richard_smith237

13 minutes ago, Sigmund said:

One just has to see the mess these Brit drunks create in Spain. Even the locals in Spain are fed up.

Specific areas of Spain that are specifically targeting British Tourists - with cheap accommodation, cheap booze, cheap 'pseudo-British food'...  (Benidorm, Mallorca etc) - despicable places to be avoided at all costs..  But, this is what the Spanish wanted, or rather, they wanted to attract these cheap tourists, concentrated them all in congested area's, but then complain when they get the accompanying cheap chavy behavior. 

Its exactly the same in Bali with Australians...    Its the Same in Cancun with those from the USA.

And now... we have the Japanese complaining about the hoards of Chinese and Thai Tourists.

Ultimately, anywhere there are a lot of tourists from a specific nation, some of those tourists are going to be behave diks and build a negative reputation....  In Japan now, even Thai's try and avoid other Thai's because they are embarrassed by their behavior....   In much the same way we (I) are often embarrassed by the behavior of other Westerners in Thailand and worry we will be tarred by the same brush....    

... But...  that doesn't mean there is a sweeping generalisation that fits the behavior of all from than nation. 

BUT....  this thread is about Visa's and overstating - not about behavior of tourists !!! 

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

Right.

An endemic of two negative Swiss men, one of who was obviously mentally unwell.

Waiting for the Swiss government to put out a statement now. 
 

Two, twice, a couple. 
Don’t look over here, look at the Swiss. 

Your observations underscore a discernible absence of critical thought, an dearth of intellectual balance, and a lamentable deficiency in education.

It incredibly easy to pinpoint three discrete instances involving the Swiss this year. However, this remains irrelevant to the discussion, as you persistently falter in understanding anyone else's comments.

1) This thread is about the British Foreign Office reiterating their advisory for British Nationals to adhere to Thailands visa stipulations. This thread became requisite subsequent to Thailand's proclamation that incoming individuals would be granted a 60-day stay, a policy not yet implemented.

2) The focal point herein does not revolve around inebriated British tourists or British individuals causing disturbances in Thailand. Those who disparage the British, much like yourself, have interjected such remarks into the conversation due to an inability to engage with the actual subject matter, instead fixating on a misleading headline.

3) Furthermore, you have failed to grasp the notion that individuals exhibiting misconduct hail from every nation, a reality readily discernible in media coverage.

4) Similarly, you have overlooked the concept that the transgressions of a select few do not serve as a representative benchmark for an entire nation.

I would be remiss to castigate the entirety of your nation as undereducated and bigoted based solely on the cognitive challenges you evidently face and example in this thread.

you like links... 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1321119-thai-woman-assaulted-by-swiss-man-in-phuket/

https://aseannow.com/topic/1321451-foreign-man-throws-glass-at-a-thai-woman-in-a-dog-cafe/

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/03/06/a-swiss-man-seriously-hurts-thai-woman-in-trang-supermarket/

35 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

These lotus tubs usually have fish in them that eat the larvae.

This is your typical mozzie breeding ground in Thailand.....

Aedes aegypti mosquito. 

 

 

I get your point - but some, not all of them have fish...    they're a breeding ground.

In Thailand there is a lot of 'standing water' which forms a breeding ground, especially in the wet seasons - much more could be done on a national and community level to protect everyone... 

2 minutes ago, riclag said:

I was a professional driver amongst other career jobs  in the USA , retired 20 years now.

I dislike driving here  in Sakon & Issan,Its scary!

 

Would you not prefer to be the one driving so that you are the one in control of your own safety rather than placing your safety in the hands of someone with less training, less defensive driving skills etc ????

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

I can think of nicer places to buy for that kinda money ...

 

here's on for half that price ... 

 

 

 

 

 

You'll not find any such house with that amount of Land in Bangkok for 10 MB.

The Property you posted is misleading to the thread and will be on the outskirts of somewhere such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Khon Kaen etc....    which is a completely different market, a completely different bid-rent profile to the area being described...

Ultimately, the land is worth what people will pay for it....  I know people who've spent similar amounts on land next to them, just to prevent someone from building on, it, so they've turned it into a nice garden instead.

