[Angry White American]

Too many M-150 and Redbull,mean everyday you consume a bottle.Next time you go for sugar test(diabates),sure positive.There's a natural product,try chewing slice of raw ginseng.It taste bitter but it work wonder.Die Die must try,won't regret...

[vladekad]

The food?! I can imagine some not liking the government, no government ever has made 100% of the people happy, the infrastructure is certainly not to Western standards, but that is what makes it Thailand. The cost of living? How about the farang who live in Thailand and have experience with more Westernized traffic law and enforcement quit the high paying jobs or life of leisure they lead, and work for the police department, or Ministry of Transportation and work for the bountiful Thai wage of 7,000THB per month. Otherwise be content, since a farang can not cope on Thai wages.

By the way FaranginPhetch, I spent nearly 20 minutes in your photo album. Very fascinating, I appreciate your candor and encourage all members to check it out! You have some great pictures and a lovely family.

There is nothing wrong with having differing opinions and even speaking out. But being so familiar with Thailand I am sure you are aware of the idea prudent spech. The webmaster of this very forum, must be very cautious as to what goes on, considering it is based in Thailand. Please word your thoughts as you would in Thailand, and if this how you do in Thailand, then please word them in a milder manner than you do in Thailand. Please choose the wording of your opinions in a gingerly fashion as we do not want to be considered a questionable website by government standards. I mean this overall, not specifically on the postings here in this thread.

As for the traffic, we have all made fun of it long before he came here, and there was never any outright personalizing of the posts. Both sides have great points, and as with anything else in life both sides are probably correct to certain extents. there is no need for it to go to a personal level, the whole thread has been here with a sense of humor up to this point. Laugh and get over it, all is fun.

[qzgCVHex]

I didn't mean for that pic to be there anyway and I removed it before some KIWI started calling me a RACIST, BIGOT or what ever, but I did get a laugh out of it, an ossie sent it to me sometime back.

I got a laugh out of it too, but it might have been be a little lost on some of the readers here

BTW, we spell it Aussie. You have a different, but more accurate, transliteration. Can we spell it โอะซี in Thai?

[Assunkkensatt]

It really isn't the ordinary everyday Thais fault that they are the worlds worst drivers.

Anyone who says that Thai's are the worlds worst drivers obviously hasn't spent any time in Turkiye.

There is a major single lane highway out of Istanbul heading to Europe (Greece and Bulgaria) where on more than one occasion we have been forced off the road by THREE abreast 18 wheel trucks coming straight at us. On every occasion I have travelled the road the ditches at the side have been littered with wrecked trucks. I have travelled elsewhere in the Middle East and never seen anything to compare with it.

I have also been involved in more traffic accidents in Istanbul city than anywhere else.

David

[ChrisGoldstein]

Once you've slandered someone, be sure to repeat it as often as possible until it becomes true. "Members and front organizations must continually embarrass, discredit and degrade our critics. When obstructionists become too irritating, label them as fascist, Racist or Nazi or anti-Semitic .... The association will, after enough repetition, become "fact" in the public mind." [ ~ Communist Party, Moscow Central Committee, 1943]

[ChrisGoldstein]

What exactly is it about Thailand that you do like? You evidently don't like the food, the government, the infrastructure, etc. If it is the low cost of living, that can be attributed to the way things currently are, and, if they made the sorts of changes you have recommended thus far, that would surely increase the cost of living to a level closer to western standards. I'd be interested to know what redeeming qualities Thailand has that have attracted you to take up residence there.

since this is on a personal level, I will answer as such.
I first came to Thailand when I was working in RSVN in 1968, I liked the country and the people, didn't like the grub, but came back a couple of times for short visits, still didn't like the food.

Was working on a large derrick barge offshore at Basrah Iraq and had 40 Thai welders and liked them and they were excellent workers and good people, that was 1974 and I came to Thailand for 30 days, and still liked it.

