Nuff Said

Glad to hear it. Lets hope that Bangkok take heed of the advice and implement their suggestions.

On a similar there, after making the headlines for all the wrong reasons, China Airlines appointed consultants from Lufthansa to improve their image and safety record, and it seems to have worked.

If BKK really does want to be in the worlds top 10 airports, it's management should invite the executives of one of those highly rated airports to evaluate what needs to be done, rather than bounce the issue around 'in house'. These people either do not see problems from the passengers point of view, or are aware but won't admit it because that would imply that they haven't been doing their own jobs properly.

This will also never happen, as it will imply a complete loss of face from the CEO down. Any suggestion that outsiders should be brought in would almost certainly be dismissed with words to the effect of 'we will sort our own problems out thank you very much', just like during the 1997 financial crisis, when the then Thai Finance Minister was scathing about a suggestion in the Bangkok Post that Price Waterhouse should be brought in to evaluate the real value of Thai banks assets and the scale of 'non performing loans'.

This airport will never attain a high international rating until it cleanses itself, once and for all, of the pirate taxi drivers, tour operators and hotel touts who constantly pester arriving passengers. But, because, Thailand is corrupt to the eyeballs, this problem won't go away, and it will remain a second class airport for the foreseeable future. They may have the odd little purge for public relations purposes, but it won't last more than a few days. They'll be back.

I just received a e-mail from the Chiang Mai expats club.

Due to falling attendance they have been forced to cut back to one meeting a month.

Now that might or might not be because expats are leaving the country or it could be no new ones are coming in. I don't know.

Or it might be because the group is run by relative newbies themselves, but who do have a business agenda to 'network' with other Farangs in Chiang Mai. I can only imagine some people don't need that kind of group. Especially with forums around that provide much better information on a wide variety of questions, such as where to find colonic irrigation.

The Nail, the Head and Hitting come to mind - the 'business agenda' is forefront I am reliably informed and networking for 'customers' and 'clients' the prime objective of the whole thing.

Sounds just like the Pattaya Ex Pats Club, with its vested interest 'guest' speakers. 'Networking' seems to be the common buzzword for such activities.

The advent of discussion forums such as this one will certainly have played a part in the falling attendances. With so much information available on-line, are such clubs really neccessary? The Chiang Mai Expats Club did produce an on-line edition of their printed newsletter, but even that now seems to have gone to the wall.

Actually the stream of foreigners moving to/living in Thailand and Chiang Mai in particular has steadily increased since the day. While some people move on there are others that are moving here. I, for one, hate to see people move away and that is one of the things that I don't like about Chiang Mai but it happens here and it happens everywhere.

Yes, I totally agree. Folk come and go. When I lived in a condo building in Jomtien, one with a high percentage of rooms for rent, the turnover of foreign tenants was very high. There were periods when rooms in the building were nearly fully occipied, and others when there were few other than the resident owners. Some were seasonal refugees (Frost Dodgers) escaping the European winters, with others such as teachers who were on short term contracts.

I didn't live in Chiang Mai for long enough to notice any particular trends there. But I will be back soon, and the sooner the better.

Thailand may not be perfect, but its not that bad after all.

And therein lies the truth that many expats have yet to grasp.

And therein lies the truth....exactly. Put some people anywhere, the best place on earth, and they would still complain. That is, unfortunately, a fact of life.

Yes, it certainly is. Even the most avid pro Thailand expats will find domestic issues to gripe about, be they double pricing or 90 day reporting. They there's the issue of exchange rates, which has hit somw quite badly. But that would apply wherever they lived if that country had, like Thailand, a strong currency and their home nations currency was weak.

I just received a e-mail from the Chiang Mai expats club.

Due to falling attendance they have been forced to cut back to one meeting a month.

Now that might or might not be because expats are leaving the country or it could be no new ones are coming in. I don't know.

Food for thought

it could be because the group meetings are too boring

In the 11 years that I lived in Thailand, (Pattaya and Chiang Mai), I never even contemplated attending an ex-pats club meeting.

The Pattaya Expats Club gatherings were extensively covered on Pattaya People TV, and the congregation looked like the most boring bunch of old farts in creation, desperately trying not to nod off while guest speakers, who often had a vested interest in the subject they were preaching about, such as insurance, hospital services or real estatae, had their say.

I can't speak regarding the Chiang Mai club, but even when I return I have no intention of boosting their dwindling numbers.

Thailand may not be perfect, but its not that bad after all.

And therein lies the truth that many expats have yet to grasp.

It was a case of 'suck it and see'. I am not making any excuses, I simply haven't settled here and am relocating back to Chiang Mai as soon as possible. I spent 11 years in Thailand, and am returning to what I know best.

On the advice of a very good friend in the UK, I offered my condo for sale or rent, and fortunately, although I did not realise or apprectaite this at the time, a near sale fell through because the potential buyer inisted on lodging the deposit with his lawyer, something totally unacceptable to me, and probably anyone else in a similar position for that matter. I then offered it for rent only, and am glad I did.

I was back in Chiang Mai in early May for a few days, it was like a true homecoming, and I can't wait to get back there for good.

Officially you do need to report yourself to immigration, in practice it is not enforced and nobody does.

Yes, fair point, I though that was probably the case.

