TehBen

Hello,

My wife just bought me a new camera, the Olympus EP2, from Big Camera. The problem is that I actually wanted the EPL2 as it is better at most things and the same price (as well as being much newer). After speaking to the assistant in the shop, he told her that the EP2 is the better camera, and therefore the better purchase.

I, on the other hand, have my doubts. After researching on the net for a while it seems that the EPL2 is better in nearly every way, whilst also being cheaper in some countries. We called up the shop and asked them if we could replace the model (unopened) for the EPL2. The assistant refused, saying that while they advertise both models on their web site, they only have the EP2 in stock and therefore cannot change it for me.

Of course I am happy that I got a nice early xmas present, but I am not that happy that Big Camera effectively conned my wife in selling her an older model with false information.

So, I have 2 questions I hope somebody can help me with.

1. Me being a complete novice when it comes to photography, will I actually notice the difference between the 2 models or am I over-reacting. Are they really that different and is the EP2 still able to stand up against the new-boys in the micro four thirds market (is that what it is?)?

2. If I really do want to change, is the assistant being a bit of an arse, and should I contact the Big Camera head office to see if I can get it changed?

N.B The camera was bought today, I havent turned anything on or even opened the manual.

Fantastic. Thank you both for your very helpful replies

Yes, I understand that, but I would prefer to be prepared before I get there. That is why I was asking if there was a sample document available for download.

Sorry to drag up this old thread, but seeing as my question is on the same topic, I thought it would be best,

I'm British and would like to register my new marriage here in Thailand.

I am aware that I have to go to the British embassy to obtain the affirmation of freedom to marry document, and then have it translated, and then both copies certified by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Is there a sample of the document available such as the one above (the document in the link above has been archived) ?

Also, the steps I have mentioned above, is that it? I have not been previously married, so that will not be a problem. I assume that once I get that done, I can get the registration done at my local amphur (as opposed to the amphur of the province in which my wife's ID was registered)?

So two weeks on, something seems to be happening.

Queue the posters who claimed nothing would be done, suddenly changes their stories or claiming that the above story, will in fact, lead to nothing...

ok thanks!

I just wanted to bump this topic, as I am running out of options. Yes, I can find a few companies on the net, but I am still no better off in terms of recommendations.

This is fun (not for anybody else mind you, so perhaps we should call it a day)

Your very last statement, was that you didn't disagree with the comments, just that they were over generalisations that didn't make sense. If you think they don't make sense, surely by default, that means you can't possibly agree with them?? Ergo you disagree with them, and the reason why we're having this enthralling conversation.

What you have done, is taken the three statements made by 'MrsMills' and elaborated, over complicated, and put your own spin on them. When in fact all three are very simple statements, all contributing to the same point.

Tis fun, though you are right, this will be my last post on the subject

Stating that I thought that the statements did not make sense, does not automatically mean I disagree with them. I just mentioned that I did not understand what the point was of talking about advertising, when there are possibly hundreds of better analogies that could have been used to better make the point, what with it being such a subjective topic.

I'm sure you will feel the need to have another go, but I don't think there is anything else I could possibly add, so I will leave it there. Nice to see you can argue a point without spitting your dummie out though. .

In actual fact this situation will probably never affect me anyway as I have never been to Phuket and I don't ever plan on going there in the foreseeable future, mainly because of the number of tourists and ex-pats, no offence intended to any readers that may possibly take offence, I just prefer quieter places. The tuk-tuks in Chachoengsao are trouble free, except for most of them being complete maniacs

erm, no, I don't think so. You are generalising quite a lot. I believe this problem is just the tuk-tuk situation in Phuket, rather than Thailand as a whole.

TBH I think your whole post is a string of generalisations and it is difficult to know where to start replying to it

I guess I could try...

1. A further reduction in numbers would have an affect, you do not need every tourist to boycott Thailand and every ex-pat to move away. Generalisation number 1.

