richard_smith237

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

He never said he deliberately walks into people. They walk into him. I do the same. I'm sick of making way for ignorant people that don't look where they are going. On the skytrain when I'm getting off I quite enjoy standing in front of people trying to get on before everyone gets off, and making them let me off first.

People just seem to never learn any manners these days, so I'm not going to accommodate them.

 

You use a push chair in Thailand!!!!!!

Few if any Thais use them for very good reason and would not even consider anyone using one. Seeing tourists trying to push such along the very narrow space on city pavements is either amusing or infernally annoying depending on whether I'm observing or trying to go in the opposite direction.

 

Ultimately its better to have no expectation of others.

A lesson that took me a lifetime of being taken advantage of by people that were supposed to care for me to learn.

I'll rephrase - deliberated permitting impact - its still the same, some guys (including the post I responded to) are colliding with others or allowing the collision to happen while walking just to prove a point... its childish and downright daft. 

As for the push chair in Bangkok...  Drive to a Shopping Mall... a push chair is a huge convenience. But walking the streets, thats pretty much a no-no, I feel for the guys in Wheelchairs attempting to navigate the streets, food carts, boiling oil at face height, parked motorcycles, put holes, no ramps, motorcycles etc etc...  I've digressed...  

If you're allowing someone to deliberately walk into you instead of doing your best to avoid impact you are a Tool, there really isn't more to it than that. 

Of course, the people walking around with their cell phones, or those who are so specially unaware that they make no attempt to avoid an impact while walking are also Tools... but you guys who deliberately allow impact have made yourself no better than the 'others'...  you can't re-educate the world, its easier to just roll with it than get uppity, annoyed or attempt seek some form of childish revenge for what really only amounts to the most minor of social injustices... 

3 minutes ago, thehelmsman said:

When people meet going in opposite directions, both parties bear responsibilities in avoidance. If the fellow zoned in on his phone makes no indication of being aware of his surroundings, does that put all the burden of avoidance on the fellow meeting him? No...  So, if you get shouldered by me as you're walking by. Som num na.

 

There is a lot of tough talk, I hate the phrase but this is real 'keyboard warrior' gold...  

.... I'm loving the 'social vigilante' aspect of guys who are dumb enough to walk around with this sense of righteousness when they judge others not to have taken their required degree of responsibility to have moved their 50% out of the way.... Almost as if these buffoons are walking around looking for the problem rather than being part of the solution by simply doing what everyone else does... as another, far more mentally balanced poster put it... ducking & weaving, avoiding contact and simply fitting in with society.

I sometimes believe in 'eye for an eye' justice... in this case I think a thrashing of the teacher in equal measure would be justified.

1 hour ago, Global Guy said:

There is little consideration for others in general in Thailand.  I walk down a sidewalk, coming towards me in the other direction are three people, walking side by side taking up the entire sidewalk. When they approach me, you would think that the person who is directly in front of me would move behind their friends so we can all walk by each other.

 

But no, they stay walking side by side, still taking up the entire width of the sidewalk. What am I supposed to do? I can't walk through the cement buildings on one side and I'm not moving over into moving traffic on the other. It is at this time I adjust my earphone and coincidentally my elbow is in front of me while I do this. If someone cares so little to move and they walk into my elbow with their face, that is their problem. So many people still don't move and yes, they elbow themselves in the face or shoulder.

 

I think this is stupid, but the only remaining alternative is let them smash into me. I can't just disappear and I'm not jumping to traffic to get hit by a car. 

 

It's particularly crazy when people have umbrellas. I constantly swat them away from my face because they'll walk with the point sticking right at people walking towards them.

 

Another daily stupid thing, but it is what it is...Thailand is filled with people with the intellect of puppies and Teletubbies. Impulsive and short-sighted with only instant gratification in mind.

No... the only remaining sociable alternative to say 'Excuse me'... or in Thailand 'Koh-Taught-Krup'... as you approach them.

