richard_smith237

By the age of 2 our Son was showing signs of 'wanting more'.... clearly becoming bored with the Play-group situation - the same activities 3 or 4 times a week were failing to keep him interested. 

We placed him at an International School Kindergarten / Nursery nearby where he has thrived.

At the following ages my son attended:

2 yrs - Commenced Nursery 1 for 3 mornings per week (8:30 - midday)

2 yrs 8 m - Nursery 2 for 4 Mornings per week (8:30 - midday)

3 yrs 8 m - Kindergarden 1 for 4 Mornings per week (8:30 - 1pm) + 1 hr after school activities 2 days per week (swimming and football)

The school seems relaxed and fun, it is supervised by *trained professionals and follows a British Early Years educational structure...  *(NES Teacher + Teacher Assistant + Nanny in each classroom of <15) - there are 4 classes in this years year-group.

Initially I was not concerned with the education aspect as my son was too young, I wanted him in a safe, well supervised environment whereby he could interact with other children and develop social skills and some independence. From the offset he has progressed well and shown and wondrous and fantastical development - quite frankly I'm astonished at how well the children do from such a young age. 

I'm extremely satisfied with the decisions my Wife and I made in choosing an enjoyable balance for my son's early years - I would do the same again.

That said, not all children are the same, but if you feel your child is ready for it I can only see the benefit of placing your child in an International Nursery environment for a few mornings per week from now (2 yrs 4 months). 

I recall a story of an Expat in Phuket facing charges for having parked on the side of the road and a girl rode into the back of his car killing herself...   I'm not certain of the outcome....

I wonder whether or not the bus driver will face similar circumstances.

While it is plainly obvious that the motorcycle riders were a fault for the accident when hitting a stationary object, the bus may have been parked illegally in an area of low / no light and thus be somewhat complicit. 

A vehicle cannot simply be safely parked in a 'traffic' lane.. If said vehicle is broken down measures should of course be taken to clearly mark the vehicle for the safety of others approaching. 

13 minutes ago, suzannegoh said:

 

And maybe the problem is that you're a degenerate who resents young people who are out there living their life.

 

If this is your only response to an post presenting unbiased facts then you are poorly positioned for any intelligent and knowledgable debate on this subject - I'm left with little doubt as to who the degenerate really is. 

7 minutes ago, khunpin said:

<deleted> Inlaw pussies. Come and try smashing my place in Sa Kaew. Then we will see how tough you pussy boys are ...

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk
 

While I agree with your sentiment....  You haven't posted your address or any method by which this gang can identify you to take you up on your offer / threat.

There are so many guys in this forum who make anonymous threats which quite frankly come across as daft... People agree with you that these violent imbeciles are poor specimens of humanity - but to threaten them when everyone and anyone knows the threat is empty seems a little daft and to coin a phrase which is often irritating 'keyboard warrior-ish'... 

It's pretty obvious that some sour puppy's are unable to accommodate any sense of reasonable balance when discussing Thai products...  I really do wonder how these type of people get along from day to day when they are so bitter...  digression done with and moving back into the topic at hand... 

Thai - French beef: Its perfectly reasonable.... I've found it to be a little hit and miss on occasions, but for the most part I find it quite good value for money especially when cutting a 2" thick Rib eye for the BBQ and sharing with friends... 

Kasetsart University Beef is also pretty good eating. 

None of these are comparable to Black Angus neither could they ever be as tender as Wagyu - but thats not the point of this thread...  Both Thai-French and KU beef offer excellent value for money IMO. 

I dont think we need to get hung up on the word Murder - it translates into Thai the same as Manslaughter (one translating as a verb the other as a noun).

Its pretty obvious that they mean the drunk driver is being charged with Manslaughter, which I believe is correct, through his poor choices and actions he killed an innocent child. 

I would like to see a lot more of these stories whereby in the aftermath of an accident all parties are automatically tested for drugs and alcohol and if not the BiB are charged for failing to do their job. 

Much can be improved to act as a deterrent for other self centered people who have no considerations for others no matter their mood / temperament at the time... 

1 hour ago, dfdgfdfdgs said:

Skip to 1:50 for the impact.

 

I don't understand what the black car is trying to do, overtake on the outside?

At would appear to me that the driver of the black car simply fell asleep at the wheel...   This is the only explanation I can think of which explains the deviation from the central lane along with making no attempt to slow down... 

