richard_smith237

They already have in the past. I recall a story of a lady going to collect her friend from a hotel. The ‘taxi thugs’ hanging around the hotel blocked this lady from getting to the hotel to pick up her friend because they thought she was working as a grab-driver. This made national news - the lady was the wife of a consular officer at one of the consulates on Phuket. Then there is also this story... drivers actually blocking access to the hotels of other taxis which have been called...

That logic would see any bar closed and a nationwide ban of alcohol. People who work at 9am are rarely out until 4am... Drink driving is a cultural issue, not a timing issue... the selfish ayholes on the road at 2am will be on the road at 4am - no difference is numbers... It could the argued that there is no need for tourists to be out later than 10pm. But they want to, so why stop them ?... its fine in other countries.... so whats different in Thailand ? Flawed logic - its just about enjoyment thats all.. why put rules and timing on it at all. While I agree, money overshadows all else, it does so in most countries. But the criticism of licensing hours seems flawed and borne of more puritanical killjoy perspective and attempting to shoe-horn additional risk into the argument than providing any real logic.

I think the points you make are highly valid, but your argument loses credibility with your ridiculous exaggeration about ‘damaging attacks’... I disagree with any form of physical punishment of children in schools, I’d also like to see the debate / argument won from a balanced perspective without the exaggeration and overstatement.

What if solution to your what if response to the what if scenario... Parents are informed that children bring phones to school at their own risk. Phones will be handed in at the beginning of a class. Phones will have the students name labelled on it. Teachers and the school are not responsible for any damage or loss to phones which are brought to school entirely at the owners risk. Too many scenarios, it gets silly. Ultimately, a good school and good teachers will have a handle on this. The schools that are unable to handle this situation already have bigger issues than a group of kids using their phone in class.

Thats the way I initially saw it... But the road was clear, the SUV had stopped and gave way. The female Motorcyclist illegally ‘undertook’ (passed on the left side of the SUV) and crashed into the Op turning across the road. IF this were a two lane road (in each direct) and the SUV stopped in the right hand lane and the female motorcyclist in the left lane continued and hit the Op turning across the road then I could see how this would be the Ops fault. ------------- I have nearly had this happen to me before. An incident actually did happen. I was turning right onto Sukhumvit 71 out of a sub-soi (in Bangkok), I’d edged out. The car driving down Sukhumvit 71 stopped and gave way. As did a motorcycle on the inside lane. The motorcyclist travelling behind clearly didn’t expect this and hit the brakes to hard, dropped the bike and slid straight into the back of the motorcycle which had stopped. Effectively, we ’triggered' the incident, but an idiot motorcyclist was a fault for failing to stop when the vehicles in front had. Now, IF the car and first motorcycle stopped, but instead of slamming on the brakes and dropping the bike the second motorcyclist had continued on and hit me, that may well have been considered my fault !!!.... Only dash-cam evidence could assist with getting me out of that one as I explain to the police that the motorcyclist was actually driving recklessly... and then try to convince them its the motorcyclists fault !!!

I reckon this is all a misunderstanding.... ... After ripping off all the customers.... the Police asked her how much money she had in the bank.. Her answer was ‘nun’.... reporters went with that !!!

If you had been more clear with your comment we’d have avoided the debate... Here...

There is... ‘what is means in the highway code’... vs ‘what is means on the roads of the UK’... Everyone is in fact correct on this one when arguing from there own specific point of view... - In the US highway code the flashing of lights are a warning. - In the real world in UK’s roads, the flashing of lights are a submission to yield. Both are correct.

I bet the people she defrauded are nun to happy about that....

I’ve had a number of situations in Thailand where I am asked for my credit card details. Most recently an Insurance broker gave me a form on which to write, send my credit card details (for insurance renew), including the 3 digit security code.... I refused and demanded an online portal through which to make a secure payment - they contacted the main provide who sent me their portal details.... It was a strange an unprofessional request from the broker (I was renewing insurance and the previous year payment was made through a secure portal - I’m not sure why this year they tried to change it). I’ve had the same requests from hotels in Thailand when trying to make a booking - the want the full CC details sent to them by line Messenger !!!! the direct deal was cheaper than agoda etc.. In the end I had to make a ‘bank transaction’ as I wasn’t going to give them all my CC details.

