richard_smith237

Do you know your 'head-shape'... Or which brand helmets fit / suit your head shape well ? IF so... both Paddock and PandaRider in BKK will ship a helmet up to you. The stock the quality brands such as Shoei, Arai, Schuberth... There is also helmetshopbkk that stock Bell Helmets if you want something more retro-looking.

IF thats what 'it' actually is. As the examples provided by the Op seem somewhat 'individual' I wonder if others of us would notice or experience the same behavior of those around us. For example, while everyone has an 'off day'... I have primarily positive experiences of interactions with those around me, I wonder if I placed myself in the Ops shoes, i.e. in his area, I would encounter the same negative experiences or would the experience be somewhat different ? As others have questioned - this could be about the 'vibe' given off. I've been to remote area's (albeit relatively temporarily) and have always had positive expreiences. Conversely, in heavily 'touristy' area's, there are occasions when I'm treated by people who appear not to 'like me' (foreigners), I suspect thats built on some previous negative experience or just their poor attitude... in an 'its them, not me manner' I just write that stuff off - It could be racism but its rare enough not to consider such attitudes representative of the general population. The Op now wants this thread closes because there have been plenty of people suggesting the issue is 'him' and not 'others' and he now seems to have been offended by some responses in this thread. That itself could imply the Op is particularly thin skinned, hence his negative interpretation of his encounters in Thailand. If this thread does get closed - Thanks to the Op for a good topic. It's been interesting to read how peoples experiences have differed so vastly.

I’ve no issues using my TrueWallet anywhere… admittedly, accounts such as FoodPanda & Grab are liking to my Thai CC. Don’t cry the inconvenience, this has nothing to do with Thai’s not wanting us here (as initially implied), & everything to do with financial security. I do agree some of it is utterly daft, but there is usually a simple work-around. EDIT: I’ll now have to try & use my TrueWallet with FoodPanda which I hardly use as the service (in Bkk) has been surpassed by Grab.

Brit, given your posting history & exampled attitudes on this forum it does not surprise me one bit that you agree with the Op. I imagine those with similar attitudes regularly encounter what may be a less than positive response from those around them. .

He makes a valid point. Thai’s treat each other with a general degree of indifference… When they treat a Westerner with the same indifference some think it’s negative when in reality it’s just simple indifference.

Alternatives for transportation ? (shipping / Aircraft ?) Alternatives for to meet the huge electricity demand ? (nuclear ?) Solar, Wind & hydroelectric won't (its just not enough to meet demand).

Yes.... I do not yet see a better alternative other than making combustion of fossil fuels clean which is something that can be done.

Would that imply that the suspicions raised here could be true ? Foreigners, who do not have the 'ID Chip' will no longer be able to verify their account ?

I agree, they are different. But I wouldn't attempt to 'lump' Pattaya in as being 'non-Thai' because of its tourist orientated areas, there are many very 'Thai' neighbourhoods, just as there are very 'international entertainment districts within the city.... If someone only visits such places and only see's the Tourist area's I can understand why that is their opinion of the area or town they've visited. I also agree that 'holiday areas' such as Khao Yai are quite different from Phuket's Patong and Pattaya's walking street... I sometimes think some people have this nostalgic vision of Thailand of being them the novelty Westerner in an area where there is no electricity, where women wear sarongs and wash under buckets of the water at the side of their farm house... and they can regale their Hemingway-esque tails upon their return to the motherland in their Khaki's... .... And...... when they find the reality is lightyears away from this ideal vision they settle for the 'Little Britain' approach of being the 'Only Gay in the Village' and set their sights on going as far away as other westerners as they can possibly get.... they can then say appreciate themselves and think... "ooooh... yess.... Livingstone, I'm well off the beaten track now"..... Then its... "ohh... ... what's that Johnny foreigner doing eating in my Moo-ka-ta-shack"....

You think every foreigner in Thailand has this 'yellow book' ????? Quite the hyperbolic assumption you just made.

Strong point.... the Elite Visa is possibly the most convenient of them all.... However, its a fair old chunk of change. 1MB for lifetime seemed at good deal at the time (early 30's). That said, the Non-Imm visa's as 'resident' visa's are more powerful (if that makes sense). Example - under Thailands Emergency Degree (covid), I could not re-enter with the Thai Elite Visa and had to obtain a Non-Imm O Visa (based on Marriage) before entering... this was Aug 2020 as soon as the borders partially re-opened for non-Thai's (under certain conditions).

You and other chap have polluted the thread. Agreed... they're not worth responding to... completely misunderstanding the points in their haste to argue.... to such a degree there's the Mark Twain quote to consider....

