richard_smith237

Yup... I get you... Before Christmas, over half of what I ordered was cancelled... Refunds where fast, but that wasn't the issue, time was. I found that when I ordered something for the 'best price' I could find, the order was cancelled (and refunded) after a few days or a week, but I could still find exactly the same items, exactly the same photos, exactly the same worded comments etc from another vendor... It became apparent to me that there was some sort of 'baiting' going on where, you select a cheaper option, then when its cancelled you go to a more expensive options (meanwhile the original vendor is still 'open' for ordering the same items)... Its frustrating because its very time wasting - I just accept it as one of the by products of doing business with the Chinese. I don't find that this happens with a Thai based online stores. With regards to your question - Lazada stuff comes from individual vendors... Lazada is just the 'middle-man'... So you may be able to visit some vendors who have a physical presence and also 'advertise' (list) on Lazada, while others not because they only have an online presence. With regards to trust: Customer ratings are a good indicator of that, but not always perfect. Lazada (and shopee) are very much hit and miss IMO, but I've always had my money back when things don't work out.. its just the time wasting thats an issue for me.

This is the most 'searchable' Thai based forum which handles visa issues... and lets not forget, it was initially called Thai Visa.com. The very reason I found this forum way back was searching about a visa issue.... It makes perfect sense that someones first post is about a visa issue... Of course, people could be cynical and suggest its someone trolling, but really, what is there to gain from that ?

@siwiek If you are not going to respond to useful posts such as this, you are not going to receive the help you need. Help others help you, I ca see why some are getting exasperated and beginning to suspect your posts due to a lack of detail. In showing your 'stamps' it would help knowledgable people (such as above) better understand your specific situation and offer solutions.

It is far fetched. For over 60 years I have never heard a comment like that from an IO. You mean, because you have never experienced something, it didn't happen to someone else ???? A bit narrow minded don't you think ?

Agreed.... While the Thai Police to face a huge degree of criticism for many of their actions (or rather inaction), they lack of over-reaction in these and similar situations is de-escalating and their patience, especially when armed is commendable.

Upon reading the headline I opened this thread just knowing yours would be one of the first comments to 'hit out at Brits'... A true wet-dream for you.... The Brit of course in the topic is an absolute grade A1 ayhole of course - no doubt about that - but your propensity to tar all with the same brush is bigoted and tiresome.

100% agree.... That said, I do have a motorcycle and over the past few years use it sparingly only when I need too... (not at night and rarely on major roads these days).... But, as per the Op... the same could have happened when trying to cross a road... Or the richard-head pulling a wheely could have lost control and hit pedestrians etc...

In the UK I consider the Policing standards to have dropped regarding how people drive... there is less courtesy etc than there used to be, however, driving is still much less 'nutty' than it is here and incomparison a lot safer, I just see far far less dumb stuff on the roads there than here. In the UK controls on drivers are very stringent and fines expensive, that is a very effective control, as you mentioned. Also very effective is the insurance costs.... Insurance is now so expensive, youngsters (unless very wealthy) can only afford slow cars and companies are insisting on 'black-box tech' which monitors driver behavior and increases / decreases premiums accordingly. The single biggest impact law enforcement has to motoring is to the pocket - and in Thailand the fines are miniscule.... I don't care if I drift over 120 kmh on a quiet tollway because I don't care about the 500 baht fine.... At the same time, I wont drive 80kmh down Sukhumivt rd in Bangkok (which is the limit if I'm not mistaken) because I consider that way way too fast. A lot of drivers just don't really think, because they don't have to and thats a problem.

