Groongthep

For those taking public transportation to the Santana concert at IMPACT Arena tomorrow there are dedicated busses leaving from the Mochit BTS and Chatujak MRT Stations (essentially the same place). The trip is 30 baht and is supposed to take 30 minutes from Mochit.

It's a bit confusing if you take the BTS because one would think the busses would be located on the left hand side of the street (Phahon Yothin Rd) looking north since the left lane is the one heading north toward Don Mueang, but in fact it is on the other side (right side or east) inside a fenced area. So as you walk north (away from the direction of Chatujak Market) go down the stairs on the right hand side. Once at street level walk north and watch for the IMPACT shuttle sign to your right on the chain link fence. There will probably be a lot of other people waiting there too.

If you take the MRT it is simple, get off at the Chatujak Station and take exit #3. Upon exiting walk straight ahead just a few meters and keep looking right. You'll see the sign saying IMPACT shuttle entrance.

I don't know what time the concert will be over but there is a good chance the trains will have stopped running by the time you get back to Mochit so be prepared to take a taxi or regular bus just in case.

Question:

of the people objecting to the use of drones here on TL, Why are you against it?

From my perspective, the least you did was to take US/EU pilots out of harms way.

Isn't that a good thing?

and if data is correct, you've reduced casualty rates of civi's by 5x,

and cost by more than that with the troop pull out.

Whats the downside?

The OP is about Yemen, I very much doubt Saudi Arabia would permit NATO forces to launch conventional air attacks on Yemen, so your argument is redundant. The US drone attacks on Al Qaeda in Yemen is all about supporting the Saudi & Yemeni dictatorships ergo regional US interests. I believe their are no NATO combat infantry based in Saudi Arabia or located in Yemen, so again your argument is not relevant to the OP.

Nonsense. I personally know US Marines who are now stationed in secure areas of Yemen and there are lots of them.

Obviously that's because Bangkok people realize that the election of their governor is unimportant.

Exactly. This election's only significance was bragging rights. The Governor has no real power in Bangkok. The police are their own entity and only follow those orders from above they feel are in their best interest to enforce. The Governor may appoint some city services directors but that's about it. The Governor also gets some press notoriety which may help with future political aspirations but really nothing more. Take the recent floods in Bangkok for example. In developed countries the respective mayors of the flooded cities would be taking a lot of the heat for the lack of flood control. Here it was all directed at the PM because everyone knows the Governor doesn't do anything.

I'll take it over SFX or Major Cineplex any day.

Clearly you've never been in the Siam Pavalai Royal Grand Theater (#4 at Siam Paragon - Major) which dwarfs Scala, only 200 more seats but it does have a balcony and a much larger screen, shows digital screenings and has an incredible sound system. The "Happiness" theater in Central World is similar but not quite as large. Theater #8 at Mega Bang Na is also in this sort of category.

You're right, I've never been to either of those cinemas, and I have no doubt they are good, but you'll never convince me the Scala doesn't have more class. I also noticed Skyfall was only nominated for Academy Awards in categories pertaining to things unrelated to the quality of the film, like the story or the acting. It's a kid's film like all the James Bond drivel. Seriously, you might as well go see a Transformers movie or read a trashy paperback.

Yeah, I'm a little surprised at the love for Scala... I'm old enough to remember beautiful movie theaters that were like opera houses (and went to Scala back when Bangkok didn't have "modern" theaters) and I miss them too. I also can understand people being less than emma ore of slick but soulless cookie cutter multiplexes. But I love films with a passion and I want the very best sound and picture. I also want very good seats and cleanliness. Can Scala offer all that? Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

OK, I will admit that I was talking about the Scala more in architectural terms than in the context of modern amenities. That said however, it probably has the largest screen of any non-Imax theatre in Thailand. The seats are also comfortable and the AC works well. It has ushers too.

I must admit however that the restrooms are somewhat dated (but close) and the Scala probably doesn't have the finest sound equipment around but it's completely adequate for me. I'll take it over SFX or Major Cineplex any day.

I've been a Santana fan since the release of the first album in the 60s. I first saw Carlos and band play in the late 70s, then a second time in the early 80s, both times in the SF area.

