richard_smith237

No, he doesn’t – not in the slightest. He’s already made it perfectly clear he wouldn’t care if the women seated beside him were wearing burkas. You, on the other hand, come across as a complete tool – first, for trying to force a faux-moral high ground by injecting racism into a conversation where it clearly doesn’t belong; and second, for that laughably snobbish remark suggesting that flying Economy somehow makes one a loser....

This is the kind of comment characterised by people who go into a McDonalds without any shirt... Or grace the BTS in a Chang vest and sweaty pits... You know the type... those who think its cool to say "suck it up" when someoene makes a perfectly valid point about basic common social decency.

True... Regular Taxi's, BOLT, GRAB etc... I always have to specify when I want to use the Expressway as it seems the 'default' is not to use it... ... So, is there more to this story... or did the driver just make an assumption as the Express/tollway was the best route and he simply ingored the instruction from the woman ?.... --------- Slightly of topic, but it may give some reasoning: At night, when both my Wife and I were drinking, I always used to be the one to speak with the Taxi driver - I found that some just 'take instruction' better from a man than a woman, especially at night.... thats perhaps the inner nature of some of these characters not to give any credence to a females directions / instructions - perhaps a facet of this anyway, as had this been a male passenger, its far more likely the driver would have followed his instructions to the letter. Then again, this woman is clearly after 'views' too... so she's looking for the drama...

Perfectly reasonable... If the flag-fall taxi uses the meter without any hassle, drives well etc... then he'll always get a tip... as will a GRAB or BOLT IF the journey is longer in a more congested area than I anticipated.

She's right... She told the taxi driver not to take the toll way and he did... His fault. Whenever I get in a Taxi, a GRAB, a BOLT etc... I always tell the taxi driver which route to take - thats because: a) I've lived here and been driving in Bangkok probably longer than most taxi drivers have. b) I know the short cuts and where traffic is worse. c) I can also see the area's of congestion on Google Map. Once I had the taxi driver disagree with me, he wanted to take a route that I know would be heavier traffic. We hadn't moved off by that point, so I simply got out.

When I saw the headline of this thread I thought it was going to be about something ridiculous such as wearing slacks and a collared shirt !!... But... you've made a wholly valid point: Just like being in any reasonable restaurant (non beach) there are certain reasonable social standards to adhere to and I quite agree - I wouldn't want to be making 'skin contact' with the passenger next to me. Seems you handled this exactly as it should have been. Fortunately - most passengers are always dressed within reasonable limits for this not to be an issue.

Agreed - its the 'general acceptance' for drink driving and the fact that its normalised that costs so many lives. I'm guessing adding to the severity of injury leading to death is the 'likely' reality that no one inside the vehicle was restrained at all... no seatbelts and almost certainly no child seats. Its tragic that so many kill others, themselves, their loved ones because they are so selfish to DUI - Its not uncommon amongst some of the more cretinous posters in this forum too - they're too stupid to understand the risks and just don't care about anyone else.

Spiteful... ...... why not help and make things easier for her... not everyone has a bitter twisted relationship or ending to it....

