Cappy

I live in Cambodia and recently imported a 2001 A6 from the States - need to find a source for spare / replacement parts in Thailand - Cambodia does not have any official Audi dealers or repair shops (despite a recent influx of new model Audi SUV's) and while there are several shops that can fix Audi's there are no parts available in-country. I am currently in Thailand and need to pick up a replacement suspension set - both front and back / lower and upper suspension arms /joints need replacing. I would welcome any advice you have on where i can go to buy parts to bring back to Cambodia. Pattaya /Rayong/Trat locations preferred.

thanks and regards

Steve

24 or 26, isn't the issue, but the victum's families should decide the outcome of his crimes, as long as it isn't letting the guy off with a short sentence!

Yeah ... I want to cut the nuts of a guy who walked on my daisies.

It's a pity people like you have the vote (assuming you do).

If victUm's family sentences a person for their crimes they'd all be hung, drawn and quartered like the good old Christians used to do.

While it may feel nice to get 'revenge' by murdering the murderer, will it really be that satisfying when you realize the hired gun was carrying out orders and the gangsters who ordered the hit are probably the same police mafia who eventually arrested him. Either way he's dead, and he knew this from day one. Coercion? probably threatened to kill his whole family... and they would.

How much more satisfying to find a way to get the guy to squeal and for once prosecute the real criminals at the top who are above the law...

date='2007-04-24 09:26:37']DPM raids Pantip Plaza and seizes 1 pornographic VCD

The Deputy Prime Minister then visited entertainment venues along Patpong district on Silom Road and reports finding no illegal activities.

Artist's conception, photograph unavailable.

Nice one!

Actually, this is more accurate:

('tis the blind leading the blind... )

DPM raids Pantip Plaza and seizes 1 pornographic VCD

The Deputy Prime Minister then visited entertainment venues along Patpong district on Silom Road and reports finding no illegal activities.

Artist's conception, photograph unavailable.

Nice one!

Actually, this is more accurate:

('tis the blind leading the blind... )

Violence is rising in southern Thailand in what seems to be turning into an all-out civil war.

This is surely overstating the case.

The problems in Southern Thailand are caused by extremist following their own agenda. What percentage of the muslim majority in the 4 Muslim majority provinces of Southern Thailand (Narathiwat, Yala, Pattini and Satun) could be labelled "extemists" is probably unknown but if history is any example its likely to be less than a few percent which leaves the vast majority of people just wanting to get on with life.

As in any area of civil unrest its always the vocal and violent minority who make the news.

Extemist hardly ever succeed because ultimately they don't have the will of the people behind them.

All out civil war will be triggered by all out hatred between the 2 communities (Sunni's and Shia's in Iran, Hutus's and Tutsi's in Rwanda, Kosovo etc etc)

I think we're a long way from that - though that's not to say the situation couldn't significantly deteriorate.

Personally I'd have a referendum in the 3 principal Muslim territories of Narathiwat (82% Muslim) , Yala (68% Muslim) and Pattani (88% Muslim) - 80% of whom speak Malay and not Thai and give the 3 provinces independence if thats what they want, on the understanding that Satun would remain Thai.

The border could then be naturally redrawn. Those Muslims living in Satun could then either remain or be repatriated to the new country, those Thai's living in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani could similarly remain or be repatriated to Thailand.

"80% of whom speak Malay and not Thai?" Tha'ts a bit hard to swallow.. Please give me a reference for that! Have you spent much time in the South? I have not met anyone in the S. who could not speak decent Thai; granted many speak BOTH Thai and Malay, but you will have a hard time finding legal residents there who don't speak decent Thai... and i would wager that there woudl be precious few Thai CITIZENS who don't.

You make it sound like an Islamic state already... Not the case! It is very much Thailand and the citizens are very much Thai - yes, followers of the islamic religion, but still very much Thai.

go on- make a visit there and have a look around...

Is this really a religious war? no. noone is burning wats or stuffing mosques with dead pigs.... yet. both Buddhists and Muslims (and Christians for that matter) living in South Thailand enjoy religious freedoms unequalled in most of Asia. do they want political autonomy? probably so, and this may be a motivator - but everyone knows it absolutely will not happen. The leadership of the Islamic community in Thailand is patriotic and proud to be Thai. At least one Thai Muslim serves in Parliament. The Thai Muslim community has peaceful and respectable roots in Thailand stretching back hundreds of years. There are no grounds for separatism besides the (relatively) recent political /economic /social upheavals resulting from the ever-increasing small-scale, local violence. This "movement" is not supported by the majority of Thai Muslims, and the small support they have in the South is based on fear rather than any solid backing. Think early Khmer Rouge, 1972. and similarly, it was foreign cross-border 'assistance' that was catalyst and for a long time the dinner table of the movement.

