richard_smith237

14 hours ago, webfact said:

This collaboration also extends to training sessions that enhance the skills of these local leaders

Are they (Bangkok promoters) stating such with a straight face ???...    Win riders as 'local leaders'...

... Since when have the local thugs, become local leaders ???

I recall at a restaurant years ago...  a restaurant we went to charged 50 baht per cold tissue that we never used.. 

(those ice cold tissues from the freezer in a small plastic pack)

So next time, we said went to the same restaurant we told the staff we didn't want them when the put them on our table - we were told we 'had to take them'...   upon inquiry the manager reinforced this.. 

Simple solution: We left and never went back !!.. 

On 10/25/2024 at 6:42 AM, DonniePeverley said:

I got a bit miffed with my local to go place here in Bangkok, when they suddenly started to add VAT on their meals. Fine i let it go and continued to go there. 

 

Then tourism started to increase a bit more, and they added in a 10% service charge. 

 

Now the cheeky sausages, and my final straw, is they have added a 200 Baht per person charge !!! 

 

Absolutely ridiculously taking the biscuit with the per person charge, which i have only ever seen a few times in very high end restaurants in America. 

 

This americanisation of 'hidden charges' needs to be addressed. Or is Thailand now just purely on the lowdown for tourists and locals can go shove it. 

Was the 200 baht per person charge a 'minimum charge' per person ? or an additional charge per-person ?

Either way... name the place - its not defamation to simply name a place that Charges Tax, Service and a 200 baht per person charge.

Many bars charged an Entrance fee - 200 baht etc (with which you get one drink) its because of too many cheapskates to take up space without buying a drink etc.. 

But for a restaurant to charge like this is too cheeky...  especially if its an additional charge.

I've had many disucssions with many restaurants: 

Our Son is tall, and some buffet restaurants wanted to charge him as an adult rate when he was about 6 years old etc...   I pointed out that the other kids at other tables are older than him - charge child fees or we walk ! (always worked)....

The same goes for the 'Japanese restaurants that have a drink all you want for 2 hours promo'... I'd go with Wife and Son...   Then they'd insist that my Wife has to do the promo too....  I ask why not my son ?... (being flippant) then they the manager and ask why they are forcing a pregnant lady to drink alcohol ?...    But, I understand why some restaurants have such policies - to many people at some point have been cheating the system so the restaurant owners try and avoid this... 

We pay everything by card in most places that includes the 10% service fee.

If a smaller place we are paying by QR Code...  and will add on a tip - the issue of course is whether this gets to the staff....  (or Wife will hand some change over - in a small noodle stall etc).

Some places charge an Air-Con fee !!! (its been discussed here)... 

Simple option - dont like it, vote with feet.

1 minute ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yes app filter, what are you getting at? 

 

 

I think this gets to the stage where we are digging to find something to be outraged about... 

I've never seen a male Policemen wearing Lipstick or a dress....   

Its not something I've ever thought about, its not something I'm outraged about, its not something I'm bothered to oxygenate... 

I'm interested to know exactly how much the Average IQ of Thailand shifts when posters such as newbee, Harrisfan and Malcy fly in and out..... 

3 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Always good to hear your feedback Richard. 👍

 

Sadly I think the whole LGBTQ stuff has gotten out of hand, to me, most have a mental illness. 

 

Allowing law enforcement to wear lipstick, NOPE 

 

 

You realise thats an App Filter, right ? - rather an obvious filter too... 

23 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

It actually does - Thai's a are better at reverse parking as well, because that seems to be the only way they park !!!...   they know the spacing of their car when vying for space on the roads etc... 

The motorcyclists are skilled riders zipping in and out of traffic.

 

I'd argue there are no less skilled than drivers else where... But that is a different perspective than 'risk' so the motorcyclist zipping through traffic, may be skilled at controlling his bike, but he has no road sense which is something different.

 

 

 

Expand  

Richard you only have to look at the road stats for accidents & fatalities to realise there is a problem in Thailand. Both in vehicles and on motor bikes they take uncalculated risks, I dont say that all Thai's are but generally speaking they are just undisciplined drivers and reverse parking or squeezing through traffic doesn't mean they are skilful.

....while I don't disagree that there are road safety issues in Thailand across the board.... from trucking, busses, delivery vehicles, motorcycles and pedestrians...       as I've already shown, when you look at the stats and break them down, specifically for 4 wheeled+ vehicles they show how close Thailands road safety stats are to the USA.

Thus: When you post "look at the road stats"  - I'd suggest crunching a few numbers and seeing how the numbers look from your perspective....

