BuckarooBanzai

I seem to recall someone's brother closing the bars at 10, raising alcohol and cigaret prices, stopping booze sales between 2 and 5, and banning all advertizements (except for certain friends). Is anyone really surprised?

Time to "develop" some new nomenclature based on some more meaningful attributes. If any country needs to be in a "developing country" category it is the US. And I hold all the others supposed developed countries in equally high regard. To call a country developed is an easy way to overlook all the ways that it is glaringly not developed. Every country should be a developing country or should simply be called stagnant or in even worse situations a failing state.

I think this is some ones avatar but seemed like this might do the job.

i have been told by thais near my house that if they did not burn off all the underbrush every year or so that they would be taking a chance that too much of it accumulates and then it could turn into a very hard to control forest fire...no idea if true or just an excuse to burn it all each year which seems to be the norm...one reason i take a nice long vacation to a no smoke area starting around march every year...

Rice fields and cassava should be plowed under but some still insist on burning.

Eucalyptus and sugar cane are burned off just after harvest as these will regrow and plowing would be destructive to the crop. Eucalyptus leaves are a definite fire hazard as they contain a lot of oil and there are a lot of leaves left after the wood is harvested. I absolutely hate burning but do not know of an alternative for the last two crops unless you just wait for decomposition which can take awhile. I personally wait for decomposition.

Fire scares the hell out of me and I do not know if the typical Thai farmer has an equal respect for the danger of things getting out of hand.

Probably a good choice for limited weed control. Also for killing off Eucalyptus regrowth.

Works by boiling the cell structure within the leaf - no need to incinerate to achieve a weed kill

Most effective on young plants - established or hardy perennials will require more than one treatment

Ideal for weed control on patios, driveways, car parks, paddocks (ragwort) etc

If your handy you could probably build one yourself with regulator from Big C etc. a valve and some tubing and using a head off a standard torch.

You can always visit a travel agent and get your visa in advance. This is what I used to do. Never needed a picture though. If you take this route the travel agent can tell you what to bring. This is very easy as the travel agent "gophers" are the ones that go to and wait in line at the Lao Consulate.

This is an excerpt from "Encyclopedia of Reincarnation and Karma" by Norman C. McClelland - Perhaps only one persons opinion and more than you ever wanted to know but interesting all the same. It is a direct response to the basis of the idea of Karma.

"The origins of Karma"

The concept of karma, without doubt, had its origin in India, or more specifically, in northern or northwestern India, as two factors prove.

First, it is in India, and those cultural areas directly influenced by Indian culture, that the idea of karma as a moral element is inextricably bond up with the rebirth concepts. Outside of Indian influenced cultural areas this linkage generally does not exist.

Secondly, the word 'karma' is of Sanskrit derivation and means 'action' and in its earliest usage referred to the action required to perform the Vedic sacrifices. As such, in this earliest use karma had a purely ritual meaning and had nothing to do with the belief in rebirth. In fact, the overwhelming majority of Western scholars, though agreeing that the concept of karma arose directly from Vedic thought, find no evidence of a rebirth-karma association anywhere in the earliest Vedic literature. It is a mostly pro--Hindu minority of scholars who argue for such an early Vedic based belief in both rebirth and an association of rebirth with karma as a moral principle.

Exactly how rebirth and karma became associated with one another will probably never be fully known; however, it is possible to speculate that in the very late Vedic period, as tribal oriented village units were brought together into larger governing units (small kingdoms) social disruption of urbanization began to occur. With the resulting greater sense of individual alienation social conformity could no longer be justified on the basis of tribal or family ties.

In a tribal system the behavior of the individual is more or less the responsibility of the kinship group. If a member of the tribe commits a crime his family, clan, or even the whole tribe may be held equally guilty. With the breakdown of such a kinship group, a new, more individualized basis for moral responsibility had to be found. Karma fulfilled this need.

The idea that one's current misfortune was due to one's "own" past mistakes, and that one's future condition depended on one's present behavior provided such moral responsibility in the new social milieu. In other words, the concept of karma was a socio-politically useful doctrine and it was this concept that became the main ideological support for India's prevailing social organization, the caste system.

