dangerousdan99

Can anyone recommend a good plumber to diagnose toilet waste removal problems and/or replacing a toilet?

Thanks!

Dib, dib, dib

Not to be a stickler but it is You dyb dyb dyb. We dob dob dob.

Dyb = do your best

Dob = do our best

Just saying...

I am a huge supporter of the coup and all the good that it has done/is doing for Thailand. When they say they want to encourage tourism, and then they come up with stupid ass decisions to discourage tourism it makes me really angry. It's like they don't understand what brings people to Thailand.

It feels like the leadership of the country doesn't communicate with all of the other parts of the government. For instance, tour guides reported Russian tour agents to the government and this was dismissed because it was decided that these Russian tour guides provide a good service for tourists. The next day they are talking about inspecting all tour agencies to make sure they are in compliance with all laws. It just makes me shake my head. The same goes for immigration crackdowns and then loosening because it was a bad decision. Please can we just understand that this crackdown is a bad decision before they implement it? Please. Please Please.

With the greatest of respect, you supported authoritarian rule, now you have it. A bit late to start complaining now.

I really don't expect you to understand this, but I love Thailand. I supported the coup not because I like the general, or the army or Suthep by any means. I supported the coup because for the first time in my tenure here, someone was in power that wasn't in it for themself. They wanted to do something positive and lasting for the country in the long term.

Positive and longterm should include thoughts of the future and how Thailand can progress to even better places than it is currently. These laws will turn off tourists from coming here. That directly affects my business - yes, but more importantly to me, it affects Thailand progressing.

I want the best for Thailand, and if anyone thinks that souring tourists from coming here is going to help this country, then in my opinion they are wrong.

Right now is when foreigners are planning their vacations for next high season in Thailand. This type of crackdown will discourage tourists from coming here. That will hurt Thailand. It will not just hurt farangs living here or Thais living here, but all of Thailand.

I know that I am not alone when I say that Thailand is where I planned to live out my life. I know that I am not the only business owner looking at Thailand's policies and wondering how long I can afford to live here.

You can criticize me all you want. I am just sharing my feelings from the perspective of someone who loves Thailand and doesn't want to see it decline for reasons that could have been avoided.

Even a Thai person I spoke to tonight when I explained everything in this press release, said that Thailand is going back to the jungle.

I am just hoping that clearer minds precede and they take a different stance on this subject. Like immigration, it all should be done, but should be done in baby steps. Trying to go from 100mph to 0mph in one second will make you skid out. Take stances but don't go from one extreme to the other.

I just re-read this. No free mixers, no free ice...

If you go in a bar for a Jack Coke, the barman can't give you the coke or the ice as a part of the price...

You've got to be joking!

Honestly... What the <deleted>! As a bar owner, if they actually enforce these laws, I will have to throw out all of my current stock. No warnings and ingredient labels on old stock, so they won't be allowed. Nevermind bar owners, think about warehouses also. Ridiculous!

After a <deleted> terrible current year for the tourism industry due to political problems, they are going to turn away many tourists for next year. Do you want to come to a Thailand where ALL drinking must stop at midnight? Not just sales, ALL drinking in bars. I'm fuming with this decision.

I am a huge supporter of the coup and all the good that it has done/is doing for Thailand. When they say they want to encourage tourism, and then they come up with stupid ass decisions to discourage tourism it makes me really angry. It's like they don't understand what brings people to Thailand.

It feels like the leadership of the country doesn't communicate with all of the other parts of the government. For instance, tour guides reported Russian tour agents to the government and this was dismissed because it was decided that these Russian tour guides provide a good service for tourists. The next day they are talking about inspecting all tour agencies to make sure they are in compliance with all laws. It just makes me shake my head. The same goes for immigration crackdowns and then loosening because it was a bad decision. Please can we just understand that this crackdown is a bad decision before they implement it? Please. Please Please.

I've only been to Hua Hin once. Yes, the beach was not very pleasant, but what really struck me about the beach in Hua Hin is that you have to walk so far to get to the beach even though I was in a guest house on the beach. The guest house I was in was on the beach but not the part where everybody is talking about.  They had a back porch like structure that was built over the beach.  There was no access to this part of the beach as all the resorts had similar type of structures.  Surely these hotels and guesthouses are encroaching far worse than the vendors.

 

I'm not saying don't clean up the vendors on the beach, I'm just saying dole out the same type of justice to the encroachers who are not just making a part of the beach undesirable, but have actually taken the beach away from everyone.

