2fishin2

Its been a quiet few weeks since the last spurious Indian insurance claim too.

And isnt it always the same amount? I smell a rat.

Paiboons had a talking to... serious loss of face. Again. First the Temple flips him the bird, now he gets his bottom kicked and has to back down on legalizing speed.

He never did suggest legalizing methamphetamine, only a step towards decriminalization, which was taking it of the "dangerous narcotics" list. So there's nothing very different in this news article from his previous public statement. It was mainly just to clarify that he did not say "legalization" as others may have misinterpreted. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization.

Any change that is opposite to the tired old failed war is a welcome change. I am glad that at least someone in authority in Thailand has been giving some attention to the progress of other countries. Some repressive countries have still stuck with the old ways and continue to fight the war, with Singapore as an extreme example as I had described in detail in the other thread in this post and a following post: Thai Justice Minister: ya ba should be excluded from list of narcotic drugs (post 180)

However what has not been mentioned that is very important is factual information and education. Authorities must be careful not to disseminate false information (like Singapore still does) because this breeds mistrust.

worked in the 1930s, but these days people have access to the internet in which truthful information can easily be found. It is a shame that Singapore is still stubbornly following the outdated scare-mongering propaganda approach, and they've been doubling down in their efforts. I had a look at some of Singapore's brainwashing material, and with the Central Narcotics Bureau's Education Toolkit for Educators and Youth Counsellors in particular I could spend all day discrediting the many false statements it contains, some of which are as laughable as those contained in the Reefer Madness video. Pushing incorrect information is a very wrong way to tackle a problem.

Here is just one example on the internet of information about methamphetamine that is far more factual than scare-mongering. It is an interview with someone who works for a drugs testing service. Any member of the public can send in their drugs and they will say what is actually in them:

Another thing that should be done is allow and foster open and intelligent discussion and debate about drugs, with involvement from a variety of members of the public, including unbiased qualified medical professionals. The Justice Minister has set the ball rolling with his statements about the new major shift in mindset.

Complete and udder BS. Please dispute these pics. And you say we have the meth legality incorrect?

Ask the family and friends of these people what they think. BS!

They never left

Have noticed at Don Mueng that they require a paper boarding pass and showing on your mobile doesn't work.

Not true. On my last flight I watched several people use phones. I didnt because I didnt have mine at the time. Air Asia has the best app.

How long thai-visa members will cheer this police behavior in Thailand, before it is common knowledge, that the War on drugs is lost worldwide?

Probably the same length of time that we would cheer "thai-visa members" such as yourself who obviously support an abolishment on police intervention in the illegal drug trade.

Personally myself Id rather see them fight a so called "lost" battle rather than doing nothing at all and let them run rampant on the streets even more than they are today.

Dude really?

Yes, sure, but why is drug trade illegal in Thailand? What is the goal? Why some people are running rampant on the streets? The war on terror produces more terror, The war on drugs produces more drugs and users. Everybody, stop the hate speaking, stop this wars, start with education and the development of a new society.

LOL hippy from the sixties speak.

The junta government already thought of that and have their Sturmabteilung in the form of the military cadets.

You mistaken the armed guards are in green not red. Armed red will be shoot on sight. You should know that by now. Has been that since 2010. They don't stand a chance.

Correct again Eric, the military cadets will have 2 arms each. It is a mandatory requirement.

Military cadets dont carry firearms or participate in conflict. They are....students.

Did OLCI a few days ago for a Thai Lion Air flight with luggage.

The only positive was I selected our seats.

There was no bag drop counter to see at Don Mueang, had to queue and boarding cards were re-printed, fairly useless.

You werent looking at the right isle. I also flew Lion Air out of DM couple weeks back. Did online checkin, printed boarding pass,dropped bags off in out of check in 10 minutes.

Great thing this on line check in, select seats and print boarding pass. Heck with the right app, you dont have to print anything, just show your phone.

Technology is a wonderful thing now a days.

Do yourself a favor and when you leave the US declare the money. Its just a simple form and really no hassle at all. Just make sure to leave yourself enough time to find the airport immigration office and fill out your form.

How long thai-visa members will cheer this police behavior in Thailand, before it is common knowledge, that the War on drugs is lost worldwide?

Probably the same length of time that we would cheer "thai-visa members" such as yourself who obviously support an abolishment on police intervention in the illegal drug trade.

Personally myself Id rather see them fight a so called "lost" battle rather than doing nothing at all and let them run rampant on the streets even more than they are today.

Dude really?

The sad truth is the very few good Thais there are...do not like Thai people....Mater of fact that is how you know that they might be ok is if they admit that.

I've heard that. However, I know several good Thais. I think a lot has to do with the circumstances in which you meet them and the lifestyles they lead.