For example: 

Work out how safe it is for you to drive a 4 wheeled vehicle in Thailand compared to the USA (this as already been carried out earlier on in this thread - but take a look yourself...   then you will see that when actually looking AT the stats...   the road safety for car users in Thailand is not quite as horrific as people are making out.... 

1 hour ago, cynic1 said:

They failed you because they wanted Tea money from a farlang like all corrupt government officials

No...  they didn’t pass him… because he got too many questions wrong !!!

Or, to put it more precisely – the phrasing of the translated questions often left just enough ambiguity to cause confusion, making consistently accurate answers a challenge – especially when some questions seem to lack a clearly correct option at all.

The Department of Land Transport is one of the rare government offices that treats foreigners with the same cool indifference it shows to locals. There's absolutely no suggestion of “tea money” changing hands to help someone pass a test or secure a licence.

In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s ever been encouraged – subtly or otherwise – to slip a backhander to a DLT official just to avoid failing the licensing process.

Though - from the 'testing side of things' there are agents who 'can' smooth things over for a cost - this is something most posters have never found necessary.

12 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

42 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

- I suspect the vast majority

You suspect the vast majority 

 

Get the <deleted> out of here 😂

Yeah.... "suspect" because its an unknown...   these discussion have been killed off and we're left with the occasional meme such as yours before getting kicked off Facebook or some other platform for not being 'politically correct' towards minority groups.... 

6 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

Yeah, I've gotta use this trick for a few years, because my motorcycle license is not on the same year as my car license. I want to get them both in sync with each other, so will take a while. Why they don't just use endorsements like they do in the USA is beyond me, carrying two licenses is a pain in the butt.

I keep my car license in the car... and my bike license in the bike pocket....    

I carry a ver minimalist wallet as I hardly ever use case these days... 

But, I'll probably end up tripping myself up when travelling to Phuket etc and hiring a car - though the DLT App on our phone also has our license, and this is now legal - though convincing a policeman (who doesn't know about this) of this, may be more challenging !!!... 

I can't recall the last time I was asked to show my Driving License at a Police check point - so I've not had chance to try the DLT App option.

On 6/21/2025 at 8:12 PM, Celsius said:

I've noticed that whenever there's negative news about Thailand's economy, education, or Vietnam surpassing it in tourism, many members here react with laughing and 'like' emojis. This continues into some raging comments about Thailand and Thai people in general.

 

At the same time you love telling your mates (by mates I mean your fellow members how you're living a dream only to blast Thailand and Thais in the next post.

 

You don't like living in Thailand,  but you sure like telling others how Thailand is great.

 

Why is that?

I think its becasue there are so many facets to life here... 

Some things here are better, even wonderful - others, less so.

Take taxis, for example. In discussions about them, the tone often leans negative: drivers refusing to use the meter, being rude or dismissive, no seatbelt, poor driving etc. These issues crop up frequently, and over time they wear thin. Familiarity with such patterns can breed a kind of contempt, and that naturally finds its way into our commentary.

Yet if we step back, we might realise we've just paid 200 baht (around $6) for a journey that should’ve cost 87 baht and in the West, the same trip might run to $30. But that’s not the point, is it? We’re not in the West, and we’re not trying to impose Western standards. We're simply reflecting on our experiences.

Unfortunately, when such observations are made, there are always some who project from their own narrow lens, accusing us of "Thai bashing" or suggesting we harbour disdain for the country and its people. That’s both simplistic and untrue.

What’s actually happening is a mix of fair, often factual observations - whether about road safety, apathetic policing, systemic corruption, or dual pricing. These topics will naturally invite critical commentary. That doesn’t mean we’re blind to the positives. Far from it.

Most people are capable of holding two thoughts at once: recognising flaws while still appreciating the many joys of life in Thailand. For the vast majority of us, Thailand remains a net positive.

And those who find the net positive here are, more often than not, the same kind of people who would find it the 'net positive' anywhere - grounded, adaptable, and emotionally resilient. Those who can’t... will likely carry their dissatisfaction wherever they go.

1 minute ago, lordgrinz said:

Watching them zip down the median line jockeying from both sides for position between two opposing lanes, barely missing the mirrors of cars on both sides of the median line, you could argue it's skill, I'd argue it's stupidity/insanity/suicidal, and the death stats back me up. The worst part is that I have to watch as parents do this with their children onboard, nobody wearing a helmet, and nobody cares until "fate" comes a knocking. You fall down in the middle of the road with cars flying by in both directions, you're dead, fate or no fate.

