Tornado

I had a professional large format BETA tape NTSC video re-edited & burned to DVDs w/ color covers at Panthip 5th floor.

they converted to the NTSC to PAL

from the 'open court' you can see their sign .. red on white painted window, their shop backs up to the open court.

.. with the second floor food court on your left .. .. up on the 5th floor .. . look up & you cannot miss their red on white sign in english.

these guys made premiere walk & talk .. & they have a photoshop print layout expert in house also.

they get in about noon.. do not go early, they are not there before noon .. I wandered around panthip a couple mornings killing time.

real nice group.

each day we would have a brief meeting to review what they did with DVD chapters & such the day before.

if i was not pleased we would work together to fix any issues.

I showed up when it was done with a large suite case, packed my new extra large JJ market suitcase full & off i went to the bts.

bet they know professional camera men.

it is not a sex DVD, US Customs required viewing it, I declared it as a commercial product. The customs agent complimented the quality of product, commented on the chapter layout .. & complimented the entire package.

clearing my suit case full of DVDs took about an hour

Hi Pumper,

thanks for that info!

do you have any cost break downs on what you had done? If it is personal info, I understand,, but if you can give me that info, that would be great.

I appreciate your input.

I have had a few PM's, thanks to all so far. place to meet in Bangkok TBA.

Will the OP also be providing work permits for his foreign staff members?

Yes. and all travel costs.

Sounds interesting

I think you also could give some privilage to TV members(Ladies)

But you didn't set the preferred body measurments and skin color as most vacancy ads do

thanks for that fantastic post.

Torny - may we ask what sort of show this will be?

I suppose it could come under the heading of a lifestyle type show. I dont want to give to much away at the moment mate.

The lady would be highly presentable and be aged between 25 - 35 or there abouts.

Have you thought of asking Kurgen ?

totster

would he be prepared to wear a skirt? I havent seen him for a couple of years and last time he was in training, so his arms might be a bit of a give away.

Will the OP also be providing work permits for his foreign staff members?

Yes. and all travel costs.

I would also like to add that a Thai lady with great English is preferred, but a foreigner who speaks a little Thai and looks great for TV will be in the running also.

The job pays very well (circa 10k per day) and if your looking to be a major TV presenter, this might be a great spring board for that.

If we are smitten with one lady, we will use her for all provinces in Thailand and then the position would be full time.

It doesnt matter about your background, as long as you are "TV presentable" and have a great personality, I would be interested to meet and chat next week.

thanks.

if I werent so shy Id be tempted to apply sounds like a fun thing to do

is this part time?

Hi MiG. Yes this would be part time, probably once a week, maybe twice.. I will be in Bangkok next week to interview. Contact me via PM if your interested.

thanks.

Im looking for a lady or ladies that speak fluent English to do some TV presenting on an ongoing basis.

The lady would be highly presentable and be aged between 25 - 35 or there abouts. A journalist background is highly desirable, but if the person is a great communicator, "bubbly" and has lived in Thailand for a while, that would also be ok. Any nationality welcome.

The position would consist of interviews with foreigners and Thais for a weekly "TV show".

Please PM me with your email contact info and If you have a show reel or similiar on the web, please pm me the url.

Salary package to be discussed. Im looking for ladies in Bangkok, Krabi, Samui, Phuket and Pattaya.

Thanks.

Have you asked TGS? His new film 'Walking With Ladyboys' showcases his moviemaking abilities. Can contact him in the Philippines where he is currently on a shoot

He actually wouldnt be a bad choice.

If your still around these parts scamp, PM me.

I am looking for a semi professional/professional documentary maker / video person that can also edit etc.

It would be an ongoing paid position. The salary would be about 100,000 baht per month (to be discussed).

Own equipment (broadcast quality) is not a must but would be desirable. I am looking for "video persons" in Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

PM me please with your contact number if you are serious. The person would need to start in the first week of May.

Thanks.

