Spock

56 minutes ago, JimGant said:

The ordinary farang in Thailand should not perceive that this episode has anything to do with them. The wealthy in all countries in the world get a leg up over the less well-to-do, whether this is because they can afford better lawyers -- or the system affords them an outright bribe situation, as this case represents. Absolutely nothing that should alarm the ordinary farang in Thailand.

 

In fact, that corruption is so naked, as this episode represents, actually shows the other side of the coin, namely, a bribe can smooth over some bureaucratic road bumps, like certain Immigration requirements. And everyone can end happily: You get the extension you need; the agent gets a fat fee; and the Imm officer gets part of that fee, so that he's now getting paid what he should be -- and the Thai taxpayer is NOT funding that pay raise. What's so bad about this form of corruption......

 

Why do you still live here, if they "inevitably" will try and do you over? Paranoia is a terrible disease to live with.

 

Using this example as a warning to farang visitors *against* Thailand is baloney. Corruption has been with Asia for eons. It probably will never ever affect you here in Thailand -- and if it does, as pointed out, might be in your favor.

 

No, corruption should not be on any visitor's radar. But, being much less likely to be mugged in the streets of a Thai city, verses the streets of Chicago or Wash DC -- might be a topic of discussion for future visitors/retirees.

 

Corruption in Thailand will never go away. It's the way things have been done for ages -- and it greases more skids than not. Judging it by Western standards is a non starter.

 

Perhaps you don't care about the innocent policeman dragged hundreds of meters to his death under the car. Having had a Thai mate recently serve 9 years in jail for a far lesser crime than this animal committed, I tend to react somewhat unfavourably to cases such as this in which the criminal escapes punishment due to systemic corruption that goes right to the top in Thai politics and judicial system. 'Judging it by Western standards is a non starter' ignores the fact that this is not about West versus East but rather morality and giving a damn about the plight of the little man versus the rich who never have to face the consequences of their actions. Some foreigners just throw away their moral compass once they have spent a few years living in Thailand. 

Why bother disciplining this guy and others when the red bull heir wanders the world untouched. I doubt that too many Thai people are even concerned about this miscarriage of justice. I am sure most people accept his preferential treatment as just par for the course in Thailand. Thailand all too often fails to take a moral position on important issues, including this case and the invasion of the Ukraine.  

3 hours ago, RandiRona said:

“Pattaya police suggested the victim to get a good recovery and come to them if she intended to press legal action against her boyfriend. Police did not immediately press charges on their own.”

“He was reportedly aggressive as he kept shouting, broke his own property, and proclaimed nonchalantly in English that he was backed up by police,”

 

He wasn’t lying. What a honest truthful Falangs!! Pattaya deserves more people like him… Hats off to you Sir!!!

I see a big brown envelope exchanging hands.

2 minutes ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

Amazing a LAW and still they cannot spell LICENCE corectly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You misspelt 'correctly'.

I wouldn't shake hands with someone who had just met Hun Sen.

40 minutes ago, allanos said:

Not victim blaming, but how unfair is it to put such overwhelming

temptation in front of a couple of poor persons earning peanuts?

 

It seems iniquitous to me!

That's not fair. an hotel employee has to be a trusted soul, someone to who you can leave your room and its contents without fear of theft. My proviso is that money and valuables should be locked away if possible or otherwise secreted. Temptation is a given - how it's coped with is the measure of the trustworthiness of the employee.

6 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

So go to the doctor and spend 150 baht on a certificate stating you have glaucoma and need medicinal weed. Is that REALLY all that difficult? And the doctors could use the business as well. Win win!

Yet another poster who obviously knows little about marijuana. The medicinal stuff is not going to have the kind of THC content that will remotely satisfy a serious recreational user.  You may indeed be a 'happyexpat' but it's not the result of indulging in weed.

48 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

One of the most idiotic aspects of this whole "debate" must be the constant fear-mongering that weed is secretly being slipped into food and drink - as if any vendor would add an expensive ingredient without touting the fact and charging extra... 

All this nonsense you read in here about a flower (@700 baht a gram) being slipped into food that is probably cheaper than the flower placed in it! Just astounds me how dangerous a tiny bit knowledge can be in the hands of the uneducated, including boomers who obviously failed to boom but should still know better. If a leaf or two had been slipped into anything, the imbiber would be none the wiser, but no one is going to waste an expensive bud sticking it in the food of some consumer. Why would they do it? What would they hope to gain? 

4 hours ago, PJPom said:

All I can say is GOOD, how many others think legalising Cannabis was wrong.

I now wait to be told I am a boomer and know nothing.

I am a boomer and know a hell of a lot more than the younger generation about marijuana. Your youth was obviously nowhere near as misspent as it could or should have been. 

Whether legalising was right or wrong, what is wrong is allowing so many people and businesses to spend a lot of money setting up what they thought was a legal trade then change the regulations and force them out of business. The government should not be making up policies as they go along. This is just another example of the Thai government not thinking through a situation before introducing new regulations to the public.

24 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

probably wise to keep opinions to yourself until absolutely necessary.

I'd have thought anytime was 'absolutely necessary' when it comes to criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And Russians do appear to be entering in Thailand in droves. This on the day that the Russians exit a key city and the Ukrainians move back in! 

23 minutes ago, Bigstef said:

With an e-visa we can use th Thai line?

I think you missed the 'Thai wife' bit.