richard_smith237

I also noted that, initially thinking, is this a repeated story as I'd read the same news within the last 6 months... ... This has started a 'bias' that Chinese are in flight thieves as the last few stories I've read of this include perpetrators from China. In this case the response of the Thai Police is particularly impressive. Checking the inflight CCTV and the speed with which they acted and then tracked the Chinese thief through the airport and to his accommodation and speed of arrest. My only question here is what did it take to trigger the police into such impressive action ? Did the Indian man offer a reward, or was this police worked carried out because thats what they should do ?

You, me, our Wives and children..... and anyone else who is now protected from this maniac because he's getting kicked out of Thailand so we won't be exposed to him.. There is also the added benefit of protection from those who would now think twice before escalating a simple issue to violence... Thus: Who's is the beneficiary of enforcing laws when someone breaks the law ? I would say society in General. But... If you mean who is the beneficiary of the endless media frenzy ? - then that would be the media itself with 'increased metrics' to their site and thus the potential for increased add revenue.

I think this pretty much nails it down... Over night stays that are not 'essential' during or after a procedure are common here because there is no underlying financial incentive to operate under minimalist planning. I have had two procedures in the past 12 months - both would be considered day care surgery in the UK. 1) A recent knee Op - I was admitted at 10pm the night before and woken at 4am for surgery pre-op etc... (*this first night was free and was recommended as convenience for the hospital). I then stayed the following night, I assume as a precaution (2 nights stay) - In the UK this would have been AM operation and afternoon discharge. 2) A recent ankle Op - I was admitted at lunch time, op in the afternoon and I stayed two nights, the first was probably necessary as I'd been given a spinal block (and was in effect paralysed until the following morning)... the second night seemed like nothing more than a precaution (2 nights stay) - In the UK this would have been an AM operation and afternoon discharge. I'm ok with the two nights stay as insurance covers this - if I were paying out of pocket, I'd push for same day discharge !!!... The issue here of course is that with everyone doing the same thing the insurance premiums rise. Its often difficult to tell what a Doctor / Surgeon or Specialist insists on for an over night stay and what is more flexible as just a convenience more than anything else.

No... disagreeing with you is not the same as defending 'farang attackers'... There is no "this is less bad" etc just because an attack is perpetuated by one nationality over any other, and no attack is worse becasue it was by a foreigner... An attack is bad full stop no matter who is the aggressor... The Thai's I know do not draw parallel judgement based on the actions of low class scum and project that behavior on to all 'Western Foreigners' (farangs) in General... ... IF your 'Thai friends' are making such comments, either its while just messing about and you have thin skin, or, if as you suspect its a comment which highlights a genuine negative bias against foreigners then I'd suggest you haven't chosen your Thai friends so well and your relationship is not one born of mutual respect.

It would be interesting to see how easily they deal with this issue... a) Sure, will just print you a replacement. b) You'll need a police report, new proof of address, to book an appointment, to re-do tests ABC etc... Thailand is an enigma - I sometimes approach an issue here thinking its going to be a complete nightmare to deal with only to find out the an issue was resolvable within a few mins.. Then I sometimes approach a simple issue and a logical solution seems impossible !!!!

I'm using Suvarnabumi airport about 16 times per year... A few major improvement that I can see are needed. - Faster Immigration (for Economy Passengers) - More seating / Resting area's (not lounges) - Toilets more frequently cleaned - More dining Options (dinning area's are crowded) IMO Suvarnabumi airport is good airport - I'm through it regularly, never any baggage hassles or delays. Fast track is a perk (with Thai Elite) that makes it a lot more tolerable. I was recently though, Heathrow, Geneva, Narita and Doha.... Doha is obviously more impressive, Narita is a model of efficiently. Heathrow T5 is excellent. Geneva clean, but not much there and immigration was a slow nightare. I think its fare to say Suvarnabumi is not out of place in the above company.

Why even answer the question, its not your problem, not a question directed towards you. But... as you've taken the time to respond with a daft gibe, I'll bite. This subject seems to be of interest to many, particularly considering the flip-flopping news of visa revoked, rescinded, not renewed, black-listed, kicked out etc... So.. If its not your problem, doesn't impact you etc... I'd have to ask - why are you even reading the thread ?.... Interested in whats happening with this issue ??..... If not, then its back to 'why are you even reading the thread ?'.... But, if like others, myself included, you are interested in whats happening with this issue and how events are unfold, then you have your answer to a question that really didn't need asking !!!... [Why even ask the question]... because the answer is of interest.... Kind of a bit basic really don't you think ? - so, if all you wanted was a cheap gibe, try harder with something that may actually land.

