If Your Getting Grump In Thailand.... Just Try A Holiday In Europe...

[skippybangkok]

Surprise surprise, can't book a train ticket from Amsterdam online using a non European based credit card..... And when you get there to book at train station, its now 4x the cost. ( 5,000 baht per person - Amsterdam to Frankfurt, 2nd class by train. Can fly cheaper than that I think.

Booked a car to driving around Bavaria, get there at 12, no car, even though booked. Waited for 2 hours and ended up getting a far lower grade car than booked " but you save 1/2 the price " was the answer from Hertz.

Ever get grumpy in BKK, time for a does of Europe

P.s. love Heidelburg, nice place, nice Christmas markets.

[manarak]

Heidelberg.

And yes, I am always amazed at how "possible" everything is in Thailand.

Agreed, in the LOS some things are late, different than expected or non delivered... BUT: there will always be a way to get your way...

In the EU, no chance.

[theblether]

Heidelberg is lovely.....and the Christmas markets in Germany are superb.

[loong]

Skippy,

would you be so kind as to post the link to the website for booking train tickets online in Thailand. That could be useful in future.

I haven't travelled by train in Europe for about 4 or 5 years. I have a European debit card, but it was actually quite a bit cheaper to pay in US$. Seems strange to have the option to pay in $ if they won't accept US cards.

[BrianCR]

Heidelberg.

And yes, I am always amazed at how "possible" everything is in Thailand.

Agreed, in the LOS some things are late, different than expected or non delivered... BUT: there will always be a way to get your way...

In the EU, no chance.

Doesn't it make you wonder why we hear so many negative comments here? Perhaps if people had more things to do in their lives positive comments would emerge - Merry Christmas to ALL (and please no comments about the increasing prices ruining Christmas

[hotandhumid]

Heidelberg.

And yes, I am always amazed at how "possible" everything is in Thailand.

Agreed, in the LOS some things are late, different than expected or non delivered... BUT: there will always be a way to get your way...

In the EU, no chance.

Agree with that. Always a way here, for the msot part I find the service in this country outstanding.

[terryp]

I get the grumps reading stuff like this

Its idiotic? you can’t compare the two..Europe vastly higher salaries and better infrastructure (tried a Thai Train have you)

Car hire is always susceptible to hick-ups due to people keeping cars longer than booked

Massive card cloning with SE Asia credit cards so blocks are guaranteed

Thailand a massively corrupt Country so yes everything possible ...if you pay, many Thai can’t pay

The West has rules, standards and laws that are upheld……..Thailand well I wont bother with that

And people who find service in Thailand outstanding must have a very low standard.......it is all bluff and passing the buck, try to take something back that no longer works after a couple of weeks

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

[hotandhumid]

I get the grumps reading stuff like this

Its idiotic? you can’t compare the two..Europe vastly higher salaries and better infrastructure (tried a Thai Train have you)

Car hire is always susceptible to hick-ups due to people keeping cars longer than booked

Massive card cloning with SE Asia credit cards so blocks are guaranteed

Thailand a massively corrupt Country so yes everything possible ...if you pay, many Thai can’t pay

The West has rules, standards and laws that are upheld……..Thailand well I wont bother with that

And people who find service in Thailand outstanding must have a very low standard.......it is all bluff and passing the buck, try to take something back that no longer works after a couple of weeks

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

I have high standars pal. Go to a pub in the UK, you have to order your food at the bar and then go back to the bar pick it up and carry it back to your table. Still have to put your own petrol in your car, wait for weeks for the BT engineer to turn up, you even now have to take your own plastic bags to the supermarket and then of course put your own shopping into the bags, then come out to your car and pay money for parking in the supermarkets car park, I could go on, don't talk to me about good service pal....and funny enough I have just been paid out for someone ramming my car. Bangkok Insurance, I was very impressed...

I love the way you make 'the west' sound so perfect. Laughable.

[asanee]

1.you CAN book that ticket online by using another company-a better one too. read seat61.com. The low 29 eur fares are only off-peak (not around the busy XMas period) and if booked long before. Much cheaper is the eurolines.com bus.

2. NO you can NEVER fly Ams-Fra for around 5000 THB-even single, as this route is a monopoly/duopoly of LH+KL without any lowcosts-in fact No lowcosts at all fly into FRA-they use an ''alternative'' at Hahn- (but not from AMS) some 100/120 kms away. However, LH is very allowing in offfering AMS-MUC for 99 eur return+service-now the TV-users can howl again-double the distance, half the price.

