StevieAus

On 18/04/2017 at 3:46 PM, smedly said:

This country makes a huge amount of money from tourists, it is a vital part of GDP and has been the case for decades, the problem is that there are no safety standards or at least they are not enforced making Thailand (no matter how much they claim otherwise) and extremely dangerous place to holiday.

 

The costs quoted in the OP are not only tiny but are very likely exaggerated, when you consider the actual cost in terms of labour and materials without profit it is no where near what they are quoting.

 

Yes people should have insurance when they go on holiday but equally there is a duty of care to keep visitors safe when they visit Thailand, when they are injured through no fault of their own then Thailand should be willing to step up and compensate. 

 

They have gotten away with this for far too long, they have had decades to improve things but instead stuffed the money in their greedy pockets showing no consideration to improve their health and safety.........and yes I for once agree in this instance of that commonly used Thai phrase - well if they hadn't come to Thailand it wouldn't have happened so it must be their fault, might be time for people to rethink their holiday destinations.

 

If a Thai goes to the UK on holiday they will be treated in hospital like everyone else, the difference being that the likelihood of something happening to them is vastly different.

 

 

So a few million here and there .................so what, you are making trillions in tourism.

On 5/4/2017 at 5:06 PM, natway09 said:

Well done again to Malaysian authorities for taking your  eye off the ball

It was the Malaysians who caught the five people who have been smuggling guns from the South of Thailand into Malaysia and according to reports in the Malaysian media they had quite a stash

So if anyone had their eyes off the ball it was the Thai Authorities

6 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

'Besides, said the cops there is "discretion" from one district to another in how much a speeding motorist has to pay.'

 

And that's the problem - no structured national fines system like the UK where it is all laid out in black and white exactly what the fine is dependent on the speed, within what limit, etc etc 

 

Nor does there seem to be a points deducted from licence system which is a great incentive so as not to lose your licence,.  

 

Here's a further inconsistency to consider, my Thai wife and I along with her brother recently made a 1000km Plus trip to the south from Chiang. Mail with her brother doing nearly all the driving

On our return I received a speeding fine by mail albeit a small one for exceeding the speed limit by 5kms per hour

The issue was that I wasn't driving as we could clearly identify where the offence occurred.

It wasn't particularly an issue for me as stated above no points were involved however the police advised that with speed cameras it is the owner of the car who is fined not the driver

Try to work that one out for logic!

On 5/1/2017 at 0:19 PM, Lone Ranger said:

Worst immigration in Thailand I believe.

 

Left 5 yrs ago but not after confronting Head of Immigration & respectfully pointing out that animals were treated better than Farangs & shouldn't he do something about the disgraceful,squalid conditions not to mention the inefficiency & time it took & he actually nodded & changed the rubbish ticket system slightly but still an appalling,disgusting inhumane place more akin to a prison !

I also tried to complain to British Consulate in CM but I was told not his area-useless man -classic inept diplomat.

Unfortunately you are somewhat out of date they are now located on the lower level of a shopping center Promenade far from squalid

In regards to complaining to the British Consulate in Chiang Mai which is only an Honorary position again I think you are somewhat out of date Britain ceased to rule the world many years ago

Britain has no jurisdiction over Thai Immigration procedures just as Thailand has no jurisdiction over British immigration procedures the same applies worldwide

On 5/1/2017 at 0:19 PM, Lone Ranger said:

Worst immigration in Thailand I believe.

 

Left 5 yrs ago but not after confronting Head of Immigration & respectfully pointing out that animals were treated better than Farangs & shouldn't he do something about the disgraceful,squalid conditions not to mention the inefficiency & time it took & he actually nodded & changed the rubbish ticket system slightly but still an appalling,disgusting inhumane place more akin to a prison !

I also tried to complain to British Consulate in CM but I was told not his area-useless man -classic inept diplomat.

On 4/30/2017 at 8:22 PM, worgeordie said:

Just there to do extension last Thursday, no need for medical certificate or blue book,

everything was the same as last year,only quicker.

regards worgeordie

Quicker only with the brown envelope in my experience?

