richard_smith237

13 hours ago, KKr said:

and, did you get out of the car ?

In Bangkok the taxi I was traveling had his phone on the instrument cluster display (speedo etc), the taxi driver was watching a movie.

when I told him it was dangerous and asked him to turn it off he said he was just charging the phone. I asked him to stop so I could get out, only then did he put the phone on the seat.

This was in response to KKr's comment on page 2 of this thread and identifies exactly how little regard there is for the safety of others out there on Thailands roads.

The issue with UBER, Grab and any other Taxi, Motorbike and delivery vehicle is the 'human aspect'.... 

In short - some of the guys driving / riding are quite dumb. 

For the most part 'drivers / riders' turn up at my address without issue, but sometimes simply arriving at a fixed address is simply too difficult for someone who can't read a map, can't read instructions and is unable to follow simple verbal instructions (in their own language).

I've had drivers go up and down Soi 30 when my Map link and stated address clearly shows Soi 28 - when the drivers have finally turned up it is with some attitude that my address is not where they thought it should be until I point out (again) that they were driving / riding up and down the wrong Soi. 

It's not through a lack of Thai, its simply a lack of intelligence, I can't put it down to anything else - Friends, work colleagues etc find my place first time 100% of the time without issue - it just a small minority (perhaps 5%) who somehow fail in this simplest of tasks (arriving at a destination), of course, once the journey commences the reasons are obvious - I'm dealing with an idiot. 

Thai news reports that the Taxi driver fired a stone with a catapult (slingshot - semantics) through his own window and the window of the Porsche.

That a stone fired via a catapult could penetrate through two tempered safety glass is somewhat questionable... I wonder if the Taxi driver actually fired a gun in anger and then quickly back-pedaled... 

1 hour ago, pennine said:

That's not what I am talking about. I'm talking about motorbikes who overtake on the left with just enough room for the handle bars, then cut in front of you for good measure.

In central Bangkok the motorbikes flow around you like water...  for the most part it seems to work, we (car drivers) just have to ensure we do not make any sudden maneuvers or lane changes and drive predictably so that the motorcyclists and select a path around us when 'threading traffic'.

This does not mean that the motorcyclists are riding unsafely, its the only way for them to 'get ahead' in heavy traffic which apart from cheaper costs is pretty much the sole purpose of having a motorcycle in the city. 

I do get frustrated at the amount of times I consider I've 'saved' a motorcyclists from injury when they have 'chanced their luck' in pulling out in front of me or cutting me up and I am forced to emergency brake.

For the most part it seems to work and there is relatively little 'coming together' of motorcyclists and cars in the central city areas given the potential - That said: Thailand is now #1 for road deaths for a reason.

IF you have a smart phone you can use a number of reliable Apps to book a Taxi to the Airport. 

1) UBER

2) Grab

3) All Thai Taxi

With UBER you can select 'UBER Flash' (which means you 'may' get a regular taxi or any other type of UBER willing to take you) or if you don't wish to have a regular taxi you can select 'UBER X' (regular car) or 'UBER Black' (something a little better such as a camry).

With Grab you can select 'Just Grab' (which means you 'may' get the nearest taxi or any other type of Grab Car willing to take you. Or if you don't wish to have a regular taxi you can select 'Grab Car'.

Estimated prices are quoted for both Apps. 

All are reliable, far more so than attempting to call a taxi via phone if you can't speak Thai.

I'm not sure why anyone who has a smart phone would want to use the phone booking anymore. 

Western guy in Thailand - decides to go for broke, have a porn-star moment and have a 'bang' on the balcony...  It went very wrong - Up until this point it could simply be death by misadventure. 
 

I find that not to run down 5 floors and render the best possible assistance to be reprehensible. Fear does strange things. 

My speculation would be that the guy ran out of sheer fear - In a foreign country where it is common knowledge how lazy and corrupt the police force are. I can't say I blame him for running away. 

Sometimes it really is as simple as the reports say - I don't suspect there is more going on here. The obvious explanation is sometimes the right one. 

BUMP & FFW to Jan 2018... 

Where can I get an Apple Watch fixed in Bangkok ? Anyone with first hand experience? (of course, I'll try MBK).

My Wife's Apple Watch 2 has stopped working - it will not charge (I suspect the battery requires replacement). 

I will first go to an Apple repair centre but given the information in this thread I'm not willing to pay out 9500 baht on a repair when a new watch is just a little more. 

As to the questions of the durability of the Apple Watch - I've been wearing one since mid 2015 and have faced no issues - I think its fairly durable. I've stopped wearing any of the other watches I've owned because the 'smart watches' are so convenient (with the exception of charging it!)

My X5 at 3 years old and 22k-kms now has been serviced twice... at 8000 km and at 15000 km which equates very roughly to the one year and two year mark respectively.

Under BMW BSI servicing is included for 5 years... I'm not sure how this could be a scam.

I'm not suggesting BMW are the best out there, but this thread is reading a little like the 'Apple-Samsung' threads.... the haters are out there and the bias is often beyond intelligent balance.

