plachon

I was a bug in a precious decade , now I have evolved to a reptile...

Which "precious" decade was that then Chon?

The sizzling centipede sixties, the spandex-suited sucker seventies, the aimless ant eighties, or the niggling nastie nineties? But now to have evolved into a lounge lizard in the first of the 21st, is aging with grace, I'd say.

Me? I've gone on more of an insect to piscivorous evolution pathway and at this rate will have shed my scales for a land existence by the end of the century. Perhaps monitor or croc, are likely future morphs.

Wapi Pathum had a hotel of sorts last time I passed thru', but can't vouch for it's Michelin stars. Basically, every reasonable size Isaan district on a main road has a flop house of some kind, often with a karaoke / luk toong joint attached for added flavour. And then there is the rising cult of "resorts" - brand new to crumbling sets of bungalows in a semi-scenic spot in the countryside, often built with public monies by the local mobster with friends in the TAO (or head of said adminstration), who decides the local backend of Nakhon Nowhere should be cashing in on the Amazing/Unseen Thailand campaign to cover start up costs. After an initial razzle, the trickle of customers fades to a fine drizzle and the place goes to seed, but hey, it wasn't his money in the first place so he's not complaining.

Then there's also the short time "Love Inn" motels you could crash at, if you're really stuck for somewhere to stay and you;re within the Amphur Muang boundaries. dozens have appeared in the last two years, suggesting that the quick tryst after work is on the up and up, directly related to car ownership.

Good luck Bob on your pedal across Isaan and with an open heart attitude like that, you'll probably receive more than a few offers of accommodation, lao kao and somtam from the kind people of Isaan along the way, in exchange for a few hours of English teaching. The beer you have overlooking the Mekong in Mukdahan will be well earned. Chok dee!

Indeed it does.

Here's another one or two to fill the gaps in my ignorance: How long after Siddharta Gautama Buddha's death was his life documented by scribes? How many versions were there and which one is considered "the original" from what must have been quite a few aural versions of events? And lastly, how accurate do you think the years of birth and death given are and on what basis?

PS I'd understood He lived to the age of 85, but your figures indicate a ripe old age of 80, if my maths is correct, which is still pretty good even by modern life spans standards (average life span in Laos and Cambodia are sub-60, and probably not much higher in India).

I did see a Thai man with washed out, cloudy blue eyes here in our village. Dark skinned, black hair, he showed no features of having mixed blood.I doubt it was contacts but it may have been glaucoma. Unusual sight indeed.

More likely cataracts than glaucoma Penz. Quite a common sight (no pun intended) amongst the poor of Isaan and quite curable, I believe if caught early enough, but perhaps the 30 baht scheme is not covering that?

Maybe the green eyes is a David Bowie type mutation - see Narachon for the genetic explanation (well impressed by the way you explained the Mendelian theory) I forgot that stuff about 5 mins after the end of the O'level biology exam.

Thanks Derek for those links. Looks like there's not too many done that crossing, at least lately, judging by the number of replies. Maybe all the real travelers use LP these days and thaivisa mostly gets the fly everywhere type?

Do you know what the visa charge at the border is, as opposed to getting one at Chiang Mai/Khon Kaen consulates?

In an effort to combat the problem, notices on all the Route 12 buses now advise: "Thai women should preserve old culture about sexual behaviour."

What does that mean? That the amorous duo should get off the bus when it passes one of Thailand's ubiquitous "curtain hotels" and get themselves a room?

Nah, it says only Thai women should preserve Thai culture. Thai guys can carry on doing what the ###### they like in the back of buses and anywhere else that takes their fancy. Wonder why Thai women and Westerners always get the blame for erosion of those famous Thai morals?

As we all know, shagging couples is a common sight on the back seat of London buses and as for what they get up to on the top deck of open air double deckers.......let's hope that never catches on in Thailand.

Could some kind person please enlighten me about the distinction between these two name for The Buddha? I've heard both of them used and never been sure, if there is a time and place for using each or they are interchangable? My wife always seems to use the latter name as it seems to be the norm in Thai teachings, so why is Gautama not popular here?

Unfortunately the latter. She would have to start from scratch again. Two years and then apply for ILR.

Scouse.

Is this for real Scouse? Bad news if it is, as my wife's in the basic same situation as Mike's, but she hasn't been back to the UK since Nov. 02. She has the ILR in her passport, but I was under the impression that UK immigration had leeway to decide about contunuation of ILR status if the person was out of UK for more than 2 years i.e. done on a case by case basis.

