richard_smith237

Step one - lose the delusional nonsense. This idea of 'wanting to assimilate and be Thai is ridiculous nonsense, the stupidity of such a comment suggests a troll thread... People don't need to assimilate to enjoy things here, they just need to be normal... thats it. But... IF you are serious about 'enjoying your time here' instead of constantly complaining or finding reason to dislike something, just look inwards. Make effort to enjoy the differences rather than get annoyed at them. Understand, things are different and it doesn't mean worse. Accept poorer service is normal because training is poor. Don't always jump to the worse most negative conclusion if a better conclusion also exists. Attempt to learn the language. Most importantly, be respectful of others and seem the respectful of you. Move away from an area populated by low class foreigners and avoid being tarred with the same brush.

You get 20 PM's a day from strangers who are lonely !!!... You have your AN and Grindr accounts mixed up... Truthfully though - good advice to piggy back on the current trend of being aware of mental health issues and listen to friends around us etc...

I could name at least 10 without drawing breath Travel agents whether physical or online are the life blood of the aviation industry They exist as consolidators by buying blocks of discounted seats ensuring that the airline reaches minimum income on any one flight You could... Yet you didn't..... I have never found any travel agents cheaper by any worthy margin (i.e. some consolidators on Skyscanner etc ring up cheaper prices by a marginal etc). Me too.. but first of all I'd like to know how much I could save on Summer and Christmas tickets to the UK with one of the agents you say are always cheaper than going direct with an airline. You can name 10 without drawing breath ??? - how about just naming one ?

I could name at least 10 without drawing breath Travel agents whether physical or online are the life blood of the aviation industry They exist as consolidators by buying blocks of discounted seats ensuring that the airline reaches minimum income on any one flight You could... Yet you didn't..... I have never found any travel agents cheaper by any worthy margin (i.e. some consolidators on Skyscanner etc ring up cheaper prices by a marginal etc). Me too.. but first of all I'd like to know how much I could save on Summer and Christmas tickets to the UK with one of the agents you say are always cheaper than going direct with an airline. You can name 10 without drawing breath ??? - how about just naming one ?

A lot (I'd argue the vast majority) of policies carried by Westerners in Thailand are IPD only plans so medication is not covered unless part of in-patient treatment. The markup on medication in hospitals in Thailand outrageous (i.e. 400% in many cases) - I'm surprised insurance companies are not on top of this and formulating objections, the gouging it excessive. In the past, when I've had an OPD hospital visit, I've refused the medication and get the Dr. to write down what I need and then go to a Pharmacy (saves plenty of money - the issue of course is if some of the medication is prescription only). ----- I am recently carrying around Tramadol (prescribed) - I'm not sure if that is over the counter or needs a prescription, It was issued after recent surgery - I'm don't think I have a prescription document to carry around with me anyway.

Bob ?????

Always good kit in Paddock (as already mentioned) on Vibhavadi road. Panda Rider also has a decent selection of Rev'it gear - but sizing could be an issue as stocks are for the Thai Market obviously. Anything of quality from the above mentioned shops are going to be pricey - certainly not cheap.

The locals I encounter in many of these nations (by that I mean nations which may be considered more 'hard line muslim') seem to live with an element of fear.... ... I even see it in areas of Malaysia and Indonesia where guys seem to 'out do each other' on the 'who is more devoted' front, they pray so hard and rub their head on the mat, over the years it leaves a dark patch of rough skin.... OK.. so thats not Saudi, but I wanted to point out that while we are exposed to locals, they are very much a result of the regime they live within, its almost feels Orwellian. And no, I'm not tarring all with the same brush - but I am pointing out that in aggregate some nations have less tendency towards tolerance of those of other cultures, nations and religions.... I would most definitely classify KSA as one of those nations. They also know their own reputation... which is why they are up to all the sport washing. Meet the same Saudi Arabian outside of KSA and they behave differently, more relaxed, more free. Its the similar for the people of Iran... Iranian friends hate their regime... but are frightened of it, they'll admit to acting differently within Iran to when they are outside of Iran. Even from the more moderate Arab Nations (UAE, Qatar)... Count how many Abaya's & Shayla's (basically Burqas are worn by Arab females when boarding a flight in the Middle East to Thailand... then count how many come off the flight... many have changed on the flight.. which is fine IMO, no criticism of that - but if they dislike their clothing so much, why are they all wearing it ????... 'cos they are frightened not to).

