nong38

Lets call it "Seaview" I've just watched "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." in the movies they came back from the bottom of the sea, will it be repeated? Last man close the hatch!

I have not seen anything on the Thai TV about the gatherings, cannot understand why, perhaps I just switch on at the wrong time and miss it.

On 8/13/2020 at 5:17 PM, Bangkok Barry said:

There are many reasons that Thais drive as they do.

1 - I have never detected any sign of common sense in a Thai, and I've been living here for over 25 years. I am not sure how you teach that, but anyway there is no movement to do so.

2 - The Thais have a Me First mentality that is deeply ingrained, and that is the last thing you want to see in a driver.

3 - The education system demands that you do not think for yourself but listen and obey, so Thais do not develop the necessary skills to actually think. That may result in my first point above.

4 - Learning to drive in a proper and responsible manner is quite difficult, and Thais do not do difficult. Thais do 'near enough', but on the roads that isn't 'good enough'. One mistake can cost lives, so being lucky enough to get it right most of the time isn't good enough either.

5 - They have absolutely no concept that the vehicle they are attempting to operate is a potential killer. No concept at all.

6 - Along with inadequate teaching of all things about how to drive properly and safely, there is no test to determine if you have reached a standard where you are not a danger to yourself and others before you take to the road.

7 - Thais do not seem able to join the dots, and realise that if, for example, they drive at 120 kms an hour five metres behind the vehicle in front, or drive at night with no rear light (or front light if they are driving on the wrong side of the road because they have no concept of the danger), then they would have no time to react if the vehicle in front breaks suddenly. Ask any Thai what their safe braking distance is and they would have no idea.

8 - There are zero police patrols to help prevent accidents by pulling aside selfish and stupid drivers. Their only presence is setting up road blocks which seems in my experience to have only one purpose - to check your tax disc is in the window and up to date.

9 - Police have absolutely no interest in enforcing the law even when they are static beside the road, watching kids three or four on a bike go by with no helmet, no license, no ability to properly control the bike they are on. And that goes also for the parents and schools who allow Thailand's future to play Russian Roulette every time they go out. The police know they get paid anyway, so why work?

10 - The government does nothing to resolve the road death/accident toll as nothing practically can be done. The problem began decades ago when Thais first began to drive in numbers. No meaningful test was introduced and enforced, and now it is far, far too late. It would mean retraining every driver (and who would do that - it would be similar to those who teach English not being able to speak the language themselves). And it would mean the drivers having to take a proper western-style test before gaining a license. And it would mean police patrols to catch those who drive as if they are playing a video game. Now, anyone can drive as they like and put themselves and others in danger as they know they have zero chance of being caught. They can drive that way with total impunity. And it would require said (non-existent) police to actually enforce the law. And not one of those things is possible in Thailand.

To finish, nothing can or will change and survival on Thai roads will continue to be a lottery. All we can do is remember the words that were used in the 70s police drama Hill Street Blues as the force were sent out on patrol - 'Let's be careful out there'.
 

Well said but sadly nothing will change, Thai drivers are a law unto them selves.

I was coming back from Bangkok last Wednesday overtaking a slower in the middle lane, I had queue behind me, the car immediately behind jumped into the middle lane to try an undertake me, unfortunately as he drew along side the gap he thought he could get through had gone and now instead of waiting a few seconds until I pulled over he had been sent to the back of the queue, patience is not in the Thai dictionary.

It is better to arrive late than never arrive at all.

How many of the dead were wearing masks or suffering from the virus that much more important than the actual deaths on the arcade game roads.

The household debt is the big worry, they have sold their gold and borrowed more sooner or later the day of reckoning will come, the current administration dont seem to understand that while they still have jobs and getting paid along with all the government agencies the rest of the country which is more than half have seen the world they knew disappear with jobs and more no more and no chance of them returning and what does the Government do? They dont seem to understand that there is a huge problem developing, the demonstrations are not going to go away and get smaller, some interesting times ahead for Prayuth and his friends coming soon,  white suit and a smile is not the answer.

