jerrylee

my Mac Powerbook G4 is getting "long teeth" , so to speak.

The MacBook Pro 320GB sells for 92.000b.

http://store.apple.com/th/browse/home/shop...pro?mco=MTI4MDI

Would it malke sense to buy it , e.g. in Hongkong?

Never been to Hongkong, some savings might subsides the trip, or ??

check http://store.apple.com/hk

you'll save on the VAT for a start ...

please,

do somebody have trusted sources of informations or proof that PAD is paying protesters?

How much more do you want, up country it is common, I have witnessed it with my own eyes and ears. They are paying and in the case of govt house help people against their will when they wanted to go home, these were friends of mine. It is true.

Total Bullshit

I met a thai girl (a working girl) in 2007, fell in love, married her (Buddist wedding not registered) and had unprotected sex for a year and a half. On September 2, 2008 she had a headache and sore throat so we went to the hospital (Bangkok) to check it out. The doctor reviewed her file and noted that the last visit (2 years ago) she tested hiv positive and asked if she had told me (in thai). She told her that no but perhaps I should tell him now. I was shocked and immediately had a hiv test but negative. I was still prepared to accept this as a mixed relationship with some changes to our sex life.

However since that time, we have broken up and she is going back to work. This poses a health risk and I am aware of it. She is also planning a trip to Europe because the money is better over there. Should I just let it go as not my problem or should I expose her. I am weighing the health risk of others vs their family income (she is the breadwinner of the family mother, father, brother (who is jail but getting out in the new year) 12 year old daughter. any comments?

I am new at posting, hopefully this works

Most people will tell you that you've not signed on the dotted line, but thenagain, you can always do the Buddhist thing,

the ties to her is what you have to learn to live with .. don't cut ties and keep on looking after her ..

maybe she'll find you a minor wife ?!

Is it karma that she wants to work in Europe having learned some language skill from you ?

Well if you are one of those grey sheeps that believe everything your government is telling you, think twice and smell the coffee.

You remember recently they announced to get a multi million dollar firewal, guess what

There is already filtering stuff in place. (check how they blocked certain video's from YT).

You can check this yourself with a bit of IT knowledge.

All mobile and landline traffic is monitored for keywords in many diff languages with help of the greatest country in the world (as they believe).

Just fearmongering, the same as the Bush administration has been doing.

Nothing will happen on the 16 th.

Just another day.

ENDGAME - BLUEPRINT FOR GLOBAL ENSLAVEMENT:

this was released 3rd October 08 -

Full Movie ^~~^

For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest wars—creating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Low Quality Google Video

CODE: SELECT ALL

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1401104838790000398

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=zeit...emb=0&aq=f#

England is fast becoming the country of choice for criminal despots and dodgy businessmen. Thaksin has been found guilty by the very courts he once happily used in his vexatious litigations against opponents.

To now hear him whining about the injustice of it all is quite pathetic and sickening given his track record on human rights. Criminals on less serous charges would have been long since deported and shipped back home so what is it that allows him to stay happily in England?

If the poms are that desperate for people to prop up their overpriced football league let them have him. They will be the losers in the long run.

... saying goes that living in england is doing time on porridge?

Looks like the North East is an archaeologists and meditators paradise. Now what can it offer the other 99.5% of tourists? A barren landscape and somtam. Let's be honest, there's a reason why people don't do go Isaan. It's simple, it's crap, and unless you married a bargirl and her family lives there there is no reason for you to go near the place. ( But Phimai is worth a look if you're passing through).

the U.S. Dollar is getting weaker and weaker, so future tourists to the N.E. may be coming from China !

Tourist sites in Udon, that will take about 5 mins to see them all, assuming you haven't fallen asleep. I was asked a few years ago by a TAT representative what I thought of the tourist attractions in Udon, when I replied "is there any", she beat a hasty retreat, don't think much has changed since then.

Udon Thani alone has Two World Heritage Sites - Ban Chiang and Phu Prabat, fossil beds at NongBhulumpu, Dinosaurs at Phu Wiang, numerous old temples and two famous meditation centers - Forest Temple of Ban Khor and Forest Temple of Ban Thad. .... (Khon Khaen & Korat ... the rest will take pages) ... Udon Thani is also important as a gateway to Vientiane, Laos ... the best facilities closest to the Mehkong River.

Issan comes from the sanskrit word Issana, the region has a lot to offer but not in anyway similar to your Phuket, Pattaya or Chiangmai, issan offers holistic tourism to the domestic market and uniquely offers a view into traditional rice farming techniques, the famous fragrant rice of thailand smells strongest during harvest amongst the fields ...