I can assure you many women drive in Saudi Arabia, the Bedouin women in particular. Its not at all income to see women in Jeddah (which is in Mecca Province) their faves and hair un covered. Have you ever been to Saudi Arabia? I'm also currently a resident of two Middle Eastern Countries (through work - and have held residency in 4 Middle East nations). While KSA is certainly not as 'controlled' as Iran... you are painting it in a moderate light, and it most certainly is not moderate although there is some improvement... ... Female's Driving - still very much the rarity compared to the UAE and Qatar. Freedom and tolerance are not words I'd associate with the nation, particularly when it comes to females, the freedom of religion and political views. This example of the Rabbi being told / asked to remove his Kippah is a perfect example of the absense of tolerance nations such as KSA exhibit towards anything that does not conform to their hard-lines. Even though he have been given official approval under the guise of tolerance, the true lack of tolerance shone through and when this occurs at such an official level we can see how anything other than pure conformity is met with resistance. I may be negatively bias... But I consider these regimes barbaric and toxic (and that goes for a lot of Middle Eastern Nations, even those considered far more moderate). Just feed a child water in public in the Middle of Ramadan and see the scorn and even people telling you off. Take a drink of water yourself in public and be prepared to be arrested. The most moderate I've seen are the food courts of major international shopping malls being 'fenced off' so those outside cannot see non-muslims eating in the day time... because eating in front of someone of a different religion is such an offence, right ???

The demographic hasn't changed - its still young travellers / backpackers / party goers / young holiday makers.... What has changed is that you are now older.... its not that everyone is so engrosed in their phones, is simply that no one is engrossed in talking with older guys trying to crack on to young skirt in a area popular with young people.... You, and I are now the oddity in these area's.... young tourists don't have much to say to people like you and myself, and I don't blame them... they want to talk with other young people...

Agreed - it appears the Airline followed their own protocol. BUT... the passenger who complained is reported to have provided information of his disability in advance. It seems the airline has been unprofessional in the manner with which it failed to log this information and only realised when too many 'disabled' passengers had already boarded. In this case, the disabled passenger had every right to complain as he'd given fair warning of his disability and should have been logged as a priority. Additionally - I wonder how the news was passed on to him that he was unable to fly. "Terribly sorry Sir, there has been a mix up and we have reached our legally permitted maximum for blind passengers, this is our fault, we'll refund your ticket and place you on the next flight as a priority, business class free of charge"..... or... "Sorry, you are disabled, you cannot fly"..... and that is that... ---------- Much of these issues are borne of terrible customer service and appalling standards of communication.

Yeah, I get your point... I have seen the media picking backing on the swiss 'case' (both of them)... the numerous re-reports and add-on's to that story have certainly appeared to attempt to 'create further drama' and attention which naturally cynical folk picked up on as being 'deliberately charged' reporting to stir the pot and drum up further nationalistic controversy.... That said - in the case of this report (OP) nothing more or less is mentioned than would have been 1 month, 1 year or 10 years ago... ... just the same language and certainly no further negative connotations implied towards foreigners. While in other reports there may be something to see from the 'anti-farang' perspective - this is not one of those cases IMO.... ... IMO - this is just a 'nothing to see here'... just normal reporting when a white foreigner is involved.

To be clear here I'm not saying this is a disaster and we should be panicking, I'm just reporting on something which may be of interest because it's following a trend which just started. OR... You have picked up on this trend and have tried to shoe-horn in another story and piggy back on the drama... ... which is what a lot of the media is currently doing... IF indeed - you are right, the 'whatifery' doesn't do you any favours - you are projecting that Thai's are gossipping negatively about foreigners because of reported events and that will have an impact on your stay here or some how influence how Thai's will treat you... .. Thats a reach... you're searching for the problem rather than commenting on an existing issue. I agree with you from the 'woke' over reaction we have in the West... But really, race, nationality, gender etc... its all part of the story... If we're not careful we'd have reports such as... ... "Car driven by person hits bike ridden by person"....

Something will already have been paid... GRAB Policy is up to 150 baht cancellation charge after 3mins if the car has moved more than 500m. I'm not sure how much of a cancellation charge was applied by GRAB or how much of that goes to the driver - however when someone cancels there is a charge. Now - regarding cancellation charges: I want GRAB to compensate me for every fare they've accepted then cancelled at the last minute often costing me more money or inconvenience... (nearly cost friends a missed flight)....

I have the same concern regarding long term health care here. I'd like to apply for Thai Citizenship - but don't meet the criteria (I don't work here) - so, I'm not sure what decent long term options there is other than to move back to the UK at some point. I've already gone through over 800,000 baht worth of medical expenses this year (just bad timing with two injuries from sports) - but my insurance premiums are not too crazy... but upon entering my 50's I'm getting premiums will start to sky-rocket and decent healthcare will be tricky. Travel insurance is a no goer... they're already delaying with a current claim from an overseas injury (4 weeks ago and are being very difficult to deal with).

I agree... It must be very frustrating as a driver just to be 'disregarded' like that... I have cancelled fares in the past for the similar reasons.. Or, I've cancelled because the driver accepts but he's too far away and I'm not going to get where I need to be in time so just get the Wife to drop me or take the bike etc... When I cancel, I'm charged a cancellation fee... thus, in this case, my guess is that a cancellation fee was also charged and some of that must have gone to the driver. The issue of course is the 'entitlement' of the driver that he should get more - this issue then becomes a slightly one and not to do with someone cancelling a fare, but the entitlement and aggression of taxi drivers who operate in such area's.... By trying to forcer her in his car, thats assault. I hope he's banned from being a driver, these kind of fool will be in the news sooner or later usually for violence or assault etc.

