somchai jones

Has anybody had experience or know people that have received their MBA from Sasin Graduate Institute of Business (Chula). I am mostly interested in Sasin, but would like to know also about Thammasat or other MBA programs.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Several years ago, we printed a feature on Sasin in 'Study Asia' an international student magazine I managed.

I visited the institute and was very impressed with it's facilities, not least the very comfortable accomodation for foreign students.

On the academic side, the programs are of course conducted in English and the MBA is repeatedly found in a high position in various published rankings of Asia's Top MBAs.

Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about the Thammasat MBA but all I would say is that next to Chula, Thamasat is the most prestigious Thai public university.

Hope this helps a little.

I was stopped on the dark beachroad behind Mcdonalds in Lamai last night by 6 serious looking coppers, they jumped out and shone a torch on me. I smiled and asked politely in Thai if I could pass by, they reacted to this by giggling alot and saying "poot paasar Thai dai!" and off I went - it must be the sweet innocent air I have about me . 5 mins later drove back and they had vanished, weird.

Yes, the police (and most other Thai people) still find the concept of a westerner speaking Thai confusing to say the least. At least after the initial surprise, Thai people are then respectful that you have made the effort.

What really throws them is the fact that my Malay wife can't speak Thai but I can, particularly as they instantly assume she's Thai anyway....very amusing.

Oops... off topic (or loosing the thread), back to the police; they do seem to have these purges from time to time and yes, they are weird, particularly the ones who favour cowboy boots and wild west type revolvers)!

Blimey charlie, our maid is well overpaid...................

Reference domestic retainers ( a better word than maid or servant )

they are personal and special employees , the wages I quoted in the mail are for manufacturing industry I employ 4000 females in total . A good personal maid who you trust , communicates well , understands your little ways , cooks like a dream , looks after your stuff, washes and irons will always be worth the extra cash . I had a man servant in Bangladesh he was better than any mother /wife apart from the sex that is (joke ) I really miss him..... I had female maids in other countries and have been lucky in that I have always managed to choose correctly . But Thailand is different ( isn`t it always ) and expensive for domestic help and to be honest the thai`s do not really want to do it ...believe me we have tried ...and found ...I cannot iron ,I do not know how to use the micro wave , washer , etc plus I do not wish to learn ... their standards of cleanlinesswere lower than my wifes (Thai ) so my wife refuses to have one to help ,it was more work for her with the maid .... Yes she does know how to use motivate and train maids from previous countries ...illegal immigrant Laos / Burmese more likely to be better after some hard work training . and being live in .

So I am not suprised when you say wow yours is well paid a good one is worth her wieght in gold

'Reference domestic retainers ( a better word than maid or servant )' - 'I had a man servant in Bangladesh'

You go from sounding like a politically correct loonie to an ultra conservative colonial major.

How odd.

Why Thais do wear bikinis in the US and outside of Thailand is what

this whole thread is about.

They follow the local custom... too bad outsiders coming to Thailand

don't do the same.

Agreed. It's as simple as that.

Found my pal in a terrible state yesterday.

He was convinced he'd contracted bird flu.

After calming him down I ventured to find out what symptoms he'd been experiencing.

"Recently it's been taking me two hours to get ready for a night out, I've started speaking complete boll*cks and find it impossible to park my car !" came his reply.

see that the british medical society have discovered that lager is full of female hormones......

ten pints and you talk <deleted> and cannot drive !!!

Yes and after initially stating that one way to combat the effects would be to drink lager only once a month, the BMS have now withdrawn that advice on the grounds that as a result it may make you irritable, argumentative and sometimes even obnoxious at those times.

On seeing European women barebreasted on the beaches of Thailand, after initially wieghing up the quality of their mamories, I feel embarrased for them.

The Thaisl simply think it's 'nagliet' (sorry if the transliteration is poor) meaning ugly/vulgar.

my experience after flying 20-30 times each year is, the budget crews, no matter if check-in staff or cabincrew, are usually MORE FRIENDLY and welcoming than those of the so-called "big carriers". big carriers means: Thai, Lufthansa, Gulf, Kuwait Air, Malaysian airlines, Turkish airlines..... u can find a lot of arrogant and indifferent people working for those big airlines. the only bad experience out of maybe 50 flights I had with a budget airline staff, was in Singapore, when I had a noisy discussion with a rude Indian check-in-desk supervisor of TIGER AIRWAYS in the first week of their operation in September 2004. the delays of "air Delay-sia" (great term ) are another story, though.......