Not the sharpest of responses in recognition of Thailand's second highest global road mortality stats.

While the chances are low, when compared to most other countries the statistics and recent history both show that she should have concerns and apply extra vigilance, especially by not traveling in the evenings (in the dark etc) and avoiding major high-ways etc.

Keeping to the edge of the road alone is not 'sufficient' vigilance against getting mowed down by a careless and ignorant day-dreaming idiot.... Rear View Mirror, even rear-facing Radar would aid vigilance an make the journey a little safer.

Good luck to here, I feel her response is more of 'fingers crossed and hope for the best' rather than a genuine evaluation of the risks involved. 

Choose the school first....  then find somewhere decent to live near it.

It's really difficult to offer advice unless the location is narrowed down. 

For example - Inner City (Asoke) - Millennium Residence (Condo) is ideal for kids... Pretty close to NIST and Bangkok Prep, it has a good pool, tennis courts, a good gym, little kids play area downstairs, large grounds (but not grassed). 

He was working here, was he not work permitted ? could his medical care be taken care of under the 30 baht scheme ?

2 hours ago, sturdyd said:

Adding to my earlier comment, I wonder how many users of Smartphones even understand them? An anecdote from just yesterday: I ordered something from Lazada which was supposed to be delivered by Kerry Express (whatever that is). I got a phone call asking me where my house was! Not being very fluent in Thai (I know; shame on me), I couldn't give them directions and had to go to a neighbor for help. So the point is, instead of calling me, I wonder why the delivery person didn't use Google Maps to find my house? Since he ostensibly worked for a delivery company I'd think he'd be aware of the app. But I suspect more likely that the thought of using his phone for something other than playing games (all with "in app purchases!") just didn't enter his mind.

Anecdotes prove nothing of course, but I'm thinking that the majority of people who use Smartphones really have no idea about the power they hold in their hands.

I'd agree with your last point that many are unaware of what the can achieve with their smart phone.

However, regarding delivery, the delivery driver it not familiar with reading maps - this is not uncommon here. I've had UBER & Grab drivers call up because they are unable to follow the GPS point on the map. 

6 hours ago, The manic said:

No need for these big, powerful bikes to be on the road. 

Spoken by someone who's only means of transport is a little wheeled hair-dryer.

Its not the vehicle, its the attitude of the person who drives it. A little scooter can readily get up to 'bike splitting' speeds.

Perhaps in the future all vehicles will be electronically limited to the speed limits, until then drivers & riders will continue to push the limits of their own stupidity. 

Regarding a previous question: Yes its SOP when a road fatality occurs that the surviving party is taken into custody (and usually bailed by his insurance company if you have 1st class insurance).

20 hours ago, johng said:

Well I was going about 60KPH at the time..and there wasn't a 40KPH limit
but even if there was and I was going that slow it would have been difficult to avoid a collision when something "magically" pops out in front of you with no warning.

While speed restrictions allow the driver to avoid an accident in many cases, the reality is that some accidents are unavoidable, as mentioned above 'when something "Magically" pops out in front of you'... It is in these circumstances that low speeds are the real life saver... 

For example....

If someone is hit by a car at 20 mph (32 kmh) there is a 10% likelihood they are killed. 

If someone is hit by a car at 30 mph (48 kmh) there is a 50% likelihood they are killed. 

If someone is hit by a car at 40 mph (64 kmh) there is a 90% likelihood they are killed. 

(Stats according to: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/killspeed.html) 

Thus, while killing your speed also reduces the likelihood you are able to react in time to someone 'surprising' you.... the real result of limiting your speed is that in the event of an unavoidable accident (i.e. Child running out into the road) there is a far less likelyhood of serious injury and death. 

It's all about what happen's when you do hit someone, not about whether or not you can stop in time. 

It would appear to me that following the argument that the driver who caused the accident was so unconsolably angry that he was unable to either calm down or think logically while driving. 

Unable to think clearly, with clouded judgement and in a haze of thoughts, fury and anger he was unable to compartmentalize and concentrate on driving... He simply turned right, put his foot down and drove off, quite possibly completely unaware he was on the wrong side of the road until it was too late....  or even thinking.. 'whats that car doing coming straight towards me'....

Many people here deal with confrontation incredibly poorly, the whole culture of face saving, kraeng-Jai etc means that when an argument does blow-up those involved are ill equip to deal with the associated stream of emotions. In this case, tragic consequences for an innocent party ensued. 

