reallyok

As a full time resident in Chiang Rai, I have noticed the infrastructure is lacking for areas outside cities. The best constructed road, by far, is the one that snakes many miles up a remote hill to a Royal site. Most other roads are barely passable, with ditches in the wrong places or non-existent. ....same for culverts. Potholes and erosion in the middle of roads are big enough to lose a truck tire in - even on roads with hundreds of vehicles per day.

Roads in Thailand are generally very good. Main arteries around Bangkok - out to Kanchanaburi and East to Trat are all good. South to Krabi and so on as well as to Chiang Mai but once you get to the outter regions then it drops off. Needless to say priority is given to roads travelled by the privileged same as when a drive by on Sukhumvit seems to magically remove all street vendors blocking the footpaths. The facade will always be there that Thailand is perfect to some and not so to others.

But compared to countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, Thailand roads are a dream. Outback roads in places like Australia are shockers too as they are left to the municipal councils. I guess the same system applies here. But the issue here on the flooding is a major one to be sure. Bangkok being built at zero above seal level means there is all but no runoff thus constant flash flooding especially when the runoff drains are blocked by road surfacing.

Further north you would think that would be impossible but mountainous areas force water to run faster - thus the mud slides and so on. No point in complaining I guess as Thailand will support areas most travelled and road usage in the North past Chiang Mai seems not to rate by someone's standards. Interesting to see if any damming or water retention will come under the Senates spending spree next session. It can only be brought to their attention and then the local member needs to push the agenda. The ridiculous quote of billions of Baht in damage (in another blog this forum) could well be saved by putting it into roads and environment management rather than a knee jerk reaction after the event.

We can only hope there are no lives lost in the process of water movement in the next few days.

I must admit that i have never been to the "deep north" although i will, for sure this year. But the first time i visited 6 years ago i was very surprised by the roads, north , south, east and west of Bangkok , they are far better than i expected.

Can i get a rough idea how long it takes on average from touchdown to clearing immigration and customs, thanks!

Hey! Thanks to all for your invaluable help and advice (and NO thanks to the few small minded tossers who tried to put me down) I thought this was going to be a friendly website, and it mostly is, but wherever you go in this world you will come up against nit picking idiots who have nothing better to do than try to put other people down, it makes their sad lives a little better (in THEIR minds).

I am NOT coming to Thailand to teach because I have nothing better to do, or because I don't have a job here in the UK.... actually I'm a London taxi driver (so I should know ALL about touts!) I am self-employed, own my taxi, and I earn in the region of £1,200 per week, so if and when I go to Thailand, it obviously won't be for money.

I have friends who teach there who I have known for a few years and it was their idea I go there and try the place out (oooh bad grammar again!)

When I was in Phuket on vacation I did the usual tourist things, but I got more of a buzz sitting in a Thai cafe helping the staff to speak english (hence the TEFL course when I got back to the UK)

I had a grammar school education in Kent, 'O' and 'A' levels etc, but I didn't know I'd have to be so word perfect and grammatically correct to ask a few questions on here.

So give me a break eh? (Am I allowed to say 'eh'?)

If you have something helpful to say (and many of you did, and I thank you for that) then I am very grateful, and to the few tossers (and you know who you are) GET A LIFE!

Good luck Johnny, and just remember, the majiority (oops wrong spelling) are with you all the way. Hope you enjoy your trip.

Firstly, good on you for doing your TEFL course before getting a gig teaching... don't worry about the response above about learning English yourself first, knowing how to TEACH English is much more important that knowing all of the rules of gramma...

About the Taxis, when you arrive, go to any of the ATMs and get some Thai Baht, or change your GBP to Baht at any of the Exchange Windows... If GBP-Baht is the same as AUD-Baht, you will get a much better rate here than at home, they are open whenever their are flights arriving, and are usually as good or better than the same banks Currency Exchange windows you will find all throughout Bangkok... ask them to give you some of the money in 100 Baht notes or less... normal food and drink transactions are usually less that 100 Baht, so you will feel like a <deleted> paying for you 80 Baht meal with a 1000 Baht note...

Once you have some local currency, you can either catch a cab from the official rank or the 'departures level'...

