hansnl

Now, would this be the first Governmental organisation that finds out that maybe farang tourists bring more money per head to Thailand as Asian tourists?

I was trying to book for Thai Air to Vietnam for July, they had an offer on with a link from their main page, this would have allowed me to book to vietnam return for 5030 baht. I got busy and didnt book so the next day I tried to book, the link was still there so I clicked it and it basically kept me on the main page where the price was now 11,000 baht.

I called Thai and asked them about this and they said the seats must have been sold, so I thought ok, the seats have been sold, so I asked why they still have the link for the special deal on the main page, If I had not seen the price the previous day I could click this special deal link and think the 11,000 baht was the special deal and book.

Just pointing it out as I don't think it is a fair practice and hopefully someone else won't book thinking it is a deal, anyway i found return flights with Air France for 5160 baht with roughly the same departure times etc

If you see an offer like that, book it immediately.

If you cannot book directly and want to book a later day. book from another IP-address!

Chance is that it will still be available.

RELAX FARANG RELAX

just as the promotional discounts in hotels for THAI ONLY, these rates will not be for you farang

THAI RAK THAI .... so it is for THAI PEOPLE ONLY

On the other hand, tickets from farangland to Thailand are generally very much cheaper as tickets the other way around.

While farang only can generally get tickets from Thailand and back cheaper, if they know the way, as Thai people can not do.

Also on the other hand, a lot of Thai people are also smarting because less farang are coming to Thailand.

And yes, most farang are not so stupid to believe "promotionals".

Concluding, you are just jealous.

I'm after one of these to slice my own bead and bacon.

Any idea where I may get one in BKK and the cost?

Last time in BKK I saw one for about 5000 B in Robinson Sukhumvit.

Driving with no number plates.....Doh!!

When I was in Khon Kaen visiting friends I rented a bike from one of the rental shops near the hotel and it had no plates whatsoever. I asked the owner about this and he said no problem so I rode it around for days and was never stopped.

Interestingly, my friend recently told me there are 12 year old kids driving cars to school in Khon Kaen.

Ahhhhhhh.......Khon Kaen

All true!

wonder if the 'ambassador' will get summoned to explain this one.

way to lose face for your host.

The only people losing face about Thaksin are in Thailand. The Anti-Democrats of Thailand cannot have this icon of democratic electoral legitimacy running about continually reminding the world of their illegitimacy. If I was hoisted into power through non-electoral means, and need militia type protection any time I venture outside Bangkok, I wouldn't want someone running around reminding people of when it was otherwise - legitimate and able to travel about in his own country without protection.

*Yawn*

Thaksin never was and never will be pro-democracy. To claim so is to expose ones ignorance. You mustn't have lived her under his rule or gained such favors that your didn't care who or what rights that got trampled on.

But I am sure that by the time this post is sent to the site via the [Add Reply]-button you are already on your todays 7th post of propaganda-writing in several different treads with no interest whatsoever to back anything up with facts but to paint the same picture again and again, hoping that repetition will make the lie become true.

So according to you I am exposing my ignorance Huh! I write knowledgably my friend with exactly that - historical fact. I am not propagandizing my fellowposter and friend. It is not me "parrotting" the English language media. Backing up with facts and evidence? - try me, lets get it on. where do we start? I will enjoy debating with you or anyone else. I caution you however, that my cause is the cause of one-person-one-vote electoral democracy, of which icon Thaksin has the best record here in Thailand.

No party in Thailand, by whatever means, had a 51% majority in the last elections.

Which means, that any government formed will be one based on more-party get together.

All governments bar the first after the coup were formed in this way.

So, indeed, all governments formed since then were legal.

Mr Thaksin may be an icon for a lot of people, but he is also an negative example for a lot of other people.

The fact that Mr Abhisit has to travel around surrounded by security, is really a shame, and not worthy of a democratic country

But, let us face it and ask the one million dollar question:

Who will really trust politicians?

Owners of at least 15 four- and five-star hotels in tourist cities are looking to sell their business to Chinese investors after being hard hit by the global economic crisis and the A(H1N1) flu pandemic, Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungruang said on Monday.

"Chinese investors are preparing to buy 15 or 16 four- and five-stars hotels in Thailand for 1,200-1,500 million baht each because the economic crisis and the flu have caused a sharp drop in their revenue.