I am looking for a semi professional/professional documentary maker / video person that can also edit etc.

It would be an ongoing paid position. The salary would be about 100,000 baht per month (to be discussed).

Own equipment (broadcast quality) is not a must but would be desirable. I am looking for "video persons" in Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

PM me please with your contact number if you are serious. The person would need to start in the first week of May.

Thanks.

I am looking for a semi professional/professional documentary maker / video person that can also edit etc.

It would be an ongoing paid position. The salary would be about 100,000 baht per month (to be discussed).

Own equipment (broadcast quality) is not a must but would be desirable. I am looking for "video persons" in Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

PM me please with your contact number if you are serious. The person would need to start in the first week of May.

Thanks.

I am looking for a semi professional/professional documentary maker / video person that can also edit etc.

It would be an ongoing paid position. The salary would be about 100,000 baht per month (to be discussed).

Own equipment (broadcast quality) is not a must but would be desirable. I am looking for "video persons" in Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

PM me please with your contact number if you are serious. The person would need to start in the first week of May.

Thanks.

I am looking for a semi professional/professional documentary maker / video person that can also edit etc.

It would be an ongoing paid position. The salary would be about 100,000 baht per month (to be discussed).

Own equipment is not a must but would be desirable. I am looking for "video persons" in Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

PM me please with your contact number if you are serious. The person would need to start in the first week of May.

Thanks.

funny enough, I agree with you cdnvic

Maybe if you took a poll of the amount of blokes in Thailand who do infact have ex-bargirl wives then you'd understand the stereotype?

Or maybe it would prove the stereotype totally wrong! who knows.

Everyone would lie!

How many times have we heard, "she worked for the attorney generals department" or "she was a secretary" etc, when we know full well, that tattoos, short skirts and that give me a shag look, was learned somewhere else

each to their own in what some blokes would marry, but be honest about it, as your only lying to yourself.

anyway Im off to pick my wife up from the tattooist.

She is yelling and threatening to kill you and your self medicating

quality!

block her air supply. that should help.

on a serious note, if someone threatens me, I treat as it is said. buy a dictaphone and tape her, just in case she does it. At least she might get caught if the police find the recording. Other than that, get the hel_l out of there.

Well written Crow Boy, I wish I had the time and patience to put a post together like that.

I agree with your thoughts 100%. I also see a few similarities in every day life. Except I dont read or write.

The other problem I have is why do people get so upset when two Westerners speak Thai to each other - I thought we were in Thailand?

Now you're taking the piss! Why would two farlangs want to speak to each other in thai, apart from being pretentious gits, unless say one only spoke german and the other only spoke english?

You were taking the piss / having a joke weren't you

If two Russians were speaking to each other in English in England, no one would have a problem – in fact, if they spoke Russian some people might be angry about that and say learn English. If two Spaniards were speaking to each other in English, no one would have a problem.

So why does two Germans speaking Thai to each other in Thailand generate such negative comments – according to you they would be "pretentious gits". What about a family sitting in a restaurant, two foreigners each married to a Thai, with kids, all conversation in Thai – even when speaking to each other, then would they be "pretentious gits" for speaking Thai. Remove the children, still "pretentious gits" for speaking Thai.

Please enlighten me as to the proper circumstances under which two westerners may engage in a conversation in Thai, IN THAILAND, and let me know if the same rule applies for a conversation in England or Australia, and if not why?

Good point.

I have spoken in Thai to quite a few farangs over the years. If English isnt there first language and they can speak some Thai, it is funny as well as a must do. How else would you communicate.

A lot of people claim to be fleunt in Thai, but Ive only met two who are semi close. My Thai is great, but to say Im fluent would be ridiculous. I would say my "Bangkok Thai" is about 70%???? and my southern Thai dialect is about 80%??? - sometimes I get confused and speak in both dialects at the same time and people cant understand what the hel_l Im saying. My Laos is terrible and my northen Chiang Mai Thai is non existent.

