Freigeist365

1 hour ago, fleccer said:

Another planet compared to the land of smile, a smile that no longer exists for some time now. 

Correct - it's a myth that only exists printed on travel guides and newspaper snippets or in that hilarious song they love to use for these rather questionable Cabaret Show openings: "Welcome to Thailaeeeeennn, well cum to de laeennn of samaaaiiii!" ????

11 minutes ago, KhunMorris said:

The place is Thailand in NAME only. The country is CLOSED.

 

Bars are shut, facilities are shut and the whole place gives off a strange apocalypse vibe. You'd need to be utterly desperate to come here.

 

Foreigners simply aren't wanted and treated with utter contempt.

 

Save your hard earned cash for somewhere else. Remember Anutin's words and vote with your feet.

 

Sincerely 

 

MORRIS 

Ex Bar Owner.

Well put, Khun Morris! Couldn't have said it better! 

24 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I doubt these 20 are booked through the "sandbox" scheme given that there is no process in place to do so. 

I'd even go further and say that most officials in charge don't even know that at all that a "sandbox scheme" exists, let alone what it really means and/or entails... This country is slowly but steadily Mickymoused to death...

Only 20? No way!!!!! There must be ways to "lure in"more of those pesky foreigners who have not travel on their mind but to simply steal Thai jobs and buy up all the land that's on sale with their billions that fell off trees with the hideous intention to stay here for the rest of their life to spend all that money here, yes, but be hated for not simply throwing it onto the airport tarmac and p#ss off back home again... Maybe another "Thailand, hub of..." idea? Or maybe some additional restrictions or "no-fun allowed" laws, maybe an extension of the never-ending alcohol bans, and pumping up the 14 day quarantine to 21 or even 30 days? THAT certainly will attract more of those smelly non-Thais who never shower. Perhaps introducing special holidays for amateur musicians, slogan: "Get arrested during your holiday for jamming at one of our local pubs, but you'll never know exactly where and when..." or "Help a local restaurant owner moving some tables out of the rain and get arrested for just that..." what fun!!!.. anything really that would spice up an otherwise dull holiday... Or get scammed and threatened by a local waterscooter beach bum, or get machete hunted through Bangkok by a crazed crack head taxi driver... Get trampled by elephants... Never come back boat trips near Phuket after storm warnings have been issued... I don't know... but there must be numerous ways to "lure" in more of those Farangs. Come on guys, brainstorm a little, let's go! 

5 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Isn't this the same guy?
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-national-news/chiangrai-news/american-expat-kenneth-alberson-66-arrested-for-allegedly-running-online-human-trafficking-ring-in-chiang-rai/

ChaiyaTH - thanks a lot for being a superficial and doss (deleted) trying to mock the deceased by jumping to idiotic conclusions while completely ignoring the fact that you could have researched and found out the following with a few clicks of a button. Shame on you!

The deceased, passport shown on tv: Kenneth James Murray, born 7 August 1963 (57 years)

1 minute ago, Gecko123 said:

Are you of the opinion that there was absolutely nothing the motorcyclist could have done to avoid the collision? You don't think there's a possibility the motorcyclist may have been going too fast for road conditions? Consider:

 

•  there was a bend in the road;
• there was road construction;
•  someone had just passed the commodity truck,
•  the commodity truck and car passing in front of the black Mitsubishi were partially blocking view of oncoming traffic, and
• the dashed dividing line should have alerted to the possibility that people might attempt to pass?   

 

I'm also confused why people are arguing that there was absolutely nothing the motorcyclist could have done to avoid or mitigate the outcome of the collision. I am not a motorcyclist but what about braking,  trying to squeeze past on the paved shoulder? Driving off onto the unpaved shoulder? How do you explain the complete lack of evasive action until the last moment if not because of inattention or a rate of speed which was ill-advised for the traffic and road conditions at the time.

 

I readily agree that the Mitsubishi driver was 90%+ at fault, but the above issues about speed and response time to the oncoming vehicle are why I cannot attribute 100% negligence to the car driver.

100% negligence to the car driver is provided by the simple fact that he overtook in a left bend not being able to see oncoming traffic. Evasive action should have been performed by the Mitsubishi driver who hadn't passed even the first set of rear wheels of the concrete truck. Would have been simple to hit the brakes hard, fall back and return back into HIS lane. Instead - he drove on and mowed the biker down like a dog. 90% at fault??? You must be kidding me - that's like 90% pregnant...

29 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

He disturbed family and friends he left behind.

 

He was driving a motorcycle, way too fast in a single lane.

 

He should have known that this is just an accident waiting to happen.

