burman

I suppose I'm on the search for some new additions to my aquascape here at home (I keep a planted S.E. Asia themed tank: sidthimunki loaches, siamese algae eaters, shrimp, gouramis). They say NYC has everything, but the tropical fish shops/freshwater plant varieties around here are awful expensive and sort of suck! I do a lot of mail ordering and was hoping to cut out a few middle men by just shipping plants to myself directly from Thailand.

I had a lovely group of Sidthimunkis many years ago back in the UK. I was thinking of making a very Thai themed tank here (already keep 5 ruby sharks together) and go out and catch a few wild gouramis and whatever else I could find myself.

In chatachuk you'll often find some unusual fish but I never found the wide variety that you could in the UK. I would guess a walk round the market will bring you into contact with only about 5-6 species of gouramis for example. On the other hand you can find some very nice rasboras and danios from Burma at a good price.

They'll certainly be some treats for you to find their though just take a good look around.

Heng, thanks very much for that information. I also think that a purely export company can be 100% foreign owned though maybe I am wrong.

Have you ever considered live coral export? Not the hard corals, but soft corals as I think hard corals are illegal to export. I often wondered if it was a feasible idea (for someone with a lot of cash!) to rent/but some ocean floor space and propogate live coral for export.

Kind of like this..

The reason I always thought of doing this business is because my friend had quite a few connections years ago with TMC (a large coral and marine fish importer, perhaps you have heard of them) and a few other importers as well as several retail outlets.

Thai Women want a western lifestyle but also wants a Thai Sin sod payment, No Way

Can you define western lifestyle for me?

prov·o·ca·tion Audio Help /ˌprɒvəˈkeɪʃən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[prov-uh-key-shuhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1. the act of provoking.

2. something that incites, instigates, angers, or irritates.

3. Criminal Law. words or conduct leading to killing in hot passion and without deliberation.

You obviously angered the man (even though not deliberately), therefore it was provoked wasn't it?

If he had come and had a friendly word with you, he would have been provoked into this because you angered him by having words with his son.

As it happens (and by talking just your side of the story) then even though he was provoked into action, that action was far beyond what was needed and I feel for you, it's not nice getting attacked in any way let alone with a hammer!

Therefore, good luck with your recovery and getting the guy jailed.

Your close out bonus is of no interest to us GH.

What is interesting is where your next assignment will likely be.

That's England, Thailand, Italy and Saudi Arabia (quite a cross section of societies really when you think about it!) you've lived and worked in, where next?

How come you signed on for 15 months in August 2007 and now in May 2008 you are talking demobilisation? Yours must be the only project in construction history completed in half the contract period???

Remember to take all claims made on internet web boards on how much money people make (wages, income from investments, profits from gambling, income from property) with a large dose of salt.

It's not the truth that matters... what matters is do we have fun reading it.

(Only joking GH! )

Apologies for not doing prior research on your posts TAWP.

Yes many farangs pay the same as Thai men. It depends or how smart the farang man is, and the choice of woman (and family) he chooses to marry.

Many farang pay 1000 baht for a taxi from the airport to sukhumvit too, but it doesn't mean we are all that stupid.

I was there very recently, no need to 'check'.

What embassy do you use TAWP?

I wouldn't be surprised if it's going to be standard practice for most embassies soon.

any society that does not reach out and help those children , and in many cases just turns a blind eye to them can only be considered as heartless and uncivilised.

Quite right Taxexile. As a member of Thailand's society myself I also will take a little blame for that.

As I hope you do to.

^ I don't think the OP directly employed the man (but could be wrong).

From the OP's second post...

I did not know it was his son, or he was a driver until 3days later. In fact I don't know anything about them

He's not liable to have enough money for compensation or a fine, so jail time is probably going to be the result should the OP want to take this the distance.

I'd take into consideration what happened between the OP and the attackers son which may have been anything to a few polite words, to a few unpolite words to a clip round the ear or kick up the bum.

And I'd also consider the family's circumstances should the father be sent to jail as it's never just the one person that suffers.

Burman - The OP came here asking for advice... I've given my advice....

Can you please direct me to the advice that you have given to the OP?

I'd like to get more of an idea on the full story first.

GH has the full story, apparently there was no reason for the attack and the Thaivisa members have judged the victim guilty of being at fault.

Admin will soon be collecting donations and TV will be sending a compensatory bottle of black label and a larger hammer to the attacker as it was no doubt a cultural difference and we don't wish to be insensitive towards our host nation.

Here we go again - TV Logic.

A TV member writes to report that he has been the victim of a vicious attack and the board responds with [sic] "It must have been the victim's fault".

Nobody has said it must have been the victims fault.

You know GH you have got to the point where you are making up your own quotes, attributing them to other posters and then complaining about what they said. Your need to attack posters on this board has reached new levels of late.

The board has responded with 'was there a reason?'.

And more often than not there is often a reason. From the first post to the second post from the victim we have already been hearing some more facts that may well give the 'reason'.

It also doesn't mean that the reason is justification enough for the attack and the victim is at fault.

Not that I am saying this is justified in any way at all.

But kind of interesting that at the start it was a 'unprovoked attack' and now it seems you have been having some words with his son.

Sounds like he wasn't too happy about it, what did you say to his kid to get such a brutal response?

And why is his son not welcome near yours, is he trouble too?

Not even at the embassy?

Why are people so worried here about handing their phone in? You can't use it in the cinema and get it back 5 minutes after you come out.

Reality check: Most of the users here aren't American and therefor doesn't have an overly paranoid embassy to visit where one has to give up ones cellphone to be allowed entrance.

Reality check: I use the British embassy and they require you hand in your cellphone before entering the premises.

The fun will begin if and when Thaksin fires the manager, there is I think still two years to run on the contract.Thaksin perhaps does not realise he has to pay even if he fires the manager as the two year period in indeed a contractual obligation enforceable on both parties unless they both agree to a personal waiver of monies due either in full or part.

Sorry to disappoint but I think you'll find he'll just pay it out from his pocket change.

Couldn't they roll some tanks in from Salford and stage a coup?

Surely there must have been some reason?

Wow, there is flu season and a sin sod season too I guess.

The sin sod high season usually starts a few months after the tourist high season has ended.

Not even at the embassy?

Why are people so worried here about handing their phone in? You can't use it in the cinema and get it back 5 minutes after you come out.

Europe complains about the fake luxury consumer goods. They would be complaining even more if these products were sold as widely as movies, music and software. The luxury consumer products companies from Europe rip people off with the high prices. There is no reason that a handbag should cost $10,000+. It is only because of the name. The bag probably cost very little to develop and very little to produce. Where as software costs a lot to develop, but very little to produce on the CDs. So there is a justification for the price to be high for software, but none for the Gucci bag.

And what about the huge amount of money they spend making 'Gucci' a luxury name?

Just never heard this "you're not labor" argument.

You should've countered with 'Well then, I shouldn't be labouring', walked out and gone to the pub.

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. Does anyone know of any sights that would be of interest to an aquarium hobbyist in Phuket? All internet searches lead to the Phuket Aquarium (which I saw on my last visit to Thailand).

Thanks again!

Grab a snorkel and flippers.

Or another note I didn't know Heng was in the aquarium plant export business. It's something I had a mind to get into when I came to Thailand, but with fish not plants.

Is he 100% farang or half Thai?

I remember hearing of a farang motorbike taxi driver once, I assumed he was half Thai too.