General Reports

[QUOTE=mastorr]Hello,
I had other experience in Pattaya when I took a 19 y.o. thai girl going to hotel, reception desk told me only was possible to enter girls from 20 y.o.
Thanks,[/QUOTE]

That's correct.
I experienced something similar with girls not being allowed in some disco if not over 20.
Then you see kids (even below teens, I'd say) hanging around go-go bar areas, selling goods, and surviving the daily challenges of a life in a poor country, at any time of the day and night.
Contradictions of these countries.
An expatriate friend told me once to be careful about thai women:
when they are young (meaning under legal age) they often look old (= doable in "western terms").
And when they are old they look young...(and this is not necessarily a bad thing as they add experience to a nice young look).

[QUOTE=Giotto]Retired Army,

... And hard working Thai people find easily jobs in Thailand, it is worse than ever to find hard working and highly motivated staff.

[/QUOTE]
Giotto,

I wonder how and where you get your so called "infos".
I know a couple of Thais - with and without university diplomas - who are willing to and already did work hard (e.g. double shifts) but can't find a job, or at least none that is paid well. You obviously don't know much about the problems involved with finding a good job and rather prefer to repeat prejudices instead of dealing with this subject in a proper manner.

You would largely increase the motivation of your staff by paying better salaries. How hard would you work for a few thousand baht ?

[QUOTE=Bionicman]The region code simply usuall shows nothing at all on your player or a clear message on your laptop to warn you that the DVD is of a different region code than the one set in your laptop. If you change the setting you use one of the 4 chances..
So your problem might well be a badly produced disc.
I had a legitimate CD that showed completely different titles and songs through the internet check: an encoding mistake made a the factory (or a wrong pairing on the internet archives).
Shit happens!
Write it off in the "bad deals" account![/QUOTE]

Bionicman,

Yeah, something in the production is not quite right. Play perfectly in the DVD player in the hotel and not back home. It would not even fall into the "bad deals" category. Most work fine. Just thought it was interesting.

AT2

A few years ago I was working on a managment project in a, mainly Italian owned factory near Ayuthaya, we thought to motivate the 300 workers " the European way " with given them a nice bonus at the (Thai) new year. (Thai partner told us not to do so? ) and you know what happen, 50% of them did not show up the following week as they did have money enough to survive a bit without working.

The company limousine driver received a big tip from my partner for bringing his, in the car lost wallet and documents back to his hotel (to catch a early flight next morning), and. You guess what happen, he didn’t came back to work the following two weeks as the tip was more than his pay check, Our Thai partners told us that this was the Thai way of thinking about having more money than needed. Or usual Paying more seems to be (here) not always a option as they don’t save it.

The advice for not over tipping to P4P girls must be based on the same experince

J. E.

[QUOTE=The Traveler]You would largely increase the motivation of your staff by paying better salaries. How hard would you work for a few thousand baht ?[/QUOTE]Really? then this shows You obviously don't know much about the problems involved with finding good people in the Tourism industry. Paying higher Salaries than the Market average is Foolish, it will not make people work any harder, it will help you find staff, sure, but they won't be loyal to you and might leave whenever someone will offer them more money.

I am not blaming the people, it is their right to move around, after all, they are in a good position since there are less employees than jobs available.

Some people I know even have to hire Burmese staff because they can't find Thais.

The Couple of persons you refer to are not reflecting the majority at all.

Thanks a lot mates .....

[QUOTE=The Traveler]Giotto,

I wonder how and where you get your so called "infos".
I know a couple of Thais - with and without university diplomas - who are willing to and already did work hard (e.g. double shifts) but can't find a job, or at least none that is paid well. You obviously don't know much about the problems involved with finding a good job and rather prefer to repeat prejudices instead of dealing with this subject in a proper manner.

You would largely increase the motivation of your staff by paying better salaries. How hard would you work for a few thousand baht ?[/QUOTE]

TT

I'd like to know what extensive experience you've had working with Thais, working for Thais and having Thais work for you that allows you to pass judgement on Giotto? I know you've been here a million times, speak the lingo and are expert on many things Thai. But, that's not the same as being here in the day-to-day grind of dealing with these people and their major lack of of a proper work ethic.

So, please enlighten us.

In a few weeks I going to LOS (BKK and Pattaya) for 2 weeks, and I'm looking for any good and cheap electronic store, I like to buy a few lenses for nikon camera.
Any recommendation please?

How is the price in Thailand compared to US prices?

Prices generally lower in USA.

[QUOTE=Noman2]In a few weeks I going to LOS (BKK and Pattaya) for 2 weeks, and I'm looking for any good and cheap electronic store, I like to buy a few lenses for nikon camera.

Any recommendation please?

How is the price in Thailand compared to US prices?[/QUOTE]

Norman2

For sure much cheaper in the US, the VAT that you can recuperate when leaving Thailand is only 4% with the high risk having to pay duty when entering your own country, the risk on VAT to be paid when entering the EEC is between 16% and 21% depending on the country, some even more + maybe a fine etc. Singapore is much better, HKG pricing is ok but a big problem with only one week warranty and uncompleted sets, they don’t open the new box in front of you, when all is paid then they tell you to buy extra the charger and the other items that are normally provide in the box from the factory. A real scam there.

