on-on

If you go 2 up, cheaper & faster to use taxi.

That's my dilemma. I live near Thong Lo. A taxi to Makassan anytime but off-peak hours is going to take 20 minutes (give or take) to get up Sukhumvit to Asoke and then to the station so, yeah, taxi ends up being more convenient. Still, it's a nifty line that I assume will benefit travelers and tourists and I'm glad the city finally commuter rail access to the airport. Officially a major city again, heh.

"It's in a bit of an unfortunate place if you live at, say, Phrakanong...Slight "meh" for people who don't live on the MRT or on the Mo Chit end of the BTS."

It certainly is too bad that there isn't a dedicated station located at every corner of every block in Bangkok. Gosh, what mode of transportation is distributed city-wide, and is cheap and convenient...oh yeah, TAXIS.

Your man, he's made of the straws.

It's in a bit of an unfortunate place if you live at, say, Phrakanong. You have to get on the BTS and go 30 minutes out to Phaya Thai then all the way back across town on the Airport Link or you can change at Sukhumvit, get off the BTS, lug your bags to the MRT and go one station North to Pethcaburi, then get off the MRT and lug your bags to Makkasan. Probably use it if I'm traveling light or going to meet people at the airport. Handy for getting out to Lat Krabang I suppose, which actually does come up a few times a year. Yay for expanded transit options. Slight "meh" for people who don't live on the MRT or on the Mo Chit end of the BTS.

Also, anyone who wants to check out the carriages, you can walk under the overpass where Ekkamai crosses Pethcaburi and actually cross the tracks and just walk into the garage where the trains are parked. There are dogs milling about and local people crossing back and forth and some lackadaisical security who ignore everyone (at least as recently as 2 weeks ago). It's kind of humorous and I wonder if they're going to clamp down on letting people walk across those tracks on foot. They're fenced in, but currently they leave the door open for everyone.

On-on, we're talking about Bkk not Houston, both are unique with their own unique set of problems, on different sides of the world with different factors affecting them. On the surface they may appear similar in some ways - the actuality, I'd suggest, is very different.

Of course you're right that they're not the same, but they have much more in common than you probably realize. They're roughly equidistant from the sea, they're both right around sea level, they're both built on top of swamps, they both have large inlets that come up into the city and a network of khlongs/bayous, they both have about 55 inches of average rainfall annually, the list goes on and on. In any case I have lived in both and I recognize what's going on here from home and it's really quite miraculous how little severe flooding there is, as I mentioned. Since I've been here 3-4 years ago I've been in shin deep water once around 2007, but since then the worst I've personally had to deal with is ankle deep on some sub-sois (though I have seen it get that bad somewhat regularly). There's only so much you can do when you get seasonal downpours over a giant flat place built on top of a swamp and when you add to that what can be expected of civil engineering here in Thailand, well, like I said, it's amazing how bad the flooding isn't. hel_l, I had to spend a lot of time in Manila last year, now that's some messed up flooding.

EDIT: The other side of the river is much newer to heavy development and I have seen pretty bad flooding just over on the Nonthaburi side, but I've lived through development of flood prone areas and this is what happens. Things get worse as development ensues because no one thinks ahead about flood control. New development displaces waterways and covers land in concrete that can't soak up rainfall. Developers don't care because flooding is an economic externality (convenient). More rainfall floods into lower lying areas including streets and such. Residents complain endlessly. Something is finally done. Things start to get better. Bangkok on the East side of the river has been through this forever I'd imagine - and probably on the densely populated parts of the West side too, but most of the other side of the river is full of brand new mu baans and shopping centers and highways that have all gone up in the last 10 years covering over banana plantations and khlongs and what not. It's gonna be hel_l over there for a while.

Yeah, considering the elevation, the terrain and the amount of rainfall it's really amazing. I grew up around Houston, which could stand in for Bangkok in all these areas and if you google Houston flood on Google Image Search you'll see pictures of the US' fourth largest city under up to 20' of water in 2001 (and various other floods) - of course we have hurricanes. Flat coastal cities in rainy areas flood all the time and the fact that this hugely paved-over flat area isn't standing in water most of the time really is a marvel of civil engineering. hel_l, they have a subway here - that's considered impossible in Houston because of flooding issues, but here they put in flood gates and built the dam_n thing. This city is a ramshackle planning disaster in many ways, but the amount of functionality it achieves really is amazing given the economic and political realities of the environment.

