daiwill60

Only if I wanted them to become a complete brainwashed sheep would I send ANY child there, Thai culture is the last thing anyone needs and the education ministry should hang its head in shame.

DO not under any circumstances allow your child to become one of the I Pad driven moronic sannuk loving clans of Thai kids that dominate state run schools or any other school that is any thing other than an international school , and then bare in mind that your kids will get their grades no matter what their level of ability or education they receive is.

is this so u can all go to a bar together and speak welsh while ignoring anyone who speaks english just like in your parochial homeland

Hahaha, English Paranoia again. Do Thai, and for that matter, French Japanese, Italian, Swahili and Eskimoes etc people speak Englsh in their bars in their countries just to appease the odd English person that may happen to walk in expecting bitter beer and sausage egg and chips ???

Not many sheep in LOS so your options are rather limited I'm afraid.

There's always one with the oh so original old jibes, as per usual

Can any one suggest where a Welsh falang might find somewhere for a suitable get together for St David's day celebrations. I am in Rayong and know there are a few of us down hereabouts, but not made contact with any of them yet. Any suggestions in Bangkok or local vicinity welcomed .

Good health to all.

funny, but a friend in Bermuda just posted this on FB

http://www.causes.com/actions/1727080-ban-toxic-plastic-chemical-bpa-from-food-drink-containers?recruiter_id=166484843&reposter=621438&utm_campaign=invite&utm_medium=wall&utm_source=fb

Actually in light of this i have just had a really horrifying thought about this , what about all the plastic bags used to directly drink soft drinks from , like pepsi and coke , both of which are acidic and will as consequence release more of these compounds into the digestive system . also the inside of tin cans as i remeber is also a risk as it it lined with a coating containing phthalates. Scary stuff , but i stil drank 4 cans of chang tonight , Therein lies another risk , Formaldehyde or not in Chnag and many other beers, a rumour or not???

Most of the bargirls in Pattaya eat food from plastic and styrofoam containers and it doesn't seem to affect their horemoans.

Agreed to some extent, but it is a long term effect and on their offspring as well.

But have you ever thought why there is such a high proportion of lady boys in SE Asia ?? that begs a question in light of my knowledge of this subject for many a year, of this and also something I have pondered for sometime.

yep dont eat the two minute noodles in the styrofoam cups .the noodles are also coated in a wax to keep them from sticking together which has also been proven to be very bad for the digestive system. it builds up in the body as it is not easily metabolised. maybe we can still sue mcdonalds for all those years they used styrofoam cups for their coffee.

Many items ingested do not need to be metabolized. They go from the mouth to the stomach to the gut and out. Try it with pumpkin seeds or a food with lots of oil. Wax, becomes malleable when warmed so at worst, It just makes the stool a bit gooey . In any case, it would be interesting to know if the styrofoam containers in Thailand are CFC free. At one time asian producers were non compliant. Third world pass and all that, Same reason why China, Thailand and India didn't have the same burden under the Kyota accords as did countries like Canada & Australia.

I think they are now as are now , as are most countries , but maybe not all ???

There have actually been loads of studies into the effects of Phthalates ( oestrogen mimicking compounds ) in the USA , especially their effects on the hormones of will live in and around the everglades of Florida. Here the investigations were carried out in response to increased numbers of alligators giving birth to deformed hatchlings and the presence of many infertile eggs, to name only one study. Phthalates are compounds widely used in the plastics industry, to soften plastics, eg Plastic Bottles , plastic kettles, plastic bags etc etc etc and rightly stated do leach into the substances contained within them. I did a project on this back in the late 90's when studying my Environmental Science degree. No doubt this health bod in Thailand will claim it is a new discovery and that Thailand will do all it can to limit its effects, and be seen as do gooders, rather than try to discourage their widespread useage and disacardment every where.

Thailand isn't about to wean itself off plastic bags and styrofoam anytime soon. Just go and buy noodles for 5 and see the plastic generated. a national dish that requires, one for soup, one for noodles, one for chili, one for sugar, and one for vinegar x5 and one big one to pour i it all in.

yes and 4 plastic spoons in every pk of yogurt, despair!!!!

He checked his rear view mirror to have someone SUDDENLY cut in front of him, obviously 50 50 here but TIT.

At some point it will get ugly, I just hope I'm not close by!

For sure, and Russians are not intimidated easily that's for sure. Any actual violence handed out by Thais is almost certainly going to be reciprocated.

On the up side, an escalation of this conflict is going to raise the profile of the root cause (the cartels that exist for fleecing tourists through forcing them to use tuk tuks and taxis), to diplomatic levels (if it's not already there). A lack of Russian clientele would seriously hurt Phuket's hotel occupancy that's for sure, and where would the replacement tourists come from?

Bangladesh.

