josephbloggs

On 12/14/2023 at 1:58 PM, nana kid said:

Thank you all for your info...............I am OLD+ so B class is necessary.  Thai .right now , is the cheapest; 

But Emirates, which is not too much more, is probably 2 grades up.  but 2 shorter flights with a layover 

vs, direct     eat/sleep/eat is the choice to make

I'm not a TG basher - I don't mind them generally. But Emirates business class is soooo much better. Much better service on board, better aircraft (assuming you're on the A380 - their older 777s are not recommended), infinitely better lounges. Plus you get picked up and dropped off at each end of your journey.

Personally I prefer doing the two shorter flights with a short break in-between, but for others flying direct is important.

8 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Looking at the state of that airplane, this airline will probably only be serving the Chinese market, lol.

And then they'll wonder why there are so few Chinese tourists coming...

Nope. An ATR 72-500 is not flying to China - maybe the very very southern cities but anywhere else is well out of its range. More likely to be serving Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, maybe Northern Malaysia.

On 12/18/2023 at 9:41 AM, thailand49 said:

Oh yes Ive been although I dont live in Bangkok been in Thailand close to 20 years, aside from all the citing you do seen it first hand is so why are the people complaining.

Have you seen the sanitation where it goes, are the sidewalk still walkable, is the traffic on Sukhumvit better, is the air cleaner, can you drink the water, had it stop flooding,  has the corruption been reduced is the education system better, or maybe you are blinded in your isolated life because outside of it Thai people arent happy. What you cite like in Pattaya is location where tourist and masses can see how much improved but overall it hasnt there isnt a masterplan it is still ala carte.

So you don't live here, therefore you can make blanket statements like "No infractrure to improve people lives." [sic] and then double down when I point out there's been a huge and impressive amount of infrastructure development in the time I've been here. From 0kms of electrified mass transit in 1995 to around 300kms today, to around 540kms in another 5-6 years.

Have you seen the sanitation where it goes: No, I don't follow it after it hits my toilet.

are the sidewalk still walkable: Yes, when they have them. Better in some areas than others.

is the traffic on Sukhumvit better: yes.

is the air cleaner: yes (outside of burning times when the whole country suffers)

can you drink the water: yes

had it stop flooding: generally yes, much much improved over the last 10 years with major drainage tunnels built under the city. Still get localised flooding in some areas after torrential downpours but it clears fairly quickly these days.
has the corruption been reduced: no, although I would say it is less conspicuous than it was in the Thaksin and earlier days.

is the education system better: probably not

We also have more parks (more added in the last 6 years than in the previous 25). It is no-where close to London for green space but it has been improved.

Anyway, I live here, you don't. I see huge amounts of infrastructure development and I benefit from it, you don't. Bangkok is by no means perfect but the improvements over the years have been amazing. So I would rather go with what I see with my own eyes than listen to someone who doesn't live here who says there has been no infrastructure development. Thank you.

4 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

A personal favorite of mine is when they situate the roadblock / checkpoint right after a blind bend in the road, with no advance warning signs of course.

Yeah, what they should do is have it well announced with plenty of warning signs in advance so everyone knows there is an alcohol check coming up. Genius.

On 12/16/2023 at 9:06 AM, thailand49 said:

That is why it is just one septic tank as noted it is too late to start need to fix the corruption cause money allow any one to do as they please just do and build as you like no master plan no oversight with any power. While trillions are budgeted each years roads so they can drive fadter to kill themselves 

No infractrure to improve people lives.

Have you actually been to Bangkok? There's been more infrastructure development in the last ten years than in the 50 years preceding it. Very few cities globally have built such an extended system in such a short space of time. Drainage is massively improved, roads improved, underground electricity and communication cables in major streets, 2,000 electric busses on the streets with more ordered.

Bangkok has always been sprawling and messy but saying there has been no infrastructure development just makes me think you don't live here or have never been.

Bangkok mass transit in 1995 (when I arrived) didn't exist.

Bangkok mass transit in 1999:
 

In 2004:

 

In 2030 (and a lot of this exists already):

 

2 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I registered my passport in the past to use the automatic gates in and out. I have PR. And a new passport. Do we still have to register to go in and out of the country or not? 

I believe anyone with an e-passport that enters after the 15th can leave with the new automatic gates as the incoming IO adds your fingerprints and passport scan to the system so it can recognise you on the way out and cross check your visa status etc.

It remains to be seen if people who are already in the country on long term visas can use the e-gates when they leave or not. It would be great if the first person who tries it can post here. Don't think I'm leaving the country for the next 3-4 weeks at least. Logically I think we should be able to use them as our fingerprint and biometric passports are already in the system, but that's just a guess.

23 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

Eh? 

 

They are still using the buses even though capacity is not maxed at the moment. 

Either a super budget airline or a TG flight that is transitioning from international to domestic, or vice versa: they have to park on remote stands. It is not "boondoggle to keep the busses running".

Just now, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

It's a typical Thai boondoggle to keep the bus company making money. 

 

Someone influencial owns the buses.

Absolute nonsense. They already said when the new satellite terminal fully opens there'll be enough capacity to not need bus gates anymore. (I think they'll still need them for flights that have landed internationally and will next fly domestically - and vice versa)

On 12/13/2023 at 11:09 PM, greeneking said:

Another wasted opportunity. They did all the promotion but forgot to taste check what the consumers would think.

Thailand does not need more average beer. Better quality ingredients and brewing and 10 baht more expensive could be a winner.

So you think Carabao - which has built up a billion dollar drinks brand and has invested hundreds of millions in to this one - just makes up a drink in a new category and dumps it on the market without any research? Seriously?

