richard_smith237

A bit pompous of you to suggest a discussion is closed because you don't understand the direction it has taken. I explained my response twice for you... I can't understand it for you though, you'll need drop the 'I got butt hurt' attitude to open up to understanding that... You still haven't answered if you can speak Thai which may highlight the degree of understanding you are capable of in this discussion (which has taken evolution from the original topic yet remains pertinent as threads often do as they evolve - we are still discussing speaking foreign languages and the effort it takes to understand then, our level of understanding and that of those we communicate with in the newly learned language). ---- Well done to the pump attendant for speaking English and trying... if they are the only comments its a very short thread.

I thought'd you'd trained in road safety... you did that too right ? I don't disagree with what you state, but suspect you are jumping in way too quickly with the conformation bias and prejudice argument in much the same way you jump in with the 'its not about poor policing, its about road design and many other facets' argument when there is a discussion about road safety and you accusing many posters of their prejudice in blaming the police after they complain about someone driving drunk the wrong way down a one way street and killing someone... You'd be right, but also wrong... its still about policing... and in this discussion about communication in different languages in a different race nation there definitely exists an element of "the eyes not believing the ears" ... its just something that happens... I've witnessed it happen to native speakers who don't look stereotypically Thai.... Sometimes something is confirmed because it's so readily confirmable, whether if conforms to our bias or not. I used to suspect 'it was me' and my Thai was just so rubbish... it obviously was in earlier years. I sometimes found a taxi driver would easily understand me, at other times another taxi driver didn't... that it was down to my miss pronunciation and the 'adaptability' (intelligence) of the 'listener'.... perhaps down to their exposure of foreigners speaking Thai... .. thats easily understandable. BUT... what I have also experienced is the 1000 yard stare... asking a question in Thailand and the other person (Thai) has no idea what I've asked, no idea that I'm even speaking Thai... .... sometimes the penny drops and it like flicking an "oh he speaks Thai switch" and the conversation ensues, my question is answered etc... its like the other party has to first understand that I am speaking Thai before they recognise that I am speaking Thai.... My Thai is far from good... but I know when and where my Thai is good enough that when I encounter such an 'its not me, its them' issue and I also know when 'it really is me'.... No confirmation bias... no prejudice... just an example of what life brings when communicating in a foreign language different race nation... Sometimes, "it really is just them"..... you don't like that and want to argue it, but it's a reality. At other times, "it really is just us"... and thats also quite understandable but it seems thats the only argument you want to accept.

Wife is good in this stuff... After one of our AC's irreparably pooped itself we were looking at HomePro... it turned out the same AC we were choosing was available direct from Samsung including fitting / warranty etc. They came and did an excellent job. But, with the AC in a different room, we've also had a 'local guy' tell us the 'refrigerant line' (whatever its called that carries the cool gas (freon ?) from outdoor compressor unit to indoor fan / ac unit) was leaking... They'd need to run a new 'refrigerant line'. I disagreed... owner of local company comes. Explains to me that they checked everything else. I want them to re-check, they do... I asked are they sure there is no leak at the compressor (outdoor on 2nd floor, difficult to get to). Owner of company reassures me its the 'refrigerant line' leaking (somewhere inside the walls)... I conceded (knowing little about AC )... they run new exterior pipes to the compressor, drill a 5" hole in the exterior wall to run it through to the compressor etc... AC works fine for half a day... they come back... re-charge the freon. I make them stay and check the pressure an hour later, it's lost pressure. They concede, take the compressor unit away with them... find a leak, repair it for free and re-install the compressor. All good - except I've paid for a repair which was never needed, have external ducting I never needed, a 5" hole in the wall I never needed... and only ever needed a new coil on a compressor unit !!! Summary - we're in Thailand !!!... Its luck when we don't get complete chancer !!! (this guy was recommended by other people in the moo-baan !!!).

Are you suggesting every safe has a code to open and its the same code / sequence ? If I've driven, I leave valuables in the car... (I'd never do that in the UK) but here... This is excellent advice (removing CCV number) ... I never even thought about it (but will follow it).

