Daveyh

I think the only factor that will increase injuries & fatalities on the road is the number of new registrations for cars & motorbikes each year. The more traffic, the more congestion, the more accidents leading to a higher road toll of injuries & death. Thai's have a "love affair" with cars & motorbikes ...... this, mixed with their "care free" attitude, contempt for the law & police, the chaotic road system & signs etc etc, plus overloaded vehicles & "passenger pickups" with 20+ students in the back unprotected, the carnage will only continue unabated ........... fact.

Driving during the day is hazardous enough, but night time scares the "<deleted> out of me". No lights especially is my biggest fear ........... so many idiots drive without lights. It's the mentality which will never change ......... Thai's do not maintain anything properly, especially their own property.

Another example of the mindset of locals towards tourists who come to Thailand to enjoy Thai hospitality .......... this is very common in the bars & any "new" girlfriend suggesting you take her to a bar for the evening is probably working a scam. These ladies are all in cahoots & will bleed you dry given the chance  ............ it's dog eat dog when they meet unsuspecting tourists ........ fact of life here. 

It certainly does need controlling here & therefore contained. I'm against the extension of hours for all alcoholic sales. A similar system to other civilized countries would be more acceptable, it keeps these "extended hours" establishments only in designated areas & it is really all that is required where it can be policed for everyone's wellbeing & safety ................. an "open house" system should not be encouraged as it affects the quality of life most of the general public who keep to regular hours. I have seen so much widespread alcohol abuse in all walks of life here ......... local whisky is so cheap & available everywhere, even 7/11's, so extension of hours should not be encouraged. Let's just keep to the normal hours & extensions granted on a licensed basis ........... locals do not need their master's encouragement to drink more. They should have a plan to curb it not encourage it ...... fact. Those that become dependent on drink need help, it's a drug which destroys lives. You ruin other peoples lives as well as your own, your family & the wellbeing of other's too by being an alcoholic. In moderation it is fine ...... but don't get dependent on it! Once hooked the only "way home" is a journey through hell dragging all your loved one's with you. It needs controlling & the "jingle" of cash registers should not be the first consideration ...... people do matter.

Yup, mainly "gawkers" not spending a penny. The venues are trying to survive as best they can, also it's evident that too many Chinese & Indians wish to look inside these venues for free, but that been knocked on the head by the "500 baht" entry tokens which entitle you to a drink, plus a lady drink & company for one hour. Definitely a struggle to survive for most businesses in WS there's no doubt about that ............ gone are the days when tourists from Europe flashed their money around like millionaires for a month. Soi Bukhaow has definitely taken over for europeans & expats ..... think Walking Street will eventually disappear all together.

Shocking & it happens too often on these visa trips ..... money, money, money ..... rush, rush, rush! GPS is fine, but any results can be corrupted too easily. The govt should control this type of visa service transport by installing official govt. tachometers in these vehicles, which record daily driving hours, plus mandatory rest periods recorded on paper graphs. These can be checked by highway police at any check point or police stop. Heavy fines should be imposed & jail time added on for repeated offenders. All vehicles should be properly licensed to carry out this service & given special number plates for identification purposes by police ............ most of these vehicles do not have the proper insurance to carry "fare paying" passengers. 

The big bikes have now added to the risks we take everyday on the roads here. Thai's are not really ready for powerful machines as the mindset here is "me first" & 'look at me", hence flashy fast bikes are going to cause carnage on the roads for many that drive too fast & lose control. Driving whilst drunk will also speed up these "fast bike riders" demise, but they most certainly will take others with them. It scares the shit out of me when they roar past ....... the roads & infrastructure do not lend themselves to fast riding or driving. Road signs are invariably uninformative, ignored & unlit at night, road layouts are too complicated & not user friendly at all as most roads are badly in need of repair, coupled with the fact driving along roads with no lights at night or just ignoring roadwork signs by driving through them, traveling the wrong way against the traffic etc etc just adds to the mayhem on the roads. These big bikes are becoming too popular & easily affordable to most young Thai's now & any new laws will never catch up with present laws to control it .......... even though they are talking about new tests for super bikes (don't hold your breath). It'll never happen as nothing ever does here. It's a certainty that the road toll will increase with the arrival of these fast machines ........ my only hope is that I'll be able to dodge all these idiots on bikes weaving in & out of traffic, but each time I venture out it's a nightmare, especially at peak periods when everyone is in a hurry. However, going out these days in Pattaya is so congested that it forces me to stay close to home now & safer too! Drive safely folks. 

