Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

Thailand - Normalcy hub of Asia

IMO SCB are one of the worst banks. They never really tried to be a retail bank. I stopped using my SCB account because they kept putting spending restrictions on my account (difflen lule farang kaa) and as large amounts of money were flowing through it the account became unmanageable. No such problems with my KrungSri account (an MUFG bank, not hard to figure). . . but if you must use SCB, no branch is likely to open an account for you without Tabien Baan or WP.

5 hours ago, Paulaew said:

Honesty would be good. I'm frank about my wandering career and lack of accomplishment.

Being honest with yourself is important I think, especially when you wind up winding down in Thailand. Myself, I'm disappointed with the lack of progress in my 20s and 30s, despite of my best efforts. Unfulfilled potential can eat away at you, believe me I know. I've actually done better since marrying but I can't really make up for the lost time, although the experience I gained in earlier years is priceless and serves me very well now. All that said, my greatest achievement is my kids. I work hard for them.

My life so far had been a bit like a fruit cake. I had a lot of jobs, fruit picker, trucker, taxi driver, electronics engineer, teacher, hotels in various capacities (where I spent most of my time). These days I have my own IT company and also receive a stipend from my wife's family for running part of their empire. It either involves a suit, or a harness for climbing electricity pylons.

On 2/5/2022 at 9:40 AM, Geoffggi said:

Additional information required here, for the interim it appears to be sloppy safety procedures as even if a connection failed there must have been some signs that would have been spotted following adequate equipment safety checks. - RIP

The electrical worker in the OP was unlikely to have been MEA staff, he would have been an independent contractor, this is why corners were cut (the steel basket is not MEA equipment, nor is the truck painted in PEA colours). Contractors have very low standards. . .

I work on high voltage systems almost daily. We have four transformers that are regularly popping fuses because of snakes. I have my own set of hot-sticks for emergencies but sometimes I'm just too busy and it's easier to just call the PEA out to swap out a fuse in the middle of the night, so I talk face to face to PEA linesmen on a regular basis when I go to sign the callout bill when they've finished. They're always uniformed but usually smell of whiskey. . .

True story: A few years ago one of our staff was electrocuted, 30-something years old. He was on a steel roof, welding bits of metal together, in the rain, wearing flip flops or bare footed, accounts from other staff vary. He somehow managed to get himself between high voltage and ground and was killed. We provided him with all the right safety gear, shoes, footwear, harness etc etc and he'd almost certainly still be alive if they were used, but for whatever reason this was just too inconvenient for him, so now he's dead and that's that.

I won't work with anyone that doesn't follow my standards on safety (as I said, I regularly work on high voltage systems) and if anyone turns up for work smelling of alcohol they're dismissed there and then. I teach my children the same standards. If other foreigners are happy to toss their common sense out of the window, up to them. It's the next generation i.e. my kids that will drag Thailand forward. . .

1 minute ago, BangkokReady said:

How would you manage a situation like that?

I'd manage very well, no more jams on the school run.

8 minutes ago, wprime said:

I've seen enough such comments

There, right there, comments on a forum. . .

7 hours ago, connda said:

We try to Do The Right Thing but doing so actually puts lives in danger.  How do you succeed in that situation.

It's quite simple, you continue doing the right thing. Defensive driving is one thing but doing the 'wrong' thing just because everyone else is is just dumb. You can't be responsible for everyone else on the road. Anyone that says breaking common sense rules helps you to fit in, is a Thailand noob.

Full disclosure, I've been rear ended just twice in 20 years. On both occasions the rear-ender (fnar) panicked I was going to prosecute.

8 hours ago, davidst01 said:

Once I was in the N.East and pulled over to the left side of the road to take a photo of a rice field. Next thing I know 2 x 15 yr old girls on a moped rear ended me. I had to accept half the responsibility at the station.

I don't believe this, not even in Thailand would a simple case of being rear-ended put you in the wrong. You either had 'sucker' painted on your forehead or you're not telling us the whole story.