Of course, the repetitive antisocial behavior of others wears thin and at times pushes us to breaking point. However, many of us enjoy living here for numerous reasons including the relaxed and non-confrontational way of life, yet you find it acceptable to behave in such an antisocial and confrontational way when it suits you.

3 hours ago, csabo said:

"Good for them because I am already bracing myself with elbows sticking out."

 

I have been doing this for years.  I am a big solid mass and I was zigzagging all over the place to avoid shoppers 1/3 my size to avoid collisions when walking through the mall.  I noticed people think if they keep their head down they can just walk straight and let everyone else get out of the way.  No more.  I have sent people crashing to the floor bags flying everywhere clutching their shoulders in pain.  I especially love the bonus rounds when I catch people walking backwards not looking where they are going.  CRUUUUNCH!  And how about the grocery store shoppers who stand in the center of an aisle deciding on an item while completely blocking other shoppers and ignoring them as they approach.  Imagine a steam roller vs a chicken.

A post complaining about the ignorant behavior of others while owning up to far greater and more deliberate antisocial behavior.

You are a complete and total tool if you think its acceptable to deliberately walk around banging in to people just to prove a point, even more so if you take pleasure in their pain following such deliberate collisions. 

Good rant... Your sentiments are almost universally understood and agreed with, particularly holding the door open for others...

However, You seem to be admitting to deliberately walking into people with is a pretty 'dickish' thing to do and seems to contravene your moral standards and up bringing.

Unfortunately, we're surrounded by people who are spatially unaware and ignorant of those around them.

There is one thing I do like about living here...  the ignorance is innocent, the carelessness is accidental, I compare this to Western cities where there is often an subtle level of aggression protecting a deliberate spacial definition which if imposed upon leads to an unwelcome verbal comment or look of complete distain...  Life is too short, roll with the minor stuff, it can get up your nose but the alternatives are often worse. 

---

That said, a couple of days ago I raised my voice at the guy in front of me, I was pushing my Son in his push chair, the guy and his GF in front pushed the door open and let it swing back into the push chair... agitated, I asked the guy "Whats wrong with you?"... his look showed he had no idea what he'd done !... 

Today in a similar situation as I passed through a door I left a trailing hand to keep it open for the woman behind me (Thai) who smiled and said thank you...  Not all is lost !

Ultimately its better to have no expectation of others.

The issue for me here is...  while driving around Bangkok it would be extremely easy to find myself in similar circumstances...  not knowing whether or not the other party is going to escalate, try and smash in my window, perhaps even be successful in smashing in my window.... I'd be inclined to try and drive off, in doing so I may accidentally driver over the aggressor.

In such circumstances - just sitting there doesn't really seam like a viable option, but any action such as trying to escape the situation may actually injure the aggressor - I may find myself open to greater charges than the initial 100B for carrying a knife and 1000B for brandishing it in a threatening manner.

In its simplest terms - the law in this case (and in many others) is far from a deterrent and does not protect the innocent. 

You have done relatively well in your GCSE's.... you have failed to apply yourself in your A Levels. If I'm not mistaken, you have failed your A Levels after 3 attempts? (or was it 2?).

A Levels and similar methods of study are clearly not for you, however, you present a level of intelligence which would be wasted should you give up your education now. 

You would do well to approach some Universities based on your GCSE results, chance your luck through clearing, you may well find yourself suited to an *HND in a subject you enjoy - You don't have much time, the Uni term starts very soon (this week) but you still could get on a course this year. 

(* HND = Higher National Diploma - 2 years study which involves mostly coursework and less end of term examination)

Following an HND (2 years) you may find the road towards a degree opening up by entering a 3 year Degree course in the 2nd year. 

As other members have mentioned, you are clearly articulate and intelligent. Use this advantage and take care of the next 4 years. Unless you are planning to run your own business a degree is often the 'yes or no' towards getting a decent job.

Buckle down, once you have your degree and a foot in the door the work becomes much easier... you just need your foot in the door and to do that the majority of positions require a degree, even for a Thai Teaching in Thailand.

