Sputnik699

Couldn't agree more greg. Even the best players in the world hit a bad streak and lose 10's of thousands'...even 100' of thousand's of $$'s at a time. But those guy's use a descent bankroll and avoid going all out " flat broke"...they can basically afford to lose that much.

While i take my hat off to the guy in question i cant help thinking with a that with a bankroll of just $750...effectively everything he's got it could all go tit's up in no time.....microstake's NLH cash game's are the worst kind of poker you could invest in, the stake's are so small that people just dont respect money and dont fear losing it.

As said i like the kid, he's got ball's and i hope it work's out for him.

I say good luck to the guy, everyone's different and being happy is the most important thing...the uk's a sh&thole and i wish him the best of luck.

Having said that playing micro stake's poker is insanely difficult to make a living from. I started playing online poker about 6 years's ago and while ive made a descent profit over the years ive also seen enough crap on the cash table's to know that you can lose your whole bankroll in a matter of minute's.....i flopped 4 Queen's a few weeks back and i new for a fact the guy i was playing was holding AA on a flop of QQA.....meaning he'd flopped a F/H and was never gonna fold....im holding 4 Queens' ! one of the best hands you could hope to hit.....i jam the money's in on the turn which was a 3....he instant call's for around a $100 each and im 98% to win with just one card to come......amazingly that card was an Ace....!! so my 4 Q's lose to 4 Ace's...and this crap happens all the time...cash game poker online is just sick.

Also this guy said he play's around 2000-4000 hands a day and he's only played 80,000 hands.....that means he's been a "pro poker player" for less than 6 weeks....trust me when i say that "beginner's luck" will fade and winning become's alot less frequent.

There's millions of players around the world and only a very small percentage actually make a descent living from it.

I've also tried playing poker in thailand when i'm over that way and it's far from easy....naff wifi and losing connection all the time, add to that been stuck in a hot sweaty room for 9-10 hour's a day staring at a computer screen trying to make a few $$'s a day...you've gotta have a good mind set to combat the boredom and frustration.

I say fair play to the guy, he's got ball's....so many people live their life never having taken a chance and do what they wanna do....and before they know it it's too late

Sorry to disappoint so many here, but the driver was indeed a university student and she did not come from a Hi-So family, a rarity in Chiang Mai anyways except to those who would not recognize a visiting Thai Hi-So if they were indeed to encounter one. She hung out with a good crowd of students, mostly from Payap and Rajabhat, and other young adult who tended to socialize at some of the smaller venues around Nimman. My son was one of her friends. Her friends are devastated both for her as well as the victims. Most believe she must have fallen asleep rather than careen into the group of bicyclists out of some drunken stupor. And sorry to disappoint again, but she was very unlikely to be going home from Spicey, a venue whose social scene she and her friends are unacquainted with. In other words she could have just as easily have been my daughter, just as she could as easily have been any of your children. This being Thailand, she is likely to pay a far heavier price for her lapse in judgment than would someone in a similar situation in the US or UK. There is nothing good that can come out of this other than the young middle class Thai crowd that inhabits Nimman take a collective break to reflect upon drinking and driving as one of the major social problems confronting the Kingdom.

Yeah if any good CAN come out of this maybe a few people will reconsider driving next time the've had a few beer's / whiskey's or whatever else.......i would'nt hold your breath though. There's been more than enough video's uploaded to YouLike showing horrific crash's caused by bad driving, drink driving and careless driving for people to understand what can and does happen pretty much everyday now.

I've no doubt that the girl in question is devastated by whats happened and it was obviously not intentional..she's now gotta live with whats happened and that in itself is gonna be tough, i cant imagine what killing 3 ( or is it now 5 ? ) people must feel like..im thinking not good.

Fact is though 3 or 5 people have been killed in an accident that could well have been avoided.

The Thai authority's should use this as an example and bring down the harshest penalties....if they don't they are just giving a free pass to the next person that accidentally mow's down 3, 5 or 10 people at the side of the road.

I feel for the girl in question but the fact is her stupidity just ruined 3 or 5 families live's...she deserve's everything she gets.

