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Ajarn
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Posts posted by Ajarn
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Fact is, Thailand is planting more and more tobacco fields in the north...
They're willing to ban smoking in public areas, but not ban the cigarettes. What the government will do in case of fewer sales is simply to increase the sin tax to make up for any financial losses. TiT.
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I've been surprised at how cold it is at night even in the lowland areas around CM. I was in Chiang Dao a couple of days ago at sunset, and the cold came on very very quickly... On the drive home, I truly wished for a heater. Ths year, it seems to be getting colder, sooner, than years past....
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Yesterday my wife's niece, aged 31 was admited to hospital with a headache.
She died 3 hours later.
Cause of death given as AIDS...................????
Sounds like a stroke??
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Torture and threats have a profound influence here, it seems
How often have you met Thais who readily accept responsibility? A rarity, generally, in my experience.
You connect the dots...
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And the Gold Stars?
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Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to get internet through a GSM/GPRS phone?
It is for a couple of schools in the North without other options. In fact, I just visited one yesterday. The speed sucks, but is no worse than my lox dial-up most of the time, it seems. The system can't handle too many shared connections though, so its practical use with a medium-sized class isn't practical currently (I own stock in acompany, Alvarion, involved in practical and cheap solutions to this exact issue- currently in use in a few western countries).
The Thai teaching English in one school uses it to find teaching ideas and materials she can print out for classroom use. This school is just now reaching the stage where students are learning about email and limited to only sending mail to each other. This is fine for them for now, and it helps them and the teacher get more familiar and comfortable with this new technology. The main thing the Thai teachers have expressed fears about are in kids seeing the sex sites. The Thai government is promoting mostly Thai language websites, even publishing lists of 'appropriate' websites for Thai students. Not much government support for using 'foreign' websites.
One of the biggest problems I've seen over the last ten years or so of there being computers and internet in Thai schools (I was an Educator in Thailand for 16 years) is the waste and poor planning that goes on... Corruption and Incompetence... Schools with no electricity getting 100 computers.... 'Set' computer computer prices for schools at 50% above standard retail...Every Government university getting a (then) 7 million baht computer lab w satellite receiver, but with no training included. Ours was used to watch Thai soaps on the teacher's monitor, while the 42 computer stations just sat there covered in plastic for a year....
Probably 80% of the schools I visit (about 25 per year) don't fully use their computers because nobody knows what to do, or they're afraid to use them for fear if it breaking on their watch (very common fear!) ..Or they only allow staff to use the computers given for educational use...
I'd like to know what this school plans to do with these computers and their expensive internet connection.... This is a lot of money. Without a concrete and workable plan, they'd be better off putting their resources and money to work somplace else where the educational benefits would be more tangible- like simply more pencils and notebooks, or more supplies for teachers. Computer learning is not all it was dreamed to be. The internet is a wonderful thing and an incredibly useful and valuable learning/research tool. But, without proper training and support, you'll either just be creating more online game players, or see these machines wasting away from non-use....
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Please go to http://members.cscoms.com/~mglatz/ and then click on the first yellow boxes (Help us acquire Internet access for our village school) or go to http://www.michelonia.com directly.
If only 10% of the registered 14,764 members donated a little each or joined Michelonia, then I would have enough to outfit the school with the rest of the needed equipment such as switch etc. and enough to purchase the access to the Internet through a two way Satellite connection at $238 a month (through ipStar). This would be a unlimited connection at 256kbps down and 64kbps up.
There are no phones within 20 km of this location other than cellualr services.
You can also go to http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200...1100833068.html to see the last press release concerning the project.
Now that would make for a good Christmas story.
Can you please post the name of the school, and its location and contact information?... I looked over your website, but didn't see any such info. I'm interested in following up directly to ascertain how I can possibly help.
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Driving Yellow Cab nights in San Francisco, outside of the potential dangers, was a great job at the time. Excellent money, too. No bosses, freedom to go where I wanted. I got off on playing tour guide, too. Whenever I use a taxi here, I always mention I'm a former taxi driver. Without exception, this has made for a most pleasant ride for both of us as we discuss taxi driver stuff...
I used to be a taxi driver too. One year when I was on vacation in Bangkok and heading out to Don Muang I got into conversation about taxi stuff with the driver. I finished up a long monologue about the hardship of a cabbie's life by saying (in Thai, of course), "So really you and I are alike." The old guy thought about this for a minute and said, "But Thai taxi drivers don't take overseas vacations..."
Yep, the vast majority of taxi drivers world-wide don't take overseas vacations, including those in America.
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By 'Backpacker', what does that really mean?
Anyone travelling with a backpack?
All young travelers?
All 'poor' 'kii nio' types of travelers, regardless of age?
