thaieagle67

......i have been informed that there is a programme that is readily available that can record every key pressed on a selected PC, which is bloody scary!......

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Not just one such program.......but dozens. Their called "Keyloggers" or "Backdoor Trojans".

In addition, while using any computer, you are "broadcasting" information, which someone with the right equipment, can pick up and decode (read) hundreds of feet away. In the case of WiFi, that distance may extend to several miles.

While no internet connection is 100 percent secure, would suggest you limit any internet financial transactions to your personal computer running on a hard-wired phone line*. Additionally, depending upon your specific needs (personal vs. business) it may be desireable to have your financial institute impose a "daily limit" on transfers.

* An in-home WiFi setup still broadcasts throughout the neighborhood.

cheers

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waldwolf,

Thats a very scary senario that somebody can pick up and decode information remotely!

For everyones info my bank has given me the details of the supposed "Beneficiary" and to find that the name of the account is that of a Westerner was i'm sad to say not a shock. If the name is real or not i now have the account details, contact number and would you believe he (they) even had the audacity to enter a reason for transferal, the have got balls thats for sure but not for much longer if i catch the B*****d.

I use Barclays, the most secure online banking facility.

They NEVER send emails to you, but once after using a cafe in a tourist part of Bkk, I got an email the next day from 'Baclays' (see the spelling?)

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DJ Pat, my bank is Barclays and it was their famously secure site that somebody managed to get into!!! Mind you they have been excellent at following up and by locking out my account and changing all pass codes and issuing new details within minutes of the incident.

For everyones info, i have been informed that there is a programme that is readily available that can record every key pressed on a selected PC, which is bloody scary!

Stay Safe!

Unfortunately i have learned the hard way but just wanted to share the issue. Some very good points to look out for though, although i think i will take the advice of using the telephone for banking.

WCR i just wanted to add that yes it maybe a little unfair to critisise the internet cafe but i did not leave the information on the screen through a foolish act and did log out of the sight in the correct way. Infact my bank's site normally will lock you out if there is more than 30 seconds of unactivity so the dastly dead was most definately done whilst i was logging in (the only possible time) as once into the site the information for logging on is not available to the viewer. But you have a point about fingering the cafe and maybe my words were a little sharp but you can probably imagine my frustration.

I love Thailand but little things like this are starting to turn me off!

Fellow followers of fun!

I just wanted to let everyone know that i have just been contacted by my bank in the UK (luckily) to be informed that somebody has managed to gain my internet banking information and attempted to empty my account of a vast sum of money. The bank that the money was suppose to go to was a well known thai bank with the branch mentioned as in the Pattaya area!

Now the only place this information could have been rifled from was a certain Internet cafe on the 1st floor of the Big-C near the Dolphin roundabout as this is the only place i have ever tried to access my account.

Call me an idiot for trying to do this via an internet cafe but i took all the neccessary precautions not withstanding the gadgets that maybe in place at such an establishment. The time i accessed my account i was in the middle of transfering money but then there was a technical hitch and some of the screens would not close out, so christ knows what information could have been taken in that time?

Take care my friends as there are some serious scum in town intent on making a fast million via somebody elses hard earned work. What with the ATM scam, broad daylight thefts, murders, etc, Pattaya is becoming the sort of place that i hoped i would never have to live in again.......!

LIST OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL GO-GOs IN PATTAYA

Alphabetical order; no judgment made as to which go-go is better than another. All go-gos have their positive and negative aspects, depending on point of view. This list refers primarily to music and only incidentally to anything else. Though a bar may lack something in the music area, it may excel in some other area not mentioned. In some cases these assessments are made after only one or two short visits, so they may not be really fair. If you don’t think so, please correct the record. Some bars may not be listed here simply because they weren’t playing any rock whenever I happened to drop by.

All of these bars offer draft beer for a very reasonable price except for Spicy Girls, which offers only bottled beer--for B70 during Happy Hours.

Champion (Walking Street)

Limited but hard rockin’ playlist. No rock before 9 PM. Now a lot of German heavy metal, at least early in the evening. Good lighting except for two red revolving emergency lights. Two huge speakers in rear, usually too loud; bring earplugs. Local atmosphere, motorcycle theme.

Crystal (Soi Pattayaland 2)

Sometimes plays rock, perhaps earlier in the evening. Sound a bit too loud and shrill. Stage lighting good but too much light in the seating area. Lots of sales pressure. I regard too much sales pressure as unfriendly, but some punters do regard it as friendly and desirable.

Dollhouse (Walking Street)

Sometimes plays mainstream rock. Excellent sound system and lighting. Touristy.

