ourmanflint

That's exactly right... wow!! How insightful... I'll probably abuse the locals as well, smuggle some Pigeon Rubies that I'll swindle from the peasants that risked their lives digging them up in caves, wave the Burmese flag and have tea with the Generals, and talk about how is best to bring Suu Kyi into disrespect and succeed in alienating her from the masses...

Then I'll run all the way to the piggy bank!!!

Cheers...

Thanktastically useful

Quantum make Pro Battery packs for cameras and flashes they can be found here

Cheers

I was hooked too.... but there is no end in sight as season 3 is in the making... too frustrating to stick with it that long

I didn't say I agreed with her!!!

I have read lots about this and decided to use my own common sense... I think not spending money with government run agencies etc is probably a good idea, but Ms. Kyi has her own agenda and I have mine.

Lao Po.. thats cool if you're doing this for said reason....

I am going to Myanmar for the first time in September to take photos to sell to travel and tourism orgs worldwide. I really do belive that closing off Burma in any way is a backward step, what we must all do is encourage as many people to go as possible. Spending money with ordinary Burmese is the only way things will change. IMHO!

sounds like there's an opportunity for a professional photographer arriving in BKK shortly...

Oh yes!!

ditto... superb DSLR

Hi, just wanted to add my experience.

I've brought a one-way ticket to travel from the UK to Bangkok next week on Qatar Airlines. It was purchased through a leading UK travel website, and two days after I brought the ticket I got a phone call from the airline to confirm whether I have the required visa. I do, as it happens, have a Non-B and they were obviously fine with that. Perhaps they've had recent problems ?

Hope that might help someone.

Andy.

Cheers Andy... I'm doing the exact same in 3 weeks, but nobody has yet called re: visa, I have already done as someone else suggested and bought a flight out on Air Asia. I don't need a 60-day visa as I'll only be there a week. I think I'll check with Qatar air first thing Monday.

Col is right on the money for a house.

Another option out in Lad Prao, at Town & Town Condo's you can get a nice 2 Bdrm/ 2 Bath Condo for 12,000 Baht/Month + Electric. Close to the Subway, which is 10-15 minutes from Asoke Station.

Moving to the big Mango in 3 weeks... this sounds great any further info anyone, tried to find it on the net with no luck

Cheers

The live streaming of video of the game on the BBC website as well as the highlights they are making available is definitely for the UK only, if they are streaming commentary/radio seperately I'm unsure if that will be available outside of the UK. Below is the story from the BBC website......

I suppose they can filter out IP addresses that are outside of the UK, so as to restrict the service to the UK only. If so, I suppose you could try accessing such content through a "proxy server", so your IP address would be hidden??

Might be worth a try..

Now firstly let me state that I have never ever thought of myself as being particularly macho or laddish, but.... please guys... we have all just been emasculated by the "ladies" in their forum, Not allowed to chip in, or interrupt when they're getting soooo girlie... ( c'mon we are funny!!! ) or risk some very well balanced male TV member, tut tutting and telling us to kindly move on and "leave the ladies to it" ... LMFAO!!

OK so what the heck has just happened.... I have never in all my years of contributing to the gazillions of forums out there have I been made to feel like a badly behaved little child. I always assumed everyone here was an adult and as such we were all equal. It should not matter who you are or what sex you are, the whole point of forums is that they are open to anyone and everyone who wants to a part of it. Now as long as we stay within the rules of the forum, why can't we just say whatever we like and be done with it. Do the "little ladies" really need protecting from us oh so bad so insensitive men.. of course not .. not in a million years. If anyone is lesser of the two sexes I would have put money on that we men are....

and guys this is not a lady bashing post , not in any way!! But come on...

I do not believe in ANY segregation ever of anyone anywhere based on colour sex or age

I'm surprised and saddened that some here do!!!

sorry but I couldn't agree less!!!!

It's not worth a single thing.... all these really useless but obviously well intentioned campaigns have achieved a sum total of nothing. Sorry but that's the truth. Did any amount of protests over the 30-40 years of Chinese communism have any effect.... no!! How many Aung Saan Suu Yi's where there in China... hundreds if not thousands!!