I also attended the Bangkok show in 2011 and thought it was excellent, almost on par with what I can remember from 30+ years ago. The band was tight, and the song selection covered all eras of his musical development (but then I like Supernatural as much as I like Abraxas; and my least favorite albums are his experiments in jazz fusion, ie, Caravanserai, Welcome, and Love Devotion Surrender), including plenty of old material. His guitar playing is better than ever. In fact he in one of the few 'classic' guitarists over age 60 today who actually seems to have not only kept his chops, but taken them a tad further. I met Carlos before the show and he found him friendly, lucid and down to earth.

I like your post SJ, as I am a life-long Santana fan as

well. Last time I saw them was at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle very early

80s, and I am looking forward to this show too. I must admit though that I am a

bit perplexed at how your least favorite albums can include Caravanserai. It

may have been awhile; try listening to it again and re-assess. How can anyone

not love this? :

Is scala in siam square?

Yes. Get off the BTS on the Siam Square side of the Siam Station and ask any vendor or merchant. They'll tell you where to find it. It's easy.

Even if the movie sucks go to one at the Scala anyway. They don't make theatres like that anymore and it won't be long before it is gone. If you're old like me it brings back memories of when you were a kid. If you're young it is a wonderful chance to see what going to the movies use to really be like. Go, you won't regret it.

Yes, BTS to Ratchatewi but advise you take motorcyle taxi from there ("moto-sai" about 60-80 baht). For there and on a motorcycle, would only be about 15 mins. MIght need to remember to say "Banglamphu" plus Khoa San. Alto you say 'night' but not a good idea to take them after 6 pm (drivers are scarce and often drinking by then).

Taxi from Phrom Phong BTS station to there/Khao San would be 30 mns lite traffic; 45 mns - 1 hour moderately heavy. Worst case in Bangkok can get really, really bad (2-3 hours...) but very unlikely without some major event or tragedy unfolding nearby. For those things, we always have fingers crossed...

Agreed. BTS from Phrom Phong to Ratchatewi then take a motorcycle taxi, this will be the fastest way. Maybe not the safest, but the fastest.

I know many will scream bloody murder for me suggesting this place, but the barbers at the shop at the Grace Hotel do a great job. They are used to some very finicky customers from middle eastern countries and hence take their time and do the job right. Your best bet is to bring a picture of yourself with your hair cut the way you like it. They'll match it spot on. They charge 150 baht but it's well worth it. I won't go anywhere else.

The only decent album this bore ever recorded was caravanserai in 1972, the guy is a dinosaur.He's just lucky he did not die out years ago and that there are still people who want to relive their youth by paying to see him. There are Thai guitar players far better, but falangs are usually too lazy to find out about them. He's well teamed up with carabao though-two boring old farts together for the price of one.

I will agree that Caravaserai was a great album and terribly underated upon it's release because so many of Santana's fans were expecting more of the upbeat latin-pop sounds like those of his earlier releases. Caravanserai was a jazz album and a great one at that. The fifth track 'Song of the Wind' is one of my favorite cuts of all time.

I am also aware that there are many extremely talented Thai guitar players around these days, I have heard a few myself but none were are the same class as the young Carlos Santana.

Regretfully, I can relate to your comments on Carabao, however. I actually saw them play in the States at a small venue in Seattle well over a decade ago and they were rather over-the-hill even then. I will agree that they are "old farts" too but Carlos Santana is in extremely good health for his age and from everything I've seen of him on tape anyway, he's still got it working really well. I've got a ticket and am looking forward to the show.

When the child turns 21 he can claim US Citizenship........

The child is a US citizen from the moment he/she is born on US soil.

The couple should seek an US immigration lawyer for a professional advice.....

Agree with this strongly.

So the sign in rubl's post says:

Goodbye! floods and drought

Build a water system throughout the country.

Build levees to protect Bangkok

Sounds like a good idea to me and not unlike an election campaign promise that might be made in any other country.

Most Thais know Thai Buddhism, which is a complex of beliefs that differs from 'Buddhism' as a philosophical enquiry or academic field.