There are loads of people in Thailand with that sort of money - though I'm not sure what they'd get out of a 56sqm ground space....   When its most probable that all other buildings in the area will get sold out at some point to build a large condo or shopping (or combined) complex at some point in the future.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Efforts to promote safer driving and stricter enforcement of traffic laws continue in the wake of these tragic accidents.

... Erm, but they don't do they.....  Otherwise I wouldn't be seeing 50% of the motorcyclists on the road without a helmet or the daily occurrence of them riding against traffic... 

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

5 hours ago, Nickcage49 said:

Should they even have to say that to supposed adults? There's a long history of Brits getting in trouble here.

If you can't hold your alcohol then don't drink!

"Should they even have to say that to supposed adults?

Should they have to say what?"   There was no mention of alcohol or drinking anywhere in the article.

... In an ideal world, of course, not, however, I think yes, they "Should have to say that to supposed adults".....    as its clear from so many of the comments that so many "supposed adults" have such a low reading age they clearly need reminding like children....   

6 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

The headline appears to have nothing to do with the article that follows it, again.

But its perfect for grabbing the attention of some dumb Brit-bashers who are too stupid to read beyond a headline and thus trigger the 'brit-bashing' debate with their uneducated comments.

4 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

In Bangkok since COVID this ghost riding has become the rule rather than the exception, especially by Grab, win etc riders. 
 

Never seen any police activity to stop them, or for anything else.

 

its just laziness and selfishness, common characteristics. 
 

I am sure I will wipe one out, not intentionally, one day, and they will come crying to

me for help with hospital bills and damage - no chance.

100% agree....

This incident is of course the fault of those riding the wrong way into oncoming traffic. 

But, also complicity is the complete ineffectiveness of authorities and law enforcement to do anything about this issue (and many others)... 

----------

I too will one day 'wipe out' a motorcyclist who has either pulled out of a side street without looking, or simply rides straight into me expecting me to dodge them while at the same time I can't because there is traffic on the correct side of the road I don't want a 'head on collision with'... 

Then there is the issue of motorcyclists riding the wrong way down a 'frontage' lane (some call it the motorcyclist lane), and while I'm pulling out into traffic, looking right, a motorcyclists illegally riding down this 'shoulder strip' in the wrong direction hits me... 

I have dash-cams for these eventualities (on both my motorcycle and car) - but its no good to me if I am the one injured and they are kids who'll get off scot-free because the Police feel sorry for them because they are kids.

2 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

And the poor refugees will be sent back to the meat grinder.

And return on further transport tomorrow after the 'price' has been renegotiated. 

Thailand cannot do without its migrant labour force - what we see here is a repeated cycle of cat and mouse where operations exists in a 'grey area' of vagueness between what is permitted, what isn't permitted, what is tolerated, what is needed and what any individual or group can get away with at any given time within a fluid political landscape. 

Migrant laborer are bussed in... Some are caught and sent back - this looks good for the police.

- xx illegal Immigrants caught this month (picture the PCV poster and lots of pointing).... 

- Meanwhile xx bus loads of Migrant Labourers are bussed to various centres, for factories, construction sites etc and get to work (cheap labor).

- Sometimes these factories are raided and have to pay a fine, or through someone 'connected' pay a reduced fine for the BiB to look the other way... 

- OR, the ilegal Immigrants (Migrant Labourers) are bussed back across the border...  only to return again days or weeks later to re-secure work.

- Maybe they'll get stopped again (as this bus was) or they'll travel through the numerous border check-points without issue... 

The game of cat-n-mouse, agreements & re-negotiation continues... everyone profits except the migrant laborer's who have to pay for their transport and fines.... in a vicious cycle that keeps 'wages low', profits for the bigger businesses high and the police purse-strings nicely flexing.... 

22 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Most wines I think. Being an Aussie I hold our wine in the very highest regard. Thai 'wines' are not even worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence. 

I agree with the 'wines' comment - I have not had a decent home grown wine in Thailand yet...  

However, beer on the other hand is quite different, some of the 'craft houses' make excellent beer.... 

