MyrH

5 hours ago, DrBenny said:

 

The posts about having "compulsory insurance cover" really get my goat! One of (possibly "THE") the greatest things about Thailand is the freedom!!! Im talking about the freedom to jump on your £2-£4 (I get mine for 100 baht now btw and I don't hand over my passport or a deposit and the reason for that is because I hang out with people and figure out whats going on! Sorry for the thinly veiled brag and again sorry I digress) with a bunch of beers in ya and rock around the place without worrying about anything! What do you guys wanna do? Turn it into a mini europe? I love the way that when you are caught with a joint you just pay a bribe or go to jail! I love the way that if you are caught without a helmet at a checkpoint you give them 200 baht and you are free to pass them as often as you like waiving your receipt! I love the way that if you are caught stealing at the bar the local guys simply cut off your fingers or give you a beating right there and then! I love the way that if you drive like an idiot you pay for it again "there and then" with your life or your health! I love all that because its real!! There are far less rules and much much more personal responsibility and that is <deleted> AWESOME!! I don't wanna get licenses and think about paper work and insurances and other B.S. I don't wanna live in an <deleted> western civilisation when I'm there! Because I can go into a motorbike shop and come out with a deal that everyone is happy with (for the most part) and if I return the bike and get ripped off £200 then so be it, I'm not gonna <deleted> cry! That is a far far better way of living than having to jump through a thousand hoops and taking what is now very difficult tests just to get a vehicle on the road in say the "uk", or register with 5 or 6 complicated entities and fill out endless forms just to start a small business imo, my suggestion is if you wanna live like that then just stay where the duck you're from!!!    

 

Ok, well I guess thats my first post done (:

Hey Dr.Benny!

I really get your point... we don't want this place to become a "nanny state" like the countries we are from. I agree with you 100%. There's a flip side to it, especially when you have a business here but that's another story... 
I've seen countless people getting into accidents, most of them minor but enough to mess up their holiday... I've been to a few funerals however... all of them caused either by drunk drivers or inexperienced drivers... Seriously... I've never met so many people dying or getting seriously injured! Like you say: "if you drive like an idiot you pay for it again "there and then" with your life or your health!"

But, when people die or get seriously injured because of someone else "choice" of driving drunk... that's when I have a problem... you do what you want with your life and your health but don't endanger someone else's.

And please people (btw, Dr.Benny this is not directed to you..), if you choose not to pay 50$ for travel insurance, don't go out crying that you have no money to pay for your hospital bill or to get out of jail... or be angry because people don't want to help... we can't pay for all of you!! You mess up? Pay for it! (<deleted> I sound like a jaded bitch! but I've dealt with so many of these morons!)

I guess that there is no perfect solution... it's vicious circle: moron, accident, scam, moron, accident, scam... until there are sanctions (people don't drink and drive back home because they are worried about losing their driver's license, not because they could get in an accident and kill someone! Noooo that won't happen to them!)... Rules are made for the minority of people who can't control themselves and unfortunately the rest of the population has to pay for it and lose the freedom to make their own choices. 

I've been living on Koh Phangan for years now and to be fair, there are so many morons on bikes during the Full Moon Party week. It's ridiculous.

They get bikes because it seems like the cool thing to do and drive around in groups, racing each other, drunk, in pink neon shorts, block the street, stop in sharp corners to enjoy the view like they're the only one on the road and have ZERO riding experience.

They are putting not only themselves in danger but all the other people around them. I know so many people who got into accident with tourist during full moon week... some of them fatal accidents.

Sometime I just wish these overconfident shirtless morons come off their bike... just a little.... just a few scratches and a big bill from the motorbike rental shop and get their lesson.

5. Tourists need to present a valid international or local license at the time of signing the rental agreement.

And loose 80% of their business?

It's not specified if they are talking about a motorbike driver's license... if so, then yes they would be losing more than 80% of their business.

If a car driver's license is accepted then it's just another silly rule! What's good in having a car driver's license from another country if you are renting a motorbike in Thailand? Just saying!

I'm moving to Pattaya!

So sad... He's a courageous young man but that's not a life for a kid... Doing a few hours here and there to help his grand father is one thing but doing this every night? I don't care if he's Thai, Asian, African or American.... He's a child! Thailand should not be proud of that story! It's sad!

openly condemns the Palestinian genocide... !

Now that IS funny, there has never been any such thing

what about what's happening at the moment?... call it whatever you like but the israelo-palestinian conflict resembles genocide to me.

He's making fun of all religions!! Not only Judaism! He's an advocate for peace and openly condemns the Palestinian genocide... that gives you an idea why Israel wants to shut this guy up! They don't want the world to realize that they are doing the same thing that was done to their people!

Good. Happy to hear Thailand kicked out that horrible Jew hater.

I know this comedian very well and have seen his show many times. He's making fun of all religions!! If you take one of his sketches out of context it looses all of it meaning! The name of his show is "PAIX" (peace).... This is ridiculous and ignorant!

Is it just me that finds it quite strange that they picture foreigners on overstay as criminals going around Thailand stealing money?? I mean if that's what they think they are doing while they are overstaying not sure that a 3 year ban makes sense... That video is surreal...

This is really tragic. RIP

But it's the second time that the victim get stung swimming in the dark. Does anyone know if the box jellyfish goes out mostly at night?

Maybe there should be signs warning people not to go swimming after dark as you cannot see what's in the water?

I've been with Bupa Thailand for 5 years. They cover motorbike accidents. I made sure sure of that when I subscribed. It's expensive but it's worth it.

Never had an accident fortunately but I had dengue twice. I had great service... they covered everything I needed and more. Check it out.

The most disturbing part of this article to me is:

"However, a month had passed without the ritual yielding any result so she realised that she had been duped."

