up-country_sinclair

i called the dutch embassy today and this is what they told me....

my wife needs to fill out the schengen application and compile the required docs and then call the embassy and make an appointment. on the day of her appointment she drops everything off (and i suppose they give her the once over) and then they call her the next day to say 1. the visa has been approved, or 2. come in for an interview. if approved, the visa will be ready to be picked up in a couple of days....by her or someone she designates---but she personally has to submit the application in person.

i had a lot of questions regarding questions on the schengen visa application (being overly cautious to make sure it was filled out correctly) and the thai woman who answered my call was pleasant and well informed. i can only hope that the people who answer the phones at the american embassy are the same

i tried calling the irish consulate, but all i could get was voice mail...i'll try again tomorrow.

it is going to get much much worse

you've made it clear that this is your position...and i'm somewhat inclined to agree.

but i'd like to know how far you think markets will fall..dow, s&p, ftse, set, etc...

^

in 'schengen' countries it is....but england and ireland aren't included in this classification.

btw, i'm calling the embassies tomorrow, and hope to come back here with more info.

i'm an american with a thai wife, and we're planning a european trip this spring.

ireland is our primary destination (i have family there), but we'd also like to visit england and the netherlands as well---in fact our flight from BKK stops in amsterdam. the plan is to visit for a couple of days in amsterdam, next head to ireland for a week, then spend a few days in london, and finally back to the airport in amsterdam.

can anyone offer advice on tourist visas for these three countries? i'm assuming the irish visa will be relatively easy as we will have a reference on my wife's visa application, but what about england and the netherlands? i don't know a soul in either of those countries, and we only want to spend a few days in each. how difficult is it to get brief tourist visas? my wife is gainfully employed, and i have sufficient funds...but only in my name. will this be a problem?

from what i read on the dutch embassy website, my wife has to apply in person at the embassy. is this true? it's kind of inconvenient as we're located in krabi. also, it seems they require a 30,000 euro medical insurance policy...can anyone recommend an agent here in thailand that handles this sort of thing?

any advice or details of your experiences would be greatly appreciated---specifically what types of docs you included with your applications.

thanks for the reponses.

i got the oil change done today in hopes of increasing the longevity of the car.

the only annoying part is that it took honda nearly 2 hours to change the oil, oil filter and air filter.

Which company makes the highest quality, full-face motorcycle helmet readily available in Thailand.

I say readily available because I'm not in BKK, and hope to be able to purchase it here in Krabi.

Any and all info is greatly appreciated---make, model, price, etc...

Thanks.

it does seem like we are on the cusp of a global correction for equities and perhaps bonds....but i wonder about commodities. IYO, is the rally about to end, or will it continue through 2008?

any recommendations for shops in krabi that have quality, full-face motorcycle helmets?

thanks.

unfortunately my knowledge of cars begins and ends with knowing how to change a tire, and the location of the gas tank.

i have a honda jazz which has scheduled maintenance every 10K, but i remember that my father used to change the oil, oil filter, and air filter every 5K.

will changing these items every 5K significantly increase the life span of the car and cut down on repairs? or have their been improvements in car manufacturing so that this 5K service is no longer necessary? don't know if it matters to the topic, but it is primarily city driving with the occasional road trip.

also, my local honda dealership charges approx 900 baht for the above....is this high? seems so to me, and i was wondering if you have learned through experience that it is worthwhile to go to a local mechanic, or am i better off just staying with the dealership.

thanks.

and btw, how often should i change the oil on a honda dream or wave motorcycle?

thanks smartecosse.

my wife has recently opened a small business geared towards tourists and will be distributing brochures to guesthouses, tour agents, etc... in the hopes that they will be able to send some business her way.

what sort of commission should she pay to those who direct clients to her business? should it be based on a percentage or a flat fee?

any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

UCS

i can recommend 'ajarn ja' who has a website www.thai-teacher.com

she's fluent in english and has a master's degree in linguistics from thammasat.

she's located in krabi, but does classes via webcam for distance learners.

as far as teaching on weekends..... i think her schedule is pretty flexible, but you'd have to contact her.

can anyone recommend a good sandwich place?

thanks for the info NOX.

there's another thai teacher in krabi town that i'd like to recommend.

she's got an MA in linguistics from thammasat and is really patient with students.

she offers spoken thai classes for tourists, and for residents she has classes that can focus on reading and writing---and she also specializes in the southern thai dialect.

you can contact her at [email protected]

does anyone else have recommendations for thai teachers/classes?

we found a dermatologist, and while we've only had the one visit so far, he seems like he's on the ball.

his name is dr. suwit, and he is located at 88/18-19 maharat road. tel: 075-632353

my wife just had a minor motorcycle accident that left her with a couple of small wounds.....can anyone please recommend a dermatologist here in krabi?

the people at the emergency room weren't overly concerned with scarring, but i've read that how a wound is initially treated will influence the scarring process.

not sure yet if a plastic surgeon is required, but my wife just had a motorcycle accident in krabi which left a couple of wounds on her face. the nurses at the emergency room said we'd have to go to phuket if we wanted to see a plastic surgeon...any recommendations and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

additionally (and i wish i'd thought to put this in the title of the thread) a recommended dermatologist is also needed.

thanks.

in krabi the cops are out telling people to get away from the beaches.

i had to go out to the airport today, and the road was completely backed up due to the opening of tesco-lotus.

avoid it if you can.

Unless of course they are going to be attacked by drug crazed lumberjacks on stolen Honda Click’s

interestingly enough, that happened to me last week---- i've been meaning to start a thread.

togena212529

my wife and i are moving out of our rented house in the middle of next month. as far as i know, it is still available to rent. PM me for details.

thanks a lot kubo.

if you don't mind me asking, what kind of work did you have done?

did the dentist speak english? my thai language skills are ok, but my 'dental vocabulary' is extremely limited.

thanks everyone. problem solved with vegetable oil.

we have a sagei tree "ผลสาเก", and somehow this weekend one of our dogs managed to get some of the 'rubber' on her face. i tried shampoo and and then lemon juice but it just won't come out....and as the matted hair is right above her eye, my options are limited as to how strong a solution i can use.

also, i'm hesitant to cut the hair because it's so short on her face...what if it doesn't grow back?

does anyone have any suggestions?

for those unfamiliar, this is what the fruit looks like....

any thoughts on gold ETFs like GLD or IAU?