55Jay

This happened to me onboard an Air France 747 from CGD to BKK, only they had to shut down two engines! spent a night in Disney World.

Not long after take off, most likely a bird strike....

At first I thought that too but 10 minutes in flight it should have already been too high for that.

It wasn't Quantas but coming over here in 2003 about an hour out of Japan I had taken one of my stretching walks around the cabin and always went to the wings area as the emergency exits there provide a wide area to stretch in and I like to watch the engines and the wings flexing and such.

I had done this several times during the trip and I'm very familiar with expected movements, but the left side inboard engine had developed exactly the type of rotational vibration that is described here and I called over the steward in the business class to have a look and he was not at all condescending nor patronizing.

He asked me "what was up?" and if "I was seeing something?" and I told him I had 20 some years with working with motors of all types and that the motion on that engine was like an out of balance washing machine but not that dramatic yet and he watched for several minutes with me and finally I said "I'm going back to put on my seat belt" (being the only comfort I could get) and he agreed and said he would get the engineer back here to have a look and shortly after that I heard the other engines come up in RPM's as that one was shut down.

That was the longest hour of my life, we had a delay in Japan and the gate was right in front of us and they backed the jet out and brought in another one for the final leg to Bangkok. I felt very satisfied I was paying attention and much to their credit they were not patronizing in any way and took me serious. That plane was rough and was showing it's age, the one they brought in was nearly new and much nicer for that leg too bad it wasn't what we had for the lengthy part ... If anything good has come out of the 911 tragedy my feeling is that the flight crews are more connected with the passengers to work as a team in cases such as this for everyone to get to our destination together instead of us against them.. In the not so distant past that's how it would have been...

Great story/account. Was thinking nothing would happen at the front end of it, so the result you described at the end was really interesting. Always makes me wonder "what if" .

When someone with a high sex drive is shackled to someone who has little or no interest in sex then there are going to be problems.

You are quite right on this point. When my last wife told me to go out and find someone else to bed, the handwriting was on the wall. I fired her less than 1 year later. My current Japanese GF does not suffer from this malady and enjoys the carnal pleasures as much as I do. Now if I could only get her to stop squealing mid-cloitis the way most Japanese ladies do.

You are 100% right about that squealing thing. I have never met a woman from any other culture who does the high pitched whimper squeal thing. Who teaches them that? It is not natural. It is a learned behaviour.

DAWGGONEIT! All these years, thought it was me! LOL.

Indeed.

>>She has traveled extensively with her best friend to Japan a few times and to Singapore

Alarm bells are ringing loudly now.

Yup and thanks again. Just pulled the first $36.00, and the on-line payment linked to my primary CU checking account is painless.

Leaving LOS tomorrow morning, back to the sandbox. Wife's CAP1 card arrived in the mail there since we've been here. Be happy for her to use it there for food shopping on the local economy, but think the gas stations are cash and carry - never looked actually but will now. Avoiding the 1% foreign transaction fee is a really great deal besides 2% back for those venues.

Take care PIB,

Jay

Coming to the end of a 3 week trip in Thailand.

ATM Only Card: Confirmed that my US credit union ATM only card, which operates on the PLUS system (it is not an MC/Visa card), DOES in fact get the 1% foreign transaction fee. So the previous response, which I didn't know, that PLUS is a VISA network, seems validated. Did, however, only use AEON atms both in Korat and Pattaya, so avoided the 150 Baht charge.

CC: Exercising the new CAP1 No Hassles Mastercard and have confirmed 1% cashback norm, and 2% when I used it at The Mall Freshmart (supermarket)in Korat, and at Friendship Supermarket in Pattaya - and no 1% foreign transaction fee, as advertised.

Regards,

Jay

You'll also get 2% back at Lotus, Big C, Big C Extra, Foodland, & Tops regardless what you buy....be it food or a hammer or liquor. 2% cash back for fuel buys at gas stations also. 1% on everything else such as restaurants, medical, hardware/HomePro stores, Veterinarian, etc...etc....etc. This is based on me using the card a LOT for my buys here in Bangkok...I use it whenever I can....I got my Cash Back Reward level set-up to provide a credit to my credit card account whenever the Cash Back Reward reaches $25. I've been using the card since late Jan 11....got four $25 awards under my belt already....closing in on the 5th award.