The arrivals gates are on the 2nd level of the 3 level airport building... The official rank is down the escalators on the gorund level, just follow the signs... there will be a guy there asking you where you want to go... he will write it on a piece of paper and give a piece to the driver, and a piece to you... This the the bit that shits everyone, because the guy writing your hotel details is the guy who is supposed to make sure the driver puts his meter on, and the reason you have to pay 50Baht to use that rank... but sometimes he is in on the scam, and will tell you a fixed price when you tell him where you want to go... The fixed price is always between 200Baht and 600 Baht more than the meter fare which he splits with your driver... If he tries this, just say, 'Meter', and he will usually not try any further... When you get in the cab, the driver will also usually try to offer you a fixed fare, "500 Baht OK?", just tell him "Meter Cup" and that is usually the end of it... They know that the alternative is that you will open the door and get out and create a scene, and a 300Baht meter fare is better than no fare... that is the 'Airport Taxi scam', nothing to get worried or worked up about... You pay the 50 Baht fee to the driver when you get to your destination... I always tell the driver to take the toll roads, which you have to pay for as you go... you can just give the driver a 100 Baht note (or 500Baht note if you want more change), and he will give you the change back and then ask some more at the next toll booth, sometimes he will keep enough for the journey after the first booth, but this would require him to plan ahead, not a strong point for Thai's ...

Your other option is to go UP the escalators to the 3rd Level, this is the departures level, where you can pick up a taxi that has just dropped someone off... this is where you will encounter the "Taxi Touts"... they will be just inside and just outside the airport entrance doors, but usually don't come down below level 3... just walk past them all, ignoring them, or if that is hard for you to do, just say "My Ow Cup" (don't want thanks) and walk over to one of the 20 or 30 yellow and green, green, or Pink and Blue 'Meter Taxi's' (the ones with the white light with red writting on the roof)... don't talk to anyone or follow anyone until you are beside a car with a white light on the roof... the touts aren't usually 'in your face' and if you ignore them usually won't follow you more than a few steps... that is the 'Taxi Touts'... again, nothing to get worried or worked up about... When you get to a Meter Taxi, tell him where you want to go, followed my "Meter Cup"... I have never had a cab not want to go on the meter... better grab the fare and get going than being told to move on by security before he gets a fare and made to wait in the queue for the official rank, and still probably not get an 'off the meter' fare... You still have to pay all the tolls if you tell him to go on the toll roads, but save yourself a massive 50 Bhat...

I always use the Departure Level taxis. because there is NO queue (usually a reasonable length queue on the official rank) and the ONLY time I have had a cab really push to try and get on off the meter fare was at the offical rank after I didn't hear the guy writing the ticket properly, and unknowing agreed to a 500 Baht fixed fee... The cabbie had already paid his kickback, and understandably, wanted either 500 Bhat from me, or his kickback returned by the AOT Official...

My rule is, whenever I get in a Taxi anywhere in BKK, I make sure the meter is on... and if it isn't say "Meter Cup"... much easier to have the arguement in the first meter than it is at the end of the journey... I rarely have trouble with them not wanting to use the meter other than in peak hour traffic, because they get sweet F A for sitting in traffic... (unlike Australia where they get more than they do when moving)...

Good luck learning Thai tho... stupid language ... I've been trying for 5 years and still no one knows what I am saying until I translate it to English ...

Cheers,

Daewoo

Thanks Daewoo, for yet another informative and intelligent reply, you are most helpful.

All you guys seem pretty clued up... I haven't gotta clue so ANY advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.... Johnny

Hello, Johnny,

Welcome to Thailand. I agree that a month on a resort island won't give you much preparation for Bangkok. It's a huge, noisy city that can easily be intimidating. However it is also fascinating, fun, and far safer than most Western cities.

In six years, I've never had any trouble with taxi touts or other scams. Find the public taxi line (metered taxis, yellow/green or other neon colors - they keep changing the location!), stand in line, tell them your destination and give the slip to the driver. You pay the meter fare plus 50 baht. The fare to central Bangkok should be less than 300 baht including the surcharge. If they ask you whether to go on the "highway", say yes!

