Ajarn

I would like to mention that if you live here and eat and drink.... you most likely have worm parasites. I found them after not eating a couple of days and they started coming out and swimming in the toilet... no sh*t!  I looked it up, and in Thailand they are almost impossible to avoid... . All the drug stores sell these pills for 30B over the counter "Alda" that contains "albendazole" its a "broad spectrum anthelmintic" for the treatment of single or mixed worms. They are not much of a problem, just living in you and reproducing , unless you go hungry, then they can attack your internal organs and such... depending on exactly what type they are. Anyway, good idea to de-worm every 6 months, and or eat well every day.

Yeah, same here. A few times, When things just didn't feel right, a dose of that stuff made everything okay...

Here is a new slant for all you experts, I hope you can answer?

I am on a non O 1 year extention, with a multiple re entry. I work in Laos so I travel in and out every month, stay approx 2 weeks in Thailand on break.

So my question is am I required to report every 90 days? it will obviously be difficult to be on the date. maybe I am out or maybe in Thailand, look forward to any replies

When you enter Thailand, your new TM card is your required registration. It asks you to list your address in Thailand. No need to register at immigation if you are re-entering Thailand every 90 days, or less.

By the way, you can also register at your local police station if you don't want to go to immigration.

For a few years, I was a DoS in Bkk..

A university degree is required for a teaching license from the Ministry of Education. Anything less than a Bachelor's is not acceptable, according to their rules.

But, the system is not perfect, and I have seen other kinds of school diplomas sneak through the process.

TiT

Many of us have come here to escape rules, so the grumbling and whining is normal...

But, as has been mentioned, Thailand has maybe the most liberal visa policy, and fewest government hassles of any country in this region, in my experience. I lived in Indonesia and Malaysia, too, and Thailand is easy by comparison.

It does take time for some to chill out here, maybe. In almost 20 years, I've never had a bad experience at immigration, and I've found the system to be quite flexible if you're smart and polite.

So, I only drink Pesi Max. Problem solved. 

dosnt that make your tea taste funny

If I want tea, I'll make a tea cake

CM451:  Thank you for your kind post.

I grew up in Japan, when the U.S. Military was growing all their produce hydroponicly as the Japanese at the time were using human waste fertilizer.  I guess it is a old refrain for me to hear the radio constantly broadcast warnings against drinking the local water and not eating the local produce. without washing it in anticeptic.

Suffice to say, in high school, I contracted amoebic dysentary and tape worms.  Was very sensitive to any form of contamination for years afterward, and even slightly old milk would start me off.

No one I know of was more sensitive to the quality of water here upon my arrival three years ago, than me.  Likewise I wouldn't touch stall food for the life of me.

Los Angeles has some of the finest municipal drinking water in the world and yet the bottled water industry there is probably has the largest volume of any, anywhere. There were news reports that bottleers were merely hooking up to the muncipal water hydrants and bottling the city water. 

We all have various levels of bacteria in our stomachs and as I understand it, it is merely a matter of becoming accustomed to the bactereia mix of your local area. Look at all the farang that eat off the street carts with impunity. They undoubtedly have stomachs that have accoustomed themselves to the bacteria encountered in such venues.

The filter that comes with my new fridge says it is an osmossis filter, whether that is "reverse osmossis" I don't know.  Since I have not read of any outbreaks of water borne diseases, among Thais or farang in Chiang Mai, I am somwhat re-assured that the water as it comes out of their treatment plants is potable.  The issue is if the delivery system keeps it that way. Likewise, I was relying to some degee on the experiience of the other farang who has a filter refrigerator in Chiang Mai. Certainly, well water subject to ground water seepage is a real danger.  Likewise, some of the plumbing in older condominiums would give me pause.

Suffice to say, the risk I am taking is relatively small in my view, but one I am willing to take on balance.  I waited a few days before posting, so I could speak with authority of my experience to date.  Rest assured, I will post negative results, if they occur.

I am drinking the  ice water from my fridge as I write this and it still tastes delicious. Fear is a powerful force that can be discounted by reasonably calculated risk.  The absence of a flood of posts from our forum naysayers recounting horror stories of farang dying from the local water is reassuring.

I am also mindful that  the food we eat is washed in locally supplied water, in our homes and in the restaurants.  Washing food with polluted water, pollutes the food, so perhaps what bacteria that is in the water here has been acclimated to by my body over the past three years such that I am now accoustomed to it, as certainly all my food over the past three years has been washed in local water.

From http://watershed.net/purified.htm

"Purified or reverse osmosis water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking purified water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using purified water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in purified water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.

