Anna Reese: Out of Sight and Mind, Actress’ Fatal Crash Case Ends Without Jail Time

[Sooo Upto Me]

For the benefit of those posters whose indignation overrides their reading ability...

"...While Anna was attending the officers cremation ceremony in Suphanburi on 1 July, a woman in the audience had a seizure, shouted that she was being possessed by the ghost of the dead policeman, and called for Anna. The actress was quickly brought over to the woman, a 36-year-old resident from Saraburi province and relative of Pol.Lt. Naphadol.

Speaking to Khaosod on the following day, Anna said the ghost had already left the woman by the time she arrived at her side, but others who watched the seizure told her the ghost had conveyed a message for her.

"He asked for his family to forgive me," Anna told Khaosod."

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1435918909

An u believe all that publicity Crap? Dream on.

[arunsakda]

Sleeping in a parked vehicle ( not well clear) of a highway is a very dangerous thing to do.

American skier and mountaineer Steve Mckinney was killed this way in 1990. There ARE accidents, and if there is nothing one can do to

avoid it, driving sober and at a safe speed there should not be any cause for charges to be laid.

Maybe that is not the Thai way of doing things but in this case it just seems very typical that a proper post accident assessment and investigation was not taken up

and lacks transparency just because the driver in question has money and is some low level celebrity.

[MadMuhummad]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

Easily the best comment I've had the pleasure to read on TV. Fantastic, well balanced opinion.

[dotpoom]

The justice system here is a joke,the rich and powerful are not subject

to it, while the poor and unconnected,are subject to the full force,no

mercy shown.

regards worgeordie

A bit like the bankers back home?

[AgMech Cowboy]

This is a actually a despicable article. Although I agree with the over all generalization that the wealthy are not properly held accountable, but to link this case with that of Jenphop Viraporn is poor journalism and purely unfounded. If you look at everything about this case, Mrs. Reese was extremely contrite and has shown it throughout the previous reports and coverage. The fact that the police screwed up the investigation is evident, but to blame the police's action on the woman is just poor journalism.

[tingtong]

Should similar happen to my wife or kid, and the culprit would just walk away...

I would very much be tempted to take care of justice in a more "eye for eye" manner for sure.

Then I could offer a brief period of monkhood, and a testimony that the spirit thanked me my justice making effort ( and also gave the next lottery numbers too) in a little publicity show.

Gotta wonder what you'd do if it was your wife or your kid driving the car that killed someone. I suspect there'd be a little less blood lust.

Accidents happen. To good people, too. Restitution is appropriate, and apparently has been paid in this case. But barring some kind of proof of negligence, drunkenness, or intent to do harm, prison terms aren't appropriate for accidents.

I don't condone letting her leave the scene without being breathalyzed and tested for drugs, but that's on the police, not on her.

Be careful what you wish for when you rant on about a case like this. Karma can be a bitch and you or I or a loved one are just as likely to be the driver as the victim when an accident happens.

yep, accident happen...

as I believe then so would alcohol tests too. for everyone.

if my wife or son would drive drunk or influenced by drugs and kill innocent, I wont think they need to go to few days to be show monks to be all fine!!!

blood lust?

lets phrase it different then...eye for eye is in a punishment comparable to the wrongdoing. what the actress got is far from it, how the case has been handled before by police and the system a joke.

not nice of me, but for fun try something and lets turn the table on you, shall we?

should your loved one would be on the receiving end and be killed by a possibly drunk/drugged driver, would you feel the justice if let walk based on by few days show monkhood, and some message by the spirit?

[DrTuner]

Thailand seems to be progressing, using B-Movie actress instead of the usual superstar garbage.

[Dogmatix]

"After weeks of much public fury – especially after Anna claimed the officer’s ghost forgave her"

I missed that particular piece of BS.

So Thai police continue to take bribes after death?

Perhaps she burned one of those big paper Mercedes Benzes for his ghost like the ones Chinese used to burn on the pavements in Hong Kong along with a sh•load of ghost money and a few paper kiks.

[hobobo]

"...Pattra said Anna is still required to check in with the court and perform community service."

What community service? She should be ordered to work in the morgue preparing the victims of drunk driver fokkers for cremation! Every day, until she dies!

[Dogmatix]

Actually the article is so poorly written I still don't know what happened at her trial or if the case was dropped or what.