 

You guys keep harping on about rules in your respective nanny states you run away from, but once in Thailand you expect everyone to behave just like the country you left. Thailand is a wild west when it comes to driving and road accidents. 

 

Drive accordingly.

 

 

 

 

 

After the nonsense everyone here was forced to read, written by you, all I can say is that I very much wish you will be ending up in a similar situation one day, and then - for a split second - remember all the nonsense you have written here, part blaming the American for being killed, before the lights go out as you were caught in the headlights like a deer, unable to move or do a thing to prevent the crash. In fact, this message goes out to all those who part-blame the motorcyclist whereas the driver of the black Mazda is the one and only person to blame.

Sickening to read that this monster appealed to the European Court of Human Rights... Great decision by them to hand him over. I strongly feel for the poor victim remembering the CCTV shots of her walking off with him hand in hand, straight to her slaughter... Cases like this make me wanting to be a real life Dexter, making this world a better place by getting rid of such swines before a possibly lax and tired judge would grant them free food and accommodation on taxpayer's cost. Hopefully, he'll get the death penalty. In that case, I'd open a bubbly knowing that just for once, justice has been served.

3 hours ago, mikebike said:

Also agree.

 

If the rider had more experience and/or was aware of the issue of point fixation, I believe he would have positioned himself on the outside of the lane and been looking for any cage making that (ill advised, full-stop wrong) pass and have give himself ample time and options.

 

I am not victim-blaming. The car driver was wrong. But the biker made some very bad choices.

The only bad choices made were made by the irresponsible car driver! It is quite possible that the cement truck blocked the view of the biker for a very long time, with the car just pulling out, thus being positioned on the rear right corner end of the truck in a "dead spot". The biker did not stand a chance unless he would have suddenly pulled to the left and ending up in the ditch or being ripped in half by a concrete pole... 

I'm a biker for 40 years now and I have even driven through harsh, European winters on my XT-500 back then in the golden days, have driven everything from 80cc to 1,300cc, and drive a 1,000cc now. Hence, I know what I am talking about. The black car was in a "dead spot". If the unfortunate biker would have had a helmet cam, that video would certainly prove me right. 

Before ranting back, MikeBike, please take a deep breath, close your eyes and try to imagine the scene... You're on that bike, loooong stretching right curve coming, you lean in a bit, constant stream of vehicles to your right, a concrete truck at the far end of the curve... concrete truck now almost about to pass you, and there it is: Black car on your lane! Bam!!!!!!! No chance, my friend! No chance at all!!!!

9 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Exactly. I believe he fixated on the car with the unfortunate outcome. Who was right or wrong will not bring him back.

Of course, nailing down who was wrong, will not bring the biker back, but he would not be dead if the car driver would have stayed in his lane, where he belonged. So, there you have it. Then you could also say in a shooting fatality, "If that boy would have run a bit faster, doing a few sidesteps to the left and right while running, he could have avoided that bullet. Knowing the shooter was in the wrong will not bring him back anyway!" What a superficial and mean thing to say. It's obvious who KILLED the American, and even though that won't bring him back, it should at least bring the moronic car driver to face justice and to serve his jail term.

6 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

So now when they legalize Kratom - will the authorities release all the Kratom smugglers/users?

 

Imagine being caught a couple of months ago, and receive a lengthy prison sentence.....

Guess the inmates will hope for that in vain...

These kind of "sudden changes" to the law never have winners only. Take the unfortunate boat and yacht owners in Phuket and neighbouring provinces for example when suddenly the Thai government decided to tax the living hell out of all expat and long time visiting "yachties" back in the year 2000 or so... Several yachts were impounded and sold on auctions (or given to Mia Nois? Who knows...)

Then, when all yachties had left for Malaysia in utter panic (where they were very welcome and not taxed), those morons behind their desks realised they had cut Thailand off one of the wealthiest and steadiest money supply streams and pulled the plug on that new law...

The yachties who lost their boats were never reimbursed, with some losing their complete livelihood due to that stupid law that suddenly popped up out of nowhere and went down just as quickly only because some "clever" official had a "great idea"...

Got the link - found it on youtube. The Mitsubishi driver is clearly at fault - he's taking over a huge concrete or gas truck in a long left curve, unable to see oncoming traffic. The biker could have evaded to the left, but there would not have been the need to do so, if that moron in the black Mitsubishi would have been driving responsively and safely, waiting for a straight stretch of road to be sure there's no one coming. In addition, the car was at the very rear of the truck and could have avoided a collision by hitting the breaks hard and getting back behind the truck... Instead, he (typically local style) kept on overtaking guessing the motorbike would give way... I hope that the Mitsubishi driver will face the severe punishment he deserves.