scorecard

So where are the edges where you fall off the edge of the earth located?

Or may he thinks he can claim "I'm an American citizen so in Thailand you can't jail me."

Or said it was silver because he was concerned if he mentioned it was gold the man with the scanner might find it, say nothing and quickly hide it.

Old age also brings speedy immigration processing.

I got PR 26 years ago. Thai wife already deceased. After getting all the PR/Police/TB books etc., the first time I returned home (back to Thailand) I joined the foreigners paspport line. A roving Immigration official (speaking advanced English) was politely asking foreigners to show their documents then showed them how to complete/correct some documents/gave them new arrivals cards/helped complete the card, etc., all very polite and productive. He noticed I had my passport and my dark blue covered Thai PR book all with re-entry stamps, he took a quick look then politely asked me to follow him. He took e to the Thai passport line, then said 'please every time you enter Thailand use the Thai passport line, officers work acros both lines but those permenently on the Thai passport desks are more familiar with PR documents.' He realised I was alone, nothing said about wife or whatever. Since that incident, 26 years on I have used the Thai line a hundred times, no questions/comments about this from the passsport officers, no comments whatever about wife/family. A few times other Thais in the line have commented (in Tha/English/ or pointing to the foreigners line). I showed my PR book then no further comments (true of course 99% of the Thais in the line would have no knowledge of what the PR book was for/what is meant, etc).

Keep in mind that there's rules and reegulatins and they are interpreted and applied differently in every province/town etc. That's life and it's not going to change. Also keep in mind that there's very likey some local precedents about such things, possibly going back decades, and regardless of whether it's a written regulation. As mentioned, go with the flow and offer a bottle of whisky.

Is that the same walk across the old very high up bridge that's been there for years?

In fact I suspect there's some pretext to the existence and construct of law in Thailand says / dictates that new laws can be passed and amendments can be made. Surely just logical.

Sure MF has already said they don't want to remove the law, just amend it, therefore MF needs to be spending more time and activity to explain exactly what they plan to amend.

Point taken, but he could discuss this at length with his Thai wife and/or a well trusted Thai person who will be in a senior position when the business is operational. This would also ensure the snr. person is quite aware of / knowledgeable about customer service / delighted customers. In my experience repeating simple phrases to staff like 'good customer service' produces very little. The staff needs to know exactly what they must do to generate the good service. Role play is often good.

Agree training, take advantage of this 'delay' to train and retrain what you want your customers to experience / what feeling you want your customers to have about the service they have received, etc. And what that means in terms of the attitudes and behaviours, priorities and actions of your staff. Ensure you staff know very well and they can describe what a happy/delighted customers 'looks like'.

Yes, but not all have the same level of determination and drive. Their choice of course.

"He made it pretty obvious that he was in charge when his sister was PM" True, he even said that she was his clone. Who believes he is coming back next month with no other intent than playing with his grandchildren? And who believes he won't be jailed on arrival? If you do then please share how this would work.

I've worked with Piany / Pinot folks many time inluding in their beautiful country. The one thing that I don't like is that many carry handguns, and it's within the law. Worst incident I saw with this was visiting a company oil refinery upcountry where 2 violent gangs has formed amongst the operational staff. The day we went (4 Japanese chemical/oil process engineers, a French engineer and myself arrived we were ushered quickly into a secure room and it was explaine there was a fire fight going on (rifles and handguns), within the refinery compound with rounds bouncing off pipes and process vessels. The company had made many efforts to get all weapons off the site but many weapons remained. The local police totally refused to attend. It happened at least once or twice a week. On the day we visited 3 semi-skilled operators received severe injuries and were raken to a nearby hospital for surgery. They all totally recovered. The Japanese and the French engineers were shocked and horrified and all refused to leave the secure room until time to get on the mini bus to go back to the airport. But yes apart from the above my interactions with Pinay / Pinoy folks has been friendly, pleasant, sincere, helpful, and productive.

That's true but the developer and the builder still have a responsibility to ensure that the building will not fall down and water will not enter.

It is possible. Seen it done with little difficulty, young man was 21, father early 60's, divorced for many years. Quickly approved by the Thai Interior Minstry after quick interviews, all in English. Approved as an adoption and arrroved for the young man to change his family name to typical western name. Several Thai folks claimed that by law Thais are not allowed to change either of their names (first name (chua) or family name (namsakhun) to typical western names. NOT TRUE!

