DGS1244

Dual gauge is difficult to work where you have many crossings and points in a system, it works in Australia because there a vast distances between stations and depots with little in between. Will not work in Thailand where stations are close together and the existing narrow gauge restricts train speed and numbers. The only solution is to go to standard gauge, some call it wide gauge which is incorrect, which can take high speed trains. The intial 'wide; gauge was 6 feet and rather impractical although very safe, the original GWR in the UK was wide gauge installed by Brunnel.

For a lot of them it is not that they do not want to work in another country, they just don't want to work period. I have employed people straight from university, work you make me laugh.

ok just get a new passport,easy and you can start over.

Is that correct/ Wouldn't immigration computers track your visits/visas by name in passport?

They don't track anything YET, and people saying the contrary just don't know what they are talking about.

They could do it but they don't, so just make a new passport and get new visas.

Why so many people have to reply when they don't know ?

What makes you the 'expert'?

Does anyone know of a good, and I mean good, computer programmer in the Chiang Mai area. Has to know Flash professional CS5 or 6 well?

Are they talikjg in US gallons or Imperial gallons, there is a significant difference and people making a conversion to litres need to know if they want to be accurate.

U.S. gallons

Tks, one sensible answer, normally people think I am talking rubbish when I ask this question.

I went there three times for a recuring sever lower back problem, although there was some slight improvement eventually, I would not go back again. I have been to a excellent doctor in Bangkok for many years and by following his instructions I find I can cure myself most of the time. Now if things really get bad then it is a trip back to Bangkok, expensive but worth every penny.

'He said the GMO contamination at the plantation in Kanchanaburi might be accidental.'

All the way from the Hawaiian Islands ??

Trouble is without GMO the world will not be able to produce enough food, it is here to stay, we just have to make sure we can mange it.

After the Tsunami hit the Phuket administrators stated that the Thai navy in future would provide free life savers to the beaches, lasted about a week. TIT

Are they talikjg in US gallons or Imperial gallons, there is a significant difference and people making a conversion to litres need to know if they want to be accurate.

I have always wondered why there are still so many Telephone Booths in Bangkok - especially since most seem to be sited in such a way as to cause as much obstruction as possible to pedestrians.

These days virtually everyone has their own Mobile 'phone so who on earth would use these Booths?

Makes far more sense to get rid of the lot.

Patrick

They leave them there so the illegal street vendors can store their tables and chairs etc. in them and also offer an on-site toilet to their customers.. Walk down Sukhumvit 23 and you can see for yourself.

The implants thing is global, the same dangerous industrial-silicon implants went into 40,000 UK women in the last decade.

Some reference here would be helpful. Are you talking about Dow Corning breast implants?

Does it matter? getting picking there. Irrespective who made them there is a problem.

Here's my guesswork:

all things being equall the Pound should be around USD 1.50 (ish) and THB 45 (ish), so what we're seeing now is an aberation because of unusual circumstances. For my part I fully intend to transact any remaining GBP/THB transactions at the current levels because I don't expect to see the levels levels last for very long, OK, maybe there will be small amounts of movement upwards but the trend is unquestionably downwards, as far as I am concerned.

I always think it is dangerous to use 'unquestionably' in a statement.

Totally agree, I remember when the interest rates in the UK were rising past the 18% and another so called 'expert' tried to convince me to invest money as the rates would continue to rise and never go lower. Boy was he wrong and was I glad my money ended up only in short term agreements. 55GBP to the baht by years end possible.

You could give the 'local' population details of every chemical used there and I doubt if there is 1% that would know what they were or how danerous they were. Many of the so called 'locals' moved in only after the factories were built hoping to make money from them, food stalls etc.

now certain people are trying to insite them to bite the had that feeds them.

15%, seems reasonable.

15% a bit low normally 25%!

All Thai Banks have to report any inward deposit or outward transaction of 20K USD or more to the BOT, although normally not a problem. Not being an American not sure how their Banks behave. I know if you bring maoney into Thailand from Pakistan the bank there slaps a 15% retention, that could be painfull.

please no fairy tales such as rentention on money transfers denominated in a freely convertible currency from anywhere!

the Pakistani Rupee is not freely convertible, therefore can't be transferred to any other country and that's the reason why no bank can "slap".

BS No fairy tales, there are a few countries, some quite close to home and with fully convertable curencies, who have the same regulations but fortunately do not bother to enforce.

Just to alert you, there are Scam letters going around from a 'supposed' site pretending to be from Paypal. This is the second time this year this has happened, be warned.

