British Ambassador Repeats His Call For Uk Nationals To Exercise Caution When Travelling To Thailand

[kiniyow]

I think the Ambassador is a straight shooter..Gets right to the point in most cases....

[kiniyow]

I think the Ambassador is a straight shooter who gets his point across in a straight forward Manner....I admire this about any politician...

[NoshowJones]

Now will FCO list "dangers", other than safety when living in Thailand?

There shouldn't be any small print on insurance policies, they should just say straight out what is covered and what is not.

[impulse]

There shouldn't be any small print on insurance policies, they should just say straight out what is covered and what is not.

While I agree with you, I don't think there are enough trees to make enough paper to print it all in readable sized fonts.

Many years ago, I actually sat down and read the fine print on a life insurance policy I had bought. It felt like I was pretty much limited to playing chess or watching TV indoors or I wasn't covered.

Edited July 27, 2012 by impulse

[NoshowJones]

Why Oh Why do so many TV posters turn a sensible subject into slagging off other nationalities and also our host country if like me you live in Thailand? I think it is very sensible to remind visitors and/or residents the inherent dangers of being away from your home country. It is a fact that people do take more risks when away from home, drink more, unprotected sex, riding a motor cycle without a crash helmet etc. especially in a country when vehicle maintenance and driving standars are known to be substandard. I think it is everyAmbassadors responsibility to remind everyone of such dangers especially as they see first hand all the heartache that follows what is seen as just fun but in reality is recklessness.

Actually I believe car mechanics are of a very high standard in Thailand. That is certainly my experience.

[KKvampire]

Ambassador given a difficult post gives some good advice on departing and Thai Visa erupts with intra-diasporic venom (don't look tis up - as a native speaker I have a write to mint the language as I go along).

This says more about Thai Visa than the Ambassador.[/quote

Agreed.some of us left uk to get away from the british airheads .but see them around in thai and hear them on TV.when need a laugh

Sent from my LG-P350 using Thaivisa Connect App

[NoshowJones]

There shouldn't be any small print on insurance policies, they should just say straight out what is covered and what is not.

While I agree with you, I don't think there are enough trees to make enough paper to print it all in readable sized fonts.

Many years ago, I actually sat down and read the fine print on a life insurance policy I had bought. It felt like I was pretty much limited to playing chess or watching TV indoors or I wasn't covered.

Ok then Impulse, they should simplify the policies, but that would not be in their best interests where paying out is concerned. Crooks, the lot od them.

[Nigel1500]

Britons or 'Britiots' in their late fifties and sixties who marry girls in Thailand and throw their money around are more at danger than guys running around on bikes.

How many Poms marry an Isan girl,move out to Isan,buy/build a house, and are never heard of again ? No stats on that .

sawadee krup

Nominated for: "Stupid Post of the Year Award - 2012"

[Scott]

Britons or 'Britiots' in their late fifties and sixties who marry girls in Thailand and throw their money around are more at danger than guys running around on bikes.

How many Poms marry an Isan girl,move out to Isan,buy/build a house, and are never heard of again ? No stats on that .

sawadee krup

Nominated for: "Stupid Post of the Year Award - 2012"

Not even close. You should see some of the ones that have been deleted.

Please stay on the topic. Racist remarks are being removed as well as those that simply are bashing the UK and the British.

[JeremyBowskill]

y'all want something to bash??? cool then do me a favour and save me 500 baht on my next soapie!!

[JimAnderson]

It amazes me how these news bulletins skip around the truth of the matter, which is simply...."Thai's do NOT know how to drive either defensively or offensively.

I've lived in China, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the list goes on for Asian countries I've either lived in, driven in and / or visited for an extended amount of time. If you're a savvy foreigner, with a half-way decent map and some intestinal fortitude, renting a motorbike is the only way to go while in a foreign country. But, while I've lived or stayed in many countries in Asia and driven in most of them, Thailand is without a doubt the most dangerous to drive in.

Two very obvious points are:

1. The Thai police don't care, in most instances, when you are driving outside of major cities. I've been in, visited, and driven in many, many small towns here in the South of Thailand and all are the same. If there was a major emergency, and you needed a Thai policeman, you'd be flat out of luck. But, if there was a big event serving food, beer and Thai whiskey, suddenly you'd see the whole dam_n police force out in full view.