The most obvious travesty is that she refused s breath test which means that under THAI law she should have been assumed to be well over the limit and charged with drunken driving and reckless driving causing death which should have resulted in some jail time.

When you compare with the case of the elderly couple serving 37 years in prison for picking wild mushrooms, the differences are stark.

[eddie61]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

I think the majority of TV members live by your principles.

I have been here 25 years, and the only thing I care about is ensuring that my kids leave Thailand, and get a life before they come back here, if they so choose

"Let sleeping dogs lie"

Edited May 11, 2016 by eddie61

[spidermike007]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

A lot of wisdom in this post. The whole failed state status is something few seem to be prepared to discuss. It is something i have pondered. It does appear, by almost any standard one applies, that the country is going backwards. The economy appears to be contracting, and I believe within a decade or two, the whole "Lion of the region" thing will be a distant memory. This country had a moment in the sun, and they have not done a good job of building on that. Indonesia is blowing away Thailand economically, Malaysia is catching up, Vietnam is growing, and the Thais seem to be doing very, very little when it comes to encouraging more foreign investment, building a sustainable economy, or encouraging Western tourism.

Like you say, eventually Thailand will have a major day of reckoning. The region will pass it by, and tourism will drop to the point where it is no longer the dynamic industry it once was. The seafood will most likely be gone, so the country will be dependent on toxic fish farms, and many of the Japanese companies will have long ago left for greener pastures, and places that provide them more benefits, a more progressive and sustainable environment, and more protection and assurances. What will happen at that point? The leaders will have to do what they have always avoided. Look within for the source of the problem, and take responsibility. That will be quite a thing to witness. My heart goes out to the average Thai, who is going to take the brunt of all of this.

[wabothai]

Why didn't this woman kick her in the face? Why did she even get in the chair?

That would land her in jail.

[mesterm]

"B-movie actress"

[gyrosman]

Disgusting legal system.

[dageurreotype]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

Easily the best comment I've had the pleasure to read on TV. Fantastic, well balanced opinion.

Agree for the most part but I do find the farang getting their Thai wives to deal with the locals pathetic. Together with taking their translation of whatever 'news/gossip' as gospel and repeated ad nauseum on here.

[DaveinAsia]

While we are all being distracted by 'old news', disgusted as we all are, what's happening to the 6 Samurai wannabes? It seems that Thailand is using the cover up tactics that the west uses more and more these days too.

[wabothai]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

A lot of wisdom in this post. The whole failed state status is something few seem to be prepared to discuss. It is something i have pondered. It does appear, by almost any standard one applies, that the country is going backwards. The economy appears to be contracting, and I believe within a decade or two, the whole "Lion of the region" thing will be a distant memory. This country had a moment in the sun, and they have not done a good job of building on that. Indonesia is blowing away Thailand economically, Malaysia is catching up, Vietnam is growing, and the Thais seem to be doing very, very little when it comes to encouraging more foreign investment, building a sustainable economy, or encouraging Western tourism.

Like you say, eventually Thailand will have a major day of reckoning. The region will pass it by, and tourism will drop to the point where it is no longer the dynamic industry it once was. The seafood will most likely be gone, so the country will be dependent on toxic fish farms, and many of the Japanese companies will have long ago left for greener pastures, and places that provide them more benefits, a more progressive and sustainable environment, and more protection and assurances. What will happen at that point? The leaders will have to do what they have always avoided. Look within for the source of the problem, and take responsibility. That will be quite a thing to witness. My heart goes out to the average Thai, who is going to take the brunt of all of this.

Thainess will destroy thailand as the PC cult will destroy Europe and the GOP destroys the US. We seem to like it that way.

[deepcell]

What a disgusting piece of low life shit. I don't know how she got into the movies. It sure wasn't by her looks.

b-movies/trash movies is just one level above p0rn movies, some high productions in p0rn beats easily some b-movies/trash movies. anyway she does not look like actress at all. she got there by connection. this industry like many others is all about connections and not talent.

[skippy]

Was the blood of the ghost ever tested for alcohol poisoning ?

[soalbundy]

"After weeks of much public fury – especially after Anna claimed the officer’s ghost forgave her"

I missed that particular piece of BS.

