bkkandrew

On the internet im 6'9, 200 kilos of steriod abuse.

Only an austrailian could think that this was something to brag about!

Can anyone shed some light on whether it is at all possible to find work as farang in anything other than teaching or am I wasting my time looking?

It doesn't help that I have little expertise and have always previously worked in adminsitrative functions, I know and I accept that jobs that can be done by Thai nationals are generally done by Thai's.

I need to do something as looking at 4 walls all day is driving me crazy!

Many thanks

Do you need to work, or are you just trying to allieviate boredom?

Back to the OP..

USD down another .25% today to 36.43 - Source:

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/fds/hi/...78/intraday.stm

See my post No.4, I can't see where the bottom is on this one...

Today marks the 16th anniversary of the World Wide Web. According to the timeline on the W3.org site: 'The first web page [was] http://nxoc01.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html. Unfortunately CERN no longer supports the historical site.

Note from this era too, the least recently modified web page we know of, last changed Tue, 13 Nov 1990 15:17:00 GMT (though the URI changed.)' A lot has happened in 16 years and this little 'baby' has grown into quite the teenager.

--slashdot.org 2006-11-13

I remember playing "Elite" online in the mid-80's on a "BBC-B" microcomputer. It had limitless separate players, thus creating an "internet" of sorts. I didn't see any reference to this in the timeline..?

I have finally figured it out what is bothering me about English language reporting

in Thailand.

I offer you this from the Bangkok Post today :

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thaksin urged to wait a year before returning

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont takes a delegation of Muslim youths from the deep South on a 800m trek in Khao Yai National Park in the Northeast yesterday. The activity is part of his project to create understanding between Thai Muslims in the far South and others in the different parts of the country. — PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD POST REPORTERS

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday made clear that deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra should wait another year before returning to Thailand.

The most appropriate time would be after a new government is in place, he said. And talks towards this should take place towards the end of the interim government's term, after the new constitution is promulgated, a referendum has been held and preparations towards general elections are under way, he added.

"If he returned and one group supporting him caused conflict in the country again, would it be appropriate?" he asked.

Gen Surayud rejected former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's suggestion that he let Mr Thaksin come back to his residence in Thon Buri so as to keep an eye on him more easily.

"It would be tantamount to limiting Mr Thaksin's rights, detaining him at home which is something that should not be done," he said.

Keeping him under house arrest would be like something a neighbouring country might do, and inappropriate, he said, without elaborating.

Mr Thaksin's return was not contingent on the lifting of martial law, which was another matter before the Council for National Security, he added.

Even after martial law is lifted, talks would be needed before Mr Thaksin headed back to the country.

"I cannot give orders to Mr Thaksin. It would be up to a mutual agreement as to what we can do for the country, which means making a sacrifice," he said.

"We have to discuss what sacrifice Mr Thaksin can make for the country," he added. Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday questioned Gen Chavalit's intentions in making such a suggestion while political activity was under way, including a rally against the CNS at Sanam Luang on Saturday.

Mr Abhisit urged Mr Thaksin to declare his intentions because rumours were good for no one. Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said Mr Thaksin's return and detention would boost political undercurrents in his favour whereas his absence from the country obstructed the movements of his supporters.

Democrat spokesman Ong-art Klampaibul called on the government to identify its opponents clearly. He said "old powers" loyal to the previous government and businessmen with vested interests outnumbered pro-democracy idealists.

The "old powers" were trying to create undercurrents to convince people that they would return to power, he added.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you figured it out yet ?

It's the passive voice !

First line in the article tells you it was Surayud doing the "urging"

so why don't they say that in the headline ?

Does anybody out there understand what I'm talking about ?

Yours

A voice in the wilderness

No. You are not a voice in the wilderness - you are spot on.

I believe that such prose is indicative of the US media, whereas proper English (I am biased - from EngLAND) is reported usually in the past tense.

I must be a bit of a stickler for such matters, same as you!

Yes, the English are doing a lot better this time out thankfully.