I've seen Thai driver's execute the most daring, stupid, dangerous stunts, all of which are obviously against the law, and do so RIGHT IN FRONT of a Thai cop....but there is no reaction. Thai cops simply do not do their job, so this alone increases the death rate. I live near a lazy curve in one of the main roads near my house, and in eight years I've counted seventeen accidents, four of which were fatal. As in any country, coming into a turn, the mid-line yellow traffic line turns solid and anyone with half a brain knows, YOU DO NOT....EVER....PASS ON A SOLID YELLOW LINE. But, I suppose there's an exception for Thai drivers, since most do. They do, and very often they run someone off the road, or hit someone who is abiding by the simple law.

Simply put, in Thailand, regarding traffic, forget about the safety factor of Thai police enforcing laws, because it will never happen....they are more interested in blackmailing local businesses into lining their pockets for fake protection, or pulling fake road stops in order to collect money for their local beer night.

....Oh, and the traffic? Ha! expect anything and everything! People driving on the wrong side of the road, individuals entering a main road, turning into traffic without even looking, motorcyclists swinging across four lanes of traffic in order to get to the wrong side of the road in the opposing lane....It's just freaking crazy. Oh, and if you drive like you drove in your own, first world, industrialized nation, which is the proper way to drive, you will most likely become a statistic here.

Everybody touts how easy and laid back the Thai's are.....Mai pen rai......sabai, sabai....BUT, just try passing a Thai in traffic, or somehow maneuvering yourself IN FRONT OF A THAI DRIVER....they will STOMP on their accelerator and risk life and limb in order to pass you and get in front of you!....

Thai's are the absolute WORST drivers in all of Asia, in my opinion, and since Thailand is so corrupt, most either get a license via cheating on the test or just paying somebody for a license....or, the other scenario.....never have owned a license or a registration....why? Well, because the police don't care and don't or rarely check.

My two centavos!

Jeeem

[kmj]

It amazes me how these news bulletins skip around the truth of the matter, which is simply...."Thai's do NOT know how to drive either defensively or offensively.

I've lived in China, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the list goes on for Asian countries I've either lived in, driven in and / or visited for an extended amount of time. If you're a savvy foreigner, with a half-way decent map and some intestinal fortitude, renting a motorbike is the only way to go while in a foreign country. But, while I've lived or stayed in many countries in Asia and driven in most of them, Thailand is without a doubt the most dangerous to drive in.

Two very obvious points are:

1. The Thai police don't care, in most instances, when you are driving outside of major cities. I've been in, visited, and driven in many, many small towns here in the South of Thailand and all are the same. If there was a major emergency, and you needed a Thai policeman, you'd be flat out of luck. But, if there was a big event serving food, beer and Thai whiskey, suddenly you'd see the whole dam_n police force out in full view.

I've seen Thai driver's execute the most daring, stupid, dangerous stunts, all of which are obviously against the law, and do so RIGHT IN FRONT of a Thai cop....but there is no reaction. Thai cops simply do not do their job, so this alone increases the death rate. I live near a lazy curve in one of the main roads near my house, and in eight years I've counted seventeen accidents, four of which were fatal. As in any country, coming into a turn, the mid-line yellow traffic line turns solid and anyone with half a brain knows, YOU DO NOT....EVER....PASS ON A SOLID YELLOW LINE. But, I suppose there's an exception for Thai drivers, since most do. They do, and very often they run someone off the road, or hit someone who is abiding by the simple law.

Simply put, in Thailand, regarding traffic, forget about the safety factor of Thai police enforcing laws, because it will never happen....they are more interested in blackmailing local businesses into lining their pockets for fake protection, or pulling fake road stops in order to collect money for their local beer night.

....Oh, and the traffic? Ha! expect anything and everything! People driving on the wrong side of the road, individuals entering a main road, turning into traffic without even looking, motorcyclists swinging across four lanes of traffic in order to get to the wrong side of the road in the opposing lane....It's just freaking crazy. Oh, and if you drive like you drove in your own, first world, industrialized nation, which is the proper way to drive, you will most likely become a statistic here.

Everybody touts how easy and laid back the Thai's are.....Mai pen rai......sabai, sabai....BUT, just try passing a Thai in traffic, or somehow maneuvering yourself IN FRONT OF A THAI DRIVER....they will STOMP on their accelerator and risk life and limb in order to pass you and get in front of you!....

Thai's are the absolute WORST drivers in all of Asia, in my opinion, and since Thailand is so corrupt, most either get a license via cheating on the test or just paying somebody for a license....or, the other scenario.....never have owned a license or a registration....why? Well, because the police don't care and don't or rarely check.

My two centavos!

Jeeem

You want to try driving through Indonesia if you think the Thais have the worst driving habits in Asia...

