dougrobinson2024

how exactly would you set up the computer in America so that it could be controlled by your computer here?

Symantec PC Anywhere is software that lets you control another PC, just like you were sitting in front of that keyboard and mouse.  You run the host software on the PC in the U.S. and you run the client (or remote) software on the PC in Thailand.  

By the way, PC Anywhere usually costs around $180 or so USD, but I was able to find it on eBay for about $20, for a brand new, registerable copy!  If you do that, make sure you get version 10.5 (the latest version) if you have XP.

I'm leaving for Thailand this Sunday 07/20, and I'm actually going to try out option #3, i.e., using PC Anywhere from my laptop to control my desktop back home.  I'll do some quick test clips and see how it goes.  Of course, I'm going to have to find a very fast net cafe (and that's one of the reasons for my previous post, looking for the fastest net cafes in Bangkok and Pattaya).

Should be interesting to see how it turns out!

Doug

Here are three ways you can do it, but each one isn't very easy to implement:

1) Have someone back in the U.S. tape it and send you the tape.  You'd have to have a NTSC VCR to watch it and it wouldn't be live, (and it would come in weeks later) but it would probably be the easiest.

2) Same as above, but you could have them record it to DVD or to a VCD (do a search on eBay for a "VCD recorder", a "Terapin").  Here's an example of that search, as of tonight:

Search done on eBay

From there, they could either send you the VCD or DVD, OR--or, if you have broadband on both ends, you could download it to your PC in Thailand and watch it right away (as an MPEG file, for example).  Slick, huh?

3) Leave a PC with a TV tuner card installed (like an ATI All-in-Wonder), connected to a cable TV system and broadband.  Install PC Anywhere (which lets you control the PC as if you were actually sitting in front of the computer, right at the keyboard) and you could manually turn on the record-to-MPEG file feature of the card.  Then, again, you could download it back on to your PC in Thailand, assuming your connection is fast enough.  Estimated file size would be about 650 MB per hour of video.  Your mileage may vary, depending on the resolution you use to record.

Cool, huh?  I've thought about all this too... I'll be moving to Thailand sometime in the next few months and those are the only solutions I've come up with so far, that I could even remotely use in my situation.

Maybe not the best solutions, but you're also wanting to pull in TV from the other side of the planet!  

Good luck.  Tell me what you wind up with, if anything.

Doug

Been 2 weeks now since a Falang SUICIDE, any bets on news flow ?

Hey!  I'll take that bet!  (But do MURDERS count)?  

Here's the story, courtesy of PattayaMail.com:

Japanese businessman found murdered in his condo

Police say they know who did it

Boonlua Chatree

Thirty-seven year old Japanese national Keita Samukawa was found in his condo room with his throat cut. Police believe that he may have been dead for three days, as apartment staff said they last saw him on Saturday with a young Thai man between 18 and 20 years of age. Keita Samukawa was a marketing manager for the Toichidentsu Company.

A police inspection of the room revealed traces of anti-retroviral drugs. Samukawa’s personal items from his room and car were reported to be missing.

Police suspect the killer stole Samukawa’s car and cash.

On Wednesday, police located the dead man’s car in the central province of Ang Thong, approximately 200 kilometers north of Bangkok. Investigating officers say they know the identity of the killer and expect to make an arrest in the near future.

Japanese businessman found murdered in his condo

I think maybe they lean towards being a little intolerent of such things...  I know it wouldn't be fair to lump them all together, but I certainly have seen some things that I thought was pretty unacceptable, at least by current U.S. "P.C." standards.

One example: I remember seeing a midget woman walking down Walking Street in Pattaya and it seemed wherever she went, she was seen as entertainment; howled at and mocked by some of the Thai barkers there, even down to the limp she had.  I really felt bad for her since she definetly was not there for anyone's amusement.

Another example: my buddie's girlfriend was bored one Sunday afternoon in Bangkok and suggested that we all go down to the hospital to look at the deformed little babies.. as if that were some form of cheap entertainment.  We both tried to explain that gawking at birth defects was not a polite thing to do, but she couldn't seem to understand.

