jbsears

Singha has had two beers on the market for a while. A beige/off white label beer that is 5% and the regular whiter label that is 6%. The shape of the two different beer bottles is slightly different too.

So they expect couples to pay for the privilege to promote Isaan? I would really like to hear their thought process in coming up with this "pay to promote" scheme.

thanks lost in space, i wasn't exactly sure how to find a consolidator. i'll check out the LA Times. i'm pretty knew to all of this since i usually just purchase off of airline websites or orbitz/expedia.

So 500 ignorant people gather to shout? Implessive...

How do you know that they are ignorant?

Un-informed or mis-informed perhaps, but ignorant, I wouldn't think so.

ignorant means uninformed

ig·no·rant /ˈɪgnərənt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ig-ner-uhnt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective

1. lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.

2. lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.

3. uninformed; unaware.

4. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

Had this new guy from England in his early 20s come to work at my old job here. He lasted two weeks and then went home. He said he hated Bangkok and all the sleazy nightlife. I didn't talk to him too much but he seemed to be a really conservative and really religious young man from the little conversation we did have. I was single when we hired him and thought I was going to have a new drinking buddy to take on the wild nights but oh well.

But most guys I meet that come here to study for a semester usually end up staying or repeatedly keep coming back. For some reason, it doesn't seem to be the same for the girls I know that have studied here.

In closing I was also concerned that the BBC should give free advertising to a organisation which repeatedly states the aim of introducing "..women and children to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, to disciple them into a strong faith as people who will then impact their communities" with out adding the corollary of Thailand's Buddhist tradition.

I don't understand why this would worry anybody. I think it is wonderful to bring attention to organizations that bring such assistance to these people. Hopefully with the attention brought about for this NightLight organtization, more money and assistance will come its way. It shouldn't matter if it is a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu organization; they are doing a good thing.

With six different passengers, originating at different cities, you are looking at a massive job of trying to coordinate, book and ticket these itineraries. It is not clear to me why everyone has to leave from LAX? Nor why everyone needs to be on the exact same flights? Typically people would leave the U.S.A. early in the morning and arrive BKK late in the evening one day later. Who cares if some are on a JL flight that arrives at 22:00, or a NH flight that arrives at 21:55 or a NW flight that arrives at 23:55?

You need to find a travel agent in the U.S.A. who specializes in Consolidator fares. You need to put together an RFQ (request for quote) detailing the passenger's names and passport details and proposed itineraries and let them do what they do best. Originating in IND and HOU, returning on a weekend, traveling at super-peak time all indicates that you should expect to pay $1,000 ~ $1,500 per person.

i've only ever flown at night and arrived at around noon. I can't imagine arriving hear at night and really don't want my family to do it. Sleeping all the way from LA and then having to sleep right away again.

Every one coming together should be easy. They find their own flights to LAX and then the flight out usually around 1am from LAX. I've been doing it multiple times a year for the past five years and has been fine. The only problem this time is the fairs are outrageously high. Then again this is my first time buying a ticket in the summer originating from the US.

Thanks all for the help though.

Typically a government thing. You approve a design (12 years ago) , you make changes, this government had all the time ton postpone the opening of the airport, they did not do so. They went along with the design (It is a well known Japanese agency, so there is not much reason to doubt them) than you use the toilet space for smoking rooms, and retail space. You lock the exits (bet they will blame the former government for the locked doors today) and than in the end, you create a panel. The panel contains only ass kissers of the goveernment which will always come with a guilty party, and you guess right. That is ALWAYS a foreign party...

500% CORRECT ! I couldn't say it better.....

You know what they have to start with in this country ? Banishing all those masked costumes which are been wearing by almost EVERYBODY ; from security guards over doormen to ministers.... Especially these last ones ! Take away all that shit and dress like normal people, not like circus clowns ! Then MAYBE they gonna do where they are payed for (although i doubt that...).

But i think they really are gonna loose face if they cannot show their suits anymore.... Verry silly !

Go to any thai organization and you will see the following:

An old out of touch poo yai wearing a conservative suit with a well coifed/manicured look standing around with a frown on their face. They don't seem to be doing anything useful except acting like the big bossman/bosswoman. In his entourage there are a whole lot of underlings wearing the prerequisite company uniform scampering around waiing and scraping to the poo yai. The poo yai issues a few vague and possibly incompetent commands while the underlings all race around trying to fulfill their duties. It's purely a top/down hierarchy with little to no compartmentalization or management networks that you would see in a western organization.

Then when the poo yai arbitrarily changes his mind (to show he/she's the boss) the underlings have to race around midway through their previous task to carry out the new one. If you have a problem with the way the poo yai is doing something then you better not say anything or you will get humped by the alpha dog.

