Is Phuket fixable?

[Phuket electrician]

Big who 5 in some media to 'clean-up Phuket' improve many issues, safety, security and law enforcement blah blah blah. This could be a great idea but TIT. Anyone aware of Thai culture in Phuket will know this is a pipe dream. It's common knowledge among living, breathing, western educated Phuketians that 'deceits, greed, drug use and abuse, desperation and ignorance' are the root causes. So the question is a stupid one. As a responsible educated human being with genuine love for Thailand and Phuket specifically are you prepared to detail what you've witnessed? Share your empirical knowledge to improve safety through awareness of the inherent dangers of this tropical death trap? Accident black spots, rip offs, tales of courage.

For example, I have traveled the same main road for ten years. This morning I witnessed a careless woman of such low self esteem 'riding' a motorbike to buy food with a new born baby tucked under her left arm - in the f'ing rush hour FFsake!

Yesterday 4 pm in Sam Kong, 3 Thais' on a bike weaving in and out - no problem - generic, angry, thirty-something, aggressive, disheveled disillusioned male riding with a disgruntled obese woman on the back wedged a tiny baby no more than 3 months old under her arm. Crash helmet you inquire? FOff, R U insane? Where is the social responsibility and love for family values, respect and guardianship for the vulnerable, the very young or very old. Where are the beat bobbies to stop these fools? I'll tell you what they are doing and exactly where they are in a moment bpeap neung kap. TIT

Every day see I reckless driving at accident black spots. Fair play to the administration they do keep installing automated traffic lights which the BIB override manually twice a day during rush hour. Go figure. There are no warning signs of new traffic signals or road alterations, no visible accident statistics, no speed cameras or CCTV, no system for recording lucrative traffic offences, no impedance to belching vehicles public or private. No sensible warnings at the beach, no proactive life guards at lethal beaches. No public awareness campaign. No respect for human life Thai or foreign. Endemic corruption, Money!

Thailand receives hordes and hordes of visitors, some for pleasure but as many for work or business. Phuket makes billions from these people - where does the money go? It doesn't go to the police. Hospitals are full of injured, disabled, the comatose, paralysed people Thai and foreign. Distraught families. Enormous amounts are spent on education, among the highest in ASEAN. Mind boggling. The administration spends the money inefficiently. Half of the traffic in Phuket is government workers. Sign in and sign out. They're not doing any work of value - pushing bull crap around from one department to another, it's antiquated. Take a look in the car park at Phuket immigration, look at the Rolex the B8,000 clerks wearing.

Last week I came across a tail back on the main road to home, dying Thai in the road blood and guts everywhere, squashed like an ant, somebody's relative - lifeless under the wheels of a speeding fuel truck. Nothing new to me. There they were 5 articulated 18 wheelers backing up their mate - the guilty driver. Blaming the innocent to save their own cowardly necks. No accountability. 'unts

I say to the authorities - I will donate my own monies to improve safety on Thepkasatri road. To educate people too the real danger of speeding towards busy junctions, accident black spots where the road is stained with the wasted blood of the unlucky.

I've witnessed the foolishness detailed above every day for longer than I can remember, bent some rules and done too many silly thing to give a hoot. But I work in the Thai education system, promote education and awareness, I'm aware of some of the dangers and tell myself every day to 'be careful'. Too many people don't have basic awareness. Thai people are human beings, they have the same mental capacity as anyone. Why do they have to suffer because of the cowardice and greed of others?

We're all guilty, prostitution, alcohol abuse, deceit, idleness, moral degradation, we've all done it and many continue openly to do so. Set an example I say, reject this bullshit and clean yourself up.

Is it possible to make a difference here in the land of smiles, personally I don't think so.

My home country has social issues. I choose not to live there.

Best wishes, be aware and be very careful out there, you could be next.

[moose7117]

shit yeah , the word is

thermo nuclear warhead !