At the very least he should havee contained the situation until the thai authorities arrived.

You can watch the uncut version of the US Marines for what happens when the authorities are involved. It's nearly identical, except the scene occurs with a couple of police standing in the background gesturing to the kid that he should pay JJ. I can't recall if they go back for their cut on film or not.

I'll chime in rather late here.

I retired from a large metro police department ( 3,380 officers) in Arizona and in late 2003 we switched from blue to black uniforms.

Most of the public welcomed them. Easier to care for and makes it not so easy to see ya at night. ( the blue one's faded to quickly in the Arizona sun)

With a force that large in Arizona, that has to be Phoenix. How the heck did you guys manage to work with Arpaio and his merry band of thugs? It must be quite a sideshow trying to run a serious police department in a city where some carpetbagging dime store Mussolini is constantly chasing the cameras and pulling all kinds of ridiculous antics (when he's not busy abusing immigrants and inmates). There's a guy who would be right at home in a less structured country with weaker institutions where he could run amok even worse. I always assumed he was part of why Hurtt eventually left for Houston (aside from the obvious promotion). </derail>

What a perfect reaction. I'm not one of these posters that comes on here to slag off whatever bad circumstances befall others and after reading Gavin's comments on Drummond's site I can definitely see his point about the direction the program has taken against his advice. Still, when you live here for a while you do become quite cognisant of the realities governing the pride Thais have in their country's image and how that manifests itself via the legal system when you successfully critique something important to pocketbooks or to that pride - this is regardless of one's feelings on the topic. Poor guy's going to be scapegoated for all of this, it sounds like, and by Western standards it's all quite absurd. I guess everyone looking to avoid trouble in as wholesale a manner as possible can add "Thailand-focused documentarian or journalist" to the blacklist of careers that currently includes "anything to do with real estate." It's a bit of a gamble as obviously many reporters living here file reports no less controversial (or "damaging" from the government's POV) than the footage shot by Gavin, but the unwritten rule is quite clearly that you can be outwardly critical of Thailand to the foreign press as long as no one notices, heh.

I do hope he manages to finesse his way out of any culpability or negative consequences, but right now it sounds like they're going after him and the production company with any obscure loophole or regulation they can find. If he can't get out of it, I do hope that he faces nothing stronger than economic or possibly immigration-related consequences. Matters of pride can be quite sensitive and clearly some serious feathers have been ruffled. Poor guy

Its just ENTERTAINMENT, media product to sell dish soap or whatever. There is nothing deep about it and there is no conspiracy plot.

Same could be said about climate change.

And speciation! Gravity and plate tectonics too. The media is unstoppable, I swear. Just last week some channel ran a program where they claimed The Earth was more than 6,000 years old. What a crock!

Mr. Big Reunion Tour , Friday, 16 October 2009, 8pm, Impact Arena, Thunderdome Muang Thong Thani, Pakkred Nonthaburi

Haha, wow. Who's next? Nelson? Richard Marx would probably be too big name!

You actually are not even allowed to play the music from an MP3 player or a PC.

Let me ask a question here, because I had wondered about this. I go to some really long-time pubs and bars in Bangkok that have a laptop right out in the open that acts as the jukebox. I dunno if they're paid up or not on tariffs, but these guys are in really obvious locations, the owners are farangs and they'd basically be busted if they weren't doing something - but they are never, ever busted.

What's the on-the-ground story on that? I do have friends who have run bars for decades here, but I've never thought to ask them how that works. Most of the stuff, like featuring live music, staying open past hours and what not just involves greasing the right palm and knowing what's acceptable with your payees, but what about this MP3/PC thing? It can't be dramatically different, can it?

Also, they've got to be taking the piss on this one, heh:

P14 Telephone (Music on hold)

1 to 20 extension number(s) 10,000 Baht/Switchboard/annum

21 to 60 extension numbers 20,000 Baht/Switchboard/annum

over 60 extension numbers 40,000 Baht/Switchboard/annum

I'd like to see them try tacos de picadillo, which are close to what many Americans think of as a beef taco, at least the common fast-food style beef taco. In that case ground beef is cooked with onions, spices, tomatoes, etc to make sort of the Mexican equivalent of Isan laap, but less soupy. Found in many parts of northern Mexico, and a specialty of El Paso, too.

