dsprtliving

Recently, saw a cop give a Tuk tuk driver a ticket in front of MBK, and the driver just shrugged and turned to smile over his shoulder at his friends as the cop walked away. All these "crackdowns" and attempted law enforcement will mean nothing to the public as long as the legitimate punishment for offences have no teeth. Otherwise, a 500 baht ticket is apparently only worth a shrug and a smile!

At least it didn't happen during the monsoon season! I bet it wouldn't have been amusing to the passengers if the doors had opened during one of those torrential downpours Bangkok gets!

I'd say Ekamai is the nearest as you can hop on/off the BTS at Surasak station and go straight to Ekamai via Siam.

Have always wondered at the "logic" behind banning the sale of alcohol between 2-5 PM. What is the justification behind this law? If it is to discourage students from drinking after school, then surely it would make more sense to enforce a legal drinking age, as opposed to a blanket ban for everyone.

That law was introduced by the post coup administration in paternal manner to prevent middle class school kids drinking, kids from poor families are unlikely to be able to afford beer. It originally applied to all outlets, yet was amended later to only businesses with foreign ownership, meaning that foreign owned bars were restricted whilst a Thai owned bar next door was not. Therefore macro, lotus, big c, 711 were unable to sell a alcohol during those times. Better to police age limits, encourage responsible alcohol consumption and actual driving rules.

Many years ago, an uncle of my wife, the only car in the village, offered to drive us some 400km to visit another branch of the family. Every half hour or so he stopped, my belief was a weak bladder, after 3 or 4 stops I told my wife he was either blind or blind drunk and to stop the car and tell him either I was driving or we were going no further. This was at 7.00 am. I drove. It is a common situation and these new alcohol measures will make little difference where village stores sell Lao kao by the shot.

Are you sure? I recall that it was made by Thaksin, but I could be wrong.

I believe it was one of Thaksin's cronies as well....i think it was the Minister of the Interior at the time that introduced all the alcohol regulations back around 2002.

Have always wondered at the "logic" behind banning the sale of alcohol between 2-5 PM. What is the justification behind this law? If it is to discourage students from drinking after school, then surely it would make more sense to enforce a legal drinking age, as opposed to a blanket ban for everyone.

I don't understand this 2-5 pm ban either, just buy enough at 1.55 to get you through to 5 p.m. I can't really see it have any effect on a persons consumption.

Indeed, but I can't count the number of times I've stopped by the market on the way home from work and ever so briefly felt like buying a bottle of wine/a few beers for the evening, but then rolled my eyes immediately upon checking my watch to see it's only 10 after 4.

Have always wondered at the "logic" behind banning the sale of alcohol between 2-5 PM. What is the justification behind this law? If it is to discourage students from drinking after school, then surely it would make more sense to enforce a legal drinking age, as opposed to a blanket ban for everyone.

They may bit a bit more expensive but you can also try Paragon department store...I bought a cordless set a while back with oil and guards and it still runs like a charm!

I usually fly Delta to avoid having to sit through long delays at DFW or LAX, as the last thing i wanna do after a 12 hour flight is wander around an airport feeling manky for 4 or 5 hours. Delta is the only carrier that will get me home with 2 shortish stops in Tokyo and Atlanta, though i must admit their aircraft always seem a bit cramped, run down and the flight staff are always old bitter crones wearing to much makeup!

-Do try some street food...it is often just as yummy as it smells, and often fresher than restaurant fare.

-Don't assume every local you meet wants a free impromptu English lesson...make an effort to learn a little Thai while your here!

-Do enjoy a "legitimate" foot massage or two....you'll be extremely glad you did!

-DON"T go anywhere with Tuk Tuk drivers/taxis conveniently waiting outside your hotel...walk up the street a bit and catch one on the move

-Do be polite with the locals but don't "wai" every single Thai you meet....You wouldn't shake hands with every single person you interact with on a daily basis at home, so why do it here?

-Don't get into altercations with the locals....even if your in the right, you WILL lose one way or the other!

-Do learn to walk away and let things go.

-Don't fall in love with the first lovely set of eyes and sultry smile you meet....just don't!

-Do be aware of opening and closing times of temples and tourist attractions....DON"T believe anyone who tells you otherwise...make sure you go and have a look for yourself!

-Don't stick to the tourist ghettos....get out and immerse yourself in the local culture

-Do make sure the taxi drivers turns on the meter as soon as you get in, and that he knows the destination before you get on your way!

