liketobe

There is a purpose behind the disappearance of the suitcase. Time will tell what it was.

Deposed PM Requests An Indefinite Delay In All Legal Proceedings Against Him

Former PM Thaksin announced today that it was unfair for any and all legal proceedings against him to continue as key documents essential for his defense were stolen from him. He requested an indefinite postponement of all cases against him, his wife, his children, his Cabinet ministers, his chauffeur, his gardener, and his wife's secretary. "As a firm believer in doing what's right, it's only fair that I be allowed to present evidence that will exonerate me," Thaksin was quoted as saying. Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadope Patmytummy, stated that the time for the requested postponement would be no longer than 20 years.

Bangkok Herald-Examiner

July 1, 2007

News of the Future Department

Didn't I just say that two posts back? Didn't the first statment about the documents state that they only related to one case?

Heres the document case and plenty cash, make sure they never seen again. Whats in the case? All evidence that they could ever use aginst me.

OH HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!

NO CHANCE OF LOSE FACE AGAIN!

There is a purpose behind the disappearance of the suitcase. Time will tell what it was.

I think you might be right on the button there. Thaksin never does anything without an ulterior motive. Just too bluddy convenient "Oh I could prove my innocence of all charges laid against me but dark forces stole the evidence".

Yep...plea for time to start over in preperation period...BOO HOO-Please!

Watch now...will the powers that be stand tall and say ENOUGH of this nonsence

we taking you to the cleaners...money cleaners

I second that...the middle part of the country is a wast of time...just one giant rice field....no one goes there except for harvest time.

i hear Canada is nice too.

OH BOY you got that one right brother.....I love crossing over to B.C.

WOW just think if you had never bin to north america and just went driving for two mounths from southern california to central british columbia, like being on another planet.

how did you guys get from is it worth living in thailand to JFK??

To get back on the subject.

Thailand is a great place to live if you can. get a proper visa and come over and enjoy.

I hope so....the further I am from Mr. bush the safer I feel

57 years as U.S. citizen

> The officer wrote my name down as "Organ Donor" for crying out loud.

So I take it this was your home-driver's license that was taken, not a Thai one? Anyway, chances are that somewhere on the ticket it will indicate either the police station or the officer's ID so first ask the nearest Thai reading person about where to go to pay the fine. When there, just do a typical innocent 'boohoo I didn't know where to go that's why it's 4 months-whine' which I'm sure will come natural. Bringing a Thai speaking person might help there, too.

Your biggest worry is if they can actually find it back... Especially if they filed it under the D of Donor, or under the A of your blood group or some such.

OH that was good...except now I woke up the whole house laughing and am getting multiple eval eyes....

Because, ThaiGoon, you do lecture. On and on : )

Anyway, my point is that as long as EGAT holds a monopolistic attitude towards energy it little behooves them to make alternative energy sources readily available to people (outside their sponsored programs obviously). I wonder what the import tax is on solar panels and technology? Does the Thai govt offer any tax breaks to businesses that would like to go solar?

That is the question to answer before much can be sorted out. I know folks are bringing panels in there check luggage to the Philippines. Also heard that cheeper panels are being made in China-right next door. How much do they nail you to bring it in, simple systums don't require expensive instalation consaltants.

Mt wife's family do that to me and they don't even have wings.

It takes so much time reading to get to these gems

qwertz-ya I guess were just a different age group facing a different reality perspective, fewer years, less possibility's.

My self I'm not so much concerned with brief hospital stays even with the possible diagnosis of terminal out come in the near future-advanced cancer etc. It's just that I have structured retirment fiance's so that my two daughters don't get stuck with monthly bills for nursing home care of me ending in a struggle to get there own retirment finacial house in order.

I find it hard to deal with the facts of reality in a rest home here in the states. In fact my situation will be in a V.A. home stuck listening to other veterans telling war story's 24-7. When I here about seniors running around with there wheel chairs and good looking nurses having a good old time in Pattaya I'm ready to board the first flight out.

Thailand and the Philippines have both claimed goals to be first class medical tourism centers in the future, but I think there both going to miss the biggest boat now ready to sail. The front edge of the baby boomer generation(largest number of people to retire in U.S. history)are looking for service RIGHT NOW and will increase in numbers at a phenomenal rate for the next fifteen years. The private nursing home and assisted living infrastructure is in inadequate and in many cases appalling state in the U.S. Thousands of CNA's come to the U.S. to work each year at low wages and get no where in this economy, pay them the same in there own country and get the best of the best.

The rich in Thailand and Philippines would make a killing buy investing in developments to serve the need. If they built decent facility's that were similar to resorts a future down turn in demand would only mean that there investment holdings would be of tourist class real estate. Just look at Japan, in that economy retires have way more financial assets than the middle road guy from the U.S. and there actually selling robots to keep there old folks company.

