sting123

I do not hate overstayers, because I do know life can be a bitch and you might fall in that categorie very quickly (know it well, have happend to me in 2003).

On the other hand, when it does happend, there are step to be taken, simply because it is illegal (in my country, in yours, and in Thailand) to stay in a foreign country without the correct documents. While Police can be sympathetic if you indeed got problems and act to correct said problem, they will not (in every country) love you much if you simply try to cheat the game. Face it, overstaying is simply ILLEGAL. It even became a crime when you overstay willingly.

For Pattaya, well I confess I live and work in Phuket, so there is enought craps here to avoid to find some more in a distant place. But, while there is indeed crap in Phuket, you will notice it only if you go in some specific spot : Night venues (or soemthing like that, Bangla for example). On the other hand, if you live a somehow normal life, well, I am pretty sure your life will be normal, in Phuket, in Pattaya or any where else. Most of people who do hate Pattaya (or Phuket, or Nana) simply are jealous others are able to do what they can not do! But that is common human behavior.

So 2 topics, but without no relations btw eachother. Pattaya is a case of pure bigotterie; while overstayers are ... overstayers, and most countries are fighting against those unwanted guests (USA, France, Germany, Thailand). So I not hate them, by the same way I do not hate arabs people sneaking into my beloved country, or by the same way a US people will not hate mexicans sneaking across rio grande; because we all are human and racism is a sin (no kidding). But it does not imply we shall love them , or even tolerate them (with the reservations I made on the top of my post, regarding a person hit by problem, and who immediatly act to solve those problems). Overstaying is I L L E G A L.

The theft of paper documents is a worldwide problem. In the UK the theft of blank Ministry Of Transport test certificates (the certificates that prove that a vehicle was roadworthy on the day of the test) used to be big business until electronic MOTs replaced them. Allegedly the blank certificates were worth at least £50 each so even a pad of fifty was worth a lot of money. "Bent" MOTs could be used to tax or sell an unroadworthy vehicle so something had to be done. The electronic MOT system was built by Siemens and the MOT pad thieves were put out of business.

To try to save money the government outsourced a lot of its document printing. Allegedly a lot of the printing is done in Leicester "the city of a thousand trades!" One of those trades must be stealing as a large quantity of blank vehicle log books disappeared from the printers. The result was that ALL the old log books in the country (the blue ones) have had to be replaced.with red ones!

Allegedly in Leicester it is also possible to buy fake passports and driving licences. The snag is that these fake documents have no credibility in the UK as the veracity of them can easily be checked by computer. Outside of the UK it is a different story.

A person who works in the security industry told me of an amusing story. A traveller arrived at Heathrow Airport with one of the new electronic passports. The passport was 100% genuine regarding its paper and printing but there was a snag. None of the new passports had been issued at that time!

The US now checks peoples credibility before they travel with the US Visa Waiver Program. In theory however it is still possible to create a Day Of The Jackal type false identity. Dead people are unlikely to have jobs and credit cards however so this loophole has pretty much been closed! There is still the risk of ID theft however.

Depending of the location where the forged documents will be used, and/or whatfaor they will be used; there is still loopholes within both the way they are issued and the way to they will be used. The good oldway to proceed created in the early 70' is still possible, hassles are bigger, mostly on how to cover your traces. But assuming the need for such forged documents is not immediates (and it shall never be), then it is still possible to get a fake US ID and get real, official and valid docuemntations related to that ID.

As you claim to know people in the security industry, I will not develop more (in fact I will not because there is no need to provide info to wannabee terrorists). There is no shileds that will block every swords, there is no sword that can break every shields ...

That said, the way many use (with the tacite approval from Embassy staffs) is shaddy : we go morning to the Embassy but we do nto even enter, instead we provide our passport (document that does NOT belongst to indivdual, but to the State) to some monkey that is sitting outside , picking his nose, said monkey doing the work in our place. So the 'Mama' story is only a development of an existing (and disgusting in my opinion, but both Embassy staff, and wannabe sexpat), nothing more. The very fact the person applying for a visa must present itself in personn exist for every country is based on the very fact : Innocent have nothing to hide, not even themself.

