richard_smith237

@richard_smith237 This, I think, is the crux of the matter. They just can't handle any form of criticism! bob. Your bias shining through again... You cherry picked part of steven's quote that suits your rhetoric... You ignored the 'lack of communication' comment... as this be admitting a failing on your part.

the constant is Thai people. I never face such issues with people from other nationalities. funny, eh? bob. Wrong again... The 'constant' is YOU and Thai-People.... If you have an underlying negative demeanour towards Thai's... that will be picked up. Your posting history is not one that is ever complimentary towards Thai's.. the natural assumption is that you simply dislike all Thai people... a sense of bigotry shines through. Given your open attitudes on this forum, I'm quite sure all the Thai's I know would find you quite objectionable... you would of course blame them for being Thai... instead of looking at yourself and how you treat Thai's...

What is it with underwear thieves in this country ??... Is this the 'contagion effect'? .... Because such events occur and are often sensationalised, they inspire more individuals within that society to adopt similar ideas.

that's a question only the waitresses can answer! bob. Wrong.... that waitress is not present at all your other negative encounters... There is only one constant in all of the issues you face with Thai people...

....Amazing Thailand, eh? bob. Nope... Thats your negative bias shining though again, you've generalised a nation with your sarcastic slur... (Sarcastic) - "Amazing 'some of Thailand', eh?"... would be more accurate, but it doesn't roll off the tongue as well and the balance does not fit your 'all Thai's bad' rhetoric.

... Though, giving your posting history, bob... It might be argued that you are far from being 'the standard customer'... So many of these issues you write of scream out... 'Look inwards'..... i.e. take a look at your own attitudes and behavior and see how that influences the response of others... Why are you having so many difficulties and negative experiences in waters others navigate without any issue.

Bo!!ox... Your bias is showing... There are plenty of places in the UK with poor service. In fact, some of my family in the UK recently shared a terrible restaurant experience. While you might encounter less surliness in the UK, it often depends on how respectfully the situation is managed. Bob, considering your attitude towards Thais, the waitress’s response might have been influenced by how you spoke to her. It seems likely that many of the situations you complain about are of your own making.

Indeed... Crappy food and crappy service is not a uniquely Thai issue... However, the frequency with which problems are faced seems to be a 'uniquely bob smith problem... Perhaps not the rubbish food he received, but perhaps the level of response can be but down to a bit of 'bob-smithery'...

It’s you Bob… The manner of response you received is perhaps the way you complained ? ”told her to take it away”…. Possibly a language issue… she didn’t understand the issue ? In some cases complaints are not welcomed, it could be that. It could be your demeanour - given the numerous issues you face with Thais, it could be assumed that this is the issue. Just don’t go there again, poor food…

If this was an article in 'The Thaiger' !!! In Thailand, the distinction between 95 and 97 petrol is akin to choosing between two exquisite wines, each with its own allure for the passionate car enthusiast. The magic lies in their octane ratings, a measure of the fuel's prowess to resist the unsettling knocks or pings during the fiery dance of combustion. 95 Petrol: With an octane rating of 95, this fuel is the steadfast companion for most regular cars, the everyday hero of the Thai roads. It's the reliable choice, trusted by many to keep their journeys smooth and steady. 97 Petrol: Now, 97 petrol, with its higher octane rating around 97, is the darling of high-performance aficionados. It's the premium, the crème de la crème, reserved for vehicles that demand more – the sleek, the powerful, the ones that crave a bit more zest in their engine's performance. This petrol promises a smoother ride, whispering the promise of enhanced efficiency and a touch more grace on the open road. While using this higher-octane nectar when it's not required may not transform your car into a beast, using a lower octane than your car's soul desires can lead to a disheartening rattle and a drop in performance. Always heed the wisdom of your car's manual or the whispers of the manufacturer to ensure you choose the fuel that lets your beloved vehicle sing its sweetest song. Gotta love chatGPT !!!

After roo860's second post - perhaps this is now getting the media attention it deserves..... ... will we see similar netizen outrage to that when a foreigner attacks a Thai ?

You mean the typo... Has / had ??? - otherwise, any point you are attempting to make is falling flat on its face and is completely lost on me... <<< Will get this get the same degree of media attention and netizen outrage as it would had roles been reversed and a foreigner stabbed a Thai ????? >>>

The Ops use of the comment 'while I am here'... is a little confusing... Which one is it Op ??? ------------ I will be back in Thailand next month for 6 weeks and i need to renew my passport while i am over there. I want to know if anybody has renewed their UK passport from Thailand recently and how long did it take? I will be back in Thailand next month for 6 weeks and i need to renew my passport before I travel. I want to know if anybody has renewed their UK passport in the UK recently and how long did it take?

The last renewal was for my Son, it took 4 weeks... But I have heard of longer... and you never know who's going to go on strike with this lot.. As you still have a month before you depart from the UK for Thailand, why not renew in the UK ? That would remove the potential stress about waiting for it while you are here. You can book a fast-track renewal (1 day or 1 week). https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently

read your original question again .... had you been drinking when you wrote this .... haha anyway, back to your question ...... I think you already know the answer to that ! You'll have to explain that one steven... the original question was quite clear. If the roles were reversed... we'd see this news everywhere... But we we are not. .... There would be PBS, ThaiRath, Coconuts, Thaiger articles... but what do we have when its a foreigner stabbed by a Thai ???... one article, linked by a forum member.

I agree with you, except on the lawyer part... How many reliable lawyers do you know that cost as little as 2000 baht to accompany you to a police station and argue your case ??....

