richard_smith237

The fact that they felt the need to announce this conclusion so swiftly, while simultaneously locating a "medication consistent with psychiatric treatment," raises questions. All that is needed is to find one or two 'Valium' pills to provide wings and allow a politically convenient narrative to take flight. This allows the media rhetoric to be carefully shaped, steering attention away from other, perhaps less comfortable, possibilities; i.e. religion - fundamentalism - Islam. There is also the point that evidence of a psychiatric condition does not automatically exclude the potential for religious motivation. The readiness with which any religious aspect is dismissed on the basis of such information fails to address the larger picture, in fact it seems so quickly and conveniently side stepped that instead of closing the void of speculation, this approach deepens it....

It’s a valid point that, in these racially and religiously charged times, the omission of certain details from discussions or reports creates a void. This void often becomes a breeding ground for suspicion, bias, and rhetoric, particularly from those quick to level accusations against Islam. It is also thought provoking that such accusations, more often than not, seem to hold weight. When attacks are committed by white, Western men - such as German nationals, religion is rarely brought into the conversation. Instead, the discourse tends to focus on alternative explanations, such as substance abuse or mental health issues. However, the complete omission of race or nationality often stirs speculation and mistrust, inadvertently fuelling divisive narratives - at least in this story the void was partially filled with the facts 'National Asylum seeker'. People frequently ask... “Why is it always Muslims who commit such acts?” The truthful answer is that it isn’t. Yet..... the disproportionate media amplification of such events, combined with the failure of governments to effectively manage immigration, perpetuates a skewed perception. Incidents involving male-only immigrant populations do appear disproportionately high, which exacerbates existing tensions. Another point worth considering is the distinction between immigrants who integrate successfully into their host countries and those who do not. In my experience, individuals in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Kurdistan regions, despite the hardships in their homelands, are often polite, overwhelmingly welcoming, and respectful.... ...... Yet, something seems to change when they settle in Western nations like the UK or much of Europe. Many form insular groups and, in some cases, become prone to violence and religious extremism. This stark transformation raises questions about the underlying causes, such as social ostracism, lack of integration, or systemic issues within host nations. As for Pakistan, I’ve observed a different dynamic. Beyond superficial manners, I often sense an underlying discomfort or even dislike towards non-Muslims. Unlike the genuine respect and consideration I’ve experienced with other nationalities, my interactions with individuals from Pakistan have felt strained and disconnected, revealing a subtle yet pervasive tension. So was this a religious attack?... The media have been very quick to dispel any 'religious reason' and concentrate on the possibility of mental illness - It is the speed with which authorities go to any lengths to avoid the possibility or mention of 'religious reasons' that opens up void of distrust and though it speculation... ... We have a Afghani Asylum Seeker who stabbed children... Mental Health ??? - of course, anyone who commits such an act has mental health issues !!!... But that could also be driven by other reasons, specifically religious reasons - why this is being so quickly ignored is beyond me... ... If someone doesn't scream “Allahu-Akbar” before pressing a red detonation button it seems any other possible reason will be investigated before that of an attack motivated by religion....

Theoretically - with UK Nationality - the Op and his Wife (if also UK passport holder) can use the NHS without issue. Officially, then need to be in the UK for two years - but thats never checked. However, IF caught unwell at a layover destination, then insurance cover would be useful.... But, does your regular Health Cover, not cover you everywhere (unless specific exclusions apply) - i.e. I'm looking at cover now and most have a 30 day emergency cover in any country (outside of USA mostly) - obviously small print* determines the specific on this. (*and before LL gets overexcited and knocks one out all over this thread - by small print I mean the colloquialism referring to terms and conditions, not the size of text). I'm not sure if our 'Health Cover' (insrunace) covers us for Private Treatment in our countries of Nationality - as generally, health cover us for elective treatment in our country of residence and emergency cover elsewhere - countries such as the UK have emergency treatment only at public hospitals, I'm not sure how recovery once stabilised would be handled. Someone may have experience of this and it would be very good to know.

Bo!!ox... (with caveats)... When I have taken travelle insurance in the past its to cover a number of options... 1) Trip cancellation insurance 2) Loss of Baggage 3) Delay insurance 4) Injury (illness) cover while away 5) Theft of equipment The cover is somewhat variable with regards to timing... i.e. with specific trip insurance - cover starts on the 'day of cover stating' when 'at the destination' stated in the cover. i.e. IF you take out travel insurance for Japan from 10th to 20th February... then your cover starts from your time of arrval in Japan on the 10th..... ... But, if your trip is cancelled before then (i.e. through bereavement or injury / illness) the obviously you are covered and will be reimbursed for all costs. Last year I was covered - had a sports injury - all my hospital fees were covered while overseas, when I returned to Bangkok my cover ended and my main health insurance picked up where the Travel Insurance left off. World Nomads Paid out for Medical Treatment in Japan....

No…. In this example because while ApplePay does work in the same ‘tap & go’ manner with overseas cards, it doesn’t work with Thai cards…. This is is just one example of where some things are less developed, there are other examples where things are more developed.