On 8/3/2019 at 9:40 AM, RotMahKid said:

All (Thai) politicians lie as standard. so what do you expect them to tell you?

Sorry mate  ............... you've got it completely wrong! All people lie here, even the "nearest & dearest" ..... fact.

Ah! ......... retirement? After 18yrs in retirement here I still love waking up to a brand new day. Over the years I've learnt to cope with the BS, the lies, the corruption & most things that give Thailand a bad name. My retirement is what I make it & I just don't allow anything to disturb my way of life at all. If you cannot adjust to the mindset here then you really have a problem & perhaps Thailand is not for you.

I do my retirement visa once a year, report every 90 days & the rest of the year I just enjoy every day to the full. The noise, the traffic & all the other distractions that reminds you every day that you are in Asia are part of life here. Unless you lock yourself away in your condo with videos you can not possibly escape it, so the only way to retire here successfully is to accept it & chill out. Yes, somedays it does get a bit much, so that's the day to lock yourself away, refresh & prepare for next day or until you are ready to face the chaos again!. Every day is yours to do whatever you want & the best thing about life here is "no one messes with you". Just live the life & enjoy every retirement day ......... after all it really is a bonus for the over 70's! It is for me anyways. I'm way past my sell by date ..... take care & mind how you go.

Getting your haircut here is as bad as any other service here. You'll never be able to keep the same person as they are either on holiday, moved away, changed jobs, sick or eating. I find it a nightmare here doing anything as it is always tinged its Thainess & complications. Haircutting in particular is a risk here ...... telling them what you want & what you actually get are never the same. It's as if they do what they want "because they know better". My last haircut was way too short, but the hairdresser just said "it looks better" ...... hence once you are in the chair you are at their mercy.

Now, I just have a short haircut once a year before Songkran as my hair growth is slow & it's grown long enough to cope with the winter months come November ........... a lot less stressful for me. 

Get use to it because it will never change. Tourists will always pay more, a fact of life here in Thailand ....... forget about equal rights, fair play & actions of a racist nature ...... complaining will not do you any good. There is no logic, so don't even try to understand the "rules & regulations" here. If you argue it can end badly & Thai jails are not know for their hospitality. If you do ride a bike here, be sure you have a valid license, be sure you have additional medical insurance (this can be purchased locally) for the duration of your stay, be sure you wear a helmet & stay safe. Don't argue with police let your insurance agent deal with it if you happen to have an accident (they are usually "on the spot" very quickly).   

On 7/5/2019 at 7:30 PM, Lenny Jones said:

Only one reason.

 

Thai baht too strong

 

It's not rocket science General - - - - - The tourists are getting better value in your cheaper neighbour's holiday spots.

Agreed ............ won't be long now before the expats here are a distant memory. Many are already leaving from the dark side. The tourists will stop coming albeit the Chinese hordes will continue along with more corruption. It's the "fat cats" making the money here, not the John Doe on the street .... fact. It's always been a con here, but as long as you knew your way around it was fun ....... now it's ruthless & the little businesses have no chance. Gotta be mafia involvement or the top dogs doing it ....... just look where all the buses go! Go figure ;-)

13 hours ago, coppywriter said:

OP if you have been here on a retirement extension for 20 years, why are you keeping 800,000 bht in the bank. Back then it was much less and was grandfathered, surely.