I retired in 1991 and shortly after that I moved to Mexico and worked part of the year in the USA if a good paying job came up. I never did like the NEW MEXICO because of no one but criminals had guns and the robbery and thieving was rampant, so I moved back to the states in 1996, lived there a few years and decided that I didn't need the cold winters and thought of Asia a lot, went to southern China for awhile, and then decided to move to Thailand, I am here, I like the people and still do, I have a lot of Thai friends here, never did like Chiang Mai tho, but am happy here in the village, my life is good and the people are nice until they get in a car, then they seem to forget that anyone exists except them, they pay no attn. to anything going on around them, always want to be in the front of the line no matter that they only want to ride their cycle 20 KPH they will crowd in front of all traffic at any given moment that they can, drive any direction that suits them and seem to notice no one else, maybe they do not fear death, but I do.
I love most folks but do not like the food and never will, but I do have a good supplier of food and can afford to eat it. My life is good and pobly better than yours as you seem to have to live or choose to live elsewhere.
Sawadee kap.........

[ChrisGoldstein]

I know that sometimes my wording is pretty plain and I appoligise to those I have offended, I have never been a real diplomat but a construction worker and with to much sugar coating some workers do not understand the true meaning of things, but will try to do better.But it is said that this site is for those that want to know more about Thailand incase they want to come and visit, so why not tell it like it is.
I have only been in Turkey one time and that was years ago and never drove there as it was just a stopover, but did work in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and Saudi. and their driving does leave something to be desired.
As to Thai Traffic law enforcement, They already have the infastructure in place, They have many policemen that do nothing but set at the policebox and play cards, once in a great while they will put up a roadblock and check a few drivers licenses and registerations but that is not traffic control. They might have a speed trap and you will get a ticket at the next roadblock but never ever is there roving cars checking on infractions altho they do have hyway patrol cars but the only time you see them is when they are running as a blocker for a van load of VIPs and never for the control of people breaking the printed laws.
When ever there is a bus wreck, the driver leaves the scene if he is still alive and can run,And mostly no one is ever sure who was driving, so the control of that is out.
They pass or make new rules all the time, but never enforce them,
Helmets are mandatory on motorcycles, But here only the driver has to have one, In Pattaya everyone on the cycle has to have one, and I bought one for my kid when she goy her drivers license, she wrecked it the first week with another kid on with her, the kid hit her head on the street when they went down, while at the cop shop I asked why the rider as well didnt have to have a helmet, the cop said that they are supposed to have one, BUT they do not enforce that law HERE.
There is 2 new pieces of 4 lane divided roadway between my village and town, there is the regular right turn thrus every few hundred meters with a turn lane on the far right and a safety zone at both ends of the divider where the traffic has already merged into 1 lane, but cars will slow down in this right lane to U turn thru the safety zone and go back, people are running to fast when this happens and have to go over on the left shoulder to get past, and sometimes it is a cycle that wants to turn, traffic is still trying to merge and they will run over the cycle and kill a couple of people or cars will hit light standards and tear them down as they pass, all this has happened right in front of the policebox here at our village, killed 3 people on 1 cycle as they were rammed under the front of a pickup and shoved 200 feet up the road and across to the right shoulder, I asked the cops why the safety zones were not protected, and they said that they did not enforce that law and there has been a lot of wrecks right in front of said box. Plus if someone wants to stop on the other side of the hyway between the turn thrus they will just drive thru to the other side of the divider and drive again traffic for a few hundred meters, This happens all the time, right in front of policemen playing cards at the table outside of the box.
With policemen already hired and on the payroll they should have them working, if they would enforce the laws then there would be fines to pay their wages, which could then be increased if all fines were turned in instead of in the pocket, More on this next time if anyone is interested, but if you live here or have driven here then you know what I am talking about. Thanks

[Immampdah]

Yes I agree with Araiwa with the 'only contributing to racisim when you bring up issues of race.' of course this is not always the case but applies frequently today when people try to be do gooder's all the time!!! I am fine with people cracking jokes about where I am from I would never consider it racist whoever said it, gotta have a laugh about something sometimes! and some great photos as well

[Qeiafib]

Stunning logic.

I know quite a few Thai drivers (20+) that are calm, aware, and safe behind the wheel. I also know quite a few non-Thai drivers that aren't.

Agreed, the green "mini buses" are pretty crazy. With or without an energy drink. These buses are known for getting in accidents far more often.

[Assunkkensatt]

This statement has nothing to do with training, police presence, or anything other than a bigoted remark about an entire race of people. I am not a liberal or a KIWI. I am an American that also loves Thailand and half of my family is Thai. I'll take people cracking jokes about me all day, but I do not appreciate these types of overtly racist comments. You are all free to dislike me for taking this position, but it is what it is.