 

I don't understand why everyone is talking about south of the Hilton, but nobody is talking about north of the Hilton.

 

The requirements for extension of stay are slightly more stringent than just getting a new visa. My taxes are a bit lower this way as my income is not the same as required for extension of stay. My social security payments for staff are also lower. The cost of the visa itself is lower. All that being said, doing it this way is still more expensive due to travel costs on my 90 day outings. The big difference for me is that I live in Koh Samui and when I do my 90 day run, I usually fly somewhere and take a two or three day holiday there. Island fever is a factor for me and if I have planned holidays that I have to take every 90 days, that doesn't upset me too much. If I were in the situation where I was jumping in a mini van every 90 days for a one day trip to hell and back, my viewpoint would probably be different.

I am currently in Penang and today received my latest Non Immigrant B visa from Penang.  That in itself is not news, I know, but the reason that I am reporting it is that I got this visa with less than six months remaining on my work permit.  (Usually they require nine months.)

 

The visa rules have changed in Penang over the past year.  When I came last year, I went to Jim at Jim's place with all my proper documentation, gave it to him and he did all the leg work returning to me my new visa in a couple of days.  The consulate now requires all applicants to apply in person.  After consulting with my accountant in Samui, she suggested I try for the year visa even though my work permit was not valid for the required length.  She also suggested using Jim again.

 

I took my paperwork to him and made him aware of the validity of my work permit.  He gave me a fifty fifty chance that I would still get a one year visa.  I went to his place the next morning at 8:30am.  A group of us went to the consulate in his assistant's car.  We all had to wait in line like everybody else.  The assistant waited for us.  When I got to the window, the man looked over all of my documentation including my original work permit that I always bring.  After a couple of minutes he returned my receipt for the one year visa.  He kept my work permit and passport together.  Today at 2:00pm, a group of us left from Jim's Place and got our visas.  Yay!  No need to get a 90 day visa twice before I renew my work permit in February.

 

Jim's Place still charged the same processing fee as before 500 baht even though the client has to go to the consulate themself now.  That may seem like a lot considering that I had already come with my own paperwork in order, but Jim did give some advice regarding how to best ensure that I get the one year visa.  Also not to discount the fact that we were given a ride to and from the consulate on two occasions.  He also gave me the confidence that I had a good chance of getting the visa.

 

I am not saying that Penang has changed its requirements on the work permit issue.  I am only letting people know that this requirement can apparently be overlooked if the official is in the right mood to overlook it.

 

That's my report.  Can put it on the sticky about visas in the nieghbouring countries if you like.

 

When I am back to Samui I will try to upload pictures of w.p. and visa to this thread.

 

 

I took a taxi to the airport from Lamai on August 12th. I almost never take taxis as my girlfriend usually drives me, but she was occupied. I got in the cab and told him in Thai that I was going to the airport. He started driving and I noticed that there was some paper covering the meter. I asked him if he had to start using the meter now. He said, Oh, it's very expensive. 100 baht surcharge and other charges. To go to airport will be about 800 baht. I asked him how much for the airport and he said 500 baht which is the usual going rate I've had before.

I didn't report him to the hotlines because I know him from living in Lamai. I'm not scared of him or the taxi mafia, I just know who he is and he's a nice enough guy.

The taxis aren't taking this seriously in Samui, and frankly the police force isn't equipped to handle policing the amount of taxis there.

Get them into the Samui airport as well. 700 baht for a half hour drive to Lamai is ridiculous. In fact, break Bangkok Airway's monopoly on Samui flights while they're at it... Talk about overcharging!

Hero is the word that has been coming to my mind lately also. Finally a leader in Thailand who cares about this country and is making improvements. He gets my salute also

'POLICE HAVE STARTED a campaign to "return roads to the people" by cracking down on traffic violators.'

Will this crackdown continue when the cameras and news media are gone, or is this just a typical dog and pony act? We have seen crack downs on other illegal activities. Yet prostitution, gambling, public intoxication, child exploitation, domestic violence, etc. still run rampant throughout the country.

Geez; @Jaltsc: - give the General a break; cut the man some slack: he's been on "the job" barely 3 weeks and certainly doesn't need an impatient & unreasonable winger to criticize his many positive actions to-date !

I guess some people are just never satisfied, hey ? ! - I'd hate to be your neighbor, mate !

Meanwhile, as far as I'm concerned, this General Prayut strongly reminds me of one of the heroes in a Louis L'Amour novel: he's just like a real Sackett ! ! ! - and I, for one, salute this man.