richard_smith237

I have to ask you [Hammer], Do you believe the general attitudes towards safety and Child safety in Thailand are better than the UK ??? .... better than many of our home countries ??? OR... do feel you have to object because you really really like it here so feel the need to defend your choice for being here which also means defending against any criticism of anything Thai ??? You seem unable to be able to differentiate between having a negative opinion on one (or even a handful of facets of Thailand life) and having a dislike between everything Thai. Mine is not a Thai bash. But, it is bash on the general attitude towards safety in Thailand... particularly the attitude towards safety of children in Thailand.

WRONG: You have taken the phrase ‘double charging’ literally and in doing so are either being obtuse. In this case... the phrase ‘double charging’ is the same thing as ‘dual pricing’.... it means one party is charged a different price than another, or there could be a whole range of tiered prices depending nationality or other factors. In the context of this thread and pretty much everywhere else the phrase ‘double charging’ pops up with regards to ‘foreigners paying a different price’ its does not mean being charged twice .... the English for that would be ‘charged double’ !!!

Think bigger picture - it puts up our premiums !

I think this is underlying xenophobia and simply clumsiness due to lack of thought rather than any underlying or inherent racism. It is also quoted that ‘hotel rooms are cleaned to international standard’ which implies that something foreign is in fact ‘better’. Thus: As with many of the comments and statements in Thailand, I don’t think racism is involved, but I do think there is an absence of thought to towards the ‘optics’ of such statements which allow underlying xenophobic colours to surface... Public figures in Thailand are in dire need of media training instead of spouting off thoughtlessly...

A separate issue from ownership but valid nevertheless. IF the OP has either of the following he’s good to drive / ride in Thailand. - Driving Licence in English with motorcycle endorsement. - Motorcycle licence in English language. - Motorcycle licence in non-English language accompanied with an IDP - Not on a Non-Immigrant Visa (i.e. on tourist visa or visa exempt). IF the OP is on a Non-Immigrant Visa, its considered he’s on a resident visa and as a resident should be driving / riding on a Thai Licence, in which case. - He can get a Thai Motorcycle licence with his Driving Licence in English with motorcycle endorsement. - He can get a Thai Motorcycle licence with his Driving Licence in English with motorcycle endorsement.

Or... you can only bang the Aussie half of her..

Anyone with any sense knows what to keep out of reach of children without need for labels. We’ve become accustomed to labels simply because of the spread of US ’suing culture’). A label isn’t going to stop a 3 year old... and if a parent needs a label to know that something is harmful to a child then maybe they really shouldn’t be parents - part of the issue is that any idiot can become a parent !!! Any parents that leaves their medication out where a 3 year old could consume it is wholly negligent. The issue is the absence of basic levels parental supervision and awareness of basic child safety.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14470540/teen-mum-pretty-little-thing-baby-die/ And hundreds more stories like this suggesting you just seem to have an obsession with making critical generalisations about Thailand without context being blind to the faults of your own country. Quoting that ‘it happens elsewhere’ (and a british tabloid story) does not invalidate the comment that the general attitudes towards safety in Thailand and the general attitudes towards child safety in Thailand is poor when compared to our home countries (i.e the UK). Look at drownings and other accidents... IF you think Thailand is safer for children and there a fewer easily avoidable child deaths (per 100,000 of population) then you would be quite wrong.... This is not a ’turd that can be polished or rolled in glitter’ because it hurts your sensitivities and you think its a Thai-bash... Any (educated) Thai person would make the same observation. Read Pantip forum and you will see that many of the criticisms levied against Thailand by Westerners are also the exactly same criticisms levied against Thailand by Thai’s.... Thai’s don’t need your 'gone native’ defence to brush reality under the carpet. Identifying real issues is not a Thai-bash....