That particular piece of BS was actually a statement made by a relative of the officer at his funeral that the family passed on to the actress. It wasn't a declaration made by her, she simply repeated what she had been told by the family.

that relative must be rolling in cash now,Thai's are a pragmatic lot.

[swerver]

The justice system here is a joke,the rich and powerful are not subject

to it, while the poor and unconnected,are subject to the full force,no

mercy shown.

regards worgeordie

Don't get it wrong Worgeordie by personally moving around in the Hi-So clique (no I'm not one of them I only build hi-speed production race cars Shelby Mustang which they did drive on the Hiway) the same getting away with murder also is part and parcel of the West.

Keep up the good work Worgeordie.

[deepcell]

Thailand and India has one big thing in common, a justice that does not works at all.

We are most aliens here (mai mee Thai ID Card lol), should I care and waste my time with all this thainess? absolutely not!

This sh1t will take centuries to change, many of us will be dead long ago and will not be able to see changes in this country (maybe our kids, but who knows). I will enjoy my life and my family as I always do and not care about this ultimate thainess. It is a huge headache, it gives you migraine and waste of precious time.

The good thing is, not all Thais are like that, I know very decent people here in this country, god bless then all.

[mihalis]

The justice system here is a joke,the rich and powerful are not subject

to it, while the poor and unconnected,are subject to the full force,no

mercy shown.

regards worgeordie

Yea, like justice all over the world isn't a joke !!

[akampa]

Scouse Twoccer, on 10 May 2016 - 18:21, said:

For the benefit of those posters whose indignation overrides their reading ability...

What ever turns you on, what BS

"...While Anna was attending the officer’s cremation ceremony in Suphanburi on 1 July, a woman in the audience had a seizure, shouted that she was being possessed by the ghost of the dead policeman, and called for Anna. The actress was quickly brought over to the woman, a 36-year-old resident from Saraburi province and relative of Pol.Lt. Naphadol.

Speaking to Khaosod on the following day, Anna said the ghost had already left the woman by the time she arrived at her side, but others who watched the seizure told her the ghost had conveyed a message for her.

"He asked for his family to forgive me," Anna told Khaosod."

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1435918909

[Tomtomtom69]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

A lot of wisdom in this post. The whole failed state status is something few seem to be prepared to discuss. It is something i have pondered. It does appear, by almost any standard one applies, that the country is going backwards. The economy appears to be contracting, and I believe within a decade or two, the whole "Lion of the region" thing will be a distant memory. This country had a moment in the sun, and they have not done a good job of building on that. Indonesia is blowing away Thailand economically, Malaysia is catching up, Vietnam is growing, and the Thais seem to be doing very, very little when it comes to encouraging more foreign investment, building a sustainable economy, or encouraging Western tourism.

Like you say, eventually Thailand will have a major day of reckoning. The region will pass it by, and tourism will drop to the point where it is no longer the dynamic industry it once was. The seafood will most likely be gone, so the country will be dependent on toxic fish farms, and many of the Japanese companies will have long ago left for greener pastures, and places that provide them more benefits, a more progressive and sustainable environment, and more protection and assurances. What will happen at that point? The leaders will have to do what they have always avoided. Look within for the source of the problem, and take responsibility. That will be quite a thing to witness. My heart goes out to the average Thai, who is going to take the brunt of all of this.

Not encouraging western tourism? I beg to differ, the TAT promotes Thailand heavily worldwide including in western countries. What it fails to do however, is make Thailand MORE attractive for westerners, including what I think you mean - the failure to clean up scams such as the jetski damage scam and rogue taxis etc. Tourism is after all the one industry that no government here has ever failed to promote, it's as if that's only industry that generation after generation of Thai politicians seem to be concerned about. Sure it's easier to get Chinese, Russians and Indians here - they're located closer to Thailand and come in large numbers, often on tours. At the end of the day it's simply a numbers game - quantity over quality.

[Kaalle]

What a disgusting piece of low life shit. I don't know how she got into the movies. It sure wasn't by her looks.

Her white skin and western features. Thais have a different perception of beauty.

As far as the sentence or lack there of, surprise surprise.

In other news the company that manufacturers Imodium has apparently bought the rights to the post crash video footage.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Kaalle

[jacko45k]

Was there every any doubt of the outcome.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Why didnt the wife just say that her husbands ghost had reappeared to HER and said that he wanted Reese punished to the full extent of the law.Simples?

