Loptr

I am moving to Thailand next year and would like to bring my Mini S with me, although I understand the import duties are around 200% +/- of the original purchase price of the car in my country... This is what is driving up the cost of Minis in Thailand, it's not the price of the car but the import duties...

I'm thinking about having mine shipped to KL, then get a vehicle visa and drive it across the border from Malaysia...

Copyright infringement is a serious crime... TV should be thankful that the BP has not pressed charges...

We were doing the back-stroke down Soi 4 last night... Seriously though, 10 cm is nothing... What's the big deal...

better late then never.

A little too late as the damage has already been done... Som Nam Na...

No where in the article did it state that Thailand has refused extradition of this person to the US... Where did you get that from George???

So many experts with so little information...

The problem is not the airport or the airplane, but a poor decision on behave of the pilot in command... With reported cross-winds of 40-50kph, the prudent thing to do would have been to 'go around' or to divert to their alternate... BTW, I am a commercially rated pilot...

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

If he talks into his shoe and speaks in foreign tongues, that would be a clue...

"Thai Air to cut rate by 50%"

I'll believe it when I see it...

Why would the use of the military to restore order automatically trigger a coup??? Many governments use their military to restore order in cases of public unrest... Why is the Thai government so fragile in this respect???

i am more concerned why my lovely euro is worth 6-8 baht less in conversion according to a few months ago !!!

There is blanket guarantee for all banks deposits in Thailand, valid 3 years (and not for only! 100000 EUR)

But you don't care .. so why bother ?

Thai politics abound in opportunistic decision reversals. Should the politicians need some extra money for more profitable use (for them) I wouldn't be surprised to learn about an on-the-spot decree that might annihilate any benefit of this "unlimited guarantee" on bank deposits.

Trust come (and go) by experience.

If you love your lovely Euro, why the hel_l don't you go back and put up with the conditions there, don't critisise Thailand and exploit it/

Uhh, please look up the term "xenophobic" in your Thai-to-English dictionary Somchai...

I have no dog in this fight and find the Thai's lack of unity somewhat amusing, until the point when people start to die for a "cause"...

The only message the world can see & hear is to STAY AWAY... Yes, tourism is "reported" to be only 6% - 7% of Thai GDP, but that is still several billion baht... This figure does not consider "soft" dollars that funnel their way into the Thai economy... Whole segments of the Thai economy are withering to nothing and all that people care about is who will get their turn at the trough next...

Amazing Thailand... NOT...

I will be spending the Christmas & New Years holidays in Thailand, returning to my home country on January 3rd, 2009... I have just noticed that my passport expires in March 2009...

I know some countries which I travel to require from 90 days to 6 months of available time left on your passport before allowing entry...

Will I have any issues / problems with Thai Immigration over this -or- should I get my passport renewed ASAP before I travel to the LOS???

By what authority can the PAD arrest anyone???

PAD round up 5 old DAAD supporters

By The Nation

Pro and anti-government protesters clashed near Nang Lern intersection in Bangkok, causing injuries of both groups.

People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) announced Tuesday they arrested five supporters of Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) from a pickup and took them to a stage inside their rally site at the Government House. The five received boo and physical assaults during their presence.

According to PAD, some young passengers in the pickup of trying to harm security guards by firing from their catapults, leaving one guard with minor injuries. The security guard later captured the pickup truck and seized the car key as the vehicle got struck at the traffic light at the Nang Lerng Intersection. The PAD claimed there were some passengers fleeing from the pickup.

The five remaining passengers who were forced to go to the PAD stage include 70-year-old Nanit Namnu, 52-year-old Sombat Kayanchumnum, 53-year-old Sunant Maneerat, 52-year-old Savara Fachaiyapum and 67-year-old Wichien Charungkit. After released from PAD, the five filed physical assault and vandalism charges against the anti-government group at the Nang Lern police station at around 1pm.

Nanit hired Wichien to drive a truck from Sanam Luang, the DAAD rally ground, to Samsen train station for Bt300. The driver got lost and came close to the rally site and the next thing she knew was that the driver was forced to park the car.

"I tried to cry for help but no one turned up and I was scared. I just came to Sanam Laung to fight for democracy and I don't understand why they had to do this to me," said Nanit.

Perhaps the Generals are trying to get the PAD & PPP in BKK to focus on something else besides bickering and destroying their tourist industry...

Two protesters lose their leg in latest clash with police

Two anti-government protesters lost their leg during a fresh clash with police in front of Metropolitan Police Bureau on Tuesday evening.

