Mark123456

I'm not too sure where Trueblue is trying to get his self righteous jollies from. What Lawrence and Nancy were simply pointing out is how things have changed.

It's nothing to do with perceived individual status of us vs them. Crickey get a life man!

I would agree that service overall has taken a dive. And if having too many staff in a business where most of these young 'uns have their noses buried in their "smart" phones is progress....then I believe they are backing a failure.

It's not about old vs young either. It's about what is expected from service provider. If the staff aren't up to it then it behoves the employer / company to either 're - educate' the individuals or get someone whom wants to excel in their field.

Call this a rant if you must but I do get very tired of these people who take every opportunity to pass blame when a fault is pointed out.

Sometimes it is clearly obvious if an individual is being condicending towards workers/staff or labourers. This is not the case here.

Problem solving..... identify the problem, identify the cause, identify appropriate solutions and impliment them. Monitor.

My God man, get a life that steers you away from Thai Visa Forums! Your sense of self-importance is way over the top. Your writing skills have deteriorated dramatically over the last short while and your messages are most often logic-garbled making you appear that you may in fact be writing after a spurt of imbibing.

Wrong on all counts. And you are??? Stick with your avatar name, yes I am now being condescending.

He's right about your writing though: it's "someone who wants to excel in their field", not 'whom'.

Hopefully that will be the case.As my daughter was born just over 5 years ago, Bangkok Hospital (in Chiang Mai at least) was not an option for us so I have no knowledge of their procedures are far as pre-natal care is concerned. Good luck in any case.

Of course you can withdraw with a credit card. Just because you have a crappy card doesn't mean other people can't. I can withdraw with credit card and get a bill once a month and only if I don't pay the bill within a certain time frame I'll get charged interest. So essentially, it is like a free loan for 1-2 months.

Can you actually read? I know one can withdraw cash with a credit card but it doesn't come from your current account, it's credit - hence the name. No idea where you are from but withdraw cash from a UK bank issued credit card and you are charged interest from day 1, not at the end of the billing card.

Should have said "billing period" of course.

The media keep quoting 31 years. Interesting that the real pivotal period in history of Sterling is 1975/6....the year of the 1st referendum, prior to this Sterling stayed way above $2. Leaving the EU will essentially in the long term benefit Sterling with rates not seen for over 40 years.

http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/etc/GBPpages.pdf

So you think the only thing to have changed in the global economic landscape over the last 40 years is the UK's membership status in the EU? In November 2007 - pre credit crisis - GBP/USD was as high as 2.11, and we were in the EU then - how does that fit with your theory?

I wish shop assistants would start ignoring me. I have never enjoyed shopping for electrical goods in Thailand because as soon as I stop for more than 1 second in front of an appliance, somebody sidles up to me and starts telling me things I don't want to know. I understand they are paid to annoy customers but even when you ask them nicely to leave you alone, they continue to follow you around the shop (or me at least). I haven't noticed any change in this behaviour yet.

*Just to be clear, this happens in my home country too but they usually leave you alone when requested.

A post has been removed:

6) You will not post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel.

Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. It does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand.

I'm not questioning the moderating policies on TV as you have your own interests to protect but just to be clear: we can post about positive experiences at Chiang Mai hospitals (and businesses) but not negative ones? If that's so, it may be understandable from a legal viewpoint but it does rather detract from the usefulness of threads such as this one. But, following that advice: When consulting local urologists, McCormick is the only hospital I have visited in Chiang Mai where the doctors behaved like those I have seen in the UK, i.e. they got up off their chair and actually conducted a physical examination rather than trying to diagnose me from behind a desk. The other hospitals I visited, whose names escape me at the moment, were not the same in this respect. While I can see that McCormick is not as new, nor as large, as some other hospitals in the area, it appears to have very good hygiene standards. The fact they charge significantly less than several other medical facilities in the city is a bonus as far as I am concerned, not the reason I prefer it.

Regarding Down Syndrome tests, I would be wary of trusting any doctor at any hospital in any country that suggests a physically invasive procedure before a simple blood test has been performed. I think this is important information for people to know because I was not aware of it until I did my own research, after being given bad advice.

Of course you can withdraw with a credit card. Just because you have a crappy card doesn't mean other people can't. I can withdraw with credit card and get a bill once a month and only if I don't pay the bill within a certain time frame I'll get charged interest. So essentially, it is like a free loan for 1-2 months.