End of my rent, just wanted to remenber many of us who stay here (but not all) are here for 'weird' reasons. and use shaddy methods to extend their stay (tourism is not staying 365 days per year in the same location ... at least on the dictionary).

Wish you all a good day.

Call me crazy but I do not buy the sweet and innocent pick up driver story.

I am sure Russian abused the cops but have hard time believing he just assaulted the driver for fun

Well, I must confess I do believe the accident' story, 2 years ago I did indeed crashed my bike against a car (wet road, and one sec of non attention), while the bike suffered nothing (but the forward basket was littly torn), the car did lost the rear bumper ... But I did nto argue, neither with the driver, neither with the police.

A very sad story which prove one more time than guns cannot be given to mentally challenged people.

Anyone that owns a gun except for farm use or hunting is mentally challenged to begin with

I'll agree with farm use but, to hunt and kill wild animals? The mentally challenged sentiment still applies!

The heck, did I leave ThaiVisa and stumble into the PansyForums or something?

So I guess to you fishing poles should be made illegal too or a butcher's knife.

As for the other guy who thinks only farmers should own them....

First, owning a gun protects you from criminals who DO NOT OBEY the law and own guns anyways. It even protects you from deranged police or military officers like the one in this story. Had the woman been carrying a gun she might be alive or at least had a CHANCE at defending herself. Guns are the best anti-rape defense women have available. Not many other things can equalize the power differential between genders. There have been horror stories where a guy didn't go down after being tazed and proceeded to rape the victim, and tazers cannot be used effectively against multiple asssailants nor do they inspire much fear, whereas even a single bullet in a gun would be able to generally keep off multiple attackers just by pointing it at whomever gets uppity.

Second, guns offer protection against government, which is the largest murderer. Had the Jews in Germany been armed things would of went down much differently. Had the millions of Chinese or Russians sent to gulags/re-education camps had guns, they may be alive. Heck even the Native Americans suffered greatly for lack of guns. They quickly learned they needed guns to be taken seriously by Western governments.

As Mao said, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun". Those without guns had no power with which to contest their own demise.

Statistically speaking in the 20th century, there were about ~150 million people killed by their own governments, but only 8 million murders (and many of those by govt). And of those murders, less than half used a gun. So in the past century you were 40x more likely to be killed by a government worker carrying a gun, than by a fellow citizen with a gun.

Guns never protected people, that sad story is the very proof of my affirmation (the Petty Officer did own a gun, and he died at the end of the day, did he not?).

Second, during my string in my country military, I discovered that not only guns fitted well indeed with mentally chalenged people, but also it was a compensation for a lack of selfesteem (spelling?) , or a supposed small size of genital organs (most funny being this supposition was wrong).

Last, in most counties, Government is an extension of the People, in democracy the Government is from the People, by the People and for the People. It is only the very definition of 'People' (notice pls the capital case for the letter P) that is challenged (read not understood by the same way, depending if it is so called hi-so or the servum pecus who is saying it!).

Speaking about the jews in Germany is a bit out of proportion and as much out of the subject as to speak about the very survival of palestinian kids during the intifada (remenber the images showing israeli soldiers braking in cold blood the 2 arms of a kid????). Speaking of the Shoa (I did loose several familly members to the concentrtion camp, namely 2 grand uncles, a third was lucky enought to come back) is a piss poor, repeat piss poor, argument ; almost as much as piss poor that advocating civil war (protect against a government)! You Sir, are a very dangerous individual, twisting honorable sayings made by honorable men in a time of darkness while said darkness (The supposed tyranny of King George) is fiish since a very long time; you twist those sayings because you simply desire a return to the good'old law : the strongest always is right! We moved forward long ago, and now we are governed by the 'rule of law', not anymore (I hope) by the 'strong arm' rule.

I said!

First I am a male.

Second, I am 52 y old.

Third, I will prefer for gf an attractive lady, half my age, than a normal lady (for western stadart) my age (I do not want to see when looking at her how ugly I became , while I was quite andsome when being 22 y old). That is trully moonic I agree, but it is also a simple truth. Unless we are desesperate, we will always try for the best!