Sabaijai and fabianfred couldn’t be more correct. “Thai Buddhism” encompasses many beliefs not found in the Buddhist cannons (the Tripitaka). These beliefs have been incorporated over the centuries dating back to the earliest days of the present civilization which now makes up mainland Southeast Asia. For example, the spirit houses outside most buildings are derived from an animistic belief that every place has a Pra Phum (พระภูมิ) or spirit of that place which needs to be honored and appeased for having it's land inhabited by others. Likewise, the belief in the spiritual power (saksit or ศักดิ์สิทธิ์) of amulets, tattoos and pictures is not a true Buddhist convention. The Brahmanist figures seen at the Erawan shrine and which are included in many Thai ceremonies can probably be traced back to the ancient Khmer kingdom which once ruled this land, but have been assimilated into Thai Buddhism. Some Chinese beliefs have also been included. I have no idea where the Nang Kwok figure found in many places of business derived from but I am almost certain it is of a very non-Buddhist origin (the Mahayanan Chinese Quan Yin maybe?). If asked however, most Thais would tell you that all these things are a part of Buddhism because that is what they have been taught since childhood.

It should be mentioned however that there are many Thais who do indeed disdain these superstitious beliefs and adhere to the original teachings. The followers of the late Buddhadasa Bhikkhu are a good example. I imagine most on this forum are already familiar with the great Pra Buddhadasa but in case there are some who are not here’s a link to a short biographical article. http://www.suanmokkh...ry/teacher1.htm

Just yesterday I saw that Tokyu Dept. Store at MBK in Bangkok had several different models and sizes of these available in the housewares section on (if I remember right) the 4th floor.

I have been flying 3 or 4 times a year back and forth between the US West Coast and Thailand for the last 25 years. It used to be simple; find the 'bucket shops" which were travel agencies that specialized in mostly low cost student travel. They would often buy large numbers of seats from the airlines at a good discount then pass much of that savings on to the customer. I don't think any exist anymore.

I would recommend what others have said and use travel search engines like Kayak, Expedia, Orbits, Travelocity etc. Then check those fares against the airline sites to see if they have anything better.

I highly recommend that you keep checking as fares can change within a few hours. Don't take the cheapest fare you see the first time you look. Chances are good that a better deal may come up later as long as you're not getting to say, within a week of your departure date. If you see a real bargain, jump on it while it lasts, because it won't last long.

Most (but not all) North American carriers stop over in Tokyo on their way to Bangkok. Since Seattle is the closest large US city to Tokyo it will probably be the cheapest place to leave from but that is never guaranteed. Keep checking, keep checking ๆ

This may help

http://makegoodcoffee.com/process

Ground Coffee can be bought in a lot of places like Tops, Big C and prices vary a lot

For the equipment look at Big C they even sell coffee makers (drip coffee)

I have a coffee maker almost identical to this model. It makes great coffee. Call me a Philistine but I buy whole bean coffee at Starbucks. They'll grind it to the appropriate fineness for you.

2) I also think LOS is in a serious R.E. bubble which will one day burst. No telling when. If you own during the bubble, it's no big deal as long as you're content to hang on to your home. The "losers" are those who need to sell after the crash. The big winners might well be those who buy afterwards, picking up properties at a deep discount. I hope to be among that crowd. I can afford to wait. I also hope the $/THB rate is more favorable then, leading to even better deals.

Many of us have been here long enough to remember the 1997 crash. At that time Thailand had almost no Real Estate law and few banks were able to repossess much property from non-performing loans. The "owners" simply refused to give them back. Furthermore, many of these deadbeats couldn't accept the concept of selling at a loss so they kept the prices at unreasonable levels and many properties simply deteriorated into ramshackle shells.

Today, the laws are better thanks to the IMF requiring Thailand to implement better banking and repossession laws, but I have been here long enough to suspect that if the bubble bursts there won't be many bargains out there, but there will be a lot of overpriced unsellable properties that will simply lie vacant and fall apart because no one will want one at prices they will be asking.

TIT supply and demand isn't completely applicable here.

Thais have some strange ideas about pricing, bank repossessed houses often asking more than it would cost to build new.

Bought a motorbike last year, brand new. Shop had a repossessed one and wanted more for the used one than the new one.

Reason, they had to pay to repose the bike and they had to recoup the costs. Jim

One of my (least) favorite examples is how hotel room rates go up when occupancy goes down. The 'logic' being the few people willing to pay the higher prices will make up for the fewer rooms rented at regular rates. Go figure.

