libya 115

I am newly amazed at my internet speed with dial up LOXINFO, so I checked with : testmy.net and get speeds of 86 kbps. Is this possible on a 56K modem?

Or should I just be happy and shut up?

It is really fast rather like a UK broadband connection.

Maybe I have a new line or fibreoptic link or something, anyone notice the same? I am in Nongprue, Pattaya, Chon Buri.

When you stay in Thailand for several years some sixth senses come into operation, one of these is coping with noise. Noise is everywhere in every conceivable form. From the cocks 4am call to the bong-bong-bong of a mortar and pestle at 1am from a late night snack. Motorbikes, barking dogs, booming wat bells, family arguments, TV sets, advertising cars etc.

After a while you become immune. I have never used earplugs so just give your brain time to adjust. Now I sleep through anything, which is probably dangerous because no sound wakes me up.

Look at the Thais they sleep anywhere, anytime and never complain of the noise. It is because they have been programmed from an early age.

'The Mercy Boys' by John Burnside; you wil need a few Xanex after this one, profoundly disturbing, summary below:

The Mercy Boys are four Dundee men who meet every day in their local pub and drink: first to find order, then oblivion. Junior is a dapper depressive, who pretends his bedridden wife is already dead; Sconnie traverses the country on random train journeys; Rob is a brooding, hair-trigger psychotic, and Alan dreams -- like all of them -- of a simple, unqualified, reciprocal love.

I do not understand the attraction of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' personally I find it rubbish. However if it brings pleasure to other people; then all well and good.

I suspect these same people who love 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' have some kind of 'humour deficiency syndrome', they probably 'don't like' comedy genius like 'Fawlty Towers'.

Just my view, I am with mittheimp on this!

Rimmer: I had the same problem. In the end I had to uninstall the AVG then download it again; so far no more problems.

I think it's worth it because it is free and the updates seem to be daily these days!

'Brighton Rock', the B&W classic with the young Richard Attenborough. Then the disturbing '10 Rillington Place' again with Attenborough and John Hurt. The acting in both is superb.

'Belle De Jour' with Catherine Deneuve, plus the lesser known and difficult to obtain 'La Chamade' also with Deneuve.

One lesser known movie I discovered by accident is the Norwegian:'Orions Belt' made in 1987; it is worth seeking out.

I agree with many of the above posts; Greenaway, Lynch, etc. I have to admit though I have a lot of movies that I could not watch twice except without a gap of several years, so I usually give them away to family or friends, perhaps they might become someone elses 'favourite movie'!

I don't care what time the bars close. But the tourists suffer, they want a 24 hour mad city; just like all those years ago. Crime is on the rise in Pattaya; surely nobody will deny that?

I read on a post that a farang was beaten to death on 2nd Road at 1.00AM last week?

Ideally, central Pattaya would be 24 hour/Mc Donalds and Tops are/were open 24 hours. Is this a sign of the times?

Is it crime? I cannot think why a bar would close if it were busy.

Pattaya is searching, now for a new image. A family image. As the years fly by I notice it is getting more family-friendly.

I have been using the door to door delivery service offered in Greater Pattaya for ages. The menu gets bigger and bigger; more restaurants to choose from.

It is great if you are hungry late at night and you don't want to wake the missus' up for egg and rice, after 3 hours of poo soap opera on channel 7.

However. Here is the view; most offer similar prices for similar quality food; all good I might add; why not? because they want you to order again, but the portion size varies a great deal. One minute too much rice to eat (as a portion), next minute a different restaurant yields a portion to feed a baby. (Why so mean with rice and pasta, it costs 25 satang)!!!

So any recommendations? Restaurants with good portions please...so far quality and price is not an issue.

My favorite list, (click favorites), used to sport nice color icons; for each site, then one day they disappeared....what went wrong? How can I get them back.......?

I used to pay 5 baht all the time; however every now and then, there was an ugly incident where the driver demanded 10 baht. I decided to always pay ten baht for every trip and thus avoid all the aggro' and bad feeling.

There are some good taxi drivers out there, but there are some real crazy psycho's as well. There is hardly a farang in Pattaya who has not had a bad experience with a baht bus driver.

Regards; double pricing; there are a few crazy drivers who demand ten baht, even from Thais!

Nearly 75% of medical doctors end their life with a cocktail of alcohol (C2H5OH) and the common tablet (P.O.M.) 'Co-Proxamol'. (Dextropropoxyphene and paracetamol, mix).

It is interesting to note that Co-Proxamol has been banned from use (P.O.M. or otherwise) in the U.K. since October 2005, since it was the medical doctor's choice of suicide.

It is also interesting that its chemical structure is similar to Methadone.

I am saddened to hear of this suicide; yet I feel sure that a medical doctor would choose chemical means, not a stepladder aided-gravity-induced (messy); (very): suicide.