So, I guess I have 2 questions now: 1. If you're sure about this, could we ask at the Brit Embassy to extend her ILR status to next year when we actually intend to return to UK for a visit; and 2/ If you think it can't be swayed, will her ILR status remain valid for another couple of years, if she goes back for a short visit (like a week), before Nov this year?

Cheers for your take on this mate.

Kerry Lied, Democrats Cried

So now he's removing documents from his own web site upon their contradiction. Michael Moore will eat an extra side of beef today in approval.

http://www.command-post.org/2004/2_archives/014637.html

I would've thought "eating an extra side of beef" would be considered v. patriotic in the States? And so what if the guy is a little overweight? - that puts him in the majority of your great (ahem, fat) nation.

It seems you're so bereft of good hard facts and reason to dispel Michael Moore's claims, that you continually have to hark back to his generous girth to try and score a point, which seems like the actions of a desperate man to me.

But as this thread has broken down into a 2/3 person slanging match on the US presidency fandango (about as interesting as a wet weekend in Scarborough, if you ask me) and the mods seem to be sleeping on this one. couldn't you move over to the Bearpit or get this thread back on track? It's supposed to be about draconian censorship at the FCCT and F9/11, in case you guys had forgotten.

.

The US is very violent place, I live in Florida and just recently 6 people were killed for a video game system and some clothes. It was four young men that did the crime. In California A Man and a Women were shot in the head, They worked at a neardy camp for kids. The Families can't understand why Nothing was taken from them and they were still in sleeping bags.

I don't know if any of you know about Scott Peterson He killed his pregnant wife during christmas time back in 2002, He said his wife went running with their dog the morning of christmas and he went fishing Her body was recovered not far from where he was fishing.

The US is a very violent place Usually because of drugs and of course Money.

Never would've guessed that little revelation! Wow! learn a new thing every day.

So I guess we shouldn't be too surprised when the US institutionalises that violence and exports it worldwide then?

A few examples in the last 3 decades, but not in any particular chronological order: Vietnam .....Laos..........Cambodia.........Nicaragua........Chile.........Honduras.....

l Salvador...........Pananma...........Grenada..........Colombia..........Indonesi

........Philippines.........Somalia........Afghanistan........... and now, Iraq.

I'm sure there are several other "anonymous Latin American meat packing gliterati" countries not mentioned (add at own convenience) where direct military intervention has exported American terror and violence on innocent civilians, as well as the intended "beneficiaries". And that's not including the places where mines, missiles and other arms are exported to dictatorial governments known to use them against their own citizens (endless list). Hhhhmm......maybe you have a point IamMaiC, but not sure about your conclusions as to the causes. Still keeps the sales of Prozac healthy I guess.

Anybody give a recent update on the visa sitaution for crossing into Laos via Chiang Khong - huay Xai?

Are there visas on arrival or is it neccessary to get one from a Lao Embassy/consulate. Or do agencies sell them locally?

Thanks for any recent experiences at using this crossing.

Excellent job catching him.

Islam, so peaceful

Spot the narrow-minded Islamophobe.......

Ay, what's this? One minute the govt. are chanting the mantras of privatisation, the next minute they want to spend vast amount of taxpayers money (not yet earned no doubt) to privatise a working public transport system.

The consistency of logical applied thinking is ............... amazing!

Linda Ronstadt was right: Michael Moore is a great American patriot.

Another one who got "banned" for exercising her right to free speech. But then what do you expect in somewhere like Las Vegas?

It's of more concern when people are banned from exercising that same right in New York for the upcoming Neo-Con convention, along with being harassed by the CIA. Should still be a good show in Central Park methinks, when more people turn up to protest than to attend the convention.

Lopburi, I see you day in, day out, patiently answering the same old questions and wonder how you do it? Stay calm and unflustered by the same, sameness of it all?

Anyway, congrats mate, you perform an essential and first rate job and I'm sure many, many people are grateful for your stoic consistency on the visas page. Long may you keep it up!

F911 is an excellent documentary. I think it was too conservative and it should have been more critical of Bush. He get away pretty well in that documentary. I was expecting more damaging evidence.

of course the Conservatives Nazis over at Bear Pit (the new NeoCon drinking place) will say otherwise as they are too afraid of the debates and the truth it would reveal.