2. Nobody is saying Thailand as a whole is that bad, they are saying that the tuk-tuk situation in particular is bad and due to the way it works, it would be difficult for anyone to do anything about it.

3. Ferangs that live in Phuket obviously choose to not let it worry them so much or at least have priorities, that doesn't mean it is good.

4. Why would this website not exist? Are you saying that if Thailand had a corrupt legal system and a government that was riddled with bribery and corruption at every level, then there wouldn't be any ex-pats living here?

5. Advertisers don't have morals, they have targets. Where there is traffic, there is exposure.

By the way. I, personally, was not commenting on the situation in Thailand as a whole. Personally I have (possibly misguided) faith in the morality of certain members of the governement and that is why I made the suggestion above. You need to understand that one voice is not enough to command the attention of a government, but 1 headline in the right place, might, hence my point.

If Thailand was that bad, this very lucrative website wouldn't exist, and it exists because the Farangs that live don't think that it's so bad, and advertisers must think that its OK to advertise here, else they would surely have the intelligence to be gone to pastures new, right ?

Is that the first or second paragraph of the above quote? The first sentence I didn't disagree with, I just commented that it was a generalisation. Maybe I should have meant exaggeration, though.

The second paragraph is quite obviously an over simplification of the whole issue, which is what I pointed out.

Anyway, confusion and miscommunication aside, it is good to get different opinions on the subject.

I think we're almost there, sorting out our misunderstanding We've got it down to one paragraph, that all our posts have in common.

Unfortunately, nothing has changed. I still see nothing wrong with that statement. If something is accurate, I don't see how being slightly simplified, or generalised is a problem. It certainly doesn't make the point wrong, as you seemed to imply it was, which is the whole reason I quoted you in the first place.

If you take Malaysia for example (I might be wrong on this, haven't bothered to check) I'm fairly sure, on the whole their government is less corrupt, and more stable (more like the west as it were) than Thailand. Yet I would guess that they attract a tiny percent of the tourists. That I believe, is the essence of what 'MrsMills' was implying.

This forum has how many hundreds of thousand members? How many tourists flood through the doors every year? Has that number gone down in the last 12 months, when there were a couple of other incidents and long threads discussing them? (when 'ScubahBuddah' saw a couple of Farang getting beaten up) The answer is of course, no, they haven't.

In one years time, I will make a post with links to this thread, the one 12 months ago, and the current one of the day. I will point out to you, the same posters in all three threads, that said something needs to be done, and something will be done if we just write some letters to the press.........Blah Blah Blah. Perhaps if people see it in front of their eyes, once peoples predictions have been proved to be wrong several times over, perhaps then you will see the situation for what it is, accept it for what it is, and learn to not let it upset you. The beauty of the internet, is it's here forever. The big, bold predictions you make today, can be checked against reality in the future. Lots of egg on lots of faces I assure you.

As many people have said. Things won't change until the numbers stop walking through that airport. The hotel rooms stop being filled, businesses need to close, Tuk Tuk drivers can't even afford to pay their car rent, let alone make a profit. If that happens things will be forced to change, but if you think you can have a hand in that by writing letters, you are very mistaken and naive to boot.

I didn't want to take this even further off topic but I feel as though I have to reiterate and then explain what I wrote to show you that, in fact, I did not disagree with anything, I merely suggested that the comment made was an over-simplification of the situation that leads to an irrational and massive over-generalisation of the reasons why TV exists, or doesn't not exist.

Let us break down the comment.

"If Thailand was that bad, this very lucrative website wouldn't exist"

So if Thailand was that bad, as in, if Thailand was well known for having an almost openly corrupt penal system, then ThaiVisa would not exist? Well, as you have just stated that Malaysia is less corrupt than Thailand, that must mean that you think Thailand is known for corruption in some areas of society. So Thailand is that bad, as you have just proved, but TV does exist.

