Xircal

I checked with Schiphol arrivals @ Amsterdam Schiphol and the flight you mentioned was scheduled to arrive today at 09:10 which is in keeping with the flight departing at 02:30 from BKK.

OK, seems clear enough. Thanks to all for the contributions.

The hawker doesn't sell noodles, she places a broken plug in the road and then accuses passing farangs of causing the damage. Nice little earner at 500 Baht a time. The PO was probably in on the scam.

60 day Tourist visas are free until 31 March 2011, so you may as well take advantage of it. You can download the application form from here: Tourist Visa application form

One thing you should be aware of though if you don't intend to apply for a visa is that you can only remain in Thailand for 90 days in any six month period.

Not only Tiger Airways...JetStar is also having problems but though not as severe as tiger...

Are you sure about that? Jetstar is a Quantas subsidiary whereas Tiger is an independent low cost airline.

The TrueMove website has a list of current promotions (in English) for the pre-pay plans. Here's a link to the "one year validity" promotion. http://www.truemove....year-long.rails

I use the True sim that I got for free at the airport upon arrival. I don't use my phone very often, so I can't really complain. No problems so far.

HTH

Where is the TrueMove desk located in BKK?

True give out Free Sim cards at samui Airport,

Really? Where exactly?

Anybody know if the same service is available in BKK?

Actually, that question has already been answered in this thread:

Here's the link to the visa page at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs which might be useful to you.

It's an interesting topic and there are certainly some elements in Chunky's post I agree with. The smile/politeness is as Chunky describes, merely the mask which is portrayed to world to avoid confrontations. They are not necessarily happy inside.

I also agree with his supposition that there is a definite hierarchy among Thais which even extends into the lower ranks of society. I've noticed many times when I've gone to a restaurant with my girlfriend who herself comes from a poor region of Thailand that she never smiles when ordering food. And her choice of dish is always preceded by "Aow" which means "I want" rather "Kor" meaning "I would like". I get the distinct impression every time this happens that she considers a waitress to belong to a class lower than herself.

It's also true that they only trust a few select people in their lives and even if you happen to be her husband of many years, or just a lover, it doesn't automatically mean you'll join that select group.

However, I don't make choices about who I treat as equals. Everyone is my equal until they give me cause to think otherwise.

how much is 200 cigs? how many packets or is that one carton?

Don't fly via Singapore. The maximum number of ciggies you can legally have on your person is one opened packet of 20 cigarettes.

It's a scam. According to Wikipedia, perpetual motion machines violate the laws of thermodynamics and are therefore impossible. Amusing site though including the shill reviews.

The only one you need to display is the tax sticker. (As mentioned the one with the date 2554 or whatever on)

The smaller mandatory insurance one used to have to be displayed up until a couple of years or so ago but now you don't have to.

As an aside my insurance company supply a little serrated cut out of my policy (about the size of the tax disc) which I also display in the window. Not mandatory but it minimizes the time if I'm stopped at a police checkpoint and they want to take a wander around the car.

So if the vehicle is taxed, it's automatically insured, or in other words, you can't have one without the other.

There isn't a direct upgrade path from Win XP to Win 7. There's a tutorial on how to go about the task @ Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7

Maybe take look at that and compare it with what you did to see if you missed a step somewhere along the line.

There's a story in Singapore Press today concerning Tiger Airways. Apparently the airline cancelled 40 flights in four consecutive days without explanation. More on the story @ Tiger cancels 40 flights

Tax and insurance is all one sticker now. If the truck is new, you should be okay.

You don't get an insurance sticker any longer.

There is the annual vehicle tax sticker, the one with the year/date which you display on your windscreen.

There is also the compulsory(haha) Government Insurance which is now issued as a document and should be carried in your vehicle.

Further insurance, ie 1st class is optional and will also be detailed on a document issued by the insurance company.

OK, not sure which of you guys gave the correct answer here because your respective posts are only 7 mins apart, so apetley could have been writing still when jaiyenyen's post first appeared on the forum.

All this advice assumes that the copy of XP being used is an OEM version. If it's a full or an upgrade version it can be re-installed on as many different machines as you like - as long it's only installed on one machine at a time.

Absolutely Correct!

In early days of Windows XP there was no way for Microsoft to even know what motherboard was used when Windows XP was first installed on some machines.

