wilson steer

Street hypnotism is not new in Thailand. A Thai is usually approached by two or more women and 'mesmerised' into handing over all valuables. There has been an outbreak of this phenomena in Pattaya during the last few weeks.

The latest report was of a friend of my girlfriend, who is a genuine person who was mysteriously hypnotised on Beach Road, near soi 7. She handed over all her gold and mobile and cash to two 'friendly' ladies. She remembers little about the incident and is very disturbed about the event, even fearing for her own sanity.

Police are little help in such cases; it is dismissed as fantasy. But I do believe in street hypnotism, yet I believe only Thais can be victims of this.

The drugging situation has been going on for years, it happened to me in Manila, my drink was spiked and I just couldn't keep my eyes open, I was lucky, a nearby friend playing pool saw me and took me straight back to the hotel; I lost nothing.

One more point: 'Poppers' or similar substances have a delayed 'memory loss' effect. They are actually a hallucigenic, although I always thought they were a stimulent giving a 'high' for a few seconds. I have not seen them for years, I think they are banned now.

I suppose most benzodiazapines can sedate given in high quantity, beware this scam of Manila, and maybe Thai taxi drivers....

You arrive at the airport, thirsty, and the friendly taxi driver offers you a can of Coke from his mini cooler.....You accept and hear the reassuring 'fizz' as you pull the ring pull. Next thing you are lying face down in a Manila slum without anything, except a headache. The taxi driver had hyperdermically injected the Coke drink with a sedative and 'spot welded' the hole.

These things do happen!!

Anyone out there with an account with Kasikorn bank know more about this card.

I went to a branch on Pattaya Klang; the person I was speaking to knew nothing and could not/would not help, then another girl who spoke better English told me to come back the next day and speak to the banker who did know something.

I went back and started all over again, very frustrating. They 'Kasikorn' bank advertise this e-web card on their website, but never seem to know.

Any news/feedback appreciated. Tomorrow I will try the other Kasikorn branch on Pattaya Tai.

W.S.

I have a multi-region DVD player that I bought in the LOS; it seems to play all regions, but what about NTSC format? Will it play those? Plus, will a Sony PS2 play both formats?

What about my T.V. will that play NTSC DVDs.

Thanks for all help on this one.

Yes; I agree,

When I update my savings book at the Thai bank, they merge every transaction into one and use one line of the book, so nothing is checkable.

Also it annoys me that I have to pay 20 baht, for an ATM withdrawal, 100 baht a year bank fee and 200 baht withdrawal fee overseas and get 0% interest.

But I dread the day I go to the ATM and all my cash In the LOS has vapourised. I have less than a million (baht) there but if it disappeared overnight, I would not be happy!!

W.S.

But; how is it possible for XYZ to suddenly pop up. When I got yahoo messenger I entered user ID into contacts and they even had to click and agree, yet I am plagued by sweet susan etc. with links and B/S chat. Anyone with Yahoo Messenger have this problem? never had it with Microsoft.

I have yahoo messenger, and a selected list of personal contacts, yet during conversations I am bombarded with messages from people I don't know, many who say they are f/21/philippines etc. then I get others who offer 'links' to porn with a hyperlink.

How are they doing this? My Yahoo ID is private, only for friends and relations. Have I been invaded, or is this a cookie thing?

Distressed and boiling with ire. W.S.

Thanks Ajarn, I knew nothing about that. Cheers.

W.S.

When I print a colour photograph, I always select properties and usually landscape the fit to fit, yet it doesn't do it.

Before I did not bother and it sort of did it automatically as long as I chose portrait or landscape.

Any ideas, basically when I print a colour print, I want it to be A4 so I don't waste expensive glossy photo paper.

W.S.

A friend of my girlfriend's; her boyfriend is dying, in fact he has only weeks to live, unknown to himself, he is old but was physically fit until a few months ago. His girlfriend was told by Thai doctors that there was no hope.

Yet he is sitting in his house and worrying about his visa, which expires next week.

Realistically speaking, he is a wheelchair case, if it came to a Cambodia-Run, but worse still not a fit wheelchair case; the heat and travel would be difficult, (for him).

Two Questions:

1. If he did a wheelchair 'run' to Cambodia, does anyone know of special 'runs' for the disabled to the border, I suppose they must exist...in Pattaya.

2. If he went to Bangkok Pattaya hospital, where they have set up an immigration desk for the sick, could he get an extra month for 1900 baht. What are the rules regarding sickness and overstay or extension of visa at the discression of Thai immigration?