I think you should 'own what you write'... by that I mean, if you choose to be offensive then do so under your own name, not through a anonymous user name. 

Note: I also don't write under my own name, the reason for this is that some forum members can be so baiting, so childish and trollish that I imagine they may potentially troll 'real life' social media accounts just to win. 

The Thai forum panthip.com must be joined with government issued ID - meaning that posters can be held accountable for what they write. 

Here, on ThaiVisa.com people write freely, within the bounds of legality or face a ban as the owners of the forum may be held accountable. Freedom of speech is one thing, but a little dance must exist to maintain open and honest opinion. At the same time, trolls ruin it for many, interesting threads are destroyed by trolls and childish idiots who can't agree to disagree.

More on topic - there is a difference between an out and out Thai bash and on topic criticism of topic related issues which would be repeated, agreed with and often discussed with more venom by our Thai friends.

Intelligent discussion is one thing... An out and out generalized bash against a whole country is something entirely different and often borne of intensely sour emotion and a poorly balanced opinion. 

4 lanes straight on, over the Bridge towards Bangkok. 

1 lane left towards Nakhon Ratchasima.

The only issue I see is that the drivers entering the main highway from the left and wishing to head straight on over the bridge toward Bangkok have little space and a very poor line of sight to enter the highway. 

(this entry from the left would appear to be a recently built U-turn under the bridge over which the 'camera vehicle' as just passed). 

As usual, shoddy and careless road planning creates a potential for accidents... other than that, this is pretty much on par with regular shoddy road planning...

(Not sub-par, as that would be better in golfing terms, so perhaps 'over par' !!!)

It appears that the 'complete and total utter moronic, brainless fool' pulled out of a side street and turned right, the wrong way onto a dual carriageway thinking it was simply a normal road and not knowing it was divided carriageway and they needed to U-Turn before heading in the correct direction on the correct side of the divide. 

Tragic consequences resulted from what is ultimately pure dumbness.

*Additionally and even more tragically so, perhaps the infant may have survived had they been secured 'rear facing' in an infant car seat

(*someone is going to pick up on the fact that I don't know this, they will be correct, but having lived here for a number of years it still astonishes me that an overwhelming percentage of Children are not safely secured in seatbelts or when younger in child seats when in cars).

7 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

The french guy seems really annoying….if someone started filming me like that, I would take it upon myself to administer justice in the way I sought fit. This may include a broken phone or a broken nose for the offending party, or maybe both.

As I see it, this is the issue...  You can't respond to some 'annoying, whiney, whinging little weasel' at all... they will just bring you down to their level and play the victim. Any physical response will surely result in this sort of character crying foul and you on the wrong end of legal proceedings...  

In this situation, its already too late, you've entered the line with 14 items !!!!... you've make the mistake. Perhaps right response is complete and total ignorance of their presence... you don't acknowledge them, you don't hear them, you don't see them...

You may want to smash in their face, but they want that confrontation too... they want to win, to win at all costs no matter what scene they make, no matter how petty.... make no mistake, these people are not 'fighting for our rights'... they are not trying to make the world a better place, they are not protesting against minor injustices... they are simply irritating petty little weasels.

3 minutes ago, sensortec said:

9 Mio US $ he owns and walk by him self in a cheap charly supermarket ? Is that the american way of life ?  Pattaya do not need such F*** You Guys with no respect !

 

You mean if you had US$9m would you only go into designer stores?

The money is earnings over the past 30 years BTW - so I'm guessing he has significantly less.

That said, it is irrelevant how much money he has, where he chooses to spend it and whether or not he chooses to shop at the same place the rest of us do. 

Your point seems quite irrelevant. But, I also agree, its not just Pattaya, but the world doesn't need people who can react so strongly, but neither does the world need the irritating little weasels who make such a significant deal out of something so minor.

Wow... This guy has got himself into a right old silly mess... He's right of course, but he comes across as if he's totally lost it.

