JRinPDX

Idea for real-time measure of the economy:  number of foreigners' SIMS geolocated at Soi Cowboy, et al. 

I'd love to see SEA or YVR. SEA has benefit over SFO in that you stay inside the sterile area for your next flight. In SFO, you have to switch terminals and go through the full TSA rigamarole again. In YVR, (Just went through a few days ago from HKG), you do have a minor security line, but bags are checked through to final destination and US Customs in YVR just calls up pics of your bags. :-) Again better than SFO and certainly better than LAX. Plus YVR is generally a pleasant airport.. clean, uncrowded, etc.

Great summary, please keep this feature going!

An alternative: I have little wifi security cams watching doors and rooms when I'm gone. When they detect motion, they send me an email with pics. WansView (with Pan/Tilt) are cheap and do the job. Can control them via mobile phone.

I rented a Yaris a couple of years ago and hated it. (power, size, ride, etc.) On the other hand, I got my ex a Chevy Aveo and we both liked it. Better built, more capacity, more power.

Chief Wiggum

Uh oh! I just 'liked' this. Hope I'm not on some re-education list now. For the record, I was 'liking' the uhhh.. color of the uniform. Yeah, that's it..the color scheme.

It is indeed not common procedure here when the death is clearly from natural causes.

It can be done but very seldom is, and of course would entail costs the family would be expected to bear. If the family strongly feels they want it done, they can insist, stressing that they will pay for it.

This is a cultural thing: Thais are usually satisfied just to know that the death was natural and do not feel a need to understand the technical cause. Even sometimes where there is doubt about possible foul play, Thais will often just say "He/she is dead already" and leave it at that.

What you describe sounds exactly like a pulmonary embolism.

...you say 'possible foul play'...medical procedures do go wrong too!.. resulting in many post mortems being requested by the family via the Coroner to -

1. establish the cause of death and

2. clear up any doubts of malpractice, particularly in the light of pending litigation.

Can you pursue malpractice in Thailand? I'd heard the anti-defamation laws make it impossible to pursue.. and that malpractice insurance is rare. No first-hand experience.. could be just rumor.

Books;

Inside Thai Society by Mulder. (sociology text one of the most valuable sources of info I've read)

Culture Shock! Thailand by Cooper (beginner level but comprehensive)

A History of Thailand by Baker and Phongpaichit

Thai Ways, also More Thai Ways by Segaller (tons of little tidbits)

Working with Thais by Holmes and Tangtongtavy

For insightful entertainment: Travelers' Tales by a collection of authors.

Learning the language is an excellent way to gain insight into Thai thought. For language, I recommend the many free videos by Kru Wee on YouTube and the books and discs from LearnSpeakThai.com but there is no substitute for a personal tutor/teacher. Don't get Rosetta Stone, it may be great for other languages but was terrible for Thai. (I think the discontinued it.)

I've got a friend who's father is a retired judge. He's got a special sticker on his car so police can't stop him. Ever. Another example of how some are above the law, and act like it. No humility.

You wouldn't happen to have a picture of that sticker, you could post, would you? :-)

Is it possible to buy these calendars online?

Sincerity and selflessness can get him through.....?

The little guy doesn't have a prayer.

I agree... he hasn't been able to keep his emotions in control so far.

I once tried to book a flight with Bangkok airlines on-line . The passenger was my step daughter................when I tried to pay online with my credit card a warning message came up stating that " the passenger would be required to produce the credit card at check in before being permitted to board the flight". As the step daughter was heading back to work in Bangkok, and I wasnt going to airport to see her off.....................I couldnt continue with the booking as I didnt want my credit card in Bangkok with the step daughter .

Instead we booked with air asia and paid at 7/11. No problems.

uhhh...with all this talk about sugar.. .how about the rice?

A happy ending should relax you.

It may be time to invest in sat-phones.

Dave Dehart's Dan Dailey novels. (intelligence agent stuff... based on his real experiences.)

Whenever someone comes to me and says (with stars in their eyes) that they're coming to Thailand.. I tell them about the jet-ski scams (and the tuk tuk jewelry shop scams, etc. etc.). I'm always amazed at how trusting people are.. how little research they've done. A couple weeks ago, I had someone tell me it happened to him...in Europe! It must be a part of the jet-ski mafia culture, worldwide.

I've seen the situation, (in the US), where if you send in $, it goes pretty quickly, but if you send in Baht, it goes to another bank for conversion first.. adding *days*.

Yai can mean either big (likely in this case). as in 'big cheese', not necessarily in size. or it can mean old woman. My wife teases me sometiimes, calling me khun taa (old man), and when we see an old lady in the store, she's a khun yai.

Lack of accountability. (driven by priority of 'face' and institutionalized by anti-defamation laws)

It is not pushing for democracy; it is pushing for integrity. (lacking throughout)

My only comment is that if you get involved you can't back out when it gets dirty, so think it through. No one likes to watch an abusive relationship but it is their relationship not yours.

Very common for this to become a dangerous triangle, where the persecutor turns to the rescuer as his next victim. I'd help but find a way to keep arms-length.

Interesting.. this question came up just as I was preparing a similar list.. I'm going in for open-heart surgery tomorrow and am compiling a list of who's to be emailed re/the outcome (I'm expecting that to be positive!). But building the list makes you think.

I've partitioned into who simply needs to be notified, who cares a lot, but will then quickly move-on and who really, really cares. (Spouse, kids, sister, a couple of close friends for 35 years)

All my legal paperwork is in order, BTW and I encourage everyone to do that.

I can't wait to be back in Thailand in a few months. I STILL have to meet my tirak's mom as we met in the States. (My 2nd Thai wife.. maybe I should write a book.)

I'd hire a driver; done it several times and it has always worked out well. Not that expensive; you get to relax and enjoy scenery and (some) conversation. We broke down once (water pump went out.. random), he dealt with it. Finding a place to park.. not to worry; he can drop you and then he deals with it.