What is your 'measure' of something being 'more Thai ?'.... Its all Thailand... one area is more tourist Thailand, the other is more 'socio-economically-deprived' Thailand... Because some areas are so poor and and rural, does that make them any more Thai than say Surrathani ? Rayong? Hat Yai ? There are area's of Pattaya that it could be argued are 'very Thai' from the same perspective. Pattaya is not just Walking St. and the main tourist strips. Bangkok is also very 'Thai' and has its own 'Thai identity' as much as London has a British Identify, Paris has French, Tokyo Has Japanese..... This idea of 'Thainess' being one thing is preposterously unintelligent... Those who argue area's of Isaan are more 'real Thai' have made the naive assumption that 'poorer = more Thai'. Those who have 'sought' or 'avoided' Thainess have perhaps found themselves feeling a greater degree introspection than those who have the capacity to relax and make the most of wherever they are without the need to isolate, label, pigeonhole everything to degree's of 'somethingness'......

you've convinced yourself that a dirt patch as far away from any other foreigners is 'real Thailand'.... conversely, you seem convinced Pattaya and Phuket is not real Thailand... ... All of 'it' is real Thailand.... just with different socio-economic norms depending on where you are, whether you eat dancing-shrimp or not. You used to drink beer in the dirt at home ???? You've adapted and good on you for doing so and making the most of things - but your idea of 'normal' is quite different from mine (and that of many others I imagine)...

I wonder if Sarah Finch is prepared to go back to using the horse and cart. How will she heat her house ? ... does she use candles to light her home ? Naturally she avoids flying anywhere on holiday... because that would just be hypocritical, right ?

Of course. If you don't take care of yourself, ppl aren't going to respect you in public Agreed... thats basic common sense. Look like an unwashed piece of stinky dirt and people will avoid you. Conversely, look fresh and clean and dress within social norm (i.e. no vest tops in the Bank etc) and treatment will be more 'normal'..... I also wonder if some Westerners 'expect' the 'special' treatment everywhere they go, so when they are treated with the standard indifference Thai's treat each other they take it negatively.

Yup... this also sums things up well.. I suspect location may also make a difference. In places such as Bangkok where there are more 'working' westerners, we are simply treated 'very normally'..... it may be different way out in the sticks when living there for a long time.

This is a good response.... Thai's are not racist, they don't have any underlying dislike of foreigners. Thai's, like anyone else are simply indifferent to others around them, that includes foreigners. In 'some' areas, perhaps those areas of a higher tourist footfall where those tourists have a stronger reputation for being poorly behaved and where those Thai's in the area are there purely to extract as much money as possible from the tourism industry there may be a lack of mutual respect when lends itself to the impression that Thai's do not like foreigners. Additionally, in other areas where there is far less footfall of foreigners there are greater cultural and language issues with lend to Thai's being shy, fearful or simply having a preference to avoid a 'potentially hassled' interaction with a foreigner with whom they will struggle to communicate. Finally, thick skin... people just do dumb stuff, not all, but some... its unfair to tar all Thai's with the same brush.... in eradicating that attitude and looking for the 'innocence and charm' instead of the 'incompetence and childishness' your attitudes (op) may improve and in-doing so you may be treated with something a little better than harmless indifference. Like anyone else, Thai's have intuition and if you don't like a person, they can tell and respond in kind - it really is just that simple.

Ok found it on google. Are this the same guys? Sounds maybe crazy, but realy asking for a friend. This place... https://goo.gl/maps/C7vrvVfS2GHMTfv37 Phuket Provincial Transport office is the place people will go to to get a Driving Licence, register their car, pay for their car tax etc.. (and motorocycle). IF you have a Europe Driving Licence (in English language) the process is relatively simple to obtain a Thai Licence. There are pinned threads on how to do this. You will need - Driving Licence in English Language. OR... Driving Licence in non-English Licence and accompanying International Driving Permit. You will also need a Proof of Address document.. i.e. Certificate of Address from Immigration. Check out the pinned threads on this forum which have plenty of advice about this.

Run a google search for DLT Phuket... (or a google Maps search).

The above suggestion is hilariously preposterous!!! Is he one of those constitutional rights vloggers by any chance ?

BOLT - cheaper (about 1.5x flagfall) & usually less than half of grab, but sometimes (often harder to get) accepts cash only. Not as good of a location encyclopaedia as GRAB. GRAB - 2-3x the cost of BOLT or flagfall, but more reliable. Can register a credit card (not sure if it’s Thai cc only or int’l too) Both have a user friendly app. I usually try BOLT first & if not available go for GRAB (which ends up being most of the time).

Not right. Thai citizenship is not automatic, there needs to be proof of at least one Thai parent & you mentioned the child’s mother was MIA. There are nearly half a million indigenous people born in Thailand who are considered ‘stateless’ & without proof of nationality. Like a lot of threads, yours was missing key info in the opening post hence the reason to ask. As mentioned, if you want to avoid further hassles obtain sole custody sort out his Thai passport…. Or, make your bed however you see fit & we’ll see you back on these pages in future asking for solutions to problems you could have avoided.

Exactly this…. A complete no brainier…. ????

Genius…. Lucky people so helpful…. There are some true problem solvers in this thread !!!!! Magical stuff…