grtaylor

I do not know whether they have smartened up the procedures about dealing with PR applications, but I had an extremely bad experience over it! I applied for PR around late 2004, having worked in BKK for 14 years, and, to begin with everything went well. My employer helped with all the necessary paperwork, I submitted everything as required, went to Immigration for all my various appointments, did the multiple-choice Thai test and got 100% pass, and made the short video. To sum up, I jumped through all the hoops they required.

Then, the final decision, which was supposed to take the immigration department around 18 months, ended up taking three and a half years!! They offered me PR in October 2009, and only then because I knew someone who's father was high up in Immigration. Nobody else from my "batch" had heard anything by that stage. Unfortunately, by then, my job in BKK had finished, I was no longer in Thailand, and was not able to take leave from my new job in order to get back to BKK for long enough to complete the process. I had to give up on it.

I sincerely hope things have improved - I have VERY bitter feelings towards Immigration over it. . . . . . .

Sorry, but had to get that off my chest!

Boon Tong Kiat

Daily 10:00-22:00

Soi Thonglor bPicture Boon Tong Kiatetween Soi 14 & 16, 10 min from Thonglor BTS

Thanks for that. Is this a shop or a restaurant (or both!)? I'm looking to buy the paste so I can cook the dish myself.

Thanks.

The title says it all - where in Bangkok (or Pattaya) can I buy the paste for Singapore or Malaysian Laksa?

Thanks,

G

Worked in Thailand for 19 years, and then, as there was no job in my field, ended up working in Cebu, Philippines. Its been an interesting change, and I don't regret it at all. The countries are actually more similar than I expected them to be.

With a few exceptions, prices are cheaper than Bangkok, and the supermarkets are good, but with not quite the same range of food products as Thailand.

I've heard this "security" thing mentioned a number of times about Cebu, but so far have had no problem at all myself. Yes, there are areas of the city I wouldn't go to after dark, but there are in Bangkok as well!

One major difference is the the fact that most Filipinos speak fairly good (if idiosyncratic!) English. At first I fell into the trap of thinking that, because they spoke English well, they would think more like Westerners. I soon realised I was quite wrong!

Bureaucracy is worse than Thailand, except that some visas are rather easier to obtain.

I'm coming back to Thailand for two weeks over Christmas and New Year. I'm now working in the Philippines, and I have a USB Internet Dongle (from SmartBuddy) which I just use in the PI in emergencies, if my ISP is down.

Can I use a Thai SIM card in it while I am in Thailand, or do I need to buy a Thai dongle there as well? In other words, are dongles customised for the country they are sold in?

Thanks,

G

hi, i'm the newest member here. does anyone know where to go for thai language studies in preparation for the thai medical council exams? the tmc requires foreign drs to take the licensure exams in thai. is there a special course designed for medical lingo on top of the basic written/spoken thai?

i like thailand, and as much as i hate thinking of the brain drain in my country (Philippines) i still want to work here.

i'm even willing to work as a ophthalmologist's assistant until i pass the exams. any suggestions? thanks, everyone.

You might try contacting Dr Olivier Meyer in Pattaya for advice. He's a Swiss doctor who has done it and is licensed here. I don't know his phone number sorry, but a Google search will probably give it for you.

In all the time I have been in Thailand there have been so many mates from back home asking me if I have started "batting for the other side". They generalize that blokes coming to Thailand like men and ladyboys.

How true is this generalization?

Does Thailand have a higher percentage of bisexual expat men than other countrys like Hong Kong, Spain, Norway?

I have been here a lot of years and now think that some acts performed by those half women half men would be accpetable for a red-blooded Aussie bloke like me. 10 years ago it would have shocked me.

Does living in Thailand a bloke?

Are you for real? Or is this just a troll? I can't believe anyone could be so naive.

The short answer is no. You are either bi, gay, transexual or heterosexual. End of story. You choose. Most Thais are fairly tolerant of people's sexuality and that is why it is so obvious in the bar areas.

Sorry, I disagree - you do NOT choose - whatever you are you are born that way!

I've just seen an elephant, well, 30 minutes ago, in Soi Nana Tai . . . . . .

