Happy Jack

The inclusion of Chiang Mai in the 'red' list doesn't seem to reflect the attitude of those I've been in contact with in C.M. City itself - where most people (at least in my circle of Thai friends) seemed to think (for quite some time) that Thaksin should go. The wife, of rural C.M. origin, thinks he was a big problem. Our Thai friends here (New Zealand) are largely from Isan and were also glad to see him go. So from our perspective there doesn't seem to be anyone who has a problem with his ousting. A real pity it had to be done with a coupe though, but again most of the Thai's I've spoken to figure there was no other way to get rid of him. Yeah, they are resigned to the coupe due to past experience, but the general consensus I've encountered seems to be that maybe things will get better now.

Incidentally - is it OK to be anti Taksin, pro coupe to the extent that it was an unfortunate necessity, and hopeful of a quick return to a more legitimate genuine democracy than the last government seemed to exercise, without being subject to name calling?

After all resorting to insults tends to indicate that that the insultER has run out of intelligent argument. Possibly some posters might wish to consider this.

bradthai-

When it comes to cricket everyone knows Aussies cheat - so why bring it up?

Seems very strange that he was 'rescued' so close to his destination - almost within swimming distance going by one of the reports. Considering the distance the report says he has travelled it doesn't seem like he was very 'adrift' at all. Very odd story indeed!

Maybe he was just an overstayer who set himself adrift in a neglected yacht figuring it was a good way to legitimise his passport? (OK - pure conjecture but something seems weird here!)

From my perspective the US dollar has definitely dropped. A few years back 1$US roughly equalled one Euro and against the $NZ (my home currency) we were running at around 45c to the dollar. In the last 6 months despite the NZ dollar has dropping significantly my recent transactions still show it buying in the 67-69 US cent range (based on purchases of product ex US via internet).

However the Thai baht is still strong against the NZ dollar and the money we are sending home to our Thai family is not producing anywhere near the number of Baht it used to. (Say 2 years ago 35 baht to the NZ dollar - now about 25 baht).

This can only be bad for anyone who relies on rice exports for their income (Oh hey - that's say 90% of the population) or on the tourist dollar (the other 10%).

For the uninitiated (excuse me if I'm teaching grandmothers to suck eggs)- a high exchange rate only helps countries which import more than they export. So lets hope some of this (possibly engineered) value falls out of the baht soon for the sake of the country.

Crocodile alert as reptiles escape illegal farms in flood zones

Unconfirmed reports suggest large groups of escaped crocodiles masquerading as bar girls in Patpong area.

Why use a Visa agent..... in this example you have been doing all the work for three years anyway, all they did was hold you hand.

I'll do that, sounds like an easy job...... do you think they could get me a work permit for that?

I've only done the Friendship Bridge visa run once (having all my money ripped off in Vientiane put me off going back) but I too used an agent after being turned back at the border the first time for some reason I was unable/not meant to comprehend. This may or may not have been contrived as part of a deal with the agents. Since then I stayed up north and used Mae Sai - where I've never seen any agents operating - other than the inevitable swarms of tourguides.

Anyway, regardless of this the circa 300 baht fee (which sounds right by my recollection) mentioned seems like money well spend in the hassle it saves - and I'd probably happily spend the same money even at Mae Sai where a border run seems considerably easier just to save standing in line and having to deal with customs myself.

So yeah, if you want to take this up as a career then I'd pay you! Of course that might only be 300 baht once every six months or more now that the monthly border run is a no go - so hope you like rice soup.

There is a reason for this.Thai people are about a million times more likely to overstay.

And what do you think this whole issue of banning border runs is about, then?

Jesus Christ man, wake up! The two countries are so vastly different that your comparisons are moronic. If a Thai dissapears into a country like NZ, he will be a burden on the system and he will "take" employment opportunities from locals. If a farang stays long term in Thailand, what burden is he on the Thai government? What benefits are given to him? What work does he steal from the Thais? All he does is bring money in and spend it and this is something that the Thais should be encouraging.

Um, some moronic questions:

Do the number of farangs who stay in Thialand and run businesses there make their living money from overseas or from Thialand (and the bar girls many of them exploit)? Do the people who live in thialand for many years employed by Thai businesses or schools make their money overseas or in the local economy?

The original post which bendix and chuchok were commenting on was not about comparing the two countries but demonstarting that Thai imigration has a long way to go before it is as tough as New Zealand (which is probably indicitive of the immigration policy of most western countries) and as such we still have it relatively easy. Incidentally, I was told a few years ago by Thai immigration that there was a procedure for gaining Thai citizenship and whilst I don't remember the finer details apart from it being several years (of living in Thailand) before I would qualify it didn't seem like it was a difficult or excessively harsh process.