Purified water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more purified water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Purified" water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved by purified water"

I remember them saying the tap water in Bkk was safe to drink, too. But, the piping wasn't safe and chemical leaching was still a health hazard. Whenever there is heavy rain, or when they're working on the system, my water goes brown...Clearly, dirt from outside is able to enter the system. What chemicals are in that dirt?

I also remember some testing of bottled waters done by the government, and 40% flunked...Of course, they wouldn't release the names of the companies that failed. I also used to live close to a water bottling facility, and I was never really impressed with their washing of the old big bottles before refilling...

So, I only drink Pesi Max. Problem solved.

I would recommend an ionization system for purifying the water as this will almost replace the need for any chemicals in the water.</font>

Huski,

Any chance of some more details ?

The chemicals are expensive and I have to drive to CM to get them.

How much would a system cost ?

About 40,000 baht minimum, when I checked locally...

My chemical costs are not bad..I use trichlor tablets, one every 3-4 days, 60 baht each...

Once you get it down, maintenence is easy. My total mothly costs are less than 2,000baht, including electric costs for the pump

I have been advised to purchase a pump larger than the specific pump supplied for the particular size of your desired pool. This is mainly due to the fact that small or undermanagable pumps are likely to fail. This could also prove costly, lead to more maintenance schedules or replacement.

In my experience, it's more important that you get the right kind of pump....It must be self-priming with a built-in filter (not the pool filter). 1.0 hp is plenty, in most cases, but I also have a solar heating system on my roof, so I got a 2hp Italian motor (forget the Chinese ones, imo) purchased locally(20,000). I later learned that I only needed a 1hp or 1.5 (10-15,000 baht locally) for my needs. Expensive lesson. A smaller pump will save quite a bit in electric costs, too.

The quality of your foundation, structure, plumbing, and tiling are extremely important to avoid future problems. I'm thankful that I was lucky in this regard. Real easy for mistakes to come up later and, for the most part, any major repair could likely mean destroying your pool just to access and fix the problem...

Took a month in my case. Went through 3 different labour crews. No real labour problems, but only because of constant attention by me, and my consultant. Believe me, every person imvolved with your project will be looking to add to their wages...Not passing on the usual 15-20% discounts they get on quoted prices, making their own receipts, sending 4 workers when you've contracted and are paying for 5.....Bringing in grandad and pocketing the difference, while grandpa is either clueless or slow as....or both. Which adds to your labour time, so you get bad quality at more than twice the price.

Ya' gotta use some cajones to stay on top, but you gotta be cool about it, too. Lots of ways for resentment/loss of face to show in the workmanship, so it's much like playing chess, maybe. A great learning experience and interesting challenge for some .

I do know a guy who is from Pattaya, and a real hustler- and smart, too. But, the guy knows everything you need to know about constructing pools, and his attention to construction details was greatly appreciated by me. But, don't let him take you by the hand....I made that mistake in the very beginning (dam trusting American), but caught myself quickly enough to recover, but he was always trying to pull the wool over my eyes on money stuff, if I didn't pay close attention. In the end, we both compromised a bit, and I would still use him again.

PM me if you want his phone number. Buyer Beware

<font color='#000000'>Anyone have built a pool in Thailand? Your input is much appreciated! Tell us how you did it!</font>

Here's mine. Finished 3 months ago. 200,000 baht, total, including pump house and landscaping. All first class materials. 2x10x1.80

poolmaster has most of the equipment and chemicals. Nice folks. but higher prices for most chemicals (more than the US, but typical for Thailand, I think). But, chemical cost will be the least of your worries when building a pool....Are you going to hire your own people to build it? You can do most of it pretty cheap, but the initial construction is critical, and can be very tricky.... Getting competent labour is one of the major headaches.

I just finished building my 2 meter x 10 meter therapy pool a 3 months ago....I had a competent foreman, but I still had to be involved at every step.

poolmaster 053-818-671

Use the internet for your research and learning. It's your best protection.

I ordered from Dacheeso today to try out their products and service..

I ordered maybe 30 items by phone with no problem. For delivery, she only asked for my street address, without asking for details about how to get there. I was sure I'd get that call from the driver asking me where my house is located....

Amazingly, he showed up without help, and on time

The cheddar cheese showed no signs of being 'cheddar colored', so I think this is from the Thai-German dairy, and I never cared much for their cheddar previously, preferring the New Zealand stuff sold around town, even though it's more expensive

I bought 1 bottle each of the various honeys- nicely packaged, suitable for gifts. 60 baht for about 500 grams...Delicious Orange-lime marmalade.

