qualtrough

I was going to rant about the miserable failure of the Bush administration in its idiotic 'War on Terror', but I asked myself, is it related to Thailand? Answer, No. So I won't say anything.

1. Have you applied to AIS for Roaming Service.

2. Have you tried it with a local SIM card?

I have used AIS and DTAC services in Hongkong without difficulty.

Not to be recommended as it is expensive.

Much better to install a local SIM card.

BTW Phones sold in Thailand are no longer locked.

Astral,

Thanks for the advice on global roaming, I will check that out. And thanks for the warning. I once had to make an emergency visit to Sri Lanka when my mother was in the hospital there and rang up a bill over a $1000 dollars for phone calls made over the space of 5 days. Ouch! If the roaming activation doesn't pan out I may check out the local SIM option. I am only in the US for 10 days and don't use the phone for business, so being able to use it on ocassion is more of a want than a need.

I want to thank everyone for their help. I will be exploring several of the suggestions offered by members.

SamuiJens-I know what a gf. I just don't understand what relevance that has to a thread on beggars. Get some sleep and perhaps you can make a more coherent reply tomorrow...

Let review this

1. First answer Terry 57's question.(good un, by crikity 57)

2. Google Mafia

Other evidence you will find later.

But as you think, all of Thailand is drivin' by "mafia", buddha man, there can't be that many Sicilian men in LOS!

3. If you don't like it, move, to some other country.

4 If you have a thai gf, then she to is controled by your "Mafia"./and paying to them) All in what YOU THINK!

Ok, so you apparently pulled the 15% statistic out of your arse.

Mafia, buddha man, move to some other country, thai gf?? Sorry, I can't make any sense out of what you wrote. Try again tomorrow when you sober up!

Give you're $$ to charities and at the most 15% gets to the ones that NEED IT, THEY ARE THE MAFIA. Check out how much $$ gets to the needy by charity, maybe "theCambodens" learned from them.

SamuiJens-Meadish Sweetball provided a link to a site that cites a study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the child begging racket in Bangkok as well as an article from the Sydney Morning Herald. You can also find additional information on the Stop-Childbegging site at http://www.stop-childbegging.org/. It is in Thai, but since you have apparently conducted in-depth research on more than 25 beggars in Thailand that should pose no problem for you. This is just one portion of the begging racket as practiced in Bangkok and elsewhere.

OK now, some of us have provided links to actual research and reports documenting this practice. Can you please do the same for your 15% figure? Is that just a few charities, or all charities? Would Father Joe and his work in Klong Toey fall under that category? Have you ever visited his center there? Are small NGOs working closely with the poor, including beggars, included in your 15% figure? We eagerly await your documentation.

I find that the post office employees are rather hit and miss with the CN22 forms. I have decided to use those all the time now as it surely cannot hurt and might well avoid a delay or needless opening of a package. Last time I was at the PO I asked for some and they gave me a small booklet of them.

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

Vespa-thanks much. I will try the search.

Vespa-a follow up question if I may. Unlocking will allow another SIM card to be used, but will it deal with the problem of my phone not roaming and finding a local carrier in the USA or HK?

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

Vespa-thanks much. I will try the search.

Definitely a mafia business, and we try to manage and remove the ppl in our district when they are around. We got rid of the farang beggar with the sign as well. Cheeky sod.

Do you mean the guy who "just needs a few hundred baht for his ticket home"? He's still here. I saw him at BTS Siam Square at the weekend.

As for a mafia controlling the beggars, yes I believe it's true. I travel to different areas of Bangkok each day and have noticed at least 3 beggars who take it in turns to sit at the same places. The places are as far apart as Petchaburi Road, Silom and Soi Ari.

One of them, an old lady, has only one leg and the stump on the other leg is bandaged and has a spot of "blood" seeping out. I have seen her for about 3 years now with exactly the same spot of blood.

Another, a blind man, has huge loudspeakers and can be heard singing at least 30 meters away.

Another woman sits and bangs away at some kind of bells.

These 3 beggars take it in turns at sitting at exactly the same spots in 3 different areas but are never there together. How can some blind man drag 50kg of equipment across Bangkok from day to day.

Also, today I noticed a beggar setting up some electronic keyboards with huge speakers on top of a footbridge. How can they afford such equipment?

Petedk(er du dansk?) There is no Mafia, find a begger who speaks english or if you speak thai, then buy them a mal for 40B and give it to one that you can talk to and you will find that it NOT what you WANT to THINK. This way , especially when you talk to more than 25,That I have, then you know it's nothing but a scream for help-I'll admit there are SOME PHONIES out there, even a lot of farang, try there luck. But the mainstream are the Humble ones, just ask them, they pick those areas cause it where the most people with $$ are of course. If you needed to beg wouldn't you also find the best place for it?

