Jimbo

geriatrickid, on 2010-09-04 10:10:14, said:

I've been a hospital visitor for a number of years now (prompted to do so after experiencing a long spell in a Thai hospital) and yes you are right that on any given day there are plenty of foreigners in Thai hospitals in need of a visitor or some errands to be run. But, like others here, you make a judgement on who is more deserving. If you were to visit the more deserving inmates at the hospital over any reasonable length of time you'll soon realize that they too can be classified in the 'deserving', 'less deserving' and the 'Som Nam Nar'.

It doesn't work like that. You either want to help out or you do not.

After reading Nisakiman and Fantuzi's posts above, I re-read the whole thread including Mr. Ozdemir's request.

This was to re-evaluate whether my also passing on going to see Mr. Ozdemir was indeed judgemental and un-compassionate.  

Following re-evaluation, I still pass on visiting Mr. Ozdemir.

However, if Nisakiman and/or Fantuzi would like to advise me the contact details of Mr Ozdemir's drug dealing victims, I might be more inclined to help them out.

My goodness, TV members seem to be brimming with the milk of human kindness.

So nice to see such compassion in our fellow humans. Judgemental? Heavens, no.

TV members would never presume to sit in judgement (particularly with only the sketchiest of case knowledge) on another person. Not their style....

Every so often people come into the thread and make suggestions like this one the OP has made regarding visiting criminals in Jails.  I think most people would avoid going to a thai jail to visit some grub that they've never met before.  These people are in the hole because he or she can't be trusted and have lost their right to mingle with the rest of society.

I don't understand what goes along with pedalling such nonesense.  

Give it a rest.

The comment was made;
Lots of these young backpackers go with prostitutes, would that not make them sex tourists?

Based upon my observations and talking to some of the backpackers, it is not the same relationship. It's not a commercial transaction per se as one of mutual enjoyment. The backpacker types don't really have to pay for sex. C'mon now, how many 18-25 year old males ever had to pay for sex? What we see are the guys getting the benefits of having a guide, a companion and perhaps some nookie and the girls get someone that is attractivem able to maintain a long lasting erection without need of viagra, that doesn't have to pee every  hour, and someone  willing to share and pick up some expenses, without pointing out how much he has paid every day. The girls that go with the backpackers aren't doing it for the money per se, they are just being young and having some fun.

The backpacker crowd gets such a bad rep, but more often than not they are really decent kids. They come from normal families and are more likely to show some semblance of respect for the locals. These are the people that will retain happy memories and tell their friends of the good times. They are also likely to return with their  wives/husbands/families. It's a bad mistake to reduce their access in the market. These are the people that one day will become the moneymakers.

The biggest mistake? The cheap junkets. Yes, there is quantity, but the quality of spending is  poor. They are the worst type of people to rely on as they do not spend on goods and services that make work for Thais. These people are nasty. They pick the Thailand tour solely on price.  Who are these groups?  Oh sure they buy some souvenirs, but if one looks at where the items are made, more often than not the junk comes from China. The clothes and the food they buy are often the low end stuff with low profit margins.  They are more likely to rush to Burger King, KFC or McD. There is an art to catering to package tour groups, but it takes some planning and thinking. There are a couple of groups that do it, providing a proper tour throughout Thailand, visiting  a variety of places and offering a range of activities all for an affordable price.
Thailand has such hidden strengths and yet it seems unable to use them. It still doesn't understand that there is a large demographic of people that are disabled or have  physical impairments,  Try walking some of the sidewalks when you have bad eyesight or arthritis. Try  accessing the aeroplane when you  have trouble climbing the slippery metal stairs. Families? It's hard to take a family to Thailand because it's a walking accident zone for the typical kid.  No crosswalks, poor beach safety, particularly from having jetskis or paraglders swooping down, and again an absence of a place to walk safely. Try pushing a  stroller in some places. It's hard. How about a place to change a diaper? Sure, the locals manage, but then the point is to attract a family from  Oslo or Perth. If you want them, then you need to provide the basic services they need.Imagine the benefit to commercial trade if Patong had a  free or low cost  shuttle bus service like most  other resort towns. Won't  happen with the  taxi/tuktuk mafia.  

Sorry, but the  nature of the  services on offer  still  cater to  a specific demographic, whether that is  intentional or not. And those people are include a noticeable number of scum.  Unfortunately, alot of older single males get stuck with the label because of a small group of jerks. The end result is that it acts to discourage their visitng. A case in point is Cambodia. I have been invited several times and won't go because I just don't want the visa  in my passport. The preception is that only pedos go to Cambodia. The immigration officer in the USA/Canada/EU isn't going to believe me if I say I  went to visit a 35 year old western female health officer. It's why so many  people hesitate. They have reputations to protect.  It's all about perceptions and the brand image. Thailand has done a very piss poor job of protecting its image abroad.

geriatrickid, on 2010-09-03 08:12:56, said:

Oh do me a favour, please.

What a cold and heartless post.

This kid has been left paralysed and blinded. A fate worse than death for someone so young.

And no way do you sympathize with the mother, and the pain and heartache she must be going through. How could you when you make comments such as this? Who cares if the kid had a work permit or adequate insurance coverage.

I just wonder if you would say the same if this were your child. My money would be on that you would expect people to have sympathy and perhaps show kindness and help.

Use some tact, please, because maybe the relatives are reading this.

the blokes left paralysed and blind and all you lot can go on about is weather he had a work permit or not tut tut............

geriatrickid, on 2010-09-03 09:06:55, said:

Which one seems more likely:

a) 25 year old person who works in insurance/gas/electricity/phone line telesales and decided against travel insurance, comes to party in Thailand and does a bit of work as an English teacher now and then, without a work permit, to keep the party money up. Got drunk and had a motorbike accident.

25 year old who was too dumb to buy travel insurance, but was smart enough to be able to get a long-term visa whilst in the Thailand, then sufficiently well-connected so as to be able to get a work permit for a sales job where he either sold products to Thai businesses or spent his days calling UK numbers on Skype.

I really don't think Geriatrickid is the one embarrassing themselves.

Beetlejuice, on 2010-09-03 10:53:14, said:

Here Here!
Could not have said it any better myself.
More like a geriatric twat

Tragic accident and my sympathies are with him and his whole family (not just his mother)
I hope he makes it  back to England soon..

There are SOME right MONGS on this forum! How can you slag off such an ill man? Karma????????????????

I have read Mustafas letter now. He's moaning and whining like a little girl. Well, Mustafa, you should have thought about that before you got involved in drug trafficing.
And now you want people to feel sorry for you? Send you cigarettes, perhaps?

Like I said before. I'll pass.