richard_smith237

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Lat Phrao, a Bangkok neighborhood known locally for horrible traffic, cheap rents, and more than a few broke expats.

More than a few broke expats ?.... where did this come from ?... 

Is Lad Prao area renown for expats living in a shoe string? I've been in Bangkok for 20 years and have never heard of such comments regarding those who live in Lad Prao.

Some of these journalists are total tools in their attempts to 'create interest'....  

Excellent, I hope the local authorities take note and are more severe with those who litter and more supportive of those who make efforts to clean the beaches. I also hope locals take note, help and join in. 

Recent events show how spectacularly pristine many areas of Thailand can be given a level of incentive and once their apathy is removed, it is an example of what can be achieved by all. 

Littering is a blight on society, it is simply unnecessary. With that said, much of the beach litter is washed in and that is a major issue which needs addressing internationally. 

[And, as this is ThaiVisa.com some muppet will be unable to help them self from making a 'work permit' comment. Don't, in your attempts to seem intelligent and knowledgable you will just come across as petty and dumb !]

33 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

He spent many years in UK prisons before getting 3 year stretch in a Thai one, hardly a victim or an upstanding citizen down on his luck, career criminal, if only a stupid one.

It seems your summary is a fair one.

Crimes he is convicted of in the UK: Dangerous Driving, Burglary, Robbery, Driving and Drugs.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-criminal-turned-author-book-10479532

Is 3 years a reasonable sentence for handling a stolen phone though? perhaps other 'crimes' were also taken into consideration.

This guy may not be the perfect example of humanity, he may well have committed some crimes in the UK, but it does seem he is making an excellent go of turning his life into something positive and I support that, he has successfully stepped out of the negative cycle he was in, who wouldn't support that?

8 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

 Here's his Christmas speech, hardly an understandable English.

 

 

 

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdQTPta-gMc&feature=youtu.be

 I think that's a little too bias, he simply has a Liverpudlian accent, its quite readily understandable.

He also comes across quite well in this youtube soundbite.

I think the movie will be interesting. 

19 hours ago, Happy Grumpy said:

Teach your unruly kids how to properly behave. Be a better parent. 

Who says his kids are unruly ?.... Kids will make noise when playing, giggles and shouts of enjoyment are hardly an example of unruly behavior - there is a line however, but nothing the Op wrote would indicate that his kids have crossed this line and are unruly or that he is not a good parent.

However, what you just wrote clearly identifies you as someone who jumps to negative conclusions, someone who doesn't like kids - Happy Grumpy? I'm not sure about the happy part, the Grumpy part yes... that clearly comes across in your post...  perhaps a bit sour and bitter too... 

25 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Sorry stubby but it WAS his fault and handling stolen goods had nothing to do with an 'addictive personality' which I don't believe in anyway. People these days always want to blame somebody or something else and never take personal responsibility for their weakness, addictions and criminality, he was a low life scumbag, hence the 15 years in prisons.

He handled a stolen phone...  this is the only information I have without reading the book or watching the movie.

Orton Rd: Do you know something more, is his crime worse than handling a stolen phone ?

Did he steal the phone himself? IF so, is that still worthy of a 15 years in prison? 

What exactly was is that this guy did which resulted in his incarceration ?

If it was ONLY handling a stollen phone then I sypathise strongly and support his efforts in attempting to make some money and get back on track.

Just ignore him... ignore him and ignore him... 

You said you are not a fighter and there is no reason to be, right up until the point he threatens your Children.

Do not change your plans because of him - Go to the pool whenever you want, allow your children to enjoy themselves but also be respectful of others around them. 

My son is incredible noisy at the pool and I always have to tell him to keep it down. Just ensure your son is not 'overly noisy'... kids playing is one thing, kids screaming unnecessarily at the top of their lungs all afternoon is different and can be annoying so try and approach the situation with balance. 

If he carries on being antagonistic, ignore him, he's just a dick... if he makes any threats towards you or your family involve the police immediately and have them make a report. 

Have the phone read to video him. Have someone video you as you walk to the pool etc just in case he does something threatening as you pass etc...  

12 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Only way is to make it clear before becoming a permanent relationship as to how much she will get out of one and on what basis.

Tell her that if she asks for more she won't get it, and stick to that. It's all too easy to fall for the "I'll pay you back" plea, followed by disaster.

 

If I could go back in time, I'd probably still live with my ex, but

village wedding only,

buy the car in my name,

buy the m'bike in my name

only buy cheap items I could afford to leave behind

never advance money for anything ( that can be quite hard to do, but essential ).