Go see it, you won't regret it

Is that you Butterfly? Haven't seen you round these parts for a while since that little fracas with the NeoCons last year. Where do you hang out these days? I can't be bothered with the circuitous arguments down the Bearpit and so never go there now.

But this kind of nonsense banning documentaries in Bangkok still gets me out of bed for a bit of a laff, reading the substanceless <deleted> that certain old buddies of yore spew. Nothing changes it seems, but it will come November when we can say "Adios" to Dubya. If he stays in any longer, there'll be burning books in the streets of US, like their alter egos - the Muslim fundamentalists.

Bit like a reunion, eh?

PS Hope ya got out the stock market before it folded?

Not gonna happen

Wait and see, some may think W is stupid, but the lad is a very shrewd politician and Kerry isnt much of a match for him. However guess well see 3 Nov.

Nah, we all think the Yale graduate (ooooooooooooooH!) and Texan think tank is a raving genius, who just can't express his great ideas coherently yet (without an autocue written by his puppetmasters), but give "the lad" another 4 years to prove himself, he'll be quoting Einstein and proving himself a master rocket scientist (as opposed to a master rocket launcher).

And just for the ###### of it Bush lovers:

"It is in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of FREEDOM; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty." - Albert Einstein.

Moore was a loser in the auto factories and was fired and he blamed everyone else for it.

They had the worst products the worst work ethics and it was the straw that

finally demanded better from the industry.

What about 10 million people on the russian front that lost their life (nothing to do with americans). Kwiz is a muslim extremist hitler lover.

Well, he's certainly found his vocation in life now, hasn't he? Looks like the auto industry is well shot of someone with such a knack for film making and writing about the seamy underbelly of the "world's greatest democracy" and now it's bright spark leader. What concerns you so much Khun? about his career change?

If you want to live in a Thai community and you have money and they don't - you pay.

For "self restraint" read cheap Charlie!

Pay who? and for what?

If you live in a Thai community and stump up money every time one of the neighbours/rellies has a "sick buffalo" to cure, you'll be amazingly popular (at least in front of your face) and pretty quickly skint. It takes more than being a soft touch with your dosh to live successfully in a Thai community. Being a "cheap charlie" can sometimes be the better long term approach to take, so long as your fair and consistent.

Interesting how one person's take on events can inspire such massive fear and paranoia amongst Republicans and right-leaning individuals from Tucson to Thailand. Looks like he's struck a chord of truth somewhere, eh? Can't explain the reaction to a mere documentary film any other way. But banning is always a prelude to greater thirst amongst the masses to see the forbidden fruit, so I suspect that the Chamber of Commerce may have done the film's ratings a boost when it is finally released "officially" here.

I had my bicycle stolen too, from the Wat Chaimonkon market in Pattaya

lucky it was only 799 baht from Big C. but is still peed me off.

I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like,

It's got a basket, a bell, and things to make it look good,

I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.

Plachon: Was it Pink Floyd or Blind Faith who sung that song ? I can't remember.

T'was Pink floyd circa 67/68, in the days when Syd Barrett had an unmistakeble input and was there in body, if not always in mind. Syd strangely popped up on Thaivisa last year, but has gone to ground again. Anybody seen the dude?

LC, darling, sweetie, you get my vote for Thaivisa agony aunt supreme any and every day. Ever thought of making a career of it?

Yeah, it's crossed my mind quite a few times too. But now, as I am the forum's mascot.. sorry, scratch that. I have the forum's mascots, it would be tricky to take over another position.

Just take good care of your mascots, darling, and keep doling out the good advice. Marje Proops move over!

555555555555

Democracy is coming, to the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like,

It's got a basket, a bell, and things to make it look good,

I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.

(Pssst, actually I nicked it out the back of this motor when nobody was looking)

You're the kind of Girlfrombar that fits in with my world,

I'll give you anything, everything if you want things............

(PS. you'll find it sitting in front of Amsterdam Central station, along with a few thousand others me mates pinched)

Short of a massage parlour and my bed, I've found Thai barbers one of the most relaxing places on earth. I just get in that seat, give a few instructions which leave it open to their interpretation, settle back and listen to the whirring and snipping and wake up half an hour later, when he's finishing the head massage bit. 9 out of 10 times the result is to my satisfaction, all for the ludicrous sum of 40 baht.