newnative

Best post of the thread.

I don't doubt that routine medical care at low cost can be had in Bangkok at government hospitals--having an x-ray done, having a baby, getting a broken bone repaired, seeing a doctor for a bad cold, snake bite, cut needing stitches, etc., etc. It's the non-routine that can get expensive. I think you're quite right that some Thais do not know how to navigate the health care system to their best advantage, but that was not the case with my spouse's mother, with 3 educated Bangkok daughters going to bat for her, well-aware of how things work, and don't work, in Bangkok.

I wish this analysis was on target but I have my doubts. I think the Democrats could win the popular vote in 2028 but the Electoral College, as shown by 2024, is another matter. The Republicans start out with many more 'safe' states than the Democrats, including now safe Florida. The so-called 'swing' states aren't so swingy, and certainly not in the Democrats favor. I do agree with the strategy of having candidates from the 'blue wall' states.

And, in this case, kick the can to the 'locals' to take 'action'. Useless, ineffective government bankrupt of ideas and solutions. When they come up with something, like free metro, it only makes the problem worse. All that money they are spending to reimburse metro could have been put towards farm equipment or hiring personnel to actually monitor and enforce no burning.

'Those of you who drive a car in Pattaya . . .' Why limit it to just Pattaya drivers? Nobody else drives in Thailand and can contribute to the discussion?

Things might be different in rural areas but if you live in Bangkok medical care can certainly end up not being 'free' for Thais, especially if the care involves operations, intensive care, cancer treatment, or medical services in high demand using limited equipment. My Thai spouse's mother had 2 million baht in medical expenses before she passed away in Bangkok. If 'free' care was available, he and his siblings would certainly have availed themselves of it, rather than forking over the 2MB. It doesn't do any good if a government medical service is free but unavailable--because it's fully booked at the government hospital or all the available weekly slots for a medical service are already taken at the government hospital.

I agree. It goes with living in a condo. It doesn't really matter the age of the condo--construction can be going on at any time, in new projects and older ones. With one of the new condos my spouse and I bought, we didn't like the kitchen layout, nor the small refrigerator, the electric hob rather than induction, and the cheap counters, backsplash, and kitchen cabinets. Even though the kitchen was brand new, we removed everything, changed the layout to work better, and had new and much better everything installed. With some projects, we were doing the renovations, for others we have lived in, others were renovating their units. Sometimes it was both. I think most owners go with the flow, knowing they might need to be doing work on their condos at some point and hope their neighbors will be understanding. For the OP, there are just two choices that I can see, put up with it or move.

He's complaining about construction noise at 10am, from his latest post. That's a normal time for construction--9am to 5pm. Most condo projects restrict construction to those times and some prohibit it during the Christmas-New Years holidays.

Airport Rail Link, too. I remember the first time my spouse and I took the ARL as newbies. We had luggage so we decided to line up at one of the train entrance arrows far from everyone else. Train guy came over and set us straight as to the shortness of the train The longer trains should have been added years ago. The government supposedly wants more people on the trains and out of their cars--but has done nothing to accommodate the many more riders the system has gained in the years since its been open.

I feel safer here than anywhere I lived in the US--and also safer than most of the countries I have visited. Many rather petty crimes that would not even be covered in the West are given overwrought publicity here--which leads to the false impression your wife has. I'm starting my 15th year here and have never been the victim of any crime. I would not let the crime situation here stop you from coming.

Chaos.

My first car was a Fiat, bought used around 1968. I was in high school and we were living on Okinawa, Dad working for the US Army. It was a horrible car. The hood of the engine compartment had vents. Every time it rained hard, something in the engine got wet and the car would not start. When rain threatened, I had to run out and open the engine compartment and cover the engine with plastic. Of course, I daren't drive it in the rain, for fear of being stranded somewhere. There were other problems but, luckily, repairs weren't too expensive. A very unreliable car, and proof of the correctness of the meaning of FIAT--Fix It Again Tony.

