jingjoe

Good stuff.

oooh I've never had THAT problem, perhaps you're too sexy for your shirt?

I imagine I'd be inclined to punch them in the mouth.

TV Air at the Emporium 3rd floor are top notch....TV AIR

All the talk about crossing the road there really worried me as it sounded like Russian roulette with no pedestrian crossing and just having to go for it and hope the traffic all miss you.

Utter BS. Maybe these people went to a different part of Ha Noi, or a different Ha Noi, than I did. A lot of the stuff is backpacker/traveller tales for home consumption impressing the family and chums with their survival skills.

I disagree. Be careful crossing roads in both Saigon and Hanoi.

Why does new like this get posted on this forum?

To remind the rest of us how fortunate we are?

For those of you who disagree, please have a talk with the 16 year-old girl and get her opinion on the issue.

Very practical suggestion

The human race has its fair scattering of filth doesn't it?

While most of us will applaud their eventual execution, I can't help wishing they live long enough to taste the same demons the survivor will now endure for the rest of her life.

Try the Ibis Huamark.... about 20 minutes away, and ratings seem fair for the low price.

Ibis Huamark Hotel

I have decided to tell him I am not getting involved in any land dealings nor am I financing them until I am physically over there.

That sounds like a yes to me, and it will to the thai guy too, so nothing will change (except he might start to infer to his family that it's a sure thing).

I'd have suggested you killed the idea cold, and maybe softened it with an offer to help HIM save the money to buy the land, as mentioned previously. (It's not like you'll ever get kudos you're entitled to for paying for any or all of it).

Can't wait to read the next installment.

a common ploy of restaurant owners to get customers in, when I first arrived I was invited in similar fashion to newly opened restaurant of a new thai acquaintance - almost felt like I was a special honoured guest.

I've also been amused twice now, when accepting an invitation, then joining the owner for lunch, to be presented with the bill at the end.

(The owner ordered and helped consume the meals).

TIT... at least I knew what to expect the next time in a different location and managed to order a few of MY own favorites.

The main part of the law that I would change is where it says that a criminal, to be convicted, must be judged by a jury to be guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt". Where the death penalty is applied, I would change the law to read "beyond any doubt".

In judicial systems that requires a unaniomous verdict, and in some cases accept a majority verdict, it would be "unreasonable" to expect jurors to agree to a persons guilt "beyond ANY doubt".

Any doubt would, by its common everyday meaning, allow "unreasonable" doubt. (An alien took control of the accused body and it was the alien that shot the victim in the head.) Hardly a reasonable doubt, but can't be ruled out absolutely positively, especially by a juror who believes in Aliens.

Reasonable doubt has served the more enlightened justice systems well. It allows a lot of guilty people to walk away free, but it limits the likely-hood of any innocent person being wrongly convicted. (Yeah it happens, but it is as rare as being hit by lightning, and usually rectified by a higher court).

Ordinary people, with their civic responsibilities clearly defined to them, can be trusted to judge the facts, and therefore trusted to judge whether a convicted serious offender is better off dead.

PS> With almost 20 years of working in the Justice System, and many hours spent in the Supreme Criminal Courts, I remain anti-DP, but I accept that there will always be persons around that are better off dead for the good of the broader community.

Absolutely NOT.

Go to state of origin match where you'll see the cane toads smash the cockroaches.

Thommo.

Awesome idea, but tickets rare as rocking horse poo... SOO 1 sold out in a matter of minutes.

April/May in Queensland-perfect...

If you're inclined to go a little south of Brisbane, go over the gateway bridge and take the motorway toward the Gold Coast, take a left at the Mount Tambourine turn-off. There's plenty of B & B's up there, and it's a great place to chill-out. St. Bernards pub is a pretty place to stop for a drink and a feed.

Maybe you're into theme parks (movie world, wet'n'wild, dreamworld, seaworld etc), with the most terrifying rides, then these can be easily found as you drive towards the Gold Coast.

If you make it to North Queensland, Magnetic Island off Townsville is worthy of a day or 3. The area around Cairns is beautiful, take the mountain road to Kuranda (clearly marked turn-off AFTER Cairns), have a night there. The Atherton Tablelands is a great drive with a thousand relatively private swimming opportunities (Tinnaro, Malanda, even Chillagoe for a taste of Country NQ).

From Cairns or Townsville you can easily take a a trip to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkling and seafood lunch.

West of Townsville 120kms is Charters Towers, an interesting old town which had it's glory days during the 1800's gold rush.

The drive from Townsville to Cairns is a nice one. Stop at the top of the Tully Range for a great view.

If it wasn't a long driving holiday you were hoping for, then you won't be driving far North until you find somewhere devoid of crowds to chill for the entire 2 weeks.

(The inland of Queensland is also a wealth of interesting places, it's just that the distances make driving there a pain)

More importantly NSW, VIC, and TAS lose an hour and return to normal (Queensland) time.

Hanoi Elegance (1 or 2) for around US$40 a night is pretty good value and a perfect location in the heart of the old french quarter.

Designed entirely for area's with low humidity. i.e. Useless on the coast.

100% Correct.

Friends of mine complain that sunnies make their eyes sore, and that'd be right considering the only readily available sunglasses in Thailand are the 199 baht fakes which must do some aweful eye damage.

I guess not many thai's think their eyes are worth spending 10000+ baht protecting, as opposed to a majority of farang.

Didn't really appreciate being flamed by the illiterate noob and the fat noob though... maybe you 2 could read the OP and answer the question, or just go to some other place to bump up your post count.

Don't post such stupid ass questions without doing any work or research for yourself and then you might not get flamed. It was obvious you had not even walked into a store and look at a single price for yourself. And my god, 3,000 for a refrigerator, please, how much cheaper can you get. I have a Masters degree by the way, what do you have? I also jog on the beach everyday and swim in the pool, what do you do?

Silly noob, why is it that the highly educated (only semiliterate) that invade society have so little CDF?

Noobie..... if you are going to contribute, please do. May I again suggest you read what has been said... eg I am in AUSTRALIA, hard to make it to the Pattaya shops. Small bar fridges here are readily available 2nd hand for $50, I wanted to know in the OP if the situation was the same in Pattaya.

Fortunately for every c/sucker like you there are 100 cool TV people that will assist, so, stand down, you're not required.

Probably best if you just "run along" now like a good chap, a battle of wits with the half-armed such as you is no battle at all.

What a tool.

Do your self a favour and visit NAN.

Looks like all roads point to NEW (the exact opposite of what young people first starting out on their own in Aus used to do), So NEW tv, washing machine, fridge & microwave it is... Thanks again, I'll cough up for new stuff.

Still begs the question... out of interest... where and when do pawn shops etc etc have their auctions?? Do Thai's even have auctions? Is it something the thais do?

Appreciate the helpful replies (I'm helping a friend fit out a room from Aus).

Didn't really appreciate being flamed by the illiterate noob and the fat noob though... maybe you 2 could read the OP and answer the question, or just go to some other place to bump up your post count.

Where do the hotels etc dispose of their working fridges, tv's etc... is there an auction held locally?

SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR