farangsay

Now this is where some of Toxin's boondoggles could come in useful.

I mean.

"The Institute for Brain Based Learning".

That'll wow em !

I can't find a link on a web news site but they keep repeating it on CNN.

China has expressed irritation with the pork-barrel merchants on Capitol Hill blustering about their (Chinese) currency value and have threatened to dump their dollar holdings ($400 mil in bonds) and cause a greenback meltdown.

Anybody worried ?

I just went to Laos on the 24th (from Nong Khai to Vientiane). I was charged 1,850 baht for the visa, plus the "entry" fee.

What's up with that ? You have to pay for a visa to get into the country, and an "entry" fee. And when you leave, you have to pay an "exit" fee to get out again.

Entry Fee???? That's a new one on me! Sounds like someones taken you for a bit of a ride!

I make a journey at least once maybe twice a month into Thailand and back to Laos again and I've never paid an 'entry fee'. You didn't get tapped up by an agent did you? I've seen people being assisted in filled out the visa forms (something I do not understand why people need help with this!) so maybe it's them?

Last time I went to Laos (Savannakhet SP?) surly guy a t the window took 1700b off me (and a couple of other European nationals queuing up with me).

The entry/exit fees were 20b and 40b to the guy that stamps your passport. I have heard of people refusing but some of us can't be bothered to make a fuss about small sums.

Yeah, why do people deny snoring?

Because they never hear themselves doing it ?

Interesting why haven't you briefed me on all this

Can get morre then an annual visa?

How are the riding opportunities?

I found this site interesting , including the references to business visas.

http://www.bayonpearnik.com/Cambodia/TravelInformation.html

PS You might clear some confusion if you clarified what kind of "riding" you envisage.

Thanks guys and sorry for not saying so earlier.

I did download and use that Mozbackup thing.

Bookmarks still disappearing periodically but I just restore from backup.

Walking ATM seeker

Sick Buffalo nurse

Got 0 bht *sign*

Next Job will be a Darter and Pingponger

Liar , liar , pants on fire ! :D

My Firefox is playing up again (trouble bookmarking) so I was going to "slash'n'burn" uninstall and reinstall.

Now I know how to find (and save and restore) my existing bookmarks thanks to info from this forum.

Can I side-save and then re-insert my saved passwords ?

Steak & kidney please!

Used to mark in my diary the day steak and kidley was the daily special in the Islander in Patong.

It always amazes me how considerate these petty criminals are , not wasting police time but just rapidly fessing up.

PS

I wonder if "profiling" is painful.

Is it Wolfies b/day? Didn't think he has b/days.

Have a good one. Stay sober and responsible.

Don't listen to him ! Get falling down drunk !

Happy Birthday Wolfie.

100 years old???

750 if he's a day !

Happy birthday mate.

:D :D

PS : OUCH !

Well as far as the perception of the incoming "quality tourist" is concerned they should either supply them with rose-tinted glasses or find a way to dissuade local people from turning their otherwise pristine environment into a garbage and rubble strewn strewn nightmare.

I'd say it's going to take at least three generations , and the latest "committee" just need to be patient (and collect their salaries of course).

I am a male nurse and have spent a lot of time in mostly female surrondings. I think women can spend a lot of time talking but saying very little, but then again so can men.

Is that some variety of sarong ?

Have you told your employers you would feel more comfortable in trousers , or is it OK with you what with the hot weather and all ?

I find this story unbelievable.

This dog had bitten the guy twice already and this time it did some real damage and it's still walking around?

I like dogs but...

A dog that (seriously) bites a human should be destroyed save extenuating circumstances (and I mean guilty until proven innocent).

Gerd asks the breed. This is relevant because it was not some nipping yapping little rat that did the damage described here.

I would shoot the dog.

In fairness I would shoot the owner too , if nobody was looking.

.....

Poor, poor Thaksin, spent a fortune on a white elephant and sold himself to financial slavery. He has been ripped off.

Well , it couldn't happen to a nicer fellow - could it ?

OMG! All the members replying or viewing are men. I thought I'd been clear, but maybe not, that most of the men who come in here, I find to be lovely. But there are some "squatters" IMO, who set up camp in here & just live to be offensive. They are the only ones that I'm objecting to. And I'm really beginning to wish I'd never said anything...

Well if you "squat" it out long enough we'll probably get bored and go away.

Unless you dicover "below stairs" problems as well (and post about it).

Enjoy your forum , laydees !

