Ulic

Thailand would move up in the ranking list if they included bar-girls in the test.

Hi,

I suggest you go to MBK fourth floor (?) and get a demo from several shops, then buy the one which suits your needs. You can get good deals there (but read my cautionary tale below too). If you don't want a smartphone, then cheap chinese or cheap old Nokia are probably fine for what you need, but be sure the features on the phone you do buy - keypad, camera capacity - are up the the standard you want. That's why a multi-shop experience like MBK is probably worthwhile - then you can treat yourself to the big food extravaganza upstairs!

best, Paul

My Fone Follies.

I have USA/ATT iPhone 3gs, wanted to unlock - MBK guys said expensive, like THB 1500. So I go to find an Android cheap. I settle on and buy a Samsung "copy " smartphone very cheap with credit card - not the real thing - under impression it had all the Samsung features. Wrong - it had most, but it lacked GPS, which I wanted. I tried to return- no go, refused. Thus, I disputed the purchase with credit card, and was reimbursed - we'll see if it sticks. Their loss....

Meanwhile, I decided to go ahead, pay and have the iPhone 3gs unlocked - alas, after four tries in four different places, I'm told it couldn't be done probably because I updated the OS. So, I shop for Android again, but much more carefully. I bought a cheap Chinese Oppo for about 4500 thb, and it has what I need, incl. gps. However,the processor is SLOW and camera is total crap, almost useless. However, those things aren't that important to me. You do get what you pay for in smartphones, imo.

Not a good idea to dispute a purchase you made. Could very well come back to bite you big time. Would be better of to just walk away from it.

Buyer Beware. But I do think going to MBK and testing some phones is a good idea. Plenty of good used phones there as well.

Another vote here for MrTaxi with a 100 baht tip to the driver. I am here in Jomtien Soi 11.

My mother will come for a visit for a couple of months in January. MrTaxi will be picking her up.

Personally I welcome it. Cheap insurance. Of course it should be more like 100 baht. What many tourists don't realize

is the insurance they have paid for and think they have is bogus with many fine print limitations/ exclusions so you are

not really covered. As you don't make a claim there are no issues. If that time ever comes, only then do you find out.

So a simple charge at immigration for emergency care, accident, stroke, heart attack works for me.

Rice farmers overpaid by 50% first 2 years, on third year complain the have not been paid yet. Some my argue

they were paid in advance. Personally when the whole thing comes crashing down I would confiscate the family

assets of everyone who voted for it. Can't blame the farmers what do they know. Someone in government saying

they should get a 50% premium on there rice. The politicians knew this was a plan doomed to failure and should

be held personally liable. Just an opinion.

I crossed into the US from Canada a few years back. The US border guys took the walk around my

pick up truck with the mirrors looking under the truck. He told me mine was the first truck he had seen

that morning that had its spare still. In the previous 20 pick up trucks they had been removed.

Apparently it was really going around. Takes about 20 seconds to drop the spare out of a Ford F150.

Wind the cable back up and you will not realize it till you get flat and go to get it.

5 Times a week when I was in Phuket. Mostly Kata Noi but others as well. Here in Jomtien I have

not been in the 5 months I have been here. Just the pool.

Wow, to me it just looks like a few pieces of rotten termite infested wood. Up to 250k baht per kilo..... Marge get me some lumberjack equipment !!!!!

The number of times I had people on motorbikes pull out in front of me without even looking in my direction!!!

The number of times cars pull out in front of me not caring because it is a scooter coming and it is full brakes or swerve into the other lane!!!

The next story will be US Navy to install screen doors in nuclear powered submarines.

757,567

Not 757,568? .... They may have missed 1 maybe even 2??

If you are going to make up a number you may as well make it exact.

The minister, however, said that the exchange rate is stable and the current tourism high season will help prevent further decline.

Again, how is it that tourism represents only 6% of Thai GDP if it's so very prominent in ALL discussions RE revenue? One must think it contributes significantly more than 6%. Perhaps even it's the one thing holding the country's economy afloat.

While I don't believe a word of most governments pronouncements from the Greek to my own Canadian , American etc. there are levels of

believability I guess. As for the tourism revenue in Thailand while it may not be more than 6% of Thai GDP it may be a disproportionate tax

revenue generator for the government. Also it is responsible for a huge percentage of foreign revenue generation. While domestic production

for domestic consumption will be a far greater percentage of Thai GDP it does not bring in foreign currency.