There is only one way to change Burma.... and that is to go there. Spend money there, the only thing that will change Burma is the temptation of the influx of huge amounts of tourist dollars. You may think I'm heartless and stupid ( I'm sure some do here anyway!) but being anything less than totally frank about the situation is tantamount to sticking your head in the sand and hoping it will all be OK. I'm sure Nelson Mandela would have preferred to not have had to go through what he did, Aung Saan Suu Yi should not be held up as a martyr, she should be given the chance to live a normal life, just like most? of us. And protests like this do more damage than they do good in my opinion, we should be whole heartedly pushing towards opening up Myanmar, not shutting it off!! How amny times do we need to be shown to see it does not work!!!

I think the point here is not the fact that people should cast off all material wealth and live like monks.

The fact is that you could buy a perfectly good handbag for 1000 Baht that will do the job and look snappy at the same time. No one should feel guilty about having a night out, or having a mobile that works, a watch that keeps time or clothes that meet their requirements.

The whole problem is that we have moved over towards excess. There are a lot of problems in this world that could be solved if we all lived within our means and remembered those less fortunate. Is it wrong to buy a handbag for so much? Yes, IMHO it is. What happiness can be gained by owning such a thing? Could it match the happiness gained by buying a bag for a tenth of the price matched with the knowleadge that you put two kids through school and gave them a future? I think not. Nothing could make me feel better about myself. Everytime I saw that handbag I would remember the good that I had done.

When I see people touting excess wealth, I don't feel envy. More I feel sorry for them that they feel the need to be measured by what they have as opposed to what they are. Sure people get rich, and they often deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labours. Its just a sad reflection on todays world that it means helping yourself with all your money as opposed to helping others.

As for saying that the hadbag company might use that money to help others, well that is most unlikely. All large companies give to charity. Is that because they are morally sound or is it because it is tax deductable and good for PR? Charity like this is based on 'what can I get from doing this?' as opposed to some instinctive goodness. Question is, would you want to be remembered as the rich man 'who gave it all away helping others' or 'who died with a shedload in the back whilst people around him suffered?' Companies first concern is always their shareholders.

So don't feel bad about buying things you need. We all have to survive so that we can help others. But just think before you buy. Try this out: Go out and buy something you don't need, and then give it to someone who does need it. Example. Buy some Pad thai on your way home from work and give it to someone living on the street. Thats only 20 baht we are talking about, imagine what you could do with 1,099,000?

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

-- Gandhi.

well said!!

I wish people here and elsewhere would stop making excuses for those who through mostly luck, flash their cash around so ostentatiously..., they really should be shown the value of money, and what you can, given the will, actually do with it. And no I don't want anyone to tell me what to do with my little bit, but thats not really the point is it, its the huge disparity between the have and have nots.

"I'm alright Jack"... I think I should get T-shirts made and sell them at a huge profit to numptys with more money than sense.

Would it make any difference... it's a nice thought but protests from the world have gotten nowhere with the Burmese Military.... the only thing that will bring change IMHO is to do the exact opposite of every "free burma" campaign so far, and go to Burma, and show them that it is worth changing to have a tourist industry.

Guys, please leave this forum to the ladies.

There's 50 other forums on TV........ stay out of this one.

Thank you.

SBK... Udon...

I am not a macho mans man, I hate football, can't stand the way most idiots on TV treat women, I like to participate in the ladies forum, because it is just that little bit ( actually a lot) more intellectual than any of the other forums.

I always thought that the ladies here were more than capable of dealing with the neanderthals that hang around.

I shall be silent until I can hold it in no more

I think he takes it further. He seems to be saying that women think primarily with their wallets, or lack thereof.

