55Jay

There was a very successful "Five Star" steak house in Jomtien, it became very popular with Gay people, especially the "Gay and Grey" set who are usually financially secure, resident here, and love to party with their friends.

A homophobic rumor started after the gay manager was dismissed, Gay people avoided it in droves. The place has now been empty for quite a few years.

If the rumors were conflated or just plain false, and the gay manager was sacked for justifiable, professional reasons, do you think an organized, punitive boycott by "the gays" is right?

There's a curious taint of hypocrisy in there somewhere, can't quite put my finger on it.

I acclimate just like anyone else of course, but after many summers in the Gulf "sand pit", I try to keep Thailand's "heat" in perspective.

Why are people feeding this troll?

Sunday afternoon. Nothing better to do than finish my tax return. This is more amusing.

Is she really a "farmer"?

Did you pay for the rubber plantation start up, or was it an existing "venture" funded by her, or someone else, before you entered the scene? If the latter, it would hinge on "full disclosure" once you guys decided to hook up. Depending on finances, I wouldn't be inclined to supplement a failing farm business I had no knowledge of or vested interest in.

Sometimes you have to be selfish to save yourself, else be on here 3 more years from now, bitter about being strung along and taken for an idiot for 6 years. Most of the guys on here would laugh and say you shoulda left 3 years earlier.

In the video, they died because they installed "gas", very trendy thing for Thai car drivers, and it got caught on flames. Had they didn't install it, they'd still be alive.

If you don't know what "gas" is just ask any Thai person near you. Don't say gas, say "gat"

There's no way of knowing if they would have survived or not, but I wouldn't like my chances after being rear ended at 200 kmph by a car that would weigh twice as much.

You die already from the force of the impact in this special case.

Also it was reported that the rear axle was struck in the front seats.

The gas and fire was just a secondary reaction.

One for Newton and mathematically inclined TV members, reasonable assumptions required:

As to the OP's question then, re: pick up trucks, in this scenario, with 4 or 6 feet of additional chassis out the back (depending on model), wouldn't that additional mass absorb/diffuse more of Merc's transferred energy?

Granted, the pick up would still be sent careening forward/right angle, at which point a higher COG, presumed stiffer suspension and potentially unfavorable driver input to the controls, if any, may well increase probability of a roll over. Either before or after colliding with the concrete barrier under fly-over piling.

Did anyone die in this accident ? Focus people got out OK before it burned ?

This story is on today's Thai Visa Bulletin video on the Home page. The two young people in the small car were killed. There is controversy over the investigation of the Mercedes driver.

Even though the I/O knows I am not yet 50, she joked around the other day saying I should do retirement extension instead of marriage. I raised an eyebrow, smiled and said yes, I'm aging as fast as I can.

It doesn't matter.

Just drive 60kph in the far right lane of a 120kph highway and other cars will avoid you, which is probably what the idiot in the black fast mover was doing in the OP video.

To be fair to the person in the far right lane, he/she was prolly just rolling along at the speed limit without a care in the world.

Indeed. Was being facetious.

I just watched an extended version of the OP. Merc vs. a small compact Ford. Tragic.

Thais rumor that Thaksin knew who had it. The rest is history.

It doesn't matter.

Just drive 60kph in the far right lane of a 120kph highway and other cars will avoid you, which is probably what the idiot in the black fast mover was doing in the OP video.

Queue next article on the plight of the fisherman.

The more you take, the more you make, and everybody wants to make more now, regardless it will lead to less later.

A real conundrum for a growing human population.

There is no possible way that this man could have came up with the idea on his own to steal these diamonds. How many Thai laborers or anyone else could even recognize diamonds and evaluate their worth. He was a pawn of powerful interests that thought they could get away with the theft and make huge profits. When it all started to go bad- people were killed to cover a trail. the thief is alive because he does not fully know the complete chain of events and what he does know will never be revealed. The General who went to prison knows the complete story but he will never reveal the facts because he wants to remain alive.

Saudi Arabia will never restore full relations with Thailand until there is a resolution to the murder of their citizens in Thailand. For the greed of a few, so many have suffered.

I read the story from some of the links provided earlier. I found it a bit odd that the rich Saudi Prince who could afford the gems and jewelry as described, would keep it in a safe able to be pried open with a screw driver ~ or so the story goes. Perhaps the Prince believed none of the slaves would ever be ballsy enough to steal it.

The Thai ex-gardener was incredibly lucky shipping it all back to Thailand via DHL. From what I've read on TVF, DHL/Fedex shipments invariably get the once-over on arrival more than the regular post. Maybe it was more lax all those years ago.

Japan just apologized to Thailand for the actions of some skinny dippers in Hua Hin.

Did Thailand apologize to Saudi Arabia?

I hope this babbling mish mash of an article makes more sense in Thai.

It does, but not much. Khun Wanchai is basically arguing about semantics, which of course is totally silly when it's hot enough out there to melt asphalt. I guess I've been here too long because I actually enjoy this kind of ridiculousness.

I was actually curious about that, so thanks for answering!

Get out there and cycle. Did an 80k ride yesterday 37 degree heat, no ill effects. Watch out for numbing of the hands, the first sign of overheating. Next, the legs feel very tired, the body telling you to stop and seek shade [urgently]. After 5.30 pm, the sun's impact is much less, and then dusk, which is a pleasure to ride in. I drank 5 liters of water in 2hours and 40 minutes.

Perhaps not the best course of action for many of our senior members.

Are you hard over on using Turbo Tax? I switched to TaxAct last year. Less expensive and does the deed.

I re-registered today, phone number optional.

I hope this babbling mish mash of an article makes more sense in Thai.