With regard to visas, many people on this forum know far more than I, but I believe that if you here on an educational visa (e.g. learning Thai), it is not legal to be working. So you need to make a decision one way or the other. You must be here in Thailand to get your work permit. I believe that you can get a visa based on your intention to work (Non-imm-b, I think - at least that is what I have) outside, but need various documents including a letter from your prospective employer.

If you love Thailand but are not quite sure what you want to do, you could get a tourist visa for 90 days and spend that time looking around and talking to people about the options, including work. Then go back to the UK and get the non-imm-b visa or whatever, depending on what you decide. Don't make a commitment before you have some more experience. Some people just can't handle Bangkok-- if you're not an urban sort of guy, you might hate it (my brother detested it!)

Good luck,

Doctor D.

P.S. Learning Thai is both a good investment if you think you might like to live here, and great fun. It's an amazing language, about as different from English as possiblet.

Thank you for a very informative and intelligent reply to Johnnies request, its such a pity that others in here don't appear to have the ability to provide the compassion and understanding that you have.

Come on guys!

I am not the "I love Thailand and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it" type; yes there are Scams here, but many of them can be avoided by using a bit of common sense.

Surely anyone who hires a car with known damage, or with a tank not completely full, without getting the situation fully documented is asking for trouble any anywhere in the world.

These cases are not Scams, you made an elementary mistake and simply want to find someone else to blame.

Patrick

Blame sombody else !!! Definately not Patrick but just letting others know so that they can be more aware than i was on my first visit. Due to the enviroment in my own country i was too relaxed into thinking that people would be the same as here. As i said, i soon learned that Thailand is the worlds hotbed of corruption in every way. So please don't be so 'narrow minded'

If you would rent a car in your own Country without getting obvious, pre-existing damage clearly documented then you will certainly run into the same situation there sometime. (Or were you the chap who rented the car with a less than full tank? Can't be bothered to read the whole thread again but the same applies).

It's clearly your own fault – not a scam nor anything to do with corruption.

Patrick

In this country Patrick ! we get the opportunity to walk around the car , point out any marks etc whilst the company rep carries a car outline chart, marking any damage already obvious, this is signed and checked when the car is returned. Any new marks ...........pay up...................Simple mate !

Q: Would Thailand become more of a 'democracy' than it is now with Thaksin at the helm?

A: No.

Q: Can the current coalition government lead by the Democrat Party lead to the country to some sort of reconciliation?

A: No.

The ongoing power struggle has left this country in shambles, it's not even funny. A real mess LOS has become. I believe something dramatic will happen in the 'not too distant future' that will change Thailand forever, and for the better. I can't tell you what it is, it's just a gut feeling I have.

Enough politics for today... Time for some EPL football! LATER.

I agree with you. Been saying so for a while. Famous for it.

As for the gut feeling, you are perceiving a lot of non-obvious things, this is how intuition works. I have the same feeling, something is approaching a denouement and I think I know what it is who will be gone.

Who says that Democracy is best for Thailand. I would'nt exactly call Singapore a democracy and just look at the wondeful position that they are in . Every man jack of them are contented with life in that beautiful place.

And i believe that Thaksin and Lee are good friends. If he were to come back and use Singapore as a template, Thailand would surely be the shining light of Asia.................. So maybe , just maybe !!

Not so.

But you don't believe what has been seen so no point in listing the good.

And certainly not a god send, but the lesser of many evils in comparison.

A large section of the downward spiral was with PPP at the helm, they set the stage,

and compared to how badly they dropped tha ball things have improved.

The Dems got the helm JUST as the world economy tanked..

PPP or PTP would be totally out of it's depth dealing with it....

It doesn't matter what I believe. Go talk to any Thai (barring hardcore Democrat and Thaksin supporters), chances are they will express dissatisfaction towards the current government. In fact one of the things I here most often is that the government spends too much time pursuing Thaksin instead of governing.

As far economics is concerned, I don't blame the current state on the Thai economy on the Democrats. With the global recession, it was bound to happen regardless of whoever is in power.

In my opinion the govt doesn't spend enough time pursuing Thaksin. If they did, he would be extradited and in jail by now or dealt with in a Mossadian sense. Of course, the greatest mistake in recent history was letting the bugger slip out, in the naive belief he would lay low and accept his dubious place in history with a bit of dignity, instead of trying his damndest to split it and drag it down into the gutter.