All Thai Banks have to report any inward deposit or outward transaction of 20K USD or more to the BOT, although normally not a problem. Not being an American not sure how their Banks behave. I know if you bring maoney into Thailand from Pakistan the bank there slaps a 15% retention, that could be painfull.

Travelled recently on Thai business class with a 'special' ticket deal, everything fine until I needed to change the return flight. Cannot change, no refund etc. although they did give me a one month extension of the original return flight if I wanted to use it later, big deal. Ended up flying on Cathy, a lot cheaper and better.

So you were expecting a fully flexible ticket for a "Special" price? 555

No, I am fully aware what a 'fully flexible ticket' is, what was promised by the agent and reality were different, that was the probelm.

Travelled recently on Thai business class with a 'special' ticket deal, everything fine until I needed to change the return flight. Cannot change, no refund etc. although they did give me a one month extension of the original return flight if I wanted to use it later, big deal. Ended up flying on Cathy, a lot cheaper and better.

Air Asia are cheap and nasty, I hate the new navigation of their site and all the "tricks & addons" I want to see the real price from the get go - I believe they even charge 100 baht now at the check in if you have not done it online - I happily pay more and travel with decent airlines. I wont use them again unless it is absolutely unavoidable - I have used them for years annd used to like them but no more.

Could not agree more, use to fly with them but service, cost and addons put paid to that. One airline I will avoid for ever.

No sure where you shop 'Rockdoc' but I have just been down to my local gas cylinder supplier and there is not one single cylinder without a shut-of valve. I have only seen the ball type valves on small camping type cylinders.

And 'thaiedward' All gas valves are designed to give the correct flow to the regulator when fully open, partially closed valves can cause problems that I won't go into here. Try Charles and Boyles gas laws. As far as only opening Acetylene valves a fraction defiinately a No No, if you have flame arestors fitted then you sould not have a problem.

Of course, if the regulator failed there wasn't much that they could. do.

Well, you could try shutting off the valve on the gas tank!!! DOH!!!

A regulator is the technical term for a gas tank valve. It's a valve that regulates the flow of gas from 0% to 100%.

No, A regulator is connected to the gas tank and controls the flow/pressure, the tanks in-built valve should be turned on to fully open during operation and closed when there is a leak. I dealt with many a gas leak and the only way to prevent an explosion is to turn the gas off before it reaches is ignition density.

And the budget for qualified trained inspectors is coming from where?

ALL factories in Thailand will need to be "inspected" every 90 days.

Just using a rough figure of say 100,000 factories in Thailand,

1/4 is 25,000 divided by 90 days = 277.77 Inspections PER DAY.

Assuming it takes half a day and only one inspector is assigned,

that means 138.8 inspectors need to do 2 jobs every day, including travel.

Now lets look at 100,000 ever 90 days with an inspector and assistant.

1,111.1 inspections per day using 2,222 inspectors; head and assistant/witness.

or best case two locations per day 555.55 inspections PER DAY using

2,222 inspectors; head and assistant/witness.

Having paired inspectors minimises the easy of tea money changing hands,

and ability to cover larger places. Of course this will still happen,

and the TM swill move up the chain per usual.

OK say there are 2,222 what is their wage per month?

Say Minimum 15k costs 33,330,000 a month

or 399,960,000 million baht a year... not including car leasing

1,111 car fleet, gas 1,000 a day x 1111000 per day

x 365 = 40,5515,000 per year.

Cost for inspections a nominal 805,475,000 a year at least.

before paperwork and office space.

But does Thailand have ONLY 100,000 Factories Using Chemicals?

Is a factory employing 25 people,

but using toxic and flammable toluene and blow torches inspect-able?

Or is it some arcane number to shave the budget like 100 employees and up?

Or only factories in approved Factory Parks going to be included in

"All Factories To Be Inspected Every 90 Days".

Does Anyone think before writing her speeches?

I agree, I was an Inspector in the UK. She is talking out some other orifice. It simply won't happen I was trained for 2 years with a P/G diploma before being set loose. Then we concentrated on serious issues. This country is simply a joke when it comes to safety. Lots of signs 'Safety first' then , on construction site, workers wandering around in flip flops. when it comes to high level hazards I'd stay well away

Like you I trained for many years as a Risk Engineer, this is never going to happen. The plant was shut down for maintenance so there is a very good chance that the cause will be hot working in saying that you can inspect one day and have a fire the next. The 'inspection' is only any good when you are actually there. Safety starts at the top and goes down but do you ever hear any directors accepting blame, never TIT.