gdringjr

OnTheRun you are correct in that is is very poor protocol (and bad politics) for a politician to comment on any factual or investigative aspect of a high profile police investigation. Press releases including facts, investigations details and case progress should be made by the investigating agency, not a political head.

As you say, an appropriate statement by a political head would include condolences, determination to close the case, allocation of resources and assurances that steps are being taken to prevent future, similar incidents. Disclosing details, observations or opinions about the case is not appropriate for the PM.

Thanks bluweyze! I'll look him up or call him tomorrow.

Does anyone know of a Chiang Mai area shop or person who will come to my house and has the equipment and expertise to do the installation, connection, cabling, configuring and testing of an outdoor WiFi antenna? I'm trying to improve the signal I share with a neighbor.

The topic is essentially "Did you go all in?" and this was covered not 2-3 weeks ago at length on here. Next.

Sure. Let's not talk about the same thing twice. Somebody new might contribute something new and insightful, interesting, humourous or helpful. Can't have that. All the words that have been written about this topic have been written already. I'm surprised the mods don't close this thread and banish the OP.

In the last two centuries America has steadily usurped Britains position as the dominant world power. If you think America is intrusive in the affairs of other countries, then just take a look at this map which depicts the only 22 countries in the world that Britain has NOT invaded.

the-only-countries-britain-has-not-invaded.jpg

And you think any of those countries would be so much better off if they hadn't? Notice they didn't bother with Thailand.

Of course the British invaded Thailand in the course of WWII. It's a pretty difficult fact to dispute. I'll attach a headline. You only need to perform 30 seconds of online research before you start providing your mis-information. As I said in my previous post, there are very few countries that were exempt from Britain's imperialism.

In the last two centuries America has steadily usurped Britains position as the dominant world power. If you think America is intrusive in the affairs of other countries, then just take a look at this map which depicts the only 22 countries in the world that Britain has NOT invaded.

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

"My wife abandoned me and our child, can I take him aboard [sic]?"

Of course you can take him aboard. He can help bait your trolling lines.

Card skimming devices such as the one described provide only half the information the crook needs to drain your account. The other information they need is your four digit PIN. Whenever a skimming device is located you can be sure there is another device, which could be a removable false keypad which fits over the genuine keypad and records the PIN keystrokes. A more common alternate to capturing PINS is with a well disguised miniature video camera that is placed to have a view of the users PIN entry.

Solution? Push, pull and pry on any part of the card reader AND keypad that you can get your fingers around. If it is anything but rock solid - don't use it. Also always cover the keypad with one hand while entering your PIN. Do this even if nobody is around. You are hiding your PIN not from prying eyes but from a miniature camera that you have very little hope of detecting easily.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I wonder what they think will be happening that is a threat to national security between midnight and 4a.m??

You folks may be missing the point about why the military has imposed a curfew. It's about control not about stopping any illicit behavior.

When I was raising teenagers I imposed a curfew on them. Of course they could get up to shenanigans before they were due home and of course the arbitrary curfew time I set was just that... arbitrary. I needed to let them know who was in control and the consequences of disrespecting my position of power and leadership. They also needed to get enough sleep but that was beside the point.

The current curfew situation in Thailand is no different. Of course you can smuggle arms or conspire with others in broad daylight so the curfew doesn't really stop illicit activity. The points the curfew makes are:

1. Things are different now.

2. We (the army) are in control.

3. You will recognize our authority.

4. You will do our bidding or suffer the consequences.

The coup leaders are simply excercising control with a curfew muscle flex.

A big problem in doing what I've done and dumping my eighteen year relationship with Bank of America is that I felt some strange sort of loyalty because of our tenure. I've now divorced Bank of America and am finally rid of that whining, expensive and self-centered wench. My new marriage with a beautiful, young bank that rarely says no and doesn't have her hand in my pocket is just delightful. I wish I would have dumped the witch years ago.

Switching U.S. banks is a pain if you have direct deposits, several auto payments, tenants depositing to the account, like I have. I just took a deep breath, opened my Fidelity account and started the process of getting deposits and payments switched over. It took about two months to get everything switched over before I closed my Bank of America accounts. I'm glad I did. I now get all my money to Thailand for almost no fees. All ATM fees are rebated including those charged by Thai banks. Free unlimited bill pay and ACH transfers with Fidelity. There is no fee for my ACH transfers to my New York Bangkok bank (Bangkok Bank charges a small receiving fee). The exchange rates are superb. I feel like I've finally gotten one over on the banks.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Sorry, what kind of tear gas canister injures 200 people?

And if it injures 200 people with an explosion, then what would be the point of putting tear gas inside it.
Tear gas is for suppression. Bombs are for killing people.

Why doesn't anything ever make any sense at all around here.
Is the weird media coverage, or is everything just this wacky all the damn time?

It injured about 40 people actually.

Well BeforeTigers, you can see how stories get distorted. You somehow read that 200 persons were injured when it was actually reported as a fraction of that in the original post.

There is no source listed by the OP but the Bangkok Post story regarding this incident says "At least ten people". It goes on to say that "the injured persons were sent to Vajira Hospital for treatment or [sic] minor injuries".

The next step for this amazing technology is to perform wire-free atmospheric ionization that will eliminate the air pollution in Chiang Mai thus eliminating the need to have the Thai Royal Air Force sprinkle water on the smoke. I can't help but wonder if flying will be safe with all those released electrons bouncing around the airspace above Chiang Mai.