Can you actually read? I know one can withdraw cash with a credit card but it doesn't come from your current account, it's credit - hence the name. No idea where you are from but withdraw cash from a UK bank issued credit card and you are charged interest from day 1, not at the end of the billing card.

lots of BS in the above post. although if the story about the Down Syndrome test is true; then that is ridiculous. they always test for Down Syndrome using the blood test. it is, as i understand it, one of the ways to have an abortion legally in the Kingdom. that is if the unborn child has down syndrome. i don't believe any hospital in Thailand lets relatives of patients go in the O.R. to hang out during surgical procedures (as in the case of c-section). deliver room, yes. of course i could be wrong - but i don't think so. Theppanya does not have young, inexperienced doctors. they have very good doctors there as it is a trauma center and is extremely busy with serious accident cases. the guy who operated on me was fantastic, studied and practiced in America. the orthopedic surgeon who was an older man and worked all over including Nakhornping told me he had been in practice 35 years. the male nurse who helped me with everything for 2 days was one the kindest people i've ever met in Thailand. nurses were lazy.....

i might add that Theppanya would not be my first choice for medical treatment, but if you do end up there by way of an accident or emergency such as a heart attack, etc. you will be in the hands of experienced people who deal with trauma/emergency situations all day and night 24/7.

lots of BS in the above post. although if the story about the Down Syndrome test is true; then that is ridiculous. they always test for Down Syndrome using the blood test. it is, as i understand it, one of the ways to have an abortion legally in the Kingdom. that is if the unborn child has down syndrome. i don't believe any hospital in Thailand lets relatives of patients go in the O.R. to hang out during surgical procedures (as in the case of c-section). deliver room, yes. of course i could be wrong - but i don't think so. Theppanya does not have young, inexperienced doctors. they have very good doctors there as it is a trauma center and is extremely busy with serious accident cases. the guy who operated on me was fantastic, studied and practiced in America. the orthopedic surgeon who was an older man and worked all over including Nakhornping told me he had been in practice 35 years. the male nurse who helped me with everything for 2 days was one the kindest people i've ever met in Thailand. nurses were lazy.....

Absolutely no BS actually. There may well be some good doctors in Theppanya but there are also some very young ones with little idea of what they are doing - from my personal experience. Of course my 'story' about the Down Syndrome test is true: why on earth would I make something like that up? I was extremely upset with the doctor in question as it was my unborn child she was proposing to put at risk.

Regarding being present in the operating theatre, you have no idea what you are talking about. Also, suggesting I was there just to 'hang out' is quite insulting. I was there to witness my daughter coming into the world and that is exactly what I did - at Suan Dawk. Talking about relatives hanging out in an operating theatre during a surgical procedure is just trivialising the matter and making it sound like somebody's aunt wants to watch an appendectomy.

I cannot be bothered to go into detail about my experiences at Theppanya; there is little point if your reaction is anything to go by. I was simply recounting the problems I have encountered in three of the supposedly good hospitals in Chiang Mai in the hope they may save others from similar experiences. As you were not present at any of the consultations I had, you might exercise a little restraint with your comments. I have absolutely no reason to lie and I think anybody who did come on an internet forum to spread lies about hospitals would have to be a trifle odd to say the least.

Actually, I think Priority Mail International is supposed to have international tracking as well but I'm pretty sure this is the one I tried a couple of years ago and although the package turned up in good time, there was no tracking at all once it left the USA. The fact that some vendors give you the customs declaration number instead of the tracking number doesn't help of course.

US mail is not tracked once it leaves the country unless you pay for Priority Mail Express International I believe. They used to offer international tracking on their cheaper service but they don't any longer. Bit of a rip off considering the ridiculous amounts they charge.

(The Royal Mail in the UK is quite obviously the United Kingdom's mail service)

1 left at 9,990 apparently: http://www.lazada.co.th/lg-led-fhd-digital-tv-43-43lf540t-black-1623146.html

You're right about Amazon - every time I get to the checkout section and see massive shipping and import charges I just delete the item and start looking on eBay for a vendor that doesn't use the GSP.

"...but if I withdraw cash, I have to pay an extra 200 baht to the greedy local banks as well."