4,000 USD/mo would be sufficient, depending on lifestyle, as rightly noted by others. 6-7,000/mo would be more than sufficient, depending on what the US side of your half year in/out plan looks like, kids, ex-wives, and Thai GF/wife/family support issues. Not forgetting how much of your capital amount you would use for the initial "dump" of funds to relocate and establish the Thai camp; so you may be right to put another 1/4 mil USD to preserve round figure of $2m as your income generating pot of funds?

Approaching mid-40's, I've planned on 2,000 USD/mo to live in reasonable comfort (around 60,000 Baht/mo at current sucky FOREX) without reducing any of my accrued capital in US savings/investments. Available interest at the moment is around $700/mo however plan to stick to the $2,000/mo pension budget. Would pull off some interest once a year or so for a trip to the US or regional vacation spot, emergencies, etc.

The 2,000/mo, at present 29 Baht to USD FOREX, still exceeds the monthly income for a spouse visa (at current regulations) for me, w/o needing to pull over any of my USD capital into a Thai bank for annual visa 'show' money. No doubt you are or will read up on visa scenarios as they apply to your own situation, amounts involved, etc.

As you go through your planning, and before you execute (if you do), recc reading up on the best methods of cash management found in a few posts on here, specifically alternate credit cards to use and US banking institutions which offer overseas friendly business practices and also medical and insurance issues, etc. I've taken much of the banking/consumer advice already, even though Thai wife and I are not here full time yet (come over a few times a year). What I've done so far is working very well, as advertised by the lads on this forum who live here full time. Not doing as they've suggested, to me, was foolishly throwing money out the window bit by bit with every transaction in Thailand (even if you can 'afford it').

Best of luck to you.

J

Coming to the end of a 3 week trip in Thailand.

ATM Only Card: Confirmed that my US credit union ATM only card, which operates on the PLUS system (it is not an MC/Visa card), DOES in fact get the 1% foreign transaction fee. So the previous response, which I didn't know, that PLUS is a VISA network, seems validated. Did, however, only use AEON atms both in Korat and Pattaya, so avoided the 150 Baht charge.

CC: Exercising the new CAP1 No Hassles Mastercard and have confirmed 1% cashback norm, and 2% when I used it at The Mall Freshmart (supermarket)in Korat, and at Friendship Supermarket in Pattaya - and no 1% foreign transaction fee, as advertised.

Regards,

Jay

<br />

<br />

My CU ATM only card of the PLUS variety, does not get the 1% foreign transaction as its not a Visa/MC product

<br /><br />But it rides Visa's PLUS network, which is where the 1% foreign transaction fee originates. It's up to the issuing financial institution whether or not to "eat" this 1% fee. Odds are your CU doesn't -- but it's not completely unheard of.<br />

<br /><br />Well s****!   Another pearl.  I never knew PLUS was a Visa system until you said that.  Looked it up too....  <br /><br />My CU told me no 1% but that was a very long time ago and while I confidently said "tried and true" earlier, in practice, I haven't tested in for a long time.   Wishful thinking, head in sand, more likely head in dark, moist orifice.  <br /><br />Thanks, I'll follow up on that and if there's been some change, I'll adjust accordingly as to plan.<br /><br /><img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/jap.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':jap:' /> <br /><br />Jay<br />

Driving from BKK up the big Asia highway toward Korat, there's a very large lake on the left. If it's referred to on this forum, sorry, but don't know the name. Anyone fished it or is it possible?

To most Thais Thailand is the world...they feel they will never interact much with other countries, especially western countries. So, why learn English? Besides none of the Thai soap operas are in English.

Here here!!!! Completely agree, and this is the fundamental problem!!! Thai's have an ethnocentric view of the world, and that is the fundamental problem.

That is accurate. Insulation from the outside world is one of many symptoms. I would offer that even the US, like any country, has various classes and I've seen my fair share of well educated folks who can't write but they darn sure hang that diploma on the wall. It's the accepted hall pass in our society. Always felt it was more about finishing something you've started rather than actually learning or coming away "educated".