Yup, thats the one I saw... I wonder if there is any 'earlier footage'... we have the nearby cctv and the phone video (which I'm assuming she started after she's stopped and he was getting nutty)... what about earlier CCTV which could highlight earlier interaction..... 100% agree.. clearly a wrong-un... and his reaction in both situations escalates very quickly excessive where his 'victim cry' (if that was his attempt) is drowned out by his display of complete ayholery... Nevertheless, even ayholes have a 'trigger'... so what triggered the Aussie into this behavior ??? looking at the video you've posted, he seems so erratic, if could have been the simplest and most minor off issues...

But this thread is not about me; it's about the apparent machinations of the UK royal family. Nope... you've already been called out.... Too late to back pedal now, Jacobite...

So many predictable and juvenile 'anti-Thai' responses from the usual suspects.... While I agree there may be an element of graft (there is throughout all sports when we dig deeply enough F1 - FIFA etc)... So... that debate aside.... This is a good thing for Thailand... The more major international events there are here, the greater the scope for the nation to develop. Perhaps the nay-sayers don't want Thailand to develop, otherwise their monging days are over and their unedcuated squeeze will have higher sights...

* Inflammatory comments edited out * One point of interest - you mentioned CCTV footage posted.... I haven't seen that. The only footage I've seen is that of some dash-cam (from the womans car), then what also appears to be phone footage at little later on (after she's impacted his motorcycle)... Is there any earlier footage showing what 'triggered the Aussie' into his 'nutty aggressive riding rage' ???? While trying to remain balanced of opinion and playing devils advocate with my own thoughts... I'm wondering if the woman had judged him or badly cut him [the Aussie] up a few mins earlier (before the part of the video clip we see).

Do you not think that after authorities have got involved and prevented his visa from being renewed there will not also be some sort of persona non grata status and a note (digitally) attached to his immigration record such that any future visa application or entry attempt is met with a road-block ???

Especially riding like that and showing that degree of short sightedness with his behavior.... I'd guess its a certainty that this character has no health insurance whatsoever.... He's lucky the woman was able to stop quickly enough and didn't rear-end him harder.

Thats a valid point... But how many Thai Banks accept a Thai Drivers Licence as proof of address ? I know it happens and have read such on this forum, but I never had my Thai DL accepted as proof of address for anything which was one of the 'drivers' for getting the Yellow House Book / Pink ID... (and no, enough Pink ID debate... no more pleeeeeeaaaaaaassssseeeeeee !) & theoretically, the Op has the Proof of ID document that was used for his Drivers Licence to open an account with etc (but that has limited validity with regards to time I think - 1 month or 3 ??) I guess, if the Op want to do... it would be fairly effortless to get it right with his existing documentation. Thus: in hindsight, and in contradiction to my initial comment, it may be something thats just simpler to resolve now and avoid any unknown hassles down the line.... (if wishing to use the DL as proof of address for anything in the future).

I corrected it for you... Otherwise 'spot on' I think.... [ British man (Welsh) arrested for inappropriate sexual behavior during Khaosan road celebrations [ Swiss pickup driver kills 4 ] [ intoxicated Australian man attacks Thai revelers ] Save this post - maybe a bookie will take on the 'accumulator'.... All bets to settled by 20th April !!!..

You want him to hit your wife so you can plant illegal narcotics on him ??? ... the flat times in your day must be filled with some impressive day-dreaming and scandalous MI6 dramas that never happened.

Perhaps still a bit peeved about 1745...

At least he's not a Swiss man.... ... I don't think Thailand could handle the fallout from that...

Is that you Bob Smith ???

Got to love the Thai sense of humour...

Thats actually very true... I was on a course recently... and was talking with the instructor... The instructor (going by position alone) is someone who the Thai's I know wold place below me on the 'Thai Totem Pole'.... While talking he had no idea of my Son's school.... one of the best (international) schools in Thailand meant nothing to him (not that it mattered)... but while some other Thai's knew of the school and commented at its reputation... for the instructor it may as well have been a temple school.... This created an odd dynamic - It didn't matter to me at all, I was only there for one day, but the instructor tried emphasise an air of 'Ajan' superiority and in doing so, got a lot of things wrong which other Thai's of a higher social status (also on the course) picked up on.... One of them was a Thai Army Colonel, a helicopter Pilot, excellent English, but we chatted in mixture of Thai and English (my Thai far worse than his English) - we got on well, had the course been a week instead of just one day we'd have perhaps ended up becoming friends... ... this really threw the instructor that a foreigner who's 'status' he could not place, fit in very neatly with someone he considered of far higher status.... Thailand - very often an entertaining enigma... and so are we to the Thai's in many cases... just when someone may think they 'have us pegged'... they will see us having a beer with one of the Thai lads from the football team who's a taxi driver !!! (or something similar)... and that will spin them out !!!

