scorecard

You want train services anywhere to anywhere (I do mean anywhere to anywhere), on time every time, clean, not expensive, safe, comfortable, medium speed to fast speed. Go to Japan.

Fine the company enough that it goes into failure and bankruptcy and also fine the principals enough that they can never restart a business. Punishment and set the pace so that others don't just do the same thing because they are very frightened of the law.

Also in Bkk. Take a taxi or Tuk Tuk on a local trip and suddenly find yourself inside a compound with high walls/gate, and gates closed. It's an unpleasant dirty jewelry shop with high pressure to buy, insistance to buy to get out of the compound. Also (false) pleading from the taxi/tuk tuk driver for the passenger to buy some jewelery; "If you don't buy they will damage my vehicle". It happened to me once, 3 decades back. I then instructed my office mngr to quickly find a reliable driver with a car not marked as a taxi, for all my transport needs. We used the same guy for maybe 15 years and paid him well, then he retired but his son took over, also very pleasant and reliable.

So if the high speed station is constructed at the current decades old Pattaya station staion then a modern fast monorail is needed. Heaven forbid passengers got off the high speed train at the old Pattaya station then had to battle the song tow drivers and their cheating / overcharging to get to their hotels etc.

My Thai son suggested we move (son, his Thai wife, kids and me) from Bkk 6 months before his first child was going to finish kinder in Bkk. We had, as a family done week-end/week visits to CM many times before and always came back to CM for more. Son suggested full move to CM because he wanted his child (and more planned) to grow up in the CM 'culture' rather than Bkk (big, fast not all that friendly). His take was CM people are more friendly and more more helpful, more supporting/caring, better circumstances for the kids to be imersed in. Son and family searched CM for school and found several, son and his wife readily found good work and since moving here have established 2 successful businesses, and found good reliable trustworthy friends. Son's eldest child now at CM uni and all happy with the quality of her study. Before we moved son and whole family searches CM for good housing and bought land and house in a new moo bahn just off the superhighway in the Don Chan area. Lucky got in before several very large rises in land prices in CM. Now have great 5 bed house, nice family/kid friendly village, upkeep excellent. Old friends often visit from Bkk, want to also move to CM but land/housing prices 'blocking' their move. Yes CM has some pollution / smoke problems but hoping MF will make some progress on this point. Our family move to CM highly successful.

Would you trust any thaksin crony?

Where is the high speed train station located?

You're talking about 'upwards integration' (for a pizza shop/chain don't keep buy the chesse every month from a supplier, buy the cheese factory). I would be surprised if CP hasn't seriously done the calulations.

Seen same in a couple of reports. My Thai son and his wife have an orchard near Tak, they planted 75 Rosewood trees about 4 years back. All growing well. Son did some research about how close etc., before planting. Ultimate purpose is funds for his 4 kids.

If there is an AGM.

Nonsense.

Why is this news? It should be a standard part of every working day. Minds like little children with no ability to see, develop big picture policies and actions.

But always keeping in mind that coaliton parties will soon depart if they don't get some benefits.

And the answer is NO, NO, NO. He's not just 'the man in Dubai'. He's a person who has been charged with several civil offences involving very large amounts of money, found guilty for good reasons (real evidence) and not in a military court, and sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Thailand / most countries are experiencing more and more Banking scams and banks admit they are finding it difficult to keep ahead of this wave of illegal activity and keep savings etc., safe. It's rampany in Australia (just an example), my OZ bank now had 4 levels of security to be completed by customers at the start of every transaction. At level i it's voice recognition, level 2, pass three security questions, level 3 it's an 8 digit numerical OTP, then at level 4 it's another 8 digit OTP (mixed numbers and letters) must be completed within 10 seconds of completing level 3. Over a certain transaction limit invokes intervention by a live officer. I don't mind if I need to get an OTP for every transaction.

Nice point, however this relies, up to a point, on opinion which will be 'coloured' by the claims of the parties involved.

...useles and make up answers on the spot and demand that owners/residents accept these answers without question. Been there done that, we had a new office manager start work, She instantly put up signs in the 2 lifts: -Owners can come to the office counter to ask questions once a month however must first submit in writing a request for a queue number, date/time to come to ask their questions'. ... and about 10 more items. Came to a head quickly when a sudden water leak was damaging the ceiling in the condo just below. Condo owner suffering damage went quickly to office but is confronted with the new managers 'rule' just above. Owner suffering damage quickly contacted the official 'juristic person' for our condo (Thai lawyer who was a snr. mngr at a famous international management consulting company in Bkk., engages quickly, pleasant guy, perfect English, always takes action promptly). Juristic person calls all committee members and person suffering watr damage and the person suffering damage and asked them to meet him at the office counter 1 hr hence. 90% of committe members turned up, juristic person asks new manager who authorised her to create these new rules? Her response 'Me, I own the building so I make the rules. She also claimed that by Thai law her position (Admin. Mngr.) gave her the authority to claim she owned the building. She also said 'did you get a queue no. and date/time for this meeting with me? Within less than an hour the committee members present voted and she was dismissed on the spot. Maintenance man then quickly despatched to the water leak and 10 minutes later all fixed. Owner above agreed to recify all water damage and all completed within a few days. Committee then had a special meeting to make some real 'rules' about the authorities of the Admin. Mngr. person. Including; 'Admin' Mngr' must get written permission of Juristic Person and one committee member before taking any action / putting up any notice.'

And let get it right, he actually meant 'create by whatever means necesary a change to the voting numbers for trump at a specific polling point by adding 11,780 trump votes. Total conman again and again for 7 decades.

When I called K Bank call centre ysterday I mentioned that I was planning to use the K Biz internet banking (PC/notebook based) facility to do an international funds transfer to the UK in August or September, about 68,000Baht. And I asked if this would need some further security action (further to the online security factors already in place). Response from call center lady was 'NO, not for foreigners, just use the online system as it's currently set up. But over 150,000Baht will need some further online questions, triggered by instering 150,000Baht into the online screen'.

and there's many posts in this thread saying members have contacted their Thai banks who said clearly 'only applies to Thai customers'.

Told the exact same today by K Bank call center.

At the big K Bank branch at Big C Chiang Mai recently, the supervisor was hovering, she noticed my pink ID card an immediately offered (good English) to enter the pink ID number and cancel passport number. I mentioned 'this K bank a/c not opened at this branch'. Her instant reply 'not imortant at all, and K Bank is moving away from a/c's being linked to branches'.

I called K Bank call center today. Currently does not apply at all to foreigners for domestic or international funds transfers, regardless of amount and regardless of location in Thailand. Not yet certain but perhaps 8 to 10 months into the future might be introduced for foreigners. If it happens same 'rules' as Thai customers. Call center lady shared that total numbers and scope etc., of banking scams (Thailand and globally) is enormous and growing. Don't be surprised at some new multi factor 'security' systems being introduced .

Yes, but the situation changes daily. Sad.

And you may well find that the on the spot staff don't have any knowledge of 'can/cannot' order. And they don't ask their supervisor because they are lower ranking therefore to ask a question to the high ranking supervisor would be very rude and unacceptable.