Watchful

All kidding aside, it is important to look professional when you are demanding a bribe or torturing a suspect.  Otherwise, no one will take you seriously.

I mean, this is just common sense in improving efficiency.

13 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Who cares about rankings like that?

Is anybody here looking at that ranking and planning to move to Costa Rica or Malaysia or any other country which scores better than Thailand just because of such a list?

That is a good point. My guess is the population of "fence sitters" is extremely low. People pretty much know where they want to go in retirement.

What articles like this may impact is their financial decisions. That is whether to buy or rent. If people fear they may never be able to sell, they'd be less likely to make that condo investment. I believe articles like this will have a negative influence on the "over built" condo market in Thailand.

20 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

Yes they will be . Never underestimate desperation ! ???? Especially after a long period of time in lockdown.

I can't resist the temptation to open another can of worms here, but that "desperation" just might have found another solution. In short, my hypothesis is that some of these desperate men, being so desperate for so long may have "hooked up" with local females. 

Continuing emptying that can, we must remember that those "desperate" folks have aged and older folks along with smokers are most "at risk" for serious problems upon catching COVID. I suspect that for some of those desperados the COVID risk may just be too high for the foreseeable future.

4 hours ago, champers said:

I wonder why the Chicken Fried Rice on the Kids Menu is 100 Baht more than on the regular menu.

Actually the 100 baht more on the kids menu is quite reasonable. Just remember everything on the kids menu includes a soft drink and ice cream.

8 hours ago, mark131v said:

 

I honestly doubt there was any that petty or vindictive that they would have done what Sea View has done even before this happened, most have more business sense, this is why this is news it's rare as hen's teeth

 

Mark, you have missed the point here. Not only Trip Advisor, but all airlines should notify travelers that if you make negative reviews in Thailand, that your passport could be confiscated and you could be put in jail, EVEN IF YOUR REVIEW IS TOTALLY TRUTHFUL. 

The fact that most establishments would NOT do this is irrelevant. It can still happen and those laws should be revoked. They will not be revoked, however, until self interest tips in favor of revocation.

Accurate publication of the risks by all travel sites and airlines will show Thais the real downside of such awful laws.

22 hours ago, polpott said:

The Op is the most accurate depiction of the current situation in Pattaya that I've seen. The biggest change for farangs is the "online bars" phenomenon with bar owners falling over each other to develop this new business model. Here's the CEO of NWG explaining his group's change to the new model:

 

 

 

 

I watched that video and found it somewhat confusing. This idea of buying drinks for bar girls is NOT new. I remember a YT vlogger asking his viewers to send him money which he'd then use to buy drinks for girls in the viewer's name. Frankly, I thought this is going no where. That is, nobody would actually send him money. Turns out, I was wrong! People did send him money (I believe via PayPal).

So now the bars are developing their own "online bars"? Won't this cut out the middle man (those YT vloggers)? I mean who needs them when you can buy drinks directly?

Another thought I had is if this new "online bar" model is successful, what prevents those absolutely beautiful girls in Brazil, Italy and Sweden from playing exactly the same game? Problem with an "online bar" is that it makes no difference where in the world it is. All that matters is if the girls can entice the viewers to part with their money. Right?

2 hours ago, Dukeleto said:

Let me put it this way, I will avoid this hotel like the plague, not due to the reviews placed by the guest but because of their complete and over the top reaction to them.

Dukeleto, I believe the problem is much bigger than tourists avoiding this hotel. The problem is tourists avoiding Thailand! Yes, the hotel went too far, but that was only possible because of Thailand's laws.  A prudent tourist will avoid any country where they can be imprisoned for simply voicing their opinion.

Look, this is one big mess. According to several posters, Barnes has already been fired. He will most likely have to return to the US. And what will he do once home? Does anyone really expect he will remain silent?  

He'll be telling his story everywhere about the corrupt laws in Thailand. He'll be cautioning travelers to avoid Thailand and advising companies against investing in Thailand. He'll be telling companies with operations in Thailand to get out before their US managers are imprisoned.

I don't see any way that this will end well for anyone. It has just escalated to the point that there is no solution that works for all parties. Once the Thai police got involved on the side of the hotel, that ended any hope for a "peaceful" solution. Indeed, this is why most countries leave libel and defamation to civil courts. The government takes no side. It simply allows both sides to present their case to a jury, who decides who is telling the truth (and often neither is) and whether penalties should be assessed.

Thailand's heavy handed approach should be worrisome to both travelers and investors.

Regards,

Watchful

As one poster argued quite eloquently public infrastructure investment SHOULD make property more attractive and thus more valuable.

Other posters have argued and quite rightly that property values nevertheless are based on supply demand relationships.

Only one poster touched upon another heavy influencer here and that is relative currency valuations. Since the pandemic, every currency except  the US$ has lost significant value to the THB.  The demand destruction in the world energy markets will significantly impact the economic well being of Russians and Middle Easterners.   This will limit some buyers. Then for the other non-Thai buyers, if prices stayed the same, it would represent a significant price INCREASE in their home currency.

I am sorry, but I believe the chance of price escalation is slim to none.

Another poster mention that the current pandemic is a one in a hundred year event.  Oh yeah?  Listen this damn thing is an influenza virus. There will always be new strains. What simply amazes me in that leadership the world over is bound and determined to turn the human race into Elois.

5 hours ago, Monomial said:

 

Biden as a candidate means that Trump is basically running unopposed in this race. He only has himself to beat. A few weeks ago I would have said this means 4 more years. This virus has thrown a wrench into everything though. Trump's bungling of this may be his undoing, but it remains to be seen which option Americans think is less palatable.