If you want to compete in the Thai mass market an extra 10 baht a bottle would kill your business immediately.

I love the posters on here thinking they know better than the people who have built billion dollar companies. Why not send them an email and tell them of your ideas, I am sure they would appreciate it.

11 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Of course it is. What complete rubbish. Why do they keep pushing this absolute nonsense. 

What? Who is pushing what here?

Quote

I wonder where turducken comes in on this list?

Hopefully it is too bland to even make the list. Yuck.

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Just heard an ad on radio for the new Honda HRV.....................no key, no fob, nothing to lose.....all done from your phone.

What if you lose or get your phone nicked. Up 5hit Creek without a paddle!

I have a car that doesn't open from my phone but I have a fob that needs to be in my pocket or on my person. What if I lose my fob? Up 5hit creek without a paddle!

What is the difference exactly? Except in my case I need to carry two things in my pocket (fob and phone) instead of one.

 

8 hours ago, grain said:

The only law of Thailand you need be concerned about is it's always the foreigners fault. If you had of stayed in your own damn country this would never have happened. I'm not pulling your leg here, that is the mindset

Bore off with this rubbish. Absolutely untrue and just repeated by bitters on here who know nothing.

How many times have you had the above happen to you? Never.

I have been in a pretty big accident. Not my fauly but the Thai guy tried to blame me. The police listened to both accounts and took my side. My friend had a motorbike smash a couple of weeks ago. The police listened to both accounts and took his side.

Serious, I wish people would stop posting absolute <deleted> without evidence.

Quote

Thai cops and authorities have actually stated this often.

Have they, have they really?? I've been here 28 years and have never heard it. But you say they've said this often, so please provide a link. If you don't have a link then just crawl back in your box, be quiet, and stop posting paranoid anti-Thai rubbish.
 

59 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

 

The average range of an ICE vehicle according to industry figures, is 320-640 kilometres, so that must be a relatively uncommon ICE vehicle. I've owned many and none had a range anywhere near 1,000km. Most had a range of between 450 and 650 km, depending on whether I was doing urban or motorway driving.

 

Anyway, there are already a number of EV's with a range of 1,000km or thereabouts (I've posted about some of them on other threads) and while they might not become the norm (just as 1,000 km range ICE vehicles are not the norm) I suspect EV's doing 650 km or more on a full charge (like the BYD Seal, for example) will soon be common.

Yep. My petrol car does around 480 km on a full tank. (50 litre tank)

A smelly rattly Fortuner does maybe 800kms at the absolute maximum. If the poster can do 1,000kms it will be a really nasty diesel box of some sort and who would want to drive more than 100kms in one of those. Is he really driving 1,000kms without stopping? That is ludicrous really.

No matter what I am driving after 300kms I need a break. After 300kms in a Fortuner I would have a headache so would need a longer stop.

 

I really sympathise with the OP as it is a horrible position to be in and he is obviously a caring and compassionate man that wants to do the right thing to alleviate the suffering of his dog no matter how difficult or upsetting it might be to do. Full sympathy and I wish you the best.

However, please be careful. Euthanising a dog yourself is a criminal offence in Thailand even if you are doing it for the best of reasons, and no doubt that you are.

So, not being preachy, just informing you of something to be mindful of. It would certainly make me think twice, as if someone sees it or is upset by it and informs authorities you could be in a whole lot of trouble - criminal trouble, not civil trouble.

On 12/11/2023 at 9:34 AM, proton said:

Family is looking for a travel agent for tours in Europe from Thailand, google only seems to bring up agents doing tours inside Thailand, not abroad. They are thinking of either Switzerland or Italy, possibly Turkey as no visa for there. Any recommendations ?

Here: https://www.dtctravel.com/

Run by an English guy called Tom, I have known him for years. He can help you with anything. Sorted out a complete itinerary in Japan for me when I knew absolutely nothing about the country, and also he sorted me a three week trip to Brazil a few years ago - recommended places to go I had never heard of and they were wonderful, and everything sorted for us. I can definitely recommend him.

Edit: Of course he also has Thai staff if your family prefer to talk to someone in Thai.

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

When you use terms such as ridiculous, nonsensical and far-fetched, I have this mental image of a Colonel Blimp, indignantly spluttering into his sherry in the officer's bar. Apologies if that is not you.

It's not me, I don't really like sherry.

2 hours ago, LikeItHot said:

I used to make sure they would see me looking at my watch when I had repeat short sessions.  I only go for two hours and I have noticed some girls go half speed on a double length session so that's another scam.  I found a very good shop recently and they set a timer just before starting and give a solid two hour session.  Not worth arguing over. There are plenty of shops around.  A few weeks ago I requested two hours at a shop I had had good sessions with routinely.  A new girl spent 30 whole minutes trying to dislodge my kidneys from their appropriate position and the same very annoying song was on a loop.  I just got up tossed down 300 baht and walked out.  I won't be back. Spent the next two days in agony.  My body my choice. 

Wow, this forum never ceases to amaze me. The pettiness, the bitterness, the stinginess.

You have one body. If you need it all massaging in an hour they need to get a move on. If you want the same body massaging in two hours then they need to go slower, don't they?

Throwing down money and storming out is pretty pathetic and pitiful. And people like you complain the Thais are not smiley and friendly - it's because they dread to see you walk through the door.

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Excuse me, you need to stop frothing at the mouth. I am not the poster who got into an argument with you about renting EV's.

In point of fact, I may rent one when I am in Oz, just for the experience.

I was hardly frothing at the mouth, but apologies if I mixed up my replies.