On 4/18/2017 at 10:59 PM, saakura said:

You come across as a really sweet grandad. One thing that comes to my mind is something i read a long time ago : A rose by any other name will smell just as sweet. 

 

Whatever her nickname, i think you will love her just the same. Lucky girl!

Whilst I totally agree with your comments I do have some sympathy with the original poster although as the grandfather unfortunately his call is limited

On a broader scale and although I accept it is the custom to give a nick name to a child a I cannot understand why you would give a beautiful name to a child then for the rest of their life they are called frog prawn chicken etc etc

We have a baby girl who we have called Sumalee ( beautiful flower) which as far as I am concerned she is and as long as I breathe air and despite Thai custom that will be her name

When I am asked what is her nick name I say she is Thai, a Buddhist and called Sumalee that is enough custom and tradition

On 5/1/2017 at 9:13 AM, clockman said:

Third world and always will be.!

Suggest you check the definition of Third World as I did recently and you might be surprised as I was nothing to do with living standards morality law and order etc

On 5/3/2017 at 10:35 AM, worgeordie said:

"Daily News reported that Bangkok Airways were preparing a case for compensation against the man.",

it's more than about money,action needs to be taken against this stupid Swede,lock him up

regards worgeordie

Whilst I agree with lock him up but in my case throw away the key there would have been huge flow on effects for the airline with the 4.45 hours delay as that aircraft would have been scheduled to operate other sectors

Bangkok Airlines which in my experience is a pretty good airline would be up for compensation etc to passengers Plus possibly flight and cabin crew running out of hours requiring replacement crews to say nothing of the inconvenience to hundreds of individual passengers possibly missing connections so it is about money

On 5/3/2017 at 3:27 PM, ourmanflint said:

Are there other countries in the world with such complete disregard for law and morality? 

Yes there are I would suggest with respect that you start reading news reports from overseas have a look at the U.K. and my country Australia and we are supposed to be civilised

 In the U.K. a few years ago there was a Doctor murdering his elderly patients and in at least one case stealing the money how moral is that?

In reality I don't see Thailand any worse or better than most other countries if you assess everything in total

7 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

question. why do people get marriage visas when retirement visas are so much easier to get? (as long as you are over 50 that is) marriage visas seem to be difficult. 

I would suggest from people I know who have marriage visas that it is because you only need to have half the amount of money in the bank that is required for a retirement extension.

8 hours ago, fruitman said:

The babies were thrown out of their mothers' arms by the force of the severe turbulence one hour before landing in Bangkok, said a source.

Perfect moment to forbid babies in planes...

I don't know what you classify as a baby but we travel with our 10 months old daughter

We are provided with an additional seat belt that connects to the adult

I reckon she is safer on the plane than on Thai roads even in a rear facing rear seated European made child seat and multiple air bags in the car

On 4/25/2017 at 9:00 AM, ubonjoe said:

As I wrote I have done 9 extension based upon marriage. Only once out of all of those did I have to get something I did not have with me.

A lot your read about people having problems is created by themselves because they forgot something and blamed it on immigration. There is also a lot of hearsay about doing them by people that have never applied for one.

Spot on , I have personal experience of expats who choose to ignore good advice of which there is plenty available particularly on this forum, then blame the authorities when it goes pear shaped.

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no other advantage.

Most offices would not allow you to apply for it since you are married to a Thai. The extension based upon being a parent is intended for single parents.

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no other advantage.

Most offices would not allow you to apply for it since you are married to a Thai. The extension based upon being a parent is intended for single parents.

Many thanks for your reply I was curious as to what the criteria was learn something every day!

On 4/23/2017 at 1:39 PM, ubonjoe said:

What do you have now?

 Do you a multiple entry non-o visa or an extension of stay based upon marriage obtained at immigration?

If you have a non-o visa it will remain valid until it expires. If an extension of stay it will end on the date you get divorced.

If you can get custody of your child you could get an extension based upon being the parent of a Thai. You would need 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of 40k baht income.

Hi Joe could I ask you a question re the extension based on being a parent.