''The owners of those hotels face cash flow problems. Many of them are not able to repay their due debts.''

Most of the tourist hotels in financial trouble were in Pattaya, Bangkok and Khon Kaen, said Mr Charnchai.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1487...inese-investors

-- Bangkok Post 13/07/09

Read the whole article and shudder!

what is the policy for fat farangs that snore?

Same as for any other snoring guy or girl, Thai, Chinese or whatever race or nationality, they will be kindly asked to stop snoring.

The Train Inn. 450 to 900 baht. 2 minutes from the station, complete with "smork detectors."

Had a look at the website of the Inn.

Indeed, they have smork detectors.

Good.

Now, I wonder, is it any good?

I am also a Krung Thai Bank customer, holding a golden plastic card with the well-known VISA logo on it. However, this card cannot be used online. This was the message from KTB's customer support, who I called after asking three employees of the branch in Patong, Phuket. They weren't able to understand "PayPal" and "Internet", all they said was "yes, this is a VISA card".

The nice guy in customer support told me only Bangkok Bank supplies VISA cards usable on the Internet, but I don't know if other banks support it as well. I would like to know.

/Lux

The KTB visa card is not a real credit card but a glorified debit card.

There seems to be a KTB master card, a real credit card.

Never applied for it, still use my Dutch one, real one.

In Singapore, most people still consider Thaksin the best leader Thailand ever had. Very similar to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

That just shows how grateful they are for shin corp?

How about those zillions of 'Toms' that came out of the woodwork in the last few years..?

They definitely outnumber gays in my eyes...

Just looking at the female population of the university in Khon Kaen, the number of girls (trying to be) manly, is awfully big.

I am not in the business of making a problem of anyone's sexuality, but I get a feeling that the number of young people in Thailand " in the wrong body", as they say, seems to be very big, I think maybe more than 10-15 %.

I just wonder, is it "en vogue", or real?

Compare to this to the number of fat fuc_k farangs in Thailand that are also "in" the wrong body every night!!! In their own country they would be "in" the body of a similarly obese jerry springer guest - but in thailand......

Sir, you are a badmouthed bore.

Your use of the English language has a perverse leaning to the four letter word you use so freely.

The way you behave in writing is just the reason why English people get such a bad press wherever they go.

@Churchill (original poster) Great posting !

@sheikxhoni - Finally, someone who 'tells it like they see it'. I couldn't agree more that the men here need to be more like 'men',. respecting their women - not degrading and abusing them, they need to loose the girlie shirts and tight black jeans, lead their families and be men of their words.

@ robblok, christcourt, norwayeagle - if you don't see a problem with the Katoys,.. you need to open your eyes. Being something you're not, whether it's a masculan-wanna-be-male lesbian or a danty-feminine-lady-boy is damaging to any countries social standards. (norwayeagle - you especially need to seek some help my friend)

@ verydumbubba - well, I think your name says it all... well chosen.

@ IanForbes - get real. Yes, averages and statisitics can be misleading.. but come on, the point of this post is that people here don't see what the effects of some of their actions are. See below ..

@ geriatrickid - great point about the corruption... and well said. It's sad that Thailand is continued to be viewed as a struggling-3rd-world-country.. when it could be so much more.. and I do NOT mean more commercialized, I mean more Thai,.. more of what the Thai people are 'said' to stand for..

@ tomyamgoong - first of all, learn how to write in ENGLISH, on an english board. Secondly, your simply ignorant if you can sit there and honestly say that there's not rroom for serious improvement in these two areas - corruption and feminine men. If that is truly your position, then maybe it is you who is in the deepest hole of all..

@ Scott - you have some good points.. and I think mainly, making sure this ISN'T a 'senseless debate between the superiority of men to women or vice versa'.. is very valid. However, no one said anything about superiority.. the OP and second poster are referring to CHARACTER.. the character of men in this country is, by all definitions in the world, has been very acceptable to be feminine and corrupt - maybe not in the same person mind you . They are two extremes, the katoy character is denying the responsibility of being a supporter and leader by being feminine and 'soft', the corrupt character is excercising a power and control kick to take advantage of people to their own benefit.. both are equally damaging.

@ JR Texas - couldn't have said it better myself.. parents need to take responsiblity for educating their children about morals, ethics, etc.. Gotta start somewhere..