Having said that, the cono's management do offer an immigration reporting service, but that's probably a convenience service for owners who are renting their rooms out for short periods, and not for long term owner-residents, or those otherwise staying in their own rooms. There are bound to be owners who are simply not aware of the need to report tenants details to immigration.

Aagainst the trend by the looks of things, I will be returning to live in Chiang Mai in the not too distant future.

I left Thailand for pastures new early last year, but haven't settled, and will be returning 'home' as soon as possible. Thailand may not be perfect, but its not that bad after all.

Thank god I did not sell my condo. With the strength of the Baht and the weakness of the Euro it would have cost me considerabely more if I had to buy a similar place at todays exchange rates, and that's without taking transfer fees etc into acount.

I don't currently live in Thailand, but still own a condominiumin in Chiang Mai. Three months ago I returned for a few days and stayed in it.

As its my own condo, in my name, I don't have to check in with anyone, and, anyway, it's not the condo building managements business. They don't manage my room, just the common areas and the building generally.

Should I have 'reported' myself to immigration? My condo address was shown on the TM card.

Perhaps he hasn't been paying his tea money, or his vendors have been treading on the Boys In Brown's patch.

Raids like this lack credibility, and are probably little more than shows for the press and TV in order to collect a few more international media brownie points. The police know very well what is being produced and sold where, and could stop the lot tomorrow if they wanted to.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/budgie_smugglers

Australian Slang

Thanks. I don't know how I managed to get through life without knowing!

Australia is full of interesting cultural items. In fact in the current election campaign Liberal leader, and candidate for PM, Tony Abbott is well known for his "budgie smugglers" when he competes in triathalons. Not sure I would want a live budgie down there myself and not sure wheter female voters are that impressed.

The lady on the right looks like she finds it quite amusing, but whether she's impressed is probably debatable.

The man himself.................

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/budgie_smugglers

Australian Slang

Thanks. I don't know how I managed to get through life without knowing!

No problem with board shorts at 700 year. Chiang Mai Land pool is another story, only tight Speedos allowed there.

Not true...been there a few times in my basketballshorts...no problem!

Basketball shorts 1972 style or 2002 style? There is a huge difference...

CB

Yes, there is. A mega differnece.

Does anyone have the answer to my original question, which is 'what are budgie smugglers', and has this anything to do with 'only tight speedo's allowed there?'

No problem with board shorts at 700 year. Chiang Mai Land pool is another story, only tight Speedos allowed there.

Also known as "budgie smugglers".

What are 'budgie smugglers'?

There is one Train coming a Day from Bangkok, the chance to hit that one is a little bit like winning the Lottery, just the outcome doesn't makes you as happy.

There may only be one passenger train in each direction, and that only operates Mondays to Fridays, but when I lived near the line there were also several daily freight trains in addition to this.

Yes, there is a train from Padang Besar to Hat Yai at 1000, train number 954, the 2010 from Kuala Lumpur. Its shown departing Padang Besar at 0900 Thai time in the SRT timetable, but that doesn't take into account the one hour time difference. Its due Hat Yai at 0950.

If overstayers were not allowed to return to Thailand for at least the period that they have outstayed their welcome, then it may deter those who regard ignoring the rules as an acceptable alternative to obtaining a visa or doing visa runs, and who also regard the B20,000 maximum fine as being good value for money.

A few weeks ago I took a taxi from Don Muang station to the departures level at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The driver and I were unloading my luggage when someone jumped into the back of the taxi without even speaking to the driver; someone who obviously knew the game! No complaints from me about the driver, and it was the fare shown on the meter.

Why are the Tourist Police involved with such operations? Shouldn't this be the work of the Soi 9 Station officers?

The Tourist Police undercover unit would be better employed along the Beach Road, rooting out the Katoeys who's pick-pocketing activities regularly bring misery, distress and inconvenience to their foreign victims, and help give Pattaya such a bad reputation.

What is the big deal with this? If you want to withdraw funds from an overseas account via a local ATM, why whine about the 3 quid convenience charge? If you are pulling ALL your spending money from overseas out of local ATM's two or three times a week, then that is just being silly and you shouldn't be allowed out with more than a five hundred baht in your pocket as you really haven't worked out the basics of financial management yet.

I would assume that most people with any sort of 'residency' here in Thailand would have a local bank account by now. So do a quarterly or bi-annual transfer from your overseas account and use a local ATM card without penalty daily if need be.

Yes, excellent advice.

As most ATM's charge 'per transaction', while banks normally levy a 'per transfer' fee regardless of the amount, it really does pay to use such services as little as possible and for as much as posible.

I top my Thai account up from abroad just once a year, just before retirement visa renewal time, and use a local ATM card for withdrawals.

Please count me in plus 1.

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This won't make you feel any better but I have been getting full speed for my line 2Mb for the 3 months I have been with TTT and Most of the time I make full use of the bandwidth. I may just be lucky, I also had very good luck with CAT until TTT started screwing with the line to get the last holdouts to switch a few months ago.

Totally agree. I switched to TT&T Maxnet four months ago and the service has been first class, with only one brief period of 'downtime' during that period. Prior to that I had been using INET Dial Up.

My computer is on all day and I make extensive use of the continuous on line facility. I've also subscribed to of TT&T's offer of paying a year in advance for a 10% discount. That's a far better return in real terms than any bank will offer.