In fairness, we've all come across the 'self righteous, arrogant, wanna punch them straight in the nose' type of foreigner here who gets in everyones business and makes a big deal out of the most minor of issues - Lots of people have probably wanted to tell this French guy to go forth and multiply.

However, the fact remains that this wacky American guy was out in public stretching regulations which exist for the benefit of everyone, his response was wrong, but nonetheless understandable if an annoying guy was being petty and pushing his buttons.

After all, who hasn't gone through the 10 items or less line and stretched it a little... 12, 13, 14 items. As this videos explains, it really is no big deal, its hardly the crime of the century. And who hasn't been in the 10 items or less line, seen someone in front of them with 12, 13, 14 items and thought 'well its hardly worth making a big deal about it' ?

The American clearly over reacted to having his buttons pushed, but some guys have a special skill at getting up peoples noses, I apologise for the generalisation, but the French can excel at this skill. 

An now Geoffrey Giuliano's buttons have been pushed further, an international news story over this issue... what ? its just ridiculous, the world has gone mad, upside down, inside out - when this is a major story there is a great deal of idiocy at play - In retrospect, emotion aside, the comments of the American Actor / Writer are quite right... 

Beyond the fact this this has become an International story, the only issue we as the public could take with this news is not the point that Geoffrey Giuliano made, which is quite valid, but in his delivery, which, lets face it comes across as somewhat of an agitated retaliation and not that of someone who has thought this out carefully - Yes, he's upset, but who wouldn't be?

19 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

I think it realism rather than Negativity

 

"Good place to start a business"

We can all see the wreckage of what happened in 97, German company holding a Thai plane so Thais pay the money they were deemed to owe from arbitration, Corruption, Military Junta, No sign of real democracy.Possibility of protest and street violence between army and protesters, change government, another Military  coup, and round and round and round we go, no stability at all, in fact, I wouldn't open a bar let alone invest millions

Retail

Food, I'll give than one

Other, The possibility of buying snide, shoes, trainers, T shirts, shirts, watches, diamonds and every thing else.

Creativity

I wikied this

Stem cell amniotic Fluid, I think the mean they discovered it in Thailand after it was discovered somewhere else

Embola Antibodies (Basically a blood test taken from someone with Ebola)

The most significant thing after that is the creation of Red Bull. After that, it's Tuk-Tuks and Thai boxing

 

 

 

I agree with much of your Intelligent and balanced input where others would take any opportunity to 'bash' when the thread commences on a positive note.... 

I agree with realism and many of Thailands Criticism are realistic and balanced observations, however, other points often made by some are simply bias and unbalanced opportunities to spout negativity.

Brandishes a deadly weapon, receives an ineffective fine on a charge which is less than a girl who gets her norks out on Facebook... and to top it off is permitted to continue working in the public arena...

The BiB are so ineffective at protecting the public and preventing future issues - its astonishing to anyone with any intellect how lazy and careless those who make these decisions are.

18 hours ago, Foozool said:

You never know ? There could be a 2nd car that caused the crash. ? 

I have seen a real psycho who was driving a long mobile home with powered engin and loved to race with cars that were going to pass by and get cars stuck on opposite lane Close to the Grand Canyon, Arizona. 

There are other kind of psychos out there as well. 

In Thailand reckless drivers are either stupid or drunk, but in the US they are sick or psychos mostly. 

There is nothing better than a healthy balanced and unbiased opinion.... 

9 minutes ago, transam said:

I can remember those great days when you walked into an English pub full of smoke and beer essence...Sadly gone now...

Indeed, I can remember the overwhelming stink of smoke when getting home....

....In pubs now all you can smell now is 'Old Mens Farts and Cheap Perfume'.....  

I think the Solution: Ban Smoking indoors, but also ban people from guffing and ban women from bathing in Eau de teargas....

Seriously though guys... stop farting so much !!!...  oh, and the smoking ban indoors really is a huge improvement.