This is why things don't work in Thailand they are stuck in a neverending costume party playing big chief and little indians.

I used to work for a western poo yai (or should I say ars yai?). I now work for a Thai poo yai again. Much better and he is much more competent in many means than the other one was, is and will ever be. What I mean to tell you is that you might want to consider your global judgment of "any Thai organization".

What is a Western poo yai? I didn't know they exist. I thought they were exclusive to Asian cultures like Thailand and China. I'm just a boy from Midwest States, so maybe they exist elsewhere.

You or your family needs to find an Asian-focused travel agent in Los Angeles who has access to consoldiator fares. These travel agents are usually found in Asian communities.

Someone in a travel forum recommended http://www.thaifly.com/

What is the legnth of stay in Thailand?

Where do you want to purchase the tickets? What currency do you prefer to pay with?

Are travel dates flexible?

How many indivudals are traveling? Can they split up?

Are the travelers originating in the LA area or will they connect through LA?

My guess is that the cheaper fare buckets ($800 - $1,100) available to the general public via retial outlets, like the Internet or the airlines website, have already been sold but Consolidators typically still have some of those fares in their inventory.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

To answer some of these questions:

The dates are from June 12 to June 23. The dates are pretty firm since they are coming for my wedding but can be moved by a day either way.

I can purchase them in the US or Thailand. I only have money in dollars to purchase the tickets.

The travelers will be connecting at LA. Sister's family from Houston and Brother's family and Father from Indianapolis. Total of 5 adults and 1 kid.

I would really prefer them to not be split so I can pick them all up at the airport at once.

I heard there is a big Thai community in Houston. Do any of you think that my sister could find one of these Asian consolidators there for flights out of LAX?

Thanks again all!

Yeah, both times are tax included. Okay, the summer timing could be it.

Since with China Airlines you can change the flights anytime with no charge, does anybody know if it is possible to buy the BKK-LAX-BKK flights and just change the dates to use the LAX-BKK first and then use the BKK-LAX?

I am arranging flights for my family to come over to Thailand this June and have found that it is about 13k Baht more flying from LAX than from BKK in a round trip. Is there a way to get the cheaper price for my family who will start the round trip from LAX?

The prices I am mentioning are from China and EVA.

LAX-BKK-LAX 48,500 Baht

BKK-LAX-BKK 35,000 Baht

It seems the mom and pop shops don't want to change with the times. Maybe they need to think of more efficient and profitable ways of running their businesses. Maybe they could come together (form an association) and order their items as a group and be able to get the same discount prices that Tesco gets. If they stocked the right items and had them at a reasonable price, then people would rather shop at mom and pop shops. I would use the shop down stairs in my condo building all the time except for two things: they don't stock many items and mainly they overprice everything big time.

Gays wear tight fit.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

The American fit in suits is rather dashing, I think. I particularly like how they wear their trousers so high they cover the nipples. It's a good look, made better by the three inch tie.

Lovely jubbly.

The japs master that look too. It always gives me a chuckle when i see a jap with his pants above his navel.

I personally use taxis in Bangkok as a little as possible.

Bangkok, like most large cities, is a magnet for con artists, scam artists and the like.

that is just silly. taxis in bangkok are generally hassle free

Not the typical story, but it actually happened and was not "hassle free."

During my last stay in Bangkok I caught a cab on a Saturday night from the "meter-taxi" line at at the Conrad where I was staying. I was going to meet friends in Nana which was a 40b cab ride. Once we took off through the parking lot, the cabbie turned around, turned off the meter, and told me that the ride would be 500b. I insisted on the meter, and stated that he should return me to the Conrad if he was not going to use it. Claiming not to speak English, he then asked for 300b. I again insisted on the meter or a return to where I was picked up. His response was to stop the car and try to kick me out. Seeing no upside I decided I would comply. However, before existing I told him that he should not pick up passengers at a line designated for metered taxis, and muttered that he was acting like an a**hole. His English skills had apparently improved because he took great offense to my use of that term. He jumped out of the taxi, swung open the passenger door,and grabbed me. I told him to let go and pushed his hands away. When I stood up outside the taxi, he pushed me. My response, of which I am not particularly proud, was to drop him with a punch to the jaw. He got up, swung at me again, and I dropped him again. At this point another cab stopped and the driver was watching. I started to walk away and the cab driver attacked me again, same result. The cab driver then went to his trunk and I ran.

I later, contacted the police (at the insistence of my Thai girlfriend), but to my knowledge nothing ever happened (before getting into the taxi the doorman at the Conrad gives the passenger a paper with the cab number written on it).

