reaper

forgot about the party on the 6/10... will be going to the 1/12 one with a partner

Add me on the list as well

The boat stops under the bridge (Klong Tan Pier) right next to Biwa Cafe (a soapy massage), at the end/start of New Petchburi road. It's the cross junction between Pattanakarn road - New Ptchburi road, and Sukhumvit 71 - Ramkhamhaeng... quite near the BTS station that connects to the ne airport/Nasa Vegas hotel.

From the Phrakanong BTS station, you can take the red mini bus/van/lorry/song thiew for 10 Baht and it will take you right under the bridge that is opposite from the Klong Tan pier

Heard rumors about a boat line from Klong Tan that goes to Klong Toei, but I have never been on it or seen boats come from that direction . You probably have to be local and "in the know" to catch that boat. Sorry.

p/s - this link might help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khlong_Saen_Saep_Express_Boat

Foreigners taking over land in North, claims farmers' group

CHIANG MAI: -- Vast tracts of land in the North are now in the hands of foreigners, mostly through marriages to Thai women, a local farmers' group said yesterday.

Most of the land has been used for hotels and resorts put under the names of their wives, said Samarn Thadthieng, head of a group of farmers based in the Kuang River Basin in Chiang Mai and Lamphun. Plus, he said, there is an estate covering around 100 rai that only foreigners can rent.

He added that a large number of farmers also rented their farms to foreigners, and received payment in the form of rice instead of cash. In addition, he said, foreigners were also benefiting from the government's price-intervention scheme and were being given free rice seeds through other assistance programmes.

"This is dangerous, because these foreigners will turn from renters into beneficiaries exploiting Thai soil, sending remittances overseas and damaging the country's economy," he added.

He said government budgets were now being spent to benefit these foreigners instead of poor farmers, and those who have rented their land on a long-term basis to foreigners, end up encroaching on forests to obtain new land for themselves.

He called on the government and local administrative bodies to look into the matter.

In Chiang Rai, chief of a palm oil cooperative Inkham Namwong claimed that around 70 per cent of farmland and plantation in the province had been rented to foreigners. He said he was waiting for government funds to help set up a new cooperative that would help Thai farmers compete against foreign-owned palm plantations.

-- The Nation 2009-08-12

I find the last statement very funny. Yes, government help is quite helpful in the short term, but then later on these same people would probably be the ones that say the government is corrupt and want to overthrow it. Or, they would be complaining that the government is not giving them a fair deal. Either way, the government will be blamed, which IMHO is not fair. The farmers are at fault for renting out their land in the first place

I don't think it is fair to target jaywalkers... why don't the police start cracking down on thier own and other motorcyclist who use the sidewalk as their own personal road? If you want people to stop jaywalking, show them that the police, as an authoritative figure, can also follow the law. Don't say that jaywalkers "blindly" walk in front of traffic and buses... if that were the case, the number of jaywalkers killed per day would number in the hundreds. The police should be more concern about people driving without a driving license, expired road tax, bald tires, bad exhaust systems, bad brakes, reckless driving, exceeding the speed limit (... wait a minute, I just described the majority of buses and song taews in Bangkok) before they go after jaywalkers. Just because we cannot out run them doesn't mean that we are fair game... it just means that they can catch more per day

define illegal... adding a surcharge of 50 baht to the fare or chargin a tourist/returnee 600 Baht to get to town center. Pure BS

got an acer 24" 16:9 lcd monitor (p244wbmd) at the commart about half a year ago... doubles as a tv (hooked it up to a DVD player via HDMI-DVI cable). Really worth the 9K I spent for it There are HPs (23.5") under 9K on the market. You'll have to look hard for those with HDMI ports

My dad loves vespas and does most the restoration himself... when my parents came to Thailand to attend my brother's graduation, my dad did a sidetrip to Thailand to shop around for vespa parts. Flew back to Malaysia with a front mudguard in his check-in luggage ... and another time with a exhaust assembly

might want to try Pirom plaza down in Chinatown, Bkk, to unload it.

My dad is in his early 60's and goes out HHH running/jungle trekking as well as heading out with his friends for a 100 - 200 km Vespa rides during the weekends. Breaks out the Triumph Speed Twin once in awhile to shake up the neighbourhood with its racket How badass do the guys my dad hangs out with? Most of them go for green tea or coffee... and there's a guy that basically has to drink milk because his stomach is quite screwed up. Some of them smoke, but they just like to hang out a talk.

Three questions...

1. What happens if you don't drink alcohol?

2. Is there going to be a photographer/s there or should I bring my own camera? Any official Thaivisa photographers?

3. Is there going to be another party planned soon? (Would be in Singapore on some visa business)

PM me the answers if possible.

Reaper