I think speaking Thai has its pros and cons as with my short temper I seem to say a few of the bad things quite often, which can get you into trouble.

The only benefits are doing business with Thais and especially older Thais, who have no english skills, they feel more at ease.

I also like to listen to what is being said around me, if the people dont realise I can understand what they are saying, you can get a better feel about the person and you can know in a minute if they are trying to scam you, lie to you or if they do have some respect for you.

I always line up at the airport in the Thai national line as the queue is a lot quicker. When the immigration guy says "you go over to that line", I make him laugh with some stupid comment in Thai - I usually get to stay in the line.

I think the major bonus in speaking Thai is that you can sit around and have a laugh with Thais and you get to fit in a lot easier in your rural areas. If I had no Thai skills out in the boonies, I would be talking to myself or giving my wife a head ache.

Im also trying to grow a few vegies at the moment, so this might be of some help to you. I googled.

Potatoes require full sun to grow. Because they are aggressively rooting plants, they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, well-drained but moisture retentive loam. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil with a pH of 5.8-6.5.

Fortunately, however, potatoes are very adaptable and will usually produce a respectable crop, even when the soil conditions are less than perfect.

Potatoes should be rotated on a 3-year program. This means, you need 3-suitable sites if you want to grow potatoes every year.

Growing Potatoes

Potatoes may be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but you must use good judgment. Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees F. The soil should be evenly moist, but not wet or soggy. If the soil is water logged when you dig, not only will you risk "caking" the soil, your seed potatoes will probably rot before they even get started. Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but you should provide some frost-protection for the plants when they are young. This can be a loose covering of straw, or a temporary plastic tent. (Be sure to remove or ventilate the plastic on sunny days!) If you plan to store potatoes through the winter, you can plant a second crop as late as June 15.

Use only certified seed potatoes

Potatoes are susceptible to several serious diseases. Even though the potatoes you saved from the previous year, or the potatoes you see in the supermarket may appear healthy, they should not be used for your seed. Certified seed potatoes are disease free, and have been selected to give you the best results with the highest yields. Certified seed potatoes are available at most quality nurseries and garden centers. There are several different varieties of potatoes to choose from, each with it's own characteristics and qualities. The most popular types are listed here.

Planting potatoes

A week or two before your planned potato planting date, set your seed potatoes somewhere where they will be exposed to some warmth (between 60 and 70 degrees F.) and lots of light. This will induce them to begin sprouting.

A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to slice the larger seed potatoes into "seeds". Each seed should be approximately 1 1/2-2inches square, and must contain at least 1 or 2 "eyes" or buds. Smaller potatoes may be planted whole. In the next day or so, your seed will form a thick callous over the cuts, which will help to prevent it from rotting once planted.

Potatoes in the Home Garden

Traditionally potatoes are grown in rows. The potato seeds are planted every 15 in., with the rows spaced 2 1/2 to 3 ft. apart.

If space is limited or if you would only like to grow a small crop of potatoes, you may prefer to plant one or two potato mounds. Each 3-4 foot diameter mound can support 6 to 8 potato plants.

With either method, the first step is to cultivate and turn the soil one last time before planting, removing any weeds, rocks or debris. This will loosen the soil and allow the plants to become established more quickly. Your potato plants will benefit from the addition of compost, well composted manure, and other organic matter to the soil. HOWEVER, too much organic material can increase the chances of potato scab. (Potato scab is a bacterial infection which doesn't affect the usability of your potatoes, but it makes them look pretty ugly!) To lessen the likelihood of this, mix the organic matter into the soil below the potato seed, where it will feed the roots, but not contact the newly forming potatoes.

Planting in rows

Dig a shallow trench about 4 inches wide and 6-8 inches deep. The spacing at which you place the seed pieces will determine the harvested potato size. For most household uses, you will want to plant your potato seeds 15 inches apart in this trench. If you'd like a quick crop of "baby" potatoes for soups and stews, you can plant the seeds 4 inches apart, and begin harvesting them as soon as they reach the desired size.

