THE WEEK THAT WAS Give me Thailand any day over the Philippines! It’s SLIGHTLY less mad…

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Cons-

Natural disasters... when it comes to them, the Philippines gets them all, volcanoes, typhoons, earthquakes etc, Thailand is benign in that respect.

[brianthainess]

On 5/28/2022 at 1:15 PM, The Hammer2021 said:

Shielding the slums from the view of foreigners was done in Bangkok and Lisbon I seem to remember.

Ah but I found that when the Pope came to Thailand he was quite Big Headed.

 

 

 

[mikeymike100]

10 hours ago, Nickelbeer said:

I keep hearing this, but I can’t stand Thai food. Pinoy food would probably be closer to something I could eat without getting sick.

Food is certainly a personal choice, Thai Food in general has lots of fresh herbs, some of is spicy, it makes your taste buds tingle, of course not everyone likes that. Pinoy food is more basic, lacks flavor, in my opinion.

[BritManToo]

31 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Food is certainly a personal choice, Thai Food in general has lots of fresh herbs, some of is spicy, it makes your taste buds tingle, of course not everyone likes that. Pinoy food is more basic, lacks flavor, in my opinion.

I don't eat either .......... 

In the Philippines there was always a vast choice of Mexican/Australian/Brit/German restaurants, and I nearly always ate in those places.

[mikeymike100]

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't eat either .......... 

In the Philippines there was always a vast choice of Mexican/Australian/Brit/German restaurants, and I nearly always ate in those places.

Certainly agree with, Thai food is not for everyone. I worked in Manila for 2 years and as you say there was plenty of choice of everything. I enjoy Thai food and did frequent  a Thai restaurant when I was there.

[Nickelbeer]

On 5/28/2022 at 3:04 PM, chalawaan said:

sCambodia would be absolutely last on my list of Asian destinations. 

At least the PI don't need a wire mesh cage to protect you from being robbed en-route in a trike!

And the Scambo girls all have lady-mustaches, Whuthe?

Affordable health insurance is my number one priority. The Philippines appears to be the best in this respect, though I can’t get enough information about Indonesia to make a determination. At 72 and with cancer and brain surgery as pre-existing conditions, it does not appear that I have much of a chance. I’ve lived in Thailand for six years without an incident, but any long term care would destroy the “cost of living” advantage. I wish there were a clear source for good information on healthcare in Asia. I know the situation in Thailand and supposedly there is NOTHING in Cambodia or Laos. Plenty of information on the Philippines, but it appears you would need supplementary insurance in addition to PhilHealth, the government program.  Too many questions and too few answers.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Nickelbeer
Punctuation

[The Hammer2021]

On 5/28/2022 at 1:14 PM, klauskunkel said:

Ouch, that one hurt!

But despite  getting stout  will remain ale and hearty - politically is a lite weight whose comments are froth

[klauskunkel]

39 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

But despite  getting stout  will remain ale and hearty - politically is a lite weight whose comments are froth

oh my Guinness

[moe666]

When I was young and in the Navy I did not like the PI. Now that I am older and been back a few times I still do not like the PI.

[teelac777]

Great yarn about Faith and Charity!

I used to ride the Jeepney often with a mall saleslady in Manila who sported the name tag "Everlasting Love"

[Mark mark]

On 5/29/2022 at 7:45 AM, Mark mark said:

Well, I might be Early with this one this week Rooster, But, it is probably worth noting here, in Advance, as I am sure that you will be dealing with it next week. …. And well I think that for SURE now that they ARE looking pretty closely at the Speed Highway cameras in the Ayutthaya, and possibly other Northern areas Close to Bangkok, now.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1260853-french-tourist-killed-while-crossing-road/#comment-17381437

 

… Yes, I know that Road, Rojana road well, ... and YES I also DO like avoiding it if possible !!! ... a Main Highway, Fast and 5 lanes in Places, and through a business area, with shops along BOTH sides of it !!! …. and the Main road between the center of Ayutthaya and Bangkok, ...

 

And well, judging by the article, the spot where she was killed is in about the most Dangerous spot on the roads, in the district I think ! ....  But with all due respect for the woman, she was a Tourist, here for one day and did not know this. … Though I am sure that No locals would ever be pushing their bikes across the road just there. !!!  And it was dark also looking at the Photos.