[roamer]

I get the grumps reading stuff like this

Its idiotic? you can’t compare the two..Europe vastly higher salaries and better infrastructure (tried a Thai Train have you)

Car hire is always susceptible to hick-ups due to people keeping cars longer than booked

Massive card cloning with SE Asia credit cards so blocks are guaranteed

Thailand a massively corrupt Country so yes everything possible ...if you pay, many Thai can’t pay

The West has rules, standards and laws that are upheld……..Thailand well I wont bother with that

And people who find service in Thailand outstanding must have a very low standard.......it is all bluff and passing the buck, try to take something back that no longer works after a couple of weeks

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

Homeward bound soon are we ? Might help your blood pressure. There are those that can and those that can't I guess.....

[skippybangkok]

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

Yep.... Made a claim, no probs......

[RabC]

I get the grumps reading stuff like this

Its idiotic? you can’t compare the two..Europe vastly higher salaries and better infrastructure (tried a Thai Train have you)

Car hire is always susceptible to hick-ups due to people keeping cars longer than booked

Massive card cloning with SE Asia credit cards so blocks are guaranteed

Thailand a massively corrupt Country so yes everything possible ...if you pay, many Thai can’t pay

The West has rules, standards and laws that are upheld……..Thailand well I wont bother with that

And people who find service in Thailand outstanding must have a very low standard.......it is all bluff and passing the buck, try to take something back that no longer works after a couple of weeks

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

I have high standars pal. Go to a pub in the UK, you have to order your food at the bar and then go back to the bar pick it up and carry it back to your table. Still have to put your own petrol in your car, wait for weeks for the BT engineer to turn up, you even now have to take your own plastic bags to the supermarket and then of course put your own shopping into the bags, then come out to your car and pay money for parking in the supermarkets car park, I could go on, don't talk to me about good service pal....and funny enough I have just been paid out for someone ramming my car. Bangkok Insurance, I was very impressed...

I love the way you make 'the west' sound so perfect. Laughable.

Just as a point of order UK HSE legislation dictates that you can not carry your hot meal to the table yourself, unless it is from a buffet where you have filled your own plate. At least here we can injure ourselves where and when we want without a nanny state stopping us.

[HardenedSoul]

I have high standars pal. Go to a pub in the UK, you have to order your food at the bar and then go back to the bar pick it up and carry it back to your table. Still have to put your own petrol in your car, wait for weeks for the BT engineer to turn up, you even now have to take your own plastic bags to the supermarket and then of course put your own shopping into the bags, then come out to your car and pay money for parking in the supermarkets car park, I could go on, don't talk to me about good service pal....and funny enough I have just been paid out for someone ramming my car. Bangkok Insurance, I was very impressed...

I love the way you make 'the west' sound so perfect. Laughable.

Service of a personal, toadying nature is better here for sure but for matters requiring professionalism and competence, Thailand cannot compare.

There's a big difference between making the West sound perfect (it ain't) and saying that service in Thailand doesn't leave a lot to be desired (it does). You only have to look at all the anecdotes on this forum to get an idea of how many expats would completely disagree with you.

You can find an abundance of tales of everything from cowboy builders, plumbers and electricians to taxi drivers who haven't a clue how to get from point A to point B and ignorant staff in department stores who would genuinely have you believe that one item is more suitable for your needs than another simply because the price is higher.

Ok so back home there may not be a petrol pump attendant to fill your tank, a skivy to pack your groceries and a bathroom gremlin to wipe your arse for 10 baht but that's only because Western socieites have developed beyond the point where they want or need to employ people to perform the kind of servile tasks that we've happily grown up doing for ourselves but for things that really matter like a telecoms engineer with the competence to actually do his job, an electrician with recognised certification and reasonably fit-for-purpose consumer protection architecture, the West is streets ahead.

[TommoPhysicist]

Can't remember the last time in the UK a girl in a beer outfit poured my drinks all evening.

I'm not bothered about trivial stuff like telecoms engineers or electricians.

[mr.buffalo]

I get the grumps reading stuff like this

Its idiotic? you can’t compare the two..Europe vastly higher salaries and better infrastructure (tried a Thai Train have you)

Car hire is always susceptible to hick-ups due to people keeping cars longer than booked

Massive card cloning with SE Asia credit cards so blocks are guaranteed

Thailand a massively corrupt Country so yes everything possible ...if you pay, many Thai can’t pay

The West has rules, standards and laws that are upheld……..Thailand well I wont bother with that

And people who find service in Thailand outstanding must have a very low standard.......it is all bluff and passing the buck, try to take something back that no longer works after a couple of weeks

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

I have high standars pal. Go to a pub in the UK, you have to order your food at the bar and then go back to the bar pick it up and carry it back to your table. Still have to put your own petrol in your car, wait for weeks for the BT engineer to turn up, you even now have to take your own plastic bags to the supermarket and then of course put your own shopping into the bags, then come out to your car and pay money for parking in the supermarkets car park, I could go on, don't talk to me about good service pal....and funny enough I have just been paid out for someone ramming my car. Bangkok Insurance, I was very impressed...