Reading all these posts, many base line and contributing factors have been identified. As one said, keeping the majority of the population with their faces to the mud and backs to the sky supports a major internal and export industry in Thailand. Why would educated government types want to encourage educated farmers? Overwhelming demand is agriculture and until that changes, working to improve the unwashed masses is counter productive to business. What would it be changed to anyway? Agriculture is a perpetual, sustainable thing. Manufactering and technology goes with whims and economies. After it's over or the bubble bursts, you have a million folks who, after 20 years, forgot how to farm and turning it backward is hard. Look at the US. Even for all our economic woes, we "educated superior" ones still can't bring ourselves to pick our own vegatables. Farming is too "lo so"? We have waiters and bartenders with Master's Degrees.

Agree with others - learning usable English is also a by-product of needing to work and make money and in Thailand, the easy route for some without a great education is in tourist areas. From bargirls to mid-range shops/retail, the more the business line demands English interaction, the more the person will be forced to it by circumstance, not by latent motiviation to learn and improve themselves. It's about money. Neccessity is the mother of all invention and in this case, applies to human motivation to survive. Language ability is the great equalizer, moreso than a fancy degree or Grade A English on the school transcript.

Last, agree with the person who wrote about having an English A on CV or transcript is an accomplisment one assumes, because they were told all those years growing up, that's what you needed to succeed. My wife's nephew is a super star in school. Top 5 in the class, terribly bright, it's scary, but I can't get very far past hi how are you when I speak with him. He'll be in University in 2 years time and may as well come away with shiny gold stars for English on his transcript, but without exposure, or motiviation, it is simply about doing well in school, not about actual, usable skills. Language takes time and lots of exposure, and continued use, to be a usable thus valuable skill set.

Think we'll see a fuller impact on Monday of US getting knocked down to AA by 1 of 3 and in coming months, the actual details of that latest US budget "plan" start coming out. Seemingly omni-present "special commissions".

If I had the US Gov's financial plan as my own, and had to answer a loan or credit card app's simple questions - How much do you make? How much to you owe?, reckon I would never be approved and worse, my credit score would of been in the toilet long ago.

The hypocrisy of US politicians was on display (again) a couple weeks ago on this issue. We were indifferent to the whole credit rating process while we were a comfortable AAA, but with the threat of a possible downgrade, politicians (on camera even) pulled the ratings guys up to the Hill to question what right private institutions have in assigning credit ratings to governments in the first place. I say the US Gov got their just deserts for that stunt, which was akin to some McCarthy style rant or Mafioso intimidation tactic. Didn't work. In fact think all the raised voices and indignant blustering by the US politicians had the opposite effect. We got put on the negative outlook list and now, one of 'em had the brass gonads to down grade. I sense there will be a few more helpings of Humble Pie to come, instead of Apple Pie. Side order of bitter pill in lieu of vanilla ice cream.

As for my reality on the OP Q, trying to consolidate to cash even as baht ~usd rides 29 point something range. Never thought I would be praying for 30. Took a $40/mo tax hike on my pension earlier this year when the "Making work pay" credit ended. I know, I know, it's not a tax increase. I explained to Thai wife and she failed to see that logic spurned by Democrats, but I'm sure that 40 bucks is going to a worthy cause back in the US of A. Portfolio up to 62k last week, the highest I can remember in a decade. Was going to sell it off, didn't want to be "emotional" and after hearing the AA down grade news early this morning, checked, down to 54k. Presume we are in for another ride down. If it creeps anywhere back toward 60 for even a second, I'm on the phone. Ridden this roller coaster two too many times. I'm done with it. I'll take cash for now.

The medium term CDs on other primary capital, for me anyway, has been my more recent bread and butter at 2.23% for a supplemental monthly top up. Fear it'll look more like the rest of the world's interest rates very soon.