It happens to me with my UK card (about once every two years) with online transactions. It happens to my Wife about 3 times per year, with transactions in Thailand (with her Thai card). In ALL situations the Bank’s contact us... the card is stopped and we receive a replacement. We don’t lose any money. While we try to be careful, we use our cards a lot and certainly don’t avoid using them for risk of fraud. We don’t worry about fraud because there is no personal financial risk.

Phones handed in at the beginning of the class. No phone handed in, no entry to the class. If kids misbehave, they can collect their phone from the head-teacher at the end of the day. Now the real issue with this thread.... its a ‘what if’ hypothetical scenario... and the issue with these ‘what if’ scenarios is that they can be debated, discussed and argued until the end of time. The reality is, each situation is different and needs to be handled individually. The situation above does not warrant physical violence towards any of the 6 boys - a good teach will identify and resolve many issues way before they ever become issues. In this case, the good teach would already have these boys sitting apart from each other. The phones would be in a desk at the front. ------------ At my sons school the children are not allowed phones in school until (I think) 12 years old. They can have smart watches, but are not allowed to take calls on them in class-room time. After 12 (I think) children can have phones, but they remain in the child's school bag, they cannot use the phone in class time. IF any of these rules are broken, the phone is removed from the child and handed directly to a parent., or for older children who are making their way home, collected from the head of year.

I recall some 20 years ago there as a big deal with the seatbelt law (in the front coming in). I was pulled over at a junction... officer wants 2000 baht, he says my passenger wasn’t wearing their seatbelt (passenger was wearing a seatbelt)... I say no. Definitely wearing a seatbelt. He wants 2000 baht baht... I just say no and drive off with a smile.. I half expect them to take chase and follow me (I escalated by driving off)... nothing happened !!!!...

Like clockwork, riding in the back of pickups gets banned every year just before songkran, then forgotten about just after songkran ... there is usually an announcement that riding in the back of a pickup is illegal and will be clamped down upon..... Then there is a nationwide furore as people are claiming they can’t get home etc.... So there is an about-turn and its announced that.... 'ok.. you can do, but not more than 6 of people in the back'... ... as if allowing 6 people is safe, but 7 is not !!!... The reality is, riding in the back of a pick up in a highway is ridiculously unsafe, but there are significant practical considerations, any such bans have a significant impact on the nation - ultimately a blind eye has to be turned - this is the issue at hand with road safety, a blind eye is often turned. Thus; They [authorities] do what the can do... they place rules on the ‘enforceable’... in this case, those middle class with cars... this seat-belt law may have an impact on the middle class only.

Given that the SUV stopped in their lane of a single lane road (single lane in each direction road) and the motorcyclist passed the SUV up the inside, which is not a permitted manoeuvre, theoretically, the Op is exonerated from blame, from a legal perspective. The lady on the motorcycle who undertook the SUV on the left side would be considered at fault (legally)... Realistically, the BiB in Thailand would follow the path of least resistance and just call it 50/50 because thats the easiest thing to do and they nearly always take the easiest path. IF the lady was hurt and had no insurance or money for medical bills, they may try and pin something on the Op who they believe may be able to pay for the medical bills... (this is not a farang always to blame thing, just a perceived 'who can pay?’ thing... ) If he yields, then he takes the blame. If he sticks to his guns and maintains he is not at fault the police will likely yield and call it 50:50 !!!.... it all depends how the issue is negotiated and how confident, composed and firm the Op is in this situation. In the UK Highway Code the flashing lights is a warning as it is in any other country. BUT, it is more commonly used as a courteous ‘you first’ signal.... but that does not hold any water from a legal perspective.

Knowing regulations and the law in Thailand can swing things in your favour before the Police make the decision to go with the path of least resistance (which is usually, wealthier person pays out (up to a point where a person has influence). Years ago (possibly 20 years ago) I was turning right on Petchaburi rd (in BKK), not at a junction, across traffic into an office building... I was in the right hand lane (3 lanes in each direction), nothing coming in the opposite direction, as I made my turn across three lanes I was hit by a van trying to over take me. Police initially tried to blame me for making the turn. I managed to disperse the blame indicating that the van should never have been attempting to over take. I refused to accept any fault, but in the end accepted 50:50... the van was uninsured.