Far East Rock (Soi Post Office)

Recently started playing rock consistently, great playlist (probably shared w/ Nevada). Open 1 PM. Sound system OK, good volume, lighting comparatively poor.

Nevada (Soi Post Office)

Great playlist. Opens 1 PM. Sound system boomy, good volume, lighting OK. Local atmosphere, motorcycle theme.

Spicy Girls (Soi Pattayaland 1)

Brilliant playlist. Sound system somewhat boomy, definitely too loud. Lighting OK. Local atmosphere.

Tim (Pattaya 2nd Road, across and slightly south from Mike’s Dept. Store)

Limited selection of music videos, some pop rather than rock. Sound system OK, two huge speakers in the front. Volume acceptable now after years of being too loud. Lighting OK.

TQ1 (Beach Road, near Soi 13)

Now mixes rock ‘n’ roll with grunge, heavy metal, punk, and even pop like Robbie Williams. Unfortunately the grunge isn’t dispersed but concentrated so that you might finish an entire beer before it ends. Sound system excellent, volume perfect, lighting good, motorcycle theme, atmosphere local and clubby.

TQ2 (Walking Street, Soi BJ)

Good classic playlist,  sound system excellent, volume perfect, lighting poor, no motorcycle theme, atmosphere local and clubby, food menu.

We Are No. 1 (Jomtien, on Pratamnak just before the curve to Jomtien Beach Road)

Rock music in the afternoon, rock videos in the evenings, good selection, volume and lighting good, friendly, motorcycle theme, lounge area near video screens.

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JSixpack,

Great survey. I was interested in your comments on Spicy Girls. Chris & Ewan the onwers are good friends of mine and i am sure they wouldn't mind a friendly comment on their sound system, especially if it means that changes would make their clientele enjoy the ambience that bit more. Let them know, as living above the place they probably can't notice it as well as a guest. You'll have to ply them with a couple of Captain Morgans on ice first mind!!!

I have recently sent in a reply to the Pattaya Mail rearding this ATM scam with a story of my own (signed off as Lightweight Dave). I have had no response from lawyers and the Police, so it realy grips me that the staff of the Bank Of Asia bank on 2nd road are still probably laughing at the angry farang.

I have lived on and off in Thailand for the last 10 years so i know i shouldn't get miffed with locals but i just couldn't help it. The treatment of my wife on immediately reporting a loss of funds from the bank (80,000 Baht) was a bloody discrace, my wife, her card and me were out of town on a fishing trip during the period of the theft but the staff wouldn't have it. When my wife asked to be shown full details of the transactions they just entered one figure into her bank book so we coudn't trace it back:realangry:

I have been led to believe that there is a web site and TV channel that the thais can contact regarding matters like this, to which apparently some success has been reached. The problem i have is that my wife is reluctant to push the issue to far in fear of retribution (mafia!!)

This is becoming a fear facture around the Expat & Thai friends i have in Thailand general, especially those who maintain large sums or retirement sums in a local bank. Is there anything else we can do? For me the banks of Thailand should come under a governing body and they should be accountable for the protection of your money, as in most European and North American banks. As for the cameras that should be mandatory installed inside all ATM's, all we keep hearing is that the cameras were off line at the time or no film or even no camera installed. I can only advise to use an ATM that you know for sure is protected with a working camera

Thanks all.

A good tip about the photographs of the wedding too, thankfully we have loads of the wedding and at home too. This is a weight of my mind and leaves me with more time to enjoy with my family.

Regards

Thanks for the info.

I live on the outskirts of Pattaya, will the small immigration section in soi 8 be able to issue the 'O' visa once i have my wife and all documents together? If not does it mean a trip to Bangkok or is there one nearer, maybe Chonburi?

Can any one help?

I am an expat currently working in the Middle East. I have a Thai wife of 4 years and a new born baby daughter. We already have property in Thailand (through a registered company) where my wife is now staying. Normally i work shifts of 2 months on and one off. Because of this shift pattern i come and go on just a tourist visa but i plan to take a break for a longer period towards the end of the year.

I know i require an 'O' visa to stay for up to a year but to obtain the visa can i enter as normal on a tourist visa and then head down to Penang to apply from there? I have all marriage certificates stamped by the foreign office in BKK (a requiremant for my wife to visit me here in the ME), plus my daughters birth certificates so hope this will be sufficient.

There is a consulate here where i could apply but all of our marriage documents are in Thailand and the red tape here is nut's to say the least.

Any advice would be gratefully appriciated.