[stevenl]

Expressions like 'anyone aware', 'common knowledge' etc. always make me feel like the writer seeks shelter behind others.

And things like 'No sensible warnings at the beach, no proactive life guards at lethal beaches' are simply not true.

'Set an example I say, reject this bullshit and clean yourself up. Is it possible to make a difference here in the land of smiles, personally I don't think so.'

If not possible to make a difference, why bother to set an example?

So sorry, I can't take a post like this serious.

Edited August 15, 2013 by stevenl

[Shot]

Sounds like you have short circuit.

And, please exclude me from the "We're all guilty" part.

Edited August 15, 2013 by Shot

[eezergood]

Is it fixable? YES

Do 'certain parties/people' want it fixed or care if it is fixed or not? I think NO

[NamKangMan]

You should not confuse Phuket with Thailand.

There are very different countries. :) :)

[robertthebruce]

Excellent Posting... 100 Percent agree with you..

[KarenBravo]

Nope.

The rich Thais want to keep raking it in and the rest are just too apathetic.......

[eezergood]

Nope.

The rich Thais want to keep raking it in and the rest are just too apathetic.......

Reply of the YEAR!!!!

[MacChine]

shit yeah , the word is

thermo nuclear warhead !

Rather drastic, and long term outlook is not good.

I suggest just taking it over.

The online media outlet is really pushing this DSI in the white hat. I'm thinking it's just a reorganization. Of course I was scalded with boiling oil and quartered by the online ed for this opinion.

[MacChine]

You should not confuse Phuket with Thailand.

There are very different countries.

Perhaps but the capital govt in Bangkok is no better. Phuket's governance is a microcosm of it and a very active and imaginative online blogger would have us all believing otherwise. Particularly bad people in Phuket? Or just Bkk hasn't got a cut.

The attempted frenzy making has me very very curious.

Too bad libel laws prevent any real discussion of media outlets.

Edited August 15, 2013 by MacChine

[geezer2]

Phuket Sparky you are 100 year's old mate get over it and get on with life..while you still can

[McFarang]

I agree great post well done Phuket Electrician as for Geezer 2 well his handle says it all! Also he lives in Pechaboonies somewhere not Phuket so he is just a stirrer from the sticks. Keep Phuket Forum for Phuket Posters or at least some people that have a valid contribution.

Edited August 15, 2013 by McFarang

[Felt 35]

It will be fixed but not with manpower.

[KarenBravo]

It will be fixed but not with manpower.

Araldite?

[NamKangMan]

You should not confuse Phuket with Thailand.

There are very different countries.

Perhaps but the capital govt in Bangkok is no better. Phuket's governance is a microcosm of it and a very active and imaginative online blogger would have us all believing otherwise. Particularly bad people in Phuket? Or just Bkk hasn't got a cut.

The attempted frenzy making has me very very curious.

Too bad libel laws prevent any real discussion of media outlets.

They have metered taxis in Bangkok. We don't even have that on Phuket. :)

[eezergood]

Perhaps but the capital govt in Bangkok is no better. Phuket's governance is a microcosm of it and a very active and imaginative online blogger would have us all believing otherwise. Particularly bad people in Phuket? Or just Bkk hasn't got a cut.

The attempted frenzy making has me very very curious.

Too bad libel laws prevent any real discussion of media outlets.

They have metered taxis in Bangkok. We don't even have that on Phuket.

They have public parking spaces available in every other city in Thailand - we dont even have THAT

[iSabai]

You should not confuse Phuket with Thailand.

There are very different countries.

Perhaps but the capital govt in Bangkok is no better. Phuket's governance is a microcosm of it and a very active and imaginative online blogger would have us all believing otherwise. Particularly bad people in Phuket? Or just Bkk hasn't got a cut.

The attempted frenzy making has me very very curious.

Too bad libel laws prevent any real discussion of media outlets.

They have metered taxis in Bangkok. We don't even have that on Phuket.

