androokery

30 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

Zebra crossings here are a dangerous joke. Thailand should just close off all zebra crossing access points and build some more over passes, skywalks and underpasses.

 

Or alternatively become serious about safety and confiscate errant vehicle drivers who put lives at risk, which of course would never happen.

 

The underpasses system works well and offer opportunities for small shops or stalls as well. I have been in a few asian countries that utilize the underpass and I liked it. Quite a few in operation in metro Manila, even with the monsoon rains.

Bollards. We need bollards.

3 hours ago, tigerbeer said:

pisses me off why they cannot stop for pedestrians. Bastards!. 

A lot of cars and almost all motorbikes ignore red lights at these pedestrian crossings. And they jump the change every time. I was wondering why that happened all the time. And then I realised that the lowest level of transport is not a pedestrian in Thailand - theoretically they don't exist. Thai people will not walk anywhere. In Europe the modes of transport are, from lowest to highest; pedestrian, bicycle, motorbike, car, EMS. And the lowest levels are allowed to ignore the rules of the road - well a little bit anyway. Motorbike drivers in Thailand are acting very much like pedestrians in other countries, ignoring traffic lights, zebra crossings, overtaking on the inside or the outside, direction of traffic etc. Once I realised this, I calmed down a little bit - but it still pisses me off when they ignore red lights. 

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

So much for researching a place before visiting.  

Can't fix stupid

 

Pretty hard to know about Samet, and not know it's a national park.

Pretty easy as a tourist to only know that Samet is an island. And have no idea that the entire island is a national park with an entrance fee. 

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

All you can do is boycott places that do it, and very clearly object to it on forums, and social media platforms like FaceBook and Twitter. You know how much Thais hate their bad practices to be publicly exposed for the world to see. Maybe one day they'll be shamed into doing the right thing.

 

Surely that's got to be better than trying to justify it, or pretending it's OK?

Exactly, where's Russell Crowe when we need him?

47 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Not a fan of dual pricing, but nobody is forcing anyone to come to Thailand, or enter or use any services when here.  Accept or avoid UP2U

 

Life is full of choices.  

Isn't Koh Samet a well-known fee trap? In that they only inform you of the entrance fee when you get off the ferry? Not before you travel. 

1 hour ago, jingjai9 said:

For me the biggest insult is not the extra money, but the fact that Thailand is ignoring the contributions working expats make to Thai society. This, along with other restrictions lessens the incentive for talented foreigners to come and stay in Thailand long term. 

Even if a working foreigner can pay the extra money, it  alienates a person living here long term.

I find it weird that they choose to insult me for such tiny sums. I was charged 20 baht extra at a street food cart because I am not Thai. Obviously I never bought any more food from that seller. 

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

My local temple "Phra Pathom Chedi" charge foreigners 60 baht to enter.

That's the one where the parking is reserved for Thai people?

27 minutes ago, geisha said:

Please someone put me straight on this. I’m British, 
if I go on holidays to Thailand with my designer handbag, my shoes, a t shirt or two, bikini , my Rolex, and am a tourist staying 10 days, I have to pay tax in that country ? 
 I thought ,  that if you bring designer goods into the country you are resident of, then you have to pay duty on them over a certain amount of money depending on each country. 
i did not know that this was Thai law for tourists .

I would say no. But if the handbag is still clearly unused, worth GBP5000 and is in its original packaging, the shoes are rare GBP50000 sneakers in a vacuum sealed package, the two t-shirts are original Prada at GBP800 with hangtags still on, the bikini is handknitted gold filament designer wear at GBP10000 and the Rolex is a brand new expensive model in unopened original package - get prepared to pay taxes.

3 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

What does that mean exactly?

 

My wife has genuine Luis Vuitton and Gucci bags, and Yes we could afford to pay customs tax, but why?

 

It's her stuff bought and paid for in the US for personal consumption.

 

Are you suggesting that when she visits in a few months she just should be prepared to cough up, just because she can, for a clearly fraudulent scam????

How is it clearly fraudulent? There were new unused items in original boxes at a value far exceeding the limits set out by law. 

Theoretically, if travelling with LV or Gucci bags means you not only have to pay exorbitant prices to acquire them, but also pay through your nose to travel with them, don't these bags just get more desirable as a way of saying you have enormous wealth, a very desirable status symbol - beyond the silly level they have already attained?