The truth of the matter is Thais could care less if the government is corrupt as long as it improves their way of life... this shows a MAJOR opportunity for improvement in the thought processes of these people. Thailand is a beautiful country, with a wonder culture and great people.. they deserver to live a better life - even if they don't know what that means, what it 'looks like' or how to get there. Take, for example, the concept of accepting a corrupt government as long as it improves your personal way of life.. sounds great.. EXCEPT, when YOU end up on the other end of that corruption.. not so fun. Not working out as you had planned. Hence, a little education on the effects of some of their actions and choices, especially when intended to help improve that same way of life, should be offered when possible. Couple this with the widely acceptable femininity of males.. and you have a social development problem.. which you can see effects of almost anywhere in Thailand. If the men here were more honorable, respectable and 'took care of business',.. the women wouldn't be flogging themselves at every foreigner that walks by. It's not like this in other coutries, EVEN WHERE PROSTIUTION IS LEGAL! So, you can't put it off on, 'They just do it to make money, etc.'. No, they do it for lack of a decent selection in the local 'dating pool' !

I would apologize for the rant, or if this offends someone, but to be blunt... I don't mind if it offends you, as long as you can see that there is truly a problem here,.. that maybe you, I or someone we know will have the opportunity to help these wonderful people truly improve their lives and relationships. All in all... I think the intention of everyone on this board, aside from those less endowed with mental ability, is to HELP Thailand.. not hurt it.

Cheers

I wonder what Devine Power gave you the right to "HELP" Thailand. I smell imperialism.

You should have your nose checked.. this ISN'T about me, or you.. it's about helping others.. Heck, even if you want to be totally self seeking here do it for that fact that what goes around comes around.. either way,.. you got to look at the intention here.. the orig poster and second poster have valid points.. whether you choose to see that or not, is your decision. And for what it's worth, half of my family is Thai..so, yes, I am familiar with the Thai and the Farang side of these issues.. and it does effect everyone..

5555! Quiet an achievement I dare say. Many people's families on this forum are half Thai I am married to a Thai, for years already I live a Thai life amidst my Thai family of 12, in a totally Thai extremely modest fishermans' family accommodation far south, where I am happy to see no more than one farang every week.

Its' a chosen life : I still own 2 businesses, a house and an appartment in Europe, and a villa in Phuket, but I sleep on the floor with 16 others in a small one room house with no glass in the windows. All because I love my Thai family and friends more than anything else.

By the way, you don't live in Thailand, you live on Phuket that is referred to by Thai as "farang country". I have many Thai friends on Phuket, but I am sad to have to admit they all have become all half farang. It was such an alien place to my inlaws when i first showed them around. They see it as our(farang) province, and after the first days of excitement they didn't really like what they saw after all. They wanted to go home early.

For the record : At home there are many katoey too, they have been a part of Thai society for a thousand years. The Phuket katoey were not the reason the inlaws didnt like the island. But the -in their Thai eyes -loud, impolite, arrogant, bad mannered, bad mouthed, disrespectful and agressive farang were. It was all I heard during the ride home, and i was ashamed to be farang too. The inlaws were curious, have seen Phuket now, and will probably not return.

You and the likes, who try to influence the Thai ways, are the reason why farang are becoming increasingly impopular in Thailand, why we will never have the right to own land here, and why farang never will be granted the same rights as Thai. Thais do not like the fact that we are here if we do not embrace the Thai culture full heartedly, they merely only tolerate you because they can make money out of you. No wonder you dont like their ways.

If you want to turn this place into "little America", why did you come here in the first place? Why did you not retire to Texas? You are farang, and have no right to judge or interfere. That would be imperialism.

Like you I live in a Thai family, be it not so basic as you describe your life.

Unlike you, I have only my Thai life.

But your life being basic Thai, not true, you still live halfway Europe and Thailand

However, you paint a general picture about farang, just as easily as farang could paint a general picture of the Thai.

Both are wrong!

My wife has seen some of Europe, I have discussed with her about my beliefs and ideas, and indeed, she knows that some farang ideas are better as Thai beliefs, while I admit that a lot of the Thai ideas and beliefs are better.

The part you write after "You and the likes" paints it all.

If Thailand wants to stand alone in a changing world and wants to cling to the old and proven concepts, it will find out that the world will turn away from Thailand, and that would be very bad for the poorer part of the population.