If a person is old and poor, and uses a backpack as luggage, is he/she still a backpacker?
If a person is young, financially well-off, stays in more upmarket places, and uses a backpack for luggage, are they still a backpacker, too?
To me, a 'backpacker' is not a negative image. I see them as, generally, adventurous, fun, open-minded, resilient kinds of folks. Many have been great classroom teachers, too.
Is this some kind of Traveler's Elitism? Why is there so much hostility and trashing of 'backpackers'? I can't remember ever having bad experiences with these kinds of travelers... It's the ones with the more 'riaproy' kinds of luggage who have annoyed me more.
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He's got debts and is being pressured and is trying it on your g/f.
Get a real contract and then go for the big discount.
If you can trust him...I agree, that sounds like the most plausible explanation- he's in serious need of cash. A definately good bargaining position for you, it seems...
I pay my rent one year in advance simply because I know I'm not moving and I don't want to think about monthly payments for rent. It was strictly my choice, and I have an excellent relationship with my landlord. In the poster's case, the landlord is operating somewhat outside the parameters of what I would call 'straight and upfront', so I would surely negotiate a discount and get it in writing... Don't forget a signature from a witness, too. Very important part of any such contract here, in my experience.
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I agree, That's too much. With citiline, I get the first 5 non-citi atm uses free, then it's $1.50 each. I think the Thai banks always charge me 20 baht on those transactions..
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Driving taxi ain't so awful, in my book
I didn't mean as a job in general, just as a job in Bangkok. The traffic, the crazy motorcycle taxis, the crazy tuk tuk drivers. It would drive me mad!
Or madder perhaps?
Coming from your place where a major driving concern is slipping in the sand
, I'm sure Bkk driving would compare to Heaven and ###### (by the way, why the ###### is ###### #'d out? What about sh*t pu**y c*ck, etc.??)I know you remember when it was even worse before the expressways, but I've lost far more hours being lost on Bkk expressways than I've ever lost on Bkk surface streets. If you miss your correct expressway connection, good ######' luck in getting back.... I'm sure there are people who know the expressways like the backs of their hands- likely the cab drivers, since there's no faster way to 1. Get there (time is money!) 2. Rack up the meter very quickly (more! more!)
I love driving anywhere, anytime, but twice in the last couple of months, I've driven from Chiang Mai to Bkk in six hours, only to spend another 3 hours going around in circles on the expressway- and my car has GPS!
Here's an overview of my tracks on my trip last week..
And I consider myself a very smart driver!
The key in these situations is, obviously, to be in the right frame of mind- Don't think much! The more I think about these situations, the more stressed and pissed off I feel. I think I must have met one of those 'cure you or kill somebody' kind of experiences and all survived. Now I just relax and enjoy the ride- mostly.
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I only had one taxi driver who didn't want to turn on the meter, this was at the train station. I got in, told him where i was going, he said "200 baht ok?" and I told him, in my lovely broad southern Thai accent to turn on the meter. Since I could speak Thai and the policeman was standing right there, he turned the meter on immediately.
That said, when I get a good guy I always tip. What an awful job.
Driving Yellow Cab nights in San Francisco, outside of the potential dangers, was a great job at the time. Excellent money, too. No bosses, freedom to go where I wanted. I got off on playing tour guide, too. Whenever I use a taxi here, I always mention I'm a former taxi driver. Without exception, this has made for a most pleasant ride for both of us as we discuss taxi driver stuff...
Someone earlier mentioned the 'waiting time' charges... We used to call it 'wasting time' because it clicks quite slow when sitting compared to moving. In Bkk, I was told by a taxi company owner that the 'time' takes over when sitting or moving less than 6 kmph. Taxis are so cheap here anyway....
Driving taxi ain't so awful, in my book
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So i'll be in my favourite country sitting on the beach Xmas day and I like to smoke my special and favourite Cuban cigars.
Are these banned in Thailand, because afaik in some countries they ban the importation of Cuban cigars and i'd hate to loose my Cohiba's upon entry :-)
I thought they were only banned in the US? Just politics, right?
I seriously doubt you'd have any problem at customs...
I think it it also illegal for any American to smoke them, according to your Law.
Yeah, in America.
Frankly, laws have never really influenced what I've smoked...
You might find that George and his mates have made it Illegal for any American to smoke Cubans in any country, not just in the USA.
Good Luck, George
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So i'll be in my favourite country sitting on the beach Xmas day and I like to smoke my special and favourite Cuban cigars.
Are these banned in Thailand, because afaik in some countries they ban the importation of Cuban cigars and i'd hate to loose my Cohiba's upon entry :-)
I thought they were only banned in the US? Just politics, right?
I seriously doubt you'd have any problem at customs...
I think it it also illegal for any American to smoke them, according to your Law.