Again of course, I'm not saying the folks on Walking Street (barkers and bar girls) are representative of all Thai people, but I think I've seen a common thread in their behavior; one that I can't imagine seeing here in the U.S. as easily.

Doug

The 'Massage parlours' serving the non thai market MUST be closed..

Why?  Are you actually saying to leave the places open for the Thais but close all the ones down for the farang?  That's just a little ridiculous--and racist.  (Unless of course, you're just pulling my leg)??  

Look, I'm all for Thailand being prosperous, well-fed, well-educated, etc.  I love Thailand and I wish them all the luck.  And I think the government there should crack down hard on anyone involved in the "mafia", forced prostitution, hard drugs, anyone involved with child prostitution, etc.

But I also am of the opinion that there should be a choice.  If an adult woman wants to make a career out working as a "hostess", then it should be left up to her.  That is a moral choice and should not be legislated.  That's the problem we have here in the U.S., among others...

It's sort of like the debate going on right now about whether the government should open up casinos in Thailand.  They can certainly see the potential tax revenues.  So, I would wager they will go ahead, set it up so it's regulated by the government so it will create a new source of tax revenue.

And it should be the same thing for the adult entertainment industry.  It obviously already exists!  They should just acknowledge it, regulate it so it's clean and safe (and out of the hands of organized crime) and allow it to be a new source of tax revenues, which will in turn help Thailand as a whole.

Yawn....

I'll miss all this valuable advice and input from this "millionaire".

Geez...and to think it all started by just asking him what he meant!    

Funny--HIS name NEVER comes up, when I make love to HIS wife!  (Sorry--couldn't resist)!    

Doug

No, I really don't give a rat's ass what you have to say.  Couldn't care less actually.  

Like I said, if you really had something of value to add, you would have made your point by now.  But since you choose to continue playing games (I remember the first time I got on the Internet too), you're nonsense is boring.

End of conversation, as far as I'm concerned.  (You'll probably continue, though....)

Have fun  

Doug

"Illuminate the terrain"?  Maybe you just shot off your mouth, without thinking, huh?  Maybe you had nothing to say really and just thought you'd type some unintelligible garble, just to sound glib and clever?

If you have something of value to add to the topic, then do it.  If not, just don't bother.

Govt forces ISPs to block "inappropriate" web sites?

Thailand restricts online gamers?

Crackdown on bootleg VCDs, DVDs, software at Panthip, etc.?

What's going on here?  I can understand the need for law and order but is Thailand getting more and more restrictive, puritanical and "westernized"?  I, for one, like the fact that it's like the old wild west!

What's next?  Closing down all the massage parlours?

..I guess they just don't understand why all the farang love the country in the first place?  Tourist dollars would certainly suffer if they keep going.

I went ahead and bought the DVD and will let you all know how it is after I get it.

Doug

Does anyone know what Internet cafes (in both Bangkok and in Pattaya) offer the fastest connection, and would allow me to plug in my laptop via an Ethernet cable?  (I would also need to plug in my VOIP, but I'm sure I could ask about that when I get there).

Doug

I have no specific advice, since I'm also bad at rejecting someone.  But, at least you are trying to treat her delicately and with some respect.  

And kudos for not being ruthless and handling it with an "I don't give a f##k" attitude--an attitude that so many of us farang men seem to have, when dealing with these wonderful Thai women.  (It's always interesting how many <deleted> come to Pattaya, to vent their frustrations with women and take it out on the Thai bargirls).

Good luck with that one...

Doug

Yeah, I basically have the same goals and will be testing things out later this month, arriving in Thailand around 07/21 and staying until 08/08.

I'll be specifically trying out the VoIP idea (using a broadband connection to place high quality voice calls back to the US through Vonage.com) and connecting back to my client's desktop PC back in the states using my laptop and connecting via PC Anywhere.