Their peanut butter is the stuff that's been made locally by a farang in CM for a number of years. They used to add soy oil in their processing, which gave it a taste which I didn't care for. It's better packaged now, so that the seal doesn't leak oil... I didn't open it today to taste, so I'm not sure if I still prefer Skippy...

I'll try out the various sausages and meats I got and report anything that might be of interest to others here.

Prices are not cheap, but the quality seems to be there, and the service is worth a bit of a surcharge, imo.

053-274-521

Thailand could certainly benefit from farangs like Francois.

Thailand and Thaivisa.com could certainly benefit from every single French man.

Just Francois is plenty for me

The Chiang Rai YMCA has a shop which sells organic produce and other organic products.

70 Phaholyothin Rd., Rimkok, Muang, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.

Tel :+66 (0) 5371 3785-6, +66 (0) 5370 2763-4

e-mail :[email protected]

Also, try Northern Network for Rural Development (NorthNet), an NGO which works in a variety of areas, including forestry, rural development, and organic farming. They may know of whatever retail outlets there are in your area.

Phone: (053) 380-734

I hope I don't offend any Americans by saying this, and I don't wish to

Bullshit.

I've always found North Wheels to be number one in Chiang Mai. Lots of personal experience over the years, and never a reason to complain. Personal service in every way, including picking you up and dropping you off, and 24 hour roadside service anywhere in Thailand. Great rates. Nice people, too

http://www.northwheels.com/

I noticed that the caribbeans are currently less than 700 baht per day...

In my experience, very few newish English teachers are even aware of the differences, and some students have received lower marks on tests simply because the student used, for example, an American English usage of a preposition of place, rather than the preposition used in British usage which the teacher was familiar with.

I hope you don't teach your pupils to use prepositions to end their sentences - like you just did.

Churchill once responded to an editor who made such a criticism as yours by writing to the editor, "This is the kind of impertinence up with which I shall not put."

You are living in the past, sir(?), specifically, Latin grammar rules. Do a little research and you'll see that your comments reflect the elitist grammarians of the past, and not the real world of common English usage today, in most cases.

I know nothing about Latin or any other grammar rules, but I DO know what, to me, sounds good English and what sounds bad - maybe because I went to a "grammar" school and was taught what they considered was "good" English

It appears to me that every generation allows more and more "bad" English to become acceptable. How many snooker and football commentators say "He hit that perfect"? Now we have a generation who don't know when to use adjectives and when to use adverbs. And maybe one day, their lack of basic English grammar skills will give them a problem when dealing with a person (say, at an Embassy) who expects "good" spoken and written English.

Well, one would hope that they won't run into this kind of unfair prejudice among our professional Embassy employees, and I disagree that it should be motivation for using outmoded English language. That is class prejudice is in it's finest form, and something I disagree with completely.

But, you make some good points about 'sounding right', and its that feeling, I think, that guides all of our language choices. After all, when you're deciding what 'sounds' right, are you thinking grammar rules, or thinking about making your meaning clear? We're talking about the difference being prescriptive grammar, or descriptive grammar. I feel the descriptive angle is the more effective and natural of the two choices.

As Churchill illustrated, at times, these so called 'good' rules make bad sentences- sentences that aren't always clear, or maybe don't 'sound' right, or even 'look' right, to others. Sometimes, it sounds more natural and less confusing to break these 'good' rules our old grammar teachers forced down our throats, I feel

In my case, it would have also sounded fine by moving 'with' to its 'other' position, so mine is not a good example of a reason to break these 'rules'. A case of personal preference, perhaps.

English is about successful communication. One goal in that process should be clarity and ease of understanding, rather than tripping over words that just don't 'sound' right to us- whatever it is that sounds natural to us.....

I agree that an understanding of grammar is very important in our lives, and that our students don't seem to be mastering the basics, as we did...Using the wrong verb form, for example, can cause big problems in correct understanding. But, regarding the original criticism about ending sentences in prepositions ( or splitting infinitives for that matter) this is relatively minor, and accuracy should be judged, from a teaching perspective, on meaning (descriptive) rather than outdated language rules (prescriptive), in my opinion and teaching experience. But, I feel it's also important to teach all the variant 'rules' you can, maybe better enabling our students to make educated choices when they do choose to break the rules, as human history tells us some will surely do.

I guess it won't be long until everyone in Britain will be drinking "oranges juice!"

Hey, at least it gives you more identification than just the color!

