fxm88

I think they just made a visit last month See http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=46179

The email quoted there lists "Notarial services (US $30 or baht 1,200 for the first notarial; US $20 or baht 800 for each additional related notarial)". I think it's the same price at the Embassy.

Be warned that the US Embassy's Upcoming Consular Visits web page does not get updated -- as of now it says "Updated on : July 28, 2004' and doesn't list any visits after May 2005.

When you're talking about "high protein concentrate" it's not the remains of other animals is it?  Mad cow disease?

Sorry, I cannot tell you what's in the "high protein concentrate", but I can tell you that they ship a lot of it in from Pattaya.

There are a number of photo-supply shops in Yaowarat/Chinatown, around Phlapphlachai Road I think, that might have what you're looking for. Or possibly a medical supply shop (for looking at X-rays)? But the other poster is right about the ease of getting one custom made. Or maybe you could find something suitable at one of those shops that makes (lighted) signs?

Doesn't that sound a little hokey ?

I'm really sorry to ask but: have you ever been tested for a reading comprehension problem? I know these articles are written by non-native english speakers but they're not that bad.

[The police]arrived at the restaurant and spoke to the owner of the Korean owned business, Mrs. Tae Yeelee (41), and a relative of hers, Mr. Kim Sung (47).

Officers asked the man [Mr. Kim Sung] to produce his passport, which he explained he didn't have on him, so he was taken to Banglamung Police Station. A short time later Mrs. Yeelee arrived with his passport which was in order, indicating that his status was legal.

During the first half of the flight read Choke by Chuck Palahniuk (the author of Fight Club). During the second half of the flight entertain yourself by re-enacting some of the scenarios from the book.

And drink lots of water, it helps with the jet-lag.

This brings up an interesting question: is there any political party in Thailand that supports these kinds of reforms? The current ruling party is very nationalistic. There are many foreigners living in Thailand but they don't seem to have any political voice (indeed many Thais don't even seem to have a political voice). Are foreigners legally prohibited from the political process in Thailand? Or is it simply fear of a backlash against any party that embraced foreigners?

I have been wondering , do any of you know which type of engineer(civil,eletriical,Bio,mechanical,computer or etc) does thailand most require foreign talent for?

Thailand is in desperate need of Sanitation engineers.

This year seems to have less movies with quality I guess. I can hardly remember watching any "class" movies... Most movies released were of average standard ... or is it that I missed the good quality ones???

That's one good thing about delayed relase dates in Thailand... it gives you plenty of time for the reviews to come in before you waste time and money seeing a crap film. I like http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ It doesn't list Thai movies but those are 99% crap anyway -- it's hard to even call them films! If one is really good it will stay in the theatres a long time and give you a second chance to see it. Also http://www.imdb.com/ is good and even has Thai films, too. Unfortunately sometimes Thai distributors really miss out on importing some quality flicks -- in that case your only hope is to find it on VCD or BitTorrent.

Lazy!? These folks are entreprenurial indeed! OK, so they've got limited resources but look what what they've done with what they've got:

1) Kids. Instead of sitting around their own house all day they're out getting fed, learning english, and even making some money -- and it's every Thai girl's dream to be able to bring home some money for Mama and "Poppa"! I'd worry more about the girls themselves selling your gifts to raise cash.

2) Land. Instead of toiling away they've partnered with some sharecroppers. "Return on assets" I believe those in the west might call it. Capitalism at its finest, no?

All together this allows them to live a comfortable non-working life amply suppiled with life's "finer things" i.e. whiskey and smokes. You would deny Thailand a leisure class? Talk about ethno-centrism!

Worcester sauce? Oregano? Paprika? Thyme? OK, maybe you can find some of these things in Bangkok or Pattaya but what happens when you're out in the sticks and hankerin' for some BBQ? Do you really think a dry rub is gonna mask that rancid pork shoulder you bought at the market? Do you really want to let it "turn" another 7 hours? Don't worry! Here's a quick and easy recipe and you can find the ingredients almost anywhere:

http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuesaucerecipes/r/bln0302b.htm

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cups Coca-Cola

* 2 cups catsup

* 2 cups white vinegar

* 1/2 onion large onion, finely chopped

* 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper

* 3 tablespoons chili powder

* 3 tablespoons salt

* 3 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION:

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

What are you looking for, what's your definition of "good"? Free weights? Weight machines? Running machines? Air-con? TVs? Pool? Cheap/Expensive? Sauna? Smoothie bar? Hot men/women? IMHO since Universe Gym moved to 3rd road there's nothing good near the beach. (Seems like most of the Gyms have moved to 3rd road, why is that?)

On October 12th at 10.00 pm at the Red Ant Restaurant, Police received a tip off that an illegal immigrant was on the premises.

The news here uses this "tip off" phrase a lot but what does it really mean? Who tipped them off? Why? Did someone have it out for this guy? An ex-girlfriend perhaps? All these news shows and papers really just report the "news", which is often just a press release of some sort, with no investigation, not even a followup question or 2. Between that and FOX News I'd rather shut off the TV and go play outside.