So, no idea how old the OP is , neither how she look, but I would believe even if she were ready to stand by me, I would not stand by her; because I could find better for cheaper; younger and more sexier (young are always sexier); and mostly easier dumpable (a girlfriend who is kicked do not get allowance; while a divorce here or in L.A. will simply cost us everything).

Another reason(s) being : If I came here it was to restart a wreched life ANEW; not to fall in the pattern and fail again ... Loosers will stuck with the same patterns, winner analyze the reasons of their failures and will try to change (not always possible, but Thailand does offer that chance). Why the lady came here at the first place? That is a good question I believe! She look for a suitable mate, but is she a suitable mate for a well educated, middle aged (less that 40 y old) professionaly sucesfull expatriate? She have to understand that kind of male is really in the top tier, being succesfull as an expat demanding lot of qualities the servum pecus does not have; and by so that male will be highly searched by any female wishing to have kids (good genetic materials)! Shaocking maybe, but it is a natural law.

So, sorry for the OP and for the ladies having the same problem; anyway they do have to know the very same probleme exist for the males here (unless to be fond of Isarn gogo dancers, it is indeed hard to find a suitable partner from the other gender, suitable being a young sexy well educated , professionaly successful lady ... That is also quite rare).

Many of the posters are too young to remenber what happened all around the world in 1968; and Bangkok is only a joke when compared with Paris in may/june 68. Still restrain was exerced on both side, and while numerous cars were burned, countless jaws broken, legs, arms shattered, there is officially no death neither from the police/army neither from the mob (unofficially there are 4 , but they were collateral damages, mean not directly involved in the events). That to make people here calm down, and take the Bkk events for what they are in reality ... ripples in a watr glass!

Another thought, without judging the actions (good or bad), I propose the posters here to read on wiki about the Isarn province, and the average salary there ... and then to compare with their spending during a week end in Bangkok ... .... ... do you got it? Those peoples were maybe misguided by a dangerous populistic politician (but I could say the same about G.W. Bush, couldn't I?) they were mostly driven by desperation. No hope, worst year after year they become poorer, loosing their land to the power that are (whatever that saying is covering).

I do understand many of us benefit from that situation, beer is cold and cheap, girls are hot, exotic and still cheaper than home; but is it any of you who is raising (or plan to do so, or did it in the past) who would bare easily the very thought to raise a girl and make her a bar girl in soi cowboy; or a boy to have him working a kathoey in Patpong?????????? Why do I ask?? Waht does it have to do with the question at hand? Simply because that is the very reason to the birth of the 'red shirt'; the lumpenproletariat is suffering too much, and so they went to the only one offering hope (even if it might, or might not be a misguided hope, I do not want to judge that here).

So it is easy from our armchair to squabble about who killed who and where; and climbing our hight horses about democracy and social media, it is indeed very easy and maybe it is the goal researched by some in power, to have us beign blind to the crucial points. I do believe it is important, more than anything else, to understand how so many people could have fall for such a crime (civil unrest) and throw away all that was their own culture of respect of the authorities ... Would it be possible they were all drugged? Or are they pathological morons? Or would it be possible they refused to became more and more poor, to breed girls to send them as sex workers to the capital, refuse to live without hope , with only a back breaking work (litterally) in front of them? Assuming the tree of liberty must regulary be given patriotic blood (Jefferson I believe), the true question is what made those people believe (for good or for bad reasons, that I do not judge) they were patriots?

Thanks for taking the tme to read my very poor english (I am not a native, anglo saxon native I mean; so my english is broken).

why do these dills get themselves into the overstay scenario, got me beat

For what is worth, it may happend to any of us, it did to me in 48 hours back in 2003, I lost : gf, job, appartment. Took me some month to go up enought to afford a trip to the border!

On the other hand, if you are honest there is way to handle it. In my case, when it happened, I made a trip to Polpet, and the day after went to Immigration in North Satorn to explain my situation (that I have invested my last baths in that trip and that I will have some difficulties to do another one in 3 month, so what would be my options to avoid infamy and return as a looser in my contry).

The fact I am still alive and kicking as today in Phuket (working for a monthly salary with 6 digits) is the living proof there is solutions others than go back home as a looser (but it is the safest in most case), or hiding and whoring whiel waiting the MIB to catch you.

