navara

I really do not understand this unfriendly behavior. It seems that we are not allowed to have a normal life, such as family and job to support your Thai wife and children. ANY Thai who come to the Western world is welcomed and given the chance to get a job and make a honest living. I used to be a carpenter, I am not allowed to work. Even it would be 6.000 baht/month.

I suspect something else is going on, must be, this is so strange.

As far I know Mr. van Laarhoven had a LEGAL 'coffeeshop' in the Netherlands for 30 years (he was one of the first) and sold softsdrugs. He sold his company to be able to retire in Thailand with is Thai wife. He sent his savings to Thailand (I do not know when and how much) and they started to have a life here.

But for some mysterious reason a 'officier van Justitie' (a lawyer from the Justice department of Den Hage) had sent a request for criminal investigation to the Dutch Embassy for this man. The Dutch Embassy sent this request to the Thai police, who arrested Mr. van Laarhoven and his wife.

They were convicted for money laundering. Drugs money laundering. (I have no insight how the Thai court came to this conclusion) and most strange it is, that his wife also got sentenced for 21 years. So, why this punishment? 

I do not understand a thing about this case! 

It's all bull shit, anyone who doesn't want to cooperate, get a new sim card at the first phone shop they see. NOBODY is willing to be tracked, it's against privacy laws. If anyone, 'tourists' I say, have bad intensions, they easily find a way to avoid such thing. No, Thailand is again making a fool of themselves.

You better give every tourist an ankle brace!!

Mmmm..... didn't they do this already? They can track any phone, since the invention of the GSM. But what is the use for us?

Can they see how fast you were driving?

I do not think it was wise of Mr. Gates to have a comment on this. But he is right. It is a terrible mess and Thai people do steal electricity. Not that they wanted to steal it, but they had no choice.

Power failures we have all the time here. Many people buy batteries and generators to be operational.

It's a third world country, what do you aspect?

There needs to be stricter controls on these mini buses, i.e. compulsory registration as commercial vehicle, annual checks & random checks of vehicle safety & operation, compulsory seat belts, passenger limit. Plus,there driver payment system needs to change, to force speed reductions by drivers. Some years back,was 1 of 12 passengers hurtling along on Bangna Express @ 170k p/h. Told driver to slow just laughed, reported to Police station & nothing occurred.

The Prayut Gov't needs institute program to more strictly control the minibus industry, it's a disgrace. Prayut espouses the principles of caring for Thai people, well, 11 Thai people senselessly lost their lives, so, Khun Prayut prove you care....do something!!

The last thing i would want to wear in an overturned and on fire minibus would be a seatbelt.

Real tough penalties for both drive and company if they are found at fault would save far more lives.

There is a traffic Law: max speed for mini vans 90 kms/h fine: 5000 Baht and 10.000 Baht for the operator It is also prohibited for the driver to make a phone call during driving. STILL I SEE THEM CHASING OTHERS AT 120++

The tourist should stay away for a year or so.

I'm with the manager on this, disgusting behavior by the Brit lout

I'm not. It is disgusting they refuse a tourist to use the bathroom. I understand the anger of the Britton, force him to order something and then still refuse to use the bathroom. WELCOME TO THAILAND.

And how can you throw a 20bt note in some ones face?

Attacking the tourist is WRONG, no matter what.

These people will never come back to Thailand and they will warn all their friends.

Hit the rear end? Those women were sitting in the bed????

Who fled the scene? Is it that difficult to trace the owner of the passport, laptop or car? Aren't there any fingerprints or blood splatter?

I think the car was stolen..... drunk driver..... hit and run (never come back)

When will they grow up? I cry for this country.

It shows how amazing stupid people can be, that they can do what ever they want. They are masters in ' take the Law in own hands '.

Nobody educated these people???

He better told the police that he was drunk.

OHHHH.... ' I am sorry ', that will settle it all. HOHHHH.... you were drunk? That's is a good excuse, you can go now. HERO!

It was an attempted murder, ruin those people their holiday, days of hospitalization, huge costs, fear for Thailand and a trauma for lifetime!!! Next to this, it will cost Thailand a HUGE amount of tourist income. Such a negative promotion got viral already.

Thailand MUST made these criminals an example for future criminals!