Unless of course the grieving widow ahs been well compensated,then it makes one as bad as the other.

[Tomtomtom69]

A lot of negative comments, and rightly so, it would require an ethics-bypass not to be sickened with the Thai version of justice sometimes.

But guys, what did we expect really? Thailand is a 3rd-world nation, acknowldged by its own foreign diplomats (or at least, the UN representative) to be heading towards failed state status.

The military are out of control and are not accountable to anyone. The police don't even bother to pretend not to be corrupt any more and are not accountable to anyone. Ditto the justice system. The entire administrative system from the Pooyay Baan upwards is corrupt to the core etc etc ad nauseam.

Personally, even though I took the decision to live in Thailand, I detest their culture, I detest their incompetence and I detest their national superiority complex, its just narcissism. And yes, before the sheeple come out and protest that not all Thais are worthless, I agree, I know many Thais who are very good people, probably better than I found where I came from. But they are a small minority in my experience.

So I keep my head down, have my (Thai) wife conduct most of our business with Thais and try not to be enraged by the 3rd-world behaviour we all encounter almost daily. It is after all, the 3rd-world and its a problem for the Thais to resolve, not me. Of course we all know they've been propagandised for decades and that the country has been run by a feudal elite entirely for it's own benefit. But, I get my pension, I live a quiet life and the major consequences that Thais have to suffer for embracing their imposed lifestyle pass me by. USA and England have their merchant bankers, Thailand has its banking and retail conglomerates and its civil service and its law enforcement, etc etc. SSDD.

Eventually, Thailand will grow up, eventually they will realise that the rest of the world has passed them by and that they really have to get out of their self-imposed nightmare. Eventually, they will realise that it is the dismal state of their education system that causes most of the problems, and they will fix it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I try to remember why I came here - it's relatively cheap (unless you buy something from the mafia franchises such as cars and pickups), the weather's good and by and large, the trouble that Thais cause themselves pretty much bypass us. I figure that fixing Thailand (or even giving sensible advice to Thais for them to ignore) just isn't my job, it's someone else's and I don't really care very much if it never gets done.

Winnie

Easily the best comment I've had the pleasure to read on TV. Fantastic, well balanced opinion.

Agree for the most part but I do find the farang getting their Thai wives to deal with the locals pathetic. Together with taking their translation of whatever 'news/gossip' as gospel and repeated ad nauseum on here.

Winniedapu's comments are spot on for the most part. However, I'm assuming that he, like most other westerners (or foreigners in general) living here, don't speak enough Thai to get things done themselves.

I do and in fact, on some matters I am much better off getting things done myself due to this fact, because my wife wouldn't have a clue what to do. However, unlike many Thais, she is quite good at googling things and finding out what to do in advance, rather than doing things the old school way and telephoning around or just showing up only to find out a document is missing or whatever and thus wasting everyone's time.

For example, all matters related to my car and motorcycle, such as third party insurance and road tax, dealing with the land transport department I take care of as I'm the driver and I know what to do.

This allows me to understand the process of how things work here as I have also seen how Thais interpret things to be way different to the way you and me would interpret them. For example, some Thais just say "it's complicated" or "it can't be done" when it fact, it's just that they're lazy and that's the easy way out. A few years ago a highly educated family friend, a Thai woman with a PhD who works as an associate professor at one of Thailand's most prestigious universities went with her then Australian boyfriend to Mae Sai. They wanted to go to Tachilek in Myanmar for the day, but claimed he couldn't (he could) because it was "complicated". The real answer was he needed a re-entry permit otherwise he would have lost his extension of stay. The Thai couldn't have known this as she doesn't know much about the Thai immigration system for foreigners. Of course the bf was a bit of a tool for not trying to find out this information himself beforehand. He probably just assumed his gf could handle this for him.

On more complicated matters like the legal system, police corruption etc. I'm afraid that's not something any ordinary Thai (or foreigner) can easily change. Of course, the way I see it is that ordinary Thais need to make the demand for change, it's not about us trying to change something for our benefit - it's only useful if the majority of ordinary Thais can rally for change, with or without us. If they can't, or won't, it says a lot about the society. This is not something I'd want to engage in a "David vs. Goliath" battle. Let them sort it out otherwise just let it be.