One of the main reasons Thailand does find itself in its current unenviable predicament is entirely because of the greed for power and wealth of the subject of this thread, both before and after his fall from grace. And just for the record, Thailand's fundamental credentials in important aspects of a functioning democracy were as bad, if not a whole lot worse, when it was the personal fiefdom of Mr T.

As for your comment "go talk to any Thai...........", all I can report is that the Thais I know cannot stand the man and realise now they made a great mistake in ever giving him the benefit of the doubt in voting him in to power in 2001. He literally has tried to ruin Thailand to feather his own nest, which anyone with a sense of history can see as plain as the red shirts on his drones' backs.

An old saying ...BIRDS OF A FEATHER....FLOCK TOGETHER

No one can deny Thailand has been in a downward spiral since the coup three years ago. What this country desperately needs is 'unity', but somehow I don't think that will happen any time soon.

Funny how some folks on here see the Democrat Party as being godsend. You really are blind aren't you? Perhaps being so anti-Thaksin has affected your better judgment. The Democrats are no better than Thaksin, if not worse. Like the previous Governments of Samak and Somchai, the Democrats haven't done diddly-squat since taking office. The only thing their capable of doing it seems, is the relentless pursuit of their political opponents; day in, day out. And to what end??

If the Democrats had any common sense, they'd focus their efforts on running the country. Let's face it: Thaksin is irrelevant; he's been shoved into a corner and has remained cornered for the past 3 years. Why not use this opportunity to impress those who have lost faith in your ability to govern? This country has plenty of problems waiting to be solved. The fact that the Democrats aren't doing their job, doesn't help improve ratings either. Keep this up, they can kiss their chances of being re-elected goodbye come next election.

You raise good points but why bother here, if the Burmese took over this mob would still scream it was better than Taksin as they were shoved to the exit gates.

The question was: "They accused me of not being loyal [to the monarchy], interfering in the media, the independent agencies and failing to solve problems in the three southern border provinces and causing national divisions. Today, are these problems getting solved and is there an improvement?"

The honest answer is no, nothing is being solved and nothing what so ever has improved, except maybe for the army budget. In fact the country is is a much worse condition and more divided, why lie about it and claim all is rosy? Really do need an "I hate Taksin" forum for this mob to vent their spleens daily rather than interject their inane propaganda fed BS into a news forum.

"I HATE THAKSIN" forum ..................amazing, what a good idea ! Come on Mods , it will then put all those mundane postings into one place so that those of us who want rational discussion can relax and not have to be involved in this incessant anti Thaksin drivel, its been going on for years.

Please please consider it, and thank you.

If Mr T was so good for the country can some one please explain why the powers to be eventually ousted him? He was pretty canny at putting as i see it all his people friends and relatives in top places..what happened?

Simple explanation there ...................They could just see that they were loosing their power basis and thats not for the big business end of town !!

It's a perfectly reasonable question really..!! Where is Thailand now..??

Agreed, when he was in power the economy was good and Thailand was ticking along quite nicely. However, forget the current economic climate around the world and surely everyone can see that since he has departed this place has gone into full meltdown.

Airport stormed and closed, political turmoil not seen for decades, an inept government (not democratically elected!). The list goes on and on.

Whether you like Thaksin or not, things (in my opinion) were a whole lot better when he was PM.

I laugh at the posts on here, "Thaksin is a criminal", "he's corrupt".. bla, bla, bla. Do you honestly believe that Thailand is in a better social state now..??

Yes, a few dodgy deals here and there, so what's unusual about that in Thai politics. Better the devil you know I say. It's just the elite of Thai society who wanted him out and as is normal they got their way. Money talks!

A lot of the posters on here need to get out of the bars and go and see the "real" Thailand. Ask around and see what the locals think about the state of their country now!!

Fully agree. Even though he was crooked and a thief, he has been consistently been the people's democratic choice (when they have been given a democratic choice). He has been tipped out twice by illegal (army coup) or unconstitutional (judicial coup) means. The real anti-democratic scoundrels are the ones who did the tipping out. And everyone in Thailand now knows who that was.

