Chang_paarp

Just the man to sort to sort out corruption in the UN.

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He will make a suitable replacement for Koffi Annan from all reports.

Koffi was foud NOT to be corrupt in the arms for food deals. Whoops I meal oil for food in Iraq.

His son, who managed the deals, found his bank accounts are alledged to have been tampered with with deposits to the tune of millions of $, was deemed not worth prosecuting, so he is NOT corrupt too.

Chang

Now, I don't like cockroaches at the best of times but when I first saw one take flight for the first time and head straight towards me...well... let's just say that it scored a big 11 on the sphincter-pucker meter.

I thought Jeez, are these things mutants or something? I'd seen loads of cockies in England but just never knew they were able to fly 'till I came here.

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Keep away from Oz if you don't like flying cockies. We have a goood range of species, a lot of them fly too,some growing to over 100mm long.

CP

Given what they are spending telling us to not drink, one would be better off joining a political party.

You will meet all the right people to further your time in Au. Just don't think of going into politics untill they give you the piece of paper.

Still you can do it.

How long does it take in Thailand?

CP

By sheer coincidence, with the wifes arrival  I have somehow attained a bad back this weekend and have unfortunately had to ring in work sick this week.

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Hope the back does not too much chance to get better.

Enjoy

CP

Hong Naam

It was a bilateral agreement between Thailand and Australia coming out of the TAFTA. I saw it in the press but haven't seen it in any other form as yet. The Oz Embassy might have something by now.

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I rang the Visa Application Centre and asked about it. They know about it but said it isnt an option yet and dont know when it will come thru. Il try ring the embassy directly on Monday and ask them. Would be a great visa to get. Only 10 days to process and allowing a stay of 12 months.

Thanks guys

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try

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media_rele...ia04/v04095.htm

This is the anouncement, it says it is in effect when the legals have been completed on both sides, so any year now .

CP

The Director of Public Prossecutions in Western Australia is Richard Cock.

AS the cheif legal prossecutor in the state, no one calls him Dick.

You have to ask why did his parents choose that name? Surely there were others on the list.

Chang

I have some huge decisions to make:

Should I roll over this way in the sun, or should I roll over that way in the sun?

.....and if that's not enough, then I must decide if I should lift the beer bottle to my lips with my left hand or with my right hand.

Yesterday and the day before that, I did exactly the same things and had to make the same difficult decisions.

Am I in a rut ???

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Someone once told me the difference between a rut and a grave was just the dimensions.

Does this put a different prespective to your rut? It might just be a scratch on the surface of life.

Having said that, I could do with being in that rut for a while. Then I would find something else to explore, a different rut to dig.

Chang

I've been learning a bit about Buddhism and I'm trying to see if what is taught seems to fit us.  They say that the Buddhist view is that life in general is full of suffering.  They don't limit suffering to just the "oh, my god this really hurts and I think I'm going to die" type of suffering...they also include more petty stuff like frustration, anxiety, disappointment, craving, etc.  Anyway, they usually start their lecture on Buddhism by saying that life is predominantly (if not totally) filled with this kind of suffering.  I'm wondering what you people think about this idea...do you "suffer" every day? constantly? once a day? once a week? once a month?  Seems to me that with all the complaining and whining and angry responses that goes on here that there would be alot of this Buddhist idea of "suffering" going on but I want a perspective different from what the Buddhist lecturers give.

Edit: Mods, please don't move this to the Buddhist section...not many people go there and I really want the opinion of non-Buddhists as well as Buddhists.

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Chownah

Life is full of situations that can cause you to suffer, it is how you react to these situations that makes them stress and suffering.

If you worry constantly about how something might happen or what someone might think you can end up a nut case or a politician.

If you just let it all slide on by, and think it has nothing to do with me, no worries. It may well come to worry you.

If you accept the issues and look at them with an open mind, you can accept the results. Some results you can influence, some you cannot. It is the acceptance of your situation that reduces the stress caused. This does not reduce the suffering or the dukka of your situation just the amount of stress you allow to upset you.

Mind you the flight/fight responce is not always a bad thing, this can occur in those situations you can change the outcome with.

A potted interpretation of the subject.

Chang

All set for new Bangkok airport inaugural flight

September 29, 2005

BANGKOK: --  Air traffic control services at Bangkok's new international airport,  Suvarnabhumi,  were now ready for  the arrival of the inaugural flight later this month,  the president of the state-controlled company AEROTHAI (Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd),  Priti Hetrakul, said here today.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be aboard the first aircraft to land.  His Airbus 340-600 is due to arrive at 0939 on September 29th.  A planeload of journalists and other media representatives will follow in a Boeing 747.

.. Snip

--TNA 2005-09-06

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A plane load of journalists, being controlled by AEORTHAI.

Is AEROTHAI a distant relation to AEROFLOT?

Maybe with some praying ......