Airline aircraft are required to have EPIRBs or ELTs - an aircraft like the B777 would have several. One in a secure part of the airframe (activated on hard ground contact or in water) and portable ELTs for life rafts or you go looking for help on land. The SARSAT satellites are equipped to receive activated ELT signals and will immediately send details of location and time etc to the nearest ground SAR organisation. However on this occasion no ELT signals have been received - same as for the Air France A330 in the Atlantic Ocean. The ELTs do not work too well in deep water and the batteries would have expired by now. But the flight Data and Cockpit Voice recorders have a 30 day battery life. As you may know these were recovered from the Air France A330 after 2 years. The wreckage was found by a French Submarine using sonar -and if there is nothing found on the surface in the Indian Ocean search I think that this is the only way the wreckage (if there is) will be located this time. I hope that the US, UK and other nations with suitable submarines are ready to search the very deep Indian Ocean if a reasonably accurate location can be determined.

Thanks for that Bra however I've done a little more research and none of the media is reporting the ABSENCE of emergency beacon (EPIRB/ELT, etc.) signals to the SARSAT satellites. This would be news if there were no such signals. If the aircraft were equipped with emergency locater beacons and these devices were not activated it would mean either that the plane is still above ground and in good condtion or that the devices were destroyed (despite being designed to survive) and made inoperable as in the case of Air France 447.

The emergency locater beacons are designed to survive a crash, float (if the crash is in water) and send at least a couple days of location information to SAR satellites. Why is nobody talking about these devices? This is completely separate from the Radar/Transponder/ACARS issues that have been raised and discussed. Why the silence on this technology that as you say, the aircraft was equipped with?

Not exactly on topic but I wonder why this (and all commercial aircraft) are not fitted with a distress radio beacon (EPIRB) which is automatically activiated, works on over 70% of the earths surface and sends a signal to satellites providing a location accurate to within 100 meters. Most offshore boaters wouldn't leave a coastline without one of these gadgets which have saved tens of thousands of lives and cost only a few hundred bucks. Anyone know why this technology is not used?

Who's going to set it off if the plane is in control of a pilot? As for automatically starting, what is the stimulus?

All of the EPIRBs I have seen on boats are mounted externally and self-release then self-activiate and float on the surface after coming in contact with water. They can't be tampered with or switched off and are sealed until activated by water.

Not exactly on topic but I wonder why this (and all commercial aircraft) are not fitted with a distress radio beacon (EPIRB) which is automatically activiated, floats on the water, works on over 70% of the earths surface and sends a signal to satellites providing a location accurate to within 100 meters. Most offshore boaters wouldn't leave a coastline without one of these gadgets which have saved tens of thousands of lives and cost only a few hundred bucks. I know the black box will send an underwater "ping" which sonar can locate but first you have to get close to the black box. Anyone know why distress radio beacon technology is not used?

Thanks. I do have a relative there with an address I can use. I've heard such good things about Schwab, I think I'll give it a try!!

http://content.schwab.com/m/q310/schwab_bank_high_yield_investor_checking/ELC44427C-02.html

Here's a great article describing this:

http://thepointsguy.com/2013/07/avoiding-atm-withdrawal-fees-when-traveling-abroad/

I'm not sure when Casual1 opened his/her Schwab account but when I tried to open a Schwab account six weeks ago I had success but then when I tried to fund it with a transfer from Bank of America they "froze" the account. I called and they said that since the account had been opened from a non U.S. IP address that I would have to come into a Schwab office to verify my identity. No exceptions to this rule. I have no trips planned back to the U.S. for some time so I closed the account.

I then opened a Fidelity Cash Management account which is virtually the same as the Schwab account. It refunds all my ATM fees and as I mentioned earlier I get the XE.com exchange rate. Make sure you are opening these accounts using a U.S. IP or you risk raising red flags and having the account suspended. A U,S, mailing address is a must as well.

The no fee debit cards from Schwab, Fidelity, etc. are wonderful for ATM withdrawals up to around $500 but if you need to send big money they don't work so well.

The routing/ACH number for Bangkok Bank, New York is 026008691.

I transfer money online (any amount) from my Bank of America account to my Bangkok Bank (NY) account via ACH transfer. You have to set this up online with Bank of America and there are normally two "test" deposits Bank of America sends to Bangkok Bank to verify it is your account.

You can read about all these details at

http://www.bangkokbank.com/bangkokbank/personalbanking/dailybanking/transferingfunds/transferringintothailand/receivingfundsfromusa/pages/receivingfundsfromusa.aspx

The chart was copied and pasted by myself, about an hour ago, straight from the Bangkok Bank, New York Branch website.

You can find the chart on their website here:

http://www.bangkokbank.com/bangkokbank/personalbanking/dailybanking/transferingfunds/transferringintothailand/receivingfundsfromusa/pages/receivingfundsfromusa.aspx

Lopburi, you may want to let Bangkok Bank know that their chart is wrong.

I agree that ACH transfers to Bangkok Bank, New York are one of the cheapest routes to get cash to Thailand. Here are their fees for receiving ACH transfers which are then available to you in one day.

Transferred Amount

Fee (USD)

Not more than USD 50.00

Free

USD 50.01 - 100.00

3.00

USD 100.01 - 2,000.00

5.00

USD 2,000.01 - 50,000.00

10.00

USD 50,000.01 or more

20.00

I have been using ACH transfers from Bank of America to Bangkok Bank, NY for years and it's been OK. I paid B of A three dollars for the three day transfer to Bangkok Bank, NY and then ten dollars (see chart above) to Bangkok Bank. Monthly cost of $13 for moving my money over here with a good exchange rate.

But I just went one better. I just opened a Fidelity account which, similar to Schawb, refunds all ATM fees. I tried my new debit card last week and then checked my balances and found I had paid just .01% more than the current XE.com rate. Fidelity is not even charging the 1% foreign exchange fee at the moment so I recieved my cash, from my US bank (Fidelity) paying vitually nothing.