slipperylobster

I am very relieved at the frequent rains, this week. I believe we got wet 3 times in seven days (San Sai). We heard so much about smog and hot, dry weather, that I feared the worst...especially near Songkran. It was actually quite comfortable, when I awoke at 5 am, with just a fan (no need for aircon at night). Only for three nights this season, was I so hot that I turned on the aircon . I guess we are acclimatized. Went for a nice walk at Huay Tueng Tao (CM Beach) at sunrise...never broke a sweat. There are still a few uncomfortable hours later on in the day...but I open my patio and just use a fan. Not unpleasant inside.

I suppose this is all quite unusual...as I was told not to stay here during this time of year....but to my surprise...it was not bad at all.

Now we get excited when the clouds gather and the wind picks up, in the later afternoon. Learned to close the upstairs windows. It's a huge house with 8 outside doors to check, and 20 windows...to shutter. Takes me 30 minutes to lock the hatches and shutters, take down umbrellas, make sure the laundry is in, and move bicycles/scooters. Many false alarms...but once i left my laptop on my bed, (the only window left open in the house), to find it destroyed by water. That was a few years ago back in Udon.

You must have caste iron lungs if you consider the air pollution in Chiang Mai 'not bad at all'.

Either that or you are the Chiang Mai Governor who is in denial.

I am seriously considering a move to the seaside.

Smog was pretty bad on some days...but it seemed the rain helped. I am not saying there are no problems...

What I did say was that I was expecting it to be a lot worse.....I thought I would not be able to handle it.

Perhaps damage already done in the lungs...but it seemed only 4 or 5 weeks of badness. I would like to check the air quality today...and will now do that, online.

ok...says moderate. not dangerous. a bit hazy outside, but no side effects as far as burning eyes, or burning lungs. I suppose much the same as any city in california.

I am very relieved at the frequent rains, this week. I believe we got wet 3 times in seven days (San Sai). We heard so much about smog and hot, dry weather, that I feared the worst...especially near Songkran. It was actually quite comfortable, when I awoke at 5 am, with just a fan (no need for aircon at night). Only for three nights this season, was I so hot that I turned on the aircon . I guess we are acclimatized. Went for a nice walk at Huay Tueng Tao (CM Beach) at sunrise...never broke a sweat. There are still a few uncomfortable hours later on in the day...but I open my patio and just use a fan. Not unpleasant inside.

I suppose this is all quite unusual...as I was told not to stay here during this time of year....but to my surprise...it was not bad at all.

Now we get excited when the clouds gather and the wind picks up, in the later afternoon. Learned to close the upstairs windows. It's a huge house with 8 outside doors to check, and 20 windows...to shutter. Takes me 30 minutes to lock the hatches and shutters, take down umbrellas, make sure the laundry is in, and move bicycles/scooters. Many false alarms...but once i left my laptop on my bed, (the only window left open in the house), to find it destroyed by water. That was a few years ago back in Udon.

IP tracing ...

I guess they never heard of that one, right ?

VPN and MAC spoofing... they probably did hear of IP tracing. Also, maybe he has no permanent residence in the area, using a public network.

So is this specific to Sadao?

If so it is limited to just one or two fanatical officers in the kiosks - twice now I've simply turned round and gone to another kiosk - and walked right through!

--------------------------------

I am in Penang now...... getting a tourist visa.

There is a sign posted there in English saying quite clearly that you should be able to show 20,000 Baht on crossing the border into Thailand overland.

It is right there in front of anyone who is applying for a visa in Penang at the Thai consulate.

Wake up ..... this rule gas been applied for at least 6 months now.

I kind of figured something was amiss.

20,000 in your pocket and no problem. That was what the officer was asking for.

Not a bribe.

I dont believe lightning differentiates between houses and government buildings, it just does what it wants to do

unless the people inside have been particularly bad, or been telling untruths at the moment of impact.

Be assured, it is not the farang.

Year after year the same announcement, the funny thing is if they put enough chlorine in to kill bacteria or parasites there would be thousands of dead fish floating on the surface (the moat is full of fish), the small ammount of chlorine in tap water is enough to kill fish.

OMG ,not just water but now you might get a dead fish across the kisser !

Especially be wary of those..."flying brown trouts"

The way I read it, the British guy assaulted a female at 3 in the morning? Three in the morning? What the &^%$ was he doing outside at 3 in the morning? What was she doing outside three in the morning? What is wrong with this picture? They all should of been in their own beds sleeping. What is wrong with these people up and about at three in the morning? Any decent person would be sleeping regardless if on vacation or not.

Yes...almost anywhere else, you would be hard pressed to find a girl operating a hamburger stand at 3 am, and have not only her boyfriend, but a drunk abusive tourist, as well as her brother and two other thai men all acting out this drama.