On this, I think there's real potential for throwing some real mix into the melee... Those retiree's who have had great / high profile careers... Perhaps as CEO's or an Airline Pilot etc... They settle in Thailand and want to do something and 'give back'... They take a 40,000 baht per month Job as an English teacher, not for the money of course, but to remain active.... They turn up at the Thai school in their BMW X5 and throw a complete spanner in the 'totem pole works' !!! They're wealthier than the school head and director, they have a better career history... their previous position was one of firm respect, they'd be a notch above their respective supervisor and employer if governing by 'previous employment' status alone... but by current status their a few notches below on the 'totem pole'... ... Ahh... head explodes... what to do now ???... how do the Thai 'seniors' deal with this conundrum ? bury their head in the sand and ignore ?... understand and welcome the experience with genuine mutual respect ?... create problems, their childish ego can't handle this situation.... ------- I had similar before... Not through retirement, but through the position I held as an 'international' within a Thai based company. My income was higher, I had a good car etc... Turned up at the office... ... the first issue... Who's is that car ? (it was better than the bosses !!!).... next issue, foreigners shouldn't be driving here, they'll have to have to use company transport !!!... Loved it when they tried to provide me with a driver and car and I refused as I'd held a Thai driving licences for longer than the Thai driver they'd assigned to me... It then kind of went quiet after that... They just didn't know where to place me until they got to know me a little more. I also remember an immediate 'change' in attitude when meeting the GM for the first time..... perhaps not the most politically correct lines of questioning, but I can't say I blame him... He asked if I had a Thai GF... Yes... he immediately wanted to know what she did.... I was being 'gauged' by my associations.... I pointed out that she doing a Masters at Thammarsat Uni, his mood immediately changed.. he'd been to Thammarsat !!! At that point I was tentatively placed 'on the totem pole'... not because of me, but because of the 'perceived level' of who I was associating with.

I wonder about that... Teaching is seen as an honourable but low paid position for Thai's. Teaching English is seen as 'bums' job at language schools and Thai schools. Teaching at high end International School yields greater respect. Thus: while I agree, there is a slot for the English teachers, I don't think its one to aspire to, specifically 'English' teachers. As far as the well defined pecking order and no slot for the 'farang' I kind of disagree. Thai's definitely struggle to place foreigners in a 'slot in the totem pole'.... But I'd add a little to that comment. 1) Thai's of a lower socio-economic-educational status can identify when a foreigner is outside of (above) their 'slot' but may not care unless the situation dictates (thats the same for the same folk dealing with other Thai's too). 2) Thai's of a 'middling' socio-economic-educational status seem to struggle the most and rely on your career and 'contacts' or who you are with to gauge your 'position on the ladder'.... 3) Very well educated Thai's can quickly gauge your status on the socio-economic-educational ladder through socio-phonetics, your behavior and general interaction. 4) Very powerful Thai's seem not to care about anyone else's status unless someone is potentially 'above them' (Thai or foreign). Obviously there are a lot of gaps in that thinly papered convenient facade, but the basics seem to hold true, in my experience at least. Thai's want to know where to place us and struggle without the 'detail' which is why its often best to be 'introduced' to someone here, especially by someone who carries what would be considered 'status' as that also rubs off on the person being introduced. ( Unless you're a retired monger with no Thai friends in which case it may be better to leave them guessing !!!... or not, depending on intended outcome !!!! )

Good point.... Horrible cynical Thai bash forthcoming - those of a woke persuasion click over to a thread about old guys using Tinder, now... !!!... Ok here goes... Just as they do in elections (giving out money to get a desired result).. If the government gave people 200 baht for getting their dog spayed... and sponsored the vets for doing so, that would be that. Dogs would disappear from the streets in a the blinking of an eye, veterinarians would be busy.... but the stray dog issue would be resolved before a new generation could take over.

Seems so does it ?... I flew them less than a month ago... But yes, once I'd identified exactly what Proton meant by Q Class it was easier to work out what he was getting at. One of the issues with this forum is that when a poster makes a vague comment places little effort in clarifying the fallout and removing the ambiguity its takes a little back and forth to get to the bottom of what may initially be thought of as a mistake or an assumption. So.. the mistake was clearly mine - as I highlighted after further info was given. And... as josephbloggs highlighed, QR now charge for seat selection for Business Lite and Classic..... Cheeky feckers... The Ryan Air mentality is filtering through all business these days. It seems we're at the stage where the customer is most definitely last, even when paying a premium - insulting really. The Business seat selection for a fee is really very cheeky IMO, in all classes.... its just wrong IMO... pay for a ticket, then pay to choose where you'd prefer to sit. The Paying to use the toilet 'ryan air' floated is getting closer to becoming a reality. In the business class section - they are ripping off couples who want the 'honey moon' seats... (i.e. the two middle seats which are directly next to each other)... Wife and I just took a couple of those seats a couple of weeks ago (with Thai Airways).... I put the divider up and tried to tune out her snoring !!!