 

As, despite the protestations of some with their perfect unions, most of us are in relationships with much younger women on the basis that we give them/ their family money, one contemplating such an arrangement must decide if they want to lay down the line across which they will not move, or take the chance of losing all or a great deal. There is ZERO guarantee of the latter succeeding, but there is the gamble that it might work out.

But you are describing two different things... 

One is a genuine relationship (which you describe as the perfect union), the other is a business partnership. 

The two are different, one is entered without expectation of the other, the other is entered with a money for service agreement. 

This is not a criticism of either 'genuine relationship' or 'business partnership', but perhaps those who fall foul in the latter mistakenly believe they have slipped into the former.

Obviously there are con's out there... 

However, what many have described is not a con, but a marriage or partnership coming to an end. 

And.... when things come to an end, they often turn sour, empathy is lost and the need for revenge creeps in, this revenge is often exacted financially or at least attempts are made.... this is the norm the world over. 

The 'Long-Con' although a common 'bar-stool' phrase spread by those who've been burnt after marrying an ex-ho... (or ho) is not really that common... its more likely an incompatible relationship has fallen apart and thats about it...   throughout the course of the relationship the girl in question has set about providing herself some level of security, who wouldn't? the relationship is patchy, questionable, there is no fluent communication, the cultural differences are extreme... the guy may well be mistaken in believing he may initially have had the perfect partner who is more than satisfied with his provisions - but in reality how many of these guys are truly honest with themselves? 

How to avoid the long-con ?.... Marry up !!... Date and Marry a lady who's socio-economic status in Thailand is equal to or better, someone who can provide equal offerings to the relationship - I see many such mixed relationships and many where the lady in question offers as much as she can - they key question I suppose is 'is there are presence of genuine mutual respect' ?...

.....So many times after being introduced to someones partner my Wife has told me the conversation was guided uncomfortably towards money, how much they get, who owns the car etc etc... these one track conversations are nearly always directed by someone in an relationship for reasons of convenience than of genuine respect, feelings or love. 

On a final note: Many here have entered fantastic relationships with an open mind and an open heart, not all men are dicks, not all women are in it for the long game and when this double-coincidence occurs we see some extremely strong and successful relationships.... 

This iOS 11 is rubbish... I upgraded in beta testing so expected some glitches, but it was so slow... when the official update arrived I expected improvement, there were none - it was still painfully slow.

I hope this iOS 11.1 update fixes these issues or I will be forced to down-grade to iOS 10 again.

And in similar news... 

... Drugs dealers will be trained up as pharmacists...

... Bombers trained up in munitions...

... Rapists trained as therapists...

... Murderers trained as soldiers...

This will free up the burden on the prison system.....  

Really, the mind boggles, this flies 180 degrees in the face of common sense...  It often astonishes me how given the same informant the conclusions drawn by Thai officials are a Polar Opposite to what we in the west would conclude. 

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

Why should any westerner  be embarrassed about this?

I have never understood the logic behind that .

This guy is responsible for his own actions, nothing to do with anyone else

While his comments were perhaps a dash harsh, harleyclarkey makes a fairly valid point... 

In a foreign country we are each judged by the actions of those who've travelled before us. 

We can be tarred by the same brush, we can be treated unfairly by those who encountered unfavorable circumstances before our arrival. 

Fortunately for the most part Thai's are not overly judgmental, they are forgiving and inherently helpful and most importantly of all, just because someone else is a fat, horrible slob whoring it up or some overly inebriated young lad is unconscious on the street we will continue to be treated with at the least a level of indifference rather than any negativity unless we ourselves start to show a similar traits. 

I wrote, for the most part Thai's are not overly judgmental, for the remainder judge us by the poor actions of those who look similar to us, particularly in areas where foreigners commonly get pished up and behave poorly, this can be irritating for those of us trying to pretend we are respectable !

Wow.... this thread really has brought out a handful of extremely sour, bitter and poisonous individuals... With certainty these guys have not, are not and will not make the world around them a better place, they have turned something positive into something radioactive...   I am more than happy I know of no such people in my personal life.

On the other hand I would be proud to know this Ex Marine who is prepared to push himself to such extremes in his attempts to make the world around him a better place. 