<a href="http://www.ipernity.com/doc/jerry_lee/820084"><img src="http://u1.ipernity.com/u/1/7D/A7/763773.599832121.l.jpg" width="420" height="560" alt="Forgotten Thailand" border="0"/></a>

The issue is not with the cost of the rice per se, but rather the cost of getting that product to the desired market. Like getting a rocket to low earth orbit, where the weight of the fuel is the biggest obstacle to overcome, getting rice to Japan, the transport costs may be more than the cost of the actual rice itself.

Uhh, no. Japan places restrictions and immense duties on rice imports.

Yes, I'm well aware of this fact, and have stated so in many earlier posts before this thread. It is a classic example of government intervention in the free market causing the bulk of population to pay more than they should have to. It is well known that Japanese rice prices are some of the highest in the world for no other reason that this protectionist subsidy.

My point in the other post was that transport costs can be very high relative to the cost of the actual product. Just as with the US importing oil from the middle east, the transportation costs are enormous compared to what they could be with local production.

Globalization or Localization? What about a Rice Bowl Pact ?

Excerpt:

"Rough rice for July delivery rose as much as 44 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $24.62 per 100 pounds and stood at $24.30 at 3 p.m. Singapore time. Rice has more than doubled in the past year as China, Vietnam and Egypt curbed sales to safeguard domestic reserves, reaching a record $25.07 on April 24."

From:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...id=aNMSPsuJJ63s

LaoPo

Ideas of increasing production should only follow after ideas of how to reduce the use of petroleum,

otherwise it is still - use of land and water to convert petroleum into food !

I expect the futures price exporters lock in now, for November deliveries of rice, will be significantly higher than the spot price that growers will be getting at that time. Presumably, as in prior years, growers will be in debt at the end of the season. The problem this year is, their expectations of higher prices may lead to even greater indebtedness. If the price doesn't hold up they're fuc_ked.

The high price of fertilizers and oil means greater risks for farmers, the next debt could mean losing a lot more?

If there's any hic-cups in the weather or water supplies or polutions - they'll be royal "f'd" ?

what's your take on the weather this year ?

This is huge news - this could change the economy of Thailand forever.

With a tremendous increase in the selling price, we will likely see the same changes that other countries have gone through - inflation and rapid changes to the society.

We are planning to come to live in Thailand in late 2008 or 2009 - it would be interesting to follow the effects of this change as they develop. Does anyone have any forecast on what should happen?

The floor for being the poorest will not change, any poorer they will died off, it is good news for a small bunch of people who will reap profits from all these, and new millionaires added to the list, but most likely a new class of urban poor will be introduced, and greater divide between the two ...

Thailand can follow H.M. the King's recommendations to go Organic and aim at Self-Sufficient Economy!

bad, just bad for countries dependent on rice import like mine...

but the good thing about this, is that a rice crisis like this is just the jolt PH needs. i believe, this country can well produce sufficient rice it needs. just better support for agriculture, more efficient systems, change of mentality that agriculture is a job for the poor, less educated, and those with no ambitions (yes! white collar jobs are always desired here -- never mind if you have to work in a polluted, crowded, stressful city and with cost of living so much higher than your income) and less laziness...

Aries, I agree that the PI has the climate, the land mass and the workers to become far more self-sufficient in its rice production. What has been lacking is the governmental push and the necessary infrastructure to make it happen. All you hear from GA and her administration is that they will send rice horders to prison. Since the primary rice horders will probably be the crooked politicians that surround GA, it will be interesting to see if she will follow through with her threats.

not really the time to do the blame game here. if we have to, we would be blaming the past administrations as well which supported the policy of rice-importing than rice sufficiency. where did you hear about rice hoarders being sent to prison? i read news and watch it here, i don't know about it.

i happen to graduate from the this university which is famous for "teaching the thais to plant rice"... i did not take an agricultural course but a semi-environmental, btw.

anyway, one thing i can say how thais became more successful from their filipino teachers? the agricultural graduates of thailand (and india, lots of them when i attended college in the 80s) came home and taught their expertise to the farmers. the filipino agricultural graduates however went out to apply for jobs like marketing executives for agribusiness products like selling fertilizers, pesticides etc. with their cars, cozy makati offices, and other perks. but at whose expense?

population explosion (hey we are now 89 million strong!!! ) is also getting a big whipping. how much is thailand? there was a time i think our population was just about the same...

but as i have said, it is not the time to be blaming anybody anymore. if all those people lying all day and feeling sorry for themselves and criticizing whatever would start picking some spade, and planting whatever, they'll be healthier, happier and too tired to think of making more babies!!!!

good morning all!