Place the potato seeds into the trench (cut side down) and then cover them with 3-4 inches of soil. (Do not fill the trench in completely!) Depending on the soil temperature, the sprouts will begin to emerge in about 2 weeks. At this time add another 3-4 inches of soil.

Your crop of potatoes will form between the seed piece and the surface of the soil. For this reason, when the stems are about 8 inches high, you once again add enough soil to bring the level half way up the stem of the plant. Another hilling will be needed 2-3 weeks later, at which time you again add soil half way up the stem of the plant. After these initial hillings, it is only necessary to add an inch or two of soil to the hill each week or so, to ensure there is enough soil above the forming potatoes that they don't push out of the hill and get exposed to light. (If the new potatoes are exposed to sunlight while they are developing, they will turn green. This green portion may be toxic!)

This hilling process is necessary to create sufficient space for the potatoes to develop large tubers, and an abundant crop. Don't get carried away with hilling though... If you cover up too much of the foliage, you may end up reducing your final crop yield.

Mound planting

The basic procedure for planting potatoes in mounds is the same as for planting in rows. The difference here is that you can grow your crop in a more confined area, or take advantage of an otherwise unused area of the garden.

Cultivate and loosen the soil where your potato mound will be. Designate the approximate perimeter of your planting circle (3-4 feet diameter). Space 6-8 potato seeds evenly around your circle, and cover with the initial 4 inches of soil. Continue the same procedures as you would for planting in rows.

Potatoes without a garden

If you have no established garden plot, or if there just isn't enough available space within your garden, you can still grow a respectable crop of spuds, and do a little recycling at the same time. Potatoes thrive in the warm environment of a soil filled tire!

Four tires + Two pounds of seed potatoes + Good soil = 20-30 pounds of winter potatoes!

Pick a spot where you can stack your tires which is out of the way and preferably out of sight. Loosen the surface of the soil just enough to allow for drainage, and set your largest tire in place. Fill the inside of the tire casing loosely with good topsoil, and then set 3-4 potato seeds into the soil. (Use sticks or rocks to keep the casing rings spread open.) Add enough soil to the tire "hole" to bring it to the same level as the soil inside the tire.

When the new plants are eight inches tall, add another tire and soil to the stack, as in the first level. Repeat the process for your third, and if desired, fourth tires. As you add tires and soil to the stack, the 8" of the plant stalk is covered with soil. By doing this, the existing stalk essentially reverts to a root status and the plant is forced to grow upward to once again find the sunlight which it needs. (much like if you were to try to eliminate a dandelion by covering it with a scoop of soil) By raising the soil level this way (in 8" increments) the plant is able to continue growing without suffocation, and at the same time you are creating a 24-30" tap root from which many more lateral roots can develop. Each lateral root can then produce additional potatoes (at 3-4 levels rather than the normal single layer). When you water, be sure that the soil is thoroughly moistened all the way to the base of the pile.

The tires act as an insulator and heat "sink" for your potatoes. This added warmth will cause the lateral roots (where the new potatoes form) to multiply more rapidly, thereby giving you more potatoes. When you need fresh potatoes next fall and winter, harvest the crop from the top tire, and remove it from the pile. More potatoes??? Next tire...

P.S..... You can also use this method to grow your own peanuts, but only in two tire stacks!

Watering and care

For the maximum crop, keep your potato vines well watered throughout the summer, but especially during the period when they are in flower, and immediately thereafter. This is the time when the plant is creating the new tubers, and water is critical. Water early in the day so that the foliage has time to dry completely before evening. (Wet foliage can make your plants more susceptible to several potato diseases.) When foliage turns yellow and dies back, discontinue watering to allow the tubers to "mature" for a week or two before harvesting.

