1 minute ago, YetAnother said:

the guy is obviously fixated on her

I've said it before and I'll likely say it again. This Prayuth fella is a seriously unwell budgie. The mental illness rate in Thailand is huge, and this guys a pretty good example.

28 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Having spent most of my adult life in Canberra, it's very hard for me to think of anything at all in Thailand being 'safe'.

 

(For those of you who don't know, Canberra is a kind of mini-Singapore, except that the winter months kill all the bugs as well. The petit bourgeois dream come true: clean, orderly, nanny state, lovely roads, rich and SAFE.)

 

My point is that we judge 'safety' relative to our experience of the alternatives. If you spent much time in some of Usofa's less desirable neighborhoods, you might think Pattaya's not too bad ...

16 minutes ago, wabothai said:

Guests?

A fair question to a dumb BS comment. Fairer I believe, than it really deserved.

I'm sorry but the whole 'if you don't like it, you can leave' argument is the stuff of idiotic fantasy. If you decide to move to a different country, for whatever reason (mine was mainly health-related but I also wanted out of what I considered was a rat-race), then it's not so easy to up sticks and leave. The least you can expect from somewhere that wants the tourist and ex-pat dollar is that it's a safe place to live, it's the 20th century in Thailand too, even if their society sometimes seems like it's locked into some mediaeval time.

To have to listen to some clown who then says 'duh, if you no like, go home' is a crass vexation that nobody should have to put up with. That reply got right up my nose for it's I'm alright Jack, so sod you' attitude. What a tosser.

Guests indeed... grrrr.

6 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

in my province , you could pull up a chair by a stop sign and sit there all day long and not see one person/vehicle stop

I don't suppose the Thai chapter relating to stopping at stop signs quotes the country and law they copied it from either. Might be an important point, posts might be deleted.

5 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

like many Asian countries and a few others education is not for the promotion of students it is to create  a work force.

 

example schools were started here to only TRAIN young people so that they could replace their parents in the government.

 

In Pakistan and Afghanistan and probably in parts of India and Bangladesh students go to schools (madrasa) provided by the rich land owner. There they are taught exactly what they need to replace mom and dad in the fields or in their duties for the land owner.

 

There is a simple solution but I am sure due to pressure it will never be instituted.  Look at the US in the late 1800's and teach to that level or to Canada in the 50's .  Back when we did not care if our child learned to be a rocket scientist or use a computer to do their homework  using spell check.

 

 

Good insights. Thanks.

3 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

i stopped recommending thailand to my friends years and years ago; once i moved here permanent, i told them NOT to come; scamming, double-pricing, violence, general detestation of anyone not thai, lack of police help in times of distress,ugliness of thais to non-thais when off the hospitality trail,defamation, the general smirking of thais to non thais based on {nothing}

Precisely.

I sense there has been an increasing antipathy across the board towards non-Thais over the past 2 or 3 years. The Thai psyche is falling apart, as predicted by others. I remember feeling very bad when I lost a magical talisman when a young lad, which I believed brought me good luck, fame, fortune and self-esteem. Surprising how something as ridiculous as a good luck charm can damage the psyche if it should suddenly not be there.

7 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Been here 15 years.

 

All the bad things that have happened to me were of my own making.

 

Shit happens.

I've only been here for 13 years, but it's close enough for rock and roll. Most of the bad things that have happened to me have been of my own doing, even if most of themn were the consequence of expecting too much from Thais.

Sh|t does indeed happen, but it is admirable to accept responsibility for what we do, and ultimately, we are all responsible for our own actions.

Having said that, it does not excuse the predatory, unreasonable  or psychopathic actions of others. There has to be some assumption of 'live and let live' in civilised societies, though I regard Thai society as relatively primitive and still struggling with the concept of civilised.

I suppose I'm a misanthrope, human beings don't disappoint me much these days, because I have learned to expect very low standards from most people - under the skin we're all very similar, it's what we have learned not to do which makes the difference, took me a while to understand that and make appropriate allowances.

Entertaining to see posts from people in Pattaya, saying how safe it is there, despite all the news reports to the contrary, I guess there are folk who choose to live in a bubble.

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Look, it can be very dangerous here, if you act in a reckless manner or are just plain gullible.

 

On the whole though, it's safe enough if you keep your wits about you and count to 10 before reacting to any frustrating situation.

 

Koh Tao excepted of course, that place is not safe for tourists, ex-pats or anyone not connected.

Koh Tao is (imho) no different from any other place in Thailand. The newspapers and news channels are replete with reports of gangs of male Thai youths assaulting elderly people, women, the disabled etc etc. I've been assaulted three times, none of which was instigated by me, all of which were because I defended my Thai wife who was being attacked by one or more Thai men. In addition, my (almost new) Fortuner was rammed by a truck, the driver of which admitted his intention to kill everyone in the Fortuner to the police, and apologised for being 'Jai Rawn' in the presence of the police colonel. The driver rammed my car for honking my horn when he dangerously double-parked. No charge was laid even though front and rear dash cams captured all stages of the event.- on the basis that nobody was injured, even though 200,000 worth of (insured) damage was done to my vehicle. The Thai police are useless if you are a foreigner or if someone flashes some cash (which this guy's dad did, who owned the company whose truck was used - 50,000THB changed hands as I have been told).