I love the way you make 'the west' sound so perfect. Laughable.

Just as a point of order UK HSE legislation dictates that you can not carry your hot meal to the table yourself, unless it is from a buffet where you have filled your own plate. At least here we can injure ourselves where and when we want without a nanny state stopping us.

I have always been asked if I am ok to pack in the big UK supermarkets ( I am as I am 57 ) and they all have their own car parks like all the main line garages such as Halfords etc so I have never paid for parking.

[amykat]

In the US, we do NOT pack our own shopping bags, and we do NOT place them in the cart either ....like I do each week in Rimping and every other grocery store in Thailand. And in most cases the "bag person" will offer to help you to your car with your bags, i.e. push the cart there and place the bags in your car ..and I am not sure, but I think most people don't even tip them for that.

[loong]

Skippy,

would you be so kind as to post the link to the website for booking train tickets online in Thailand. That could be useful in future.

I haven't travelled by train in Europe for about 4 or 5 years. I have a European debit card, but it was actually quite a bit cheaper to pay in US$. Seems strange to have the option to pay in $ if they won't accept US cards.

Skippy, you have added a post to this thread since my post but seemed to have missed my request.

I would really like to know how to book train tickets online in Thailand. I don't really like to use the bus and would be happy to use the train even though it takes longer. Being able to book a train ticket online would be great.

Pleased post the link where I can do this.

Thanks

[HardenedSoul]

Can't remember the last time in the UK a girl in a beer outfit poured my drinks all evening.

I'm not bothered about trivial stuff like telecoms engineers or electricians.

Perhaps but there's very little chance of them padding out your checkbin with the cost of phantom drinks once you're pickled

[TommoPhysicist]

Can't remember the last time in the UK a girl in a beer outfit poured my drinks all evening.

I'm not bothered about trivial stuff like telecoms engineers or electricians.

Perhaps but there's very little chance of them padding out your checkbin with the cost of phantom drinks once you're pickled

In the Uk all the plumbers and electricians padded out their bills anyway, and nothing you could do about it.

Thai Beer girls bum beats UK builders bum every-time.

[saakura]

Yes, I have made 3 or 4 claims in the last 15yrs and did not have any problem at all.

Try making an insurance claim against that Thai lunatic that rammed your car

Whats the next instalment …comparing Bangkok to Tokyo?

Yep.... Made a claim, no probs......

[Briggsy]

If you don't like Europe, why don't you just go to Thailand or somewhere. The airport's that way.

[skippybangkok]

Skippy,

would you be so kind as to post the link to the website for booking train tickets online in Thailand. That could be useful in future.

I haven't travelled by train in Europe for about 4 or 5 years. I have a European debit card, but it was actually quite a bit cheaper to pay in US$. Seems strange to have the option to pay in $ if they won't accept US cards.

Skippy, you have added a post to this thread since my post but seemed to have missed my request.

I would really like to know how to book train tickets online in Thailand. I don't really like to use the bus and would be happy to use the train even though it takes longer. Being able to book a train ticket online would be great.

Pleased post the link where I can do this.

Thanks

Are u talking about European trains ?. To find the web, easy..... Just go to google.com

In the search bar type in ie high speed train amsterdam to Frankfurt...... And there are links for DB ( german railways ) and the Dutch equivalent NS . Look for high speed trains. If you have a Thai based credit card as I have...... Forget it. It's "security" that they don't let you book.

[loong]

Skippy,

would you be so kind as to post the link to the website for booking train tickets online in Thailand. That could be useful in future.

I haven't travelled by train in Europe for about 4 or 5 years. I have a European debit card, but it was actually quite a bit cheaper to pay in US$. Seems strange to have the option to pay in $ if they won't accept US cards.

Skippy, you have added a post to this thread since my post but seemed to have missed my request.

I would really like to know how to book train tickets online in Thailand. I don't really like to use the bus and would be happy to use the train even though it takes longer. Being able to book a train ticket online would be great.

Pleased post the link where I can do this.

Thanks

Are u talking about European trains ?. To find the web, easy..... Just go to google.com

In the search bar type in ie high speed train amsterdam to Frankfurt...... And there are links for DB ( german railways ) and the Dutch equivalent NS . Look for high speed trains. If you have a Thai based credit card as I have...... Forget it. It's "security" that they don't let you book.

No, I was asking about booking online for rail travel within Thailand.