pete_r

So I see on Bloomberg that the "offshore" rate is around 32, yet any other banking service has the rate in the mid 34's. Why the huge difference and how can I get in on this?

On a very recent trip to the UK via Singapore, I changed Thai Baht for 400 pounds sterling at Bangkok airport. I was aware of the difference in offshore rates and just for interest, once arriving at Singapore airport, I enquired about how much the Baht equivalent would have given me after first having to change into Singapore dollars then to pounds. It worked out to around 370 pounds so for me there was no advantage whatsoever. Changing Baht in London would have been a joke as the spread is unbelievably wide and to add insult they also charge commission. I think for the ordinary person this disparity between offshore and onshore rates has no benefit.

Same conclusion for the Euro. The offshore rate hoovers around 44 Bahts / Euro, but at Paris airport you need 51 Bahts to buy 1 Euro (as of 15 May). Better to change at Bangkok airport at the onshore rate of 46-47 Bahts / Euro.

In the last 10 days or so the number of messages in my spam folder dropped from the usual 100-120 to around 30 (automatic deletion is set for messages older than 7 days). I'd be curious to know if it could be related to the spammer's arrest?

So, who threw who in the fire? The title of the thread doesn't match with the content of the article.

Elephants will also be barred from entering Bangkok at this time.

What IS it with the legal action against elephants?

Trojan elephants?

IMO they are really asking for trouble with this kind of power demonstration...

Yessir - they sure are. On purpose? I wonder..

If one really wanted to avoid trouble, wouldn't it be better to downplay the whole thing in advance? Why telegraph everything by bullhorn? I'm sure some will say 'because they wan to scare everyone away from protesting..' But like I said above, I wonder..

That reminds me... Last time violence was that imminent, it was before an anti-Thaksin protest planned by the PAD on 20 September 2006. Then the tanks moved in supposedly to pre-empt the unrest.

Yes, but the way I see it is that most of the problems are Thaksin related. He is very clever and if only he had applied himself to helping Thailand instead of helping himself. Then Thailand would be in a far better position that it is now.

[cut for brevity]

I do not agree with you, I think it is a huge overstatement to contribute everything that is going wrong now in Thailand to the former Prime minister. The present governments hysteria regarding everything to do with Thaksin, is a sign of moral, political and practical weakness on their part, they know they can not defend their position in an enviroment of free debate, so they outlaw free speech.

[cut for brevity]

Have a very nice day.

Kind regards

Larvidchr, my applause to that.

He ain't no saint, but all the problems cropping up since last September cannot be all his fault, can they?

A picture tells a thousand words.

Taken from Chong Nonsi BTS 15th April, 2007.

I rest my case.

I was at Chon Nonsi station today: The entrance of the Infinity will be literally 20 meters away from the stairs to the Skytrain station. No wonder it is sold out.

Gulf of Thailand won't rise with global warming, expert claims

Apr 23, 2007, 3:03 GMT

Bangkok - Global warming is not likely to cause the sea level in the Gulf of Thailand to rise because the body of water is too far from melting glaciers, a leading Thai hydrologist claimed on Monday.

(...)

Asia-Pacific news

So much for the expert, then.

The whole thread is here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=117475

Thaigoon, is there a fixed day and time for the switching off of the lights in Bangkok? It would be nice to know so every one who wants could participate.

One issue with gasohol and older cars (and possibly aircrafts) is that some parts of the motor that get in contact with the fuel are made of rubber or plastic that ethanol can dissolve (seals for example). If gasohol is used regularly, these plastic parts get damaged and fuel starts to leak.

The rule of thumb is that cars less than 10 years old are designed to withstand up to 15-20% ethanol in the fuel without trouble, but it's better to check with the manufacturer.

Mai ko jai... Is it a new kind of scam? Or are they trying to copy Thaksin, flashing money outside the country? Trying to get rid of all those dollars the BOT has been accumulating? Or just someone somewhere getting 10%???

//Edit: Or maybe they genuinely want to restore this palace far away?

Positive airflow is the antithesis of good cooling. Why? Think of it this way: which produce more lift, a heliocopter (which utilises postive airflow by displacing air downwards from the rotors) or a fixed wing aircraft (which utilises negative airflow by creating a vaccum under the wings)? For the same size engine, which can lift more?

Sorry... Cannot resist... Fixed wing aircrafts can fly because a zone of lower pressure is created above the wing, while a zone of higher pressure is created under the wing. If it was the other way round, the aircraft wouldn't even take off...

Here is a solar dryer seen at AIT: A flat box (WxLxH about 100x200x5cm) with a glass top, inclined about 30 degrees, with the top and bottom walls left open (covered with a mosquito-net to stop insects). Stuff to dry goes in the box, and the theory is that the air heated inside will flow out the top wall and evacuate moisture, while drier air will be sucked in from the bottom wall.

I'm not sure the system is much more efficient than open air sun-drying, but maybe better to protect the fruits in case of sudden rain.

When I took the picture there was leftover food drying, which they later compact to make a kind of solid fuel.

A suggestion: Say "We can talk about anything, except money."

I've seen it work once, between two Thai people.