The International Rice Research Institute is in PI and not in Thailand !!

you can develop the techniques but you cannot change the topography of the country

Does any one here know how much the Thai rice farmer gets paid per kg?

Are there any nationwide statistics in english around to read?

I don't know, but I'm sure there will be members here who have family as rice farmers.

This is a link for Rice EXPORT prices supplied by The Rice Exporters Association

http://www.riceexporters.or.th/price.htm

Statistics:

http://www.riceexporters.or.th/List_%20of_statistic.htm

LaoPo

Here's latest from a neighbour in Udon Thani (prices differs from region to region),

400,000 bht for sale of rice off 20 rai of land

the financially "smart" thing to do is to sell the 20 rai and put the money into some euro Food Fund ?

then it becomes a question of moral ?

Certainly there will be a few more Benz sold upcountry this year.

You are perhaps implying, quite falsely by the way, that farmers are the ones benefiting from these high prices? The bulk of the increased profits are going to the families that, in effect, control the rice exporting cartel in Bangkok, and rest assured they are already driving such automobiles. Some of the profit might find its way into Thailand, but most will never enter the Kingdom but rather will be places into offshore accounts.

Chaiyo!

even the big exporters are now exposed to much higher risk, risk of going bankrupt!

only the government will gain more taxes as a windfall

you can expand the area but you cannot make more water!

Thailand's rice industry is still reliies on road transport which means expensive oil -

For every millionaire created - a million children dies of starvation !!

none of the articles explain why supply is down so far from last year?

Vietnam had a partial crop failure.

so just a fluke and will be back to normal in a year

This year's first tropical cyclone was reported as earliest recorded since WW2, its not a fluke that the ecology is tipped un-balanced,

tropical cyclones hit at the rice belt of asia - now how many is required to wipe out the year's crop?

Let Them Eat Cake !

Turn all golf greens into rice paddies and charge tourist for eco experience,

a lot of water is needed to keep those greens green, so either green charges to go way UP!

or perhaps better profits for the club ..

Expensive food cycle is expected to last 10 years or more !

Take a look around at the rice whole sale merchants around Asia and looksee who is controlling the rice markets.

Chicago Board of Trade is one ...

Overall should be positive for Thailand as a country.

But would be nice to see grass roots Thailand benefit from all this rather than a select few.

When it comes to Africa and famine, hopefully it will encourage outside countries to help Africa grow/develop its own staple foods, and find more longer lasting solutions.

In the meaner capiitalist society: Those holding soft commodity funds should also see a good year this year. Though quite a few, eg Tisco's recently launched Agriculture Euro Fund in Thailand, seemed to have overlooked rice...

In theory all farmers can grow 2 crops a year, the bottomline is fair distribution of water, however, Long-term irrigation project does not offer short-term political gains, because it requires years for the results of any irrigation project to be realised. Issan villages that face annual droughts and are dubbed "chronic drought-affected villages". Thus, the villagers are forced to wait desperately for money handouts (vote buyings) from politicians.

Large scale factory farming produces numerous problems and does not necessarily increase yield, a more holistic approach is needed - The only models we have are that of a "Self-Sufficient Economy" guidelines.

The relation between consumption and water use

The water footprint of a nation shows the total volume of water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation. Since not all goods consumed in one particular country are produced in that country, the water footprint consists of two parts: use of domestic water resources and use of water outside the borders of the country. The water footprint includes both the water withdrawn from surface and groundwater and the use of soil water (in agricultural production).

The production of one kilogram of beef requires 16 thousand litres of water.

To produce one cup of coffee we need 140 litres of water.

The water footprint of China is about 700 cubic meter per year per capita. Only about 7% of the Chinese water footprint falls outside China.

Japan with a footprint of 1150 cubic meter per year per capita, has about 65% of its total water footprint outside the borders of the country.

The USA water footprint is 2500 cubic meter per year per capita.

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/home

.. also ..

The Most Destructive Project On Earth - Alberta's Tar Sands

http://www.celsias.com/2008/03/04/the-most...nds-from-space/

are these of any use ? please visit album http://www.ipernity.com/doc/jerry_lee/album/35002 to see evidence in large sizes ..

Ok, for those of you that are investigating.

Stop it!

Are you willing to sacrifice yourself?

like dirty harry said: "make my day" !

Thais can enter Laos without a visa, they don't even need a passport as they can get a border pass. I took my girlfriend with me when I went earlier this week.

i thought only thais living in certain provinces near certain borders,

e.g. Nongkhai, Udon Thani (laos can work only as far as Udon Thani), Nakhon Phanom etc ...