To be honest, anyone who says that Thailand is safe either lives a (perhaps sensibly) cloistered life or just isn't paying attention.

Just now, metisdead said:

 

I don't find any mention of "The law in Thailand was based on the law in Europe (UK as I recall)" mentioned in the ROAD TRAFFIC ACT,B.E. 2522 (1979).1.  In that aspect, Europe or UK traffic laws are irrelevant here. 

Hmmm. Pretty common knowledge that HMK Rama 5 

3 minutes ago, metisdead said:

 

I don't find any mention of "The law in Thailand was based on the law in Europe (UK as I recall)" mentioned in the ROAD TRAFFIC ACT,B.E. 2522 (1979).1.  In that aspect, Europe or UK traffic laws are irrelevant here. 

I wouldn'rt expect the Thai statute to mention where they copied the law from, nor in fact any country's statutes. Nevertheless, the Nation had an article on this which suggests the parallel between UK law and Thai law. 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/aec/30250437

I was of the opinion that HMK Rama 5, a known Europhile, had zebra crossings painted on Thai roads after observing them in-situ while on a trip to Europe (UK as I was informed). This is anecdotal of course, but I was told this by a Thai student, whom I would expect to be better informed than me. Maybe.

I don't know what the TV policies are, but a comparison between Thai law and international law seems to me to be extremely relevant, and indeed, such comparisons are routinely made in other threads without being deleted. Consistency is always to be desired..

But I give it a very few months and I expect the point will be moot anyway.

Anyway, that's all from me on the matter, I will always try to keep within TV guidance for members.

33 minutes ago, gios50hk said:

Mmmm.......I was told when I first came to Thailand that they are fiercely proud of the fact that they have never been colonised - maybe that has something to do with it? Whatever the case, it is simply inexcusable that any nation, government and people should behave so openly racist towards other nationalities.

It's indoctrination. What I was wondering is why and by whom. The why in particular may not be obvious in isolation. The by whom is the more important bit because of it's implications.

8 minutes ago, metisdead said:

An inflammatory post and a reply have been removed. 

 

An off topic post about the laws regarding Zebra crossings in the UK has been removed as well as a reply. 

Beg to disagree. I think it was relevant and was not at all off-topic. The law in Thailand was based on the law in Europe (UK as I recall), so the UK law shows what the Thai law and practice should be. A look at the actual Thai law would be helpful, the law is not defective, enforcement of the law is defective.

9 minutes ago, gios50hk said:

Mmmm.......I was told when I first came to Thailand that they are fiercely proud of the fact that they have never been colonised - maybe that has something to do with it? Whatever the case, it is simply inexcusable that any nation, government and people should behave so openly racist towards other nationalities.

No, it isn't right. Thailand was created by the Laos and Khmer empires. They have not been colonised - per se, though the Burmese comprehensively kicked their pants, on several occasions. Typically, after the Burmese went home, the Thais would wait until they were safely across the border, then go charging up to the line shouting 'Yah Boo Sucks, we kicked your asses, bet you daren't come back". etc etc. *yawn*.

Then there were the Chinese, they colonised Thailand pretty effectively, very effectively in fact. Then there was the French, and the British, neither of which countries thought Thailand was worth staying for. 

So not quite a triumph of superiority, which is what Thai students are told. But the question remains: who tells them this and why?

You can get a good understanding of how Thai society works by travelling to any 1st-world school and watching the behaviour of the ten-year-olds. Instructive. 

13 minutes ago, Na Lee said:

But but but Mr. Cha Cha was never democratically elected.
Mommy

Sent from my BLL-L22 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Correct, I didn't say he was elected, Though one could argue he elected himself.

But for good or ill, he is the government.

And a muppet. He's definitely a muppet.

Haven't his overseas shindigs declined? Almost like he isn't wanted... How strange.

12 minutes ago, Na Lee said:

" I have seen good signs lately.The government has now agreed to focus more on the long-term aspects of educational development," he said.

HAHAHAHA how long is long term in LOS 1 week maybe 2 weeks and Mr. Karol can you enlighten me on the aspects of educational development. What are they exactly.?
Mommy.???

Sent from my BLL-L22 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Agree. The Thai 'long-term' is the time it takles for Thais to completely forget what has been said. Usually about 9 days ('a 9-day wonder' is a good rule of thumb in Thailand and elsewhere).

So after about 9 days, the average Thai has forgotten what muppets their goverments are, and they have to re-evaluate from scratch. Though it has to be admitted that they are not alone in electing clowns to high positions. I recall Nixon, Reagan, GW Bush and finally, the crowning achievement - Trump. Not to forget Cameron, Thatcher, Brown and May.

Maybe 9 days is a terrestrial norm

32 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I have had the same conversations with some doctors, who my wife also pushes me to talk to because they speak English.