Mates were at a major junction chatting... (the first at a set of lights)... the visibility of road layout was very poor due to a bridge (columns in the way so they couldn't see down the road)... Still chatting, the lights turned green and they didn't notice, the car behind papped the horn and they were about to move forwards as a big lorry (18 wheeler) blew though the junction at high speed narrowly missing them... ... 1 and have tonnes of steel, 4 wheels, a roof and seatbelts would have done nothing to save them.... Wife was at a junction in Bangkok, light turned green and just as she was about to pull out a public bus blew through the junction. Wife called the land transport complaint line to report the incidnet and pointed out that CCTV could identify this bus driver... wife asked the person on the other end... "what if he'd have killed me?"... . the response... "then you'd have been dead and unable to complain"... Just this week a woman was killed (in her car), doing nothing other than queueing up in traffic at the lights... another brake failure incident. While there is no accountability, there is no responsibility, and when there is no responsibility there is no education and maintenance etc... The system isn't just broken, the whole culture is when it comes towards attitudes towards safety.... And yes... this is a (partial) Thai-bash, and this Thai-bash matches the same comments repeated on Thai forums made by Thai's themselves... No one cares about safety here because they are not forced to. It requires a whole cultural shift and for that to happen, attitudes need to change from the top down with effective enforcement.

Agreed... This is the impact of ineffective policing.. Multiple innocents are killed daily because people have no fear of penalties from law enforcement, the apathetic standards of policing here effectively enables such behavior and is blight on society. Behavior such as that you have described angers me... when I see behavior such as this I'd like to catch such people and absolutely throttle them before they get a chance to hurt someone. The saying 'you can't be too careful'... has additional meaning here.....

You need to step out of the 1970's and also learn about cars, you are basing your assumptions on guesswork. The radiator / cooling fan continues running when a car is turned off. Not strange, preference is just a preference and individual - but you are basing your preferences on flawed information - the additional heat of a darker vs lighter car has nil to negligible difference on an engine or its components where the operational temperatures are significantly greater than a 'darker bonnet' could possibly generate. I find ridiculously flawed logic hilarious... My last few cars have also been white, not because of any temperature preference though, 4 cars ago, my vehicle (also in Thailand) was midnight blue - there was no discernible additional temperature inside the passenger cell of the car and certainly no notable 'engine cooling' issues, or additional degradation on components which are all changed out as per maintenance schedules and not run until failure. Agreed... and demand also varies according to reliability and reputation and not just colour - if a darker coloured car were to be less reliable for the reasons you suggest (component failure due to higher engine bay heat from the sun in darker car), manufactures would respond. Neither does basic common sense, it seems.

Hilarious... ... those polymeric connections and metallic components can't handle the heat under a dark bonnet but can magically handle the far higher operating temperatures of an internal combustion engine bay ?... If this was anything other than an imagined concern manufactures wouldn't make their vehicles in dark colours at all !!!! Do you have a Datsun Sunny or something ? (in white of course)...

And the finger printer-print scanner is to compare the finger-prints taken off the beer bottles in gogo bars so that they know who all the mongers are.... Good guys in bad guys out... Contributing to Thailands financially destitude female demographic is clearly considered 'good guys'... ---- Basic info - Biometrics stored: Name / DOB / Nationality Some Passports also contain some 'facial biometrics' such as distance between eyes, nose, mouth ears (i.e. UK Passports). When entering Thailand for the first time, your Name, DOB, Nationality, Photo is data is taken from the Passport Biometric chip, the Immigration officer compares that with your actual face (and newly taken photo by the counter camera), Finger Prints are added to the Data Base. Any future entries are compared to this data. If entering on a different passport with different name and different nationality you may get away with it and not be matched as the finger print comparison software is too slow I believe and I'm not sure if the Thai systems use facial biometrics yet. But, if entering on a different pasport of the same name, nationality, DOB etc then your new passport is very quickly linked to the old.

I recall how awkward it was trying to simply walk down the road with pushchair and child... It became very apparent that the only way to safely get anywhere was to drive, even if it was just 500m away. This highlighted the amplified difficulties people with mobility issues face on a daily basis in Thailand and is a true measure of the civilisation of society. We very rarely see disabled people when out and about, and when we do they are usually 'wealthy' and have arrived in a large kitted out mini-van and plenty of family (and or assistants) to help out.

