fxm88

Yep...that's been going on now for >30 years.

Ever since the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormans) started sending Missionaries to LOS. - they must like getting dragged into those bars, eh?

Are these guys LDS? I always found LDS to be more subtle than these screamin'-jeezus types. Apparently the best defense against an LDS is profanity -- it causes them to self-destruct.

Does anyone know where I can buy a Rocking Chair, or preferably a Glider Chair (it swings so won't disturb the downstairs neighbors) in Pattaya? Thanks!

Jealousy feh! Look, I know living in Thailand we sorta get used to the local privations. Yes, the Internet in Thailand is fine for wasting time on Thaivisa.com or downloading porn. Heck, you might even trade stocks on-line -- comforted, no doubt, by the fact you can call them on the phone if need be. But this guy is running a 24x7 online business and for that Thailand is wholly unsuitable. On this there can be no argument. Where are the co-location facilities? The only raised floors you'll find here are for staying dry in a flood. Six-Sigma? Um, you want sticky rice with that?

Any US citizen still expecting the US Embassy to help you out of a jam should take this opportunity to disabuse themselves of that notion. Yes, this story is from last year and concerns the US Embassy in Nigeria. (And yes *sigh* the kids are black.) But all these Embassy folks are cut from the same cloth, and who knows, maybe these folks got transferred to new posts in Thailand.

U.S. knew about abandoned kids. More here, and here.

U.S. knew about abandoned kids

But a week after being told, officials had not gone to Nigeria orphanage

When a missionary found seven malnourished, diseased and abandoned Texas children in a Nigerian orphanage, U.S. State Department officials had known about the children's plight but had not gone to the orphanage to check on them.

No American official visited the government-run orphanage, which reportedly houses orphaned children and juveniles convicted of violent crimes such as rape, for more than a week after a tipster told the U.S. consulate in Nigeria about the children, according to the State Department.

The city where the orphanage is located, Ibadan, is about 60 miles northeast of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city and site of the consulate. The trip by taxi takes just over an hour and costs 75 cents, according to Lonely Planet's West Africa travel guide.

...

No I'm not in the porn business, online poker.

Another excellent reason to stay out of Thailand: gambling is a big no-no. The police bust any kind of gambling including, most commonly, the 5 & 10 baht card games amongst friends. I'd hate to imagine what they'd do if they think you're gambling online much less running an online cardroom.

Prefer the high Sukhumvit area, around On Nut BTS.

There's one at "71 Sports Club" a ways down Soi 71, you can catch the little green "71" buses (less frequent regular buses, too) from near the Phra Kanong Skytrain station.

http://www.offtherails.com/zingpool.html (page lists many pools including a picture at 71 Sports Club towards the bottom)

http://www.swimmersguide.com/query/Detail.cfm?PoolID=12180

I have a Thai friend going to Singapore 4 December for 1 week, will she need a visa or will a visa on arrival suffice?

Are you going with her? I went a couple years ago so things might be different now but if you're flying in, signs might direct you into different queues at Immigration (ASEAN vs others). You'll want to stay together as it'll ease her entry if the Immigrations folk see she has a companion -- I'm just not sure which queue is best.

Basically I need to know what to do.  My priorities are 1.  living somewhere with broadband and 2. having as few forms to fill in as possible.  I don't mind where I stay, hotel would be preferable, in a nice location by the sea.  Is it easy to just go over and live there?  Not sure what the next step is.

Forget about Thailand. Electricity, let alone Internet access, can be spotty at best. And the never-ending visa-runs will greatly interfere with your availability (e.g. "You've reached the voicemail of Oasisx. I will be in Cambodia until Tuesday. Please leave a message.").

Im wondering how long if any maternity leave new fathers are entitled to?

Gender parity is one of planks in TRT's platform, so new father's also get 90 days. You will also be eligible for vouchers on free baby formula, and discounted nanny and housekeeping services. Be warned that if you do sign up you can and should expect "surprise" visits by the authorities to your home. You'll need to contact your local Amphur's office to sign up, and the paperwork is a bit of a hassle, but as the program is for the benefit of the child all parents -- including farang -- are elegible to participate. See this Bangkok Post article for more information.

Also, I live in chiang mai and I'm not traveling to BKK for a question.  I called the embassy but they don't take phone call questions apparently.

If you're in Chiang Mai why didn't you try the Chiang Mai consulate? Although if you get stuck talking to Scott Hansen just walk away.