For those what have legitimate reasons to be in that problem (you boss this morning say business close, and left you stranded), I would suggest (assuming you never had any problems in the past) to simply walk tall to the immigration office, and have a chat.

Also, before some laught at what I wrote, older posters here (such as Dr Patpong) would certainly remenber me, adn will confirm the veracity of my sayings.

I think the OP faced one of the two kind of mental ditacture that exist for that case :

1) Or the person does not smake, and expect everyone to do the same

2) Or the person is a smoker and does not care if others are contaminated.

Both behaviors simply denote a lack of politeness, alas trait so common today.

Being an heavy smoker myself, bakc in youth when I was in the military I always booked a place in the train that was for smoker. While I was going from Paris to MArseilles, I often got problems in the middle of the trip , with people complaining I was smoking (the compartment was a smoker one, I did pay a premium for it!). Once even, a couple of old people used to stop the train (used the alarm signal), the wife claiming I was killing the husband. Even with the controller intervention they refused to move to a non smoker place(compartment I do repeat, so no pollution).

On the other hand, usual politenes (at least the one I leasrned), is to NOT light a ciggy before everyone have reach the cheese (or the last dish for Thailand) and to loudly ask for permissions. In a restaurant, it would mean you would simply step outside, because usually people do not finish (or start) all at the same time!

Usual politeness also would push One to ask such a question BEFORE to sit in restaurant, is it a smoker place? I can not bear smoke, do you have accomodation for non-smoker?

Saddly, and I do feel for the OP because eating in the smog is a poor experience (even for an heavy smoker such as me), politeness is as rare as 25 years old maiden serving beer in Nana plaza! Fact it is not about the legality of the thing but more on how we do behave / interact with other in a civilised maneer (or not).

• You wrote :

As a freelancer programmer, I can work from anywhere as long as there is an Internet connection, so this is no big deal for me. We spoke everyday since when, and I am burning of envy to go back there. Can't wait, and when I saw how things were going there, I will hold my promise.

To me, money and stability are keys in a fruitfull life! I went there, been freelance programmer in Bangkok (even helped a bit Thaivisa 10 years ago), and allow me to tell you it is indeed a very difficult experience. Unless you do have your own pool of customers already, you will find it is almost impossible to get some decent customers locally.

Another problem with that being freelancer in Thailand is a grey area, because you can NOT get a workpermit (you are not an employee), you have to rely on the tourist visa (at best a non-B, but it can be denied), and it imply you must NOT be to much open about your customers. The other solution around being to work for reputable freelancer websites (I would suggest rentacoder.com, as I got good experience there) but you will hit 2 problems : 1) Pricing, you will be in concurence with indian team able to do more for less 2) retrieve your money safely, legally and without too much cost.

While in my case it was survive with that or die by starvation (I will never beg, prefer to starve) and so it was okie; I would suggest to think hard and long; speak with reliable old hands about that. From my experience, and from experience from other people, it will take years for a reputable, seasoned and well know programmer to land a decent job in Thailand (it took me almost 5 years for my first job, and 8 years from the moment I landed in Bkk to get the one I do have, with an indecent salary. In my case, I do own 3 master degrees, I am preparing a fourth one, I am a member of the IETF since 1996 and did collaborate to many RFC ... and still it took me years).

So while I am not negative (I did suceed), I would suggest you to be cautious in your choices because love can not pay bills, feeling will not feed you, and babies need more than castles in the sky.

For tourists Phuket is a nightmare waiting to happen, but for an expat who knows better than to live in the tourist hotspots it's as crime free, peaceful and friendly as anywhere else in Thailand.

In 4 years of living away from the tourist areas I'm yet to have a single problem. The local Thais near me are as friendly as anywhere else in the country as far as I'm concerned.

I live among fantastic countryside, near amazing beaches and all the restaurants you care to mention. Not a tuk tuk or suit seller, or violent mugger in site. Let Patong, Karon, Kata etc go to the dogs. The other 70% of the island is doing just fine.

Remenber me, you are living in Frejus, St Tropez or eventually Nice (Marseilles or Monaco would be considered as acceptable).

After 10 years here, I am starting to wonder if we do live in the same island!