Genuine questions... - How many times have you had something stolen from a hotel safe in Thailand ? - How many times has someone you know (first hand) had something stolen from a hotel safe in Thailand ? ------ The answer for me is zero to both... But thats not being a Thai apologist, just my experience here over two decades. I do know of 4 encounters where a female had their handbag snatched, and one had the phone lifted from her handbag. I know of 1 encounter were a friend caught his made thieving (he suspected and set up a cam). I've had maids for over 20 years (different maids) and never encountered a theft. Luck comes into, but I wonder if 'where we stay' and the standards of the place come into it....

To be fair to all Thai's in the service trade... I have never had anything stolen from a room, but understand, it happens. To be fair to all Thai's in general, I've never had anything stolen.... but understand, thieve and scammers are all around us. I understand some Thai folk to be exceptional opportunists.... leaving something lying around and it can go missing... hence, out of sight out of mind... but really, just like most of humanity, the vast majority of people here are honest. I use the room safes for iPads, Passport etc... or lock them in my baggage. Both are easy to get into...baggage with zip... only a simple pen is needed. So, to answer the Ops question: - usually locked in my bag or the room safe. It's been a long time since I stayed in a hotel that offered a 'main safe' in reception. ...those were more 'back-packer' times travelling around. I guess I've been lucky.

did you ever say one positive thing about thailand in your posting history? i bet you would complain about the sand on the beaches if someone started a thread about that. Erm.... you were saying....

THat is just a claim by arrogant foreigners who overestimate their ability ti use Thai language Then why (as Neeranam mentioned) it happens less on the phone with him ? Why does a Thai who may not have the clear appearance of a Thai encounter something similar ? My Thai is far from perfect, yet I have ordered a GrabTaxi and received a call from the GrabDriver for directions, even though my name is clearly Western (on the App), when I get in the car the driver has expressed surprise that I'm a Westerner (this one baffles me as my Thai is not that good, perhaps during the limited conversation the accent was clear)... Yet, I can find times when a person right in front of me draws an utter blank when I'm speaking relatively simple Thai. It's obvious to me that the 'eyes not believing the ears' is not an uncommon occurrence here. But of course, go ahead and assume its arrogant foreigners... couldn't be anything else could it ??? I am intrigued however, I would have thought that in general those foreigners who have taken the time to learn Thai and integrate into society here are less likely to express arrogance than those who simply expect everyone in a foreign country to speak English..... (not all of course).

i hope you didn't try and tell the you like eating snow-fish ????

Shocker... What did you get in the way of compensation ??? EU Law 261/2004 you should have received compensation to the amount of 75% of the total fare paid. Thus, IF I'm not mistaken and for example you paid £3500 for business class travel. return ticket.. you should have received £2625 in compensation and still flown 3 of the other legs in business class. Wife & Son, travelling from UK with Emirates (Eco) and were delayed <4 hrs &... missed their connection... had to stay in a hotel in Dubai. Received £520 each as compensation (EU law states UE600 per seat - delayed flights <4 hrs / flights ticketed to or from Europe, ticketed travel more than 3500 km) With Air-travel s#it can happen, especially when taking a connection - but some airlines handle it better than others.

You can book economy and keep waiting for the possible upgrade option (usually a day or two before the flight)... but thats a risk IF you really want to travel business, there may be no offer at all (depends on the specific ticket class off course and how full the flight is). The price also varies.... I've had upgrades from Doha to Bangkok from as little as 14,000 baht (last year)... but this year the upgrade has been over 35,000 baht (which I found not worth it and chose the numb-bum & exit row option). The Promo upgrades with QR are seat only (no lounge access etc). Thus: IF definitely want business on the DOH-HKT leg... book it at time of booking. Or, if you don't mind too much, hedge your bets and see what you are offered (given that its likely to be around 35,000 baht (based on recent experience, but could well be different). I know that with Emirates you can book 'split tier travel' (i.e. Eco for one leg, then Business for the next')... But the QR Website is not as user friendly and I'm don't think that booking a 'split tier travel' is possible. You may be able to book the split tier travel over the phone.... And if thats successful 'business class loungers' are always linked to he onward flight. (i.e. IF flying UK-DOH in Eco and onward from DOH-HKT in business, you can use the lounge in Doha). I've never once used the Lounge in Doha...its always been way too busy. Once - QR pushed my onward connection back from a 1.5 hr layover to an 8 hour layover... I only found out when trying to upgrade... rather than using the lounge I used the 'sleep n fly' pods (https://sleep-n-fly.com/airports-doh - also available in Dubai)