The lurkers

I can imagine the media uproar when the first farang of the RC persuassion is put in jail and claims to be a 'prisoner of conscience'.

I presume that is a "sick humour" reference to Catholic bishops in Africa who maintain their sect's extrordinary attitude despite the fact that it is condemning innocent women to death.

Regardless of whether or not this is immediately enforceable, it is a very important social and psychological gesture. It is a political statement that women have the right to control their reproductive lives, and the right to protect themselves through safe sex.

The only thing left lacking (and a big lack it is, too) is the right for wives to say "no" to their husbands- in other words, marital rape is not a crime at the moment. Perhaps this right will open the door to consciousness of that right.

"Steven"

:D

Thanks for stating the obvious IJWT. Seems some people can't think the law through. Its astounding to me that they should even have to pass a law giving a woman the right to demand a condom from her husband, especially considered AIDS and the prevalence among heterosexual men in Thailand who visit prostitutes. A friend of mine died about 12 years ago from AIDS given to her by her husband, who in his turn, got it from visiting prostitutes before marriage.

Just to put a realistic spin on this for all those who find it funny

SBK this law might seem unnecessary but as IJWT it is a small step in the right direction. It is obviously pretty unenforcable and purely symbolic but it is an improvement on a recent "law" which balanced the right of a husband to rape his wife by one permitting a wife to rape her husband.

Well NR I must admit when I saw your thread title I wasn't sure whether your occupancy of your current lodgings were under threat or you had a problem when using the toilet facilities.

I can appreciate your point of view but some of the punters on this forum are not gentlemen (yes I know I was that soldier but I was "tired and emotional" at the time) and it is hard to see how you keep them out of one particular forum.

Now I don't spend a lot of time in there (honest!) but how does the gay forum manage. I would have thought that was a magnet for the "troudecul's". Intensive mod attention ?

Maybe you need a need a "handbag" patrol to keep order.

Good luck and regards as always

Have a good one !

I know that the exemption stamps being used as a way to live in Thailand are looked down upon in the highest regard by immi so I can't imagine them as an out if 60 day tourist visas are to be limited. As eek says, have a contingency plan just in case.

I'm just trying to stay positive in these trying times.

It may well be better to apply for a tourist visa in Penang every 6 months, than every 3 months as there will be less highly visable tourist visas stuck in my passport.

I agree that having a contingency plan is wise.

The way I look at it, next time I go there will be my second tourist visa since October. If I manage 3 border runs after my tourist visa runs out at the end of August, I won't need to return to Penang until end of November, and even if I get a negative remark in my passport, I'll still be set until end of February. If I undertook 3 more border runs after that, I wouldn't be looking for another tourist visa until next May.

Even if I don't do the in-between border runs and I receive the "remark" on my next Penang visa run, I'll be set until at least end of November. This is my contingency plan.

Tourist visas are highly visible per se - they are a whole page sticker.

Even if your last attempt at Penang was a year previous they have the a full working say to flip through your book - long enough to spot that you've been giving your custom to other regional consulates in the meantime.

Apparently, the Americans have 'Discovered' Flip Flops. And very excited about them they are!

But Doctors are damping down their enthusiasm by predicting all sorts of Foot Problems if they wear them.

Thais of course wear Flip Flops all the time and have done so for years.

Do you know if as a result, there are a lot of Bad Feet in LOS?

no no not good .Especially when you wear flip flops and step on a dog's poo .

you know what i mean

Actually , having spent some time in Thailand (One 2 year stretch in Patong) I was always surprised by the LACK of dog poo considering there were soi dogs every 50 metres (territory). In farang towns the pavements are a mess. Where do the Thai soi dogs poo ?

Went there for the first time on wednesday with the wife.

Walked to the end, drank half a coke in Gullivers, walked back to the other end, got in a cab and got the **** away from there.

Shrewd move , Dave.

Stayed in a hotel on Rambuttri on my arrival last year and after a couple of days I was walking the long way round to avoid KSR.

I believe in freedom of religion within limits (a religion who's basic precept is the extermination of non-white people , white people , short people ... you get the drift) and separation of church and state.

Any group which disagrees strongly with either of these two opinions is to be resisted.

I am totally unqualified to answer your questions (I am not American for a start) but I think it would be useful to clarify :

You are an American citizen ?

Your child was or is to be born in Thailand ?

You are legally married or not to the mother of your child ?

You intend to/have had yourself named as father on the birth certificate ?