sambum

"A ceremony was held with police to celebrate the honesty of all concerned."

So a freebie meal and booze up at the restaurant for "all concerned" -  the Police, Tourist Police, and Immigration staff etc.

I wonder who footed the bill for that one - it would have been nice if the British tourists had paid the bill in appreciation for their "hosts" honesty!

8 hours ago, mok199 said:

Here in Pattaya we battle fumes from disgusting old diesel tour buses, mini vans, old worn out song taos and somchais p/u truck....but we still have our 700 million dollar fake beach made of sand bags and dredged up muddy gravel...

Thought Mother Nature had reclaimed most of that anyhow?

I wonder what genius thought of that plan? It seems that Thai mentality consists of "papering over the cracks" in the cheapest way possible way (although the "pristine"beach didn't come cheap, by any means!) But to be honest, that part of Thailand needs more than a bit of new beach - it needs new water as well!

I have seen dirt tracks to houses have the potholes filled in with sand only for the potholes to reappear after a heavy downpour - and then when it dries out - THEY DO THE SAME THING AGAIN! Time after time!

I also see a patch of road outside some apartments down a badly lit side street has its tarmac replaced year after year because it is never repaired properly in the first place - obviously the cheapest quote - not the best - gets the job every time! 

The Council takes back all the wheelie bins for the garbage because some people don't pay their small fee every month for emptying them, so the garbage is dumped in plastic bags down a side road, or at the side of the main road where dogs and rats scavenge every night. And when the garbage IS collected, it is taken to a site where (last I heard) there are 250,000 tons of garbage increasing by the day because the incinerator has been broken for at least 8 years. The solution - cover it in nets!!!

And before someone says "If you don't like it - go home", for the most part, I DO like it, but that won't stop me from commenting on things that I DON"T like!!!

2 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

agree ! Their country their rules. Don,t like it leave. More room for me.

"Don,t like it leave" Same old, same old.

3 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Are the foreign women paying any attention to this?  Expect more half naked drunk women getting themselves into trouble during this holiday. Would you do this in your own country. Stupid is as stupid does.

"Would you do this in your own country"

Probably yes - if you are from "The West", (and not of a certain religious persuasion that can't even show their faces) but Middle East - definitely not! Even "skinny dipping" is acceptable in the right environment!

P.S Have you seen  the antics that the girls get up to in New Orleans during Mardi Gras in order to get a few tacky beads?

3 hours ago, twocatsmac said:

I also saw a similar guy fighting in the $#!t lodge but in December although I’m sure he was Australian. He acted in a similar way and lost a lot of blood ending the night at the Bangkok hospital around the corner. 

 

Sorry, but is the $#!t lodge the same place as the shitty lodge, and is it now known as the A**a Inn - Soi 1 Sukhumvit, as the Bumungrad is just round the corner?

Defence Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tratravanich said Prawit’s absence was because he suffered from food poisoning, not to avoid questions from reporters. 

Yeah, right!

46 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Did I see him fighting in shitty lodge? 

Recently, or way back in November - 5 months ago - when he first made a @#$% of himself?

22 hours ago, Brigand said:

Bangkok Hospital has been conspicuous by their absence from being mentioned in this thread and I bet they are one of the worst offenders.

See Post #98

More recently - 1 stitch in a cut 19,000 baht!

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It began with the millions in infrastructure money the Americans spent here, starting in the early 1960's. Without that, who knows if the Japanese would have had any interest in Thailand, as a manufacturing hub. One thing is for sure. They did not do it on their own. And to even consider the possibility that they can do it on their own at this point in time, and at this stage of the game, is to possess a degree of hubris that could be very damaging to the future of the nation.

 

Thailand needs tourism. But, they need tourists who spend money. The Chinese spend money worldwide. However, Thailand attracts very few big spending Chinese. They simply do not offer the level of service to attract them. Thailand attracts low spending Chinese, and the nation is suffering to a heavy degree due to that fact. Dunces like the biggest joke did a huge disservice to the nation, with his ultra nationalist agenda, and proclamations about foreigners being responsible for nearly every ailment that affected the nation. Thankfully, he was finally banished into oblivion, where he rightfully belongs. He was a tourism saboteur and an absolute fool.

