geisha

Why oh why cant all motorbikes and scooters be " silent" ?

Over 30 years ago in Phuket, one of my neighbours used to dress her little boy in girlish clothes, and put ribbons in his hair. A pretty child, other neighbours used to take him out, to the market, on the bus, dressed like a girl. It was not considered odd, even then. I don't really understand why this is happening especially in Thailand , any answers ?

There are rats everywhere, in all cities, all over the world. Normally, you have a responsible government and health administrations/ inspectors/ city hall, that control this problem by having extermination carried out regularly. There is no valid reason, that supposed clean places like supermarkets etc have rats. Also, normally, every business owner also takes the necessary steps to get rid of cock roaches/ rats . In Hua hin I've seen huge ones running through restaurants ( night market), and in the daytime market. Pattaya everywhere, beach, 2 nd road. Phuket didn't seem too bad funnily.A huge danger to health, and when you think that children and adults play in the sand where rats, dogs and humans have been peeing on them all night long ...........

You are all wrong. Tom Jones gave a fantastic sell out concert recently during the Jazz a Juan Festival in the south of France. Sold out in one day, made front page news, he rocked the park for 3 hours with a super back up group, best show we have seen in years! A real show man, who looks fantastic by the way.

A complete review of all transport means in Thailand is needed. This is becoming ridiculous, horrific daily accidents around the country. Is it too hard/ difficult for a normal government to bring in laws? Can they not fine, prosecute ? Obviously not, so Thailand has become a lawless country!

All that aside, I once saw a lady leaving the hotel to get to nearest big hospital. Badly bitten by a monkey , holiday ruined and cut short, and my, did that bite look bad. !

Most of the places " banned" for foreigners in Laos/ Vietnam/Myanmar is because they don't want tourists to be blown to bits! tSo why doesn't the Thai government should ban visiting the south, or near the north/ Myanmar border where fighting is still going on ?

Every country has its " please avoid this area" places.

I have visited and spent time in all of theses countries. Vietnam, I admire the way they have pulled themselves up after a100 years of war, also I admire the level of education and general culture they have, and how they strive to get on work wise.

Myanmar, beautiful country and people with no infrastructure for the moment, they ll get there soon!

Cambodia, unfortunately. a wrecked country with a crooked government that does not help its people.

Laos, can't say much except it's land logged and very poor.

Indonesia, obvious religious set backs, tho some beautiful places.Bali,once beautiful exotic Bali,where every other person is an artist, unfortunately over built to the extremes.

Malaysia,and Singapore, great education and good food , clever people. Orderly and mostly clean. Perfect English.

China, some spectacular sites, but, I didn't get on there at all, and don't want to go back.

Thailand. Good weather conditions. Some good hospitals, not all. Some nice areas that haven't been spoilt. Not Telling!

Good food at decent prices getting harder to find. Terrible hygiene !!!! Thailand and its beaches were once gorgeous.Sea water mostly dirty these days. Trash problem awful! Filthy streets.Cant say welcoming, from the moment you set foot in the airport.

Not very safe, awful accidents / muggings etc daily. Quite decent accommodation, condos etc, decent prices if you look. For me, the worse problem is the lack of education and manners ( ugh)

So, if I could take a little bit from all the neighbouring countries and put them in Thailand, I would probably retire there.A perfect world !

Seems to be all over Thailand now. Gangs of youths out to rob and hurt, not only tourists but Thais too. Phuket has been bad, getting worse , over the last 6/7 years. Now it's becoming a huge problem in out of the way places and villages, the islands. It's quite frightening when you hear of rape and attacks all the time, and tourists are certainly getting to hear about it on the news, Internet, and TV at home. Adding to that the publicity from the almost daily " suicides", motorbike, jet ski, taxi and tour bus accidents, I would say that Thailand has become one of the most dangerous countries to visit/ live, and certainly has the worst reputation. Can any other tourist welcoming country boast of being worse ?

First ,RIP, another tragic death. Though I'm sure there are a few things missing in this awful story. What happened before they boarded the ferry?

Did he really board the ferry ? Why didn't the girlfriend take their things and get off the ferry when he didn't come back? And the, why wasn't he reported missing at once? Assuming he wandered into the banana plantation alone, and sick, he might have been found alive if there was a search team straight away ! I know that I would never leave a friend disappear that way and not make a huge fuss to find him/ her!!! What happened?

Wonder if this company has anything to do with the reported closure of all business actually present on Otres beach ??? They received eviction orders for end of March apparently.

It's so filthy everywhere in this area. On 2 nd road there Jomtien ( behind night market beach road and further) there are dozens of wild dogs , and rubbish strewn everywhere. Soi 9 has a pack of 14 dogs keeping everyone up at night and sometimes menacing.its very sad, but something has to be done.

Could this be the man who has been attacking women on a hill in Samui a few weeks ago ? I'm not that familiar with Samui but a Russian community posted a big warning on TV and on the island as the police had done nothing so far to catch him ? Good to know if he was caught ???

I hope he's safe and gets found quickly. Reading his Facebook page printed on one of TV posts, he looks a nice decent guy.hope everyone has searched the local hospitals as he might be really ill and not be able to identify himself. Good news welcome!