My wife (Thai) renewed her 5 year license last week and also had to sit some simple tests and watch a video or something for an hour. Obviously being Thai the 1 year or 5 year question never arose but seems there are new (simple) tests to be carried out before they pass you.

Spoke with another foreigner that said he was made to look at a highway code book for an hour (all in Thai) before they passed him... No questions on what he read just told to look at the book!!! Got his 5 year extension without issue. On a Non O visa though....

I just got my five-year licence renewed for another five years in BKK. Had to watch the video and take the colour blindness, peripheral vision and reaction-time test.

No problem.

Neither my Ethernet or Wi-fi would work with Ubuntu on my Acer Aspire One.

I fixed it by installing the kernel from this site: http://www.aspireonekernel.com/

Since then - no problem.

I rather took a dislike to him when he was on TV the other evening talking about how to deal with Thai staff, and he said "Be nice to them - talk to them like they're children" . . . . .

How very demeaning.

I am hoping to move to Thailand. On another board two members posted that they spend 100,000 baht a month.

100K baht is approximately $2860 a month or $34,300 a year. That amounts to my take home pay in California where I spend $1,625 a month for rent in California, $100 dollars for food and all the other bills I have - I still can save if I am not extravegant.

I am thinking my first three years in LOS I will live on $15,000 to $20,000 from savings. Then I will receive $17,000+ a year in Social Security benefits and augment that with $5000 to $10,000 from savings.

I think my plan is doable. I need shelter, food, health insurance and internet access. I cannot go out partying often but that is not my reason for retiring, like I think it might be for the other two gentleman I mentioned.

I will say, I am starting in Pattaya (Jomtien) because that is what I know and it is an easy place for a farang to start. I realize it is expensive there compared to other places in Thailand.

What do you all think?

I have a friend here who took early retirement, and who disciplines himself to live on 30,000 a month - 1,000 a day. He owns his own condo though, so his rent is zero. Rental would be your biggest outgoing so it depends how much you want to spend on that. I'm working, and there are many days when I spend less than 1,000.

G

I'm with grtaylor. The spec. for the LG Arena looks very interesting. It's a minor thing, but, I like the added feature of the FM transmitter so that I can listen to web radio in the car without any additional cables. It has a 480x800 screen resolution. Guess it will be pricey when it comes out. Looks more interesting than the iPhone (to me).

If I read this right, from the Jaymart website, it can be reserved from now until the 5th May at any branch of Jaymart for 500 baht, but is available already at Jaymart Siam Paragon for 17,900 baht.

G

- วันนี้ถึง 5 พฤษภาคม 2552

- จอง 500 บาท มูลค่าสินค้า 17,900 บาท

- จองไ้ด้ที่ เจ มาร์ท ทุกสาขา

- รับเครื่องได้ที่ เจ มาร์ท สาขาสยามพารากอน

I'm waiting for the LG KM900 Arena.

"End of the walk"

Did the 9.04 update yesterday (not without problems but I think I know what they are, related to a wubi environment).. All in all nice smooth progression, its fast, lean, simple and does 99% of what I want (garmin mapsource is my one big issue) better than any other option.. Free is nice but not 'the' reason.. For me everything hardware wise works, and works better than in XP or Vista (I tinkered with win7 but dont have an active partition right now) with less drivers fiddling and finding, hassle and config. When a Linux install is simpler than a windows install its getting to critical mass time.

I am a n00b to linux full time.. I kept trying it and finding it harder going than windows environments all the way back to slack 3.2 a very long time ago.. The Ibex release was the point where I tried it and stopped booting back. For me ubuntu rocks. I should test out some more live CDs and get a feel for different environments, but its a case of this is working for me, better than anything else I have yet seen.

I need to slot a Netbook remix version onto the GF's aspire 1 before we got travelling.

Just in case it happens to you, I had a real problem with Ubuntu 8.10 on an Aspire One Netbook. The Wi-fi connection and cable LAN connection both refused to work. I finally got around it by installing a different kernel - from http://www.aspireonekernel.com/ Then it worked like a charm I upgraded to 9.04 today - and it still works fine.

