JustAnotherFarang

Hi all

Seen another recent promotion for TT&T where for 1000 bht down, you get a free router and 2 months free connection upon signing a 12 month contract. Living in the less congested south of Thailand and in a neighbourhood with a low ownership of computers I am a little tempted to sign up.

But the question that I have is regarding P2P programs. TT&T state that there is no access for Bit Torrent and voip but when I enquire if Kazaa Lite would connect, nobody seems to know the answer.

So does anyone know if it is in anyway possible to get Kazaa Lite, Win Mx et al up and running using Maxnet 4 Home or does "Bit Torrent" mean every program of that ilk will not work whatsoever

And if not.........then whats the point of a faster connection

JAF

I have seen the Besta Cyberdict 1 for 1180 bht, anyone used one of these ?

Hi there

My students want to buy an electronic dictionary (english to thai) and have been offered a promotion for the E-Dict Neptune for 1,990 bht, the original rrp (apparently) was 3,450 bht.

I cannot find any info on the internet about this promotion although I do know it is not a "talking dic" so I am hoping that someone can offer an opinion as to whether this is value for money or that there might be something a whole lot better for not much more money

Thanks for your time and advice

JAF

Hi there

I was thinking that I need some dietary supplements, almost 40, smoking 20 fags a day, not getting enough exercise, not eating enough vegetablesetc etc and I seen the half page advert in the BKK Post for Centrum Multivitamins so off I went to the chemist to buy some.........until I seen the price.......899 bht for 100 tablets

I managed to obtain a discount and ended up buying them for 680bht. So what is the rrp of these tablets in BKK as I will be travelling there soon and might stock up there.........and are they really beneficial

Cheers for taking the time to reply

JAF

Sometimes I get to thinking that that is the whole point of these crackdowns. Everytime they start a new campaign, whatever it is that they are targetting seems to shoot up in price........ somebody is profitting handsomely from this and its rarely that the guys at the bottom of the ladder.

JAF

. Then again if you've been around Jewish women for any length of time you can kind of understand what motivated this man.

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Mmmmm some might think consider this remark to be chauvinistic and/or anti semetic. At least have some respect for the poor lady who was butchered by this guy. To cast aspersions like this is in very poor taste and says more about your lack of moral character than it does about hers just because she was jewish

JAF

Its true, Thai teachers earn as little as 6000 - 8000 bht per month, which may account for the apathy that I have seen in my school. But we must remember that that is a full 12 month contract plus all the guaranteed freebies like healthcare, pension and loan support.

Where the thai teachers really rack up the money is through oversized private tuition classes at 500-1000 bht per month per student. It soon adds up which expalins why you never really see a poor teacher.

Still, its a sht job for them sometimes and I have a lot of respect considering some of them have been doing it for 10-15 years plus. I have only been at it for 5 years and it has visibly aged me hahahahaha

JAF

decorum on this forum

(That rhymes, you should be the Forum Poet)

Actually, morbid fascination with death has been going on since the Tyburn hangings and Madame Guillotine.

Public Executions I believe are still carried out in Saudi Arabia.

Pattaya City News is another site dealing in existential reality.

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Yes, you are right, but alas the ghouls who watched the guillotines fall did not have video cameras to record it for your pleasure and morbid delectation.

Maybe you should hop on a plane to Saudi, nothing quite like a live show to whet your salacious appetite......

Gees.........some of you guys are really SICK........writing about the terrible beheadings of people in such a manner...you seem to have enjoyed watching such stuff.....SICK !

Jem

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Agreed, please keep your gory recollections to yourself please, some of us cared never to see or hear such heinous detail. Its morally repugnant

JAF

Worse still, the 2 members discussing those incidents are senior members and not just some trolls looking to sensationalize their posts. You would think they would know the rules of decorum on this forum

Just defending some Thai teachers Rumpole, over the years I've met more than a few Thai teachers, both teachers of English and other subjects, who have been outstanding in method,delivery and results. They could make more money selling pirate VCDs on the street but devotion to the cause keeps them there.

Well I agree that there are many good/excellent thai teachers out there but as the saying goes, a few rotten apples will soon spoil the barrel and sadly I see this to be the case. Most good teachers start off with the best of intentions but when they have such poor examples to follow from their senior colleagues, their standards often slip so that they do not stand out from the crowd......

