5 hours ago, freeworld said:

I do not think so. In years past before the internet there were far fewer foreigners visiting Thailand. Now visitors have literally tripled and all sorts are arriving and amongst them are troublemakers.

Bizzare! You do know about the Vietnam war and American GI's? Officers Phuket the rankers Pattaya and that was in the 60's.....

6 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

What about the sellers of fireworks?

who do you think calls the police?

17 minutes ago, michaellee said:

7 hours ago, ukrules said:

I've been saying this for years.

They hate us, only now are we seeing highly publicised evidence of this, it was more subtle before.

 

 

Hmmm…Wonder why? You have one option. Dont like it and felt you being discriminated…pack up and leave go back to your racist country. 

 

ooohhhh.....  I haven't read the "if you don't like it go back to your own country" comment for a while..... 

 

...one of the most unimaginative responses on this forum, it sort of 'passed out of fashion' after being overused by a number cerebrally challenged posters struggling for a more intelligent response... 

 

Dealing with the point in hand - In area's such as Patong, there does seem to be a general level of contempt held towards foreigners (tourists) in that area...  I suspect there are multiple reasons for this. 

- The type of tourist these area's attract - a number of whom behave poorly and disrespectfully.

- The type of 'Thai' these area's attract whose sole purpose is to extract money from said tourist. 

- The level of contempt this double negative generates. 

 

Whenever I've been to Patong, I've also felt an undercurrent of contempt by those working in the area, central Pattaya is not too dissimilar. 

 

Other area's of Thailand are quite different of course...  and those Thai's less tainted by poorly behaved foreigners are often extremely welcoming... these are also the 'same type of Thais' who would also find area's such as Patong quite awful, as do many of the foreigners, tourists, expacts etc who dislike being tarred with the same brush as those 'troublesome blockheads' who frequent these areas...

 

I've heard much the same of Kuta in Bali - and it is for these reasons I very rarely visit Phuket and have never visited Bali.

 

That said, there are plenty of extremely, pleasant area's of Phuket, Nai-Harn beach is one of my favourite area's in Thailand - people watching there is quite a fun past-time and the area itself does not have that 'mercenary feel' I witness in some other touristy area's of Thailand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farang scum!  Imprison.  Deport.  Ban for life.  

He was subsequently taken to Patong Police Station, where he was charged with using fireworks without the necessary legal permit and causing noise pollution.

 

The main noise pollution in Phuket & has been for years are the motor bikes (minus exhaust). The authorities just turn a blind eye to it.

If you want to arrest people for buying fireworks (let's face it you are going to set them off sooner or later) and for other minor things like going topless on the beach etc., that's fine, as long as you headline it in the broachers, so people can make their own minds up if Thailand is for them. 

1 hour ago, milesinnz said:

Please do TAT a favour.. tell all your western mates, don't come to Thailand... if you must come to SE Asia go to Vietnam or The Philippines.. that should make the Thai's much happier...

 

They need income from abroad.  If they didn't have tourism, Thailand would still look like Laos.

Just now, BangkokReady said:

 

They need income from abroad.  If they didn't have tourism, Thailand would still look like Laos.

 

Not quite... there is a lot of industry in Thailand... Tourism contributes about 20% to GDP...     Other industry is far more important.

 

That said - 20% is a lot, and Thailand needs to 'nurture' its tourism industry rather than alienate its tourists with 'possible' targeting of those making 'mistakes' which when considering the bigger picture are 'minor offence' ...  misdemeanours.... 

 

 

1 hour ago, milesinnz said:

Please do TAT a favour.. tell all your western mates, don't come to Thailand... if you must come to SE Asia go to Vietnam or The Philippines.. that should make the Thai's much happier...

Indeed, Vietnam and the Phillippines are great countrys !!! been to both, many times !!!

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Not quite... there is a lot of industry in Thailand... Tourism contributes about 20% to GDP...     Other industry is far more important.

 

That said - 20% is a lot, and Thailand needs to 'nurture' its tourism industry rather than alienate its tourists with 'possible' targeting of those making 'mistakes' which when considering the bigger picture are 'minor offence' ...  misdemeanours.... 

 

If it wasn't a huge contribution to the economy, they wouldn't be so desperate for it now, nor after covid.  Obviously I have no data to back up the wild/hyperbolic claim that Thailand would still look like Laos, but you cannot deny the huge impact tourism has had on Thailand and Thai people's standard of living.

 

During covid, without foreign tourists, Thailand was stretched to almost breaking point.  There was nearly no money left to subsidise Thai people's everyday expenditure.

 

As I said, no data, but I find it hard to believe that Thailand (Bangkok at least) would look anything like it does today without foreign tourists.  At the very least, there would be far less infrastructure and food and fuel would cost Thai people a lot more.

Am inflammatory post has been removed

33 minutes ago, Frankie baby said:

He was subsequently taken to Patong Police Station, where he was charged with using fireworks without the necessary legal permit and causing noise pollution.

 

The main noise pollution in Phuket & has been for years are the motor bikes (minus exhaust). The authorities just turn a blind eye to it.

If you want to arrest people for buying fireworks (let's face it you are going to set them off sooner or later) and for other minor things like going topless on the beach etc., that's fine, as long as you headline it in the broachers, so people can make their own minds up if Thailand is for them. 

Illegal exhausts are a main target at the many traffic checks.

