phrisco17

I went to Tesco in my town on the fourth. I thought if there were no plastic bags on that day there would be alternative bags, either paper or to purchase. Guess what? I left the store with a shopping cart full of groceries and zero bags. I think if the stores are not going to provide plastic on the 4th of every month then they must supply atlernatives. To just not provide any bags at all is simply poor customer service. Oh, I forgot what country I'm now in... Anyway that's my "Nickle and Dime" rant!

21 hours ago, silverhawk_usa said:

The Mustang Eco Boost  specs:  21mpg city/31mpg hwy/25 combined (MT). 310 Horsepower.  That is American specs and are quite good.  I don't know how to translate into Euro Specs.   I rented one on my trip to the US this summer and it was quite an impressive car, but not at the price they will sell for here.  Base price in the U.S. is just under $30,000. 

$30,000 or 1M Baht plus the 2.5+M Baht tax = 3.5M. And then there is VAT as well. Quite a windfall for the Government.

5 hours ago, davehowden said:

So many are sick through poor diet, alcohol and substance abuse, and so few contribute to the Health Care system through taxes other than VAT, what can anybody expect ?

Not even VAT... It is reported that only 4% of the population pay income tax and I assume that same 4% (and tourists) pay the largest share of the collected VAT. The majority buy where VAT is not charged, i.e. local markets, small shops/resturants or the street .

4 hours ago, manarak said:

I'm disappointed by the obvious lack of swastikas!

 

we don't know the name of that hotel?

 

there is one strange thing in the photo: the door on the right, this kind of doorhandle and lock is quite rare in Thailand.

The AC unit with the efficiency sticker still attached is definately Thailand!

I have noticed over the past 10 years,  there is a tendicy in this country to use the plural "s" behind those words that are already plural e.g., there are many aircrafts, womens, mens,  sheeps, etc.; and to drop the "s"  when using singular words in the plural context e.g., there are many car, house, shop,  etc. The thought process is strange to say the least (and I work with mostly college grads with relatively good English skills).

On ‎8‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 6:06 PM, Sir Dude said:

Despite the authorities being right on this and on the one they tried to do before about no people in the back of pickups etc...the locals have shown their complete contempt again for safety and their willingness to accept the awful road situation and it's human casualties and results. In both case the authorities have made a swift 180 in fear of upsetting people who are completely unqualified to give a sensible answer on almost anything. Until the local population start to collectively give a sh%t about anything then it will remain lost.

17 hours ago, el jefe said:

You do realize that they are going to kill stray dogs because someone died of a CAT bite, right?

I'm not recommending they kill every cat, but this is a bizarre response to a non-existent problem. The dogs didn't cause this problem.

Five or six people will die from rabies this year. How many people will die on the roads?

Why don't we fix the driving problems here first?

Misguided priorities.

Why doesn't this Country do both? By the way, there are so many snakes it's hard to decide which one to kill first!!!!!

3 minutes ago, PAIBKK said:

This might slow down some ...

 

Motorbikes would still try to get thru!

It's dangerous in Thailand to stop for pedestrians at a cross walk because cars in adjacent lanes do not stop or even slow down and motorbike riders, in a rush to the barbeque, zipping in between and around cars on either side. Sometimes one is placing the pedestrian in greater danger by stopping.

It would be more effective to take pictures of those cars that do not stop. The BIB could then send them a ticket..... Oop's I forgot, the ticket would be ignored and probably would not get paid.

9 hours ago, giddyup said:

Why? The American police have been paying informers for decades.

Which is better than the reward going to the police for doing their job!!!

Just purchased a car in the USA for my daughter! Dealer provides a temporary tag that is placed in the rear window and is good for 60 days within which time the tax must be paid and permenant plates installed. 

The red plate the Thai dealer provides does not have the embossed  seal (probably a copy). The police will fine 500 baht if one is stoped. Have to deposit 3000 Baht with the dealer for an official embossed plate (refundable upon return).

As for the red plate rules, Thais like to make things complicated and ambiguous.

Because labor cost is extreamly low, as is in Thailand, and technology expensive it is cheaper in the long run to hire workers than invest in technology. Hence, an over abundance of workers in almost every business; manual accounting/paper backing up computer systems; and several manual laborers doing the job of one equipped with the modern equipment. And there is the added benefit to the government of a low unemployment rate. Technology is a commodity that's not in great demand here neither by business nor government!

Sorry to say, but since almost everything here is done manually and even the simplest technology of the past 50 years has been ignored and suppressed, the introduction of just a few early

 innovations could put 10 million Thais out of work. 

4 hours ago, trogers said:

Why not go many steps further and say that because there is no representatives of the people, we do not see legitimacy in any law and order?

 

We can do as we like...

