jybkk

People continue conflating modernization and westernization.

Bangkok is getting more modern, but despite that, it is VERY different than western cities. The 'old thai ways' aren't replaced by 'western ways', they are being replaced by 'new thai ways'.

Nice to see some brain scratching but I have some doubts about these inventions:

1 - The 'movement detector'
Probably the most interesting although I'd be curious to know how they prevent fake positives (ex someone moving the car from outside).

Not sure it would prevent those incidents as the sleeping kids probably never really moved and just passed out from the heat.

2 - CO2 level detector

I'd like to see the math behind this.1,000ppm CO2 is the threshold at which it becomes uncomfortable breathing. I'm pretty sure it would take quite a long time for a kid breathing to raise the CO2 to that level, at which point it might already be too late. Conversely, you can't really lower that threshold unless you want the doors to be opened anytime the van is packed.
Sidenote: I've often heard Thais complain about 'not being able to breathe' in an office where A/C was down for only a few minutes. This is literally impossible. A regular office room would be breathable for several days even if it was totally hermetically closed.

3 - Window breaker
This 'invention' can befound for 500THB on Lazada.

http://www.lazada.co.th/tkoofn-2-packs-car-escape-safety-glass-hammer-window-breaker-seat-belt-cutter-holder-intl-3484371.html

[...] once you register a child in UK you are in actual fact handing over ownership as you do with everything you register [...]

I'm not certain what you mean here. A child is a human being, nobody *owns* him. Not a country, and not the parents either. As parent you are merely in charge of their well being.

What kind of issue are you specifically trying to avoid by not declaring the child birth? So far, as other posters have mentioned, doing so brings only inconveniences and problems to the future of the child, with no actual benefit.

This story is bogus. Potassium nitrate by itself is not explosive ... nor flammable. However, when properly mixed with charcoal and sulfur it makes gun powder (aka black powder) which indeed is explosive.

If in a sealed container but if loose and not in a sealed container it just burns fast and makes a lot of smoke.

We should also consider that the content of the bottle is what is reported by journalists who usually have very little idea of how all of this works. A lot could have been lost in the transmission of the information (ex: a bottle containing Potassium nitrate among other things) or in the translation.

Potassium nitrate is one of the ingredients in the Bang Fai rockets.

The regular motorcycle taxi is not exactly expensive, how cheap are the irregular operators?

Uber/Grab motorcycle services are roughly the same price.

They add convenience for when you're in a place where there is no orange shirts available. It's actually a not so rare situation.

They also tend to be a bit better mannered and despite what Thai government would like you to believe with their talk of license and insurance, they are probably held more accountable by the operator than the regular motosai by the dept of transportation.

Sorry I arrived a bit late. In android you can easily individually add/remove accounts.

Go in the device settings > accounts. There, depending on the version, you might already see all the accounts linked to the device, or you might have to go through one more step and select 'Google' to see the google accounts linked to the device.

From there you can remove the account(s) you don't want to use, or add more.

Just a general note of caution on dealing with forms and signing. Regardless of my total objection to the form, both in content and idea, if you put down false information and then sign it, as some posters are indicating they had to sign, you open yourself to possible troubles. This thing can get out of hand, and if you ever run into any future issue you might have trouble as they claim upon review that you signed, and lied, etc. Has anybody gotten in contact with anybody really in charge of immigration about this form? Of course with the military in charge, there really is only one official

None of the information I provided is false or erroneous.

I was asked to sign because I didn't want to provide the bank information.

Well, this doesn't bode well for the quality of the advice given by the Department of Health.

Every single 'fact' that is given is completely false.

Eye strain due to smartphone/screen has been demonstrated to have no long-lasting or permanent effect (see the studies posted by others above).

Anyway, the same things was said in the past about video games, TV or even books.

The main impact of smartphones is that it promotes an even more sedentary life... But on another, hand, I think for most thais it merely replaced sitting in front of the TV. If Dr. whatever-his-name was actually serious about Thai people health he'd be working with the government on promoting physical activity, even mild one. The lack of parks or the near impossibility of walking more than an few hundred meters without tripping or being crushed by a motorcycle makes for a lot more than the smartphones.