I know that area, and in fact, that very hamburger stand... I used to stay at that hotel "something" gardens...near Buakhao. Rather than doing the bar scene, I discovered that dangerous adventure could be had if you awoke at 3am, walked out front and got a hamburger. Everyone else was drunk, but I was refreshed...and all the girls were running around. 7 Eleven was like 7th heaven. Ladies stopping in (on their way home from dancing duties) getting their snacks. Some would be tipsy...and I would get all these offers to join them. I of course, just hanging out at the door with my coffee.

I would say he is under medication ...and is not handling things well. His behavior brings hazy memories of what I went through, after being diagnosed with alcoholism and depression. Lonely erratic behavior that alienates yourself from other people. Loss of job, marital status, financial ability, etc.... can spiral you down to this.

It will take an outward source to help this man. He will be a risk to himself..and possibly to others. Clinical Observation, controlling medication (possibly drugs mixed with alcohol) and finding his way in life...will be the key to control.,

I have a lovely wife that understands my weaknesses. It is essential that she accompany me. I do not take any medications, but suffer greatly from contact with alcohol.....which to my body...has the effect of any combination of drugs/medication. An unfortunate case of heredity.

I understand that there will be several Chinese tourists standing next to the moat, who will be very happy to fill your water toys at no cost.

Apprehended in front of the Police Station?

I suppose their idea was to choose the best place to hide out, or operate out of.

Many online games are free. Those are the ones you must play while being connected. Nothing really to download. Some are not free.

I suggest you just google "Top ten games Online".

Others you have to purchase and download. They may or may not be online games (play with opponents over a connection.

Many sites (too many too list) will give you not only a review, but link you to the website where you can pay with a credit card and get an official copy. I think you want to download your own game, so you might want to read some reviews, and get some sources for downloading.

http://gamespot.com is one source

I used to try to find original games, at a software store. I suppose that if you went to any major computer shop at any major shopping mall, you could find an original game....overpriced. If not overpriced, the it surely is a copy. I asked somebody before if the game I wanted to buy was Original...and they said yes....original copy. I think we all know about those. Going to the Original website/ software developer gives you a great feeling of security. You just don't get the box. Also, if it crashes..or has other issues, they can help you with it. I have only owned a few games that I played more than a few times. One that I have is over 15 years old..and still good to play. "Rise of Nations"

russians,chineses and the brits....

what can i say, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. i wish more irish and scottish welcome here

The Scottish are Brits, whether they want to be or not!

there is no skirting that issue....

Hey! It's nae a skirt. It's a kilt!!!

FREEDUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMM!!!!!

I stand corrected.....Braveheart.

but somehow I could not bring myself to say..."there is no kilting that issue"

russians,chineses and the brits....

what can i say, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. i wish more irish and scottish welcome here

The Scottish are Brits, whether they want to be or not!

there is no skirting that issue....

Another walking piece of work.

This behavior deserves exactly what was handed out.

Without mentioning politics...let us just say that some kind of education back home should be mandatory.

Before arriving in Thailand.

Not all girls are available...just because you are in Pattaya. Thai's can be quite intolerant of rude behavior that you may find acceptable back in your country....young man

I just returned from breakfast...which I thought would be quiet and peaceful..here in CM. The owner was a very nice irish gentleman, who chatted with my wife and I...the food was excellent. We noticed a Huge (obese) man came in with his baby, wife and a few others. After blocking four cars (left his phuket vehicle right in the road so nobody could possibly move without his permission, he immediately grabbed a friend of my wife (she sells flowers nearby)..and starting squeezing her and talking quite loud and obnoxiously about her brown color. I pitied his wife...and we did not really realize he was the owner of the offending vehicle. I tried the friendly approach, and mentioned about how my wife learned to back in the car and leave enough space behind to maneuver out of this situation (this time she didn't do it). Finally, the thai teengager got up and moved his vehicle. I looked at the englishman and said...."looks like we are free to leave now..have a nice day"

the look on his face was priceless

I would say he is under medication ...and is not handling things well. His behavior brings hazy memories of what I went through, after being diagnosed with alcoholism and depression. Lonely erratic behavior that alienates himself from other people. Loss of job, marital status, financial ability, etc.... can spiral you down to this.

