Jonathan Swift

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

The people that set the pricing for starbuck products are under the impression that anyone who buys their product must be a well heeled type and can afford to pay they prices as there are million other places around to buy cheaper coffee should they choose to... 

The premise of this story is naive and absurdly out of touch with economic reality. Prices are solely the product of supply and demand. Period. If the prices were too high for their customer base they would go out of business. That's a fundamental inviolate principle of economics and business. So SOMEBODY is buying and paying those prices, and the Gods of Starbucks inc. are undoubtedly satisfied with the numbers. It has nothing to do with the baht or the decline of tourism. It has nothing to do with Thailand or any other country in which they do business. There must be enough Chinese tourists or rich people drinking coffee to keep those prices up. There is a sufficient revenue stream to support those prices. That's all there is to it. There are plenty of other places to buy good coffee at reasonable prices. This is a big fat nothingburger complaint. I pay 25 baht for a delicious latte from the convenience store with picnic tables attached to my apartment, I bought a huge beer mug so can buy 3 at once, 75 baht for a triple size cup of fresh ground delicious coffee. That's about $2.50 USD. Somebody is looking for scapegoats for Thailand's economic woes. Thailand overinvests in Chinese tourism, and when they overrun the tourist traps including your Starbucks driving up prices in spot markets the rest of the economy suffers. Thailand is failing to address the bigger picture. There is no viable economic development, and in particular Thai government is a miserable failure at attracting the rest of the world to come spend money. Instead Thai government is creating a hostile environment by making immigration and visa rules nearly impossible to navigate. If you compute the amount of money spent long term by expats who stay here it would be a substantial number, and would represent an excellent long term investment for Thailand. Are there any relevant accurate economic studies to reflect that? 55555555

As a fellow "closet anarchist" this is A breath of fresh air to read well grounded, educated, and enlightening copy in stark contrast to the usual fare. This is the kind of astute "finger on the pulse" reporting which preempts the usual wisea$$es, trolls, career arguers, and the just plain ignorant. I've been building and establishing a new life here in Bangkok for the past seven years, and have been resoundingly successful and happy, but there is a bit of a vacuum as to what's going on behind the scenes, which your story fills quite nicely. I have been blessed with good common sense and resourcefulness and done well navigating banks, immigration, problems with phone and internet service etc. Said common sense tells me what in g0d's name  is ANYONE doing paying 6000 baht ($200 US) for admission to ANYTHING here? Those are typically inflated American expenses for such things as concerts etc. I don't go to concerts anymore. And why would anyone keep 250m baht ($8m US) in an ordinary bank account given dozens of more sensible alternatives such as money market accounts or mutual funds? I have $150,000 US invested in a high yield mutual fund at a well respected and vetted company (Vanguard) which pays dividends of appx $1100 US every quarter, and has yielded over $30,000 US in gains since March 2017. My common sense tells me not to keep any more money in the bank than necessary to fulfill monthly income requirements (65,000 baht/month) for retirement visa. I never keep more than 15,000 baht cash on hand in my apartment, and never more than 5000 baht on my person. Transactions are made by Bangkok Bank credit card when possible, and they send an immediate confirmation of each charge via SMS message. For any problems there is a particular manager at Bangkok Bank at Paragon who is superb, speaks great English, and has a great sense of humor. Thanks for a great piece of writing, a high point in my day. Wonder if I'll bump into you one of these days at FCCT? The first 5 pints are on me. 

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Darwin at work.

 

Does a person deserve to forfeit his life because of one stupid act? According to you, yes, right? Wonder what your death will look like? Darwin at work? Is that what your loved ones will say? OneLessA$$holeFarang is what others might. Think about it.  

On 11/1/2019 at 8:43 AM, MadMuhammad said:

It’s not a value of a life, just compensation to place responsibility and ease the pain of loss. Something that happens all over the world.
Why do westerners constantly overthink things here to suit a worn out and boring narrative ???? 

the more that westerners overthink the smarter they think they are. I would ask one of those smartasses exactly how much money each life is worth, and describe their formula rationale in detail, and then apply their conclusions to each type of circumstance, ability of the perpetrator to pay (awarding 5,000,000 baht and then expecting an average working Thai person to pay?), each local economy,  etc. That's why we have legal actions, courts, judges, as imperfect as that may be. The court is faced with an impossible task, as illustrated by the westerner's comment, and that is to come up with a monetary figure for a human life. In the face of this impossibility, the court is required to do at least SOMETHING. 