So many people complaining about this - but recently returned to New Zealand with my Thai wife and the drama has been about a million times that I had (virtually zero) in my two years in LOS, even just to get her an initial 9 month visitor's visa. Thailand might be tightening up their policies, and sometimes these may even seem illogical, but the buerocracy involved for Thai people to get into other countries is still a million times worse - and the policies of other nations are probably a big influence on the direction the Thai government takes in establishing its own. With a general trend to bring Thialand up to date with other countries we can only expect to see things get more involved. Hopefully out of all this there will eventually emerge a sensible and logical system. How long this may take is anyone's guess though.

There is a reason for this.Thai people are about a million times more likely to overstay.

Not so. It's this difficult for anyone from anywhere to get into New Zealand.

So many people complaining about this - but recently returned to New Zealand with my Thai wife and the drama has been about a million times that I had (virtually zero) in my two years in LOS, even just to get her an initial 9 month visitor's visa. Thailand might be tightening up their policies, and sometimes these may even seem illogical, but the buerocracy involved for Thai people to get into other countries is still a million times worse - and the policies of other nations are probably a big influence on the direction the Thai government takes in establishing its own. With a general trend to bring Thialand up to date with other countries we can only expect to see things get more involved. Hopefully out of all this there will eventually emerge a sensible and logical system. How long this may take is anyone's guess though.

look here fella,

can you please refrain from any attempt at humour as you could quite possibly end up in serious trouble here.

Humour? What humour? Anyway, weren't you already run out of this thread?

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

Jack... The Ping River flooding last year was the worst in 40-50 years (I think depending on where you were exactly)... but you are correct about the yearly flooding of the low lying areas in the city due to heavy rainfall. Chiang Mai is in a flood plain and I think historically the flooding of the Ping River has raised the surrounding area about one meter every 200 years. (Info from Chiang Mai News)

So in living memory there have been worse floods than the completely 'unprecedented' one which took out the night bizarre last year?

Not unless there's some very very old folks around. I've been here sence 1982 and the worst flood we had was I think in 1991 (or was it 92?).

At the risk of appearing a pedant... Oh to hel_l with it, I am a pedant!:

Chiang Mai Mike described last year's flood as 'the worst in 40-50 years' This implies there was a worse one prior to 40-50 years ago, which is certainly in living memory (as would 70 or 80 years ago be for some people).

Well what were the figures for the flood 50 years ago ?

Partly thanks to the communist insurgency there was a reasonable forest cover in the Chiang Mai area until (i'd guess) the late seventies, so I have some doubts about floods before this time.

The point I was making is that last years floods were not normal. Unless we've been having a drought for the last 50 years, and I know we haven't, last years flooding was definately unprecedented in it's frequency.

Looks like we'll just have to wait for CM Mike to explain what he meant by the worst in 40-50 years'. In the meantime maybe we should all enrol in a boat building course.... using the latest composite materials of course, seeing as all the trees have been done away with......

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

Jack... The Ping River flooding last year was the worst in 40-50 years (I think depending on where you were exactly)... but you are correct about the yearly flooding of the low lying areas in the city due to heavy rainfall. Chiang Mai is in a flood plain and I think historically the flooding of the Ping River has raised the surrounding area about one meter every 200 years. (Info from Chiang Mai News)

So in living memory there have been worse floods than the completely 'unprecedented' one which took out the night bizarre last year?

Not unless there's some very very old folks around. I've been here sence 1982 and the worst flood we had was I think in 1991 (or was it 92?).

At the risk of appearing a pedant... Oh to hel_l with it, I am a pedant!:

Chiang Mai Mike described last year's flood as 'the worst in 40-50 years' This implies there was a worse one prior to 40-50 years ago, which is certainly in living memory (as would 70 or 80 years ago be for some people).

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

Jack... The Ping River flooding last year was the worst in 40-50 years (I think depending on where you were exactly)... but you are correct about the yearly flooding of the low lying areas in the city due to heavy rainfall. Chiang Mai is in a flood plain and I think historically the flooding of the Ping River has raised the surrounding area about one meter every 200 years. (Info from Chiang Mai News)

So in living memory there have been worse floods than the completely 'unprecedented' one which took out the night bizarre last year?

Whats with all this fear mongering !!!!!

Quite right Gonzo!

BUT: if there have been even bigger floods in the past one could assume this could happen again one day. Especially given the very real global warming issue outlined earlier in this thread.