Very well said...

Even more so as all I asked was a question that required a one word answer! Just to remind you the question, which was not even directed at you, was; "Perfect in whose opinion?" Just to remind you - that was answered in the first sentence... And I added this example (unless you'd want to argue that My Wife's Thai is not perfect) I will ask you... Can you speak Thai ???... In your own opinion, what standard is your Thai ? Is it widely understood to such a degree that you can converse with people in Thailand with few issues or misunderstandings ???.... If so, then it's a normal expectation that when speaking Thai with Thai people that understand you, then when people don't you recognise that is usually because of them, not because if you. I hope I've explained that clearly enough for you....

There could be an element of that to it... When speaking Thai, if the other person fails to recognise that I am speaking Thai its irritating. The source of the irritation ???... - could be... I've made effort to learn and practice and you can't even understand me. - could be... I'm speaking Thai, is it that rubbish ?? - could be... I know my Thai is fine I interact with Thai's on a daily basis, how is it possible you don't know I'm speaking Thai, thats strange.

There's definitely a facet of this for some, meanwhile for others the issue comes down to the person with whom we are conversing. I've had a Thai's behind me in a queue (at a cashiers) tell the Cashier I was speaking Thai to them after the failed to grasp a simple question I had to repeat - only then could the conversation progress and it did so without further issue. I've found this situation to be more common in tourist areas where Thai's are less familiar with foreigners who can speak Thai. In tourist area's I often give up speaking Thai all together because of this 'expectation' which lends itself to an initial confusion... Wife often orders food etc in English when in a very touristy area too... This may also be because the staff there are not Thai and could be from Burma, Vietnam etc and have a better handle of English than Thai in the first place.

Not at all... its not difficult to gauge the standard of our own language skills... I know my Thai is not perfect, but know my Thai is good enough that its widely understandable for those with whom I speak Thai. I also know I'm not going to be speaking Thai with a Doctor because I lack the technical vocabulary to do so. Thus: the point Neeranam made that 'some Thai's refuse to grasp that one is speaking Thai, even if it is perfect' is fully understandable. Whose opinion, our own of course, but we usually have a solid gauge of the standards of our language skills through the degree and success of our interactions. But I'll add another example (already used), Wife is Thai, but is sometimes misjudged as not being Thai... and sometimes she is not understood because the person with whom she is trying to communicate doesn't think she is speaking Thai thus the brain switches off and automatically goes into the 'no understand mode' or they are 'listening out for English' mode etc.... You may consider that pompous, however, it remains valid that IF you have not encountered similar situations it's likely because it's not a normal expectation of yours to be completely understood when speaking Thai.

Perfect in whose opinion? Many of us when honest with ourselves know our level of Thai... While my Thai is far from perfect I can easily hold simple conversations with people, but sometimes miss a key word etc... I understand far more Thai than I speak. I know my standard of Thai and know when I am pronouncing something correctly.... I know when I am in a 'its not me, it's them' type of scenario... If you don't understand this 'scottiejohn' it's because your Thai is not at a sufficient standard to have ever encountered the issue.

You may or may not get another ‘you’ve been selected’ email for a promo upgrade for the other leg depending on how busy the flight is etc. That is Odd…. Glitch in the matrix !

