parryhandy

Well today one of my daughters informed me that she received an electric shock from the railings on top of the outside wall, on the side of our (rented)house!! Anyway whilst questioning the wife about this and her saying "Chinese lady say because of rain, ok now" the other daughter has grabbed a different section of the railings and has indeed received an electric shock clamping her hand to the rail.After prising her off and getting the odd job man out with his voltmeter the said railings were indeed 220v.

Now according to the odd job man the problem came from a neighbours old outside light which somehow has caused the railings on top of our wall to become live. Anyway he (the neighbour) has cut the cable beneath the switch and the rails are no longer live.

Can someone explain/guess how this has happened ?

here are some pics to help

the old switch

the hole near the wall where the old fitting was

the wall and railings from neighbors side, just above the fitting hole

same from our side

How did this make our railings live and can I be sure that we are now safe ?

One good thing is my daughters now fully understand the power of electricity.

The legal system creating work for itself as usual and letting their "power" go to their heads.

Is it a set fine for speeding or does it vary on your speed over the limit ?

Recently rented a car in Khon Kaen to drive to Chang mai and a month after returning it to Avis noticed an extra 1000 baht had been taken from my credit card.After contacting them (Avis) they informed me I had been caught speeding on camera but I have no prove of this and I doubt they bothered to send the details to the UK address the card is registered at.

Not bothered because I was speeding but can see a nice income stream angle here because everybody "speeds" at some point and tourists are hardly going to fly back to Thailand to fight a speeding fine.

bit late but now but did this on Wednesday afternoon (20th) with no problems

OK, this is all very reassuring. The only people who didn't have a smooth time were non-Nationwide customers.

I'm going to call the overseas number on the back of the debit card. It sounds good, thanks for posting.

I had a similar problem with nationwide (aeon) and sent them a message about it through online banking and got the standard response e-mail you got. I had detailed everything for them as in time of failed withdrawal, amount, which Aeon branch, etc. I left it at that to give them time to look into it and after hearing nothing for over a month messaged them again.

I received a reply asking me for ALL the info I had given them originally to which I responded with a very nasty message back explaining that I had given them all the relevant details and to reimburse me and sort it out with visa.They promptly credited my account with the money owed and explained that they had 3 months to take it back if they found that it was me at fault.

Will never bother using a ATM again with my foreign card.

Have now opened a Thai bank account and withdraw largish amounts over the counter with my Nationwide card and then pay it straight into my Thai bank account and use a Thai atm card.

Ps will all be academic soon as Nationwide have moved over to the dark side and from November will be charging for foreign withdrawals as well the visa fee they pass on now.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/savings-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=510578&in_page_id=7&ito=1565

So the lessons of this story are what ?

Pay for the house as it is being built, pay for the materials yourself buying as and when needed and never pay too much up front if anything ?

The reason I started this thread to warn other farangs of a crook. so others would not make the same mistake as myself.

Yes and very helpful but was just trying to come up with the best way to go about things to try and avoid/mitigate these problems.

Totally agree with this post. The penalties are quite severe here compared to many countries in the west (developed world)including fencing stolen items + the consequences of being discovered breaking into someone's house here could be fatal.Most thefts here are from people known to the victims,friends,family etc.. or friends of these.

Have you been at that herbal baccy again? Nine time out of ten if, and it's a big if, the police catch the perp they just shake him down a bit and if no folding currendy falls their way they send him on his. The police only bother with crimes they can make money on, everything elses just gets swept under the floor (the carpet having been stolen).

Years ago a colleague had his house burgled, witnesses saw the vehicle drive off, there was a beautiful set of prints on the dust on the VHS player (DVD's not invented back then). What did the police do? A big fat nothing because he played it straight believing it was their job. What he no knows he should have done was to offer them an inducement then they might have got off they ar5es. As it was they were p1ssed off at having to leave the comfort of the police station all for a lousy farang.

I understand your point about getting the police to act (that's another topic)but when they do the penalties can be extremely severe here + the prisons are 100 times worse.

Brother in law of wife is a chief petty officer in the police(20 years service). His son went to the big city with a bad friend and they robbed (snatch and grab) a Thai wife of a farang.Mobile phone plus cash.Despite offering the victim compensation, it being his first offence,no violence involved and his fathers postion in the police + a guilty plea, the lad got 3 years and served almost all of that time.