Who are the convicts?

Would you be referring to the English criminals who were sent to Australia a couple of hundred years ago because there were too many of the buggers for their own local prisons?

That would be the ones..

Wondered who would bite first!!

England made an inauspicious start to the ashes campaign in Australia

In a 50 overs match against the PM's Xl (containing no current test players) they were thrashed by a massive 166 runs.

Hope they improve a bit or the ashes will be a very boring affair.

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/...tch/249218.html

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/...ory/267406.html

Well, sorry to spoil the party, but it appears the convicts are having a reality check as the English get into gear:

Pietersen and England find form

Tour match, Sydney, day two of three (stumps): New South Wales 355-9 dec v England 256-4

Scorecard

Pietersen played some typically flamboyant strokes to rally England

Kevin Pietersen capped England's best day in Australia so far with a fine innings against New South Wales.

Pietersen (80no), Andrew Strauss (50), Alastair Cook (59), and Andrew Flintoff (48no) all shone on day two in Sydney.

Earlier, Steve Harmison claimed 3-95 as the hosts declared on 355-9 after rain allowed only 4.1 overs before lunch.

Interview: England batsman Kevin Pietersen

"The boys did fantastically against possibly four of the bowlers we could face in the Ashes"

Left-hander Strauss was hit in the chest by a Lee delivery but recovered to produce a succession of crisp drives and cuts off the speedster Glenn McGrath.

Pietersen got lucky when he top-edged a hook shot off Lee into space at backward square leg, but he then smashed Henriques for six over the mid-wicket boundary.

Pietersen continued to torment the young all-rounder, hitting three fours off the 37th over, but then McGrath broke the fourth-wicket stand, bowling around the wicket to trap left-hander Cook lbw.

Pietersen brought up his 50 by lofting McGrath over mid-on for four, before Flintoff got in on the act, hitting spinner Beau Casson for three boundaries in quick succession.

/edited from Source: BBC Sport

Going back to the posting that started this thread, in which it was said that the current powers would not want Thaksin to return as putting him under hosue arrest would be comaprable to what the Burmese are doing with Aung Sung in Burma.......???????

I find that somewhat ironic - as if he does return why should he be treated like the junta treats Aung Sung, but secondly the junta have made it clear on many occassion that Aung Sang is free to leave Burma at any time.

The point is she would not be allowed to return - which is, er ..........treating him exactly how they don't wish to be seen treating him.

This is irony of the situation and the circle that the Thai Junta cannot square!

Ok, so now it all makes sense..............

Hmm, makes my head spin to think about how strange the guy is. Especially his contradictions...

Possibly the biggest contradiction of all is his inability to understand that under his own rules and standards, HE DOES NOT BELONG HERE! He croaks on about how foreign capital, influence etc. should be "spurned", yet does not put 2 and 2 together to get that he is a foreign influence on this country and (presumably) brought some foreign capital with him. The irony is delicious, he is part of the cause of the (alleged ) problem he has identified.

He actually doesn't need to be part of this (or any other) thread. He could run one just by himself, contradicting himself at every turn, blaming himself for issues he discovers. What fun that thread would be.!

In the mean time, perhaps you could give us a break with your family trees, history of Yorkshire etc. etc. This is, after all Thai Visa, not the Cleegthorps Working Man's Club!

Oh, and his link doesn't work (stop laughing at the back, I was not referring to his "link" to the real world that time, I actually meant his URL in his post 111...

I wouldn't get out of bed for that Salary, let alone run a country.

Don't organise a couter-coup to take control then...

Depending on the way it is said, it can mean simply that you talk a lot, to actually telling you to "Shut Up". My g/f intones the latter much of the time

150,000 TB

Of course if the driver knew anything about how much cash I had in my pocket, I would have never lived to my final destination.

Add another 3 or 4 more zero's..... Maybe where you come from people are all criminals, but 150k would not prompt evey taxi driver in BKK to slit your throat.

