ronz28

Yes, I really want white LED lights to replace all my lights but so far I have only seen LED nite lites sold which I did buy. They produce little to no heat and run on less than 5 watts. I understand it will be a couple of years before they have them bright enough to replace a 75 watt bulb. I have replaced all the incandescents with the spirals but use the 25 watt one to get plenty of light out of it. We probably only have 8 lights on at a time so the savings aren't that much but they run a little cooler too.

It could be worse.....

In California Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.- Twenty-five leaders and associates of the Vagos motorcycle club were arrested following one of the largest coordinated law enforcement probes ever conducted in Southern California, authorities said. Thursday's operation involved 700 personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local police and sheriff's departments. "The Vagos are a ruthless criminal biker gang that virtually held our communities hostage" by dealing in "guns, drugs and death," said John Torres, a special agent in charge with the ATF. "Operation 22 Green," as it was called, targeted Vagos associates in five Southern California counties. Green is the club's chosen color and 22 corresponds to V, the 22nd letter of the alphabet. More than 80 search and arrest warrants were issued and 25 people were taken into custody Thursday on federal or state charges that included firearms and drug violations. Another five people already were in custody. The vice president, Ryan Matteson, 29, was arrested for investigation of murder in connection with a home invasion robbery in Lucerne Valley where three people were robbed and one was killed, authorities said. In a statement, Torres said investigators seized 95 illegal firearms, some illegal drugs, $6,000 in cash and two stolen motorcycles. Vagos (pronounced VAH'-gohs), whose patch includes the Norse god of mischief Loki, was founded in San Bernardino in the 1960s. The Spanish name means "traveling gypsy" or "a street-wise person that's always up to something," according to the club Web site. In San Bernardino County, two murder cases and two attempted-murder cases have been filed against Vagos associates or members, Ramos said.

I focus on preservation of capital when i have a short time horizon like one year. It appears we are going into a recession now so returns will be difficult at best. The higher the return the greater the risk of loss of principal.

I always look out for and give buses the right of way. I think the driver is usually doing his best to keep about 30 people on schedule and I am one who can make up the few seconds I may lose in giving them the right of way even though they may not legally have the right of way. However, busses should stay on their own side of the road and congratulations for dodging a bullet.

Another way to look at this is it is costing us about $3,000 a month now in total living expenses to live in a 2,100 square foot plus 2 car garage home in a nice area we own now plus two cars. I don't charge myself rent in the $3000 because it is offset by appreciation but I do include property taxes and insurance.

So... at a conversion rate of 25 baht to the dollar $3.000 would get us 75,000 baht a month and we would not be saving much if any for a comparable standard of living in Thailand.

We had considered retiring in Thailand but will probably stay in the U.S. as the opportunity to continue earning an income if needed is easy here and is very limited in Thailand. Although I can retire and we can move to Thailand at 25 baht to the dollar, it’s hard for me psychologically to turn off the earned income stream and no longer be very productive when I am still able to work. It’s easier to say “no I won’t go there” if the cost of living for us is doubling in Thailand due to the conversion rate, etc.

Entries & Exits Visits to Sixteen Trading Rooms by Dr. Alexander Elder

I would rather watch a movie or listen to an audio book while doing something else....than read a book

They do go overboard on punishment in the U.S....25 years for robbing $17 of burgers and fries from Sonic... Then another 15 years for shooting a hole in a van in a nearby town the same night. They should be punished for that wild behavior but no one was hurt and I am not happy as a taxpayer to spend $55,000 a year to jail someone over a bag of burgers and fries.

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/ne...907robbers.html

The internet is always there to give you a view of Thailand. You can watch Thai television over the internet too. There are plenty of books on Thailand and a few audio books on Thailand at Audible.com if you are not into a lot of reading. Also there is always a meal at a Thai restaurant for a real taste of Thailand. Our local Thai temples and Thai associations also have periodic holiday fund raisers where many of the Thais in the area will turn out for a Thai meal, Thai CDs, VCDs, etc. for sale and often a beauty contest....all to raise funds to support the local Buddhist temple. Look for a Thai association in your area.

Justice is a quick death sentence for the hit man. Why should taxpayers in Thailand pay a satang to keep the murdering scumbag alive another day. Give him all the mercy he gave to those women....none.

Wife did address the package to her sister in Thai and English but declared it was a gift with a value of $75. There was a small bottle of inexpensive perfume among the cosmetics sent. I guess if we do send a package again we will declare Gift- No Commercial Value and see if that works.

We have bought CDs, DVDs, clothing, etc. over the internet from Thailand websites and have never had to pay any customs or any other fees incoming to the U.S. It comes through our regular mail with Thai postage on it. Never had a problem with those purchases being delivered as advertised.

Well the $300 we wired from our Washington Mutual checking in Texas resulted in $300 being deducted from my checking account a $20 fee charged and then $20 credited back the same day, therefore no wire fee to me to send the wire.