I am a camera / photo maniac and have been checking most shops in BKK several times and it’s not worth to buy there or spend time on it, pocket cameras are sometimes OK in pricing but SLR and lenses like Nikon & Canon are even more expensive than Europe and US pricing is at least 40% cheaper than the Europe prices.

A few good stores if you like :

The best one is in the MBK shopping centre ,on the 3th floor

Sunny Camera , sometimes bargains ,and all good brands ,

Another good and better one at MBK is Photo Thailand (bigger & all brands )

The best one at MBK is Foto File Co. on the first floor ( Canon & Nikon )
Look at there site for pricing , [url]http://www.fotofile.net/index.php?lang=en[/url].

Check at MBK also the 2e hands camera shops if you are interested .

Both have all mayor brands on bags , cards , tripods etc .
For all kind of electronics , Ipods etc go to Pantip Plaza on Petchaburi Rd.

Hope this is helpful for you

Don’t take any risk on warranty etc , buy in the US

John Euro

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Paying higher Salaries than the Market average is Foolish, it will not make people work any harder, it will help you find staff, sure, but they won't be loyal to you and might leave whenever someone will offer them more money.[/QUOTE]

Nic, with all due respect, your quoted sentence reads as nonsense to me. Of course an employee will be temped to leave if somebody offers them more money. In what way is this behaviour any different in Thailand to employee behaviour in any other business in any other country? Or are you suggesting that it's common practice to overpay the locals in Thailand (and outbid the overpayers for their employees, and outbid the outbidders.....)?

Whatever.....the best quality employees will generally work for the best employers as Thailand's economy drags itself kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Or are you suggesting that the only way to keep things progressing is to keep Mr & Mrs Average Thai on third world salaries?

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]Nic, with all due respect, your quoted sentence reads as nonsense to me. Of course an employee will be temped to leave if somebody offers them more money. In what way is this behaviour any different in Thailand to employee behaviour in any other business in any other country? Or are you suggesting that it's common practice to overpay the locals in Thailand (and outbid the overpayers for their employees, and outbid the outbidders.....)?

Whatever.....the best quality employees will generally work for the best employers as Thailand's economy drags itself kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Or are you suggesting that the only way to keep things progressing is to keep Mr & Mrs Average Thai on third world salaries?[/QUOTE]

To equate Thai workers with workers elsewhere is foolish to say the least. The amount of salary or the quality of the employer has little to do with the effectiveness of your average Thai worker. The vast majority of Thais are under-achievers and have no real ambition; at least ambition that goes hand-in-hand with hard work to achieve a goal, personal or otherwise. I've never seen such a collective mind-set anywhere wherein, the average person feels a sense of entitlement, without earning it, has no sense of loyalty or responsibility, and generally expects the most for the least effort. Thais will quit a job at the drop of a hat without any reason and are in that regard, the most mobile and fluid workforce I've ever witnessed.

After 11 years of working with these people, I have little respect left for them.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand] I've never seen such a collective mind-set anywhere wherein, the average person feels a sense of entitlement, without earning it, has no sense of loyalty or responsibility, and generally expects the most for the least effort. Thais will quit a job at the drop of a hat without any reason and are in that regard, the most mobile and fluid workforce I've ever witnessed.[/QUOTE]

OTH,
I totally agree with you, although thankfully there are the exceptions.

The part of your post that I quoted made me laugh; don't you think it could also describe the value system metrics taught at Harvard Business School?

Cheers,
Sean

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]it's common practice to overpay the locals in Thailand (and outbid the overpayers for their employees, and outbid the outbidders.....)?[/QUOTE]

Yep, especially in areas where it is difficult to find good people (Not Bkk, Chiang Mai adn the other big cities)

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]Whatever.....the best quality employees will generally work for the best employers as Thailand's economy drags itself kicking and screaming into the 21st century.[/QUOTE]I agree. But if you assume the best employer is the one that pays the highest Salary, then we may agree to disagree (is that English? LOL)

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]Or are you suggesting that the only way to keep things progressing is to keep Mr & Mrs Average Thai on third world salaries?[/QUOTE]I am not suggesting anything, you read too much into what I wrote. Just a question, have you worked in Thailand before? have you ever been in a position where you had to hire a Thai? how many people do you have to manage on a daily basis?

I manage over 50 people on a daily basis and they are all loyal to our company. We pay them the normal Market Salaries for their position, but then they get Bonuses, we treat them well,they have a nice adn friendly working environment, get "Leave of absence" when needed, we invite them for treats (lunches, dinners) on a weekly basis, we have monthly outings (Bowling, Pool, PaintBall, Movies), we help them when they have kids, we have Birthday parties, we help them when they have Family problems, etc...

This is how you can build loyalty and trust with the Thais. I am not saying we are perfect, far from it, but of all the employees who have left us for better paid jobs, a lot asked if they could come back.

My mate (who is with a Big Corporation) pays his staff really well, but then if they don't produce or perform to satisfaction, they get the boot.

Third world country Salaries? compared to what?

John Euro,

Thanx for advice