It is not a problem of religion, it is politics and sweet economics. Thailand can't clean up this mess until it is willing to get mean and nasty with its southern neighbor(s) who have been stoking the fires for decades. The global and local socio-economic environment just happens to be ideal for a bit of terrorism... that has a real agenda... but not a Pattani State; that much is obvious. the rest is almost so.

-cappy

Pratunam at near midnight

Most if not all the buildings in Pratunam are flooded, as is the whole market. Generally there's 30-50 cm of water on the road, some more in the sois.

A Picture is worth 1,000 words - nice photos. Better than 10 pages of worthless posts...

Its sad to read another instance like this one. Condolences to all involved.

As mentioned in a previous post, I don't really think this guy is a psycho. It seems to be more of a crime of passion. It doesn't make it right, but it lends more to the notion that this was an isolated event and that the guy is probably not as serious a threat to society as a psycho killer. Therefore, I don't think he deserves to rot in a Thai prison. It wasn't premeditated and should be considered a crime of passion. A punishment should be applied with a jail term but nothing to long.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. Everyone to their own.

Are your stupid or what.The guy obviuosly planed killing this girl.and should get the death penalty.

I love it how everyone thinks they are cprofessional riminologists and legal experts. Glad that this forum is not up for jury duty.....

I think that the best anti-spyware/adware is yourself. Best practices and a bit of common sense will go a long way to keeping them out of your system, so you don't have to go hunting for them.

First and foremost: Ditch IE (internet explorer). It's a spyware/adware magnet, and also the most vulernable to infection. Use Opera or Firefox instead. If you find a web that they can't handle, then turn to IE as a last resort.

Second: When going to unknown webs, turn off Java/Javascript. It's a major loophole for infections (after activescript, of course, which is in IE).

Third: Use active antivirus scanning. This is generally recommended.

Good advice.

More precaution on HijackThis! - great Ap, but only use it if you are an advanced PC user...

Also, i had some infections that both Spybot and adaware (i use both) could not fix, and was advised to try Eiwido Anti-Malware (free 30 day trial free from their website) which cleaned it out.

just download it, install the update, use it and uninstall after the 30 days is up.

cheers!

Given that many of the 'naughty monkeys' come from the North, I suspect DL may already know them, as his golfing buddies. Surely they wouldn't have 'cut hum out' of such a sweet deal ?

-perhaps one of them forget to let him win during the last 18...

Hi there.

why is it that seemingly everybody starts whining as soon as there's a proposal to restrict anything to do with alcohol? Oh, yes..... dogs bark when hit. So i have to assume that everyone whining is an alcohol addict, right?

Don't get me wrong here. But why can't people have fun without alcohol??? Besides that this is talk about restrictions in ADVERTISING, which certainly won't stop alcohol being on sale, everyone starts talking immediately about how "tourism will come to an end", "thousands losing their jobs" etc etc etc. Same as was said when the the opening hours of bars etc were shortened.

What has happened? Exactly, nothing.

I enjoy going out at weekends, i live in Thailand since little over five years and have been doing so since i arrived here. I always have fun when going to my favourite club (DJ Station, which btw. is in Silom Soi 2, not Soi 4). yet - i have NEVER EVEN ONCE ordered anything alcoholic in there! Yes, i can perfectly have the fun of a lifetime, running completely on Coke! Coca Cola, that is.

And when i happen to be at Soi 4, Balcony, i dare to order a "Virgin Pina Colada", which indeed is a cocktail - without alcohol! Why? Because i don't need alcohol to have fun, fullstop!

And before you ask "what the hel_l is that guy taking then", i can tell you - nothing at all. I do smoke moderately (on a heavy day three ciggies and only when it's not disturbing anyone! Because i DO care for non-smokers) and i don't mind anyone getting drunk or stoned or whatever, but i myself just won't.

So what's wrong if they convert "Beer Gardens" to just "outdoor fun places"? Serve non-alcoholic beverages, heck promote the newest green tea flavours or some healthy fruit juices, and have the rest like it is - live music etc. Nobody will lose their job and it will be just as popular, maybe just the kind of visitors changes.