Clearly trolling. My Wife also faces the same issues on occasion… She’s Thai but some assume she’s from another Asian nation (Japan or Korea etc) & she gets the blank stare !!! Sometimes it’s because staff are also not Thai etc… or simply because they’re not paying attention. Again, well done to the pump attendant (anyone else) learning English & also and those foreigners here who try to learn Thai etc.. As you pointed out, it’s a very real experience that some Thai’s fail to identify that we are speaking to them in Thai even when it’s spoken well.

The simple fact that the Thai people who try to show you respect by overcoming their inherent shyness to speak English to you leaves you annoyed, Really? I wonder how they feel when they struggle to understand your obviously perfectly fluent Thai. There are some very sad individuals living in Thailand, Why do you live here when it appears that your main contribution is to insult the locals and those who post good events they experience. You should be ashamed of yourself. Some hyperbolic response to Neeranam’s comment !! Firstly, props to anyone learning & practicing a foreign language. That said, I have encountered many many situations whereby I drew an utter blank when speaking Thai… I’ve even had other Thai’s speak up and tell the person I’m speaking with (Shop cashier etc) that they should listen, I’m speaking Thai to them ! I think we’ve all encountered the ‘eyes don’t believe the ears’ scenario.

Good points.. - All Bkk legs have been lie flat (180 deg) in my experience. - Some routes may use older cabins, but I’ve not seen the ‘reclined’ Emirates business class for a long time. Qatar Q-Suites top the lot, but they are not available on every route. - As you wrote, lie flat seats are a little short fir a tall person. I’m 182cm, head & toes touching, I’d have to sleep on my side with legs bent. - & also as you commented, lots of announcements. I think Emirate make more announcements than any other airline! - A direct route is always a better option in Business Class… (especially on lie flat beds), but then the price is another level higher.

It could be some adjustment somewhere….. Q-Points / Q-Miles / AVIOS etc all gets a bit confusing (perhaps it was a move from Q-Points to AVIOS that I read). Depends on layout I guess - the ‘smaller’ Eco cabin is usually comes at a higher ‘seat selection cost’ depending on fare class & of course frequent flyer status. Its always ‘hit n miss’ anyway can get lucky with a quieter flight, could have a family a spilt kids behind you. Last flight was amusing…. I. Repeatedly telling her kids to behave ‘mum’ was more disruptive to the cabin than the children who were no angels & ultimately ended up knocking ‘mums’ wine all over her !!! not a group if want to be near… We were few rows away, son & I chilling playing FIFA on the switch. On boarding (full flight) another family wanted to sit in our seats which would have separated my Wife, Son & I. They wouldn’t move, we had to get the flight attendants involves to regain our booked seats to sit together as a family. Eco - the only option is to chill & accept its just shi#ier with more ppl who just don’t know how to travel !!!

Indeed… I used to travel back to Bkk from Qatar having been up since 4am. 2am flight. Paid for an upgrade. Got in the flight… told the FA’s wake me as late as possible with a cup of coffee, no meals. Bed flat & slept as soon as seatbelt sign went off…. Managed about 5 hours sleep (with the aid of a sleeping tablet ????).., last year the upgrades were reasonable… often less than 20,000 baht. This year they are over 35,000 baht & somewhat unjustifiable, so I took exit row (legroom) & numb bum option!

A) - upstairs cabin is often quieter with more frequent flyers who know how to behave in a flight. B) Qatar website is somewhat awkward regarding upgrades. Depending on your ticketing class, AVIOS & Cash upgrades may be available a few days before the flight, sometimes less than 24 hrs. You’ll need to keep checking the App (or website to see what pops up). Upgrading with Emirates is a far simpler process. Additionally, to complicate matters I read somewhere that Qatar are moving away from AVIOS (or did I imagine that?). I just moved all my AVIOS to British airways to pay for a flight three of (within Europe at Christmas) & excess baggage - moving miles to a partner is also an option sometimes. Equivalent EasyJet travel was about £600…. Cost of BA + Miles was £135.

All Emirates business class seats on the long haul routes (DXB-BKK) are 180 degree flat beds & also with a thin 1” mattress which goes on top of the seat to add a little more comfort. Price & promos etc vary day by day.