I don't always agree with your posts, but I agree with this one!

In particular, the section about " foreigners being responsible for nearly every ailment that affected the nation." His making things as difficult as he could for ex pats at the same time as saying he was going to make it easier for them has shown the true colours of the man. How can you believe anything this man says after such a blatant disregard for the people who have lived here for years, and made a considerable financial contribution to the country, and in many cases  improved the lifestyles of many "breadline" Thais?

Although some might beg to differ, and consider tourism as "a drop in the ocean" compared to "Big Business", I am one of those who tends to look at the broader picture, and apart from the obvious money generated by tourism (hotels, bars etc) there are many other benefits that are not as obvious to "the naked eye". For instance, foreign businessmen here on holiday are not likely to invest (or encourage others to invest, or holiday) in a country that not only seems to merely tolerate their "guests", but openly show their contempt of the same. For example, when long stayers not only spend their money here all year, but have to deposit the equivalent of a year's income into a Thai bank for 6 months, and then leave half of it there "ad infinitum" - just one of the things we have to thank "BJ" (as Head of Immigration) for! 

And "Tourism Saboteur" I like!

18 minutes ago, Traubert said:

They aren't my numbers, it's a lift from TAT.

 

The last part came from Bloomberg.

 

TAT? Must be right then! 

6 hours ago, boonrawdcnx said:

Isn’t it funny - a country where so called “public servants” paid by our tax money play children’s games and don’t feel the need to inform the public - who has every right to know why thousands of people are moved to so called “inactive posts” - doing nothing - for political reasons while still leeching on our tax money!



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

“inactive post” Covers a multitude of sins, and everyone is left to speculate why!

And if your speculation includes criticism of a particular person/people or their actions - watch out!  

3 hours ago, ravip said:

 

Sometimes... it is very difficult to fathom who has the "little willie syndrome" and the "loosing face" thing. The Thais OR the people who accuse the Thais. The latter seems to be more likely at the frequency these appear here at the TVF.

The former (i.e. Thais) do not post on TVF, so your argument is invalid.

However,  posters on here do not try to murder people because they have "lost face" - Thais do - frequently!!!

10 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

"If I tell you, I will never be seen again" , is probably nearer the truth ! ????

"I don’t feel it’s right for me to talk" 

That was never a problem before! Or being seen to talk for that matter!

"Big Joke transfer: Rumors continue to fly as cosmetic surgery doctor scotches involvement"

Don't tell me that nobody thought that this was about BJ getting a new surgically enhanced profile/appearance?

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

BJ gets along with the Army not the police.  Thought you might like to know as that complicates the issue. 

Or makes it easier - depending on your standpoint!

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

For those who may not have caught it...

 

There's a line of reporting on this topic based OUTSIDE of Thailand that suggests this episode had nothing to do with a transfer or reassignment, and that that is merely a cover for a much more serious issue going on behind the scenes.

 

If anyone spots BJ driving into or out of police headquarters tomorrow, then we'll basically know that the outside Thailand reporting has been wrong. But if he's missing in action (MIA) from police headquarters tomorrow and thereafter, it will be a pretty good sign that the outside Thailand reporting has been correct.

 

My personal bet is some version of the outside Thailand reporting is correct, because that would explain the swiftness and totality of the authorities move to basically banish the guy from the public domain, pulling down his Twitter, Facebook accounts, etc etc. Those kinds of things normally would not occur just because of a routine reassignment/transfer.

 

 

I agree  raawyH (hundred) %!!!

13 hours ago, SammyT said:

 

Agreed. The guy was out there getting stuff done, at least. We complain that Thai cops do nothing, and then we someone like him steps up and does stuff, we complain that he's hogging the limelight

The only complaint that I have is his "making things easier for expats to stay here" statement, and his contradictory statement and actions a week later!

