onlooker

Does anyone have any idea where concrete stamps or texture mats - eg Matcrete can be bought in Thailand? Google doesnt come up with anything.

Matcrete gallery

The story was in TITV this morning. Their account is as follows:

A very brawney, hunskey Canadian was having physical battle with his farang wife in a Pai restaurant.

The policemen tried to intervene and the farang guy got angry and physical with the policeman for trying to interfere.

Totally implausible. As if it were true, this would mean that the policeman isn't entirely to blame which of course has already been proven by posters here to be incorrect.

Not sure why everyone is blaming Thaksin alone for selling Shin Corp to Temasek. The deal could only go ahead because SCB agreed to back the deal. Ina deal worth billions of dollars and one involving sellling important assets, the major shareholders of SCB will have given their go ahead for the deal.

The major shareholder in SCB is CPB. And who has final say in everything that the CPB does? . . . someone who cannot be mentioned.

Not everything is as simple as it seems in Thailand.

I'm waiting for the thread started by an elderly French couple who tried to buy gasoline and were then told to 'F Off' by a Thai guy who then threatened to shoot them.

Wonder what the responses to a thread like that would be? Would it be "Way to go Thai guy, you did the right thing" or "Typical Thai idiot, no wonder Samui has a bad name blah, blah"

Always nice to hear both sides of the story

Over 300 posts on what is essentially a non event for readers of this board.

Same as every election, alcohol is technically banned but the local police will let hotels, restaurants & bars know the accepted method of bypassing the bans.

Business as usual last night - alcohol was served, the difference being that is was in plastic cups and not glasses and bottles. However, bars that only sell beer were shut in my neck of the woods - forcing those witha love of Connect 4 to look elsewhere for a drink. This ban really is hel_l.

Ban Coffee too . . . . You'd be dead if you drank 78 cups of McDonalds coffee ( Large size)

Death by Caffeine

It's a real 'pot kettle black' situation here.

Seems most people, and even Embassies, condone doing a runner - just the type of activity, which if done by a Thai comes in for unanimous derision and criticism by posters on this board.

In summary . . . Thais shouldn't flee the scene, because they are Thai but farangs should because they are farangs.

Cant your g/f just sacrifice a chicken or buffalo or something to appease the Gods of Love. If you transfer some cash for a new 32" LCD TV that might also help to ease mamma & papa's loss of face

Another local favourite - Cheers Beer also won a Silver, as did Chang Draught. Both beating out Bronze medal winners such as Weihenstephan and Steinlager and also placing them at the same level as Becks and Kronenbourg 1664.

Cheers Beer is better than Steinlager. I'm convinced the world has gone mad. No more proof is needed.

All the results at Aussie Beer Awards Winners 2007

The investment wasnt directly in Thai Gold Exchange it was in The Investors Corner,a profit sharing program run by the parent company, Asianpay.com, which itself is owned by an Italian guy in Chiang Mai. It did have good results this time last year, but from early 2007 onwards it became clear it was a bit dodgy. Thai Gold Exchange is now owned by another company Asian Digital E-Currency, which also happens to have the same shareholders as Asian Pay & Thai Gold Exchange but denies having any liability to anyone who is owed money by either of those companies. hence my desire to have monies owned refunded as emails from myself and other 'investors' go unanswered now and phone calls to the office are cut off as soon as awkward questions are asked.

How does a 7-11, or any other minimart, control that sort of potential pilferage. And how much pilferage is there?

Very little shoplifting. Also all 7-elevens have numerous security cameras. Highly unlikely a Thai schoolkid who visits a shop near their school & home regularly would steal something. Big loss of face if they were caught

No names. But there is a Chiang Mai based web hosting & design company also runs an online gold exchange and an online private profit sharing program. The profit sharing program was designed to share the returns from the gold exchange. Investors paid money in to help build reserves of e-gold that could then be traded by the company. The fees on these trades were then slip between investors. Initially all went well, but over the course of the last 10 months the vast majority of the investors, who between them have put in around US1 million haven't seen any physical returns.

Whilst money was being invested in the profit sharing company, the parent company's own accounts show that the farang director of the company and his Thai family were paid over 5 million baht, whilst income for the parent company was derived almost entirely in loans from the profit sharing program i.e from money invested by people like me in the hope of seeing an above average return.