Evolution of the karma concept appears to have come about through two developments. First, rather than good or bad karma being the proper or improper performance of any one Vedic sacrifice itself, it came to be interpreted as the cumulative actions of a lifetime of performing proper or improper sacrifices. Such cumulative karma would then determine whether or not the individual, at death, was blessed with the right to join the ancestors or experience a less desirable fate.

Second, there seems to have been a reinterpretation of the Vedic sacrifice as an internal rather than an external action. This meant that one's inner actions or deeds became the source of one's success or failure in life. At first, this inner sacrifice concept applied only to the Vedic ascetics with their sacrificial-like self-torturing activities. At some point, however, this more moralized karmic idea apparently merged with the prevailing belief in rebirth.

With this merger karma would come to encompass everyone's actions, which completed its development as a moral system. The completion of the karmic concept most likely developed in the new urban environment because this is where it was needed the most. Not only was this environment the place where kinship ties were the weakest, but in the cities the idea of karma would have appealed to the rising merchant class and somewhat later to the governing bureaucrats.

Karma, as a pan-ethnic moral ideal, in particular, was useful for those doing business with strangers. Right and wrong, truthfulness and honesty in business transactions and negotiations could not depend on the capricious morality of "my group" has the right to cheat "yours." Also, karma holds that moral value, like a merchant's wealth, depends on a willingness to work hard for it; it is achieved, not ascribed. Therefore, the merchant who was ranked low in the caste hierarchy could regard himself as morally equal even to a Brahmin. The Indian kings similarly found karma a useful idea for uniting gradually detribalized and ethnically diverse people.

While the concept of karma as associated with rebirth, was probably initially looked upon suspiciously by the more conservative priestly circles, eventually no group came to benefit from this concept more than the Brahmins. Their position at the top of the social hierarchy came to be totally justified by the concept of karma. Indeed, as the caste system continued to evolve into an increasingly more socially inflexible and morally questionable system it would have needed some morally justifiable dogma to support it.

Encyclopedia of Reincarnation and Karma by Norman C. McClelland

http://www.edreams.com/offers/flights/airline/TG/thai-airways-intl/BKK/bangkok/VTE/vientiane/

Was curious so checked - about 230 Euros one way for Thai Airways. Quick trip but too rich for my blood.

http://www.thailandb...asternLine.html

Says 1st class sleeper is 1217 one way (private room 2 beds) Can not recommend Hotels as last time I made the trip was over 10 years ago and things change. Watch your possessions though as there were a lot of sticky fingers around. One guy even had his car stolen from Hotel we stayed in. Would not even trust hotel safe. Train option gave us a lot of room to take back all the goodies we bought on the way. Both the Market in Vientiane and in Nong Khai have some neat stuff.

Edit: There used to be direct flights from BKK to Vientiane which we flew on one year. But that was a connecting flight from Shanghai. Single ticket from BKK to Vientiane if still available probably expensive. If your rich and looking for easy flying direct is probably the easiest way to go.

We took the first class sleeper train to Nong Khai from bkk then bussed across the boarder and a taxi into town from customs/immigration. Do not remember about Lao Visas on arrival though.

I just read that Laos is the same as Thailand with regards to giving a 30 day stamp on arrival. I will probably do the same. Do you remember how much sleeper train is? also can you recommend a hotel near embassy?

See below. New Info.

We took the first class sleeper train to Nong Khai from bkk then bussed across the boarder and a taxi into town from customs/immigratiion. Do not remember about Lao Visas on arrival though.

Patriotism should should be based on what is best for the country and not what is best for the political party.

I did not make my post to present a biased opinion. There a quite a few things said on the site that are negative to Democrats as well as those negative to Republicans. Signs of a good source of information. I am an independent and simply against extremism and misinformation.

think not, www.waterforthai.com

Really do not have a clue what I am looking at except a bunch of meat thermometers stuck into to Thailand. One of those great sites that once translated changes into Thai - exactly the same. Do see the Nasa symbol in the corner though for whatever that's worth. What I see in the meat thermometers does not seem to set a pattern with the reds whites greens and blues of the land mass.

Any non-Americans reading this, does it surprise you that Americans are probably more politically divided than even Thais?