That's just great - this human $hitstain has finally washed over the shores of my adopted home. I thought we were safe! Yeah, I get it that Thailand needs its helicopters and whatever else is politically and economically advantageous, so I cast no aspersions there. Thailand can probably get what it wants by stroking the ego of this man-baby. But you want to talk about dangerous power hungry dictators? This is the guy who installed a rapist onto the US Supreme Court inspite of evidence from his victims, has admitted on tape to his own sexual assault history, and courts the vote of NAZIs, bigots, and hatemongers. That's what Trump is doing to the US. Nothing in Thai government comes close. I'm a 62 year old born and bred American Rock and Roll musician. I've been watching the US go downhill for decades. This is why I choose not to read the news. 

19 hours ago, ezzra said:

Inherently, Thais mentality is 'Let's spend now and think how to repay it later' are also bad at money managements, loyalty  and diligence to a workplace not to mention honesty, plus their family commitments to help each other at all time, so no wonder most thais are cashless and wanting, and the never ending chase for luxury items puts them in the hock even further...

This is absolutely not just "Thais mentality". It's pretty much everyone in the eastern and western world as well who wants but cannot afford the things they see in adverts and in the hands of all those around them

On 8/9/2019 at 9:35 PM, rooster59 said:

Thailand and the world is safer than ever.

Don't come to the USA. It's a horror movie. Much worse under Trump the racist. Thank God I live in Bangkok and only periodically visit my former home and country. I thoroughly agree with the foregoing - I am happy in Thailand, scared in the US. No complaints will roll off my tongue.

17 hours ago, scorecard said:

Agree, to keep some balance in this report why didn't the media involved give some details of why she was charged?

BALANCE?!?!? Ummm, you KNOW who this "media" is, right? Thaivisa? They ran a story about my being robbed without even interviewing me or fact checking. They had to just about completely rewrite the story, and by then it became a total fiasco and farce in the eyes of the readers, whom I don't blame. 

On 6/21/2019 at 3:51 AM, holy cow cm said:

Now this is getting far out of control. It is officially in the dictionary so I will write it... Asinine! 

Another whining smoker no doubt, right?

16 hours ago, Eligius said:

This scanning of our fingerprints is so disgusting. For most of my life - decades and decades - it has always been only CRIMINALS who have their fingerprints taken.

Now the sheep all think it is perfectly acceptable for us all to be herded and monitored and branded. 

I will never agree with this insane Orwellian system of fake 'security' obsession and psychotic control-freakery - when the real monsters (yes, monsters) are the criminals in high places (the less than 1%) who are running the whole filthy show.

 

Well, while you were asleep in your dream-utopia things changed. You may want to stay home from now on. The rest of us understand the need for security, even those of us who read 1984 and Animal Farm (uh, you know, by George "Orwellian" Orwell? Which you've read, right?) . We sheep have accepted the realities of the 21st century and will continue on our merry way. By the way, you may be due for a change in your meds, you seem to be losing your grip. 

Is it just a coincidence that the guy was Chinese? I will leave much unsaid about that. But any traveler should be mindful of peeing and pooping at the most rather than least opportune moments, I learned that when I was a kid traveling with my parents, duh! I reduce my fluid intake before long trips, I will go once just before boarding etc. But then, I'm an ed-yew-cay-ted person.

16 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

Public toilets are generally notso  plentiful in Thailand.

 

I wish there were more of them as we all require there use every day.

I have learned a strategy of scoping out toilets wherever I go so as to never be in such a desperate situation. My first encounter with a squat toilet and no toilet paper was enough

On 5/31/2019 at 8:23 PM, z42 said:

Can't fault the justice system on this one. Swift, harsh justice for all concerned in this dreadful crime.

 

Hopefully it'll deter other cash hungry relatives in Thailand from trying any such acts to make a fast buck

Not likely. People like that by their nature do not think about consequences, or simply believe they will not be caught. They are morons with twisted minds. A 2009 survey of the most leading criminologists in the country (US) from found that the overwhelming majority did not believe that the death penalty is a proven deterrent to homicide.  Eighty-eight percent of the country’s top criminologists do not believe the death penalty acts as a deterrent to homicide, according to a new study published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology and authored by Professor Michael Radelet, Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and Traci Lacock, also at Boulder.  

On 9/16/2017 at 1:49 PM, jackdd said:

How exactly are they extorting money? Ask you to pay an on the spot fine? Do they pressure you somehow besides of saying that at the police station you would have to pay 5000thb?

You have to carry your passport, if you don't carry it you can probably be fined, i don't know for how much, but you would of course pay this at the police station.

A copy is perfectly legal, as long as you can produce the real one given a real need. It's unwise to run around with it everywhere and risk losing it.  Where do you live, BTW? Not here, no doubt. Please refrain from offering further uninformed and bad advice. 

8 hours ago, robblok said:

He says he can pay for it but still puts up a gofundme. 

 

Just curious why does he not go back for free treatment ?