It's almost like expats have to lead the way by doing it themselves, by using there wives citizenship to secure real estate and business legitimacy. Oh those rich local business women who ended up loaded because there corporation caters to forigners with money paying consistently mounth after mounth. And a government loving the tax revenues and the fact that they have artificial control over part of in country foreigners cause they no where there at-right over there at the retirment place where officials like to visit cause the food and wine is so good and the best looking nurses work there. Not a single back packer in sight or any other foreigners not contributing to the economy. Visiting family loving the fact that they have to take once a year vacations to exotic foreign country to visit old dad, dropping big money and upping the tourist numbers. But Thiland and Philippines have to understand with absolute clarity that what the retires want in facilities and service is what they do or they will leave or not come in the first place

Peter framton...live...sownd stag....PBS....Washington State at the moment

Global Gas Pump prices worldwide (Dollars per gallon as of Feb. 24)

Country Dollars per gallon

Netherlands $6.25

Norway $6.21

United Kingdom $5.94

Germany $5.87

Italy $5.72

France $5.56

South Korea $5.38

Japan $4.54

Australia $3.32

South Africa $3.24

Russia $2.38

Mexico $2.36

U.S. $2.23

Nigeria $1.85

China $1.93*

India (Delhi) $3.75*

Indonesia $1.67*

Vietnam $2.27*

Malaysia $1.93*

Bangladesh $2.42*

Singapore $4.09*

Iran $0.33*

Venezuela $0.12*

* March 24

Note: Not sure if this is US gallons or Imperial gallons of fuel, but roughly 5lt =1 gallon and 35 baht = $US1

Peter

As of today May 17TH average $3.40 washington state-near $4.00 califorinia per gallon.

There have bin some good threads the last month or so-Is it still worth moving to Thailand-Pattaya is great for lonely men-Enjoying life in the West-Asia alternatives to Thailand-What food would you like to eat right now.

Looking at retirment specifically(I'm 57 in 7 days and already retired disability for three years), the most important factors are cost and good health care. Philippines beats out Thailand for me at this point because can get good medical service in Cebu with out dragging my bones to the Megpolutopolis of Manila. Yes I've read all the posts about the good hospital in Pattaya and feel I'll have a 60% less chance of over charge hassles in Cebu, except in emergency either place you could get nailed to the wall. Major medical-V.A. coverage Guam, Hawaii, or the best on the west coast Seattle.

For good food between your appointments must fly to Thailand or Hong Kong(to expensive). You can find decent food in Cebu but not cheep and not every where, motoring across town for every meal can be a pain. Excessive sugar and msg not conducive to seniors good health. Rest homes with good environment and access to variouse entertainment venues in Asia?....huuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

As long as I use Hong Kong as hub for annual reality check flight to the U.S. and don't by a house or start a family I can run all over Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines with out having to back track to connect with return flight. Question is how long can I be happy with being a completely rootless being? I know that at 90 days I'm ready to move on unless there's some involvement there to make me stay.

Sorry about the long post...I know things always change and there is no permanent answer.

On a digital SLR your 50mm lens becomes an 80mm effectively.

Which will be fine for waist to head, and just about manage full body.

I did just try it with a 28-70mm on the 50mm setting.

I find this lens, from my old film days, to be excellent for the sort of shots you mention.

At present I have the Canon 10D body - 6Mpixels and it is fine for most situations.

More pixels are useful when you need to crop a shot.

In natural light the lens speed and the noise factor of the sensor are the most important factors.

Whether there is any significant difference between the Canon and Nikon offerings seems debatable.

I chose Canon because of my exisiting investment!

I will be looking at the spec for the new 40D from Canon, when they announce it. The smaller 400D is already very impressive.

No problem with lens speed f1.4...will focus on sensor noise factor...thank Astral

I understand what the difference in crop factor means when using zmm lens on digital SLR, but unless I have the equipment I can't see whats up. Will I be able to frame waist to head and full body portrature in a 10X12 foot room with 50MM lens? Talking hotel and pension house rooms not studio.

I have had some brief experience over the last 30 years but will call myself a beginner. I'm 56 now and don't have time left for 20 years experience to become professional, will never make money from it, never make prints net only, just hobby.