One Nation,

divided

Off its meds

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Released: June 4, 2012

Partisan Polarization Surges in Bush, Obama Years

Trends in American Values: 1987-2012

Excerpt - Site has much more with graphs.:

Why the Gaps Have Grown

Responsibility for the growing divide between Republicans and Democrats cannot be attributed solely to a shift in the values of one or the other party.

In some realms, Republicans today clearly take a more conservative position, while Democratic values have remained relatively constant. This is most apparent when it comes to environmental protection. Republicans also have grown far less committed to the social safety net in their responses to questions about whether the government has a responsibility to care of those unable to care for themselves and provide basic food and shelter for the needy. And views of the role of labor unions have also become more polarized due mostly to shifting Republican views on unions as Democratic support has remained more stable.

But in other realms, the values of Democrats have shifted while Republicans have held steady. Most notably, there has been a decided secular trend among Democrats in recent years. From 1987 through the end of the 1990s Republicans and Democrats expressed roughly equal levels of religious commitment. But since then, Republican commitment has held steady, while a declining majority of Democrats hold traditional religious views. The trend away from religion has become substantial among liberal Democrats in particular.

Democratic support for equal opportunity -- the sense that the government should do more to ensure equal opportunity for blacks and minorities -- has also risen substantially in recent years. And similarly, Democrats have become increasingly favorable toward immigration and view the impact of immigrants on America more positively. In both of these realms, this shift is not only due to the Democratic Party's increasingly diverse demographics; even among white Democrats, support for equal rights and immigrants has grown.

Historically, views on government effectiveness have changed with administrations. When Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush were in office, Republican skepticism and concern about government was far less intense. And by the latter part of the most recent Bush presidency, Democratic concerns about government had increased.

But the Obama presidency has witnessed the most extreme partisan reaction to government in the past 25 years. Republicans are more negative toward government than at any previous point, while Democrats feel far more positively.

http://www.people-pr...merican-values/

One would be led to believe that this is a naturally occurring phenomena which magically happens - but much more likely the media and other hidden hands provide information that in many cases is slanted and/or inaccurate, and meant to promote a specific response.from a particular group of people.

Perhaps it is time for the tinfoil hats as now that Ryan has been selected the two parties will be doing a lot of name calling and fear promotion but presenting very little substance on which to base an honest appraisal. This will be the hidden hands at work. When one looks closely at all of their records they probably have more in common than not as smart people usually come up with somewhat similar solutions to the problems at hand. Cut spending, raise some taxes, cut out loopholes and compromise and in general focus on the problems we are faced with in this day and age.

With a congressional approval rating of less than 10% we have not been doing much of anything lately.

I hope the majority of people can wade through all the crap, identify the good ideas, and promote a system where we lock out the special interest groups. If we can not I would expect we have more doom and gloom to look forward to.

To reinvigorate an old saying Power to the People and Down with Special Interest. And for sure after the election is over lets work together as non-politically as possible to fix what is broken. Both sides have good ideas and both sides have bad ideas, the objective should be to get the good ideas passed. IMHO.

Does any one else find this of concern.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Mitt Romney's vice-presidential pick, is a virulent denier of climate science, with a voting record to match.

A favorite of the Koch brothers, Ryan has accused scientists of engaging in conspiracy to "intentionally mislead the public on the issue of climate change." He has implied that snow invalidates global warming.

Ryan has voted to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting greenhouse pollution, to eliminate White House climate advisers, to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture from preparing for climate disasters like the drought devastating his home state, and to eliminate the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E).

http://www.huffingto...hp_ref=homepage

Of course it is of concern! This Ryan character while he may be a decent family man spouts political positions of the far right wing on every issue you can mention. For example, he is even against the right of a woman to get a legal abortion in the event of rape. I would like to see Obama campaign drill that point home. Sadly, the American public has been brainwashed by climate DENIALISTS so there is little political gain to be had by painting the truth about the Ryan-Romney ticket on climate/environmental issues. This is a very serious CHOICE election now. Not a typical and expected referendum on the incumbent's performance.

There is big money to be made in climate change pseudo-science and a McCarthyesque zeal to silence or discredit any dissenting voices. Another plus point for Ryan in my opinion.

Your opinion with others who share your view are the reason most documentaries on renewable energy are made in other countries. Simply put, the oil industry in the US will not permit their security to be compromised.