Agreed. Thia Inter cabin crew are getting noticeably worse.

They seem to think it's ok to be aloof. Also, I used to think it was a nice touch when they brought the congac round after each meal (on international flights).

Recently in 2 out of 3 flights they neglect to do it and if you ask for a brandy, it's almost too much trouble.

Singapore Airlines I find consistently good. The stewardesses apart from being friendly and proffessional are wonderful to look at - a welcome distraction when turbulance develops!

Is PG a budget airline? I thought it was a 'boutique' airline.

'Boutique' is what they call it. Sales spin for small but quality. I'd class it as a buget airline though as it's prices fall in the budget range.

Anyway I'd certainly recommend it.

Have anyone encounter very bad check-in ground services at Don Muang Airport, especially budget airlines flying international routes?. Where have all the Thais hospitality gone or we traveller asking to much of them. As a frequent traveller, it seem that the low cost airlines front counter staffs are getting worse and rude to serve people who pay less, haven't the company not giving the staffs proper training. I hope budget airlines don't forget that passenger who pay to fly also keep their airline flying high. Free to comment for folks who have bad experience with budget airlines

Recently flew Bangkok Air from Bangkok to Samui.

No problems at the counter (polite staff) and the service from the steward and stewardess on the plane was excellent. Indeed, the cabin crew of Thai Inter could learn a thing or two from them in the good manners dept.

I was very dissapointed to find out this thread was not about female masturbation.

Do we need a flashing light asking people to post in the correct forum? I can understand a vague post but this one just screams out for the travel forum. Why just dump it in general?

cv

I'm obviously not as intelligent as you (or melodramatic).

I'll take the utmost care where I post my topics in future.

Chok Dee my friend.

I regularly fly long haul as well as flights within the region as my job involves a huge amount of travel. Although the purpose of my flights are business, my company fly me economy .

Not a problem as I regularly fly Thai and they have much more legroom in economy compared to most airlines.

Over the last few months however, I've been flying Singapore and Malaysian Airlines.

After this interval of flying other airlines, when I flew Thai again a couple of weeks ago, it brought it home to me just how much the service on Thai has fallen. Something I had suspected for a while.

It used to be a pleasure to fly with them. The fact that their inflight entertainment system is a bit lacking was more than made up for by the fact that the stewards/stewardesses were so curteous and welcoming.

This seems to have been replaced by an increasingly aloof, unfriendly attitude from the crew.

The Thai staff could well take lessons from the Singaporean staff who are a model of proffesionalism.

Even Malaysian Airline Systems, an airline I used to rate below Thai, have now overtook them in the hospitality stakes.

Very sad.

I regularly fly long haul as well as flights within the region as my job involves a huge amount of travel. Although the purpose of my flights are business, my company fly me economy .

Not a problem as I regularly fly Thai and they have much more legroom in economy compared to most airlines.

Over the last few months however, I've been flying Singapore and Malaysian Airlines.

After this interval of flying other airlines, when I flew Thai again a couple of weeks ago, it brought it home to me just how much the service on Thai has fallen. Something I had suspected for a while.

It used to be a pleasure to fly with them. The fact that their inflight entertainment system is a bit lacking was more than made up for by the fact that the stewards/stewardesses were so curteous and welcoming.

This seems to have been replaced by an increasingly aloof, unfriendly attitude from the crew.

The Thai staff could well take lessons from the Singaporean staff who are a model of proffesionalism.

Even Malaysian Airline Systems, an airline I used to rate below Thai, have now overtook them in the hospitality stakes.

Very sad.

Deport all 3 with a note in their passports not to allow re-entry. Neither Pattaya or Thailand needs British football hooligans!!

Condemn the football hooligans as low life but sex tourists and big fat old men looking for young men are ok. Let’s get real here. Pattaya, mainly, attracts a certain type of tourist for what is there. Prostitutes Booze and baaaaaa. I use to holiday in Pattaya and did so for many years. I certainly would never consider it as a destination for a “family” holiday. Ponds attract pond life whatever their nationality and “pastimes” they may have.

