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Baloo22
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Posts posted by Baloo22
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The 500 THB fines in Thailand are a joke, but so is this! Sending a kid to the slammer in the largest "democracy" in the world is just mind-boggling.
No, it is your comment that is mind-boggling nonsense!
First; You say " Sending a kid to the slammer..." like he is being sent to SuperMax at Pelican Bay State Prison. He is not. He is being sent to a Juvenile correctional facility and the judge mandated a parole hearing after seven years.
Second; Were you present in the courtroom to hear all the evidence presented?? Judge Jean P. Leonard was in the courtroom and did hear all the evidence presented and all the arguments from both the People and Defense Counsel. She was obviously far better informed on this issue than you.
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I Think you meant to type US $5.00 or 500 Baht, not US $50.
Yes, my mistake. It's US$10 or 500baht.
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OK - issue resolved and many thanks.
It's non-immigrant type O - Entry M. I've found the stamp which is dated 9th September which is valid till 7th December.
I should have spent more time looking through my passport before posting questions, but thanks for bearing with me!
Do we need to take photos with us for the border run?
And on your visa, the date under ENTER BEFORE: _____________________ ??
If you are using that visa to enter Thailand, you need to do it before the ENTER BEFORE date.
As far as photos, when I did a "border run" to Mae Sai / Techileik last year I did not need any photos. After exiting Thailand you walk to the Burmese Immigration. At Burmese Immigration you hand them your passport and you sit in front of a computer with a camera, they scan/copy your passport and take your picture. The fee is either US$50 or 500baht. (See here for some details on that.) Then they hand you a brown card good for Tachileik and the local vicinity.
That being said; IMO, it's not a bad idea to carry some visa size photos when traveling between countries. You never know when your plans may change and you need to get a visa for somewhere else. Or the rules changed "yesterday" and now you need them.
I did a "border run" to Mae Sai last year. Trip report here.
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Now I'm really confused! I don't want a resident's permit as we're going home in April. The facy that our non-immigrant type O is multi entry, I gathered (from various other posts on this forum) that we had to do a border run every 90 days.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app
Ok. To clear up some confusion and ensure that we have the correct information so that people here can provide you with accurate answers; Please look in your passport and and give us the following data from your current visa. Please read it right off of the visa. (We don't need your name, visa number, or any personal data).
TYPE OF VISA:
CATEGORY:
NO. OF ENTRY:
DATE OF ISSUE:
ENTER BEFORE:
REMARKS:
Also, in a previous comment, you said " The only thing that was stamped when we entered Thailand was our entry date on our departure card. "Are you positive of this? Please check your passport again and look on every page. Sometimes the immigration officer will put the entry stamp several pages away from the visa. Every time I have entered Thailand they put an entry stamp in my passport. The stamp will usually have the date that the stamp was made and another " Admitted Until " date. -
By Michael O'Brien, Political Reporter, NBC News
" President Barack Obama’s seemingly hands-off management style is raising fresh questions and concerns that could upend his second-term legacy. "
Talk about stating the obvious! Notice how they use the term " leadership style " and inside the article " seemingly hands-off management style ". Truly another journalistic exercise in putting lipstick on a pig! Far more truthful and accurately descriptive terms would be incompetence or ineptitude.Another gem from this article is an excellent example of "Inside the Beltway" politico blah-blah. From the above referenced article:“ The president's certainly got some work to do in getting people focused on his agenda,” added Democratic operative Jamal Simmons, who floated the idea of the administration bringing in an adviser from outside Obama’s close-knit inner circle to shake-up internal thinking. “Mainly it just seems that the White House has been reacting to issues as they arise and not getting out there and setting the agenda. ”
What a pantload of crap! These series of bungles have nothing to do with Obama not "getting people focused on his agenda" or "setting the agenda". They have much more to do with Obama not having a clue as to what is going on in his own administration. Obama is the Chief Executive of the United States. He is the chief/in-charge/manager of the Executive Branch of the government. If he is not aware of nor responsible for these major actions occurring in his branch of government, who is?-
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NBC/WSJ poll: Obama approval sinks to new low
These type polls suffer from the usual qualifications that come with any polls like these; Results can be adjusted by exactly what questions are asked, how they are asked, and who is being asked the questions, etc.
