petedk

Maybe if they introduced 'standing time' to the ticking meter it might help with drivers willing to take fares they know will cause them to be in traffic.

Meters in cabs in many countries around the world still tick over when standing still. With such low per km rates a little extra for being in traffic might encourage use of the meter by more drivers.

They have this is Thailand. Just look at the price list which usually hangs on the back of the front seat.

That is not the reason they refuse customers. I have tried to take a taxi from Asoke to Esplanade on Ratchada 10 am on a public holiday. I had two taxis refuse. The third took me and it took about 7 or 8 minutes and cost about 50 baht. I have no idea why the others refused.

Any taxi driver that rolls down the window and tries to interview the customer is a scammer.

Any taxi parked outside your hotel is a scammer.

Taxi drivers agree to take all fares when they sign up for the job.

Get in and inform the driver of your destination and pay what the meter says. Simple.

Just be sure to watch the meter.

Drivers have a secret button that can run the meter up. If you see this, change your destination to the police department.

I disagree with the first part.

I often feel like walking away as soon as they roll down the window, but I think about 50% of that type will take me to my destination and some of the drivers are very pleasant and friendly.

Try this....always open the back door to ask and if the driver refuses leave the door open. He will be furious and have to get out of the taxi. While he does this nip round the other way and get into the driver's seat and away you go. Remember to turn off the meter before reaching your destination.

Uhm not a good idea. Driving taxis is one of the "restricted" jobs.

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rejecting passengers in favour of foreign passengers

Many time I have been rejected and I am foreigner.....

Yes, when I am calling a cab in the same area as a Thai person, often the taxi will go to the Thai person. I am not complaining about this, the reverse happens as well. I am only repeating your quote because of the number of Thai people I hear say that the cabbies pick up farangs and not Thais.

There are loads of reasons for preferring a Thai or farang passenger, we don't need to go over the reasons.

On another point: Those cabbies have a pathetically low salary. Shouldn't they have to right not to pick someone up? I'm not talking about based on Thai or non-Thai, but about distances. If they don't want to get stuck in nasty traffic or go drive way out of their way, I think they out to have a right to decline. I know it's frustrating when we're trying to get somewhere, but they are independent contractors. I am a freelancer, and I refuse jobs that I think are undesirable all the time. It would suck to have to do every stupid job request that people send me... how is it different for the cab drivers?

I have lived in Bangkok for about 15 years and had never experienced that until about six months ago.

Now it seems to happen very often. I can flag a taxi and he will slow down for me but then he'll see some Thai 10 - 20 meters further along and go past me and pick them up.

This has happened maybe 20 times in the last six months. No idea why. No remarks about appearance as I often wear a suit or jacket.

We all know when the cab stops, the window slides down and you get that "look", he ain't gonna take you. He'll gaze for a moment down the road and with a slight shake of the head say, "Mai pai." This crackdown, like all the previous crackdowns, will accomplish nothing. And we all noted the following: "must not refuse to accept Thai passengers" so once again, Thailand sanctions discrimination against foreigners just as double pricing, refusing legal residence over 60 to get the senior discount on the BTS. Thailand shows its distain for us.

haha slightly off topic but I was surrounded by four security guards at a BTS station for trying to top up a senior card. They didn't give any explanation but kept asking my Thai ID card and of course I don't have one. I offered them my passport. The manager came out and all they kept saying was "farang no ID"

After a few minutes of confusion I started to speak. "What's the problem?" (in Thai) Oh I knew all along what the problem was but pretended not to know. They then said to me that Senior Cards were for Thai people only. I pretended to be surprised and asked why was it that MRT offered a senior card to foreigners. They kept on saying "No farang.. Thais only."

I couldn't hold myself any longer and gave a big smile and said "Oh I am topping up for my wife..... and her she comes." as she had grown tired of waiting for me and showed them my BTS card.

The problem is exacerbated by the habit of passengers opening the front door to tell drivers their destination. This gives drivers the easy option of declining. I don't know why people just don't get in the back and then tell the driver where they want to go ( probably because of fear of being kicked out with menace? ).

I have tried that but it is a bad idea.

I was waiting at a bus stop late in the evening but decided to stop a taxi. I got into the taxi and he seemed reluctant to go to the destination but started to drive slowly. After about 200 metres he stopped at a very quiet place and decided to make me get out. I then had to walk back to the bus stop as no taxis wanted to stop in that area.

Now I always ask before getting in.

Actually it can be quite annoying for the taxi drivers. I slowly open the front door, slowly move forward and wait a few seconds before asking. The cars behind start to get impatient and often beep their horns. Then when the driver refuses to take me I close the door slowly and as he drives off I smile to the cars behind.

 

 

recently the junta launched a heavy crackdown on visa runner and illegal teacher. The message was pretty clear : teacher get out of thailand.