"and it exists because the Farangs that live don't think that it's so bad, "

Possibly, maybe they think one part of the system/society is bad, but the pros outweight the cons? (here is an example of a generalisation that i did not disagree with, but I pointed it out)

"and advertisers must think that its OK to advertise here, else they would surely have the intelligence to be gone to pastures new, right ?"

As I said, and everyone in business knows, advertising only works when there is exposure, and a web board with thousands of users would mean massive exposure, quite obviously. Whether Thailand's penal system is corrupt or not and whether it is morally wrong to post advertisements on a web board that is about a country that has corruption so blatantly in daily life is beside the point as far as advertisers go. I mean, we can see adverts for 24 hour massage parlours on this very page and while some believe that to be morally wrong, the advertisers dont, because it is teir business and they are making money from it.

In actual fact, I couldn't understand why marketing was brought into the topic at all. This last statement I found completely meaningless.

So, as you can see, rather than disagreeing with the comment, I was merely stating that it was an over-generalisation that didn't, in fact, make sense.

If you really want to do something, try to attract the attention of the international media. Ok, so more bad press will affect tourism, but that is the point. What you need is the government to stand up to deal with the problem.

No, The Thai Government wont do anything until Farangs stop coming here for holidays or Farangs stop wanting to live here, and that ain't gonna happen !

If Thailand was that bad, this very lucrative website wouldn't exist, and it exists because the Farangs that live don't think that it's so bad, and advertisers must think that its OK to advertise here, else they would surely have the intelligence to be gone to pastures new, right ?

Then I believe that you haven't read or understood my post. Without getting into an arguement over it, I was pointing out an oversimplification of the subject and irrational generalisations. Then you quoted me, insinuating that I was making the situation out to be something it is not, and that I 'didnt understand' the situation, which, in fact, if you were to read my post you would see that I was merely pointing out the flaws in 'MrsMills' post.

So in which case I was right. You were pointing out the floors in 'MrsMills' post, and I didn't believe there were any floors in 'MrsMills' post, so I was dissagreeing with you, so I quoted you.

Perhaps my post didn't respond to your post directly, which has lead to the confusion.

If it would help, I can promise not to quote your posts again.

Is that the first or second paragraph of the above quote? The first sentence I didn't disagree with, I just commented that it was a generalisation. Maybe I should have meant exaggeration, though.

The second paragraph is quite obviously an over simplification of the whole issue, which is what I pointed out.

Anyway, confusion and miscommunication aside, it is good to get different opinions on the subject.

Although I am not in a position to buy a new car right now, I will be looking for one in the future. I previously owned an Integra Type R in the UK (DC2 model) and was wondering about the chances of finding a good one here.

I have seen a few online but they are mostly overpriced (relatively speaking) and in poor condition, so what I would like to know if there are any recommended used car dealers that would be able to source a specific vehicle, or dealers that particularly deal in performance vehicles (or at least at the lower end of the 'performance' scale).

I live near Bangkok and am quite aware that if I am to find one, it will most certainly be there, and probably exceed the 500k mark for an 11+ year old vehicle.

Any help or advice is appreciated, unless it is regarding the choice of vehicle

Which is actually my point.

If you really want change, you need to do something that will demand attention from the 'powers that be' as you call it.

The only way to grab the attention of a government is to internationally highlight their poor control of a particular situation.

Granted, this may or may not work, in fact unless the initiator has any pull themselves, it probably won't. But my point is that if the OP really wants to do something about it, parking a car in front of a tuk tuk, or getting a few signatures from small restaurants and t-shirt shops is going to do nothing at all.

So in a way, even though you quoted my post but replied to none of it, we are almost saying the same thing.

Though tbh unless this situation is affecting all Phuket tourists, which it isn't (or at least the vast majority don't mind), then nobody in the international press is going to give a rat's arse about it to be frank.

Sorry if I quoting your post was inappropriate. I was agreeing with 'MrsMills' who you were disagreeing with. I assumed, that by default, that meant I disagreed with you??