Lose the job, I'll be in LOS full time surviving on what's left, and with the Baht sliding around the 29.XX range, I'll actually have to re-do the math for the visa monthy income test, worse if interest earning rates take a big cut. Who knows what things will look like at the end of this year/next year. Might end up being neutral to shift some funds into Thai bank for the annual visa show money. If it ends up being a more consistent gain, that'll be a watershed moment.

Obama reorganized the Internal Revenue Service to, among other things, put more scrutiny on overseas citizens. I thought they were after big fish, or at least they should be, in that priority order, but $45,000? Wow. They are trying to send a message for sure.

Bangkok Bank provides a free Expat Banking Booklet available in the upper right hand corner of their Foreign Customers Web Page.

Attached booklet which is dated June 2009 was downloaded today...but check the Bangkok Bank web site periodically for an updated booklet/info. While the booklet is geared toward Bangkok Bank Products and Services, it provides a lot of general banking information about Thailand, as you will find that all Thai banks operate under Bank of Thailand regulations (i.e., like U.S. banks operate under the U.S. Federal Reserve regulations), and therefore Thai banks will offer similar products/services and have similar banking rules. But do expect minor variations in how the rules are applied from branch-to-branch for all Thai banks as "This is Thailand."

Very nice. Thank you.

Very good information for the public by the government.

A little disappointed it didn't include a few sentences at the end on measures people can take to prevent it.

Not to be a cynic, or perhaps it was simply the translation of the study by the newspaper and how it was presented.

1. The highlight of the study given does not support or even state a "warning" to the public. Perhaps this was journalistic flair to catch our attention, while the problem itself, IMHO, is fairly common knowledge in Thailand?

2. That the study was done from January to June this year - 6 months.

3. That the study's figures do not apparently support that small children and older people were most at risk.

4. That the most cases cited in the study were of young people 10-24 years old, thus they are seemingly the most at risk based on the data.

5. The study did not include the 2 month period cited as the most concerning due to seasonal rainfall = more mosquitoes.

As mosquitoes are the carriers, this should include information to help reduce the mosquito population such as limiting standing water breeding areas as much as possible. Especially in seasonal rain season.

Acknowledging that is difficult in Thailand, which has much standing water, then additional measures people can prevent being lanced by mosquitoes.

How the government might help by spraying in times we (all) know are high mosquito breeding times, such as the highest rainfall months cited in the study.

Then, the symptoms of infection, which was given in the article, was very good.

Agreed! Hands off Mr. Thaksin.

Let Yingluck get in and give it a go. If she falls on her face w/o brother, then it will be clear as day for all to see.

Then, vote of no confidence, try again.

Please Dems - no coup, tanks and solidiers this time.

Thanks.

So - did Dems make any promises during the election campaign? Can anyone list some of them or the highlights here please?

The Dems made a few promises like increasing minimum wage by 25% in 2 years (I think). Their policies though arent very well known as the Dems ran a really bad campaign and have an utterly useless PR department. They actually talked more about what they had done in the past. Oh another promise was vote for us and get reconcilliation or vote for them and get a continuation of division.

Thanks.

Thanks.

So - did Dems make any promises during the election campaign? Can anyone list some of them or the highlights here please?

Did Dems make any promises during the election campaign? Can anyone list some of them or the highlights here please?

My experience was

Flights cheap, service generally okay

But

They change schedules and they do not care too much about doing this, once they change the schedule if you cant change your plans they offer to refund you. when we last went with them they changed the return flight and the outbound flight was 12 hour delayed, we missed connection, stayed in Bahrain for 12 hours.

If the flight is very cheap

If you are flexible

and

You not need to rely on the flight being on time and to schedule

Book.

Been a routine GF passenger since late 90's, and started using them routinely for BAH-BKK from early 2005 to now.

Gulf is hit and miss on service, condition of the aircraft and ammenities. Sometimes its nice. Sometimes just ok, uneventful. When it's bad, it can be pretty bad across the board.

I would just take a deep breath before the flight, and submit to the fact it's not a long term life decision, it's just a ride from here to there.

Past 4 or so years, I've relegated myself to forking out the extra dough to sit up front. If you are able to do that, it does knock any possible rough edges off what might end up being a rough time in Economy. Seems price was your main consideration though.