Windows XP is not sold anymore, but it is still supported.

Generally speaking, if you buy a new PC, you get an OEM version of the OS. If you buy a retail version, then you would also know how to install it on a PC and therefore wouldn't be asking this question on the forum. Since the retail version is three times the cost of the OEM version, few people will opt to pay the extra when buying a new PC. If anything, it won't even be offered as an option.

As regard the comment about Microsoft not knowing which motherboard was installed in the machine, it hardly makes any difference. When any version of Windows is installed, the system creates a HAL (Hardware Extraction Layer) and talks to that. If you change the motherboard for a type which is not a clone of the original, the HAL will no longer match and will ultimately result in system instability.

After reinstalling the OS, the user has 30 days in which to activate it. The whole process is automatic, but will be checked against the original file. If a discrepancy is discovered, then activation won't take place. Without activation, the operating system will all but cease to function once the 30 days has expired.

The best option for the OP is to live with the OS which has been installed for him since a system builder will have a licence to do that, but to uninstall all the junk that came with it via Add/Remove Programs. Either that, or consider buying a new machine.

Thanks for that one thaimite - Bookmarked and sorted

There are lots of sites like that actually. But I have a suggestion which members might find useful. Provided you're using Firefox as your browser, install an Add-on called Flagfox. This adds an icon to the status bar at the foot of the browser. If you right click that icon, you'll get the menu you see in the picture. One of those is "It down or just me?". Clicking that menu option will result in the site loading for Thaivisa in this particular case, in which case you'll see this: http://downforeveryo...ww.thaivisa.com

It also tells you a lot of other things, like where the server for the site is located.

You can get Flagfox from: https://addons.mozil...fox/addon/5791/

If the motherboard has been replaced, you cannot use the original legal copy of Windows XP anymore. Microsoft specifically states in the EULA that replacing the motherboard constitutes building a new PC for which a new licence is required. Since Win XP is no longer legally available, you'll have to consider either keeping the copy which has been installed for you, or install Linux. I doubt whether the machine will support Windows 7 since it's too old by the sound of it. You need a Windows 7 compliant BIOS in that particular respect.

You can uninstall any junk which has been added along with the Windows installation by going to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. To skip going the Control Panel route, press Windows logo key + R, type appwiz.cpl and click OK.

One additional observation if I may. Can your girlfriend understand the English alphabet? Many Thai girls can speak a little bit of English, but can't read. If she doesn't, then all the books in the world won't help.

If the police ask you about the chickens, tell them you are on the way to make merit (release) as it is someone who is close to you, birthday. Seriously, if you are that concerned get your Thai partner to drive the chuck wagon. If memory serves, the government insurance is paid when the yearly tax renewal is made, that is your sticker.

She only has a motorcycle licence. But thanks for the tip about merit. Might come in useful.

As for the pickup, it's only two weeks old and has been bought on HP. Will that have included the annual tax d'you think?

That site has 3 versions, two silly strawberry childrens and one regular for 320 baht

http://search.welove...xPrice=&x=0&y=0

So? What do you want? Miracles? This is Thailand, not the good 'ole USA. Be happy that it's Tom's of Maine and not some other crap.

How long have you known this girl? What kind of effort has she put into learning English since you've come to know her? If it's a big fat zero, maybe it would be a better idea for you to consider learning Thai instead.

As regards books, you don't need to buy anything. There are plenty of sites on the web like English grammar for example where your girlfriend can improve her knowledge of the English language.

I think you should consider moving out of the factory and getting your own flat somewhere. This abrasive situation you find yourself in is not helped by the fact that you live and work in the same building with your stepsister albeit in different rooms. Putting physical distance between you and her is advisable as a means of relieving the tension between the two of you.

Could somebody help me out here with a picture of what the sticker looks like which I believe has to be attached to the windscreen of a vehicle to demonstrate that it's properly insured to the minumum requirement in Thailand?

To save on your image storage quota on this site, download Faststone Photo Resizer which will reduce a bitmap image from it's usual 2-3MB to about 150K.

Also, am I putting myself at risk by driving a pickup truck to market loaded with chickens when I don't have a work permit? I'm only trying to help somebody out here for a day or two, but want to avoid any potential problems with the police should they happen to spot me on the road.

Mods, you can close this topic. My questions have been answered by those in this link: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__3731534