Dr. Burrito

3 - pretty nice folk unless you rile them up, but I think that's standard anywhere

I confess, I have more than one, I have about three.

Slicing - Turkey carvers live in envy of the turn my ball makes when I am not getting around correctly. I can only imagine the yardage I am cheating myself of when this happens.

Blading - I get rid of the slice off the tee, knock the cover off the ball and end up about 40 yads out with a wedge to make myself feel like a pro, then as sure as rain falls during a monsoon, I blade the ###### thing and send it scurrying across the green like a scared rabbit into the rough far on the other side. That is assuming of course there wasn't water there letting me drown the poor little bugger.

Topping - A fricking Jack-In-The-Box couldn't get their head up faster than me on my approach shot from the green, resulting in a fifteen yard topper that is an embarrasing, stroke adding, skin killing deterrent to me every reaching the PGA. Sadly, can't think of how many great drives I have wasted, especially on par 5's with this sould whilting fault.

Alas, I love the game nonetheles and shall continue trying to sure my faults.

Your sad fun?

Dr. B

Very few courses in this country not open to someone that can pay the green fee, so can't say the same applies here as other places.

Dr. B

I came over the first time in 1989 for a wedding party of some Thai friends in Los Angeles. I fell in love with the place, but life and work got in the way until 2002.

I've been here since then.

Dr. B

Also, and this is not meant personal, but from what you said in your original post about 'banning a member' you display a huge amount of knowledge of them, which was led Chuckd to post what he did I am sure.

In any event, if you are being straight, then refer to my Japanese rant thread for solutions :-)

Dr. B

I've a mate who runs an agricultural operation over there for simple economic reasons vs. Thailand and he is doing quite well.

Hugely long-term leases on property and inexpensive manual labor (some might argue slave labor, I cannot say).

Other industries, I've no idea of.

Dr. B

Cheers Moss, not sure what life changing decisions you mean but I appreciate your post.

There does seem to be too many people ready to made idjits of themselves just for their own amusement, this saddens me, I wonder to myself what kind of people they are! I also wonder what would happen if I met them in a bar or restaurant and started the topic with them, would they be such gob-shites then? I think not.

Thank you to everybody who had something helpful to say, even if I didn't want to hear it, some of your comments have made me think about what I'm doing and have also prepared me better should I choose to continue.

now, back to my original post - does anybody have any tips/experience/contacts?

Nikkijah

I have tips, experience and contacts. My first bit of advise goes right with some of the original responses, don't do it. But, as it is your child, be my guest to discover that for yourself.

I have produced commercials here for a few years and a few with kids in them. If your child is background, not too bad of an experience, but also hardly worth the chump change it offers either. If your child is featured or is the star, I sure hope they know what toeing the line means, whether they are tired, hungry or otherwise, because there are about 100 people standing all around them, a very expensive rental package of cameras, lights and grip equipment designated to capture their performance and overtime is damned expensive, so sorry kid, no time for tears or 'Mommy, I want to go home now,' moments.

That give you a small indication of what I am talking about? I am not being overly dramatic either. Ask around on this.

And that was if he/she got the job anyway after having gone to a cattle call of a casting with about 100 other kids, waiting in some crowded room for three-four hours for a fifteen minute, at best, opportunity to get the advertising and commercial directors attention on a video tape they will view to find the right little, lovely darling. You do not want to see taped sessions of their comments on their ideas of what they think of most children compared to what the parent thought.

Do you want to be a stage mom? You get to sit around a set for 10 hours or so, drink stale coffee, eat drying food from serving bins and watch your child do work that at best is presumptive, at worst is boring and tedious.

That ball over in the corner your kid brought to play with? Sorry, he's on the job here. If we have a moment, then maybe, but in the meantime, we need him standing by and we payed for the privilege.

Bottom line, if you kid actually likes it, I mean actually likes it, it might be cool. But getting a child to give an honest answer about this and risk making Mommy or Daddy unhappy is tough. The extra cash is probably nice for school later, but its an iffy call.

Contacts?

Actor's Central 02 5391770

CD Modeling Agency 023222048

Hub Ho Hin 026626223

Mode Models 026167691

P&N 023199251

Pinhead Casting 027168112

There are even more, but that's a start

Dr. B

Where in Bkk can u buy "Easy Off"? Do you know what brand?

Easy Off is the brand. It comes in a yellow can and yes, you can leave it overnight.

I always get it at Villa here in Bangkok, but you never know, Tesco might have it.

Good luck. I hate dirty ovens too. :-)

Dr. B

I use Easy Off. I know you can get it here in Bangkok, but sure about Phuket though.

Well, if you want to take the POV of the Thai-Chinese, I can certainly say they look upon indigenous Thais as non-produce, lazy or otherwise only valuable for delvierying rice and watermelons to their superior trading hands.

I was having this very conversation with my Thai-Chinese neighbor last night, him bringing it up, not me, and he clearly sees native Thais as not nearly so on the ball as he and his brethern. I state a fact when I say he said it was genetic, as if 1,000,000,000 Chinse living in China and working in menial labor positons were not the same as the Thais doing the same here. It was a ###### argument, him not getting the fact that out of 1.2 billion people, even with a smaller percentage on the ball, they can dominate economies through sheer mass alone. That's not smart thinking, its simply arithmetic.