Are you the same guy who posted a thread on another site a few weeks back ? Coup Escaper by skin of his teeth

Nope - this was my virgin post. I know, I should have a little more faith in humanity. The murder rate in Thailand though is 35 per 100,000 population - a very high number by world standards. I would assume that quite a few murders are over a lot less than 150,000 TB cash. Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Carry about double that in every month and just get a B200 taxi in every time.. Have done for over 5-years. Never a problem.

Also, at the money changer I use, regulaly see Thai and Chinese arriving with over $50K to change into, or out of Baht..

In post #98, 'JR Texas' said:

"But I think that this time the status quo must change. The new govt. has a fantastic opportunity to bring Thailand into the 21st century. Thailand has much that foreigners find appealing. It could attract trillions of baht in investment dollars. The economic pie could become much larger. Literally millions of jobs could be created. Poverty could start to be alleviated. And the existing elites could make even more money.....lots more."

Fortunately, or unfortunately, (and we can argue our prejudices for evermore over which!), the time has passed when that could have been possible.

We are now at the waning stage of the Great Consumerist Age. The resources that allowed it to happen (very cheap bulk exosomatic energy and easily-mined ores) have gone from the scene.

As a greatgrandfather, my interest is in considering how my grandchildren and great-grandchildren's generations will manage the descent from the consumption peak that has been climbed in my lifetime. (And as a mountaineer, I always warned less-experienced climbers that the descent phase needs a lot more thought and care than the ascent).

There's playing devils advocate Martin and then there's playing the batty old toff who's spent a life-time cocooned in privilege, you seem to do the latter much better.

For the absolute rich it doesn't matter who is in power, their interests will always be taken care of, from your lofty heights politics, it would seem, are cake crumbs that the majority fight over, keeping them distracted, while the men of power get on with what they do best.

Fact is though old bean your opinion is going down like a lead balloon.

Wether you see it as the end of an era or not, normal people still need to get on with their daily lives with some degree of certainty for the future.

Your obvious contempt for people struggling in poverty represents the vileness of human nature.

I will put it more bluntly (and I have politely reasoned with him in previous posts), he is simply a moron and lives in a cocoon of unreality. I cannot be bothered to have any further discourse with him and hope that his computer suffers a similar elderly malfunction...

If America stopped buying Chinese products that would be better for the trade deficit.

Defence spending is largely spent inside the USA - i.e no effect on the trade balance, current account deficit - or - consequently the exchange rate.

No. Defence spending is directly Government expenditure. Every $1 spent domestically or abroad contributes to the budget defecit.

*****

trade deficit and budget deficit are two different animals Gentlemen!

Er...

Thats what I was alluding to... The BUDGET deficit is the Government income and expenditure imbalance. The TRADE deficit is the imbalance of goods imported and exported.. Defence spending directly affects the BUDGET deficit, as it is spending by the Government...

Which word were you stuck on??

As he had already tried to commit suicide once, why on earth was he put in a cell with the drawstring still in his shorts? Whilst it is unlikely that he would be put on suicide watch, surely they would remove articles that could be used to harm himself.

Standard practice in a UK cell is to remove anything that could be used in that manner - shoelaces, belts, chains. If there had been an earlier suicide attempt he would be in the hospital or have someone watching him constantly.

This is not the UK...

In post #98, 'JR Texas' said:

"But I think that this time the status quo must change. The new govt. has a fantastic opportunity to bring Thailand into the 21st century. Thailand has much that foreigners find appealing. It could attract trillions of baht in investment dollars. The economic pie could become much larger. Literally millions of jobs could be created. Poverty could start to be alleviated. And the existing elites could make even more money.....lots more."

Fortunately, or unfortunately, (and we can argue our prejudices for evermore over which!), the time has passed when that could have been possible.

We are now at the waning stage of the Great Consumerist Age. The resources that allowed it to happen (very cheap bulk exosomatic energy and easily-mined ores) have gone from the scene.