 

If Trump's team is "bungling" the pandemic, you had better share this with the big Democratic governors. They are all giving the administration high marks for the help they are providing state governments.

Or is it that the Democratic governors are "bungling" the left's chances of defeating Trump?

13 hours ago, Leaver said:

I believe the virus effects smokers more seriously. 

 

What is your point? 

Leaver, I suspect you are correct, but I have zero data to support that. 

I believe the medical community should start providing information that's databased about which populations are at the highest risk. It seems to me that quarantining those folks makes more sense than global shutdowns. Right now all I know is "elderly" and African Americans are at most risk. That really doesn't help any.

I suspect that both weed and tobacco smokers would fall in the "high risk" category as well as those that vape.

5 hours ago, Leaver said:

The autopsies have been done.  Samples have been taken and examined.

 

The results currently are, THEY DON'T KNOW why some die and some can prevail.  Why do you think such a global emphasis on not becoming a host?

 

One of two things happen.  Either the virus kills the host, or the host's immune system kills the virus. 

 

The challenge is, to isolate the hosts from the healthy.  Something that seems to be lost in translation for many who complain about bars and clubs being closed here. 

Leaver, after the pandemic, I'd be interested in seeing some statistical analysis of those who perished. Since this virus causes all kinds of lung problems, I'd like to know whether those who intentionally introduce particulate matter into their lungs (tobacco, weed, vaping, etc) suffer any differently from the virus than those who do not.    

On 2/16/2020 at 8:00 AM, kensawadee said:

THANK YOU. You just told a story that fits perfectly to my 40 years experience in Thailand.

Kensawadee, this is NOT just a Thailand story. It happens all over the world.

Take the case of Stormy Daniels (a porn star paid off by Trump). She decided she wanted to screw the now president Donald Trump so she hired a lawyer, Michael Avenatti.  Well, the good lawyer Michael not only did not screw Trump, but he did screw Stormy.

Stormy is now suing Michael, but she has to get in line. It seems the good lawyer Michael has a long line of clients he screwed over.

Like I first mentioned, this happens all over the world. There is a reason for all of those lawyer jokes. The "profession" has done a terrible job of policing it's members.

Pineapple, banana, coconut?  Are we talking about edible hospital gowns?

Brilliant... simply brilliant!! 

8 hours ago, Suitcase said:

It was GM who went bankrupt and the US government bail them out taking stock in return

several years later the government sold the stock and lost something like $39 billion

    Ford motor company never went bankrupt and never needed a bailout 

Suitcase, not just GM, but Chrysler also needed government funds to avoid bankruptcy court. Ford was solvent the entire time.

Obama did multiple victory laps for "saving"  "Government Motors". Problem of course all he was really interested in was saving that HUGE voting block called United Auto Workers Union. GM has not made a quality vehicle since.

Going through bankruptcy would have been a better path, because it would force the necessary changes to union rules. For example, it's just about impossible to fire a UAW member. So rather than invest in building quality vehicles, GM is burdened with excessive labor costs and poor quality workmanship.

The recent 40 day strike just shows how unconcerned the UAW is with the health of GM. UAW knows another bailout is ready should GM get in trouble again.

Just like a government run business, GM is doomed. Once governments get involved with the private sector, they screw it up... every time! 

This afternoon on Bloomberg I heard a very strange comment attributed to Ford. According to the Bloomberg analyst, Ford claims there is little demand for gasoline powered engines??!!

So what's going on?

Are electric vehicles becoming that popular in the UK?

Is Ford just looking for excuses?

On 3/26/2019 at 6:59 AM, from the home of CC said:

unfortunately they'll have to take the death penalty off the table before Canada will extradite..

I wouldn't!  Removing the death penalty only aids the guilty in negotiating an even lower sentence. If Canada won't extradite, fine! Let them "enjoy" their new immigrant. I hear it's open season on Canucks anyhow.

44 minutes ago, sudsy said:

What country is safe when you engage in unsafe behavior?  I personally would never put myself in this kind of situation.  This wasn't a random act of violence.

 

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/41-year-old-french-tourist-shot-in-cold-blood-in-bangkok-by-off-duty-thai-policemen.html

 

Jawanjira Nutakrai, the dead man’s 32-year-old Thai girlfriend, said Mr. Djamel was a frequent visitor to Thailand and that the two men had known each other for nearly a year. She said they were drinking in the bar together and Djamel had become jealous because she was talking to the policeman, which initiated a fist fight between the two men.

 

Witnesses said the policeman was on the losing end of the fist fight and later followed Djamel back to the condominium building, where he stayed, and shot him dead on the first floor. The Frenchman was shot twice, in the chest and hip.

 

 

Thank you, sudsy, for the link to that article. There is a very, very interesting additional piece of information in that article. Namely, that the cop is a defendant in another shooting case which is 6 years old! 

So why does it take 6 years to resolve a shooting incident? Is someone trying to protect this bad cop?

Why would the police allow a cop with a shooting incident to still carry a firearm when the incident has NOT been resolved?  

None of this seems consistent with a police force that really cares about the safety of the people they are supposed to protect!

19 hours ago, Rimmer said:

At 0:52 it looks like he is given the gun and then at 0:55 take a shot at the French man who is running away and then what could be  another shot at 0:56  He then pursues him with gun in hand and they disappear of screen bottom left.

 

If you are correct that someone passed the cop a gun, that person should also be arrested with the charge accessory to murder.

I mean what did that person expect would happen? That person deserves some serious jail time. Indeed, the murder was NOT possible without the gun.