Well technically they are correct... As with Covid, IF caught outside of Thailand and brought in there is some blame which can be directed towards foreigners... even if a Thai caught it overseas and carried it into Thailand. But... Your point remains valid, there is a strong element of xenophobia and the ‘avoid sexual contact with foreigners’ comment.... IF THAT COMMENT IS TRANSLATED CORRECTLY !!!!! Yes, that statement need capitals... because a coupe of years back the vast majority of foreigners in Thailand who read it took sleight when it was reported (translated) that Anutin stated “Dirty Foreigners.....”... which is not exactly what he said... the comment was deliberately transliterated by the media into click-bait gold !!!... All of that said - the comment itself is still extremely clumsy and unprofessional from someone in public office..... “be careful......” etc etc should be the statement as the statement in its current guise could be more damaging as there is an implication that Thais would not carry the virus !

A Thai Immigration officer refused to allow a Thai national entry with a valid Thai Passport ?.... Interesting... That said: Thai Immigration officers can’t legally reject Thai Nationals because they don’t like that the Thai holds dual nationality. There is always more to the story when something seemingly so strange happens. Perhaps the Thai Passport had expired and you didn’t get the complete story from your ’Thai Lady Friend’.. ? We (Wife, Son and I) travel in and out regularly, I’ve never once considered hiding my Son’s British Passport because a Thai Immigration officer may not like the idea he has dual nationality. ... In the scenario you mention, IF the Immi officer didn’t like it, there is nothing he can do about it at all anyway. But... IF it makes someone more comfortable, sure.. go ahead and hide it, no real harm in that either... It just seems a little ‘paranoid’ to me.

An equal argument, there is no proof that the cookie the child ate didn’t contain marijuana. Clearly there were 'marijuana laced cookies’ in the house. Thus, with access to such cookies it was a possibility the child ate one, given the child's symptoms, that possibility becomes a probability.

Its valid criticism of the attitudes towards safety and the absence of responsibility of those tasked with providing primary care to children... Very warranted... based on frequent and utterly avoidable deaths of children in Thailand... drownings in village ponds, in khlongs and rivers, children unrestrained in cars, on motorcycles without helmets.. the list goes on.... So you were partially correct, my comment was criticism of Thailands attitudes towards safety, but that criticism is very far from being unjustified - it is wholly justified. An absence of adequate supervision is the very reason this news story exists. And yes, parental irresponsibility exists elsewhere and it deserves criticism wherever it exists... But just read a lot more of it here than I do in the UK news for example.

To buy and own - you need just your money. Perhaps your passport as ID. To register the motorcycle in your name you will need proof of address... i.e. a Certificate of Address (from Immigration) or an Affirmation of Residence (letter from Embassy / Consulate).

Unfortunately its true... but not 100%... In Government Hospitals, charing non-Thai’s more is now state-sanctioned - there are even notices stating such. In private hospitals there is also a double-charging system. My wife had a minor procedure last year... Cost was approximately 65,000 baht (one night spent in hospice). Initially she was quoted that the charge would be +/- 40,000 baht.... When she provided her international Insurance card the price increased. She was told that the initial price was for self pay or Thai Insurance.

Don’t be ridiculous...

Yes... Its really very very simple indeed... A dual citizen Child (Thai / USA) with bothPassports Departing Thailand: At Airline Check-In - Show Childs USA Passport (for proof of permission to enter USA). At Immigration - Exit Thailand with the Childs Thai Passport. Arriving in USA: At Immigration - Child enters under USA Passport. Departing USA: At Airline Check-In - Show Childs Thai Passport (for proof of permission to enter Thailand). At Immigration - Exit USA with the Childs USA Passport. Arriving Thailand: At Immigration - Child enters under their Thai Passport.

My Mates wife is respectable lady, caring and loyal, an accountant.... But she’s also as dumb as a post, the worst part is, she has no idea she’s dumb... So she comes out with the outrageously stupid facts and ’things' that she hears from her friends or grew up believing from her mum and tries to pass these tidbits off as real.... She never questions her thoughts or what her friends tell her, but seems to have this underling distrust of men that we are trying to ‘put one over on her’ all the time... its only when we highlight the flaw in her comments that she (sometimes) recognises her friends or mother were well wide of the mark !!!... No ulterior motive, no need to reassess relationships etc... but she’s just naive and dumb without having any idea she’s naive and dumb !!!! The Ops Wife could simply be believing what her friends tell her.... if she trusts her husband once he’s corrected her, then there is no issue. If she doesn’t and trusts her friends more than her husband then of course there is an issue... It all of course depends whether there is any motive for the ‘misinformation’ innocent ignorance or greed.