I believe this thread is about France.

Alas, three time alas, most of the previous poster do know nothing about France (wonder if most of them can even place it on the map).

A bit a history, some of the best ministers France had the last 30 years were communist, I think about one specificaly who not only DID NOT restrain the truckers freedom; but in fact fought as much as it was possible for a human being to uphold and eventually extend said truckers freedom.

So it is easy to say those who earn shitload of money will suffer; but what about those who work and do not even earn enought for surviving?

I am sorry, but I do not wish my country (beloved country) to copy the US of Norther America, and have daily 12 (twelve) millions of kids that do not have enought to eat. If to avoid that there is the need to tax Mr Schueller' daughter (the heiress of L'Oreal), so be it, who cares?

I rather let all others murderers and rapist in Thailand walk free than to see this man return to Thailand.

After all those money he stole from us Thais.

I would dare t o disagree, Since I am in thailand (12 years in january 2012); I do have witnessed only 3 (three) personns take care of the lumpen proletariat / grass root/ little people / poor peasant.

I believe 2 of them might not be named here, but I am sure you know who they are (a father and his daughter; both of them hightly revered by thai people and for good reasons); the third being Taksin.

Those who may fear Taksin return are more people such as me : expatriate working here for a salary worth 10 times the salary of our thais collegues; a so call thai elite who in fact are only greedy familly (as much greedy and as much corrupt as Taksin itself) and a part of the 'informal' economy; as Taksin have alway try to control it the way he tried to control the real economy.

Taksin is the man who tried to give some dignity back to the country, by closing all the brothels at 1 am (oooooooooooooooooop, I do beg your forgiveness, there are no brothels, neither there is prostitution in thailand); he is the guy who promoted (if not invented) OTOP; he is the guy who tried to promote familly tourist (instead of the usal acoholic / sex tourism as promoted and controlled by P******olice ou by A***************rmy.

So , ye he is a bastard, yes such an individual should never ever reach position of power; but he is not the Devil; the Devil would be more those who spit on the face of the little people; those who dared to let Issaan flooded for months, but did nto accept that Krungthep may be a littel bit wet (for example).

Last, that is a forum targeting foreigners, so the moaning of the thai so call educated elite who can stop to cry about the good old time are quite unbearable; Taksin did not stole more than other politicians did , maybe even less than other business men did. I would suggest you to learn history, check the national acounting for the last 30 years, and come back to us to subtentiate your affirmations (if not , aren't they close to be considered as libel, and so beware the legal actions!)

By the way, being an expatriate, I do not do politic, and do not care much who Thai people choose as their leader or their PM. Being French, there is enought problems in my own country with the political men/women (DSL/ Sarkosi/Le PEn familly......); I just try to tell what I do witnessed during my long stay in that country (mean I do not support nor do I am repusled by any Thai political personns, including the TaxSin).

Could actually be part of the answer. Throughout Middle Ages Europe beer was drunk (albeit at very low alcohol levels) as a substitute for polluted water, hence most villages had their own brewhouse.

it also doesn't half take the edge off a crappy day surrounded by floodwater.

Indeed you are an erudit, aren't you Sir??

During Middle Ages, most of village dwellers were not able to afford decent food; so let us know on : how to afford decent Ale?

During middle ages, still, water pollution was indeed very important, with car polution, toxic rejection by big industrial groups , .... OOOOOOOOOOOOOps, no car, no heavy industialisation (but some guilds , mostly existing in important cities, but not in most villages as villages mean less than 1 000 inhabitants). During middle ages (and even untill recently) water from source or well, or even rivers was drinkable; it is one of the reason the Good King of France Henry the fourth edicted 2 laws : each familly shall be able to afford one chicken every sunday (good food); every group of 1000 inhabitants shall have access to a fountain (early XVIth century); so it means that even at that time water was not polluated, and people basically did not have money to buy meat (the goal of the law being to forcefully increase the income of villagers and forcefully to have them spend said income in food, and not in Ale).

Now, I is true the various kindoms populating a one moment or another the brittanic islands have been at various moment on the verge of collasping because alcoholism of the inhabitants (the last one being the 'gin crisis' during the XIXth century). But scholars tend to believe it is geographically limitated to said islands, and some former ex colonies located on the other side of the big pond; while the rest of europe , God Thanks, was left untouched by such frenzy about alcohol.