My wife is Thai but also holds Australian citizenship we were married in Australia

We have a 10 months old daughter who was born here and has dual citizenship my surname is on her Thai birth certificate

i currently live here using the extension of stay based on retirement

I there any advantage when it expires changing to the parent extension apart from only needing 400k in the bank and does it have to be seasoned for the three months

We come under the Chiang Mai Immigration office

Thanks Stephen

9 hours ago, kannot said:

The  surrogacy scandal selfish act ruined myself and the Wifes chances of  having kids, someone well able to bring a kid up decently and give it a good  life.

I understand that surrogacy is still possible but under very limited circumstances may be worth checking if you meet the criteria.

With what happened previously it's the same old story irresponsible people spoil it for the genuine people

Good luck

19 hours ago, Ken126 said:

Thanks

I have a yellow book and live in Chiang Mai province as an earlier post stated Chiang Mai Immigration require you to register your address if you leave the country even if I take visitors into Burma at Masai for a few hours the next day have to register my address even though it's the same address

Thats life !!!!

After the  surrogacy scandal a couple of years ago legislation was introduced which in addition to restricting surrogacy arrangements now also makes it an offence to transfer sperm, eggs or embryos between clinics within Thailand.

Not sure if the legislation applies to transfers in or out of the country.

On 4/19/2017 at 7:22 PM, Pinot said:

Or Chateau de Chateau? 

 

 

Brilliant it's a classic

On 4/20/2017 at 0:19 AM, Deserted said:

i was not covered at the time of the accident but if they want to help me clear it, can't they post date the accident by two weeks? How much of it would Bupa cover?

I think you will find that sort of request is called fraud

I have an avocado tree planted from a seed about five years ago

Last year it had two large fruit this year the tree is full but still small

I have always used a 15 15 15 fertilizer a couple of good handfuls every month plus regular feeding with cow and pig manure together with a lot of water

Living in Fang in the North we are pretty high up and get the cool season which I think helps

5 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Do  the math,  it's a higher number. Let's just  deal with the 4.3 million baht from last year.

The money had to come from somewhere and it was the general operating budget. The deadbeat patients inflict harm on others and are a threat to public safety.

 

Vachira Phuket Hospital is a 503 bed general hospital  providing medical care to those Thais who are unable to afford the higher end pay private hospitals. Vachira already operates on a  shoestring budget  struggling to serve a growing population with diverse and complex needs. The patients are typically the poor, and economically marginalized. They are the elderly, the low paid workers and anyone else who has limited financial means.  When  deadbeat patients fail to pay, the money has to come from somewhere and that means vulnerable sick Thais. Some poor kid is denied a non critical surgery, or an  old granny's thyroid cancer goes undiagnosed because she can't access the necessary tests.

 

The hospital has shortages of specialized  physicians and other technical specialists because the hospital cannot pay their salaries. The hospital cannot use  some tests and modern equipment to treat some patients because it does not have the funds to  pay for it. This is what happens when people do not pay their bills.

 

Where did you come up with 3 million? Try a number of legal foreign residents at less than 500,000. There may be many more, but those are illegal undocumented people like  Myanmar and Cambodian quasi slave labour.  Of the legal residents, a majority still avail themselves of their homeland's health services.

 

You are wrong when you state that people over the age of 70 who have pre-existing conditions are unable to buy health insurance in Thailand. it is available, but these people  do not accept the premium, nor the conditions of coverage.  One can obtain coverage if one   isn't greedy and and uses common sense. The way to do this is;

1. Consider the use of a large deductible or retention.

2. Accept the fact that  no insurer is going to cover  cancer if one is undergoing treatment or had a cancer in remission. Don't expect an insurer to cover a heart attack in someone who has had one already.

3. Understand that an insurance policy is a risk transfer contract where one party purchases the risk of the other for a price. If the  person trying to offload the risk thinks the insurer is charging too much, then fine, the person can keep his risk.

 

Uninsured western patients in Thailand have typically been people who should not have been in Thailand, or who have lived a hand to mouth existence..  If you want to live in a country like Thailand, you need to be able to accept the costs that go along with it. If you cannot, go home and live in a sheltered society.

 

 

 

Congratulations you have hit the nail on the head there are too many expats living here who believe Thailand owes them a living and constantly complain about anything and everything.