Not only the salary is low, but in some case the school dont even provide a work permit:

But who gonna suffer first? Of course the small, local, poor, public school who hired a foreigner for just 20 Kbaht.

The junta wanted obviously let the poor student in a sea of ignorance.

 

Nope, they just want qualified teachers, and not the rogue ones, who often left home to evade personal problems, and are just looking for a nice way to score chicks and beer 

 

 

yes but if they do want qualified teacher they do have to pay the appropriate salary! Why is this so hard to understand?

Do you think people are willing to work for misery? In thailand there is a huge lack of teacher in any field! Not only in english!

 

I have a thai friend, who works as a teacher at Assumption university, when my friend did learn i did graduated in science. He started to complain they can not found science and IT teacher, and if i was willing to work at this university. The starting salary would have been around 80K baht . At this price i will not get up of my bed

 

And let me add,  the teaching level is so low in thailand, that any backpacker its better than nothing!

 

80K isn't a bad salary in Thailand. It.s almost three times my BASIC salary at a government university.

I don't think Thais really like foreigners teaching as we tend to influence Thai students in a "bad" way. My idea was reinforced this morning when I read an article in the Bangkok Post that from now on the job of "nanny" is reserved for Thais only. I can't imagine any westerners working as nannies but the reason for this new rule was that children brought up by Burmese and Cambodian nannies would copy them and learn their culture and habits instead of Thai culture and habits!!!

Maybe it won't be long before there are less and less foreign teachers in government schools. Just a thought.
 

I have just noticed that channels 114 and 222 are exactly the same - True Film HD

For a family income, on average of both parents and one sibling, earning minimum wage of 300 baht a day, based on a 30 day month would be 27,000 baht.

But of course, you could work that out for yourself, eh?

And that is based on minimal, with only one job for each person.

Bloody hell! That's what I earn after 15 years teaching at a government university!

Now they will be banning alcohol on Thai Airways.

No, I don't think it will go that far.

I hope the guy gets punished hard though. It is too dangerous to be having fights in mid air.

I was on a flight from Copenhagen to Bangkok once where they actually stopped serving alcohol because 2 or 3 girls were drunk and behaving very badly.

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Now she has asked to be allowed to leave the country to visit her brother.

No wonder she wants to delay the verdict ...... until after she has left the country.

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I have been in business over 50 yrs with my company in New Zealand, the one main thing to look for in emails regarding business is the email address. There are so many free email providers all over the world offering free email addresses, like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com if it is a provider name you do not recognise check it out with Google, when I get them which I have had many times I completely ignore and do not answere as I believe a genuine company would have an email address with a company that you have to pay for your email service.

Not in Thailand.

I am surprised how many big name companies, TV stations and radio stations use Hotmail as their official email address.

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I think the stricter alcohol and closing laws obviously have some effect on tourism.

Had friends visit from England last weekend. They were disappointed that we couldn't share a bottle of wine over a meal.

They were only here two days before going to Singapore.

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Of course it is illegal to impersonate an army officer or police officer, so why the hell do shops sell the uniforms to anyone who wants to buy them?

I remember there used to be a shop opposite immigration at Soi Suan Plu (maybe it is still there) that sold all sorts of police items.

Swift execution is warranted here.

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The death penalty solves nothing.

But further restrictions on alcohol would make a massive difference throughout society.

I get sick of the people here who praise 'beer' and moan when the bars are closed.

Too much alcohol. Too much violence (especially domestic) ......

Further restrictions won't help. Thise who really want alcohol will always find a way to get it.

You'll also see an increase in ilegally brewed alcohol.

More education is needed.

Also why is an employee drinking alcohol at work? Yes, he was off duty but he was at his work place. Government workplace at that.

The management also have a share of the blame.

Don't get me wrong. I think this a horrendous crime and he should be locked up for life. His life in jail will be hell.

I don't believe in the death penalty.

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In the other newspaper there are more details.

If caught drunk driving they will lose license for 10 days (or something similar).

Second tme 20 days.

If caught FIVE times in ONE year they will lose their license.

What a joke.

These guys are responsible for the passengers' lives. There should be no leniency at all.

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If these are the guys who operate just in front of Central rama 9 then they are some of the worst scum I know.

I often used to take these guys to an address on Rama 9. The official fare was 15 baht but most wanted 20 or 25 baht. One guy agreed to 15 but when I got there wanted 50!. He threatened me physically and I gave him 20. Luckily the security at the office knew me and came to help.

I later found out through the messenger (who worked with them in the evenings) that many people had complained about that particular guy. (I had his number)

Most motorbike taxis are ok.

The other place I avoid is at Thong Lor boat pier. These guys are always drunk by 5 pm. I have often seen them gambling (with many other customers and taxi drivers) and even seen a big fight where the police just stood and watched.

Just had a quick glance at the report and there are many countries with a average consumption of more than 10 litres per year.

This is just sensationalism.

I agree some some people drink a lot but when compared to European countries it's nothing.

