richard_smith237

This is awful - I really hope the whole 'bootlegging' industry is brought to its knees over this... Those responsible need to be hung drawn and quartered... I wouldn't even know where to start, but fear the families of these poor young people will never see justice - so very sad. I have a niece travelling soon.. there is so much I have to warn her not to do in South East Asia....

Thats the 'only' place you have ever drank spirits at in South East Asia... Hmm... .... Smells rather faecal... You've stated your claim... why not double down with BS to save face... ----------- And, the primary point is... Its very normal for people to order spirits in a bar... its not quite the breach of 'common sense' you suggest.... ... Monday morning quarterbacking this news and laying the blame at the feet of the deceased for not exercising common sense is rather poor form.

Is it ?.. have you never ordered a Gin&Tonic, Whisky, Vodka Coke in a bar over here ? Never ordered a cocktail ?... Only ever drink beer ???? Are you certain that 'your ounce' of common sense give you a 100% guarantee that you'll never risk drinking bootlegged liquor ? ... Of course not, which is why your response is sanctimonious tosh...

Bootleg liquor is rife in Bangkok... When out there is only 'so much beers' that can be consumed and I'm too full. I switch to neat Whisky (JW black on ice or something similar) I can tell when its fake booze - the owners never care - I don't make a scene, I just pay and leave... .. but, its annoying - the fake stuff can give a more exaggerated hangover which I don't get when drinking the same amounts beers / wine / Whisky with friends at my house or theirs.... From a personal perspective its just flipping annoying - but clearly from this perspective it can be deadly.

Numerous reasons: 1) Fulling the void of insufficient information. 2) Curiosity and a desire for understanding. 3) To learn what happened and ensure it doesn't happen to them. 4) Sharing perspectives. 5) Lack of Trust in official sources. 6) For the purpose of general discussion - its a forum designed for this purpose. It always strikes me as strange, when on a forum designed specifically for interaction and discussion that people post comments such as your questioning why people are speculate and discuss... Surely a News site is more appropriate if you wish avoid discussions...

haha - fair play... I've seen so many people take that same photo... usually with the hat though !!!

I assume the steps to the bar at the rear of the plane. Never saw them, never went down stairs. Steps are at both the front and the back... Anyway... I can imagine the scene... upstairs on the Emirates A380, putting on the flight attendants hat and having your photo taken in the bar... Tell me you never did that !!!! .... But my reference was to Chang drinkers sitting on the steps of a 7-11.

Airlines stopped providing Chang on flights as It caused to much of an issue when the punters wanted to sit on the steps in the A380...

Yep - nothing personal (again) and its interesting to see things from a different perspective even if we don't agree. I don't live in Pattaya, so I don't know how much of a 'blight' these Mobility scooters are to the traffic / road systems - but given all the other causes to road difficulties, I can't see that these modes of transport make things any worse. The roads are not 'unsuitable' for their choice of transport - they have no issues getting around (give or take the odd crate strewn in a road) It is the very suitability of this type of transport that makes it popular for those with mobility issues in Places like Pattaya in the first place. The only issue here is that 'some' have a whinge about it and for some reason they pin-point this as an issue in an area with a multitude of far more significant issues.

What the hell are you going on about?????????? He's not wrong... Like Benzodiazapines, SSRI need to be administered with great care... If after routinely taking such medication suddenly stopping can have dire consequences to the brain chemistry and psychology, with risk of Worsening Depression, Increased Risk of Suicidal Thoughts, Mood Changes, Cognitive issues.. That said: the last comment is rather insensitive - its clear from the Ops question that he's tried to learn to deal with his problems and is looking for help and guidance from those who have faced similar situations.

Yep - there is something wrong with them... Its called mobility issues !!! How else do you suggest they get around ?... Bolt ? and then what ? how reliable is Bolt in the first place ? There are a lot of vehicles that are on the streets of places such as Pattaya and cause additional traffic issues, these mobility scooters are a drop in the ocean - but they seem to draw out the nastiness only from other expats in the area - perhaps its the area itself that draws those of a less empathetic mindset in the first place ? If the roads were used properly and not blocked with huge busses, people parking illegally etc - these guys wouldn't be encroaching on road space so much. Do people who 'hate' these scooters also have the same opinion against other slow vehicles, moto-side-cars (saimais) ???... It seems that the inhumane nature of some is taking over here with some of the comments and people are targeting the weak... Thats rather mean - why begrudge people the same freedoms you have ?... What about when you struggle for mobility - should you be sent back to Europe or just stay home ? I had mobility issues earlier this year after an injury - travelled with a wheel chair, on crutches for a while, it was horrible and highlighted the extent that Thailand is not set up for those with mobility issues. It seems Thailands poor development from the perspective of disabled mobility is being used by those with a mindset similar to yours to suggest those with mobility issues go home, rather than address the real issues that Thailand needs to improve, has had decades to do so, yet has not evolved in this aspect. Absolutely - If these guys are out drinking and riding their mobility scooters on the road and amongst pedestrians then they need to be held accountable to DUI laws - this is why it should be made easier to register and insure these vehicles.