Always used a Letter of Income from British Embassy. Now it's been stopped without any consideration for pensioners, hence the problem. 

22 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Not unlike ordering a baby to write Shakespeare. 

 

Asking Thais to suddenly become Japanese (only when behind the wheel) is a ridiculous ask. The Japanese are polar opposites of the Thai. Japanese actually respect and care about each other. 

I fully agree with your post ......... in every aspect infact! I think the most pertinent point was about caring for each other.  I really think you "nailed it" ............ it's where the thinking must start to change the "blinkered" mindset here to have any impact. It's all about "me first" at this point in time here, which must change otherwise all the efforts by the minority will continue to be ignored. Caring is such an important part of being a well rounded human being, sadly it is somehow absent, hence the chaos here .......... fact.

I think if you are exmilitary it's bound to help you settle in quickly anywhere you choose. I chose Thailand because as long as you keep your visa current no one messes with you. I do find even the 90 reporting a chore these days, but a small price to pay for complete freedom. I was here during 1964 & even then I knew it was a place to retire, hence I just sold everything in the UK & been here ever since.

On 1/11/2019 at 10:55 AM, gamini said:

How similar  May and Trump are, both behaving like spoilt children who can't get their way. Trump threatening closures of the government if they don't build his "pet" wall. Likewise, May threatening chaos of a no deal brexit if Parliament doesn't pass her "pet" deal

Democracy is well & truly "out the window" in all governments worldwide today. Not one politician to my knowledge has ever fully delivered on their promises, especially the UK goverment. Their behaviour to the general public in the UK is appalling. They are a bunch of squabbling kids that stamp their feet when they can't have what they want! It's all hot air in government today with the promises they make. Most are in government to "feather their own nests". Whatever they think is what you get ............ a sad fact of life today.

Can't see why they built this ......... the "Rompho" market complex is very similar & in need of a urgent facelift. My visits of late show that everything connected to the "bar scene" is in decline & dying a death in Jomtien. If Pattaya city is suffering, which it is badly, then it's only a indication that bars are living on borrowed time. Christmas Period was different as it is every year, but the visitors frequenting the bars were mostly from "eastern block" countries for the holidays. It will drop off dramatically mid Jan guaranteed. Blame the influx of Chinese, Indians, plus all the Asian visitors that are made welcome here with "free visas" on "zero package" tours that do not want or can afford this type of entertainment period ......... give them more 7/11's as that is the only venue they frequent for all their daily needs ............ fact

There is no cheaper charlie than a Thai! ................. Com'on guys get real. When it comes to paying bills on a night out rest assured you'll be expected to pay. It's also expected that we give all our savings away to a complete stranger & their family if you become romantically involved .......... "it is what it is" here! You just try getting your money back afterwards when you have paid for something, or loaned money in good faith etc .......... it just ain't gonna happen. I think it's a ploy to try & embarrass us into giving money away. They have learned our weaknesses & play on them. There is no such thing here as a "Cheap Charlie", especially with the rate of exchange being what it is today ....... fact. Rising costs here are becoming unacceptable for some ....... don't expect any local help when financial issues become reality.

Another terrible tragedy here in Thailand. Shocking that he killed his own children! I've been retired here now for 18yrs & during that time I've only one real male acquaintance. With him, even today, I have to be very careful with what I say & be constantly aware that if I speak out of turn it can cause an immediate confrontation, hence I could never call him a real friend. I've seen it so often here when anger turns to extreme violence ......... the mindset here with Thai males is flashpoint & you'll never see it coming unless you have experienced it in the past. I think generally that most Thai's have this "loss of face" mindset & part of their culture, farang's therefore must be aware of this to avoid any form of confrontation. There are many types of Thai smiles ............. just make sure you know the one's that are friendly. Thailand is called "The Land of Smiles" for a reason ........ take care everyone.