richard_smith237

No - only the Por-ror-bor, compulsory insurance is needed. Legally, you don't 'need / have' to renew 1st Class insurance if you don't want it. That said, even though you are not using it, theft etc is not covered by compulsory insurance.

Not only belief in reincarnation but also all current actions are due to previous actions( karma) . A ‘what will be will be’ affirmation. The notion that a belief in reincarnation fuels the reckless behaviour of motorcyclists in Thailand is a myth, perpetuated for decades by 'bar-stoolers' looking for a quick explanation that lends an air of expertise. In truth, no one desires death, and everyone wishes to avoid it. However, Thais tend to adopt a less 'proactive' mindset compared to those from other cultures. This lack of conscious risk awareness, coupled with inadequate education, contributes significantly to the frequent reckless actions we witness on the roads.

The sad thing is YOU COULD OF! 100% agree... Its a tragic shame that so many of these incidents could have been avoided with better education and parental guidance.... This is the very reason I have dash-cams... (on both car and motorcycle)...

I believe the seasonal variation in winds which come November time shift from the moist air from the Indian ocean to winds coming in from the North, mainly China. Those winds trap pollutants in area's of higher building density (populated areas) due to temperature inversion. Bangkok's factories continue their operations, emitting pollutants that get trapped in the stagnant air. Farmers in surrounding regions burn crop residues during this period, adding to the smoky haze which due to wind direction has less opportunity to clear.

If someone dies, they have to investigate - I believe the charges are dropped quite quickly if you have dash-cam footage that clearly shows you are not at fault - ultimately, its a charge that doesn't stick (this is why its so important to have a dash-cam when driving anywhere, especially here). Thus, its just a formality of the investigation.

I agree... Alcohol and Tobacco are far worse than something such as Marijuana... Of course, taking nothing is of course better still, but that would be so boring... Then we have people who swear by micro-dosing LSD... I think a lot of drugs are villainized for recreational use, some rightly so of course with some leading to major issues, dependancy, depression, psychosis etc.. but in moderate use, many recreational drugs are far safer than booze and tobacco...

I very close mate is a farmer in the UK... I know few people who work that hard and get shafted by the government so frequently... Clarkson has done brilliantly in publicising the issues farmers in the UK face. The more the government hurts farming, the more it costs the public in the long run as the only option is to purchase from overseas.

Maybe the new sole owner has already thanked the RTP. This was also my first suspicion... Grassed up by his 'business partner' who now has sole ownership... Though the Brit was extremely stupid to be carrying all the other Class A's...

You're joking😂😂😂. Almost every day a dumb Brit made it to the headline. 😁 So... about 300 Brits per year make the headlines in your reckoning - out of about 500,000 to travel to Thailand each year. So, about 0.06% make the headlines... So you make 'Brit bashing assumptions' on a 0.06% stat Significantly less so than yours... Clearly you have no idea how fundamentally flawed your posts are.

Given the manner in which many motorcyclists ride, its natural to draw the assumption that the 'bike turned in front of the car'... But that might not be the case. The 'position the bike ended up' as we can see in the photo, is not a strong indication of the manner in which the impact occurred... This still could have been: - 'head on'... Bike turned into the car. - 'side on'... Bike pulled out in front of the car. - 'Rear-collision'... Bike was riding slowly and the car hit the back of the rider. That said, I do tend to agree that in all likelihood the car was approaching quickly (looking at the extent of damage) and the bike pulled out in-front of the car without looking.... (but again, thats just an assumption - nothing is really clear). Regarding the driver being arrested: If I'm not mistaken, that is standard procedure in any road fatality involving two separate vehicles, the other driver is 'automatically arrested and charged (I think with 'reckless driving') - its just SOP and the way the legal system works here.

I'm in and out multiple times per year and have never seen congestion to this extent - must be more to this story. (I only ever arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight). In the UK (a couple of summers ago) the security queues where colossal and that nearly led to many missing flights - they had to call people though... so we were waiting in the queue for hours until our flight was called and we were fast tracked - Worst I've seen any airport. With new scanners, the security is much quicker in the UK now. Thus: IF Thailand had the faster scanners, Faster Immigration queues and more 'check-in' staff (which is airline dependent) then they could streamline people though the departures process... But, all needs to be addressed at once, not just individual facets.

This one stood out for me... There has to be a massive misunderstanding somewhere, Jakarta Airport is awful... I'd agree, Suvarnambhumi Airport is third-best in South East Asia, but behind Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and is significantly better than Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta. Also note: these early 'check-in' counters, will not solve queues at immigration, though I don't think this is such an issue any more.

