hansnl

But as we all know, professional and domestic cleaning skills are not Thailand's forte. Anything above floor height? forget it!

I am afraid you may be right on that point.

However, I am also very much afraid that most people invited to classify the cleanliness of a bathroom have no idea at all what to look for, and where.

I have seen examples enough on that point.

A whiff of nice smelling stuff sprayed into the toilet pot, and all of a sudden the negative impression about the bathroom changed magically into a positive impression.

Another point is that one negative impression about a hotel makes everything else less acceptable.

But yes, if I look at cleaning in Thailand, generally, there still is a lot to learn.

But, who am I?

My son, sorry in Holland, being a specialist in car electrics and electronics, puts the following to me.

- was it also like this in the dry season?

- if not check the outer lamps if dry inside

- if not dry spray dry with water chasing agent

- spraying the wiring with the same agent may fix the problem for a longer time, if you can reach all wiring.

If that does not help, stop searching, the cheapest and most efficient way to do is to install a mass (earth) switch.

That does not fix the problem, but stops the car being a pain in the rear end of the bowels.

On a 15-year old car anything can go wrong electrically.

Older French cars do tend to have electric problems in winter and when it has rained.

After 15 years wiring gets iffy and connections get rusted, giving problems.

Fixing the problem will be a costly and time consuming business.

Once Thaksin or his proxies are back in, this'll all be history . . .

You have got to be joking !

Indeed, probably no more crackdowns.

It looks different, but actually per 100 people in Thailand there are less people working in the sex industry as in many other countries which a much more "pure" front.

And all this fun is brought to you because of the joys of Islam.

Never had that problem before, however, last week no TOT-internet for TWO days.

Not only TOT, but also True for one day.

After that, slow.....slow......slow......

A considerable amount of complaints produces a personal TOT presence in the house.

Reprogrammed the modem, attached new cabling (no charge)

Now it works, but slow.

New Government filtering, maybe?

Nod....

For that amount of money you could buy a new car.

But I guess you are bent on a BMW.

If not completely Bayered, visit some dealers, you might be surprised.

YES!!!!!

Recipe please?????

As I understand from a case from an English friend, you seem to need a document from the local administration in your hometown stating your status.

With that paper you can go to the British Embassy in Bangkok, translation service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I think the OP is a special case. He didn't make the move when he was a boy to get into this situation. It happened to him. Naturally he would feel more American than Thai. I am not surprised a person like that wouldn't be jumping cartwheels about doing Thai military service. Most Thai young men aren't into it either, why should he be? As far as his loans, I am sure if he was able to become US legal he would be in the same boat as any other student with such debt. He would hassled by creditors about it for the rest of his life and if he was able, he would be as likely to pay it as anyone else. Have some compassion please for someone in a very painful situation which he did not create. Getting a college education under these conditions is very admirable. I think it is a shame for the US to throw out a productive, hard working person like that who is already a fully adjusted American but without documents.

Bottom line, he didn't come here for moral lectures, he asked for suggestions and advise. I doubt we can help him much, but the impulse to diss him seems to be very distasteful.

BTW, someone like the OP could probably enlist in the US army and gain citizenship that way. That would involve almost definitely fighting in Afghanistan. That's a hard choice, clearly not for everyone.

I feel very sorry for this OP, he is in a situation he did not choose and does not want.

He wants a solution for his problem, and really, there is not really a good solution.

He can only choose between bad and too bad.

But, would it be very stupid to say that the military choice might be a good and honourable solution?

I know, it involves quite a risk to do this, but it also means that you give something back to the US.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, sorry!

Good luck, anyway

Oh dear...

My neighbour has a new hairball puppy every 6 months or so.

The old one gets kicked (literally) out , and gets kicked every time it reappears at it's home.

Why?

Small puppies grow to become adult dogs, and the plaything is not so nice and cuddly any more.

Give her a wind up fluffy plaything from the children's store.

Good show for Thailand.....again

I SMELL FISH!

for punishment they should make him ingest all 42 kg. and send him flying back to Tehran

What a marvellous idea.

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

I'd have to agree here. Anwar and the driver agreed to 150 baht for the ride, and then after services were rendered, Anwar wanted to offer less. And if it's true that he escalated the situation further by being rude and kicking the driver, then I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.

I'm sort of happy that people like Anwar won't be returning to Thailand for their holidays.

Ahhhhh.......follow the bosses lead.

Something like this: (Boss and staff version)

Oh no, you f***k, you OVERCHARGE ME (kick in the nuts), 150 Baht???? (repeat kick), I OFFER YOU 100 Baht!!! you %&$*#, (repeat kick), ((in the meantime the tuktuk pilot is making a phonecall), grumble.....grumble (from the Canadian being completely out of breath, in the meantime giving himself his battle wounds)

After that everybody waits till the call from the TT-Pilot No 1 is answered by the arrival of the TT-Pilot No 2.

And then the proceedings are continued by slowly and thoroughly beating up of the criminally inclined, mentally retarded and lying Canadian

Good show!

So stupid, it can only be the real thing, yes?

I bet the Canadian did not kick, yell or beat, or maybe to defend himself.

Why not agree to the fact that those drivers are more or less "criminally inclined".

I gues the police knows, and now decided that enough is enough?

If you are ripped off, maybe just accept it?

You always do that?

You don't protest if some Tuktuk pilot rips you off?

Even if you agreed on the fare, not knowing the distance between A and B, a fact typically exploited by this.........

