seaeagle

Whatever people say here, it's got to be easier than the M6 between Knutsford and Sandbach!

Just to clarify for those two saying it would be difficult on a busy road................ it was in the lay-by beside Thai Naan Restaurant, and the drivers she approached were parked up.

Still think it's too difficult to help someone???

I have to relate a couple of incidents that have involved my family this week. I'm staggered and appalled.......read on.

Last Sunday, my wife (Thai), daughter and I were coming out of Tesco's car park in Rawai, when I saw a young Thai couple in trouble with their car. He had the hood lid up, and was just emerging from the boot of his car with a set of jump leads in his hand.

Without a seconds hesitation, I moved my car closer, and asked if he wanted a jump-start. That's what he wanted, so we connected up. Got my engine going, and his fired up first time. He and his wife / girlfriend were very grateful, lots of smiles and wai's, and we went on our separate ways.

Now, where is the big deal in that? As far as I'm concerned, it's the thing to do.

Coincidentally, we move on to Wednesday afternoon. I'm not in the car this time, but my wife is in her own at the 'Central Darasamuth Junction'. Heading towards Makro, she's in traffic, and stalls the car. Guess what - she can't get it started again because the battery is flat.

She manages to push it into the lay-by near Thai Naan Restaurant, and tries again. No luck, so she gets our jump leads from the boot.

So, we have an ordinary saloon car, with a young woman (32), simply requiring a jump start.

She first asked another female who was on her own to help her. The woman flatly refused. Then she asked a guy in a truck to help her, and he refused saying that he was frightened he'd damage his own battery. It was at this point I received a tearful, panicky call from my wife, saying that she'd broken down and nobody would help her.

I am absolutely stunned, appalled, ashamed at this behaviour from Thais to their own kind. They push this facade forward of being gentle and considerate and wanting to do good things to 'make merit', and then act completely to the contrary. If those 2 who refused believe in karma, then I hope they come back as <deleted> cockroaches.

Very often here, we talk about culture. Well, in my culture (British), we assist and help people who are in difficulties like my wife was, not ignore them and leave them in trouble.

It's not 'metering' the things that will count. Offering a viable alternative is the one that will work.

I'll just wait...............for a zillion years.

Oh dear. Another Thai fails to smell the coffee!

I've used a painter a few times, and have always been happy with his work and rates. But he's suddenly decided to jump on the bandwagon, and quote a stupid amount for a job. I expected a price in the region of 15,000 including materials, and he;s come up with a figure of...................26,000 !

My jaw has dropped ! When will they learn?

So, I need a other quote. Anyone have a contact for a painter who could do work in the Chalong area?

Ho, ho.

Do you realise that agents here, for trips like you mention, get up to 30% commission?! Say it slowly : 3 0 % !!

Either try to book direct with the provider, and ask for discount. Even if you get 15% off, the provider is making more direct from you that they would through one of these agents.

Or

Ask the agent for discount off their price. Some may realise that it's better for them to make 10% or so, than nothing, if you walk away.

It's such a shame for the area to lose you, but I;m sure we all support your decision.

I first came across you at your old place, back in November 2000. I'd taken my girlfriend (now my wife) to your place for a birthday meal, and asked a staff member if they could surprise her with a birthday cake at the end of the meal.

Hey, I was a total stranger and you didn't know me from Adam - I could've been a "once visit nobody". But, you and some staff came over, brought a cake, and sung 'happy birthday'.

Now, that 'going the extra mile', and pride in service, has resulted in many re-visits over the years. That birthday meal is something we both talk about to this day. It's a pity few others in the area don't consider their customers the way you did to us many years ago.

Every good wish for the future.

I can see where the Thais are coming from. They see all the expats sat there in bars worrying about the price of beer and the real tourists flying in every year for a good 1 month blowout costing $4000. An expat doesn't throw much money around at the thai hotels, bars, restaurants, and other tourist attractions but spending their money at other expat establishments.

Afraid that's very naive. And it looks as if TAT are just as naive.

Expats may not spluge $4000 in a month. But we steadily spend, spend, spend throughout the year to way more than this.

And where do other "expat establishments" shell out money to get their food, beer, foodstuffs, staff, rent and taxes (not to mention Protection Money) cars, etc? And the expat takes a salary.....and where is that spent?

It all virtually ends up here in the local / national economy.