Yup, me too, including the Head of Medicine at Rama hospital in BKK, who qualified and was educated in the USA. And who I needed to inform that I had arthritis not tendonitis. Tosser.

That aside, I have found one way of predicting how a conversation with an educated Thai will go. Wait to see whether they wai you or extend a hand for shaking. The latter is a good sign, the former is definitely not. IMHO.

17 minutes ago, Squeegee said:

 

There's no helping them.

They don't deserve anything.

Let them fail.

At last, a sensible comment. Well done sir! My hat is off to you!

I agree. Let them fail, let them reap what they have sown, they'll get sod all sympathy from me.

Suppose that a few of the 'Thais are gentle and wonderful and there is no crime in Thailand' brigade get mugged and end up getting their head kicked by a few of the advanced Buddhist lifestyle yobos who are out there. Does anyone seriously expect them to have a change of heart and come to TV to announce they got smacked around?

I don't, not when they can live in their own pleasant delusion. People are people, Thais will behave in the next 2 years just the same as any other country's population would. Which makes it predictable.

5 minutes ago, WhyYouTalkMeBad said:

A lot of that has to do with the thai obsession of showing every gory detail of every single stabbing shooting or fight.  The West just doesn't go there Could you imagine if CNN showed every incident? They are flat out just showing school and UPS and other massacres.. So many massacres it's hard to keep tabs

 

So there is an illusion created of a deadly dangerous country.

 

I suspect there's a bit more to it than that. However comforting the thought may be, it seems like complacency to me.

I believe you'll find that Thai-Government-Statistice will have been used. Trying to gauge the crime rate of a nation by looking at the TV doesn't seem like a very reliable method to me.

Education plan ‘will fail without broad support’

Here's the news. The education plan will fail with broad support. Thailand is just not prepared to do what it's going to take. If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got.

5 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

Ha ha Zebra crossings are just for show Nobody stops for them If the Thais had to learn how to drive properly they would know that zebra crossings are for people to walk across the road and for cars to stop They know but its the me me first attitude so they dont Keystone cops wont enforce it so lets change subject  move onto more important issues like buying military hardware

Thais know well what their police are. They know well, that whatever stupidity they perpetrate on the road, they have about a 15% charge of seeing the inside of a courtroom for it. When there's no effective sheriff, the cowboys will always run riot.

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

All i can say is that during the 12 years that i have lived here i have never felt threatened, never had anything stolen, never been involved in violence,in fact i have never ever seen a violent altercation but then i don't hang around bars or walk around the streets drunk at 3 in the morning. You can put yourself into dangerous situations anywhere.

Lucky. Many people are. But give it a couple of years from now and you'll see what happens when the national psyche of a propagandised country begins to break down and the population start to understand what their pooyays have been doing to them. You'll know it's happening when senior army folk start to leave the country. Many people thought that's what Prawit was doing, or at least preparing for his exit.

Menieres my foot. Menieres can be treated effectively in Thailand (especially now section 44 has made Thailand an international medical hub). You don't need to go to Switzerland to get menieres treated. And... hasn't he lost a lot of weight? Must have been working out.

1 hour ago, WhyYouTalkMeBad said:

I hang around bars and live lower Sukhumvit. In 10 years I have never see a punch thrown either by farang or thais.

Putting it into perspective, I'm from Sydney Australia and when the clubs and bars shut at 3am you can see up to a dozen fights either between patrons or Maori bouncers kicking the shit out of a guy who keeps getting up for more punishment.

You could always watch Thai TV news, every night there's something grotesque that Thais are doing. They can't all be wrong, it's possible that you've been lucky, I've seen Thais do all sorts of crazy sh|t, many times.

56 minutes ago, sandemara said:

When did you buy the lie that any current "äuthorities" were ever elected? A coup, by its very nature, is a theft of democracy.

You're right of course, I was being diplomatic. TV is very keen to get on with everyone, no matter how obnoxious, and the mafia can come down very hard at a time when advertising is already in the toilet.

1 hour ago, spiderorchid said:

Then read the US statistics, the comparison makes Thailand almost crime free.

Just heard that a US court found not guilty to a policeman who shot and killed a dark skinned chap, all the while by being taped by the deceased girlfriend.

The US is possibly the most dangerous, uneducated country in the world. The upholders of truth, justice and democracy. What a joke

You are assuming that Thai statistics are worth a damn. They aren't.

2 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

The US is certainly not the measure of all things.

Correct.

Just now, spiderorchid said:

Thailand, a land of culture is"primitive"?

Yes there may be corruption from the bottom up as you accuse.

In the US and other western countries, corruption starts at the very top and trickles down.

Maybe time to pull your head out of the sewer.

No. I believe Thai society is primitive and can go some way to supporting that argument, even though I had the same time lapse in coming to that conclusion that anyone from WA would have.

Things in Thailand are not how they appear. Even the ubiquitous Thai smile (which is the main reason they cannot pronounce foreign words) has around 20 varieties, 19 of which really mean they think you're a piece of sh|t farang. Noticing requires paying attention. Not everything is as it seems, though it's close enough for the tourism dollar.