Yes, you beat me to the question. That's my own backup plan for the US - I get disability and medicare coverage there, and I still own a house to stay in. I have $150,000 parked in a mutual fund which I can tap but I doubt that anything would have to make much of a dent before I flew back to the US. Meanwhile I hope the old geezer recovers. I am a cancer survivor, had I not caught it when I did I wouldn't be typing this. 

10 hours ago, SammyT said:

Travel insurer "would not" cover costs. 

 

I think it should have said "should not have to" cover costs. 

 

It's not for the insurer to cover the poor choices of a wandering hippie. 

How old are you sonny? I'm sure if you prepare a list of the kinds of people you don't like, be it "wandering hippies", black people, muslims, Chinese, Buddhists (I'm sure you have a long list) etc., and give it to the insurance companies they'd happily put your hate list to work. Now while you wait to grow into your big boy pants here's a clue how the adult world works. If you pay for something you're entitled to get what you paid for. Insurance companies are not legally allowed to use prejudices or arbitrary and capricious decision making, such as you display here, to determine coverage. If there is a clause in the contract that says it will not cover for driving accidents if the driver does not have a license, so be it. But if there is no such exclusion then the insurance company is on the wrong side of the law. Whatever the company covers, or does not cover, must be clearly and explicitly spelled out in the contract. If it covers motor vehicle accidents and does not specifically exclude accidents when the insured has no license the company can and should be sued into oblivion. Now as to the matter of your lacking all sympathy or humanity for a young man's tragic experience, well I guess there's no insurance to protect him from your malice is there? 

10 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...The approved drafts included three announcements designed to grant amnesty to government agencies, private firms, community enterprises, practitioners of traditional Thai medicine, research organisations, patients and everybody else who use and possess cannabis..." 

 

Kudos to you, Thailand!!!

 

This is an enlightened step that I wasn't expecting, and one several other countries could learn from (yes, I mean you, America). Honestly, I think removing the criminal aspect is the single most important element of the process; giving people a criminal record and/or jailing them for something so widespread and common is dumb as hell. And, once you accept that it is dumb as hell, then amnesty, pardons, purging previous arrests and convictions is the proper way to proceed.

 

Good on you, Thailand! I didn't think you'd be demonstrating such wisdom.

 

I would say that I am relieved to see this but;

 

"...Marijuana is believed to be useful for patients battling Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stress, chronic pain, and nausea related to chemotherapy..."

 

I think my stress levels are still a wee bit too high...

 

 

 

America has been moving in this direction for some time, or haven't you been paying attention? It's just that there is a division between state and federal laws which has impeded the inevitable. Not that I'm a fan of America any more, I live here now and for good reasons

On 2/6/2019 at 9:15 AM, wreckingcountry said:

Just remember in the developed Western world if it is clearly proven that a thief has illegally taken money from your account, then the bank have to give you that stolen money . This is certainly true in the UK! In Thailand it’s a case of “ too bad “ nothing returned

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

I got my money back right away. I have notified the almighty VISA corporation that there is likely widespread fraud on the part of 7-11, and they certainly have the financial clout to put the legal sqeeze on them. There are more than 8000 7-11s in Thailand, that's an awful lot of larceny

Greg Field here again. I am the subject of this story. Now that the hecklers in the peanut gallery have had their fun with what they understandably see as a ripely salacious story, and I can't say I blame you folks for milking the drama for what it's worth given that the topic of ladyboys is a limitless subject for sniggering juvenile humor, but this IS a serious matter as MOST of you know. My investigation into 7-11 is ongoing. I have reason to suspect that there is a quid pro quo here, not just mere incompetence. So if you folks are interested in doing something of importance I would like any of you readers who have experienced something like this at the hands of 7-11, or know of someone who has, please contact ThaiVisa. My story is ongoing and there will be followups. You could make a big difference in saving future theft victims from this easily preventable experience. I'm hoping that higher ups in 7-11 management will want to "save face" before said face becomes gangrenous and  falls off and rolls into the gutter. And we all know about the gutters in Thailand. Thanks

Greg

6 hours ago, DJ54 said:

If it was a romanticish encounter I’d say Karma snapping back 

at you....... but you said pickpocketed. Hope you get your things back

So you think someone should be punished for a "romanticish" encounter? Are you catholic? Should all gays be burned at the stake as well? Adulterers should be stoned to death ?

Not only am I an avid reader of this blog, I happen to be the guy this happened to. You may therefore be entertained by some of my responses to ignorant and calloused comments. Suffice it to say, it really happened, not all of the facts have been made public, there have been some unintentional errors in the story, and no body fluids or marriage proposals were exchanged if you must know. The ladyboy has a criminal history BTW according to the police. And rest assured my bank will be clawing back every cent from 7-11 and the others. The economic power of VISA is vast and relentless. The card was used 5 times at various locations before I cancelled it.