Athens in Greece hits 40C in the summer but you dont hear the whining like when it gets hot in Thailand and most of the accommodation there does not have air conditioning

But the 40C summer heat in Greece does not generally come with the attendant humidity we get in Thailand: 75% in Bangkok in April, 45% in Athens in August. Also the evening and nighttime temperatures in Athens are lower. so you just let us keep whining. I've been living here for 12 years now and this is the hottest I have ever been.

Not quite the level of humidity I agree but it does get humid. I lived there for 2 years and it was hot. I have lived here for 30 years and I agree with you this is the hottest I have experienced it here. During my time in the ME it was hotter but like 3% humidity so it didn't feel as bad

FYI, the best indicator for 'comfort' isn't the humidity or temperature but the 'Dew point' (which kind of combines both).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dew_point#Relationship_to_human_comfort

Yesterday, dew point in Bangkok reached 27°C. That's classed as "Severely high. Even deadly for asthma related illnesses".

Max dew point high recorded ever in Athens is 23°C and in average, July-August are around 17°C in the afternoon which is "OK for most, but all perceive the humidity at upper edge" and around 11°C at night, which is 'Very Comfortable'.

That's why a 40°C afternoon in Greece can be bearable if you stay in the shade with a bit of wind or a fan.

I'm sure you remember fondly those summer nights in Athens, because they were incomparably more enjoyable than any nights you could get in Thailand (bar the couple of wonderful 'cool days' we get in Dec-Jan).

Since mid-april, Dew point in Bangkok never went below 22°C even at night. This is one of the most important factor with this heatwave. It doesn't cool/dries up at night. It's just constant and oppressive.

You can find all this data on the wonderful website that is http://weatherspark.com

I do use VNP not sure it is a true VNP service or a browser extension = BROWSEC

Ding ding ding! We got a winner.

Browsec is indeed a VPN service. What it does is makes your browser traffic go through one of their server located in another country than the one you are (for various purposes).

You probably used your Gmail while this extension was active, which meant that from Gmail point of view you were accessing from that Browsec server in the US.

They want the old one so that they can cut the corners off and stamp it cancelled before they give it back to you.

Slightly off-topic but the corner cutting of a foreign passport has always bothered me a bit. Aren't most paasport properties of the issuing governement and usually stipulate that it shouldn't be altered or mutilated?

Why wouldn't the 'cancelled' stamps on the visa be enough?

Was in Chamchuree today. Form was there. Also required a picture attached.

First desk (where they check if all your documents are ready) lied to our face saying this form is nothing new and has been needed for years (!!!) and ignored us when we remarked that it's mentionned nowhere on immigration website and that the form itself says it was created on 22 March.

Then the officer insisted I fill some places I left blank like social media, bank account and places frequented. Kept saying things vague enough to make it feel like the info was mandatory, then when pushing against it she suggested that just need to 'put something' like a mall you go often or some stupidity like this.

For the bank account (which is definitely on the form) I said I don't have it with me (which is true) and anyway don't want to give it so I wrote N/A. She said ok, but sign next to that line. Well, ok then.

Interesting- and you have to sign that draft?? Hmm..

May I ask you, what was the purpose for the visit there -extension?

Extension of business visa.

Saw someone filling bank info from a foreign bank and that was ok for them. Seems they just want to see some ink on the dotted lines.

Was in Chamchuree today. Form was there. Also required a picture attached.

First desk (where they check if all your documents are ready) lied to our face saying this form is nothing new and has been needed for years (!!!) and ignored us when we remarked that it's mentionned nowhere on immigration website and that the form itself says it was created on 22 March.

Then the officer insisted I fill some places I left blank like social media, bank account and places frequented. Kept saying things vague enough to make it feel like the info was mandatory, then when pushing against it she suggested that just need to 'put something' like a mall you go often or some stupidity like this.

For the bank account (which is definitely on the form) I said I don't have it with me (which is true) and anyway don't want to give it so I wrote N/A. She said ok, but sign next to that line. Well, ok then.

As others have mentionned, in Central Bangkok it's pretty easy to avoid as the areas with dense water fighting are very localized (Kao San, Silom and around Nana. Although Silom might be crossed off this year if you are to believe the PM).