Are there announcers on CNN who speak with a New York nasal accent?  I can't remember having heard any lately.  The inter-vocalic "R" in the throat is disappearing on CNN and is being replaced by the sound "ah."  The word "here" is now often being pronounced as "hee-ah." 

There are a lot of people on CNN with various accents, some NY, but not so annoying, to me (I know what you mean, though!). Are they in Atlanta, or New York? The only ones I can't understand are the foreigners. I prefer just watching some of the female presenters,- and ###### the news

I still get a momentary shock when I hear someone locally say, "I am hia"

Deleted.

Apologies for the double posting.

Do you happen to like or collect anything just because you happen to like what ever it is?,I know of car collections that the cars are never driven,just collected.

I know of another guy that collects orange juicers,you know the kind that you cut an orange in half and twist it on a knurled/ribbed cone in the center,he collects them ,admires them and can tell you where he got each one,how much he paid and what it is worth in a catalog he has that only lists the orange reamers.He got hundreds of them,and not because he is afraid of anything,just likes em.

Quite so but how many people have you heard of being bumped off by an orange juicer?

Remember people, orange juicers don't kill people, people kill people.

With the electrical products sold here, and the home wiring to be commonly found here, I'll bet electrical appliances, including juicers, kill MANY people here each year

In my experience, very few newish English teachers are even aware of the differences, and some students have received lower marks on tests simply because the student used, for example, an American English usage of a preposition of place, rather than the preposition used in British usage which the teacher was familiar with.

I hope you don't teach your pupils to use prepositions to end their sentences - like you just did.

Churchill once responded to an editor who made such a criticism as yours by writing to the editor, "This is the kind of impertinence up with which I shall not put."

You are living in the past, sir(?), specifically, Latin grammar rules. Do a little research and you'll see that your comments reflect the elitist grammarians of the past, and not the real world of common English usage today, in most cases.

Let's not forget that American and British versions of English are different in many basic ways...spelling/pronunciation/grammar rules...

In teaching English here for many years, I've found many of these differences to be confusing to students- and teachers. In my experience, very few newish English teachers are even aware of the differences, and some students have received lower marks on tests simply because the student used, for example, an American English usage of a preposition of place, rather than the preposition used in British usage which the teacher was familiar with...

Since language is a direct reflection of culture, I feel that British English is partly a class-based language, and this has made the language somewhat more inflexible and less 'modern' when compared to American English. In the last few years, the models for teaching in Thailand schools are based more and more on American English...except maybe in some British schools, especially the more elitist ones.

I think they don't do that howling sh1t after they been fixed. 

No, they don't stop howling after they're fixed

Would you?

I certainly agree with spaying animals before passing them on. Cheap, quick and easy. Look at it as an investment in your possible future peace and quiet.

Did you expect anything else? there is still the appeal to come.

I understand that they are going to appeal.

Part of my comment/question is why he is not on the inside looking out on the other charge.

I guess though that he is appealing that as well.

Now that he has received a fairly hefty sentence what's the bet he doesn't do a runner.

On the matter of pride (the minister and his family) they probably are as the majority (of politicians) probably have a few folks amongst their family members who are not a whole lot different (than Poh)

Yeah, a convicted and sentenced murderer let out on bail???

John, I admit to feeling a bit jaded, too, as you've seen in a couple of responses

....

For me, frankly, it gives me more enjoyment than frustration now to read such stuff. I think, at some point, I just over-loaded on the weirdness and dichotomies that I simply couldn't process and went into survival mode...Now, it's more of an interesting study in Societal Behaviours. And, since I've been watching pretty close for a long time, most of the names have recognized backgrounds, and so many curious alliances! A Soap Opera.

I know I can't control anything here. Truly, I probably have more influence over Bush!

I'm also grateful we can read such news. No other country in the region has a freerer press (not to suggest the press is free enough here), that I'm aware of. Of course, that includes all the bullshit, but I'm a believer in seeing all sides to get a better view

Luckily, that relative freedom of speech and press includes forums such as this. I've also written extremely critical pieces about the government on my websites, and my own forum. So far, so good. I know I'm simply relying on faith, like when I drive here. I haven't had any problems driving yet, so I have reason for my faith, perhaps.

Or, perhaps not. TiT

Besides a motorbike,which is the best type of vehicle suited for Samui?There seems to be a lot of 4x4's.Part of the way to my land is sandy.Which is the best make to buy in diesel?

Thanks in advance.

Isuzu is the biggest seller in Thailand, and they have, by far, many more service centers in Thailand than any other manufacturer.