Very true... 'some' of a lower status (dare I say BG) would not only be faced with a certain degree contempt, but she'd also lower the status of the Op in the eyes of the police, added to which, someone of lower status, may be far more subservient to the police than the situation needs. However, if the Ops GF is a respectable well presented, intelligent smart, lady who's higher up the socio-totem-pole... then that could bring him a certain degree of kudos and up his 'optics'.

Will get this get the same degree of media attention and netizen outrage as it would has roles been reversed and a foreigner stabbed a Thai ????? From the linked article: [ Police Colonel Chalermchai Hernsawat, Superintendent of Patong Police Station in Phuket, revealed that they now know the identities of the perpetrators, believed to be a group of Thais. The investigative team is urgently tracking them down for questioning ].... And hopefully charging the one who stabbed the foreigner with attempted murder. ------ Of course, most people responding are more likely 'victim blame' and point the finger at the foreigner for getting involved in the first place... they wouldn't be wrong of course, but that doesn't lessen the point that this is attempted murder with a deadly weapon.... The British lad was reportedly coughing up blood - this is serious (punctured lung ?).

Whats strange about this story is the speed with which the Op and his US friend went from 'someone trusted' to transfer 1 Million Baht to... to 'accusations of theft of the money' and charges against him... The (supposed) 'Ex US Navy officer' seems to have jumped to this 'accusation' against the Op extremely quickly... ... He's certainly no friend of the Ops to behave in such a manner... ... Was this a potential scam against the Op ? ... How long did the Op know this 'Ex US Navy officer' friend for ?... and was his claim of being an 'Ex US Navy officer' verifiable in anyway, as this is not exactly behaviour becoming of someone in that former position.

Well they would when they're in pain. It's normal. Thats true... I was up all night with severe flank pain... debilitating and agonising.. ... I had a kidney stone and needed an operation, I had liver cancer, I was dying, I had weeks to live.... etc etc.. Pain turned me into a pathetic hypochondriac. In the ER the following day, still in massive pain (given a good pain killer), I had an X-ray, underwent urological tests, had a CT scan... no issues... all clear... Ortho Dr. said it must be an intercostal muscle strain or damage to the cartilage on my ribs... and that was that (I've had a lot of injures, usually from sport... torn tendons, breaks, ripped muscles etc... the only comparable pain was when I had a kidney stone). Panic over something very simple (still the total cost to insurance was about 25,000 baht (private hospital) - when all I needed was painkillers, but I didn't know that at the time).

Erm.. what has been belittled ??? I don't read any belittling on this thread so far..

Bingo - good info... I'll take note of that Website... I'd never heard of it before but it looks ideal.

Of course they are out in force... the idea that someone gets aggressive on weed is highly questionable when the Meth problem exists to far greater extend in Thailand and is far greater threat to society... It seems the allegation that the 'aggressive male' was high on Marijuana seems to be solely based on the findings that he had two packs of Marijuana in his possession. The 'jump' to the conclusion that his behavior is marijuana related seems flawed, as is your comment.

I just don't see it that way at all... If the Op had slipped while stepping off the Moto-taxi and the following motorcycle had hit him and injured him it would be following motorcycles fault for... a) Following too closely behind b) Riding to fast to stop or take avoiding action c) trying to under-take I know this is not the UK.. But what would happen in the UK in the same circumstances ?... I believe the following motorcyclist would be at fault. The laws in Thailand follow a very similar code to the UK. And while I know the manner in which these rules are enforced and decided upon are at a very 'discretionary level' the BiB can't ignore certain facets of an incident for the convenience of placing sole blame at the feet on one party over another. Its perfectly acceptable for the Op to push back, but in this culture, to get listened to, he may well need backup. Nothing like this will go to a court, so the BiB could be police, firm, stubborn and the Police would realise that he is not quite the push-over they'd hoped. This is all a little late now though, as the Op signed a statement. The lesson here is... we do not have to accept the Policeman's decision if we don't want to, as that decision is more often than not based on an emotional input rather than a legal one.

Careful with this... The task of the Tourist Police is to actually Police the tourists... They are not necessarily 'on your side' and more than likely to just agree with anything their peers suggest. As already mentioned by others - the best thing you can do is have a 'respectable' Thai friend come along with you, someone you trust who can communicate and translate on your behalf in a manner in which the Thai Police will listen to. --------- I had an accident years ago... In a Multi-story car Park... I was going slowly looking for a place to park (office hours), an impatient driver behind me decided to overtake and in doing so simply scraped the side of my car. Within minutes we had about 20 of her colleagues with her as support - all wanting to 'blame the farang' (they were simply supporting her).... Insurance came, Police came... no one except the car park security guard saw the incident, and as he was on the other side of the car park, he didn't really see it... after speaking with the security guard who was influenced by the crowd the BiB and Insurance agreed that it was my fault.... I refused to sign - so we were instructed to both attend the Police station after work. I called a close friend who's quite senior in the police... we've known each other very closely for a long time. I explained what happened. He called the Police station... called me back.. its dealt with, no need to bother going to the Police station... turns out the other driver didn't have insurance... Insurance came to see me and I signed for 50% responsibility so my insurance would pay for my damages only. In an earlier incident years later - I didn't even need to get as far as calling my friend, I was able to convince the BiB that at accident was not my fault, I was police, but firm and stubborn... with plenty of photo evidence etc.. the eventually came around. Its good to have either the confidence of a someone as back-up, or to actually use that back-up... It can't be understated the effectiveness of having a respected Thai available to back you up... this places you on an even playing field you may otherwise find yourself at a disadvantage on.