), law enforcement and the public - into account.. as well as the risk to property, be that public or private.

In this case, as it’s presented, I think the family squarely owns the genesis to the issue... it sounds like they knowingly chose to flee .. but the matter also appears to be handled in a manner that resulted in moderately serious consequences.. and the police owns that part.

I don’t really have a huge issue with the need to register where a foreigner is living/staying while in the Kingdom.. yes, the optics may look bad, but in the end, to me it’s not a deal-breaker... do I think there’s a huge need to register foreigners? Not really- but it’s a national law - so it is what it is.


where I do have issue is the real-world risk that IF a landlord/housemaster/condo/hotel doesn’t do as the law requires them to do, often the foreigner is stuck.. and that to me is where the fix needs to be. I’ve also heard reports - albeit second hand - that some small apartments won’t rent to foreigners simply because of the added regulations (like reporting them to immigration) and other perceived issues/risks. True or not, I don’t know.. but I can see where this may occur.

I’m all for hitting the foreigner when they fail to do their 90-day reports- as that falls squarely on the foreigner... and in the same way, I think any failure to properly register a foreigner who is staying in the Kingdom needs to be squarely put on the landlord/housemaster, etc... each side has their role.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I agree with the general opinion... you’ll probably need to speak directly with KBank as I’ll bet they aren’t going to address account-specifics via an email-like platform.

I wonder IF you initiated the transaction with Iberia using their (Iberia’s) online platform (thus a CNP or Card Not Present coded transaction) or did you deal face-to-face with Iberia at like a city ticket office or the like?

I’ve had this issue - albeit with a BBL credit card - overseas before, largely because the transaction was auto-flagged as being fraud-suspected —— which I found out later was the programmatic result and based on a combination of several variables such the MCC or Merchant Category Code and transaction code CNP.




Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

What I’m interested to see is what will the impacted schools do with any current (or former for that matter) students who benefited from the alleged criminal actions.

I’m also intrigued as to what will be the eventual outcome of the students (who initially applied to, but ultimately weren’t admitted to one of the impacted schools) suit that effectively claims they were denied admission due to an unfair/rigged or process.

Sounds like the schools themselves didn’t gain financially -so unjust enrichment sounds off the table, but I could see the possible use of Title IX as a potential means to ends.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Duty-free? Really! A lot of the products they sell can be found cheaper on the high-street. I don't even bother anymore, besides they haven't stocked Marlboro for years and It's only one of the biggest global brands.

I think what many people don’t fully realize is that duty-free sales at the airport really is only non-taxable.. this does not say that the BASE price (call me the MSRP) isn’t possibly higher than at traditional, non-airport retail channel may offer pricing.

I think this is also the reason that a fair percentage of items sold at duty free are things like tobacco, alcohol and cosmetics - all classes of products that tend to also carry high/higher levels of taxation.

From a sales perspective, it doesn’t make sense to devote retail floor space in an airport duty free type venue, to products that either don’t carry higher tax rates (thus the ability to highlight a large savings percentage) or whose base price is low (this requiring much higher volume sales) and/or don’t sell in sufficient quantities that then generate revenues sufficient to offset the cost per square/meter.



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

I have submitted exactly on the 15th day and received my receipt with the stamp saying send in 15 day next time. Also I have sent reports 16 days in advance and received the receipt with no comments. I would guess that one day  over is accepted due to mail delivery times.

Thanks, I am beginning to think the red stamp isn’t a “you did it wrong” type of warning (which is how I have personally interpreted it) but more of a general reminder.

The other part I can’t determine is what if 15 days just so happens to be a Saturday/Sunday/holiday. My guess is that you’d advance up (more than 15) and not push back (to less than 15) but haven’t gotten really clear guidance on the matter


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

I have a question that I can’t seem to get answered or by someone at CW with reference to the date or time that I can submit a MAIL in 90 day report.

 

In the past, when I’ve done it, the new report slip (computer generated now and not the tear-off section of the TM7) was red stamped “Next time please send 15 days before the due date”. But I have always sent it well before— usually received (via EMS) around 18+/- days before.

 

However...

 

On this last report, I sent in my paperwork and it arrived at CW 18 days before but was sent back, the very next day, and I got a call from someone at Immigration that said I was too early. She said “15 days”...

 

I know that if it’s received LESS than 15 days they can (and I hear usually will) return it to you and now you’re essentially stuck doing an in-person report.

 

So... is it that I have to time it so that it’s received by CW *exactly* at the 15 day mark? Not 16 or 17 and not 14 or 13?

 

I called (and a Thai speaking friend asked) and was told the same “15 days”... but couldn’t/didn’t get clarity as to does 15 days mean ‘no less than..’ or ‘no more than’ or ‘exactly’

 

Also, IF it is in fact exactly 15 days, if that 15 day mark happens to fall on a non-working day (Saturday, Sunday or holiday) how is that accounted for.

 

I get it that CW doesn’t want reports coming in 30+ days early... not do they want reports coming in on the expiry date either... so the “15 days” makes operational sense. But I just can’t get a clear answer as to is it 15 days exactly, or what.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

I get the whole “tit-for-tat” idea... and generally I agree with it... but I also think from a real-world basis, this issue, isn’t one that will always be a true tit-for-tat.

I say that because it’s think there is the notion that a citizen of country A may be viewed by country B differently as an potential tourist as opposed the reverse, a citizen of country B coming to country A as a tourist.

Is that fair? Arguably no, but I do think it does real-world differences in citizenship and migration (be that short-term tourist like or long term)

After all, I do think there is a credible reason why a person coming from a country with overall low economic development and opportunities maybe viewed as a >possible
Perhaps it’s unjust, but from a national interest basis, I get why a country might do so.