Let's review. You spoke with approximately 25 beggars and they told you they are not part of any organized gang? Of course they would tell you if they were under the influence of a gang, so I guess that settles the issue...

The Captain is right about begging gangs in prime locations. This topic has been investigated numerous times over the years by the Post and Nation, government agencies, and NGOs. For an example, follow the link posted by Meadish Sweetball on page 3 of this thread. These gangs are ruthless and exploit disabled people and babies. As someone else pointed out, many of the beggars are not even Thai, but are primarily Cambodians. I am sure many Thais give because they genuinely feel for the beggars, but for many it is a function of making merit by giving to the poor. I think a better reaction to this situation would be to give to a legitimate charity that deals with the poor. If you are giving to beggars in any downtown location in Bangkok you are almost certainly enabling the gangs that exploit these people.

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Well My friend(GF) Filipina working in minburi has sent me two small packages and both just seem to have disappeared. First was in Feb,2006..never got that..sent just plain old mail..not surprised.

The second one she sent around Aug.10. This time sent RMS. The Guy at Big C where she sent it from said "No EMS in New Mexico" so they sent it RMS..

Did a "Track and Trace" on the RMS Registered Mail Service

Results for RBxxxxxxxxxTH

Scan Location Description Delivery Status

Monday, August 21, 2006 12:11:34 PM

KHLONG CHAN Accept

What's this mean? Lost in Khlong Chan?

Don't know my Thailand Geography very well yet, but I'm guessing that it didnt get far from Big C

Does this happen a lot even with registered mail? Not really worried, just a couple of Tshirts. Was in an RMS envolope. Any tips on shipping so things dont disappear?

Whats the big deal for a couple of Tshirts? Guess I'm glad to help out if someone needed them

Looks like the last know location for the package was Klong Chan postal center. Your girlfriend should bring the documentation down to a post office to put a trace on it.

If your girlfriend sent something from Big C she was using a private postal service like Mailbox Inc. They generally provide a good service, but just take your mail down to the post office after charging you a bit extra for the convenience. In my opinion this just adds an additional opportunity for mail to go missing. Advise her to send directly from a post office next time. Airmail times can vary considerably. I find packages and small envelopes to the US take about 2-3 weeks on average, but I just had someone say it took a month. Registered mail can slow things down a bit because transit of the item must be recorded at various stages. Overall I have had very good results with the Thai Postal system over the last 25 years (knock on wood).

Hi all,

I'm getting errors back when I load Firefox {default page google.com/ncr} and on this site the google link also fails {colour image for link not being displayed either}. IE doesn't show it though other sites like this one , bbc, etc. ok in both browsers. Is this just me or others seeing problems?

Regards

I haven't been able to raise Google on IE or FF since last night!

I don't know anything about this particular model or whether or not the price is a good one, but you should not necessarily be put off by high mileage over a short time period. This can be better than the same mileage over a longer period. Why? Components often wear out because of age, not use. Seals dry out and crack, gaskets start to leak, rubber components degrade over time, etc. & etc. These components will generally be in much better shape after three years than they would after 5, 6, 10, etc. Thus it is not unusual to find a high mileage but relatively young vehicle more reliable than a low mileage but older machine. If you ascertain that it is in good mechanical shape and that the price is a good one it could still be a good deal, all other things being equal.

You are comparing 167k on a three year old and on a six year old cars. In this case you should compare it to a same three year old car but with 60-80k - about average mileage for Thailand.

No. I wrote that if the price is a good one it could still be a good deal. As I also wrote, I don't know anything about this particularly model. However, if this one is priced, say, 30% or more below a similar aged but lower mileage example (i.e. a good price) it might still be worth a look, provided of course he has the mechanicals checked out , e.g. compression, etc. & etc. by someone he can trust.

This is no Jazz

167k in three years???? Forget it. Maybe they are looking for someone too nice to refuse and found you.

I don't know anything about this particular model or whether or not the price is a good one, but you should not necessarily be put off by high mileage over a short time period. This can be better than the same mileage over a longer period. Why? Components often wear out because of age, not use. Seals dry out and crack, gaskets start to leak, rubber components degrade over time, etc. & etc. These components will generally be in much better shape after three years than they would after 5, 6, 10, etc. Thus it is not unusual to find a high mileage but relatively young vehicle more reliable than a low mileage but older machine. If you ascertain that it is in good mechanical shape and that the price is a good one it could still be a good deal, all other things being equal.

Honestly i thought it was Gary Glitter.....but he is in Jail

Must be somebody else insane .....i don't understand the Op's priorities and i guess i am not alone here. He wants to look good on a "Trike" which as driving it without helmet looks cool and he is much safer as it has an "additional" wheel....

Perhaps the jail accomodating Mr. Glitter features Internet access?

