geisha

Nearly all flights everywhere have increased immensely since Covid. Billions of $ were lost. Many would not exist now if the governments hadn’t stepped in. The billions they lost they had/ have to pay back . There is a huge problem with staff ( not only with on flight staff but on the ground too, industrial actions etc ) fuel, and taxes , also the world over. Easy enough to calculate what a flight costs from A to B. Google. I often wondered before how on earth some flights could be so cheap . Times have changed and all costs have risen. My last two flights , first Nice Bristol , 1hr 30 flight time return with easyjet low cost , 0ver 300 €. Not at holiday times. My second, Nice to Venice , 1 hr flight easyjet low cost, 300 € . Thats what we have to live with now.Many people I know in EU / Uk travel by car / train and even coach these days. Otherwise they would never be able to go on holiday. Imagine a family with 2 kids doing a long haul , there will be much less families traveling to Asia etc.

Maybe he’s afraid to be outside ? I would be too in his place. No need for excuses here, what he has done is terrible . He must be a very violent man who is out of control. A prison sentence and then deportation is deserved.

Just walk on I say. Starting a conversation doesn’t help, just opens a door. Lots of crazies everywhere. The scam in EU cities, a scruffy kid holds up a sign in front of you.You look at it, and in 3 seconds a second kid is stealing your wallet/ purse/ bag. And jeez, can they run !!!

There’s no *if* about it ! There is no excuse for violence , one sees so much of it on TV and in the news. One must ask oneself what sort of man does hit / smack/ hurt a woman, especially for such minor reasons. What else is such a man capable of ?

Of course prostitution should be legalized ! These girls and boys have an absolutely horrible job taking on some of the slobs and nasties you see around. And I’m not only referring to foreigners, plenty of Thais in that category. It’s cruel to deny them of social help and welfare . It’s a job and has certainly never been hidden in the shadows, so should be legal.

Thailand would be at a standstill if there were no more migrant workers. Who would build the condos, roads, etc. Who would do the dirty work, deliver water etc ? Restaurants would have no staff, same for hotels, even beach workers are mostly Birman in Phuket. Same as in Dubai, fruit pickers in Europe and elsewhere, and of course in the US .

This is a well known fact and has been going on for many years .

Agree with you. I have rarely seen a nasty Westerner in Thailand in all my 38 years. A few drunks, a few idiots , a few delusional yes, like all over the world. And I don’t hang around where crooks/ thieves/ or criminals are likely to be. I always remember arriving in Patong, years back, and my French neighbour warned me off a French bar I’d mentioned. There are always a few , everywhere , just avoid. I was very proud of us foreigners during the Tsunami, and also during Covid..Plenty doing good work in Thailand.

Methinks he must have won the lottery! I wonder what he saved on 30,hrs a week.? No, it’s just a made up story for the press/ Facebook whatever. Not a true word.

So you condone beating a woman because of an exchange of words ? words fail me.

These days you see the families arriving with their kids, hop into a school or two, and bingo, everyone has visa rights to live in Thailand. They have bought up countless cheap condos which they then rent out to their * friends* and fellow Russian tourists , running their own taxi service , restaurants , bars , Bangla Rd Patong Gogos, Walking street Pattaya, Im starting to think that the authorities/ government are at a loss what to do now.

Quite right. I spent 5 months a year through the EU winters in Kata Beach. Everything was Thai owned at the time, 80s 90s up till after the Tsunami and there was not one Russian restaurant or business or at least I never saw one.The only foreigners were Papa Karl and son Reinhardt who had the popular Austrian restaurant. Otherwise the odd Frenchman or Dutch, it was a quiet community with lots of fun and everyone knew everyone and trouble was rare.Thai and foreigners together having a drink at sunset in front of the Boathouse. All finished now, the place is a mess, suffocated with tourists , mostly Russian, no infrastructure, no authority help to better it. Last year spent a month there , only to see my old friends, mostly Thai, the Germans, Italians etc have all left .Everyone fed up of what the Russians have done, the Thais were too slow in realizing what was happening.The Russians have taken over. Makes me sick.

He has a strange name , is it Swiss ??