However Bangkok Bank only credited our relative's account with only 9,518 baht on a day when their web site showed the exchange rate was 34.55. They told her she got an exchange rate of only 34 baht even and they charged a fee of 682 baht for whatever. From their web site I thought the fee would be the 200 baht minimum charge so I was expecting the account should have been credited with 10,365-200=10,165. There appears to be no way to send a gift to a Thai without getting ripped off by the system.

I think next time we will try a wire to a Krung Thai bank account to see if the fees are less.

I would wait the two years. I don't live there but from my visits and reading about cost of living you would need additional income to be prepared for contingencies. What if you have to return to your country and couldn't get a job at your age what ever that is.... could you... would your Thailand income be enough? Make hay while the sun shines.

We aren't conducting business just sending an occasional gift to relatives. 1500 baht tax for a gift to someone that probably makes 12,000 baht a month hurts.

I thought small gifts were exempt from Customs but I guess not so we will just wire money in the future for a gift and let them do their own shopping. We usually get ripped off by Western Union or one of the big Banks when doing that but we are trying Washington Mutual Bank this time as their Swift wires are supposed to be free. We tried it today and the out going fee was waived. We should be hearing soon if it gets to a Bangkok Bank account with about a 200 baht incoming fee and normal in Thailand foreign exchange conversion rates.

We buy large shrimp from our local grocers HEB and the package says its from Thailand and it tastes very good. I just bought a Cannon printer PIXMA 4300 that was made in Thailand and have bought other things in the U.S. such as a 32 inch Toshiba TV, ceramic tile and lots of Mae Ploy Curry, etc. all with labels saying the products are made in Thailand. They have all been good products at great prices.

My Thai wife mailed her sister a purse and some cosmetics in a gift package. Filled out the usual declarations clearly showing the contents were a gift but the U.S. Post Office quoted her a price for air mail with insurance. U.S. Post office is doing that now to up-sell the customer and wife went for it although she could have rejected the insurance and sent it surface mail as she has in the past. She paid a total of $35 for postage and the insurance of the contents of the package was put at $75. U.S. Post Office told her the person would need to sign for the package too which my wife thought was a good idea since mail with pictures and a card both with a $20 she has sent have never reached her sister. Do they have money detectors at the post office?

So wife gets a call from sister in Thailand saying post office charged her 1500 baht as tax to receive the package. We have never had this happen before and would like to know if there has been a change in rules or what? Wife was so upset she could not sleep and vows to never send anything to Thailand again.

Another vote for Firefox here. Internet explorer often crashes on me and almost always if I turn the wheel on my mouse. Firefox is faster anyway.

"Economics indeed. My brother in law is a Thai Copper of 13 years. He still only earns 10,000 Baht a month. Why would he worry about the case of the Murdered Dane when he could be looking at his stocks on the net which earn him Triple that of his wage each month.............

Classic example of the way an overworked, under resourced, underpaid police force react to things. "

Ok, if that's the way it is then to get this murderer in jail it seems to me the Dane's buddies and other farangs need to consider some overtime pay for the investigators to get on the case and the murderer in jail. One way this open hunting season on Farangs might stop is that it is understood that the Farangs will get together and support the murder investigators so that prime suspects are not released unless they are cleared. Are the suspects families offering money to keep them out of jail and no similar interest is coming from the Farangs? It may not take much overtime pay but it might take something.

Her video and pictures are at the Miss Universe website at http://www.missuniverse.com/delegates/2007/files/TH.html

Best:

Thai

Mexican

Chinese

German Bakery Deserts

American BBQ

Italian

Worst:

English

Japanese (no flavor to me)

It is said that southern California has the best Mexican food in the world. For fast Mexican food my Thai wife and and now grown-up daughters have always preferred Taco Cabana here in Texas. The look of the Mexican style architecture of the place, lush exterior tropical plants. banana, etc. and outside patio make it a fun place to eat at. The margaritas are a definite and unusual plus for a fast food restaurant here and is something my wife and I always enjoy. The grilled fajitas, chicken quesadillas, Taco plate and the Super Tex-Mex combo plate are our favorites. Here is a picture of the place http://www.tacocabana.com/company/history.asp. I have your website bookmarked and hope a map will be added so we can visit next time we are in Thailand. Hope your venture is a success.

Small text is no problem on browsing the internet. Just hold down the control key and press the + bar to increase the text size or - to make it smaller. Works for the current versions of Firefox an internet explorer but I like Firefox best. I use 1280X1024 on my desktop 17 inch monitor with some adjustments for large text in application windows. Plan to upgrade to LCD screen but haven't taken time to shop for it yet.

Why are the gyms so expensive in Thailand. I pay less than $19 U.S. per month for Gold's Gym in Austin. I paid an initiation fee of about $75 in 1987 and been paying the same $19 monthly fee ever since. Its a little more now to join but not much. Is it really $100 a month to go to a gym in BKK????

I am sad to read of the tragic end to these young girls’ lives. My condolences to their loved ones, relatives and friends. Life is too precious to end this way and affects all of us. I admire the ladies' trust in other people to allow them to safely vacation and watch daybreak on the beach in Pattaya

For the coward that violated that trust and killed these defense young ladies, I hope you get the justice you deserve… at least jail for the rest of your miserable life.