Any refugee staying in the U.S. and not actively seeking citizenship for themselves or their [non-citizen] children is crazy and here's why: America has started to make good on its threat to deport refugees convicted of commiting crimes, even minor crimes like DUI (drunk driving) or shoplifting. So far it's only been the Cambodians (they're the first country to agree to it) but since they apply it retroactively even if a refugee is "safe" today it could all change tomorrow.

http://www.asianweek.com/2002_11_22/feature.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...L&feed=rss.news

http://www.alternet.org/wiretap/21744/

Be careful: Might be a lot of sick Buffalo buried out there.

What ever happened to the "Temple Prostitutes" as spoken of in days of old, do the Christains still have them ?

No, Chrisitians no longer have "Temples".

"And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee..."

In a Pyramid, A will purchase from the company and sell to B, making a profit. B then sells to C and so on down the line until J is left with a very expensive piece of trash he can not sell on.

And Amway is different... how?

"Say... would you like to go to a business meeting with me?"

I'm quite ignorant of the law in Thailand [and hope I don't need any crash courses in it] but isn't there any concept of standing? Or can anyone go around suing anyone for alleged wrongs against anyone?

Make sure you ask how much before you get them framed. That's always a good idea but especially so at art/photo shops.

Nothing special, but not driftwood banged together with nails at jaunty angles.

Actually, you have to pay extra for the driftwood.

Replacement of flowers along beach road

Gardeners from Nong Nooch were busy this morning replacing and replanting dead and dying flowers along Pattaya Beach. About one-half of all the flowers will be replaced by the week-end. Traffic along Beach Road was slightly congested and drivers are encouraged to find alternate routes.

Monday morning a team of forensic monks from Wat Dhammakaya reported their findings to the City. After arriving last week to study the problem they determined the main cause of the die-off to be a disorderly arrangement and recommended the flowers be re-arranged. The City is scrambling to complete the project before the end of Kathina as specified by the monks.

Disorderly beach chair operations were also cited in the report. Accordingly, police were out to warn beach chair operators to be more careful in the arrangement of their chairs, and also that they must replace old or mismatched umbrellas, or be subject to fines.

Other, minor causes cited in the report were too much or too little shade, too much or too little water including the failure of the irrigation system, and the use of an inappropriate fertilizer.

Citizens will be happy to hear that the City was able to negotiate a discount on the labor portion of the contract. Additional costs are expected to be recouped by heightened enforcement of motorcycle helmet violations leading up to the Loy Krathong festival.

The Manfarang -- Thailand's Finest News Source

9th November 2005

More from the BBC 8 November 2005 Burma's confusing capital move:

Information Minister Kyaw Hsan said the site of the new capital, near the town of Pyinmana, was a more strategic location for Burma's military rulers.

"It is centrally located, and has quick access to all parts of the country," he told reporters on Monday.

...

Many ministries - including the foreign ministry - are in the process of moving to Pyinmana. But foreign and UN embassies have been told there are currently no plans for them to follow.

"If you need to communicate on urgent matters, you can send a fax to Pyinmana," the foreign ministry said in its statement on Monday.

...

Try the 7-11's. They've usually got a couple bottles hidden behind the Spy and Bacardi Breezers.

any ideas?

Send her abroad, someplace where she'll have to communicate in English, perhaps Paris.

Does anyone have any recomendations for traditional Thai massage by qualified masseurs in Pattaya?

There's a rustic little place out in Nakula called Baan Thai. I forget the address but it's on the east side of the main road, not far from Soi Potisan.

30 years ago you would not have to worry about calling somebody "A Black" now you can go to prison for it.

One of the reasons I live in Thailand.

One of the reasons you live in Thailand is so you can call someone "A Black"? That's about the most racist thing I've heard [a farang say] in a long time. I hope you're enoying the freedom.

You can't go wrong with cash! Thais love it! Just put it in an evelope -- the shiney gold ones are best -- so it's not gauche.

No disrespect to FXM but I think his post is more his frustration from his own experience rather than an objective analysis of Ice Mother's status.

Yes, it was a very frustrating experience and a year later I still get angry thinking about it. You may be right. In a speech earlier this year Ambassador Boyce stated "In fact, the vast majority of all Thais applying for visas, regardless of the purpose of the visit, get them." I'm skeptical, and last time I checked they still hadn't resumed releasing accept/reject statistics, so who really knows. A lot of people post questions here before they apply, but I rarely see any follow up on the outcome. Let's hope the original poster follows up and let's us all know what happens.

Here's a recent article from the UK. There they presumably have responsible agencies looking out for your health, so I can only imagine what kinds of poisons get made and sold in Thailand.

On a "lighter" note, how long before this catches on in Thailand?