I'd also be interested in grilled beef tacos instead of whatever method is currently used. More similar to carne asada. I'm not at all dissatisfied with what's there. Just that if we're naming our druthers then that's mine.

It seems to me that many of you want what we call, back in Texas, a fajita. You can make them with flour or corn tortillas.

Tacos, to the best of my limited knowledge, are "street food." By that I mean common.......everyday stuff, made with whatever fresh ingredients are available--beef, pork, chicken, sausage..........sliced, ground, shredded, chopped..........whatever.

I would like to be able to order good fajitas.........the type that are grilled over a real fire, sliced, and very tender (marinated).........basically, sliced top sirloin steak inside a warm tortilla served w/ quacamole, salsa, sour cream, refried beans and Mexican rice.

Try making fajitas with T-Bone steak...........wow! But it would cost too much in Thailand.

I'm from Texas. In fact, I'm from around Houston, where Tex-Mex originated and I grew up eating it just like you. Back in Texas, when I buy a taco made from grilled, sliced or cubed beef from the taco truck run by the Mexicans at the corner it's called a taco, not a fajita. There's a bit of cultural overlap there because fajitas are a popular restaurant dish nationwide (worldwide?), but there's really nothing odd about a grilled, sliced beef taco. Heck, I've eaten plenty of them on the street wandering home drunk from Ma Crosby's and Corona Club in my day as well. I just said similar to carne asada because carne asada means grilled beef.

It's entirely likely that in Thailand, grilling beef makes it even tougher than it already is, so I'm sure there could be any number of problems with making affordable grilled beef tacos. Still, I thought we were all just posting what we'd prefer. I've got my Texas bonefides and I'll stick by my views on Tex-Mex against anyone, but that doesn't make them economical in Thailand and it doesn't mean they'd fit with anyone else's druthers. As I said before, I dig Jorge's place more than any other Mexican in Bangkok by a mile and I still eat there multiple times every week. If Jorge picks up on this, I'm certainly not complaining about the place - it's a real addition to the local eateries.

The owner was the Executive Chef and former partner at Great American Rib Company - Robb Vaughn...he also opened Tequila Reef in Pattaya. He's been out of Great American for over a year working on gettting Los Cabos going. Heard he is going to feature his ribs ..as well as a lot of fresh seafood with the mexican fare. His partner is a restaurant guy from San Francisco and has run a couple of Mexican restaurant companies...went by the other day...it really is looking like it'll be a good hang..

Oh yeah, he's a nice guy - talked with him a few times over the years. That's actually good news and I wonder if that's connected to why the new dishes introduced at GARC have been less stellar over the last year or so (the latest brisket special item on the menu insert is just horrible). This should be interesting, I'll be excited to give it a shot when it opens. He's definitely got a palate for reproducing good Tex-Mex flavors with Thai ingredients at times, though who knows what kind of exact variety of Mexican menu he'll be shooting for. The reviews on Tequila Reef look pretty bad, frankly, but I've never been there.

I'll see if I can find info about a soft opening - please drop in any more info you hear too!

Take a taxi down Rama IV to Wat Khlong Toey Nok at The Port (maybe 20 minutes in traffic), grab a boat across for THB 10, disembark, start running. That's the best running that's remotely close to being in town. Banana plantations, khlong paths, wats, friendly people, etc. There's even a park if you want to run in a park. There's also some decent green running along Khlong Prakanong coming from On Nut and in various scattered places. The best is up in Nonthaburi, though that's quite far from Silom. As for municipal parks, yeah, those have been mentioned.

Look, sir, your people love you so much that they throw their precious food to you and even offer you the shoes from their feet!

I'd like to see them try tacos de picadillo, which are close to what many Americans think of as a beef taco, at least the common fast-food style beef taco. In that case ground beef is cooked with onions, spices, tomatoes, etc to make sort of the Mexican equivalent of Isan laap, but less soupy. Found in many parts of northern Mexico, and a specialty of El Paso, too.

I'd also be interested in grilled beef tacos instead of whatever method is currently used. More similar to carne asada. I'm not at all dissatisfied with what's there. Just that if we're naming our druthers then that's mine.