As for the idea that teachers remain teachers because of devotion......... well its a half truth......... the real reason is the guaranteed wage every month, including full holidays, free treatment at hospitals and dentists, the ability to borrow substantial amounts of money from the government and pay it back on the never never and last but not least..........a guaranteed pension

JAF

I am one of many who believe that what we read in the media is not always an accurate portrayal of the situation and with regards to the situation in the south, my suspicion and that of my thai colleagues is that there is a great deal of "black ops" taking place whilst the region remains under military control. The killings of monks, teachers and other innocents just seems to draw the ire of the "buddhists" in Thailand and maybe this is the overall aim of those who move in the shadows............divide the people and then conquer the enemy when public support is overwhelming.

It was stated that the villagers attacked the 2 soldiers because they where seen earlier participating in a "drive by" shooting and although I cannot assume that that is the case, there may well be some credence in that account which would explain why the villagers, men and women, would take the law into their own hands. They know full well that if the 2 soldiers had been involved in criminal activities, they are in fact unable to be prosecuted under the draconian laws that the South has to endure right now.

So for all those with anti muslim sentiments, stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, your conscience and thoughts are being manipulated by the mass media through smoke and mirrors and that there is a lot more to be read into this escalating situation if only you could step on through the looking glass. Those on the outside looking in really dont know anything and those looking from the inside, out are too afraid to speak out individually for fear of retaliation and worse.........

JAF as in Just another farang, UK born and bred

Thanks Patrick, seems we had similiar dilemnas and have settled on the Vigo which seems to get rave reviews from everyone.........even DMAX owners.

I am thinking about buying the 2.5 model you commented on, cant really justify the reasons for buying a 3.0 model as I figure the 2.5 will go fast enough. I also hope by buying the smaller engine it will save on gas, plus of course its cheaper too

Might still go the second hand route if I find that older models use a lot less gas, thats my wifes overriding concern, a very expensive gas guzzler thats sits outside the house looking pretty

JAF

Sorry, I dont know anything about trucks in Thailand, but I do know that when I start earning megabucks over here  i would like one of those nice D-Max things, as I think they look dead good, especially like the black ones.  Sorry, but thats about as technical as it gets for me 

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I know what you mean, I sit outside the bus stop outside work during my lunch break and watch the pickups going by and the 2 that stand out are the Izusu Dmax and the new Toyota Vigo............ but from what I can gather, a good Vigo is around 650,000 bht whereas the Dmax is considerably more expensive.......... so the Vigo is out in front in my opinion as it is more affordable

Apparently the izusu has better fuel economy but I dont even know how many kilometres to a litre you will get with these beasts....... they do look rather big and heavy

Cheers for the suggestions so far guys though I cant find the pick up thread in the car ownership forum....... I will keep on looking

JAF

Oh and what about the new Mitsubishi I see occasionally, its got ergodynamic slender bits and looks good in several colours ......... anybody bought one and is it a real competitor to the Vigo

Hi everyone

My wife has persuaded me to get rid of our old old old car and to invest in one of the new rather spiffy looking pickups trucks like the Izusu DMax which seem quite expensive or the sexier looking Toyotas which can be bought for around 650,000 bht or thereabouts.

The problem is that I really dont know much about pick up trucks and I cannot differentiate what possible benefits one brand/make of pick up might have over another and seeing as a fool and his money are soon parted, I am taking refuge in the hope that maybe other more knowledgable members on this forum will offer some guidelines, advice and opinions over what I should be looking to buy and why......

I dont intend to drive up and down mountains so 4wd is not necessary as it will mainly be used for day to day to-ing and fro-ing and occasional leisurely jaunts elsewhere and it will probably be used to carry furniture from time to time which is why we are not buying another car

So can anyway get the ball rolling and help an idiot savante

Thanks in anticipation

JAF

I just come back from sapanlek .

First, very few shops are selling the large playstation2 , now most of them are selling the slim one .

The price I saw for the slim one was :

5500 baht ( no modified )

7000 baht ( modified play all games )

8500 bath ( stand , memory, remote control, 5 games , modified )

8200 baht ( top of the range can play 24 hours , modified, free 5 games  )

For the large one

6500 baht ( modified )

did not try to bargain !