2) I also think LOS is in a serious R.E. bubble which will one day burst. No telling when. If you own during the bubble, it's no big deal as long as you're content to hang on to your home. The "losers" are those who need to sell after the crash. The big winners might well be those who buy afterwards, picking up properties at a deep discount. I hope to be among that crowd. I can afford to wait. I also hope the $/THB rate is more favorable then, leading to even better deals.

Many of us have been here long enough to remember the 1997 crash. At that time Thailand had almost no Real Estate law and few banks were able to repossess much property from non-performing loans. The "owners" simply refused to give them back. Furthermore, many of these deadbeats couldn't accept the concept of selling at a loss so they kept the prices at unreasonable levels and many properties simply deteriorated into ramshackle shells.

Today, the laws are better thanks to the IMF requiring Thailand to implement better banking and repossession laws, but I have been here long enough to suspect that if the bubble bursts there won't be many bargains out there, but there will be a lot of overpriced unsellable properties that will simply lie vacant and fall apart because no one will want one at prices they will be asking.

TIT supply and demand isn't completely applicable here.

She will not be missed by the blindered old American dinosaurs of Pattaya but she received an enthusthastic standing ovation from her State Department colleagues during her final appearance in Washington DC yesterday. She also enjoys very high approval ratings from the general American public. http://www.washingto...arded-congress/ Given the international public relations disaster left her by the previous administration she did a fabulous job. With such widespread support she could quite possibly be elected president in 2016.

Meanwhile..back in the real world...

1.) She did receive a standing ovation from her fellow State Department members. They loved her.

2.) She does enjoy very high public approval ratings.

3.) Being she is so popular she is clearly the front runner for the next Democratic nomination.

4.) Unless something drastic changes the Republicans will remain out of touch with the American electorate and will continue to lose elections.

So how is this out of touch with the real world? All your hoping for a corporate run, hawkish religion based Republican Party presidential election won't help you and your ilk. The American electorate is sick of you obstructionist fools.

Çlinton has made lots of folks happy by stepping down, kinda of brings a tear to my own eye. I hope this is the last thing ever heard from her. She did a poor job.

She will be missed by few.

She will not be missed by the blindered old American dinosaurs of Pattaya but she received an enthusthastic standing ovation from her State Department colleagues during her final appearance in Washington DC yesterday. She also enjoys very high approval ratings from the general American public. http://www.washingto...arded-congress/ Given the international public relations disaster left her by the previous administration she did a fabulous job. With such widespread support she could quite possibly be elected president in 2016.

I would have thought that with the seniority system being so important here, that there would have been 1word to convey the meaning of 'respect' as in 'respecting authority' or 'respecting elders' or 'respecting your wife'. For example a younger person should 'wai' an elder person here first, not only for politeness, but to show respect

In the context of 'respecting authority' or 'respecting elders' the term นับถือ is most frequently used.

It's close but I'd have it down like this:

I almost can't remember, you're so beautiful my friend.

งาม means beautiful, it is used in the North and Isaan and also in the elaborate Central Thai compound 'suay[R]-ngaam[M]'. The added mai cattawa could either indicate a dialectal or an emphatic tone.

The basic meaning of เพื่อนเรา is 'our friend' like rgs2001uk says, but often เรา is also used as a singular personal pronoun. It's possible the person writing thinks of herself or himself as part of a group of friends, in which case rgs2001uk is correct. It's all in the context.

Reads like a Facebook pic comment.

I agree that to figure out the correct translation msb2050 should have given us the context in which the phrase was used. I was thinking that the mai jattawa would eliminate ง๋าม from being the word for beautiful. Looking at it word for word it is possible that in this phrase แทบ and ง๋ามจริง are people's nickmanes. I know a woman whose nickname is จริง but don't recall ever hearing แทบ being used as one. Nonetheless, if it is the case that they are names, the phrase would mean, "I cannot remember แทบ (taep) at all, ง๋ามจริง is (the one who is) our friend." But without context there is no way of telling.

If you can hold a telephone conversation with a Thai who is unknown to you, then you are fluent in the Thai language.

I can't agree with this. There are 4 aspects to fluency, 1.) Speaking and being understood. 2.) Listening and understanding what you're hearing. 3.) Reading, and 4.) Writing coherently. Telephone conversations include only 2 of those 4 skills.