Scouse123

I am a Gold member with Qatar and in February came back in business, although not Q suites.

I can see they are now cutting corners, but NOT PRICES, in this business class.

The amenity bag was smaller, with less in it, and wasn't that much better than the economy.

Another first was they came back to me on the MAN-BKK leg and told me I couldn't have the surf and turf starter, as they didn't have enough, and would I be prepared to accept Arab Mezes. The chocolates are hit and miss, and the bathrooms in business used to have far better gels, hygiene kits etc

There wasn't the attention given in standard business as in Q suites, the plane was late departure from Manchester (unusual) and we were held on a stairway for over 20 minutes before boarding.

By this time Economy had joined the scrum, the ground staff couldn't differentiate on the stair landing, it was like a Y-shaped approach, there was supposedly a front stairway for business and a rear for economy, but they merged to one as you went in the final lane to board, so we gave up and just stood in the queue and boarded.

The flight was packed and the crew was flustered.

I go again in May and I am going A380 BKK-DOH and DOH-BKK legs. economy at the front, and Business DOH-MAN and MAN-DOH.(Q suites)

At the front economy section in row 40 on the A380 I am happy enough.

17 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

 

Is that from the letter written by the exiting British Consul to his replacement years ago?

 

It was a verbal exchange in 2002 by the then HM Consul Mr Deryck Fisher and myself when I was in a dispute where the RTP were clearly in the wrong and I provided video evidence backing up my claim.

The biggest problem of these investigation teams and committees is that they are always led by themselves, eg, Police investigating Police and it very seldom never results in justice for the victim/aggrieved person.

It hasn't happened on my last couple of trips but I find Don Muang and DOHA in Qatar a pain in the backside when we have to take buses instead of going alongside and using the air bridges.

These two airports were especially bad for this. I try always now when flying to or from Doha to get the A380 as they always park up at the terminal.

12 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Immigration going out is completely unnecessary.  

They want the cash cow called overstay money.

8 hours ago, flyingfox1 said:

anyone flown into manchester uk ? 

it’s a sht hole , the worst by far of any country i’ve flown into 😂 

I don't agree with that at all.

I find it a good airport to fly from.  It is modern, we went through procedures very quickly on our return to Thailand.

4 hours ago, vangrop said:

does yours have one

They were in use in Manchester when we returned to Thailand on February 5th 2024.

I quizzed them about it being a bit of a novelty not having to go through all the liquid-in-a-bag nonsense. We have had it now for so long.

Security informed me they had just been rolled out in London as well, to be closely followed by the rest of the country.

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The UK government set a deadline of June 2024 for airports to introduce 3D scanner technology, that would end the need to remove liquids and laptops during pre-flight security checks.

 

Heathrow and Gatwick still do not have them.

Manchester does have them because we were part of the testing programme ( looking to see if it was working correctly and ironing out any wrinkles) during the rollout on February 5th 2024, security also informed me that it was now in use in London as well.

So, it's more than likely, that they have them now as Heathrow is a far bigger hub for the UK airport industry than Manchester.

53 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

100% Agree....        Its difficult to have a discussion making a point from this perspective without some binary thinker dichotomising the situation into one whereby if we don't want the swiss man hung, we must be supporting him...  which of course isn't true.

 

BUT... what I see here is the juvenile nature in-which this issue was turned into a witch-hunt....  The issue now of course is that social media has registered such a high-click-density that it has its recipe to generate further Ad-revenue....  

 

.... Thus we end up with a media-led fervour which influences the official response....

 

 

Imagine a Thai woman in a BMW dangerously cuts me up and causes an accident in which her arm is broken, I get out and shout at her for causing the accident and this is caught on social media....   there are numerous stories covering the incident which concentrate on what a bad foreigner I am for shouting at her, and swearing !!!.....    Social media asks for heads !!!.....    Authorities investigate and find out that I had a 2 day over-stay 15 years ago and I should be deported and black-listed..... 