...so if her husband had come back to her (for whatever reason) it would have been OK for her to be psychologically and sexually taken advantage off?

Koh Tao police quizzed on why they didn’t look into rumoured bar dispute

Sarah Yuen in Thailand

In testimony in court today, Lieutenant Colonel Kewalee Chanpan, from the forensic division of the Royal Thai Police, said that while the swabs used to obtain the DNA samples from the scene, and the victims’ and suspects’ bodies, would have been destroyed in the testing process, traces of the the DNA extracted from those swabs would still be available for retesting.

The police lieutenant colonel explained that trace DNA material is generally conserved for at least one to two years by the police forensics department.

While she could only speak for her own examination of the alleged murder weapon, some blood-spattered items of clothing, two cigarette butts and a condom found at the scene, she explained to the court that the same should be true for all the DNA samples gathered in the investigation. The officials responsible for the testing of DNA samples taken from the bodies of Ms Witheridge, 23, and 24 year-old David Miller, will appear in court tomorrow. The defence team had already been told by the Royal Thai Police that it could re-examine a few items, including the alleged murder weapon which is a garden hoe. But in court today, based on the new testimony, the defence team was given fresh hope that the more crucial evidence could also be re-examined.

The prosecution claims DNA from the two Burmese suspects, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both aged 22, was found on or in Ms Witheridge’s body. The defence has now been told to once again compile a full list of the evidence it wants to retest, which will be submitted to the police forensics department, asking for it to be handed over to the Ministry of Justice Forensics Institute in Bangkok.

The trial adjourns tomorrow for almost a month. Andy Hall, the media spokesperson for the pro bono defence team, said: “I don’t think the court fully understood the testing process before, so when the police said the original samples had been used up, it believed there was nothing left to test. But the testimony of today’s witness has made it clear there would be conserved DNA residue, which could prove crucial to the suspects’ defence.”

Not investigated

The senior police officer investigating the killing of Norfolk student Hannah Witheridge in Thailand said today that he had not investigated rumours that she had been involved in an argument with a Thai youth on the night of her death.

Read more: http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/hannah_witheridge_murder_trial_defence_team_hope_to_re_test_crucial_forensic_evidence_1_4164482

"...While she could only speak for her own examination of the alleged murder weapon, some blood-spattered items of clothing, two cigarette butts and a condom found at the scene, she explained to the court that the same should be true for all the DNA samples gathered in the investigation."

....should be true...

From my understanding in many countries this would be stop down in 2 seconds by the defense.

her testimony has added absolutely nothing to these proceedings, why are we now going to have to revisit this session today with the people who are claimed to have actually done the lab work ?

The one good thing about this situation is the fact that the next person to examine the DNA (if it exists) is the generally highly respected uncorruptable Pornthip Rojanasunand

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornthip_Rojanasunand

Yes it will be interesting to see what she finds out.

But one question that I keep asking myself regarding their visit at the AC... what did Hannah's friend have to say? From what I understood David went there alone but Hannah came in with her friends. Can't they testify and tell if there was or was not a bar dispute? From what we read in the media the friends haven't made any comment... that's weird...

Which types of visas are illegible to this service?

Pretty ironic to have this news next to that one in the Thai Visa Newsletter:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/813195-japans-chartered-flight-ban-from-thailand-is-hurting-tourism-business/?utm_source=newsletter-20150330-1516&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

What has cause this train collision? humm... maybe the poor operational standards of the transport industry of Thailand in general?

The Online 90 days reporting will replace the usual visa run? Is that right or am I confused?

I have know her for many years.

She did like many expats on tourist visas and worked doing what she could do... from selling stuff to housekeeping.

You could tell that she had a heavy past but she fit in quite well on this island!

"According to the amendment, those who produce pornographic images of minors under the age of 18 with the intent to sell locally or overseas will have to pay a fine of up to Bt140,000 and/or a prison term of up to seven years"

I hope this "fine and/or prison term" is per image found...

What about the Thai islands? It cannot fall into the "Southern Thailand" category...

How does one tie string around their hands behind their back?

You tie your hands round your front and then step through them - after 12 hours of drinking it's simple.

How did he get the rope around his neck with his hands tied behind his back? Give that a try and get back to me.

Put the rope around your neck first, tied you hand in front of you then step through them...and jump!

Oudini did that every days Pffff

but if he did leave a suicide note why go through the trouble of getting his hands tied behind his back standing on a stool with a rope around his neck?

How does one tie string around their hands behind their back?

...and then pass their head through the string hanging from the ceiling?

Bit confused... didn't they find the dead body on a beach in Khanom yesterday?...or is it another one?

The bodies are piling up too quickly for me! Can't keep count...

I find it very sad that you base your opinion of a place on a few days here and there... I have been living on Koh Phangan for 4 years and I love it! I'm not into partying or yoga... I have a restaurant on the north west coast of the island. The best part of the island for me.

No there isn't much to do here if you're looking for cinema, bowling, shopping... But is it why you came to Thailand? You complain that you could not find the genuine Thailand but yet the only things that satisfied you where things that aren't Thai.

And by the way the road to Thong Nai Pan is not the main road at all! It's a new road they are building to accommodate the new 5 star resorts! This part of the island used to be a backpacker place less than five years ago. It takes time to build infrastructure. Especially in Thailand!

Koh Phangan is not perfect. I know that. If you expect paradise, european five star standard and fine dinning every night this place is not for you. But there are great family owned resort, amazing restaurants, beautiful beaches and great people. It just takes more than 5 days cast away on a luxury villa area to discover it!

I wish that for the rest of your stay you give up your expectation of what Thailand should be and let it charm you with it's unique ways!