We have an army of maids in my condo building and most of them are really nice , though there are two that are really surly, never a smile, and that practically scowl at you. Why, I'll never know,as I'm kind to them all, give tips for Christmas, new year etc. There are 3 office girls, two nice, one scowls ! The restaurant where I eat often is the same, two really nice waitresses, one scowls and ignores everyone. So strange. I do believe there is a jealousy problem with these unhappy workers. Worse I find are the shop girls. I don't know what they are paid, but they sleep in corners, never say hello or can I help you etc. I love to shop and encounter these unfriendly lazy employees everywhere. Then , when you pick up something you want to buy, they snatch it from you and make a beeline for the cashier !!!!!! Awful attitudes.

There does seem to be an " infidelity" gene in Thai men. I have some very good friends that I've known over 30 years. They are from good families and have a higher education. 3 out of 4 have all " Mia noi s " , and always have had different girls over the years, even a hidden child or two. Mostly the wives know, complain about it, but there they are. I would say they don't have much choice in the Thai world of women. I have often spoken about this to my friends, it's not taboo. The answer is always a schrug , and a " this is Thailand" attitude. They do not think they are doing wrong. Another couple I know were very happy, not yet married. She became pregnant and he left her, like that! One day he came with a bag of what I thought were presents for the baby, they were disposable nappies !!!! She has to work in a coffee bar to earn money for herself and the baby, and the owner and girls are kind enough to look after the baby. It's sad.

I was robbed last year, on a busy street with people in front and behind me . I know I should not carry a bag, but it's so difficult when you have nowhere to put your brush, packet of Kleenex, some money, and your phone, when you go out. It's not about the money I lost, a few hundred baht. But I spent a whole year seeing doctors for a damaged arm, really bruised ribs( I thought I was dying .i couldn't breath!) two huge scars on my knees, and I was lucky with my face as all the skin was grazed off my forehead and nose, plus the bruises, and they healed leaving no marks. I still can't carry anything on my right arm, and it hinders me at work too. Now I'm a bit fearful out, especially when I hear a bike close to me ( which is every 10 minutes).ive lost my happy go lucky ways, and my winter stay last year in Thailand was ruined as I could not go out and looked a mess. I suppose I'm lucky nothing was broken , or worse.

Don't overlook the fact that it is the " locals" who are leaving their rubbish on the beach and prom. Every day they are camped out there with chairs and mats , even gas cookers, making it sometimes impossible to pass by. Maybe they should try a clean up my beach campaign , on the spot, advertising, and in schools and tv. Nobody has yet mentioned the pick ups and cars parked evenings along the road and blasting out their decibal breakers to all around, and spoiling many beach side restaurants business. Also, the chair business on the beach must take their part in cleaning up, after dragging the heavy over flowing juice leaking bin bags to the bins on the roadside.The one time last month an official team visited the beach prom, it was cleaned and washed early morning !!!

I have never seen such a mess. It's already absolutely filthy, and the bins stink to high heaven every day. There is waste filling every corner, and empty beer bottles and cans galore! The sand on the beach looks like a rubbish tornado has hit it every morning, a lovely sight for tourists and locals to wake up to. Forget it, I have, and after seeing videos of the fowl water that's dumped in the water every day, ( taken from a friends view taley condo, ) I wouldn't swim there if you paid me. That, and a few local businesses who empty their cooking oil into the storm drains, I think there's nothing positive to be done there.

Heard about these Chinese gangs operating on Bali bound flights last year.

This warning was writtenby a Russian who is not fluent in English.a good thing that they have warned women about this potential murderer/ thief/ rapist. The police have obviously done nothing so far.

No, they are not " Mafia" . Thai taxis drivers never see the Godfather ? These taxi owners/ drivers on Phuket are low life criminals and thugs, who rip of a few hundred here, a few hundred there, from their golden goose. If anyone, anything, in the world has givenphuket a bad name it's the taxis and tuc tucs. It won't last, soon there will be few independent tourists left on Phuket, leaving the Chinese to take taxis ? I think not !

Why are so many of you sticking up for the Cambodian rapists when from all the information they were guilty??? The victims recognised them, and they confessed, they were on the run, what the hell? How would you feel if friends or family of yours were raped on a holiday island by these sorry examples ? Would you still be posing questions ? The tourists did nothing wrong, walking at the back of the resort on their way home . Listening to some of you makes one think they asked for it ! Realise that rape is no mere crime, it can ruin anyone's life, I'm ashamed of you all!

Khan. Khaen Dave, I wasn't talking about your post, I can't remember seeing it. I was talking about those who posted a load of " tripe" about how it wasn't the Cambodians , small skinny men , what were they doing walking round their resort, Koh Tao references etc. And I know the men are as victim as the ladies, but, ask any rape victim, it's a terrible thing to go through that can spoil your life !!!

What a load of tripe you men post here. No mention of the two happy couples having the holiday of a lifetime on a beautiful island , and the horryfying trial they were put through ! They were the victims of animals, and the men that were caught were the attackers.