Not quite, but you're getting there. All women, 100% of the female population that is, are pre-programmed, as Sir Burr says to go for the man who can "provide" the best possible situation to bring up her offspring. Now, as we all know that doesn't always happen, we fall in love, we compromise, we find ourselves attracted to all sorts of different people, but the fact remains that whomever you choose, there is both a conscious decision and much more importantly a sub conscious decision, this is the pre programmed genetic breeding part that all of us have, especially so women!! Without it the human species would be where it is today. I suspect that dependant on your upbringing the programming has a more or less marked effect, and of course many women can and do overcome that "programming".... of course!! , but it is always there, ready to ambush you when you least expect it. ( that's why you go for the wrong types.... continually- ring any bells ladies)

So women don't really think with their wallets, they leave that to their unfertilised eggs! Ergo: when it comes to men they don't really think at all!!!

someone may have already mentioned this old adage....

"half your age plus 7 years"

it was mentioned to me today, and I can't think why!! But I do think it's a pretty good yardstick.

Why is Thai Buddhism a theatrical performance? They have helped preserve a lineage going back to the Buddha bringing the teachings to us today. Without it we may not have the privilege of knowing about Buddhism at all. We should be grateful to Thai Budhism surely?

This is just the way I see it... as a performance, I suppose I think that all religions are performances of their original core values, as Sheryl has already said. I am not trying to attack Thai Buddhism per se, but just expressing my happiness in understanding why it is the way it is!

I'm sure Buddhism would still be as well known as it is without Thailands contribution to maintaining one vestige of it. But I'm also sure that Thailand is that much a better place for having kept it.

John...

You've just been handed an incredible second chance at life, whether you wanted it or not, now.... don't just think that because you've heard many great stories about Thailand and it's very friendly bars, that this is where you should go!! It might be for you , then again it might not... I'm moving there in a few weeks as well, but I am in no doubt that there are other choices all nearby.

For Brits, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, has a fantastic, strong and varied expat community, not at all like Thailand, where everything it seems revolves around the "bar scene" ( a bit of a generalisation I know it! ), it has great weather, there are no language problems to speak of, and is just as cheap. What about Bali??? Now there is a real gem for someone in your position, with enough money to build or buy... a wonderful and unique island, again the language is not so much of a problem and is easier to learn than Thai.

All I'm saying is go to Thailand have a look see, then go elsewhere, explore Asia, it's a big place... and I'm sure after a while you will know where is better for you.

thank you Lampard... I would have been taken in...

I've seen it used by Thai and Chinese girls as well.... makes sense I suppose, the Chinese thing threw me

55 5 5

I've seen this used all over at the end of posts... what the hel_l is it all about??

Is it some weird code... who started it??

Suddenly it all seems to make sense, the fog is lifting from mine eyes. I have always had a problem with "so-called" Buddhism in Thailand, because I did not recognise it as Buddhism, but some concieved theatrical peformance of Buddhism, but now I see why.

It's Thai Animism.... that's the veil between me and my version of Buddhism, and the Thai version.. animism it seems is the fabric upon which Buddhism is woven, the spirit houses, the head/foot thing.. all animist not buddhist! In the same way that early Christians integrated earlier druidic beliefs and festivals into the Christian calendar, animism, the primal layer of all religion in Thailand, was integrated into Buddhism when it arrived.

It all sort of makes sense now, it does not diminish it in anyway, in fact I feel more understanding for seeing it.

Hmmm... some truth I suppose, but a bit vague on the reasons why photography managed to compete as an art form in the first place. Photography is ephemeral for the most part, it really is throwaway art, it is a medium in which the mediocre among us can rise to the top given the right line in bullcrap!!

I don´t mind some flirting if the guy is good at it i even finding amusing....but one thing i don´t like is when i guy is trying to flirt with more than one at the same time...

when they try to impress most of the girls on a room...i just get bored....

But i must admit that some people are very good at it...

however i am always attracted to men who seem mature and don´t try to impress anyone...the quiet in a party, sitting in the corner hardly talking to anyone...and looking at you with this look which makes you wonder...does he like me or does he not like me?

Yes that's me as well... like I said flirting is just for fun, it should be spread around liberally between a good few girls... ( not the whole room dear... I'm not a tart!! ) I wouldn't want to concentrate all my flirting on just one woman, she might just explode...... or worse still, she might actually fall for it!!