I have never been a victim of crime here in nearly 10 years myself and do not believe burglary is as prevalent here as it is in the west.Just my opinion from my own experiences, maybe I have just been lucky.

I have lived in Thailand for ten years and had been a victim of a crime once, in Pattaya at my house party with only friends invited or attended, One of those friends took my mobile phone from my home.

I have lived in a small Thai village for 4 years in that time nothing has ever been missing or lost from my rural home.

In the States my home in the middle of Urban US was broken into a number of times, I believe the Statistics on Greytown's post, Crime is more prevalent in the Western Countries than in Thailand, But is part of the anti-Thai movement exhibited on this forum.

Which is closer to the true facts!

Cheers:

Totally agree with this post. The penalties are quite severe here compared to many countries in the west (developed world)including fencing stolen items + the consequences of being discovered breaking into someone's house here could be fatal.Most thefts here are from people known to the victims,friends,family etc.. or friends of these.

So the lessons of this story are what ?

Pay for the house as it is being built, pay for the materials yourself buying as and when needed and never pay too much up front if anything ?

The OP has voiced what I have been concerned about for a long time.

I still live in BKK, but plan to move up country (or north-east), which has always worried me a bit regarding what to do.

I easily get restless.

Have because of that decided to move to the nearest city of wife's home town (willage), which is Khon Kaen.

Anyone from KK here?

yep

for all info about KK ask here http://www.khonkaen.com/english/forum/

I have a water pump like yours and my problem is it takes ages for my LG TOPLOADER to fill with water? Is this normal ? Have no problems with water pressure in the rest of the house.

I start the cycle and it tells me say 47 minutes duration but it will stay on 47 for ages because it takes so long to fill.

Happened to me about 7 months ago and took some pretty nasty e-mails to my bank in the end to get the money back. Now opened a Thai bank account and make over the counter withdrawals, which I put straight in my Thai bank. Now its 150 baht a pop (apart from AEON) its just not worth using ATMS anymore imo.

I cannot envisage a Thai bank reimbursing people and eating the loss themselves, which is why I have one account with a passbook only and another with only a month or so of funds with an atm card.

Are their not rules the same as in the west whereby you are automatically insured for loss from theft apart from a excess charge ?

Here's a "simple" answer. The wife told the Central World driver to piss off (very unlike her) and we only give our regular guy the 20 baht extra.

There is an old adage which reads <snip>

HMM UGG oh ???

Good stuff, those taxis should do well...tuff luck for the tuk tuk thieves

Used to have to bargain with tuk-tuk mafia anywhere from 100-200 baht from bus station to airport. Many of them had nasty attitudes, especially if I didn't give in to their extortion.

Air-conditioned, metered taxi? 35-50 baht. No fuss, no ill-tempered haggling. What a deal!

Yes, the taxis are great news and long overdue in KK, to give the tuk-tuk mafia some competition and the customer some choice; but I've laready noticed some mafia-like practices creeping into the taxi trade. Got off at the bus stn the other day and needed a taxi home, and there was only a single taxi at the Q-rot. He said he would have to charge me the fare plus 20 Baht. I speak Thai and at first was not keen on paying,but with the only other option being a tuk-tuk I had to concede to his mini-extortion racket. He said it was because he wouldn't get a return fare from my village, which is likely, but still a meter is normally a meter elsewhere. One other relevant point - this was at night, about 8.00 pm.

Now, was this a one off cowboy chancing his luck, or is this now official policy for all the taxis I wonder? If the latter, then no doubt they'll get greedy and start upping the extra fare bit by bit, until you're paying tuk-tuk extortion rates, albeit for a more comfortable ride. Anybody else had this experience and wonder if the taxi company knows their drivers are doing this?

Not a one off Im afraid. We tried to get a taxi from the stand outside Central World going to Piman Thainee and he wanted the tuk tuk rate no meter.Also many are charging an extra 20 baht which is supposed to be for going through the call centre even if you flag them down or call them direct. I thought it would go this way because they pay 800 baht a day for the car and their own gas as opposed to 150 baht a day for a tuk tuk.Long hours for little money unless they get that well paying long run somewhere.

The captains of the red pirate armada have left their boats - now the crews are looting alone.

Someone please go and sink their ships...

No, honestly, the signs for this tragedy have been around for years. In Sep 2009 I published an article (in German) in which I basically warned of anarchy and loss of control. The situation has deteriorated not just due to the protest leaders action. Thailand's social security system is very weak, rising unemployment and desparation have fuelled the conflict as much as Thaksin's money.