2 hours ago, swissman53 said:

They have AA in Thailand. There are ca. 30 Metings all over Thailand in Thai language and a few 100 in English. It seems there are mor falangs than Thai people who need AA Meetings.. :-)

The fact that there are more Westerners than Thai's at AA meetings does not indicate that more 'Falangs than Thai people need AA meetings'..... It does indicate that Thai's are simply unaware of the issues associated with alcohol and that more 'falangs' have the sense to recognize they need assistance.

This ignorance is prevalent throughout society... This is a perfect example where the penalty for being so extremely drunk while on duty is relatively minor. 

Another example is that of a premier Bangkok Transport company, one where children are regularly transported to and from Schools and on School trips. Upon questioning their safety policy I was astounded to read that they give their Drivers a Daily Alcohol check - if any of their drivers fail they are suspended for a day !!!!!... Yes... just a day for turning up drunk at a job driving children !

There are some highly unintelligent responses here...  

The legality of the drug in another country is of little relevance. IF you have the drug in your system in Thailand you are considered to have broken the law. 

The simple solution - Do not partake if you know you are coming to Thailand. 

Many people get drugs tested for their work (i.e. offshore guys), by partaking you risk your job. 

It's not difficult, there are no tricks... having drugs in your system in Thailand is illegal. 

So... Going to the Alcohol comment 

14 minutes ago, EcigAmateur said:

Would you stop drinking alcohol in other countries if it was illegal in thailand ?

Yes, you would have to quit drinking Alcohol in other countries for the length of time it would take to leave your system before arriving.

EcigAmateur: Would you arrive in Saudi pissed up ???

This level of punishment is insane and surely violates human rights. 

We're not sure exactly what happened and of course, we should always follow the rules, regulations and culture of a host country. However, Dubai has pegged itself as a tourist friendly city and has been actively pulling in tourists for decades now, yet news such as this identifies a dichotomy in the ruling powers who clearly allow this draconian legal nonsense to go on yet are still wishing to attract the tourist. 

So what really happened - the Guy actually did grope, he did flash the finger, he did get angry ???? IF so, is that really worthy of 3 months in Prison - In any country? the penalties are harsh in the extreme, perhaps a fine would be sufficient when dealing the the issue with balance. 

And so what, who really cares if they get their arsed touched by a girl or a guy... its annoying but its hardly a sexual assault, its not really a significant issue. I for one would never do that to someone else, but its happened to me numerous times - it really isn't a major issue. 

Alternatively, perhaps the guys story is true. He just wanted to prevent someone from knocking his drink over so placed out a hand to prevent this, which in turn lead to an incorrect accusation and an escalation  / argument.

This lad has already been punished significantly, perhaps unfairly so, perhaps unjustly so when even if accusation are true a fine would be more than sufficient to handle such issues. 

A multifaceted issue we are attempting to place in the simple box of right or wrong. 

Many would suggest that its his (the bike rider's) own fault for not stopping. However, with a highly corrupt police force, whom few have respect for many would understand why he didn't stop. 

He could simply have been someone who forgot to carry his Driving License that day and had no wish to face the inevitable extortion. Attempting to evade the BiB is daft, but understandable in this case. 

Many foreigners on other ThaiVisa threads have suggested that they just swerve round the Police and do the same because they are sick of their extortion. 

I've spoken to numerous bike riders who when stopped by the Police, even when fully legal get pinged for something. One guy told me that the BiB placed a sheet of A4 paper over his number plate and fined the rider because the number plate was 1mm smaller than the A4 paper (never heard that one before !). 

For what ever reasons the BiB see motorcyclists as fair game. It could be that there are so many motorcyclists breaking the law without license, tax etc... but I see that many are treated incredibly unfairly and targeted.

IF I were to be pulled over on a bike, I am well aware that I would be treated very differently than if I am pulled over in my Car. On a Bike the BiB will chance any ridiculous small charge to get a fine. In a car they  are much less confident in their ability to extort some cash out of nothing. 

Alternatively, if the Bike Rider is a murderer on the run or fleeing from a Robbery etc... good job police !

In Summary: IF the BiB had a better more honorable reputation many would not feel compelled to take such risky measures to avoid getting pulled over. 

3 minutes ago, Happy enough said:

he did it and hes going down. such <deleted> on this thread 555

In a country which is deeply corrupt at virtually every level many cynical foreigners with experience of Thailand would not enter so blindly into harsh judgement in this case, to do so would be quite naive....

To comment that 'he did it and hes going down. such <deleted> on this thread 555'  is a perfect example of just naivety..... not one of us reading this story can comment without any doubt that he is guilty, particularly in light of Thailands track record.

