Oddly enough, in many ways they are - better drivers but the worst of them make me rethink that assessment. And Qld cops - long the subject of corruption allegations - are so much better at their jobs than the BiB that it's not even a remotely fair comparison, even if a lot of what they do on the roads is blatant revenue raising.

The only reason why drivers are safer (not necessarily better) is because they have red-light cameras everywhere. Speed cameras and other observation cameras everywhere. Frequent random breath - testing. Everything is enforced. Incredible anti-hooning laws too. After a 10 year absence I couldn't believe how slow everyone drives over there these days. They even have average speed checks on major highways. Have you forgotten the 70's? It was the wild wild west on the roads and the Queensland police were all crooks.

The really need this here:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/cars-taken-off-queensland-roads-under-anti-hooning-laws-for-offences-other-than-hooning/story-fnihsrf2-1227272917802

Edited April 22, 201511 yr by tropo

Though Thais can be proud that their Kingdom/country was never colonized ....it certainly shows. Congratulations. NO understanding of the city planning or building codes (hey, ok to have a strip bar next to a temple or have an office building right on the property line at an intersection); sidewalks - they're for vendors, utilitiy poles, and light poles; electric wiring (doesn't matter if it looks like a twisted ball of yarn and hangs down 4 feet from the ground);a city police force- (ok, but let's not have any walking patrols along the Beach Road promenade to protect the citizens;education (no social studies in schools,for we are the only country on the planet).

Though Thais can be proud that their Kingdom/country was never colonized ....it certainly shows. Congratulations. NO understanding of the city planning or building codes (hey, ok to have a strip bar next to a temple or have an office building right on the property line at an intersection); sidewalks - they're for vendors, utilitiy poles, and light poles; electric wiring (doesn't matter if it looks like a twisted ball of yarn and hangs down 4 feet from the ground);a city police force- (ok, but let's not have any walking patrols along the Beach Road promenade to protect the citizens;education (no social studies in schools,for we are the only country on the planet).

No argument from me but this is very much a user pays society. Councils in Australia are staffed by little Hitlers with plenty of cash to play with, and they have absolutely no problem fining people for parking at the front of their properties : they can also be an absolute PITA to deal with if you need a simple building approval for a pergola in your backyard as I found out to my detriment a few years back. The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction in Nanny State Oz, but I agree that Pattaya is basically screwed without a clean slate and some very large wrecking balls.

Though Thais can be proud that their Kingdom/country was never colonized ....it certainly shows. Congratulations. NO understanding of the city planning or building codes (hey, ok to have a strip bar next to a temple or have an office building right on the property line at an intersection); sidewalks - they're for vendors, utilitiy poles, and light poles; electric wiring (doesn't matter if it looks like a twisted ball of yarn and hangs down 4 feet from the ground);a city police force- (ok, but let's not have any walking patrols along the Beach Road promenade to protect the citizens;education (no social studies in schools,for we are the only country on the planet).

No argument from me but this is very much a user pays society. Councils in Australia are staffed by little Hitlers with plenty of cash to play with, and they have absolutely no problem fining people for parking at the front of their properties : they can also be an absolute PITA to deal with if you need a simple building approval for a pergola in your backyard as I found out to my detriment a few years back. The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction in Nanny State Oz, but I agree that Pattaya is basically screwed without a clean slate and some very large wrecking balls.

Australia and Pattaya comparisons ? Apples and oranges. @toenail post should be comparing Thailand to Laos, Cambodia ,Vietnam, Burma,

Phillippines and maybe Indonesia for those aspects.

Edited April 24, 201511 yr by morrobay

Though Thais can be proud that their Kingdom/country was never colonized ....it certainly shows. Congratulations. NO understanding of the city planning or building codes (hey, ok to have a strip bar next to a temple or have an office building right on the property line at an intersection); sidewalks - they're for vendors, utilitiy poles, and light poles; electric wiring (doesn't matter if it looks like a twisted ball of yarn and hangs down 4 feet from the ground);a city police force- (ok, but let's not have any walking patrols along the Beach Road promenade to protect the citizens;education (no social studies in schools,for we are the only country on the planet).

No argument from me but this is very much a user pays society. Councils in Australia are staffed by little Hitlers with plenty of cash to play with, and they have absolutely no problem fining people for parking at the front of their properties : they can also be an absolute PITA to deal with if you need a simple building approval for a pergola in your backyard as I found out to my detriment a few years back. The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction in Nanny State Oz, but I agree that Pattaya is basically screwed without a clean slate and some very large wrecking balls.

Hold the wrecking ball. If Pattaya was like Australia most of us couldn't afford to live here. I like it just the way it is - a comfortable mess without all the excessive regulation.