Sounds like this year isn't the big one though - for which I am truly thankful. For me the previous year's floods have been high adventure (and much to my chagrin I get to sit this one out far away in New Zealand - where we are also experiencing the unpleasant effects of climate change) but the floods are devastating for the poorer areas (and people) of Chiang Mai. Seeing the damage done to so many homes last year was heartbreaking. I really hope this does not recur this year. The likelihood though is that sooner or later, whether this year or not, it WILL happen again.

It could be time for people to reassess the viability of living in low level houses. In this sense maybe the fear mongering could serve a purpose after all.

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

In 2004 I arrived home (Chiang Mai) from a short trip to Europe and had to wade (through up to half a metre of surface water) from the airport to Airport Plaza. Then to get to my destination in Loi Kroh Road I had to take a circuitous route via tuk tuk, with various detours due to extensive flooding throughout the city. The last half kilometre was also impassable for the tuk tuk so had to wade again. (Advice for traveller in Asia: Forgo the humble suitcase and always use a hiker's pack.)

In 2005 The entire night bizarre, the markets, and all of the low lying areas alongside the Ping were flooded - with some of the poorest areas hardest hit. The tide line on some people's homes in these areas was well over 1.5 metres high.

Now in 2006 we have floods again. In light of the last two years (and possibly other years preceding my knowledge) I would tend to avoid calling this 'unprecedented'. To many of the locals this is just a normal part of the rainy season. The number of boats that appeared as if out of nowhere during last year’s floods are testament to this.

Incidentally at the river end of Loi Kroh Road there are a couple of very old wooden houses on poles. Although these get isolated in the floods and the owners have to clean up their grounds afterwards their houses always remain dry. Maybe the people who built these houses years ago had a little bit more foresight than the people of today, who are all trying to emulate western design in the construction of their ground level homes.

Brahmburgers: how excellent to see the use of the word "lacksadasical" ! ! I so enjoy to discover the fact that there are still people in this world who actually use the english language properly and to it's fullest extent ! !

Oddly my copy of the Concise Oxford Dictionary seems to have ommited the word "lacksadasical". It does however include what must be an improper spelling: "lackadaisical". Oh well, it's a living language....

Just saw a New Zealand TV interview with his New Zealand 'victim'. She seems to be a fairly intellegent woman and claims to have researched the pros and cons of ozone treatment prior to placing herself in his care. Incidentally despite her illness and experiences in Thailand she appears to be fairly healthy. Acording to the report I saw her gripe is not with ozone treatment itself but with the fact that she was promised treatment in a proper hospital facility etc and that this was not provided.

I suppose you are right I should have thought before posting. But it is getting me more and more angry to see all these farang people coming here, living here and creating problems. The biggest problem is the bar/gogo scene which is ruining our country – and has been for a long time. If the demand was not there we would not have the problem.

I do not have a problem with the professionals coming over with the multinationals, but I do have a problem with the men (I am female) coming over here, hooking up with a bar girl and staying for long term – often without money, work or anything. It then turns into a problem as they need money and often turn to crime and scams.

I have traveled overseas a bit (USA, Europe, Australia) but I go for holiday and come back home.

Furthermore, there is a big difference with Thailand and America as America is built on immigration where are not.

Well rest assured that there are a lot of falangs living in or visiting Thialand who are relatively decent people and hate anything that damages Thailand just as much as you do. Whilst you are right that if there was no market these things wouldn't happen they also wouldn't happen if a percentage of Thai people weren't prepared to service the market. Maybe everyone needs to clean up their act. However the problem with trying to enforce standards on people is that you end up with an over-legislated country - which is exactly the problem being experienced in the west today. The same pieces of legislation that keep con men under control in the west create other limitations on lifestyle choices - and it is the absence of these controls which are one of the appealing things about Thailand, even for people who do not have immoral designs.

This is all getting a little off topic though - Quick, let's get back to the kangaroo court......!

This "genious" was also involved in the "419" scam. Have a look at what else he was upto.

http://www.urgentmessage.org/highlyconfidential/_l36717.html

Cheers

The use of his name is no indication that he was actually involved in the 419 scam. I run several websites with corresponding email addresses and real and bogus email addresses from these domains names are regularly picked up by fraudsters and used to send fishing emails, dubious attachments etc. Whilst this is annoying there is nothing I can do about it. It's quite possible that the same thing has happened in this case as any publicly known name is fair game for the people behind these scams. I know the posters here come from many different countries but I'm sure most of us are accustomed to the idea of innocent until PROVEN guilty.