 

Of course, unlikely - but we can see how social media and the media have influenced the decision of authorities to investigate more and find deeper issues....    So, is this now the status quo ?....   have a problem with a local and all of our dealings, visa, business etc is dug up and investigated... just incase the can find something to use against us... ???

 

Is this going to empower locals to behave with an air of superiority with foreigners ???

 

OR... (as I reality believe) - is nothing going to change and this really is not going to impact any of us anyway ?... 

I've never come around to the idea that foreigner is always at fault, I consider I've always been treated fairly and expect that I'll continue to do so....   

 

This weeks examples have just been a couple of scummy foreigners behaving poorly and thankfully Thai's are smarter than this and deal with us individually based on our individual merits. 

 

 

 

 

I think you are right actually.

6 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

I couldn't hold back giggling as I saw the photo.

He is looking like a 1952 Volkswagen Beetle with parking lights on, absolut harmless and could not even hurt a fly in my opinion.

 

Good bye Mr David, 

may I give you a hint? RESPECT has to be earned in Thailand. 

 

I did it with many wais, always a "krup" ending the sentence, a "krapom" instead of a yes, joining all Village festivals especially when my neighbors ask to come with them, taking selflessly my nephew into the house after he had a brain stroke and the family was desperate how to handle this situation, care for him whith whatever I can bring up, shared my farm with my workers instead of paying salary, be part of them in all matters and smile away any bad situation.. 

(Just a few examples of many in 22 years)

 

What did the Thai people therefore for me?

They gave me a real family life and lots of happiness, which no money in the world could buy.. 

 

Uh, Mr David, I forgot that probably the only Thai you have around you is your wife and obviously you educated (or spoiled) her well.

Lucky for her: She can't get deported and also Swizerland has Western Union...

 

Was that worth it to be a selfish and ignorant bada**? 

You seem to be gloating and getting off on other people's misfortune and stupidity.

This has developed from being a matter for the courts and to be dealt with sensibly and through the courts into a witchhunt judged, tried, found guilty and executed by the Press and media.

Far bigger crimes going unpunished in this country.

6 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

I couldn't hold back giggling as I saw the photo.

He is looking like a 1952 Volkswagen Beetle with parking lights on, absolut harmless and could not even hurt a fly in my opinion.

 

Good bye Mr David, 

may I give you a hint? RESPECT has to be earned in Thailand. 

 

I did it with many wais, always a "krup" ending the sentence, a "krapom" instead of a yes, joining all Village festivals especially when my neighbors ask to come with them, taking selflessly my nephew into the house after he had a brain stroke and the family was desperate how to handle this situation, care for him whith whatever I can bring up, shared my farm with my workers instead of paying salary, be part of them in all matters and smile away any bad situation.. 

(Just a few examples of many in 22 years)

 

What did the Thai people therefore for me?

They gave me a real family life and lots of happiness, which no money in the world could buy.. 

 

Uh, Mr David, I forgot that probably the only Thai you have around you is your wife and obviously you educated (or spoiled) her well.

Lucky for her: She can't get deported and also Swizerland has Western Union...

 

Was that worth it to be a selfish and ignorant bada**? 

RESPECT has to be earned anywhere and why do you think it is unique to Thailand?

I've seen plenty of ill-mannered Thais just as much as ill-mannered foreigners.

I really can't be bothered when some posters try to put Thais on a pedestal just for behaving like civilised human beings. They have plenty have faults, plenty, just like the rest of the world.

Khrap and Krapom are just expressions, as is the Wai, they mean nothing and are empty unless you go about your daily life being kind and considerate, not just using words or behaviour in the short term when there are others around.

9 minutes ago, Snig27 said:

 

Add to that ancient cumbersome security machinery and processing procedures. Most airports don't ask you to remove shoes and belts anymore, and many don't want computers taken out. Instead of fiddling about buying useless submarines maybe the money would be better spent on security at the airport.

 

 

I still think Swampy is a quantum leap ahead of grubby old KLIA. Rude staff, broken everything and shabby facilities. 

Many of the UK airports including where I fly from/to Manchester, don't even require you to take liquids out of your hand baggage anymore.