And you are sort of happy that people like Anwar will not repeat this unforgettable holiday-experience?

How shortsighted can one be?

Maybe his story, ventilated in Canada to friends & relatives or even better in the press over there, will take care of another 5-10 people not deciding to spend their holidays over here.

You think that is the way to go?

Hopefully the police and the Public prosecutor decide to make an example of both reported case, and send those prime examples of stupidity to jail....for the maximum.

Maybe the PP can throw in the fact of damaging the reputation of this country?

It might not stop the TT-Ripoffs, but maybe the bosses would think again and give the drivers a chance to earn a better living and thus getting better staff?

Don't think so!

Visas have been mis-used for many years. Retirement visas should be limited to the age of the expats pension age, eg UK at 65. You cannot be retired at 59, just escaping into another country for whatever reasons because you have nothing to do in your own country

You cannot be retired at 59, just escaping into.....

Who says you can't? Why should there be a standard for retirement age. I worked hard for about 15 years, made a lot of money and have a monthly cash flow that would embarrass crown pensioners. I could retire at any age in Panama if I show a monthly income of $500 a month.

This is the usual "Thais running scared" mentality. The failure to recognize that there is more on the this rock in space than Thailand. Thailand is a perfect picture of xenophobia and they are just hurting themselves. Retirees plus working expats plus foreign tourists equal huge revenue for Thailand. They can't see passed their glasses perched on the ends of their little noses and will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. They equate revenue with the number of flights in and out of Thailand and fail to realize that foreigners also drop baht at 7-11, grocery stores, gas stations etc

They are too busy counting a few baht that is made in departure fees and hotel bookings and fail to focus on the much larger amount spent out and about in Thailand.

You can't teach the old elite anything. They know it all........

Of course that it why they are STILL nowhere near developed.

Now consider this:

- Who is running the country?

- What country is in the direct approach line?

- What is the national treat of that country?

- What might that mean for the gwai loo?

Its about time the Thais were able to decide for themselves. I disagree to most of this and I have been married to a thai for 6 years.

Visas have been mis-used for many years. Retirement visas should be limited to the age of the expats pension age, eg UK at 65. You cannot be retired at 59, just escaping into another country for whatever reasons because you have nothing to do in your own country.

Really a person in the UK with allot of money at say the age of 30 can't retire? they HAVE to work until they are 65?

Not only in the UK!

I retired, legally, with a 100% pension, at the ripe age of 56.

I worked for nearly 43 years.

I presume that would be enough?

Other thing, there are countires without a "legal" age for retirement.

I presume those can never be allowed?

Hi, I think you have the same problem as us with the Loei Airport, not enough business to justify the flights, have to agree a real shame.

I was always staggered how an nice airport like Roi-Et's could possibly sequester enough subsidy to keep the one flight every two days. It must be shut now. You are right, it's no surprise really.

Guess Khon Kaen is the best option now.

With 3 (THREE) flights to Krung Thep every day!

Yes, by Thai Airways

Think it might be time for an enterprising company to start airport hopping with a turboprop aircraft.

All companies are tapping the same routes: anywhere to Bangkok and back!

Why not try other routes?

Why not Pattaya-Khon Kaen-Chiang Mai and back?

One ATR-72, two return flights a day with a stop in KK?

KK-CM at least 6-8 buses a day, KK-Pat 10-12 buses a day.

As I read it, and being just an amateur, he is looking at Thailand through German tinted spectacles.

And really, there is nothing against that outlook on life, if you are a German.

He tries to convene the self-image of being a a man with a helicopter view, but he is not!

He is typical German, and I mean no offense, longing for a strong leader, strong authority.

Whatever he says, his "love"is the reds, not the yellows, and not in between.

And being a member of the Krupp family is not really a pre!

Most certainly not if a member of the Krupp dynasty is favouring the poor!

Strong leadership, from whatever side, of any country, is something to be very careful of.

And Krupp was and is most certainly in favour of strong leadership using the masses to reach the ultimate goal.

The best government for any country, but also the most difficult, is a coalition.

I also fondly remember the Bangkok Post from 20 years ago and used to read it daily when I was in Bangkok, these days I don't live near shops selling it so tend to browse online.

It's competitor The Nation is an insult to the intelligence, fortunately it does find readers that are incapable of being insulted. Interesting that it is the main source of information here, but will resiost the temptation to eleborate, lets just say TV knows its audience.

Please, do eleborate!

That said, one day I read the Bangkok Post, the other day I read The Nation

In reality, I don't see very much difference.

They are both not suitable to compete for the much coveted "Newspaper Of The Year" title.

So, please feel free to substitute BP for TN in your quip.

Maybe I read the article wrong, but the biggest drop is on bulk sales and newsagents.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I guess those two tend to cater for tourists from abroad?

I seem to remember the decline of tourism was around that mark

I beg to differ. It is not the number of policemen/women on duty, it is not all the laws, it is not all the crackdowns that make the road safer.

It is a good education in road safety, a good course for getting a driving license, and self discipline of drivers.

The fact that those people have managed to grow the tulips at allis a wonder on itself.

The bulbs came from Dutch growers and are in fact not suited to the Thai climate.

My wife tried several times to raise bulbs to flowers and succeeded.......for one day only.

Managed to find a picture of the bathtub in the Plieger website

Love him or hate him you have to admire this guy, he is larger than life.

And the biggest thorn in the side of the current government by far.

Thailand maybe?