Oishi

Hi All,

I have a few hotel rooms to book and was wondering which is the cheapest method of payment, I was planning on using a credit card but i have heard conflicting stories. Some say it's cheaper by card, some say it's more expensive, and some say no need to book rooms this time of year. Better to just walk in, Anyone have any advice.

With thanks.

Book online with your card and take the card with you. Walk inn price is often 40 percent more expensive.

Hello all,

I have recently re-located back in the Uk and have brought with me all my belongings. But I am having problems with the Samsung TV I brought back. Its a 43ins rear projection, that unfortunatly has no scart sockets. Which means I have my Sky satalite reciever running through a coaxal cable. This is causing me to have picture problems, faint black lines going up and down the screen. I also cannot get a picture through any of the Av channels therefore having to tune it in on channel8. If I watch the terrestrial television the the picture is perfect and have tried a decent lead that acts with a scart going to 3 RCA leads. All these have not solved the problem so I plugged a english tv in and it was fine. Anybody have any ideas what I am doing wrong??

Bang...........

When you tried with the Scart to 3 RCA leads did you change the input to RGB or YUV?

Could you tell what model the Samsung is

Thanks George...gives the story a whole new aspect.

Wonder which version is the correct one…does anyone have more info?

It the first post is says:

Nok Air fails to lift off, skids off runway

The Boeing 737-400 was departing Bangkok to the southern resort island of Phuket Sunday afternoon but was forced to abort its takeoff shortly after the left engine developed trouble and stopped functioning before it lifted off.

But in this post is says:

A Nok Air plane makes emergency landing

Officials from the Control Tower said the DD 7506 flight of Nok Air heading to Bangkok made the emergency landing at 2 pm after taking off at 1:48 pm.

In the first version the engine failure occurred on the runway forcing the pilot to do they right thing and abort take off. And then the skidding is a clear factor with that much trust on engine 1.

But in the second version the plane was airborne, flying a go around for 12 minutes.

Now if that was a bigger machine it would have had to dump fuel before landing. Instead they might have been using the "dirty up the airplane" using more fuel by dropping the gear or flaps.

Flying on one engine is not a major issue. But I don’t see why it would have to skidd of the runway after flying for 12 minutes. Unless they calculated their weight on landing wrongly.

sonthaya are you awake to answer

I have had some encounters...sounds like I am some sort of a criminal. So I rephrase that.

I can provide some stories regarding your topic…now that sounds like a job application…so forget that too…I will just skip this part….

It is Sunday so it will be a long post…..now you are warned…

First encounter

My first encounter with the police was at one of these check points they sometimes have.

I was in a Taxi and we where pulled over. First they where questioning the driver about something while flashing there lights around the cabin.

Then one of them opened my door and started to touch my legs and pockets until he saw I was a farang. He then went back quickly and saluted me, said he was sorry…in English. I made mistake have a nice day…and then he closed the door again. Went back and stopped the traffic so we could go again.

The good one

I knew a high ranking colonel from a district here around town. He was a funny guy and would love to make fun here and there.

I was walking home one day and someone hunked the horn at me, it was him and his chauffeur. They then stopped and said they would drive me home. The problem was they where driving one of the pickup police cars so one would have to sit in the back…the back had a small cage.

Now it would be silly to ask a high ranking colonel to sit there, and the other guy was driving so I volunteered.

When we arrived at the apartment where I stayed back then, all hel_l broke loose.

Many of the people who worked there where friends of mine, also most of the guards since I had once…one day volunteered to be a guard for 4 hours.

But when they saw me inside that cage and many of them didn’t like the police they started shouting at my police friend. Even my landlord a sweet guy with an MBA from a Uni somewhere in the US came out to shout at the two police guys. Do you know what you are doing? This is our friend and his embassy will be very mad with you?

I tried to shout to the 10 people involved in the "riot"….relax…relax it is a joke…but now one seemed to care…

I was “released” and everyone had a big laugh.

Another good guy

One of our employees had gone to a company where you could borrow money. Yes one of the legal ones. She where told to pay a deposit of 5000 baht and come back a week after. She did, but they told her, she couldnt borrow the money and that the 5000 baht was a payment for the service so far.

She was furious and so she came and told me the story. I didn’t have any good ideas, so we agreed that she should go to the police and try to get them, to go with her. We where both sure it wouldn’t help, so our back up was to use a lawyer.