Agree. And, it's burning being done all over. I am on the Darkside outside of Pattaya and almost every morning my terrace has black soot on it from the burning in my area. We smell the burning most evenings, sometimes so bad we have to stay inside with the windows closed and the aircon on. Absolutely nothing is being done anywhere by anyone to curtail this. Just blah, blah, blah talk and useless things like free Metro for a week in Bangkok--like that's going to do anything, in Bangkok or anywhere else.

Yes, it was awful on Sunday--never seen it so packed. Horrible. 45% increase in usage but no increase in the frequency of the trains and no increase in the number of cars per train.

Totally agree. Spouse and I were on the MRT yesterday, Sunday, and it was a miserable, horrible experience. I've never seen the trains so packed. Facebook told me today that the MRT had 451,000 more riders yesterday--I think they were all crammed into the car we were on. Ridership on all the lines was up by huge numbers. I can't even think what hell it must have been trying to take the Airport Rail Link out to the airport with luggage--that train ride is awful even in normal times with the huge increase in the local riders now using it--and sometimes only 3 -car trains. The powers in charge make it free but did they consult with the operators first? Did they add extra cars to the trains? No, same 4 cars that are inadequate to passenger rider numbers even during normal, paying non-rush hour times. Did they make the trains come at more frequent intervals? No, it was still the same long wait between trains. It's madness that they are still using 4-car trains. Our condo is next to the Phetchaburi MRT. This area, including the Rama 9 area, has seen huge growth in both condos built and people working here. Just one new condo, One 9 Five, has 2000 units. Multiply that by all the other new condo projects, throwing new riders on to the trains. Plus, new office buildings, including a very large one next to our condo. If they want to get people to give up their cars, they need to make riding public transportation a pleasant experience, not a nightmare. We are visiting from Pattaya this week and will be using our car or taking taxis--and I'm sure we will not be the only ones. So much for reducing pollution.

Speaking Thai should not be a requirement to get a long-term visa.

Well, that's actually good that the majority of Thais are opposed to casinos. Makes it easier for the government to restrict entry to the casinos to foreign passport holders only. Neatly solves the problem of those braying that the casinos will only be harmful to Thais and put them further in debt. And, also neatly solves the problem of the already established, powerful gambling forces losing their revenue--Thais will continue to gamble with them since they will be barred from the casinos. That was easy.

Neither.

That's not 'bold action'. Far from it. That's just pretending to do something. Make a little publicity while not having to actually do anything. While not having to actually make some bold decisions, some tough decisions. Easy peasy. Free transit, for a week. Count 'em. Ok, that's done. Meanwhile, what's it going to be like riding the subway--with its way too inadequate packed 3 and 4-car trains when riding isn't free? Spouse and I only ride non-rush hour and even then it's way overcrowded. How are you going to get people to give up their cars when public transportation is a miserable experience at rush hour?

Boo hoo.

Yes, really.

Total non-answer from the government spokesman. At least go through the motions . . .

Two words "NO ENFORCEMENT" !!!

Why do they need 50 more days to 'study' what has already been examined to death for years and years? Just get on with it already. Meanwhile, private industry isn't waiting for the government to get it in gear. Bangkok Mall, slated to be the largest in southeast Asia, is now under construction. In addition to the mall, there will be hotels, housing, an IMAX theater, other entertainments, and a 16,000 seat music and events arena. Sounds like an 'entertainment complex' to me.

Not just a problem with Pattaya. I remember the first time my Thai spouse and I were in Bangkok, years ago when I first arrived. I noticed 3 green iron poles spaced across the sidewalk at intervals where we were walking. I turned to him and said, 'I don't know what the city was thinking. The poles are spaced way to wide apart from each other to prevent a motorcycle from driving between them on the sidewalk.' He replied, 'Silly, the poles aren't to prevent motorcycles from driving on the sidewalk, they're to stop cars from driving on the sidewalks.' Oh, ok. Noted. And, yes, when we walk in Bangkok on the sidewalks we have to be alert for motorcycles or they'll run right over us.