The Boys in Brown ...

[Smiles]

Interesting article in Stickman Weekly recently << http://www.stickmanweekly.com/StickmanB ... nBrown.htm >> . . . a must read if you want to understand the role of cops 'n petty corruption ~ and some not so petty ~ in Thailand.
Interesting (first hand) observations on the almost-poverty conditions low level cops generally live in, which of course underscores the general western attidtudes towards police corruption, i.e. pay them a very good salary from the get go and lower corruption very significantly. Pay your cops very low salaries, and watch corruption become obtrusive, endemic, institutionalized.

Living long term in Thailand as I do has given me a chance to think about some very fundamental goals: two of them are . . . at all times stay as far away from (1) the police, and (2) hospitals as is humanly possible. To get there, I (1) don't drive, and never will, in Thailand, and (2) eat well, drink not too much, and exercise regularly to keep oneself as healthy as possible.

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[gerefan2]

Some think quite highly of Thai hospitals....
Am I missing something here?
G2

[Beachlover]

Some nice insight, Smiles.

Good or bad, it's best to avoid hospitals anyway.

[Impulse]

Some think quite highly of Thai hospitals....
Am I missing something here?
G2

Hospitals all over are not good places to be because of bacteria.Doctors and nurses often dont wash their hands as much as they should.Many people get sick this way. Living in a tropic country has many challenges. Theres no freeze to kill bacteria and insects that carry disease. Parasites abound. Walking barefoot a thread worn can enter through your foot.Eating food thats not cooked well can give you parasites like the lung fluke. Or a food handler that doesnt wash their hands after going to the bathroom can give you a worm larvae that can travel to your brain and give you a stroke. Did that person preparing your food wash their hands?Maybe not. Oh,and watch out for mosquitos and the malaria and dengue fever they can cause. Oh yes,Thailand is know for easy sex,careful of the stds. Staying healthy in Thailand can feel like your watching Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible.It can be done but you must be vigilant.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Stickman and recently Silom's blog gayboythailand likes to go on and on about the BIB and all their scams. Mostly with road block stops and having to pay fines. I don't know it all this is just exaggerated stories or selective accounts of what really happen leaving out any farang culpability in what ever happen or are genuine stories. All I know that in having lived here for 4 years and been a yearly visitor for more than 20 I have either been very lucky or these BIB scams are getting blown out of proportion.

The fear of driving in Thailand. I know quite a few farangs that tell me they will never drive in Thailand. The usual reasons are the BIB, having an accident and getting the blame because your farang and the reckless way Thais drive. First, I have never had to pay the BIB on any road in Thailand, maybe my day is coming. At all these road stops they just waive me on and no one wants to see my driver's license. I'd like to show it to someone, it was quite an adventure getting it. Second, these urban legends about farang always being in the wrong, I asked once before if anyone could relate a first hand story and got no replies, I'll ask again? Third, the roads are for the most part in excellent shape, if you drive defensively, know about the 3rd invisible lane passing method and keep your eye on the motorbikes, push-carts and other strange moving objects, it's a lot safer driving yourself than most of the "professional" hired drivers that I have experienced.

Farangs on Stickman and other sites go and and on about not having done anything wrong and had to pay a bribe. Everyone is innocent. Go and sit in traffic court in any Western city and hear everyone claim they did not do anything wrong, it's all a mistake or a big frame up.

I've driven in Thailand for 14 years. Been stopped by the cops many times -- always when I was admittedly in the wrong.

None ever asked for a hand-out, but they were probably open to one.

Had three or four accidents. Fault was irrelevent as insurance pays for the damage either way.

[TrongpaiExpat]

The police all over learn that certain places are ripe for the picking in violations. I was in Ibiza once and was up on a look out on the road and noticed all these cars getting stopped down the road for something. The cops were hiding behind some trees. I then drove down that same road, very carefully and at the intersections I stopped and then noticed the stop sign, very hard to see and the intersecting road was all a clear view, so not stopping was not really dangerous.
One week and I was doing fine with the notorious Ibiza traffic police then on my way back to the airport I needed to fill the tank before returning the car, all the gas stations were on the left side of the road. I pulled into one and was met by a cop on a motorbike, he did not speak English, but waked me to the road and pointed to a faint yellow line and said something in Evissa dialect, pointed to a man on the roof with binoculars and took my DL, wrote a ticket and then wrote a number on a pad of paper in local Currency. I think I had to pay something in the neighborhood of 200 USD.

Yes, I was wrong. Was it fair? I guess what I should have done is drove to the airport, went out the exit to get on the other side of the road then got gas and then drove to town quite some distance and made a turn someplace legal.

On Silom in the direction toward the river just past CP tower is a right turn lane only. Traffic backs up on Silom and if your in that right land good luck getting out of it before the lane becomes right turn only. The police sometimes set up just past the turn land and nab anyone going straight.

There a place in Florida, 60 min. did a spot on it years ago, where on the down side of a hill the speed limit suddenly changes to 30mph from 50. The community gets 50% of their revenue from traffic fines. AAA has called it the only designated speed trap in USA.

[aussie_]

I was stopped on the highway last week near Korat by the Police who had blocked the road.

"You are speeding, you pay 200 baht fine"

There was no proof of the speed and no reciept. The policeman put his hand inside the door to get the money so that his buddies could not see the transfer of funds.

I was not going to argue with him and I guess I had paid for his lunch and dinner.

Later the same day I was stopped again by the police, this time the alchohol testing unit.

Fortunately I got the good cops, they laughed as I made out to blow into the breath testing machine (no disposable mouth pieces like we have in farangland) and sent me on my way without asking for any money.

Interesting article in Stickman Weekly recently << http://www.stickmanweekly.com/StickmanB ... nBrown.htm >> . . . a must read if you want to understand the role of cops 'n petty corruption ~ and some not so petty ~ in Thailand.

Less than a month ago I wrote the following about Stickman's weekly column:

"Stickman's weeklycolumn is targeted specifically at Bangkok expats rather than expats in Thailand in general ("Published every Sunday, it provides a round-up of news and views for those resident in and visiting Bangkok and its surrounds"), so it can hardly be a surprise that he would pander to his target audience rather than alienate it.

Stickman is an expat foreign language teacher whose columns are a commercial enterprise which he bought into, so it can hardly be a surprise that his columns are as inventive as they are ill-informed, inconsistent and unreliable."

Nothing has changed - a "must read"? Come on, Smiles, I thought you were better informed than that.

[Brad the Impala]

Quoting your own comments from your previous posts is about as pompous as it gets on this forum.

As for anyone daring to express a contrary view, a month after Gone Fisting has deigned to tell us his opinion................ Smiles, I am shocked, how could you!