It will take an outward source to help this man. He will be a risk to himself..and possibly to others. Clinical Observation, controlling medication (possibly drugs mixed with alcohol) and finding his way in life...will be the key to control.,

I have a lovely wife that understands my weaknesses. It is essential that she accompany me. I do not take any medications, but suffer greatly from contact with alcohol.....which to my body...has the effect of any combination of drugs/medication. An unfortunate case of heredity.

philipina girls, they always looked a bit sick to me

white-ish and then those big gray bags under the eyes

The only place I've seen Filis like that is in the atrocity known as Orchard Towers in Singapore. No idea how a place like that has survived this long - we moan and bitch about the prices in Bangkok but Singapore really takes some beating and everyone from bar staff to the 'girls' treat customers like walking ATMs : right up there with the nastiest examples of Thai greed in places like Nana and Cowboy. On my first trip years ago, two gargoyles who would have been well into their 50s stuck their heads out of a 'lounge bar' that looked like Hugh Hefner did the decorating circa 1975 and told me in a low voice that they could give me 'special' because there was no-one else in the bar. Difficult to imagine anyone getting that drunk or stoned, but life is full of surprises.

You are referring to "The four flloors of whores"......

I hate telling this, but my daughter's mom was probably one of those girls, if this was 15 years ago.

philipina girls, they always looked a bit sick to me

white-ish and then those big gray bags under the eyes

You are joking or....

You have not been to the Philippines.... I can tell you this...they are not white at all.

Not as the girls aspire to be here in Thailand (deathly bleached of any color whatsover...as a corpse)

Filipinas are naturally darker for a reason. Lack of funding for bleaching your skin out and buying cosmetics.

You will find them quite..."not white":

Saw this newspapers in Tacloban recently. It is predected that the already huge demographic problem of overpopulation is about to double within 10 years. Visit Pasig or Tondo(...) districts in Manila and you experience the creepy situation.

The truth is that the much loved Catholic Church is actually the curse of the Philippines and responsible for all this, still doctors are by law not allowed to recommend using condoms to patients...

Absolutely spot on!

The Catholic Church has a vested interest in keeping Filipinos, Latin-Americans and other constituents in poverty and ignorance so it is simply not on the agenda of the catholic church to change the status quo.

That is their power base and the source of their greatest support.

The catholic church is IMHO the most inhumane religion there is, totally compassionless in spite of all their rhetoric.

They are indeed a curse upon humanity.

Not at all. There are religions is that would prefer you to not have your head attached. IMHO they are the worst ones. The problem with Christians is that they like to forgive too much.

Historically, people ...as a whole, were not educated. Kings and Empires attached themselves to religion, as a way of retaining authority. Their power was given directly from the Lord God (Holy Roman Empire....and the Ottoman Empire. Christians had no power....the kings and clergy had it. Now understand, they were quite in the minority. But when you sell salvation.....there are few other choices. Burn or follow.

So do not judge Christians...especially Filipinos, harshly. King Philiph of Spain still rules.....but walk into any Mall or disco and Amercan Rap is on the plate...with words that will boggle your mind and put the fear of freedom in the heart of Rome.

More bad news...

Songkran cancelled this year, due to rain.

Note to self - don't swerve to hit debris, you might ram another vehicle.

You would swerve to hit debris.. ? Most people swerve not to hit debris

Either way...you might still ram another vehicle. Thai's do not even need debris at all, for that.

I owned 3 houses and rented out all of them. I can tell you this, you definitely will not get a deposit back.

Here is why...

Most people fail to do joint inspections, or just blindly sign a document that all was in good working order. That means, that, now that she is pissed off, she will be adding up every scratch, scrape, cracked tile, moldy bathroom floor, dirty stove, etc. She will take photos, and get professional cost estimates for repairs. The total will equal your deposit...and probably go over that, for good measure.

I can bet you missed several items in need of repair, before you moved in.

Your deposit is way gone. Get out, if you can, forget any last rent.... Let her fight you in court for that (she will probably be satisfied with your deposit). Next time, get a camera and itemize all damages...before you move in. Also send out registered letters demanding repairs and document on those the time it took for a repair crew to get there, and the amount of damage caused by the delay. You will just be talking.

If it makes you feel better, throw some stuff down the toilets, flush, and then open the back so that when it fills with water, it never stops.

(ONLY kidding on that)

Jimmy Carter...and his beer brewing brother

Ours has been infallible...in Chiang Mai.

Ok...there was one day...in six months, where it disconnected. It was up the next morning. Problem at the office...not the house.

Occasional packet loss/delay is expected and even built into the tcp/ip spec.

Good that the TrueInternet guys were able to diagnose the issue as being localized to your WiFi interface. WiFi is kinda like having competing Buddhist Wat parties occurring at the same time, speakers blaring, and you trying to listen to classical music out on your porch.

Poor little Channel 14 there looks so lonely. (there's usually a reason for that)

If you have a smartphone you can download a WiFi Analyzer that will let you see which of the 3 main available channels have the most shared users.

Though, if there are way too many and you can become the loudest of the scrum then you may be better off switching everything from 2.4GHz to 5GHz.

Arrgh....

That chart just initiated an epileptic seizure....