Went down to PMY beach in Rayong a while back for some food and a few beer's with my G/F and noticed a policeman sat on the next table to us with his mates....he was dressed in full uniform and had his gun in his holster.....thats how i knew he was a policeman

I'm not sure if he was on duty on not....are they allowed to carry a gun when there off duty ??

Anyway they where knocking back the whiskey as the thais like to do, all merry and having a laugh.....no harm in that i guess and to be honest i wasn't too surprised when after about an hour or so the said policeman wobbled over to his scooter ( not exactly on his hand's and knees but it was more than obvious he'd had a few too many ), fired it up and sped off down the road.

I'm guessing the Thai PM's pissing in the wind with this one

Just seen the aftermath of this via Youlike on Facebook, its got 164,000 views and over 4000 shares. Thai people are well aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but they just dont give a shit....there's even 20,000 " Likes "

What i found disturbing was the amount of traffic driving "through" the scene of the crash minute's after it happened. Cars's and trucks literally swerving around bodies on the side of the road and the car on it's roof in the middle of the road with the driver lay on her back screaming...these people are most likely witness's to what happened but it seems they don't want to get involved...almost like they too don't give a shit and feel it's best to just let other's sort it out.

Without education and harsh penalties being properly enforced this sort of thing will continue to happen on regular basis...i think we all know that's not gonna happen any time soon.......R.I.P to those that lost there live's

Thanks for the link, i may go back early next year,,,having said that i've been itching to see India for a few years now so i may flip a coin and let fate decide...safe travels mate and good luck

cool

Fantastic picture's Richard, can i ask how you approach people before you take their picture ? I've had a mild interest in photography for a few years now and taken some great shot's in S.E Asia but i always feel abit rude when photographing people...almost like i'm invading their privacy. Do you simply smile and ask if it's ok ?

Also how and where did you rent motorbikes? is it possible to rent long term..i.e 3 or 4 weeks ? I'm planning a motorbike trip later this year, i was initially thinking of India or China but would love a second visit to Myanmar at some point in the near future. In Yangon i was told it's illegal for anyone to ride motorbikes and in Nueng Shew ( Inlay lake ) i was told it's illegal for foreingers to ride motorbikes. It was only in Mandalay that i found the chance to rent one but by then it was to late as i had a flight booked and it was my last day their.

Myanmar's a fascinating and spectacular place..you've captured it well mate

I took cash with me when i was their...bit risky i guess but i was only their for 10days. I did notice ATM's around in Inlay/Bagan and Mandalay.

Would advise checking international fee's with your bank before any trip abroad....after a trip to SEA in 2013/2014 i got home ( UK ) to find my charges had gone up from 150bht to around 600 per transaction...that was for a withdrawal ( around $300) + the standard 150 bht charge and a new charge of 2.99% for conversion...ending up paying my bank around $120 just to get my own money.

Bts to Victory and then a minivan to Rayong bus station...the vans 180bht per person with BH vans ( white and orange)....they also do a stamp book / card that you show every time you buy a ticket and it then get's stamped......so when you've done 10 trips you get one trip free ...i have no idea how to ask for one though. Im sure there must be a songtow or bus from their on.

i thought the one day visa was 1,200??

even so for $50 u can get it online so ,no taxi ride, no standing in line, no hassles

I used to book via booking.com for Mandalay as i stay at a very popular /inexpensive hotel

but now they know me so i just send them an email an they hold the room for me.

79 living hotel

great location as right across form the train station and a 10 minute moto ride to the river.

Outside Mandalay never book rooms

Note air asia offers a free bus ride in and out of town an the hotel is a 5 minute walk away

Flying out Saturday!!

I stand corrected, thinking about it now i think it was more likely 1200 bht...may be 1250 or 1280bht......iv'e drank beer between now and the time i got my visa

E visa's a good option but i didnt have a return address in Thailand to send my passport back too....alternatively load's of travel agencies in and around Ko San Rd will do everything for you including the 7 or 8 hour's queuing for a fee.