You mentioned: "Except sensationalism" ... One of the major issues in these kinds of debates is the influence of sensationalism. Too often, opinions are drawn from short, highly selective video snippets posted on social media – clips designed to provoke, outrage, or mislead. They typically present the worst angle of an event, often from an extremely biased perspective, and rarely provide the full context. Another concerning aspect is how police charges are handled. I recently read a case on this forum where a woman, driving straight along a road, was deemed at fault by police after an unlicensed rider pulled out in front of her. She skidded in the wet and fell from her bike, and because there was “no collision,” the police blamed her for the fall – despite clear video evidence showing otherwise. This highlights a bigger problem: regardless of the official police line, we’re already well aware of the apathy, corruption, laziness, and flawed assumptions that frequently characterise local policing. Personally, I would never rely on police charges as a reliable indication of what actually happened. A perfect example: if you or I were involved in a road incident where a motorcyclist suddenly pulled out and was killed, we would automatically be charged with “Reckless Driving Causing Death.” It’s a default position – part of the process – and charges are often dropped within days. So no, I treat such charges with a healthy dose of scepticism. It’s also no secret that charges are applied unequally. A wealthy Thai may escape unscathed, while an African or Indian tourist is far more likely to face harsh consequences. Thailand is indeed tolerant on the surface – but beneath the polite veneer, discrimination remains alive and well. We’re seeing more and more of these shortened, selectively edited clips circulating on social media – often picked up by Thai news outlets without any scrutiny of their obvious bias. These videos are typically cut in a way that removes all context, omitting the lead-up or trigger that might completely change the narrative. We’re shown a 10-second tantrum and, without hesitation, the comments start rolling in: “Deport them!”, “Blacklist them!” – all based on a carefully curated moment, with no understanding of what actually led up to it.

Respect to you for that - but did we watch the same video ? - the lady didn't shout at or grab the police officers. But, they did raise their voice and and grab her - which, at the time was not necessary at all IMO. They lady had been 'trying' to pay for two hours (digitally it seems) - and what was the bill, a few hundred baht ? I am wondering which facts you are positive about which warrants physically handling the lady ? Does it - because if my Credit Card or PromptPay fails then I'm in the same boat.... as would many of us... I'd throw a good guess out there and assume that had this been you or I, our wives or any of our 'respectable' friends the situation would have been quite different and resolved amicably by simply leaving our details and making an agreement to send the funds the following day. So you are judging one person who 'at that time' found themselves unable to pay due to a digital error (it seems), is deserving of being treated like a Dog ?... Don't you think thats excessive - don't you see the mentally unhinged excess in that statement ? I found myself exceeding the speed-limit on the expressway yesterday - worthy of arrest, deportation and black-listing - you reckon ?? - us hardened criminals should be deported and black-listed.... This is the issue I'm getting at - Your reaction: [arrest her, put her in jail for 3 months and if still unable to pay fine, an additional period after which deport her and not let her back in.] is not in alignment with any sense of resonable thought. The reason I've responded to you - is that you put together a comment which even with your own hindsight is excessive in the extreme - it was just a meal which she had difficult paying for... No violent crime, no assault, no attack, no cold-theft etc.... there's a strong element of 'just awkward and unfortunate circumstances' and you'd see her jailed for 3 months... Its ridiculously extreme.

She has no right to touch him and wouldn't be there if she paid for what she ordered. I disagree - the Police are being overly-assertive in a situation that does not require any assertion (at that point in time).... In the past I've been stopped by the BiB for 'just walking down Sukhumvit rd'... ... I stop and am polite, but when they grab my arm, I tell them to 'Let go'... when the reach to put their hands in my pockets, I tell them "No !"... and take their hands and stop them from going in to my pockets.... ... I then empty my pockets in front of them and leave the pockets turned inside out... I hold all items in my hands (wallet and phone), I open my wallet and let them see inside... ... They can the pat me down, check my pockets etc. This is not the USA... Co-operation is simple when the police are not over-stepping their mark. However, in this case the woman seems not to be co-operating, but neither is she trying to do a runner - she is simply in a 'sticky-spot' unable to pay her bill because her banking apps are not working. It seems the lady has tried for 2 hours to pay her Bill and something is wrong with her digital Banking. This is surely an easy enough situation do deal without police 'trying to take hold of her an restrain her'.... I suspect had this been a White Western lady or Male, they'd have simply been able to leave their details with the restaurant and pay again on another day - Perhaps 'racism' is a facet of this interaction, its difficult to tell.

Ah yes, because clearly the only sane, proportionate response to someone unable to cover a few hundred baht for their food is to arrest, jail, deportation, and black-list them.... ..... Perfectly rational. Not in the least bit the musing of someone mentally deranged and seriously unhinged... Tell me - when the chemical fog lifts, be it booze, pills, or whatever cocktail you’ve overindulged in... do you ever scroll back through your posts and think, “Good grief, which lobotomised halfwit typed that?”