I am just lucky that the driver did not use a weapon (who knows what was in the trunk), the other cab driver only watched, and the police did not try to arrest me based on my report.

This was the first real problem I have had with a taxi (or for that matter with anyone in Thailand) in more than 15 trips. While I still take cabs, I make sure that they agree to the meter before I shut the door. Again, not typical but "hassles" do occur.

The same thing happened to me at the Conrad a couple years ago except I just got out. Once we left the premises, he demanded 500 baht. I was pretty drunk and it was 2 years ago so I don't remember the details, but I do remember him changing his mind about the meter being used after leaving. Rather interesting.

You can get a vios cheaper than 17k a month. I rented a brand new one for 3 months for 17k. A company should be able to get a better deal than me. Also, think about buying them. The payments are under 10k a month and when you sell them you'll get a lot back. Cars in Thailand have a high resale value.

As another poster mentioned, make sure you tell the tailor the cut you want. They seem to think everyone wants the european or italian style of being really tight. I like my suits the american cut where the pants are loose fitting so you could move freely and comfortable. There is nothing worse than clothes that are tight fitting. I really don't understand how thais and europeans wear their clothes so tight.

My question to everyone is... so what?. Does the notion that somebody was able to purchase their degrees make you feel inadequate?

Its not the point of making someone feel inadequate; its the point of belittling others' degrees. If some are able to purchase degrees from universities and the public is aware of this, then those that actually worked hard and earned their degrees have a degree that is worth less. A degree is an investment and people that cheat and buy their degrees decrease the value of the hardworker's investment.

From my personal observations, I feel the problem is more due to the culture putting importance on fun. Students don't want to do anything if it is not fun. To them school is not fun.

this is OUR technology, OUR jobs, OUR companies. NOT the ceo, coo, or any of the board of directors. these are AMERICAN companies.

foreign countries don't give a sh*t about us. all they want to do is steal from us. look at all the stolen technology, the stolen drugs, the stolen jobs. wake up before any more damage happens.

like a majority of them say quote, "they don't need us." and personally, "we don't need them".

Typically American.

I don't think many Americans at all would agree with what Nick is saying. He seems to have a very right wing mind. I just want to point out to all the non-Americans that Nick can not be described as "Typically American," maybe "Typically Republican."

I have one aircon unit running 24 hours a day in my condo and never have my electricity bill go over 3000 Baht a month. That is just 100 Baht a day. Why don't you just keep your guests happy and raise your rent 100 Baht a day. If a hotel has one I can't get around, I usually offer management 100 baht and they will give me a spare key so I can keep the card in the slot all day. Never been turned down yet.

I would think 15,000 is not too far off (maybe a little high). Especially considering foreigners would only buy land in Bangkok and coastal/resort areas where income can be quite high. The poor farmers won't be bothered since no foreign investors are going to want the farm land.

I would just buy a suit back home. I've used 3 tailors here since I've arrived in 2002. I haven't been satisfied with any of them. They were all okay but I can buy a good quality, good material suit for US$200 back home at Men's Warehouse. I find that all the tailors here want to make suits in a European cut (tight legs). I also can't find material as good as I find back home. Bought a great suit on sale back in the US for 450 dollars and it has lasted for about 8 years now and it is made of the best material. If you want a great suit and it doesn't need to be tailored, then just buy it at home.

The old post that the OP mentions was one of the best posts I have seen in a long time. I was really looking forward to reading peoples responses on dating down for good looks or dating similar and sacrificing on the looks. It was a topic that is truly relevant to Thailand. I was shocked when I saw it was closed. There was nothing wrong with it at all.

The OP should open up his old thread again.

My girl and I have just started to plan our wedding reception which will be in June. We are hoping to have it at a hotel in Bangkok. I would like to spend less than 200k Baht. I would also like to get any advise and also any price ranges if any of you know.

150pax

cocktail style

I think speaking English and being willing to work for a Western company will increase a Thai's salary greatly. My gf makes around 25k a month at her 1st job and has been working there for around 8 months. Her friends there that don't have a masters but do the same job make about 5k less a month. She works customer service for a Western company so English is a big part of their hiring.

Another friend of mine got his first job making 23k right out of his bachelor working for a German company. He is now a year later pulling in around 30k a month. With him too I think it was his English skills that led to his success.

My foreign friend has told me that a lot has to do with having Chinese blood too. He has worked at large Western companies here that only hire Chinese Thais. And now that he is head of hiring for his current company, whenever an applicant mentions that he/she is Chinese Thai, my friend just shows him/her the door.