Please keep your act straignt and do not confuse history and legends ; thanks in advance

The experts led by the Swiss ambassador? What makes her the expert? Last time I checked Switzerland is mostly comprised of mountains, and flooding is hardly an issue there.

I'm getting so bloody tired of all these so called experts "knowing" for sure what is going to happen. So far, they've all been wrong. Why has no one bothered to program a proper simulation tool? I'm pretty sure most technical universities would have a few students who can make something like that. We know the elevation of the terrain from satellite measurements, I'm sure the same can be used to properly calculate the amount of water, we know where the barriers are located, etc. Put all the variables in a computer, and run a few scenarios. That way we know what all these predictions are based on. Right now, the Swiss ambassador's guess is as good as mine...

Feeling better mate?????????? so maybe now you can take the time to read it (the article) and understand it.

I am not a native, but to me the obvious fact stated is :

The Swiss Ambassador led water management experts .... It does not mean the Ambassador is an expert in water management; merely that official presented said (or so called) experts to the Royal Thai government.

Second, I would invite you to spend some time in spring in Martiny, or in Gruyere, and then come back to us with your thoughts about flash flood in Switzerland. Having grow up in a similar region, I can tell flood are a potential catastrophe every spring. It is true it is more related to catastrophe management, while Nederland experts are more focused on day to day water management; but somehow it would seems today the first nameds are in need; while the holland guys will be needed AFTER (to avoid it to happen again).

you reflexion is similar to californian peoples laughting out of loud ob so called french seismic experts or tsunami expert located in French Riviera; untill they discovered that region is most active in both (half a dozen of quakes per year with half of them followed by tsunami .... said tsunami sending boats 100 m inside the coast ; happened twice in 1998 for example).

I agree and often wonder why so many aliens; legal and illegal, including orientals slag off the US. If they don't like it they should go back to their own countries.

I'm glad you agree; if you don't love America, shut your mouth or leave!!

Well said Bonzai

Well, shall I confess I did not love USA (while positively loving America, that is a continent) when I first went there , in august 1980. As it happened that I was wrong in my feelings, and that I did not "not love USa" , but simpy hated all that were here (people, culture ... oooooooops lake of culture I do mean .... und so weiter, und so weiter); I indeed decided to turn back, and show my butt to such disgracefull country and citisens (traditional and formal insult in my region, mostly since 1678).

Dear Kilgore, all of that to say USA are NOT America, not even in your wet dreams; and yes there are billions who thanks God to not be born in such poor country; while there are some hundreds of millions who feel proud to be born in the country of KFC, MacDonald and G.W. Bush (the dwarf!). So it is, live and lets live, as long as the yanks remenber if they are not anymore colonists it is because the Good King of France, and not because some laughtable 'manifest destiny".

By the way, for a moderator, it was an example on how Hate is always easy to come, mostly when there are no logical reasons.

Yes it is going to take a lot of hard work and posative attitude to clear up all the mess, I just hope for the people's sake there is no western attitude to add to the disaster.

Care to remind us what is western attitude?

Usually us, westerner, we use to plan ahead, we also to prepare contingency plans (as it is obvious we are only humans, so prone to errors and forgetting stuffs when planning).

We also usually do not hide behind fake statements (that Iwil not call total BS, because I would like to keep it polite).

Most of important, when we are humbled by a natural castastrophe, we do accept that fact and we do ask/beg for foreign expertises (recent examples would be New Orleans for USA, and the cyclone that crossed european France in 2000, that for 2 of the most 'arrogant' countries of the world)

I would tend to believe some western attitudes would have reduce the scope of the actual flood (that is nowhere a natural castastrophe by itslef, but a human failure if not even a human deed); and would certainly help in mitigating it in the present and near future.

Even us french would be glad and thankfull if such flood was hitting us (let say such phenomena might happend in the French RIviera , in the city of Nice specifically) and the US Navy was proposing a aircraft carrier for help.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

And imposing price controls exactly the kind of way to deny free enterprising traders to supply the situation.