And nobody should say that "tobacco is more dangerous than alcohol". I can smoke a pack of cigarettes and still drive safely. I won't be able to do that after 20 beers. Both are drugs that addict after longer use. Both are serious health hazards. But i'd rather be exposed to some second-hand smoke than to the pickup truck of someone who downed half a bottle of whiskey or 10 Chang's and now wants to show his GF how fast his truck can go.

Because, face it: Alcohol-caused accidents kill way more people per year than second-hand smoke, and that is a fact! And in Bangkok, you always have the choice of what causes your lung cancer: Second-hand smoke from tobacco smokers, or that black stuff coming out of the rear end of buses and trucks. And if you're able to avoid THAT, you can also avoid second-hand tobacco smoke - because you have to stay inside your air-tight condo with artificial oxygen supply anyway.

Just my opinion.

Thanh

No question, Thanh Alcohol Kills. As do cigarettes, too much fatty foods, no exercise and various other lifestyle choices. The banning (or restricting acess or promotion to various degrees) of a myriad of substances desired by mankind has been a significant social issue since the recording of civilization. Recent history has seen the prohibition era in the US, and currently the discussion concerning legalization of marijuana and the argument that legalizing other illicit drugs such as cocaine would in effect decrease demand, lower crime rates and in the end kill fewer people.

This current government wishes to restrict and in effect to lower alcohol consumption (or so goes the rationale) Unfortunately this is thier right as the makers of laws and the designers of the current social construct. (or so they wish to be).

I think the real question is Does this make any Frickin sense at all?! Economically, Socially - will it work? Will it last? Will it have the effect they want?

Or is it only a means of policital pressure on the LUCRATIVE alchohol trade that will -in the end- result in "personal" economic gain? more likely.

No one can - in thier right mind - think that the current "anti-booze" campaign will stop - or even significanly decrease Thais from drinking. It is a national pastime. So what is the real reason?

Health concerns, i am sure.... ?!

Anywhere outside of Bangkok the beer gardens or that style of venue is the primary (volume wise) means of retail sale for beer. They are also heavily subsidisded and supported by the beer companies (who fund and provide the beer girls, the advertising and the promotions through thier very large marketing budgets) who use the venues as a primary means of advertising thier product. It's a money issue.

Your incredibly niave statement that the beer gardens can just convert to selling fruit juice (actually i recommend green tea -it's on the rise!) is unfortunately not gonna happen dude.

I own 2 restaurants and a pub/club here in Asia and i can guarantee that these beer gardens if closed -will be turned into something that sells a product people demand... simple law of economics. You can't stop selling alchol - unless you wan't to become an islamic-style state (and i can't imagine the Thai people swallowing that one). But you can restrict advertising it.

The issue behind the beer gardens is the advertising issue -it's where the companies can effectively advertise (and sell) thier product even if prevented from running media ads.

Social Wholesomeness Campaign? maybe. Economics? Certainly. Effective and sustainable? No.

Oh really? Do divorces in the West leave people maimed and murdered?

I think the term divorce is used as a catchword on this forum. We don't know why people divorced, how many dependents are involved at the point of divorce, and whether or not the ex-spouse was completely dependent on taking care of the children and the home. There are some women who even gave up their careers or work lives to be a spouse, have children, and take care of the house. Did he or she ask for the divorce, did he leave her for another woman, did he beat her, did she cheat on him, etc.

There are many nuances and conditions to consider in the catchword "divorce". The major difference is that in SOME Western countries, women have a legal net, whereas in Thailand women have no legal frameworks to protect them. They must therefore revert to other tactics.