So true. I watch some of these reckless fools - without a shred of self-preservation - and often find myself wondering how long they’ve got left. It’s the same thought I have when I see some lunatic tearing down Sukhumvit at 2am (BKK) on a high-powered sportbike.

But then, at the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got the fresh-faced tourist wobbling down the street on a rented scooter, barely in control because they’ve never ridden one before - and somehow, the lack of self-preservation looks just as stark.

The sight of children on scooters is genuinely tragic. I understand the economic necessity in some cases, but I’d still expect any responsible, loving parent to exercise extreme caution - and at the very least, put a helmet on their kid.

When they don’t, and instead ride with casual recklessness, it’s hard not to see it as a total disregard for safety, for life itself. There’s a kind of fatalism at play - and while some seem resigned to it, others appear to be tempting fate with alarming enthusiasm.

21 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Thank you gentlemen, I will make a diary note and renew my licenses a day after they are due to expire in 2028, hopefully my expiry date hasn't transpired first LoL

A number of years ago... I thought I was being cute and went a 'day after' my Birthday to get the 6 years thingy... 

I'd royally stuffed up on the expiry date and was a year too late....   I went a 'Year +1 day' after expiry of my existing license, and had to start the process again with 2yrs Temp, then 5 year License - my own fault - the DLT officer told me that there is a 1 year grace period, had I turned up the day earlier I'd renew to another 5 year license !!! 

8 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

You read my comment recently. 😂

 

So sorry Richard if I offended you with my comment but I was offended seeing a 120kg guy dressed in a toutou, wearing a blonde wig and high heels putting on lipstick in a public bathroom.

If you like wearing woman's clothing it's up to you Richard but it's not bloody normal. 

 

I've got friends and colleagues who are gay,

 

 

Please Richard, tell me it wasn't you I saw that afternoon dressed in that Toutou, if it was you, get some help mate. 

 

BTW, all positive emoji's, not even a negative emoji from my many thumbs down emoji stalkers 

 

 

Your meme is spot on - I suspect the vast majority of people would agree without hesitation.

Unfortunately, it’s a conversation that’s been  knee-capped by the guardians of wokeness.

To so much as question the façade and pantomime of certain attention-seekers is to risk being branded ‘homophobic’, regardless of the actual intent or content of the critique.

I’ve personally been accused of homophobia on this forum for expressing the very same observations highlighted in the meme. The accusation, predictably out of context, came from a particularly fragile member of the gay community here. It wasn’t a sincere rebuttal, but rather a lazy attempt at point-scoring by someone evidently lacking the emotional or intellectual tools to engage in thoughtful, good-faith discourse. It’s a tired cheap shot - one that specific poster fires off frequently.

I think many of us have gay friends... just normal mates - regular guys we meet in the pubs and play football with etc - not really any point of discussion there...  

But... There are men who genuinely feel they should have been born female - and that’s where the distinctions within the ever-expanding LGBTQ+acronym start to matter. But that's a conversation better suited for another thread.

That said, if a bloke in a dress can have a normal, grounded conversation with me, I’ve got no issue at all.

In fact, just a few weeks ago in a small bar in Bangkok - live music, laid-back vibe - I was there with friends, watching a band. I briefly chatted with the guy next to me...  It was quite dark, and we were commenting on the music, he had bright-red-hair, was wearing lipstick, eyeliner, and a skirt on...   None of that mattered - it had been a perfectly organic, normal interaction about the band... that was that - no biggie.

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Its exactly the same licence, same costs etc... 

 

Its one of those 'Thai idiosyncrasies'...    the DLT seems to simply works out the DL expiry on a basis of '5 birthdays from now'...  and thats it.

 

So it's not really 6 years then, e.g. if I renewed it today, lets say a day after my birthday (22/06/2025), then the expiry date on the next renewed license would be 23/06/2030).

 

Or would it be 22/06/2031 ?

IF your Birthday is on 22-June... 

IF you renew your DL on 22-June your DL will expire on 22-June 2030  (5 years)

IF you renew your DL on 23-June your DL will expire on 22-June 2031 (6 years)

3 hours ago, harryviking said:

On 6/21/2025 at 6:53 PM, Bday Prang said:

no test "makes you better" that is not the purpose of a test.   EDucation is the traditional way of improving or learning

🤪🤪😪🤣 I dont know if to cry or laugh.....we are still talking about driving a car ?? Not going to a University?🙄

The same principles apply... 

Better driver education makes safer roads...          a test is a form of 'proving' that the education is understood.