Not if you withdraw over the counter at a bank. Including mall banks.

io had a friend on holiday who tried this ,the banks were having none of it and told him to go outside and use the atms ..........

they used to be fine with it ,i use thai cards mainly so it doesnt affect me but i can see them going this way in future if

everyone is coming in to withdraw instead of using the atm to save 200 thb

That is likely because he used a debit card. Credit cards are ok. But then you need the 'right' credit card.

What are you talking about? You can't withdraw money from a bank account with a credit card. If I use my credit card to make a cash withdrawal I will be paying interest on it from day 1. I'm talking about using the ATM/debit cards issued by my bank for use with my current accounts, to withdraw cash from those accounts.

If the receipt shows the amount in baht, you paid in baht. A camera shop once tried to use DCC without asking me, which is illegal anywhere else as far as I know, and should be here, and the receipt they gave me showed the amount in GBP.

I disagree that you should forget about using credit cards abroad. The issuers don't decide what the exchange rates are: If it's a Visa card they will use the rates set by Visa for the day, which are usually quite fair. They may, and often do, add a commission though, but even then, for me at least, it's cheaper to shop with a debit or credit card than it is to withdraw cash. Either way I end up paying 2% commission on the exchange but if I withdraw cash, I have to pay an extra 200 baht to the greedy local banks as well.

The protection offered by banks when buying higher value stuff is very useful too. Pay in cash and you will end up arguing with a local shop owner if the goods are faulty and you want a refund; pay with a credit or debit card and your bank will reverse the charges, leaving the shop owner having to argue his case to get the money back. I know which position I'd rather be in.

The receipt mentioned us probably the shop receipt, so no connection to the currency.

The cc slip though will show the currency. And in the OP's case it sounds like it will not be in Thai baht.

On what evidence do you base this opinion? Rimping give you the shop and credit card receipt at the same time - were you there?

eBay GSP has now become even worse - they hide the charges until you add an item to your cart so they aren't even being upfront about the charges any more.

Vehicle recalls are probably not representative as Western countries have developed procedures for those. I'm not sure about used vehicle sales and if new owners are recorded anyplace, other than the govt office for vehicle registration.

But another part of the OP question deals with children toys, either breaking for a choking or eye puncture problems, or lead based paint. Since short cuts are commonplace in most of Thai society, and I've been told that most products come from China, and counterfeit products are very common. If you buy a toy from a street vender, who knows where he got it from, and if he moves locations, how is anyone 6 months later going to find him to refund that?

When a large western retailer refuses a toy shipment, do you really think the Chinese company is going to take a total lost on unshipped products, or will they just send it to countries that don't care about product safety, like Thailand and perhaps most Asian countries.

it's not the country that doesn't care about product safety, it's the parents that buy children's toys from street vendors. Are you suggesting that faulty products never get sold on the streets of London or New York?

Best wedding night idea is not to have one.......let me remind you once a life time you didn't know better, twice well you still believe in love and romance, a third time your a god dam fool...

But if you must book a room at the nana hotel as when you look out the window late at night them girls will get you in the right mood for the new mrs.

Do hookers have to be a feature of every thread on this forum?

Until you start to look at women as individual people and stop thinking in terms of the 'average Thai woman', any relationship you enter into is doomed to failure.

Considering that once a Thai wife has settlement in Britain and if it ends in divorce the Thai wife can only gain from the relationship and the English husband stands to lose everything, then I think it is smart to see how deep the water is before diving in.

And I think you're completely missing my point. Why are we talking about "the average Thai woman"? Do you talk about the average American woman or the average French woman? It's a very immature way of looking at women, an attitude that suggests one has not developed sufficiently to have a meaningful relationship with any woman, average or otherwise. Certainly you would want to know what you are getting into before marrying a woman from any country but an intelligent adult achieves that aim by using their judgement, not by looking at statistics or asking strangers on an internet forum.

EDIT: The woman in the video you included in your post looks and sounds exactly what she is. Any man that cannot see what she is by listening to her and looking at her for a couple of minutes may need the assistance of statistics I guess.

http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/home

If you think that is a link to the "Thai Consul in Bangkok" you are very sadly mistaken.

For you information any translation I want done it is done by a certified translator (which I doubt the one you used was) and then sent to the MFA (NOT ""Thai Consul in Bangkok") for certification. I have never had a problem.

I suggest next time you want something translated you use a certified translator there are many to be found in Bangkok.

It's the Department of Consular Affairs, why be so pedantic?