[Ferangled]

A number of rather nasty, racist posts have been removed. Please stay on-topic.

Surely not the sleep/ sheep posting?! That was frankly quite amusing and far from being racist I believe it was derogatory to livestock only...

[coma]

Has Australia and the UK declared a tourism war on Thailand in the last 24 hours or what ?

[saroq]

Why Oh Why do so many TV posters turn a sensible subject into slagging off other nationalities and also our host country if like me you live in Thailand? I think it is very sensible to remind visitors and/or residents the inherent dangers of being away from your home country. It is a fact that people do take more risks when away from home, drink more, unprotected sex, riding a motor cycle without a crash helmet etc. especially in a country when vehicle maintenance and driving standars are known to be substandard. I think it is everyAmbassadors responsibility to remind everyone of such dangers especially as they see first hand all the heartache that follows what is seen as just fun but in reality is recklessness.

Can we also extend the above comment to the offended Poms who assume that the poster (jjalansanitwong) is an Aussie. Much better to attack the comment's content, perhaps to have a go at the individual than it is to attack a whole nationality because the poster may or may not be a member of it.

[coma]

Britons or 'Britiots' in their late fifties and sixties who marry girls in Thailand and throw their money around are more at danger than guys running around on bikes.

How many Poms marry an Isan girl,move out to Isan,buy/build a house, and are never heard of again ? No stats on that .

sawadee krup

When living in a democratic country such as Thailand. Then one can exercise his /her right to be an idiot.

[saroq]

It amazes me how these news bulletins skip around the truth of the matter, which is simply...."Thai's do NOT know how to drive either defensively or offensively.

I've lived in China, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the list goes on for Asian countries I've either lived in, driven in and / or visited for an extended amount of time. If you're a savvy foreigner, with a half-way decent map and some intestinal fortitude, renting a motorbike is the only way to go while in a foreign country. But, while I've lived or stayed in many countries in Asia and driven in most of them, Thailand is without a doubt the most dangerous to drive in.

Two very obvious points are:

1. The Thai police don't care, in most instances, when you are driving outside of major cities. I've been in, visited, and driven in many, many small towns here in the South of Thailand and all are the same. If there was a major emergency, and you needed a Thai policeman, you'd be flat out of luck. But, if there was a big event serving food, beer and Thai whiskey, suddenly you'd see the whole dam_n police force out in full view.

I've seen Thai driver's execute the most daring, stupid, dangerous stunts, all of which are obviously against the law, and do so RIGHT IN FRONT of a Thai cop....but there is no reaction. Thai cops simply do not do their job, so this alone increases the death rate. I live near a lazy curve in one of the main roads near my house, and in eight years I've counted seventeen accidents, four of which were fatal. As in any country, coming into a turn, the mid-line yellow traffic line turns solid and anyone with half a brain knows, YOU DO NOT....EVER....PASS ON A SOLID YELLOW LINE. But, I suppose there's an exception for Thai drivers, since most do. They do, and very often they run someone off the road, or hit someone who is abiding by the simple law.

Simply put, in Thailand, regarding traffic, forget about the safety factor of Thai police enforcing laws, because it will never happen....they are more interested in blackmailing local businesses into lining their pockets for fake protection, or pulling fake road stops in order to collect money for their local beer night.

....Oh, and the traffic? Ha! expect anything and everything! People driving on the wrong side of the road, individuals entering a main road, turning into traffic without even looking, motorcyclists swinging across four lanes of traffic in order to get to the wrong side of the road in the opposing lane....It's just freaking crazy. Oh, and if you drive like you drove in your own, first world, industrialized nation, which is the proper way to drive, you will most likely become a statistic here.

Everybody touts how easy and laid back the Thai's are.....Mai pen rai......sabai, sabai....BUT, just try passing a Thai in traffic, or somehow maneuvering yourself IN FRONT OF A THAI DRIVER....they will STOMP on their accelerator and risk life and limb in order to pass you and get in front of you!....

Thai's are the absolute WORST drivers in all of Asia, in my opinion, and since Thailand is so corrupt, most either get a license via cheating on the test or just paying somebody for a license....or, the other scenario.....never have owned a license or a registration....why? Well, because the police don't care and don't or rarely check.

My two centavos!

Jeeem

You want to try driving through Indonesia if you think the Thais have the worst driving habits in Asia...

And add to that Shanghai, China. You really put your life at risk taking a taxi in that city. I drive in Thailand all the time and have little positive to say about their driving skills but at least they stay on the road 90% of the time here. In Shanghai they'll use the sidewalk as readily as use the road.