Yeah, in America.
Frankly, laws have never really influenced what I've smoked...
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I think you're only safe in assuming anything illegal or banned in other countries is available and used in Thailand. DDT, asbestos, Dioxins, etc., etc.
With virtually no inspections or law enforcement of any kind, what can you reasonably expect to have happen?
Yer' on your own here.
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So i'll be in my favourite country sitting on the beach Xmas day and I like to smoke my special and favourite Cuban cigars.
Are these banned in Thailand, because afaik in some countries they ban the importation of Cuban cigars and i'd hate to loose my Cohiba's upon entry :-)
I thought they were only banned in the US? Just politics, right?
I seriously doubt you'd have any problem at customs...
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Ajarn, My point is that visiting a prisoner has become another stop on the backpacker circuit.
If these people are regular prison visitors in their own contries then fine but then they'd be party to the correct information already.
The last thing Thailand needs is more freelance do gooders.
Prof, I normally agree with you, but I can't this time. I think this world needs more do-gooders and fewer do-baders- no matter how trite or silly that may sound. Maybe some do-gooder can contribute to some do-bader becoming a do-gooder, na'? Faith and Hope, my friend. Stranger things have happened
But, I know what you mean about prisoners being on the tourist circuit... Like that in Chiang Mai, too. I once took an Italian lady to the prison at her request, where she proceeded to ask a convicted farang for advice on how to best smuggle heroin... If I wasn't so shocked at that moment, I would have burst out laughing! Dumped her like a hot potato!
I'd be more inclined to ask someone who got away with it. Someone banged up is not likely to be a font of knowlege
Exactly! That kind of piss-poor judgement coming from some crazy (albeit very sexy) Italian broad with three kinds of drugs up here c*nt is why I steared clear after that. Oh... the advice was to put it in a glass tube...
She later wrote me a postcard (do people do that anymore?) telling me she passed customs in 3 European countries on her way back to Italy...
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Where do you get one of these machines?
I don't know where my brain was....
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Unless you can safely convince your neighbors to start training their dogs, there ain't a ###### thing you can do about it except simply accept it and move on with life. I'm in the same situation myself, and it was difficult to train my own dog at first to not join his buds in howling. But I did do it. It only took a couple of occasions before he got the idea that howling does not bring happiness from me..
I have no idea why others don't take the same minimal effort with their dogs. And it's not just in Thailand where I've experienced this problem, either.
On the plus side, Burglars are even more annoyed than I am..
You could always try one of those hi frequency sound machines that we can not hear. (They are not that expensive)Every time they bark, turn it up to the max and see if you can train them that way. Of course it might have the opposite effect
You know, I still have this far-reaching paintball gun, and I've been considering its value as a 'teaching tool'...
Truthfully, if there weren't jails, I'd merrily paint the owners until I felt better...
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Sometimes I've got to laugh to stay sane
Ain't that the truth for all of us here!
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Your point about "getting the word out" via wife/GF I cannot agree with. No way in the world will a Thai think about confronting another Thai about their behaviour.
Never say never in Thailand. Over the years. I've witnessed a number of very loud and public confrontations over someone elses behaviour. Normally, they complain (gossip) to others about another person's behavior, but not always
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Not all agencies are bad or overpriced- In fact, I've had exellent experience with one of them, Chiang Mai Habitat.
Your experience may vary. Nothing is as black and white as some might try to present. Plenty of Thais paying more than 20,000 a month in mortgages, so it stands to reason that if they were to rent it out, they would sure want to cover their bank payments at least. Besides, there aren't any new houses anywhere of that size for 5,000 baht rent (more like 20,000), but quite a few older ones for that price or even less if you look around.
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Unless you can safely convince your neighbors to start training their dogs, there ain't a ###### thing you can do about it except simply accept it and move on with life. I'm in the same situation myself, and it was difficult to train my own dog at first to not join his buds in howling. But I did do it. It only took a couple of occasions before he got the idea that howling does not bring happiness from me..
I have no idea why others don't take the same minimal effort with their dogs. And it's not just in Thailand where I've experienced this problem, either.
On the plus side, Burglars are even more annoyed than I am..
Swedish Tourist Frozen To Death In Chiang Mai
in Thailand News Headlines
Posted
A number of deaths occur here in the North and Northeast each year, mostly due to reported hypothermia, some due to asphyxiation from using stoves without enough ventilation.
I have no idea about any Thai conspiracies, but I do know that, just like Kansas, we're not in Oregon, either.
I miss Oregon very much. I lived around Eugene for a number of years. Very fond memories of the hot springs and beautiful nature everywhere. One of my biggest sadnesses about living in Thailand is the lack of clean swimable rivers and lakes... Other things about living here, for me, still balance everything in Thailand's favor in the end