More on topic: There is only one bar / restaurant in Bangkok I know of which does not adhere to the ban and its still quite Popular. 

This is an example of a guy clearly in the wrong job... His ego is empowered by a uniform, he is a bully and an impatient pr£$k, he had no right to use force he is an embarrassment to a force which clearly needs to look at itself.

US Police come across as the Gestapo, they have a tough job to do, but they need to be 'better' than those for whom they are keeping the peace.

In instances such as this it is clear that the 'them vs us' mentality (as mentioned in a post above) is prevalent and the supportive element is missing... no wonder some call the Police such derogatory names when they behave like this. 

Force is a part of the Job, it should continue to be allowed to be part of the job, but fools such as this most definitely should be held accountable for their inhumanity and failure to act professionally. 

I love it when there is a positive article about Thailand and 'some' posters are tripping over themselves to respond with something negative... 

I for one think Bangkok is an excellent city for foreigners to be in...  

Price wise, diversity, amazing range and diversity restaurants at a good price, cost of getting around, the way we are treated (IMO very positively, or with the same indifference Thai's treat each other).

Plenty to do for small kids (play areas etc), good international schools, ease of traveling to other amazing south east asian countries... beaches etc... 

The only negatives are the Traffic, cost of imported luxuries (wine & cheese) and cost of decent beer... the heat can be oppressive and Safety is a major issue for me (as a father).

In Balance when compared to many other international cities Bangkok offers' the best bang for the buck. When compared to other cities in Thailand it simply has more to offer someone in their 40's with a family.... 

I was a member of Spotify Premium for GBP£9.99 per month (430 baht)...

I only ever used it when in my car, it connects up to the connected drive and an I can control it through the car console. However, I ended up cancelling it as I figured I wasn't using it enough. 

Now, in Thailand its 129 baht per month (GBP£3.00) so I've changed the location on the APP and signed up for Premium again (no adverts, can jump tracks etc).

At less than 1/3rd of the price, its far better value here than in the UK (same with Netflix although Netflix in the UK has more up to date content). I'm assuming that the Spotify library here in Thailand will not be as up to date and we may have to wait a little longer for new releases, which is of no major concern really.

So many photos of accidents here in Thailand leave me thinking... 'how on earth is that even possible?'...  the precarious positions that some of these vehicles end up in is astonishing !

It takes a special kind of skill to <deleted> up so perfectly !!!!

You make an entirely valid point... 

Differences of opinion are an important aspect of life and when discussed respectfully these differences help us understand one another. 

It is when someone is unable to accept these differences and their lack of intellect plays an important role in their failure to respect these differences and instead try to 'win'... their arguments often become moronic and the flame wars and personal insults begin.

Sometimes these flames wars are amusing, but many times they consume an interesting thread, some guys perhaps get a kick out of ruining things for others.

Apologies in advance - this IS a Thai Bash... 

In a society which so obviously lacks spatial awareness and basic observation skills observed in other countries it astounds me that U-Turns have not been abolished. 

One of the major reasons for the high accident rates in Thailand is the galactically idiotic road design in many areas.... Basic common sense can identify danger spots and readily correct them before accidents occur rather than later. However, I have plenty of Thai friends and they all have a great deal of common sense, which only lends me to the conclusion that those in positions of decision making power to make these adjustments, improve road design and make the roads safer simply do not care one little bit.... 

In its simplest terms; as a nation Thailands apathy kills in scores... 

Tried to get a Taxi for my Visiting Family last night...  First one wanted 250 baht, second one accepted the ride, my family got in, the driver then refused to put the meter on, I was still holding the door open... 

I asked the driver a second time to put the meter on, he told me to close the door first !!!!

I got my family out of that taxi and called GRAB, which I should have done from the onset..

<deleted> taxi's... they have a way of nearly ruining a good evening... 

We were taxi'ing around a lot yesterday, we did use one taxi which had no rear seat-belts...

They were honest though, no meter issues, the taxi's were queueing in front of Policeman at the end of KS rd !...