So now I know two banks that can do a print in the book without transaction: Krungsri and SCB (as I experienced)

Bangkok Bank no problem.

Nitpickers at immigration. Not the first that I read.

Remember some recent thread: photocopies not centered correctly, pictures of house not sufficient etc.pp.

Odd you mention that. The I/O and the receptionist who pre-screens the packages, told my wife today that they often have "problems" like this with those who use Krungsi, and that the bank seems unwilling to amend their process to accommodate the preferences of Immigration. They also mentioned they don't have any problems with Bangkok Bank.

Made me wonder if, as soon as they saw my Krungsi letter, they knew what to look for. Yep, here's "another one".

I didn't have a same day entry in my bank book last year, but balance matched the bank letter and there wasn't an issue.

Oh well, that was last year.

Edit: I'm not an Imm axe grinder, this is the first hiccup I've ever had in 4 years of extensions. Thought I would post for the benefit of anyone else getting ready to do an extension, Krungsi, etc..

Went for the annual extension at Korat yesterday, using money in the bank, same as last year.

Picked up the letter at Krungsi and had them update bank book to ensure balance matched the letter. They did, last entry was interest paid on 26 February 2016, no other activity since and balance matched the bank letter, dated 15 March 2016. 100 Baht for the letter, off we went to Immigration.

Same I/O as last year but she rejected the letter and my book. Said that in addition to matching balances, the date of the last bank book entry had to be the same date as the letter.

Back at the bank, Manager said their system could not create a bank book entry without a transaction. Before I could suggest the obvious solution, my wife put the bank manager on the phone with the I/O, who said to print out a query/statement of my account, ensuring it displayed 15 March on it somewhere, sign and put the bank stamp on it. Did that and, of course, it was an exact, mirror image of what's in the bank book, just on A4 paper, and with "15 March 2016" at the top of the print out. Seems to be a duplication of the official bank letter's function.

Back to Imm today, no problems. They virtually ignored the bank letter and highlighted the date and balance on the computer print out page.

I understand they probably wanted to ensure I hadn't removed the money between 26 February and 15 March and/or that the bank letter wasn't fraudulent. Didn't have this problem last year. Next time, I'll deposit then withdrawal 1 Baht to ensure balances AND dates line up with the bank letter.

The bank are lying to you. I have a Kasikorn savings account which I got whilst on an Ed visa.

Make sure you ask for a savings account, not a 'current' account.

Do you get yearly extensions based on retirement ? This requires a bank account doesn't it ?

When was this? I tried about 2 years ago and was denied. I have a feeling different banks probably have different policies......

A bank has a single policy, it's the branches that fail to comply in a consistent manner, for various reasons.

If the particular brand, services, and branch location is important to you, as it is/was for me, then delicate persistence will very likely, lead to success. Pick your battles, and all that.

If any old bank and branch location will suffice, and you've got options and time, then sure, just walk around until you find one that does the job first time.

I congratulate you to this, but for me it is too difficult if I am not backed up by a Thai who is higher in class than the clerk.

The clerks (not only in the banks) come up with so awkward reasons and if you try to explain it, you get either another awkward reason or no hab.

I suppose that could be one of the nuances at play in some cases, caste/appearances matter in human societies, sadly, quite a bit so in Thailand, Asia in general, from what I've gather. And yes, sometimes the bureaucratic technicalities from officious little people, are enough to make you laugh out loud, or pull your hair out. Chok dee.

I already rejected Cleveland but I thought it was worth considering based on high level big city cultural offerings with housing bargains. To me in a similar category as Rochester and Pittsburgh.

Yes I remember Chicago winters. Not fondly.

I worked for a company that asked to relocate to Philly. As part of my research, I also visited Pittsburgh. I said no. They fired me. And I was happy. It's a very depressing part of the US. IMHO. Wifey hated it also...

The lovely Rust Belt. Hard winters there.

Oddly enough, I stumbled across an article just 2 days ago, naming the ex-coal cracking Euro immigrant town I spent a a handful of years in my early youth, Glen Lyon, PA (about 4 hours from Pitts) the "most depressed place in PA". I've been back there a few times over the decades, drive through, walk in the woods, nice memories, but the poverty and crushing despair was evident, band aided with alcohol and drug abuse.

The old adage sprang to mind ~ "A great place to be from! Not a good place to go back to".

7 Eleven is no longer a store of convenience, its a store of inconvenience what with hordes of people paying their bills at the counter causing long queues, now we can expect flocks of illiterate Burmese to supplement those queues. I will take my business elsewhere.

I am sure 7/11 will be devestated at this news

If this plays out like the cynics anticipate, which isn't a completely unrealistic view in this scenario, then yes, in time, nature will take its course, and 7-11 will terminate this program. (Edit: Assuming it even gets off the ground to begin with.)

You'll know by the collective sigh of relief from their front line employees and managers.

I'll have 6 big bottles of Chang,please,and a bottle of Hong tong.A packet of crisps to keep the kids happy,a bottle of spy for the wifeand3 packets of LM far.Umm,oh yeah while your at it,can you renew this please.

Sorry I am in overload to much information to be processed at this time. Does not compute. This is the 3 items or less till. Please use the next cashier. The best yet renew what? (scratching noise and hair falls to the floor)

No worries, many of them are university graduates .

7-11s in high density areas can sometimes have 6 people behind a counter of 3 registers. Granted, one of the extras sometimes runs the microwave/fast food prep station, which is good.

Do hope there will be flexibility to open a queue for immigration. It's enough standing there waiting to purchase a Coke, while the person in front pays a fistful of utility, internet and cell phone service bills.