And so do the international community, which is why Thailand has no friends. For goodness' sake, even Burma, Cambodia and Laos look down their noses at Thailand these days. How are the once-mighty fallen.

MEANWHILE !! the PM jaunts off to USA expecting to be overwelmed by investment opportunities.........gotta be joking !

It's a perfectly reasonable question really..!! Where is Thailand now..??

Agreed, when he was in power the economy was good and Thailand was ticking along quite nicely. However, forget the current economic climate around the world and surely everyone can see that since he has departed this place has gone into full meltdown.

Airport stormed and closed, political turmoil not seen for decades, an inept government (not democratically elected!). The list goes on and on.

Whether you like Thaksin or not, things (in my opinion) were a whole lot better when he was PM.

I laugh at the posts on here, "Thaksin is a criminal", "he's corrupt".. bla, bla, bla. Do you honestly believe that Thailand is in a better social state now..??

Yes, a few dodgy deals here and there, so what's unusual about that in Thai politics. Better the devil you know I say. It's just the elite of Thai society who wanted him out and as is normal they got their way. Money talks!

A lot of the posters on here need to get out of the bars and go and see the "real" Thailand. Ask around and see what the locals think about the state of their country now!!

Well said CG...........would'nt it be great if they could all do that !

Fair enough Patrick, but your turn will come one day, then see how it feels.

And i hope it comes sooner rather than later.

You wish a stranger bad luck just so you can be proven right on an internet forum?

That takes a mighty small man.

Perhaps that is so , but how small a man was he .............Gloating over anothers misfortune

Come on guys!

I am not the "I love Thailand and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it" type; yes there are Scams here, but many of them can be avoided by using a bit of common sense.

Surely anyone who hires a car with known damage, or with a tank not completely full, without getting the situation fully documented is asking for trouble any anywhere in the world.

These cases are not Scams, you made an elementary mistake and simply want to find someone else to blame.

Patrick

Blame sombody else !!! Definately not Patrick but just letting others know so that they can be more aware than i was on my first visit. Due to the enviroment in my own country i was too relaxed into thinking that people would be the same as here. As i said, i soon learned that Thailand is the worlds hotbed of corruption in every way. So please don't be so 'narrow minded'

All pretty harmless and over the years I have become pretty skeptical and pay closer attention to things......

I had some ninor body work done on my new fortuner then about 6 months later my battery died and it was found that it had been swapped with a older one.......

Pay Attention in Thailand . Most honest people just dont expect thing like this to happen so they can.

I still love this country and most of it's people.

A battery ?? I'll see your battery and raise you a...

As posted at the time on another forum

No amount of lazy incompetant disorganised 'service with a smile' will ever surprise me in this country again.. And if an item has any safety aspect whatsoever then I can only advise to check check and triple check, all yourself, and never trust any shit eating grins or mai pen rai comments. Do not take anything as too stupid for them to do or too unbelievable for them to skip.

As I have mentioned in some of my posts I recently had my jeep all refurbed up.. Decided to take it round krabi and lanta and use it a bit more.. Had a great time touring about and today was returning from Ao Nang in Krabi.

Well one of the tasks that the mechanics did during the rebuild was to replace the windscreen.. So I am driving out in krabi, starting a leasurely return journey home planning to take all day. So me and her indoors are cruising along, about 50 - 60 mph or so and the winscreen just implodes !!! Now I have been in cars when the windscreen catches a high velocity stone and shatters but stays in place, this was nothing like that this was an almighty bang then flying shards of mental razor sharp glass !! I caught one in the cheek which sliced in but lucked out considering the possibilities. Spinner again luckily was 100% not a scratch. I had some minor nicks at scalp level and sliced my ankle stopping the car under control so blood started to flow. The jeep only has these convex mirrors so I was having a hard time assessing how injured I was, spinner FREAKs out, crying and wailing, looking at me like I am hanging apart, standard 3rd world brass panic reaction !! Not helping thanks love.. I have blood streaming down my face, on my shirt, in my mouth, spitting lots of foamy blood, I take my hand away from my cheek and it seems like a lot of blood (its not bad in truth) welling up out of this hole but the combo of accident, blood, and most of all not being able to know how bad I was hurt did give me the shakes and dry heaves for a second of two as I pulled my shit together.. Knowing your cut and bleeding (face especially) but unable to know how bad it is or what your reaction and course of action should be was the real kicker !!