Was the driver wearing a mask thats what I want to know!

How easy is it fly to Munich I am told Bavaria is the place to go, Oktoberfest coming up and some super hotels.

Far more important than helping poor Thais in need.

Just returned from Pattaya, 153 rooms in hotel 3 occupied,  Say no more!

Anyone remember the HN51 outbreak and being quarantined ? Lockdown ? Loss of jobs ? Closure of airports ? Thought not it was a lot more deadly than this virus '19' and we learnt to live with it and get on with our lives as we do every year with flu, like a virus its mutates and we get on with that as well, no one shut the economy down and stopped travel. Experts when it comes down to it are people who something but when it comes to predictions they are useless apart from instilling fear into people with the power to shut down the way of life we have been used to and remember all governments and their associated agencies along with these experts all still have jobs and being paid the usual fee their words do not affect them at all its the people in the private sector who feel all the pain, lose the jobs and work places that have had to shut down likely never to re open again.

If there is one lesson here it that you can see how life as we know it is on a knife edge and we should be very careful not to do anything to disturb it.

A bunch of cheap Charlies bringing more virus issues, some of these people are so stupid they are considered interlectual by people who know nothing and put them in a place where they do damage. A transfer is called for.

Emirates are doing a free covid health insurance with flights to the tune of 137,000$ as for the rest the usual hoops you wont be able to jump through.

I wonder if they will drop the charges against that nice Mr Thaksin?

Dont bother going plane spotting until the end of the year and dont expect them to be full of anyone but cheap charlies from China.

When the world has settled down and things start to get back to normal Thailand will expect planes to be swarming into country bringing in loads of tourists laden with spending power. That I am afraid is the past and the golden days of tourism especially from Europe and the States are over, they dont have the disposable for a start and there are new places to see where they are made more welcome and not charged extra for not being Thai. I think this will be a huge shock to TAT who no doubt will still tell us of the hordes swarming into the country but the reality will be very different, as the high season approaches we will see at the moment they seem to be shutting the doors to their biggest markets ( EX CHINA ) and expect to open up in November/December with Western tourists eager to get here and return to normal when it does not happen what will happen?

On 7/21/2020 at 5:18 PM, Kadilo said:

Isn’t the idea of a travel bubble to group together Countries where it isn’t “Still surging” in an attempt to try and move things forwards?

Questions are a burden to others.

I thought the definition of a "foreigner" to a Thai was someone north of Bang -Pa i-n or south of Ratchaburi.

I wonder who will be the Minister for truth?

Does that include the TAT and the Government?

Prudence demands they guard against a coup or unexpected outside threat. Antarctica mentioned wherever that is.

It seems to me the current administration is more concerned with control or seeming to be in control than actually moving the country forward. The ever changing rules for just about anything shows that they did not think it through in the first place which seems to be the norm here, even putting priorities in the right order seems to be a challenge. Tourism is a big part of income for the country and yet rather than encourage it they seem to make it more and more difficult for tourists to come ( unless you are a cheap charlie from China), they dont seem to understand there are other more welcoming places to go. There seems to be no plan to exit the current virus situation or what to do about connecting back to the outside world through the airport, its all rather chaotic and that airport hub that exists at the moment could well be lost to the likes of Singapore, it wont be admitted or foreseen, the world we know as Thailand, center of the known world will carry on, just with less money and a lower status for some unfathomable reason

Perhaps its to do with with Thai requirements for entry, most travellers dont bother look at whats required, just buy the flight/holiday and then they a a  surprise on arrival. Saving themselves from themselves?

On 7/4/2020 at 11:26 AM, rkidlad said:

Do you have any examples?

 

In this video where he talks about his admiration of the CCP and their Belt & Road Initiative, he starts off with some basic English and then speaks Thai. You'd think someone with his educational background could string a few sentences of English together. Not just, "Yes. Thank you very much. Glad to see you". 

 

Here's an example:

 

 

 

Blimey he can speak Thai and English at the same time, what a clever bloke!