That purely depends on the individual with whom our life is being shared. There is a whole spectrum of attitudes out there from the money-grabbers, to the security-seekers to those who genuinely have no ulterior motive other than genuine care, respect, love etc... Personally, I have no issues with both the house and car in my Wife’s name, its just easier that way. While both my Wife and I had cars, my car was in my name, her’s in her name - it was easier that way. But, IF someone’s Wife is quoting incorrect regulations or reasons that her friends have told her I’d wonder why she is discussing such things with her friends in the first place. I’d wonder what the motive is of her friends to provide her with obviously wrong advice, unless they to have been told such news incorrectly and its become ‘urban myth’ among their individual community (as things sometimes are on this forum).

Valid points... however, there have already been plenty of news reports of people, including adults unwitting consuming marijuana in food (in restaurant and home). It [Marijuana] had either been put in there secretly or simply clumsily without advertising the fact... (special secret ingredient to bring he customers back, anyone ?).... As you mentioned - whether deliberate or not is somewhat moot in this case, the outstanding issue is the absence of care and supervision provided for a 3 year old... it could have been a bottle of bleach the child drank etc... Its easy to Monday-morning quarterback this... but many of us already have dealt with such potential issues before they could ever exist... so this just comes down to ’sh!tty supervision’... (or non existent which is often the case here). --------- Our son is simply not allowed inside the kitchen without our supervision (because of the risk of hot things cooking etc)... Now he’s slightly older he can ask to go in and get something. He’s not permitted just go and get food (chocolate, biscuits etc), he has to ask, then he can go get what he wants. We have the same rule for our balcony (his room on the 3rd floor) he’s simply not allowed on the balcony and the doors to his balcony are locked (key remains in his draw though).

Read the article... Secretly or otherwise.... leaving dope laced cookies around where children have access to them is outrageously negligent.... as is leaving a 3 year old unattended to get what they want from the kitchen etc....

What we love about Thailand is also what we hate about Thailand. People are innocent and direct almost naive.... but then we encounter public statements such as this which could be construed as ‘innocent, direct and naive’... but coming from a public figure the statement is instead ‘xenophobic and clumsy’.... but, its not wholly inaccurate. Perhaps a better statement would have been 'All people in Thailand are advised to be careful with whom them make physical contact’..... Again, the innocent, direct, naive, clumsiness.... Does this imply hotels are not normally cleaned to international standards ??? A recognition that international standards are somehow better than Thai cleaning standards ?

Oh no..... either the Wife is being greedy or she’s gullible and believes everything her friends tell her. At least you are sensible enough to ask on here rather than rely on the information from the wife’s friend.... Your wife will have to learn not to believe the stupid BS coming from her friends who are obviously uneducated and just make stuff up...

Families stupid enough to put marijuana in cookies and leave them where children can get access to them are also the families whose children grow up with elevated risks... i.e. these are the families we read about who have lost children, drowned in a nearby pond... these are the families to take children on motorcycles without helmets etc... A 3 year old left completely unsupervised..... Sadly, it seems par for the course in many areas of Thailand (and not only Thailand). The Marijuana hysteria is also getting ridiculous... People ’secretly’ putting it in food is outrageous and dangerous - those who do this should be dealt with legally.

America is not #3 in most dangers road status.... The article has completely mislead its readers. In the article itself, of the 56 countries listed there are 21 other countries with higher deaths per 100,000 of population.

Wonder if she (Bob's bar-girl squeeze) hasn’t threatened Bob again with her brothers kicking the living $#it out of him if he doesn’t pay her...