She went to the police station and one guy went with her to the loan company. The police guy told them they had one option only, and that was to pay back the 5000 baht immediately. And so they did, she then asked the police guy how much he wanted for his trouble, but he refused saying it was part of his job, and that she wasn’t the first one...and then he drove back.

High so rules…

Back in the good old days before the restaurants, bars and clubs had to close at 2.00….or at least you could by some more time.

I was at a club with a lot of high so Thais and no other farangs than me.

At 2.30 two police guys on a motorcycle arrived at the scene.

They entered the club and negotiated with the club owner, the DJ dimmed the music and suddenly to spotlight where pointed at the two police guys and the owner and then it happened. The crowd started shouting at the police, get out you dogs, get out you dogs…and they quickly took the advice not even getting the 3000 baht the owner had prepared.

The bad one

You know how they sometime change the directions of the lanes in Bangkok?

I was in a Taxi, not driving myself and we where pulled over. You are crossing down a one way street, said the police guy to the Taxi driver. "Okay" Was the answer, and he then tried to give the police 300 baht. I just smiled and looked…well like a farang and the police guy said to the Taxi driver, not here, to much high so and a farang in the back. You can come to meet me outside the police station at 17.00.

The Ugly one

I was at a restaurant…sounds like this happens a lot….well anyway.

Closing time came and a really drunk police guy came to my table a mumbled a few words in Thai. He wanted to taste my beer, but I am not that kind of a guy that shares my beer with other guys…so I bought him a new one. He sad down and talked about his job, and I didn’t have to worry about anything, he would take care…actually before he arrived I wasn’t worried about anything. He then got up and “walked” to his police pick up, and I ask him if it was a good idea to drive in that condition…he answered “I have to; I still have to work 3 hours…”

The real bastard

We where home visiting our family. Another one of those small towns….well not even a town…

There had been some illegal activities in a house 500 meters from our home. A pit of card playing for a few bahts had taken place. The police had stormed the scene and everyone had been given a warning since all of the gamblers where above 60 years old. A week had past and no one in my family gambles so we didn’t really care.

At 22.00 we went back inside the living room and sat down on the floor…as we all do out east…my 2 nieces 11 and 12 years old, my sister in law, her husband and my mother and father in law…where all present and we where watching a Thai movie.

Then suddenly my sister in law screamed because she got scared by this guy that was in our kitchen…well everyone got scared. We then asked him who the f*** are you? And he would then call 3 other guys who all showed their police ID.

What do you want? Was our next question leaving the f*** out of our language for a second. We want to check this place for illegal gambling and then they started to look under the sink, in our sofa…until my mother in law..bless her…65 years old and not your average 50 kilo Thai…went over to the guy that seemed to be in charge and ask him for a search warrant…they didn’t bring it….well you can check these if you want to and she pulled up her shirt revealing everything and then pointed on the two small kids and said. Does this look like a casino to you? Get the f*** out of my house…and of they went…funny for a moment but sad because it just isn’t right to go trough peoples stuff like that.

The funniest one

There was a hostage situation a couple of years ago in the Burmese embassy

The Thai police would arrive on the scene, but they didn’t close the street, due to heavy traffic. So on one side your would have 40 police, then a lot of tourist walking, some locals selling pan cakes, lots of cars, and then on there other side, hostage and hostage takers with AK47’s what a scene.

Long story short, the hostages takers demanded a helicopter to fly them and the hostages to Burma. They arrived at the field where the helicopters was placed and went inside…for a couple of minutes…then the interior minister of Thailand came to…negotiate…well the took him too.

Then they opened the door and asked where the pilots where? And the police responded that they had only asked for a helicopter….not any pilots…so they waited and a pilot came…then they went off to Burma, got out…all the hostages and the interior minister could fly home to Thailand again…the police was happy and the government was very happy. No one died and all was solved in peace…until next days newspapers made the following announcement.

Dear Hostage takers and bank robbers,

Come to Thailand. We will give in, to all your demands.

We will provide you with a helicopter and pilot, and we will even throw in an interior minister as well, and then fly you back to where ever you came from.

Sorry to interfere in your conversation, but a standard GSM mobile is NOT secure.

The GSM uses these algorithms called A5-1, A5-2, A5-3.

An IMSI-catcher would be able to decrypt any A5 algorithm within milliseconds.

But still they claim GSM is the most secure wireless system in the world…

Every mobile phone has an IMEI number that IMEI number doesn’t change no matter what sim card to put in the mobile phone.

A mobile phone is actually one of the best tools to keep track of any persons, be it there whereabouts or tapping into the conversations.