The fact of not being able to own land in Thailand places it in a bind, because the surrounding countries tend to have less trouble with that.

That I don't have the same rights as Thai people is a fact I can live with, I am not Thai.

I most certainly do not want to change Thailand into a "little America or Europe"

You, on the other hand, you enjoy your local life in Thailand, and from time to time you go back to the hectic of Europe.

And from that position you think you can generalise all farang.

You are very wrong, most farang live in Thailand because they want to live here, and behave themselves

They do not want to change Thailand into US/Europe.

But, unlike you, they see the wrongs of Thailand very clearly.

Unlike you they see that those wrongs are not only wrong to the farang, but most of all to the Thai people.

Unlike you, they understand that parts of Thailand have changed into something that is not Thailand any more.

And only because so many Thai people earn a living for themselves and their families.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

The reasons why farang are becoming increasingly impopulair, as you say, might be very different from what you think.

Although, personally, I don't get that idea for myself.

Now ask your Thai family, if they could choose between the life now have and a life with a European/US flavour including the money, what will they do?

The "unwashed" (very inaccurate) backpackers who develop a relationship with Thailand at 19 are the ones who will return on their honeymoon in their twenties, family holidays in their thirties and forties, conventions in their fifties and retirement in their sixties, each time increasing their spending. It's too bad that the politicians can't think beyond the short term.

Ahhhhhhhh

You see it.

I see it.

Loads of other people see it.

But the Thai people, do they see it?

Not only the above, but you forgot to mention the positive influence from these people on other would be holidaymakers.

The contrarotating turboprop might be the future.

Back to basics.

The new turboprops engines can fly 20% cheaper and with nearly the same speed as jets,

It is murmured that a lot of builders are thinking about the change to turboprops.

Maybe the end of jet powered airplanes?

I print some photos and it is so much easier for my volumes to do this at home so I want an all in one. Thes both have seperate inks so no issues with the 3 ink cartridges and I believe the Canon has the smaller ink pixel at 1.0 versus 1.3 on the HP.

The HP is slightly cheaper but the paper tray is permanently open from what I've seen whereas the Canon can be closed up, thus keeping out the dust etc.

Anyone know anything about these ? Any thoughts ?

HP C6380 http://www.johnlewis.com/230576268/Product.aspx

Canon MP620 http://www.johnlewis.com/230504818/Product.aspx

Canon MP630 http://www.johnlewis.com/230504817/Product.aspx

I've used John Lewis in the UK as links because it has decent product information but the available prices are much closer in reality.

For what it might be worth, my opinion.

The choice in all in ones is getting staggering.

I use several printers, a Canon 4000iX, a Canon 820, a brother DCP 130C and a Brother MFC 240 C.

I just "pensioned off" a HP2000, and a HP 450C, more or less because I did not really use both any more, they only gave me heartache.

All my printers are equipped with Inkman inkt system (tanks)

I guess I print about 100 pages A3, 500 pages A4, and maybe 150 fotos each month, or more when a project is running.

The best service, qualitywise, is the Canon.

Before the 4000iX, which is an A3 printer, I used Epson, Lexmark and Canon printers.

Most of the time the Epson gave up far before the Canon.

The Lexmark was very expensive to run, did not accept non-Lexmark supplies, but this was a printer where you could chuck in the paper, never mind, the machine straightened the stock and each seperate page.

But bloody expensive, no inktanks possible, and recharging the cartridges was a problem.

The Brother printers, for the price, give good service and surprising quality.

I had a few problems with Brother printers I brought from Holland, but those problems were either solved by Brother in Khon Kaen, or in the case of one machine, a generous exchange was made.

The Brothers bought in Thailand, they just run, and run, and run.......very boring.

I never had to bring in the Canon printers, no problems at all.

The HP and Epson printers were a bore!

The quality of the prints were nice, if they worked.

I just bought the Brother A3 MFC-6490CW (Fax, A3 scanner, A3 printer, 2 paper trays) for the office of a friend.

Brother KK sold me the machine.

Wireless net, cabled net, USB connections.

If it is half as good as Brother tells me, I will be in for a treat.

It is a big machine, but very nicely priced (B9500)

In short, in my view, Canon top in quality and reliability.

Brother no 2

Lexmark no 3

Epson and HP last.

So, up to you.