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Thanks for the reply, very informative and I will bear it all in mind when I go to buy one

Cheers

the best choice for me is sapanlek ( see more post about PS2 ) start at 6000 to 8000 , but you have to be award all ps2 sell are not the same with quality differ with hardware . all chip to play copy game .

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So what do I have to be aware of ?? What is the differences in quality and what should I be looking for so I dont buy a dud

and do all PS2 come with a modded chip ??

Cheers for your advice

Hi

I am coming to BKK in October and want to buy a modded PS2. Can anyone tell me how much I can expect to pay and where might be cheapest place to pick up one

I have also heard the PS2 mk 2 is not as good as the PS2 mark 1, poor psu and ventilation seems to be the main problem. I tend to play for hours and dont want to have to switch it off just to cool down, anyone had this problem ??

Thanks for your advice

JustAnotherFarang

I agree, its preposterous that Thai teachers who cannot speak English are teaching children to speak english and instilling into the students the same lack of confidence that the teachers have because the children cannot even speak and understand stock phrases properly. I am often told that the teachers do not speak to me because they are scared of making mistakes, thus losing face, but surely they have to make mistakes to learn by them and then teach the students properly. Here is a simple example of how the thai teachers are asking the children to communicate with me.

Teacher...... Wha you er (sic) name

Student....... I name Supasasin

Teacher....... How Aghhh you

Student....... I fine an u

Teacher....... I fine tank you

And then when they meet me

Me......... What's your name (it is the proper pronunciation after all)

Student...... pood mai bpen

Me.......... How are you ?

Student........ I 10 year old

Me........ Mai chai nong, how are you (khun sabaii dee mai)

Student.......Sabaii dee khrap/ka

And god forbid that when I hear the same stock questions over and over again that I should answer anything other than the stock phrase answers. In my life, I rarely if ever say "I am fine" unless I am being polite and dont really care to engage in conversation with that person. So when a student of other teachers ask me "how are you" and I say I am good, I am happy, I am ok they just look at me stunned. They are taught robotically and the result is a generation of automatons who give Thailand that superficiallity of speaking and understanding English.

Alas, its the Thai way or the highway in this 2D cartoon country and sometimes I get to thinking that its time to hit the road but I perservere as I am teaching the acorns and not the weak saplings that are brittle in confidence or the older students rooted in the culture of losing face instead of thinking that practise and mistakes help us to learn better. I am proud of my young students and only wish I could follow them through the years so that they will have the very best education but sadly when they reach year 3 they are sent back to the Thai teachers and I am given a new batch of students to perform miracles with because the parents will pay good money (in brown envelopes) based on the reputation of the schools previous intake of students.

Forgive my ranting but its all smoke and mirrors

His English is a lot worse than iffy too.

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His English may not be perfect, but he probably speaks thai a ###### of a lot better than you or I and will find it far easier to explain difficult concepts to his students in their native language. Thai students are incredibly lazy. From 4 years to 18 years they all have that dumb look on their faces waiting for the teacher to just give them the answers and we can blame it on rote learning but the reality is that the majority are lazy to think for themselves. By communicating in their language you can gradually teach them to think for themselves, well some of them at least.

Sadly, Burmese/Filipino teachers in Thailand are under valued and are considered lucky to gain employment here. 18,000 bht may not seem a lot to most of us but the Thai people are fully aware that this money is worth a great deal more in his home country Myanmar. In Myanmar 50 kyat is worth less than 2 bht so he is actually earning a small fortune in comparison.

Stick it out, dont complain too much, save all you can and then move on when you have completed your contract. Thats the general motto when working in Thailand

Chok dee khrap Ajarn Parma

You can leave and re enter 12 times per year........ but........ rumour has it that Thai immigration are beginning to question people who re enter on a regular basis as to how they manage to fund their lifestyles here.

Each time, your details are entered onto a computer and in time you know that they will start weeding out undesirables and other less fortunate people on the premise that they think you are working here illegally........

