nick2k

Offtopic, but since all posts pointing towards this host gets edited>>

When the link dies (and it will soon) we won't be able to read more then the small quoted paragraph.

While I understand the need to 'only quote some or they get cranky' I cannot understand why they remove their pages after a few days. Are they so cheap that they bought a 10MB-package from a webhost?

///off topic/// Bangkok Post requirements, nothing to do with bandwidth. And Bangkok Post allows viewing of back pages but only to members, I believe. Annoying yes, but perhaps you should be contacting them instead? ///

Interesting how nobody here seems particularly concerned with the people who have lost their jobs but rather with gloating over Thailand's economic problems.

it is funny that you mention that. ..nobody seems to care about the MILLIONS who lost their jobs in the usa to outsourcing in india, and factories in china.

..as one thaivisa member put it quote, "those morons in the usa don't know how to compete against other countries, they deserve to be taken advantage of."

NOW, thailand KNOWS how it feels to see their jobs go away to other countries.

the way a lot of people are talking. ..you would think that what happened to the guy was unusual. basically, he got scammed by someone he married.

..everyone knows that most marriages end in divorce. the figures are printed everywhere. what? ..50/50. in california, they say it is 2 out of every 3 marriages end in divorce.

you think the guy was stupid?

I think people who get married are stupid.

you know the odds of a successful marriage, and yet you get married?

talk about idiots. if you are married, look in the mirror.

www.nomarriage.com

well, I am way late into this string. so, I don't know what is exactly going on. ..BUT I do have an opinion about the rising baht and the sinking dollar.

..I hope the dollar crashes.

why, you ask? simple. then, there won't be anymore debt. all this talk about the usa going to pot will be put to the test. and my guess is - everybody will find out that the usa doesn't need anybody else. they can supply all the food their citizens need.

as for china, and the rest of the world including europe that want the usa to fail. well, they deserve the bad stuff coming down their way. they were bombed too. and yet, did they help out with the troops?

what do you think will happen if china doesn't get their money that they socked away in t-bills?

what will happen with india if they don't have the jobs outsourced to them from usa?

the usa is learning who their real friends are.

be my guest, thailand. keep up with the compulsory licenses.

To all our AMERICAN friends just wait and hold your horses for six months and you will see the foreign investment start to lose favour with not just thailand but asia as a whole.

What do you expect in 6 months to make the US dollar stronger ?

this is pure speculation on my part, but in answer to your question...

either..

1) the start of another war in the middle east, and/or,

2) the revaluation of the yuan.

let us see what happens.. only time will tell.

if you need to ask other people for their advice on whether or not to come over, then, you are not ready to do so. when I made the decision to do so, it came from within. so, the big question is - is every waking moment spent thinking of being in thailand?

My Thai wife mailed her sister a purse and some cosmetics in a gift package. Filled out the usual declarations clearly showing the contents were a gift but the U.S. Post Office quoted her a price for air mail with insurance. U.S. Post office is doing that now to up-sell the customer and wife went for it although she could have rejected the insurance and sent it surface mail as she has in the past. She paid a total of $35 for postage and the insurance of the contents of the package was put at $75. U.S. Post Office told her the person would need to sign for the package too which my wife thought was a good idea since mail with pictures and a card both with a $20 she has sent have never reached her sister. Do they have money detectors at the post office?

So wife gets a call from sister in Thailand saying post office charged her 1500 baht as tax to receive the package. We have never had this happen before and would like to know if there has been a change in rules or what? Wife was so upset she could not sleep and vows to never send anything to Thailand again.

its called "protectionism". ok for thailand to sock it to america. but when the usa wants to control prawns coming into america, to protect their own shrimp industry, it is another story.

Went to California Wow this week, and after much haggling best price was given was around 30,000 for "lifetime" Diamond member (all locations, all times) - which in effect was 30,000 for the first 12 months, but with renew option @ 100 baht per year after that (indefinitely).

Have heard much about dubious sales tactics, so wondered if anyone esle had purchased this "lifetime" membership thing, and if they have been able to renew as mentioned by sales and in the contract.