Yes of course and the lifestyle in which we lead. To be honest I have met many Thais in the years I have been here and either I like them less and less as I get to know them or I am repulsed at the beginning.

I don't think I would have done what smortherb did. Kudos on him for throwing that arrogant driver's garbage in the bin, but no way I would have done so with him still nearby.

While that US resident Bangkok dentist said nice things to him, I think becoming the center of attention like that was unnecessary. I speak Thai and am more likely to be offended by a stranger coming up to me and speaking in perfect English, assuming I'm just a clueless tourist who knows nothing about Thailand and apologizing for the behavior of her "fellow Thais" when she herself isn't even a Thai resident anymore.

What would her reaction have been if the aforementioned situation had unfolded in America? So a white American BMW driver throws garbage out his window. She throws it in the garbage. Smotherb then apologizes to her on behalf of his "fellow Americans"? To make it even more interesting, he lives in Thailand.

To be honest, she should have been the one who threw the garbage in the bin rather than smotherb, but instead, she got on her high horse looking down on her fellow Thais rather than honestly trying to tackle a problem.

I agree with you goodheart - although, I think it should become clear to you when you first meet a Thai, as to what they're like and whether you can accept their lifestyle and attitudes, it's not usually something that takes a long time to figure out. Social class alone is a defining characteristic.

I find I have a lot in common with middle and upper middle class educated Thais and very little common ground with your average rural dweller, for whom my relationships are of a transactional nature only. I can easily joke around with them for a minute or two when I'm buying something at a shop but I get uncomfortable getting too close - because rather than engage in an educated conversation many of them would rather make offensive, snickering comments about our noses or something. To me that is insulting, immature and not funny at all. If you're 30 or 40 and can't find something more interesting to talk about than a farang's nose, then you're boring. And you won't get any respect from me.

I point this out because I've been in these situations. One time I was in Laos and this older British guy, mid 70s married to a Lao women who's like 30 was talking to me and we initially talked about my job but it became clear to me that went over her head even though she appeared to be impressed by what I do. Turns out she never had a job, was some rural woman from the sticks who got married to the guy at 18 when he was already like 60 and despite being married to him for the past 12 or 13 years started going around the room making fun of all the westerner's noses nearby, about half an hour into our conversation. Rural Thai folk, especially those from Isarn and the north can be quite similar.

I knew then that this woman was just not of the social class I am used to and will make sure I don't associate with her or her friends again.

But you arent a judgmental kind of person are you?

NO! We do not queue, we do not "go missing" and certainly don't have beans and tomatoes for brekkies!

Woa hang on there Sparky. Im Murican and Im glad the Brits gave us baked beans for breakfast. And I like english muffins also.

We were awoken at 5am, hurried off the bus and told we needed a tuk/tuk to the centre which was about 20 minutes away.

Conveniently there were tuk Tuks waiting exactly where we got dropped off.

How do you expect me in this situation to know where I am?

Certainly I would not expect You to know where you are or were.

But it is a reasonable expectation for most people. Even the Indians stood on high mountians saying "wherethefuckarewe" and figured it out.

Myself, I think its reasonable to not know where you are when a bus drops you off somewhere in Thailand you have never been to before.

Myself, I think its reasonable to not have TV members such as yourself belittling and being argumentative towards another poster who comes here looking for a little advice.

Myself, I dont think that is too much of a reasonable thing to ask.

Dude really?

They have many cases of tourists who try to file fake police reports so they can make a claim with their travel insurance so they are understandably wary of cooperating when there is incomplete evidence and someone delays lodging a report.

Normally when something like this happens people don't delay filing a report and they get the name of the bus company, driver, where they were when it happened etc. Not that they driver and company are to blame, but this is all routine info needed in any police report, i.e when and where did the crime occur.

Define many. I highly doubt there is a high percentage of this of which you speak.

maybe while they are at it they could explain to the UN who they are - who voted them into office - who funds them and why, what gives them the right to act in any official manner or represt others and what they have done and are responsible for over the last decade

You are correct....for the Junta.

Do u travel alone or with a bunch of local? Do u have private transport waiting for u? Do u stay within makati? It's makati not makati city. Have u Try walking alone at night from ayala ave to burgos st. ? Have u try walking around chinatown or 168 etc. Try it. Try walking from. La cafe (old) name up and down the street. Try walking from la cafe to makati. It's a long walk. Yry b4 u defend the unknown

Where did I say Makati City,please tell me?

And yes I've walked all over Manila at night,Makati,Malate,Burgos Street we use to walk there from Makati Avenue where my buddy used to DJ at Time nightclub and Chihuahua (he's Latino so did Salsa nights there!)