Besides that, one item is interesting in there:
--Sixty-three percent of voters want to replace their own member of Congress, which is the highest percentage ever recorded on this question that dates back to 1992.But, it's a full year till the mid-term elections in 2014. Will such outrage last until then?Many people will express such disgust and disapproval when asked opinions in general about "Congress", "The Government in Washington", etc. But often that does not actually translate into them NOT re-electing their individual Representatives (all seats up for election in 2014), or their individual Senator (one third of Senate seats up for election in 2014)?You can get one answer to the question of "What's your opinion of the performance of Congress?" and another answer when they go to the voting booth to vote for or against Rep. Robertson in the next election?" (BTW, I just made up the name Robertson. Don't know if their really is a Rep. Robertson or not.)-
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What a little Debbie Downer !
I'll bet you're a really joyful character around Songkran time !!
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" New York Cheesecake Recipe & Video ", from Joy of Baking website.
" New York Cheesecakes are creamy, and smooth, and rich, and dense, and absolutely delicious. This cheesecake has three layers, starting with a graham cracker crumb crust that is topped with a cream cheese filling, and then a layer of lightly sweetened sour cream. There are two popular cheesecakes in America today, the ones made with cream cheese (shown here) and the ones made with ricotta. John Mariani tells us in his The Dictionary of American Food & Drink that Americans have come to know cheesecakes made with cream cheese as 'New York' or 'Jewish' Cheesecakes, and ones made with ricotta as 'Italian' Cheesecakes, with both types having their roots in immigrant New York City neighborhoods. "
Of course, anyone paying with their own money and putting the cheesecake in their own mouth should feel free to choose whatever cheesecake they prefer. Myself, I'm trying to get my gut to shrink instead of expand, hence I must stay away from yummy cheesecake. -
Can you provide a Google Maps link by any chance?
Thanks
Google Maps has the Meeting Room Art Cafe right here. I have no idea whether that is the actual location or not.
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I have one interior room in my house that is a "Faraday cage", my mobile won't even get a signal when I'm in there. Must be all of the steel that I out in the walls when we built the house.
Yes, that can happen. At the college where I worked back in the U.S. we had one building that had a brand new addition put on to one end. They used steel-stud wall framing. Cell phones were pretty much useless in that part of the building.
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If your wireless router has two or more antenna, try aiming one antenna straight up (vertically) and one at a 90 degree angle (horizontally).
You may need to experiment some to see which specific antenna orientations gives you the best signal.
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It is the Republican's fault that the Obamacare website is a complete mess and that Obama misled the public about being able to keep their doctors and insurance plans? Nonsense. The buck stops with the president who pushed a faulty bill.
" The buck stops with the president... " ?? You obviously did not get the proper "Blame Deflection" memo from the Obama admin;1.) It's Bush's fault !2.) It's the Republican's fault !3.) Nobody told me !!4.) I found out about this from the news reports the same way you did !!-
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Obamacare has had nothing but a long history of lies and distortions against it so now we have more. And after this mess is cleaned up, anti-Obamacare fanatics will invent and create more outright lies and distortions.
That's the history of it to date, with more to come for sure.
So, for the record, here are facts about converting the coverage provided by existing policies, to the upgraded and subsidized ACA insurance that gives you protections, instead of there being so many existing policies for which you pay something but get nothing.
The truth of the insurance policy change is specifically that they will be cancelled and reissued. You will be reissued a new policy because insurance companies cannot cancel you as an insured client. Insurance companies must provide you a minimum level of service.
So policies that don’t meet the minimum requirements under the ACA might require an upgrade.
If you want or need to upgrade your coverage/policy, and if it costs more, then you can get subsidies - you can get supplementary money from the government if you qualify.
And if your cost is going up, you'll probably qualify. Further, you will end up with better health and medical insurance that actually covers something, not the one you have that gets you nothing.
These are the consumer protection aspects of coverage minimums that the ACA makes sure you have by law.
ObamaCare has had a long history of lies and distortions.
So, now you say insurance policies will be "cancelled and reissued". And those insurance policies "might require an upgrade." An " upgrade "! Really??
And if a citizen decides that he or she does not want an " upgrade " ??
Then you say " If you want or need to upgrade your coverage/policy, and if it costs more, then you can get subsidies - you can get supplementary money from the government if you qualify. " Ah yes! Note that little " ...if you qualify. " And if you, citizen, don't " qualify ", you are well and truly screwed!!