Phuket Brew works sell some of their beers in some 7-11's... at 88 baht a 500ml can - very well priced and very tasty beer, I hope to see more development in this area throughout the year. 

Meanwhile, the article itself seems to me more about pairing Thai food with imported Wines and how the zero import tax and reduction in alcohol tax from 10% to 5% will stimulate growth in these markets - as most others have pointed out, we are yet to see this tax reduction  and many of us are cynical that that we'll see it at all and profits will not be syphoned off by the cartel of importers. 

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

21 hours ago, Robert Paulson said:

Even if I wasn’t capable of home schooling, which if you aren’t you’ve made some life mistakes in my opinion we’re talking about teaching kids and you’re trying to outcompete a teacher who has 30 students in a classroom… but to finish my thought, I’d get capable. This is so not rocket science, and it gets back to my previous points: this is some of the most importantly stuff in your life. If you’re not qualified for get. Get qualified. If your life isn’t set up for it, make some changes. 
 

I think people jam their heads in the sand when it comes to their kids, I was attempting to “prove” that earlier with teenage use of phones. I think most people know they are bad yet they rationalize and do nothing. Imo if there was a teacher or parent who actually cared there would be some serious phone limitations. I think the mechanism that drives all of this is simply societal: we’re expected to get a job and put our kids in school. The rest we can just rationalize. It’s a far cry from what we should actually be doing. 

Expand  

I think you are the one with your head in the sand.  This is an issue that the school admin needs to fix immediately.  Teachers if they ignored it need to fired or punished appropriately too.  A lawyer should set the stage for the school admin - press would be if nothing is done.

Completely agree...  I'd go so far and question Robert Paulsons grasp on reality and even if he has ever had children. 

The educators at my son's institution are a diverse cohort, encompassing graduates in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, English Literature, Geography, History, Art, French, Spanish, and other languages. Many hold Masters degrees, while some have obtained Doctorates, all complemented by either a Bachelor's in Education or a Postgraduate PGCE. Additionally, there are specialised sports coaches, each bringing their own expertise to the table.

It would take decades of additional time invested to accumulate such an array of qualifications.

For many of us, the prudent allocation of our time lies in leveraging our respective areas of expertise, thereby ensuring that our children benefit from the exceptional opportunities presented by these esteemed educational institutions.

It is reassuring to know that our children are being exposed to a wealth of expertise and knowledge, which they may not yet fully comprehend, much like myself. Conversely, individuals such as Robert Paulson seem to be oblivious to the vast expanse of information and expertise that exists beyond their awareness and instead post with a degree of ignorance that not only betrays their intelligence, but highlights their ignorance. 

Lucky lad.... 

I've seen loads of these videos... in such conditions the roads are slick because of the extremely poor quality of aggregate used and subsequent years of 'polishing' by passing traffic (and no resurfacing).

Props to the Thai fella for getting out and helping... In a country where rendering assistance is often considered something that is never done, its positive to see that in truth there are plenty who do stop and help. 

The questions will naturally be raised as to the foreigners licensing and his riding experience, but sometimes, these roads are just too slippery and hazardous.

I thought everyone was rattling on about sea-level rise.... 

... So its see level drop which is now the concern... 

The only part I did understand is the 'risk to tourists' who when snorkeling over corals and the sea level is too low face greater risk of getting 'scratched / cut' by the corals over which the now swim in closer proximity too... 

I have no idea how 'tourism' could impact coral bleaching... extreme low tides can, an increase in water temperature can, pollutants from the fishing and shipping industry as well as polluting run-off from the land can all cause damage.... 

IMO - its time the 'anti-tourist' puritans in this area concentrate on the genuine issues - i.e. pollutants and run-off in areas of pronounced fertiliser usage and enhanced nitrogen fixation due to elevated phosphate influxes etc... the pollutants from the fishing industry....   (instead of going apoplectic when one tourist is seen spear fishing a non-protected species in the area)

Not covered in the article was the astonishing advancements in the Thai Veterinary and Medical industry and how dinosaurs such as the brontosaurus have been rehabilitated back into the wilds of Kalasin....