Further to my post yesterday I would like to add a few more insights for those of you that may be seeing Thai from a viewpoint of a posh hotel room paid for by Co. expense acct....20% of the Thai population live in the cities while the other 80% live in the country. It is here that you will discover the true Thai and their life styles. Many of you will never see this because no one would ever take you outside of the protection of a resort area. Most foreigners would not relate to you the stories I have told you because they maybe ashamed or have no access to the web. Killings are common in the countryside as no one ever believes they can obtain justice through the police or court system and I tend to agree with them. Most Thai from the country are illiterate usually completing no more than 6 years of schooling before dropping out to work on the family rice farm or looking after cows or other agricultural pursuits. The women usually marry at the age of 16 and by arranged marriage. Many times only knowing each other when they were children growing up. More often than not a young man and woman are forced to marry because they were suspected of sleeping together whether true or not. Saving face is more important than the future success or happiness of the marriage. Needless to say most of these marriages end up in divorce but since most marriages in Thailand are unofficial there is no need to go to the court. The man's family must pay a dowry when marrying consisting of money and or gold dependant only on the wealth of the families. This is the only compensation the wife receives no matter if their is children or not. Unfortunately this money is usually spent long before the marriage ends. The woman usually ends up with 2 toddlers while the husband goes on his merry way. This is why Thailand has so many prostitutes working the bars in the tourist resorts and it is not even so uncommon for a bar girl to be living with a thai husband or boyfriend and selling her pussy at the same time. Such is the mentality of the thai people. Many bar girls have regular customers that come several times a year and stay with them a month or so at a time. These clueless souls think that by sending money to their girlfriends every month that they will faithfully wait for them in their bungalow until they return. Little do they realize that as soon as the plane lifts off the girl is back in the bar lining up the next monthly paying customer. The more beautiful the girl the more likely that this is happening. Foreigners that come here think that this is paradise. What a delusion. Bar girls will get angry and threaten other bar girls with violence if for example they sleep with a foreigner and the next night when he comes back to the bar and decides to give his attention to a different girl. There is a constant jealousy happening and the foreigner does not realize that all he means to the girl is money in her pocket and all of those friendly smiles and attitudes are for one purpose only. The smart ones have many tricks they use also such as wearing very little gold or none at all and then taking their Tiluk for a walk past all the jewelery shops just for a look. Or on the last day of their stay they accompany their Tiluks to the airport for a last farewell because they know more often than not the departing falang will most likely empty his pocket and wallet of his remaining thai bht. thinking that he probably won't be back gain for awhile so in a moment of final bliss feels a softspot. Then it's quickly back to the bar again for another one. This is how many of these problems occur that end up in violence or death for foreigners. Mostly they are unwitting victims caught up in something they don't have a clue about what's going on. Many foreigners have tried to set up businesses in Patong. One rented a spot on the beach walkway and started selling silver jewelery. At first the Thai thought this was funny and laughed but when they saw that he was making money they chased him away. Another Swiss man set up a wind surfing rental on the beach. At night he locked everything up and went home. The next day when he returned all of the boards had holes punched through them. @ more swedish men bought 2 water skiddoos. They were told if they didn't leave they would be killed. They sold the skiddoos and left Thailand. I could go on and on about violence towards westerners but I think by now you should get the message. One last comment I would like to make is for western women never to go out alone at night. Recently a Welsh tourist was raped and murdered on Lamai beach in Koh Samui and a 12 year old girl was also raped 5 days ago. The german man murdered by his thai girlfriend may or may not of been a prostitute but there is a 99% probability that she was and anyone that has directed any bad comments at me are the one's living with their heads up their ass. I am not afraid to speak out for those that have been abused and treated like nothing more than a few lousy baht in the pocket so those of you that think I am not being fair and honest then fire away. I have many more stories I can relate to this forum. It's time for the silent majority to stand up and for those of you that are living in posh protected falang enclaves I invite you to come live out in the country away from the tourist sites for a dose of reality.

You have a very negitive view of Thailand, alot of your facts are wrong, and the only real aspect you seem to know about is the small % of women that take up work in bars.

Your idea about what goes on in the country just makes me laugh, you have no clue.

Some paragraphs would be nice too, I hope your not an english teacher.

This is not my idea of what goes on in this country, this is factual. Do you think I make up these stories? What is it that I have said that makes you laugh? I find nothing funny in what I said at all. This is a very serious matter. I am not alone in my experiences. Is this all you have to say. What facts do I have wrong? My posting was mostly what happens outside of the bars. If you don't believe me that's your perrogative but there will be those that will read this posting and will be forewarned and for that it is worth my time. There will always be a few that will say I am wrong but can offer nothing but their own opinion with nothing much to back it up. My German friend lives in Nakhon Si Thammarat. His daughter came to visit him last year. She says she will never return again. Are you so nieve that you block out all of the reports of foreigner abuse and discrimination. Go to Safari World. They have one sign in Thai with the entrance fee, another one in english for double. Go to the National Parks and check out how much a foreigner is now charged for entrance and how much Thai pay. In Thailand a foreigner is welcomed with a smile { if he has money} If not they have a word for you. They call you Falang Kii Nok. Do you know what this means? My wife went to the lobby of a hotel to enquire as to the price of a room. She then came back to tell me the price was reasonable and that we should check in. As soon as the receptionist saw me the price went up 30%. Do you think I have my facts wrong? I don't think so only you have a one sided view. There are many good reasons for living in Thailand otherwise I would not be here but those things do not need mentioning as most people know about them already. Are you going to critisize me for no paragraphs again? Oh no, call the principle.