As a greatgrandfather, my interest is in considering how my grandchildren and great-grandchildren's generations will manage the descent from the consumption peak that has been climbed in my lifetime. (And as a mountaineer, I always warned less-experienced climbers that the descent phase needs a lot more thought and care than the ascent).

Er, you also said: "Hopefully, (having got rid of the younger and brasher), wiser and older counsels will now prevail; and outside money will be spurned."

Can you make up your mind...???

"On a final note, it would be a shrewd political move by Thaksin to simply get on TG917 from LHR and when he is turned round, as inevitably be the case, the full force of the UK's asylem system would have to swing into action (as there would be no other grounds for re-entry to UK). This spectacle would be a huge embarressment for the Junta, as similarites could then be drawn with such hotspots as Zimbabwe, Iran, North Korea etc., which all have their fair share of political asylem seekers in the UK."

Only one flaw here, the airline would not let him fly as they would be liable to pay for his return trip.

Actually, there is no basis to refuse him at check-in. He has a Thai Passport and is flying to Thailand. There are laws in the Uk and they are applied regardless... What rule would you suggest they used to refuse to fly him?

I think that the problem is that if Thaksin returned, then he would be able to grandstand and generally comment that he was the elected leader of Thailand. The logic in that is true and not argueable with, certainly not by members of the Junta. Foreign countries with limited understanding of the reasons behind the Coup, would place Thailand on a par with Burma and North Korea for imprisoning political opponents, thus giving greater face to Thaksin, now the persecuted.

Surayud knows this and cannot risk the presence of the last democratically elected (no matter how flawed that process was) politician to be in the same country as him, the present, unelected leader. You can imagine the farce of every action taken or proposed by Surayud then being run past Thaksin by the foreign and local media for comment.

He has to ban him, however illogical the prospect of making him stateless, allbeit temporarily, is.

On a final note, it would be a shrewd political move by Thaksin to simply get on TG917 from LHR and when he is turned round, as inevitably be the case, the full force of the UK's asylem system would have to swing into action (as there would be no other grounds for re-entry to UK). This spectacle would be a huge embarressment for the Junta, as similarites could then be drawn with such hotspots as Zimbabwe, Iran, North Korea etc., which all have their fair share of political asylem seekers in the UK.

I like this post as it poses a situation that could become a reality. Just imagine Toxin did get on TG917 and arrive to be turned back. He would indeed be a refugee in England and therefore entitled to all the free handouts available to refugees. Free milk, schooling for the kids, free housing (although he probably has a better quality pad than HMG would allocate), free bus pass and of course a social worker to ease his passage into English society. After a while (3 years) there would be no problem with British Nationality and he could then make his way in the British political system and even end up a Prime Minister. If I had a magic wand I would wish this on the UK just to give the m an idea how a real politico works. Wonder which party he would join?? Possibly "Thaksin (UK) Corp." As part of the EC he could offer advice to all and sundry, he might even decide to buy Turkey or Greece.

Thank you for that. I had not actually projected as far forward as you, but this is interesting.. Perhaps President of EU and then levy sanctions against the Junta??

I take issue with the thoughts in:

"Whether foreign investment rules are ridiculously restrictive and should be relaxed - of course they are and should be."

I would contend that there is nothing ridiculous about a country making a decision not to sell its soul for a mess of pottage.

Of course, countries that have done so under the 'leadership' of Thatcher and Reagan will use any power they have to get you to follow suit.

Thomas L. Friedman, in his book 'The Lexus and the olive tree' calls it "putting on the Golden Straitjacket".

Thailand tried it for size, starting around twentyfive years ago and got one of the sleeves inside out. Hence the famous, though necessarily elliptical, speech about being satisfied with sufficiency in late 1997.

The election of 2001 resulted in Thaksin getting the power to try it again, but then it was seen what that would lead to. So various groups (for various different reasons) used whatever came to hand (mainly corruption and the Shin sale) to push Thaksin out of the driving seat.