There has been some more information ‘single lane road’ (single lane in each direction)... which I believe changes things. My initial response is considering a dual lane or more road (in each direction) in which case ‘he’ the motorcyclists crosses the paths of two lanes without making sure they are first clear - IMO he would be at fault in this scenario where it is acceptable for queueing but flowing traffic to pass on the left. On a single lane road one vehicle cannot pass up the inside (left side) undertaking another - thus doing so would place an undertaking motorcyclist at fault.

In that case (single lane road) then a motorbike cannot pass the vehicle in front up the inside (left side) - the female motorcyclist may be at fault. IF the SUV had slowed to turn left, the motorcycle would have hit the side of the SUV. Thus, in this specific case, with it being a single lane road I believe the blame is now shifted to the female rider.

‘See... farang bad too’.... has become a very predicable and boring response from you... We all know you have Thai nationality... but don’t go ‘all native’ when attempting to deflect an issue by highlighting a different issue.... The mask wearing debate is old... so many countries are already ‘over it’.... Thailand wants to cling on to these things [mask wearing] then thats a different debate..... Not wearing seatbelts is risking the lives of others... 50kgs of un-restrained person in an accident is projected with massive force into others in the vehicle. There are additional impacts on others with people not wearing seatbelts where deaths would otherwise be avoidable...

I can think of numerous reasons.... The first being there is very likely more accurate knowledge on this specific subject on this forum than a FinnAir helpdesk could offer. The second, have you tired contacting an airline recently ??... go through numerous automated options before being put on hold and finally getting through to a human who will tell you to read the terms and conditions on the FinnAir website !!!... and when point out that they are not specific enough to answer the question they’ll answer with the safest option from their perspective and not necessarily the accurate answer (i.e. you’ll need a return ticket). The answers provided on this forum have already been accurate. The Op will need proof of onward travel (to anywhere outside of Thailand) within 30 days of arrival. Its a simple question with a simple answer.

If I was driving or riding and going straight on and a car or motorcyclist turned across me, I would not accept 50/50 at all. A a car (SUV) stopping does not change traffic law, the SUV does not become a traffic light, a junction with an unbroken white line and a give way sign. The motorcyclist is perfectly within her rights to be riding ’straight on’.... Yes, stupid of the motorcyclist not to ride defensively and consider why the SUV stopped, but that does not place the female at fault for not stopping, the OP should not have turned across traffic without first ensuring ALL traffic was giving way and had stopped. How can you explain that in the UK he is at fault ? he has turned across traffic without knowing the road was clear.

Its not over taking... its lane splitting queuing traffic. In the middle of Bangkok, when in slow moving traffic and the middle lane moves faster than the right most lane its not considered ‘under-taking’ (overtaking)... its just moving traffic.

Legally, you were in the wrong. In actuality, she is stupid !!!... When riding, if a car has stopped for no apparent reason, I also stop. meanwhile others scream through only to discover why the car has stopped - a pedestrian crossing or someone turning across them... I’ve seen numerous accidents this way. It seems to me that in Thailand more than any other places I’ve riden or driven that there is a huge reluctance to stop or slow for anything - this results in the inevitable. But.. ultimately, even IF the vehicle has allowed you to pass in front of them, and even IF when riding defensively it would be sensible for the other motorcyclist to stop the right of way remains theirs and in the event of an accident you would be at fault. Realistically - this lady would have had no idea that she was riding carelessly... she would think that the blame is 100% with you, the thought wouldn’t cross her mind for a millisecond that she could have avoided and accident by riding more carefully - thats just how many riders in Thailand are, everyone else has to watch out for them.

Not true.... I was there a few months back and saw one on a sun-lounger..... ???? (I’ll get me’ coat)...

I think he means when a teacher undertakes a Batchelor of Education degree (in the UK for example) part of the study is ‘child psychology’... I can’t say for sure because I’m not an educated educator - but those who are, are taught the skills not only to teach, but to interpret and read the classroom and respond accordingly, they are trained to handle ‘certain situations’ conversely a TEFL’er does not undergo education or training to anywhere near that extent.