DirtyDan

And PM Selfie wants to repeal Bill C-51 so we can have an even harder time investigating these folks?  Sounds like we need to start sending flowers to the US Embassy as thanks for keeping Canada safe.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/906052-where-can-i-buy-palladium-bullion-bars-in-bangkok/

They mention a place in HKG that will ship bullion to BKK. Also, if you buy "bullion" in legal tender format - like the 1oz Canadian Maple Leaf coins with a face value of 100$ OR 200$, you're technically not importing gold, your bringing in foreign currency.

( and have to step onto my soap box for a moment: Having a few ounces is nice as an emergency hedge... but I pity the person who gives up growth and dividends to hold onto a bag of shiny rocks.)

Another vote for Budget. Picked up in Chiang Rai, Dropped off in Chiang Mai, no issues. So if they offer it out of BKK, go for it.

Thank you for the cached version. Still wondering by the thread was removed?

"Game Over" on Thong Lor : http://www.gameover.co.th/consoles/

My Thai staff took us there for a team building event - burgers were awesome!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/787112-anantara-vacation-club-pricing/

Thank you.

Hello Sysop,

I was following a thread about a certain hotel chain here in Thailand and now when I click on they URL (had to search because no longer in my "following" list), it comes up as:

[#10340]

If you have staff / guards working in your building they will have the hook-up for gas. Talk with them.

Everyone I know back home is sitting and waiting for the phone to ring. Glad I made the jump to come here a couple years ago as I've been able to hold on a little longer. See what happens in the coming months with P&A work.

It hurts me to see someone spend that much on a Tag Heuer... but reinforces to me the might of good marketing.

Assuming a package of that value actually makes it to you, I would guess 21% import duty, plus 7% VAT, plus an arbitrary excise duty of 10%? so maybe 38% if you're lucky and don't factor in the taxes you need to pay on the fees and taxes.... http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/traders+and+business/sample+of+duty+assessment/sampleofdutyassessment

Mail to a trusted friend that's coming over eventually and just have them wear it.

Gosh... they'll have to also issue 100 more licenses for tailor and jewellery shops to ensure the drivers can make a decent wage.

Any update on the Hua Hin beaches? People still getting oil on their feet?

Wow, that's interesting to know. Can I ask you why you accepted the shirts with the extra 9 inches, shanked buttons and the sleeves too short? I have had 2 fittings and discuss with the tailor about how it feels, length and fit. I only pay 50% deposit and balance on completion once I am happy with what I have ordered. I agree the shirts should fit like a second skin, so why did you pay the balance before getting the problems sorted? I will ask about the tailor 'being on site' for you when I am back there next week. If I was you I would go back and demand your money be returned, if they have done it wrong or at least rectify the problems for you!

Comedy of errors on my part... paid the second half of the balance and then they kept the shirts for a quality control issue (a cuff which they fixed on the one shirt), and then they were picked up by my partner. But as I said, when I took the two serious problems back, they were fixed and they even offered a beer.

So far as asking for money back, there comes a point when additional trips to lower Sukhumvit are no longer worth the hassle - I can't negotiate my arm length. A lot of people like ToT and recommend their work, I'll leave it at that. Like I've said, they have wonderful customer service (and even made a TV account to PM me after my last post here to see how they can make things better). This was a trial and it's concluded, the money I spent I did so in searching BKK for a good tailor.

I'm not shaped like a bell-ringer but I definitely have a non-standard body type. My shirts back in the fatherland used to cost 15-16,000 bht each to have made, so it's worth it to continue trying to find something here.

I'm still searching for the BKK tailor that can work with me because even my current go-to uses cheap threading which causes buttons to come loose - a simple issue which they don't seem inclined to fix, 'Just bring it back and we'll re-sew it'. It's an adventure seeing as there's so many clothing merchants here in BKK ranging from a couple that have high quality materials (but mediocre craftsmanship) to outright scam artists and everything in between. (My brother laughs at my tailor search and says I should just give up and come home or try Hong Kong at least).

For example, there's another shirt maker, Duly, that can order wonderful materials (210/2 + cotton), but, like most shops, does not have a tailor in house - sizing was by a person that did not sew herself and the fittings involved sms-ing pictures to whomever it was that was doing the actual cutting. Plus they only got my fitting even close (third fitting) after giving up measuring me and simply copied the shirt I wore in... 1) If I liked the shirt I was wearing when I walked in, I wouldn't be here and 2) I might as well stay with the person that made the first mediocre shirt!

I would be interested if anyone has experience with July (Silom) or Tramp (Silom near Sirroco) as they'll be my post- Christmas experiments.

I warned you on page 1 that the gold gollums would come out...

Regardless of the random examples put forth, I -do think you've hijacked the thread from the OP's original question.

That hard-core school you speak of, was it the Cobra Kai Dojo by chance?

Do you have too much weight on the roof? All those heavy cement planters will cause leaks in the cement...

You'd have to look at the terms of the insurance policy... it will probably cover damage to the unit itself but they may argue that this damage is to the building (as it's the roof)

Tailor on Ten gets my vote, going for another fitting tomorrow, great service and product, not cheap but I believe you get what you pay for.

A lot of people praise ToT and they must be doing something right to attract their clientele as their mail-order business seems to be booming.

I have three shirts from ToT as that's the minimum you can order. From those three shirts, I took two back when one had the armpit seem come apart after wearing for 5 hours, and the other for correcting the collar stitching that was loose, and the stripes that didn't match on the pocket and yoke - they repaired both without hesitation and were pleasant the entire time. I believe their shirts are made off-site despite their website saying tailors in-house because I had to wait for my contact to arrive with the shirts in a bag (I assume they mean the suit tailors are on site?).