Anyway it takes me a second but then I twig whats happened.. The ****ing mechanic muppet has put a piece of plate glass in as a replacement windscreen !!! For the last 1000 miles I have been sitting open eyed and facing a goddamn timebomb. When I consider the possible injuries, sliced face, lost eyes, jugular and other arteries etc it just boggles the mind. I mean hes a mechanic, he has to have known !! He must have just gone down the glass shop and asked for the cheapest bit of plate glass they had.. I will lay money on thats how it worked out !!! I assume he knew the danger that meant to me, as a child would know that whole issue.

Of course as I realize this, is at a time that heart is pumping, adrenalin was flushing through the system, and I was injured.. The thought of choking the little bastard for the risk he put me under was high on my 'things to do list' and I was having a bit of a rage reaction.. Now I have had some time to calm down I doubt I will do anything other than give him a firm verbal roasting but he deserves a cuff round the head in my book, of course the way Thais work is all no confrontation, no anger etc.. No wonder nothing gets solved or done !! Things like this just are another symptom of why Phuket Air dropped off the radar and are blacklisted all over, it will be ok, mai pen rai.

Anyway, we are out of the tourist zone somewhere between Karabi and Phang Nga, a Thai fella on a bike stops and says that the local doctor / medicine man is up the road but I didnt much fancy having it messed with and maybe sewn up by the local witch doctor in ****knowsaburi.. Considered turning back for Krabi hospital but thought sod it.. By the time I did that and messed around finding it I would be wasting the whole day and Phuket was only a couple of hours away.. So I clamped a rag to my face and drove (in the rain) back from krabi with no windscreen.. Quite an trek in a slow jeep with stinging rain and a cut face.

Once we get back on the island I made a wasted journey to the hospital.. The cut had closed and being a glass cut was very clean slice, so by keeping real firm pressure on it for the first hour it sealed pretty tight already and from what I could see had closed up all nice and pretty clean. I had sorted in my mind to just get some paper stiches (setures ??) to keep it closed and it would be fine. When I get to the hospital I explain all this to the first medic / nurse and his instant reaction is to open the wound and look how deep it is / assess it.. I understand this, but it had closed nice and clean and I didnt want him breaking it open and increasing the scar etc.. Despite me clearly saying not to reopen the wound in he kept coming in to do exactly that, over and over hes just smiling and reaching in with 2 hands to grab both sides and I even had to grab his hand as he was just going to do it while smiling and agreeing. Then had the same story with the doc attempting to open it and who wanted to real stitch it.. I debated this with him and had a close look myself in a mirror (at last) and decided against letting him local me and muck about. Doctors the world over dont like being debated or having thier opinion challenged as I guess it challenges thier authority but then you get a Thai for whom thats also a social no no and where most Thais just will agree anything the doctor says because hes the 'official' and he kinda got the **** with me and left. I guess he was thinking awkward bloody farangs always think they know better so all in all I paid a grand to argue with a doctor for 10 mins but I had some paper setures slapped on there and it fells nice and tight / closed now.. Just take care not to re open it for a few days and I am pretty sure I made the right call.. Not the first time I have had my boat race split and I somehow doubt it will be the last.

Still mad at the mechanic, still not sure how much I should let myself lose it when I give my safety education speech !!! Thais are great people for sanuk.. Great people for sabai time.. But some things they are worse than useless at !!

Anyone know a good car window fitter ??

incompetance is not a scam .

is there any othe reason to visit los other than its party atmosphere?

In your limited mind ............probably not !

Hello, does anyone know where I can buy a snake in Bangkok as a pet (or turtles)? Are there any pet shops or markets where I can find reptiles? I went to the Chatachuk market but only saw dogs and cats.

Have you tried your local "Ladyboy bar"

Come on guys!

I am not the "I love Thailand and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it" type; yes there are Scams here, but many of them can be avoided by using a bit of common sense.

Surely anyone who hires a car with known damage, or with a tank not completely full, without getting the situation fully documented is asking for trouble any anywhere in the world.

These cases are not Scams, you made an elementary mistake and simply want to find someone else to blame.