Try telling that to a Thai-Chinese and get their ego check on it.

Dr. B

Well, as relates to goold old boys, beer and slow golf in America, versus say, talking with the 'golf professionals' running the courses here, you hit the cruxif the issue.

In America, ######s playing slow are quickly corrected by the marsals, who have not the slightest whim about telling them to get their <deleted> in gear, or possibly not be invited back.

In Thailand, neither the starter nor the marshals are going to say word one to anybody for fear of the repurcussions.

As to their lack of knowledge, well, perhaps the case, but its pretty obvious what is going on about a course and if they can't use a bit of common sense to perceive that, I'm not sure a little booklet will matter.

I will though, take your suggestion and get one printed up myself as an example for the courses and see what their reaction is. It certainly can't hurt to try.

Dr. B

Well, I confess, I would beg to differ regarding the above, as I also come from a photojournalist background. I am about the absolutely worst scenic photog on the planet.

Light for instance, even when it seems to betray you, if understood, then it can be compensated for hence my words of understanding it better than anything at all. You know light, then you know what to do with it even in the poorest of conditions to yield the best results possible.

Bad glass is simply an abomination peddled by Vivitar, Minolta and Sigma without shame for the consequences.

On the rest we concur I think. I suppose I should have included a sonnet on composition. I did fail there indeed.

Dr. B

Light!

Light should be like a lover you know so well, that every curve of her body informs your next move and decision of how and when to hit the button. Knowing and understanding light will make what seems ordinary to the eye before the shot, extraordinary after developed.

Glass!

Made correctly, glass is a surgically precise instrument that will never betray you, for it is faultless and sinless as a baby. It should be treated with the respect of a ticking bomb. Nothing corrects bad glass, good glass gives everything a chance to be realized.

Time!

Time spent slowly walking for hours down the streets of Bangkok, in the forests, rice fields and villages will yield unto you a variety of image encounters you could never possibly imagine. Without time, you will simply be sentenced to looking through others photo albums on the internet.

Instinct!

it could also be framed under the word passion I suppose, as they are both certainly intertwined to help your eye see something others cannot until you have revealed it to them through your craft. You can't teach instinct, but you also can't quell passion, so hundreds and hundreds of 'bad photo moments' will ultimately lead you to realize where your best instincts lie and which moments to pursue.

Dr. B

Hi John,

Not being the present owner of a farm & ranch, but having grown up on on and worked on it for my family until my late 20's, I would personally say go for it, but expect a lot of headaches and issues you never knew existed.

Start small, rent don't buy property, and experiment with reality until you find out what it means for you. Its the only way you will ever know. Start w/ just a few of several things to get the hang of it.

Things to consider though:

w/ animals

- They are a lot more fragile than they seem, especially around the time of their birth. You will lose some possibly many at birth or shortly thereafter to a variety of factors; predation, weather, poor parenting (yes, animals are guilty too) and mismanagement.

- You have to find a slaughter house that can be trusted

- ###### critters eat a lot, so find a steady supply of what makes them best put on positive weight (lots of books and internet material on this)

- proper care and maintenance of facilities and animals; pens, barns, fences, poisons, bug killer, etc...

w/ plants

- everything loves to eat them (rabbits to bugs, a to z)

- they are very very fragile and climate specific

- growing seasons may be altered by changing weather patterns

- need lots and lots of attention

- find the proper mix of poisions and bug spray yet again as well as proper fertilizer

its a long list likely to grow that can be either great education and fulfilling or frustrating, hard as hel_l work

Above all, for all of the above, your personal attention is required as much as possible or it will likely not go well

have fun and go for it though

Dr. B

I can't really imagine extending a shaft, as it would mean adding more metal, but hey, I'm no guru either.

As to places that can do it, there are plenty.

Great place on Ekkamai between 19 and 21, I believe.

There is Sukhumvit 39 Golf 02-2615708,01-6977966

There is a golf shop, JACK's, I think it is, on Sukhumvit 33 in the same complex as the nefarious Peep Inn.

Any of these places could reshaft a club. I am pretty sure the guy on Ekkamai has a swing analyzer and you may find they don't recommend reshafting at all. I would check with someone like that before spending the money. I am getting my redone soon, as my Pings are old as hel_l and will get an S300 shaft, quite stiff and ready to rumble as it were.

If I can find the name of the place on Ekkamai, I will post it for you. I cracked an old Ti-Bubble shaft on my Taylor fairway wood and they need a nice job of replacing it.

Best of luck

Dr. B

You're owed money by an Indian? Good luck on that one.

The Thai will eventually pay I reckon, but on his/her schedule, not yours.

Sorry

Dr. B

Hi QS,

Like Mark said, be careful with the club buy. Couldn't agree with him more, you sound like a good sized fellow, and if you are an athlete already, then you will overpower a flexible shaft club. I would even go so far as to say buy imported clubs perhaps, since the ones made in the region are more for Asians, thus perhaps a bit lighter than might suit you.