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-949265

 

 

... More Information on the very VERY Unfortunate Road Death, of the Tourist Woman, on her Bike, in Ayuttahya. (I got it's Location fairly wrong before, sorry, .... but well, all of that road is dangerous.)

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2316346/french-cyclist-killed-by-car-in-ayutthaya

 

“The fatal crash occurred on Rojana Road at Khlong Makhamriang intersection in tambon Prathuchai”

 

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@14.3512362,100.5757336,3a,75y,53.14h,71.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5XtvOrjei_ylJJ9Xg_yCow!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D5XtvOrjei_ylJJ9Xg_yCow%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D93.75115%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

 

… And about my best take on where it actually was, in the Google Maps camera … which is updating I think, ... in the link above. …. 

 

… NB the Police Post across the Road, like they have pinged me for not having a helmet on, from there before I think ? …. And a Good, but ? well Young, ! ?  Good American friend of mine, rode his street Racer two stroke Honda racer, down a huge drainage construction hole, pretty close to their also I think. … At speed, .. Over taking on the left, …. in the Rain, … late at night !!! ... and racing, … But he was lucky I think, as the Thai guy that he was racing !!! … Jumped straight out of his Pickup, I think ? and picked him up and rushed him to the local hospital, which is not very far away !!! and they just gave him a massive Valium injection straight away so that he coudl still breath !!! .... as he was very VERY badly hurt, as he hit the side of the Hole, and then flew about 70m through the air, down the road, missing a highway sign, and 2 trees !!! ... before hitting the road again, ... and sliding on further !!!   … So he did come just a whisker away from Dying there also. But !!! The Thai drivers, DID save him, and that Was for Sure. (And I do not think that his helmet was left intact, or ever found actually !!!)

 

… (He Went back to America, straightened out his life, married and has children now, but never came back to Thailand after that I think)

 

 

… So well, anyway, here, just a few meters away from where that incident happened, ... It looks like the Woman WERE doing the right thing, … Well trying to !!! …. and it is not the most dangerous section of road in the district, … but well it  is Quite Wide !!! … a high way ! … and Pretty fast, … and usually quite congested, with a large proportion of the traffic trying to turn right in to a quite narrow local road !!! … Like a lot of jostling for position !!!

 

… So well you also DO have to be on your toes usually …  coming in from the Asia highway ? or the Lotus back road, … and doing your right turn in to the street that the woman would probably have been heading for ??? … ... To get back to their Guest House in the Inflammable “Soi Folang” over near the Chao Prom market.

 

… But it being at 9 pm at night, and the woman confused by those lights, which ARE very confusing !!! Even for cars !!! .. They must have thought that they would be OK, as the Road was Pretty clear, I would think ??? … But well, one fast moving Car, …. who plainly just Did Not see her !!! … ... Like the bright lights all around ! but pointing in all directions !!!  … and in front of the quite diverse back ground !!!  …. I think that It Would have been quite hard to have seen her, I think ?

 

…. So well RIP, and condolences for the poor Woman !!! … And well it IS being Investigated, … Like the Poor <deleted> driving the car !!! … He is now in for quite a bit of trouble also I would say !!! … and he was not actually doing that much wrong I think ? …  Like just going for it, at a pretty wide, and difficult intersection !!! … As we all do there, .... Day or Night. …

 

…. Ps. No speed cameras fine in or me yet ? from my trip down the Asia Highway to BigC, a few days after this Tragedy, … which I had not actually heard about at that time !!! …. Though I am still thinking that the Road Safety campaign IS Real !!! …. and the Woman on the Phone to my wife, …. could very well could have been genuine, and from the Local traffic Highway data center … And not a scammer, as I have been warned about ??? ….

 

... So we are still keeping our fingers crosses each day as the Post arrives. !!! .. … And now will be taking it a lot, LOT easier going down Asia Highway, and watching out, when in Ayutthaya itself, …. like there has got to be more than double the number of cars on the Road now, or even triple !!! … Just from even 3 years ago I think !!! … ... Which really, just makes things worse !!!