While I am completely empathetic to the plight of those with mobility constraints and rely on these mobility scooters - they are also using the roads, as such, they should be held to the same road regulations as every other road user. - DUI laws - There should be avenues that make it easy to register and insure these vehicles, removing them from the 'grey area' within which they currently operate. - As far as helmet use is concerned, they're not mandatory, just as with cycling, however, those with common sense would allow self preservation to dictate that they wear a helmet if occupying road space and travelling in traffic, but that is an individual decision and not really one for the law I think.

I think this is a valid point, the riders of these vehicles are somewhat vulnerable, but no more so than a lot of the other slower traffic such as cyclists, Samlors, street cars and foot vendor carts etc... And then we have posters claiming these trikes are driven recklessly and too fast... seems some are just looking to hate rather than show their compassion towards people with mobility issues.

He got struck by another car speeding through a junction when it's driver 'should' have given way. Perhaps a little reckless as other commenters posted that a lot of the traffic fails to give way at that junction so the 'trike ride' should have exercised more caution.... ... In that thread there was a lot of hate against 'mobility scooter / trike riders', but the reality is, if the timing were different the car blowing through the junction might have taken out a motorcyclist instead.

Which is then, cringe at older people with mobility issues, or cringe at people who can't afford their own driver... ... or just cringe at anyone less fortunate than yourself ?? IF places such as Pattaya have far better taxi services - perhaps they would not need these forms of transport to get about ... we don't see them in Bangkok.... ... so, why aren't you pointing the finger at poor transport options instead of these guys ? I think its great that such mobility is available for those who would otherwise suffer to get out and about - especially if the alternative is being house bound or heavily reliant on assistance. I'm sure being in traffic is a harrowing experience - but its not their fault Thailand has no pavements or unnavigable pavements...

It sucks terribly to get stuck in that 'middle land' between sleep and awake where the mind takes us to some places of worry where consciously we could talk ourselves out of concern... but it doesn't matter - once we are in that zone its horrible and difficult to get out of... SSRI's or Benzodiazepines can be excellent for knocking us out and not facing that 'middle land'... but because they are so good, its so easy to see how they can become habitual... Both tend to get thrown out there very readily by 'some' medical professionals over here. If you are confident of your level of control they can be great to get a good nights sleep, but that can become habitually addictive. There are other measures if you suffering from poor sleep such as Melatonin, CBD oils etc. Personally, I think Marijuana with THC is good for aiding sleep, but care also needs to be taken with that. The risk with Benzo's is not so much while taking them, its the habitual dependency of taking them over time and then a huge risk of psychological issues if you stop. The risk with SSRI's further sleep disturbance, weight gain (but they are much safer than Benzo's) Booze - obviously not an answer - so you will hear cut out the booze, a lot. Exercise - a great answer (if you can) - in the mornings. ------------ Stress plays a huge impact on sleep, and we all handle stress differently... and sometimes there is only a chemical way of dealing with that... regardless of what everyone says... IMO - If you have no potentail interactions... give CBD a try... and if feeling more adventurous, give marajuana a try... but as with anything you consume - be careful and moderate. ----------- I recently a had a severe sports injury which impacted my work (and potentially my income). While in pain, recovering from an operation, unable to work and struggling to sleep I found options but had to be careful... - Moderate use of Marijuna - once or twice per week helped with stress and sleep. - Krathom - a decent pain killer (IMO), helped reduce stress (for me) - once or twice per week - Letting go with a few beers & boozy nights with friends helped. - Getting a good night sleep with a Benzo also helped (carefully moderated). - The helped me take less painkillers (Codeine - which I didn't want to overload on) - I also ensured there are were nights of the week where none of the above were consumed to remain on top of things. Now I'm back to just the booze, but I quite enjoyed the Marijuana and sleep I got from the Benzodiazapine. Whatever you do, moderate it... Stress can be horrible and its impossible to know when it will come... ... but, what I do know is it that as we get older we spend a longer time stuck in that 'middle land' between consciousness and the oblivion of deep sleep and our mind goes down rabbit holes... its impossible to stop... Sometimes just taking something that gives us one or two nights solid sleep a week is enough to take the edge off and avoid what I call 'sleep paranoia'... ... but again, a great nights sleep can be very addictive, so be very careful with anything that artificially aids that.