Sim cards….Forget it! In this country you have to register with some ID.

Using a Simcard from a country where they don’t require ID is possible but then you will be having roaming problems on a Thai network. If not, then they will send a bill to your issuer and your ID has been revealed.

Some of you might remember one of the English newspapers tapping in on Lady Di and Prince Charles mobile phones some years ago…revealing the story on Camilla Park Bowles or what’s her name…

Since 9-11 there has been a huge growth in phone tapping in various countries like Germany, Holland and the US.

Yes you can buy some add-ons but the problem is that they mostly aren’t compatible with the add-on device from the person that you call or receive a call from.

One thing you could hope for was a J2ME solution, a java program on your phone that could crypt and decrypt all calls mad from your mobile phone. You would then have to buy that program outside the US since they don’t allow anything using more than 128 bit encrypt system. I guess the guys at FBI…and this is a guess….cant do more than 128 bit.

If you have some friends in the military you can ask for the EMSS Iridium handset

it is a satellite-based personal communications system.

It uses the Department of Defence (DoD) dedicated gateway. It accesses the Defence Information Services Network (DISN) and is capable of providing secure service because it never touches land, but goes directly from the handset to the DoD-owned and operated gateway in Hawaii. Even the billing is done directly to the DoD.

But I guess it may come at a price similar for a small country.

Your best option to remain secure would be carrier pigeon.

Fanciman when you entered the TV you accepted the terms in the Forum Rules

By using this service you agree;

1) You will not use thaivisa.com to post any material which is knowingly or can be reasonably construed as false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, referencing suicide, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law.

And

DISPUTES.

Thaivisa.com shall be the sole arbiter of what is and is not a violation of these acceptable use policies. We reserve the right to terminate an account at any time and for any reason that causes harm to any other. We reserve the right to delete all content and files on our server and in our databases at any time for any reason. Thaivisa.com reserves the right to refuse, cancel, or suspend service at our sole discretion.

So you knew beforehand you could get a post deleted.

But I will probably agree with you on many other issues concerning freedom of speech.

I am from a country where we value freedom of speech a lot. The last couple of days it has even cost us some embassies.

But that freedom also gives you the right to start your own webboard or blog and discuss those matters, then it is your responsibility and not TV.

Because freedom of speech does come with a responsibility. And by posting in TV you are suddenly moving that responsibility on to the guys and gals behind TV and not yourself.

Stevesuphan What is your point exactly in your post?

“As a resident of LOS for over a decade now, currently a moderator of another popular Thai forum and co-founder of Thailand's biggest 'Thailand' blog-site:

TV has been right to censor any such....story. Well done.

Is that why you discuss a similar tread (book) on one of your forums, and I only mention this because you advertised for them in the beginning of your post.

Not foreigners warned, but Americans :-)

This is an announcement from U.S. Ambassy, of course it is targeted to Americans. Why would U.S. Ambassy care about foreigners from other countries in Thailand? Those foreigns are none of U.S. Ambassy's bussiness anyway.

Yes Scott...but then the tread should have said Warning to Americans...but it said Warnings to foreigners....

Not foreigners warned, but Americans :-)

This is a Warden's Notice from the US Embassy to US citizens in BKK.

Perhaps that is why it addresses concern for US citizens???

What is your embassy saying?

Nothing!...therefore my reply.

I cant even say they are with the Austrians, because they dont even know what Patpong is. They are still trying to figure out why they don’t see this Chuan Lekpai guy on TV anymore. And what happened to Carlsberg beers.

(Edited Australians to Austrians...maybe they are with the Australians :-)

A Law Will Be Drafted to Curb Obscene Media

He added that those who videotape themselves while having sex will also be punished

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 02 Febuary 2006

So you can still use the DVD recorder or Mobile phone cam?

ICT Minister : More Than 1 Million Obscene Websites Will Be Closed

Funny if you look at another article on the same subject, it seems there is a long way to go from 2000 websites gahtered so far to the alleged 1.000.000 websites.

ThaiDay/ Manager.co.th

"So far, the ICT has gathered a list of fewer than 2,000 websites with content that is deemed illegal, and has requested that internet service providers (ISPs), such as CAT Telecom (CAT), True and CS Loxinfo, block their users from accessing the sites".

Hard day at the office honey?

“To get around the problem, the ministry has employed hundreds of so-called “cyber inspectors,” who scour the internet to identify websites with nudity or other obscene material”. According to a ministry spokesperson.

Wow! Any job openings?