I stayed at Hoa Binh Peace hotel when i was in Da Lat...basically just known as "Peace Hotel" with the "Peace Cafe" downstairs and loads of Easy Rider's hanging around telling their war stories, travel tale's and so on.....i remember the food here been possibly the nicest i'd ever tasted anywhere in my whole life >> chicken with black pepper, mango and rice and a couple of beer's to wash it down Room's were pretty good with hot water shower's and i doubt you'd ever need A/C...think i paid about $8 a night. It was quiet enough but with enough bar's around and interesting market at the top of the road...ever tried turtle's eggs while the're still attached to it's headless mother's corpse ??

I'm guessing the best way to get their would be fly into Saigon / Ho Chi Minh and then get the bus to Da Lat up through the mountains...if you dare !

Top Tip...get yourself a motorbike and cruise around the countryside and mountains.....you'll feel Cooler than Poppa Smurf himself

I booked all my accomadation via agoda, as i said basically just booked the cheapest room's i could find. Did abit or research online before i went ( wiikitravel / lonely planet..etc ) andthen booked a flight with AirAsia...flew into Yangon and departed from Mandalay....think i paid approx $150 total for the two flight's.

I would add if you plan to get your Visa at the Myanmar embassy in BKK get their early...like 6,30 am early !! You can get photo's taken and all necessary paperwork printed at a van just around the corner for about 150 bht ( they are making a fortune ) You can get a visa issued in one day for about 1800 bht ( roughly...i cant remember the exact price ) You hand in your paperwork and passport and then get told to return at 3pm...My advise is get their at 1pm because the queue is huge and you'll be in for a long and very boring wait....i left at around 6,30pm after nearly 4 hour's waiting. And that's on top of the 3 hour's waiting in the morning.

Yeah i'd 100% recommend a trip to Myanmar...it is expensive in comparison to neighboring country's but can still be done relatively cheap with abit of planning...and compared to say Japan, Moscow, the U.K or Oz it's actually dirt cheap.

Really is an intoxicating place, the people are by far the friendliest iv'e come across on my travel's in SEA over the years...and surprisingly with the amount of tourist's now visiting it does'nt actually "feel" that touristy. I kinda wanna go back now

I woudnt say it's a must but it is a nice lake...the water is eerily still and the surrounding mountains make it a beautiful place to visit. You could book a hotel on the lake but a better option is to stay in nearby Nyaung Shew ( not sure iv'e spelled that properly). I stayed their recently and it's a nice town with a local feel..plenty of place's to get food and beer, a local market, loads of bicycle's for hire and some friendly local's.

It was cold at night when i was their too ( january )

Plenty of boatmen trying to get you on a day tour but not in a pushy way. The price i was quoted for a full day on the lake was around $50 for the full boat ( so if there was 6 people it's still $50 ) but you can haggle abit same as most place's in SEA. Other option would be cycling which is pleasant enough...plenty of little temple's scattered around and a nice way to see the local's farming and going about there day to day live's. Not sure you could cycle the whole lake as it is quite big and the road in place's is still under construction...about a third of the way round there's more boatmen that can take you on a boat tour or across to the other side of the lake if you just wanted to cycle.

I went to Inle from Bagan but i think it's around 9-10 hours on a bus from Yangon...possibly only a night bus too as my bus from Yangon to Bagan was one bus per day at night only. I did book that at my hotel though so you could check online or go the bus station to see if there's more avaliable....other than that you could take the train but i heard it's nearly 30 hour's travel time in total.

Not sure if there's an airport..may be someone else could clarify??

All in all nice place, glad i went and worth a visit....only thing i found disappointing was i couldn't rent a motorbike anywhere which would of been great.

I generally wing it when i travel. Have traveled Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand a number of time's and only ever booked a room in BKK when i first arrive in SEA..... after 16 hour's flying its nice to have something booked.....although i did go to Koh Maak (thailand) recently and booked in advance as it was valentine's weekend. Other than one time in Ko san and another in Chiang Mai i never had problem's finding a room. I normally just use a guide book to give me a rough idea where i am and where im going.

