Guitar God

I'm surprised that the King doesn't seem to have made any statements or comments about this. Maybe he has and I haven't seen it. I asked Mrs. G but if it's not on during a soap opera, she probably wouldn't know either. Others heads of constitutional monarchies often make statements when there's something going on in their countries. Isn't that something that's done here?

Good UV blocking window film can make a huge difference. I had four large windows done that got afternoon sun and you could really feel the difference. It's not going to help with your walls absorbing and reradiating heat but it will certainly keep a lot of the heat out that's coming in through your windows.

Okay, thanks. I met the owner of the Outside Inn but have only driven by, I didn't know they had a restaurant too. One to add to the list.

Is there another restaurant ran by an American in Ubon? By which hospital, Ubonrak? Do you know the name?

You're right, it's a region of 20 provinces, not a province.

I thought that many commonly used foreign words usually had a standardized English spelling. I remember when Saddam Hussein was in the news, the media mentioned that they had decided on one spelling.

Same with countries where the name is pronounced (roughly) the same in English as the local pronunciation, like Kyrgyzstan and other countries using Cyrillic alphabet, (but not Finland which Fins call Suomi so we made up a new word).

To my ears, If I were unfamiliar with the word and was in a spelling bee, I'd spell it "Easaan". But "Isaan" seems to have the edge, even though I'd say it rhymes with Nissan.

No wonder there's so many different spellings.

What is the commonly accepted English spelling of this NE province of Thailand?

Isaan isn't a province.

Not to derail the thread about Peppers but where is this American (or American/Mexican) restaurant Sirchai referred to?

( I saw a mention in a post but can't find it again )

Hopefully it will have less effect than the Chaengwattana roadblock has had on mine and my neighbors. Businesses that have been there for years are closing up for lack of customers. Revenue is down 30-60% since November and only companies with low overhead or deep pockets are surviving. I've lost over half a million since they blocked the road.

I'm hoping the military is there to restore order and keep the peace and I hope their idea of restoring order includes taking down roadblocks.

I wouldn't call it "full control" as long as there's still a roadblock on Chaengwattana road.

In Ubon today I heard a lot more military jet fighters flying around than usual. I'm not sure how they figure in keeping the peace in Bangkok buy they were buzzing all over the place here today.

I sponsored my (then) Thai girlfriend for a Schengen visa and just said on the form ( or in a cover letter, I can't recall which) that I would pay her food and lodging during the trip. She brought along a copy of her bank statement and a letter from work and it was granted without question.

The only snag was we applied at the embassy of the country I was a resident of, because we would be arriving and departing from there and it would be easier for that government to verify my income and history, but we were staying in Spain longer than we were staying there. I told them their embassy approved it based on the itinerary she submitted and they let her in.

I suspect her lack of proof of employment or other ties to Thailand would be more of an issue to immigration than verifying means of support.

They main thing immigration are looking for is assurance that will this person leave the country before their visa expires.

Concentrate on proving that.

What is the commonly accepted English spelling of this NE province of Thailand?

Not even Thais seem to agree on how to spell it.

Hotel Siri Isan and Wikipedia chose one "s" and one "a" but here the preferred spelling seems to be with two "a" 's .

I've also seem it with a double "s", an "r" thrown in and it starting with an "I" and an "E".

If Ubon has any secret nightlife spots, they're still secret to me.

The best place in town to eat and listen to live western pop/ light rock and a few Thai songs is Smile. Feelings is similar but their band isn't as tight.

Best place for drinks by the bottle and harder and louder western rock/pop is Ant terrace/Gee Exclusive club. Loud hard techno played between multiple live bands taking the stage. We were there until after 2:00 on a Sunday night and they were still going strong.

There's a great place on the western ring road that plays Thai rock and has an elaborate stage show. I don't recall the name but it's a huge wooden building that reminds me of something out of the old west in the U.S.

I don't know of any places where farangs can go in and chat in English with Thai women over a drink. Check out Chawalani Rd. after 8pm. It's full of small bars with primarily women sitting around outside after the sun goes down. . I suspect it's mainly "karaoke" for Thai men. I've never stopped to find out.

I think some of the most popular nightspots are the restaurants around Huai Wang Nong. Lots of places with loud music and crowds of Ubonites out eating. Probably not what most foreigners are looking for though.

Shade trees. Not sure about prices in Korat but in Ubon you can buy mature trees for 5-8k฿ including transport and planting.

Triangle and Sylvester palms are about the right height to shade a two story house, they like full sun and are are drought tolerant.

I can also recommend Peppers. A great selection of cakes, whole or by the piece and large servings of great food at a fair price. The have a large menu of Thai, Mexican, German and other European/western dishes. The only thing missing is lefse.