That's mutual; why use Latin if "the thing itself speaks" or: Res ipsa loquitur. Not: "You raised this, so we're raising that."

sighLaoPo

No, it's not mutual, because you translated the Latin and understood the post - ergo it was completely clear to you. I understand you're a prolific and much-appreciated poster here for good reason, but I don't particularly appreciate your passive aggressive posts and inability to speak directly and in clear English. I still have no idea what about the original post was confusing to you. Lest this turn into a typical forum penis measuring contest, why don't you just state clearly what was of concern so that I can address it? I was not attacking you, I was sincerely noting my confusion because your English was poorly worded and because the plethora of emoticons made it difficult to ascertain your exact meaning (as opposed to irony or sarcasm). I'd be happy to answer if I knew what you were attacking and/or confused by. As I said, the quotation in the original post stands for itself. If you have concerns or disagreements you require clarifications for, state them clearly.

What are you trying to say...?...dripping SARCASM....? One can also implement this as humor. If those fees are still the same, they kept the VISA fees the same for 6 years, since 2003!

And, a visa for the US is double the amount. Why ?

BTW, the VISA fees for China are the same in my own country in Europe as they are for the US.

LaoPo

Unfortunately I can't understand the context or meaning of any of your comments, but as far as what the Chinese post you quoted means, you know, res ipsa loquitur. "You raised this, so we're raising that."

People will generally go out of their way to help you with the smallest of things (with the exception of electronics).

For some reason this observation is cracking me up. Like you walked around Thailand with a broken iPod for a year asking for help or some similar image.

Why don't they do the same for other nationals? They don't have this same sort of tit-for-tat regulation with any other citizens, only Americans.

They went up after our government raised visa fees and imposed restrictions on them after 9/11. I researched this because I had visited not too long after it all happened and kept finding conflicting prices online. Brazil, I believe, did the same thing. Basically, it's their way of telling us they're not a shit country to be trifled with and they expect the same treatment we would extend to other world powers. Whether you agree with their point of view, it was definitely provoked. There's information about this online if you Google around. It's a well-worn topic.

Here's the official announcement from the Chinese Embassy in DC:

Whereas the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China raised U.S. visa fee to $100 as from November 1, 2002, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are instructed to adjust the Chinese visa fee for U.S. citizens in light of reciprocity. The new rates are as follows, and will take effect as of May 1, 2003.

Single entry visa: $50

Double entry visa: $75

Multiple entry visa for six months: $100 Multiple entry visa for twelve months: $150

After 9/11 and since the outbreak of U.S.-Iraq War, strengthening national security has become an important goal and task of every country. Out of security concern, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in United States will cease, on and from May 1, 2003, mail ( including express delivery) service for application of Chinese visas. Applicants are required to come to the visa office for visa application. If an applicant cannot come personally, he/she may entrust a relative or friend or travel/visa agent to come to the visa office for application process.

Embassy of the P.R.C. in The United States of America

April 10, 2003

You can taste the dripping sarcasm.

While many places have scammers, Thailand is in a class by itself.

I realize Thailand has its problems with scams and I'm not here to white knight those problems, but good God - a class by itself? This has to be someone who has never been to Latin America or India or The Philippines or the like. Things that have never even approached happening to me in Thailand: having guns pulled on me, being thrown in jail repeatedly on shakedowns, having my pocket picked, etc, etc. This latest stuff is very worrying and I agree with that, but there's no need for hyperbole. It's bad enough on its own.

2) I regularly ride the little local boats and sampans from Wat Khlong Toei Nok around the Phra Padaeng area, but I've never tried to go North from there really. I read somewhere there's an express boat from the Port Authority pier (S6) next door all the way up to the Central Pier at Saphan Thaksin (CEN). Still, I've spent a fair amount of time down there and I've never seen it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists or if there's any other service north to Saphan Thaksin from around The Port?

Could you tell us more about these local routes?

It's a little difficult to discuss because it's kinda local and there's definitely farang pricing even when you speak Thai, heh. I considered writing a brief online guide, but there are too many things to discuss. Some easy things, though, are:

1) You can get over there from several locations, the easiest (on The Port side) being Wat Khlong Toei Nok, which is down the alley next to the 7-11 before the entrance to the Khlong Toei Port. For some, the ferry across from Wat Bang Na at the end of Sanphawut will be easier. To get to Wat Khlong Toei Nok (hereafter Wat KTN), it's easiest to tell a taxi or moto "Tha Rua Khlong Toei" and then add "Wat Khlong Toei Nok" if they're not 100% sure which side. Wat Bang Na is pretty simple, you just tell them to go to the end of Sanphawut at the river.