Your whole statement, just like the disgusting mess known as ObamaCare, is a long, long, long way from:
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
" If you like your plan you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Period. "
-Barack Obama
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Obamacare has had nothing but a long history of lies and distortions against it so now we have more.
Lies and distortions? There have been some real doozies.
"If you like your plan you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Period.
-Barack Obama
Even Obama's "Lap-Dog Media" outlets are now reporting on his lies and distortions.By Lisa Myers and Hannah Rappleye, NBC News" President Obama repeatedly assured Americans that after the Affordable Care Act became law, people who liked their health insurance would be able to keep it. But millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years.
Four sources deeply involved in the Affordable Care Act tell NBC News that 50 to 75 percent of the 14 million consumers who buy their insurance individually can expect to receive a “cancellation” letter or the equivalent over the next year because their existing policies don’t meet the standards mandated by the new health care law. One expert predicts that number could reach as high as 80 percent. And all say that many of those forced to buy pricier new policies will experience “sticker shock.” "Much more on Obama's lies and distortions at the link above.
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Everyone spies: Intelligence insiders shrug amid outrage over US snooping allegations
LONDON - Amid the growing furor over allegations that the United States spied on some of its closest allies in Europe including German Chancellor Angela Merkel a quiet refrain is being repeated by intelligence insiders across the continent: We all do it.
Finding out what other governments are thinking is what [intelligence] agencies do, a former British intelligence official said on the condition of anonymity.
Exactly! You might as well title this whole farce " News Flash: Fish swim in water! Who knew? "
Merkel and the rest of these yipping politicians know very well that their own intelligence agencies have, are now, and will continue to do the same thing. The real purpose for all this faux outrage is to keep the NSA scandal on the front page and things like the economic problems in Europe off of the front pages.
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I too would like to know the process for a visa run. We have a Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant Visa Cat '0' (Visiting Thailand as a Retired Person aged 50 and over). This is not a retirement visa as many expats we've spoken to presume it to be. We have to leave the country every 90 days and we know that we can do this by land rather than air. We plan to make a bit of a trip of it and book a couple of nights in a hotel in Chiang Rai, travel there by Green bus and arrange a driver to take us to Mae Sai the following day. A couple of questions:
About how much should we expect to pay for the car and driver from Chiang Rai to Mae Sai?
I understand that the stamp costs 500 baht. Do we have to provide photos?
Anything else we should be aware of?
The only thing that was stamped when we entered Thailand was our entry date on our departure card. What should we expect to be stamped on this first visa run?
Many thanks.
Since you use the term "visa run" and then talk about Mae Sai, I first want to make sure that we are on "the same page" so to speak. Also, for others that may read this topic for their needed info.
A "visa run" is when someone travels to a location outside of Thailand that has a Thai Embassy or Thai Consulate so that they can apply for and receive an actual visa (of one type or another). Said visa then allows them to enter Thailand. The Burmese city of Tachileik just across the river from Mae Sai does not have a Thai Consulate so one cannot get a visa there.
A "border run" is when someone travels to a location outside of Thailand so that they can exit Thailand and then enter Thailand again. They do this to receive a new stamp (from Thai Immigration) in their passport. The duration of stay that said stamp will allow depends on if the person has a visa (or not) and the specific type of visa. A "border run" is something that you can do by traveling to Mae Sai.
You say " The only thing that was stamped when we entered Thailand was our entry date on our departure card. "
Are you positive of this? Please check your passport again and look on every page. Sometimes the immigration officer will put the entry stamp several pages away from the visa. Every time I have entered Thailand they put an entry stamp in my passport.
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I am attempting to upload an MP4 file. It is less than 100MB. When I use the Basic Uploader, it just freezes. Tried several times.
When I tried the Advanced Uploader, it goes to the very end and then fails with an error message of "Upload Skipped (Error500)". I have reduced the file size and get the same thing. Tried several times and keep getting the same "Upload Skipped (Error500)" error message.
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IMO, one of the best criteria for selecting a hotel in Bangkok is that it be near a BTS or MRT station. Here is some info and links. Pick out what may be useful for you.