I went there one night and had to break one of my own rules of never eating anything bigger than my head.

My wife refers to "toms" as "tomboys". I think the tomboys the OP of that topic meant the women who tape their breasts, have men's haircuts, west men's clothes and have girlfriends who the touch and sometimes grope and kiss in public.

We were in a restaurant and I asked Mrs. G why a young couple there seemed to have to problem with PDA. The "boy" couldn't keep his hands off his girlfriend. She said "he" was a tomboy, if it were a male boyfriend, that would never happen.

Don't know why but that's life in Isaan. I don't think the same leniency applies to ladyboys and men.

This isn't a strike, it's a protest. Many other countries allow protests but I can't think of another one who would allow a main road to be closed for half a year by a handful of people who could move their shit a couple meters south and continue their protest. They've got a whole damn park to occupy. Why should people who live or work around the government complex and have nothing to do with it suffer for a year just because of their location.

In the Netherlands you get a permit for a specified time. In the U.S. protestors are permitted to protest in " free speech " areas. They protest, they make their point and move on. There are more successful tactics to use to make change in the government then to inconvenience random groups of innocent people for six plus months.

That's why I asked if the constitution specifically allowed protestors to ignore laws and close roads for an indefinite period. Or, if the police just don't have the balls to do anything. Like the police with their lights on who didn't go through an intersection until the cars stopped turning left in front of them.

A few weeks ago the police went to a few protest locations with the intention of removing barricades. Where they planning on doing something against the constitution ? I don't think so. They met resistance and like the knights of the Holy Grail, yelled "run away!" and turned tail.

Does the right to protest also give people the right to block major highways for six months for no reason? There's enough grass and parking lots in and around the government complex for them to set up enough tents and food stands for the couple dozen people who are still there.

Such a popular spontaneous uprising that they are talking about year on the streets with a few hundred hired thugs.

Problem is, the Government have to let them stay out there. The right to protest was deliberately enshrined in the Constitution for occasions such as this.

Gov. have to allow however a small and demented mob to remain out there or they will be disolved for denying them their rights.

When they wrote the constitution, many were saying how fair is was... but many of us posted at the time that it was yet another way to allow for an elected Government to be removed.

Last I read about the U.S.'s involvement in the search was when someone was wondering why the U.S. wasn't doing anything, especially since there were a few U.S. citizens on board. Unless the poster was wrong or something's changed since then, I don't think they're spending millions, it's just the other countries.

One wonders how he explains the millions being spent by multiple govts, including the US, on the search effort if they already know where the plane is.......

Why's he going to Thailand? It says he was extradited to the UK and sentenced in the UK along with his three co-defendants.

Allen has been free for 35 years after his first arrest warrant. I'd say he was fairly well above the law. It looks like he just forgot to make a payoff and somebody lost patience with him. Fortunately for Allen, he's going to Thailand where odds are good he'll find what "true" justice means - a place where a Buddhist monk unashamely uses random burtality against the public with immunity.

I just bought a white Honda Civic 2.0 Navi last week and they wanted 7 or 8K more for black.

I wouldn't say there's a big difference, they both contain the same active substance, THC.

Hash is just weed with all the harmful bits removed. You just need to use less.

It's like whiskey and wine coolers, a shot of whiskey contains the same amount of alcohol as a glass of wine cooler, but without all the extra sugar.

People who say hash or extracts is worse than smoking weed have it backwards, it's healthier.

You don't chug glasses of whiskey like beer, you don't take 600 mg ibuprofen like they are 200 mg tablets or eat as many 1000mg vitamin C as you would 100mg tablets. Same with hash, you use less.

What plonkers. I have no issue with them smoking a little hash but you really do need to have some respect when you are busted. Most police all over the world are fairly sympathetic towards hash smokers and tend to only bust people being a little too obvious. In my experience (from days gone by) if you were polite, compliant and apologetic then a firm telling off and a warning was all you got. I can't imagine what could have happened to me had I been as cocky as these 2 prats!

Don't mean to be picky, but it's weed not hash. Big difference.

30 days a day would be impossible for me, and most other people too but not for him. I've seen him do it. Look up Urbangrower on YouTube and see for yourself.

I thought this was the land of smiles?

Nothing to do with the monk but an example of how the police operate. I was just behind a police car that had its lights on and was speeding through traffic, switching lanes, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere. In a hurry until he reached an intersection where cars were turning left in front of him. Rather than press on and make them stop, he sat there and patiently waited, with his lights on, until the last car made its turn, and then he took off.

Lol

Or do I have to go to the counter, pay the higher rate for the stop I got off on, and then go back?

Up to you!