[Arkady]

"Maybe he thinks shaving is dangerous in Thailand? Scruffy representative that has been very quickly replaced, I wonder why?"

I hear there were complaints from members of the British business community that when they attended breakfast meetings at the Embassy, they couldn't get bacon or bangers because his missus has banned all pork products from the Embassy premises.

Presumably he is Muslim?

I believe you are correct but quite why that should effect the diet of everyone else dining at the Embassy I don't know... as far as I am aware, as PC as Britain has become, we aren't nationally obliged to adopt the beliefs of our ambassadors...

Personally I detest this sort of imposition of ones individual beliefs on those around them, if it wasn't a minority group but the majority forcing their beliefs on the minority it would be seen as a criminal offence.

The guy was recruited from a career in Africa with Standard Chartered Bank (like John Major) as part of the efforts of the FCO to turn embassies into mere trade missions. He was an emergency stop gap appointment to Thailand because the previous ambo left abruptly to join Charoen's liquor empire and the next one wasn't ready to take up the post. The FCO must have decided he was all right because they made his temporary appointment as a charge d'affairs into a full term ambassadorship. He seems pretty bright, well educated and certainly speaks the Queen's English. My only objection is this issue of imposing his minority religious beliefs on the majority of the British community in the ways described. There is no need for his wife to ever go into the kitchen as they are waited on hand and foot and therefore, unlike the sepoys and the lard covered cartridges before the Indian Mutiny, she is not going to be forced to handle the bacon and sausages herself and it is unacceptable to remove these traditional British breakfast items from the menu. There is also no reason for the ambassador's wife to be present at the business breakfasts. No other British ambassador's wife has ever attended them. The ambassador has also tried to ban outright or restrict booze from certain gatherings hosted at the embassy which is also inconsistent with traditional British hospitality. Imagine the outcry if a Christian Pakistani ambassador were to insist that pork and alcohol should be served publicly at embassy functions, although diplomatic staff from various Islamic countries can regularly be seen widdled at Western embassy functions.

[Payboy]

Just as well they didn't waste a career diplomat on a tin pot posting. I'm just saying.

[Ulysses G.]

It amazes me how these news bulletins skip around the truth of the matter, which is simply...."Thai's do NOT know how to drive either defensively or offensively.

You want to try driving through Indonesia if you think the Thais have the worst driving habits in Asia...

Or Vietnam.

[KeyserSoze01]

Why Oh Why do so many TV posters turn a sensible subject into slagging off other nationalities and also our host country if like me you live in Thailand?

Is it really any wonder? Never have I ever met a group of people of any nationality that whinges more than the Brits. It's as if they believe it's they implicit right to take the piss out of any and all.

[Billmont]

Why Oh Why do so many TV posters turn a sensible subject into slagging off other nationalities and also our host country if like me you live in Thailand?

Is it really any wonder? Never have I ever met a group of people of any nationality that whinges more than the Brits. It's as if they believe it's they implicit right to take the piss out of any and all.

Thats exactly what I mean, A whinging pot calling a whinging kettle black. Perhaps your intellengence does not stretch to see that by complaining about one trait you have joined it and have become its leader. Better to let people think that you might be a whinger than to confirm it with your post.

[kimamey]

Why Oh Why do so many TV posters turn a sensible subject into slagging off other nationalities and also our host country if like me you live in Thailand?

Is it really any wonder? Never have I ever met a group of people of any nationality that whinges more than the Brits. It's as if they believe it's they implicit right to take the piss out of any and all.

Sounds like you're the one whinging to me.

You're not a Brit are you? If you are then you're OK. If not leave our national pastime alone.

[moe666]

I love the guys complaining about his beard. At each of the last couple of world cups I take bets on how long it will be before the first announcer mentions Carlo Puyos hair when Spain play.

You are a bit like the boys who find fault with a non-english speakers written english, have you nothing better to do than to complain

[Billmont]

Why Oh Why do so many TV posters turn a sensible subject into slagging off other nationalities and also our host country if like me you live in Thailand?

Is it really any wonder? Never have I ever met a group of people of any nationality that whinges more than the Brits. It's as if they believe it's they implicit right to take the piss out of any and all.

Sounds like you're the one whinging to me.

You're not a Brit are you? If you are then you're OK. If not leave our national pastime alone.

Guilty as charged!