3 hours ago, Captain 776 said:

I got prescription at one of the major private hospitals.........next time I was in Pharma Choice I asked if they had it and how much for 30 pills.

The hospital was 4 times the price of Pharma Choice

 

The Dermatoligist charges 1150 BHAT for office visit but my excellent Cardiologist only charges me 150 BHAT.

They are all over the board some 600 some 800 and the others as I quoted, but for these O V ....I am not complaining because in USA, it is75-150 or more and the ones that are under 100 USD you can count on one hand.

 

Overall its still better across the board.

 

Medical system is totally __________ in America.

 

If I need a Ventolin 8nhaler in Thailand, its around 250 bhat over the counter, in USA, 100-150 for the office visit just to get the prescription, then go to pharmacy and pay your 15-35 dollar co-pay depending on your insurance and wait 1-4 hrs for it to be filled or ya just come back later.

 

so compared to here.......I aint complaining

Might be better if you put all your figures in baht OR dollars - I "ain't got no idea" how many baht there are to the dollar!

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

A 10 minute consultation with a GP at Bumrungrad gone from 800 to 1600 baht in two years, i have noticed that the aim of most specialist is to get you to do as many tests as possible, some useless and costly, and when you come to see them on a follow up visit, they send you again to the same tests... this is what happen when the cats are asleep and the rats having a field day...

Bangkok Hospitals chain - total rip off! About 8 years ago a friend of mine was charged 4,000 baht for a doctor to introduce himself before he even made an examination!

"He warned that directors of any entity deliberately ignoring the order risked a jail term of up to three months and/or a maximum fine of Bt5,000. "

Bet they're quaking in their shoes now - 5.000 baht - WOW! Get the family silver polished!

10 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Logic does not apply to anything over there.  One immigration official says one thing, others do another thing.  One person's policy varies from administration to administration, from coup to coup.

Can not but agree! "Big Joke" said he was going to make things easier for ex pats, and the very next week did the reverse!

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Not so sure about that. For Thailand I don't know if the case still has to go through a court, in some countries it does, as a check and balance to ensure it wasn't a forced confession.

 

And let's be realistic, forces confessions and scapegoats are par for the course here, for decades.

The "right?" was a tongue in cheek comment, as implied by the "?"

55 minutes ago, off road pat said:

let's check the DNA tests before condemning him to death...!?

 "If proven guilty the suspect will face the death sentence without any doubt at all."

What part of "If proven guilty" do you not understand?

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

And what happened to the laws that suspects faces are not allowed to be shown until proven guilty?

Apparently he's confessed - so he's guilty - right? 

8 hours ago, chrisinth said:

Sam, we seem to have crossed wires as to my comment. I was responding to a statement made about retirees, not tourists, about what people think is a considerable sum. Again, not about tourism or tourists.

 

But even given that, to try to show a visual of what I mean, as you state probably rightly, your average spending for an ex-pat would be about 50,000 baht a month. Some a lot more and some a lot less, but as an average. Now try and measure the accumulated figures for ex-pat income against the banking and industrial sectors of Thailand. One set of figures are measured in millions and the other in billions. These are the figures governments look at.

 

600,000 baht (your average ex-pat spending) would buy a new, lower end car or pick-up, I think that is a know fact. If you removed a vehicle from the roads of Thailand for every ex-pat living here how much of a difference do you think you would see in vehicle numbers? You wouldn't visibly see anything. This, IMO, is similar to how the government sees these figures, a drop in the ocean of realistic financial figures. 

 

So I still stick to my comment about what 'a considerable sum' means when looked at on different tiers.

"Now try and measure the accumulated figures for ex-pat income against the banking and industrial sectors of Thailand"

Chris, we do seem to have got our wires crossed at some point, as I thought I was replying to another poster, and comparing what a tourist spends to the amount that an ex pat spends. I was not comparing that to the "banking and industrial sectors of Thailand"