I have been here 6 years and am respectful to all officials, dress smartly and never complain about delays or poor service. Manners cost nothing but it carries a lot of weight when dealing with the boys and girls in white and touch wood, so far, I have never ever had any problems with re entry

If you are coming to Ranong then go to immigration on the main road to Saa Paan Pla, get your stamp out and avoid the touts who will try to charge you a small fortune of 400 bht for the trip there and back.

You have many other choices, the cheapest is to go to the public pier which is behind the only petrol station toward Saa Paan Pla (the main pier) and you can get in a shared boat for 50 bht each way. Of course you need 5 dollars for the Burmese immigration and you might find yourself sharing a boat with upto 20 other burmese people........ thai people dont normally venture into Kawtheung which is the name of the Burmese port you have to visit......... it has something (read everything) to do with the racist and disgusting way they treat the Burmese people in Ranong and the fear that they will be treated like sh!t too in retaliation.

If you really want to take your wife with you (but why), then consider the Visa Run guys who advertise on the same road as Saa Paan Pla, its about 350 bht in a far bigger, faster and safer boat and you will be with other farang as well so there is no messing around. Chances are you will not even have to step onto Burmese soil unless you want to buy cheap nasty cigarettes and even nastier alcohol.

The most expensive option is to go to the Andaman Club which is a beautiful hotel complex between Thailand and Burma. you travel in a Catamaran which is fully covered, extremely fast and perfectly safe. You must have 5 days left on your visa to qualify for the lower price of 650 baht (250 baht for Thai) or you have to pay nearly 2000 bht if you have less than 5 days left on your visa but these prices include your 5 dollar fee to Burma and your wife would enjoy the complex there as it is quite stunning with swimming pool, casino, duty free shops etc etc

As for the rain this season, there is not much at the moment but take heed that if it windy then its gonna be a rough crossing in the cheapest boats full of burmese people and you may regret trying to save a few baht. Better go with the Visa Run guys as it is all done and dusted in less than an hour.

Once you return back to (thai)land, go back to immigration, fill out the form and they will stamp your passport and away you go

pleasant journey, dont buy the cheap cigs or local gut rot and be polite/respectful at all times as everyone knows everyone else in Ranong.

Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black ??

Chuwit is no saint and it is well known that he bears a grudge against the police who he once conspired with in his nefarious business dealings regarding (under aged)prostitution, extortion and other bully boy tactics that greatly benefitted him and his sordid empire. He is no champion of the Thai people, just another greedy, corrupt and selfish man looking to make a name for himself, and in Thailand there are too many people like this already.

This level of hypocrasy is the norm in Thailand nowadays and it starts at the top with Toxin and his cronies and then permeates Thai society all the way down to grass root level, everything and everyone is corrupted and no one wants to see the light except when it shines on someone or something else.

So let it shine........ what little difference it will make when it all smoke and mirrors in this cartoon country called Thailand

cheers for that, I thought it was a lot more expensive in the UK but its not as bad as I thought............

So what about other everyday items........ like 20 fags, bottle of milk, loaf of bread......... What is the cost of living like there nowadays, it might help my wife believe that the grass may be greener but its bloody expensive grass to buy

So what are the prices of petrol/diesel per litre in the UK nowadays. I really have lost touch with it all and would love to know what prices Britons are having to pay for such everyday items nowadays

I would also like to know the difference in fuel consumption between petrol and diesel....... is diesel better. Right now I have an old car which guzzles 91 petrol at a reasonable rate but my missus wants me to buy a pickup instead albeit a second hand model. so what mileage will diesel get in standard pickup??

Cheers for any explanations or info

Dont be so happy happy joy joy.......... 1000 matches now but in the near future you will find that they will make the most anticipated games available on pay per view basis only........ UBC are not renowned for their generosity

I think that UBC is vastly overpriced for such a poor quality product, especially during the close season but the thought of them raking in more cash for those extra special games like Liverpool vs Man Utd, Chelsea vs Arsenal etc etc whilst the "Fools Gold" package owners will be stuck with the freebies like Wigan vs Birmingham or West Ham vs Premier Newbies really galls me.

But of course, just as it came to be in the UK, there will be plenty of fools with more money than sense who will fork out for scams like these until it becomes commonplace.

Of course, it is possible to get UBC without even paying for it........ but thats not something I would really know anything about as it is illegal and unscrupulous to obtain inferior services for free