Funny that comment about food trays being left out for long time after everyone is clearly done. Yeah, I've also seen that a number of times on GF long hauls too. Not like a little bit long, it was like an hour + each time I've noticed it, and the cabin crew was invisibile until too many people starting taking their own rubbish to the galley because, well, they wanted to get up from their seat and use the toilet. The delay, now that I can see clearly from the front, is they tend to gather and gossip and either ignore the passengers because it's company policy or simply lose track of time whilst socializing. Or both.

Have a safe journey.

J

No pro by any means, but I always assume (given my location) that my cell phone calls are monitored, or very easily done if desired. Landlines too, and I'm overseas. I only surmise that living in the good old USA, land of the free, that this is the same case, probably moreso!

Often wondered about this though as I'm a Skype user. My company just doesn't use Skype for whatever reason, but heard once it was a corporate security issue during sensititve business teleconfs. They like me to call in on my cell phone, which always gives me a good chuckle. They're paying for it. Whatever makes 'em happy.

Thanks to a couple guys on here, my vast knowledge of ATM use in Thailand led me to think the very same things right away when reading the article headline.

Focused product targeting a specific customer base. Did catch my eye though but... Next.....

J

PS: PIB - got the CAP 1 credit card, and email yesterday saying it was on the way. Thanks again! J

Mid thirties aren't half of early forties...

But like some other people have mentioned, it's probably better to get out of central bangkok. Personally I would ask a half decent english speaking taxi driver to take me some place...

lol, yes a decent english speaking taxi driver will surely know all the "right" places like the massage parlors where he gets 500 baht for bringing customer or hostess bars where he gets about as much.

Then one may also be lucky enough to shout the nice man taxi driver a few drinks in one of those "right" places where drinks are only 300-400 baht.

By the way, speaking from experience. My first trip 10 years ago i asked my "decent speaking taxi driver" to take me to good places.

I suppose it depends on how you ask the question and what he may assume. And staying clear of sukhumvit would probably help..

Maybe just me, but if I knew a place fitting this description, sure wouldn't put it on this thread because it wouldn't be nice for very long afterward.

How many reads has this gotten so far?

Thanks JFC, you're right. J

I don't know if you are a US citizen, but our President's name is Obama, not Zobama.

That said, Mr. Obama inherited a mess, and, unfortunately,

Yes American living in America not Thailand...As such I am free to call him anything I like.

You remember the rights of Americans dont you? Respect is earned not gifted due to title.

What he inherited is a job through $ donated by the same too big too fail folks he later bailed.

The sooner he is gone the better.

Not to say the nitwit before him was any better. The so called system has been beautifully broken long ago.

As for the need for approbation from like-minded nitwits as you put it....That is more like those waiting 3 years to "hear" what they need from a hollow shell that can not deliver any of his campaign lies promises. Yes blame it on what he inherited or how he played into others hands...yet for three years there it is...proof for any thinking person to see.

Strangely, I don't totally disagree with your assessment of his performance, and I also understand you have the right to say whatever you want about him, and the right to call him names, or make slurs about his origins, etc. However, it just puts you in the same category as the other wingnuts and assorted losers who act like kindergarteners, calling names, and saying, na,n,na,n,na,na.. Grow up, and maybe someone of substance will pay attention to you. I still think the holder of the office of the President of the USA deserves some respect. Ask yourself this: would you say those things directly to his face? You wouldn't to mine, and be able to walk away...

So many 'keyboard warriors', sh*t oh dear!

Here here! I also don't like the playground level stuff on here........ but if you call me names to my face, I'm gunna beat you up!

Hey, foul! Elected officials are denegrating the US Navy! The old time statement of "Spending money like a druken sailor" is getting too fashionable again in this argument.

Drunken sailors, excluding the hip wader wearing Coast Guard, stimulates the economy.

