SaikoIsaan

Thai friends told me that a common way cab drivers rig the meter is via the radio - somehow they push some button, or turn the knob in a certain way, and it makes the meter go faster.

the test run was just a test run, no problems there. It is scheduled to open April 2010. ride to the city 15 minutes, costs 150 baht.

source: http://twitter.com/bangkok/statuses/6333148235

I think there should be "XL-seats" for obese people with premium pricing. I realize it might feel discriminating to them, but after having sat next to one on an international flight, I think it is fairer that the person who causes the inconvenience has to pay for it, rather than the unlucky person who sits next to him or her.

Bread is available if you don't mind the white-bread low-quality kind.

Higher quality breads are also available in bigger shopping centers. If you are using premade mixes from your breadmachine, then qualitywise you will be satisfied in Bangkok.

Apart of that - almost all the (younger) Thai's I know LOVE bread. They don't eat it often, mainly because they think that it makes you "big bodied" (fat) like a typical Farang. But they do like it a lot.

lol - there will always be nutcases. A (Thai) friend recently got handed a little brochure that basically said that the apocalypse is coming in 2012, and everybody - with the exception of good Christians of course - will die a painful and terrible death and lose all his loved ones. So there you go, maybe we can hook the two up together, would make for an interesting combination :-)

I have seen a farang beggar (wearing a suit) once sitting on the street at Sukhumvit. He hold a sign asking for money or work, but no less than 100,000 baht per month. <deleted>? Either it was a pretty cool guy just trying something crazy, not being concerned about what others think about him, or a nutcase. Given the snobbish look he gave me after I looked at him once I read his sign, I suppose he was a nutcase.

I regularly give to (Thai) beggars. Even if some of them work for gangs, obviously it's a human being in misery, and if all it takes me is a couple of baht to "ease the pain", I'm not gonna walk by just because there is a possibility that it will benefit the beggar mafia. For most of what I have seen, giving to charities ends up in the wrong pockets way more often (just look at the brand new shiny Lexus cars that all those NGOs in Cambodia drive).

I think teamoney is worse than (Thai) beggars. But I really wouldn't mind it if I understood it better. The problem is, I have no clue, and would always be concerned if I didn't overpay. lol

I suggest you start the boycott right now. Sorry, but I won't join you.

And yes, foreigners make helluva contribution to Thailand, but the largest part of that contribution is not exactly charity. If someone comes to this country to spend three weeks and 400000 baht in Phuket, sitting on the beach, having a good time, it's not exactly because they want to help the Thai people, but because they want to have a nice vacation.

Overall, I think for each of us who is still coming to Thailand, I think it's safe to say that we all "get" more out of Thailand than we "give". Otherwise we would go other places.

There is no excuse for tossing litter, absolutely none. If you can't deal with the refuse, don't create it.

But there are things that can be done to encourage people to put litter an appropriate facilities, and there are things that can be done to encourage people to toss litter.

I don't like tossing litter, but occasionally, when carrying around bags, having just drunken a coconut I don't feel like carrying that thing for 15 minutes through a crowded street to find a garbage bin. Yes, that is an excuse, and it might not be good enough for you, but it's good enough for me, and, as the garbage on the street shows, quiet a lot of other people.

Fact of life is, people will always produce garbage, and if the government make it too difficult for them to get rid of it properly, they will get rid of it improperly.

I think taxidriver is a profession that is particularly attractive for people with shady morals in Thailand, and most of them tend to go places where they can pick up foreign guests. I have many experiences with taxidrivers trying to "cheat" one way or another when getting on a cab from the airport, along Sukhumvit, and other tourist spots.

I know lots of people who got scammed, but then that's what they keep talking about. Did you ever get on a taxi, the driver just did his job, and then you posted on an internet forum or talked to your friends: "Hey, I took a cab, and he just switched on the meter and brought me where I told him, and gave me the change!!!". No. But take ten rides, have one cab driver try to pull one over on you, and "you" (well, not you of course... but those guys who complain all the time) will keep on repeating that story a hundred times. And I think that's natural - I do it too, because being cheated makes me feel upset, and I want to vent that anger. But overall, I think it's not nearly as bad as reading ThaiVisa.com could make you believe, because it's a place where people not just like to share valuable infos, but also vent their frustrations too :-)

I'm not one for complaining about all the safety hazards you see in Thailand or trying to change the way Thais do things, but this is one thing I wish the police would start educating people about, especially with the general style of driving in Thailand. Also, you see people on bikes driving like lunatics in shorts, t-shirts and sandals. Coming off at any speed dressed like that is going to seriously mess you up. I refuse to get on a bike or use motorbike taxis unless I'm wearing jeans, shoes and a helmet. Maybe some strategically placed billboards with photos of accident injuries might make people start thinking.

I agree - I've been riding on so many cars where the kid is sitting on the lap, driving in heavy pouring rain like lunatics. When asked if they are not afraid of accidents, they say: "No, why? I didn't drink anything." So apparently, only drunk people have accidents. And people who fall asleep on the wheel - sometime we pass one of those cars that are totally crunched up because they hit something, and then they usually say: "Oh, he fell asleep at the wheel."...

Having worked offshore and overseas with quite a few Thai tradesmen I'm often horified at the quality of the work performed in Thailand by builders and repairman.. I've asked the guys I work with about it.. Their reply was that anyone who is any good at what they do.. or wants to work hard is working either offshore, overseas or for a big company in Bangkok where they have a chance of promotion and a decent pay level..

So when 'Somchai the builder' comes round to your house in his beaten up 10 yr old Isuzu you know you are only getting the leftovers... He's working locally cos either he's too lazy to get a decent job or he doesn't have the required skills, experience or drive to work for a decent wage with a decent company..

This isn't just in Thailand.. Motivated, hard working and skilled people often move, relocate or look for better oppotunities... The leftovers and lazy stay behind.. Why work for 200 baht a day as a welder when you can make 5000 USD a Month offshore or overseas.. (admittedly no everyone is able to or wants to go away to work) but this gives some idea why there seems to be a skills shortage... It's not just working overseas.. The big building companies, shopfitters and maintenance companies usually hire the cream.. The local coyboy building co gets the rest..

And as has been said before.. How does someone who has never had hot water in their house or a flush toilet become a plumber ?

One other thing is nobody seems to specialise.. Can you tile ? ''Yes'' Can you do plumbing ''Yes'' can you do electric work '' Yes''... ''Jack of all trades, master of none''

Very well said...

this is of course just a personal opinion, but, regarding traffic laws, I don't agree. There are so many road accidents in Thailand, a bit tougher laws wouldn't be that bad. I recently read somewhere that Asia makes up about 16% of the worlds (road) traffic, but 60% of all deadly road accidents happen here. I think the numbers speak for themselves.

This is all very odd, as there were over 2.000 people who sat the last exam (every to years in bkk every year outside) to fill estimated teaching vacancies. They estimated 500 posts will be needed to be filled, they don't advertise posts as they have a waiting list of those who passed the exam, all of the applicants already have teaching degrees. Many are already teaching in private schools but want to get into govnt schools for the pensions and health care. Last exam less then 500 people passed. They don't seem to need any new teachers as they are already thousands who would love to get a teaching job, oh and the going rate to 'pass' the exam is 200.000 baht. What they do seem to have is a lot with not very good degrees who then cannot pass a simple exam with a 60% pass mark.

What makes you think it's a "simple exam"? It's extremely difficult.

50+ students per class, working 11-12 hours a day six (sometimes 7) days a week for about 8,000B (5,500B in one school I know) a month.

Sound good?

I almost forgot...forced to buy the raffle tickets you failed to sell at about 3,000Baht. And buy your own chalk, markers etc. And being accused of being a bad teacher if you object etc. etc.

My thoughts exactly. They could just invest a bit more in the teachers that are already there... although 50+ students is a bit exaggerated :-)

Stick with the law.

Hiring a bunch of rough guys might get the problem solved quickly (unless the guy also knows some). But even then, these guys know that once you get into trouble again, you will likely hire them again, and thus they actually have an incentive to give you trouble so you need their services again.

Also, once you managed to successfully have the police taken care of this guy on the Island, other people who like to cause trouble will know about it and won't like to mess with you.