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Mark mark
spelling and cleaning up

[Mark mark]

On 6/3/2022 at 2:03 PM, Mark mark said:

... More Information on the very VERY Unfortunate Road Death, of the Tourist Woman, on her Bike, in Ayuttahya.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2316346/french-cyclist-killed-by-car-in-ayutthaya

 

“The fatal crash occurred on Rojana Road at Khlong Makhamriang intersection in tambon Prathuchai”

 

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@14.3512362,100.5757336,3a,75y,53.14h,71.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5XtvOrjei_ylJJ9Xg_yCow!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D5XtvOrjei_ylJJ9Xg_yCow%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D93.75115%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

 

 

Well, it looks like the very Unfortunate death of the French Woman, Tourist, getting killed at the Rojana Road and Khlong Makhamriang intersection, pretty well in the center of The main, Island patty of Ayutthaya. … Was not covered in this weeks, the week that was, … So well, this probably makes my 3 posts, pretty well off topic, and sorry for that, … but well it is a safety issue also I think, … As well as my Historic View of my also newly gained Home, here in Chan watt Ayutthaya, with all of the Thai extras added on to the beginning of it. … And it’s tourists on Bicycles !!! … AND some quite varied Roads, now nearly all full of New world Thai Traffic. !!! and all things changing, .. a LOT !!!

 

… No worries, editorial stuff ? possible Litigation ? or even not worth dealing with, as I see that about 30 to 60 Thais a day are getting killed on the roads every day now.  … Like the safety has Improved I think, and they ALL / and WE, DO care about it !!! …. But the Volume of traffic and the number of people with new cars, also must have tripled !!! In the last 5 years alone !!!  … Pushing the figures back up, just by sheer Volume, and well Things are Changing. … World Wide I think, that we all can see. … So Well, basically the Increase of Tourism, and also the probable increase, of Tourists using bicycles to visit the Attractions, … in the face of Tipple the traffic Volume, and now the Poor French women’s Unfortunate death, …. it would be worth considering this situation just a bit I think.

 

Basically I think that she would have survived, like my friend who rode his motorbike down the Huge construction hole, while racing, at speed, over taking on the left, .. in the rain at night, … But he survived as they just rushed him to the Hospital …. which is actual just about right around the Corner from this intersection. … But well she was a foreign woman, and I would bet that the Thai men were probably a bit scared about getting involved with her, … so she was left there on the Road for too long, and died. …

 

… My Friend being a man and on a racing motor bike, I think that they just picked him up straight away, … and literally threw him in the back of a pickup, and raced him around the corner, TO the hospital, and he lived, despite just huge injuries to his face and parts of the Road, the Hole, and his helmet rammed down his throat.

 

… In the Australian video link to the Queen last night, the Older Australian of the Year, was a woman that worked with the St Johns ambulance, and she has been tirelessly campaigning for ALL people that drive, be given first aid Training, as she thinks ? and probably quite rightly, that If all accident victims, got fast first aid, at the accident seen it would save Hundreds of lives, … and it probably would I think ! ? … And the life of the French woman in this case also I think.

 

So looking at the Intersection, the Thai’s have actual had a pretty good go at fixing it up and making it safe … People used to Queue across the Intersection, to pick their kids up from the Good school just a bit to the south of it, but they have closed those lanes off. … … and they have put the Zebra crossing on the West side of the Intersection, which has less Traffic crossing, which is logical, as the Bulk of the traffic is Coming in to the town, from the East, across the bridge, and then trying to turn right at this intersection, and get in to Makhamriang road which is a beautiful, But, Old and narrow, and congested. … Local road only.

 

So the woman probably saw this huge right hand turn Queue, and an other wise empty road, … and though that crossing at the crossing was OK, … but well, the lights changed, giving the Right hand Turners, AND the straight through traffic the right of way probably just after they had started to cross …

 

… and the Poor Thai driver that hit her, probably pulled out left, in to the far left lane, to avoid the Right hand turning Jam, … and saw a green light, …  so sped up … and did not see the French woman pushing her bike in to the road. … As it Was at night also. … and he probably was in the left hand lane, which would have surprised her as well. …

 

So, though they might have started out when the lights were red for through traffic, …. By the time they got going, the Lights changed !!! and then they WERE crossing, when the lights SHOULD have been red for them !!! …. As they WERE green for the through traffic, …. As the Thai man’s Dash camera showed.