I drove through that area last night it was pretty dead. I have spent the last few days in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi, it was dead. I was at the airport today on a domestic flight, it was dead

So, whatever way TAT want to dress it up, tourism hasn't returned to normal.

Of course tourism hasn't returned to normal yet and it won't until martial law is lifted.

I know of two or three cases of foreigners cancelling trips to Thailand..... not because they are afraid but because they cannot get travel insurance when the country is under martial law.

I have just finished teaching an intensive English conversation course to medical students.

It was a 14 day course with no tests whatsoever. Just pure conversation, fun and games.

The students wrote in their evaluations that "they learnt more in the last 14 days, without the pressure of grades, than in the whole semester.

What I mean to say is that the report is correct in many aspects. Thai students have this fear of getting low grades and this probably influences their confidence and learning abilities.

On a side note...They are all potential surgeons but I hope I never have to be operated on by one of them. Even though the course was fun and games the students cheated a lot by texting messages to each other. If they cheat in fun activities what do they do in their academic studies?

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Unfortunately for the country rather than actual students the whole system is flawed from the outset.

Cheating isn't really seen as wrong. Remember the incident at Ramkamheng Uni with Mr. Ts son and the comments of the deputy head who said cheating was not a serious matter.

Students don't really have to fear failure as for many and varied reasons not many do unless an outcast and a real nonentity.

Students get passes and qualifications they didn't earn or don't deserve and the country gets landed with all these ' qualified ' people.

The deputy head of Ramkhamhaeng Uni. said cheating is not a serious matter and now it's OK for Thai students to cheat.

Bill Clinton said BJs weren't sex so now very many high school students in the US give oral sex thinking it is not 'real' sex.

It begins with the leadership.

Ignoring the standards of my posts here, which are generally off-the-cuff, I professionally proofread/edit Master's and PhDs for various universities, including Chula and Mahidol, etc. You wouldn't believe the amount of copying from each other, and plagiarism which occurs at even PhD level... and yes, I'm deadly serious.

Only last week, I received a PhD paper from Assumption and I ran a turnit-in scan. It came back with 38% copied and plagiarised from the Internet !!!

That's the level we are looking at with regards to cheating. Yet, and despite that, all students PASS, with a little backhander to their advisors......

Edit: And let's not forget, the majority of the PhD grads become the next advisors, faculty lecturers and Dept. Heads, etc. and so it goes on!

Only 38%???

I proofread for students from the same universities. I am sure the figure is much higher.

I sometimes read 10 -15 pages containing only a few mistakes and then comes a page which is totally incomprehensible. I assume that page is their own work.

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I have just finished teaching an intensive English conversation course to medical students.

It was a 14 day course with no tests whatsoever. Just pure conversation, fun and games.

The students wrote in their evaluations that "they learnt more in the last 14 days, without the pressure of grades, than in the whole semester.

What I mean to say is that the report is correct in many aspects. Thai students have this fear of getting low grades and this probably influences their confidence and learning abilities.

On a side note...They are all potential surgeons but I hope I never have to be operated on by one of them. Even though the course was fun and games the students cheated a lot by texting messages to each other. If they cheat in fun activities what do they do in their academic studies?

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Maybe the texting was because they were having fun and were supporting each other in their learning.

No. They admitted they were texting info. to each other.

I didn't take it seriously. Just told them to relax and have fun.

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This is very sad. The news reminded me of when I was almost hit by a bus when crossing Asok at the junction with Sukhumvit years ago. This is the place where buses come around the corner from Suk on the wrong side (I think to get in a bus lane). I would swear that the driver actually accelerated, and if I hadn't looked over my left shoulder and leapt backwards very swiftly I wouldn't be here.

You are lucky. A couple of years ago I saw a western lady hit by a number 38 bus at that very place.

She died but I never saw anything in the papers.

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"A 6.1-magnitude quake could not match the chaos when people could not access Facebook for 30 minutes," posted user Insee."

Insee, you could not be more wrong. Please get a life.

It may come as shock to some, or many, that there are those of us who get along very well without Zuckerberg's monster. Frankenstein would be proud of him, or perhaps I should say Mary Shelley would. I'm quite sure that I, and Mary, would be far more affected by an earthquake, while ZB and his followers would themselves be quaking because they can't send the latest selfie to their 506 'friends'.

I come from a generation that actually talks to people around a dinner table and don't take photos of my meal to send to 'friends'. It's like religion I suppose, a choice. One man's meat......

I agree with you in the fact that probably 99% of Thais use FB as you mention above but there are some of us who actually use Facebook for business.

I know several people who would be hit hard economically if Facebook were to be blocked completely in Thailand.

I, myself , use it for business and never post stupid photos of food or comments about where I am.

Apparently the free to air programmes are back if you don't use True.

We use True but I don't think the wife has noticed anything. She's been trying every channel from True and CTH for the past two hours!!!!