As such, I can’t see a a situation where the EU would require US nationals to get a hard visa (like going the actual embassy or the like as opposed to an online ESTA-like situation) due to national economic and immigration interest basis.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I am an American, but still a ways off “retirement” age or being eligible (based on age alone) for any of the traditional US social programs...

That said, I DO support the IDEA of a single payer system... BUT... I am concerned about: a) the costs obviously and b) what does this do/would this do to an individuals choice to “opt out” or want to use an alternative system.

I do believe that things with our health care system are “broken” .... but I don’t really think that scrapping the system we have now - and for the most part have used since “day one” and moving to a radically different system on a wholesale basis is real-world doable without major issues.

To me, I’d prefer some fix (and I am versed enough on the angles that encompass our system to really speak knowledgeably) that maintains the overall system we have now, but makes overall improvements and does so without major costs impacts.




Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I agree that at times it feels like there’s little “help”, but I do think at times there can be legitimate reasons why it is as such.

Take the US diplomatic missions as one example - they don’t “authenticate” documents as genuine/real; like educational degrees... and that can be a roadblock for overseas nationals who need such for jobs, permits and the like.

But.... I also think that there is a fair question to be asked that because educational degrees (in most all cases) are issued by one of thousands and thousands of State-level public institutions or privately owned institutions, I can see why a Federal-level entity, like an overseas US mission, would not or could not be in a position to place the full-faith and credibility onto a document that a federal-level entity didn’t issue.

Could they (the overseas missions) do more? Sure, i think there’s always room for more... but I can see a legitimate reason why some things are just no-go for an overseas, national-level entity to do for a citizen/national.



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

While I agree the legalities leave you in an unprotected position, to the issue of pay. It is my own personal experience that corporate training - assuming you have to design the curriculum and not using the corporations own material - I might ask for around B1,000 to B1,500 per hour.

But there’s lots of variables.

How many people?
Transportation issues for you?
What’s your qualifications?
How many hours/days?
Etc

All of these issues can bump up what I’d expect or drive down what I would expect...


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Absolutely but the Democrats visceral hatred of Trump over rides common sense and objectivity. 

It really feels like that... it’s almost like a game whereby the winner must win BUT also the looser must loose.  It’s almost like I won’t win unless I’m sure you’ll loose.

 

i traditionally vote republican... but in the recent past, it’s been hard to hold the overall party line... that said, I don’t see the other “side” as being a whole remedy either.. it feels like I’m stuck between two far-less-than-ideal options.  

I understand it.  I think it’s driven, in part, by some historical culture/societal “norms” as well as educational practices.

 

by that I mean, it is my opinion, that “free thinkers” or those that express opposing/individual option or who question (for good intentions and not purely as a disruptive/obstructionist practice) what is or what’s accepted - aren’t widely produced in this country nor are their behaviors cherished.

 

conformists tend to be what I see in Asia more often.  I don’t mean that a conformist is overtly a bad thing...  but I DO think that in some cases, it good to question “why are we doing this?” versus simply following what was said/given or done in the past.

I suspect the poll is accurate...  but I think it also distorts the true comparatives..  the current government has the marked advantage of being able to effectively side-step the traditional democratic/procedural process and invoke to so-called Article 9 conditions.

 

so.. when it comes to issues that for past governments has been a difficult fix - like human rights, etc.. they didn’t have the option/benefit of an Article 9 type solution, and had to go through the normal governmental processes... which depending on situation and government composition may take longer in time and may also require compromise to opposing party sectors of the legislative body.

 

Does this make any comparison impossible?  No.. but I do think that if you really want to compare one to the other, a more equitable scorecard should be used.

6 hours ago, UnkleGoooose said:

There is no way to accurately Guage tourist expenditure, it cannot be reliably isolated out or filtered from local spending. As with most economics these figures are spurious and engineered to fit a desired narrative. I suspect that as they have conceded a fall in numbers, then the reality may be much worse. 

Sure, I agree that there is one one single, unified way to truly track each tourists spending and isolating that from ”locals” or nationals spending.

 

but.. I do think that there are ways to make a statistically solid way to take survey samples and extrapolate from there- what spending is estimated to be.  I suspect most major tourist locales do substantially the same.

 

now.. WHO exactly does those calculations, the quality or legitimacy of the data that is claimed to have been used and such may be something to question- but I don’t think that spending simply can’t be tracked.

 

while I’ve never done such work, I’d reasonably guess that on a very simplistic basis that a spend per day is first calculated, then multiplied out per day in country and further multiplied out per head.

 

but like most all numbers.. the numbers are what they are... but the larger story that they’re told through can radically alter their designed perception.

10 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Happy to hear that she is recovering and OK to go home, but of course, if her shyster insurance company hadn't been such a bunch of dogs, the fundraiser would not have been necessary. People dive into pools all day long without drama, so to suggest her doing so was "reckless" is just mean. I hope other tourists take note and put these bandits out of business. I wouldn't insure my goldfish with them after this.

While I haven’t read all the details, has it been proven that the claim was actually within her policies covered limits or is it just generalized anger of no coverage, regardless of incident facts?  Just asking as it haven’t read what her policy actually covered and the insurers stated reason for denial.

I think it’s fair to show comparatives in terms of fares versus distance traveled etc... but in the end, the only real measure that matters is here in Bangkok.

 

Thai said, I do think this is a net benefit for the city as well as many of the smaller communities and sub-communities that dot the new line and areas immediately around it.  So, regardless of the status of the government, how they came to power etc, for the people, I think this is good.

 

is the bts financially viable (ie fare levels) for all city folks?  No.  But to that end, I think the government also looking at lower cost options like bus, is also good.