barefootbangkok

Thais rarely if ever go to jail for assaulting or even killing a foreigner. Twenty years here and I've only heard of one case where a Thai served a long sentence for killing someone (2 Brits).

I'm sure that if a foreigner did that to a Thai girl, they'd be locked up for a long long time.

Arrested and jailed? Or simply spanked on the hand????

Good thinking!!! There's no such thing as getting into a fight with one Thai.

The problem always comes down to a lack of enforcement. There are laws, regulations and lots of politicians who will make lots of promises but nothing will happen unless there is enforcement. The great thing about Thailand is that you can generally do what you want. The bad thing is that others can do the same.

So I see no interest whatsoever in what the Finnish man has to say. How many times do you have to hear about your Thais beating up on foreigners 10 to 1? I suppose that when there's an argument where you come from, 10 against 1 is considered fair. Let's hear what the Finnish man has to say before passing judgement. However we rarely hear two sides of the story.

Funny how many people are willing to blame the victim.

So what happens when a Thai man beats his wife or GF??? Is it in the newspapers or on tv? Nope!!! I called in a guy assaulting a girl in the Phrom Phong area. The police just laughed.

Bensiri Park by the Emporium?

I suspect it's still possible to get a Covid visa extension. Before your time expires, go to Immigration and ask for a visa extension. My brother was in Thailand for a year and a half on a tourist visa based on Covid extensions. You can try calling Immigration at 1111 but sometimes the information is unreliable. If you have the money and your visa still has 15 days remaining (and you're over 50), you can ask to apply for a retirement visa. Go with a Thai person if possible. Anything is possible in Thailand! Good luck!

A lower baht would also reinvigorate the real estate market. And the Chinese are just starting to lift their travel curbs.

The area around Bangna has more than 10 well known international schools including a Montessori school on Bangna Trade across from Central Bangna Shopping Center. There's lots of inexpensive housing in the area and also the huge King's Park close by. FYI Most expats like to stick close to the city center but many international schools are located outside the city center primarily because real estate is expensive. As well getting a house in the city center will cost you up to and possibly over 100k baht whereas a house or large condo can cost one third to half that price. Downside is that you will need a car.

Its interesting that no one is aware that Thais are taught that traffic in the left lane need not stop at red lights. Just spend 2 minutes at an intersection and this will become obvious. Until the government enforces any rule changes, "accidents" will continue to occur. Meantime watch out crossing intersections especially for cars in the left hand lane.

Gee should I buy $5-10,000 of useless insurance to remain in Thailand even though most policies don't cover cancer, eliminate the coverage of most medical problems if one has high blood pressure or some pre-existing condition. The insurance is basically useless once you reach 70+ and increases for every year you age. With the amount you pay for insurance, one could buy a condo in a smaller town in most Western countries. The amount one saves by living in Thailand is negated by the insurance cost. Solution? Move back home when Thailand requires health insurance since most countries have free healthcare and no requirement to buy bogus insurance. As a previous poster said "This is no country for old men" despite what the fake news says.

A Thai friend put it simply to me, "Thai Justice".

Awhile ago I was walking down Sukhumvit Soi 6 when I got robbed by a pickpocket. A Thai lady yelled "khamoy" which means thief. My friend and I ran after the pickpocket. He threw my wallet into a small bush at the roadside. We cornered him in a condo parking lot with security. When he tried to get away, my friend pushed him and the security rushed up to the thief's defense. I told my friend to let him go bcuz the security was only interested in defending him. That's Thai justice!

Every few years, the government tries to revoke the right of businesses to own property. The last time they tried, the stock market fell 25% in a few hours due to the backlash of foreign businesses, so the government backed down and said it was just a joke. I've been here for 20 years now and invested in real estate for many years. In their hearts, most Thais don't believe that foreigners should be able to own land or even condos. The hardliners don't like the fact that foreigners own condos even though it's how so many Thais have become rich beyond their dreams. Many many Thais don't believe that foreigners should even have the ability to live here! Times are hard now, so maybe the government will allow foreigners the right to buy land and houses... temporarily only!!! When the hard times are over, there's no question in my mind that Thailand will revoke that right whether or not foreigners lose all or most of their investment. So if you plan to buy land or a house in Thailand, remember the old saying "If you want to make a small fortune in Thailand, start with a large fortune!"

Use your computer

According to the Dept. Of Consular Affairs: At 9PM Aug 1, 16,935 registered w/ expatvac, 13,884 are under 60 yrs old, and only 3,051 are 60 and over. Of those registered, 64 are pregnant and 946 are in 7-health conditions grps. Many more are being processed and pending required docs. TQ on behalf of MFA Expatvac Team. https://t.co/ckXqtjlJFw

Although previous efforts to register foreign residents in Thailand have not been very successful, doesn't it make sense to encourage the efforts made rather to make sarcastic and insulting put downs? Obviously some Thais want to get registration for us accomplished. Unfortunately tech knowledge in Thailand isn't the best but the question is, do we want these well intentioned Thais to stop trying?