For me the big issue is the corruption. From what I have read 30% of a projects budget is paid toward bribes. The bigger the project the more money

to be misappropriated. With 2 trillion on the table a lot of people will get rich. The Thai debt will quickly pass 50% of GDP. This may be the

best chance for people to line there pockets. Once Thailand's debt passes 50% in will be harder to get the huge infrastructure feed troughs financed.

The roads are now just a little bit safer. They will be missed by none but there family.

Absolute morons racing against the traffic. The only thanks I have is nobody else was hurt

and these idiots will not kill anyone else on the road in the future.

This project has been dead for quite some time. Just the nervous system twitches now as companies

and politicians try to minimize loss and save face.

It is not money, that corrupts but the pursuit of money.

In general trees don't take well to grading. Part of the problem of cause and effect with trees is an established

tree can take 20 years to slowly die. While it may appear healthy for some time and continue to grow the damage

has been done. An arbourist may tell you to cut the tree down now, start over because it is better and easier

to deal with a small tree now than in 20 years when it will be difficult and more costly. They are looking at several

hundred years fro a tree not 20. Lawn mowers and whipper snippers can do a great deal of long term damage.

When planting trees research what is appropriate for the area, soil, water, latitude, elevation etc

A lady friend of mine tells me the demonstration attendees are paid 700 baht each. She has friends that have gone

to the demonstrations. They are not red shirts, just were red and attend the march and collect there remuneration.

Don't know if it is true but that is what she tells me. (Red for bread I guess)

The problem as far as I am concerned is the money needed for maintenance is skimmed into peoples pockets or

as been cut from the budget to pay for the rice scheme. Either way proper maintenance is not being done.

I am sure the staff on the front line have the ability. They just need the resources. This issue goes back many

ministers and many governments. The issue is when will the shit hit the fan and this problem be fixed.

There are many more infrastructure issues that need attention, the problems is corruption is systemic in the LOS

and unlikely to be eliminated as long as 70% of Thais think corruption is OK as long as it benefits them.

Not sure about the points the article make. We all pay taxes when we buy gasoline and alcohol. As I understand only 20% of

Thais pay income tax but the article implies they do. Most Burmese are here illegally and vulnerable to exploitation. So they

need some form of protection. Not sure what it should be. A loud strong voice for illegal workers may encourage deportation

of squeaky wheels. The Burmese record on treatment of the Rohinga who have been in Burma for generations shows there

government has little compassion for its own people in Myanmar let alone in Thailand. I think it will be up to the Thai government

with pressure from the USA and UN to do the right thing and protect the rights of all illegal workers in the country, Cambodians,

Burmese, Laos. I will not hold my breath.

I have been asked more than a few times. Several times on a layover. One of those in Copenhagen on my Toronto to

Bangkok flight, and another in KUL on my way to Tahiti. I had a one way ticket to Auckland and a 24 hour layover there.

Air Malaysia pulled me out of the boarding line after my Phuket to KUL leg and said New Zealand customs had flagged me

and requested the proof. Most people have round trip tickets and are totally unaware. The other times when leaving Canada

I just showed my triple entry visa and there were no issues but one should be properly prepared. One other thing, if you are

caught out at the airport and you decide to buy a second one way, fully refundable (VERY EXPENSIVE) ticket out to satisfy the

gate agent which you then intend on cancelling and getting the refund. Most important, make sure the second ticket is not attached

to the fist as part of the itinerary. Once you start the trip you may not be able to cancel the second leg for a refund. It needs to be kept

as a separate one-way ticket.

I have news for this guy loud gunshots during political demonstrations cause even more stress.

A bit of a red herring this violence against women campaign that governments and the UN champion around the world. Men are statistically

far,far, more likely to experience violence. From school bullies to gang aggression, to hazing and barroom brawls. If physical abuse is

learnt partially from life experience would we not get better results from focusing on ending violence against men or against violence period.

Focusing on violence against women makes other types of violence more acceptable. Just my opinion.

All I see is a guy at an ATM.. how did he steal data ???

The phrase "to withdraw people's cash" suggests that they had not yet done so.

By the way, ATM hackers steal the cash from the bank.. it's the bank that subsequently steals the money from the customer rather than suffer the loss themselves.

Banks are responsible for the loss, though, because they have to make sure that their ATMs are safe to use for their customers!

In theory the banks are responsible for the loss, in practise it seems they give you the runaround until you give up. At least that is the story from

TV members.

There is not a person outside Thailand other than Thais and a few investment analysts who specialize in Thai investments

who has heard of these protest marches. Let alone cancelling trips here. End of story.

I have had the same issue using my personal computer in airports and some hotels. Glad to see there

is a work around.