[hunkydory]

Know a few old Aussies who have been caught up in that esarn bar girl trap as well, but they just got on with it and didn't whine or whinge or anything, drunk themselves to death mainly, had the odd one smashed up on a motorbike, but that could happen to anyone without a helmet and completely rat-arsed on Samui. Don't want to sound like I'm whinging or being a smart arrrrrrrse mate but is xenophobic racism against Brits pretty well tolerated in Australia?

[Bender]

So yesterday from Australia: thailand deadliest destination

today from UK: exercise caution when traveling to thailand.

tomorrow which country will be next?

[morpheusatloppers]

Interesting RTA death figures. Approximately the SAME as Britain (which has about the same population). Except for the additional THREE TIMES IT, for those idiots on motorbikes...

[taffbkk]

It amazes me how these news bulletins skip around the truth of the matter, which is simply...."Thai's do NOT know how to drive either defensively or offensively.

I've lived in China, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the list goes on for Asian countries I've either lived in, driven in and / or visited for an extended amount of time. If you're a savvy foreigner, with a half-way decent map and some intestinal fortitude, renting a motorbike is the only way to go while in a foreign country. But, while I've lived or stayed in many countries in Asia and driven in most of them, Thailand is without a doubt the most dangerous to drive in.

Two very obvious points are:

1. The Thai police don't care, in most instances, when you are driving outside of major cities. I've been in, visited, and driven in many, many small towns here in the South of Thailand and all are the same. If there was a major emergency, and you needed a Thai policeman, you'd be flat out of luck. But, if there was a big event serving food, beer and Thai whiskey, suddenly you'd see the whole dam_n police force out in full view.

I've seen Thai driver's execute the most daring, stupid, dangerous stunts, all of which are obviously against the law, and do so RIGHT IN FRONT of a Thai cop....but there is no reaction. Thai cops simply do not do their job, so this alone increases the death rate. I live near a lazy curve in one of the main roads near my house, and in eight years I've counted seventeen accidents, four of which were fatal. As in any country, coming into a turn, the mid-line yellow traffic line turns solid and anyone with half a brain knows, YOU DO NOT....EVER....PASS ON A SOLID YELLOW LINE. But, I suppose there's an exception for Thai drivers, since most do. They do, and very often they run someone off the road, or hit someone who is abiding by the simple law.

Simply put, in Thailand, regarding traffic, forget about the safety factor of Thai police enforcing laws, because it will never happen....they are more interested in blackmailing local businesses into lining their pockets for fake protection, or pulling fake road stops in order to collect money for their local beer night.

....Oh, and the traffic? Ha! expect anything and everything! People driving on the wrong side of the road, individuals entering a main road, turning into traffic without even looking, motorcyclists swinging across four lanes of traffic in order to get to the wrong side of the road in the opposing lane....It's just freaking crazy. Oh, and if you drive like you drove in your own, first world, industrialized nation, which is the proper way to drive, you will most likely become a statistic here.

Everybody touts how easy and laid back the Thai's are.....Mai pen rai......sabai, sabai....BUT, just try passing a Thai in traffic, or somehow maneuvering yourself IN FRONT OF A THAI DRIVER....they will STOMP on their accelerator and risk life and limb in order to pass you and get in front of you!....

Thai's are the absolute WORST drivers in all of Asia, in my opinion, and since Thailand is so corrupt, most either get a license via cheating on the test or just paying somebody for a license....or, the other scenario.....never have owned a license or a registration....why? Well, because the police don't care and don't or rarely check.

My two centavos!

Jeeem

Sorry But China?? anyone who's done any mileage in places like China or india would say that Thailand is like an oasis of sanity on the road. In Thailand at least there is an apparent system even if it seems a bit arbitary sometimes. As for the bit about Thais lack of Mai Bpen Rai in cars, it's all relevant I guess don't know where your from but don't see anywhere as much Road Rage here as there used to be in places like London.

If people are p****ed up flying round on a rented bike and then have an accident why is this just something else to do with the Thai Police or anyone else. As far as I remember from my lost youth people go crazy on holiday, and the younger you are the more sure of your own immortality, thats a fact of life not a rsult of Thai corruption.

Edited July 27, 2012 by taffbkk

[noitom]

The ambassador recommends "reading the fine print" before renting or buying. He seems to have forgotten that culturally the fine print doesn't matter in Thailand with Thais. They have a way of "interpreting" the fine print their own way. Thais manipulate and "interpret" business contracts and rental agreements the most expedient way. I have had numerous Thais over the years actually say - "well we didn't mean what it says" in the agreement or letter.