JSixpack

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I used it then, and the reason it wasn't popular was because the price was too high. Poor people take the bus.

Simplistic price comparisons tend to be highly misleading, just with McDonalds or CentralFestival Pattaya Beach, the economics of which you've analyzed previously. It's of course much more complex than that.

Several reasons explain the lower-than- expected ridership. In the beginning the BTS only covered 23.5km along two routes in the center of Bangkok; many potential costumers would forego the Skytrain because it did not meet their needs. The missing integration with other public transport modes as well as the limited network not reaching into the surroundings of Bangkok led to low acceptance. Some other mass transit projects were also delayed/cancelled or not optimally interconnected with the BTS. Furthermore, the more wealthy population use personal cars and the BTS fares are higher compared to other public transport modes like buses or government-subsidized ordinary trains. Another aspect not being considered during design was the accessibility of the Skytrain stations. The line had few direct ramps into malls and lacked escalators. Bit by bit, while escalators were installed and side bridges built, ridership increased.

    --http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Case 1 - Traffic Demand - Bangkok BTS.pdf

Interestingly this report notes how common overestimating is when it comes to transit projects anywhere, so our doomsters should zoom in on the early estimates and probably be right about something, finally.

Empirical studies suggest however that traffic forecasts in the transport sector are  characterized by large errors and considerable  optimism bias. This statement goes in line  with the review conducted on PPP projects  financed by the European Investment Bank  which states that major issues in road projects  occurred because of traffic performance has  been overestimated. Findings disclose that  1/2 of toll road projects failed to meet their  early-year forecasts; often by some margin  (errors of 50% - 70%).

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

As for the tunnel, it may be completed now, but it doesn't allow m'bikes like they do in Chiang Mai, and the construction was a disaster area for, apparently, years.

It doesn't matter that it doesn't allow motorbikes like they do in Chiang Mai and it's good thing for safety reasons. The old traffic jam there is gone.

The construction area was only a disaster area (love the hyperbole) in the minds of our Tunnelers. There was an inevitable traffic tie up for a couple of years of course as one would reasonably expect given the constraints of that location. I also remember well the traffic jams for years during the Laemchabang flyover construction.

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

From a previous thread on TVF it's always booked out, and used by locals.

It was booked out for a couple of weekends after the opening. No mention thereafter so it's not "always" booked out for any advance date.

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It may have been intended as a tourist train, but the times are inconvenient for tourists.

Merely the usual bigoted misunderstanding of what a tourist is. Not only was it intended as a tourist train, that's what it actually is. Some expats, though, who also aren't tourists have expressed interest in trying out the train, at some point. Most of those sneering at the train won't try it or even go to the station at arrival/departure times to get some facts. No surprise there, eh.

2 hours ago, starky said:

We could go back and forth all day on this as we clearly have different views. Boarding school to me reeks of offloading the problem onto someone else and you can't go to boarding school forever.

Of course it's offloading but you after all are paying for the offloading. Moreover, when you can't handle the problem yourself, you need to call in help. The theory is that the kid stays at boarding school until university age when he's more mature and can see prospects that being drug-addicted will preclude. So between "offloading" and doing nothing while the kid continues to steal money and buy drugs, gimme the offloading.

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My only point is at 14-15 years old it wouldn't of mattered what anyone said or did I was doing what I wanted to do regardless. 

But you couldn't have done that at a boarding school or a camp, like the boot camps referenced in this thread, no matter what you "wanted" to do. At the camp you'd have received orientation so that what you wanted to do would no longer include the drugs. You didn't do any of that and could get away with anything so you did.

16 minutes ago, starky said:

Fair enough but we were all kids once. As I said the best you can do is educate at young age and hope they make the right choices. Most kids particularly those that come from broken homes or absent parents and lower socio- economic positions will experiment with drugs nothing you can say or do will change the fact that at the end of the day it's their choice to make.

