Why nothing works anymore in Thailand?

[heiri007]

Rant. Spending hours and hours rectifying problems caused by Thai authorities, companies, systems.

 

• Changing a TG flight. New e-ticket shows half the baggage allowance. Takes many calls and wait until departure to correct error
• Changing bank account for monthly debit payment at PEA. Docs don't get processed, electricity bills not paid. Customer runs to PEA, spending unnecessary time again to rectify authority's  errors.
• Changing bank account for monthly debit payment at MEA. Exactly same as above happens.
• Financial institution keeps on asking for KYC docs. Supplied months ago, they say all is okay, but system still hasn't processed any docs and customer gets reminded again and again that KYC is not yet finalized.
• Online shopping: returned a product exactly the way as received. Seller claims to have received product incomplete and used. Only a call to file a police report against the lying seller solves the problem. Very quickly.

 

I could go on. Thailand is run by huge companies that have lost sight of their purpose. Lots of employees causing lots of dysfunction.

 

In one thing Thailand excels. Controls and bureaucracy. They're at the heart of everything and grow bigger and bigger.

 

 

[ChaiyaTH]

Cry me a river, you could list as many things in any country. It's you being the actual problem really.

[heiri007]

3 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Cry me a river, you could list as many things in any country. It's you being the actual problem really.

Tend to disagree. Just spent a few months in other countries, doing similar things. Not run into any of these obstacles.

[ChaiyaTH]

2 minutes ago, heiri007 said:

Tend to disagree. Just spent a few months in other countries, doing similar things. Not run into any of these obstacles.

Well let's move out then, then your life perfect!

[heiri007]

5 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Well let's move out then, then your life perfect!

Ignorance seems indeed a blessing ????

[ezzra]

Someone long, long ago coined the phrase TIT.. this is not for us to ask why, it's either adapt and play by their rules OR NOT... changes will come only if and when Thai people will complain, we as non Thai, don't count...

[HappyExpat57]

Right around 2013, I got sick of the things the OP writes about, so I moved to Zihuatanejo , Mexico. A few months later I was back in Thailand with a renewed appreciation for the LOS. Sure, things are messed up here, but it's a helluva lot better than other places.

Whenever you find yourself in a situation you don't like, you have three options.

1) Change the situation (not likely gonna happen here)

2) Ignore the situation

3) Remove yourself from the situation

Up to you . . .

[heiri007]

17 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Someone long, long ago coined the phrase TIT.. this is not for us to ask why, it's either adapt and play by their rules OR NOT... changes will come only if and when Thai people will complain, we as non Thai, don't count...

Well I happen to be Thai. Does this give me less rights to "complain"? I just think over the past years, with no real checks and balances on anything, the TIT situation got a little even more Thai.

 

I can happily live with the usual TIT and admire Thais for their many gifts. But a society that is not able and not allowed to question itself, well I think that backfires in a way now that things from top down are considerd as god-given with no real incentive to improve.

 

Don't get me wrong! Many things improve, I mean BTS and MRT are a blessing. There is even awareness about pollution, etc. But if exposed to big companies and authorities, it has gotten more TIT.

 

Of course the old saying says people get the authorities / politicians / rulers they deserve. Dunno.

 

But maybe it's just me who always gets the lemon.

[mancub]

Fair enough. mothing wrong with a good rant occasionally ! 

Nearly got me started on repairing things every 6 months, that would last decades back "home! ????

[worgeordie]

He forgot to mention Immigration problems , no problem at

all for me, but for many it seems

regards worgeordie

[spidermike007]

Any company in Thailand cannot match the customer service of a company like Amazon. Returns are so easy it is astonishing. Anything. Anytime. For any reason. A full, prompt refund. 

 

Customer service is diminishing worldwide. But, some still have it wired. 

[heiri007]

9 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

He forgot to mention Immigration problems , no problem at

all for me, but for many it seems

regards worgeordie

Another area where Thailand actually made substantial strides, say compare to the 90s. Back then staff where laughing at you when trying to exchange even a broken product. Still not Amazon with no questions asked, but much better consumer protection already, largely thanks to giants Lazada and Shopee.

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, heiri007 said:

Tend to disagree. Just spent a few months in other countries, doing similar things. Not run into any of these obstacles.

You set up direct debits for water and electric in other countries you stayed at for just a few months ?....

 

Sounds like they need Thai style easy bill payments at the 7/11 !!

[Kwasaki]

17 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Someone long, long ago coined the phrase TIT.. this is not for us to ask why, it's either adapt and play by their rules OR NOT... changes will come only if and when Thai people will complain, we as non Thai, don't count...

Well I never have had problems and not being Thai I leave everything for my Thai wife to sort out. 

[heiri007]

7 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

You set up direct debits for water and electric in other countries you stayed at for just a few months ?....

 

Sounds like they need Thai style easy bill payments at the 7/11 !!

Living hand to mouth: life centered around 7-11 might be another reason for the increasing systemic disfunction. 

[Crossy]

Of course there are two sides to every coin, there ARE things that are easier/quicker here than "back home".

 

Some years back we were living in a condo somewhat out in the sticks. I noticed in an advert that one ISP announced that they now provided ADSL in our area.

 

I called, they emailed me a form which I completed and emailed back along with my passport and WP copies. I completed this at about 10AM.

 

Just after lunch my wife called me and said there was a man there to install internet and did I know?

 

[PJ71]

27 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Sounds like they need Thai style easy bill payments at the 7/11 !!

you need to go to 7/11 to pay bills?? lol

[jerrymahoney]

I like it when people say: Service is great and returns are easy.

 

Well if service is so great, why do you have to return anything?

[mvdf]

I let someone do all the hard work. I have just one life to live so I intend to live it to the fullest.

 

 

[Photoguy21]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

He forgot to mention Immigration problems , no problem at

all for me, but for many it seems

regards worgeordie

Same here. Never had a problem with immigration in fact I have always found them to be helpful. Maybe the ones who do have problems have them because of their attitude, who knows.

[Eleftheros]

3 hours ago, heiri007 said:

In one thing Thailand excels. Controls and bureaucracy. They're at the heart of everything and grow bigger and bigger.

Well, that is of course the problem. Bigger bureaucracy means more workers, and there is only a very limited supply of workers who know how many beans make five. So the proportion of bureaucratic workers who don't know enough to come inside when it rains, grows and grows, and so service goes down and down.

 

Not a problem limited to just Thailand, though.

[The Hammer2021]

I come from Broken  Britain- here in Thailand  its a dream trying to get things  sorted out - everything  is so easy- banking - Internet  - electricity- seeing  a doctor - getting a taxi - .I dread having to return to UK.

[MadMuhammad]

I had to call my bank in Aus as they blocked my account for fraud. I actually spoke to a real person for a grand total of 11mins first call, 8mins second call. 
 

It’s not just Thailand I’m afraid……

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Hammer2021]

2 hours ago, heiri007 said:

Tend to disagree. Just spent a few months in other countries, doing similar things. Not run into any of these obstacles.

I find these issues much easier  to deal with here but I don't use the phone to resolve them if I can avoid  it.

[AgMech Cowboy]

3 hours ago, heiri007 said:

one thing Thailand excels. Controls and bureaucracy. They're at the heart of everything and grow bigger and bigger.

And many of the people in Western democracies and republics keeping voting for bigger government and more elitist control. 

[The Hammer2021]

15 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Same here. Never had a problem with immigration in fact I have always found them to be helpful. Maybe the ones who do have problems have them because of their attitude, who knows.

I listen  to guys in  bars espousing negative  views about Thailand and often being derogatory.  Many have lived here years and know nothing of Thai  culture, speak no Thai and have painfully thick accents. One characteristic these people share is an inherent believe in their own superiority and that of their country and their way of doing  things. LOL

[Photoguy21]

1 minute ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I listen  to guys in  bars espousing negative  views about Thailand and often being derogatory.  Many have lived here years and know nothing of Thai  culture, speak no Thai and have painfully thick accents. One characteristic these people share is an inherent believe in their own superiority and that of their country and their way of doing  things. LOL

You get morons everywhere and Thailand is no exception. I remember quite a few years back a guy telling me how awful the country was. I listened and asked him if it is so bad why dont you leave and go back to your home country. He muttered something but never spoke to me again for which I was thankful.

[Henricus]

31 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

I had to call my bank in Aus as they blocked my account for fraud. I actually spoke to a real person for a grand total of 11mins first call, 8mins second call. 
 

It’s not just Thailand I’m afraid……

 

 

 

 

 

 

next time use Skype

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

I like it when people say: Service is great and returns are easy.

 

Well if service is so great, why do you have to return anything?

Because service is different to actual product or do you not see that ? Service is what the potential seller provides, product is what the buyer wants. So easy.

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, Photoguy21 said:

Same here. Never had a problem with immigration in fact I have always found them to be helpful. Maybe the ones who do have problems have them because of their attitude, who knows.

You may have a point, but I think there are so many, its unlikely. The problem with Immigration is that each office seems to have its own rules, they are not consistent. Even the same office has its own idiosyncrasies, even each IO at the same office has his or hers way of doing things. Most problems are very minor and can be sorted out fairly easily, with another xerox copy or whatever. For those folks that live hundreds of Kilometers away from their immigration office it can be a trial. I personally have never had a people, but I know people who have.