 

The Zebra crossing is in the right place, but they need to change the cycle of the lights, to give a green right hand turn arrow, for as much of the time as they can, ….  BUT a red Straight through one, for enough time for the pedestrians to get across the crossing. … or better still break the pedestrian crossing in to 2 sections. … So they could be fitted in to the traffic flow better. …

 

… Like the Thais have been thinking about this as I have seen this Intersection change over the last 35 Years. But there is very VERY few pedestrians that cross here, like it is Not a business area or Hugh foot traffic area, as it is pretty remote from everything, … except the School. And now everyone has cars to get therr. … so the traffic is all arterial pretty much and going (As fast as they can ???) to get to somewhere else !!!  … and I have never seen any pedestrians crossing here in the 35 years I mentioned !!! … So well the Thais must just have left changing the Traffic lights cycle out, and let the pedestrians just watch out for the Odd Through viechle, when everyone else, is basically just turning right, so clear of them. …

 

But well now with the Increase of Tourism, and that being on the Tourists route to some of the other good temples in town, … It should be now fixed, as well it IS only going to get worse, if it is not fixed. … As the traffic is Increasing, … and the number of Tourists on Bicycles are also increasing as well !!! … And they have the range to get there to this intersection, …. Even though pedestrians usually do not.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2316346/french-cyclist-killed-by-car-in-ayutthaya

 

“The fatal crash occurred on Rojana Road at Khlong Makhamriang intersection in tambon Prathuchai”

 

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@14.3512362,100.5757336,3a,75y,53.14h,71.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5XtvOrjei_ylJJ9Xg_yCow!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D5XtvOrjei_ylJJ9Xg_yCow%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D93.75115%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

 

[BayArea]

On 5/28/2022 at 9:16 AM, shdmn said:

All other things aside,  there is no denying that Thailand is better value overall.  Accommodation is usually the 2nd biggest cost after the plane ticket. Thailand is better value than the Philippines for what you get.  Also better infrastructure.

 

I think Vietnam is probably better value still, but it's pretty close.

Soon if not sooner,  Viet Nam will be head lining this forum when discussing cost of living,  entertainment value,  and accommodations etc to LOS.

 

[BayArea]

On 5/28/2022 at 9:34 PM, Lacessit said:

I believe you have posted all the same opinions on another thread some time ago.

 

Be that as it may, come on. You think a Filipina would be asking you how much do you earn, and what do you own, out of intellectual curiosity? It's the same microscope any bar girl in Pattaya would use.

 

I have a friend who was stitched up by a Filipina, tried to take advantage of Australian family law when she was carrying another man's child that he thought was his. If that's not enough, Google Lang Hancock and Rose Porteous.

 

Just saying, a few stories I've heard indicate Filipinas can be just as greedy, unfaithful and grasping as any Thai woman. Imelda Marcos ring any bells?

Some of the most unscrupulous and psychotic women I dated in America were Filipino women.  They're great for some wild times in bed, but no thx!!

[BayArea]

On 5/29/2022 at 5:20 AM, Denim said:

Five

.

Once on a bus which I knew was happening with the reach around technique which almost made me laught. They got an old empty spectacle case.

 

Next by gang of kids who mobbed me and got the broken digital watch.

 

Once on a jeepney. Reach around technique again which I again felt and stopped since on that occasion there was real money in my wallet.

 

Once from the hotel safe. I had written down all the contents for the hotel before placing in their safe. But I forgot 2000 baht in a side wallet. They had that.

 

Finally 2 streetwalkers cleaned me out of 100 dollars when I passed out drunk in the short time hotel we were using. Totally my fault as I omitted my own advice on account of it being my birthday and I was painting the town red. The university of life.

They probably mugged you that many times when they found out you believe Vodka,  Tequila and Gin are a poor man's preference. 

[BayArea]

On 5/29/2022 at 5:44 PM, jacko45k said:

Natural disasters... when it comes to them, the Philippines gets them all, volcanoes, typhoons, earthquakes etc, Thailand is benign in that respect.

I kid with my Filipino friends in the states that the PI is unfortunately cursed from corrupted governments to natural disasters.