Well, in the States I've known parents to have success by sending their kids to special camps or boarding schools. I dunno if such camps exist here for Thais. There are boarding schools, but that's an expensive option that may not be suitable anyway. I think the OP implies the case of mixed families w/ a farang stepfather, different than the standard of a purely Thai family, but the two coincide to some extent on this issue. I suspect there are many cases of Thai kids from middle class families who may have the problem. Experimenting is one thing but the OP is describing a chronic situation beyond that I think.

It would be of interest if anyone has any advice about what to do about a Thai teenager who exhibits the signs and is already out of control.

More details have been announced in the other newspaper that cannot be named and will no doubt be appearing in TV soon. In short, the gov't is looking a lot more committed. Wisely, the initial relatively small outlay will be for land appropriation. So we'll see if that happens. If so, a very good sign. That was one issue w/ the Hopewell project. 

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Yea, unless you really need color, just go with a lower cost monochrome laser printer like a Brother HL-1110 for around Bt2,000 full retail...this prints only.  Or, a Brother DCP-1610W monochrome laser printer/copier/scanner with Wifi for around Bt4,000 full retail (can get off Lazada....Lazada fullfilled...for around Bt3700).   Brother laser printers come with a 3 year warranty.

 

 

 

If you think you might want to use Linux, Samsung is most compatible.

https://www.lazada.co.th/shop-multi-function-laser-printers/samsung/?from=input&q=samsung+laser+printer

Basically, this: chop up enough for 3 - 4 days, wash w/ vinegar and clean water, keep in a plastic bag in fridge. When ready to eat, fill up a smoothie blender w/ veggies, add berries and coconut oil (and/or EVO), protein powder maybe, blend and drink.

1 hour ago, mbamber said:

Heard the BTS is short of trains. 

For BTS to be short of trains, there must be a BTS, right? Since you think this is a critical point of some kind (not sure what, maybe the usual "only in Thailand"), here are some other lines also short or w/ excess capacity for your edification:

Expo line, LA
Green and Orange lines, Boston
MTA, New York
JR and others in Tokyo, but current lines built out
LA Metro, overbuilt
 

Depends on what time you observe. If you'd been around when BTS first started running, nobody was riding it, just a few people per car. It had too many cars. I'll have to check whether our doomsters saw no need for it and predicted failure as usual. With typical shrewdness they refrained from making a killing buying real estate around the stations.

14 hours ago, sirineou said:

 We live on a quiet street, (Khon Kaen) aside from some of the kids playing we don't have much trouble

51 minutes ago, joeyg said:

I will stay here in Pattaya and have a couple of friends coming in tomorrow. This will be my last year doing it here.  The  farangs have really ruined it.  I used to really like it.  I like water.  These idiots with the big long tube guns aiming for your ears and eyes has taken a lot of the fun out.  Also the point blank buckets of water in the face especially to motor cycle riders is just insane.  Next year I'll do it in Yasothan...

You don't need that ear

8 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

sorry but it's the 5th or 6th incarnation of a high speed link which 1st started as a link between Hua Hin and Rayong which is supposed to be already started so for me it's just smoke and mirrors.  This has been going on for at least 2 yrs ......

Nobody cares what it is for you, least of all a Thai gov't ministry. But no, not of the link itself but of the "plan;" hence I said merely "plan" approved by "a" government ministry. I don't know that the previous plans were "approved" at all and I doubt you do either. We know this one has been, but part of my point is that the OP is being taken too seriously. There's nothing in the least abnormal anywhere of floating ideas and approving plans in principle. I'm sure we can find plenty of examples all over the world. Nothing in the OP suggests they are actually going to implement this plan.

It's only on TVF that members think that if Thais float any idea or some ministry approves some plan, then they absolutely must implement it exactly as floated, immediately, with strictest adherence to a short schedule. 