Before locking anyone up in the Bangkok Hilton, Australia, or anywhere else, it might be worth wondering if there is another side to this. Whilst this guy might deserve the label of quack there is a long documented history of drug companies and organised medicine acting to suppress alternative treatments of many illnesses including those Dr. Sartori claims to be able to treat. A comprehensive description of some of these treatments and the frightening lengths the establishment has gone to discredit them can be found in the book Suppressed Inventions & Other Discoveries by Jonathan Eisen et al. The withdrawal of licences in the US for these people is quite common, even for those with significant documentation to show the effectiveness of their treatments, and even when these treatments could not possibly do any harm even if they failed to work. A number of the practitioners of these alternative medicines also point out that by the time they get to see patients it is often too late for ANY treatment to act effectively and that conventional treatments often weaken the patients to the point that death is almost inevitable. Conventional medicine also fails to cure some patients of Cancer. Should they be locked up for every death too? It seems that Dr. Sartori has been well respected for his past work. Maybe, just maybe, he is on to something and this arrest is the result of nothing more than the established medical profession and the drug companies exercising their considerable clout and on Dr. Sartori's part a misguided attempt to continue doing what he sees as being of considerable potential benefit to both his patients and medical research. No doubt he left himself wide open to trouble by practicing without a licence, but to wonder if after the number of years of research he has done, and the risks he has taken to administer treatment to patients, there might be something to his ideas is no more conjecture than that presented in the articles at the start of this post. Whilst these articles certainly seem damning the press does not have a great history when it comes to accurate reporting of the facts. As one reporter I know puts it, 'Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.' So lets be cautious before condemning without trial. Maybe this guy really is the evil predator portrayed, but on the other hand maybe he is a dedicated idealist. For a man of his obvious mental abilities there certainly must be easier ways to make a buck if money was his only objective.

Food for thought?

Seems to me Mr 'Personal Appearance' Thaksin is again trying to make political profit. I too read the article on today's Bangkok Post front page. What a load of twaddle! Blaming rich people is guaranteed to appeal to the masses though. I don't dispute the amount of ill gotten gains that are made in this country but this is just playing on the same old I'm in the poo because someone else is rich bull#### again.

Just did a walk around the city area - sorry no more pics my camera gave up the ghost. Lots of mud everywhere and shops around night bazaar have been hit hard. In amongst the new buildings at the river end of Loi Kroh are some old wooden pole houses. The only problem for the people living in these is pumping out their gardens. Maybe 100 years ago people were a bit cleverer than today. Ever wondered why they built these up so high?

The army and city workers are out in force hosing down the streets and carting away mud. Getting around in these areas is still not easy by car or foot because of the number of trucks etc involved in the cleanup.

Some places have been saved by mere inches. Walking through the day market some shops were full of mud whilst others, with their floors just a little higher seem to have been spared. On the other side of the river the big clean-up is on in Riverside Restaurant, Gallery etc. Only a bit further down the road the Fillmore building seems completely unscathed.

Walking back home through the flower market it's business as usual, and at the rate the shops and roads are being cleaned up it seems like by tomorrow everything will be almost normal - at least in the city area that is...

New photos taken at 5.30 pm tonight of Chiang Mai Night bazaar area have been added at www.thaichange.com/cm_flood.htm The water has gone down about 50cm. Loi Kroh above Duangtawan is now clear. A lot of damage left behind though. Water is still draining from Night Bazaar area. I've been asked to forward the following message:

THE ARMY is collecting water and food - especially clean drinking water which is needed desperately by the flood victims in the chiang mai area.

PLEASE DONATE WATER OR FOOD AT THE CHIANG MAI MUNICIPLE STADIUM

Directions:

From Chang Puak Gate - head north along Chang Puak road (as if heading towards Mae Rim).

Prior to the turn off for Rimping Supermarket / Nova Hotel -

IT IS TURN RIGHT FROM CHIANG PUAK ROAD INTO RATTANAKOSIN ROAD TURN

continue along that road about half a mile and the stadium is on the left.

for further directions - please call me

I went down there today - and there are alot of ARMY and other volunteers.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS - it has been advertised in the Thai press - but most foreigners do not know about it

Have posted further pics from this evening at www.thaichange.com/cm_flood.htm

Since this afternoon water has continued to rise. You can see the difference between the shots taken near Suriwongse hotel this arvo and this evening. Sorry these took so long to post but power went out around 10.

I've posted a bunch of photos on my site www.thaichange.com/cm_flood.htm for anyone who wants to look. Since I took these early this arvo the water level has come up further - and it's now raining heavily which means the usual back-up with the drains will compound the problem. As you'll see from the photos some local landmarks have been hit hard.