I have a US2000 or so in there - not too much, many others ( farang & Thai) have far more. I've given up all hope of making a profit but would appreciate any advice regarding a good law firm to turn to for a legal opinion / collecting monies owed. Or is there a Thai Consumers Association one can make a formal complaint to? I have the address of the Crime Suppression Division in Bkk but if there's a local branch in Chiang Mai or if anyone has an email address for the main office that would be handy. The newspapers are the obvious choice but The Nation & Bkk Post aren't particularly crusading and Thai papers would only be interested if enough Thais were being ripped off.

For anyone into HYIPs and alternative investments you'll find threads regarding the company on many specialised discussion boards

No names. But there is a Chiang Mai based web hosting & design company also runs an online gold exchange and an online private profit sharing program. The profit sharing program was designed to share the returns from the gold exchange. Investors paid money in to help build reserves of e-gold that could then be traded by the company. The fees on these trades were then slip between investors. Initially all went well, but over the course of the last 10 months the vast majority of the investors, who between them have put in around US1 million haven't seen any physical returns.

Whilst money was being invested in the profit sharing company, the parent company's own accounts show that the farang director of the company and his Thai family were paid over 5 million baht, whilst income for the parent company was derived almost entirely in loans from the profit sharing program i.e from money invested by people like me in the hope of seeing an above average return.

I have a US2000 or so in there - not too much, many others ( farang & Thai) have far more. I've given up all hope of making a profit but would appreciate any advice regarding a good law firm to turn to for a legal opinion / collecting monies owed. Or is there a Thai Consumers Association one can make a formal complaint to? I have the address of the Crime Suppression Division in Bkk but if there's a local branch in Chiang Mai or if anyone has an email address for the main office that would be handy. The newspapers are the obvious choice but The Nation & Bkk Post aren't particularly crusading and Thai papers would only be interested if enough Thais were being ripped off.

For anyone into HYIPs and alternative investments you'll find threads regarding the company on many specialised discussion boards

WATCHARA MARINE CO., LTD.

47/32-33 Moo 9 Sukhumvit Rd., T. Nongprue,

Telephone: 0-3871-6168

Fax: 0-3842-1758

Crossy - what's the estimated cost to build No. 27 at today's prices. ( Surprising you dont see more people using the plans for 27,28,29 & 30 - all far better than the average concrete box people build.)

Quad bikes are illegal for road use . . which puts you in a dodgy position should you have an accident as guess who will be paying for all the damage regardless fo who's fault the accident is. Clue, it wont be the other guy.

You ever see a quad bike with a registration plate? Didn't think so.

For an example of a very good value apartment where rents haven't increased in a decade see the back of the Nation Classifieds for the ad for Rio Monte Apartment . I moved in 9 and a half years ago and paid 7,200 baht/month for brand new studio ( list price 8,000 but 12 month contract so got 10% off)

Can renew road tax anywhere. My car has plates from a province over 1000km from where I live.

Also dont forget to get the registration book for the red plates. This is the book where all the regulations regarding driving with red plates are written (in Thai) I was stopped last year at a police checkpoint and they wanted to see it as there were red plates on the car I was driving. No one told me about having to fill in the details of every trip being a legal requirement when you are driving a car with red plates. I think as it's one of the laws that 99% of people ignore.

But you'll have to go back to Bkk to get the white plates for your car and the garage will want their red plates back as well.

I took the car ferry a couple of weeks ago and there was a 20 minute wait for the boat at the mainland HuaHin pier but from Lantan Noi it was straight on the second ferry with no delays.

Apparently work on the road bridge from Lanta Yai to Noi will being within the next 6 months. No plans for a bridge to the mainland though

There's always a loophole that can be exploited in Thailand. Maybe VT7 have a plan to build nine 3 storey buildings and stack them on top of each other. Simple.

I thought footbridges were only built to provide shade for people crossing the street below.

The story of how King Power came to originally hold the duty free contract is an interesting one, and a warning to any large businesses of what can happen when entering into a partnership with a local firm. ( Nothing at all to do with Thaksin.) Years ago Aer Lingus had a good reputation for running duty free shops, they got the contract to run Bkk Airport's but of course needed a local partner. Business was so good that the local partner decided they didnt really need Aer Lingus's help any more and so they were kicked out. And the local parter was King Power.

Flew in from KL on AirAsia 27 June landed at around 8am. Straight through passport control and was at the carousel before the first bag arrived. But I noticed that there were three areas with Immigration desks in them. But from each area you can't see the other areas and so have no idea they are there. When I walked out towards the baggage claim one area was packed with people, yet the one I'd just passed through was almost deserted.

It's an old Daewoo SUV with a facelift. If it were sold as a Daewoo Captiva would you buy it?

See: Ban Song Thai website