For the most part I've at most had to cross to the other side of a street to avoid some kids splashing passing buses and motorcycles before getting in the BTS or in a Taxi. Those kids usually go home when night falls.

Malls, BTS stations, etc... are safe. Nobody will ambush you at the taxi drop off zone.

I also don't like to be made a de-facto participant by simply going on the street, but as long as it's water I can handle. I hate the powder though.

The city is deserted during Songkran so it's actually quite enjoyable. Just got to reduce a bit the walking around and look a bit further ahead to not be surprised and you'll be fine.

Note that this is for Central Bangkok. The suburbs are more unpredictable.

Went there with my kid. He had a blast.

Apparently it's been like that every year for the past decade, so I don't know why the airlines can't figure it out.

Someone also complained about that on a 'reader's letter' section of one of Thailand's english newspaper: got stopped and frisked at Asoke, even pee-tested.

About a week ago same thing happened to me and a friend of mine. Going to Terminal 21 from Petchburi by taxi, we stopped at Asoke intersection on the left side (near Soi Cowboy) to cross through the MRT underpass. 2 policemen on a moto stopped us. Looked in our bags, pockets, etc...

They were relatively polite, mostly because we can speak thai and showed them our Thai driving licenses (and explained we've been working here for almost a decade). Most of their questions in english sounded 'pre-formatted' specifically for tourists (where is your hotel, when did you arrive in Thailand, etc...).

They let us go after about 2-3 minutes when it was clear we were not the type of foreigners they were looking for.

I can imagine this would be a quite intimidating experience for tourists.

However, I did not have the impression they were trying to frame anyone. They seemed to be genuinely looking for drugs/illegal activity.

OPs mistake was to agree with the fare. Even though it is illegal for the taxi to even propose this, you lose your right to complain if you go with it.

However I strongly disagree that drivers doing this kind of thing are somehow OK because it's just 40 or 50 bahts overcharge. This kind of thinking is just enabling scam practices.

The Department of Land and Transportation is doing nothing about this kind of thing: have you ever tried reporting to the number provided? You always end up on an answering machine asking you to leave a message. Nothing ever goes out of it. I suspect only 1 person is in charge of this, just to make sure the voicemails are emptied from time to time.

And then the same department goes after services like Uber because they 'are not safe' and they 'overcharge'? What a joke.

Don't accept taxi scammy practices. It might be loose change for you but for many thais its a whole meal. If every farang starts accepting overcharge, that will become standard practice and locals will have to pay up too if they don't want to try 10 times before a taxi accepts to take them.

As usually, typical journalistic click-baiting.

Interesting to see that Coconuts Bangkok did a better job at reading the Thomson Reuteurs report than CNN and ThaiPBS.

This report is not a study, it is the result of a poll conducted in 16 cities, with a sample size of about 500 women in each.

The report doesn't answer the question whether or not these cities are dangerous, but rather whether women feel their city is dangerous.

This is a big difference. And if you know a bit about the psyche here, it is not all that surprising. Many Thais don't realize how safer Bangkok is compared to a wide majority of metropolis around the world. You constantly hear them warn you about rapist taxi drivers and other dangers. But the reality is that each of these incidents are highly publicized and way less frequent than in many other places.

Look at the questions that were asked: http://www.trust.org/spotlight/most-dangerous-transport-systems-for-women/?tab=methodology

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? "It is safe for women to travel alone on public transport when it's dark."

You can be sure Thai women will reply that this is not safe at all, because that's what they are taught. "Don't go out at night, only bad women go out unaccompanied at night..."

When you look at the results for Bangkok it's quite clear: The direct questions like 'have you been harassed verbally' and 'have you been harassed physically' got less affirmative answer than most of the cities and for those, Bangkok Ranking is pretty good. But to the questions 'do you feel safe at night' or 'do you feel safe in the city', many Thai women replied that they felt pretty unsafe.

I'm not saying Bangkok is a paradise for women. There are creeps, rapists and the police is pretty inefficient. But the media interpretation of this survey are, as usually, completely off.

Without going into boring politics.

How these fireballs are produced?

In 2002, a TV program for iTV did some investigative journalism and caught people on Laos side faking the phenomenon using tracing rounds and fireworks.

