haha

I believe that you can use your amex card at any atm that carries the cirrus symbol. I've use my amex a lot all over bangkok. haven't had any problems yet.

there is a branch office of amex in the ibm building off the ari BTS. so, if you have any questions, you can always go there.

that is also another option. at the amex office, you can withdraw up to 2500 dollars every 21 days with the use of a personal check.

before I moved to thailand, I would go to my AAA car insurance office, and get a bunch of amex travelers checks to bring to thailand and use those. in thailand, you get the best exchange rates with amex travelers checks. to save on the fees, I would get large 1000 dollars denomination amex travelers check. at AAA, there are no fees involved in obtaining the travelers check.

oh. forgot to mention....

my amex card is actually BOTH an atm card and a credit card. I got it thru my brokerage account. so, I don't withdraw money as a cash advance, but rather as an atm card. ..no cash advance fees are charged. in fact, I'm allowed to withdraw money from an atm 3 times a month with no atm fees charged me.

germany has some of the latest technology in the area of solar energy. I bet that is one of the areas that thaksin is thinking of working with germany on.

thailand probably has more sunshine per day than most countries in the world. they should try to take advantage of this natural resource.

america is getting into it big time too. check out these following sites.

it's about time to make the change from oil to solar energy. the world has the ability to do it.

http://www.solonmover.com/english/projekte/lproj.php

http://www.stirlingenergy.com/breaking_news.htm

http://www.stirlingenergy.com/

http://www.solarbus.org/newsletters/nl1.html

http://www.seia.org/

according to one of these above websites, all we need is to build solar panels on about 5% of the total land space in arizona, and we will have enough electricity for the usa - whole country.

my 2 cents...

a lot of problems that occur because of differences in cultures.

a couple of stories...

1) I remember a few years back, I broaded a bus in bangkok going to pattaya. on the bus were some pakistanis sitting behind me. as is my habit, I brought along a bottle of water. well, anyway, during the trip, one of the pakistanis asked me for a drink of water from my bottle. I replied, no, I didn't want to share my water with them. their reply was - what is wrong with you???!!!! to refuse another person water?

I thought to myself - where are they coming from? ahh. I see. in their country, people share water freely. in my mind though, I was thinking - I didn't want to get someone elses germs in my water.

2) I used to live near a muslim neighborhood here in bangkok. there were beggars all over. anyway, I walk down pass these beggars all the time, but I never give them anything. so, one day, I notice these 2 bystanders standing next to the beggars. as usual, I walked pass them without giving them any money. the next thing I know, these 2 bystanders start screaming at me in thai asking me why I don't give the beggars any money. why am I so cheap? basically I got scared, and ran away. the next time I walk pass the beggars, I see those 2 bystanders again looking at me like they want to kill me.

like before, I went into my meditative mode to try to understand what was going on here. my brain told me that in their culture, they freely help each other with their spare change. and were basically trying to intimidate me to do the same. in my mind, I was thinking - I worked hard for my money. I can spend it any way I want.

conclusion: my guess is that sharing is so much an integrated part of their existance that to not do so is taboo and being selfish. these other cultures probably raise their children to believe that they must help everybody in need outside their families. when they see people outside their culture (foreigners) not sharing like they have been taught to, then, we must be bad people.

once we foreigners have been judged as bad people, then, the obvious logical step is that we must also be evil people.

I get this feeling this may be part of the problem between muslims and the western world.

sounds a little like communism.

in the states our communism is in the form of social security and welfare. ...government-based. whereas the muslims form of communism is family-based. between parents and children and the immediate villagers.

getting back to the baht bus tale, I think the baht bus guys may not be greedy. they are just thinking in terms of their form of communism.

..that the more money you have, the more you are expected to contribute. that's how they have been taught.

to them, we foreigners are cheap, selfish, and bad people. but to us, they are crooks trying to scam us. etc.

cultural shock.

..then again. maybe I'm totally offbased. whatever.

I think I'm getting a headache. time for a beer.

my 2 cents..

I don't see how you can justify murder or damaging other people's property over a cartoon? isn't a cartoon just a piece of paper?

seriously though, I think we are dealing with a "cult" here.

I was just thinking about this claim that 19 million thais don't read the bangkok post.

yes. this may be true since many thais don't understand english. but it is hard to believe that the 19 million people who voted for thaksin don't read some newspaper. right?

my guess is that many of these people read the thai language newspaper. ..which means they are aware of the sondhi vs. thaksin issue through that newspaper.

am I incorrect in thinking this way?

I just can't believe that many people in thailand are illiterate.

I believe in constructive criticism and also in people having the right to express their opinions.

if you truly feel that something is wrong, and have a need to make a change, I am with you as long as that change is made within the laws of the country you are in.

good luck.

Nation channel is available only to tvs with special antennaes.

?