I have read this thread and the OP's previous thread and can't help but think that this is a big pisstake, as the Brits would say. The OP is terribly worried about safety, but won't wear a helmet because it gives him a bad hair day and would cut down on his dating prospects? Oh come on! His obsession with falling off a motor bike despite that being probably the very least safety worry he would experience on a bike seems undiminished despite what legions of experienced riders here have told him. Do I need to mention the harebrained modifications he has proposed as well? Either this is a big joke or the OP is a complete idiot, or both...

When I was in the Philippines I got 3 years behind and had the H.R. Block rep do my taxes. He recommended sending them separately somewhat spaced apart in the hopes of avoiding creating any suspicion at the IRS. How that would work or even if it would work I have no idea, but he seemed to think it was a good idea.

Lomatopo--Is TaxAct set up to deal with those of us resident overseas, e.g. need the exclusion docs, etc.? I just looked at their site and didn't see anything dealing with that. Otherwise looks interesting. If it is, which version did you use?

I am in the same boat as the OP, being about 4 years behind in filing. I worked in Manila 2000-2002 and there was an HR Block Rep there who did my returns for $140 per filing. A year or two back I spoke with someone here and they wanted something like $500 plus so I just put it on the back burner. If anybody qualified is willing to do a pretty basic return for less than that I would love to hear about it.

I wish I could find it, but I recently saw an article in Forbes or some such publication about how the resale value of timeshares was extremely low. I just Googled one article that said the average loss on a timeshare transaction was 46%! Google timeshare + resale for more info. In most cases an extremely bad deal/investment, which is why they use the sleazy high pressure sales schemes to get rid of them. Even if I was interested in one I cannot imagine doing so in Thailand, where the enforcement of any consumer protection laws (if they even exist in this case) is nil.

thanks for all the good ( and bad) tips ;-)

This is not the first startup form scratch for me , and everytime there there are different problems. So far I found language ( and the confusing spelling and translation ) is a bigger problem here than it was in Singapore,Chzech republic, or even indonesia .

I am sure I'll find my way around and I will not give up so quickly . Sometimes it is just good to share the frustration. I have some thai help from next month onwards, and so far , everything runs still as planned , more or less.

ok then bkk, its sweet then, as we have helped you with your quandary.

well done to us punters.

one other thing fella ,

dont forget to have a " jai yen "

cheers

terry57-Get on down to Pantip Plaza and buy a new keyboard with an Enter key that doesn't double space and a working Shift key. I reckon you can find one for about 100 Baht.

OK, some more bad PR for Thailand, but this one has an interesting twist. Note the sentence I have bolded below. I am curious as to what constitutes an 'unusual' number of trips to Thailand? I am glad they caught this guy, but I wonder if they were on to this guy first and then counted up the trips, or if it was the number of trips that got the ball rolling. If it is the latter it might be worrisome to anyone who travels here frequently for legit reasons. Imagine getting a visit from the Feds asking you why you visited Thailand so often, what you do when you are here, have you ever been to location X or X, do you mind if we look at your computer...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/08/29/sex.prof...r.ap/index.html

It's a psychological technique used to get customers to stay in the shop longer. It is well thought out, and has nothing to do with Thai management.

You see the lines are full, you naturally take a look around, "Oh I missed that bottle of wine!"

Store just made more money from you by having less staff, and taking advantage of impulse buyers.

I really, really doubt that. What kind of logic tells someone that they should get one more item and lose their place in line? I would believe that point of purchase sales rise since people are standing in line with nothing to do but look at the goods on offer by the register. If the lines look ridiculous I ditch the cart. If I am really thinking I will check the lines before beginning shopping. If they are really long I will go somewhere else or buy a few items and use the express lane. I avoid stores that consistently present shopping nightmares. Lots of choices here nowadays.

Hey guys - don't get your knickers in a twist - My suggestion wasn't meant to be taken too seriously - this is a light hearted thread isn't it?

I just had a vision of qualtrough, sitting - Homer Simpson-like - at his kichen table, awaiting his beloved to serve him lunch, knowing full well that his coke bottle was empty for the umteenth time, and when she goes to the fridge and discovers it so, she rushes off in a tizzy to get the motorcycle man to rush down to the 7-11 for a replacement before hubby throws a wobbly.

Probably completely untrue.

However, when this sort of thing has happened in my household, I have got off my arse and done something about it myself' and - for as us farangs say - lead by example; and for the most part it works. Of course sometimes, I'm lumbered from thereon in - "let the silly old bugger do it himself if he wants to", thinks wifey.

Anyway qualtrough - no insult intended - may your lunches forever be a haven of copious, un-empty bottles of coke

Mobi, your vision was pretty accurate, except that for lunch I like to eat while surfing the net, so lunch is served at my computer desk. I would write more but lunch is about to be served. God help her if there isn't an iced tea on that tray!