Ulic

I don't mind paying the 500 baht but if I have an accident, heart attack, or stroke I am not paying the bill just

pointing to my entrance insurance and saying plenty of money in the fund.

I have never had any problem with my Acer. Paid 900 USD for a Sony that lasted 6 months.

Nobody has the moral high ground here.

Now Thailand can overpay for the trains and th Chinese can overpay for the rice and everyone looks good.

All the losses are covered.

In Chile they elevate the garbage bags about 4 feet of the ground on a steel post supported

platform. The platform forms a cage which can hold 3-4 bags depending on the size.

It is very effective and cheap. Dogs can't get the garbage, trash collectors don't have to

lift the bags from the ground. Easy for them clean for the neighbourhood.

Make sure those lifeguard stations are staffed with trained and equipped staff. I would be interested in

an Australian lifeguards inspection and assessment of the situation. Mostly from the point of view

of staffing levels, equipment and any extra training that he/she would recommend. Nothing over the top

but anything that is a must in the skills a lifeguard should have.

With a history of flooding why store rice here?

Fishing, now there is a guy turning lemons into lemonade.

Take a few deep breaths. Resign yourself to the probability you are not going home on your dates for the price quoted.

If lucky maybe, but be happy if you get your full payment back and lesson learnt.

The pictures make it look pretty wet to me. But ask Plopsadrop, he may see it differently.

Never had a call. I only hand my phone number to bar girls.

Common sense is rarely common in the western world. Why would one expect it to be common here in Thailand.

Thailand, where driving rules are considered recommendations.

Would anyone really trust a Thai government organic certification certificate. Even if there was one.

If you flee from the scene you should automatically be considered drunk and up to you to prove you were not.

" Do you know who I think I am"

That comb over is almost as good as "The Donald"

Reading the story I am still not sure what is going on.

Not so photogenic.

I have yet to hear from a TV member who has got reimbursed for a fraudulent ATM withdrawal from a Thai bank account.

Lots of good back up plans with sms messaging, small limits, twinned accounts transferring money from the main account

to the secondary account on line, with the secondary account the only account attached to the card.

I do take the precautions mentioned, indoor ATM's at banks, and cover the keyboard with my free hand but I think I will

probably stick to my foreign account from now on and use the Aeon machines with no service fees. Withdraw 2-3 times

a month the maximum amount and close my Thai account. The police seem to catch a lot of ATM scammers with

skimmers, credit card blanks, fake credit cards, but only when the banks complain. I am thinking that is only when

foreign banks complain. Maybe the foreign banks don't have to make good to Thai banks on the transfer if it is fraudulent.

The Thai banks complain about loosing money but I have never heard of them making a reimbursement.

Not sure who the bigger crooks are, the scammers or the Thai banks

There's an insane amount of ridiculous advice in this thread. OP lets start with where in Thailand is she from? From my experience in Issan very close to Lao border, if there is a wedding ceremony, sinsod is always paid, as in 100% of the time. Parents with male children, and I'm talking poor farmers and the ones not addicted to lottery but rather good parents, actually budget for this over their sons childhood as they are the ones that will someday pay it. Now, the parents are not really paying for it second and third times. And likewise, many of the ceremonies for someone who has already had a large one are smaller and sinsod is less too. But, if there is a ceremony, there is always sinsod. People with no stake involved discuss and talk about it too.

As for the expectations. Of course someone who makes more is sort of expected to pay more. It similar to the whole an engagement ring should cost 1 month salary in Western culture as opposed to it should cost an exact amount. But some other points to understand. Sure there are many scams. And yes it is done different in other areas. Only you can answer how much to pay, is it a scam, what's appropriate in her culture etc. If that doesn't work discuss whatever is appropriate in yours. Maybe you would rather buy her a diamond costing 1 month salary or whatever it is that fits.

I have news. With a massive multi year marketing campaign by De Beers that one month has been pushed to three. That is also gross pay not

take home. At least in the US & Canada. Look at the bottom of any Women's magazine that has a diamond engagement ring advertisement.

They are also big on diamond push presents. (push present is the gift you give your wife after she pushes your child out her vagina)

I am sure there are many good investments in Thailand but with US tapering in the near future, the Thai rice pledging scheme.

Protests from rubber farmers, Thailand technically in recession, personal debt in Thailand growing. Buildings that were never

completed and crumbling from the 97 Asian financial crisis still on the books as assets (like World Com, Thai rice policy) with

no write down. It is a bold prediction that the SET will hit 1700 by the end of next year. But it could happen as long as the music

keeps playing.

Not sue I fully understand. Has the construction stopped? I know it is behind schedule and has missed deadlines

but has the building replacement program been abandoned with projects half completed?

No new information in the article but some interesting comments.

The parcel companies in the UK are doing the same 'clearance fee' rip off. Got fed up and challenged it, telling them I had not authorised them to do anything. They told me it was too complicated for people to do themselves and was automatic. I refused to pay and cited the law that it is illegal to withhold mail (here anyway). They sent the parcel to me, and now I have 'customs clearance by recipient' written on anything I buy from abroad, it's dead easy, all the charges are on the web and I even used it to successfully challenge a rating band.

The problem is that this rip off now makes it not worth importing anything low value, once there was a chance it would get through with no charge, now the parcel companies make darn sure everything is presented for inspection so they get their cut.

It is the same in Canada. A huge source of revenue for courier companies. People don't understand, don't challenge and on a one off

basis are not going to do it themselves. My brother questioned it, he got given the bullshit story. He called them in it went and did

it himself as he lives near the airport in Montreal. Took 10 minutes and he saved $35.