2 hours ago, vandeventer said:

It's hard to know as in my area they run in packs. Most of my friends have been bitten and had to get the shots. They said the dogs come up from behind you and bite you in the calf. This is the Thai way and we can't change it. It would be really nice if we could.

Yeah this has happened to me several times, some alpha dog challenges me from the front, barking its little head off, while another sneaky SOB circles around to bite my ankle/calf/heel. Luckily I'm aware of this tactic and start swinging whatever I have with me. But it's just a matter of time until they get me. 

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

They simply need to start a nationwide culling program. Most soi dogs are a nuisance. Most are mangy, some are disease ridden, many are hungry, tired, and lead terrible lives of desperation. Some attack people, some terrorize neighborhoods. Many harass the domestic dogs, and cause them to bark all night long, like in my neighborhood. Nobody wants to do anything about it. Culling is the answer. If they found a budget for it, they could do it Western style. Round up the dogs, clean them up, vaccinate them, and put them up for adoption. The ones who are not adopted after 60 days are simply put down. Nothing cruel about it. Not doing something like this, is both cruel to the dogs and to the neighborhoods they infest.

 

 

Thanks for using the word "infest".

1 hour ago, 2long said:

Sounds like I might have rattled a few cages today.

I'm not defending this dog, or the fact that there are many stray dogs in Thailand. We all know that there are too many.

But we don't know the facts of this case.

Plus many members are too quick to make a wish for eradicating them, or showing their preference to having stray cats everywhere.

And anyone who wants to convince me that dogs will not eat rats, cats or snakes if given the chance and hungry enough can do so right here.

Dogs born here have just as much right to a life here than some people who chose to come and live here.

"Dogs born here have just as much right to a life here than some people who chose to come and live here." - This sentence barely makes sense, but if interpreted correctly it is a 180 degree U-turn on your statement "I'm not defending this dog". 

2 hours ago, vandeventer said:

It's hard to know as in my area they run in packs. Most of my friends have been bitten and had to get the shots. They said the dogs come up from behind you and bite you in the calf. This is the Thai way and we can't change it. It would be really nice if we could.

I'm pretty sure Russell Crowe can change it with a tweet. Just shame the right people...

"So... this salad doesn't contain any prawns, shrimp or other seafood?"

"Yes."

"There are no prawns?"

"Yes."

I seem to recall there's an issue with posing negative questions to people in general. And to Thai people especially. Not saying that happened here though. 

On 4/29/2022 at 2:08 AM, ICQ2 said:

I think it's better to make the traffic in soi buakhao ONE WAY from Pattaya klang to Pattaya Tai since Second road is in he opposite direction.

One way or a walking street. Maybe with electric scooters rentals (18 kph/max). 

1 hour ago, Harveyboy said:

ok so to supply insurance....So lets stop there  .

So Why do i need other insurance you have just stated 300 baht covers insurance ?

The 300 baht insurance is meant to cover the government, not the individual. This money is to cover the costs for the country of Thailand whenever an uninsured tourist is injured while visiting. If you think it is meant to cover the tourist as a replacement for other insurance, then the premium will be around 4000 baht per 30 days. 

7 hours ago, Puccini said:

I have  a feeling that Thailand's Tourism Fee (TTF) is the first time that a passenger fee is to be included in the ticket price based on the traveller's nationality, with a list of exemptions, and it will be interesting to see how ticketing agents can implement this and how check-in staff at airports can transmit the corresponding list of fee-paying passengers within 15 minutes after each flight departure. I can't see this happen.

The implementation of this will be a nightmare - one that will actually impact me directly as I'll be tasked with handling the development work for this on the airline side. The Thai authorities just pushed all the costs associated with levying this tax onto travel companies and airlines. 

22 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Just because there are some people that think its morally wrong for men from a place where they have lots of pieces of paper , can go to another location, a place where they don't have many pieces of paper , and those men give those girls a few bits of paper and they open their legs in return for those pieces of paper , if some people think that thats is morally wrong , that wouldnt make them "puritans"

Yes it would make them puritans. You just wrote "morally wrong".

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

Vanilla sex? Sorry to lazy to Google.

Just basic penetration. No oral, anal, finishing in exciting places, etc.

2 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

Gosh, bar owners having to actually  run proper, above board bars instead of brothels', how totally terrible for them.  I am agog with indifference to their problems. Frankly the world, and especially Pattaya, would be a much more attractive place if they all went bust. 

Bars without the girls? Why would I ever go there?