Japan has one of the most stringent driving courses and testing programs - it has the safest roads in the world of any 'larger country'.. (i.e. not tiny nations like Monaco or Singapore)

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

On 6/20/2025 at 5:11 PM, ukrules said:

I went within the week after my birthday each time to get the extra year.

 

Oh, I like that, go one day after my birthday and get 6 years.

 

Is that for the same 300 baht that I pay for 5 years ?

Its exactly the same licence, same costs etc... 

Its one of those 'Thai idiosyncrasies'...    the DLT seems to simply works out the DL expiry on a basis of '5 birthdays from now'...  and thats it.

3 hours ago, paul1804 said:

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

When we, or I actually think about it - Thai drivers are very skilled...   in slow traffic on the expressway when that 'extra lane is used' to make a 3 lane motorway 4 lanes... or when people are merging and filitering in with no one giving way....   the drivers get very close - when other vehicles get this close to our cars in the West we flip a lid as if our personal space has been invaded...    here mirrors are nearly touching !!

That doesnt make them skilled drivers Richard!!

It actually does - Thai's a are better at reverse parking as well, because that seems to be the only way they park !!!...   they know the spacing of their car when vying for space on the roads etc... 

The motorcyclists are skilled riders zipping in and out of traffic.

I'd argue there are no less skilled than drivers else where... But that is a different perspective than 'risk' so the motorcyclist zipping through traffic, may be skilled at controlling his bike, but he has no road sense which is something different.

10 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

You have not taken into account that cars can also hit motorcycles or cause them to crash.

 

Thailand: 18 000–22 000 deaths/year, about 75–80% are motorcyclists, 41% of those motorcycle crashes are caused by car drivers.

 

USA: about 42 000 deaths/year overall.

 

UK: about 1 700 deaths/year overall.

 

Summary:

 

Thailand (including motorbikes):  about 30.3 deaths  per 100k

 

Thailand (excluding motorbikes on motorbike deaths but incudes deaths to motorcyclists cased by cars):  about 17.0 deaths per 100k

 

USA: about 12.6 deaths per 100k

 

UK: about 2.8 deaths per 100k

Thats an interesting point - I think I highlighted that the issue is far more multifaceted that simplified by the stats I presented,

Thats said: I don't think 41% of accidents involving motorcyclists are caused by 'car drivers'... It's impossible to know for sure of course, but I'd highlight that in  many such cases the motorcyclist had no insurance, so it was the insurance of the 'car driver' who's insurance covered the costs, this is then logged at a 'statistic'.

I don't actually believe the roads in Thailand are less dangerous for car drivers than in the USA - but what all the stats show us, even yours (using 41% car driver fault rates) shows how close Thailand and USA are on the stats.

This highlights significant bias on our part (many of us) when being so derogatory towards Thai driving - US drivers are just as bad, or not far from it comparatively (USA 4.5x more dangerous than the UK / Thailand 6x more dangerous than the UK).

Crunching the stats never presents the full accurate story of course - we can get into factors such as highway miles, city mileage etc...   And I see so much dumb road use here where self preservation is absent - but I think those events lock in our mind, and we project drawing from bias that the driving in Thailand is terrible, when in reality its not that bad, but though there are a minority of outright fools.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thai drivers are very skilled..

 

The large percentage of injured, maimed, dead people can attest to that.

 

80% of road deaths are accidents...   Approx half of those because of no helmet wear.

 

When comparing like for like - 4 wheeled vehicles (i.e. removing motorcycles from the stats) on a per-capita basis the USA fatality stats are worse than Thailands.... 

 

I'm not defending the standards of the driving in Thailand - but I am pointing out that optics through which we as 'westerners' look at driving here can be quite distorted.

 

I need to make an edit for that: 

80% of road deaths are motorcyclists...   Approx half of those because of no helmet wear.

When comparing like for like - 4 wheeled vehicles (i.e. removing motorcycles from the stats) on a per-capita basis the USA fatality stats are worse than Thailands.... 

I'm not defending the standards of the driving in Thailand - but I am pointing out that optics through which we as 'westerners' look at driving here can be quite distorted.

-------

To the stats: 

Thai Stats:

WHO Figures: 25,000 road deaths per annum in Thailand. 

80% motorcyclists: leaving 5000 road deaths for 4 wheeled vehicles or more

Population 71.7 Million = 6.97 Road Deaths per 100,000 people.

USA Stats: 

In 2023: 40,901 road deaths per annum in the USA

15% motorcyclists: leave 34,566 road deaths for 4 wheeled vehicles or more

Population: 334.9 Million = 10.32 Road Deaths per 100,000 people.