Fair point.

I can't see where this topic is going.

A good optician may be of assistance.

One thing I just cant figure.

These 2 fishermen had been drinking, they had been drinking a lot so after swimming to the shore which would have been enegry sapping they still managed to attack and have sex.

I don't get it because i can always get it up when i am loaded but most guys cant and not even I can finish (u know what i mean - come) if I have been drinking.

I doubt that is possible and even if it is, they have crapped on their own doorstep and damaged the livlihood (tourism) of all their locals, and if that was the case then the mafia would have shot them before they had even been arrested, surely.

I think its possible that farangs did this, in which case why did they set up the fishermen because that is surely worse for tourism than if farangs did it, drunken bad English or German farangs the night before they left the island. Why don't they admit that is a possibility and then the heat is off Thailand a lot.

If I am wrong then why did the fishermen kids have smiles on the Tv when going to the court????

Perhaps its because they were both given 100,000 to do a year in jail because of course, somebody had to take the rap.

"But Wes, what about the DNA testings? what about the injection" I can hear you asking me.

Well, we have been told about the DNA tests but I personally have not seen them and i wouldn't know what to look for anyway but we trust the media is telling us fact dont we.

And the lethal ijection, they say that is what will happen so it must be true.

Of course it will be televised so when that happens you can all prove me wrong but it was just something that got me thinking the other day when I had not been drinking for a while.

Are you on drugs?

and don't forget, sporting pundits, that there is also some 'real sport' on the 4th and 5th February broadcast live from the UK.

ROUND ONE, 6 NATIONS RUGBY

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4th 2006

IRELAND :: ITALY

LANSDOWNE ROAD, DUBLIN

13.30 GMT

ENGLAND :: WALES

TWICKENHAM, MIDDLESEX

15.30 GMT

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 5th 2006

SCOTLAND :: FRANCE

MURRAYFIELD STADIUM, EDINBURGH

15.00 GMT

'Real sport' - agreed. Rugby is a sport made in heaven and don't we just love teaching the Aussies how to play it!

As for American 'football', if the sight of grown men running around in tights is your thing, there are plenty of live venues in the Kingdom for you to get your fix!

A septic shooting himself in the head.

Possibly a case of American 'friendly fire'.

"I hate to be provocative (it's a Thai thing) but; 1. accepting a ride from any man in Pattaya??? "

If you read the account, and Howard has been kind enough to interject that he has a high degree of confidence in that report, he was representing himself as a moto taxi. Apparently convincingly so. Thousands of women, thai and falang, ride on motos every day in Pattaya.

The only two people who TRULY know what happened, regardless of all this sheer speculation, are in agreement. She said he raped her. He confessed that he did.

Give the b*llshit speculation a rest.

Put some energy into preventing the next one, because that one might hit a little closer to home....

Education is a good thing. Women need to be aware of potential danger to their safety.

But sometimes even if they are doing everything "right" they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Publicizing every assault and vigorous prosecution of every attacker is another form of education. Swift and sure justice that is made known to every potential criminal has an affect as well IMO. Trying to find a "cultural" excuse or saying it happens all the time (hence giving them tacit approval) will only encourage monstrous behavior.

~WISteve

At last, common sense prevails.

I would advise against going out,

I dont mind getting wet, but I do object to sitting down in a resturant and have some fool hurl buckets of water at you (the German owner was NOT amused and shut up shop for 3 days)

But if you do HAVE to go, tee shirt and shorts would be favourite, and leave your camera or anything you have that ISNT waterproof at home (or Hotel)

I found it was mainly Europeans (and in this I include aussies and americans) who were the main culprits for hurling buckets of ice cold water into taxis, resturants, cars.

Never had any problem with the Thai kids or any Thai people (they seemed as pissed as some with the antics of the 'farangs')

We stayed in our hotel until it was over, I hope never to be thee when its on again.

