mogoso

I used a couple of different atm cards last time. My PNC card no transaction fees on their end just the 150 baht the Thai Banks charge. My Chase atm was a different story, the 150 baht for Thai Banks, $5 non Chase atm fee and the kicker a 5% money exchange fee. I'd always used my PNC exclusively till then and will for future uses, but will never use Chase again

Just the Obama trying to insure the Muslim Brotherhood gets in power as soon as possible.

Columbian prisons aren't hell-holey enough?

Pretty dam_n abysmal. Mid seventies I went to pick up some furniture at a prison outside of Tunja in Boyaca with MIL that she had ordered. Pretty good stuff for a really rotten wood shop. From what I could see sleeping on a dirt floor adobe hut would be cleaner than the good part of the prison. Colombia has some wonderful people but the dregs of society also live there, and the folks I saw inside were the dregs of the dregs. Only time I was apprehensive in Colombia. other than being robbed by some police in downtown Bogota. People for a good portion of the population are good but a good portion are thieves at best and worse from that point on. It's really one of my favorite places but it has many drawbacks. But the beer ain't bad, the foods great and diverse not spicy and the women can be devastatingly beautiful or plain but all come with a Mt. Etna temper

Don't take it personal Firth. Many of the posters are on fixed income and 1000 baht might be their budget for the entire day or even two days. Others are in better shape financially and money for a hotel no matter the cost isn't a problem.

The poster was looking for cheap but clean. The last hotel I stayed in was in Mae Sot 1300baht a night no roaches and an ok breakfast buffet. My wife thought it high I just wanted a bed as I was tired after driving down from Chiang Mai with MIL and grandson via a stop at the Sukothai ruins

It is refreshing to see some genuine honesty, even if it is contentious.

There isn't anything honest that spews forth from his mouth. Irregardless of your stance on it he has changed his public statements many times from acceptance to rejection. This statement was to solidify another niche of voters and nothing more. The fact he had a fun raiser at George Clooney's house that night in Hollywood had a lot to do with it. From an estimated take of $10 million to an actual take of $15 in campaign contributions. Those that think he was doing the right thing by making the statement didn't think it through as nothing changed or will change. He then said it was a States rights issue. It has been brought to a vote in 32 States including California and has failed in all 32 States to get it passed by a large margin of the vote. It just brings money in and gets votes from an already solid voting block. He doesn't care about middle class America and has written off their support so it doesn't hurt him there.

I've a friend who carts his bike by plane around the US. Bike breaks down into a luggage specially made for it. He paid 8 grand for the bike, so it's worth carting around to him as he rides daily. Same bike won the Tour De France a couple of years ago.

I've used bone meal in the past when planting.

To me the holes don't look drilled, but cut off with a saw as maybe a medical examiner looking at the brain or maybe brain surgery that doesn't look very successful. Or maybe skulls from a medical school

And as an added bonus they get an extended stay in the Bangkok Hilton courtesy of the Thai Government - looks like a win win situation to me! Holiday - money - plus an extended stay

Do they still have to report to immigration every ninety days?

It's difficult to eat a tree.

Verily thou doest speak the truth, as the trees themselves tend to be a difficult meal. However the crops gained from trees tend to be quite tasty and profitable.

I like mangosteen,but my neighbor now brings his cows over to graze and they ate my newly planted mangosteen plants. We invited him to bring over his cows to graze so it wasn't thought out all that well on our part (we being wife) It does keeps the field short and it brings another person to watch over our house when we're away

I don't know how close,close is. I might try calling the Thai Embassy in DC. The lady who does visa applications is extremely helpful albeit busy but she can overnight your passport back to you with a 90 day visa. I think the fedx charges to and fro plus the $175 visa fee would certainly be less than going to and fro outta the country every 30 days. I think she'd want to see a copy of your plane ticket (*itinerary)

It's worth a phone call

I've forgotten her name but she is quite competent at her job assisting the public. There is a list on the embassy's web site of requirments

Really people don't go out the 1317 sure its a nice enough road and a straight shot to the airport, and easy to go into town. You have hot springs throughout the area and friendly folk.

But it's a horrible place, I hardily discourage any who would think of venturing out that way, we don't want the extra traffic. I like my privacy and don't want anybody venturing down our small road and kicking up dust, it makes the soi dogs irritable to have cars come by and make them move outta the road where they like to rest. The ban has only 104 houses and they're more than a kilo from our house with a great fishing lake that costs 10 baht to fish at. I'd expound on the many reasons to stay away but my credibility would stretch too far. But please choose another area, the land is jumping up in price here and it'd be better to look elsewhere where it's cheaper.

Back in the US and I can go outside and take a deep breath of relatively clean fresh air. It's in the mid sixties the air and temperature is just delightful.

It's been less than a week since leaving Chiang Mai and I miss it and my grandson and the chocolate banana nut bread cupcakes dipped in dark chocolate for an icing most emphatically, until December, but not the air you all are breathing over there at this time.

My wife blames the side of the road fires on people who want to harvest a type of mushroom and a green leafy plant which grow after the rains come. She says they are expensive and Thai people like to eat them.

We had to replace wooden fencing burnt down during last years dry season. Let try to them burn down the new cement ones.