Just leave everything in your bags.

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Lets see what sticks

We will have to wait while they form a committee and have a meeting about forming a committee, to see if it warrants a committee meeting.

As an ex-British Consul once said to be:-

" It's endemic (corruption) it starts at the very top and infiltrates right down to the woman selling noodles on the street "

He seems always to be in the news for the wrong reasons.

For him to still be constantly attacked and in the limelight means there's a power play from within the RTP and they can't even sort themselves out.

I've always had the view he was corrupt as hell both on AN and TVF before it. Many on here used to rave that he was the only honest cop!!!

Yeah, right!    None repeat none of them in high positions in the RTP are honest, or low positions, in fact, in any position.

Some are just less corrupt than others.

1 hour ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Agree with OP regarding swiss men, I do not condone what they did, however, there are 70 million plus Thais in Thailand, with assalts, bashings, rapes, murders by Thais everyday in Thailand. Do you see the media covering those cases, no, because nobody cares, better story if 'farang' involved. Media BS at its best.

Spot on, but it doesn't whip up Nationalistic furore the same as a White foreigner being involved, no matter how minor the offence such as visa overstays, or theft from a 7-11, take your pick.

If the culprit had been Chinese would it have drawn the same attention or would mediators have been flown in to sort out the ' misunderstanding '

Anyway, the Elephant man's ' goose has already been cooked ' as far as Thai Law is concerned, trial by media.

That is unless it applies to something the Thais themselves have done wrong, then they expect compromise and to mediate and sort things out quietly for the good of the nation.

The only thing here is the Swiss that attacked the woman in the supermarket goes to court who will decide his fate and then a decision will be made on his visa extension status.

By the photographs, this was a particularly brutal and nasty attack. You would rate this higher in the violence index than the kick-in-the-back steps assault.

The other Swiss, who I have no time for and think is an absolute <deleted> BTW, already has had the visa revoked.

The only thing here is, is dual standards.

The Elephant Man, who is a repeat offender of minor nuisance and transgressions, but has not been convicted of any of this, has been Judged, tried and deported by the Media. Now, even the national government is involved, so he has no chance.

His Ambulance middle finger escapade has only attracted 5,000 baht in fines. So, it wasn't high up on the serious crimes list.

There are complaints daily regarding Thais not giving way to Ambulances or altercations caused by an Ambulance ' tooting his horn ' to get through, thereby upsetting someone's fragile ego.

I have NEVER in all these years, seen the speed, acted upon by local government at which those steps up to the Villa on public land have been removed. Normally, it's backwards and forwards for years.

Now, after an inspection of 30-plus villas ( I might be wrong on the number) 20-plus have been deemed to have been built illegally.  Well, who takes responsibility for signing off on that? Or is it the same as they do with the Police and move them to an inactive post within local government until it all dies down?

12 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

  Out on the farms in Isaan they are not even seen. 

No, What is seen up here on the farms are illegal Indian moneylenders working for the Chinese/Thai going around daily pressuring for interest on loans that should never have been given in the first place.

5 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

It flows in exactly the same direction - you missed it again.

Yes there are many reasons why illegal employment has increased in Thailand and the ones you liosted are definitely a factor. But as I said, the relaxation of Visa rules has been the main contribution to the increase in their numbers - over and above the 'normal' numbers that have occurred in Thailand.  Another one is that tourism has increased in Thailand and there are more jobs than this time last year. And many more. But the Visa relaxation has caused a lot of problems. I know a guy that lives in Phuket (Rawai) - he has nothing but bad news about all the illegals working there - mainly Russians/Ukrainians). It is the same everywhere - not Russians/Ukrainians - they seem to be Phuket and Hua Hin mainly, but there are many others and the other tyoruist locations.  Out on the farms in Isaan they are not even seen. 

More Gibberish.

9 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

 Mate - you definitely need to take a chill pill - quite a few of them.

1. It is not about you.

2. It is not about you.

etc etc etc etc.

Gibberish.