TimC

I wonder if the same people who obviously think it is their birthright to live in Thailand forever on their own terms are the same ones who constantly bemoan the influx of immigrants to their home countries.

My thoughts exactly.

Do not confuse 'immigration' with 'migration'. Immigration is a formal process that involves immigration law and government involvement.

It is the 'migration' of people across borders without formal immigration proceedings (aka human trafficing) that is irritating people. It is especially irritating when these 'migrants' and their agents are carrying drugs and AK-47s. It is also irritating to see individuals confusing the two terms either out of ignorance or the desire to mask the real situation.

I just returned from the embassy in Vientiane, and i witnessed a Two strikes and you're out.

The guy in front of me in the queue was refused a tourist visa, and he had only TWO previous tourist visas from Vientiane. Of the two previous tourist visas, only one was a double entry.

Good.

6-9 months of 'tourism', with visas from vientiane and he's looking for another 3 or 6 months of tourism?

hopefully these refusals are brought in across the board.

Can you please tell us ignorant 'farangs' who are trying to follow what appears to be moving-target (probably arbitrary) immigration policy why refusals of multiple tourist visas would be 'Good'? One more minor question. Can you cite the Thai immigration law where the absolute number of tourist visas allowed is stated? It would be nice if immigration policy were set by law and not by the opinion of an individual (immigration officer or not - such as yourself).

Breath-taking, the number of foreigners who think it is their right to inhabit someone else's country on their terms.

Come to the USA and REALLY have your breath 'abated'! Millions (12 to 20?) of illegals who would laugh at the notion of a visa and equally-laughable immigration enforcement, anchor babies, impractical deportation, high levels of imprisoned illegals ... need I go on?

One visa run firm just informed me that as of Feb 14th, Phnom Penh will cease issuing double-entry visas. They advised I go before this happens. Another visa run firm told me that Phnom Phen will not issue double-entry visas if traveling as part of a group. Go figure.

Simple soultion. Get a new passport. Americans can renew there passport even if the old one is not expired. New passport + blank pages = no stickers to count.

Simple solution? Simpleton Solution, I'd say.

Frivolous replacement of passport for any reason (especially for subverting a country's visa rules) might get one on a DOJ or State Department watch list these days ... or worse.

This 'crap' had better not interfere with my Cambodian visa run or I'll be writing the U.N. Security council myself to complain about the lack of Immigration Security ... or NOT! This is getting serious as it's beginning to interfere with tourism ...

Living off Soi 4, Nana for going on 2 years. It's near the freeway and I addressed at least the dust pollution by the following:

... boring, technical detaiis snipped ...

Even better, why not construct for yourself a plastic bubble suit with a filter mask incorporated, so that you can walk around Soi 4 without having to breathe the foul air. Hopefully it will catch on and the Thais will see a market opportunity for copying you.

Great idea! Maybe I'll base it on a 'full body-condom' - something that one would think would be quite useful in Bangkok.

More likely, though, is that the design would ultimately result in a rented, pressurized aluminum tube with jet engines

attached headed in the direction of a locale with some serious air quality standards enforcement.

As far as Thais seeing a market opportunity from copying a farang ... shouldn't you have another Heineken about now?

Nice idea. A suggestion for you would be to look for large area pleated HEPA air filters to place after the air has gone through your "crude" air filter. In America such filters are available such that they fit within about a 2x2 foot box that is about six inches thick. But since the filter media is pleated like an accordion the actual surface area is over 160 square feet.

Thanks so much for the HEPA upgrade advice and the detailed info on HEPA filter issues which I'm sure we all appreciate.

I may try it because my unit is squarish and it would appear to be easy to post-filter.

One issue with additional (serious) filtering would be the increased back pressure on the fans. I'm noticing that even now

when I completely seal the room or the filter material is dirty the squirrel-cage fans indicate by an oscillating sound that they are laboring, reducing

smooth, efficient air flow.

Another issue would be the cost of continual replacement if the filter could not be cleaned and re-installed.

I believe the degree/rate of filter contamination is much higher when attempting to filter outside air than it would be if it were only filtering

air within a room which, hopefully, would be much less contaminated.

