Thai Police Escort - Thank You

[jbrain]

What's the point of having a police escort in a non-emergency situation where the route is highway from the beginning till the end?

[nisakiman]

Nice story.

I note the joyless puritans were on to it immediately.

"Unnecessary", "corrupt", "shouldn't need to pay"...etc.

I think 12000 sounds quite reasonable. The UK police charge huge amounts of money for that sort of thing.

Once in the 80s, a friend of mine who had a "showbiz" trucking company in London asked me if I could take a large van (Merc 508) full of music gear down to Madrid, as Sade and her band were there and had decided to stay there and rehearse. I had an address for them, and so when I got to Madrid, asked directions. For the next two hours, I was sent hither and thither from one side of Madrid to the other, but never to where I wanted to be. Finally, I spotted a couple of motorbike cops parked up, so stopped and asked them. They were less than helpful at first, but when they found out that the address I wanted was where Sade (who was big in Spain at the time) lived, the attitude changed.

"Follow us", they said.

And I proceeded to be led by these two outriders, lights flashing, through Madrid. Traffic was swept aside, red lights were crossed, and I made it through Madrid in record time! Hah! It was quite surreal! Like the parting of the Red Sea.They were cutting through the traffic so fast I had trouble keeping up!

I think they got a few cassettes (maybe even signed) for their efforts, but I don't think they asked for, or expected payment.

[homeownership]

Firstly, huge congrats to your friends and very happy to hear that the 6 wks prem baby is doing fine! What an interesting story they will be able to tell others in the future.

It cost us 12,000 TBH but a police escorted us from the Sunshine Vista Resort on Soi 3 Pattaya to BKK Airport International Departures. Ambulance, 6 Police Outriders and our taxi (just standard yellow and green type). Wow, what a rush, we felt like Royalty.

Finally arrived back in Manchester and the baby was born 6 weeks premature at Sharoe Green, Preston Royal Infirmary. Baby Miah 4LB 7Oz (Not sure of the kilogram equivalent).

A big thanks to everyone involved. Mother and baby are doing well. We here so many post painting Thailand and Thai police as a negative country, but there are 4 adults and 1 little baby who really appreciate the Thai way of doing things.

What I don't understand - and apols for missing the obvious, if it is there - is why there was a need for a police escort??? I'd understand if there was a security threat/issue or a time imperative issue related to health or getting there on time due to being late for the flight. However, you don't mention any factor that I can see which would require a police escort.

One would think that the hospital ambulance with flashing lights (though most that drivers ignore them) would be sufficient esp when 95% of your trip was on an expressway. If in some way the escort made the pending mother feel more at ease then I can understand that but frankly that seems tenuous when she still has a 12hr flight with a lay over in Abu Dhabi and then another ambo trip before getting to the hospital in Manchester.

Can you pls elaborate on this - why was it thought an escort was needed?

In my attempt to shorten a very drawn out and complicated story, I ommited some facts that I can now see would have been useful to know.

1. The Mother of the child, recently lost her Father and the stress on her in the UK was putting the babies life at risk, she is not a vulnerable adult, I am not a psychologist, but I dont think in all honesty she is all that far from being a vulnerable adult under normal circumstances. The GP in the UK said a break would be good and so we made arrangements for a holiday with her Pattaya. She originally intended to have the baby in Thailand.

2. She is not Thai and neither is the Father, she just needed to chill the ---- out really, again in my humble and unasked for opinion.

3. We were staying on Soi 3 and the hospital, I seem to remember was on Soi 5, maybe 4. She had a bleed, not preaclamsia or anything that serious and the admission mentioned was for cautionary reasons only.

4. Mother of child became distressed and insisted on returning to the UK, easier said than done, when the next flight leaves in 4 hours !!!

5. We obtained the Doctors Note and contact Ethiad, who said we can check in online, which we did, but we needed to get a wriggle on (move fast). We were in Pattaya and needed to get to BKK fast. The Police Escort meant we didnt need to stop for lights and we could travel faster and safer than a simple ambulance or taxi. Needless to say we made the flight and with only a 40 minute turnaround in Abu Dhabi, we were looking at a 15 hour flight altogether.

6. Preston is around 1 hour from Manchester by car. The baby was born around 6 hours later.

7. The reason I chose to say thanks to the police, even though we paid for a service was without their help, (paid or not) we could not have made the flight. BKK is on the Pattaya side on Bangkok but it still takes a long time to get there depending on traffic.

8. Last week, I was on the rooftop of the sunshine vista, in a swimming pool, with bar stools drinking Leo beer. Now I am typing on a forum with hailstone blasting at my windows in Preston drinking crap French Red Wine.

9. I love Thailand.

10. I want to come back home, I miss you all.

[homeownership]

Thanks to the OP for sharing his nice story about his trip in Thailand. I personally wish all the best to this positive poster and his family.

Thank you.

[MESmith]

8. Last week, I was on the rooftop of the sunshine vista, in a swimming pool, with bar stools drinking Leo beer. Now I am typing on a forum with hailstone blasting at my windows in Preston drinking crap French Red Wine.

Hailstones in northern Thailand this last weekend. Cr@p red wine definitely available. Preferable to Leo

[NeverSure]

Finally arrived back in Manchester and the baby was born 6 weeks premature at Sharoe Green, Preston Royal Infirmary. Baby Miah 4LB 7Oz (Not sure of the kilogram equivalent).

Wow, what a story. It isn't something I could do but...

BTW, the baby weighed 2.644 kg.

I highly recommend, especially for this forum a simple free proggy called convert.exe. It installs on the desktop and is very simple. It will convert all kinds of things. (I have NO financial or other interest in it.)

Edited February 5, 2013 by NeverSure

[geriatrickid]

Deleted,

Edited February 5, 2013 by geriatrickid

[Thongkorn]

How did she get on a plane so far gone they usually stop you flying.

[loong]

How did she get on a plane so far gone they usually stop you flying.

Airline required a doctor's note. Already explained by OP.

[manarak]

4. Mother of child became distressed and insisted on returning to the UK, easier said than done, when the next flight leaves in 4 hours !!!

Ok, the reason for the flight was clearly irrational.

I wouldn't have taken such risks (and costs) to yield to a whim, but I'm glad the story has a happy end.

Edited February 5, 2013 by manarak

[Lakegeneve]

Firstly, huge congrats to your friends and very happy to hear that the 6 wks prem baby is doing fine! What an interesting story they will be able to tell others in the future.

It cost us 12,000 TBH but a police escorted us from the Sunshine Vista Resort on Soi 3 Pattaya to BKK Airport International Departures. Ambulance, 6 Police Outriders and our taxi (just standard yellow and green type). Wow, what a rush, we felt like Royalty.

Finally arrived back in Manchester and the baby was born 6 weeks premature at Sharoe Green, Preston Royal Infirmary. Baby Miah 4LB 7Oz (Not sure of the kilogram equivalent).

A big thanks to everyone involved. Mother and baby are doing well. We here so many post painting Thailand and Thai police as a negative country, but there are 4 adults and 1 little baby who really appreciate the Thai way of doing things.

What I don't understand - and apols for missing the obvious, if it is there - is why there was a need for a police escort??? I'd understand if there was a security threat/issue or a time imperative issue related to health or getting there on time due to being late for the flight. However, you don't mention any factor that I can see which would require a police escort.

One would think that the hospital ambulance with flashing lights (though most that drivers ignore them) would be sufficient esp when 95% of your trip was on an expressway. If in some way the escort made the pending mother feel more at ease then I can understand that but frankly that seems tenuous when she still has a 12hr flight with a lay over in Abu Dhabi and then another ambo trip before getting to the hospital in Manchester.

Can you pls elaborate on this - why was it thought an escort was needed?

In my attempt to shorten a very drawn out and complicated story, I ommited some facts that I can now see would have been useful to know.

1. The Mother of the child, recently lost her Father and the stress on her in the UK was putting the babies life at risk, she is not a vulnerable adult, I am not a psychologist, but I dont think in all honesty she is all that far from being a vulnerable adult under normal circumstances. The GP in the UK said a break would be good and so we made arrangements for a holiday with her Pattaya. She originally intended to have the baby in Thailand.

4. Mother of child became distressed and insisted on returning to the UK, easier said than done, when the next flight leaves in 4 hours !!!

5. We obtained the Doctors Note and contact Ethiad, who said we can check in online, which we did, but we needed to get a wriggle on (move fast). We were in Pattaya and needed to get to BKK fast. The Police Escort meant we didnt need to stop for lights and we could travel faster and safer than a simple ambulance or taxi. Needless to say we made the flight and with only a 40 minute turnaround in Abu Dhabi, we were looking at a 15 hour flight altogether.

10. I want to come back home, I miss you all.

Thank you for this pertinent info. This changes the context of the original story greatly as in such circumstances where you have a distressed - and grieving - person wishing to return home ASAP AND the flight leaves in 4 hours, then a police escort makes perfect sense. The 4 hours time issue info was the key info.

People shouldn't really the debate the merits or otherwise of travelling either to Thailand whilst 7 months pregnant nor a compelling want to return home once circumstances changed. People deal with grief and trauma in their own way and have different needs. Individuals choices should be respected. Doctors at both ends supported the travel of both legs.

The important issue is that mother and child are doing well.

[Thailand Bound]

People shouldn't really the debate the merits or otherwise of travelling either to Thailand whilst 7 months pregnant nor a compelling want to return home once circumstances changed. People deal with grief and trauma in their own way and have different needs. Individuals choices should be respected. Doctors at both ends supported the travel of both legs.

The important issue is that mother and child are doing well.

So very true and very well said, some cannot see the forest for the trees but if some still need to dwell on this then I am not really sure where you are going, it is a dead issue with most now or at least it should be.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Thailand Bound

[Morden]

People shouldn't really the debate the merits or otherwise of travelling either to Thailand whilst 7 months pregnant nor a compelling want to return home once circumstances changed. People deal with grief and trauma in their own way and have different needs. Individuals choices should be respected. Doctors at both ends supported the travel of both legs.

The important issue is that mother and child are doing well.

True words but, sadly, some people like to rush to a negative judgement.

People, as you say, deal with their issues in their own way. I'm glad that it worked out so ell and I hope that Dad is still getting a few free beers on the strength of the story.