W.S.

O.K Thanks for the leads, but aren't adobe mad about this, surely they are losing cash on their own software. Is there a catch?

Cheers.

W.S.

bkk mike. I don't quite understand. I have my own microsoft word doc and I want to convert it into a .pdf for printing and emailing....will this work?

W.S.

I am a big fan of turning my documents into .pdf files yet I only have a reader on my own P.C.

I understand that .pdf software is expensive, yet I fear 'pirate' copies in case they destroy my PC.

Is there any middle ground? I don't need to churn ot hundreds of .pdfs are there alternatives?

W.S.

I say 'Yes' but only in Bangkok. There should be a joining fee and proof of I.D.

All the casino staff should be vetted thoroughly and be preferably non-Thais.

The pit-boss and inspectors MUST be non Thai, and the T.V. surveillance system should be world class.

All payouts should be made by cheque or bankers draft.

It does seem absurd that the wealthier Thais go and lose their wealth in Poi Pet, Cambodia. Better they lose it in Bangkok, and boost a Thai company's profits.

I am surprised to read all the 'NO's'. Casinos are a fact of life across the world, it is no good banning them.

By the way: Roulette: The numbers 1 to 36 on the wheel when added together total 666: It is the devils game surely!?

W.S.

Thanks, astral and nordlys: good advice I will check out the slides and that store in the MBK.

Regarding storage: Darkness and low humidity? Right? They look O.K. but you have got me thinking.

W.S.

At the request of friends/family in the U.K. I downloaded Yahoo messenger. I ticked the boxes:don't accept toolbars and extras etc. Now Yahoo has taken over my pc browser, stolen 1cm of space with Yahoo stuff and I can't close it plus added a load of favourites.

What can I do? In fact, what did I do wrong?

W.S.

You can live on around $400 a month in the Philippines and live well. I have never bettered that. Beer, entertainment, in almost any city outside of Manila.

If times 'get hard' the Philippines offers a respite for $5000 for a year 'out'; and it is character building.

Don't think about it ......do it. As: Was it Hawkwind said?:

Well I live in Thailand, and I want to know; plus there is a Pattaya Marathon in July, I might manage the quarter marathon and I want to be prepared!

I have been reading news reports on the BBC website, just now an 'apology' from Paula Radcliffe for her toilet break at the side of the road, during the London Marathon.

Did she really take a dump on the pavement in full view of millions of viewers?

The BBC is too polite to explain the full facts....?

BKK-LHR for One-way is advertised on Pattaya TV for 10,000 baht plus tax with KUWAIT airways: Only problem is it's a dry airline.

What does a bluetooth dongle look like, does it connect to the port, and roughly how much does it cost?

Also: When bluetooth is connected and on, does that mean my neighbours in the local 10-20 metres will be able to 'suck' all my files out of my laptop?

W.S.

On the same theme:

I have located an infra red port on device manager, yet I can't find bluetooth and my phone can't find my laptop.

How do you 'get' bluetooth on your laptop?

It is turned 'On' on my mobile phone.

Thanks. W.S.

That is a great .pdf post stumonster. Absolutely facinating, and the previous post with the pamphlet holder concealing a camera. My paranoia level has gone through the roof!

On two occasions; I requested a withdrawal and the ATM made all the right noises yet no money came out. Once for £50 in the U.K. (The bank never took my complaint seriously) and another time in the Philippines (about £80 ish) and the bank never refunded that either.

I am sure that there was a collection cover now, so my money was grabbed later.

W.S.

But: can a bank worker obtain a PIN from insider shady business. I understand the concept of skimming cards, but to make a copy card the W/D cash, surely a PIN is needed, and there is a 1 in 9688 chance in that (the other 322 PIN's are not valid PINS)

W.S.

Neereean, Yes I saw Alex Higgins in a bookies on the Manchester Piccadilly Rail Station 'William Hill'. He was twitching like mad and bet loads on T6 and lost big wads of cash.

He had this oversized black leather jacket on, and nobody dared approach him or look him in the eyes. I think he (Higgins) is dead now.

Higgins biographer 'Bill Borrows' incidentally went to the same school in Manchester as me, although younger, he was known to be an absolutely cocky, selfish, *anker. And 'Borrows' is not famous and deserves no 'airtime'. So I won't mention him.

W.S.

Where can I download MP3 music downloads for free, or is it illegal now?

Also I used to have a programme called Gamat it used to turn a CD into MP3, is that still available or will XP do it I can't seem to figure out how though.

Thanks. W.S.