I am very pleasently surprised by the posts in this thread. A couple of years ago, it would have been a different kettle of fish. Threads used to go tens of pages, and were full of people spitting blood and getting emotional beyond belief.

It would seem as if a few more people have given up worrying about a problem, which lets face it, was hardly worth worrying about. Most of the people who got the most wound up, weren't people, who were actually afected by it personally anyway. It seemed as if it was just people, desperate to have a cause to fight.

We all know the situation isn't perfect. But most of us don't let it ever ruin our day. Which it seems a lot of people used to do, judging by the posts on here.

Then I believe that you haven't read or understood my post. Without getting into an arguement over it, I was pointing out an oversimplification of the subject and irrational generalisations. Then you quoted me, insinuating that I was making the situation out to be something it is not, and that I 'didnt understand' the situation, which, in fact, if you were to read my post you would see that I was merely pointing out the flaws in 'MrsMills' post.

The same string of threads pop up each and every time. 'Things must be done', 'This will be the end of Phukets Tourism', 'No one will come to Phuket any more', 'It's time for action' etc etc.

In less than a month, this latest event will be a distant memory, and so will this thread. Things will continue the way they are, or if they change, it will be because the powers that be, wanted them to. And why would they?

So so true BTB, have to agree with you, sadly.

Which is actually my point.

If you really want change, you need to do something that will demand attention from the 'powers that be' as you call it.

The only way to grab the attention of a government is to internationally highlight their poor control of a particular situation.

Granted, this may or may not work, in fact unless the initiator has any pull themselves, it probably won't. But my point is that if the OP really wants to do something about it, parking a car in front of a tuk tuk, or getting a few signatures from small restaurants and t-shirt shops is going to do nothing at all.

So in a way, even though you quoted my post but replied to none of it, we are almost saying the same thing.

Though tbh unless this situation is affecting all Phuket tourists, which it isn't (or at least the vast majority don't mind), then nobody in the international press is going to give a rat's arse about it to be frank.

erm, no, I don't think so. You are generalising quite a lot. I believe this problem is just the tuk-tuk situation in Phuket, rather than Thailand as a whole.

TBH I think your whole post is a string of generalisations and it is difficult to know where to start replying to it

I guess I could try...

1. A further reduction in numbers would have an affect, you do not need every tourist to boycott Thailand and every ex-pat to move away. Generalisation number 1.

2. Nobody is saying Thailand as a whole is that bad, they are saying that the tuk-tuk situation in particular is bad and due to the way it works, it would be difficult for anyone to do anything about it.

3. Ferangs that live in Phuket obviously choose to not let it worry them so much or at least have priorities, that doesn't mean it is good.

4. Why would this website not exist? Are you saying that if Thailand had a corrupt legal system and a government that was riddled with bribery and corruption at every level, then there wouldn't be any ex-pats living here?

5. Advertisers don't have morals, they have targets. Where there is traffic, there is exposure.

By the way. I, personally, was not commenting on the situation in Thailand as a whole. Personally I have (possibly misguided) faith in the morality of certain members of the governement and that is why I made the suggestion above. You need to understand that one voice is not enough to command the attention of a government, but 1 headline in the right place, might, hence my point.

If you really want to do something, try to attract the attention of the international media. Ok, so more bad press will affect tourism, but that is the point. What you need is the government to stand up to deal with the problem. Local businesses, forum/facebook protests, petitions, anonymous letters and random parking space antics are not going to do anything at all except annoy a few people. The only people with enough weight to do anything are the people at the top of the chain, and nothing short of international embarassement is going to make them listen.

If you dont want to do that, go through the governement yourself, starting with the transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.

Pro-action is good.

Whether it is expensive or not and aside from the potential comments on native English speaker's training abilities (which is inevitable) even though it clearly states "graduates with teaching degrees or former teachers in retirement", its nice to see some investment in education and I really hope it happens and pays off.