You can look up previous threads on this subject. The rule is that there's no import duty, only VAT tax (7% I think it is). In a case or two, it seems Customs forgot the rule but the member argued and won.

I had a cheap netbook sent to me from AliExpress recently. Free shipping. Box was labeled "computer parts," heh. No import duty and no VAT either! 'Twas a good day.

2 hours ago, essox essox said:

NOT this is thailand ....

A shuttle service was planned as part of the new weekend tourist train service and is presumably operating, but all we have is sneers rather than any real information. Be nice if somebody rode the train and reported about the experience. It may just mean that a bunch of baht buses converge on the station at arrival times. Might be OK if they're regulated. Funny to think of getting off high speed rail and onto a baht bus, but it's so charming, ain't it.

Yet given the foreign involvement, the YUGE investment, and potential tourist income if the high speed rail service proves popular, they may well have something better than baht bus shuttling.

Right now, it's merely a "plan" that's advanced to the approved stage in "a" government ministerial meeting. That's enough to get many of us all hot & bothered, but far from officially approving the project implementation, allocating the money, and starting work. So it's very much up in the air right now.

If they do get all the money lined up and begin construction then barring acts of Buddha it will likely be completed--someday. Stakeholders have learned from the Hopewell debacle.

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http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html

37 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I eat a salad every day, plus fresh fruit... really can't get my head around the increase in total cholesterol with the diet that I'm following....

 

Increase in LDL and so total cholesterol is normal w/ low carb. But HDL should have risen. Exercise a bit more? Read up on increasing HDL. Your total still isn't high.

More fiber may not be a bad idea as mentioned by SimonD. I have some ground flaxseed (grind seeds in blender) daily, good source. 

Triglyceride/HDL is excellent (very important) and other ratios good. You're a bit of an anomaly as the HDL really should have gone up to more than compensate for the usual increase in LDL w/ a low carb diet. Thought you were taking a multi, should have handled the vitamin A, if that's the issue. Not sure what's going on w/ the lymphocytes. How's the drinking? Suggest more veggies & fruit (watch the fruit calories) as Sheryl said. I think the tin of fish a night has done its work now so more variety seems called for. 

5 hours ago, wombat said:

i read this on TV....it must be true.

On April 1? There's a history.

6 hours ago, alex8912 said:

BTW do you know how many people die in their own houses? The bathtub slip is a BIG one.  Staying home is not always “safe”. 

No one's consciously trying to kill or injure me at home.

37 minutes ago, natway09 said:

The vote does show results suggesting grumpy older men are alive & well on Thai Visa.

It reminds me of the British lady saying "I cannot possibly go for a swim,,, its raining"

No. Grumpy old git taunt answered here.

2 hours ago, Anak Nakal said:

Songkran is fun!

It only water!!!

No.

8 hours ago, champers said:

Yes, in the UK large drains are routinely blocked by fat and grease. I could publish some photos but people might be eating. The poor chaps who have the job of clearing these blockages earn every penny, and more, of their wages.

A fatberg weighing the same as 11 double decker buses and stretching the length of two football pitches is blocking a section of London’s ageing sewage network.

The congealed mass of fat, wet wipes and nappies is one of the biggest ever found and would have risked raw sewage flooding on to the streets in Whitechapel, east London, had it not been discovered during a routine inspection earlier this month.

Now workmen armed with shovels and high-powered jets are working seven days a week to break it up. The grim task is expected to take three weeks.

     --'Total monster': fatberg blocks London sewage system

On 3/28/2018 at 9:00 PM, siamcrut said:

Do wear a full face helmet, or you will eat a lot of dust and bugs.

Neck gaiter. Not sayin' full face helmet isn't a good idea anyway for obvious reasons.

On 3/27/2018 at 10:25 PM, Will27 said:

Nice call.

 

Wasn't too sure if I would enjoy this one but it's really good so far.

 

 

Not bad at all for what it is. Nothing major but a story worth telling, still affects people involved.