Thai Berry Pickers In Sweden Head Home Empty Handed

[tropo]

*deleted*

Edited October 5, 2010 by tropo

[kuffki]

Oh all the noble members with high morals and values!

Of course i feel bad for the poor Thais that have been ripped off. But as other members have mentioned we farang get ripped off every day one way or another.Even those of you who live in deep Isaan and under some fantasy assumption that you do not.

We farang have no rights in this country and should we run into any scam or trouble or even an accident -we are always in the wrong.

KireB posted "These people worked hard for their money" so are we to presume that farang do not work hard for our money? Does the money fall from the trees for us or comes out the back side during every visit to the toilet.?

The difference is, this CEO will be found and punished while if same was in Thailand and he was Thai and it was farangs who got ripped off, nothing would come out of it.

Yes it is very bad what he did and Thai's have worked and lost money, some may end up getting the money eventually (or part there of) and the CEO will end up in jail. Now would same happened in Thailand if things were other way around???

In my personal experience, i have been ripped off by

1. Powerbuy- amount 5500 baht with no outcome at all

2. Ripped off by TATA car dealer-750 000 baht with no outcome

3. Bangkok Hospital -500 000 baht with no outcome

4. LG to the amount of 3 000 000 baht-with no outcome

5. Condo Developer-amount 100 000 baht with no outcome

And i am yet to meet a Thai who felt sorry for me or tried to help, so i guess i did not work hard for my money:unsure:

You certainly have been ripped off a lot. Perhaps the problem is you don't exercise due diligence when spending your money. Perhaps you have more money than sense as you certainly come across as a big spender. Do you still have money? If it wasn't inherited money you squandered, how did you get it in the first place?

As for your statement "we farang get ripped off every day one way or another", I'm really trying hard to think of even one time I've been ripped off here in Thailand. (Oh, yeah, I can think of one time a computer shop ripped me off 200 baht). The only real ripoff I can think of is the 55,000 baht surcharge I've paid on electricity, but that's to a Farang and I have the choice to move.

Sure, I'm aware that if you're not careful with your money you could end up in trouble, but the same is true back where I come from. Back at home I have a few horror stories about being ripped off 10's of thousands of dollars with no resolution possible.

As for Ukkinbkk's post:

"What a turn around.. They should give this guy a medal of the highest order.. Like the earlier post said "thais getting screwed by farang, unheard of". Look what happens in thailand everyday we get screwed over in every sector, it's so refreshing to read a story like this and see the boot on the other foot.

Maybe if this did happen more often thais might treat us fairly, equally, the same same, that's all I ask.. Very good story, maybe a leson for the thai people.. :jap:"

This is one of the most absurd and offensive posts I've ever read. I wish this forum wasn't moderated so I could really tell him what I think.

Lol!!!! and now the psychoanalytical approach.

Of course you have never been ripped off and Thailand is most welcoming and fair country when it comes to foreigners and of course dual pricing is a myth so is 100000 story's posted all over forums, papers, etc about all the scams.

Yes you right i do not have a sense, next time i go to buy fan, i will buy 100 baht fan because logically ti will be better quality then 5000 baht fan and surely the 100 baht fan will have better warranty then 5000 baht fan and seller is more likely to honor the warranty of 100 baht product.

Next time i will have a surgery, i will find the cheapest hospital in Thailand and get them to cut me open there, because they will sure do a better job and of course will provide much better after care, not to mention their non English speaking doctors are much better educated then the more expansive ones. I am sure they managed to learn medicine very well, just could not manage to learn any English.

And next time i need anything fixed, i will wait with a gun or a sword when technician comes, just in case!, better yet will employ 5 armed guards to stay in the house while techs fix something for me.

and i guess next time i go to buy a new car, i will have to meditate and imagine i am part of the car, so i can see the problems, or may be will go to fortune teller who can tell me if the new car will break on the way home and dealer will not be able to fix it nor will they give back the money or a new car.

You absolutely right, people with money are stupid and just blow it away, while people without money have much more sense. This is partly the reason why people with money have the money, because they are stupid with no sense and they make money by throwing it away.

Some people really live in some fantasy world, do not know if its the blindness caused by the half aged wives or some other reason.

Of course there are similar or same problems all over the world, but the difference is back in the West and other civilized country's there are rules and laws which are enforced and there are agency's who deal and force business to comply with the law.

Rest assured if my incident with LG was in USA, i would of been already awarded somewhere around few hundred million of dollars.

and if doctor made a mistake during the surgery, not only it will be fixed for free but i will also be getting compensation for pain and suffering not to mention loss of income and troubles.

Not to mention that if brand new product brakes before you even get home i will be entitled to a new product or a refund without even having to ask.

And all of this would not be a problem to start with, because company's would try to do the right thing in hope to avoid law suits and bad PR, while in your fantasy world in Thailand, company's could not care less what happens to a customer.

I am scared though that in your next response you will also say that Thailand has the best customer service and you have never had any problems in that regard also.

PS. If i was as rich as you have painted me out to be, rest assured i will not be living in Thailand not only that i would not be buying TATA or LG TV. Believe it or not there are people who work hard and make/save money without having mommy and daddy give it to them.

Edited October 5, 2010 by kuffki

[Humphrey Bear]

If the company is in legal bankruptcy, they will receive their payments through wage guarantees .. in a year or so!

Not what they expected but better then nothing!

But for this type of labour the workers usually pay a fee to the 'broker' to get the job - used to be US $ 1,500.00 per person per job. For that they are shipped out to the job (airfares were much cheaper in the eighties/nineties and often paid by the employer) and housed/paid wages by the employer.

Many haave to go to a loan shark to get the initial fee, or the family club together to get it. Either way, waiting for due process in the Swedish Bankruptcy Court will not help these people. They need money to pay off the extortionate loans, to buy food, whatever.

The exploitation of third world nationals, usually by their own compatriates, is disgraceful.

I have employed such people on construction sites for the past thirty-five years, sometimes local labour, but in the Middle East usually imported labour. Some get sent straight back, as they are useless, but most make the grade and earn (for them) good money. And most stay on for many years, moving from project to project, as do I. But whereas I earn maybe 25% over the pay I would earn back in UK, and in most places do not pay income tax, these guys earn 4 or 5 times what they would get in their native land, sometimes when they are on a high-overtime project it can be ten times. So they have strong incentive to work abroad, and also to stay out until they have enough to buy their dream, whatever it may be.

Edit : I have just seen the post covering what these guys did spend to get to Sweden. Prices have certainly gone up since my day!

Probably went to pick lingonberries in the forests of Sweden. It's a very popular thingy in Sweden, but mostly grow wild in small patches and not easy to fulfill a quota. Good luck to the Thai government for recognising that these people need and deserve help.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Humphrey Bear

[TAWP]

Mr Phumkacha Nakham was previously a berry picker himself but promoted himself as an agent for the berry picking in Sweden. The full group of 155 people had each paid him 78000 Baht to cover the travel arrangement including the visa application. He had promised them that they would get per month 16,372 Swedish kroner or 73.000 baht on a two and a half month contract.

He got 12.1 million Baht...nice.

[tropo]

Lol!!!! and now the psychoanalytical approach.

Of course you have never been ripped off and Thailand is most welcoming and fair country when it comes to foreigners and of course dual pricing is a myth so is 100000 story's posted all over forums, papers, etc about all the scams.

Yes you right i do not have a sense, next time i go to buy fan, i will buy 100 baht fan because logically ti will be better quality then 5000 baht fan and surely the 100 baht fan will have better warranty then 5000 baht fan and seller is more likely to honor the warranty of 100 baht product.

Next time i will have a surgery, i will find the cheapest hospital in Thailand and get them to cut me open there, because they will sure do a better job and of course will provide much better after care, not to mention their non English speaking doctors are much better educated then the more expansive ones. I am sure they managed to learn medicine very well, just could not manage to learn any English.

And next time i need anything fixed, i will wait with a gun or a sword when technician comes, just in case!, better yet will employ 5 armed guards to stay in the house while techs fix something for me.

and i guess next time i go to buy a new car, i will have to meditate and imagine i am part of the car, so i can see the problems, or may be will go to fortune teller who can tell me if the new car will break on the way home and dealer will not be able to fix it nor will they give back the money or a new car.

You absolutely right, people with money are stupid and just blow it away, while people without money have much more sense. This is partly the reason why people with money have the money, because they are stupid with no sense and they make money by throwing it away.

Some people really live in some fantasy world, do not know if its the blindness caused by the half aged wives or some other reason.

Of course there are similar or same problems all over the world, but the difference is back in the West and other civilized country's there are rules and laws which are enforced and there are agency's who deal and force business to comply with the law.