On the other hand, you can fork over a lot of dough real fast if you aren't careful.

I am sure they have some very good used clubs at Thaniya Plaza and for your first year or so, they might serve you well.

As to the teacher thing, I sure wish someone had pointed me in that direction when I first picked up a stick as a teenager, so I wouldn't have had to unlearn bad habits. You will definitely get a lot more enjoyment from the game if you've a good teacher and have the patience to suffer through the beginning stages.

Probably be beating my socks off in no time.

Welcome to the fun.

Dr. B

Hi Lodesafun,

I do hope things are calming down a bit.

I haven't yet sussed out if you already paid Suk hospital the 72K. If so, I doubt there is little you can do, but I must admit, I have never heard of a local hospital saying saying ALL BETS OFF if the procedure has to change and hitting someone with a line item bill of the sort you have received.

If you haven't paid it yet, please try telling them you are happy to pay the C-Section package price and nothing more. If they won't budge, absolutely won't budge, then its going to make for nice reading in some periodical like Newsweek as a counterpoint to all the medical tourism Thailand is trying to promote might be your next best tactic.

As to hospitals that can handle the needs of your lovely child, there are plenty and almost all have room. Don't be bullied or cowed by a doctor saying where she is now, is the only option. Child care, even premature care is well practiced by many hospitals in this country for many years now. Unless there is some specially critical condition that makes moving her impossible, Bangkok General, Rama 9 and others are more than capable of handling her needs until such time as she is ready for full-time Mommy and Daddy care.

Check with the other hospitals, get the rates and recommendations. Be proactive and continue giving your love and support to you child and girlfriend.

Regards,

Dr. B

sorry sir, but we are criticizing(critiqueing) his business acumen, not whether he will be checking into the bkk hilton.

Since all factors have to be considered in any business plan (look under RISKS SECTION) I think that is a reflection of his business acumen.

I have no idea of the locations of motorcycle shops in Bangkok.

Are they grouped next to each other , or is there an easy way to locate them.

An area i should look for example. Sky train stop Or Bus station terminal, Morcit ,Ekkamai or Sth.

I am looking for a large motorcycle must have the all important green book and be legal for Thailand.

Honda CB750 or Steed 600cc, Kawa Zephyr 650,750,900. just to name a few.

Not the cafe racer style of sports bike.

Any help would be great.

Recomendations good and bad dealers as well

Here are a couple of them.

Red Baron

Siam Superbike

Dr. B

Btw guys, what do you think,would it be profitable to import garments (high quality copies of well known fashion brands,such as E.Zegna, Gucci, LV, Prada, Hugo Boss etc.of the same level) from South China and sell it to local customers and through own retail network?

Waiting your comments!

Given that you have now advertised on a widely read forum that you plan on trading in illegal copyright and trademark infringed goods, no doubt, even read by enforcement officials of various government agencies, I would say your chances for being red flagged on this are pretty high.

You may not even need to worry about the Thai contingent at this point if you carry forward.

Dr. B

I paid 1500 baht an hour for ten lessons. He's that good.

But then, I'm rather over obsessive about my golf too :-) in case it wasn't obvious already.

Dr. B

Hmm, well, personally speaking, and nothing more than that.... <deleted>? But then, I love to drive faster than a bat outta hel_l.

Benefits to my selfish POV?

- Extra Sleep

- Improved self esteem at my amazing skills

- never being late to a tee time even if I decide to watch that extra ten minutes of Sports Center

- the ability (however minor it may seem) to think for myself, use some common sense and remember to use my mirrors, since most people can go faster than my rental.

Dr. B.

Big Tony who teaches down at 42 Golf Driving Range on Sukhumvit near ekkamai is simply one of the best there is anywhere.

He is Thai, but lived in California for most of his life, so he is American for all practical purposes. He found holes in my swing in a few minutes other teachers never showed me. Huge difference in how I approach the game now and tons more fun shooting better.

Dr. B.

Hmmm..... Wonder if Senior Burrito would have posted this if they were four white boys instead.

Hmm... I wonder if this is not the stupidest question I have ever read, but I guess I will address it.

I am not a racist golfer, I am simply an impatient with bad manners golfer, race being not a factor. That said, this is Thailand, not Los Angeles, Dallas, Omaha, London or St. Andrews, and the chances of playing behind a slow 4-ball of white guys here, unless you are on an outing with a group from a pub.... no pubs named to protect my drinking rights...., you are going to be behind slow Asian golfers (funny thing, but this is Asia after all) and in Thailand, it more than likely means slow Japanese or Koreans as the case may be, unless, unless of course, you are playing at the Army, Navy or Air Force courses, and well, then as others have said, sealed lips are more likely to get you home safely.

Also, I have yet to see very many tour buses full of Thai golfers pull up at a course, but I have seen tour buses full of Japanese golfers on a regular basis.

Simple math means you are going to be far more regularly behind a slow Asian of whatever nationality than a slow white guy. But, that said, I played in a pub day last week, and oh my Lord, I complained about slow white boy players to the organizer. Woo is me.... I must give up my Ku Klux Klan card I guess for having complained about a fellow member of the superior White face folk race of which I am clearly privileged to be a member.