MrJohnson

As with most other things, the wife is right!

My guess he was tail-gating at  high speed.  Very common here.

16 hours ago, CLW said:

16 hours ago, MrJohnson said:

To be honest, I've been using the BTS as a commuter since its inception almost 20 years ago and I think it has/is working quite well for what it is. OK, during peak hours it is quite crowded but it generally runs on time, it is clean, safe, relatively affordable and comfortable. The glitch of a few weeks ago could have happened anywhere in the world. I've had plenty of delays and cancellations on the tube system in London, the underground in NYC and don't even get me started on the rail system in Sydney.

But the reasons and the way it is handled is typically Thai

Well what exactly do you expect it to be? Korean, Japanese, German?

To be honest, I've been using the BTS as a commuter since its inception almost 20 years ago and I think it has/is working quite well for what it is. OK, during peak hours it is quite crowded but it generally runs on time, it is clean, safe, relatively affordable and comfortable. The glitch of a few weeks ago could have happened anywhere in the world. I've had plenty of delays and cancellations on the tube system in London, the underground in NYC and don't even get me started on the rail system in Sydney.

7 minutes ago, jaltsc said:

Vietnam strictly enforces their laws, and there is no tea money. Get caught driving drunk. Lose your vehicle for an extended period and pay a hefty fine. The main reason you see everyone who rides a motor bike wearing a helmet is that they get fined 10 times the amount of the helmet if they are caught without one.  It has nothing to do with morals. It's about safety, and it appears that Vietnam values the lives of its citizens more than Thailand values Thai lives. 

Good post. The problem in Thailand is that there is neither carrot nor stick when it comes to law enforcement. Hence the level of  corruption, road carnage and the rest.

Thoughts and prayers.

I thought he was in the run and not in the country

17 hours ago, notasmartassknowitallfarag said:

Can someone please advise me? 

 

I am starting a new job in BKK in a month. My work is close enough to the Victory Monument area. 

 

I was thinking of renting near Thong Lor or Ekkamai. I would probably get the BTS at around 6:30 am and return around 4:00 pm.

 

Is it madness to live further away from work and rely on that BTS service? 

 

I'd be living over in Aree instead of Ekamai or Thonglor. If the BTS breaks down and you are at Ekamai or Thonglor it will take a long time to get to VM. Aree is just up the street a few blocks.

On 6/20/2018 at 1:04 PM, Kwasaki said:

If it terrifies you why let them go ?

Well that is a good question. I don't want to deprive them of the experience. Touch wood all has been well so far and they don't go that often, once or twice a year.  As I said in my post, all buses have seat belts and drivers regularly drug and alcohol tested, but that doesn't stop them having to be on the road with all the lunatics. What is your strategy? Are you worried?

It's time to get out of Dodge. Do you really want to go through the hassle of some kind of police or judicial process. This leopard is not going to change its stripes. Get out while you still can.

20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

I completely disagree. You may like fresh and simple food. And there is nothing wrong with that. But, it simply represents one style of food preparation. 

 

There are countless cities that take their food and their customers very seriously, have the talent both in the kitchen, and in the staff, to back it up, and bring alot to the table. Not the same in any city. That is utter nonsense. You just cannot compare Bangkok, to the great cities of the world, or even to a city like Seattle, Kansas City, Dallas, Miami, Auckland or even a city like Ontario, when it comes to wine service. Those cities have staff that are infinitely more knowledgable than in Bangkok, when it comes to wine service. Unless you are eating at the Four Seasons, The Peninsula, The Shanrgi La, The Banyan Tree, and a few other top hotels in Bangkok, and perhaps a handful of restaurants, more than likely you will not find a really good sommelier who knows the wine well, and has the wine list to back up a claim to good wine service. And even if you do find that, I good Chatuauneuf du Pape, like a 2001 or a 2005 Domaine du Clos du Caillou Reserve, would set you back 75,000 baht. In the states I can find that wine for $350, or $600 in a good restaurant. 

 

In other cities, the sommeliers are constantly mixing with others in their profession, tasting great wines daily, attending great tastings, and are afforded a level of access someone in Bangkok simply would not have, due to the stunningly high duties here, and the backward, ignorant, despotic, churlish, nonsensical, fearful, antiquated, protectionist, non-visionary wine policy this inept government has here. 

Yes, points well made Mike. An unfortunate generalization on my part.

10 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

Red wine with oysters? ?

i think it is the red with the wagyu and perhaps a nice, crisp white with the oysters.

Zebra crossings are purely ornamental!

16 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Especially when you take into account both wine service, and wine prices. I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have 100 bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. 

The entire country is suffering from declining Western tourism. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend.

Nice post. There are so many wannabe and pretender restaurants in  Bangkok, mostly at the high end. There is a kind of rent-a-crowd of fickle, no-nothing-about-food hi-so in this city. Fortunately, there is also a glut of affordable, tasty Thai food. And Forget about good, affordable wine. Wine is  over-priced because of taxes, then it is poorly stored and served and handled by folks that wouldn't know a chardonnay from a glass of vinegar.

56 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Except that in this case, and so many others, it's not as simple as that, there are consequences!  Didn't you read the article that said he had been arrested and charged?

I read the article but it will come to nothing. If nobody is 'encouraging' the police to pursue the case it will go nowhere.

4 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

What the coup was all about all along. 

All part of the grand plan.

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

Well, you get what you vote for ?

Only if you get to vote

the only that surprises me about this figure is that it isn't higher!