Cheers

I am a charter member of California Wow. been with them since day one. in the beginning they only had a gold 1 year membership. later they added platinum, and then, diamond. I upgraded each time. during the last what 7 or 8 years, I traveled around southeast asia, and back in the usa, and haven't had any problems using my gym card at other california fitness clubs, or affiliated like 24 hour fitness.

when I initially negotiated my diamond contract with California Fitness, I accepted a 5,000 baht per year renewal rate after my diamond plan expired.

during the course of the membership, I learned that one of my caucasian friends was able to negotiate a 1,000 baht per year renewal rate after his diamond plan expired.

when my diamond plan expired recently, I wanted to get the same, and went in with my bargaining hat. didn't get the 1,000 baht per year. got better. they said that if I renewed at 15,000 baht the first year, I could get successive years at 100 baht per year. I asked for another 10 years. so, I got 11 years for 16,000 thai baht. to top it off, they even gave me a FREE 1 year gold membership with which I could give to a friend.

get this. if I happen to decide to move back to the states for whatever reason, I will be able to transfer my membership to 24 hour fitness with no added cost. (that is why I paid for another 10 years up front - just in case.)

I just gave my free 1 year membership to my friend.

do I have any doubt of their legitimacy? will they honor the contract, you ask? ..after all the years I have been with them, in a word - no.

people, I believe them to be legit.

the only thing is - you need to know how to bargain. my suggestion is that you go in negotiating with someone who has membership already.

30,000 baht for a diamond membership with 100 baht renewal rates? if you are a new member, I think you just got offered a great deal. consider paying another 1,000 baht and get another 10 years. for 31,000 baht, you can't beat it.

if you are a young guy, pay for another 20 years. pay the 2,000 baht. if you are planning on being anywhere where there is a california fitness or a 24 hour fitness in the world in the next 30 years, what do you have to lose?

imagine paying 30 dollars a year for a gym membership? ..here or in the united states? better yet, what do you think the thai baht will be like in 20 years - still at 34 to 1?

PS. I am not getting any commissions for this.

I would like to say more. but I have told by the moderator to be careful about "racist" remarks. so, I am trying to be as informational as possible. if you want more information, please refer to the websites I listed.

I just did an online scan of a number of online newspapers in the usa, and nobody seems to be aware of this anti-junta rally.

where are the reporters when you need them?

http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/Top50/Top50-CurrentUS.htm

I don't know. not expert. but if interested, check out the following stocks.

SVA Sinovac Biotech

VVR Van Kampen Income

OEGY Open Energy Corp.

It seems I've heard problems had by those with UK banks before. Don't know why, but I have heard those with UK banks have trouble at ATMs in Thailand sometimes. Sometimes the banks say they put a hold on it because fraud is common in Thailand. You may want to contact the bank and see if they put a hold on your card for some reason. Tell them you're in Thailand and you'd like to use ATMs and it may work after that.

it's funny that you mentioned this. it happened to me a couple of times in the last 2 weeks. couldn't withdraw money.

so, I used www.skype.com to make a long distance 1-800 toll free call to my bank in the states to inquire about it. (making toll-free calls to the the states and even uk is free using skype.)

http://share.skype.com/sites/en/2005/07/fr...ee_phone_n.html

when I spoke to the customer service rep, they told me they put a hold on my card because of reported fraud.

one phone call resolved the issue. was able to withdraw from atm 15 minutes after the telephone call.

maybe you have ringworm? one of my friends experienced bald spots on his head for awhile because of ringworm.

I think it is normal if you overdo something. ...anything.

try eating pizza for a whole week. breakfast, lunch, and dinner. and then, see what happens.

still, sometimes I wonder. there are people here who I know who eat somdam all day for all their life, and they never get tired of it.

it's called "frozen shoulder". do a google search.

I get it now and then. something that comes with old age. one person told me that he gets it when he accidentally leaves the fan blowing on his body at night when he sleeps.

I find that if you do some little exercise like pedaling on the life cycle, it helps.

thanks nick

i may try a gas hose that i have that will connect a 20 pound tank to the torch-head. i hope the threads are the same here as in the us (on the large tanks)

good luck. just remember to be careful with that stuff. it is dangerous in the wrong hands. maybe you don't smoke, but look around you before you play with the nozzles.

every now and then, you read in the paper about some small street stall blowing up. last one I heard about was near the amari watergate hotel on pratunam district.

..just saw your picture of the propane tank. yeah. yeah. that's the one I was looking for.

I think illegal here. like I said - too many people not using them properly got them banned.

a couple of years ago, I went all over the city looking for the thing. from chinatown to pantip, to onnut. even went to chatuchak. only in silom/thanya did I see anything close.

you can find small propane cannisters being sold at all the big C stores that sell the small tabletop propane stoves.

about 2 years ago, I went around looking for a small propane torch similar to the ones they sell in the usa. I didn't find any that looked exactly like the ones in the states that are a small cylinder with a narrow L shaped nozzle.