.... Unless the driver just drove straight into the back of the motorcyclist (and pillion) while they were riding along slowly... There is no indication here who might have been at fault...

The political concern is moot - there is nothing that occurs on the political landscape that has any impact on our family. The genuine concern from my perspective is road safety, pedestrian safety and electrical safety.... One of the key factors is education... If the children are at a good International School, then the education is fantastic, if they attend government schools, then the education system back home may be better.

Just like the UK, there is no need to build 'earthquake proof' houses as there are no significant earthquakes, the largest being an 6.1 event in 2014 and a 6.8 event in 2011, each resulting in a single death and 'some' property damage. Why is learning their national language 'irrelevant'... its highly relevant if they want to have a future here. A bit paranoid... Apply some sensible balance....

Valid point - more 'Westerners' have had strong driver training and had to follow strict regulations for the majority of their lives... When they break the rules here, they are well aware of what they are doing. But, I also think Thai's are well aware of the rules and know exactly what rules they are breaking. Both parties, Thai and Westerner, when breaking road rules here (no helmets, jumping lights etc) are well aware of their driving / riding standards. Perhaps, Westerners are more alert to the consequences, and thats why better may be expected of them.

Thats a feature on the phone itself, much like turning on 'Find My'...

I think coastal area near Bangkok remains relatively uninhabitable due to marshlands and tidal mangroves, making it challenging for commercial development - its unsuitable for high density development - there is also elevated flooding risk making development and undesirable prospect. Further from the top of the bay, the landscape becomes more suitable for construction, as the geology provides a more stable foundation, with bedrock that allows for easier building and infrastructure development. Thus, while Bangkok is relatively close to the coast, building has always concentrated been further inland. There may also be conservation of the total Mangrove areas to protect against further erosion of the area towards Bangkok. Looking at the Maps - Beaches seem to start in Bang Saen to the East, and Petcahburi to the West....

Absolutely Perhaps this is why there is some form of 'anti-foreginer' bias amongst some when they complain about foreigners riding around on mopeds etc, breaking the rules and somehow ignoring the fact that a vast majority of Thai riders are worse. It displays double standards. IMO - if someone is riding like a t!t - they are riding like a t!t... not much else to put it.

You asked for QR code to Scan ??? - they let you take your phone in to the Embassy grounds ?? (you didnt have to leave your phone at the secrity entrance ?) At least they resolved to accepting cash. ------- Slightly different issue: VFS Passport renewal - making payment, we have to put all our credit card details on a form (including the 3 digit security code) - I wasn't happy about doing this and complained, asking is there not an online payment portal ?... and was told there isn't. 3 weeks later I get an e-mail from HMPO Liverpool - Payment has failed, use the 'Government Payment Portal'... So they do have an online system, but for some reason won't use it, until forced to.

I disagree, as addressed above - Political beliefs, specifically, the Islamic Republic of Iran; the "Shia Crescent", is the leading factor in the spread of such ideological extremism, resulting in the rollbacks of civil liberties in places such as Iraq where there is a growing Shia representation and influence from Iran.

The misnomer in the question is 'class'... Pattaya is a 'world renown' town, which attacts visitors from all over the globe. However, its is not 'world class' as that term is usually used to describe someone or something of outstanding quality, skill, or ability that ranks among the best in the world.

Is there perhaps an element of some people faulting foreigners because better is expected of them, but, excusing Thai's becuase thats 'just the way they drive' ???

Correct I can understand that this is a fairly valid concern, although not one that greatly concerns me. When our EV charging station was installed, it came with 50 Million Baht insurance, that covers malfunction leading to fire etc... (though we were told that I've not seen the policy itself) - I'm also not sure how long that insurance lasts for (if its as long as the charging station is there for, or if the are any exclusions for misuse etc). But, as ICE's are involved in more vehicle fires than EV's - any 'greater concern' would seem irrational IMO. As Irratoinal has having any major concern over charing a phone, though care does need to be taken not to use poorly made, poorly installed or counterfied electrics, plugs, adapters etc.

While not a wholly dissagreable opinion, the generalisation that 'Thai people are... Sabai-sabai' is often somewhat of a misnomer.. In many examples, it can be shown that Thai's are more like a pressure-cooker ready to explode... That said, I do agree... that overt displays of anger, frustration and annoyance can be sufficient to 'trigger' an exagerated over-reaction, thus following the rules of 'stay cool' is the best action in any circumstance. But... We also witness a great deal of Thai on Thai volence, which shows that 'one of them' lost thier cool first, so this contradicts the idea that the 'Brit lost his cool first' becasue Thai's tend not to - given the frequency of violence we see here, its just as likely the Thai guy lost his cool first.