Amen.

Thanks for the replies; I still feel a bit puzzled that only 23 people need to be in the room for a 50% chance. Would that mean (for example) 46 for a 99.99% chance?

Sure, that must be wrong.

So where is the 'missing gap' I am puzzled further...!!??

I feel sorry for ordinary Danish subjects; they have done nothing wrong. I have seen the cartoons and they are in poor taste. Only a tiny minority of moslems are radical, most are peace-loving.

It was foolish of the Spanish, French, New Zealand etc.etc....newspapers to publish them.

Plus; this gives fuel to the far-right factions in the U.K...... an ugly bunch.

Actually I really like Danes. I think my entire dirty-movie collection is Danish.

I read a book review in the 'Bangkok Post' on Thursday or Friday last week, about probability, and this is what I do not understand:

It states that in order that two people share the same birthday only 23 in a room will yield a better than 50% chance.

Can anyone explain that? I know it is not a misprint because I have read that very same fact before somewhere.

There must be some probability mathematicians out there.........?????

This word 'jig' is a fairly new term for a 'mia noi' or 'second wife' or 'bit on the side'. Now the words mia luang (wife) and mia noi (second wife) are not used as much and indeed cannot be used when a woman is trying to describe her lover (or second husband).

Equal opprtunities for women who are married and want to take a lover!

What is more interesting to me is how the word 'surprise' has entered the Thai language.

If you fancy a laugh; ask a Thai to say 'Vics Vapour Rub'.....Hilarious!!!

I am not having much luck with this. Anyone any ideas or clues?

Thanks, for all the good advice from posters: Especially the post highlighting my possible trouble if I add my own lock and am culpable for a disaster.

I will update this topic when the solution is complete. I am waiting for a grinder.

Get a new padlock and 50+ spare keys. Put them under all the pots, plants, and doormats you can find in your building.

Coz everybody loves a game of 'hunt the thimble' in an inferno.

I can't believe even with the solution offered in hand that your manager has no one, not a handy man that can come and remove the padlock for you. Who does the repairs at your place, or are they just not done?

Its enough of a bloody cheek that he wants you to buy a new padlock to lock the residents only means of escape in a fire, let alone making you do the work as well.

Why are you standing for this ridiculous, piss taking, extremely dangerous and illegal action taken by the manager of a building you pay rent in?

Calm down, BKK madness; this is Thailand: There are no laws or rules; Don't be surprised if I burn to death in a 'death-trap': I just want to improve the situation. I am not some sort of vexatious litigant: I just want peace of mind for my GF whilst I am away earning cash for the sweet life. Plus there are a few farangs here, on my floor level that I am good friends with: Hi Gary, Hi, Lionel!

I am happy with the suggestions: I will get a new lock and distribute the keys (via my GF because she speaks the lingo) to all residents on my floor. I really can't do better than that.

My original post was about breaking the lock. Not the fire safety record of the L.O.S..... I expect that to be poor, due to the opportunist crime and the 'kali wali' mentality.

Khawp jai lai lai deu.

Thanks for all the swift response to this one:

BKKmadness: good points; However I make an important point here, ideally all fourth floor residents would be issued with a key. However I am a trustworthy, long term resident and British, not a dishonest, low-life, who from time to time are resident on my floor.

Keys could not be issued to all. I like the idea of a one way fire door; but it would be at my own expense.

The key idea seems good to me.

What do you think?

I like Red Horse. Chang in the bars. Has anyone tried Cheers beer?

Cast your minds back to 1997: I was on a holiday in Pattaya; staying on Soi 8; I never slept for three weeks: work that one out! Then a fire in a Jomtien hotel burnt 78 persons to a crisp; 'a dental-records job': in human-remains recognization parlance. The fire escapes were padlocked!!!!!

I live atop a four storey luxury apartment block off Soi Bongkot (good name that; a lot of 'Bong activity here!) in Pattaya: However the fire escapes are locked. Padlocked. Nice and secure, to deter thieves etc.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I spoke to the landlord; and he said (his face was a kaleidoscope of conflicting emotion)...............................................

"O.K. fair point, I have lost the keys," (I have been here nearly five years now) " Go and break the lock, buy a new one, with spares, and take one for yourself and your G.F."

So; What is the best way to break a rather tasty looking padlock? Grinder or Bolt Cutters? I am sure that there are other methods; can any soul suggest a plan of action?

Khawp Jai Lai Lai Deu.

I am looking for a store that sells strong and large plastic sheeting for the construction of an outdoor pond.

The location would be within Pattaya City preferably, but I could travel further out to Chon Buri if necessary. A specialist shop would be great if anyone knows of one.

If all fails; an alternative store in Bangkok would be O.K. since I am two hours away. Thank you.