Jerks? Yes, Years back, I was aware of a farang living in Pattaya with his Thai wife of several years and their several young kids. Farang went out to bars several nights a week, Came home some nights, other nights slept at the hotel(s) he had taken his 'purchase' to. Some nights, drunk, brought his 'purchase' back to his own home, told the wife to vacate the bedroom and sleep on the sofa, locked the kids in their rooms. 10.00 / 11.00 am opens bedroom door to tell his wife to make beakfast for him and his 'companion'. The word Jerk hardly sounds negative enough for clowns like this.

Yes there are many other 'configurations'. My Thai wife (sadly now deceased) was a Dr. of medicine. She came from Essan poverty, taught herself some English from old books, decades before the internet, she got herself to BKK with her mum on train or bus 2 or 3 times a year to go to several embassies searching for scholarship opportunities. She found a great scholarship with a medical foundation in Australia. They gave her total sponshorship to come to OZ and learn English and then study medicine. She lived with the same host family for about 8 years and ultimately fell in love with the socialist/egalitarian Oz life style. She finished her med degree with flying colours and was then offered further support to continue and gain board certification as an orthopedic specialist. She returned to LOS, we met, we married, we had one son. Half of her/our week-ends were devoted to local free clinics in Essan, under a big tree, totally free (well before the 30Baht scheme). My son and myself were her 'support staff'. She had a very endearing personal style, she loved to provide health advice, free medications to all ages but especially to old people. And she encouraged the older folks to talk and share their thoughts etc. Our son (from about 10 years old) was in charge of getting the 'patients' seated with a glass of fresh water, giving them a queue number and bringing them forward to sit with his mum / the Dr. Then getting them back to whatever vehicle was taking them home. The locals also quicky realised that our son spoke perfect Thai and English and they would giggle when son spoke to me in long sentences in English. My son's character also gained strong compassion etc., points from all of the clinic under the tree activity. It can be different case by case.

So quickly/professionally identify the names of the subjects teachers don't understand and fix it: a. Compulsory 'Reeducation' for the older teachers. b. So that it immediately becomes a standard part of ongoing teacher education. And it applies to all. My Thai son and his wife are well educated and well recognized for their knowledge and capabilities. Son did HS in Singapore. They have spoken several times to the high school headmistress and the teachers of their 2 kids in the same high school. Instant pushback 'but the old teachers only have 10 years to go before retirement'. My son gets angry about all this, on one occasion he said to the head 'so that means all the students for next 10 years continue to get poor quality education becaue you don't want to push for improvements!' Response from school head (expected) 'but we have to be polite to the old teachers'. Son: 'What about my childrens education, that should have higher priority?'. School head 'no I don't see that as a priority'.

I see 2 items: 1. Develop a much more realistic aim / objective for education. 2. Totally change the methods of education (pedagogy) used in Thailand at all levels to ensure kids learn to analyse and query, and want to know why, and are not frightened to ask questions, they are continuously encouraged to ask questions....and their teachers listen and show that they are listening. Student centered learning / project based learning. It works well in all countries which are recognised for their high quality of education, obvious nearby example - Singapore. There will be much opposition but that opposition must be tackled and overcome and the new methods must be employed and must win. The attitudes of 'kids should not ask questions, it's not polite to their teachers' has to go, it must go, and it must go now.

Maybe true but there's also many couples everywhere who are well capable of and have a strong very sincere desire to adopt and love / care for a child and make that child their own. Every child deserves the love and care of a family.

Low cost wages is only one part of the situation. High quality, high productiity, low absenteeism, also in the mix. In the past several examples of manufacturers moving to Thailand for low wage cost, but soon departed because of low quality, low productiity, high absenteeism. Got to get the whole picture / all elements right. It can be done and it brings benefits to all.

Nine crew members (plus 3 mahouts and a vet).

Seems to me the major problem is the location of the airport. It's not that close to Pattaya, perhaps many folks notice this and say 'never mind, Swampy is good enough - Swampy is not that far from Pattaya'. And lenty of bus/ taxi srvice vialble for quick departure to Pattaya. Several years back I took a flight to Utapao. Airport website mentioned plenty of transport options to Pattaya. On arrival one mini bus, about 3,000Baht to Pattaya, several folks in serious argument with mini van owner who wouldn't budge his price, and wait 2 hrs for next incoming flight before departure from the airport. I called a friend in Pattaya, he got a Thai friend with a car to quickly come out to the airport and bring me to Pattaya, 1,000Baht. I used his service. This airport now not on my agenda.

And the large number of low income folks want and are entitled to a much improved quality of life and a big reduction in int income gap. Like in many countries before now the greedy industrialsists will have to learn to adjust.