Valehree

Hey, why all the negativity? Thailand is only doing what is happening around the world. Sure there will be tea money paid but eventually the ban will take hold. Smoking is a health issue and the government is trying to do something about it. Why treat it as if it is some useless government step when it is happening everywhere. Like one poster stated, it has not hurt the clubs, restaurants and bars in Los Angeles. Areas outside will be set up to let the smokers puff away. Eventually smoking will become less popular. That's how habits get changed. Sure it will be a bumpy road in the beginning but it will eventually take hold and just maybe a whole generation of young city dwellers will not take up smoking if it is banned in the very places they think it is "kool" to smoke. In my younger days I too when thru a phase of thinking it the "in" thing to do. I am sure glad that phase did not last. I am sure many smokers will be annoyed at the ban but how many wish they had never taken up smoking to begin with, knowing the health problems and expense associated with smoking?

Your do-gooder comments are missing the point: Thai policemen have MUCH better to do with their days than arresting smokers, don't you think? But this will be easy 'tea money' for them, much easier than say arresting criminals, and so become their n°1 priority. Just another waste of already scare public money. THAT is the point, not the dispute over whether it's healthy or not to smoke. It's not. Smokers are aware of the later you know, yet it's their choice. California might be a state rich enough to pay policemen to chase smokers (or enforce beach curfew as i remember), thailand just can't afford it. Cheers.

Latest news....hanger foundations were laid in wrong place, full investigation to follow, results expected some time before the world ends.

facts:

He didnt broke the laws of Thailand !

Staying illegal in Thailand cause Sweden revoked his passport ?!!!

I think, Sweden can not revoke his passport, when he does not stay in Sweden.

Only Thai authorities can do this (take his passport), when he is staying in Thailand. And when thai authorities did not accept his staying in Thailand any more, he can go, where ever he wants.

Its not ok to deport someone, just because another state want this.

f.e.: Would Sweden deport a Thai citizen, who has criticize the military-junta at home, back to Thailand, when the thai authorities would asked for this little favour??

Please no comments, if you have no idea of international laws and fundamental principles of laws.

Fundamentals principles of laws?.. isn't breaking commercial laws an altogether different matter than applying one's civil rights such as freedom of speech?..

Probably pimp killing.

sure they were just tourists?

That was my first thought too

If it involves violence and Russians then it's usually not random at all. I bet there's a lot more to this.

================================================================

Yeap; Wintermute; I believe you are correct; of course there's more to this story that what we've heard sofar. I've lived and worked in Pattaya for almost 15 years now and I can tell you that there have been some pretty incredible encounters involving Russian citizens here.

As a rule; it is mostly kept "between Russians" and I would be surprised if this will not turn-out to fall into that same catagory.

Likely scenario could be: two Russian hookers (and there are litterally hundreds of them here !?) no longer desoire to pay-off their Russian pimps; these guys are not the pick-nick type and will go through extreme lengths to "save face" with regards to the rest of their "flock" . . . . tatsteless business, no kidding !

VERY classy guys ..... first thing you do is cast doubt on the 2 victims!

Not classy indeed... but life in Russia when you are young, penniless and cute is far from being classy I'm afraid

Fact is, most russian-Prada-clad-gals one encounters outside of Motherland are, if not hookers, at least girlfriends of mafia-turned-oil businessmen types. Ask any 5* hotel managers around the world, they'll tell you how their premises are rented out by those guys, who gets a bunch of girls to fly from russia for week-long feasts of sex, drugs & booze.. So 2 weeks in Pattaya, why not..

This said, whether these 2 women were part of the circus or not, they sure did not deserve to die. Period.

So what name will be used for DM?

Bangkok National Airport

Bangkok Occasional Airport

BKK Classic

I can't believe it's still an Airport

New Bangkok International Old Domestic ...er... I give up.

Re: Airport names:

Well, I've conferred with my wife and ... killing ourselves laughing ... we have agreed that the airports should be renamed to:

"go-diss-way"

"go-datd-way"

Don't ask which one is which ... that would spoil all the fun.

Virgil, Out!

a good laugh

Thailand - Loser Friendly

The most appropriate slogan would be: "Thailand -- We Want Your Money."