Yes SR, as shown by your insightful monologues.... you obviously have put your time in. I'd say you have reached about stage 4 of the 6 levels of expat adjustment:

Stage 1) Honeymoon phase... everythings rosy! So much better than "back home"

2) Questioning Stage; Hmmm.... starting to notice all those irritating things that now seem to put a fly in the ointment

3) Cold Harsh Reality Stage; Hey, this place if f&*d up too! Everything seems <deleted>, wonder why i am here

4) Cynical & Jaded expat: more negative than positive - been there, done that, know it; and will tell you so. "Thailand - the place i love to hate... or hate to love...!?"

5) Adjusted. Love the Good, Hate the Bad, take em as they come. Know enough to know you don't really know much.... and really never will. Life is but a shade of grey...

6) Gone Native. Start hating your home country and fellow expats, and things start to go all rosy again.... back full circle to stage 1...

cheers!

The problem is still sex, Farang comes to Thai for girl,

Have one, but not stop looking for other sex!...

That's also why prostitution and crime often meet...

Avoiding one, is often avoiding the other....

I guess, maybe the family in Nakhon Sawan now knows she was not only a 'secretary' in a Phuket resort, and the family in Germany will be surprised too.

Some people are really irresponsible.

Why is it that as soon as anyone mentions anything about a Thai woman involved in violence against a falang male - that they are automatically assumed to be liars and prostitutes ?

And why is it that as soon as anything is mentioned about a falang male -that they are assumed to be in Thailand only for sex and specifically paid sex?

Interesting (and very often untrue) conclusitory jumps which i find irritating both in frequency and biased, blind generality.

never get involved with a bar girl period.

Generally good advice I'd say. If you do at least be realistic about what what you're getting involved in. I don't buy the prevailing notion here that most bar girls are rotten to the core (though plenty are), or that they are prone to violence (small minority). The heavy drinkers seem to be the really crazy ones (what a suprize, goes with the guys too) Bar girls are fine if you want to have a kept women for a while.

Bar girls are in the bars for a reason, and honestly is NOT one of those reasons folks - wake the hel_l UP!

Biggest reason: Single motherhood with no decent means of support. This poo may or may not have had a husbund. If so, fantastic odds he's an alcoholic deadbeat, and poo would love to ditch him but is not in a position to.

This is not in itself a cause of lying. I belive bar girls are reasonably honest with me, but then I don't come off as a sucker who's going fall in love with them, or go back to my country and send them money. Maybe speaking fluent thai helps too. As far as I know, I have never had a girl lie to me about having a child (most do). IMO the guys that get lied to are the guys that lie to themselves about who these girls are, and want to be lied to, in some way, by the girls.

If it's not single motherhood, it's family debt, often at usurious interest rates, or they enjoy the bar girl-lifestyle (partying & lots of $) The later two are more likely to be really rotten IMO.

But they all become bar girls looking for a meal-ticket, and that's most likeley what you will remain for the duration of your relationship with a bar-girl.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well said ww. while i don't frequent Thailand's girly bars looking for a wife, i have spent enough time in them over the past 12 years to note that - as in every bar - anywhere in the world - there are both pros and newbies, angels and psychopaths. As a general rule however, the falangs in most of these bars are more maladjusted than the working girls! Stop bitching about the bar girls for f*ks sake - domestic (!) violence is commonplace here - if it's not the husband /boyfriend beating the wife senseless, it's the wife slashing off vital reproductive organs. So it happened in a bar - better than at home I'd say.

I would like to sign up but for what exactly. If you cant explain this to me why would I sign up?

Sign up for what? I dont have a clue really what this is?

If its so good wht cant you lay out info here what the program is? I dont think I am the only one in the dark here. I have interent and a cell phone in Thailand and I like things for free too! Enough to get started but no info as usual in this country!

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How can you have both internet AND a cellphone and not know what SMS is?!

-hey, don't sign up: you won't use it anyway~