2) Getting across from Wat KTN you have to go through the local river taxi mafia lady. She's pretty fierce, but once you accept her double pricing scheme and give up she's nice enough - I always joke with her now that I'm out of money and pretend to sneak by her and she's taken a liking to me. Still no regular prices though, heh. I speak enough Thai to joke and get around, but I'm not really proficient, so one could be excused for assuming it's my lack of Thai-ness. Still, I have a friend who has been going there for literally years, speaks fluent Thai and has had a running battle with her because she refuses to let you ride the ferry across. Basically, there's a ferry that runs from Wat KTN pier directly across to Bang Krachao (they refer to it as Bpa Shing from the Wat KTN pier) and then over to another pier about a half-kilometer up river and then back to Wat KTN. She won't let you ride the ferry - absolutely will not have it. So you have to hire a small boat across for THB 10 instead of THB 4 or 5, the cost of the ferry (I forget). Once you're across you can take the ferry back with no problems and you pay on her side, but there are small boats for hire directly across if you don't want to wait - you pay the boatman. I usually pay THB 10, but I think it's actually THB 7. Since that guy gets the money I'm happy to spot him a few Baht. Rough life.

You can also take a boat to Wat Bang Kor Bua (Hereafter Wat BKB) from here for THB 40 - may be less for locals, I haven't tried to negotiate it down. It's a pretty long ride, though, so I imagine it's no less than THB 25-30 if not THB 40. Wat BKB is the next major Wat down river on the Phra Padaeng side. They will take you further, to Wat Bang Nam Pheung (Nok I think), but she'll make with the "oohs and aaahs" and you'll get a bill for like THB 100, so it's actually cheaper and quicker to take the small boat to Wat BKB and then grab a moto right there to Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nok for THB 20. This is not the same Wat Bang Nam Pheung as the floating market, but it's not far away - I *believe* that one's either just Wat Bang Nam Pheung or is Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nai. I differentiate by telling moto drivers "Talaat Nam" if I want to go there instead.

During rush hour there's also usually a big longtail that ferries about 20 people back and forth for THB 10 from Wat KTN to Wat BKB, so you can catch that too after about 17:00 and until about 19:00 I think. Not sure exactly. It runs mornings as well, but I don't know the times.

Incidentally, if you ever see the bike tour companies advertising things like Bangkok's Green Oasis or Real Thailand or what have you, this is the place. You'll see them boarding and de-boarding from the pier at Wat KTN and across at Bang Krachao.

3) Getting across from Wat Bang Na at Sanphawut on the ferry takes you directly to Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nok for something ridiculous like THB 2 - may be THB 4. It's all on the up and up though and no "special price." Big municipal ferry boat and you can ride your motorcycle or bike on. Once you get off here you can catch a moto pretty much anywhere. I've never seen small hire boats here and I've been told they can't use these ferry piers, but where there's a pier there's usually someone with a boat you can hire if you ask around. I usually jog out of either here or Bang Krachao, though, so if I'm going around the Wat Chak Daeng or Wat Krasop then I'll take a moto. The only other pier downriver from there that I know is Tha Talun, which is sort of between Wat Bang Nam Pheung Nok and Wat Krasop - but it's quite a long distance for a small boat and I can't recall if it's serviced by a ferry or what as I've never embarked or disembarked there.

Hope that helps a little. It's a beautiful area and it's already being flooded with recent construction. See it while it's still green and the people are still rural and friendly

Yep, everyone has an opinion and I stand by mine. Mexico City street tamales are famous - you've not tried them, I assume. I find T&S's tamales neither dry nor bland.

Thanks for the two previous posts on tamales..........still curious as I can't just walk over the Tacos and Salsa (as stated, takes me six hours to get there), does Jorge offer meat-chile sauce to go over the tamales?

Even though they tamales are likely not dry to the bone, some of us do like a nice meat sauce on top. That is, no doubt, more like Tex-Mex. The last thing we want is a healthy tamale! You have to throw the bad stuff on top: cheese, chile, etc.

[As an aside, I think that a simple tamale stand might make a good franchise concept in Thailand if the person doing it can figure out how to make tamales for both farangs and Thais..........and make them beer can size so that the customer does not have to order 12 to feel full.]