But you'll have to expeirience it yourself (you may regret you missed it )

Just a word of warning, check before you take up any offers of a bottle of wine in your room from ANYONE on an internet site (unlless you know them already, but maybe I'm TOO cautious)

Two points Pepsi;

1) In my experience of Songkran, mainly in Bangkok where I've lived for some years, both young Thais and tourists are responsible for throwing water. Not as sedate as things used to be, but lets not single out one group when in my experience as I mentioned it's both young Thais and toursists who now get a bit manic.

2) whilst I respect your nobility on the advice about not accepting a bottle of wine in your room from a stranger - quite frankly you should get real!!

No arrangements have been made at all. If you care to read the thread again, it was a lighthearted joke and has been treated as such.

'It's not paradise any more and I guess it never will be,' said Katie, surveying the scene around her and wondering whether, at 25, it's time to move on.

The operative sentence. Samui's best times are in the past.... oh well, scratch another island off the list and continue to search for another.

No, it's not an island you want people, go to Sri Racha.

Head for John's house.

Full of Morriseyesque cynicism and equipped with a batch of newspapers under one arm and a knowing look on his face, he cuts a fine figure.

The host with the most, he's a real bag of laughs and will keep you amused for hours with his optimistic views and opinions.

I've loads of optimism... but sorry, just not much for your chosen "paradise."

As such, it's just an opinion based upon first-hand experiences and conversations and research... same as yours is just an opinion. Is it any more valid than mine? No.

Is mine more valid than yours? No.

As previously stated, if you like Samui, then good for you. I'm happy that you can enjoy it.

If you do, then you most likely would feel out of place and uncomfortable with Sriracha.

Have a happy day.

If you read previous posts, you'll see that I don't see Samui as paradise at all. Far from it, I have a realistic view.

I do still enjoy it though, yes.

As far as Sriracha goes, I've been there and I did enjoy it. I can enjoy places as contrasting as Khon Kean and Krung Thep, again for different reasons.

Having lived and worked in Thailand for several years in several destinations, I like to keep an open mind and enjoy those different destinations for what they are.

Chok Dee my friend.

'It's not paradise any more and I guess it never will be,' said Katie, surveying the scene around her and wondering whether, at 25, it's time to move on.

The operative sentence. Samui's best times are in the past.... oh well, scratch another island off the list and continue to search for another.

No, it's not an island you want people, go to Sri Racha.

Head for John's house.

Full of Morriseyesque cynicism and equipped with a batch of newspapers under one arm and a knowing look on his face, he cuts a fine figure.

The host with the most, he's a real bag of laughs and will keep you amused for hours with his optimistic views and opinions.

I read a very similar piece about Bangkok fifteen years ago before I first went there.

All my friends in London commented on how brave I was to be going there alone and how I hould be so careful etc as I'd never get out alive.

Their opinions came from reading sensationalist Brit newspaper stories.

Of course I was delighted when I realised how much safer I was in Bangkok than London and ended up staying for several years.

When I first visited Samui in 91, it truly was the best place I'd visited up to that point.

Very different now of course with the inevitable development that has gone on, but still I place I visit and indeed enjoy very much.

Most of the points raised in the article could apply to Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya of course and whichever of those places I happen to be in, I still enjoy.

My advice to the person in the Observer article would be that if they're looking for somewhere that isn't developed, go and spend some time in rural Thailand, learn the language and see how you get on.

One thing that I'd bet will happen is that if she does go home to England, it won't take long for her to start missing Samui, especially once she has a night out in any typical town centre and is reminded how f*c*ed up they are with drunken idiots roaming the streets - not the 'happy' kind, the violent, abusive, waste of space kind.

I may be there myself around the 12th! We could meet up in the "dry zone"... aka Lisa28's room!!!

As it's a 'dry zone', is bringing a nice bottle of wine out of the question?

I consider them to be very dangerous and I'm extremely surprised that no deadly accidents have happened yet in Samui.

These are accidents waiting to happen.

Jet Skis are no more dangerous than motorbikes.

I am in the jet ski business (not rental) and the ice has not even broken on their potential.

They may be no more dangerous than motorbikes, however there are still a couple of major concerns on that point:

1) You don't need a licence to drive one.

2) Because there aren't usually any properly defined zones, riding a jet ski near the beach is like riding a motorbike on the pavement.

We must have regulated zones and then it would be less dangerous and swimmers and jet ski riders would both be happy.