Guitar God

What about hyphened last names? Mrs. G wants to have my last name, i.e. Patchrapa Chaichua-God.

Do they do that in Thailand? It's popular in the UK but I've never seen a hyphenated Thai last name.

Saw this guy enjoying himself in Phuket last year. Fun, fun, fun.

I think it's the tweakers on meth causing all the problems. I've been in some parts of the northeast where houses had bars on the doors and windows to keep the burglars out.

The worst problem ganja smokers cause is missing cookies. Never heard of anyone stealing a TV and pawning it because they needed to get mellow.

I thought a "shocker" was "Two in the pink, one in the stink." I'm not seeing where this applies here.

I flagged down a taxi near Phloen Chit by Lumphini park and (asked in Thai) to go to Pantip Plaza, we wanted 500฿ for a 50฿ trip. I said no thanks and walked to flag down another, he backed up, presumably to make me a better offer but I ignored him. When I left Siam Paragon the taxi maître d' gave me a feedback slip to report drivers who don't use the meter.

It seems like they're trying to clean up the taxi service here.

I thought meth addicts looked paranoid and "twitchy" and people on ecstasy look like they want to hug someone?

Anyway, I'll try to contain my happiness in public.

I'd better be careful with my illegal smile.

My preference is a refrigerator with an ice maker with through-the-door water and ice, hooked up to the tap water via a 5 stage filter with pre and post filters, sediment filter, charcoal filter for removing organics and bad smells and taste, high capacity reverse-osmosis membrane filter and a UV light to kill germs or viri.

The water doesn't have any taste, is pH neutral and since you're not opening the freezer section as often, the cubes don't thaw and freeze together.

Probably cheaper than 15 ฿ a bag in the long run, you get chilled water too and it's a lot more convienent.

Thanks for the info.

I know Canadians who were turned away at the border and blacklisted from entering the U.S. because they truthfully answered "yes" when the immigration agent asked if they had ever smoked pot.

Canada will refuse to allow U.S. citizens entry if they know they have a dwi or a misdemeanor conviction. A friend from FL was arrested for possession of an "alligator" clip (roach clip) and they turned him away at the Canadian border.

I doubt this will change much until it's legal in both countries and anyone with a drug conviction is given amnesty or had their conviction expunged.

I've noticed the same phenomenon here, sometimes it seems more like a comment section on a news site than a forum for expats. I'd expect on an online community like this that the people would be more civil and less negative because although they are still anonymous, they at least have an online persona here and "know" people here.

On CNN I expect it when they report that the price of sugar went down 10 cents that one of the first few posts are going to be from someone calling Obama and idiot and ranting that he should get on a boat back to Kenya and the next poster blaming the Republicans and then a pendant correcting their grammar.

I'm on a few music forums, bike forums, AMG forum, expat forums in other countries and others and none of them have threads that routinely turn into p!ssing matches, arguments or excuses to insult people.

It's gotten it so I expect it here if a newcomer mentions that he met a Thai girlfriend that someone's going to say "ohh, you must be hansum man" and others will berate him for his choice in women, tell him how naive he is and automatically assume she's a 21 year old hooker and he's some old, fat, bald, stupid, ugly man who wears wife-beaters, goofy shorts and sandals with black socks.

It's so noticeable that I'm actually surprised when someone starts a thread and asks a question and it stays on topic and people actually help them and make positive contributions.

I don't know if it's just a few angry people who can't or don't leave their house and have nothing else to do to entertain themselves, but I'm not recognizing many names coming up over and over so it must be more than just a few. A few Debbie Downers can set the mood for the forums.

Some people make lemonade when life gives them lemons, here I have the feeling there's a lot of people who'd prefer to squeeze the juice into stranger's eyes.

What a bunch of cynical old farts TV.com has. Of the many internet discussion groups I periodically participate in, TV.com by far has the largest number of rude, ill-willed, argumentative, and cynical posters ... no other group is even close.

For many of them I think it's a type of mental/spiritual sickness whereby they get perverted joy in putting other people down. Psychologically this is a sign of chronic anger and and feelings of inferiority ... i.e.,reveling in finding fault in others in order to make themselves feel superior. It somehow brings to mind how some dogs enjoy wallowing in carrion.

ATM's will suck the card back in after a few minutes if you don't pull it out. That's why some of them keep beeping when you're done.

Left my bank card in ATM (intersection bhukao and diana - busy). Realised a minute after walking off and came back, gone.

Lots of pain to me, no benefit at all to the keeper.

Sorry to digress and post on-topic but I have also noticed how honest and helpful Thai people are when they found lost articles.

I left my wallet on the counter of a small shop in a mall and when back after I retraced my steps to see if it was still there. The proprietor saw me coming and pulled it out of his drawer and gave it to me. He would not accept any money for a reward.