Until you start to look at women as individual people and stop thinking in terms of the 'average Thai woman', any relationship you enter into is doomed to failure.

Why such drama? Seems the solution is simple: never shop there again.

And as far as the Mars bar, the Coke can, and all the other items from yesteryear, learn to read the label and make a judgement. Take a look around you and learn everything costs more compared to 25 yrs ago.

It's a scam when the label says beef but only horse meat can be found in the bag.

It's maybe not a scam when, for example, a packet of crisps is reduced in size from 80g to 77g, and this can only be seen by reading the small lettering at the bottom of the packet, but it's certainly deceitful. It's just an underhand way of raising prices by 3.75% and while you may think buyers should be more educated and more aware, some people still cling to the ideal of honest companies and individuals providing quality goods and services and being rewarded appropriately. It may be standard practice in the modern world to try to deceive consumers in order to make greater profits without providing anything extra but that doesn't mean we have to like it.

Jesus i'm glad Iddon'tgo out shopping with you. Carry one the way you are and you'll have a bloodyheart attack chill out. Who cares if a pkt of crisps is 3grm less than it was a week ago. More important thingein the world to get flustered over.

Who said I get flustered? Talk about investing me with your own emotions. I simply find it an underhand practice and usually stop buying the product when they do it.

It is possible to buy food that doesn't come in sealed packets you know. I don't think I'm going to starve to death just because I stop eating Lay crisps and drinking Singha beer, for example. And they're not my emotions you're talking about so they must be yours. Either that or you're just making stuff up - which is it?

Dont forget that London is the worlds number one financial centre, that is not going to change.

But it is already changing, friend.

Do you think the financial moguls will make any gift to Britain just to ridicule?

Do you think they will ease the pain to encourage other countries reject their plan in the same way?

No, of course.

This vote was brave but it will cost dearly British. This, I am absolutely certain

Your speculating.

No he isn't

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a3a92744-3a52-11e6-9a05-82a9b15a8ee7.html#axzz4CvJg0nYZ

More jobs being created in Britain by the Brexit boost -

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-3497621/Boeing-s-Brexit-boost-World-s-largest-aircraft-maker-picks-Britain-home-new-European-headquarters.html

That news article is from three months ago - how can you claim those jobs were created by the UK leaving the EU?

Why such drama? Seems the solution is simple: never shop there again.

And as far as the Mars bar, the Coke can, and all the other items from yesteryear, learn to read the label and make a judgement. Take a look around you and learn everything costs more compared to 25 yrs ago.

It's a scam when the label says beef but only horse meat can be found in the bag.

It's maybe not a scam when, for example, a packet of crisps is reduced in size from 80g to 77g, and this can only be seen by reading the small lettering at the bottom of the packet, but it's certainly deceitful. It's just an underhand way of raising prices by 3.75% and while you may think buyers should be more educated and more aware, some people still cling to the ideal of honest companies and individuals providing quality goods and services and being rewarded appropriately. It may be standard practice in the modern world to try to deceive consumers in order to make greater profits without providing anything extra but that doesn't mean we have to like it.

Jesus i'm glad Iddon'tgo out shopping with you. Carry one the way you are and you'll have a bloodyheart attack chill out. Who cares if a pkt of crisps is 3grm less than it was a week ago. More important thingein the world to get flustered over.

Who said I get flustered? Talk about investing me with your own emotions. I simply find it an underhand practice and usually stop buying the product when they do it.

If the receipt shows the amount in baht, you paid in baht. A camera shop once tried to use DCC without asking me, which is illegal anywhere else as far as I know, and should be here, and the receipt they gave me showed the amount in GBP.

I disagree that you should forget about using credit cards abroad. The issuers don't decide what the exchange rates are: If it's a Visa card they will use the rates set by Visa for the day, which are usually quite fair. They may, and often do, add a commission though, but even then, for me at least, it's cheaper to shop with a debit or credit card than it is to withdraw cash. Either way I end up paying 2% commission on the exchange but if I withdraw cash, I have to pay an extra 200 baht to the greedy local banks as well.

The protection offered by banks when buying higher value stuff is very useful too. Pay in cash and you will end up arguing with a local shop owner if the goods are faulty and you want a refund; pay with a credit or debit card and your bank will reverse the charges, leaving the shop owner having to argue his case to get the money back. I know which position I'd rather be in.