Jonathan Swift

Weird sounding headline, in the US we don't call the sidewalks pavements, that's mostly what we call roads and parking lots. Technically anything that's paved can be called a pavement. But then the sidewalks in Bangkok are made of ceramic tiles, so what's up with that? They just finished replacing a whole lot of them all along Ratchaprarop and nearby streets. You can see those tiles in the photo.

Motorcycle rider here, accident free since 1987. I think motorbike safety is not something that is emphasized sufficiently in school or at home. The risks are not taken seriously until something happens. I don't think it has anything to do with intelligence, it is a failure in common sense and awareness. I blame parents and schools mostly. Nobody can change or remedy bad parenting, so the slack needs to be taken up by the schools - schools should teach every pre teen and teen about the dangers of reckless driving, there should be graphic films showing the carnage. The dangers of motorbikes should be emphasized, that is the biggest danger to these kids. But I also know this is Thailand. It's very sad, so much grief. Imagine the other driver, knowing that a young girl died right in front of him as he sat helpless.

"braking", not breaking. You don't know how fast the motorbike was going, do you? A modern vehicle is built so flimsily using mostly plastic, this sheet metal, and very little reinforcement that a front end of a car just about explodes upon any serious impact. At the posted speed limit a motorbike is heavy enough to become a deadly projectile if it hits head on. This is not a fender bender event. Why would you want to shift blame to the driver?

Seized as evidence

"He then crossed the lane and crashed into his taxi from the front and slammed into the overpass railings, which sadly amputated his finger.". Sadly.

I have a better idea. Deport all of the flaming bigots such as yourselves as undesirables.

For those of you concerned about the money being mismanaged, I think it's still better to give with high hopes attached than to withhold because of something that might or might not happen. We shouldn't let cynicism take over our thought process. Then the bad guys win

Next time try "I know you are but what am I". Same level as your comment. Theirs was a legitimate comment. Some people do such things as much for their own egos as the other person. The phrase was some people. Some. Maybe 1%. Maybe 10%. Capiche?

You seem to be as full of prejudice yourself as you are suggesting. I see posts that are very likely as much self congratulatory as not. There is no cause for you to "perceive" the mindset of the commenter to be "Thai good - foreigner bad". The commenter made an observation and a speculation. There was no hint otherwise as to his mindset or opinions. Project much?

Wonderful story, the world needs people like you. More doers and less complainers. I have done similar things for Thai people in need, and will always continue to do so. This country saved me from what would have been a wretched life and a dim future.

Siamese twins

If I donate, I will not broadcast that fact here. Nor anywhere else. I don't need praise and a pat on the back for simple human compassion.

Because they are not always giving out of pure kindness and compassion, sometimes just as much for praise and to make them feel good about themselves. Celebrities do it all the time.

I donated 2000 baht to a fat overweight male bar singer I know who was out of work because of covid and unable to take care of his family. He asked to borrow it, but I refused to require it be paid back. I just told him when you see someone else in need pay it forward. It doesn't matter to me or most decent people what a needy person looks like. There is something seriously wrong with your perceptions mate, especially with regard to 17 year old females.

I don't know where you go, I find no shortage of cheap beers whenever I want one. Do you understand a thing called inflation? It's a math thing. According to a Thailand inflation calculator, 60 baht ten years ago is now approximately 70 baht today. I see 70 baht beers everywhere. And I see nothing but excellent service wherever I go. I've been here 10 years. Mind you, there are choices available, and I make them accordingly. Maybe you get worse service because they don't like you and your attitude. Nobody likes a complainer. Nice of you to tip occasionally. So you might be entitled to occasional good service. There's that word. Entitled.

We apparently have a new word now, courtesy of Aseannow's anonymous writer - "HIV-ers". How do we pronounce it? Like people who hunt beehives? Hive - ers? Did this writer ever ask an HIV sufferer how they would feel about being called that? They make it sound like having HIV is some kind of sport, like divers, hikers, runners. HIV-ers. I won a gold medal in the HIV-ers marathon championship. Or is it a club? The girl now belongs to the HIV-ers' club, having passed the initiation. What an insult to a person who has a potentially deadly disease and who suffers the stigma from it, trivializing it into an insensitive slur. I've never seen anything more ridiculous. I had Covid. Am I now a Covider? If you have the Flu, are you a Fluer? If you have cancer, are you a Cancerer? Is this a non English speaking person pretending he has enough grasp of the subtleties of the language to create such words and have them make sense? We've seen that in the staff writers here plenty of times as they try to sound dramatic in the tradition of imaginary 1940s newspaper reporters from old Superman or detective TV shows, throwing out obsolete English slang phrases that sound cartoonish in their awkwardness.

I'm ready to kick in a few thousand baht, but will wait until Aseannow takes some direct initiative.

Covid?

Well, if it's a Coupe DeVille it might not be all bad. Make mine a '59 in Parisian Pink, convertible

Your secrecy is misplaced. Tristan Nettles, the American boyfriend/drug dealer, has a video on facebook where he discusses what happened. Seems the Thai police presented her with a document written in Thai that turned out to be a “full confession”. The recruitment of naive young girls as drug mules, informed or uninformed of what they were doing, is common in the business, and prisons worldwide are full of such victims.

This is the drug dealing boyfriend’s statement https://www.facebook.com/happeningnewssa/videos/940954116604233/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-UNK_GK0T-GK1C

The words of a predator

Not offering an opinion one way or the other, but You’d be surprised the kinds of secrets people manage to keep from their partners, especially if they’re young and naive. Happens all the time.

There’s no evidence that she had any involvement with the drug dealing. Major screwup being involved with such a person, but we don’t know the facts. Shame on you for your sanctimonious judgment.

There are infinite reasons why you shouldn’t sign and take legal responsibility on someone else’s behalf. Packages can be re delivered. You should never sign for a neighbor’s mail.