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

[Phatcharanan]

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.

The assumption is made because only the Aussies refer to Brits as 'Poms'.

Get it?

[Phatcharanan]

I have had numerous Thais over the years actually say - "well we didn't mean what it says" in the agreement or letter.

Yes, of course you have.

[Phatcharanan]

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

Its in our nature. Plus we dislike the French too...................and don't get me started on the Scots.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Phatcharanan

[mca]

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.

One would assume that with his use of the word "Pom" and his unwarranted attack on the aforementioned "Poms" he's not a member of the Ambo tribe of Namibia. Maybe he's an Inuit?

Edited July 27, 2012 by mca

[crazykopite]

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

He is being pushed or being moved sideways that I can tell you !!!!!!

[edwinclapham]

. 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?

You are always going to get whingers from any nationality! But in the main I find the Australians very accepting of the Poms/and or most nationalities in general once you have proven yourself. They love dishing out the banter and pretty much accept it back.

[edwinclapham]

I like this ambassador, he gets to the point. I imagine he has to deal with alot of Brits that come to Thailand and get injurred, robbed, scammed, or killed. Why not put out a warning???

Also, he is the same one that told it like it was with last year's flooding:

Quote from a local newspaper last spring: "Asif Ahmad says that a reluctance to accept assistance , uncommon among most disaster-hit countries ,as well as poor communication of information to the public hurt efforts to bring relief to those affected by the deluge "

Yes,I imagine the Thai government will be glad to see him go.

Totally agree with you. I think he has done well

"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.

It's actually a lot worse. Many of the staff at the Embassy can't wait for him to go. Appointing him was simply a poor decision by the FCO which they are obviously regretting and now trying to put right. He doesn't understand the role, but then what do you expect for someone who came from a career of 20 years as a banker!

And your source of information comes from where?

I would imagine its a question of "damned if you do/dont" when holding such a high profile job.

His career path hasnt only been isolated in banking...

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/our-ambassador/career-history

[Thakkar]

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

The beard is a proxy, a racist dog whistle if you will. I suspect what they're really complaining about is the color of his skin and expressing their dismay that a "brownie" is representing 'their' Britain.

I don't know for a fact that pork is banned at embassy functions. If so, I don't agree with it, but am not particularly bothered. It's not really a case of imposing his beliefs on others. That would only be if he forced others to eat something that only Muslims ate.

Consider this: the Vietnamese routinely eat dog. The British ambassador in Hanoi at a winter function will not serve dog to his visiting Vietnamese guests. Is he imposing his British sensibilities on his guests?

[CFCHAMPION]

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

What a load of rubbish . I have been with my Thai wife for 12 years Built a house in isan 10 years now my wife and i worked together to pay for it. You have had a bad experience My wife and i favourite pastime in Thailand is going to Walking street and seeing the idiots with young bar girls they get what they deserve. If i became ill tomorrow i no my wife and her Family would look after me more than i can say about UK or Australia So Please don't knock Thailand or its girls

[Arkady]

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

What a load of rubbish . I have been with my Thai wife for 12 years Built a house in isan 10 years now my wife and i worked together to pay for it. You have had a bad experience My wife and i favourite pastime in Thailand is going to Walking street and seeing the idiots with young bar girls they get what they deserve. If i became ill tomorrow i no my wife and her Family would look after me more than i can say about UK or Australia So Please don't knock Thailand or its girls

One of my favorite pastimes is sitting on Walking Street and watching Arab tourists picking up the katoeys. LOL>

[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.

A typical lowlife racist remark.

The bit about "scruffy beards" is an unecessary remark based on someone's personal choice.

I've also heard about several complaints about the banning of pork products and alcoholic refreshments from Embassy functions by his wife. Their religious beliefs are their own concern but his wife should not impose her beliefs on other British citizens or functions representing Britain. I have met Asif and exchanged emails with him. He is a good guy, but not a career diplomat and that really shows in an Ambassador's role.

Reminding British tourists of the dangers of hiring motorbikes, drinking too much, getting involved in seedy clubs etc. is always good advice. Although I doubt he deals with many of these personally.

Certainly he doesn't deal with any of these personally, nor do any of the accredited diplomats at the embassy. Signs of times and the FCO's new trade rep focus are that the embassy now delegates these consular functions to locally engaged staff on low Thai salaries in Bangkok and to unpaid honorary consuls in the provinces. Soon the Gurkhas will be gone too as another cost saving measure. Half of their security role has already been outsourced to a Thai security company that employs some rather low quality Thai guards who are a far cry from the coolly efficient, polite Gurkhas.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Arkady

[bumpkin]

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

We are so lucky that the rest of us Brits in T'land are always neatly shaven and tidily dressed. This guy is such a bad example of British standards !

[Baerboxer]

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...

Or try Chennai

[philw]

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.

It is......................

Taking the piss is a regally given right, who else has a parachuting Queen??

[Tchooptip]

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

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

He is a Muslim. Muslims wear beards or maybe you did not notice?

Maybe he wears a beard but his name Asif Ahmad. does not sound very Christian that's for sure

[phutoie2]

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.

It is......................

Taking the piss is a regally given right, who else has a parachuting Queen??

Ah yes, the 86 year old Bond girl.

[carra]

"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.

I really do not know where this comes from, I have been the embassy many times for events while Asif has been there and I have never been refused a drink or pork, we even arranged an event there and I questioned this and was told no problem, the only place he does not allow pork is in his own residence, which is normal for a Muslim. The rest of the Embassy is fine such as the gardens or the Queen Vic.

I have found asif to be a pleasant friendly man who makes an effort to remember people and what they have done.

[Reasonableman]

Nice photo. Very presentable, urbane, charming, in fact. Apologies if this is irrelevant.

[Payboy]

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.

It is......................

Taking the piss is a regally given right, who else has a parachuting Queen??

Ah yes, the 86 year old Bond girl.

That's about the best 007 can pull post cold war.