farangUSA

My guess is he was wearing a helmet. From the looks of the hole in the windshield, an N95 mask would not have offered much protection.

On 3/1/2020 at 5:31 PM, Katherinep said:

Choosing to fill the bags yourself and help the cashier out sounds like a nice thing to do. I would personally choose to fill the bags myself so i can arrange the items in bag the way its easier for me to carry.

I think it is nice thing to do as well, however the end game is total self service/ checkout with Thai jobs lost and you performing the tasks without pay traditionally performed by the cashier.

On 2/19/2020 at 1:34 PM, bbi1 said:

" I am curious if you choose to fill your bag and assist the cashier? Traditionally this is done by the store employee. Moreover, I see this as taking a job away from a Thai citizen and a violation of the terms of my retirement." - NEVER EVER fill your own bag. It's the cashier's job. You never know if an undercover IO is standing in the queue behind you waiting to bust you for illegally volunteering without a work permit.

Let's hope that doesn't happen and probably won't.

https://mashable.com/2016/02/05/bridge-club-pattaya/

Thank you for helping me better understand the dynamics of your shopping experience. Yeah I completely missed the sarcasm as I am a bit thick at times.

I don't mind them checking my bags and receipt as well. Security jobs are necessary.

42 minutes ago, OOTAI said:

When I go to our local Tesco Lotus I always have some plastic bags folded up in my shoulder manbag and when I get to the checkout I just let them scan stuff through while I unpack my trolley.  Once its all out I move onto putting back into my trolley if its big or a large hard item any smaller stuff I take a bag and pack it myself.  All this time the check out person is getting agitated because she is waiting for me to pay but I dither and keep packing until I have finished then I turn my attention to paying the bill.

If I don't make them wait they start stacking the next customer stuff on top of mine. The checkout people are under the pump from the boss to be quick so I think I am helping them get a short rest the poor things.

Anyway if they think they are helping the environment then they must be because the government tells them so.

Yeah no doubt the cashier appreciates the break but there is only so much 'jai yen yen" or the ability for those in line not to pass on the frustration from the slow down in the check out process.  We are being conditioned to load our own bags but in the past the checkout people did that. Jobs are lost and you are in effect then an unpaid employee violating the terms of your visa/extention.  Oh for the folks that are having problems with the way the bag is packed I can sympathize with you. Maybe leaving the fragile items until the end to be packed last will help. 

1 hour ago, transam said:

You could leave yourself wide open as a shop lifter via CCTV....????

Being open and transparent while we shop is the better choice.

On 2/9/2020 at 6:13 PM, ricklev said:

Pick up some "Brown Mixture" at any Boots or Thai pharmacy and take a swig before going to the airport.  Opium tincture works!

 

https://decostrade.com/en/health-products/leopardbrandbrownmixture120ml/

Excellent advice ricklev! The smaller 60ml bottle has .8ml opium tincture whereas the larger bottle does not appear to have the same ingredients.  The bottle has an orange leopard/tiger on the label. The stuff works great.

Thank you emptypockets for your insight and understanding. Young Thais need the entry level positions and by refraining from packing your own bag will hopefully ensure more counter employment. Bill Burr says it as he sees it.

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I don't have a problem with bringing a cloth bag to Rimping, Big C, or 7/11.

However, I re-use the plastic bags for rubbish, and now I am running out. Soon I will have to start buying plastic bags for the garbage.

So what problem is it the Thai authorities are solving? Or is it just an exercise in transferring the cost from a supplier to a customer?

 

All of those nice plastic bags we used to get at the checkout were used by 1000's of people as garbage bags. So like most people we now buy our garbage bags....go figure.

20 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Self scanning has been in action for years at several supermarkets in several countries in Europe. It's ok when we're talking about a few items but a full trolley sucks. 

Sucks big time. 

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

I put it in myself in Rimping so make sure heavy things are in the bottom, else my bread is flat and eggs cracked etc. 
In Makro we let them scan and put everything back in the shopping car, after paying I take my time to put everything into my re-use bags. 

Talking in terms of losing jobs due to automation, unavoidable. Yet one could question too why they not sack 50% of the staff in most places now already so that the remaining 50% can earn double and actually do a real fulltime job. If you look at some 7/11s or Homepro etc in terms of amount of staff, it is insane.
 

Not sure if my imagination is right but it seems most jobs of let's say 10,000 could easily be worth 20,000 baht and up if they didn't hire double or triple staff counts, as well people would then be more interested in the job, resulting in competition = better performance or service.
 

In HomePro I even have to do my best walking very fast and dodging all 50 staff members to not get bothered or hassled. 

Hah hah The Home Pro see and avoid the staff game. Yeah they are everywhere. Thank you for your well thought out response.