Still, as Sondhi returned to address the crowd just now (under circumstances any station might deem a bit compelling or at least of interest to cover) ITV is at this moment showing "Japanese Seri" and the rest of reg Thai TV is showing soaps, boxing and the like. hmmm

Imagine a live rally to impeach Blair or Bush and all you get is Baywatch or Coronation St

the time is exactly 12:13am - 13 minutes after midnight. and lo and behold, I'm watching the demonstration on the Nation Channel - TTV. I can't understand most of what they are saying but there is a live picture of people hanging out whereever. for a moment, saw somebody playing the guitar too.

seems like full coverage on this channel for sure.

check it out.

Censorshit these days is about self control. Public TV channels could have given this developing story a priority, but they chose not to. They bet Mr T will still be here tomorrow and they's pay dearly for giving air time to Sondhi protesters.

It's very effective, cos you can't pin on the government - it was TV station's choice.

I don't see the censorship that you suggest is present.

for the past week, there have been newspaper articles about sondhi and thaksin. even as I write this string, I can see the news about the demonstration on the nation channel. here on TV, there are over 4 separate threads talking about this demonstration.

if you think there is censorship going on here, I suggest you go to china or north korea to really get a true idea of what censorship is all about.

How do you know if he has broken the law? He just tells all the relevant agencies - Revenue Dept, SEC, SET, Finance Ministry what to do and what to say. He's the law to himself. Laws are written and interpreted to suit Mr Taksin. If there's a law that he broke, you aren't going to hear about it.

Senators being observed for corruption charges? Are you serious? It's their last two months in office, they can't stand election again, AFAIK. Taksin had SIX years to nab them. What makes you think that these senatos are corrupt and afraid of Taksin's investigations?

What about academics? Hundreds of them signing letters and petitions asking Taksin to resign?

I doubt that you sincerely believe in what you just said. Are you trying to stir the trouble, eg. discussion on merits of Taksin's government?

This is not the right thread - it's live coverage thread, if you haven't noticed.

This is reply to Haha poster on the previous page

I believe everyone has the right to express their opinions. so, I am doing just that.

I just pointed out that if PM thaksin didn't break any laws, he should be allowed to stay in office until his term is up.

if you think that thaksin is making all the laws, then, could it be you are suggesting that there are no other responsible Thai people out there engaged in the making of the laws? is your opinion of thai people that low?

in the states, there are laws that allow for the impeachment of a president. I think you have to have so many signatures before this process can proceed. if the same law is present here, then, do the legal thing and get the signatures.

otherwise, I will continue to exercise my right to express my opinion. thank you.

as for the good things that thaksin has done, all you need to do is look around you. I've been coming here for 12 years, and have lived here for 7 years. in that time, I have seen many changes which overall looks to me like progress.

the fact that no coup occurred today during the "peaceful" demonstration is one example of that progress.

my 2 cents...

PM Thaksin should be allowed to remain in office as long as he hasn't broken the law.

if you don't like the laws, then, vote to change them.

if you don't want to listen to your own laws, then, why should others be expected to?

on the subject of corruption, you should consider the possibility that maybe some of these senators, who are voicing opposition to the PM, are being observed by Thaksin for possible corruption charges.

has anyone ever considered that?

it would be natural for them to speak up now knowing that they may be told to resign later.

anyway, just the same, seeing that no chaos occurred tells me that thailand is more stable than it was in the past. definitely a plus in my mind.

last, and not least, I think people should stop going to the king all the time for help. he is not young anymore, and should not be stressed out by things.

have you read the "boeing study"?

http://www.seeya-downtheroad.com/Informati...etireYoung.html

..my 2 cents.

my 2 cents..

if the "peaceful" demonstration goes off without any problems, this will be a sign to the world community that thailand is indeed a stable place where foreign investors can invest.

all thaksin needs to do is be patient, and relax.

..and he will be able to call this day, february 4, a victory for his country - for democracy.

on the other side of the coin, if those anti-thaksin folks cause chaos, they will lose their credibility as a political force.

..seems to me that thaksin is in a good position.

how about an elephant ride? or fish for big fish? how about a cooking class to learn how to cook thai food? and then, don't forget wat po to learn how to do a foot massage or thai massage?

http://www.elephantshow.com/eng/home.htm

http://geocities.com/bungsamran/introduction.html

http://bml.uoregon.edu/keitan/watpho/

http://www.baipai.com/

have fun! get those happy memories.

some people are snobs. if you speak their language improperly, they will not talk to you. I think it is a pride thing.

their mentality is - if a child can speak the language correctly, why can't a grown person? ..or, if you cannot speak my native language correctly, don't speak it at all.

I've encountered snobs in france, the uk, japan, china, taiwan, and even thailand.

here in thailand, I take the bus all the time. many times the conductors get mad at me because of the way I pronounce the destination I'm going to. for example, soi rangnam, I pronounce with an "R" sound, but I think it is actually spoken with an "L" sound. one conductor had me re-pronounce it at least 15 times because I guess she felt I was showing disrespect by mispronouncing words in her language.