There was a time, fairly recently (early 90's maybe?), when Bkk taxis had no meters at all. All fares were negotiated. Then they decided to put meters in all taxis and it was quite successful I thought. Certainly if they can manage that in a huge city like Bkk, they can do the same here.

Although, I am not one that agrees that meters are the ultimate solution in and of themselves in Phuket. Some sort of fare regulation would need to be in place, and some way to deal with those 'rogue' drivers that may just refuse to use them. Merely installing a meter does not guarantee a fair fare, and does not guarantee they would be used by all drivers all the time.

[NamKangMan]

You should not confuse Phuket with Thailand.

There are very different countries.

Perhaps but the capital govt in Bangkok is no better. Phuket's governance is a microcosm of it and a very active and imaginative online blogger would have us all believing otherwise. Particularly bad people in Phuket? Or just Bkk hasn't got a cut.

The attempted frenzy making has me very very curious.

Too bad libel laws prevent any real discussion of media outlets.

They have metered taxis in Bangkok. We don't even have that on Phuket.

There was a time, fairly recently (early 90's maybe?), when Bkk taxis had no meters at all. All fares were negotiated. Then they decided to put meters in all taxis and it was quite successful I thought. Certainly if they can manage that in a huge city like Bkk, they can do the same here.

Although, I am not one that agrees that meters are the ultimate solution in and of themselves in Phuket. Some sort of fare regulation would need to be in place, and some way to deal with those 'rogue' drivers that may just refuse to use them. Merely installing a meter does not guarantee a fair fare, and does not guarantee they would be used by all drivers all the time.

"early 90's maybe" - are you saying Phuket is 20 years behind Bangkok? Perhaps, you could be right. :)

[geezer2]

I agree great post well done Phuket Electrician as for Geezer 2 well his handle says it all! Also he lives in Pechaboonies somewhere not Phuket so he is just a stirrer from the sticks. Keep Phuket Forum for Phuket Posters or at least some people that have a valid contribution.

McFarang I read his profile and he states he is 100 years old that was the point of my reply..i hope I can grumble when I am 100 years old..

and BTW Phetchabun is not in the sticks

[Phuket electrician]

The issue is the protection of the vulnerable. I came her because it's not the west, it's was and is still uncivilised, inexpensive, amniotic, this is party town. But the one's making all the money have a duty of care to the vulnerable as we all do. It seems that greed and cultural cowardice exacerbates their vulnerability. That can't be right. Good fortune allows some of us global freedom. The subject matter are not as fortunate. As privileged creatures we should speak out for them.

[Guest]

OP: Sounds like you are going through the culture shock phase at the moment. That's very normal, in fact everybody who have moved to another culture have gone through it at some point. It does not matter how many time we have moved from one place to another and how prepared we are, it will always kick in. Always at some point. (In fact the same steps applies to anything new we learn to do).

The good thing is that it will also pass after a while. Then things start to look better once again, even if there is lapses every now and then. Different culture and ways to do things require time to adapt.

After that you'll become old fart like the rest of us, who just don't give a fack. Not really, you'll just learn new and better ways how to change the environment you are living in.

Simplified expression of 4 stages of culture shock/adaptation.

[Guest]

And after that answer to your question. Yes. There is lots of things which are wrong in this location and in this country.

These wrongdoings are based of our individual learnings from our past. The way how we are supposed to live and how differently people here seems to see the world.

Why the small people don't fight for their rights?

Why common thugs who are easily identified are let to be in power?

Why ladies can sell their bodies, but be ashamed to dry their underwear where others can see it?

Why there can be karaoke girly bars, but no Thai lady would ever be in the beach topless?

Why boy do not grow up to be men and take responsibilities of their own lives?

There are lots of controversies in Thailand, but these are controversies to us based on how we were grown back in our own countries. These might well be logical for people who have been raised in different ways.

[MacChine]

It will be fixed but not with manpower.

Araldite?

Drones? Som-tam dropping drones.