Rest assured if my incident with LG was in USA, i would of been already awarded somewhere around few hundred million of dollars.

and if doctor made a mistake during the surgery, not only it will be fixed for free but i will also be getting compensation for pain and suffering not to mention loss of income and troubles.

Not to mention that if brand new product brakes before you even get home i will be entitled to a new product or a refund without even having to ask.

And all of this would not be a problem to start with, because company's would try to do the right thing in hope to avoid law suits and bad PR, while in your fantasy world in Thailand, company's could not care less what happens to a customer.

I am scared though that in your next response you will also say that Thailand has the best customer service and you have never had any problems in that regard also.

PS. If i was as rich as you have painted me out to be, rest assured i will not be living in Thailand not only that i would not be buying TATA or LG TV. Believe it or not there are people who work hard and make/save money without having mommy and daddy give it to them.

My apologies, but I deleted my post 15 minutes before you posted your reply. After I read through some of your other responses which were made after I posted my reply I thought I better not wind you up further and I had noted some of your explanations.

After that I had to feel sorry for you because you've been extremely unlucky. Sorry to hear about your bad experience at the hospital.

May I suggest you take a break from Thailand to recover and reassess your reasons for living here in the first place.

[kuffki]

Lol!!!! and now the psychoanalytical approach.

Of course you have never been ripped off and Thailand is most welcoming and fair country when it comes to foreigners and of course dual pricing is a myth so is 100000 story's posted all over forums, papers, etc about all the scams.

Yes you right i do not have a sense, next time i go to buy fan, i will buy 100 baht fan because logically ti will be better quality then 5000 baht fan and surely the 100 baht fan will have better warranty then 5000 baht fan and seller is more likely to honor the warranty of 100 baht product.

Next time i will have a surgery, i will find the cheapest hospital in Thailand and get them to cut me open there, because they will sure do a better job and of course will provide much better after care, not to mention their non English speaking doctors are much better educated then the more expansive ones. I am sure they managed to learn medicine very well, just could not manage to learn any English.

And next time i need anything fixed, i will wait with a gun or a sword when technician comes, just in case!, better yet will employ 5 armed guards to stay in the house while techs fix something for me.

and i guess next time i go to buy a new car, i will have to meditate and imagine i am part of the car, so i can see the problems, or may be will go to fortune teller who can tell me if the new car will break on the way home and dealer will not be able to fix it nor will they give back the money or a new car.

You absolutely right, people with money are stupid and just blow it away, while people without money have much more sense. This is partly the reason why people with money have the money, because they are stupid with no sense and they make money by throwing it away.

Some people really live in some fantasy world, do not know if its the blindness caused by the half aged wives or some other reason.

Of course there are similar or same problems all over the world, but the difference is back in the West and other civilized country's there are rules and laws which are enforced and there are agency's who deal and force business to comply with the law.

Rest assured if my incident with LG was in USA, i would of been already awarded somewhere around few hundred million of dollars.

and if doctor made a mistake during the surgery, not only it will be fixed for free but i will also be getting compensation for pain and suffering not to mention loss of income and troubles.

Not to mention that if brand new product brakes before you even get home i will be entitled to a new product or a refund without even having to ask.

And all of this would not be a problem to start with, because company's would try to do the right thing in hope to avoid law suits and bad PR, while in your fantasy world in Thailand, company's could not care less what happens to a customer.

I am scared though that in your next response you will also say that Thailand has the best customer service and you have never had any problems in that regard also.

PS. If i was as rich as you have painted me out to be, rest assured i will not be living in Thailand not only that i would not be buying TATA or LG TV. Believe it or not there are people who work hard and make/save money without having mommy and daddy give it to them.

My apologies, but I deleted my post 15 minutes before you posted your reply. After I read through some of your other responses which were made after I posted my reply I thought I better not wind you up further and I had noted some of your explanations.

After that I had to feel sorry for you because you've been extremely unlucky. Sorry to hear about your bad experience at the hospital.

May I suggest you take a break from Thailand to recover and reassess your reasons for living here in the first place.

Thanks for your wishes and understanding. Do not get me wrong things go wrong in every country in the world, it is what you can do about it is what makes the difference.

Taking break from Thailand, doubt will change anything in my attitude towards it, because should something alike happen again, the end result will be the same.

As i think i posted in the beginning of this thread people get ripped off all over the world and those Thai's sadly got caught between their agent and the CEO, but CEO will be punished and there is a very high chance some money will be recovered, while if this was in Thailand and it was foreigner who got scammed(my situations ) there will be no consequences for the offender.