I'm in agreement with you here, when someone says something negative is born in to an entire nation of people (any nation) I find it very offensive. Nothing more to say on the matter.

David

[vladekad]

I don't think it is bigoted so much as it is true. Not only of Thailand too, I am certain he would say the same of a Chicago or New York cabbie if he had seen them these days.

[ChrisGoldstein]

Stunning logic.

I know quite a few Thai drivers (20+) that are calm, aware, and safe behind the wheel. I also know quite a few non-Thai drivers that aren't.

Agreed, the green "mini buses" are pretty crazy. With or without an energy drink. These buses are known for getting in accidents far more often.

20+ is not a very good % of a few million drivers in Thailand. I went into town this morning and could have been killed 5 times very easily[if I wouldn't have ran on the shoulder] by cars passing others and coming towards me in my lane, also was almost taken down by a fool getting over on the far left of the road and then making a right turn across 4 traffic lanes in front of me. The other evening I was coming out of town in my car when a woman from the far left came all the way straight across all 4 lanes and right in front of me and if my car didn't have good brakes she would be dead.
Anyone that has driven here knows that what I say is true and still someone came on and left a rating that says I have made RACIST comments.. pretty sneaky HUH?
http://public.fotki.com/KevinN/thailand_pictures/

[ppaelkos]

ahh thats interesting faranginphetch.....I mean granted they are great when you do actually have a blocked nose because they work a treat and i have always used them for colds but I have friends who sniff them just because they like the smell, maybe they are addicted and it worries me I mean just how good or bad they might be sniffing them on such a regular basis...I don't know....

[Immampdah]

lol, funny araiwa, I duno about how many M-150's they been taking, what really worries me is the menthol sticks everyone seems to be hooked on...can you actually become addicted to those things like glue sniffing?

[ChrisGoldstein]

Thanks for pointing that out. Nice pictures, though the "nz date" has a little too much wool for my taste

I didn't mean for that pic to be there anyway and I removed it before some KIWI started calling me a RACIST, BIGOT or what ever, but I did get a laugh out of it, an ossie sent it to me sometime back.

[euylvaygdq]

What exactly is it about Thailand that you do like? You evidently don't like the food, the government, the infrastructure, etc. If it is the low cost of living, that can be attributed to the way things currently are, and, if they made the sorts of changes you have recommended thus far, that would surely increase the cost of living to a level closer to western standards. I'd be interested to know what redeeming qualities Thailand has that have attracted you to take up residence there.

[borasolit]

It is the same all over Thailand and the color has nothing to do with it,,seems like when any Thai turns the key to start the engine in also works a born in switch that shuts down the brain. Who ever brought motorpowered wheeled vehicles to Thailand should have been hung by the neck until dead.

[appletango]

By the way FaranginPhetch, I spent nearly 20 minutes in your photo album. Very fascinating, I appreciate your candor and encourage all members to check it out! You have some great pictures and a lovely family.

Thanks for pointing that out. Nice pictures, though the "nz date" has a little too much wool for my taste

[ChrisGoldstein]

I sent the PM, but, now that it has been made public...this is a blatantly bigoted remark. It implies that an entire race of people have some sort of genetic defect that predisposes them to be horrible drivers. Maybe you think Thais should all stick to Buffalo carts, huh?

It really isn't the ordinary everyday Thais fault that they are the worlds worst drivers. It all stems from the license instructors selling them a license when they can't pass the test, From the fact that they have no traffic law enforcement except motorcycle helmets and a drivers license when stopped at a stop sign or at a check area by the sidewalk, but never when going down the road on the wrong side or crossing over a solid line to pass someone.
Check drunk drivers for DUI.
Driving is not a given right, but a privelage earned by knowledge and observance of the laws.
A cop when asked why they do not enforce driving thru a safety zone where a lot of people are getting in wrecks and some few killed, they will say "OH yes it is again the law, but we don't enforce that law"or "Well they can't afford to pay the tickets anyway"

Might be a good idea to go back to Buffalo carts until they are ready to run a motor vehicle dept. correctly,That might lower traffic deaths to acceptable levels. The carts do not go fast enough to kill to many.But driving at over 100 KPH when even you have no idea what you will do next does.

[ChrisGoldstein]

So sorry, I wasn't looking at it like that, But does seem like it could be taken as such,, end of it for me,,