Actually I think that stationing Surachat Hakporn ( Big joke) down to Phuket could be a very wise move. He would be very motivated after the last few months of bad publicity, and he certainly goes for it when needed. It would also create an atmosphere of worry for these criminals and maybe warn them off. It would be good to get to the bottom of who is ruling the roost down there and deport them all. They won’t be missed, my very good Thai friends there have said for years the Russians have ruined Phuket.

You beat me to it !

The only way to stop this madness is crossings with stop lights and cameras that work, and heavy fines or confiscation of vehicle. Thailand is lawless so crazies do exactly what they want and don’t get punished.,

Frankly, Thailand and especially Phuket deserves a big clean up. Whether Thai or foreign construction companies/ investors, Phuket and its once paradise beaches are being destroyed. Too many crooks , thieves and scammers , druggies and good for nothings. Ugly cheaply built condos everywhere, and Villa ghettos. They have had free range, if ever a crackdown was needed , it’s now , and it’s on Phuket. Local authorities, government , do the right thing, do your job.

Really, why would he need to go into details of how much a coffee costs ? You want to check the price of the slippers too ? These spiking drinks pigs are doing it everywhere , all over the place, in the news quite often.

Yes, it was in this mornings news.Hardly a *sanctuary* more like a money spin to pay his *million baht a month villa* ? Did I read that correctly or is it a mistake ? Whatever, kick him out , and his wife back to Switzerland, the wife wh apparently was very threatening. The steps have been claimed to be public property.

People who do this are ignorant fools, many with a superiority complex. Just ignore or report if libelous. They are very sad people.

I have to admit that in the last 5 to 10 years , the amount of bad news about « tourists » has grown significantly, and the number of people you see on the streets, in bars and restaurants, that frankly shouldn’t be allowed to see in Thailand. I live in France which is the worlds number one tourist’s destination and you hardly hear of tourists behaving badly. Of course you have the usual foreign and thieves and unwelcome people, who generally live in France legally or illegally. Same I’m sure in Germany, Italy, Spain, etc , where the most culprits are drunks getting into fights. Thailand seems to be a magnet for the worst of the human race.

When the euros were first printed I was staying at a well known high rise Patong condo. One day the Aussie manager called me in the hallway and took me to his office . He showed me some euro notes and asked me what I thought. I could see straight up that they were counterfeit. Thankfully for him the guy was still at the condo and was caught. I’ve always been used to handling cash being in business, and it’s easy when you know. Even today, I can spot a good fake on first look. The paper quality to start with then the hologram and the metal line running through is real. Usually fake money is used in markets, small shops , maybe bars , some restaurants. Tho everywhere now abroad has a machine and a pen handy tho it’s rarely needed. They’d never pass in a bank transaction.

Aren’t mobile phones just as dangerous if there’s a faulty /fake battery ?? And maybe a stupid question but I have no idea of such things, is it still a problem in waiting if the mobile is turned off completely ??

Tourists have been warned to not take the tuc tucs in Phuket these days, and every hotel or restaurant has a cheap , comfortable option for you. Last time in Phuket the queue for parked tucs was a km long ! They have committed business suicide.

I doubt he will re enter politics. He’s too old . Of course he will stay interested , and I’m sure he’s got advice for his friends, he’s a very clever businessman, he didn’t become a billionaire by making mistakes, and as erroneously implied by many posters, it wasn’t « stolen » from the Thai people . In my eyes his only mistake was the way the drug runners were handled by the army leading to their deaths. There is still too much drug business in Thailand which hasn’t been handled well , as was seen lately on the Burma border where all mules were killed. Drugs are a huge problem here. Otherwise I believe he did a lot of good helping also the poorer population. I saw him twice in action close up, once on Bangla rd Patong , during the avian flu crisis, where he spoke to the people , the number of very poor country folk in the seedy surroundings of Bangla was very touching, all had bags of food and meat given to them and everyone, including foreigners and tourists were urged to eat the chicken which was cooked by all the restaurants and hotels in Patong. Second time was just after the Tsunami where he was visibly shocked as he walked around the beach talking to people. In 24 hours there was help and clearing and as organized as anyone could hope for. He was very popular back then and I’m sure he is today. My personal hope is that in 4 ( 3?) years Move Forward will be more cautious and become the new party to lead Thailand.