I'm trying to sell a couple of valuable items on ebay at the moment -  I'm shocked at the amount of scammers out there and the level they will go to in their desperate attempt to appear legitimate.

It seems to me that I have been too trusting in the past - while I have always been able to recognize a scam it never ceases to amaze me at how many times people will look you in the eye and still try it on. 

While on my flight returning to Thailand yesterday I sat next to a uni-graduate reading her Thailand Travel guide, she was discussing her plans with her friend. The discussion concentrated on how to avoid being scammed !!!!

It certainly appears that while humans are inherently good people, given a chance there is a minority who will attempt to scam the majority - its a sad trait of humanity. 

Thus: Cheap Charlie Farangs trying to scam others... Yes of course, I'm certain many will try it on. I'm also certain many will find themselves subject to scams attempts - its a part of being in Thailand - for most its expected, for many its part of the excitement of being here and is a tail to be retold when back home of how they foiled a scam attempt. 

31 minutes ago, AsianAtHeart said:

You think it just might be the fault, not of those in the pickup, but of that ill-mannered truck driver?  In some countries, you don't get to rule the road just because you're the biggest bozo on it.  In fact, you might lose your commercial license for good over an incident like that.

 

Glad the victims all survived.  They probably would not have had they been on a motorcycle instead.

The truck was certainly undertaking traffic and the quality of the following truck drivers driving made him complicit when undertaking while there was a parked truck on the left. Perhaps he wasn't concentrating given the 'rabbiting' conversation on the video.

However, the root cause of the accident - poor vehicle maintenance (low tyre pressure or badly worn tires) resulting in the blow out combined with unrestrained passengers. 

I'd like to think that had many of us been driving this accident could have been avoided with quicker reactions and certainly not attempting to *undertake when the road was already blocked to the left. 

[*someone is bound to come on here and question 'undertaking' but in reality, in Thailand its sometimes the only way of passing some slow moving traffic in the right most lanes]

The video shows one receiving CPR - incredible if they saved her life. 

This definitely brings back to the forefront the issues and recent news regarding the 'lifted' bans on people riding in the backs of pick-up trucks. 

Its often those who's opportunity for choice is removed based on their financial and social status who are placed in harms way. 

5 minutes ago, Phuket Man said:

Sek Leso?

Perhaps one of Thailands less well known music stars... leso than Loso...

1 hour ago, dpdp said:

People buying iphone are fool since the begining, why apple would stop ?

Sorry but you have showed that you like being <deleted>**ed, keep doing !

 

 

I have to wonder about the intelligence of someone who calls millions of people a fool based on a simple consumer choice !!!... 

Having used HTC, Samsung and Apple over the past 6 years or so the iPhone was IMO by far the better phone.

I'm by no means an Apple fanboy, I don't care who makes a product or how fashionable it is... I just want something that does the job properly without issue, without hassles, without hiccups in the most user friendly way possible... Apple seem to consistently meet these requirements. 

That said the 'slowing' issue was extremely annoying. Both my Wife and I noticed our iPhone 6 slowing over the past few months. It turns out that this was related to the battery whereby apples software 'clocked back' the phones CPU to maintain battery life. I haven't seen it reported, however, I suspect a simple battery swap may fix this. 

32 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems that 316 members and 2,019 guests have so little to do on Boxing Day that they are spending time on TVF.

Anyway, have a nice one .

Or we are back home with family,  it's 7:50am (UK time) kids got up early to play with Christmas presents and after reading the news we checked in to ThaiVisa.com......

Our presence on this forum at various times is not an indication of nothing else to do... it's an indication of having some spare time. For me it's the calm before the storm, this morning it's the calm before the 'bubble & squeak', before the floor is strewn with yesterday's presents and I'm dodging Nerf bullets and stepping over Lego...

Happy Boxing Day....

1 hour ago, chicowoodduck said:

Yup, will be out looking for my jumper later in the day.....get a grip, folks...????

 

I suppose you never sweat or find it too hot in Thailand... 

I challenge anyone to sit outside in shorts and a T-Shirt in 17 degrees C for 3 hours or so and not feel too cold.

The cool weather here is lovely, it is by far the best time of year and for the briefest of spells the 'Climate' in Bangkok is wonderful...  But, I can understand how Thai's find it cold. 

Having evolved in warmer climes and living day to day in swelteringly hot temperatures and high humidity throughout the year the 1 or 2 week cool spell is significant and some find it quite uncomfortable much in the same way we in the UK have difficulty handling the 2 week hot spell of 30 degree C+ temperatures. 

A positive story... However, what I would like to see more is the 'safety message' getting out there educating people of the risks they are otherwise completely ignorant of. 

Have adverts on TV (between the soaps), educate in schools etc.. 

I think some 'middle ground' is acceptable. 

In the UK the whole of the Road would be closed, in Thailand passers by are at risk of being injured by the falling trees because the road isn't closed. 