If you have not already booked your transport from Suvarnabhumi Airport into the city, the Airport Rail Link (ARL) is a great way to get into the city. See http://bangkokairporttrain.com/index.html The ARL terminal is on the bottom floor of the airport. It will take you into the city and links up with the BTS (Elevated Rail) system at the Phraya Thai Station. You can get Express train straight to and from BTS Phraya Thai <---> Suvarnabhumi Airport or get the "city line" ticket that stops at various stations along the way. http://bangkokairporttrain.com/time-table-route.html
Traffic is horrible in Bangkok so using the rail systems and river system is best. Bangkok has:
BTS (Elevated Rail) system http://www.bts.co.th/customer/en/02-route-current.aspx You can pickup a paper route brochure at any of the stations. There are two lines, the Silom line and the Sukhumvit line. They link together at the Siam Station so you can transfer from one line to the other there.
MRT (Underground Subway) system http://www.bangkokmetro.co.th/map.aspx?Menu=8&Lang=En This one can get you to Hua Lamphong Railway station. They have the Silom and Sukhkumvit stations that are close to BTS stations so you can link with the BTS.
The Chao Phraya River is used for transport also. They have a "tourist" boat http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com/en/tourist/index.asp that basically just has a guy on it that speaks English and tells you something about various sights on the river. There are also a bunch of regular Thai commuter boats that the locals use every day for transport. You can take the BTS Silom line to Saphan Taksin station and, with a short walk; you are at the Sathorn Pier. http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com/en/services/index.aspx#routemap
This http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm is a good site for info on the trains of the State Railway of Thailand.
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That's a fair point but even if the Russkies reacted strongly with words there is no excuse for a physical attack. I totally agree that AVOIDANCE gives the best chance of preventing violent encounters with thuggish Thais.
Also there is live and learn. I will NEVER touch a glass item on the street in Thailand again after that drama. No, I didn't damage it. It was 100 percent scam.
"That's a fair point but even if the Russkies reacted strongly with words there is no excuse for a physical attack. " I agree with you 100% on that. I was not trying to excuse, in any way, that attack on them.
Like you said, avoidance is the best way. I lived in Jomtien for almost a year. I found most of them were there with their wives/girlfriends/families and just wanted to have a nice vacation. Yes, sometimes they can be a bit gruff and loud. But I never had any problems with any of the Russians there. I found that for many of them, it was literally their first trip outside their country and they are brand new to travelling in a different society. Helped more than a few with directions when I found them standing by the road with a map and confused looks on their faces.
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Question: With all the stuff I read here I am concerned about a trip to Phuket. Have lived in LOS for 3 years been to Pattaya. No issues gf the ladies away. She has one mean look lOL
Question is. Is it still worthwhile if you are not a starry eyed farang to go t Phuket. I was there in the late 90's and loved it.
I would say no, not worthwhile. I took a short trip there last year. First and last trip to Phuket. IMO, the criminals/scammers are worse than Pattaya and the place is twice as expensive as Pattaya.
Last year, in the gym I went to here in Chiang Mai, I met a guy, originally from Sweden, who had lived on Phuket island for nine years. He told me that almost all that violence and scamming used to be limited to Patong. But now it has spread over the whole island. He said he could see it getting worse and worse, year after year. After being subjected to two armed robberies on the roads there, he decided he'd had enough and moved to Chiang Mai.
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Something's fishy about this story. The sellers know the watches are fake. Only an idiot buyer would not know the watches are fake. The beating was about trying watches on and then NOT buying, yes?
I haven't "shopped" for copy watches for years here but I don't remember it ever being that bad here if trying watches and not buying. Is this new? Are the watch sellers hungrier or something? Maybe Russians really want REAL name watches, many have the dosh.
I did have a vendor yell at me once and call me CRAZY for refusing to buy pants that wouldn't remotely fit me, and those I didn't even try on, I just looked at them for a minute. I also was once almost caught by the "you damaged it" gambit because I picked up a glass item for five seconds, but in that case I just walked away while they chased me and threatened to call the police ...
Something may, or may not, be "fishy" about this story. In your third paragraph, you speak of two incidents that you were involved in. There's more than a small chance that some loud or angry words from you back at them would be all that was needed for you to suffer a beating from them and a few of their friends.
I have traveled enough and been here long enough, and I suspect that you have also, to know that it is wiser to "Let it go, and walk away!"