"What we have found is that the characteristics of Thai people and services attract repeat visitors." ---

Certainly the tuk-tuk guys, jet ski operators, and the tailors are fully supportive of this marketing philosophy.

"Thailand is like no other place in the world,"---

You can say that again!!

If the airlines didn't want you to recline, they wouldn't have reclining seats.

What the airline wants doesn't come into it. Anyone who does it to me gets my knees in the back. I'm perfectly entitled to press my knees hard into the seat in front if it's reclined into my space and I think nothing of jamming them in when I sit down or moving them as I see fit. And tough titty if the paper I'm reading touches your hair.

But it's not your space! By allowing seats to recline, the airline is giving me that space.

If it reclines, I recline it. If the person behind me requires the same amount of space they started with, then they recline theirs. And so on. Meal trays aren't impeded at all by a reclining seat anyway.

It's my "Airline-Of-Choice" for the mother-in-law.

With words like "employment" and a reference to bank lending / mortgages, this article seems mostly to refer to domestic Thai purchases. Nothing here to suggest an immediate resurrection of interest from foreigners.

Doesn't matter. All you will need is to make a copy of your passport for your ID, and a copy of your marriage certficiate to prove the marriage. And, I know it's silly, but also give the full names and addresses of your parents!

Noted that they were in Rawai a few months back.

Maybe we've frightened them up your way!

Tell them they need a work permit, note their car registration, and go to Immigration. That'll shift them.

Sounds fair enough. For an old place of ours, 3 beds, val about 4 mill, we paid 7000 baht.

Have always thought that a big tourist company could 'dress up' a bus service for Karon to Patong as "The Phuket West-Coaster".

Start at Laem Promthep, and continue to, say, Surin. Make it a hop-on / hop-off service for the tourists and sightseeing. That would give the mafia some headscatching to do!

They'll be bought and installed from the perspective of 'price' only. Ability to function properly won't come into it!

All those installed at Chalong Circle are 'under-powered', as the magnification ain't strong enough to pick up facial details, number plates etc. All very convenient if you ask me - another excuse not to bother doing the job properly.

You must apply in your host country which in this case is Thailand.

I meant to imply that, but you clarify any misinterpretation - thanks.

Following my 'closing' post above, just thought of something that might benefit readers / applicants in the future.

In situations like this where a long UK tourist visa is obtained, looks like it is worth also applying for a Schengen country visa at the same time. This would facilitate a holiday in Europe during the visitors stay in UK. As long as you enter via the country which has supplied your visa, then Europe's your oyster.

7by7 - if I'm wrong in this assumption, please correct me or add your comments.

Sounds what I thought. Unless anyone knows anything different, I'll consider this closed. Thanks for the help, will pass it on.

Looks like a long weekend in Cleethorpes, then!

May be against your nature, but DO slow down a bit!

1) Get your wife's citizenship and passport. If it takes a while, then so be it. It's a pain in the but dragging a Thai around the world with the hassles of getting visas. My own wife is Thai here, but as soon as she's through immigration on the way out, she's British. Makes life very easy.

2) Registering birth and getting Thai passport is easy. Get a date with the embassy in London, go through the paperwork, and catch the train back home. Our daughter's Thai passport arrived within 10 days of our trip.

3) The first British passport for your child will be easy. May take a bit longer than a replacement, since it's a first one, but at this time of year, it will go through relatively quickly.

Many people come to Thailand unprepared. I think if you DON'T conclude the above matters, you'll be unprepared also for the future. Please do go through what needs to be done, and you'll enjoy your life here all the more. Don't come half-cocked.

All the best.

Posting this on behalf of a friend..........

His girlfriend is going back with him to UK next week on a 6 month holiday visa.

When in UK, is it possible to get her a visa to visit, say, Spain for a short mini holiday?

Could a Schengen Visa be obtained to cover, say, a driving holiday to Spain, through France?

If yes, how would you do it, and who would you apply to?

(Good replies, and he'll probably sign up to TV himself!)

Thanks a lot.

According to my wife, the big one is a Night Moth. Saw one up at Khao Kioew recently, the highest point in Khao Yai. Poor thing was lying on the ground being slowly devoured by ants!

Do you know what the 3rd one down in your second posting is? Again, saw lots of those up in Khao Yai NP.

I had the same issue entering Egypt a while ago. Pleased to say, thay gave me no problems.

Just ask them for an itemised breakdown. See what they conjure up then!