The loss of the legs came as police threw home-made explosives onto the protesters.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30085405

To think the police are to serve and protect by using home-made explosives. Sounds like terrorists to me.

I want to laugh. "Police use home-made explosives"? Common, which police is so free by making their own home-made bomb. Police used (over priced)factory made bomb bought by tax payer money. Maybe this only happens in Thailand. In the rest of the world, the PROTESTERS used home-made bomb.

For once, think for yourselves. Don't just listen to whatever thing they brain wash you with.

I don't believe a thing the Nation prints... Everyone KNOWS they are pro-PAD... Why should this "bombs" issue be any different???

4. Probably Thai people who they usually extort money from. Pretty rare for them to extort money from foreigners. Hasn't happened to me in 10 years here. You must be unlucky or get yourself into stupid situations.

You must lead a sheltered life as I see the BiB playing this game every day I've been in Thailand...

Now as far as stupid, I was walking in Lumpini Park one afternoon minding my own business... A BiB approaches me and says he's going to fine me for littering... I look around and there is not a piece of litter in sight... I just look at him and smile, slip him 100 baht and all is right with the world...

Or riding a motosai, along with 1000 Thais in traffic... No one is wearing a helmet, including me... Who do you thing the BiB stop??? Why me of course... Another 200 baht "fine" and I'm on my way...

Don't preach to me in a condescending tone about being "stupid"... We ALL know how corrupt Thailand is, so don't even start...

You either live up country or under a rock if you are oblivious to this problem...

ASTV is a sham.

I for one am happy someone somewhere grew a spine to get this yellow rent-a-mob back to their jobs, or whatever it is they normally do.

It would be really interesting to know who the power & money people are behind the PAD... Someone is paying each of them 500 baht a day to man the barricades...

If this were any other country on the planet, how long do you think the government would allow protesters to occupy the seat of government without being dispersed, alive or dead??? In my home country, they would have never been allowed to take control in the first place...

With this latest flurry of violence, Thailand can write-off high season this year... Yes, tourism is only 6% - 7% of GDP, but that's still billions of baht... How will the BiB survive without having farang tourists to extort money from???

A coup is if you overthrow a government to seize power. PAD does not want power, just want to prevent evil from getting power.

That is fairly naive... Every government on the planet is corrupt... It's just that the Thai's a not as subtle as most...

So what if the PAD succeeds, do you think the next batch of bureaucrats will be less corrupt??? If so, why???

Seems the protests are expanding...

Is this the beginnings of a civil war???

Any wagers on how long before the tanks roll out???

No. Nothing. I was hoping to make a difference but I found out after a while that I was nothing more than a glorified maid, cleaning up the English language as you did with my missive that I wrote on the fly. You know nothing of my standards or what I was hired to do there and what I did there. I find your comment puerile.

Ah, thank you... 12 point word for the day...

Ahem, were you describing the TV member who corrected you grammar -or- the Thai populace, governmental & educational systems combined???

As others have indicated, same same, but different... That's what we can expect from the next regime to take power in Thailand...

5. Columbia

Columbia is a country rich in resources - substantial oil fields, gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal, so your tourist trip could be quite profitable, if it weren’t for the violence and inherent danger in this war-torn country. Columbia used to have the highest murder rate per capita and the highest kidnapping rate per capita in the world, but has since stabilised somewhat and is a far safer place than it used to be. It therefore says something that, after all these improvements, it still has the highest murder rate per capita and the highest kidnapping rate per capita in the world.

Dangers

Nation parks used as guerrilla training camps

Kidnapping for ransom

Highest murder rate per capita in the world

Highest kidnapping rate per capita in the world

Travel risk: Very High

I might be able to lend credibility to your post IF you knew how to spell the name of the country...

I have traveled through every area of Colombia via bus, motorcycle & hired car for years without incident... Part of being a savy traveler... BTW, I'm 195cm tall and am a white man... No way I am mistaken to be a Paisa...

Just an example of being careful and NOT putting too much credence in State Department or Department of Defense propoganda...

Shame about the Canadian tourists... Hopefully karma will catch up with Uthai...

Anybody have an idea if there is are any active Radio Control Airplane clubs in Thailand??? I know there are several manufacturers on RC aircraft in Thailand... Just curious if there are any expats who are active in this hobby... I fly competitively in the west and when I relocate to LOS, I would like to hookup with one of these groups...

Thanks in advance for any info...