Might I assume you wanted to write "BLACK MARKET PROFITERS" but because you are a good heart man you choosed a less blunt wording??????????????/ Or are you supporting those vile creatures who take advantage of the misery of others???????????

Thais are the worst for personal hygiene I've known anywhere in the world. I think Mr. Cochrane might be referring to the fact that people here take showers reguarly. However, washing hands after going to the toilet or washing hands before preparing food is hardly done. Thais also don't clean surfaces properly before preparing food and use the same knife to cut a raw piece of meat then a cooked piece causing cross contamination. Vegetables are also never usually washed on street stalls and hardly cooked long enough to kill all bacteria especially raw ones served with some noodles or roast pork. Countless times I've found earth on lettuce or tomatoes. Really, Thais know nothing about hygiene and nor do they seem to understand the concept of it but rather take offence when you point it out to them.

Then you've not seen much of the world. While by no means perfect, Thailand and Thais are much cleaner than most of the third world. Esp. the women and esp. the food markets. You should check out sub-Sahara Africa, or India and Pakistan if you want to see dirty.

What do you now about Sub Sahara? What is your experience there? What did you experience, and where?

Futhermore, One can not compare dry and humid region, as I do assume you sub sahara is similar to mine and is a dry region (sub desertic or so). So to me, IF jumglejumbo have not seen much of the world, so did you, because : A) you knowledge about Sub-Sahara region is at best poor; it is irrelevant with the situation here in Thailand with regard with hygiene, 'cause even if sub saharian people were eating shit , it would change nothing for the thai people!

Hygiene is relative to the palce where you live; if 3 showers are good here, they may proove fatal in very cold places : what is the point to take 3 showers a day when the temperature is about minus 45 degree celsius (as in the place where I grew up that is the coldest of western europe), because you can NOT go outside unless you are perfectly dry (for obvious reasons) . You better clean yourself with alcohol based (gentiane being the best) liquid, with some glove. Exemple can be given for several climates, that are not those of nothern america or sunny England.

US help never comes for free and the hidden payback is always much bigger than the actual help.

I am an Aussie and personally think the Yanks have helped all over the world in hundreads of crisis situations. I dont know of any hidden costs or paybacks to date. Can you elaborate on your comment.

If you do not mind, I may be of some help!

US of A have meddle with internal affairs of countries they were helping, in western europe, in asia, even in some africa, and we will not speak about S of A. The list can long, so I will give only some extract : Italy (Gladio network), Greece (while helping military secret services).

BUT, maybe the initial postulate was mis-writted ; and should be :

Some organisations from the United States of America have regulary trying to influence foreign governments under the cover of United State military and economic help. Those organisations being acting even without full knowledge of the legitimate governement of the United State.

So yes, there are people who hold a gruge against that undue influence; but fairness oblige to precise that most of the time the US government did not know about said influence into foreign country.

Anyway, I do believe it would be also fair (even if you despise USA as much as I do) that never ever USA have mixed urgency help and policy, the policy of the american people who come first on a disaster field have always been to help population without regard of faith, political believe or skin colour. It is AFTER those people have left that meddling start by (non exhaustive list) churches members, so called teachers, crooked economists ... people who are related to the USA gov or an official agency. Usually for humanitarian work, USA are doing a very fine job, they usually send the very best , and life are saved by thousands.

Cold? In Thailand? In January?

I do believe we do not speak about the same thing, the same country and the same season.

If temperature drop of 1 Celsius, that is not cold by any standart, and no one can die of that if in normal health (read without under heavy alcohol; body burn by alcohol or drugs ...). I did witness temperature dropping of 25 celsius in 48 hours .... in Europe, in a very specific place famous for it (6 jully 1980 + 26 celsius; 8 jully 1980 -1 celsius ... the place is named Pontarlier)

Thailand is a tropical country (sorry if I am wrong); so temperature are NEVER EVER cold. Cold is temperture below -20 celsius (I played Rugby by -18 celsius); Cold is - 40 celsius during the night (Stage commando with sleeping out side in february 1986 , place named Les Rousses).

That is B.S.; bad journalism, or maybe another way to justify this or that ....