What makes you think that the report about the fine and the compensation was untrue? Way too literal LL ... ... the 'tooth-fairy' comment referred to the questionable level of realism surrounding the likelihood that the victim will ever receive the 20,000 baht compensation at all...

Sounds like an healthy combo I'm wondering how many times he crapped himself in his sleep !!!

Agreed.... its more likely the methanol was an accidental bi-product of a bootlegged booze production. This was obviously a tragic mistake - where bootleggers screwed up... but the real issue is that so much bootlegged booze is allowed in the first place. Its one of the reasons I get annoyed when I have a 'fake Whisky' etc.. which, based on experience is extremely common in the bars... After a certain point I just can't drink any more bottled beer and fancy a Whisky instead - in good bars thats fine, but I'm not always in good bars - I'm out in 'other places' and want a Whisky, on ice.. (JW black).. then I taste it and realise its bootlegged fake Whisky... and this annoys me as a few of these and the hangover will be worse. I remember being in a bar and having a Gin&Tonic... the taste was horrific... I asked for the Gin bottle, smelt it and it was Tequila !!!... they'd been decanting gin.. hopefully just the cheapest legitimate gin into the bottle and not bootlegged on an industrial level Gin... but, this time they made a mistake and decanted the wrong clear liquid !!

Perhaps... maybe its 'modernisation'... But I still think our awareness is related to the media - particularly social media. There has been this myth that Thai's are unflappable, avoid conflict, don't get angry, don't use bad language etc... But this is clearly untrue - Thai folk are just like the rest of us... Perhaps in aggregate the average Thai is less confrontational than the average Westerner - but there are also pro's and cons to that double edged sword, what makes Thailand attractive for the 'easy going nature' of it populace also is the cause of many frustrations as issues are not addressed... this also seems to lead towards a 'sub-dermal frustration' and once the skin is pierced things can boil over quickly... I've been here well over 20 years and I have seen the amazing positives and outrageous negatives of society here. The one facet of society that has changed more than any other is the internet, or more specifically, social media and how now anything can reach millions within minutes. Thus: when something happens, we can all read of it quickly... We are ever increasingly alert to the issues that surround us and while media sources such as this forum are somewhat of a 'western-centric bubble with tit-bits of Thai-centric news thrown in'... thats enough to penetrate the rose tinted ignorance we may otherwise walk around in... But... Perhaps... as Thailand evolves, as more and more Westerners move here we become more and more normalised.... I think we've been normalised here for decades already, in major area's such as Bangkok at least - treated with the same standard level of indifference everyone else treats everyone else with... there are no frills, no wonder.. just normalcy.... I'm quite happy with that and I don't see that its changed over a couple of decades... ... what has changed is the access to widespread media, where as before we'd have to read the Thai newspapers to gauge the true temperature of the nation we can now see that everywhere around us. Thailand is still great place to live - just like anywhere, there are many negatives, there are many positives - for me living here is a net positive... I don't see any significant changes over 20 years... ... well, perhaps another point, the financial gap between the average Westerner and average Thai seems to have closed... and with it that may bring more frustration to some foreigners and that could impact their behavior...

I think its the 'contagion effect'... Whereby once attention is drawn to a specific occurrence, other similar occurrences draw further attention.. For example: there has not been reports of a 'dog' attack recently - but, once one big story hits the headlines, there are suddenly more stories about other dog attacks hitting the the media... The same happend with the 'travelator story' at the airport, there were suddenly more stories of travelators and escalators causing issues.... ... Then, the media gets tired of the drum beating and finds something else to focus on... and such similar topics go cold. Flavour of the week, perhaps even the month is motorcycle-taxi-riders attacking customers... I suspect such issues are a lot more frequent than we read of, until the media suddenly consider such news may draw our attention.

alwas figured you to be a liar. Thanks for confirming. No seriously... I haven't blocked you... ... try making another comment and see if I respond..

Hey ya stupid... thought you had me on blocked ! Hell no !!! You are way too amusing to block...

His work and visa status is irrelevant - its reported that has insurance - but it appears capped and can't cover all the costs. How does he get to the UK ???... he can't travel without a medivac - and first he needs to get to Bangkok for emergency treatment (which I hope / assume - he is already receiving). What exactly doesn't add up ? A young guy with a capped insurance loses a leg when riding pillion on the back of a motorcycle - what doesn't add up there ???? He may or may not have had a work permit for his business - but I don't see how that is relevant to the story at all.

Scum - thats the second 'Moto-taxi' rider who's assaulted a woman this week. Just this week I had 'grab food' delivery rider get visibly annoyed with me - my house wasn't where he decided it should be... .... Some of these characters are visibly unhinged, its not a great job and I tip them etc... but still, a handful are just wrong-un's and thats Bangkok, its seems some of them are even more 'edgy' in Phuket.. .