Did you take your Wife there and was she allowed to wear her own clothing and drive ???... Relevance - it comes down to tolerance - We have just returned from Japan where my Wife was free to wear what she wanted and drive, go out to restaurants freely etc... Conversely, would she be allowed to drive in Saudi ? (i wouldn't want to anyway for other reasons, corruption and intolerance). Would she be allowed to travel around on her own ? (i wouldn't want her to anyway for reasons of intolerance). Would she be allowed to travel around without a head scarf ? (i wouldn't want her to anyway for reasons of intolerance). While the Arabs are famously hospitable, just as many other nations, there is also a considerable lack of tolerance born of fear from totalitarian regimes which overpowers their underlying tolerance to anything other than puritanical religious conformity.

Then perhaps he should be reminded that more of his fellow Arabs and Muslims are blowing up more of his fellow Arabs and Muslims than any other ethnic, cultural or religious group and have been doing so for Millennia.

How gullible are foreigners who marry into the types of family you describe ? See what I did there ????????

This pretty much tells us all we need to know about the taxi driver. A generalisation I know - but it appears that there are key area's in Bangkok which attract taxi drivers who are readily prepared to escalate issues to a physical altercation.... such area's seem to attract the scum of the taxi driving trade. People should be free to change their minds - but I agree.... it should cost them something in such cases... and it does. GRAB charge a cancellation fee when a ride is cancelled within a certain time frame (3mins) from booking. Customers are be charged up to 150 baht if they cancel after 3 mins and the driver has travelled 500m or more... Thus the book & bail as this woman did does come with a penalty. I'm not sure how much of that goes to the driver.

Which agents do you use that are giving you a much better price than the Airline Websites ???

Not quite... I booked a flight (£2500) through an agent with Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways cancelled the flight 2 days before hand... I put in a claim with Qatar Airways, the response was that I had to put a claim in with the Travel Agent. Of course, travel agent put in their claim, 5 months later offered me 80% of my money back with the excuse that it was not their fault the ticket was cancelled and they still had costs to cover - I reverted to an ombudsman and received a full refund eventually. The initial issue here was that as the ticket was booked through an agent the Airline simply was not interested in dealing with me.\

You miss my point …. You said Nothing changed - what you described is pretty much how its always been. I said that was bollack ! And it is … Well in that case... I agree... over the last 100 years, KSR has changed.... and it has changed from 40 years ago according to some posters. Since late 1990's / early 2000's the only part of the KSR recipe to change everyone gets there info from their mobile phone rather than a LonelyPlanet and travel agents... They night time partying, the bars, the crowds, the loud music is all still there as it was 25 year ago...

Memoria praeteritorum bonorum.... Its what the romans described as the phenomenon of 'memory of a good past'.... In modern times its called 'Rosy Retrospection'... and is contributed to by an evolutionary bias which promotes a positive self-view... Thats why all the old guys reminisce fondly of the past conveniently forgetting negative aspects... Its the same reason old guys complain about the 'youth of today'.... ... This Rosy Retrospection is prevalent in most of us yet few will recognise or admit it exists because they themselves lack the critical self consciousness to recognise and identify their own bias.... ... Hence KSR use to be better, use to have a better vibe etc etc... while conveniently forgetting the negatives.

ABSOLUTE twaddle ..... in the early and mid '80 there was no music in KSR .... more a pavement culture of unkempt sweaty types sat in small groups sharing a bottle of cheap San Som or the like ..... If we wanted music we'd head to a couple of bars in Patpong that had a dance floor .... the Sugar Shank for one ...... here the music was pretty crap .... endless repeats of a Land down under ! until Bowie came to town and we all learnt to dance all tracks from the Serious Moondance tour ..... At about this time I started to bring vinal back from the uk to give to the sugar shacks DJ .....to help improve things .... some of it went down poorly other they lept on ... like an extended version of FranKie goes to Hollywood Relax ............. At that time the best sounds were in The Rome club in soi4 ..... massive screen and much better sounds ..... big dance floor but thousands of rich Thai men hitting on you ! .... on balance though it was worth the effort .... Just my experience of KSR in the noughties... (i.e. 2000 upto about 2010).... not absolute twaddle at all. But, if you want to reminice about how it was 40 years ago, then I'm sure it was very different that far back.... almost everything was, but what do you expect if you are comparing now to 40 years ago ? . Since those times in the noughties, I don't see significant change to KSR - I just see evolution in what people wear and how they enjoy themselves but the base recipe is still the same... Young people, loud music, busy area, party vibe - and that hasn't changed in 25 years...