What is a tutorial school ?

after school extra study - quite common

Ahhhhhhhhhh.....the extra income generating sideline for teachers!

How about those zillions of 'Toms' that came out of the woodwork in the last few years..?

They definitely outnumber gays in my eyes...

Just looking at the female population of the university in Khon Kaen, the number of girls (trying to be) manly, is awfully big.

I am not in the business of making a problem of anyone's sexuality, but I get a feeling that the number of young people in Thailand " in the wrong body", as they say, seems to be very big, I think maybe more than 10-15 %.

I just wonder, is it "en vogue", or real?

It's a good little machine, but as is usual with Thailand it is far more expensive here than in the USA. Works out to $480 which is $100 more than you can get from Amazon with free shipping (in US). Also, it is being phased out as there are two newer models available.

Oh really, cheaper from Amazon, and free shipping, all in the US?

How very interesting.

But, like so many of us, we happen to live in Thailand, have no connection whatsoever with the US, will probably never go there.

So, pray, what is the use of your snippet of info?

Just to tell us that everything in the US is cheaper, better, taller, etc, etc.

A lot of us know about that too.

Since loosing lot of money, a job, a pension & various other woes, because the US seems to be the world leader in financial troubles too.

Still, a very reliable netbook!

G'day Trend Setters.

A fair bit has been posted about A/N netbook lately.

Saw it today at Chi Chang at the plaza

for 15 943 THB including tax. Samsung

are also having a promotion and are throwing

in a free DVD external writer and case

Not a bad buy for those who are interested.

Regards

Will

And why do planets keep " hanging " in black space material, without falling down?

how do you define 'down' when talking about space, and i hate to state the obvious, but how is this Thailand related?

Ask a Thai, and his/her answer will probably be something like; it ain't Thailand.

If a Thai person lies to other Thai people, they all know lies are told.

But it would be a loss of face for both sides to not accept what is lied.

Ergo, Thai people are not trained in making a good lie and sticking to it.

The farang on the other hand..........

And the point is...?

*******

I would figure that I would prefer one or more of 300 to 400 souls on board the aircraft be an emergency consultant rather than an aircraft engineer.

Well the point is, the doctor could not have fixed the aircraft, and the engineer would not have been able to handle the medical emergency, so I guess both flights got lucky.

I just wonder what would have happened to both flights in the air?

Maybe it is time to get the third man (technical) back with the pilots, and a doctor or a good medic in the passenger cabin.

The aircraft are getting bigger and bigger, now 500+ is getting the norm.

The chance medical help is needed is growing!

Time for airlines to train at least one of the crew as a medic?

Or, much more simple, hire an EMS-nurse (male/female) and double as a flight attendant.

I think those big square white plastic tanks hold 100 Litres. How much would that weigh. Would it be too heavy for 7'x4' 750KG trailer? Could the pick up handle it? Driving off road and skidding around I wouldn't want it to tip over.

Where did you buy your trailer???????

Your mobile should have an option to enable or disable sending of the caller ID. Go to the settings menu for calls, disable it and call another mobile to check if it works. This is country-independent, but the roaming network must support it.

Not supported in Thailand, if shut caller ID of, calls will not go through!

The software in the mobile does not always work.

Try #31#08-xxxx xxxx

Maybe it works, it should, being GSM

07 July 2009 Run on air in June.

In June there was a run on tickets. The number of bookings increased by 60 percent,according to ticketshop Vliegtickets.nl ,compared with June last year. Holidaymakers looked in April and May by the recession is the cat from the tree But the hesitation disappeared last month with the historically low flight prices and volatile weather. Also the cancellation of the flight tax on July 1 helped a bit, according to the website. This tax ranged from 11.25 to 45 euros.Popular destinations this year Bangkok, Barcelona and Lisbon.

Source:http://www.nos.nl/nos/artikelen/2009/07/art000001C9FEE9FBF1E267.html (in dutch)

Any given year there is a run on tickets just before the start of the holiday season in the Netherlands.

Quite normal.

This year it seems to be a bit more as other years.

Probably because a lot of people waited to book for various reasons.

However, don't forget that the total is still 30-40 % below last year. (for Thailand)

And of course the industry will make a lot of noise about the abolition of the ticket tax.

They had to, because the noise they made about that stupid tax to get lost of it, was hilarious and utter nonsense.

We will see at the end of the year!