My interests are indoor natural window light portraiture, more black and white than color, and street life day and night. No landscapes, no animals, macro, or girls on the beach. Don't see the need for more than 7 mega pixels, how ever I can foresee my self progressing rapidly with the natural light black and white and needing more control options. If I'm not making sense just say so. The question....do I need to make the jump from Nikon 40-50 to 80 body? Don't own one yet. I won't hesitate to spend $1,000.00 on the finest in demand lens because I know I can turn it over rapidly, but this body debate Nikon v Cannon and new ones every six months leaves me with a head ache. Your thoughts appreciated-Liketobe

You've received a variate of good info so far Graceless. Yes get new spray and move it from your bag to your pocket when feeling unsure, any thing that makes you feel more secure will increase the confidence you exude. Most of these petty thieves and physically abusive morons poses only the minutest amount of self esteem reflected in there inability to make a living or have upfront interactions with a hot woman. They are very fear full as you will notice in the way they can break land speed records running away.

I was thinking that maybe since you come from the Philippines your style of sizing up the situation might have the slightest visable difference that gives the locals the wrong impression. My girl friend in Cebu, her office mattes, and her family on Mindanao all have the ability to stare any one in the eye and determine there true intention. When a cab pulls over for use she looks at the driver first and some times says "I don't like his look we wait". This brief look in the eye could be interpreted as fear where you are now, not so where you come from. Probably what you mean by your......eyes that are fixed with glasses.

On the other hand you've bin there six years and have adopted Thai style so I could be full of s....t.

I'll give Bambina a pass this one time since she is new to living in the land of bad mode, culture shock and is being verbally slapped around by the white ones with California visual perfection disease.

ha ha good one....you gorgeouse google girl

Oh! look...the Google Queen(bambina)just answered a post...where have you bin...where are you?

I remember returning to the U.S. after my first six months in the Philippines my friend said"Man you go to Asia wile we are in the middal of a terror war, we all set in the bar every friday and talk about what a nut case you are". U.S. advizing for years don't go there now cause natives resless in the south. So now its ok if we are retired or living in Thailand but tourist wouldn't go there for few weeks cause of the situation now as if it was different two weeks ago. Some people understand that the best time to go any where is when others are afraid to. Back packers will return home with tall tails about how they were there during the military take over. Was tuff times beer was so cheep I had to work to spend my daily budget. Myself at 57 I just do what I want some one else can sort it out latter.

Not to get to far off subject-op is interested in the cultural differances.

In the Philippines it is the standard that young men go around poking as many your girls as they can that leaves them as not virgins any more. When it comes to marrage all the men wan't virgin only. I had one 46 year old never married crying and upset "may be you not like marry me cause I gong to tell you the truth now-I not virgin" cry-cry-cry. I tell her forigners not car about that "no can not be-realy?"

A newbe question

A few weeks ago on some thread that I can not locat now, there was talk about the new road coming down from china. Can some one give me an idea about the general area it will enter thailand and how it conects to the existing rood system going south.

I can fly around on google and get a good idea of where it will be but need some referances.

Thanks for any replys.

I think your could take the right to dual citizenship of all Americans to court. To me it seems that those who have dual citizenship have an advantage over those who do not. For example, take a Thai person who acquires dual citizenship with the US. That person will be able to do business in America and in Thailand without problems yet your average native-born citizen who wishes to do business in Thailand has his business options limited without citizenship in that country. Why let some Americans have dual citizenship and the opportunities that go with it and not allow others to have the same opportunities. It seems like discrimination to me.

If an American who seeks citizenship of a foreign country is seen as some sort of threat to the US then why wouldn't a foreigner who refuses to denounce his citizenship be seen as a threat?

There's really no grounds for denying some individuals opportunity while allowing it for others.

What do you think about this?

It may seem like discrimination but infact those who come to U.S. must follow the rules over a set period of time in order to gain citizenship just as we must follow the rules to get citizenship in there country. Those coming to the U.S. who proced legaly in any of the endevers they . chose have the advantage of the sistems benifits. The only real dicrimination is in the property ownership rules.

"dual citizenship of all americans to court" sorry your not thinking to good today as I am most of the time. What does the citizenship of another country have to do with U.S. court-nada zip and 0

OK-listen up my friends-no matter where the loss of U.S. citizenship is discused the answer is all ways the same-you have to officialy declar it-no matter what other countrys passports you hold.

It is a separate issue that you take up with the U.S., if you do not take this action you retain U.S. citizenship-best to keep it simple like it realy is

OH YA! I can get you a good deal on at least three good bars in cambo, you could own that WHOLE side of the street. How soon can you wire me the money to set it up for you?

Stop! Don't say any thing to family period! If he says some thing about it just smile, could be a line of s.it or may pay back makes no difference. It's your chance to show family that your wise and confident-keep your mouth shut about it even if some one else brings it up, cheep lesson learned. Tell your girl friend that you should have followed her because she knows better about these family things. You are so fortionate to have a girl like that you could be with some one that has no back bone at all and telling you to give-give-give you hansom ATM

fox so good? Here in the U.S. there ratings have bin going stright down-last week down to 30% of six months ago-30% means you are delited-must be a money losing tax advantage