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

I generally load the bag(s) myself for the same reason others have mentioned, to keep the heavy stuff on the bottom and the eggs, bread and other crushable stuff on top. Some stores like Villa (Little Walk) and Foodland (Central Pattaya) have baggers that do the job fairly well themselves. 

Was in Tops last week and when I got to the cashier I realized I'd left my bags on the moto. Told the girl I'd be back in a minute and she pointed out that they had some of those (crappy) reusable bags available. I went and got mine instead. Tops used to have a large, plasticized bag that worked nicely but I guess someone decided they were too good so they got rid of them and offer small and (barely) medium sized bags that look like they'll fall apart if you put more than a loaf of bread in them. 
I'd used them once before when I'd forgotten my bags and ended up having to use 2 small and 1 medium bag for a load that would have fit into the old bag with room too spare.

I'm getting the impression that getting rid of the old plastic bags wasn't about the environment at all but was more about generating more revenue by making people buy "reusable" bags that they probably have to replace every 2nd or 3rd shopping trip. So the stores save money on not having to buy plastic bags and then make money on selling crappy reusable ones (and pretend they are being environmentally conscious while overlooking how many items they sell that are wrapped in plastic or come in plastic bags already).
Loaf of bread - in a plastic bag.

Buy some potatoes, onions, carrots and garlic ? A separate plastic bag for each type.
Buy some mangoes and oranges ? Separate plastic bag for each.

Buy some fresh pork and fish/beef/deli meat ? Separate plastic bag for each type. 
Buy some packaged meat like chicken (wrapped in plastic) and get it bagged so it doesn't drip onto your other groceries. 

But get to the cashier and get told "Sorry, no plastic bags to carry all the items you bought that are in plastic bags but we'll sell you 2-3 smallish reusable bags instead."

I noticed that a lot of food cart vendors not only use plastic bags of course, but are still using styrofoam containers as well. Thought those were banned years ago.

I think I have 5 or 6 different reusable bags on my scooter now.

Can't wait until they (the "powers that be") start complaining that all those reusable bags are plugging up the sewers because they don't degrade quickly and it takes fewer of them to plug a drain pipe than the old plastic bags.
 

Thank you for that well thought out response. It appears bringing our own bags is insignificant relative to all of the other bags that are involved in the process.

2 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Used my first self scan till in Thailand the other day at Central food hall. Just as hit and miss as UK but ultimately OK. Happy not to have to queue and used my own bags.

Queueing (spelling?) is the fun part Classic Ray! Your missing out on the games like watching what I call Register Roulette where the cashier breaks up the order and totals it multiple times. Scanning it yourself is faster but someone is out of a job when we do that. 

9 minutes ago, jany123 said:

I put my consumables straight from shelf into old plastic bag and hand that to the check out chick and wait until she hands it back... easy.

Glad that works well for all. Maybe delivery is another option they supply the bags transport etc..

9 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I like the Makro system. No bags - they just scan everything while it's still in the trolley, then you load it into your bags or boxes in the car park. Very often, if a car park attendant sees that you have heavy items (packs of water, beer, and such) they will rush over and give a helping hand.

 

Also, the Foodland system is good. A young chap will commandeer the trolley after check-out, push it to your car and unload it into your bags/boxes.

 

Service at most shopping venues here is very good (IMHO). Same with petrol stations.

 

Last time I was over in the UK I drove into a petrol station, switched off the engine, and sat for a full 10 seconds before I remembered that I had to pump the petrol myself.

We are spoiled in a sense when we don't have to pump our own gas or bag our own groceries. Makro keeps their prices lower not only by selling in bulk but by eliminating bags and baggers.  I hope we never have to end up scanning items as well

3 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

You are not allowed to work wirhout a permit. So let the Thais do the job - as long as these exist ????

Yeah, that's the truth and the overall effect if everyone starts bagging then one day we will scan as well and no Thai is employed

23 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Depends on the volume, if its a few items I couldnt care one way or the other, if its more I prefer to pack the bag myself so its done correctly with tins heavy items etc on the bottom, bread, soft items at the top and so on.

Most in my experience couldnt care less and things end up damaged, crushed etc when they do it in the usual haphazard way.

 

Sad to have to do their job but in the end you know it's done correctly if you do it yourself.

4 hours ago, Tayaout said:

I'm not American ????

maybe a frozen turkey leg by the door?....

Avoiding the MRT/BTS and other public transport.

It appears that my passport number is my id number at the bottom of the license. Maybe that will help.

Do not teach them how to swim but rather how to float.

wantstobefinancialcontrollerdirectorwesterncompanyinbangkoksixfiguresalaryexcellentwithenglishandthai