And some low level comedy…

Have you seen the name of the wife of ICT Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom?

Profile page

.....It says…Married to Mrs. Pornrat

I guess with the new stoftware installed she wont be able to open a blog in her name…

Not foreigners warned, but Americans :-)

Oishi; thanks for the help so far; Here is my progress;

I have just English and Thai in the second box, have highlighted English and it now has the Microsoft symbol next to it, however all the programs are still Thai language.

When I click on this language setting area, nothing changes; are there alternative routes to change all my Microsoft programs; Word/Outlook/Excel/ Powerpoint etc.....

Restarts to computer and this area 'Microsoft Office Tools' cannot seem to help; thanks; I am really getting sad about this; Have I got Thai only software installed? What is the worst case scenerio..........?

S.B.

I understand...it isen't easy to navigate on a Thai program. Even Thais here in our office have changed the language settings to English instead.

The worst case scenario is that you dont have a Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack ...but i dont think so beacuse then you wouldn't be able to see the boxes :-)

Lets try this one.

Click here this is a link to microsoft download. It is a file you will have to donwload and it will make you able to change language on a lot of things.

Follow the instructions from Microsoft.

The problem is strange to me. If it was the other way around I might understand why it wouldn't change the menu...but this is English so I am getting frustrated about it...

Do you know what version of Office you have?

Have you done some update to the Windows of office?

I hope the new info above will help you...I will ask around and see if others have tried the same problem.

If you are looking for freeware you could try AVG antivirus free edition.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

What browser do you use...? Firefox can read it without any additional downloads.

totster

The evil empire's. IE.

If you dare you could try the new IE7 beta ready for download as of today...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/ie7betaredirect.mspx

Or maybe some of these

http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/misctool...rssreaders.html

Chuwit already has plans for comeback

“I returned my earnings derived from tax money to set an example for other officeholders,” he said.

Like that one 555555

My DVD player is a SD231E, no luck finding an unlocking code for it as yet. It's an older model, so not sure if there's one available.

I'm just about to buy a new laptop. Does anybody know if the DVD players in the machine are region protected?

Seems like a lot of the Toshibas use the same unlock code

You could try it...

http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/info/multire.../toshiba240.asp

If or when you buy a laptop you might have the same problem.

But having said that there are a lot of programs availible for download and remove or change the region code if there is one in your new laptop.

Like AnyDVD http://www.slysoft.com

But again ask before you buy or even better bring the Thai DVD’s with you and check if it works.

But remember the laptop might play the DVD but ask you to set the region first, be sure it dosent say anything about you only have 4 more setting left before it will lock the drive to that region selected last.

Edited some spelling errors...

Maybe something to do with your Regional Settings.

Have you set your location as Thailand?

And... again... is it really a problem?

The Thai version of Google has a bias towards Thai sites in it's search results (I'm pretty sure it does anyway), may be an issue for non-Thai people.

I don’t know if it matters, but there is a difference.

If you search for lets say Asus on:

Google.com

Google.co.th in English

Google.co.th in Thai but still writing the search word Asus in English

You will get 3 different results.

Google.com will list 12.700.000 result

Google.co.th in English will also list 12.700.000 result but the top 10 list will be different from the google.com search results.

The Google.co.th in Thai language will list 18.300.000 results and also a different top 10 than any of the others.

Go to Tools - Options - View tab - look at the SHOW box and

uncheck the "Picture placeholders" box

the picture looks fake to me...if you zoom in on the nose of the DHL plane you will notice a line in the pixels see below

and also on the engine of the DHL

Sorry to ask again people but I didnt get an answer to my last post, I am moving over soon and have a laptop with bluetooth I will also be buying a thai phone. I live in pattaya on the east side of Sukhumvit road in Moo9 so what is the best way for me to connect to the internet? i dont forsee a need for a landline phone but if thats best then thats the way I will go. What is DTEC? any help would be appreciated

Depends on your needs.

Are you going to stay there, and surf the net, read email.

Or are you a lot on the move, reading and replying to mails.

If you are surfing the net, looking at heavy pages like CNN maybe downloading som software or listen to radio, looking at internet TV you should indeed get a landline and some ADSL internet.

If you are on the move a lot with your laptop get the GPRS solution.

DTAC is a mobile operator. Second largest in the country, partly own….well mostly owned by Telenor from Norway.

AIS is the largest mobile operator, now in the hands of a Singaporean investor but they still have a very good service.

True/Orange a Thai company, check first if you can use Orange in your home.