...snobs.

if you don't like the usd, get something else.

buy your rice and beans in 100 lb sacks. if you expect guests for log periods of time, get another 100 lb sack of each to tidy them over for however long they plan to stay.

my LG washing machine broke down on me. and I want to fix it myself. does anyone know where I can purchase parts for the machine other than calling the service center?

something along the lines of discount auto parts stores in the states.

this online site sells parts for most washing machines except LG.

http://www.repairclinic.com/

one of my buddies just recently bought a condo in the pattaya area. I noticed that the railings on the balcony only stood up about 3 feet. seems sort of unsafe. I mentioned it to him. but he didn't seem to understand what I was saying.

anyway, just curious if they have something in the way of "building codes" here in thailand?

http://www.big-builders.com/construction/building_code.html

with all the people falling out of balconies, it seems like maybe there is a market for someone who knows how to construct safe balconies. I'm sure this person would get a lot of business redoing unsafe balconies. what do you guys think?

is it just me? it seems there is no way to find a handy man or developer except through word-of-mouth. why is it that in the states, you have lots of people advertising their services as handy man, air conditioner repair man, moving van, etc. but no one seems to do that here.

..at least in any english printed publications. hint. hint.

in the states, you have title companies which work with you on the sale of property. these companies insure the buyer and the seller that there are no debts or such outstanding on the property to be sold.

do they have the same here in thailand? just curious...

if not, maybe a "branch" of these title companies can get established here? would that be possible?

the following is a website of the title company I went though to recently.

http://www.firstam.com/faf/services/title-services.html

No problem, just wait for the next crash with a handfull of ready cash.

Oh. and while you're at it buy their Merc.

Naka.

yes. you understand.

back in 1998, I had the opportunity to buy the biggest condo unit at the park beach condo near naklua 16 for 1.8 million baht. and the exchange rate back then was about 46 to 1. this condo unit was about 400 sq.meters in size. the balcony in one of the rooms was about half the size of a typical hotel room.

did I buy, you ask? no, I didn't. ....a missed opportunity.

I don't know what the current asking rates are, but a few years ago, I went there with a friend and saw a smaller unit asking for about 15 million baht.

..ugh!

live and learn.

I also don't like the prices going up. and I used to get upset with it all.

but on reflection, I realized it is all part of "supply and demand." capitalism.

yes, you could call it a scam.

but then, the process has happened so many times in the past, if you studied the trend, you will realize it happens all the time.

personally, I've seen it happened in hong kong, china, and even in the united states.

..in particular, hawaii where the japanese came in and bought big a while back.

I'm sure what happened in hawaii was some profit miinded japanese guy marketed the property there as the "chance of a lifetime" to japanese folks who didn't understand the current prices there. they bought at prices that they were comfortable with. ..even though the prices were out of line with the going rate before they came in.

the same arguments.

what happened in hong kong, china, and in the united states - will happen in thailand.

my 2 cents.

apartments generally rent about 2k to 6k baht a month depending on whether they have air/con or fan.

...uncomfortable?

I have lived in the like for about 7 years now. seems ok to me. kind of like a dorm room.

..hey! just realized. ..I hit 400 posts.

I know of many people who are paying about 500 baht a month for their condo fees. that's about 6000 baht a year total.

heard some horror stories...

in many condo developments, people don't pay their condo fees, and the condo association doesn't do anything in the way of legal recourse to get these people to pay their share. as a result, only a few fair-minded condo owners get held with supporting the maintenance fees for the whole complex.

also, most condos have an emergency fund setup with money that you fund it with at the time you buy the condo. it has been discovered that some developers abuse this fund for their own personal use.

..like for example, taking money out of this fund to "fill" in the fees not being paid by "deadbeat" condo owners. nobody knows what is going on until the "emergency fund" setup for fixing permanent fixtures is depleted.

..then, and only then, will condo owners be made aware of the illegal use of the funds. this is usually many years after the condo has been completed.

this actually happened to one of my buddies who bought into a prestigious condo on sathorn, it was reported "sold" out. anyway, the fact was that the developer kept like 20% of the condos for later sale. the condo fee is based on full occupancy where each unit is expected to pay a specific amount. well, the developer with the 20% "unsold" units didn't pay the condo fees for his "unsold" units. he took the money from the "emergency fund" each month to pay his share. the other condo owners never knew what was going on.

3 years later, they found out what the guy was doing because he reported that the emergency fund was almost depleted. ..can you imagine that?

moral of the story. beware, the buyer.

Thanks alot for all the suggestions. I've used PayPal alot in the pasts and would like to keep using it. I can withdraw to an Aust account, but don't want to do this.

Can a Thai open an account in US thru Bangkok Bank?

I just checked some bank/brokerage websites in the USA. it seems they all require a social security number and/or a drivers license to open an account.

if you are thai, and you want to open an account in the states, my question to you is - do you have any relatives in the states?

if you do, maybe you could have them set you up with an account using their social security number? not sure if this legal though. they would in essense be your sponsor. you would have to be really close with them because you could really screw up somebody if you abused the bank account that they setup for you.

like in defaulting on a credit card. guess who would be liable?

..maybe you are living in the wrong place?

boredom is a state of mind. many people take life for granted, and don't really appreciate what they have. comparing your state of health with others in this world are less fortunate helps to alleviate the feeling of boredom.

but still, maybe you are in the wrong place.

I lived in san francisco for about 20 years. it's a great place. but after 20 years, I got bored. ..and moved. simple as that.