chrisbacke

I'm not in Bangkok, so maybe someone on the scene can answer - are the protestors blocking people from using the BTS? It's one thing to make their stand at the station, it's another to block traffic.

I don't see Thai TV being that anxious to incite further discord in the midst of an already raging protest. 'News' can wait - for now, look to the West for news about the east.

Why don't you give it to me and I'll find out for you

Seriously, though. No need to live like a miser. Live it up. Figure an apartment most anywhere for 20,000 baht a month, food (at 500 baht a day average, or 15,000 baht a month), travel / entertainment / alcohol (2,000 a week, more if you like paying for sex or need to impress women), and other expenses around 5,000 baht a month.

That's 48,000 baht a month, or $1,524 / month on the high end. 16,000 / 1,524 = right at 10 1/2 months.

Personally... My apartment is 13,000 a month (split in half since I'm married), food is around 250 baht a day on average, or 7,500 baht a month. Travel / entertainment / alcohol is perhaps 800-1,000 a week, and that 'other' category is probably around 4,000 baht a month.

That's 22,000 baht a month, or $698 / month. 16,000 / 698 = just under 23 months, or almost two years.

If I was trying to scrape by for as long as possible...

Cheap apartment for 6,000 baht a month (split in half since you'll have a roomie), Food is around 100 baht a day, or 3,000 baht a month. Travel / entertainment / alcohol is perhaps 500 a week, and that 'other' category is probably around 3,000 baht a month.

That's 11,000 baht a month, or $349 / month. 16,000 / 349 = just under 46 months, or almost four years.

If you're an American, get a Paypal debit card. Link it to your American bank account, transfer from bank account to Paypal, then withdraw at the AEON.

If you have a Thai bank account, you can setup a different Paypal account to link to your Thai bank account. Tell people to pay your Thai Paypal account, transfer to your Thai bank account, and withdraw or spend at your leisure.

For larger amounts (but under $10,000 USD) I'd get it in cash. Put it in with the rest of your papers. No justifiable reason to let banks take a dime in fees.

Nthing the 'you get bored here?' note. When not working from home, I'm traveling, exploring, taking pictures, blogging...

The TV hasn't even been turned on twice since I moved in...

Fingerprints? Riiiiight.

There was 7,400,000 tourist in Phukett last year (2012) and Bt 1.4 billion generated from those tourists. From an earlier thread local hospitals in Phukett where on the hook for Bt 5 million of unpaid hospital bills.

That is 67 Satang per tourist. Get over it!!!!

So, 67 satang per tourist times how many hospitals across the country?

There's a lot of numbers missing, to be sure. Take this article as one hospital's opinion in a country where the rest are probably watching to see how hard the hammer falls on the nail.

"Censor Must Die" is not subject to the ratings process because the film is made from "events that really happened", he said.

So, as long as it's a documentary...?

I can sympathize with the guy - but only to an extent. We're a couple of months removed from a guy getting murdered over a 51 baht cab ride, but this guy thinks it's appropriate to carry a knife?

Anyway, I'm trying not to stereotype a billion people based on a handful of incidents - but seriously, smoking in the van? Nope - driver made the right call there. As for the circuitous route, it's unclear from the article whether they hired the minivan for the day or whether they're riding with other passengers...

"According to a report in The Telegraph of London, the 15-person crew was in Thailand on a sensationalist story about teenagers on their first holiday abroad.

But the crew decided that the planned Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents show wasn’t worth doing after all."

Maybe I completely misunderstand the responsibility of the crew here, but is that really your decision? Even if the teens did discover the plot, maybe the producers decide to change the angle - teenagers and the parents that party with them...?

There's still a long haul to go. I don't know enough about Thai's craft beer scene, but Korea's came a long way in the span of five years. The requirements there all but ensured only the biggest manufacturers were legally entitled to licenses - something that's only changed as some requirements have been relaxed and more imports have arrived (thank you, FTA!)...

With that said, it's a welcome change - just wish it weren't so expensive.

Google Maps has been great, though the biggest problem I've had with them is that it claims buses stop at given stops, which in fact they don't.

The app I'm currently using is called the Bangkok Bus Guide (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bangkok-bus-guide/id450485768?mt=8) - it's free, a little quirky, but a decent-enough way to show a bus route.

The 99 baht bus map has been a good solution as well (the second one pictured).

The old trick still works: keeping notes of which buses stop at your common destination and seeing which ones stop at home.

In short, there's no one perfect solution yet. Whoever figures it out - and puts it in English and Thai - will make a friend for life.

So, where is this place? Has anyone been there / found it yet?

Seconding the 'wait to see the test' movement.

In business, competing on price is a standard thing. Sounds like this guy needs to get off his high horse (er, front seat?) and stop waiting for tourists to rip off. Phuket's government can play an educational role, but unless they're ready to start confiscating tuk-tuks (and prevent them from being easily re-acquired)...

1. Swimming monkeys in Samut Songkhram

2. The Swiss Sheep Farm in Cha-am

3. The Million Toy Museum

There's plenty more, of course - Chris in Thailand is the blog

Great - thanks to both of you When we arrived we were stuck behind two of those knuckleheads...

The title says it all, really. My wife and I are here on 1-year non-B's, and we'll be making our first visa run to Laos in a couple weeks (a good excuse to travel there).

I'd prefer to keep all the ducks in a row, naturally, and would appreciate any recent advice

Thanks everyone. The follow-up question is does mailing it in actually stay legal the B visa, or do we need to leave the country every 90 days? We have the B visas for a year, but are stamped for 90 days.

Newbie to Bangkok here on a non-immigrant B visa. I've been told that mailing your current address into Immigration is possible - and it sure sounds like the easiest way to avoid the journey out there and the wait. The question is how exactly does this work? I've yet to see any explanation or step-by-step process. Is there a template that works wonders, or some other way of getting the address reporting done?

Thanks in advance

FWIW, it's been advertised pretty heavily along the BTS, and I've seen the overly long domain name enough times that I *should* be able to remember it... What I still haven't seen in the ads are a couple of basic things:

* The place

* The times

* Whether there's any chance of books being in English

* Admission fee (if any) - if it's free, that's one excellent thing to play up

I do intend to check it out, if only to see how the locals perceive books / authors...

An interesting story - how much do advertorials sell for on Thaivisa?

I'm new to Bangkok - so long as it's received by the day, it's good, right? Do they send anything back to you as a confirmation?