I did find a small propane torch that would have done the job. but the people who I saw using them wouldn't tell me where I could buy one.

..go to the golf stores over on silom. thanya street. they use the small propane like torch for repairing golf clubs.

I thought they might sell the small gadget at the stores all over the city which sell propane tanks, but they don't. the vibes I got from the ones I enquired at was - the small gadget is illegal.

perhaps several people didn't use them properly, and they exploded on them during use. which would naturally result in them getting banned.

my guess. just a guess. someone was smoking while playing around with the nozzle of a propane tank, and the nozzle came off. duh.

after all the suggestions, and the OP keeps pushing for more advice? makes you wonder...

maybe what the OP wants is not help, but confirmation that farangs and thais are not humane.

..hey! where did you guys all go?

I wanted to quote you some stuff from the koran.

I was going to get my buddy, spencer, into this discussion with you on the finer points.

he knows everything about islam.

to the muslims...

correct me if I am wrong. I read that "the lives of 10,000 infidels do not equal the life of one muslim brother."

that is how fanatical islam is.

with that broad brush your credence has evaporated .

as an non-muslim, an "infidel", I never knew I had any "credence" with muslims.

from what I understand, we non-muslims (infidels) are a lower form of life to muslims.

we are so low on the token pole, you can lie to us as much as you want. we don't

command an honest answer.

so, I guess you are muslim, right?

..I wonder how many more there are on this forum?

no wonder you "side" with your "brothers" down south instead of listening to logic.

do you consider yourself muslim? and if so, how loyal are you to the words of the koran?

Are you nuts?

I am western European, and convinced agnostic.

you didn't answer my question...

do you consider yourself muslim? and if so, how loyal are you to the words of the koran?

as you know, being muslim doesn't have anything to do with race. you can be black and blue, orange, or

any other color for that matter.

there are people who believe in the koran all over the world - including europe.

With respect being agnostic would make it impossible for an individual to be a Muslim, therefore your question was answered.

Regards

PS In case you are wondering, an agnostic is someone who contends that the existence of God cannot be logically proved or disproved

well, yes. technically, you are right. but as we all know, you could be born into a muslim family and therefore inherit that designation - even though later on in life you didn't believe in it.

take the case of the girl in malaysia who wanted to change her id card to reflect her changing from being a muslim to being a christian. she didn't believe she was muslim, but was not permitted by the shari courts to change her religious preference.

getting back to the original question.... muslim or not? do you believe in the koran or not? I know it is hard for a muslim to admit too. especially since according to the koran, you can be murdered for professing otherwise.

that is how fanatical islam is.

I don't think any large animal of any sort that is wild should be wandering around the streets. they should be tied up somewhere to protect people. if you saw a 6 foot monster, I can just imagine what it could do to a baby given half a chance. little ones - ok. but not big ones.

thailand doesn't have any leaders anymore.

everybody is waiting for someone else to stand up.

easy for me to say, I know. but then, I know I'm not a leader.

thaksin was the last guy who could be considered a leader.

yes, perhaps he was crooked to a degree. but still, he was a leader.

Yes and look where he led the country, the violence in the south grew worse under his rule, 2500 people were killed in a war on drugs, corruption within the government became the norm and the rule of justice became subverted. That's not leadership it is the act of a man who has nothing but contempt for the nation and its people.

Taksin has always been good public theater but his present act is becoming farce.

"Pride seeing humility is noble often borrows her cloak"

first off, thaksin was one man, you can't say that justice was subverted under his term of office because it takes a lot of people involved to serve justice from the police, the politicians, to the judges. they ALL have to be involved for justice to be subverted. as for corruption becoming the norm in his term of office, I doubt that. on average, coups happen in thailand every 4 years. as for the 2500 people killed in the war of drugs, if they were guilty, they deserve to die. also, consider this, even though thaksin (who is just one man) is gone, those police officers who did the killing are still here. last but not least, you say the violence in the south grew worse under his rule, from what I understand, this jihad that the muslims have been on has been going on for over a hundred years.

thaksin is a leader. in fact, from what I understand - over 14 million people still look up to him.

do you consider yourself muslim? and if so, how loyal are you to the words of the koran?

Are you nuts?

I am western European, and convinced agnostic.

you didn't answer my question...

do you consider yourself muslim? and if so, how loyal are you to the words of the koran?

as you know, being muslim doesn't have anything to do with race. you can be black and blue, orange, or

any other color for that matter.

there are people who believe in the koran all over the world - including europe.