What do you think is going on right now and has been going on for eons? The nationals are doing as they like, representation or not!!!!

What beach tourists want!!!!

"Manpower problems" caused by too many vendors looking for a fast Baht with little work involved. Get them off the street, teach them a vocation/skill and into the work force. Problem solved.

The hub of everything!

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Yes, all of this technology is visually appealing and handy for parade photo ops.

 

Or not, when it crashes in a spectacular ball of flames and smoke traumatizing the children on "Children's Day"?

And most do not understand the technology much less its proper use!

Lots of crashes attributed to poor piloting skills, especially in bad weather; many military  pilots do not have an instrument rating and/or experience.  Military flight training/experience does not convert to a Civilian License as it does in other counties; pilots require additional training and evaluation prior to receiving a civilian license. Military Pilots are not required to communicate with Air Traffic Control in English; most have poor English communication skills. Military pilots function in an heirarchial and feudalistic cockpit where the captain is always right regardless; multi crew concept and cockpit resource management are vogue buzz words with little or no application. The problem in a nut shell.

It will be pretty stealthy when docked behind the aircraft carrier! Outta sight, outta mind!

Just look around!

Sidewalks with sink holes, pavers missing and extreamly uneven surfaces; and impeded by obsticles like motorbikes, tables, chairs, plants etc; and covered with vendors carts, umbrellas and associated tables and stools,  forcing pedestrains to take to the street which also may require circumnavigation of vendors encroached on the shoulder and/or outside lane.

Streets and hiways littered with vendors, and markets, with motor bikes, cars, tuk-tuk's vans and pickups parked three deep requiring heards of pedestrains to proceed in the one lane remaining for traffic. Oh yeah, and turning the stop light off at intersections during markets, real smart!

Crosswalks (zebra crossings as refered to in LOS) for which no vehicle ever gives way  to waiting pedestrains.

Traffic lights that do not work or not stopped for; a green arrow signifying a protected u-turn and traffic approaching from the opposite direction viewing a sign stating not necessary to stop on a red light if continuing straight ahead.

Stop signs and traffic signals no one obeys.

Bicycle lanes full of parked motor bikes, vehicles and vendors.

Motorbikes zipping in and out of traffic as if they own the road and no one else matters but them; and gathered like bowling pins at  intersections just waiting for a strike or maybe a spare when hit by an errant vehicle/driver as brake failure and loss of control is more than common; as is the ability to understand what a blinking green light or yellow light means and much less that red means stop.

Pickup trucks loaded with 15+ passengers and passengers sitting on top of loaded trucks and motor bike sidecarts and  atop of overloded trucks.

Transport of gas cylinders and wielding tanks on motorbike side cars.

Telephone, electric, cable TV wire, etc. hanging down at waist level or even lying on the sidewalk.

Tree limbs, umbrellas and signs on sidewalks requiring one to duck under them or loose an eye or suffer a bump on the head.

Not to forget, helmetless motor bike riders, more than 2 on a motor bike, babies and young children on motor bikes, licenseless drivers, lack of vehicle insurance, unmanicured trees, bushes and everything else, ETC., ETC., ETC!!!

The people don't care, the government don't care and the police don't care!

Safety in Thailand is an oxymoron.

Sorry to say, the only way to get everyones undivided attention is thru litigation!

1 hour ago, tukkytuktuk said:

Maybe the mobile phones that were switched on taking photos messed with the airplanes electronics.

No affect what so ever! Most countries now allow small electronic devices (phones and pads) to be used portal to portal in the airplane mode. If you listen carefully to the briefing (example Thai Smile) you will hear "electronic devices utilizing cellular technology must be switched off" meaning no messaging or 4G, etc. However the crews interpretation is all must be off, no music, movies or games! 

Key not to work after 4 hour driving? What happens in the case of two drivers or a driver change en-route? Tachographs are the established method of controlling drivers hours.

You are forgetting that TachoGraphs require enforcement which is seriously lacking here!

My wifes family still do the same things that they did in grandpas day.

I tried before my accident to get them to change things, get new seed.

Stop ploughing the rice in at different depths, buy a rotovator, so all the seed would be at the same depth.

Would they listen to a stupid farang NO WAY.

Same old same old, then moaning we cannot make money, rice no good, yet they will not change anything.

I wouldn't have listened to you either, or were you are rice farmer back home before?

Go work on the outside of your house in any European country and every neighbor that walks by will give you some tips on how to do it better. But none of them have the skills.

Instead of commenting you should have bought a tiny piece of land, hired some labor (or do it yourself), and SHOW them how it is done better.

If you yield better crops at a lower cost I am sure they would be standing in line to get your advice.

No, they would want to buy the land because it was lucky and good karma!!!