Blame also the judiciary for being biased (since its very existance in Thailand's democratic system).

Every year the revered monarch has told the newly appointed judges to fulfill their duties with integrity and honesty following the LAW. Well, make yourself a picture what happened...

Thaksin should have been removed by the legislative, not the army. That was the biggest mistake ever.

Anupong and his comrades know that and will not remove Abhisit but, there will be elections very soon for sure. The legal process must stabilize, corruption must be contained to a minimum level so that trust can be established again among ALL Thais.

I hold the corrupt judiciary responsible for the deterioration of Thailand's situation over the last years. That's why Europe or the US function well - there law is executed accordingly (of course, there are flaws within an acceptable range). Thailand has none of that. You have money, you can evade the law.

Thaksin's sentence was actually a positive step forward but, the failed action against the yellow protest leaders for their silly airport-sit-in just crushed the flower of hope for an integer legislative.

There I see one big reason for the abyss we see now in Thailand. Right now the only way out is executive power.

I always laugh when some posters in this forum critizise Thailand's ruling elite. As if there was no elite in any other country. The redshirt leaders are just as elite as their opposition.

Thailand will not be better off without an elite, that is irrational. Thailand will be better off with police and judges acting according to the law.

I hope those institutions wake up. If not, the destruction will drag on until one side will be strong enough to establish a dictatorship like Cambodia, Iran or Burma. And there will still be an elite folks.

Great post, spot on !!

40 baht here in Khon Kaen but always give 20 baht tip because he does it just the way I like it.

Absolute rubbish article. Whilst Thailand has a police force like it has, any real democratic upstarts can soon be put back in their box by men like Thaksin.

To the people supporting the reds can you please answer me these questions ?

I understand change is needed here but:

Do you truly believe that the Thai people will have more freedom, opportunity and democracy under the stewardship of an obscenely rich Thai/Chinese oligarchy ? Do you think they will get to change their mind if they are wrong ?

Look at the track record of the champion for democracy and ask yourself :

When he was in power did he try to do anything that the reds are striving for ? Did he try to enhance debate and discussion ? Did he try to give everyday Thai people more power,control and democracy in their lives and stamp out corruption ? Did he listen to people ? Did he try to (item 4. on the udd principals list- the most important in my view) implement the rule of law, due process and a system of equal justice for all, free of any obstructions or double-standards.Did he try to improve the education,knowledge and skills of the people ?

Or did he just use his time to obtain more wealth and power ?

I honestly don't know the answer to some of these questions ?

Maybe he had to be like he was so when he had achieved absolute power and wealth he could then become a benevolent dictator and that would be the only way he could change things and get things done.Finally he could work tirelessly for the Thai people ?

What do you think ?

The first time she said I did not have to pay any money and could get on my flight - the second time she said the same thing, came in the room with me and the head guy said something to her and she just looked at me like there was nothing I could do.

He offered her a cut ?

Took the family to Korat zoo in October and can thoroughly recommend it as a very enjoyable day out.Well worth the visit if you have kids.

Looks to me like she has everything she wants and if your not giving her things she don't want you.

LOL, this is just priceless!!! People get their eyes on unbiased news from respected internatioinal sources like Reuters, BBC and CNN, so without the daily spin that the local English language dailies add into the mix, and then it's actually perceived as biased!!

Hint: unbiased sources were out there all along, if you stick with the likes of The Nation long enough, eventually you'll start believing the stuff they dream up..

No such thing as respected international source these days thats why Taskin has spent millions over the years with yank pr firms, they are all in it for money and agenda pedalling.

If I want up to date news and info the LAST place I would look is the mainstream news, its like reading news from some alternative universe its that bad.

An excellent post. Well done.

This story perfectly illustrates a point I have been making for a long time now - the red shirt movement isn't about Thaksin. It isn't about his money. Until the red shirts are allowed to voice their grievances and are taken seriously the problem will not go away.

rubbish

I understand all that but the only way you achieve basic human rights and opportunities for the "poor" is through education and THE RULE OF JUST AND FAIR LAWS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH LAWS WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND FAVOUR.

Everything else is irrelevant.

Where are the grassroots political parties demanding/promising the end of corruption and the changes needed in the legal system and their so called guardians to achieve this ?