No meat sauce that I have seen - had the tamales a couple of times. I found them about like tamales in (Jorge will kill me for this) "sit down" Tex-Mex places back home. A little plumper, a little less spicy and what have you than the kind you buy from your local Mexican tamale lady in Texas. I used the salsa on the table, but something more appropriate would make it a little better.

Still, I can't complain. I really like his joint, he's always a nice guy when I come in and the food hasn't changed at all. I live nearby and I went regularly before, I go regularly now and it's pretty much the same food I ate 2-3 times a week previously. Service is really friendly. Beans are still excellent. Rice is still kinda lackluster, but that's not new. Tacos remain the same (mostly good, beef is too tough, but good affordable beef no existe here). Chilaquiles are still great. The green salsa has changed to something resembling the texture of a more traditional, less pureed salsa verde, that's about all I can think of. Sometimes during the day there's a menacing looking guy standing around looking mean and occasionally giving the machismo stare but that doesn't seem to affect the food quality, heh. I hate comparing the place to "back home" too much because we're not back home and because back home for me is Texas, not Mexico. It's certainly the best in Bangkok and it's not just "the best in Bangkok" but actually good on its own, so I don't think it needs handicapping like most of the other Mexican places that always seem to need an asterisk in the reviews.

I certainly recommend it to everyone and will continue to do so.

allane, thanks for the advice!

I did the trip myself yesterday and confirmed that there's no boat available from Saphan Thaksin down to Khlong Toei, though it goes as far as Big C at Ratburana. Now I have to confirm that from the Khlong Toei end.

As for the ferry at Kiak Kai, several locals again told me there isn't and I'm all but sure everyone's right, but then on the express boat back from Rama VII pier I saw a typical small ferry boat (like they use at Khlong Toei) sputtering across the river. Impossible to tell if it's a ferry, for general hire or if it's just a local business or personal boat. Everything in the world is telling me there isn't a ferry, but being a typical stubborn American I'm going to waste a good hour sitting around Wat Chat Kaeo staring at the pier and asking the monks to see for myself, heh.

Thanks again

I've lived here for a while, but most of my river travel has been recreational and outside of the main river/khlong networks. I'm now looking at a potential commute from around the Channel 3 building on Rama IV to near the Rama VII bridge (shoot me now) and I'd prefer the rivers to the road. I've got two questions that would really help me figure this out, so any advice is appreciated:

1) At Kiak Kai pier (N21), is there a regular ferry across to Wat Chat Kaeo? It looks like it on Google Earth and I can find mention of one, but a couple of Thai people in the area looked funny when I asked about the local kahm fahk and farangs I ran into swore there wasn't a way to take the boat from nearby, but didn't sound like they were frequent river rats. So, I put it to the Thai Visa denizens.

2) I regularly ride the little local boats and sampans from Wat Khlong Toei Nok around the Phra Padaeng area, but I've never tried to go North from there really. I read somewhere there's an express boat from the Port Authority pier (S6) next door all the way up to the Central Pier at Saphan Thaksin (CEN). Still, I've spent a fair amount of time down there and I've never seen it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists or if there's any other service north to Saphan Thaksin from around The Port?

Search is down right now, but I've been able to piece together some info - just not firsthand accounts from anyone who can verify it. Again, any help or advice would be appreciated!

The solution, if you really must have speed, is to get a 1MB Fiber Optic line dedicated to you. It costs a lot per month (15.000 Baht/mo) but it is worth it.

This is what you get during the busy time of the day when testing Seattle from here. Other times usually come out at 5-10MB/sec down and 1MB/sec up;

Bht 15,000 per month? You are crazy or made an error.

I suspect crazy.

No, that's right. He's talking about a leased line. An office I consulted for had two, one from True and one from Pacific. Pacific's a pretty decent regional outfit and the cost per month was closer to 10K, though that may vary by location. If you needed 99.999% uptime it's worth opting for and if you've got other regional offices who have leased lines from the same company it can be a good way to handle inter-office traffic as well. I work entirely online too and my True 4MB connection is finally where it needs to be to get things done, stream, have seamless VoIP, etc. I didn't even bother with 8mb because I figured the pain of disappointment in the gap between promise and reality would be too much for me, heh. Anyhow, if I were running a server out of the condo I'd opt for a leased line, but I can't justify it as is. Still, as everyone knows (and there's no may about it) your mileage will vary and it will vary wildly from soi to soi. I just got lucky over here near Thong Lo. Back on Suan Plu, not so lucky (though not God awful, just annoying).