Myanmar, when the wealth of its citizens is surpassing the Thais, and they can afford holidays many thais cannot and can speak more than one language ie the language of Asean, but woah woah! kind of rules Thailand out as an ideal destination in the future doesnt it, if they cannot speak english? Myammar may actually become the next Holiday hotspot for many in the not to distant future.

you see!! to all Thai disposers on tvn, there are still good thais as well as the other types

Well, this will only stop happening when the Thai's themselves get so pissed off about it that a stink is made and things change.

wel at least it has happened to a thai in this instance, goo dfor them to report it. But a 1000 bht fine? What a joke.

Maybe it will only be a matter of time before what has recently happened in India , will be happening here , then maybe some one in authority might get their lazy head off their desk and really do something. Thailand is getting a real bad reputation recently, Kho Pangnan etc etc

I'm a bit confused about the article referring to debit card withdrawals as "cash advances" which I consider and altogether different thing.

It's hardly a wonder that Thais prefer credit cards to debit as every day they are bombarded with credit card promotions from retailers encouraging their use. As for debit card use, I've been in fairly large stores that said cash only or would only take it if the purchase was at least 250 baht. This is no doubt due to the fees imposed on the retailer. And of course the average Thai buying food, clothing and other items from small vendors and street stalls is going to need cash on hand. Since most banks only allow a few free debit card ATM withdrawals before tacking on a fee it would make sense they would withdraw larger amounts each time.

Another thing that baffles me here is that the debit cards are standard issue...no name or real security features. All you get is a PIN number as you would with an ATM card. The only time the pin is used is at the ATM. Every time I plunk my debit card down to buy something and then sign the receipt all I can think about is that I know that I just used my own card and signed my own name but they don't. I could have walked in with someone else's card or them mine and no one would be the wiser. Back home all debit transactions required the use of your pin.

Yes, must agree wholeheartedly with all said here, It was a real shock for me when i realised anyone could walk into any Big C / Lotus etc and buy themselves anything they want, up to the limit of my Atm/debit card, as non of the bank tellers even bothered to compare the signatures on the till slip and the back of the card.

I was always under the impression, when living in the UK, that the global financial markets of credit ./ debit card companies, Visa , Mastercard, American Express etc , where all united in fighting Credit Card/electronic around the world. But even when in the UK, running my own shop, I was also as equally shocked when USA , or some other EU nationals, would only be required to provide a signature and not a PIN.

Apparently this type of fraud is costing billions all over the world we are constantly being told in the UK. So, why is it so obviously not being dealt with, with as much zeal all over the world as is being implemented in the UK and presumably in one or two other countries as well (somewhere) or maybe not!!

Though it is great news for Bangkok and I, for one, would love to go and see this event. Though I think it will be a bit longer to actually happen than 2015, as the building of areas , track and ensuring safety for all etc etc, will surely not be in place in the space of two years. Oh yeah, one other thought, does this mean the end of being able to stay in reasonably cheap hotels in Bangkok in the future???

A couple of months ago chatting with a couple of ladies in a bar on Soi4 Bangkok, they had both been working in a factory and decided to find a higher paying job with party benefits. I asked them wwhich job do you like better, they say are you crazy working in the bar is much better than the factory, better benefits, better pay and a lot more fun.

Agreed,I have also heard the same story from the girls in Bankok sois. None would return to the electronic factories etc that they left to go working at servicing fat, balding, ageing, beer slurping farangs, so there must be something true about this . ( and yes i guess i must be one of them said farangs to some extent).

During his recent visit to Thailand, the UK Foreign Secretary Mr William Hague raised road safety with his counterpart , Thai Foreign Minister Dr Surapong Tovichakchaikul. The UK stands ready to share its experience in achieving one of the best road safety records in the world, and would be happy to support Thailand in this area.

Excuse me Mr UK Foreign Secretary but Thailand does not need any help from any foreign country for any situation. I.E. the USA sending a fleet to assist during last years floods that killed 900+ Thai citizens. They were told to go away, we don't need you.

You may even hear the statement "The UK is not our father".

SIMPLY DONT DRIVE IN THAILAND.... DONT take MIni Buses if you are traveling within Thailand... RISKY!!!. ROADS HAVE SIGNS AND MARKINGS.... but the drivers do not know what they are for.... the police know only after an accident to explain to the one who survives the crash. If you do take the challenge.... then think THAI and not rational road systems thought Internationally..... thais overtake on the left, drift into lanes, can NEVER follow traffic, use light signals to warn that they are coming instead of meaning you go first, Do not keep distances at high speeds. Do not trust signal lights blinking.... it simply means that they took the turn and forgot to click off.... If the traffic light turns to red, make sure you are not first in line to stop...because other will overtake you to beat on coming traffic. AVOID RIDING a motorbike and if you do ask for the helmet and hold tight. Drive safely and simply keep distance and speed and pray that no one on Yabba is surfing the roads in one of his highs....... Amazing Thailand isnt it!

