Wrong Turn

tarps.

(plural of a tarp.)

Trust me, I will NEVER consume milk products again. Ever. Milk, cheese, mayo, icecream have all been downfalls of mine for weight gain so I'm not stressed.

Is the elimination of the above for you only or do you recommend it for others who want to lose weight?

What does the book say about these things above?

TIA.

patsy

I'd rather tip the KFC, 7/11 assistant working for 28 baht an hour to buy his college books than some waiter in Pattaya.

Good point neeranam,

I'm an American and I never had a job that required tips, even though I did service jobs in high school and college.

I understand the tipping concept in the US. There is very strong social pressure. I tip my hair stylist, waiters/waitresses, and cab drivers.

In a tourist resort area like Pattaya, I usually don't, although it's been a while since I've been there.

As a poster noted, tipping is expected now, even though it's not the 15-20%.

But I already pay more because I'm a foreingner. Even though at times I get a discount for "speaking Thai" with my limited Thai.

Hi Guys

Just a quick one....Do Airport X-Ray Machines cause damage to Laptops?

No.

Otherwise you wouldn't be asked to put your laptop through one - liability.

forgot to mention - anyone who asks for a tip doesnt get one.

Definitely,

And this would only happen in Pattaya.

(I hope this is paoted in the right spot)

How do people motivate themselves to keep up a routine? What with Bangkok traffic and work schedules, it is getting harder and harder for me to keep up with my routine. I just don't want to fight the traffic, get a parking spot, etc. after work, then not get home until 9:00 or later.

I have two specifics for myself: exercise and Thai lessons, but I am curious as to how people motivate themselves for any activity.

It's an attitude and a mental state.

Do not think about it, just do it.

Seriously.

It's not about Bangkok, traffic, or anything esle....it's about you.

In Pattaya, the maid always gets a tip.

A friendly, seeming genuine serviceer at a restaurant - if I go there on a regular basis - gets a tip.

Otherwise, no.

Only tourist from the US and countries that tip, leave tips in Thailand.

And they screw it up for the rest of us.

All or nothing -- Obsession

Good Question..... i think as long as you dont get caught !

This is the answer.

Also, how could it be proven - if you did get caught - that money changed hands. Would this hinge on the testimony of the students?

Probably safe enough if it's only a few hours a week and you keep quiet.

spiel

Where most of us are from.....we do it all the time, be it a newspaper, magazine or paperback.

But here, during my daily travels........on the train, bus or boat i never see Thais having a good read, and if i do.......it is always some kind of comic book with lots of pictures.

Now i know that they must read, as there is no shortage of book shops in the city, but,

Do Thais really view reading in public as anti-social??

Over to you

I think a lot of it is cultural. Have you asked locals who there favorite authors are? No answer. Cartoons are popular. As one poster stated, many Thais I've met that like to read do read in English.

To each their own.

I doubt he will come back to Thailand, I figure Thailand will not want to lose face like that again.

I am no psychaitrist, but the guy seems like he has some major mental issues.

You can say that again. I also saw his interview on Larry King. Disturbed individual.

And this disturbed individual led people to question many other decent people trying to do a good job in South East Asia. It was bad PR for Thailand, EFL in Thailand, and for Farangs living in Thailand, IMO.

Oh well, over and done. Things have moved on.

Whenever I read threads like this it strikes me that it says more about the posters than those they are pouring scorn on. Perhaps it's a reflection on the type of Thais your mixing with . .

Mrs B and other Thai's I know have a very good grasp of the world, but then again I didnt find them in Nana Plaza bars.

On the subject of geographic ignorance, I see it's being reported that the likely future Vice President of the USA only got her first passport six months ago, curiously for a claimed visit to Alaskan troops in Iraq which it appears was never actually undertaken.

Spot-on.

It depends on who we are associated with, and again, this lack of world knowledge and lack of knowledge about geography extends to many nations and areas of the world, including the west. I seen a lack of geographical awareness in Ireland, for example.

It was the people that I was meeting. 6.1+ billion people on this planet. Most will never stray far from their homes. Many folks focus on the local things in their life.

Fair enough.

In relation to the OP (Original Post), when will we know of Thaksins ability to get asylum in the UK? I assume there will be a hearing.

Not every city in Asia is equal on a resume. Working a few years in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and now Shanghai or Beijing is a major plus for an international career. A post in Bangkok says you're laidback, not very focus on your professional career, maybe even a pervert.

Is it really what professionals think?