In any event, food for thought and further research and maybe some action and Thanks again for the thoughtful post.

2) Converted an evaporative cooler to be a crude air filter and placed in balcony window, intake side on balcony.

Runs, filters 24/7 unless too hot outside. If too hot outside, switch to A/C mode (4, below)

Interesting. Where did you get that cooler and what does it look like?

Purchased originally from craigslist for 2500 THB (was told store price was > 5000 THB - a major store, but don't remember which) under the delusion I'd use

it to cool the room and cut elec. costs, but the increased room humidity quashed that.

It's a PerfectBrandz Electronic Cooling Fan (PBC-333) a gray plastic squarish 55 Watt unit about 62cm H X 31cm D X 27cm W with triple squirrel-cage fan.

Removed its castors and set it on a cabinet abutting window. Sealed window with poly except for an opening for the unit's rear intake.

The rear of unit has a removable intake coarse mesh pre-filter panel/plate.

Placed standard 3M A/C filter material , available at HomePro and Tesco and another of a layer of cheaper, A/C coarse mesh filter material

between mesh access panel/plate and an internal support grill. Glued foam material strips around the inside of the removable grill/panel

as a seal. One would swear that it was designed with this filter upgrade in mind.

I don't recommend using this or any particular unit - it was an experiment.

Another poster wrote well and extensively about HEPA filter issues and the absence of window units.

My research has been cursory, but haven't seen air cleaners that would lend themselves to being window units because of the nature/placement

of their intakes - apparently designed for internal room use. I fear my filter material is not stopping the smaller (and apparently deadlier) particles.

The two filter materials are washed daily in a sink and the degree discoloration of the water is rough indicator of filter effectiveness/pollution levels.

Noticed much less coloration/pollution during the New Year long weekend.

Incidentally, a room exhaust (and a clean filter) is necessary for efficient fan operation so I leave the bathroom door open and the screened bathroom window open.

During A/C mode that window is sealed with poly because the A/C compressor

exhausts through it and into the bathroom ... but that's another story.

Living off Soi 4, Nana for going on 2 years. It's near the freeway and I addressed at least the dust pollution by the following:

1) Sealed all doors with weather stripping and keep them closed as much as possible.

2) Converted an evaporative cooler to be a crude air filter and placed in balcony window, intake side on balcony.

Runs, filters 24/7 unless too hot outside. If too hot outside, switch to A/C mode (4, below)

3) Crude air filter is used to keep a positive, clean-air pressure on room as well as bring cooler air from outside.

4) In A/C mode, although not used much this winter, ALL external openings are closed, installed augmenting filters

on A/C room unit evaporator.

Did it help the dust levels? A little, but I feel the approach is sound: Allow only cleaned air into the room so that when

doors/windows are temporarily opened, the room's positive pressure prevents unclean air from entering.

Helmets are designed to minimize head injury ONLY from striking the road. They are not designed for high-velocity impact with other objects although, obviously, they provide some protection from relatively low-energy airborne objects. Research helmet design and test specs on the internet. One report I read indicated that even the so-called 'cheap' helmets performed as well or even better than expensive ones for road impact. Also, the helmet fit has to be very good and, of course, the chin strap should be fastened securely. It is unlikely that a helmet carried by the motorbike-taxi will be the correct fit for the passenger. Ergo: The passenger should carry his/her personal helmet if they are to be serious.

How many of the helmet-wearers meet these requirements and should the time come will the helmet do any good?

Of course, anything is better than nothing ... or is it not?

I'd comment more but have to rush out to corner the market in 'orange' shirts ...

Waen, a 47-year-old yellow-shirt from Chiang Mai, said she would not speculate but would follow instructions from PAD leaders, even if it meant joining forces with the red shirts. "We are just the mass, we don't have the right to question it."

<deleted> !

Chiang Mai, what can you expect. Not a woman from Issan. I keep trying to tell my Thai woman not to speculate and just follow instructions and she tells me to shove it.

Can we take it that she's an Issan gal ... or just of independent means?