It's like the rental shops they shouldnt rent you a bike without a license, but they do, who get fined the renter not the shop

2 hours ago, ThaiFelix said:

Its ludicrous!!  Nearly happened to me a couple of years ago.  Kids all through the village were setting off fireworks for weeks (without any permits lol)  The shops had been selling them for weeks (without permits).  Nobody told me there were any rules when I bought them??  I had been mucking around with a couple of kids passing by and set off a couple of bombs just to entertain them in fun.  Suddenly some cop, who had been gambling (yes gambling) on a TV boxing match over the road wanted to grab me.  Luckily a couple of my friends and neighbours who were also gambling there came to my rescue stating I didnt know about the laws and he let me go.  Can you even absorb that fully?? Lol!  Welcome to Thailand!

The deal is you are not a native... you're the guest so behave like one.

Yes it's not fair, locals get away with it and you will be punished for it... suck it up.

Lots of other places to be if it doesn't suit.

 

Every time I hear pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop...

I thinking "what a genius" you didn't blow yourself up, give them a Nobel prize. 😂

7 hours ago, freeworld said:

Why does a foreigner even need to be in possession of fireworks.

Why shouldn't a foreigner ? I have passed a roadside rocket seller  here a few times recently with several sizes on sale. The largest and longest looks a bit of a beast. Rockets and firecrackers are quite often, randomly it seems, set off in our locality. By locals..and I don't mean the ones they set off at Temple funerals. As the only foreigner in this village am I not allowed? Are the locals not allowed to do this without a permit of some kind? Either way the nearest cop shop is several kms away so unlikely they would show up before the show had ended and the "perps" long gone.

What about the flying candle lanterns? Is that ok then? No noise involved!

If making too much noise is a criminal offence round here most of the locals would spend half their time in jail for extremely loud music. Now that would peaceful.

 

Where to draw the line?

I personally don't get the fascination with fireworks... always struck me as juvenile. Didn't even know a permit was required... at the rate fireworks seem to always be going off (all across Thailand), they must issue a lot of permits 😂 

Looks like he’s been out in the sun too much. 

3 hours ago, milesinnz said:

Please do TAT a favour.. tell all your western mates, don't come to Thailand... if you must come to SE Asia go to Vietnam or The Philippines.. that should make the Thai's much happier...

Really! If people who don't want to obey the law go to Vietnam or the Philippines instead of Thailand, it's a win situation for Thailand!

8 hours ago, freeworld said:

I do not think so. In years past before the internet there were far fewer foreigners visiting Thailand. Now visitors have literally tripled and all sorts are arriving and amongst them are troublemakers.

So is so is somebody letting of a firework a trouble maker, or is it illegal to have fireworks on the beach, it is also wrong to drink and drive but dont se much going on there to stop it.

 

4 minutes ago, Almer said:

So is so is somebody letting of a firework a trouble maker, or is it illegal to have fireworks on the beach, it is also wrong to drink and drive but dont se much going on there to stop it.

 

So you missed all the DUI posts.

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

So you missed all the DUI posts.

Didnt miss them but the time it took to arrest document etc the Kiwi they could have caught and documented 10 DUI at any intersection in Phuket, Pats etc

9 hours ago, ukrules said:

I've been saying this for years.

They hate us, only now are we seeing highly publicised evidence of this, it was more subtle before.

 

Sure they hate you but you don't have any options for a decent life in your home country, let alone finding a woman in your home land. That's the exact reason you live here and vent your frustration in the only forum you're allowed to do so. 

Whatever happened to the Kiwi's who wrestled the police officer to the ground? That story seemed didn't linger like the Swiss kicker story. 

5 minutes ago, bananafish said:

Whatever happened to the Kiwi's who wrestled the police officer to the ground? That story seemed didn't linger like the Swiss kicker story. 

They remain in custody awaiting trial. 

Bail was denied.

Thank you for making Thailand great again royal thai police. Now we are safe again.

How is a tourist suposed to know its illigal, if a shop sells them, as with parking or driving on a beach, unless there are signs to warn people.

Thailand has a lot of laws that are not known to the average tourist; 

No vaping, no sex toys, no porn, no prostitution, no begging, no slagging of Thailand, no freedom of speech, no disrespect to the flag, no disrespect to the religion, no bare breasts, no shoes inside, no driving without a shirt, ............must wear underpants.... on and on it goes. 

Kiwi Arrested for Illegal Use of Fireworks on Thai Beach

 

That's a Laugh, Thais set of fireworks Anywhere at anytime .

Pick on the foreigner day was it.

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The deal is you are not a native... you're the guest so behave like one.

Yes it's not fair, locals get away with it and you will be punished for it... suck it up.

Lots of other places to be if it doesn't suit.

 

Guests at your home and guests in a hotel are generally treated better than non-guests.

 

The "guest in their country" thing just doesn't work.

 

"You're a guest in Thailand, so you have to obey the rules while locals don't, because police will try to extort you" isn't the moral win you think it is.

There are other places to holiday in Thailand than Phuket or Pattaya as it appears to be all out on foreigners at the moment. Try Hua Hin or Khon Kaen or Issan.

I wonder is it legal when thais sending up firework and fire rackere at funerals? Is it legal when thais play load music at night? Asking because I never see any actions from the police at such occations. May be this is a law only for foreigners (read farangs)? This we can call anutin-mania among thais.