A few years ago I brought a very exotic car into this country a GT-40 I broke down all the way from the border to Phuket I didn't have the parts that I needed but I keep trying to make my home here were I have an extensive shop to build cars. Every place I broke down people came and helped me get the car started so I could keep going. NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE WOULD TAKE MONEY WHEN IT WAS OFFERED TO THEM. MANY OFFERED ME A BED FOR THE NIGHT, FOOD AND ALL GAVE ME ASSISTANCE FOR FREE. I GOT THE PHONE NUMBERS OF SOME OF THESE PEOPLE OTHERS DIDN'T HAVE ANY, BUT TO THIS DAY I AM STILL FRIENDS WITH THESE PEOPLE. I build cars and travel with them all over the world I have had break downs ever where and you know I have met some of the nicest people

Agreed. Sunday 31st december. 23h59. Our rented bike flat tires on the road to Prachuap Khiri Kan. Nothing to mend it, 5km to go..

..we hardly walked 100m before a pick-up stops.

The thai driver, a manager just off his shift with still a two hours drive in front of him on a day when people are in a hurry to get home, single-handingly secure the bike on his trunk and goes through the trouble to take us back to our way-off-the-road place.

Now I don't know about you but my last experiences of flat tires at night in France saw me walk home, without any knight in shining armour coming to my rescue - helping might have jeopardized his buzy schedule.. or, who knows, I might have been a psychopath pushing a bike

So, yes, long live thai kindness

All the self reassurances aside... there are plenty of places to go in the world where there aren't bombs exploding.

Where can you better the feeling of appreciation and happiness that Thai Culture and people give you?

Name me one place..

" "

This is very subjective and depends what you are looking for but after having lived in Thailand for more than 4+ years and not just coming on vacation I have grown tired of the fuss that is made over the fact that we are 'falang' - in all its different aspects.

I have enjoyed myself actually more in:

* Laos

* Cambodia

* Vietnam

Cheers,

Guido

Well said Guido.

The 'Thailand is the best country in the World bar none brigade' are out in force tonight.

err.. the question is then what are you guys still doing here if it is so much better elsewhere?...

Would love to "pm" you for details but new in the forum thing = no clue on how to do that

... thanks !!

Hi

I'll have some french text translation work available, (english to french) can be done at home if you have your own pc / lap top.

Only requirement is that you complete it on time, otherwise no payment.

initially a blarger bacth of text then later more available on a momnthly basis but less than the initial amount.

please pm me if you are interested, we can discuss fees as soon as I have the total amnt of text available and see what kind of character you are

Sami

Hi Sami

I am a french national with a US Bachelor and could be interested.

Would love to "pm" you for details but new in the forum thing = no clue on how to do that

Please get in touch

Valerie

Arab town in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Thai-based Rajthanee Realty, two Saudi investors and a UAE sheikh are building a $160m "Arab Town" in Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Post. The 2m sqft development will include a hotel, residential and office buildings, general amenities and a mosque.

Rajthanee chairman Dr Boon Vanasin says more Middle Easterners are moving to Asia, particularly Malaysia, because they felt less welcome in Europe and America due to issues related to terrorism.

--Agencies 2006-08-17

Great.......they'll soon use Bangkok as their new launch pad to plan terrorist plots within S.E. Asia

As it is, you can already find them loitering with intent in Soi 5 & 7 Sukhumvit.

But then again, better to have them in one place so that the Thai authorities can monitor effectively.........

You might not be aware of it but.. "arab" does not necessarily mean "terrorist"

Hi there

I used to set up & run Premium rate subsidiaries for a french company ; that was 5 years ago and on opening markets (Eastern EU, Asia) so my info might be outdated/inadequate for a sms booming and very crowded UK market..

Still your leaflet thing has me worried

As a comparative we used to have a best response rate of 5% but out of TV adds, TV partnerships or TV magazine adds ..by far the 3 best media for advertising premium rate services

Clearly TVmagazines and TVcommercials mean quite a budget (even though TV adds are NEVER prime time but morning and late night slots if you want return on investment)

TV partnerships depend on your adress books/salesman talent & creativity (now THIS goes prime time and brings in big cash!)

but leaflets... truth is we never tried and I would never have considered it considering

1) traditional low response rate of direct mailing

2) the fact that the 5% response rate mentionned above is, in premium services, mostly due to the same people calling over and over (doesn't help with point 1))

3) how do you target a consumer group ?

4) how do you evaluate what works ? (premium rate services is one of the only product in the world where you get "immediate" concrete results: the number of calls.. you might wanna use that to better your promotion strategy)

There is 1 rather cheap way to advertise psychic/horoscope numbers (provided it is authorized in UK) : through the Classified section of newspapers

This usually is a good medium and has a good return on investment, the latest being quite low

If I were you, but this is only my opinion, I would forget the leaflets and invest the £190 in classidied adds (or any printed TVmag add you can afford) instead. At least playing with tel numbers and printing dates you would be able to evaluate which publications/adds work and capitize on those for further benefits

Hope this helps

Bon courage