Perhaps a Partial Closure: i.e. allowing traffic to flow in the outer two lanes while cutting the minor limbs, and momentarily closing the outside two lines while the main truck is felled - but to be honest, it looks like there may have been someone stopping traffic.

The tree felling is also a good thing - Storms brought down trees last year which created damage. I remember one story of a tree falling in central Bangkok and killing a motorcycle rider.

It also looks to me as though the Metropolitan Authority are removing the cables along Sukhumvit road the majority of which I assume are non-functional. 

All in all - Good Job I'd say, but there perhaps needs to be a far closer 'eye' on safety. 

12 hours ago, bangkok blue said:

I had a ridiculous incident Friday night. Was in a rush and needed to get to Marriott queens park from tonglor in quick time. I knew mafia bike guys top of my Soi charge 100thb for that honour. So thought why not try grab. 42 bhat.... yes please.... grab bike guy made the mistake of phoning me at top of Soi. The mafia bike guys were waiting at top of Soi and really intimidated the poor 50 odd year old, refusing to allow him to take me. One guy was videoing him and his number plate 2 others were there... But one guy in front that originally accosted him I thought was quite rude. I had to get off in the end.... They insisted it's against the law..... I'm not so sure.... Does anyone actually know what the law is on this? I've messaged and spoken to grab who have said they'll follow up, but as yet have not yet confirmed the legalities of their service.

 

 

I see this as a potential major issue for Bangkok - If these thugs are not handled (by the Police) their sense of entitlement will push them to further crimes... 

I for one avoid the regular taxi's where the alternatives UBER or GRAB are available... simply because the alternatives are better and safer and more readily accountable should there be any issues. 

I did have to take a regular taxi a few nights ago - driving down the middle of the Soi the oncoming car had to avoid him. The Taxi driver then went into a rant about UBER drivers using their phone to navigate the small Soi's to a pick up point making the roads more dangerous. I figure he may have had a point as for the most part he was a reasonable driver. 

BUT, whenever I get into a Taxi my expectations are 'rock bottom' and I'm satisfied with a standard of driving / car / safety that would not be acceptable for UBER or GRAB. 

That said the UBER-Flex (Taxi) and GRAB-Taxi are often hit and miss when they rely on regular taxi drivers.

Op: Its not you...   I too have noticed observed an 'edge' to Phuket which I have not in other areas of Thailand. 

I put it down to the fact that Phuket is a major tourist destination, but so is Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and even in Pattaya the general 'tone' is one of far more pleasant mannerism when going about our daily dealings.

For the most part I find those Thai's who base themselves in Phuket to be somewhat surly and churlish. They come across as 'aggressively entitled'...  in my experience this is in stark contrast to the rest of Thailand where we may witness a general indifference ranging up to glowing smiles and friendly interaction.

Of course, this is not true of all Phuket and generalizations can be unfair and misrepresentative... however, if I were to generalize as I have above, the differences with the rest of Thailand are notable.

14 minutes ago, jaywalker said:

Obviously.

 

Drinking & loaded guns. What could possibly go wrong?

Indeed - I pointed out how silly it was to have a loaded gun in their 'hand bag / man bag' while drinking etc...  These are very decent, smart, well educated guys from good family backgrounds - but they still insisted that they needed to keep their weapons loaded.... I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 

In Thailand we see guns every day carried by the Police... I wonder how many of these are in a 'permanent state of readiness' which is highly concerning. 

While holidaying with some Thai friends a few years back we were drinking late in one of my friends rooms. The subject came around to guns and he had his gun in his bag. 

I took a look, but before the gun was handed to me my friend removed the loaded round from the chamber (I can't remember what make of gun it was - but it was the usual Glock type).

What amazed me was that he carried his gun in a bag, loaded with a round in the chamber - the only thing needed for discharge was to thumb down the safety and pull the trigger. 

I was shocked at how dangerous this is but was informed that this is they way my friends in the RTP are trained: i.e. to keep their weapon loaded, round in the chamber... just in case they need it quickly... (even when off duty). 

Thus: it doesn't surprise me that one has gone off accidentally - conventional safety practices regarding gun control are simply not followed here. 

More police on patrol may have some impact on such driving... 

I have never seen the Highway Police pull anyone over at the side of the road for reckless driving etc...  It seems they just set up road blocks in various areas. 

This driving is worthy of driving ban - his actions could easily have lead to serious injury or death of an innocent. 

She did block him from changing lanes but that is very normal in Bangkok traffic.

The Guy was a total prick... 

My Wife & I have flown to Japan for the past 3 years on the trott on Air-Miles from our Citibank card...

No complications there!



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Fortunately Thai's know the extent to which Thai's will tell bold faced lies. 

In an accident a number of years back the other party and I were 'hashing out blame' at the police station.... The other party had been caught out telling so many lies that the Police eventually lost their temper with him... (I had taken loads of photo's which contradicted much of what the other guy said in his attempt to blame me)... the Police were very fair but had no tolerance for the other guy thinking he was the 'smartest guy in the room' and that they'd just believe him because he was Thai and I was a foreigner.