geisha

11 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

“Thanet suggests the government should legalise sex work. Like in certain European countries, this would bring the industry out of the shadows,”

 

sex work is in the shadows? Seems fairly front and center in your face to me.

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.

11 hours ago, breaky9973 said:

It's the Thai companies who actively recruite people from neighbouring countries, so to save money on salaries and tax. And since foreigners can earn 3 times at much doing simple work in Thailand, than working at their country, they gladly take the risks.

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 .

15 hours ago, ChipButty said:

This Switerland guy has opened a can of worms, I'll bet half the big villas in the area have used to Thai nominee's 

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

On 3/6/2024 at 1:42 PM, alex8912 said:

Cherry picked articles come to mind. There are so many nice foreign folks doing some great things here in Thailand. I think those stories would still get some good clicks here. 

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.

On 3/6/2024 at 6:20 AM, Crossy said:

Go for it Riyan.

 

If it all goes pear-shaped you are still young enough to re-boot somewhere else, even back home.

 

But, how do you plan to support yourself and later your parents?

 

 

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.

9 hours ago, OldmanJ said:

Time to stop the Russians 90 days tourist visa after 60 days,max,deport them back to where they come from.After all there beloved leader is eagerly awaiting there return and it appears most won't be missed in Thailand or Bali anyways.

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.

3 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

He is correct.

 

Kata / Karon has now been over taken by Russians. Restaurants, nightlife, massage shops, tourist shops, boat tours, even getting a hair cut is all now Russians. Yes they may employ the odd Thai upfront, but these businesses were run by Thai's in the past. 

 

Putting aside the moral issue of letting Russians stay so long - they simple have to address the issue of local Thai's been hurt by their behaviour. They've also pushed rents so high, that local Thai's have had to move out.

 

One reason for short term visas historically was so Thai's would always have places to live and not be outpriced. In a whim it's been tossed aside. 

 

A once beautiful paradise island has been ruined by them. Furthermore, if you want a free for all and invite the whole world to Thailand, you must make sure you have the infrustructure in place. Phuket roads are at a standstill at the moment because it cannot cope with the gates just being opened like they have over the past few months. 

 

I often go on tripadvisor, and even though they do their best to remove any negative comments, that vast majority of complaints are against Russians and their behaviours. 

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.

39 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

I hope that his Visa will NOT be revoked - not because he is a fellow Swiss, BUT because Switzerland does not want him back...

He has a strange name , is it Swiss ??

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I don't know who the right guy is to send down to Phuket to investigate this, but it is certainly not Anutin. He is a do-nothing politician and he spent the last decade proving that. And it would not help to get the big joke involved either as he's just a showboat.

 

I'm not sure what the solution is here, maybe the locals need to take things into their own hands. 

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. 

On 2/29/2024 at 1:31 AM, Korat Kiwi said:

"These enhancements will incorporate state-of-the-art technology that can scrutinise power banks without requiring passengers to take off their shoes." 

 

I didn't know that we were supposed to transport power banks in our shoes.... That's a new one! 

You beat me to it ! 

20 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

 

Zebra crossings mean absolutely nothing in Thailand. That's a fact based on my personal experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.,

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. 

On 2/28/2024 at 4:47 AM, Cabradelmar said:

Well, if there is one thing Thais know, it's what money looks and feels like (all denominations). You might want to try that trick somewheres else. 

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 ?? 

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Indeed....  Phuket used to be especially good at this...

 

Negotiate a TukTuk home after boosy evening... 4 of you in the TukTuk and he quotes 300 baht....  Fair enough.

You get to your destination and he's asking for 1200 baht, the 300 baht was each !!! - cheeky-feckers.... the issue of course is that they know they can turn to violence and get away with it so they escalate very very quickly....

 

So.. the above never happened to me... BUT... the try to be misleading - i.e. TukTuk... ok 200 baht.... 200 baht each, or for all of us... 200 baht...   each or all ?... 200 baht... Its very difficult to get them not to be vague and I'm sure while on the journey the work out how they can extort more.

 

So... Yeah... I avoid TukTuks wherever possible, but recall, last time I was in Phuket, speaking Thai with them the rides and pricing was actually very smooth, no hassles, so I think its only the new tourists who are getting stung.

 

 

 

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. 

12 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Can I suggest the wording of this new idea?

 

WARNING!

Drinking of alcohol under the current Government regulations is frowned upon and you may feel uncomfortable with the restrictions on purchasing times and the extortionate taxation of said product.

This discomfort is likely to further disrupt the pleasure of your holiday in Thailand.

Use with caution - don't enjoy yourselves.

 

There.

Warning administered!

Variations of this theme available for locals and Expats.

Accompanied by a photo of a pickled liver ? 

10 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

I think the rules should rely on the definition of tourism. Authorities should systematically questions tays longer than the duration of normal annual leave in the country of origin of the so called tourist. 

What about retired tourists as myself ? Should I be subject to interrogation or refusal of entry because I want to stay 2 months or more legally ?