Brazil, which I always considered a 3rd world country, is decades ahead of the US in its technology and the distribution of that technology regarding renewable resources.

Any one who claims that the retreat of the worlds glaciers and loss of the polar ice sheets is orchestrated misinformation seriously needs the help of a good shrink. The technical term is denial.

All this talk of good money to be made with proposing that Global Weather Change is actually taking place leads nowhere except the furtherance of the loss of credibility the rest of the world holds for the US. The years go buy and the data accumulates and some shortsighted individuals still cannot see the forest for the trees.

By the way, most regard McCarthy in very low regard. I am sure Ryan would appreciate you putting him in the same class as a politician.

Does any one else find this of concern.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Mitt Romney's vice-presidential pick, is a virulent denier of climate science, with a voting record to match.

A favorite of the Koch brothers, Ryan has accused scientists of engaging in conspiracy to "intentionally mislead the public on the issue of climate change." He has implied that snow invalidates global warming.

Ryan has voted to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting greenhouse pollution, to eliminate White House climate advisers, to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture from preparing for climate disasters like the drought devastating his home state, and to eliminate the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-gore/paul-ryan-climate-change_b_1774436.html?utm_hp_ref=homepage

Should be no problems this year as the close-minded have everything under control. It is sad how the learning process is frowned upon by some.

I often visit my "Contents" page to see what has been updated but certain threads ie. "Where is gold going in this market" which was started in 2008 keeps showing up. I posted on this thread over a year ago (I think) and tire of always coming up on the list. As I have no more interest in this thread or in the gold that I no longer have in my treasure chest I would like a reprieve. I realize it is a very popular thread for some viewers so just want to gently bow out. Suggesting that "this market" may have changed over the last 4 years and should perhaps start anew is something I would never want to do as perhaps some like to go back to 2008 to see how every ones crystal ball has been working. Of course there may be other threads that trouble other members the request for de-prioritizing or eliminating a "My Content" page item is a real request.

Will be no Major flood in Thailand this year... been like a drought here in Buriram..

same in surin,rice fields all dying because no rain

Being in Surin myself have to agree about the dry weather. But the peak of the rainy season, at least in the Prasat area is the middle of next month. Around Sept. 15-18 and then the rain usually starts dropping off. So from an historical point of view we have a ways to go yet for the local stuff to do what it is going to do. Three days of a nonstop rainy weather system can turn a drought into flooding conditions real quick so all we can really do is depend on some 20-20 hindsight that we should have by Oct. Trouble is we can have a very dry year overall with a week or two of major flooding at least on a local basis. One really has to feel for the rice farmers who need a more predictable typhoon season. Would expect more farmers to switch over to cassava and sugar cane as they are much more forgiving weather wise.

BKK of course has to worry about the long term accumulations up north which take a much longer time to effect them as the water has so many miles to travel.

The next four weeks should be pretty interesting weather wise.

In Pattaya they also ask for copy of Thai bank book even if extension based on income, as previously stated, get copies of all the documents prior to your appointment so on the day you are not running around and getting stressed out prior to your appointment.m

This no longer seems to be the case. I extended recently in Pattaya (using a proof of income letter from the consulate) and they didn't want to see a bank letter. That's OK saved me 200 baht.

This is not about a bank letter but a copy of a couple of pages of your bank book. You definitely do not need a bank letter.

In Pattaya they also ask for copy of Thai bank book even if extension based on income, as previously stated, get copies of all the documents prior to your appointment so on the day you are not running around and getting stressed out prior to your appointment.m

Good point - always been a requirement for me. But take note - the balance is not important - it is the proof of some type of cash flow I think they are after.

Just out of curiosity for the past couple of years the Imm. Off. has required a signature on a proof of income statement that is all in Thai. Does any one know what this form says and is their a translation of it. If I remember correctly it asks for yearly income so I had to take my monthly embassy doc. in $ and multiply it out to Baht. Also just a heads up that you may need to know yearly income in Baht and not just monthly as from embassy so it is easier to be prepared. Saves having to borrow a calc. and do a bunch of button pushes while under the scrutiny of the Imm. Off. I do not like to do even simple math with a bunch of people staring at me.

I am sure the International Investors will be watching the Thai experts very closely this year. Do they have more boats for the river on order yet?