This is an overstay… … the hang’em high crowd are peeing their knickers !!! The guy was silly - locking people up in those conditions is inhumane & should only be reserved for the inhumane crimes…

Is this why MaclomB has been quiet on the forum recently??? 🫣

?? how so... ?? Error on boarding Pass ? - Screens not working ? --------- I nearly missed a flight from KL to BKK... International flights (nearly) always depart from C gates at the satellite terminal. My Boarding Pass showed C 12 (or something similar for the gate).. so I travelled across to the satellite terminal, chilled had a couple of beers, went to the gate and it was empty... I checked the screens.. my Gate was G12 and I had to rush to get back across to the main terminal - the printing on the boarding pass was sketchy and it wasn't easy to make out the gate letter was G and not a C...

You're playing this very lightly... What would you do if a stranger slapped your Wife's backside like that in a 7-11 ??? It's easy to pass judgement that this is harmless and just a bit of fun when its done to a stranger, but if it were closer to home and someone you cared about ? ... I think many guys would end up getting physical and resort to a violent reaction with someone behaving like this.... and that in itself highlights how wrong the Polish guys behavior was. But... if someone is the type of person not to be bothered about a stranger treating their wife or girlfriend like this and giving them a slap on the backside, then that might suggest more about the 'type' of partner they have in the first place. All of that said - the BiB reaction is rather excessive, as would be a 200,000 baht fine... nevertheless, the guy did something wrong and should be held accountable (to a reasonable extent).

Why get so upset and twisted ?? take a pill... this is just a discussion. Originally my thoughts were exactly as yours, that this is a shoulder and not a driving lane. After looking at more information (and google maps) its clear that I was mistaken and the motorcycle is in fact riding down a 'driving lane'... that is marked with solid while lines (likely an attempt by road planners to prevent traffic darting in and out of it). Thus, drop whatever prejudice you may have, untwist your knickers and take a fresh look...

Most folks would have chuckled, some might have rolled their eyes and muttered, "Alright, genius..." ...and then we have the boomer-Karens.... They’ve leapt straight to DEFCON 1, utterly scandalised. And what’s got their knickers in a twist this time? The fact that someone, somewhere, dared to reveal a sliver of their posterior to the public eye. This is 'boomer-Karen gold - prime outrage fuel. I can only imagine them clutching their pearls as they furiously type their righteous rants about the moral decay of society.

I've used a CTEK trick trickle-charger for a good number of years now... I have 'bike-dash-cams' hard wired in and there is mild battery drain which isn't an issue when using the bike regularly, but when I'm away for more than a month it can drain the batter - the CTEK trickle charger takes care of this and ensures the bike remains in 'hassle free ready to use condition' any time I want. https://www.lazada.co.th/tag/battery-charger-ctek/

This (photo below) is the same road, same direction, a couple of KM's earlier up the the road... Its clear that there are 3 driving lanes, and a 'shoulder'... the inside (left most) driving lane, is marked by a solid white line on both sides... Its not a 'shoulder'... The 'shoulder' is also marked to the left of this. Further on down the same road, the 'shoulder' disappears and makes way for sidewalk / pavement - the the inside (left most) driving lane remains the same with marked by a solid white line to the left and right. To me this is fairly clear information that the motorcyclist was not riding down the shoulder as initially suspected, but is infact riding down a dedicated driving lane (as stevenl pointed out earlier in the thread and which I incorrectly contradicted).

You don't see the brake lights? Never heard of antilock brakes? The grey car was 'forced' to take evasive action and brake to avoid an accident... 'slamming on the brakes' may not accurately describe the braking action in this case, but that becomes a discussion of semantics... Its clear that IF the grey car did not take evasive action and brake he would not have avoided a collision.

No, he would not. My point on this is that none of us know the 'letter of the law' - as the regulations regardign riding on what we are calling the 'shoulder' lane is quite a grey area, as in places there are signs that specifically highlight that Motorcycles can ride in the 'shoulder lane'. This seems to be a 'sticking point' in the discussion... as this photo below, posted by gomangosteen on page one of this thread - the legality of motorcycle use on the 'shoulder lane' appears to vary from area to area and road to road - thus, your statement is not entirely factual. Thus: None of us know for certain if Motorcycles can legally use this lane or not. But - think the point is somewhat moot, as it was the 'reckless driving' of the Hyundai driver that caused the accident even if the motorcyclist is complicit for riding recklessly, that does not absolve the Hyundai driver of fault. Its not an either or sitation - The Hyundai driver is at fault for the accident due to reckless driving, the motorcyclist 'might' also be at fault for riding illegally down the 'shoulder lane' if in fact it is deemed illegal (which we don't yet know).

You seem to approach this from the perspective that one illegal road act wipes the slate clean for the other driver committing an illegal road act - it doesn't. And... as of now, we have no idea if riding or driving on what looks to be shoulder lane in that specific area is legal or not. What has been proven is that both cars and motorcycles drive / ride down this lane as they would any other (effectively making this a 3 lane road).