Once the vines have passed the critical watering stage while in flower, they will tolerate a certain amount of drought. According to some studies, non-irrigated potatoes are less watery and more healthful. However, potato plants which are not watered regularly will produce a much smaller crop.

The Potato Harvest

Your may begin to harvest your potatoes 2 to 3-weeks after the plants have finished flowering. At this time you will only find small "baby" potatoes if you were to dig up a plant. Potatoes can be harvested any time after this, by gently loosening the soil, reaching under the plant, and removing the largest tubers, leaving the smaller ones to continue growing.

If you want late potatoes for storage, wait 2-3 weeks after the foliage dies back. Carefully begin digging a foot or so outside of the row or mound. Remove the potatoes as you find them. (Be careful not to bruise or cut the tubers with your spade!) If the weather is dry, allow the potatoes to lay on the soil surface, unwashed, for 2-3 days so they can dry. If the weather is wet, or rain is expected, move the harvest to a cool, dry area (like a garage or basement) for the drying period. This drying step is necessary to mature the potato skin, which will protect the potato during storage.

If, by the end of September, the plants have not begun to die back, all of the foliage should be cut off to ensure your crop has ample time to mature before winter.

Store your undamaged potatoes in a well-ventilated, dark, cool (about 40 degrees) location. Properly dried and stored potatoes should keep well for three to six months.

Don't grow potatoes in the same soil more than once in three years. Many diseases and insect pests will survive and remain in this area, in spite of your best eradication efforts!

Have been away so first read of this thread and most information has already been provided but will try a quick rundown here:

1. There is no such thing as a marriage visa but being married allows you to obtain a non immigrant O visa to visit your Thai spouse.

2. Multi entry type valid for one year are often available in western countries but very tight in local area - best to extend your stay to avoid required border runs.

3. You can extend your stay with family income proof of 40k baht per month income. For foreign income that would be letter from your Embassy. For local income tax payments. Three month record will be required each year prior to renewal. In some cases it may be prudent to have the wife become the breadwinner if funds are not something Embassy is able to confirm.

4. Foreign women seem to still be under the "male support" provisions and no check of 40k family income is currently required.

5. There is no restrictions on land ownership for Thai. But being married to foreigner the money must be that of the Thai and papers signed to the effect to prevent later problems in the event of inheritance (foreigner can now own land law). It is a routine manner and not a problem these days.

6. The yearly extension of stay will only require a visit to immigration with proof and return to get new stamp after approval and no border runs. 90 day address reports would be required but that can be done by mail and perhaps at some point on internet if it continues to be required.

Thanks very much lopburi3, much appreciated.

Given the increasing likelihood (imo) of a major Middle Eastern conflict, what would be the direct impact on Thailand? For the major war scenario, I am not only considering an Arab-Israeli conflict, which in itself has global implications, but a total meltdown of the mid-east region.

For example: The Iraq war has shown a tremendous potential for the Shiite vs. Sunni conflict to overflow Iraqi borders. Even without the destabilizing effect of an attack on Israel. American withdrawal from Iraq will likely force the Saudis to protect the doomed Sunni population from Iran (they have already made such comments). Iran will also find it difficult to resist invading defenseless Iraq and double its oil reserves overnight. Iranian aggression and its considerable hubris would put it in a two front war between The Saudis on the west and all the Sunni Stans on its Eastern border including Pakistan. A weakened and unstable Middle East political map will have Russia, China, Europe, and America, posturing to secure their oil supply. Would Thailand be immune to this new political landscape?

Hi,

i think Thailand is pretty immune to any chemical or radioactive fallout as if you check the coordinates on a map it would be quite far away from the conflicit.

Lots of americans reckon it would be better if they all just nuked each other and made one big glass bowl over there, it would end a lot of problems for the US

and what is good for the US is good for everyone including Thailand hope this helps

I had to re check the date for this post, as I thought it might of been an April fools joke.

You represent your country very well. ######!

Hurry up China, nuke those septics before they ###### up the world for good.