เอ็ดเวิร์ด is correct 

I don't see what's so unlucky about it though 

Hey you can write your name any way you like. But don't come crying to me if you develop a goiter or can't win the lottery.

Is there any etiquette for afemales at these shows?

Females should neither 1) cry 2) lecture nor 3) catch the banana.

Brian ไบรอัน

Edward เอ็ดเวิร์ด

Hmm, those are OK but they're not very beautiful, are they! "เอ็ดเวิร์ด" looks particularly unlucky. Can't you "punch them up" a little? Maybe throw a silent consonant or two in there?

Yes, the per piece places are expensive. And no, I'd rather not have someone counting my every sock and underpant -- however you are more likely to get everything back if it's tallied on the receipt. It is certainly possible to find places that will do it by the kilo (seems to be the norm outside the touristy areas) and it's a lot cheaper. But you have to look around and it might not be conveniently located to your apartment. Look for signs that have "Kg" or "กก". If you're lucky you might even be able to find a place that has a dryer -- your cotton clothes will be fluffier and softer than air drying.

That just doesn't make sense. Anywhere you'd be able to ask 'are you allowed work in the US?' and ask for the documentation and not go to jail for it. I'm sure the ACLU wouldn't mind either.

Hey, look, I'm just telling you the way it is. If you don't like it then you can always get Congress to change the law.

Meaning, those who aren’t US citizens, non-lawful residences and don’t have work authorisation are not protected from national origin (anti) discrimination laws

This is true but since

1.) U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and work authorized immigrants look and sound just like non-U.S. citizens, non-lawful permanent residents, or non-work authorized immigrants;

2.) Employers are limited in what they're allowed to ask an employee or how closely they question an employee's documention;

3.) The risks of an anti-discrimination case (when an employer makes a mistake) are much more severe than anything the Immigration folks will throw at an employer (when an employer makes a mistake)

in practice the threat of the law and the risk of a false positive are enough to confer the benefits of the low on everyone.

Yes, it is REAL! The government has launched a PROMOTION to sell gems to tourists. You can make 100-150% profit by RESELLING the gems back home. If everything is not ok they will offer a full REFUND. Sorry the Grand Palace is CLOSED today.

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml

How is the tourist scene is the high season picking up yet ??

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I don't think so. It's still raining a lot, too. Maybe it will pick up when the weather clears.

i understand at the moment teachers in goverment school's can reetie when they have 25 years service. is the goverment trying to change the law?

Why, after 25 years of service, would any teacher want to retire!? A teacher's salary starts out kinda low but increases every year so after 25 years they are making a lot of money, yes? Seems like they'd be fighting to not retire. Are you sure this new law isn't going to force them to retire?

these goods are usually sold on a consignment basis where there is a reserve price from the supplier.  the retailer doesn't actually buy all the inventory.

AH-HA! So what you are saying is that these shops actually don't really purchase their inventory and can return it to the wholesaler at any time for full reimbursement! Seems a little odd from the wholesalers perspective (e.g. it shifts all the risk to the wholesaler) but this would explain why the retailers are so unwilling to lower their prices! I was under the impression that the retailers had bought their inventories ("sunk costs") so that if they had stock that wasn't turning over they'd have to hold on to it or sell it at a discount ("one can't eat inventory").

But then what then happens to all the unsaleable goods that get returned to the wholesalers? They just keep loaning it out to different shops? Do they destroy it? Send it back to the factories or to China? Is the cost to manufacture these goods so miniscule that it doesn't matter?

He could close those slums overnight if he'd just move these people into some of the mega-condo-cities built in the 90's, never occupied, and continue to sit empty to this day e.g. Muang Thong Thani, Thana City, etc.

firstly, I am grateful for board members for all advice and information you have provided.  this is an invaluable resource.

Pilates ?? , or do you mean Pirates ??

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"The Pilates of Penzance" Gilbert and Sulliven.

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I think that there is a place near the Airport... Sorry, it does not

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Getting ready for Easter, no doubt?

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What the deuce is pilates?

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Oops... thought you were dislectic or poor speller.

Colcol, do you wish to revise or extend your above remarks?

[in] the United States...would it be discriminatory for [a] company to not consider a foreigner for a position if that applicant did not possess the appropriate documentation allowing them to work in the US?

Yes, it probably would be discriminatory. And it gets more interesting when you consider what counts as "appropriate documentation". Counterfeit documentation is easily obtainable but you're often not allowed to question its authenticity. But even then you're not allowed to see what they've got until interviews are over and you're ready to hire.

In any case, a lot American employers just want to hire people they'll think will be good workers ("good" may be defined to include "cheap") and only ask for the documentation to avoid trouble with Immigrations. In Thailand I gather that most employers believe the restrictions they like to specify (e.g. "...female aged not over 25...") really accomplish something, but whether or not it helps find the best workers is questionable. The same was true in America before the passage of a lot of these laws -- but the 30 or more years since then have been a lesson to a lot of employers. Women still earn less than men for equivalent work so it's not perfect. This article about distinctively black names is interesting.

For more info see Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices. Could you imagine Thailand even having such an office? For sure it would be an "inactive post".

Of course, all bets may be off since the passage of the USA PATRIOT act.