Yes... The facts.... 1) It is unclear at the moment IF the shoulder lane is a legal riding lane or not. 2) The Hyundai driver swerved / turned across the inside lane and the shoulder lane - a clear illegal and dangerous manoeuvre. 3) Its not 'undertaking' (overtaking on the left) and not illegal to pass traffic on the left in towns in flowing queues of traffic. The points I have made are not 'conflating' the issue - they are examples to 'help' you understand the 'grey area' as you seem to apply an extremely black-and-white outlook to what essentially is a 'grey area' from a legal perspective until the 'facts' actually are known. Just because the 'motorcyclist' might have been doing something illegal - it does not mean the fault of the accident is not with the Hyundai dealer... ... the motorcyclist could have been in the driving lane doing a wheelie (riding illegally) when the Hyundai cut him up and crashed into him... that doesn't not mean the Hyundai drivers manoeuvre is any less dangerous or any less illegal (again - thats not conflation, thats highlighting an example to help you understand the binary approach to discussion fault in this issue may be more complex than you imply).

Which still doesn't negate the fact that the motorcycle driver is at fault for the accident. If it was a kid riding down the pavement, would it be the kids fault ? Regardless of the 'road legality' - I believe fault lies with the Hyundai driver because of the recklessness of his driving. If he was driving at 100kmh and went into the back of an 'untaxed' motorcyclist, we can't say its the motorcyclists fault as it should not have been there in the first place.

No... the accident was 'caused' by the Hyundai driver cutting across a driving lane, a shoulder and a sidewalk without any consideration for other road / sidewalk users.... It could have been a kid riding down the pavement or shoulder..... I do agree with your underlying sentiment that its not legal for motorcyclist to be riding on the shoulder, however, this is a grey area as there are signs in 'some' area's that indicate the law allows for this - I'm just not sure if this is legal in this area. Obviously a major part of the issue is that there is a lack of consistency and local regulations vary, and local traffic often adapts to each individual road. In this case the Hyundai driver has failed to adapt to the driving conditions in Thailand and also made a reckless manoeuvre - without doubt the accident is completely the fault of the Hyundai driver. The argument to suggest the motorcyclist is at fault becasue he should not have been there is similar to suggesting, if the motorcyclist was drunk he should not have been there.. the dangerous manoeuvre itself supersedes the other - in such an example the motorcyclist could be charged with DUI separately... In this case, IF it is proven that the no motorcycles can ride down the shoulder, then that could be a separate charge. The driver of the Hyundai still drove recklessly causing an accident.

Are you implying that its ok to just walk up to any female and slap them on the backside just because you are in Nana Plaza ???

That would usually be the case here... ... Although we'd read all about that if she was a Doctor or someone in a position or family considered by society to whom these things 'cannot happen'...

A number of points here... - The guy made a very stupid mistake, perhaps thinking he was being funny - completely unacceptable. - The response seems like an over-reaction thats not to minimise what happened. - Would a Thai man have received the same response ? - Would a similar 'slap' on a Western Woman (by a Thai male ) been treated in the same manner ? --------- I think it was last year - An Indian man was charged 200,000 baht for something similar (slapping a woman's bottom on Walking street - she was a 'dancer' and not a hooker etc)... ... Questions asked then - Whenever walking in an 'entertainment area' and a Ladyboy tries to grab a mans junk, why aren't they charged ??? --------- What happened to this lady is wrong. The man needs to be very apologetic and perhaps even face charges - but I'm left wondering if the only reason the response was so exaggerated is because this was a 'foriegner'. Turning this into the huge pantomime is excessive - I'd like to see such a response when there is a report of domestic violence (whatever the nationality of the offender)

Turning from the right-most lane across the left lane and cutting off a car and a motorcyclist is not illegal in Thailand? You might have had an argument had the car in the left-most lane had turned and struck the motorcycle. 100%

The accident happed because of the careless driving of the Hyundai driver... I think this supersedes the motorcyclist riding the shoulder... I've pointed out earlier that this 'shoulder' looks to be used as a left lane by all traffic, cars included (photos of this posted earlier on this thread). Whether riding / or driving in that left lane legally or not, the careless and reckless nature of the Hyundai driver is what caused the accident more so than the actions of any of the other riders / drivers in this situation as the driver has failed to to account for 'normal traffic behavior'.... If the Hyundai was turning left from the 'inside' driving lane (not the shoulder) and a motorcyclist sped up the inside and there was a collision - then I'd agree that the motorcyclist is at fault, however, the Hyundai turned blindly from the right most lane without any consideration for traffic in the left hand 'driving' lane (not the shoulder) and is therefore solely at fault (IMO). From a self preservation perspective - the motorcyclist could hold himself accountable and his actions complicit in causing his own injuries because he was not riding carefully or defensively - but from a 'legal-fault' perspective I can only see the Hyundai driver as being at fault here.

These guys didn't 'think of it' either... They copied it... this stuff has been doing the rounds on social media for a decade.