For many of these Russian tourists their trip to Pattaya may be their first trip outside of their country. Something tells me that their tour operators/sellers in Russia do not warn them about Thais losing face and reacting violently.
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He speaks of the "Pattaya Model". This "Pattaya Model" ??
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To get an actual visa; Probably your best bet is to go to Vientiane, Lao. As Greenwich Boy stated you can fly to Udon Thani and take a bus from there to Nong Khai on the border. Nok Air also has a package deal where they fly you to from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani, then van to the border, and then van to Vientiane.
Here is the website for the Thai Embassy in Vientiane. Note that you submit your visa application and fee in the morning and pick up your visa the next day in the afternoon. The Thai Consular Section where you do this is located here.
Alternately, you could also to a "border run" up to Mae Sai and get another 15 days. IMO, the Green Bus is the best way to get up there. They have a good reputation for safety and good driving. There are several different classes of tickets with VIP being the best seats. If you want to travel in northern Thailand, I recommend Green Bus. Their website is mostly in Thai. Here are the Green Bus schedules. They depart and arrive from the Arcade Bus Station here (the green arrow).
You can buy tickets from the Green Bus counter at the Arcade Bus Station or you can buy tickets from several different travel agencies. There is one here in the Old City on Intrawarorot Road (the green arrow). The lady at this one told me that they do charge an extra 20baht per ticket. IMO, it's worth it since it would cost more than that to get out to the Arcade Bus Station.I did a "border run" to Mae Sai last year. Trip report here. -
The little old guy does not even have a store he has a motorcycle cart, Starbucks you are pathetic making an example of this old guy.
Free publicity - but a lot of it is negative. My personal opinion is that they are petty minded money grabbing ***** . This man's cart could never, ever, be mistaken for having any link to Starbucks, and having tried his coffee its a lot better and a lot cheaper. Starbucks need a hard kick up the rear.
And when the next fourteen coffee carts start sporting the Starbucks logo? Then one coffee shop, then five shops, and then when Starbucks does go into a courtroom it will be "Well, you let all these other people use your logo!" Starbucks does not just have a legal right to protect their property (logo), they have a responsibility to do so. I strongly suspect that the legal and marketing people at the Starbucks company have substantially more expertise in this than you or I do.
How many times does this need to be explained ???
Starbucks has to protect it's company's logo.BM Rametindallas explained it very well in the other Starbucks thread.
If Starbucks knowingly lets one person violate their trademark, then they have to let anyone violate their trademark. Once the precedent has been set, (that you don't care who uses your trademark) then any large company can come in and do what the small offender did and there would be nothing Starbucks could do about it. You can't have selective enforcement. It is costing Starbucks much more in legal fees and bad publicity that even ten pushcarts like Mr. Bung runs but they have to protect their trademark or lose all rights to it. I don't know why this is so difficult to understand.
Another point would be, why does it make a difference if the thief is small time or big time; you have still been robbed. Let me personalize it for you. Would it make a difference to you and your family if a poor thief with six children to feed robbed your house or a gang of professional thieves robbed your house? You suffer a loss in both cases. With your logic, you would let the poor thief off with no punishment (and even allow him to reoffend) and prosecute the professional gang. What would your family (stockholders), that your are responsible to, say about your generous spirit?
<snip> ...trademark violation is much more damaging to a company to ignore, than copyright violations. Why do you think Starbucks is spending so much money on these two 'little' guys? Why do you think they are willing to accept so much bad publicity. It is because they HAVE to. They have spent millions building their trademark and have stockholders' investments to protect. It would be corporate malfeasance to not protect their trademark.Here's the difference. If copyright violators are not prosecuted, the owner of the copyrighted material is only out money but if trademark violation is not prosecuted (knowingly allowed), the owner of the trademark loses control of the trademark and everyone is legally free to use it. Everyone could then open any coffee shop and legally call it Starbucks and use the exact Starbucks logo. <snip>
Myself, I'm trying to get my gut to shrink instead of expand, hence I must stay away from yummy cheesecake. 
Starbucks has to protect it's company's logo.
US court sentences 13-year-old boy to 7 years for killing neo-Nazi father
in World News
Posted
I've now read in several different articles that Child Protective Services were called to or visited Joseph Hall's home over twenty times.
The details of why or what caused those visits, and what was Child Protective Services's evaluation of the situation in the Hall home is something that needs some close scrutiny.