Obviously other facets come into this such as the distance people drive, so 'death rate, per 100,000 of population per 100,000 KM driven would be a more accurate comparison - but its difficult to dig out those stats)

This is what the net drags up - for ALL road deaths including motorcycles:

Thailand

By population: ~25.4 deaths per 100,000 population 

By vehicle distance: ~112 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-km 

Removing 80% motorcycles: 22.8 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-km (non-motorcycle) 

United Kingdom

By population: ~2.6 deaths per 100,000 population

By vehicle distance: ~28 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-km 

Removing 19% motorcycles: 22.7 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-km (non-motorcycle) 

United States

By population: ~12.8 deaths per 100,000 population 

By vehicle distance: ~70 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-km

Removing 15% motorcycles: 59.5 deaths per 10 billion vehicle-km (non-motorcycle) 

The conclusion there is: When removing motorcycles from the equation the USA is nearly 3x more dangerous than Thailand which, on a per vehicle-Km basis (i.e. per distance travelled per vehicle) the UK and Thailand have similar road fatality stats: 

A lot of people won't like that...  but is simple enough to work out the stats yourselves and find the info if you can be bothered.

It's doesn't tell the whole story, because we do see some crazy stuff here...   but it stats don't quite paint the same picture as some of the comments here.

15 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

56 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thai drivers are very skilled..

 

The large percentage of injured, maimed, dead people can attest to that.

80% of road deaths are accidents...   Approx half of those because of no helmet wear.

When comparing like for like - 4 wheeled vehicles (i.e. removing motorcycles from the stats) on a per-capita basis the USA fatality stats are worse than Thailands.... 

I'm not defending the standards of the driving in Thailand - but I am pointing out that optics through which we as 'westerners' look at driving here can be quite distorted.

12 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

the Thai people not unlike several other south east countries are generally terrible drivers.

When we, or I actually think about it - Thai drivers are very skilled...   in slow traffic on the expressway when that 'extra lane is used' to make a 3 lane motorway 4 lanes... or when people are merging and filitering in with no one giving way....   the drivers get very close - when other vehicles get this close to our cars in the West we flip a lid as if our personal space has been invaded...    here mirrors are nearly touching !!

Just now, simon43 said:

Lol, there are no language schools where I live 🙂 I certainly know that the Thai 'grapevine' circulates information very rapidly, so perhaps these strangers know more about me than I know about me....

 

Certainly there is respect because I am old!

If its a small area... its very likely they all know everything about you !!!...  There's nothing strong than the local gossips for getting the info out there !!...

... So the respect, the nods, the smiles you are getting - are all because you've become a familiar part of the landscape and there indeed exists respect, very likely because you yourself have always acted in a respectful manner to others within the community.

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Try wearing long trousers and a collared shirt and see how you are treated by the locals.  I only wear long trousers and usually wear a collared shirt.  Locals address me as 'ajarn', which is a term of respect,

They think you are a local language school teacher - Its not high on the totem pole, but above a factory or 7-11 worker.

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

many adults duck as they go pass me out of respect, yet many have never even spoken with me previously.

Yes, a sign of respect - they can clearly see you are a lot older.

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Thai people often form their opinion of you by sight and sound, (as do many other nations, and it perhaps shouldn't be so, but this is the real world). 

Very true - Thai's respond to treat each encounter based on its individual merits - those merits contain many facets.

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I've noticed that complete Thai strangers will not address me in broken (or not-so-broken) English, but will immediately speak Thai to me, even if they have never spoken with me before.  They assume from my appearance and dress that I am educated, and can therefore speak Thai 🙂

Because they can't speak any English, especially outside of tourist hubs - its not about their perception of your eduction but about their own.

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

BTW, I am actually a very modest sort of chap, so what I've commented above is not blowing my own trumpet, but simply pointing out that your appearance and manner is very important for Thais to 'allocate' you into the correct layer of the pecking order....

'The pecking order' think I think is fairly accurate...  Thai's love to know how other Thai's fit into their 'socio-economic-educational' totem pole...  we are no different, though we remain an enigma as we can mix where they can't... i.e. we can have a beer with a Grab Rider and the same day be having a beer with the CEO of a Major Thai institution etc...    its easier for foreigners to circumnavigate and socio-economic and cultural demographics across the divides of Thai boundaries - where 'we fit in as individuals' will be individually decided...

For example: A poor Win-Rider may see us as just another farang, whereas the business owning CEO who's son attends the same school automatically places us on a level socio-economic-educational footing.....

Highly variable...  and down to individual situation...  Generalisations are extremely difficult to be made with any reliability.