The author lost me straight away with "can speak English reasonably well.".....This is quite a broad comment, and begins the article by implying that despite attending International schools, Thai students do not or can not achieve excellence in using English. One might think the author seems a bit jealous perhaps of the opportunities the children will get for better lives?

I went to one a few years back when they had it at NIST and it was a nice afternoon of good food and beverages.

I'm a fan of the frozen Korean chicken "meal" on the odd occasion and have been known to gram a couple of the Moo Dang Sala-Paos for a quick breakfast treat

I spotted some relatively small rice cookers last week as i was trolling through the small appliance section last week at Central Chit Lom. Have you tried there?

I usually will chat up a Thai will I'm getting my boarding pass. I'll ask them to take me through the Thai side with them. Has worked every time no problems.

does this really work?? If so then i know exactly what i'm gonna do next time i'm off to the airport with the better half!

There is also a very, very good guy that does watch repair tucked away just around the corner from the guys that sell second hand Tag Heuer watches at MBK on the 2nd floor just down from the exit into the shopping center from Tokyu. We've taken our watches to him on several occasions for general repairs/batter replacements/cleanings...etc, and he's always very professional and good at what he does.

One of the most stark differences I have found between shopping malls here in Bangkok and back home is the dramatic difference in socially accepted noise levels inside a building. Dont' get me wrong....I do love a wander through the malls, but there are occasionally times when I've lifted my fingers to plug my ears. Sometimes i do it without even thinking in defense of the auditory assault that can take place between random blasting sound systems of competing shoe shops and/or inside the mall ear splitting concerts by the latest teeny bopper heart throbs.

Then, on the other side of the coin, I've been initially amazed at the hushed silence of shopping malls back home during the handful of times i've gone back to the US over the past decade. It's extremely quite compared to a jaunt through MBK or Siam.

This man seems to be suffering under the delusion that "donated" tea money actually ends up as funds to improve the quality of education at said schools.

There wasn't an option for 3 months....so i went with 6.

Out of work I dress for comfort, although I still think short-shorts look terrible on a man, especially in Bangkok which is a business city.

I don't do any of this to save face or conform, it just makes my job simpler and set the tone for the team. (And if I wore shorts in the office I'd get frostbite .... what is it with a/c here??).

Just out of curiosity....Are you from the U.K. by chance?

Thailand roads are not safe.

I repeat for the white people looking to visit here - Thailand roads are not safe.

Every single road in the Kingdom is crazy dangerous. I risk my life driving my car 15 minutes to Macro. At least 10 speeding pickup trucks, buses, or 10-wheelers fly past me on every trip (at 130-150km+).

Thailand roads are not safe.

Agreed! I spent the last 2 years behind the wheel while living outside of Bangkok and I eventually lost count of the near death experiences I narrowly escaped. Most of the time it was the commercial vehicles (buses, trucks, and vans) I had to watch out for as the majority of the drivers operate their vehicles like they were in Formula One.

Not F1.drivers, they are efficiently and fantastically in control of their cars, the main road accidents here in Thailand are caused by drivers that are either drunk, have a hang-over, dosing off, speaking on their mobile phone, or watching their dashboard TV. etc etc ... ...

Some drivers drive too fast, others to slow, those that drive slow are often too slow, and also driving slow in the fast lanes, as a result drivers behind them are getting in a bad temper, so they have to over-take them, often during continuous on-coming opposing traffic on the other lane, and that is the danger of deadly frontal accidents.

Generally speaking the majority of Thai drivers have no highway code knowledge at all, and drive their cars like bikes in farm villages, traffic-wise, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Agree 100%...I actually think the comparison to Pod racing in Star Wars is way more accurate.

Thailand roads are not safe.

I repeat for the white people looking to visit here - Thailand roads are not safe.

Every single road in the Kingdom is crazy dangerous. I risk my life driving my car 15 minutes to Macro. At least 10 speeding pickup trucks, buses, or 10-wheelers fly past me on every trip (at 130-150km+).

Thailand roads are not safe.

Agreed! I spent the last 2 years behind the wheel while living outside of Bangkok and I eventually lost count of the near death experiences I narrowly escaped. Most of the time it was the commercial vehicles (buses, trucks, and vans) I had to watch out for as the majority of the drivers operate their vehicles like they were in Formula One.

Why are we seeing so many reports of fatal accidents around Phuket recently? Shame there is not a more in depth report into the cause of the accdent. Too young to have their lives ended in such a tragic way.

I wonder what the statistics are for road accident fatalities are in Thailand or how many we don't hear about from the Thai news. Very sad story and a very senseless loss of life. The truck driver should be brought up on charges of manslaughter, if he is even caught.