They drink beer, which stimulates the whole range of industry from production, glass bottles and labels, trucks for shipping product, and creates neat bars to hang out in which provides jobs to the local community, and at each stage, taxes are paid to the government. In turn, they get drunk and fight each other, or Marines, and break all sort of things which stimulates industry by creating a demand for replacement glasses, furniture, windows, wall patching, etc. Shore Patrol comes and scrapes them up off the floor, at no extra charge as the Sailors are doing SP as an extra duty, thus no additional municipal services are used - yet local and state govs get the increased revenue from the additional tax base created along the way, thus reducing in some measure, their reliance of federal assistance to the state.

The sailors (and Marines) get busted down in rank and pay, which reduces the DOD labor $ demand but still, has no real impact on the aforementioned paragraph. It's a beee-u-ti-ful thing!

So, I see your billionaire and congressman, and raise you one Speaker of the House.....and at least one drunken sailor.

Edit: I forgot to mention the recycling business too. All those bottles and aluminum cans! Therein, side benefit is drunken sailors also helps save the planet.

Very interesting stuff. I'm no economist but what's the solution? It all seems so linked together - do one thing, impacts something else, diagramed out by smart people who end up talking themselves out of everything because it will negatively impact something else.

Seems so upside down that the solution to throw another couple dollars to the poor guy will always have this doomsday result on a global scale; so the folks at the bottom of the pyramid always end up screwed. Never at the top or middle, they carry on same same, making ominous predictions about doing this or that will make us charge more, etc. and hope like hell the election season ends soon = nothing ever changes.

Is Thailand destined to remain as it is?

I prefer to look at the bigger picture, regardless of what the law says in this instance (I have a right to think that a particular piece of legislation is stupid).

Regarding Abhisit, throw out this stupid complaint. Only small and narrow minded people will see this as an example of vote buying. The impact of his actions is a big fat ZERO.

Regarding YL's noodles, I'm glad the EC has thrown out the complaint for exactly the same reason above. Incidentally, who was the narrow minded idiot who lodged this complaint?

Regarding T's involvement, I doubt wherever whether this would have made any difference to the eventual outcome. His propaganda machine would have made it very clear, indirectly, that he is the brains behind the party anyway. Any loss of votes on account of low keyed involvement might have been offset by an increase in votes in areas where his involvement was detrimental.

The Dem's bringing this action was to protect their own self interest and not the wider interest of the country, IMO.

Bringing justified legal actions is ALWAYS in the interest of the citizenry. It is THE PROCESS people need to respect, not men, who can be terribly flawed.

+1

Er, no it's not, if it is being driven by self preserving politicians out of a long standing rivalry, misusing flawed government mechanisms to undo an election result because it didn't come out in their favor.

However, I agree men can be terribly flawed, and laws are made by flawed men, and it is always to the interest of the citizenry to question laws and governments full of said flawed men (and women). Fair enough. Refer back to the first sentence. Nobody has the moral high ground here.

I could be totally wrong and banned vagabon Thaksin, is the mastermind behind this whole thing from - where is he now, UAE? Logic tells me he's advised/advising, definately has an interest if nothing else, would like to come home w/o having to go to jail. But, responsible for the election win? Something tells me no.

Still think a problem is the Yellows lost, and somebody has to be to blame for that. It's not their fault. Couldn't be they were lazy or knew they were going to lose, thus already planned on a post-election fraud bid to nullify the election results and remain in power. I can't help but remembering how they came to power in the first place - behind tanks and troops in a coup. Taking over Camp Swampy airport. Shooting down reds and military who disagreed or opposed them. Oh yeah, those guys.

Guess we'll see the EC's results and if I end up having to eat my keyboard, I have no problem doing that. See below.

This is Thailand. This is politics. Any of us would soon run out of fingers and toes counting the number of PMs, constitutions, coups and dissolutions of parliment since 1923. I, probably like a lot of people on here (farangs), have no real stake in any of it other than a selfish prayer that, whoever is in play continues a favorable expat retirement/residence policy and that the Baht to any number of usual suspect currencies improves. So we don't have to go to a new foreign country or worse, go back to our own miserable democratic country(s). Hope for the best, pray the worst doesn't happen if Yingluck gets in = Dems get mad and embarrassed, and bust out the tanks and troops and put things "right" again in Thailand. Now that's change you can believe in. Yes they can! Yes....they did!