Views: a) They are innocently naive and dont realise / can't imagine how this would work. b) You are being taken for a mug.

Yep... I think more to the point of Jacks question is.. ... "Oh shoot... we're getting low on 'Midori'... how will I keep up with the demand for 'fuzzy navels ?.... which local shop can I hit up for delivery... ??....."

I can here.. but that needs to be in advance... I even found out how in Dubai during quarantine in the middle of Covid !!!

The US is not exactly a bench-mark for global quality when it comes to policing... She didn't pay her bill.. But neither do I see her being rude... But.. She didn't pay, what else could they do ???

In that case - Wine Pro for Wine... Thought I'm not sure 'they' do Instant delivery, Grab can pick up for you etc... (though I wouldn't want 8000 bahts worth of wine on a Grab bike - best to leave delivery of that to their responsibility) We've found solutions loads of times - but its usually when running an empty fridge at 10pm etc.. We've even hit up a WineConnection in the past - put in an order and they used Grab to deliver.

In the past when having parties etc... We've taken the 'informal route' of using Grab... .. Getting them to pick up a load of booze, and then deliver it. They'll ride around (or usually already know of a place) where they can circumnavigate the 2-5pm rule... That said, after midnight - I've never tried... Where are you ? There are solutions everywhere when digging, someone will know someone... Even if you get the 'contact' (i.e. Line) of a local Mom and Pop shop and see if they can deal with direct delivery on an informal basis. Or... Just going back to the 'Grab' Guys (if you have them nearby).

I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression that Immigration information and even arrests history etc is not shared across countries. ... Thats why Interpol have to issue notices and certain jobs require police clearance certification from our home nations.... ... So... with that in mind - No, Thai Immigration will have no idea (though, my answer is conjecture based solely on that knowledge).

You never herd about the young lady from Ealing ?....

I don't know why you got so many 'thumbs down' for that post - your comments... Yes, you and I usually argue a lot - but I judge each post and thread based on their merit - you are spot on with the above comment

When I was younger, a close friend was killed because a guy was changing over his tape in his car and drifted head on into her... We can apply bias however we want... but the same careless idiots will do the same careless things whatever the tech.... Good point - On a flight very recenelty an irritable cretin played videos on his phone with his seat partner... for all around to hear... it took all my reserve not to speak up. Again, agree... But, that depends on the circles with whom we 'interact'... Even recently, I've never attended social event (wedding etc) or a dinner party, or regular dinner at a friends where any friends spent more than fleeting moment glancing at a message.... phones mostly used for photos... People still have manners... but those who don't never had and never will.

Thats as I understand it. He left his wallet (money), house keys, etc in his motorcycle... Then the BiB took it as it was parked alongside every other bike, albeit illegally, as every other bike was - he just fell foul of a crack-down.... So.. why didn't he recover his bike that evening ? possible ? did he even know where to go ? ... Perhaps not, so not wanting to sleep on the street for the night and having no money - he broke into his own accommodation - which was probably rented, hence he probably had to pay for damages. Nothing more to see here, no drama - apart from a couple of the usual "hang-him, deport him... I wanna be the only special farang here" crowd... All of that said: surely he had his phone with him and can make Digital payments. ----------- I've nearly had to break into my own place a couple of times. I've gone out, forgot my keys, got home, wife is fast asleep, no amount of door knocking or phone her is waking her from her slumber... I thought I'd have to go and get a hotel for the night (which would have looked really dodgy)... We now have a digital lock - can't forget the keys.

Where would you find your 'charging station' when out on the road ? ... and then how would you pay for it ? People like you and I would come unstuck quite quickly without a smart phone - they are integrated into our lives. But as you wrote - IF no internet, then then a smart phone becomes somewhat moot....

Why ??? are YOU unhappy because of your smart phone ?