sarathjay

We returned from Australia and would like to give away five sim cards to someone traveling in the near future.
One smart phone card has 3gb Data and 16 AUD left. The I Pad ones have also 3 and 4 GB left.
You can e mail me and collect them at Major Cineplex Ratchyothin. or at Condo Sarin Place Ratchadapisek.
You can bring a Cheddar cheese back as appreciation for the cards.

This is something that can happen to any of us. The more frequent travelers have developed their own tac tics where as I take a picture with the Hotels name and address on my phone and show it to the Taxi drivers as when we pronounce a word like Sarin Hotel they do not understand as the Thais call it Salin Hotel.

Good idea.......I will pre book now. Thanks for the tips..

Hi Simon,

Thanks for the tip. Its 26km to Kamala from the Airport and these mini vans charge 700 to 800. I have been reading the horror stories about the Taxi Mafia. As I do not look European, I may have a better chance to find something at a normal rate. I can pre book a cab for 700 to Kamala. Will see what comes out at 8.30 pm.

Who can give the latest possibilities to get to Kamala beach by bus on an arrival today at 8.15pm with Air Asia. We are 3 adults with low luggage. I found one Bus that I could take for 50Bt to Thalang and then take a Taxi. There are no updated timetables in the net. Thanks

Hi DJdobs,

My 26 year old daughter with a EU passport, was at the Thai Embassy in Colombo very recently and was declined a tourist visa as she was not a resident of the country. After I got on the phone and explained that she would be spending a month in Sri Lanka and going back to her mother who is working in Bangkok, they took her application and referred it to Bangkok and it was then finally granted with three entries.and costing nearly 80. I e mailed them over and over again without any response. The Tel. line. is almost the same.

You can take the risk and talk your way through or choose Penang for example. Let us all know how far you got.

Cheers,

Sarath

Here is food for thought.....

MH 370 - a conspiracy theory.

Have you heard of this conspiracy theory regarding the disappearance of MH 370? The story goes like this:

The Americans are withdrawing from the Afghanistan, one of their command and control system (used for controlling the pilot less drones) was hijacked by the Taliban when the American transport convoy was moving down from one of the hill top bases. The Taliban ambushed the convoy and killed 2 American Seal personnel, seized the equipment/weapons, including the command and control system which weighed about 20 tons and packed into 6 crates. This happened about a month ago in Feb 2014.

What the Taliban want is money. They want to sell the system to the Russian or the Chinese. The Russians are too busy in Ukraine. The Chinese are hungry for the system's technology. Just imagine if the Chinese master the technology behind the command and control system, all the American drones will become useless. So the Chinese sent 8 top defense scientists to check the system and agreed to pay millions for it.

Sometime in early Mar 2014, the 8 scientists and the 6 crates made their way to Malaysia, thinking that it was the best covert way to avoid detection. The cargo was then kept in the Embassy under diplomatic protection. Meanwhile the Americans engaged the assistance of Israeli intelligence, and together they are determined to intercept and recapture the cargo.

The Chinese calculated that it will be safe to transport it via civilian aircraft so as to avoid suspicion. After all the direct flight from KL to Beijing takes only 4 and half hours, and the Americans will not hijack or harm the civilians. So MH370 is the perfect carrier.

There are 5 American and Israeli agents on board who are familiar with Boeing operation. The 2 "Iranians" with stolen passports could be among them

When MH370 is about to leave the Malaysian air space and reporting to Vietnamese air control, one American AWAC jammed their signal, disabled the pilot control system and switched over to remote control mode. That was when the plane suddenly lost altitude momentarily.

How the AWACS can do it ? Remember 911 incident ? After the 9/11 incident, all Boeing aircraft (and possibly all Airbus) were installed with remote control system to counter terrorist hijacking. Since then all the Boeings could be remote controlled by ground control tower. The same remote control system that is used to control the pilot less spy aircraft and drones.

The 5 American/Israeli agents soon took over the plane, switched off the transponder and other communication systems, changed course and flew westwards. They dare not fly east to Philippines or Guam because the whole South China Sea air space is covered by Chinese surveillance radar and satellite.