However, i did book all my rooms for a recent 10 day trip to Myanmar 2 weeks before i went purely because i'd read about room shortage's, sky high price's..etc. They were pretty much the cheapest i could find and with the exception of one in Nyuang shew (inlay lake ) they were all spot on.

What i found with Myanmar was most were cheaper to book online than just walking through the door...the place i stayed in Yangon was $22 online and $37 if you just turned up....another in Bagan was $35 online and $50 if you just walked through the door. Would definitely pay off to plan a trip to Myanmar but if you took a laptop / ipad you could book room's as you go and it would give you alot more flexibility.

Never done an organised tour myself as i prefer the "winging" style of travel but i have meet a few people on my travels that did tours in Myanmar and loved it...having said that Myanmar is a fantastic country and i doubt you'll hear a bad word said about the place by anyone that's been their...tour or no tour..have a safe trip man

Where's a farang slapping monk when you need one

I've just been reading a similar new's article about acid attacks in india, estimated to be around 1000 every year. One guy threw acid over a 12 year girl because she would'nt have sex with him and another over his wife and two kid's while they were sleeping because he wanted a son and not two daughter's...he got 2 month's jail time and his wife had to move back into the family home with him as she had no where else to go !!

The people that commit these acts should be made to endure the most horrific and painful deaths imaginable...hung, drawn and quartered or some other medieval and barbaric torture.

Should know how to swim......where are the life jackets? This isn't Bangladesh!

Are you for real ? What a disgusting thing to say. I don't think the number one priority of most Myanmar local's is to pay for swimming lessons. Isn't Bangladesh....have you even been to Myanmar ??

WOW/ A Newbie Script policeman joins our ranks to keep our comments inline. Forget it pal 1000's before you have failed to keep the posters and quotes civil.

Hahaha, i can but try. I'm all for a laugh and a joke but not at the expense of 21 people that just drowned. Shame the guy that posted that comment hasn't got the balls to justify why he feels the need make such comment's...im guessing he's the bell ringer type, spends all his time in Pattaya's bar's hoping some girl will tell him he's "hansom" whilst trying to reassure himself that he wont Jizz all over himself after 2 minute's and it will be 3000bht well spent....basically a sad basta!d

Should know how to swim......where are the life jackets? This isn't Bangladesh!

Are you for real ? What a disgusting thing to say. I don't think the number one priority of most Myanmar local's is to pay for swimming lessons. Isn't Bangladesh....have you even been to Myanmar ??

Was any action taken against the oil company's after the spill ? I've been going to MLP for the past couple of years now as my G/F is from Rayong. Having backpacked all over S.E. Asia in the last 4/5 years I can honestly say this is one of the filthiest beach's I've come across ( in it's current state ) and without doubt the worst I've seen in Thai water's...and I've seen a lot of beach's too

Oil spill's aside and focusing more on the rubbish.....I cant help thinking why the local community don't organise regular beach clean's rather than just cleaning there section. There's well over 100 different Hotel's, G/H's, Restaurant's and other small business's that make a living from the tourist trade down there and yeah a lot of the rubbish is washed up from other place's..BKK, Fishermen..etc and not dumped there by local business's. However surely it would make good business sense to keep the beach clean, effectively making it a more appealing place to visit and im sure in turn lining the pocket's of all the local's with more baht.

As im currently back in the U.K working I'd hope that something's done by the time I return later in the year as I quite like MLP and the other beach's in the area. I guess if it's still in it's current state I could just go to another place and effectively spend my money elsewhere.

Cheers Spacer, I'll stock up on mineral oil for next time, lol. TBH I cant believe the authority's ( and even the local's that rely on the beach to make a living...Thai and Foreigner's ) let the beach's get in such a state..my G/F helped out with a volunteer beach clean in june / july last year...I think it may be time for another one.

Hey guys, took these while down at MLP about 4 weeks ago. Black oil all over my feet after I went for a swim...took forever to scrub it off too. I'm not surprised there's no fish living round there !