Patrick

Fair enough Patrick, but your turn will come one day, then see how it feels.

And i hope it comes sooner rather than later.

1) Hired a car on Samui at Cheong Mon.

When i took the car (leaving my passport) i brought it to their attention, that the fuel guage was only three quarter full. The man said thats ok, he would make a note for when i brought it back ! I brought it back with tank three quarter full. They said that i had to bring it back full, "like it was when i took it" the man was gone and a lady now in charge !

I had to fill the tank before i could get my passport back.

One lesson learned !

2) Hired a bungalow for 4 days on Samui. Almost immediately we found that the gas had run out. Called the owner who called the gas man who then charged me for a new gas bottle, when i refused to pay, he called the police who made me pay him.( the owner was nowhere to be seen) The day i left i saw the owner changing my full gas bottle with a probably near empty one from his house, almost as soon as i was leaving the entrance !

They just cannot help themselves can they ? How about making this a topic for all who have been scammed to report on.

You're asking for trouble by leaving your passport. If a credit card imprint isn't enough for them, move on.

Yes i know, it makes me "shudder" to think about it. However it was my first visit, i have been 6 times since and wo'nt even consider letting my P/P out of my sight.

They just cannot help themselves can they ?

It looks that way, every possible chance to get one over on the tourist seems to be exploited.

I know that tank would have been empty by the time I checked out if this happened to me.

Yes mate, like i said "lesson learned"..................If it happens again i will definately empty the gas bottle before i leave

Getting one is normally not a problem but getting more may be as the reason they issue the first is so that you can extend your stay in Thailand.

Many thanks, that is why I could not find much about the single entry 90 days.. So Perth it will have to be then

Why the "windy city" Is it closer to BKK than Brisbane ?

"udonfarang52, you seem so quick to anger"

It would be much better if you kept you personal opinions to yourself.I do not get angry,no need to.i have been coming to Thailand for 40 years,settled here 5 years ago.

i am simply defending hard working volunteers,who give a great deal of there time,to assist those in need ,be it,Thai or farang.

get your priorities right!!!

A while ago i was lost and confused at a bus station, quite unable to get reasonable help from any Thai, when i spotted a farang tourist policeman. What a relief as he was so helpful.

Yes they should be respected as there definately a place for them.

1) Hired a car on Samui at Cheong Mon.

When i took the car (leaving my passport) i brought it to their attention, that the fuel guage was only three quarter full. The man said thats ok, he would make a note for when i brought it back ! I brought it back with tank three quarter full. They said that i had to bring it back full, "like it was when i took it" the man was gone and a lady now in charge !

I had to fill the tank before i could get my passport back.

One lesson learned !

2) Hired a bungalow for 4 days on Samui. Almost immediately we found that the gas had run out. Called the owner who called the gas man who then charged me for a new gas bottle, when i refused to pay, he called the police who made me pay him.( the owner was nowhere to be seen) The day i left i saw the owner changing my full gas bottle with a probably near empty one from his house, almost as soon as i was leaving the entrance !

They just cannot help themselves can they ? How about making this a topic for all who have been scammed to report on.

The most disgusting part of all of this, is that this guy wasn't operating alone. Obviously those staff members were not going after Thais. The question remains where did they get the phone numbers from?

They weren't just randomly dialing hoping to get a farang on the line. They were probably sold a list of phone numbers from someone.

Last year I was getting a lot of phonecalls from investment companies. I'm fairly certain the only organization that had my number was my bank. The purple one.

I hope someone would run down this side of the equation, but I really doubt it will ever happen.

I wonder if they all have got work permits ? No mention of that is there.

Thanks for this story. I've been looking for investments and I'll stay away from these local deals. As soon as I get that really big deposit from that nice Nigerian guy, I am going to invest some of it!

WOW ! Scott, i think the same guy is trying to help me too. And he has invited me over to Nigeria to meet him, exciting ain't it !

From what I have read, I am led to believe that the filmclip in question was made by a Thai film production company. The Thai film company own the copyright and sold certain rights to a foreign production company.

Right or wrong?

Black Sheep productions doesnt sound very Thai to me ?? You ??

Are you sure that its not the "All Black Sheep Company".....................if so, i just think i could throw some light on their origins!