The TV channel got immediately threatened and boycotted for being disrespectful of sacred beliefs.

Its a multi-million dollars business with several hundred thousands of people now attending the event every year. Unsurprisingly, the variety and intensity of the phenomenon has increased over the past few years as it started to attract international visitors rather than only locals.

A good analysis of the phenomenon can be found here: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4183

A post quoting the Bangkok Post has been removed.

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.

This has always interested me, why exactly is this?

Can the BP and PW legally prevent you from quoting their articles, or is this some private arrangement for reasons unknown?

With luck PW will close in Feb anyway, I simply can't stand that ahole Morrison who edits it!

I know, it's hard to believe that there are copyright laws in Thailand, isn't it?

Quotes with proper attribution usually are covered under 'fair use' of copyright laws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

It is entirely possible, however, that Thailand does not have such provision.

It's important to note that the data does not come from breaches into Google/Gmail.

It comes from various breaches into much less secured systems (random forums, shady websites which ask you to create a login, etc...) on which people used their gmail address as username... and also used the same password as their gmail account.

NEVER use the same password across websites, and if you can't be bothered with a different each time, at least keep the password from your email different from the others.

Otherwise, things like that happen, because not every website is as careful with your password as they should be (typically, those passwords are leaked because they were stored unencrypted in the servers databases, which is the most basic security feature and is for sure implemented by the main companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, etc...).

Thanks for your effort, a proper aggregated movie showtimes website for Thailand is definitely missing...

I appreciate the effort to get away from the clutter that are typical Thai website but I'm afraid you went too far on the other side to a point where it is detrimental to usability. I think you over simplified it.

On the main page, i can't see more than 3 movie title at the time along with 3 showing locations... and that's it. It's just too cumbersome to browse.

When you know exactly what movie you want to see, it's fine (although I can't seem to get the search function to work, so I have to scroll then click 2 times... then scroll again until I find a movie theater I'm interested in). But in reality, people who look for showtimes consider many criteria simultaneously, especially within Bangkok. Ex: compare movies available in 2-3 cinemas in the area.

Right now, it's still easier for me to open the 2-3 websites of the major theater brands in Bangkok and compare from there.

I'm not sure OP got an answer to his question.

I see a lot of confusion between manufacturers and operating systems.

HTC, LG, Samsung and many others use Android as their operating system. So in terms of application (and by extension of mail capabilities), they will all be on the same page because on all of them you'll be able to install a mail client from the "App Store" (in the case of Android, it is actually called "Play Store).

Then there's the iPhone, Windows phones and Blackberry.

The latest Blackberry phones are actually pretty good but the app selection is pretty scarce. It's a bit similar (to a lesser extent) for Windows Phones. Windows phones are mostly made by Nokia however and they have a really good build quality with various screen sizes.

iPhone is a safe choice. They are dependable, the OS is reliable, but IMO, they are not amazing at productivity. Honestly, their screens are too small. Came from there, thought bigger screens were stupid, then got used to it in about a week and can't go back.

Now the good and bad side of Android is the quantity of offering. It's good because if you know what you want, you'll probably find it. It's bad because it's more complicated to choose.

In any case, don't listen to those recommending a specific brand because their email app is good because in any case, you can change it to whatever you like. Including very pro apps that can handle a lot of emails.

Here's a few example of the best Android email apps (which would therefore work on Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG,...):

K-9 Mail: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsck.k9

Maildroid: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maildroid

Aquamail: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.AquaMail

SolMail: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.daum.android.solmail

In your case, I'd recommend a pretty big screen. Big screen means bigger keyboard and more of the email visible at the same time. From Samsung, the Galaxy S4 and the Note 3 are very good devices, sold in millions and well supported. You can't really go wrong with those.

Personally, I just bought the Google Nexus 5 (manufactured by LG) which is in my opinion the best price/performance ratio available currently in Thailand. You can get it for 16,900THB in Jaymart and others. Despite being cheaper than all the competition, it actually has a better camera, processor and screen than the latest Samsungs (Note 3 is about 23K, S4 20K) while having performances very close from the iPhone 5S (around 24K).

And if you have a friend in the US, he can buy it for you for $350 (yup, that's less than 12K THB).