Anybody with any experience along these lines, please feel free to share your experiences...  

I'm also wondering if my clients are back in the US and I have no Thai customers, as long as I am simply doing a little work here and there from my hotel room or condo, what are the tax (and visa) consequences, if I were to do it for an extended period of time?

Doug

Since the bidding on eBay will probably drive the price up, you can just go to this web site (no, it's not mine!) and get it right from the source:

http://home.earthlink.net/~grahamhgreen/

Great response!  Thanks Rinrada!  

Doug

I'll be moving to Pattaya in the next few months and am interested in hiring a maid and a maybe a driver.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to go about this?  I saw a web site (I think it was maid-in-phuket.com) and it got me thinking..

Doug

A dwarf nicknamed Od has died in a circus accident in northern Thailand.

Yeah, I heard (from his TG) that the dwarf had been depressed lately and had talked about committing

suicide!  

Exactly!  Why would we go all the way to Thailand, find and settle in with our choice of Thai girlfriend, get a condo, finally get that one-year Visa--then run and JUMP out a window!  Uh... yeah right!

No way!  This is another one of those mafia-pays-off-police and girlfriend-gets-farang's-money/condo/belongings scams.  I mean, why worry about having no education, no jobs, no opportunities?  Mai pen rai!!  Just slip something into your stupid farang boyfriend's lunch, wait until he's fallen sound asleep, leave the door unlocked when you go to Big C, then simply let the Thai mafia gang sneak in and heave the body out the window!  Instant inheritence!

And why don't the police investigate?  Gee, I wonder....

Doug

What difference would it make if they were Americans?  Anyway, the articles state they were English, German, etc.

Doug

WHAT IS UP WITH THIS?  Just about twice a month (or more), they find some poor farang who "jumped to his death" from his high rise condo...  This seems to be happening too much to be coincidence!  

It seems always to be the same: the Thai girlfriend tells the police that she doesn't know why, but he's been talking about committing suicide and he's been depressed lately--then she goes out to the store and he jumps out the window.  C'mon!  This is happening WAY TOO OFTEN!!

Here's an example that was just posted:

Englishman plummets to his death from condo balcony

I read the Pattaya Mail online every Thursday when it comes out and sure enough--they've got one or two a month, it seems.  What is this?  Some Thai boyfriend kills farang over Thai wife?  Some way of offing the guy for his money?

Something is up...

Doug

Here's the original article from PattayaMail.com, just in case they take it down in a week:

Englishman plummets to his death from condo balcony

Reasons behind the tragedy remain a mystery

Boonlua Chatree

Pattaya police and Sawang Boriboon Foundation rescue personnel rushed to Casa Condo situated behind Pratamnak Hill, Jomtien after receiving a report that a foreign man’s body was found in the parking lot. The deceased was later identified as British passport holder Barry Wilson, age 35.

Wilson’s 24 year-old wife, Rung Soonram, from Buriram Province told police that the two had been living together in the condo for a year, after Wilson had obtained his long-stay visa in Thailand.

During questioning, Rung alleged that her husband had recently expressed a wish to die, but since she didn’t see any symptoms of depression, physical illness or mental illness, she had not taken the comments seriously. She said she had no idea why he might have leaped off the building.

Wilson’s body was transferred to Banglamung forensic unit for further examination.

I'm single, 43 years old and a US citizen.  I'm self-employed (I own and run a web site and I invest in the stock market) so I wouldn't be working in Thailand, at least not employed by any company there.

I've been coming to Thailand for a few years now and on my last vacation, I realized that any self-employed work I can do in the states, I can do on my laptop in Thailand.  So, on my last trip out, I decided to buy a condo and in a few months, it will be finished.  I'll sell my house in the US and make the move to the LOS.  

My question is about visas.  What's the best for me?  If I have to, I'm willing to do a visa run to Cambo or somewhere once a month, but I'm hoping I can work something out that would allow me to stay longer since that might get a little old after a while.  

Anyone have any ideas?

Doug