Mogoso really, You have nothing better to do.

No, but I like to find humor wherever I stumble upon it, and if perchance I comment on something I can make humorous I will. It beats chewing on lemons as some folk might pefer.

As for the post I appreciate the OP's attempt to warn all of a possible scam, but I found it unlikely as it was the details he gave didn't fit an ATM scam.

Most of you have been in all or most of SE Asia, and it's the behavior of the dogs that has me stumped. They lay along the sides or the middle of the road move slowly if at all and yet carcasses aren't stacked end on end. You do see the occasional frisbee, but not as often as you'd see in the Americas.

Dogs just stare at you when you drive up and slowly and I mean slowly move along so you can pass. I'm not advocating running them over, I like dogs and feed a group of wild ones that patrol around the house we're building. The puppies of the head bitch went home with the workers in the past week and they greet me at the head of my drive and move fairly quickly as they anticipate some grub when we do a drive out to the building site. Funny though only a few actually enter into the walls of our compound the rest stay outside and lay on the road only to bark if something unusual occurs, not just the odd car or bike riding down our country lane but strangers to them will be barked at with a greater frequency the closer they drive down the entrance to get to our driveway. They number 10-12 as a few local dogs like to hang out with them.

Although they are good dogs to us they have the same me move to traffic attitude the other dogs have. I know that Thais have a particular love for dogs but you'd think Darwinism would show survival of the fittess not the slowest and laziest.

My next rant will be on Pink houses pink rooms and pink curtains or is my mother in law crackers

I don't think it's any different in Thailand than any where else. Sometimes people say thanks nod smile wave or beep their horn other times you could be a drying piece of fecal matter as far as the acknowlegement you receive.

The flooding broke the poorly made dam of the lake that touches a corner of my wife's land. A sign was put up stating that a replacement dam would be erected in 2013. They completed work on a beautiful new dam with proper spillways that will serve wondefully. The lake level will be a few feet lower, but it's filling up as I type. Kudos to the quickness of the Government agency for their fast work

We did the slow boat from Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang. A two day journey that I enjoyed throughly, not so the Mrs. The backpackers partied all day and made it a fun trip, but in our guesthouse once they came after dinner it was the quietest place I've ever been.Kudos to them.

Guesthouse in Chiang Khong night before journey was bad. But Pacban you chose your place. Don't change money as dollars or Baht are accepted. Luang Prabang's waterfront with it's French Colonial buildings and it's cleaniness are charming. The food is generally good where ever you dine. Our guesthouse was 500 baht first night and 400 each additional night. The food service area was across the street on a balconey overlooking the Mekong and their food was good and spicy. No tv but they had wifi. Stream wasn't good enough to watch movies, but great for surfin and email. Waterfall outside of town is nice and a short walk from parking.(maybe 8 dollars per person in a group tuk tuk) The Bamboo bridge over the Hahn river is pricey 5000 kip (8000 kip per dollar) but its a good place to take in a sunset, enjoying a cold Beer Lao served right there. Really laid back place but closes up early for the night. I'm not sure but I think bars close at 11pm, very quiet at night. $150 dollars for return flight to Chiang Mai. For a place just to chillax I'd recommend it. For a single person take the slow boats. (not so much that they are cheap, but fun)

Their night bazaar is almost entirely Lao hand crafted products, its not a Tchiclek type market. Oh I forgot to mention the Wats, thirty three in a small area. The one on top of the hill has some steps to it, not just the long one you see from the street. I found the museum to be a waste of money, but to each his own.

Blueberries aren't grown from seeds, but from cuttings as far as I know

There was a man who was selling helium ballons at our Wat a few days ago in Mae Hoi Ngurn. I bought one for my grandson. I have a swimmer that I wanted to fill and was told he doesn't bring his tank to small shows as his sales aren't great. He did say he'd be at the Wat up the street that is having a big todo the 1st through the 5th and he might bring the cylinder then. He mentioned he lives in Lampang if I wanted to drive down. As grandson is only 4 I might pass on filling it, he used the ballon I got him to kick and punch so it's barely off the ground now. Little rascal.

The original post got me to thinking, after reading about the charmless bastard and his equally sadistic Thai wife beating their dogs. The comment he couldn't see any lefties doing that made me think of a few lefties that have done it to people, such as Mao, Stalin,Hitler, Pol Pot etc where they were lefties and put down millions of people. I guess people aren't as good as dogs. (although I know a great many good dogs in comparison to good people)

I got one outta Washington DC I'm not sure how many entries as it just has a "M" which I assume is multiple. We went to Laos for a week and reentered yesterday so I know its good for 2 entries.

When making my flight plans to come here I made the trip 99 days long and 90 day visa would've ended with overstay fees would've applied. Lady on the phone was most helpful and for $25 more than the single entry I recieved a multiple entry visa. Only I don't know how many entries and wife wants to go to shopping at Tchiclek and hope I can come back wit her (I assume2-4 entries)

Extra documents sent were bank statements copy of my wife's Thai passport and a copy of our wedding certificate

They gave me a new 90 days when entering yesterday but I know the computer will hash it out when leaving

I obviously don't know from personal experience, but I understand that child abusers are treated very badly in US prisons by the inmates. May his fate be the same in a Thai prison.