The job position and the responsibility are what matter.

I know people who worked for a multi-national company in Singapore, Malysia, and then Bangkok, and then went off to another city.

Who told you this?

People back home ask "why" do I come to live here. What is the motivation?

I often ask this question before I answer:

"Why, and what motivates you to live in a suburb with strip malls, with little time, and high expenses?"

Both question are fair.

"Liver spots" are not raised or itchy and do not occur on the "inside" skin of the forearm. They are brown "blotches" from one to several mm in diameter and not symptomatic.

The other skin condition associated with alcoholic liver disease is "spider hemangioma"; google images for that; it is fairly easy to diagnose. This is a vascular problem rather than a skin one.

Thanks, FBN.

My red dots are not similar to what you've described above. Also, because of dialy rain during the last 3-4 days, the temperature has cooled and these red dots are gone. This does not necesarrily mean that the red dots are gone because/i] of the lower temps, but they may be.

As previously noted, I get these red dots during hot times of hot season.

Give yourself a break from the booze too, anyway and have the liver fucntions checked out..

See a dermatologist to get the correct diagnosis and treatment. Do not use steroid creams before seeing the doc as it will make the diagnosis more difficult.

Sheryl has given good advice like you are: how long do I stay off of the beer before a liver test? Couple of days? I think 2-3 days.

I've been to the doctor for the creams. They were steroidal. I don't use them anymore.

Thanks again to all.

What reason brought you to Thailand and why do you stay?

There are a lot of reasons involved. Many of us expats have similar reasons, peppered with personal circumstances and likes and dislikes.

It would seem that 99% of ThaiVisa members met their GF in a top University.

So why are there so many Farangs complaining that their wife is as thick as <deleted> ?

1. They are lying

2. We know how some schools are.

3. The guys are biased.

If a guy meets his girl from a "top uni" and he's a Farang, where did they REALLY meet? Not at the uni, unless he is a teacher.

Earlier today we found 5,300 baht has been debited from my wife's debit card for the purchase of a digital camera that we never bought.

The bank has told us that the transaction occurred whilst my wife was in the office, and she had her card with her. We can't see how anybody could have got the account details and my wife has only used the card for the ATM and never as a debit card.

Has this happened to anybody else on TV and what are our chances of getting the money back? (I think I know the answer to that already.)

How does the bank know this? Does the bank have video footage? Thumbprint?

Is the bank wrong/lying?

Is your wife wrong/lying?

Mix up?

Please keep us posted.

I still don't get it...

How is it a burden for Thailand?

I've witnessed it first-hand.

Someone who is broke or low on funds, gets sick or has a medical issue. They are in the hospital but cannot pay the bills.

You start getting text messages and phone calls to give - not loan - money. There are a few friends that pool together money.

The person is renting an apartment from a local, but cannot pay the rent. They person cannot afford to eat.

The person cannot afford to go back his own country.

It's a burden on a lot of different people.

As people get older, it's good to require them to have some funds in a bank account, as the O-visa requires.

stead

The vast majority of TV members, who apply for a visa of whatever description, are critical of the restrictive manner in which Thailand issues them. They would like longer-term visas and residence permits with fewer controls and a simplification of the rules to be observed, when applying for such. Although I will in the near future be in a similar situation, I would nevertheless argue the case, that Thailand is quite correct to make them quite difficult to obtain - certainly in the case of residence permits - as it keeps out the "riff-raff"....

1. Thailand attracts bottom-feeders by the vary nature of certain things in Thailand. (You folks know what I mean.)

2. The previous unlimited, 30 day visa renewal attracted not only riff-raff, but broke and destitute riff-raff. Just take a bus to Poipet, every 30 days.

Tighten some of the regs is fair.

As for the Retirement O-visa, you want to make sure older folks have the funds to take care of themselves. If someone is in their 60s and has medical problems or cannot take are of themself, and they are broke, it's now a burden on Thailand and a problem for Thailand.

Why any Westerner would give up their privacy to share a dwelling with people they have absolutely nothing in common with, is beyond comprehension.

I feel the same way GungaDin, does.

We understand how tight the South East Asian families can be. That is why, when a Westerners marries a South East Asia he/she is marrying into the family in many cases.

One remedy for the westerners that want some privacy, and want to avoid family meddling is to keep a geographical distance. Live with your wife, say, 8 hours away.

Some westerners like the situation. But I need some privacy and control. As a westerner, I have the mentality that I am marrying my wife, I'm not marrying her family.