I see it as 'fast food'.... as in, when I'm at a shopping mall and want something quickly... I don't like McDonalds, a KFC Zinger Burger may pass as may a Burger King ... the Food Courts are often like a zoo so I avoid those... Thus... MK Suki sometimes does the trick, its simple and quick and IMO, its better than a western fast food. Even better at MK Suki is ignoring the Sukiaki itself and going just for the Duck and Crispy Pork with some dry noodles. The 'Real Thai Sukiaki' in other places always seems rather 'gloopy' and the meat rather 'treated' as if its been marinated for too long and is almost breaking down and decomposing !

You're looking too hard to justify the actions of the Immigration Officer when his supervisors also pointed out he was wrong. - I held the Extension of Stay (with multi re-entry permit)... Valid for 1 further day. - I held an S.E. Visa (Thai Elite) - Valid for 5 years. The Immigration Officer saw both and told me I'd have to depart again the following day.... I pointed out the Thai Elite Visa, he didn't care and insisted that I could only be stamped in for 1 day, whether he saw the Non-Imm B extension first or not was irrelevant at this point, he'd made his mind up and was refusing to accept the S.E. Visa (Thai Elite)... Debate ensured, I asked for supervisors, problem was solved. Theoretically, with the Visa I have, I can enter Thailand and never have to leave again... I just renew the 5 year Visa every 5 years and go for another extension every 90 days (thats the condition of the S.E. Visa)... Having pointed this out to the Senior Immigration officer, she agreed that it was ridiculous that I be expected to depart the following day.

Isn't that what the used to call delinquents... congratulations on evolving and leaving your daemons behind... Not everyone has evil thoughts though, as they age or otherwise.... so I'd suggest you leave your projection out of it.

I agree with that 100%..... particularly the the misapplication of common sense to expect facts to be readily accessible to the public in such circumstances.

Come on... You're not stupid LL, so stop being so deliberately obtuse. The X video is taken from the location where Thaksin was supposed to be staying at the time Authorities stated he was staying there. The video highlights that the Authorities have been caught in a lie five months ago.... don't you think that also indicates they could also be lying now ???

You had the worst thoughts you could possibly think of at 13..... Sicko...

Fire up the Quattro !!!! The last three cars I had came with Sunroof's.... there was no option without.... last car was the Wife's choice... She's a proper 'merchant Banker'...

What about this thought... ... The worst thing you can possibly imagine, someone else somewhere has probably done....

It does seem that 'some' Immigration officers are getting a little stropping and some people are catching them at a bad time and they are interpreting their own rules... I do recall a few years back that there was a rule about a certain amount of visa free entries per 180 days, but if I'm not mistaken that rule was abolished, however, training here is very poor and some immigration officers may be stuck on old rules, or as above, just very grumpy and looking for a little power trip. That said, it does seem in this case that the Immigration was polite and helpful in showing him whatever website he was getting his information from and getting him to purchase a return ticket - its a better option than another poster has been facing recently. Is the arrival landscape evolving again, are we seeing a change in attitudes ??... or is this just a couple of unfortunate one-off's who were unlucky enough to face a 'jobs-worth' ???? What are the alternatives ? - No more than 2 or 3 Visa free entries per year ? - Then ensure the entrant is on Tourist Visa's ?

Quite incredible isn't it... People come to a website originally called 'Thai Visa.com' which was designed around helping people with Visa questions..... I mean, the cheek of inexperienced newbies to search on the web for a Thailand based forum and ask a question about Visas... they must all be making up stories to make Thailand look bad, eh ???? ... (Its sad that I have to explain it, but yes, that was a sarcastic response)

The White vs Black car debate was done a few months back... Two definite camps... - Those who argued it hardly made any difference and the AC cooled the car within seconds anyway. - Those who argued it did make a difference and when that argument didn't stick argued dark cars were less visible and more unsafe !!! And... Pretty much all new cars these days have Sun-roof / moon-roof's... especially Merc and BMW.. its difficult to get one without. Its silly flaw in the thinking of manufactures IMO - as in these hot climate's such as Thailand there are very few who want one. The solution is exactly as the Op is asking... some kind of cover. Modern AC cools the car extremely quickly anyway, so its not a major issue.