It's quite possible that this is an accusation of a scorned woman against her innocent ex. 

It is also quite possible that this accusation is valid in which case I hope the guy is dealt with harshly. 

First and foremost of hope that an investigation is honest and any doubt is removed. 

Yes... A foreigner can own a car in Thailand - its quite simple. 

Rules governing purchase...

1) Payment (in Full, or on *Finance)

2) Affirmation of Address*

Foreigners can get Finance with a Work Permit & Guarantor (there are numerous options), or if by Paying Cash the process is much simpler. 

Affirmation of address can be obtained:

- Embassy

- From Immigration if you have carried out a 90 day report

- Work Permit (is proof of address)

- Yellow House Book (is proof of address if you are listed in it).

Unfortunately your experiences are normal....  

With the exception of the 50 baht airport surcharge - as others have said, this normal. However, it is handled in an extremely lazy way. New passengers are not informed, hence the surprise and then paranoia of a scam when the driver asks for the surcharge. 

There are scores of good Taxi's drivers in Bangkok, unfortunately a single negative experience out weighs 5 unmemorable positive experiences. 

Many guys on this forum will say they never have issues with Taxi's in Bangkok, thats mainly because they are more acclimatized to the issues, have thicker skin and don't care if the driver is erratic, impolite etc....  

To be honest I never have 'major issues' with Taxi's in Bangkok. I always know exactly where I am going, the biggest issues I have with Taxi's are: drunk Taxi drivers, very rude Taxi drivers, the no change game and dangerous driving... but the biggest irritation is being refused a ride repetitively when you need to go somewhere...

i.e. I'm on Sukhumvit Road and consider calling an UBER but there are plenty of passing taxi's, I figure they're not all bad so lets chance it... then kick myself after being refused by a handful of taxi's in a row... 

Taxi's in Bangkok are Cheap, they are everywhere, we get what we pay for which is a cheap ride around town by uneducated and ill mannered people who are completely indifferent to our existence... I imagine a number of the passengers also fit this description.

For those of us who fail to tolerate this indifferent, careless and sometimes deliberately rude behavior with any level of comfort there are other options such as UBER and GRAB.

Ultimately there are a lot of possibilities here... 

It could be that the accusations are correct - Revenge Porn.

It could also be that this is a set up by a disgruntled Ex Girlfriend - Woman Scorned.

If these same photo's exist on the accused's phone or computer etc there is a stronger case against him otherwise it could simply be 'word against word' unless he admits the crime. 

I think Facebook also 'geo-caches' i.e. location data is available for when it was used etc. If it can be proven that the accused was in the same location and the same log in time and the ex was not in the area a strong case could be made against him. 

I do wonder what proof exists, unfortunately we won't see any of the proof but surely some exists other than a deleted Picture. It would be highly disturbing that someone can be arrested based on an accusation.

I think the bone of contention for many is that an Illegal Service such as UBER is far Safer and far more reliable than the legal Taxi service who's drivers are hell bent on breaking the law....

So, I care little for the legalities and choose the better service. 

There are a number of stories here claiming 'farang victimization' ....

In each of these stories I read that the 'farang' simply gave in and paid up... he didn't do anything to push his case. Additionally so, in these events Thai's would have also been targeted for cash. 

It is he who is perceived as being wealthier who is expected to pay up, as has been the cultural norm for a while. Its wrong, it doesn't make sense to us, but it is the way things have been done here - the Law is not against the Farang, the path of least resistance is and if you are not in the wrong but do not resist someone will try and take advantage of you just as they would anyone else regardless of nationality. 

A lack of understanding of how things work here and how to play the game do no imply 'Farang targeting' they just imply that some guys don't understand they are still an easy target for those chancing and attempting to profit. 

22 hours ago, colinneil said:

So you are saying that i am making up stories about me being made paraplegic by a crazy Thai driver.

Did not receive 1 baht compensation because of police lies.

Farangs are treated fairly, my a++e.

You were treated unfairly, that is not in dispute. However, based on your encounter you are attempting to project that all foreigners will be treated unfairly. Yet, mackknife disagree's, as do others and I.

I tend to agree with mackknifes comments that in some circumstances being a foreigner here works to our advantage - I have been involved in a car accident here in Thailand where I was firm and polite, the Police were very cautious about doing things properly and fairly - this has always been my experience. 

I am quite sure that there is no hard and fast rule - there are a whole range of encounters and examples identifying that there is no singular response, rather a spectrum of encounters, perhaps yours colinneil was an extreme rather than an every day example.