But of those three shirts, none fit me as though they were actually tailored for me. Both the cotton shirts have sleeves that are too short (one more so than the other - I've worn both but only casually with the sleeves rolled up as they cannot be worn under a jacket.) and the linen shirt looks like a maternity smock for a pregnant woman carrying her unborn baby in her spine... seriously I have 9 extra inches of material in the back. The buttons are sewn on too closely to the placket so when you button the shirt it pulls against itself making the front look frumpled (the buttons are not shanked properly). A tailored shirt should fit like a second skin and the patterns they're using did not work on me.

They do have attentive service and give you a great sales pitch with a beer (if you want). Another plus is they have decent quality materials - this is the cornerstone of their marketing I believe. But overall, I only agree with you on one point you made: you're right, they're not cheap.

If it ends in -jutsu, it's a martial art.

If it ends in -do, it's a modern interpretation of the art evolved into sport form. (But it still retains enough of the history to arguably be referred to as an art by those that practice it)

Kendo practitioners have sticks to whack their opponent to score points.

Kenjustsu followers study the way of the sword in order to incapacitate/eliminate a threat.

Anyone that references wiki as a valid information source does not know how to reference valid information sources; there's a reason it's disallowed by schools/colleges for citation.

So back to OP - sport & health, or self-defense, or exploring ancient systems of thought and meditation. They're all available, it's up to you to decide.

To each their own - what do you want out of this martial arts study? That's the first question you need to answer - trophies and medals? Quiet practice and meditation? Weapons training? Discipline and respect? Physical fitness? Something the family can do together?

The only thing I can add to BaerBoxer's comment is to just try one. Give it 6 months to see if you like it - an honest 6 months where you practice 3 times a week. I tried various sports growing up until, as a young adult, I stumbled into a Chinese martial art different from anything else I had played with (two different Japanese sports as a kid). This was no longer about training for competition or scoring points but about self-enlightenment via physical awareness and practice of ancient forms. I have a close friend that still loves his Taekwondo and he wouldn't trade the competition for anything but I never had the bloodlust for points. Think of it like yoga - one studio will be putting you through a hard-core workout while the next will have you sitting in a circle and humming. Each school is different and you need to find one that matches your philosophy.

I take the expressway home every night. The only place there is "grid lock" is the one place a police officer is "helping" the flow of traffic. Stopping the merging lanes for 10 minutes instead of letting them zipper into traffic does not help the flow the flow of traffic.

I would say bad things about the design of the loops.. but then I understand who designed the roads and what happens when you question the man at the top.

Crime is up 67% this year.

Source ?

New York Times 29.11.2015 "Memo from Thailand"

Crime rate is the same as it has always been. People are now just reporting more of their crimes and the media is highlighting them.

Study the classic car market closely. Borrow 300k from the bank and buy two or three cars, For example .... 308/328 Ferrari, E-type Jaguar, Porsche 993 Turbo etc. Pay the bank back the $2000 a month you would save and watch these three cars outstrip any other investment.

While I don't disagree classic cars usually increase in value, the risks are not stated.

1/ Risk of buying a lemon classic.

2/ Risk of lack of diversification.

3/ Risk of the bank calling in the loan with no notice. Yes, it has happened.

4/ Risk of all the Baby-Boomers dying and no one left wanting to collect old cars = market crashes.

Enevitably the gold golems emerge from their bridges talking about their "prescious" shiny coins... Gold has never paid a dividend. Gold is cyclical - buy low, sell high - it's a gamble because every year you hold it, you're losing out on what you could've made if you invested elsewhere (the opportunity cost). If you're at the point in your portfolio you need a hedge, then buy a bond, at least it keeps up with the price of inflation.

As stated, the whole Kennedy inspired global taxation for Americans things throws a monkey-wrench into any "offshore tax havens". As long as you have the American passport, you'll pay American tax. Open up any foreign bank account you now need to declare it on your taxes - there's a form (FUBAR or something they made me file out when I filed American taxes) Perhaps you can offset it with their reirement plans (IRA? 401K?) .

It won't cost you anything to sit down and discuss this with a financial expert. Look for someone with proper designations (Certified Financial Planner - CFP) and get their input. It's your future and not worth gambling away from poor advice.

And congratulations on saving for retirement. My brother (a CFP) tells me stories all the time about 60+ year olds ready to retire but THEY HAVE A MORTGAGE AND NO SAVINGS. Uhmm... you can't retire if you have no money.

has anybody tried Casa Azul in Ari? There was an article in the BangkokPost today about it... (2/23 Phahon Yothin 7 Alley, Samsen Nai)

I budget 100k Baht a month but then I'm not paying rent and have no other "rent" regarding women.

Its sufficient for me but really if you want to have a riot double that.

100k / month but you eat at fancy restaurants a lot... A Lot. I know, because every time I read your burger thread I get hungry and think I should be joining you on these excursions.

If you like Thai food, you can eat very cheaply (but not healthily). Big cost will be room and BTS travel. Bangkok is one of the great multi-cultural cities of the world, I put it up there with New York and London, and it has one thing in common with those others: it's not cheap to live in. You can do it, and even have an OK lifestyle, but if you want to live in a cheap city than look elsewhere in SE Asia. Heck, even Chiang Mai is cheaper.