The Malaysian, Thai and Indian military radars actually detected the unidentified aircraft but did not react professionally

The plane flew over North Sumatra, Anambas, South India and then landed at Maldives (some villagers saw the aircraft landing), refueled and continued its flight to Garcia Diego, the American Air Base in the middle of Indian Ocean. The cargo and the black box were removed. The passengers were silenced via natural means, lack of oxygen. They believe only dead person will not talk. The MH370 with dead passengers were air borne again via remote control and crashed into South Indian Ocean, make it to believe that the plane eventually ran out of fuel and crashed, and blame the defiant captain and copilot.

The Americans have put up a good show. First diverting all the attention and search effort in the South China Sea while the plane made their way to Indian Ocean. Then they came out with some conflicting statement and evidence to confuse the world. The Australians are the co-actor.

The amount of effort put up by China, in terms of the number of search aircraft, ships and satellites, searching first the South China Sea, then the Malacca Straits and the Indian Ocean is unprecedented. This showed that China is very concerned, not so much because of the many Chinese civilian passengers, but mainly the high value cargo and its 8 top defense scientists.

Don't believe the story? Lets wait and see how the episode unveils itself. Or perhaps it will never be known until the next Snow den emerges.

Enjoy your weekend folks....S.

It was only yesterday that my daughter (EU Passport holder) who walked into the Thai Embassy in Colombo armed with all the needed papers, when she frantically called me to say that there is a big board saying that Foreign passport holders applying for a tourist Visa needs to have a Resident Permit for Sri Lanka. On their Website there was nothing related to this rule.

I hope this information will come in time if someone here is planning a Visa run to Sri Lanka.

Have a fruitful day Folks, wherever you are.

In my home in cold Germany, I extended the hot and cold water pipes from the shower and fixed a mix tap on the Bum gun. This can be done in the initial stage of the building or when a complete renovation takes place. In the 6 years I have it in Germany, I never had to wait for warm water as the bathroom itself has a temp to keep the cold water far above freezing point.

It is hilarious to read the problems most of you have in cleaning your A....es. What most of you don't know is that you have two bloody hands to use for the job! In the one you first spray whats hanging around the exit point without aiming at your nuts and in the second stage use the other hand while spraying to give the whole area a last polish. Believe me, for those like my teenage European daughter who has never touched her exit point, it was a shock when I explained how I do it and finalize the action with a piece of paper to do the final drying.Of course you end up outside washing your hands with soap and water which I have not missed in any Thai Public toilet.

Think of the brake marks on your underwear when you do the paper scrape!

I know I have put it in writing what other think! I hope that the one or the other would try it out after my detailed explanation..... Enjoy your day folks!

Thanks for the tips....Yes it is a Vintage car being restored in Sri Lanka to be kept as a collectors car and for use in the film industry. The plating must last longer than six months.

Is there someone here who knows a place where I can get a car part (high quality) silver plated anywhere around Bangkok. Google gets me nowhere.

Looks like the Bum Gun is creating more interest here than the missing Malaysian Jet.

http://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R3.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.XWin&_nkw=windows+7+professional+64+bit&_sacat=0&_from=R40

This is where I buy Win.7 pro legally with the sticker and DVD. I bought an Acer Note book at Pantip with with a pirated Win.7 incl.a whole heap of junk. I did a fresh installation and activated Windows by phone which takes a few minutes and installed Security essential offered free from Microsoft. At the beginning you have about 170 updates which takes time and thereafter everything runs smoothly.

If any of you guys need help in this, pl. PM me.

Thank you for both replies.

To book a flight out for my daughter (26) who is on her second tourist visa which will expire on the 18th of Feb, I need some advice from an expert. The Immigration wants her to come a week or two before it expires for the one month extension. How are the days counted? Is it going to be 4 weeks from the 18th Feb. or 30 days or exact to the 18th of March? She will be flying to Colombo/Sri Lanka for a month and applying there for a new multiple entry Tourist visa at the Thai Embassy. Is there someone here who has experienced the Colombo Visa run?

As her mother has a Teacher work permit, is there any chance of her getting a Dependent Visa in spite of her age, as she is doing on line studies with an Institution in Canada which can be proved with an appeal letter from the mother. Any chance? worth trying?

She is an EU Citizen.