Cold in thailand, is it another hub (winter sport hub for saoudi????????????????)

How long has it been good? If it comes back, it could be a rod knocking. Serious business. Would have to replace the rod and bearings, and if it rattled around and damaged things, possibly the valves, piston, and/or head. If it returns, take it in at once, don't run the motor.

I once had a rod knocking so bad, and at 17 years old, I couldn't have cared less, until the day the rod actually shot out into the oil pan!

+1

I just had the same problem recently (twice in 14 month); and I had to change all of that (valves, pistons ... not sure about the names of other parts in english).

Point is oil seems to have to be changed quite regulary (every 2 month for old engine such mine, 8 years); and also it seem carburator settings play some parts of it (both time happened AFTER I modified carburator seetings, namely the small screw that is located on the bottom left of the carburator ...)

Go to honda, be aware some parts are not in stock usually, so it might be a delay (1 week to get the parts to Phuket).

motorbike or push bike?

Honda Phantom 200 cc

200cc might, just might, be OK. Best to check the GT-Rider forum before you give it a shot.

Here's most recent posting:

http://www.gt-rider....-No-Entry/page7

24th November 2010 08:33 PM #137

Re: Laos Friendship Bridge No Entry

I think that a few guys have succeeded in riding in at the bridge this year.

BUT according to the boss & Miss Khampean in Room # 6 it is still officially no.

The Friendship Bridge at Savannakhet / Mukdahan is still a definite no. no.

If the Nong KHai Friendship Bridge does not work then use Bun KHan / Pakxan downstream from Nong Khai.

This works on regular working days Monday - Friday.

Note that Visa On Arrival may still not be available at Pakxan, but my guess it is is now; however one one tested the waters there of late.

Another option is the Tha Li / Kenthao land crossing , with a small bridge over the Nam Heung River.

Backdoorphil entered Laos here recently & got avisa on arrival, plus a temporary motorcycle import at the border.

Davidfl

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Mac

Thanks for a detailled and long post, I do appreciate that.

It is not really about driving over the bridge, I could not care less, but to have the bike legaly (make a point on it) with me in Laos that is my concern (and have it back with me too).

Would it be possible to put it into a truck or eventually the train? What is the point of contention in fact : Can not drive over the bridge? Can not cross the border with a vehicle? Insurance problems?

I do prefer to use Nong Kwai, because I also have the need to keep my passport (and the extension of stay) clean.

motorbike or push bike?

Honda Phantom 200 cc

hey there,

what are the documents (if any) the cost (if any) and the capacity to cross at friendly bridge with my bike?

I may (or may not, depending of several factors) decide to spend some days in Laos, and I am supposing my bike would love the change of road.

Thanks for the advice.

N.B. I do not come here often, so I will not be able to address immediatly the usual abuse; thought the question is genuine and I am not a troll (usually people who do not answer immediatly are labelled Troll).

From FrAnglais to ChAnglais and back? Must be Silly Season again.

It will be interesting to see if the PR China authorities have more success with seeing off English language used in this manner - the French continue to fail miserably in their equivalent 'purity of native language' efforts over the last few decades.

Mind you, the French authorities do tend to shoot less of their citizens for dissent than thier Chinese counterparts!

Be sure to communicate accurately and linguistically / completely as you wander through your Xmas & New Year festivities, yes?

Seasons Greetins to All.

Brewsta

Maybe true for any time before 2007; but actually human right records of France is fallen way below the Chinese standart.

WTO is only half of the acronyme; it is infact (for sake of clarity and completness) OMC/WTO. such as ONU / UN. und so weiter...

Standart imply that no international document to be drafted in only one language; it have to be in at least 2 imperial languages + if needed (for the sake of precision) in the specific languages of the countries (in case of treatie btw 2 countries).

Imperial languages were (10 years ago) : Chinese, Russian, Queen English (no American english or Australian english) , French and Spanish.

About France and Thailand : Phuket have during a long time a french as governor; France was the first country to have a permanent ambasy in Thailand (in Lopburi , maybe with the monkeys ...) and to have a permanent siamese ambassador. Also, French soldiers are the only occidental soldiers to have gunned down and then invade the Great Palace in Bangkok (under King Rama V).