The bottom line is that outside money (derived by China from selling consumer goods to Americans for money they haven't got but is paid for them by the US Government issuing T-bonds, and by Middle East countries pumping out oil) would like Thailand to put itself into that 'Golden Straitjacket'.

But Thailand, as a country, doesn't need to.

Hopefully, (having got rid of the younger and brasher), wiser and older counsels will now prevail; and outside money will be spurned.

Guess you're going home then...

Sometimes he sounds like he's a Thai himself.

Allbeit one in the dark ages.

Yes, it had crossed my mind. I guess he will be "spurning" other evil foreign invading items, such as oil, cars, computers, phones etc. etc.

Have we found the Thai equivelent of an Amish??

Not sure, but he'll have to live his Thai Amish life outside of Thailand as non Thai's wouldn't be welcome in the community.

Well one thing seems to have happened and that is no comment from the aformentioned Amish Thai. It appears that he has, indeed, spurned his evil, foreign invented computer

I think that the problem is that if Thaksin returned, then he would be able to grandstand and generally comment that he was the elected leader of Thailand. The logic in that is true and not argueable with, certainly not by members of the Junta. Foreign countries with limited understanding of the reasons behind the Coup, would place Thailand on a par with Burma and North Korea for imprisoning political opponents, thus giving greater face to Thaksin, now the persecuted.

Surayud knows this and cannot risk the presence of the last democratically elected (no matter how flawed that process was) politician to be in the same country as him, the present, unelected leader. You can imagine the farce of every action taken or proposed by Surayud then being run past Thaksin by the foreign and local media for comment.

He has to ban him, however illogical the prospect of making him stateless, allbeit temporarily, is.

On a final note, it would be a shrewd political move by Thaksin to simply get on TG917 from LHR and when he is turned round, as inevitably be the case, the full force of the UK's asylem system would have to swing into action (as there would be no other grounds for re-entry to UK). This spectacle would be a huge embarressment for the Junta, as similarites could then be drawn with such hotspots as Zimbabwe, Iran, North Korea etc., which all have their fair share of political asylem seekers in the UK.

Nam Kao, who's about as well adjusted as a cat in the bathtub.

, but that doesn't make him always wrong................

But is a strange nick for a bloke... Nine bob notes and such...

No no no. how long have you been here?

Nobody goes quietly believe me. When Thais have something inflicted on them that they don't like, they organise a riot and a mob to protect their interests. This not being the case, the landlord would not have needed 100 plus heavies to evict them.

I wouldn't say 'nobody goes quietly' by any means. In my experience, it's the merchant squatters that are most likely to take on the mob mentality. They have relatively substantial funds, a hardened street merchant outlook on life, and their means of making a living to lose. Plain jane squatters, who live in shacks or abandoned buildings or houses -and who aren't running a business-are usually more than willing to move if you just ask them nicely. The norm among many property owners is to actually give these folks several hundred to a few thousand Baht to help them out a bit as well, as understandably these are difficult lives that these squatters lead.

Total nonsense.

A tour operator friend of mine told me recently that this will be one of Thailand's busiest ever Novembers. The coup had hardly any effect at all on tourist numbers.

Your friend is obviously nuts. There is not a single person I know in retail, entertainment or other tourist related trade that is not complaining about lack of tourists and customers..

Nope, he's no fool, the MD of one of Thailand's largest tour operators and certainly in a position to know a great deal about the industry. That's what he told me the other day, that business is really booming this month for the tourism industry as a whole.

Well he sounds detached from the real world.. Whatever..

I don't know why the OP asked for people's opinions, as any that do not simper and say "I agree with you" are dismissed out of hand, usually with some sarcasm.

If you ask a question, you may not like the answer. If you do not accept this, don't ask the question in the first place...

A tour operator friend of mine told me recently that this will be one of Thailand's busiest ever Novembers. The coup had hardly any effect at all on tourist numbers.

Your friend is obviously nuts. There is not a single person I know in retail, entertainment or other tourist related trade that is not complaining about lack of tourists and customers..