"use light signals to warn that they are coming, instead of meaning you go first"

Actually i think you will find that in the UK Highway code, you will find that you are advised only to flash your headlights at other traffic to warn them of your presence, and to show yourself more clearly that you are on the road , heading in their direction. it is a common misconception and has actually become a common wrongdoing by UK drivers. Additionally, if you were to attend an advanced driving course or become assessed to be a driving instructor in the UK , this fact would very strongly be made apparent to you, as would the fact that you should not invite other pedestrians or cars coming out from sidestreets etc to move to a position in front of your car..CHECK IT OUT!!!

During his recent visit to Thailand, the UK Foreign Secretary Mr William Hague raised road safety with his counterpart , Thai Foreign Minister Dr Surapong Tovichakchaikul. The UK stands ready to share its experience in achieving one of the best road safety records in the world, and would be happy to support Thailand in this area.

Excuse me Mr UK Foreign Secretary but Thailand does not need any help from any foreign country for any situation. I.E. the USA sending a fleet to assist during last years floods that killed 900+ Thai citizens. They were told to go away, we don't need you.

You may even hear the statement "The UK is not our father".

What the fark? You absolute..... insert profanity here

On the one hand the USA offers help for the flooding and you claim 'we dont need you' but in the same sentance declare that 900 people died?

And the UK having one of the best road safety records in the world - offers advice to one of the most dangerous countries in the world for driving.... Free, impartial advice.... And you speak on beahlf of the Thai people and state they dont need help?

You are totaly and utterly off your rocker. Have another beer, keyboard warrior.

Never heard of Sarcasm then??

I for one am a little surprised by all the negativity towards Thai driving standards, surely this problem is not only limited to Thailand, but the majortiy of developing world countries.

I have been here nearly 2 years now ad have driven a car many times and my motorbike everyday, and yes ,there are serious perils out there and you have to really be aware of everything going on around you.

My missus would not let me drive here shiny new Yaris for at least 6 weeks after I arrived here, which was a good thing as it really let me become familiar with driving here, and i would suggest the same for most long term visitors here. As for short term visitors, then the embassy is right to warn, as it should be doing with all the other countries. However, te advice being given by the embassy does seem to be concentrated towards the short term visitor rather than the expat, which I do find a bit disconcerting, are we less important? Where is the advice for expat insurance schemes, in Thailand rather than the UK international cover included by the home country when travelling abroard? How does that little square annual insurance/ tax disc on my scooter work in the case of an accident ? odd that the expat seems to get a slightly rougher deal than the holiday maker in many cases with the Embassy, but that maybe the topic for another discussion .

I got an Aeon card about 9 months ago with a 30,000 bht limit , not much i know but it is handy.

I only had to take my Passport, work permit, letter from employer ( school) and my Taa bein baan ( yellow book ) filled the forms in and a couple of weeks got the card, no problem!!! Biggest problem is their online service and getting my statements on-line.

Their on-line service leaves much to be desired, and involves youprinting off a letter from your account to be posted via snail mail to their HQ before they set you up with on - line statements, this actually means you get a notification by e-mail telling you to go to your online acct and print off a statement ???

But it was easy to get the card, hopefully i can get them to raise my credit limit in the future as the limit at the moment will only just cover the cost of one flight booking back to the UK rather than 2, if i was wanting to take the missus with me as well.

Many physicians are now thinking the "must have an MRI" approach is not the way to go.

I can't cite but have read that outcomes are the same with or without advanced diagnosis.

This has also been my own experience.

After a lifetime of back problems starting at age 19 with traction for 6 days in hospital, the worst episode happened about then years ago age about 53. Apart from severe spasm I got numb patches, the loss of two muscles in the lower leg and foot and even started to get a numb penis.

On seeing a very squeezed looking section of spinal chord from an MRI I was offered a laminectomy on the good old NHS (how sad that Americans have to get insurance).

After some reflection I asked "What do other 50 year old backs look like?"

He said "You have a point".

I decided to hang on and to my amazement it slowly came better.

The numbness in the penis went, and one of the muscles came back, the more important, the other doesn't seem to matter.

I have never had such little problem with my back as the last ten years.

And that was from doing nothing.

Not saying this is for everyone.....only that surgery etc should be a very last resort.

My immediate advice when you have back pain:

Open your spine the way it was evolutionarily (like a four legged animal) by lying on your back pulling your knees up to your chest, and roll from side to side.

Sleep on a medium, not a hard, surface.

Take the old fashioned antiinflammatory Voltaren for episodes. In my sister (a medical professional) and me, it works about half the time, seems to often break the vicious circle of spasm then more muscle tightening to avoid the spasm (oh yeah.....that's the cause of most back pain).

Don't get fat, and keep your body in shape.

Thanks , been doing those things for last 30 years , and yes you are right, trouble is , since i have been here in LOS , i have let myself get very lazy and am now paying the price.

MRI Scans at normal prices, try Mahachai MRI centre in Mahachai Hospital just outside Bangkok

Thanks, Would that be Mahachai 1 hosp in Samut Prakan or Mahachai 2 in Om Noi ? Looked on internet , canot tell which has the MRI facility , tried calling number 2 which is very close to me here in Nakhon Pathom, but got Mai pood Angrit.