We are here as guests and if you don't like the system the answer is simple go back to your own country where you can enjoy the better standard of living possibly including free medical treatment.

18 hours ago, smedly said:

This country makes a huge amount of money from tourists, it is a vital part of GDP and has been the case for decades, the problem is that there are no safety standards or at least they are not enforced making Thailand (no matter how much they claim otherwise) and extremely dangerous place to holiday.

 

The costs quoted in the OP are not only tiny but are very likely exaggerated, when you consider the actual cost in terms of labour and materials without profit it is no where near what they are quoting.

 

Yes people should have insurance when they go on holiday but equally there is a duty of care to keep visitors safe when they visit Thailand, when they are injured through no fault of their own then Thailand should be willing to step up and compensate. 

 

They have gotten away with this for far too long, they have had decades to improve things but instead stuffed the money in their greedy pockets showing no consideration to improve their health and safety.........and yes I for once agree in this instance of that commonly used Thai phrase - well if they hadn't come to Thailand it wouldn't have happened so it must be their fault, might be time for people to rethink their holiday destinations.

 

If a Thai goes to the UK on holiday they will be treated in hospital like everyone else, the difference being that the likelihood of something happening to them is vastly different.

 

 

So a few million here and there .................so what, you are making trillions in tourism.

If you go to the UK you do not necessarily get the treatment for free they will certainly treat you and will not turn patients away however they will seek to recover the costs if you are not a resident or other categories as defined  

Recently watched a documentary where it showed hospitals have big problems with unpaid bills from overseas visitors to the extent that many have a staff member whose role is to try and get the money.

Australia  has a reciprocol arrangement whereby citizens can get emergency treatment ( as defined) however does not apply to Thailand.

14 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Many years ago, (I don't know how long) the British police forces began their annual Christmas and New Year anti drink driving campaigns. These more or less follow a similar pattern to what we are seeing here now. At first they were resented, but gradually the public got the message.

 

The aim of these campaigns was not primarily to catch drunk drivers, but to deter them in the first place. If a driver knew there was a good chance they might get caught, they were less likely to drink in the first place. And they have been very successful.

 

Campaigns such as this, coupled with heavy penalties, year long suspensions and a whopping big insurance premium at the end of that suspension, have been the main deterrents that brought drink-driving deaths and injuries  down from nearly 31,500 in 1979 to 3,200 in 2014. (deaths in the same period came down from 1,640 to 240)

 

Note the timescale. It took 35 years.

 

This country has a long way to go, but, at least, they recognize the problem and are making the effort.

 

At least give them some credit for that.

Exactly as occurred in Australia with the same result these days you would be mad to drink and drive as they conduct random breath testing at all times of the day there have been many cases of people getting caught going to work the next morning with alcohol still in the system

21 minutes ago, superal said:

All of the posts here make logical sense to us farangs but you have to stop and consider that this country relies on corruption at all levels of society as is the norm for many other Asian countries  . Police salaries are not great but are boosted  and subsidised by other means . Its the way that things work here and has done for a very long time . Only difference from the western world is that corruption here is mostly open and not concealed . 

              As for the drink driving it is not uncommon for Thai men to have their first tipple in the early morning and continue throughout the day just topping up . It is not seen as out of the ordinary and is taken for granted by many and is almost part of their culture . I am sure you have seen Thai guys drinking from an energy drinks bottle that actually contains lo cal bought from the  mama papa shop . When there is a fatal accident and drink is involved millions of baht change hands . Thats how the system works here ,  unless you know better .  Gotta take off your western hat cos things aint gonna change soon .

Totally agree the posters on this site seem to have forgotten that corruption exists in their own countries.

Having lived in both the U.K. And Australia I can recall many cases of both police officers and politicians going to jail and they receive decent renumeration for the work carried out.

14 hours ago, brownknees said:

If all drivers lost their licence ,job and liveihood then it might sink in.If cops sat next to a bar with a big car park it would be easy to breathalyse all drivers and put them all in the cells for the night,just like other countries do.Third world country indeed!!!!!!

I would suggest that you check the definition of " Third world country" it has nothing whatsoever to do with living standards or laws.

I think you may be surprised as I was recently.