At a restaurant I paid the bill with 1000 and forgot to take my change, the next time I went there they had my change in an envelope waiting for me because they assumed a 300฿ tip was too much and I forgot my change.

The other day 20฿ fell on the floor when I got my change from paying a bill and I didn't notice it. The girl came outside and brought it to me after I'd left.

I list a wallet in Wisconsin, a trucker found it and mailed it back to me. I thought it was very nice if him, it was empty except for my license. Either him or someone how saw it first was less honest that the Thai people I've encountered here.

With that said, now you can go back to arguing and slagging people off.

I don't know why you refer to it as a "con". There is an increasing number of studies showing the theraputic effect of cannabis, particularly treatments with an extract know popularly as "Simpson's Oil" that stops seizures in epileptics, cures skin cancer, prostate cancer among many other conditions. A friend of mine, actor Thomas Chong was diagnosed with prostate cancer and he treated it with Simpson's oil and his doctors confirm that he is 99% cancer free. I didn't ask him how he applied or ingested it, but it worked...

The problem with investing in these Canadian Med-MJ companies is that the cost of the drug is more than the cost of patients producing it themselves, as they are currently allowed, and the selection of strains is limited. Canada is also overproducing so demand will be low.

Patients currently producing their own cannabis under the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) would lose their production license if they ordered from a commercial producer under the new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) so most are not interested in purchasing from commercial suppliers.

There may be 1.3B CAD in demand in 10 years but those commercial producers won't be supplying it all, if they're even still around.

They had two official producers in the Netherlands and even with no license for patients with prescriptions available, neither one of them are still producing.

I'm not investing in it.

I have three addresses in Thailand, one is the address that was used on my visa application. The form TM-47 asks for "present address". If I report in Bangkok, and my primary address is in Ubon, should I list my Ubon address, or my Bangkok address, even if I'm just there for a couple days and my primary address is in Ubon?

If I report in Nonthanburi, do I list my address there, the one I listed on my application which technically would be my present address since I'd be staying there at the time I was reporting, or my Ubon address where I spend the majority of my time.

If I report at Phibun, I'm guessing they would be fine with my listing my Ubon address since it is my present address, even though it's not on any of my visa applications, right?

Are you required to report in the province of your present address?

I'm no more on the defensive here than I am anywhere. Sure you might find the occasional taxi or Tuktuk driver who doesn't want to use the meter but TIT. If you want the ride bad enough either negotiate what you think's a fair price or find another one. I've spent hours in taxi's here and I know where I'm going and I very rarely with they take a longer route unless it's to avoid a traffic jam. I had one driver say I had to take a motorcycle taxi the rest of the way because of traffic, but it was really because he couldn't find the address. I was within a couple blocks and just walked.

In stores and businesses I find most people to be truly helpful with no ulterior motives. I seem to get the same prices my wife does.

I think it depends more on where you live and who you associate with then whether they're Thai or not.

I don't rent jet skis, buy ya baa or rent hookers, and I don't spend a lot of time in touristy areas.

One thing I didn't see in the video is how to respond to a wai. Most people who wai me, I just nod back.

When meeting adult in-laws, the wife's manager, lawyers and government officials, older thais who wai me etc. I'll wai back.

I learned there are three different wai's: The high one where your thumbs touch your browline for greeting monks and the king, one where your fingertips touch your nose for when meeting older people or someone of higher social status and one at chest level where you just nod your head for when you wai friends or people of similar age or status. I see the last one used a lot by service people and greeters at stores.

They weren't interested in keeping any of my drivers licenses (from two European countries or the U.S.) I'm sure you'll get yours back. It's not an exchange program, they just need proof you're already licensed.

I must have a hole in my pocket. My rent is similar, her pocket money is 5k more, electric is the same, water is less, travel costs are similar and do have fast internet and a lot of TV channels but I go through twice that a month. I don't drink, don't buy hookers and all my massages are free. I did spent 3k at Top Market yesterday though. I'm certainly not saving anything by living here.

I'm living on 65.000 a month.

17.000 Rent (could find a cheaper house but like to live comfortably)

1.000 electricity

200 water

15.000 pocket money for wife and kids

32.000 for the other things like car, bike, travel...

00.000 left at the end of the month

Wouldn't like to restrict myself too much.

But compare how you would live on your pension in the UK/Thailand.

I'm not a doctor, though I did play one on TV, but I'm pretty sure the test is only to detect an active infection. The certificate only mentions no indication of tertiary syphilis.

If someone had had syphilis and it was effectively treated, it wouldn't progress to secondary or tertiary syphilis so they would still be issued a medical certificate.

That's correct. It was never mentioned but when my lawyer went to submit the paperwork he called to ask my blood type. I didn't know so I guessed, then I went to the hospital and had a test done for 150 THB or something and it turns out I guessed right.

Whenever the traffic police try to get money off of me they say the options are to go to the station, pay a fine and get my license back next week, or pay them cash.