You see? Here you are.

Even a monk can not control or be rational and murders his ex wife.

As a Western guy I do not give a sh&t what my ex wife does, it's an EX wife.

It is obvious this young man was killed. What can the police do about it? There are 6000 murders each year and the most of them are Thai. Jealousy, alcohol and drugs related. This young man seems to be a fierce type.

Thailand isn't a Western country, Thailand is Thailand with it own ways and own values, which often do not match Western values. If you live here, 24-7 year in year out, you understand that you can be killed in a flash. Western people should keep there temper and smile a lot, even you are convinced you are right. The Dutch people are the worst if I have to believe the Thai.

I have learned my way and I'm still learning. I stopped believe in Thai promises, I believe when I actually see it or see it happen. I stopped asking the wrong things at the wrong guy, because it's asking for a useless answer.

And remember, it is us who is guest in the country, keep smiling!

Three middle aged woman: HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE???????? 1,6 gram of coke= 27 years of Bangkok Hotel.

The choices here for the trip between the two immigration points are limited . Taking your own vehicle across can be expensive and time consuming as you need all the correct paperwork which has to be thoroughly checked at both ends. The original setup of taking a motorcycle taxi was the best. Cheap and fast. It seems like every time I go to this border there is some new twist that requires a longer wait and another 100 baht.

Myself I use the Friendship bridge at Mae Sot, never any problem there. You can walk over by yourself, no hassle nothing, except one time the Thai immigration stamped a wrong date in my passport, so I had to walk twice!

I used the crappy minibus last week too, not a pleasant experience. A/c hardly working so a fan was plugged in somewhere and propped up on the back.

I have other concerns at what goes on at this crossing too. One trip last year involved a very young girl being added to the passengers just before the Burmese checkpoint, told to lie down in the back on the bus and then collected just before the Thai one.

I told a trusted Thai police friend of my concerns and he said a lot of trafficking happens through there.

Wouw! Child labor too? What would happen if the immigration had seen this? Might cost farangs in that van hours.

its 400 baht for one person, so he got a bonus 2 for the price of 1, the last time i was there it was a pick up truck.

was the wife worried he wouldn't come back

LOL I do not think so, she might be curious.

Tell your mate to buy a car.

Saves all that hassle.

Yes I told him, go with your own car, but it seems a lot of trouble and costs to bring your own over the border.

For only a few bath profit, the benzene might be cheaper there, he risk the lives of 3 people including his own. Brain dead I think? It might be illegal too.

Today I've heard a strange story about a visa run at Ban pho nam ron. The visa handling was not the issue, but the 4km van trip to the Myanmar border and back. My friend was in company of his Thai wife and the costs for that fare was 100 baht one way, so they had to pay 400 baht for only 8 km. In BKK you would see half the city for that amount! But okay, mai pen rai.

He said a very old, shabby and dirty van showed up. The driver, which was Myanmar, was paid 40 baht and he could have fuel for that money. Which he did. He let them wait for almost 20 min at the gas station. He might be talking with his friends there. Then he went on and the next stop was the mango sales shop, he wanted a mango. The next stop was the lemonade shop, to order a drink. He parked the van and went to the Myanmar border office and after 15 min he came back. Then he stopped at the lemonade shop to get his drinks, probably also for somebody else, because he had 2. What next happened made my friend very angry, he stopped again at the gas station, now to fill up a kind of very large milk cans with BENZENE, with a shabby cover. And placed those two cans in the van, next to my friend and his wife!

I said I will post this story on Thai Visa, so other farang will read this and are warned. What would happened in case of an accident???????? Old shabby van, for sure no maintenance and 20 liter benzene?

What I'm missing here? A father went to Thailand with is half Thai daughter, to see the kids family or ex wife the mother of the kid. Correct? They might stay with the ex wife, fell in love again??

Please enlighten me.

Insane!!

I feel so sorry for those Thai English teachers, IF this is would happen! I can not believe this it true.

It is said that they need MORE Thai English teachers and because there are LESS farang teachers. THIS is what I have heard from the educational office.

Greed is what rules. IF it was a farmer with a standard Thai insurance, the cops family got NOTHING. But this thai woman had a good insurance, so they got 1,2 already.

It is enough.