I spoke too soon. Prices appear to have been raised by 40 satang/litre today. In Chiang Mai: regular unleaded (91) is now 30.34 baht/litre, premium unleaded (95) is 31.14 baht/litre.

For whatever reason, whenever there is a petrol price increase, an increment of 40 satang/litre seems to be the increment most often used.

In Bangkok the regular (91) is 29.59 baht/litre and the premium (95) is 30.39 baht/liter after the increase yesterday. The gasohol (95) is 28.89 baht/liter.

Reminds me of this one:

A biologist, a physicist and a mathematician are sitting in a train. Through the window they see a horse galloping in a field.

The biologist starts: "The horse is breathing, oxygen is carried by the blood to the muscles where it reacts with glucose, resulting in the production of energy to contract the muscles. Meanwhile electric signals travel from the brain along the nerves to coordinate the contraction of the muscles. These phenomena together allow the horse to run."

The physicist adds: "The weight of the horse puts pressure on the ground, which is balanced by a reaction force. As the horse moves its legs up and down, it applies additional forces on the ground. If you do the sum of these forces, you'll find that the resulting force is directed forward and is equal to the weight of the horse multiplied by its acceleration, and so the horse can run."

The mathematician is silent for a while. Then he says: "Firstly, let us assume that the horse is a sphere..."

I used to go to the Thai airways booking office at Don Muang for my missing miles. They took the documents they needed (mainly the boarding pass and copies of passport and royal orchid member card) and forwarded them to their main office. The miles took two weeks to one month to be credited.

I haven't had missing miles since the move to Suvarnabhumi, so can't tell if it works the same there.

In today's The Nation is an article about a Chulalongkorn University professor and former dean of the Law School, Bowornsak Uwanno. He apparently was also in Thaksin's Cabinet.

In short, he advocates that poor people should have no voting right.

[...]

But the cynical views of this professor about the so-called poor people of Thailand are really alarming!

A relatively common opinion among the elite, I'm afraid. I've had a few lively discussions with a professor holding similar ideas in the past year.

We managed to agree that the key was to improve education, but the question why this hasn't been done by the successive governments in the last decades was left unanswered.

// Edit: I might add that the impression I keep from these talks is not a wish for a better democracy, but for poor people to vote the way the elite want them too. And if they don't, then they should have no voting right (which is very consistent with the events of last September).

In Bangkok markets limes were selling for 5 to 7 Baht a piece last month (end of the dry season, so low supply). One seller mentioned that some plantations supplying Bangkok may have suffered during the floods last year, which also pushed the prices higher than usual.

Aphids are insects sucking the sap of plants.

The prime minister's office confirmed on Thursday afternoon it had moved to shut down Confidante Radio, Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship and Taxi Driver Community Radio, saying they were operating illegally and were jeopardising national security.

- AFP

If one has to shut up to have national security, is national security worth having?

I could understand if there was an army preparing to invade from a neighboring country, but just one man living in the UK (however rich he may be)???

My partner just told me that we do take the 95 octane in gazohol too - and that they do indeed have 91 & 95 octane gazohol. Obviously I'm more ignorant of practicalities than I thought.

In Bangkok, gasohol 95 was introduced about a year ago. I started to notice gasohol 91 at some pumps since January this year (Shell first, and more recently PTT).

Gasohol 91 is only 30 satangs cheaper per liter than gasohol 95.

We visited the PB Valley winery too and they did mention that the high tax on alcohol, even locally produced, was a problem.

Where in Bangkok? We have a contractor doing the kitchen at the moment. Good work quality (not outstanding) and I find his prices rather low, 25000 Bahts for the work and building materials (bricks, concrete, pipes, wires...). We supply the tiles, counter top, sink etc (all the visible parts) ourselves. He is based in Nonthaburi.

So whats wrong with Nuclear power then? Perfectly safe and better for the environment than coal/fuel/gas powered plants. Wind Farms are an eyesore (and not sure they could be used in Thailand anyway). Perhaps I'm biased though...worked at BNFL Engineering and Sellafield in the past and theres nothing wrong with me at all!

Perhaps... I would like to hear opinions from people who worked at Chernobyl.

Thailand advised to urgently reconsider nuclear power option

Agreed ,

and until the military can store munitions successfully ,

leave things alone ............................................................

Good one

As Mahout Angrit said, do show the British marriage certificate (bring the original together with a copy) AND a proof of your British citizenship (copy of your passport). It makes the visa application process easier as well as cheaper.

Any document indicating that she does not intend to stay in France can help too, for example the copy of the return ticket to Thailand and a letter from you (with your contact details) explaining the purpose of the visit to France.

A proof of financial means is also required, typically a copy of bank book with a large sum or a regular income.

Another requirement is a travel insurance. My wife uses BUPA, they have an office in the Q-building on Convent street, not far from the French consulate in Bangkok (about 1600 Bahts for 2 weeks travel).

Documents in English are accepted, but any document in Thai should be translated in French or English before the application (children's birth certificates for example). The Alliance Francaise inside the French consulate provides a translation service at competitive prices.

The process should take 5 to 7 working days.