In the photo's it looks more like a Bin Lorry....

Bike going too fast - 1am, Alcohol involved ?

Clear lighting on the pickup (bin lorry) ?

That damage shows the bike must have really be motoring along at significant speed.

14 minutes ago, Global Guy said:

Ahh, a Thai apologist had to appear, thank you, right on time! Actually, I'm not the one who is blocking the sidewalk when I walk alone. Therefore it is the people who are blocking the entire sidewalk who are, what did you call it....antisocial (inappropriately used but I get what you're trying for) and whatever other names your brave keyboard warrior self throws out there. So, your rant is misdirected. Oh, and thanks for the language lesson too! Do you charge for such brilliance? I suppose you're one of those old timers who bows down to any and all treatment of farangs in the pursuit of trying to be as Thai as you can? There are many of us long timers who tolerate a lot, but rude behavior, no. If you think less of yourself and accept it, that's on you. Peace...

Thai apologist ?? where would you get that from any of my posts?....  This thread is about idiots glued to their cell phones, nationality is of little relevance other than we find ourselves in Thailand. 

Go to any city and you will find precisely the same behavior. Your own prejudices are slipping in if you think this has anything to do with treatment of 'Farangs' by Thai's... Quite frankly thats an astonishingly unintelligent and ill thought out response.

I criticise those who would choose to bump into someone to make a point rather than simply step aside, get on with their life and not engage in unnecessary confrontation.

I do agree with a couple of aspects of your post... Those who block the whole sidewalk / pavement are antisocial (i.e behaving without consideration of others), but those who promote physical contact, bumping into, even hurting those who are naively ignorant of others are worse in that they are prepared to deliberately hurt someone smaller... I bet they'd never attempt such tactics against a 6ft+ adult.

Now that said: If you think so highly of yourself that you feel it necessary to reeducate everyone who doesn't offer you the precise level of courtesy you feel you are owed you have a long miserable path ahead of you, for those who fail to leave the door open for you, those with noses in their phone who don't see your progression straight towards them, those who may bump into you when entering an elevator etc...  those kind of folk are completely indifferent to others, they are ignorant, impolite and antisocial... but you won't change them, there are too many of them... you may make yourself feel better but is it really worth it, is it worth making a stand every single day idiots who don't care?

Life is too short....  simply roll with it there are far greater issues to be concerned with. 

..... 

I find this thread highly interesting in that some can become so upset about these things....

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Fair enough on the mall push chairing.

 

Re wheelchairs, Thailand is NOT accessible, which is why the only people on wheelchairs I've seen on the streets are paras in Pattaya on Walking Street.

LOS might become accessible in about 50 years, perhaps. No point complaining about it- just the way it is here.

BTW they don't care about beggars or poor people either.

 

For the rest

Being an adult is vastly overrated. I had a million times more fun when I was a kid than after I grew up.

The world is full to bursting with tools, so I'm hardly unusual then. I used to care and make way for others, but getting the shaft for a lifetime makes one less so.

Frankly, if some tool wants to walk into me because they have their face in a machine instead of looking where they are going, I'll be a tool and let them walk into me. I always stop before they actually make contact though, so it's their own fault.

 

I like that... "Being an adult is vastly overrated"... !!! (I've ran out of likes !)

I also think 'fair enough' on your comment 'I'll be a tool and let them walk into me, I always stop before they actually make contact' which seems a far more balanced response than some posters who seem to wish to inflict some level or hurt, pain and revenge on someone just because they are spatially ignorant.... 

7 minutes ago, Saladin said:

Richard, I am afraid that your meek and mild complacency is part of the problem, not the solution.

Saladin... what solution is there? reeducate the whole world not to use their phones while walking around ?....   Ban phone use on footpaths?

Mild Complacency is the only valid response, what else is there? I'm certainly not going to walk around allowing people to bump into me or raise my elbows to face level just to make a point with complete strangers, that would be just idiotic.. it would also be aggressive, completely antisocial and unnecessary...

I get the impression that some of the posters would actually enjoy this little confrontation... the little immature 'Tete-a-Tete', the babyish 'argy-bargy'... walking around proving a point to all of those around them that they are right, they are the chosen morally upstanding few to reeducate the ignorant repugnant masses and awaken them from their cell-phone slumber... 

Get real, grow up, move on with life... relax and enjoy it, roll with it... smile !

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.