CP

According to the Oz Immi site, http://www.immi.gov.au/business/apec.htm

This piece of documentation gets you preaproved / automatic visa to a number of APEC member countries, eg Thailand 90 day. I have also noticed a special (fast) lane for immigration for APEC card holders at these airports. http://www.businessmobility.org/key/airports.html

It seems too good to be true. I must have a company who is trying to business in the APEC area so I aply for one of these cards, pay my money and get visas http://www.businessmobility.org/key/stay.html to these places for 3 years. If my thai partner also has a business dealing with my business we can get 90 visas to do business together .

What is the catch? I supose I would have to travel a couple of times a year on business in stead of vacation. I get the feeling I am missing something.

CP

Does anyone know what a Thai with a spouse visa can use for ID in Australia?

Can she get something from oz, instead of taking her passport on a night out, I know that I had to show ID to get into clubs even when I was 27. If anyone knows what the norm is, I'd appreciate the help.

Cheers!

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In WA it is called a proof of age card, or an 18 plus card. It is for just the purpose you describe. It is issued by the licencing folk upon presentation of sufficient ID, paperwork and of course cash.

Funnily enough I have sent several folk in their 80's off to apply for one as they needed photo ID to collect plane tickets. They thought it wa a gret lark to be applying for an 18 plus card.

CP

Good luck mate

Don't forget to invite the local MP to the wedding. It would look good for the "evidence" photos. Even better still if you are in the general area of the minister of Immi invite him/her/it too. Even the letter of refusal will look good for the paperwork.

Even if you have to have cellebrations in 2 places remember to have a good day.

CP

Bangkok is not the only city in the world that can have food problems. It is not perfect, I have an "iron gut" but managed to get 2 doses of the trots in BKK in the last few weeks , not Issan only BKK.

In the last month 2 members of staff in the place I work have ended up in hospital with food related complaints, they ate in major franchise fast food outlets in Perth Au.

Perth health authorities are paranoid about food, we cannot get and roadside vendors of any sorts. It helps maintain the nickname "Dullsville" for Perth.

It can happen anywhere.

CP

Sure is, during April - May I drove from Sydney to Adelaide. It was the driest I have ever seen Oz.

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WE have had some rain challenges in Oz not just on the poplular side of the rabbit proof fence. They are talking perminant (sp?) water restrictions for Perth.

Back to main topic, I have noticed a few falang around Ubon since my last post, they don't all look they live here, a few with TAT maps. Like many not sure which way up they go.

Might have been the prompting of this thread to make me notice, or they have come out between showers. I don't mind the showers, (not a pom ) at least here the rain is warm.

Still not looking forward to going home.

Chang

Doing my bit.

Been to BKK, Udon Thani, now in Ubon.

Not seeing many others travelling though. Spent yesterday looking at all sorts of places and only saw one other farang in my travels.

Guess this is Thailand, you know the place where they are having local troubles. I was asked before I left Ausi if it was safe to be travelling here. I pointed out I had no intention of heading to the south, or near the beaches so that should eleiminate Tsunamis and most local unrest as a souce of upset.

It is nice to see the fields green and water flowing, last ime I was here it was April.

Only got another few days then back to the grind.

Chang

Not sure who the Embacy will accept as a "proper" person. In Au the copies have to be signed by a Justice of the Peace, Commisioner of Declarations, Judge, authorised government employee, (sometimes they will accept a doctor, phamacist), they have stamps that "this is a true copy of the origional document" they also have a govenment number to check to person who signed.

Also remember you will not get to see anyone at the BKK embasy without an apointment. The visa office is partly outsourced, so you will need to speak to them. The details are on the immi web site, sorry cannot remember the URL.

You can try to email the immi dept in Au explaining that you have not been able to get any get any responce on the phone, or even get through the phone system. Don't hold your breath.

Good luck

Chang

Congratuations all on the new additions.

Be prepared for a request for a DNA test.

I am getting a number of people coming through where I work needing passport photos for DNA tests. Photo mum, dad, kid, then get them "certified". That is here in Perth, so I can see that the outsourced office will be a little more cynical.

CP

kwiz118

Jobs and accomodation are not the issue, there area a good assortment in most cities.

Where are you from?

What passport/visa do you have?

What checkable qualifications do you have?

Are you prepared to work in "regional Australia"?

These will have more impact on your getting a job.

If you are under 25(?) and from the list of approved countries you may be elligable for a working holliday visa.

If not you are looking at a long hard road if your potential employer is not prepared to sponsor you..

A lot more information needed to give better advice.

CP

Check out Valuair ( WWW.valuair.com.sg )

They have some good deals to Perth if that is where you want to go.

From 11KBaht return for 2 weeks. Check the conditions.

From 15K Baht for a3 month fare.

Part owned by Singapore Air. Don't know any more, I will know better next Sat when I will have flown into BKK from Perth

CP

It would be worth spending some time watching the business. As part of the due dilligance.

eg, if you see a new person at the till of you local chinese restraunt (sp), making a tick in their book for every transaction, there will be new owners soon. This is a simple method for determing that the books are close to reality. Remeber you buy a business on the tax figures not a nudge and a wink. I have seen people come to grief by listneing to the "don't believe the tax figures, I don't want to pay much tax... " They were the real figures.

Good luck