To the Bronx Bar one of the few still open on Burgos Street at around 5-6:00am and guess what...we had a wonderful time,no problems,no attacks,nothing!

Because you are native Phillippino YOU will have no problems going around areas or taking foreign friends around but foreigners may have problems. Thailand has 65 million people---Phill has 100 million. Beaches are even nicer in Phill but Thailand gets almost 30 million tourists a year---the Phillippeans less than 5 million. Why ? People don't want to visit poor dirty looking country where they may be kidnapped and they see armed guards at McDonald's ,banks , malls and many other places. Do you see that in Thailand, Vietnam or Laos? And you know that the country sends their Dr's nurses, school teachers ect overseas to make money to send home because of the poor conditions in Phill.

No in Thailand they just attack and kill tourists. Quit being so ridiculous in your post.

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

"There can be no exceptions. Work is work, even if it is for charity"

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Tsunami-volunteers-warned-work-permits/4057

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

Can you read between the lines? This is not the same thing as a farang picking up trash on a local beach.

After living in Thailand over 11 years I now refuse to pick up litter along the seashore or elsewhere ( I had done a couple community clean-ups. Why? What I observe is it is the Thai that is dumping the bags of trash into the sea or leaving their plastic bag of soup or foam container laying around. You think seeing trash laying around or seeing a farang pick up after them would embarrass them- but they just sit around & smile. This country needs to educate their citizens to not pollute- but this kind of negligence proves Thailand is still a developing country.

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

It happens everywhere and is NOT LIMITED to Thailand only. Quit with blame of all Thais for the bad acts of a few. Thailand DOES NOT hold the solo license on this subject.

I dont know what's worse the taxi driver of many of the TV posters here. You got to be shittin me with some of yall's attitudes....

Drive around Rawai at 9 or 10 pm not a sole to see. But that's every year the same at this time, well the last 4/5 years.

I don't think Rawai can be dead, because it's never really been alive.

Actually Rawai is one of the best kept secrets in Phuket. Dont spoil it [emoji2]

hypocritical article

Islam is state religion there and they impose their religious laws even on non-muslims.

see:

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/ramadan-faqs-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-holy-month-in-the-uae

I guess women and girls should also take special to not get raped during Ramadan, because this would be considered especially offensive, potentially carrying much heavier punishments for the girl...

Do you live here? Do you know anything about here?

Another typical bigoted, small minded poster!

Get a life bud take your trolling post somewhere else.

I visited several times.

I suggest you go trolling somewhere else.

UAE imprisoning rape victims under extramarital sex laws – investigation

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/hundreds-of-women-prosecuted-for-extramarital-sex-in-uae-finds-bbc

I live here. People are progressive more than the majority of Muslims in the rest of the world.

When you live in a foreign country you have to follow the host country's laws. Not to difficult of a concept.

Please unless you have experienced the country or holidays such as the OP describes, dont bring your trolling argument here. The thread is not about sex or laws.

hypocritical article

Islam is state religion there and they impose their religious laws even on non-muslims.

see:

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/ramadan-faqs-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-holy-month-in-the-uae

I guess women and girls should also take special to not get raped during Ramadan, because this would be considered especially offensive, potentially carrying much heavier punishments for the girl...

Do you live here? Do you know anything about here?

Another typical bigoted, small minded poster!

Get a life bud take your trolling post somewhere else.

All the foreigner needs to do is call his insurance company and they will pay for his damages. 1st class insurance pays everything here - even damage caused by self if you drive into a tree, for example.

His pride may be hard to swallow but as long as he has 1st class insurance, he won't be a dime out of pocket (notwithstanding a possible deductible of 1000-2000 Baht but since this incident wasn't his fault, the deductible probably won't apply).

Sorry but that's not all that needs to happen. The farang was assaulted by a taxi driver and as such the police needs to be involved. Besides criminal actions on the police end, a civil action should be initiated by the farang against the out of control taxi driver!

And lest we all not forget the taxi driver's child is in his car while this assault takes place. Great role model for the future don't ya think?

In this circumstance there is a right person ( farang) and a wrong person (Taxi driver). This isn't rocket science although, some of you idiots are trying to make it as such. Yeah right the farang was suppose to sit there and let the taxi driver get away with the car assault and damage. Some of you guys have completely lost your minds. SMDH

^^^ NKM you have some strange personal logic. I cant argue with you because you dont seem to think like the rest of the people here. Please carry on and enjoy life [emoji2]

But you are incorrect, the majority of tourists who come to Phuket are NOT your version of sex tourists. And just because a person has a little lady for the evening does not automatically make him a sex tourist.

Is it possible to be a "long term sex tourist?"

Probably if they live in Patong [emoji2]