There are also to others operators Thai mobile and Hutch but not sure they will be around for long.

You will need a mobile phone with either a USB port, Bluetooth or IR.

Then a Sim card from either of the above. Or you could even buy a GPRS card for your laptop.

When you setup the GPRS on the phone change the normal GPRS WAP settings to INTERNET.

Here are the setting…you can get the operator to send you a MMS that will install the WAP settings for you, but you will need to change the APN settings from WAP to internet.

All operators have campaign now and then on GPRS, check their websites.

AIS

http://www.one-2-call.com/One2Call/otc/e/index.jsp

DTAC

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/default.aspx

Orange

http://www.orange.co.th/english/index.jsp

If you buy the mobile phone in Thailand it might already have the settings you need

Check them against this below.

1. Connection name >

If AIS - AIS GPRS

If DTAC - DTAC GPRS

If Orange- Orange GPRS Inet

2. Data Bearer >

GPRS

3. Access Point name >

If AIS = internet

If DTAC = www.dtac.co.th

If Orange = internet

4. User name >

AIS = None

DTAC = None

Orange = orange

5. Prompt Password >

No

6. Password >

AIS = None

DTAC = None

Orange = orange

7. Authentication >

Normal

8. Homepage >

AIS = http://wap.mobilelife.co.th

Orange = http://www.orange.co.th

DTAC = could be www.dtac.co.th

9. Connection security >

off

10. Session mode >

Temporary

Advance settings

1. Phone IP Address = Automatic

2. Primary name Server = 0.0.0.0

3. Second. name Server = 0.0.0.0

4. Proxy serv. address =

AIS = 203.170.229.34

DTAC = 203.155.200.133

Orange = 010.004.007.039

5. Proxy port number = 8080

Many thanks .... Oishi.

You are welcome!

Looking for a laptop.

Thanks.

Probaly the closest you can get is this one

http://www.itmall.co.th/index.php

But since many of the shops in Fortune are franchise or members of the larger chains you could search for you laptop on their sites first.

Check this tread from lomatopo here

hello

sorry, i jumped the gun on this post, i have found crushdepths thorough explanation on connecting via dtac, and will try that.

i am trying to get an internet connection in the home, and have resorted to buying an Nokia n-gage qd to use as a modem. i have signed up for the dtac unlimited plan. the thing is, the only access points named on the phone are MMS and WAP. I am wondering if anyone has the name of the generic GPRS access point, or if this is even needed. i am able to get a connection, through a billionton bluetooth device, but i can't seem to get any webpages to load.

this might be some sort of problem with com ports too, but between the nokia software and the bluetooth software, i don't know what to do. especially the nokia software, it seems to be pretty bad. i mean, the pc suite won't even recognize the phone! it says to plug the cable in, and the ngage qd doesn't even use a cable, bluetooth only.

If you use the automatic MMS sent from DTAC you will only get a MMS and WAP GPRS setup

You will need to change the WAP setup to INTERNET setup.

In the APN - access point name you have to change from wap.djuice.co.th to www.dtac.co.th and in Homepage clear the http://wap.djuice.co.th and leave it blank

Like this on a Nokia

Access Point Internet and Mail

1. Connection name > DTAC GPRS Net

2. Data Bearer > GPRS

3. Access Point name > www.dtac.co.th

4. User name > None

5. Prompt Password > No

6. Password >

7. Authentication > Normal

8. Homepage > None

9. Connection security > off

10. Session mode > Temporary

Options > Advance settings

1. Phone IP Address = Automatic

2. Primary name Server = 0.0.0.0

3. Second. name Server = 0.0.0.0

4. Proxy serv. address = 203.155.200.133

5. Proxy port number = 8080

The thing is her English consists of a few words, no more. I've tried to speak to her in Thai about a number of different subjects (stuff in the Thai news etc) and my replies usually consist of a broken English comment about food. In fact the only thing she ever says to me in Thai is "saeb mai?" when i'm eating, and when I say saeb in return it results in a fit of giggles as if she still can't believe I can eat "som tam phet phet".

"saeb" is Lao and not Thai

"Saeb mai" is half Lao and half Thai...

Bless her…I have seen worse…not in my family but I have seen a lot of “lao high so wannabes” refusing to speak lao when in Bangkok because it wasn’t a trend.

I sometimes have the reverse problem, with some of my lao friends or sister in law. They will reply to me in Thai if I ask them something in lao….and yes, even if I ask “saeb bor” they will reply “alloy”.