About three weeks ago I was tempted for the first time in my life to buy something with an "i" at the beginning of its name. I'm so glad I didn't. A friend of mine bought one last week, and is saying its the worst phone he has ever owned.

Specifically:

• No video
  
• No flash
  
• Only 3mpx camera
  
• Can't connect to anything with Bluetooth
  
• Syncing phone book is a nightmare
  

How come are people so in love with it? The only thing it has got which is good is the really cool interface, as far as I can see.

G

Anybody seen the LG Arena on sale here yet? Price?

Many of us come on here and have a dig about the bad things thais do.Other than use a gun i think many of us do the same things.

1/ driving after drinking

2/ not wearing crash helmets

3/ fighting

4/ murder

5/ paying for some one to murder

6/ stitching up farangs

I could go on for ever about bad farnags.Are we being unkind to thais or not.

In nineteen years here I've only ever done number #1 and #2. If the majority of Farang here have done all of these, then no wonder we are despised by the Thais.

G

I had a similar experience about a year ago in Soi Wat Boon Samphant (aka Soi Khao Noi). I was driving home one night about midnight and saw a group of about four or five Thai guys kicking the fuc_k out of another Thai on the road. I'm sure he was almost dead already. I stopped my car, flashed the headlights, and tooted the horn at them, all to no avail. At that point I drove on home. I still feel guilty about being not feeling there was any way to stop them, without ending up being kicked to death myself.

..., and I always say (in my broken Thai) mee plastic paw uban, krap.

My 'mai au tung' (German transscription) is usually quite successful

"mai sai tung" or "mai au plastic" works also

Ah, other posters just beat me to the punch. Yes, LivinginKata, your Thai is too complicated there (actually, I don't know what "paw uban" means).

What the others wrote works everytime: "Mai ow toong" ("no want bag") or "Mai sai toong" or "Mai ow plaa-tic" (they don't actually say the "s" in plastic).

If you do get a funny look, you can follow-up with "Loohk lawn," which translates to "hot Earth" or "global warming." They get it then.

All the 7-Eleven girls make fun of me EVERYtime I buy something, usually everyday, about not wanting a bag before I can even say it. I have to interrupt the robotic-like reflex of new cashiers until they get to know me.

I think he means "mee plastic por yoo bahn, krap", loose translation - I have enough plastic at home, thank you!

.... England for old money, USA for new money and Australia for no money

I've never understood this, a Oz UG is pretty much just as expensive/inexpensive as a UG in England or USA/Canada, same for PG. In our company we don't hire US graduates due to their fcked up attitude, and UK degree holders and Oz seems to be pretty much the same, do you mind elaborate a bit? Thanks.

What is a UG?

For 150 baht per person one way I don't think they have to stop it. If two people are flying I think its better to just take a taxi. ALso won't have to carry the baggage up escalators, through elevators, through doors, etc.

As said, price will key to its success or demise (I've not seen 150 quoted before, reference?).

If it's reasonable, ala skytrain, then it could work... like Singapore's does.

But if it's unreasonable, then many a couple/families/even singles will opt for the taxi method.

I rather dispute the phrase "then it could work... like Singapore's does". I tried it once, arriving at about 8:30pm. It took me over an hour, including at least two changes, to get to my hotel. Next time I took a taxi.

G

Like some previous posters, I hate what it has become - not what it should be!

We had a traditional Songkran Assembly at my school on Thursday last. My hands were respectfully doused, by the (multi-national) students, with a small amount of water, to the accompaniment of other students playing traditional Thai music. A beautiful meaningful ceremony - not a bunch of stupid Farang tourists getting pissed out of their minds over something they just don't understand.

I have never liked the whole atmosphere of Hard Talk. I don't like the aggressive and rude interviewers who do not give the interviewee chance to answer their questions.

Having said that, I'm just watching Abhisit now on BBC, and I'm quite impressed with the way he is handling the "interrogation". I only wish he had come to power through the proper electoral process, and could be really given a fair chance to run this country properly.

I think that's the whole point mate, no doubt it is called hard talk for a reason.

Disagree - I think there is a real difference between hard questioning, and not actually giving the person the chance to answer!