bkkmick

I'm sure that you're all correct, but, I've been driving for 5 years just using my old (tattered) UK driving licence. Been stopped many times over the years and the BiB have never queried it.

I'm with Tuky and Manjara. Happily married with two daughters here in Bangkok. (The international school fees do hurt Manjara!).

I can't believe that no one at a company the size of Microsoft thought to check THIS?.

Got to make you think twice about getting Vista.

In 1996 I got a 4 week job installing communications kit at domestic airports around Thailand. Every few days I'd fly from Chiang Mai to an airport, spend the day there trying to communicate with the locals getting wiring pulled through roof spaces etc. installing the comms card. Then flying back to Chiang Mai to wait for the next airport to say they were ready. Pretty weird job when you don't speak Thai. I remember being at a restaurant (cafe) somewhere near Khon Kaen (I think). The menu was in Thai without any pictures and I sat there flapping my arms and making chicken noises to order food (much to the amusement of all the people sitting around me - I'm 6'3" so I kind of stood out a bit).

No utilitiy bills required. Just driving licence, credit card and voucher (if pre-paid). Try http://www.fastcarhire.co.uk (Suvarnabhuni forum sponsers).

I must admit that I'm with Terry here. Many foreigners (myself included) with families and settled here have no intention of going anywhere, even one guy who has done his three 30 day visas in a row has gotten himself a new 60 day straight away, so he's not going anywhere either.

Having said that there are always some poor bastards that have to leave for one reason or another and my heart goes out to them. Poor sod.

I just renewed my Non-Im "O" - Thai wife 5.5 years...all same as before...i.e. you must have 400k baht in the bank (and be prepared to leave it in your account until you actually receive your visa - they'll expect to see your bank book printed out with the balance there) or prove that your wife earns 40k+ per month. Good luck.

Shouldn't really get involved in this, but after reading this story I couldn't resist.

If you want Japanese women (and it looks like they might want you too), take your arse down to a gay soi:

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/news/...0dm013000c.html

Yep, all the channels have changed. It took me about 10 minutes this morning re-organising them to how I like it.

Does anyone know why they changed the channel numbers (gone up from 99 channels to 136)? Was it just a technical thing like new equipment or are they making room for more new channels? (that would be nice).

I've had the breakfast in XChange too...good gear, well worth the money.

When you can have a laugh with a bloke in a skirt that has bigger boobs than your mrs.

I think that a great descriptive phrase is ท้องเสีย (Thong See-a) for diarrhea. It translates to 'Broken stomach'

'

There's also the small island of Koh Se Chang. Not much to do but, if you've nothing better to do one day, worth a boat ride. Turn right just after Chon Buri, stop at the water and take a ferry.

There's also http://www.thebigchillicompany.com/ they produce a monthly magazine...

Don't forget Satellek (or something sounding like that) - it's about a katoey volley-ball team. Quite a good laugh - went to see it in the cinema with the Mrs.

I read all the remours about a possible new coup yesterday. Then, last night, outside the Irish XChange on Soi Convent there were half a dozen soldiers with their rifles sitting eating. I drunkenly asked the leader of the group in broken (read drunken) Thai "Wanne mee coup mai?" (Today have a coup? - or there abouts)...he laughed and said no and then something about keeping franang safe (or something like that).

Almost five years ago when my first kid was about 9 months old I was out boozing with some friends while my Mrs was looking after the kid.

I was down Patpong (a bit drunk, amazingly) and got a phone call from the wife: "Buy some Pampers before you come home", no problem.

When I had finished my evening I went into Foodland to get the Pampers. I walked around the isles and found the section. After looking for a while I called over an assistant. I asked her in my best Thai "Me yai gwar mai?" (do you have bigger?)...She looked confused, obviously not understanding my Thai, so I gestured with my hands the size of my daugheter "this height, this width" - she still didn't understand...I kept saying bigger (yai gwar) and gesturing...finally she got what I was on about and led me around the corner to a different isle and pointed to the Pampers. Great, I got the size. Then I wondered what I was looking at...I was at the tampon/tampax area. The packaging is the same, blue plastic tight wrapped packages.

I wondered why the girl was looking so confused when I was pointing at the tampax saying "bigger, this height".

Made me laugh anyway.

I've been going to Patpong a day or two every week for years now (colleagues have an office nearby, handy to meet up after work).

I've only ever seen two fights there, both Thai vs Thai (I stopped one fight when one Thai guy was on the ground and the other was standing there kicking him - the gathered crowd weren't too happy with me, but I couldn't let it go on).

Noone I know has ever had a problem there.

When I was in my early teens I "decided" for myself that, as no one could explain infinity that they just replaced the concept of infinity with god.

Make it easier for them to accept things.

I never looked back from that day.

No bah humbug here...with two kids it has been a two week santa countdown. Tomorrow haveing 10 adults (50/50 Thai farang) and 3 kids for christmas dinner. 18lb turkey waiting to be cooked by barbeque...All sorts of booze...I'm ready...

Hi

I was talking to someone at True a while back about networking some PC's in my house and they said that I couldn't use ports 3 and 4 that they were reserved for something else. No problem, I used a lan hub and it worked fine.

Two questions to you brilliant people out there:

1. What are ports 3 and 4 for? (I have a Billiion Wireless-G)

2. Wireless signal is hard to catch upstairs - is there a device out there that can boost the signal?

Thanks in advance.

Mick

www.fastcarhire.co.uk have depots around Thailand. I've used them for car hire in Bangkok and Pattaya. They're quite cheap.

There once was a vampire called Mable

Whose period was extremely unstable

One late afternoon

She sat down with a spoon

And drank herself under the table

I think that a lot of people here in Thailand use the ATM to pay bills that's why they can take a long time.

My wife had both our two kids at BNH. Dr Boonlaert for pre-birth treatment and Dr Kwangmwang for post birth treatment. Both really professional. All in all a great hospital.

(apologies to doctors for spelling)