If the initiative is successful' date=' the number of fluent English speakers in Thailand's workforce will increase in the future. Although some children in big cities today are now fluent in English, their numbers account for less than 10 per cent of the child population nationwide.[/quote']

Bit of a pointless paragraph IMO, ended with a vague statistic, personally, even though I know little of the actual statistics, I would have said it was nearer 'less than 5%' can speak English 'fluently'.

I have met Filipinos that I can understand easier than some Americans.

Obviously, no offence intended.

Is an official language the same as a native language?

The reason I ask is because I thought that English was only an official language of The Philippines as opposed to a native language...

Suthep's comments might seem a bit harsh and inappropriate (they are!), but if you ask any Thai - who isn't an ardent red shirt - how they feel about foreign election monitors, you'll probably get a similar response!

From various discussions with pretty well educated Thais about condominium investment and purchasing many said they were happy for other Thais (rich) to take advantage of them and accepted it as the way Thailand is, but were indignant about foreigners doing it as wrong and immoral.

You can only laugh...

or complain on internet forums.

Geez my Thai wife owns three properties in Melbourne Australia and that includes the land.

Wow that is amazing. My dog is half Chinese.

If this is a direct quote, it was poorly structured. I doubt he actually meant 'I do not respect Westerners'. Read in context, I understand what he (hopefully) means, and I would expect most people on here would feel the same way if it was their country.

For example, if it was David Cameron that said 'I do not respect the use of Asian election monitoring organizations as I believe that it would imply that we are unable to democratically monitor our own country's election'. Then I am pretty sure most people would understand.

I had a great burger here in 2007 when I was doing my tefl!

Why would the police divulge such info to the press? Is this just Pattaya One making up the rest of the story or do police really say that kind of stuff...

Reporter - "So whos car is it?"

Policeman - "Dunno"

Reporter - "Was it parked outside the police station earlier today?"

Policeman - "Errr, yeah? I dunno. I'm confused."

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Sounds like a complete bodge job. They left the money, the guy picked it up, they had no way of preventing him getting away, they then shot the victim and let the bad guy run...If this is true, what a joke.

I am looking to rent a minibus at the end of April for a few days to go up north. I am looking for companies that can offer full daily rentals, VIP seating (as in big seats with arms, like the 9 seater Toyota Commuter compared to the 13/14 seater Toyota Commuter), and under 2500 per day (as cheap as possibly, obviously).

As most of you know it can be a bit of a gamble going with companies you do not know and when renting a driver also, it is especially important. I found this out last year when our driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit a central reservation on an empty dual carriageway, nobody was hurt, thankfully, and we were lucky to say the least. So I am looking for recommended companies that you have personally used that can fulfil the requirements above please.

I live in Chachoengsao but a Bangkok based company is obviously fine. A company with a website and/or English speaking employees would be preferred but not imperative.

Thanks!

No problem.

I believe to obtain the certificate in the U.K (as opposed to a 'Subject Access Request'), an individual cannot apply themselves, the prospective employer must apply on their behalf, so I can also understand why this is, to an extent. I just found it a little odd that this was not mentioned on the (Hull) Thai embassy website.

Once I get the cert. I will update this thread with confirmation of requirements.

For anyone coming across this, and to update on progress....

I went to the Royal Thai Police HQ today with:

-2 x 2" by 1" photos

-Copy of previous Work Permit

-Copy of passport (every page so they can see all visas)

Unfortunately that wasn't enough.

The guy at the checking counter near the door said that I actually also need a written job offer or signed contract for the job that I need the certificate for, even though that job will not start until May. He was very sure about this and wouldn't budge when asked to reiterate, confident that what I showed him wasn't enough (though his English speaking skills were not very good at all to be honest).

(btw unlike some westerners I have come accross over here I am always polite, cordial and respectful of Thai heirarchy, as I know that can be an issue with some westerners, so I know this wasn't me being fobbed off, so to speak.)

Thanks for the help!