Thanks to all who contributed to this issue immensly like Lemon cake.....who is still wondering how a principal (my wife was one in a Primary school) who probably did not want to spend ten Baht on a phone call and 1000 on a ten km BKK Taxi ride which usually cost 200 due to a PRINCIPLE. My wife is her own person, and if she decides not to pay the one thousand, its her business.

I hope Lem.Cake will get the hint. and stop repeating the same thing like some silly child. BTW, my wife would have paid the one thousand with pleasure, if the trip to the airport really cost that much.

She finally took the first train from the airport without any suffering,

My wife read the comments and wrote this........

I read the comments on your posting in the Thai Visa forum.... Fact is that this was our experience with two taxi drivers.

and you are right... it is not the money but the principle... and the second driver lied to us and said he will use his meter, and then tried to force us to give him THB1000 and when I refused, he turned around and dropped us off at the airport and told us it was the standard fee and if we do not want to pay it we can walk home. He was intimidating us and we were feeling a bit harassed by his attitude, so much so that we didn't even trust the taxis at level 1 and couldn't find the courage to try again.

My comment. There is one here, who would have stretched the THB 1000 note with pleasure to avoid any suffering. Sitting in an air conditioned hall for five hrs. is nothing close to suffering but sitting for a good cause to make a point so that the majority reading this posting would follow the same line as my wife did as it makes sense. Sorry for you Lemon cake. Gegen Dummheit ist kein Kraut gewachsen!

This is what my wife wrote just now at the Don...Airport regarding the comments here

I read the comments on your posting in the Thai Visa Forum... Fact is that this was our experience with two taxi drivers.

and you are right... it is not the money but the principle... and the second driver lied to us and said he will use his meter, and then tried to force us to give him THB1000 and when I refused, he turned around and dropped us off at the airport and told us it was the standard fee and if we do not want to pay it we can walk home. He was intimidating us and we were feeling a bit harassed by his attitude, so much so that we didn't even trust the taxis at level 1 and couldn't find the courage to try again.

My comment. Lemoncake would have streched the 1000 THB note with pleasure to avoid ' SUFFERING'

It is because of ones like Lemoncake who would pay any price the drivers ask, that they are what they are today....ripping off the foreigners arriving at late times. The ladies are still alive and kicking even after a five hour wait for the train.

It was not the money dear Lemon cake, It IS the principle. By paying them the asked exhorbitant sum, you promote the dirty attitude against the foreigners who have no choice. This morning they are on their way to KL from the other airport and returning at 11 pm to be faced with a similar situation. I am confident that now the two ladies know how the clock ticks.

Spare wrote.....

The taxi queue operation 7x24, and they never ask for a 1,000. They all go by the meter plus 50 Baht.

I have a feeling that you are just trying to tarnish the image of Thailand.

It is not too late to make a U-turn now and go back to Sri Lanka. I am sure it is cheaper too.

My dear friend,

Why should I want to tarnish the image of fellow Asians?

I would want you to experience the Taxis at a late hour simply at the Mo Chit MRT station apart at the Airport. Looks like you have no clue what others experience daily.

My wife is doing a service to the Thai Nation in giving her expertise in education and I have no need to do a U turn to be in Sri Lanka. Choose your wording the next time you post something. Like in your own country, there are enough crooks all over the world! So there is no need to create the impression that in Thailand is Friede Freude Eierkuchen as the Germans say.....

This is what my wife wrote this morning after waiting 6 hrs for the first train....

We took the first train at 6:00. Halfway we took the connecting train, the MRT up to Phanon Yotin at Central Plaza and from there a taxi, because the bus didn't come. The taxi got us fast to Major Cineplex. From there we walked home. We were here at 7:30.

After our bad experience we just didn't trust the taxis at the airport and didn't feel like taking one. We were afraid they will get funny again once we are inside the taxi. Maybe we will try next time. At least now we know where to find the public taxis.

Thanks Maestro, I think if this was in Frankfurt and they called the Police something will happen. Not in Thailand at 3 in the morning. I really appreciate your concern. It is not easy as two white expat females to deal with corrupt Thais. Its 11 pm here in Germany and its 4am in BKK.Two hrs left for the first train.

my wife sent this message just now.....

We do not trust the taxis. They say meter and when you are inside, they change their story. So we have decided to wait for the train, it is anyway safer... We can sleep when we get home.