Forgive me if someone already mentioned this, I'm not reading the whole topic, but high current devices that are permanent or semi-permanent installations as in the OP should be permanently wired. Most people will just pooh pooh this as an inconvenient truth, but setting fire to your house is more inconvenient.

I've had some pretty dreadful hangovers in my time but I sure wouldn't want to be this guy when he sobers up and realises what he's done.

21 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

You're missing the point - she'd just passed her Thai test. I'm not saying that some Brits fail their tests repeatedly - the difference is, my ex was allowed out on the roads, Brits failing their tests are not.

Just how have I missed the point exactly? Yes, low standards are ignored in Thailand. High standards are strictly enforced in Europe. What did I miss?

Enforcement enforcement enforcement.

3 minutes ago, ed strong said:

Black and white lines on the road do not equal a zebra crossing and pedestrians have no right of way

This is just plain wrong. Drivers of ANY vehicle must always give way to pedestrians in the road. Moreover, recent changes to the highway code give pedestrians right of way even when waiting on the pavement.

9 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

enforcement doesn't explain everything. 

Yes it does (image credit Stickman). . .

Quote

My point is, she had a Thai licence but needed 120 hours to get up to UK driving standards.

I don't accept this excuse. Plenty of British born and bred need years of training and fail their tests repeatedly.

All of my cats purr. All are rescued. All are now happy and content. They need to develop a high degree of trust with their masters.

3 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Not in my experience - see above.

I read your post. It seems to me she was trained accordingly and achieved the appropriate standard. Have I misunderstood this?

5 hours ago, RafPinto said:

They would never pass a driver's test in Europe.

This is a pet topic of mine and I have to say bluntly but politely that you're wrong. Thais follow the rules in Europe and they behave according to the landscape. The reason is enforcement. Conversely, Europeans flout the rules in Thailand, the reason is the lack of enforcement.

1 hour ago, Paulaew said:

My 12 year old son, who was born in Thailand and has a Thai mother, considers himself to be Canadian.

The phrase everyone is searching for here is "Third Culture Kids". My stepdaughter (100% Thai, born in Thailand) spent a number of years in the UK as a young child and attended a high achieving school in Rugby. She is now dual national and speaks like she comes from Richmond upon Thames. Later we returned to Thailand. She's an adult now but identifies herself as British, but sometimes Thai, depending on mood and context. It's complicated and different for everyone. My son is Luk Krueng, born in the UK, raised in Thailand since before his first birthday, speaks better English than Thai but still identifies as being Thai, but it's confusing for him at times, he's only nine and doesn't properly understand dual nationality.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

In reality,  mentioning ‘half Thai / half British’ is more of a turn of phrase, a colloquialism which just means ‘dual nationality’ or ‘both Thai and British’....

Personally I don't think it matters. People get their knickers in a twist over the silliest of things. It's like curse words. Who decided phvk is offensive? Why not orange, or flubberjubber?

Sia probably claims that accolade these days. Millennials have short memories.

On 1/17/2022 at 4:39 PM, ubonjoe said:

If is fairly easy do to it yourself.

We have a lot of foreign guests trying to check into our hotel without a passport. One of the common excuses for this (as they're shown the exit) is they had to leave their passport with a car or motorcycle hire company. I never understand why people are so goddamn stupid to leave such an important document with strangers. All things considered, and the general lack of professionalism across all industries in Thailand, I fail to see the logic in leaving your passport with a visa agent. They're all shady. I think your comment is the most important in this topic.

31 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

Did they deserve to die in such a horrendous manner?

Maybe just a little bit. I often fantasise about killing bikers with exhaust loudeners. If it came to it though, I'd probably just ram their exhaust up their chocolate wazoo.

17 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

everyone knows about stickboy, specially if good in Internet or data

I think it's more a case of growing up.

11 hours ago, Nabby said:

Once you let the Chinese in, it's over.

Thank Christ Thailand never made THAT error (snigger). . .